三月十一日
罪……是恶极了。（罗7:13）
要留心，不要以为罪是小事。在初悔改时，良心是很柔嫩的，一点微小的罪我们就觉得可怕。刚归主的人有一种圣洁的羞恶之心，他们敬畏神的心常怕得罪神。但可惜！这些初熟的果子上所残留的美丽花朵，因为不善应付周围的不良环境，便脱落下来：初信者的虔敬生活，像一颗柔嫩的小树，但不久却能长成一颗大树。可惜，一个基督徒也能逐渐变成麻木刚硬，开头所犯的小罪，现在一点也感觉不到是罪了。人们乃是逐渐地与罪结识。被炮声震过的耳朵，一点小声音是听不出来的。起初小罪在我们身上发动，但不久我们就说：“这不是一个小罪吗？”不久又来了一个，更大的一个，接着又来了一个，直到后来，我们逐渐地感到罪并不算一回什么事了，于是产生了一种不纯洁的想法：“我们还未犯什么明显的罪。不错，我们差了一点，但我们还没有偏离正路。一点小罪是无伤大雅的。我们或许说过一句不洁净的话，但我们大部分的谈话是很正当的。”我们就这样文饰我们的罪，维护我们的过错，给它穿起雅观的衣服，给它起个中听的名字。基督徒呀！要留意，不要疏忽轻微的罪，以为它没有什么关系。要小心，免得一点一点地落到罪里。小狐狸不能把葡萄毁坏了吗？微小的珊瑚筑成的礁石不能使一只船撞坏吗？罪，是一件小事吗？它却是刺痛救赎主的头的荆棘，并扎伤他的心！它使他受痛、受苦、受伤。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条毒蛇一样，并且也觉得微小的邪恶的表现也是可怕的。若你晓得得救主被一切罪恶所钉死的话，那么你就看到罪是“恶极了”。
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.”
