"You will not always feel like you are now." When the new convert rejoices in his Savior and proposes to live for the glory of God and the good of humanity, how often he hears, "You will not always feel so." This statement places his mind to expect a decline in his piety, and not to be too surprised when he finds it. Thus the devil wishes to act with the new converts, and he rejoices that old Christians tell them : "Your feelings will not last, and soon you will be as cold as we are." When I saw such a thing, my heart blew.

When a new convert has poured out his ardent heart before an old Christian, and expects him to be answered by strong outbursts, what does he meet ? That cold response that comes to his soul like the north wind : "You will not always feel that way." It's a shame  ! It is to prepare the new convert to demote, as being a natural thing. Then, when he begins to decline, which he will probably do under the influence of such a direction, he will neither be surprised nor alarmed ; he will regard this degradation as inevitable, and will think how to do as everyone does.

In sermons as well as in prayers, I have heard that times of hindsight are "necessary to test the church". Some pastors say : "When it rains we can find water everywhere ; it is only in times of drought that you can tell where the deep springs are". Admirable logic ! and so you want to teach that Christians must become cold and stupid, and move away from God. Why ? "Well ! to show that they are not hypocrites." Wonder ! You want to prove that they are hypocrites to show that they are not.

Such a doctrine is the last that should be taught to new converts.

Jeremy Sourdril