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When the
prophet Elijah had received the answer to his prayer, and the
fire from heaven had consumed the sacrifice in the presence of
all the people, he called upon the assembled Israelites to take
the priests of Baal, and sternly cried, "Let not one of
them escape." He took them all down to the brook Kishon,
and slew them there. So must it be with our sins-they are all
doomed, not one must be preserved. Our darling sin must die.
Spare it not for its much crying. Strike, though it be as dear
as an Isaac.
Strike, for God struck at sin when it was laid upon his own Son.
With stern unflinching purpose must you condemn to death that
sin which was once the idol of your heart. Do you ask how you
are to accomplish this? Jesus will be your power.
You have grace to overcome sin given you in the covenant of
grace; you have strength to win the victory in the crusade
against inward lusts, because Christ Jesus has promised to be
with you even unto the end. If you would triumph over darkness,
set yourself in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness. There
is no place so well adapted for the discovery of sin, and
recovery from its power and guilt, as the immediate presence of
God.
Job never knew how to get rid of sin half so well as he did when
his eye of faith rested upon God, and then he abhorred himself,
and repented in dust and ashes. The fine gold of the Christian
is oft becoming dim. We need the sacred fire to consume the
dross.
Let us fly to our God, he is a consuming fire; he will not
consume our spirit, but our sins. Let the goodness of God excite
us to a sacred jealousy, and to a holy revenge against those
iniquities which are hateful in his sight. Go forth to battle
with Amalek, in his strength, and utterly destroy the accursed
crew: let not one of them escape.
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