Part 4 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Back to Part 3 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Part 5 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Back to HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
[1.] First, A holy man knows that little sins, if not prevented, will bring on greater sins. David gives way to his wandering eye, and that led him to those scandalous sins for which God broke his bones, hid his face, and withdrew his Spirit, 2 Sam. 12:26, seq.
Just so, Peter first denies his Master, and then denies him, and then falls a-cursing and damning of himself, Mat. 26:70-75; as the Greek word imports, he imprecated the wrath of God to fall upon him, and that he might be separated from the presence and glory of God, if he knew the man; and then concludes with a most incredible lie, "I don't know the man!"—though there was hardly a person who did not know Christ by sight—he being very famous for the many miracles that he daily wrought before their eyes. Ah! to what a height will sin suddenly rise!
Just so, Jacob, first he tells three lies in a breath, Gen. 27:19, 20: 1. I am Esau; 2. Your firstborn; 3. I have done according as you bade me. And then he takes the name of God in vain, by authoring God to that which he did: "The Lord your God brought it to me." Ah, of what an encroaching nature is sin! how insensibly and suddenly does it infiltrate into the soul! [Just so, Austin confesses that his mother Monica, by sipping and supping when she filled the cup to others, came at last to take a cup of wine excessively sometimes.]
I have read of a young man who was tempted to three great sins, namely, to kill his father, to lie with his mother, and to be drunk. Judging the last to be the least, he yielded to it, and being drunk, he killed his father, and ravished his own mother.
Lesser sins usually are inlets to greater sins—as the little thief let in at the window opens the door, and makes way for the greater; and the little wedge makes way for the greater. When Pompey could not take a city by force, he pretended that he would withdraw his army: only he desired that they would entertain a few of his weak and wounded soldiers, which accordingly they did. These soldiers soon recovered their strength, and opened the gates of the city, by which means Pompey's army entered and subdued the citizens. Just so, little sins yielded to soon gather strength, and open the door to greater sins; and so a conquest is made upon the soul. This a holy heart well understands, and therefore it hates and abhors the least sin. But,
[2.] Secondly, A holy heart knows that little sins have exposed both sinners and saints to very great punishments. A gracious soul remembers the man who was stoned to death—for gathering of sticks on the Sabbath-day. He remembers how Saul lost two kingdoms at once, his own kingdom and the kingdom of heaven—for sparing of Agag and the fat of the cattle. He remembers how the unprofitable servant, for the non-improvement of his talent, was cast into outer darkness. He remembers how Ananias and Sapphira were suddenly stricken dead for telling a lie. He remembers how Lot's wife, for a look of curiosity, was turned into a pillar of salt. He remembers how Adam was cast out of paradise foreating an apple; and the angels cast out of heaven for not keeping their standings. He remembers that Jacob smarted for his lying to his dying day. He remembers how God followed him with sorrow upon sorrow, and breach upon breach, filling up his days with grief and trouble. He remembers how Moses was shut out of the Holy Land, because he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. [Num. 15:30, 37-38; 1 Sam. 15:23; Mat. 25:25, 31; Acts 5:3- 4; Gen. 19:26 and 3 and 27.]
He remembers the young prophet who was slain by a lion for eating a little bread and drinking a little water, contrary to the command of God, though he was drawn thereunto by an old prophet, under a pretense of a revelation from heaven, 1 Kings 13. He remembers how Zacharias was stricken both dumb and deaf, because he believed not the report of the angel Gabriel, Luke 1:19-62. He remembers how Uzzah was stricken dead for holding up the ark when it was in danger to have fallen. Yes, he can never forget the fifty thousand men of Beth-shemesh who were slain for looking into the ark, 2 Sam. 6:7-8; 1 Sam. 6:19-21. Now, ah, how does the remembrance of these things stir up the hatred and indignation of a gracious soul against the least sins!
A grain of poison diffuses itself to all parts, until it strangles the vital spirits, and separates the soul from the body. A little coal of fire has turned many a stately building into ashes. A little prick with a thorn can as well kill a man, as a cut with a drawn sword. A little fly may spoil all the alabaster box of ointment. General Norris having received a slight wound in his arm in the wars of Ireland, made light of it—but his arm gangrened, and so he lost both arm and life together. Fabius, a senator of Rome, and chief-justice besides, was strangled by swallowing a small hair in a draught of milk. A fit of an fever carried away Tamerlane, who was the terror of his time. Anacreon, the poet, was choked to death, with the skin of a grape. An emperor died by the scratch of a comb. One of the kings of France died miserably by choking on a bite of pork; and his brother, being hit with a tennis ball, was struck into his grave! And thus you see little things have brought upon many great miseries.
And so little sins may expose and make people very liable to great punishments: and therefore no wonder if the heart of a holy man rises against them. Those sins which are seemingly but small, are very provoking to the great God, and very hurtful to the immortal soul—and therefore they cannot but be the object of a Christian's hatred.
[3.] Thirdly, A holy heart knows that a holy God looks and expects that the least sins should be shunned and avoided. He sees that the cockatrice should be crushed in the egg. God demands that Babylon's little ones should be dashed against the stones, Psalm 137:9. Not only great sins—but little ones, must be killed, or they will kill the soul. The viper is killed by the little ones that she nourishes in her own bosom—just so, many a man is eternally slain by the little sins that he nourishes in his own bosom. As a little stab at the heart kills a man. Just so—a little sin, without a great deal of mercy, will damn a man. God expects that his children should "abstain from all appearance of evil," 1 Thes. 5:22. As you would neither wound your conscience nor your credit, God nor the gospel—you must keep off from the very appearances of evil.
A Christian is to hate not only the flesh—but the garment; and not only the garment which is besmeared—but the very garment which is but bespotted with the flesh, Jude 23. Our first parents were not only forbidden to eat of the forbidden fruit—but they were forbidden to touch it, Gen. 3. And certainly he who would not gape after forbidden fruit—must not gaze upon forbidden fruit; he who would not long after it—must not look upon it; he who would not taste it—must not touch it.
The pious Nazarite was not only commanded to abstain from wine and strong drink—but also from eating grapes, whether moist or dry; yes, he was prohibited from eating anything that was made of the vine-tree, from the kernels even to the husk, Num. 6:3-4, lest by the sweet and delight of any of these, he should be tempted or enticed to drink wine, and so forget the law, and break his vow, and make work for hell or repentance, or the Physician of souls, Proverbs 31:5.
Sin is so hateful a thing, that both the remote occasion, and the least occasion that might draw the soul to it—is to be avoided and shunned—as a man would avoid and shun hell itself. ["A man can hardly drink poison and live." Cyprian.] He who truly hates the nature of sin, cannot but hate the least sin, yes, all appearances of sin. A holy heart knows that the verythought of sin, if but dwelt on, will break forth into action, action into custom, custom into habit—and then body and soul are undone forever. Look! as nothing speaks out more sincerity and real sanctity, than shunning the very appearances of vanity—just so, nothing speaks out more indignation against sin, than the avoiding the occasions of sin. But,
[4.] Fourthly, A holy heart knows that the indulging of the least sin is ground sufficient for any man to question his integrity and sincerity towards God. He has much reason to suspect himself, and to be suspected by others—who dares break with God, and with his own conscience—for a trifle. He who will transgress for a morsel of bread, will be ready enough to sell his soul for a price, Proverbs 28:21. He who will pervert justice for a few pieces of silver, what will he not do for a hatful of gold? he who will sell the poor for a pair of shoes, will destroy the poor for the right price, Amos 2:6. He who will sell souls dog-cheap, who will slay the souls that should not die, and spare the souls alive that should not live—for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread—will make no bones of making merchandise of souls for silver and gold, Ezek. 19. He who will sell his Savior once for thirty pieces of silver—will sell him as often for a greater sum, Zech. 11:12. He who makes no conscience of betraying Christ into the hands of sinners for thirty shillings, will make no conscience of betraying his own soul into the hands of the devil at the price of a noose. He who dares lie to save a little of his estate—what will not he do to save his life? These things a holy heart well understands, and the serious remembrance of them stirs up in him a holy indignation against the least transgression. But,
[5.] Fifthly and lastly, Take many things in one: a holy heart knows that the least sin cost Christ his dearest blood. Heb. 9:22, "Without shedding of blood there was no remission"—no remission of great sins, nor no remission of little sins. He knows that the blood of Christ is as requisite to cleanse the soul from the least sin, as it is to cleanse it from the greatest: 1 John 1:7, "And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all our sins." It is not the casting of a little holy water upon us; it is not the Papists' purgatories, nor their whippings; nor St Francis' kissing or licking of our sores; nor a bishop's blessing; nor a few knocks on the conscience, nor a few tears dropping from our eyes—which can cleanse us from the least sin. No, it is only the blood of Christ, which cleanses us from all our sins. There is not the least spot in a Christian's heart that can be washed out—but in the blood of the Lamb.
It is said of Luther, that when he was dying—that Satan appeared and presented to him a long parchment scroll—on which were written his sins—his more wicked words and deeds. Luther answered, "All this is true, Satan—but yet there is one thing more for you to set down under all my sins, and that is this—The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all our sins." Whereupon the devil vanished, as being vanquished. Be that as it may, it is certain that there is not a vain thought, nor an idle word, nor an angry word, nor a wanton word that can be pardoned or cleansed—but by the blood of Jesus Christ; the remembrance of which cannot but stir up a holy indignation in a gracious soul against the least corruption.
When Julius Caesar the emperor was murdered, Antonius brought forth his bloody coat, and showed it to the people, which stirred up in them such an indignation against the murderers, that they cried out, "Slay the murderers!" and went and burnt their houses, and all who were in them. Just so, when a holy heart looks upon his sins, yes, his little sins, as those who have murdered the Prince of glory, ah, what an indignation does it raise in the soul against them!
A holy heart knows that there is not the least sin—but does in a measure estrange the soul from God. As little clouds do somewhat interpose between the sun and us—just so, little sins do somewhat interpose between God and our souls. And as sometimes a little matter, a mistake, or lending an ear, or a word out of joint, or an act of forgetfulness—bring some coolness and distance between dearest friends, Acts 15:36-41—just so, sometimes little sins bring some coolness and distance between our dearest God and our souls, Proverbs 16:28, and 17:9.
A holy heart knows that Christ looks upon those sins as great, which the blind world accounts but little. Christ accounts hatred—murder, 1 John 3:15; a lustful eye—adultery, Mat. 5:28; and he reckons the officious lie and the merry lie among the most monstrous sins, and condemns it to the lowest hell, Rev. 21:8. The consideration of all which raises no small indignation in a holy heart against the least, the smallest sin.
But unholy hearts make nothing of little sins: with Achan they will be slaves for a wedge of gold; with Gehazi they will be servants of unrighteousness for a piece of silver and two changes of garments; with Adam they will transgress for an apple; and with Esau they will sell their birthright of grace here, and of glory hereafter—for a bowl of soup. The hearts of unholy people may rise against gross sins, such as are not only against the law of God—but against the light and laws of nature and nations. Their souls may rise in arms against those sins which makes them liable to the laws of men, or which lays them open to shame, fear, grief, or loss; but as for vain thoughts, idle words, petty oaths, sinful motions, and frequent omissions—they look upon these as trifles, motes and gnats which are not to be regarded or bewailed. But,
Back to Part 3 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Part 5 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Back to HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness