Morning, March 11
Go To Evening Reading
“Sin ... exceeding sinful.”
Romans 7:13
Beware of light thoughts of sin. At the time of conversion, the conscience
is so tender, that we are afraid of the slightest sin. Young converts
have a holy timidity, a godly fear lest they should offend against
God. But alas! very soon the fine bloom upon these first ripe fruits
is removed by the rough handling of the surrounding world: the sensitive
plant of young piety turns into a willow in after life, too pliant,
too easily yielding. It is sadly true, that even a Christian may grow
by degrees so callous, that the sin which once startled him does not
alarm him in the least. By degrees men get familiar with sin. The
ear in which the cannon has been booming will not notice slight sounds.
At first a little sin startles us; but soon we say, “Is it not a little one?” Then there comes another, larger, and then another, until by degrees
we begin to regard sin as but a little ill; and then follows an unholy
presumption: “We have not fallen into open sin. True, we tripped a little, but we
stood upright in the main. We may have uttered one unholy word, but
as for the most of our conversation, it has been consistent.” So we palliate sin; we throw a cloak over it; we call it by dainty
names. Christian, beware how thou thinkest lightly of sin. Take heed
lest thou fall by little and little. Sin, a little thing? Is it not a poison? Who knows its deadliness? Sin, a little
thing? Do not the little foxes spoil the grapes? Doth not the tiny
coral insect build a rock which wrecks a navy? Do not little strokes
fell lofty oaks? Will not continual droppings wear away stones? Sin,
a little thing? It girded the Redeemer’s head with thorns, and pierced his heart! It made him suffer anguish,
bitterness, and woe. Could you weigh the least sin in the scales of
eternity, you would fly from it as from a serpent, and abhor the least
appearance of evil. Look upon all sin as that which crucified the
Saviour, and you will see it to be “exceeding sinful.”