To be near unto God - pagina 551

to flee from God was stronger than to be near unto God. We perceive this change in our spiritual attitude clearly, at once and in the most painful way,

and the inclination

when

it was a sin that tempted us; a sin which, once committed, startled us, and for which we would give anything if the stain of it could immediately be removed from our soul. When, if we may say it in an ordinary way, it was a bad ain. For nothing shows our low moral viewpoint ao sadly as our general ignorance of our minor daily

neglected duties, unlovelinesses, expressions egotism, pride and vanity; small untruths, little dishonesties, and much more of the same kind. sins,

of

entirely different from what David They are faults which may stain the garment, but so little as to escape our notice. This refers to unknown sins, and which only with later development of soul, will be recognized by us as such. But we know the sins which we say are "not so bad." have be-

This

is still

calls "secret faults."

We

come accustomed

to them and therefore they have ceased to trouble us. Our soul no more reacts on them. And of this sort of sins it is certainly true, that they hinder the secret walk with

God, but do not prevent it. They do not break what once existed. But they affect the hidden walk with God to this extent, that it becomes sporadic, remains fellowship from a distance, and that we fail of the fuller enjoyment of the same. Interruptions by sin in fellowship with God are only possible when, as a rule, you are near unto 647

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