Cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart. Depend on Him. There is power in Christ; there is
sufficiency in Christ for all He would have you do or be. Some are allowed a long season of joy
on first believing. But God knows our hearts, and how soon we begin to depend on our joy, and
not on Christ. He is our object_not the joy. Sin no longer remains on you, but the flesh is in you
to the end; the old stock will put forth its buds which must be nipped off as they appear. No fruit
can come of it. It is the new nature that bears fruit unto God. But though the flesh is in you, do
not be thinking of this, but think of Christ. As you grow in the knowledge of Christ, a joy comes,
deeper than the first joy. I have known Christ more or less between thirty and forty years, and I
can truly say I have ten thousand times more joy in Him now than I had at first. It is a deeper,
calmer joy. The water rushing down a hill is beautiful to look at, and makes most noise; but you
will find the water in the plain deeper, calmer, more fit for general use.

Cleave to Christ with purpose of heart. A distracted heart is the bane of Christians. When we have
got something that is not Christ, we are away from the source of strength. When my soul is filled
with Christ, I have no heart or eye for the trash of this world. If Christ is dwelling in your heart
by faith, it will not be a question with you, "What harm is there in this and that?" But rather, "Am
I doing this for Christ?" "Can Christ go along with me in this?" Do not let the world come in and
distract your thoughts.

With regard to the world I speak especially to you young ones (see 1 John 2:14-17). They who
are older have had more experience in it, and know more what it is worth; but it all lies shining
before you, endeavoring to attract you. Its smiles are deceitful, still it smiles. It makes promises
which it cannot keep; still it makes them. Your hearts are too big for the world:it cannot fill them.
They are too little for Christ:He fills heaven; yet He will fill you to overflowing. Cleave to the
Lord with purpose of heart. He knew how treacherous the heart is, and how soon it would put
anything in His place. You will have indeed to learn what is in your own heart. Abide with God
and you will learn this with Him and under His grace. If you do not, you will have to learn it with
bitter sorrow through the devil’s successful temptations. But God is faithful. If you have been
getting away from Him and other things have come in and formed a crust, as it were, over your
heart, you will not at once get back the joy. God will have you deal with this crust and get rid of
it. Remember Christ bought you with His own blood, that you should be His, not the world’s. Do
not let Satan get between you and God’s grace. However careless you may have been, however
far you may have got away from Him, count on His love. It is His joy to see you back again.
Look at the sin with horror, but never wrong Him by distrusting His love. Do not mistrust His
work; do not mistrust His love. He has loved you, and will love you to the end. Talk much with
Jesus. Never be content without being able to walk and talk with Christ as with a dear friend. Be
not satisfied with anything short of close intercourse of soul with Him who has loved you and
washed you from your sins in His own blood.