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SMALL SINS

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 23, 1879

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 54, No. 18.

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SMALL SINS.

By Eld. Jas. Sawyer

BY ELD. JAS. SAWYER.
“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes.” Song of Solomon 2:15.
In the Song of Solomon, in which, by a sacred allegory, is represented the mutual love between Christ and his church, the wise man who “spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall;” and who “spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes,” represents the true church, the bride of the poem, by several beautiful figures. And, as in the text at the head of this article, he has in this way taught some important lessons.
The church is compared to a rose, which, though growing among thorns, is always fragrant. The careless hand may crush it, yet the sweeter are its perfumes. The rose is always lovely, and so it is with the true church; she is “the light of the world.” “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys,” says the bride. To which the spouse replies, “As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.” She is as the beautiful and fragrant lily compared with thorns. Surely Christ’s love for his saints is very great.
And Solomon forgets not to search the fields of nature among the birds. The dove is remarkable for its affectionate and peaceable disposition. Other birds have more beauty, their songs are sweeter, but they are not to be compared with the harmless dove. And he writes: “O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.” How appropriate is this description of the church! and how tender is the love between Christ and his people! The bride, feeling her unworthiness, would hide in the clefts of the rock; but she is called forth, and comforted by the assurance that her voice is sweet and her countenance comely. Nor is the affectionate disposition of the church manifested simply in her love to her Lord, but even enemies have been led to exclaim, “See how these Christians love one another.”
The inspired naturalist, seeking fitting symbols from which to teach lessons of wisdom, next notices the trailing vine,—the vineyard with its precious fruit. He delights in the choice clusters of the luscious grape. But his attention is suddenly attracted by a rustling among the vines, and on examination he finds that some of the grapes are already spoiled. What is the matter? Ah! it is the little foxes that are making this destruction in the vineyard. Perhaps other larger animals had been there, but these were unnoticed; it was the “little foxes” that crawled under the branches and destroyed the tender grapes. The Saviour also compared the church to the branches of a vine: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” And what can the little foxes be but small sins,—little errors in faith and practice that hardly seem worth mentioning? Alas for the church when these creep in to blight and destroy!
The foxes were as likely to be found in one place as another. The tender grapes were on all the vines, and wherever they were, there must the snares be set. In like manner Jesus makes no exception. All the branches need care. The gardener need not think that because one branch seems to be healthy, vigorous, and productive, he will not prune that one. Perhaps that is the very one where he will find the little foxes eating. The Master said, “Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” It will not do for us to sit in judgment on our brother and watch for faults in another, while little sins are blinding us, and eating out the vitality of our own life.
It is hard to eradicate these little destroyers, so it is necessary to keep setting the snares. One writer says:—
“Spare not small sins. A little leak can sink a great ship, and a little spark may become a great conflagration, and so can a small sin which is allowed to be fostered destroy the soul. Never spare a small sin. Follow it to its very lurking-place, and allow it no mercy whatever. This is the admonition of the wise man, ‘Take us the foxes, the little foxes.’”
“No wicked man designed at first ever to become evil. But he began by allowing himself a little gratification, and this led to a greater transgression, and so he became what he now is.”
“There are two ways to come down from a tower; one is to jump down, and the other is to go down by the stairs; but in either way one can reach the ground. So are there two ways that lead to hell; one is to journey thither with open eyes—few are the men who do this—the other, to go step by step down through the means of small sins. This last is a very common way. If you cling to some small sin, you will soon need more. Even a heathen could say, ‘Who has ever enjoyed himself with only a single sin?’ And so shall thy heart become more hardened in sin every year. A wise man tells how sin acquires its power over us in these words: ‘First it is terrible, afterward pleasant, then easy to be indulged, then cherished, then often repeated; whereby it becomes a deep-rooted habit and a necessity; man in this way becomes so hardened that it is difficult to repent, and he dies in condemnation.’”
“If some small sin is allowed a place in the heart, soon may we expect to be wholly in the enemy’s hands. ‘Play not with the fire’ is an old and true maxim, and in like manner let us not trifle with small sins. Spare them not. ‘Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes.’”
In order that we may discover these little foxes, they should be described. There is one which goes by the name of ingratitude, which, if left to grow, becomes one of the basest of crimes. It is often found among children. Parents know something of its bitter results. It is cruel to be ungrateful even to a dog. It is said that a certain traveler left his wallet by the wayside. His faithful, knowing dog observed this, and in his own peculiar manner tried to arrest his master’s attention. The master mistook the dog’s conduct for madness, and shot him. He supposed he had killed him; but the faithful animal had strength left to crawl to the money, and watch it until the master, on missing it, returned to see the cruelty of his rash and ungrateful deed.
Suspicion is another wily sin which sometimes eats into the heart like a canker. It becomes incurable, and unbelief takes root in it. It starts that little member, the tongue. It cannot then be tamed. If the tongue be the unruly member, what a dreadful penalty must await that which sets it in motion.
Over-sensitiveness is kin to suspicion. One feels the thongs before the blow is struck. How often has the Christian soldier, after he has fought many a hard battle and overcome many a wily foe, been himself vanquished by a gentle reproof which a little child should readily accept! It was I that the speaker meant, how can I endure it? He lays a heavy burden on his own shoulder, and finally falls a victim to unbelief among that great company which preceded him. It was only a little fox, but the branch had tender grapes.
Then there is jealousy, which, if left to grow, will become a sly, sneaking creature that can hardly be taken.
Neglect may be only a small sin, but terrible results follow in its wake. It preys upon both the rich and the poor. It sometimes entirely disqualifies the Christian soldier for active service. Cold neglect banishes love and turns home into a prison; and the church that falls under its baneful influence goes into darkness like that of Egypt.
And so we might go on to describe other little foxes which have their lurking-places among the branches of the vine. Paul, who, as well as Solomon, was a close observer of nature, has for our benefit classified many of both the large and the small sins: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5:19–21.
Solomon was not ignorant of the way in which these foxes must be taken, even if he did not always adopt the course himself. He left upon record the plan the husbandman must pursue: “Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Eccl. 12:13, 14. These words, like a two-edged sword, detect the very motives of the heart when we follow them according to the interpretation which the Saviour gave,—“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” When we do this, and are aided by the Holy Spirit, it is hardly possible to go amiss.
We may love our neighbor from a selfish standpoint. If he is our equal, it is easier to love him as ourself. We may anticipate that all the favors we bestow will be returned to us; but to extend to one the helping hand in the hour of adversity,—perhaps when the world around casts a disdainful look upon us for doing so,—is a very different matter.
We then begin to realize something of the love which Jesus manifested in behalf of the world. Would you suffer reproach for a brother? Would you divide with him your last morsel? Would you give him one of your two coats? Then you are beginning to estimate that love which is born of faith in God.
Are you rejoicing in a truth which saves men? That truth cost the life of the Son of God. Think upon the Man of sorrows. Go back with me to Calvary. Listen to the old story of the cross. Who was it that sunk beneath the heavy burden? Who was suspended between the heavens and the earth as a reproach and shame? Fierce persecutors spread his arms upon the cross, and his innocent hands received the cruel spikes. Do you hear the groans as they pierce his side with the spear? Do you see the bitter cup from which he is invited to drink? Do you hear the taunts that are heaped upon him by the infuriated mob?
He loved us even unto death. He loved the unlovely. While we were yet sinners he died for us. Here is our pattern. He fulfilled the closest requirements of the law. He loved his neighbor as himself. Are we ready to follow in his footsteps? Are we ready to make sacrifices for the salvation of others? Do we sacrifice according to the ability which God has given us? He who is all wrapped up in self stands in a slippery place, no matter what his profession may be. It was something more than mere profession that Jesus urged upon the Pharisees in the parable of the barren fig-tree; and those were solemn words which the master of the vineyard addressed to the vine-dresser: “Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?”
Happy is the man who redeems the time, and becomes a fruitful branch in the living Vine. Happy are we when we become clean through the word which the Master has given us: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me.” John 15:4.