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 thoughts to  the  higher  things,  as  how  to  keep  themselves pure  by  pious  exercises  and  works  of  mercy, but who  alack! who of  us  is  sinless? If we  say  we  are without sin,  the  truth  is  not  in  us. So earthly  are we that  the  first  stage  in  our  progress  toward  God will be  to  emerge  from  the  black  pit  of  sin  into  the light and  life  of  grace. We must  first  come  up  into God's kingdom  on  earth,  and  drawing  our  Jacob's ladder  after  us,  plant  it  there  anew  and  resume  our journey heavenward. We plant  it  and  reverse  it. Under the  stress  of  manifold  tribulations  we  turn prayerfully to  God  and  so  emerge  chastened  and cleansed from  sin,  but  our  farther  progress  upward will be  by  the  same  steps  reversed,  a  watchfulness against defilement,  a  less  selfish,  a  higher  and  a holier  form  of  prayer  and  a  complete  abandonment of self  in  the  interest  of  humanity  and  of  God. For " this  is  religion  clean  and  undefiled  before  God  and the  Father,  to  watch  and  pray  and  to  visit  the widows  and  the  orphans  and  comfort  them  in  their tribulation."