It may seem strange that a human body, weighing one hundred and fifty
pounds, would be disturbed by a little thorn in it, not an eighth of an
inch long! But, strange as it may appear, _it is a fact_. And you can
not accustom the body to it by piercing the thorn in deeper and deeper,
till the body will become easy and comfortable; but you can in that way
produce irritation, then inflammation, then mortification, and then
death. Death has been produced in this way many times. He is no friend
to the body who continues to push the thorn in deeper and deeper, nor
is he who would excuse him in so doing, or encourage him in it. There
is but one remedy, and that is to _remove the thorn_. Even if you have
to make the wound much larger than it is, the thorn _must be removed_,
or the end will be death.
There are cases in which a thorn might be pierced into the flesh an
inch, and produce no pain or irritation; but they are cases where there
is no _life_ in the flesh. A thorn pierced into a _dead body_ will
produce no pain or irritation. A dead body has no power to resist it,
and will make no effort. This is the reason precisely that a thorn
produces no irritation or pain when pierced into certain bodies. They
are _dead bodies_. It is no indication that the body is not alive and
in healthy condition, to find it resisting foreign matter, and making
an effort to remove obstructions; but when it can not do this, the body
must die. It can not live and the obstruction remain, at least, only
for a short time. But who will permit even a _little thorn_ to remain
in his flesh? We care not how little it may be; it is foreign, it is
irritating, and, unless removed, will produce death.
It was a little thing for Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit. Thomas
Paine inquired, “What harm was there in eating an apple?” This is the
watchword with all the unlawful things that people desire to do. “What
harm is it?” When we worship according to Scripture we never inquire,
“What harm is it?” It is not in doubt, and calls out no such inquiry.
It is not under any suspicion. To worship according to Scripture
is manifestly right. Why should we lag in anything in doubt, under
suspicion, and repulsive to any portion of the body, when we have a
divinely-prescribed worship held in no doubt?
It was a little thing for Achan to take a Babylonish garment, some
silver, and a wedge of gold, and secrete them in his tent; but when he
came to confess, it was not a little matter.
He said: “I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel.” On account
of this _little matter_, three thousand men were defeated, and Israel
disgraced. “Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall
trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and
burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.” Here
is a fine sample of little matters, and of troubling the people of God
with little matters. See Joshua vii. 19-26.
It was a little matter for Uzza to “put forth his hand to hold the
ark;” but he fell dead on account of it. See 1 Chron. xiii. 9. He
appeared to have been friendly to the ark, sincere, etc., but his
touching the ark brought death. What harm was there in touching the
ark? It did not injure it. It may be that he saved it from falling. But
he violated the law of God. He incurred the anger of God.
What became of them who offered strange fire on God’s altar? See Lev.
x.: “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his
censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered
strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there
went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before
the Lord.” That was a little matter; only slightly tampering with the
worship; simply introducing a new element, which the Lord commanded
them not, or did not command them. It is a fearful thing to tamper with
the worship.
In one word: “If _every transgression_ and disobedience received a
just recompense of reward,” in God’s dealings with men in former ages,
how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? If God allowed
no departures in the typical worship, why should we assume that he
will permit it in the worship typified? If everything had to be done
according to the patterns given to Moses in the typical dispensation,
how can any man infer that we may depart from the substance? We had
better take heed now. We may not add any thing, nor take any away from
what the Lord gave. We may not preach any other gospel, or even pervert
the gospel of Christ.
It was a little matter to charge that Jesus had “an unclean spirit,”
but those who did it sinned against the Holy Spirit, and are in danger
of “eternal damnation.”
It was a little matter for Ananias and Sapphira to lie about the price
of their possessions, but it was soon followed by a judgment from the
Lord.
It was a little matter for the Corinthians to get up a feast when they
met to worship, but on account of it many were sickly, weakly, and some
had died.
Some of the little matters now among us will be found sufficient to
stop the ark of God, and cause more than three thousand to be defeated.
If Moses were to address some of our men, he would say to them, as
he did to Aaron, “What hath this people done to thee that thou hast
brought so great a sin upon them?” or as Joshua said to Achan: “Why
hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day.” Let us
hear and live.