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莱尔主教holiness-第73章

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   mark well what I am saying。 You go to Mr。 A's; or Mr。 B's church: you
   think him an excellent preacher; you delight in his sermons; you cannot
   hear anyone else with the same fort; you have learned many things
   since you attended his ministry; you consider it a great privilege to
   be one of his hearers! All this is very good。 It is a privilege。 I
   should be thankful if ministers like yours were multiplied a
   thousandfold。 But after all; what have you got in your heart? Have you
   yet received the Holy Ghost? If not; you are no better than Lot's wife。

   I ask the servants of religious families to mark well what I am saying。
   It is a great privilege to live in a house where the fear of God
   reigns。 It is a privilege to hear family prayers morning and evening;
   to hear the Word of God regularly expounded; to have a quiet Sunday;
   and to be able always to go to church。 These are the things that you
   ought to seek after when you try to get a situation; these are the
   things which make a really good place。 High wages and light work will
   never make up for a constant round of worldliness; Sabbath…breaking;
   and sin。 But take heed that you do not rest content with these things:
   do not suppose because you have all these spiritual advantages; that
   you will of course go to heaven。 You must have grace in your own heart;
   as well as attend family prayers。 If not; you are at present no better
   than Lot's wife。

   I ask the children of religious parents to mark well what I am saying。
   It is the highest privilege to be the child of a godly father and
   mother; and to be brought up in the midst of many prayers。 It is a
   blessed thing indeed to be taught the Gospel from our earliest infancy;
   and to hear of sin; and Jesus; and the Holy Spirit; and holiness; and
   heaven; from the first moment we can remember anything。 But; oh; take
   heed that you do not remain barren and unfruitful in the sunshine of
   all these privileges: beware lest your heart remains hard; impenitent
   and worldly; notwithstanding the many advantages you enjoy。 You cannot
   enter the kingdom of God on the credit of your parents' religion。 You
   must eat the bread of life for yourself; and have the witness of the
   Spirit in your own heart。 You must have repentance of your own; faith
   of your own; and sanctification of your own。 If not; you are no better
   than Lot's wife。

   I pray God that all professing Christians; in these days; may lay these
   things to heart。 May we never forget that privileges alone cannot save
   us。 Light and knowledge; and faithful preaching; and abundant means of
   grace; and the pany of holy people are all great blessings and
   advantages。 Happy are they that have them! But; after all; there is one
   thing without which privileges are useless: that one thing is the grace
   of the Holy Ghost。 Lot's wife had many privileges: but Lot's wife had
   no grace。

   II。 I will next speak of the sin which Lot's wife mitted。

   The history of her sin is given by the Holy Ghost in few and simple
   words〃She looked back from behind her husband; and she became a
   pillar of salt。〃 We are told no more than this。 There is a naked
   solemnity about the history。 The sum and substance of her transgression
   lies in these three words; 〃She looked back。〃

   Does that sin seem small in the eyes of any reader of this paper? Does
   the fault of Lot's wife appear a trifling one to be visited with such a
   punishment? This is the feeling; I dare say; that rises in some hearts。
   Give your attention while I reason with you on the subject。 There was
   far more in that look than strikes you at first sight: it implied far
   more than it expressed。 Listen; and you shall hear。

   (a) That look was a little thing; but revealed the true character of
   Lot's wife。 Little things will often show the state of a man's mind
   even better than great ones; and little symptoms are often the signs of
   deadly and incurable diseases。 The apple that Eve ate was a little
   thing; but it proved that she had fallen from innocence and bee a
   sinner。 A crack in an arch seems a little thing; but it proves that the
   foundation is giving way; and the whole fabric is unsafe。 A little
   cough in a morning seems an unimportant ailment; but it is often an
   evidence of failing in the constitution; and leads on to decline;
   consumption; and death。 A straw may show which way the wind blows; and
   one look may show the rotten condition of a sinner's heart。 (Matt。 v。
   28。)

   (b) That look was a little thing; but it told of disobedience in Lot's
   wife。 The mand of the angel was strait and unmistakable: 〃Look not
   behind thee。〃 (Gen。 xix。 17。) This mand Lot's wife refused to obey。
   But the Holy Ghost says; that 〃to obey is better than sacrifice;〃 and
   that 〃rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft。〃 (1 Sam。 xv。 22; 23。) When
   God speaks plainly by His Word; or by His messengers; man's duty is
   clear。

   (c) That look was a little thing; but it told of proud unbelief in
   Lot's wife。 She seemed to doubt whether God was really going to destroy
   Sodom: she appeared not to believe there was any danger; or any need
   for such hasty flight。 But without faith it is impossible to please
   God。 (Heb。 xi。 6。) The moment a man begins to think he knows better
   than God; and that God does not mean anything when He threatens; his
   soul is in great danger。 When we cannot see the reason of God's
   dealings; our duty is to hold our peace and believe。

   (d) That look was a little thing; but it told of secret love of the
   world in Lot's wife。 Her heart was in Sodom; though her body was
   outside。 She had left her affections behind when she fled from her
   home。 Her eye turned to the place where her treasure was; as the
   pass…needle turns to the pole。 And this was the crowning point of
   her sin。 〃The friendship of the world is enmity with God。〃 (James iv。
   4。) 〃If any man love the world; the love of the Father is not in him。〃
   (1 John ii。 15。)

   I ask the special attention of my readers to this part of our subject。
   I believe it to be the part to which the Lord Jesus particularly
   intends to direct our minds。 I believe He would have us observe that
   Lot's wife was lost by looking back to the world。 Her profession was at
   one time fair and specious; but she never really gave up the world。 She
   seemed at one time in the road to safety; but even then the lowest and
   deepest thoughts of her heart were for the world。 The immense danger of
   worldliness is the grand lesson which the Lord Jesus means us to learn。
   Oh; that we may all have an eye to see and a heart to understand!

   I believe there never was a time when warnings against worldliness were
   so much needed by the Church of Christ as they are at the present day。
   Every age is said to have its own peculiar epidemic disease: the
   epidemic disease to which the souls of Christians are liable just now
   is the love of the world。 It is a pestilence that walketh in darkness;
   and a sickness that destroyeth at noond
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