"I
pity those who try to be holy without Christ! Your labour is
all in vain. You are putting money in a bag with holes. You
are pouring water into a sieve. You are rolling a huge round
stone uphill. You are building up a wall with untempered mortar.
Believe me, you are beginning at the wrong end. You must come
to Christ first, and He shall give you His sanctifying Spirit.
You must learn to say with Paul, "I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil. iv. 13.)