The Life of Faith 487
as our own sovereign. Self stands in opposition to spiritual life. With
self broken down that life grows up: should self remain strong that
life will suffer. We accordingly can judge one’s spirituality by
looking into his will. Feeling, on the contrary, is distinctly different.
For even if we possess the most glorious sensations, we are
nonetheless full of self, being self-gratified and self-pleased.
Let not those who sincerely strive after spiritual growth be
deceived into thinking that feeling is their life principle, because this
shall entice them to be mindful always of tingling sensation. Just be
certain that the will is utterly offered to God. Joy or no joy is not to
be the consideration. God wants us to live by faith. Should He wish
us to live by faith and be satisfied solely with His will bereft of
consolation or ecstatic delight for long duration, would we be
inclined to so live? We should delight in our having obeyed the mind
of God, not in being accorded some joy. God’s will alone should be
sufficient to make us joyful
The Duty of ManWhile a Christian is governed by feeling he invariably will neglect
his duty towards others. This is because he makes himself the center
and is consequently unfit to care for the needs of others. For a
Christian to fulfill his duty it requires faith and will. Responsibility
ignores feeling. Our duty towards men is defined and our
responsibility in the mundane affairs of life is certain. These cannot
be altered according to one’s changing emotion. Duty must be
performed according to principle.
During the period that a Christian knows the truth merely in his
feeling he certainly cannot fulfill his duty. He is so taken up with the
joy from fellowshiping with the Lord that that is all he pursues. His
greatest temptation is to want to do nothing but be alone with the
Lord and bask in this joy. He does not like the work in which he
formerly was engaged because it holds out no other prospect than