Life and Times of David. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. VIMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
Life and Times of David. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. VI
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Theology
Christian reader, our object in this paper is entirely practical. Let
us therefore exhort one another to judge our roots, whatever they may
be. Do we know our roots? Doubtless it is hard, very hard, to know
them. They are deep and manifold: pride, personal vanity,
covetousness, irritability, ambition--these are some of the roots of
character, the motive springs of action, over which a rigid censorship
must ever be exercised. We must let nature know that the eye of
self-judgment is continually upon it. We have to carry on the struggle
without cessation. We may have to lament over occasional failure; but
we must maintain the struggle, for struggle bespeaks _life_. We must
remember that the original terms are that in the flesh dwelleth _no_
good thing. May God the Holy Ghost strengthen us for this vigilance
against the flesh!
III. We shall close this paper with a brief reference to restoration
as bearing upon the soul's position, or path. The conscience being
thoroughly purged, and the heart, with its varied roots, judged, there
is moral preparedness for our proper path. The perfect love of Jesus
had expelled all fear from Peter's conscience; and his threefold
question had opened up the roots in Peter's heart, and now He says to
him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou
girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou
shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall
gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake He,
signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when He had spoken
this, He saith unto him, Follow Me." And this is exactly the original
terms by which our Lord began with Peter as His disciple. It was then
also, "Follow Me."
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