# Sick of SIN, sick of SELF, sick of the WORLD



## Blueridge Believer (May 27, 2008)

(J. C. Philpot, "Spiritual Delight" 1845)

"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give
you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

By nature we delight in SIN. It is the very element of 
our nature—and even after the Lord has called us by 
His grace and quickened us by his Spirit—there is the 
same love to sin in the heart as there was before.
We delight in it—we would wallow in it—take our full 
enjoyment of it—and swim in it as a fish swims in 
the waters of the sea!

By nature we also are prone to IDOLATRY. Self is 
the grand object of all our sensual and carnal worship. 
Our own exaltation, 
our own amusement, 
our own pleasure, 
our own gratification.
Something whereby SELF may be . . .
flattered,
admired,
adored, 
delighted, 
is the grand end and aim of man's natural worship.

By nature we also delight in the WORLD. It is . . .
our element,
our home,
what our carnal hearts are intimately blended with.

From all these things, then, which are intrinsically 
evil—which a pure and holy God must hate with 
absolute abhorrence—we must be weaned and 
effectually divorced—we need to have these 
things embittered to us. 

All the time we are doing homage and worship to 
self—all the time we are loving the world—all the 
time we delight in sin—all the time we are setting 
up idols in the secret chambers of imagery—there 
is no delighting ourselves in the Lord.

We cannot delight ourselves in the Lord until we are 
purged of creature love—until the idolatry of our hearts is 
not merely manifested, but hated and abhorred—until by . . .
cutting temptations,
sharp exercises,
painful perplexities, 
and various sorrows,
we are brought to this state—to be . . .
sick of SIN,
sick of SELF,
sick of the WORLD. 

Until we are brought to loathe ourselves, we are not 
brought to that spot where none but God Himself can 
comfort, please, or make the soul really happy.

Now the very means that God employs to embitter the 
world to us are cutting and grievous dispensations—as 
unexpected reverses in fortune—or afflictions of body, 
of family, or of soul. But these very means that the Lord 
employs to divorce our carnal union from the world, stir 
up the self-pity, the murmuring, the peevishness, and 
the rebelliousness of our nature. So that we think we 
are being very harshly dealt with, in being compelled 
to walk in this trying path. 

But only by these cutting dispensations we are eventually 
brought to delight ourselves in Him, who will give us the 
desires of our heart.

How long you shall be walking in this painful path—
how heavy your trials—what their duration shall be—how 
deep you may have to sink—how cutting your afflictions 
may be in body or soul, God has not defined, and we cannot. 
But they must work until they have produced this result—
weaned, divorced, and separated us from all that we 
naturally love and idolatrously cleave unto—and all 
that we adulterously roam after. If our trials have not 
done this, they must go on until they produce that effect. 

The burden must be laid upon the back, 
affliction must try the mind, 
perplexities must encumber the feet, 
until we are brought to this point—that none but the 
Lord Himself, with a taste of His dying love, can comfort 
our hearts, or give us that inward peace and joy which
our soul is taught to crave after.


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## Galatians220 (May 27, 2008)

This poem by Robert Murray M'Cheyne might be a good follow-up here (forgive me if anyone has already placed it in another thread; as you know, I'm relatively new here):

_*How Much I Owe*_

_When this passing world is done_
_When has sunk yon glaring sun,_
_When we stand with Christ in glory_
_Looking o'er life's glorious story,_
_Then, Lord, shall I fully know -_
_Not till then - how much I owe._

_When I hear the wicked call_
_On the rocks and hills to fall,_
_When I see them start and shrink,_
_On the fiery deluge brink,_
_Then, Lord, shall I fully know -_
_Not till then - how much I owe._

_When I stand before the throne_
_Dressed in beauty not my own,_
_When I see Thee as Thou art,_
_Love Thee with unsinning heart,_
_Then, Lord, shall I fully know -_
_Not till then - how much I owe._

_When the praise of heaven I hear_
_Loud as thunders to the ear,_
_Loud as many waters' noise,_
_Sweet as harp's melodious voice,_
_Then, Lord, shall I fully know -_
_Not till then - how much I owe._

_Chosen not for good in me,_
_Wakened up from wrath to flee,_
_Hidden in the Saviour's side,_
_By the Spirit sanctified,_
_Teach me, Lord, on earth to show_
_By my love, how much I owe_.


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## Blueridge Believer (May 27, 2008)

Thanks for that sister Margaret.


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## Stephen (May 27, 2008)

Galatians220 said:


> This poem by Robert Murray M'Cheyne might be a good follow-up here (forgive me if anyone has already placed it in another thread; as you know, I'm relatively new here):
> 
> _*How Much I Owe*_
> 
> ...





This is a great poem that was made into a hymn used in many PCA churches.  sorry to those that do not subscribe to uninspired hymns


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## Reformed Covenanter (May 27, 2008)

Stephen said:


> Galatians220 said:
> 
> 
> > This poem by Robert Murray M'Cheyne might be a good follow-up here (forgive me if anyone has already placed it in another thread; as you know, I'm relatively new here):
> ...



Which is everyone who has commented on this thread so far, except yourself.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (May 27, 2008)




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