The Training of the Twelve

I have managed to get almost to page 200 in The Training of the Twelve. It is slow going for several reasons: one, he is so wordy; two, it was written in 1870, so the vocabulary is a bit different and it is periodic style; and third, I haven't had a lot of time to read this week. But I ran across this gem at the end of the chapter entitled "The First Lesson of the Cross."

“For the whole aim of Satanic policy is to get self-interest recognized as the chief end of man. Satan’s temptations aim at nothing worse than this. Satan is called the Prince of this world, because self-interest rules the world: he is called the accuser of the brethren, because he does not believe that even the sons of God have any higher motive. He is a skeptic; and his skepticism consists in determined, scornful unbelief in the reality of any chief end other than that of personal advantage. ‘Doth Job, or even Jesus, serve God for naught? Self-sacrifice, suffering for righteousness’ sake, fidelity to truth even unto death:—it is all romance and youthful sentimentalism, or hypocrisy and hollow cant. There is absolutely no such thing as a surrender of the lower life to the higher; all men are selfish at heart, and have their price; some may hold out longer than others, but in the last extremity every man will prefer his own things to the things of God. All that a man hath will he give for his life, his moral integrity and his piety not excepted.’ Such is Satan’s creed.”