Squabbling with a Servant

“Many a time a brabble falleth out between a man and his hists J but he delayeth, and all co7neth to 7iothing. In a heat we bid a naughty servant begone; but he linereth, and before the next mor?ting all is cool and quiet, a?id he is again in Ungodly men have their quarrels with their favourite sins on various accounts; but these are like children’s pets with one another, soon over, because they come of passion, and not from principle. An unholy person will fall out with sin because it has injured his health or his credit, or has brought him into difficulties with his neighbours; but when these temporary results are ended he falls in love again with the same iniquity. Thus we have seen the drunkard loathing his excess when his eyes were red, and his head was aching; but ere the sun went down the quarrel was ended, and he and Bacchus were rolling in the gutter together. Our enmity to sin should be based upon sound knowledge and solid reason, and be wrought in us by the Spirit of God, and then it will lead us to join in solemn league with the Lord who hath war with Amalek throughout all generations. We must have no peace with sin; nay, not with the least sin. Our hate of evil must be as everlasting as the love of God.

Of old, converted Israelites cast their idols to the moles and to the bats — away from sight with the moles, away from light with the bats. Our detestation must lead us to put sin among the dead and the forgotten. So far from ever entering into amity with it, we must regard it as a dead and corrupted thing, for ever abandoned to silence and the worm. As heaven and hell will never unite, so must it be plain that a saint and sin will never come together on any terms whatever.

Lord, I pray thee keep me ever in desperate earnest in my war with sin. Forbid that I should trifle in this conflict, or grow cold in it. Let me be bound to never-ending warfare with my own sin, and never may I be pacified till Christ has utterly crushed the foe. Like thy servant David, I would hate every false way.