Part I

To get “holiness people” to live holy lives is an exceedingly great task. To live a strictly holy life, just like our blessed Lord, is grand and glorious, but it is difficult to get people to live that way. It can be done, but it is not being done by very many. There are many who desire to live holy, but they fail to put forth the earnest effort and live it right up to what they know they should. They want to live closer to God, but they do not do it. They do not mean to neglect, and yet they do neglect. They know they should pray more, but they do not pray more. Many of these dear people confess that they talk too much and speak impatiently, but we see little or no improvement. They fret and worry and are anxious, and know they should not be, and yet they continue on in the same life. They are not getting the heavenly joys and holy comforts out of life that they should. The purpose of this little booklet is to help just such people.

Dear saints, we do not mean to censure you or condemn you, but we tell you in plain words with a heart full of love, you must live better. You speak too sharp and harsh in your home, you speak light and idle words, you talk too much, and you pray too little. Is this not true? Well, why do you not live better? You may say that you do want to and you try, but you do not succeed. You improve some for a few days after hearing a stirring sermon, and then you are back in the same way. You must try harder, be more determined, more resolute, never give up, take time to pray, guard against talking so much, and ask God to help you. To the man using tobacco you will say, “You must get so decided that you will quit it if it kills you.” It is so with your impatient speeches, your fret and worry, your too much talk; you must quit these if it kills you. You need to pray more, meditate more, lift up your soul to God more, have more reverence and holy awe upon your soul, live more in godly fear, have more of the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon you, and more peace and power and glory in your soul. You can have it. It will cost you something, but you can have it if you will.

We love you fervently. We want to help you. We promise you and God that by His grace we will live just what we preach to you. If there is one who, after reading this little booklet, will get in earnest and walk closer to God, we shall be repaid a thousand fold for our labor. Our hearts are burdened. Too many of God’s saints are living beneath their privileges.