That is wanting for the most part which Christ held to be
all in all, spontaneous warmth, free and generous devotion. That the
fruits of a Christianity so hollow should be poor and sickly is not
surprising.
But that Christ's method, when rightly applied, is really of mighty
force may be shown by an argument which the severest censor of
Christians will hardly refuse to admit. Compare the ancient with the
modern world: "Look on this picture and on that." One broad distinction
in the characters of men forces itself into prominence. Among all the
men of the ancient heathen world there were scarcely one or two to whom
we might venture to apply the epithet "holy." In other words, there were
not more than one or two, if any, who besides being virtuous in their
actions were possessed with an unaffected enthusiasm of goodness, and
besides abstaining from vice regarded even a vicious thought with
horror. Probably no one will deny that in Christian countries this
higher-toned goodness, which we call holiness, has existed. Few will
maintain that it has been exceedingly rare.
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