To be near unto God - pagina 71

People will enjoy our belongings and take pleas^ ure with our goods. They will honor our ideas and adorn themselves with flowers from our garden. They will praise our deeds without stint, but they hold themselves aloof from every personal touch. No trace of affection for us can be discovered in their heart. No sympathy for us can be observed in anything they do. They show no desire to have personal knowledge of us. The reason for this, no doubt, in many cases, is to be found with the person himself. We can admire a man, honor him, praise his works and his life,

and yet say, affection."

"He

is

man

no

to invite personal

This, however, can not be the case with God. alone is adorable. He is the highest Good. He

He

Love.

is

In

He is And when

everything

eternally to be desired.

loveable

and

in spite of

all

God

complains, "They would have none of ]^e," it is directed against our heart and against our faith. In words of deepest feeling it expresses God's grief over our disregard of him. I alone am He whom they should desire, and lo! they would have none of Me. They do not love Me. With heart and soul they do not cleave to Me. To their personal affection I, their God, am not the strong and all-else expelling center of attracthis

tion.

a complaint against everything that is vague and unreal in our Christian life; against weakened conceptions of religion; against faithlessness of heart. Religious weakening shows itself in lack of holy ardour, in the quenched fires of nobler enthusiasm, and in the congealed state of the waters of holy mysticism. This is partly a

This

is

superficial,

67

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