The beliefs of Romanism are contrasted with that of Protestantism. A visitor to the south of France meets Mary, a 50 year old woman, who was illiterate and practiced her religion of Romanism. He took it upon himself to teach her to read the Bible and pray daily. Mary began to see that her religion did not match that of the Bible, and changed her views.
My impression:
The call to examine one’s own life for the genuineness of Christian life and to detect meaningless ritual that does not serve the living God.
Quote:
"Pray fervently that, through the grace of the Lord Jesus and the aid of the Holy Spirit, you may be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; otherwise you will perish in your sins, and be cast into the lake of unquenchable fire, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever and ever."
Excerpt:
"Mary’s life and death are full of salutary instruction. The reader of this narrative will remember how very different her character and dispositions were before and after her conversion to God. Before she had received a new heart and a right spirit, she was debased by foolish superstitions and fatal ignorance of the only way of salvation, pursuing a course of vanity and sin; yet all the while under the strange delusion that she was a Christian, because born and baptized in the church of her fathers. But no sooner were her eyes opened to see her guilt and danger—no sooner was she brought by divine mercy to weep over her sins, and turn from the error of her ways to that Redeemer who is not less willing than mighty to save all who come unto God by him, than we behold her reverencing that sacred day which she had so long slighted and abused—we see her diligently employed from day to day, and sometimes for hours together, in the study of God’s holy will and commandments, and testifying her love to her Savior by various acts of kindness and affection, more particularly by zeal and solicitude for the eternal welfare of her fellow-creatures; evidencing, in short, throughout her latter days, both in life and conversation, that she was a new creature, 'delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.' Who that remembers her earnest desire to give up herself to God and be saved, can doubt her having chosen, with her namesake of old, that good part which shall never be taken from her? Luke 10:42. Or who can hesitate to believe that she is now numbered with those myriads of angelic spirits who are incessantly chanting the new song of the redeemed: 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.' 'Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb,' Revelation 5:12; 7:10."
Background:
This was published as American Tract Society Tract #522, in the nineteenth century.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment