# The curtain-sinner



## Blueridge Believer (Apr 6, 2009)

(Thomas Watson, "The Godly Man's
Picture Drawn with a Scripture Pencil)

A godly man does not indulge himself in any sin.

Though sin lives in him—yet he does not live in sin. 
A godly man may step into sin through infirmity—
but he does not keep on that road. 

What is it to indulge sin? To indulge sin is to give the 
breast to it and feed it. To indulge sin is to commit it 
with delight. The ungodly "delight in wickedness." 
(2 Thess. 2:12). In this sense, a godly man does not 
indulge sin. Though sin is in him—he is troubled at it 
and would gladly get rid of it. 

There is as much difference between sin in the 
wicked, and sin in the godly—as between poison 
being in a serpent, and poison being in a man. 
Poison in a serpent is in its natural place and is 
delightful—but poison in a man's body is harmful 
and he uses antidotes to expel it. So sin in a 
wicked man is delightful, being in its natural 
place—but sin in a child of God is burdensome 
and he uses all means to expel it. 

A godly man will not allow himself in secret sins. 
Some are more modest than to commit open gross 
sin. That would be a stain on their reputation. All 
will not sin on a balcony—but perhaps they will 
sin behind the curtain! 

But a godly man dare not sin secretly, for he knows 
that God can neither be deceived by our subtlety, nor 
excluded by our secrecy. He knows that secret sins are 
in some sense worse than others. They reveal more 
deceit and atheism. "He knows the secrets of every 
heart." (Psalm 44:21)

But the curtain-sinner thinks that God does not see: 
"Have you seen what the leaders of Israel are doing with 
their idols in dark rooms? They are saying—The Lord 
doesn't see us!" (Ezek. 8:12). How it provokes God, that 
men's atheism should give the lie to His omniscience! "He 
who formed the eye—shall He not see?" (Psalm 94:9).

A godly man knows that secret sins shall not escape God's 
justice. A judge on the bench cannot punish the treason of 
the heart. But the sins of the heart are as visible to God,
as if they were written upon the forehead! As God will 
reward secret duties; so He will revenge secret sins!

A godly man enters his protest against sin: "Oh, 
what a miserable person I am! Who will free me 
from this life that is dominated by sin?" (Romans 
7:24). A child of God, while he commits sin, hates 
the sin he commits!


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