Character and Conduct – 27 May – Sins of the Spirit

WE must remember that it is by the mercy of Christ that we are saved from being what we might have been.   ‘There goes John Bradford, but for the grace of God,’ said a good man when he saw a criminal being led to execution.   We are too apt to take the credit to ourselves for our circumstances.   Imagine that you were born of poor parents out of work in Whitechapel, and had to pick up your living in the docks, or that you were a working girl in Bethnal Green, trying to keep your poor parents or nurse a sick brother out of making match-boxes at 2¼d. a gross, and then thank God you were spared the temptation to a bad life, which they have to undergo.   So, again, we must remember that sins of the spirit are quite as bad in the eyes of Christ as sins of the flesh;  He never spoke a hard word of the publican and sinner, but He lashed with His scorn the ‘Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.’   The sins that we respectable people commit lightly every day, of pride and indolence and indifference to the sufferings of the poor, may be worse in His sight than the most flagrant sins of those who know no better.

Friends of the Master, Bishop WINNINGTON INGRAM

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These quotes are from ‘Character and Conduct’ A selection of helpful thoughts from various authors arranged for daily reading.

Collected by Constance M Whishaw and first published in 1905 as a follow up to her volume of Daily Readings for members of the Being and Doing Guild who asked for an additional volume

In her preface Whishaw writes:

‘This collection of noble thoughts expressed by men and women of past and present ages who have endeavoured to leave the world a little better than they found it.’

It is my hope in publishing the her readers may be inspired to imitate the example of the authors.