Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Puritan Nuggets of Gold # 85

Sin (continued)

Carnal and unregenerate men, for fear or some other reasons, they shake hands with their sins, yet they have many a longing heart after them; they part, and yet they are loth to part asunder. Hence it is, that as the merchant throws away his goods in a storm because he cannot keep them, so they, in the times of sickness and distress, when the sea grows high and the temptest rageth, when they begin to apprehend what death is and what hell is, and know, unless the vessel be lighted, they cannot be safe, then they are hard at work, heave overboard their usury, their drunkenness, their searing, and such like stuff, not out of hatred to them, but love to themselves; for if they could but continue in their sins and be saved when they have done, they would never part with them at all. (James Stile)

None can hate it (sin) but those that love the law of God; for all hatred comes from above. A natural man may be angry with his sin, but hate it he cannot; nay, he may leave it, but not loathe it; if he did, he would loathe all sin as well as any one sin. (Abraham Wright)

The best duties of unbelievers are but white lies. (John Owen)

The more the Spirit shines in the heart, the more evil it discovers. A Christian thinks it worse with him that it was, whereas his grace may not grow less, but his light greater. (Thomas Watson)

David's heart was more often out of tune than his harp. (Thomas Brooks)

It is in many places a lost labor to seek for Christianity among Christians. (John Owen)

"Are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God?" (2 Chronicles 28:10). If your discourse be not profane, is it not vain? Have you not your self-seekings, rash censures, indecent dresses: If the wicked of the land swear, do you not sometimes slander? If they are drunk with wine, are you not drunk sometimes with passion? If their sin be blaspheming, is not your sin murmuring? The sins of God's children go nearer to His heart than the sins of others. The sins of the wicked anger God, the sins of His own people grieve Him. (Thomas Watson)

The sins of the godly are worse than others, because they bring a greater reproach upon religion. For the wicked to sin, there is no other expected from them; swine will wallow in the mire; but when sheep do so, when the godly sin, that redounds to the dishonor of the Gospel: "By this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme." (Thomas Watson)

A fault in a stranger is not so much taken notice of as a fault in a child: a spot in black cloth is not so much observed; but a spot in scarlet every one's eyes is upon it. (Thomas Watson)

Religion is the same that ever it was, only it suffers by them that make profession of it. Whatever disadvantage it falls under in the world, they must a length answer for in whose misbelief and practice it is corrupted. (John Owen)

There are no sins God's people are more subject to than unbelief and impatience. They are ready either to faint through unbelief, or to fret through impatience. (Thomas Watson)


No comments:

Post a Comment