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A PRESENT RELIGION
From Spurgeon's, "A PRESENT RELIGION"
Most men would be very religious if
religion did not entail 'obligations'.
The worldly man most of all objects to Christianity,
because he does not like its 'duties'.
If the worldling could keep his sins and have
Christ also, oh, how willing would he be.
There is no true religion where there is no morality.
Do not tell me about your orthodoxy; do not come and
tell me about your private prayers and secret piety-
if your life is bad, you are bad altogether.
A good tree cannot bring forth anything but good fruit,
and a corrupt tree will bring forth corrupt fruit.
There is no questioning that "what your life is, that you are"
for as out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,
so out of the abundance of the heart the man lives.
It is vain for you to say- "The best of saints are fallible."
I know they are; I know that even the best of men will sin,
but they will not sin willingly; if they sin publicly,
it will be but an exception.
Their lives, under the power of Divine grace,
will be holy, and pure, and upright.
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