few of the commoner ones:--

Failure to keep bodily appetites under control. Intimate fellowship with
those who are enemies of our Lord, it may be in some organization, or
otherwise. The absence of a spirit of loving sympathy. The dominance in
one's life of a critical spirit which saps the warmth out of everything
it touches. Jealousy, and the whole brood which that single word
suggests. Keeping money which God would have out in service for himself.
Self-seeking. Self-assertion. A frivolous spirit, instead of a joyous
winsomeness, or a sweet seriousness. Overworking one's bodily strength,
which grows out of a wrong ambition, and is trusting one's own efforts
more than God's power, and which always involves disobedience of His law
for the body. Over-anxiety which robs the mind of its freshness, and the
spirit of its sweetness, and whose roots are the same as overwork.

The hot hasty word. The uncontrolled temper. The pride that will not
confess to having been in the wrong. Lack of rugged honesty in speech.
Carelessness in money matters. Lack of reverence for the body. The
unholy use between two, whose relation is the most sacred of earth, of
that hallowed function of nature which has rigidly but one normal use.

Some personal habit which may be common enough, and for which plausible
arguments can be made, but which does take the fine edge off of the
inner consciousness of the Master's approval. Keen shrewd scheming for
position by those in holy service.

Paul's Galatian letter supplies these items:--wrangling; wordy disputes;
passionate outbursts of anger; wire-pulling or electioneering, that is,
using the world's methods to attain one's ends by those in God's
service.

These are some of the cross-currents that are surely drawing the power
out of many a life to-day. But how may one know surely about the wrong
thing? Well, that One who resides within the heart is very sensitive and
is very faithful. If I will jealously keep on good terms, aye on the
best terms, with Him, ever listening, ever obeying, I will come to know
at first touch the thing that disturbs His sensitive spirit. And to keep
that thing _out_, uncompromisingly, unflinchingly _out_, is the only
safeguard here.

But there will be continual testings and temptings. Testings by God.
Temptings by Satan. There will be testings by God that the realness of
the surrender may be made clear, and, too, that in these repeated
siftings the dross may all go, and onl