Preservatives From Sin

    Set the Lord always before you, Psa. xvi. 8.

    Avoid carefully the occasions of sin: "Look not on the wine," lest your looking should cause desire, and so excess; and see Prov. v. 6—8. It is not good to come near a pesthouse. Carefully avoid idleness, and ill company. We must neither walk, sit, nor stand with the "ungodly," Psa. LI. "Save yourselves from this untoward generation."

    If you would not sin, remember the account: "God will bring thee into judgment." Often think you hear the last trumpet sound.

    Be much in prayer. Pray for preventing, restraining, renewing grace.

    Hide the word of God in your heart: "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee." This is an excellent preservative against sin.

    The precepts of the word are preservatives against sin. These we must hide in our hearts so as to answer temptations. Thus Christ did: "It is written." Scripture precepts well managed are good weapons. Instance the fourth commandment—"Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy." Have you this word written in your hearts? Have a care how you think your own thoughts, or speak your own words, or do your own works on that holy day. Sabbath sanctification is greatly neglected. All complain of it, but who goes about to mend it? Thou and thy son, etc. The command is directed to masters of families.

    There are the promises of the word. They are " exceeding great and precious:" "Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction." Understand this of the promising part. When sad tidings were brought to Mr. Dod, he blessed God for the good he knew would come out of it. "I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment." What a sweet word to the church! And there is a promise to particular saints: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

    Consider the threatenings of the word. Let these "dwell richly in you." Adam in innocency was awed by a threatening: "In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." There are terrible denunciations of wrath: "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." "Stand in awe, and sin not." You that do not pray in your families, remember Jeremiah, x. 25: "Pour out thy fury upon the families that call not on thy name."

    The Scriptures have stories too. They are food to help us against sin. Some have refrained from sin, and it was well taken. God blessed them for it. See the case of Joseph. Others have been entangled, and bad has come of it. David in the matter of Uriah fell sorely. The sword did not depart from his house. He went halting to the grave. Teach Scripture stories to your children.

    And, there is the gospel of the Scripture. The unsearchable love of God in the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ; see John iii. 16. That man has a hard heart indeed, that the blood of Christ will not soften.