Servants of Sin
631
true. He had practiced self-abuse from his boyhood up, and he had
continued the practice during his married life, but said he would try to
break himself of it.
This man had a long-established habit to overcome. He was in
the middle age of life. His moral principles were so weak that when
brought in conflict with long-established indulgence they were over-
come. The baser passions had gained the ascendancy over the higher
nature. I asked him in regard to health reform. He said he could not
live it. His wife would throw graham flour out of doors, if it were
brought into the house. This family had been helped by the church.
Prayer had also been offered in their behalf. Their child had died, the
wife was sick, and the husband and father would leave his case upon
us, for us to bring before a pure and holy God, that He might work a
miracle and make him well. The moral sensibilities of this man were
benumbed.
When the young adopt vile practices while the spirit is tender,
they will never obtain force to fully and correctly develop physical,
intellectual, and moral character. Here was a man debasing himself
daily, and yet daring to venture into the presence of God and ask an
increase of strength which he had vilely squandered and which, if
[621]
granted, he would consume upon his lust. What forbearance has God!
If He should deal with man according to his corrupt ways, who could
live in His sight? What if we had been less cautious and carried the
case of this man before God while he was practicing iniquity; would
the Lord have heard? Would He have answered? “For Thou art not
a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with
Thee. The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight: Thou hatest all workers
of iniquity.”
Psalm 5:4, 5
. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord
will not hear me.”
Psalm 66:18
.
This is not a solitary case. Even the marriage relation was not
sufficient to preserve this man from the corrupt habits of his youth. I
wish I could be convinced that such cases as the one I have presented
are rare; but I know they are frequent. Children born to parents
who are controlled by corrupt passions are worthless. What can be
expected of such children, but that they will sink lower in the scale
than their parents? What can be expected of the rising generation?
Thousands are devoid of principle. These very ones are transmitting to
their offspring their own miserable, corrupt passions. What a legacy!