Here are some further sayings
of the wise by Samuel Clarke from The Saints' Bouquet, 1641,
read by Christopher Glynn. Sin is the spawn of the old serpent,
the source of hell and the vomit of the devil. Sin is more hateful to God than
the devil, for God hates the devil for sin's sake, and not
sin for the devil's sake. Sin is like a serpent in our
bosoms which cannot live but by sucking out our lifeblood. The godly hate sin because of
sin's defilement. The ungodly fear sin because
of sin's punishment. The godly hate sin because it
has filth in it to pollute the soul. The ungodly fear sin because
it has fire in it to burn the soul. The deluge of waters which overflowed
all the world washed away many sinners, but not one sin. The world shall one day be all
on fire, yet all that fire and all those flames in hell which
follow shall not purge one sin. All the evils in the world serve
to give names to sin. Sin is called poison, and sinners
are called serpents. Sin is called vomit, and sinners
are called dogs. Sin is called mire, and sinners
are called hogs. Sin is called darkness, blindness,
shame, nakedness, folly, madness, death, and whatever is filthy,
vile, infective, or painful. A glutton may fill his belly, but
he can never fill his lust. A covetous man may have his house
full of money, but he can never have his heart full of money. An ambitious man may have titles
enough to overload his memory, but never to fill his pride. The devil's last stratagem is,
if he cannot beat us down to sin, to blow us up with pride. Nothing will make God's children
so pure as to wash themselves every morning in tears of repentance. Without sound repentance, sin
is not seen as the greatest evil, nor Christ as the greatest good. Pay attention and listen to the
sayings of the wise. Apply your heart to what I teach. Proverbs 22 verse 17.