the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Golden Treasury
There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until you take away the accursed thing from among you. Joshua 7:13. See also, 2 Peter 1:4. Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
The entertaining of every worldly lust, and indulgence of any known, willful sin, is such an accursed thing, by which we are deprived of the power of God, that we cannot stand before our enemies. Behold therefore the severity of God, (Joshua 7:21-26.) and be more earnest. Make all haste to flee from the lust of the world, especially from the lust of the eye, which is the love of money. It being impossible to receive any grace and strength until the accursed thing be taken away, what more needful than to break off even he most subtle and specious bonds of unrighteousness. Unless all splinters of the unjust Mammon be taken out, the wound cannot be healed up. Nay, examine thyself closely in other things, and whatever sinful lust harbours in thy breast, be faithful to put it off and flee from it, else you must not wonder at your being so weak in spirit. He that does not resist the sinful motion of his heart, will also very easily give a loose to his hands and tongue. But he that immediately subdues the inward corruption, will certainly be preserved from their breaking out in sinful actions.
O Lord, deliver me from all accursed things, and keep my heart always under thy closest inspection and discipline. Amen.
Why should my passions mix with earth,
And thus debase my heavenly birth,
Why should I cleave to things below,
And let my God, my Saviour go.
