m! It is terrible how much
less is done for Him than _might_ be done, in consequence of the specious
notion that if what we are doing or saying is not bad, we are doing good
in a certain way, and therefore may be quite easy about it. We should
think a man rather foolish if he went on doing work which earned five
shillings a week, when he might just as well do work in the same
establishment and under the same master which would bring him in five
pounds a week. But we should pronounce him shamefully dishonest and
dishonourable if he accepted such handsome wages as the five pounds, and
yet chose to do work worth only five shillings, excusing himself by
saying that it was work all the same, and somebody had better do it. Do
we not act something like this when we take the lower standard, and spend
our strength in just making ourselves agreeable and pleasant, creating a
general good impression in favour of religion, showing that we can be all
things to all men, and that one who is supposed to be a citizen of the
other world can be very well up in all that concerns this world? This may
be good, but is there nothing better? What does it profit if we do make
this favourable impression on an outsider, if we go no farther and do not
use the influence gained to bring him right inside the fold, inside the
only ark of safety? People are not converted by this sort of work; at any
rate, _I_ never met or heard of any one. 'He thinks it better for his
quiet influence to tell!' said an affectionately excusing relative of one
who had plenty of special opportunities of soul-winning, if he had only
used his lips as well as his life for his Master. 'And how many souls
have been converted to God by his "quiet influence" all these years?' was
my reply. And to that there was no answer! For the silent shining was all
very beautiful in theory, but not one of the many souls placed specially
under his influence had been known to be brought out of darkness into
marvellous light. If they had, they must have been known, for such light
can't help being seen.

When one has even a glimmer of the tremendous difference between having
Christ and being without Christ; when one gets but one shuddering glimpse
of what eternity is, and of what it must mean, as well as what it may
mean, without Christ; when one gets but a flash of realization of the
tremendous fact that all these neighbours of ours, rich and poor alike,
will _have_ to spend that eternity either wi