Hosea 4:6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge

Temporary professors are like hedge-hogs, which 
have two holes -, one to the north, and another to 
the south : when the south wind fans them, they 
turn to the north j and when the north wind chills 
them, they turn to the south. Thus they lose their 
activity, to preserve their security. — That was a 
beggarly saying, which fell from a prince's lips, — 
' I will sail no farther in the cause of Christ, than 
while I can preserve my retreat with safety to land.' 
Man is a short-sighted creature ; he is afraid to 
follow too far upon the heels of truth, lest it should 
lead him into danger. Weak grace may do for God, 
but it must be strong grace that will die for God. 
A true Christian will lay down his lusts at the 
command of Christ j and his life, for the cause of 
Christ. The more a tree of righteousness is sha- 
ken by the wind, the more it is rooted in the 
groun(l. What, art thou a member of Christ, and 
afraid to be a martyr for Christ? If those be 
blessed who die in Christ, what must they be who 
die for Christ !