there is no occasion for God to say so. God takes notice that there is another spirit in him.… Some men take great pains in preaching, praying, and reading. Some men say that they weary themselves for God. But God says, “There is no love for me in their services.” God slights the service and says, “That man takes great pains so that men may observe and commend him.”14 Stoddard’s comments are especially poignant because of what he as pastor of First Church of Northampton, Massachusetts, had experienced.
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