A Modern Parable by C.H. Spurgeon

A certain tyrant sent for one of his subjects, and said to him–”What is your employment?”

He said–”I am a blacksmith.”

“Go home,” said he, “and make me a chain of such a length.”

He went home; it occupied him several months, and he had no wages all the while he was making the chain, only the trouble and pain of making it. Then he brought it to the monarch, and he said–

“Go and make it twice as long.”

He gave him nothing to do it with, but sent him away. Again he worked on, and made it twice as long. He brought it up again, and the monarch said–

“Go and make it longer still.”

Each time he brought it, there was nothing but the command to make it longer still. And when he brought it up at last, the monarch said–

“Take it and bind him hand and foot with it, and cast him into a furnace of fire.”

These were his wages for making his chain. Here is a meditation for you to-night, ye servants of the devil! Your master, the devil, is telling you to make a chain. Some of you have been fifty years welding the links of the chain; and he says, “Go and make it longer still.”

Next Sabbath morning you will open that shop of yours, and put another link on; next Sabbath you will be drunk, and put another link on; next Monday you will do a dishonest action, and so will keep on making fresh links to this chain; and so when you have lived twenty more years, the devil will say, “More links on still!” And then, at last, it will be, “Take him and bind him hand and foot, and cast him into a furnace of fire;” “For the wages of sin is death.” There is a subject for your meditation. I do not think it will be sweet; but if God makes it profitable, it will do you good.

[i]-Taken from The Christian Treasury, 1868.1[/i]

This is so sober warning that sin is so disgusting and destructive. In one way or another everyone has felt the fruit of the sin. It tastes so bitter! May we never loose sight of this reality!

Just think, the word of God says the wages of sin is death. In other words, you are working yourself into hell, by working for the devil, whether you realise it or not.

But the gift of God... eternal life is the gift of God, He offers it to us, we do not have to work for it.

This is a great illustration for all, and so true.

Thanks.

God bless.

“That henceforth we should not serve sin.”
- Rom 6:6

[b]Christian,[/b] what hast thou to do with sin?

[b]Hath it not cost thee enough already?[/b]
Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire?
What! when thou hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den?
Hast thou not had enough of the old serpent?
Did he not poison all thy veins once, and wilt thou play upon the hole of the asp, and put thy hand upon the cockatrice’s den a second time?
Oh, be not so mad! so foolish!
[b]Did sin ever yield thee real pleasure?
Didst thou find solid satisfaction in it?[/b] If so, go back to thine old drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delight thee. But inasmuch as sin did never give thee what it promised to bestow, but deluded thee with lies, be not a second time snared by the old fowler- be free, and let the remembrance of thy ancient bondage forbid thee to enter the net again! It is contrary to the designs of eternal love, which all have an eye to thy purity and holiness; therefore run not counter to the purposes of thy Lord. Another thought should restrain thee from sin. [b]Christians can never sin cheaply; they pay a heavy price for iniquity.[/b] Transgression destroys peace of mind, [b]obscures fellowship with Jesus, hinders prayer, brings darkness over the soul;[/b] therefore be not the serf and bondman of sin. There is yet a higher argument: each time you “serve sin” you have “Crucified the Lord afresh, and put him to an open shame.” [b]Can you bear that thought?[/b] Oh! if you have fallen into any special sin during this day, it may be my Master has sent this admonition this evening, to bring you back before you have backslidden very far. Turn thee to Jesus anew; he has not forgotten his love to thee; his grace is still the same. With weeping and repentance, come thou to his footstool, and thou shalt be once more received into his heart; thou shalt be set upon a rock again, and thy goings shall be established.

[i]-Spurgeon[/i]