disobeyed you, cheated you, and yet said to himself--No matter, my master
dare not turn me off: I am so useful that he cannot do without me. Even
so in all ages, and now as much as, or more than ever, have men said, We
are so necessary to God and God's cause, that He cannot do without us;
and therefore though He hates sin in everyone else, He will excuse sin in
us, as long as we are about His business.

Therefore, my dear friends, whenever we are tempted to do or say anything
rash, or vain, or mean, because we are the children of God; whenever we
are inclined to be puffed up with spiritual pride, and to fancy that we
may take liberties which other men must not take, because we are the
children of God; let us remember the words of the text, and answer the
tempter, when he says, If thou be the Son of God, do this and that, as
our Lord answered him--"If I be the Child of God, what then? This--that
I must behave as if God were my Father. I must trust my God utterly, and
I must obey Him utterly. I must do no rash or vain thing to tempt God,
even though it looks as if I should have a great success, and do much
good thereby. I must do no mean or base thing, nor give way for a moment
to the wicked ways of this wicked world, even though again it looks as if
I should have a great success, and do much good thereby. In one word, I
must worship my Father in heaven, and Him only must I serve. If He wants
me, He will use me. If He does not want me, He will use some one else.
Who am I, that God cannot govern the world without my help? My business
is to refrain my soul, and keep it low, even as a weaned child, and not
to meddle with matters too high for me. My business is to do the little,
simple, everyday duties which lie nearest me, and be faithful in a few
things; and then, if Christ will, He may make me some day ruler over many
things, and I shall enter into the joy of my Lord, which is the joy of
doing good to my fellow men. But I shall never enter into that by
thrusting myself into Christ's way, with grand schemes and hasty