XXXII. PREACHING TO NOBODY

_'All the artillery in the world,

were they all discharged together

at one clap, could not more deaf

the ears of our bodies than the

clamourings of desires in the soul

deaf its ears, so you see a man

must go into silence or else he

cannot hear God speak.'_--JOHN

EVERARD. 1650.

_'God forces none, for love cannot

compel, and God's service is

therefore a thing of complete

freedom.... The thing which

hinders and has always hindered is

that our wills are different from

God's will. God never seeks

Himself, in His willing--we do.

There is no other way to

blessedness than to lose one's

self will'_--HANS DENCK. 1526.

_'The inward command is never

wanting in the due season to any

duty.'_--R. BARCLAY. 1678.

_'I think I can reverently say

that I very much doubt whether,

since the Lord by His grace

brought me into the faith of His

dear Son, I have ever broken bread

or drunk wine, even in the

ordinary course of life, without

the remembrance of, and some

devout feeling regarding the

broken body and the blood-shedding

of my dear Lord and

Saviour.'_--STEPHEN GRELLET.

_'One loving spirit sets another

on fire.'_--AUGUSTINE.

A Book of Quaker Saints · 第 136 / 148 题