Nothing is so offensive to Christ as lukewarmness in religion.
Before Christ comes it is useless to expect to see a perfect Church.
Persecution, in short, is like the goldsmith's stamp on real silver and gold - it is one of the marks of a converted man.
The true cure for self-righteousness is self-knowledge.
Sin always seems 'good, and pleasant, and desirable,' at the time of commission.
Let us never measure our religion by that of others, and think we are doing enough if we have gone beyond our neighbors.