IMPERFECTIONS OF CHRISTIANS
Mr. Moody a few years ago prayed that people might "keep their eyes on the Master and not on the imperfections of Christians." The faults of Christians, individual or collective, are as meet subjects for criticism as those of any other individual or class, but to point them out or to use them as arguments against Christianity, or a religious life or profession, is the very silliest grade of folly. Every Christian man and woman, however loftily their aspirations, and however sincere their professions, must of necessity have imperfections, but not one of them can be due to the Christianity they have adopted; they are all due to our common humanity; due to the non-Christianity which the fault finders naturally profess, and do not try to surmount. It would be as just to condemn or denounce American citizenship, because some Americans are in the penitentiary, when it is clear that their citizenship had no bearing whatever upon their criminality. In the distillation of sweet essences and perfumes, the evil odors of dregs and impurities which go over with the purified extract, are difficult to eliminate; and so when men and women who have been sinners, undertake to step up into a higher life, it is quite natural to suppose that some of the old impurities with which their unchristian experience had familiarized their consciences, should cling to their garments.—Rescue.