Abeard
Puritan Board Freshman
"By other men's sins a holy man is put in mind of the badness of his own heart. Bernard makes mention of an old of an old man who when he saw any man sin lamented and wept for him and being asked why he grieved so for other men's sins answered, " he may fall today and I may fall tomorrow. "
The falls of others puts a holy man in mind of the roots of sinfulness which are in himself. Other men's actual sins are so many glasses through which a holy man comes to see the manifold seeds of sins which are in his own heart and such a sight as this cannot but melt him and break him. A holy heart knows that the best way to keep himself pure from other men's sins is to mourn for other men's sins. He who makes conscience of weeping over other men's sins will rarely be defiled with other men's sins. A holy heart looks upon other men's sins as their bonds and chains and this makes him mourn. Ah, how but tears can trickle down a Christian's cheek when he see many fast bound with the cords of their iniquity trooping down to hell who is a bound prisoner to the prince of darkness and not bemoan him. If holy people mourn thus for the wickedness of others then certainly those who take pleasure in the wickedness of others, who laugh and joy and make a sport of other men's sins are rather monsters than men. There are none so nearly allied to Satan as these, nor any so resemble Satan as much as these. Satan always joys most when sinners sin most. To applaud them and to take pleasure in those who take pleasure in sin is the highest degree of ungodliness."
John Owen
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The falls of others puts a holy man in mind of the roots of sinfulness which are in himself. Other men's actual sins are so many glasses through which a holy man comes to see the manifold seeds of sins which are in his own heart and such a sight as this cannot but melt him and break him. A holy heart knows that the best way to keep himself pure from other men's sins is to mourn for other men's sins. He who makes conscience of weeping over other men's sins will rarely be defiled with other men's sins. A holy heart looks upon other men's sins as their bonds and chains and this makes him mourn. Ah, how but tears can trickle down a Christian's cheek when he see many fast bound with the cords of their iniquity trooping down to hell who is a bound prisoner to the prince of darkness and not bemoan him. If holy people mourn thus for the wickedness of others then certainly those who take pleasure in the wickedness of others, who laugh and joy and make a sport of other men's sins are rather monsters than men. There are none so nearly allied to Satan as these, nor any so resemble Satan as much as these. Satan always joys most when sinners sin most. To applaud them and to take pleasure in those who take pleasure in sin is the highest degree of ungodliness."
John Owen
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