Friday, April 17, 2015

Puritan Nuggets of Gold # 87

Sin (continued)

The sinful courses of God's children occasion bitterness enough; they never venture upon sin, but with great loss. If Paul give way to a little pride, God will humble him. If any give way to sin, their pilgrimage will be made uncomfortable. Eli falls into negligence and indulgence, then is the ark of God taken, his two sons are slain in battle, his daughter-in-law dies, he himself breaks his neck. Oh, the wonderful tragedies that sin works in the houses of the children of God! David, when he intermeddled with forbidden fruit, was driven from his palace, his concubines defiled, his own son slain; a great many calamities did light upon him. Therefore the children of God have cause to fear;for the Lord is a just God, and they will find it so. (Thomas Manton)

When a man judged himself, satan is put out of office. When he lays anything to a saint's charge, he is able to retort and say, It is true, satan, I am guilty of these sins, but I have judged myself already for them; and having condemned myself in the lower court of conscience, God will acquit me in the upper court of heaven." (Thomas Watson)

It is good to find out our sins, lest they find us out. (Thomas Watson)

To provoke you to be the death of your darling sins, consider, that the conquest and effectual mortifying of one bosom sin, will yield a Christian more glorious joy, comfort, and peace, than ever he hath found in the gratifying and committing of all other sins. The pleasure and sweetness that follows victory over sin, is a thousand times beyond that seeming sweetness that is in the gratifying of sin. (Thomas Brooks)

To forsake sin, is to leave it without any thought reserved of returning to it again. (William Gurnall)

Use sin as it will use you; spare it not, for it will not spare you; it is your murderer, and the murderer of the world: use it, therefore, as a murderer should be used. Kill it before it kills you; and though it bring you to the grave, as it did your Head, it shall not be able to keep you there. (Richard Baxter)

Sin is worse than hell, but yet God, by His mighty over-ruling power, makes sin in the issue turn to the good of His people. Hence that golden saying of Augustine, "God would never permit evil, if He could not bring good out of evil." (Thomas Watson)

God makes the saints' maladies their medicines. (Thomas Watson)


No comments:

Post a Comment