The life of those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High may be called a Hidden Life, because the animating principle, the vital or operative element, is not so much in itself as in another. It is a life grafted into another life. It is the life of the soul, incorporated into the life of Christ; and in such a way, that, while it has a distinct vitality, it has so very much in the sense, in which the branch of a tree may be said to have a distinct vitality from the root.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Be Aware of Your Own Weaknesses

It is the part of Christian duty to endeavor to understand the nature of temptations. And as included in this, it is our duty to understand their specific, as well as their general nature; in other words, their nature in its application to ourselves personally. That, which would be a temptation to one, would not be so to another. The general idea, expressed by the word temptation, embraces not only the object which tempts, but also the subject of the temptation. In particular, therefore, we should study the weak and comparatively defenseless points in our character and situation; those particulars, in which wrong influences will be most likely to have an effect upon us and lead us astray.

The Interior or Hidden Life (1844) Part 1, Chapter 19.

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