Come, then, boldly to His throne of grace, to find mercy, and
grace to help you in the time of need.
This was what the apostles taught the heathen, and their words were true.
You may see them come true round you every day. For, my friends, just as
far as people pray for Christ's grace, and give themselves up to be led
by God's Spirit, they become full of grace themselves, courteous and
civil, loving and amiable, true and honourable--a pleasure to themselves
and to all round them. While, on the other hand; all rudeness, all ill-
temper, all selfishness, all greediness are just so many sins against the
grace of Christ, which grieve the Spirit of God, at the same time that
they grieve our neighbours for whom Christ died, and cut us off, as long
as we give way to them, from the communion of saints.
Well would it be for married people, if they would but remember this.
Well for them, for their own sake and for their children's. "Heirs
together," St Peter says they are, "of the grace of life." Think of
those words; for in them lies the true secret of happiness.
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