三月十一日

罪……是惡極了。（羅7:13）

要留心，不要以為罪是小事。在初悔改時，良心是很柔嫩的，一點微小的罪我們就覺得可怕。剛歸主的人有一種聖潔的羞惡之心，他們敬畏神的心常怕得罪神。但可惜！這些初熟的果子上所殘留的美麗花朵，因為不善應付周圍的不良環境，便脫落下來：初信者的虔敬生活，像一顆柔嫩的小樹，但不久卻能長成一顆大樹。可惜，一個基督徒也能逐漸變成麻木剛硬，開頭所犯的小罪，現在一點也感覺不到是罪了。人們乃是逐漸地與罪結識。被炮聲震過的耳朵，一點小聲音是聽不出來的。起初小罪在我們身上發動，但不久我們就說：“這不是一個小罪嗎？”不久又來了一個，更大的一個，接著又來了一個，直到後來，我們逐漸地感到罪並不算一回什麼事了，於是產生了一種不純潔的想法：“我們還未犯什麼明顯的罪。不錯，我們差了一點，但我們還沒有偏離正路。一點小罪是無傷大雅的。我們或許說過一句不潔淨的話，但我們大部分的談話是很正當的。”我們就這樣文飾我們的罪，維護我們的過錯，給它穿起雅觀的衣服，給它起個中聽的名字。基督徒呀！要留意，不要疏忽輕微的罪，以為它沒有什麼關係。要小心，免得一點一點地落到罪裡。小狐狸不能把葡萄毀壞了嗎？微小的珊瑚築成的礁石不能使一隻船撞壞嗎？罪，是一件小事嗎？它卻是刺痛救贖主的頭的荊棘，並紮傷他的心！它使他受痛、受苦、受傷。若你能用天上的天平衡量小罪的份量，你就要逃避它像逃避一條毒蛇一樣，並且也覺得微小的邪惡的表現也是可怕的。若你曉得得救主被一切罪惡所釘死的話，那麼你就看到罪是“惡極了”。

March 11

"Sin . . . exceeding sinful." --Romans 7:13

Beware of light thoughts of sin. At the time of conversion, the conscience is so tender, that we are afraid of the slightest sin. Young converts have a holy timidity, a godly fear lest they should offend against God. But alas! very soon the fine bloom upon these first ripe fruits is removed by the rough handling of the surrounding world: the sensitive plant of young piety turns into a willow in after life, too pliant, too easily yielding. It is sadly true, that even a Christian may grow by degrees so callous, that the sin which once startled him does not alarm him in the least. By degrees men get familiar with sin. The ear in which the cannon has been booming will not notice slight sounds. At first a little sin startles us; but soon we say, "Is it not a little one?" Then there comes another, larger, and then another, until by degrees we begin to regard sin as but a little ill; and then follows an unholy presumption: "We have not fallen into open sin. True, we tripped a little, but we stood upright in the main. We may have uttered one unholy word, but as for the most of our conversation, it has been consistent." So we palliate sin; we throw a cloak over it; we call it by dainty names. Christian, beware how thou thinkest lightly of sin. Take heed lest thou fall by little and little. Sin, a little thing? Is it not a poison? Who knows its deadliness? Sin, a little thing? Do not the little foxes spoil the grapes? Doth not the tiny coral insect build a rock which wrecks a navy? Do not little strokes fell lofty oaks? Will not continual droppings wear away stones? Sin, a little thing? It girded the Redeemer's head with thorns, and pierced His heart! It made Him suffer anguish, bitterness, and woe. Could you weigh the least sin in the scales of eternity, you would fly from it as from a serpent, and abhor the least appearance of evil. Look upon all sin as that which crucified the Saviour, and you will see it to be "exceeding sinful."