Our hearts grow cold
toward him, though his heart may be breaking with longing toward
us.
The more Saul ill-treated David, the more he hated David.
Such estrangement may lead, little by little, to yet greater sin,
to strange hardness of heart, to doubts and unbelief, and
backslidings and denial of the Lord.
The cure for all this is a clean heart full of sweet and gentle,
self-forgetful, generous love. Then we shall be "followers of God
as dear children," then we shall "walk in love as Christ loved
us, and gave Himself for us."
But there is another offence, that of quenching the Spirit, which
accounts for the comparative darkness and deadness of many of
God's children.
In I Thess. v. 16-19 the Apostle says: "Rejoice evermore. Pray
without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit."
When will the Lord's dear children learn that the religion of
Jesus is a lowly thing, and that it is the little foxes that
spoil the vines? Does not the Apostle here teach that it is not
by some desperate, dastardly deed that we quench the Spirit, but
simply by neglecting to rejoice and pray, and give thanks at all
times and for all things?
It is not necessary to blot the sun out of the heavens to keep
the sunlight out of your house--just close the blinds and draw
the curtains; nor do you pour barrels of water on the flames to
quench the fire--just shut off the draught; nor do you dynamite
the city reservoir and destroy all the mains and pipes to cut off
your supply of sparkling water, but just refrain from turning on
the main.
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