Riches of grace : $b A compilation of experiences in the Christian life; a narration of trials and victories along the wayByrum, E. E. (Enoch Edwin)
Religion
Riches of grace : $b A compilation of experiences in the Christian life; a narration of trials and victories along the way
Byrum, E. E. (Enoch Edwin)
Christian life
I had heard a great deal, also, concerning our obligation to do personal
work and threw myself into this phase of Christian activity. Of course,
I soon went to extremes. If I happened to be in the company of some one
for a short time and failed to speak to him about his soul's welfare,
I was likely to be dreadfully accused for gross neglect of duty. Under
such circumstances it was hard for me to testify, because the accuser
could always find some "neglect" or "oversight" with which to trouble
me. On the other hand, I was afraid not to testify lest I should soon be
hopelessly backslidden if I neglected this duty. So I finally drifted
into the habit of silently asking God's forgiveness for any possible
"neglect" in any way, just before rising to testify, so as to make sure
that I was in a proper condition to witness for the Lord. All this was
exceedingly wearing on my whole being.
A MORBID CONSCIENCE
At last my conscience became so morbid that every sermon I heard and
every religious book or tract I read was at once compared with my
experience to see if I lacked in even the lightest details. I happened
to read of one devoted man who literally gave all his possessions to
the Lord's work. Immediately I thought of the small amount of money that
I had with which to pay my winter's tuition in the university. It was
not quite enough to pay all my expenses, and yet when I would decide
that I could not give my "all" to the Lord's work, terrible accusations
would crush me down until it seemed that my reason itself would become
unbalanced. In my despair, I opened up my heart to a trusted friend, and
he showed me that this was clearly an accusation from Satan and should
be entirely ignored. All these things told sadly on my mental and
physical condition, so that when the school year ended and I returned
home to my friends, they were very much disappointed in me. Finally they
became alarmed at my morbid condition.
OBTAINING RELIEF
Satan at last overdid himself; and by the help of kind friends, I
discerned his devices and the extremes to which I had been driven. Once
the following lines were quoted to me: "If you want to be distracted,
look about you; if you would be miserable, look within; but if you would
be happy, look to Jesus." These I shall never forget. A friend also
pointed out the fact that I was constantly feeling my spiritual pulse.
He said that this was just as detrimental to my spiritual condition as
the constant counting of heart-beats would be to my physical health.
Just as a patient would be likely to imagine himself afflicted with
heart-trouble, so the same habit in the spiritual realm would, if
continually indulged, prove disastrous to constant peace and victory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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