The sin of sacrilege!

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(Octavius Winslow, "The Officer's Daughter" 1861)

"I, the Lord, have spoken! I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at My Word." Isaiah 66:2

Alas! how prevalent the sin of sacrilege is--even with some professing Christians! The common use which is sometimes made of sacred words, the light and flippant manner in which holy phrases are employed, the carnal use which is frequently made of the words of Scripture itself, the interlarding of vain conversation with Scripture phraseology, and what are intended to be witticisms--at the expense of God's holy Word. These are sins of greater prevalence and magnitude than, perhaps, many who are beguiled into their commission are aware!

We can scarcely conceive of anything more grieving to the Holy Spirit--than the manner in which some people deal with His inspired Word. Nor is the low spirituality which this solemn trifling with the Bible betrays, less painful.

A heavenly mind will guard the sacredness and purity of God's Word with holy jealousy! How can it be otherwise? To the Bible, the instrumentality of God's truth--the believer is indebted for his quickening, for his sanctification, and for his comfort! To trifle, then, with that holy Word, to quote it flippantly, to speak of it irreverently, to jest with it profanely--would seem a crime from which a mind stored with its precious treasures, and imbued with its hallowed spirit--would recoil with holy dread!

Oh, beware, reader, how you sport with, or trifle with--God's holy Scriptures! Oh, it is a fearful thing to quote with sportive lip, to touch with unhallowed hands--the holy Word of God!

"My heart stands in awe of Your Word! I rejoice in Your Word like one who discovers a great treasure!" Psalm 119:161-162

(Editor's note: It is truly lamentable, that many professing Christians use the holy Word of God to amuse others with 'bible jokes' and in other trifling and irreverent ways. Much of today's pseudo-Christian music, movies and literature--use the Word of God in a flippant manner, if not in a downright profane and sacrilegious way.)

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