03 March 2011

Have a Horror of Being Trivial

Have a horror of sinking into a tattling, twaddling, trivial sort of man, talking much and achieving nothing. Steer clear of a young man's rock, self-importance. Walk humbly with God. Acts of self-condemnation are, next to acts of faith in Christ, the most profitable of devotional exercises. I have grown best and done best when most frequent in them.
--Thomas Collins, 18th century Methodist preacher, in his personal resolutions; quoted in Iain Murray, Wesley and the Men Who Followed (Banner of Truth 2003), 212

To defuse a potential ambiguity, I believe Collins is setting 'acts of self-condemnation' opposite 'acts of self-exaltation,' not 'acts of gospel-appropriation.'
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1 comment:

  1. AndrewFriday, 04 March, 2011

    . . . a young man's rock, self-importance.

    Story of my life. Lord, have mercy.

    This imagery will stick with me. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete