Plain Sermons by Contributors to the "Tracts for the Times." Proverbs 4:13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is your life. One chief cause of wickedness is our curiosity to have some fellowship with darkness, some experience of sin, to know what the pleasures of sin are like. Not to know sin by experience brings upon a man the laughter and jests of his companions. Curiosity brought about Eve's fall; and a wanton roving after things forbidden, a curiosity to know what it was to be as the heathen, was one chief source of the idolatries of the Jews. This delusion arises from Satan's craft. He knows that if he can get us once to sin, he can easily make us sin twice or thrice, till at length we are taken captive at his will. He sees that curiosity is man's great and first snare. He therefore tempts men violently while the world is new to them, and hopes and feelings are eager and restless. The great thing in religion is to set off well, to resist the beginnings of evil; to flee temptation; and for these reasons — 1. It is hardly possible to delay our flight, without rendering flight impossible. Directly we are made aware of temptation we shall, if we are wise, turn our backs upon it, without waiting to think and reason about it; we shall engage our mind in other thoughts. 2. If we admit evil thoughts we shall make ourselves familiar with them. Our great security against sin lies in being shocked at it. 3. There is a tendency to repeat an act of sin once committed. 4. The end of sinning is to enslave us to it. Our safeguard lies in obeying our Lord's simple but comprehensive precept, "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." (Plain Sermons by Contributors to the "Tracts for the Times.") Parallel Verses KJV: Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.WEB: Take firm hold of instruction. Don't let her go. Keep her, for she is your life. |
    |