God's beginnings are imperceptible, whether in the region of soul or of
matter. Besides, I believe in no good done save in person--by personal
operative presence of soul, body and spirit. God is the one only person,
and it is our personality alone, so far as we have any, that can work
with God's perfect personality. God can use us as tools, but to be a
tool of, is not to be a fellow-worker with. How the devil would have
laughed at the idea of a society for saving the world! But when he saw
_one_ take it in hand, one who was in no haste even to do that,
one who would only do the will of God with all his heart and soul, and
cared for nothing else, then indeed he might tremble for his kingdom! It
is the individual Christians forming the church by their obedient
individuality, that have done all the good done since men for the love
of Christ began to gather together. It is individual ardour alone that
can combine into larger flame. There is no true power but that which has
individual roots. Neither custom nor habit nor law nor foundation is a
root. The real roots are individual conscience that hates evil,
individual faith that loves and obeys God, individual heart with its
kiss of charity.
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