same manner sin affects our minds: it indisposes us for com- munion with God ; it unfits us for holy exercises : and, if a person under the guilt and dominion of it were admitted into heaven, he would be unable to participate the blessedness of those around him ; and would rather hide himself under rocks and mountains, than dwell in the immediate presence of a holy God. Annihilation would be to him the greatest favour that could be bestowed upon him ; so truly does the Apostle say, that " the motions of sin do work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death V]
Advice —
1. Do not palliate sin —
[Though circumstances doubtless may either lessen or increase the guilt of sin, nothing under heaven can render it light or venial. Our temptations ma)7 be great; but nothing can hurt us, if we do not ourselves concur with the tempter. That wicked fiend exercised all his malice against our adorable Lord ; but could not prevail, because there was nothing in him to second or assist his efforts. So neither could he over- come us, if we did not voluntarily submit to his influence. x\ll sin therefore must be traced to the evil dispositions of our own hearts; and consequently affords us a just occasion to humble ourselves before God in dust and ashes. If we pre- sume to reflect on God as the author of our sin, we increase our guilt a hundred-fold : it is only in abasing ourselves that we can at all hope for mercy and forgiveness.]
2. Do not trifle with temptation —
[We carry about with us much inflammable matter, if we may so speak ; and temptation strikes the spark which pro- duces an explosion. How readily are evil thoughts suggested by what we see or hear ; and how strongly do they fix upon the mind ! " Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth !" Let us then stand at a distance from the places, the books, the company, that may engender sin. And let us, in conformity with our Lord's advice, " watch and pray, that we enter not into temptation."]
3. Do not for one moment neglect the Saviour —
[There is none but Jesus that can stand between sin and death. Indeed even " he overcame death only by dying" in our stead : and we can escape it only by believing in him. We deserve death : we have deserved it for every sin we have ever committed. Ten thousand deaths are our proper portion. Let us then look to Him who died for us. Let us look to
k Rom. vii. 5.