LORD, Keep Us From The Very Appearance Of Evil!

They are the willing, abject slaves 
of what is called amusement! 
(Charles Spurgeon, "Flowers from a Puritan's Garden" 1883) 

"In gambling there is a secret 
enchantment. A man will play a little, 
and only venture a small sum--
but soon he is enticed in, 
and more and more entangled. 
Just so, men think it is no 
great matter to sin a little--
and yet that little leads on to more!"

The illustration is most forcible. 
Many people have put down a dollar 
on the gambling-table when passing 
through the room--
and from that moment 
their ruin has been sealed. 

They will be seen from day 
to day staking their hundreds--
until the last fatal roll of the dice 
leaves them penniless! 

They are the willing, abject slaves 
of what is called amusement! 

Thus does sin begin with littles, 
and glides into more serious faults--
until the sinner is spellbound, and 
finds himself enthralled by folly, 
which he has no ability to leave. 

Be it ours to give no place to the devil. 
Let him not have a spot whereon to 
set up his enchantment, and work 
his diabolical arts. 

If we never venture a farthing 
upon satan's table--
we shall never be made 
beggars by his subtle devices!

If he is not allowed to spin 
a spider's web about us--
he will never be able to hold 
us with the cords of iniquity! 

If we never wade into sin--
we shall never drown in it! 

LORD, keep us from the very appearance of evil!

   ~  ~  ~  ~ 

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"Flowers from a Puritan's Garden".