“If Ye Do these Things Ye Shall never Fall.”
WHAT are the things here intended? The adding to what we already have of every Christian grace. This is the secret of final success. This is the infallible method of preventing apostasy. He who will every day add something, shall certainly enter the kingdom of God. No man ever did, or ever could, backslide who kept steadily at this work of adding. Nor is it a process involving rare and great deeds that only a few ever have opportunity to perform. It is all done in littles. Every act of resisting evil and overcoming it, adds to our virtue. Every effort to acquaint ourselves with our duty from God’s word, and to learn the mind of the Spirit of God adds to our knowledge. Every act of self-denial strengthens our Christian temperance and self-control. Every time we are able to rule our own spirit, we increase our patience. We become more like God as we keep our minds staid on him, and only study what shall please and honor him. We add to our brotherly kindness by acts of kindness and self-sacrifice to our brethren. And we love God and our brethren more and more by getting enlarged views of this holy principle, and in everything acting upon it. It is in our power to keep this work of addition in constant progress. If we do this, we shall never fall. We shall grow in grace, we shall progress steadily heavenward, and an abundant entrance shall be administered to us into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.