'Well, it
is wrong: but it is such a little matter.' A little draught may
give a great cold; and a great cold grow to a deadly decline. A
little sin may grow to a great bad habit; and a great bad habit may
kill both body and soul in hell. A little bait may take a great
fish; and the devil fishes with a very fine line, and is not going
to let you see his hook. The only way to be safe is to avoid all
appearance of evil, lest when you fancy yourself most completely
your own master, you find yourself the slave of sin.

Oh, may God give us all the spirit of watchfulness and godly fear!
Of watchfulness, lest sin overtake us unawares; and of godly fear,
that we may have strength to say with Joseph, 'How can I do this
great wickedness, and sin against God?' Of watchfulness, too, not
only against sin, but for God; of godly fear, not only fear of God's
anger, but fear of God's love.

Do you ask what I mean? This, my friends; that as we cannot tell at
any moment what danger may be coming on us, so we cannot tell at any
moment what blessing from God may be coming on us. Those Jews, in
the day of their visitation, were blind, and they rejected Christ:
but recollect, that it was _Christ_ whom they rejected; that Christ
was there, not in anger, but in love; not to judge, but to save;
that the power of the Lord was present, not to destroy, but to heal
them. They would have none of him. True; but they might have had
him if they had chosen. They denied him; but he could not deny
himself. He was there to teach and to save, as he comes to teach
and to save every man.

Therefore, I say, be watchful. Believe that Christ is looking for
you always, and expect to meet him at any moment. I do not mean in
visible form, in vision or apparition. No. He comes, not by
observation, that a man may say, 'Lo, here; and lo, there;' but he
comes within you, to your hearts, with the still, small voice, which
softens a man and sobers him for a moment, and makes him yearn after
good, and say in his heart, 'Ah, that I were as when I was a child
upon my mother's knee.' Oh! listen to that softening, sobering
voice. Through very small things it may speak to you: but it is
Christ himself who speaks. Whenever your heart is softened to
affection toward parent, or child, or your fellowman, then Christ is
speaking to you, and showing you the things which belong to your
peace. Whenever the feeling of justice, and righteous horror of all
meanne