Be not deceived

Hatred to God lies hid within; you imagine it is gone; but Ah! in the case of many it is not driven out of the soul; it is not driven out , it is merely driven in . Outward circumstances are pressing you so hard , that even Satan may not dare to let that awful enmity appear; And so, assaulted on every side, it retires, it retires and retires, till it is concentrated in the heart, taking up its dwelling in the very strongest fortress, in the citadel of the soul, and there it remains,and there it is chilling and congealing all, and so it will continue to do, till it consumes your fancied religion , and torments you so completely, that it will soon , very soon , seal you in the cold sleep of death. You are polishing and beautifying the exterior of your sepulchres but they will at last be discovered they are full of dead men's bones, of decay, and of corruption. The kernel as it were , is still as hard as ever, as unbroken as ever, though it lies within a beautiful and finely painted shell.    William C Burns The Valley of Vision

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