His little heart glows
with pleasure and pride in the thought that he is "helping papa,"
and yet he is doing the very thing I don't want him to do. But if
I am a wise and patient father, I shall be pleased with him; for
what is the loss of my few stalks of corn compared to the
expression and development of his love and loyalty? And I shall
commend him for the love and faithful purpose of his little
heart, while I patiently set to work to enlighten the darkness of
his little head. His heart is pure toward his father, but he is
not yet mature. In this matter of light and maturity holy people
often widely differ, and this causes much perplexity and needless
and unwise anxiety. In the fourteenth chapter of Romans, Paul
discusses and illustrates the principle underlying this
distinction between purity and maturity.
3. As we continue to study the word under the illumination of the
Spirit, who is given to lead us into all truth, we further learn
that holiness is not a state which we reach in conversion. The
Apostles were converted, they had forsaken all to follow Jesus
(Matthew xix. 27-29), their names were written in Heaven (Luke x.
20), and yet they were not holy. They doubted and feared, and
again and again were they rebuked for the slowness and littleness
of their faith. They were bigoted, and wanted to call down fire
from Heaven to consume those who would not receive Jesus (Luke
ix.
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