The Weak Strong, and the Strong Weak

“// is related of Laurence Saimdejs the martyr, that one day in the coimtry, meeting his friend Dr. Pendleto7t, an earnest preacher in King Edward s reigjt they debated upon what they had best do in the danget’ous tune that Mary’s accession had brought tipon them. Saunders confessed that his spi’it was ready, but he felt the flesh was at present too weak for much sttffering. But Pe7idleton admonished him, and appeared all courage aitd forwardness to face evejy peiil. They both came, wider the control of circumstajices, to London, and there, when danger arose, Pendleton slo’imk from the c7’oss, and Saimdei’s resolutely took it up.’ The reader has probably met with this story before, but it will not harm him to learn its lesson again. We are certainly stronger when we feel our weakness than when we glory in our strength. Our pastoral observation over a very large church has led us to expect to see terrible failures among those who carry their heads high among their brethren. Poor timid souls who are afraid to put one foot before another, for fear they should go an inch astray, go on from year to year in lovely, bashful holiness, and at the same time the very professors who condemned them, and distressed them by their confident pretensions, fall like Lucifer, never to hope again.

The fault which has happened to others may be yet seen in me, unless the Lord shall guard me from it. It is no time for boasting while we are still in the enemy’s country.