17 Sermon Illustrations on Spiritual Vigilance

" The moon is never eclipsed but when it is at the full. Certainly God's people are then in most danger." When all goes well with them in house and field, in basket and in store, then should they look lest they be full and forget the Lord, and so become eclipsed. For the world to come between us and our Lord is very easy but very terrible. When all is apparently

prosperous as to soul matters, and neither doubt, nor fear, nor temptation comes in, then also should the heart look well to its bearings lest at this very moment some evil should interpose between God and the soul, and darkness should be the fearful result. Remember this, dear reader: eclipses happen at the full moon. Look to thyself, then, in thy moments of greatest happiness and peace, for then is the time of peril. Whene'er becalmed I lie, And storms forbear to toss; Be thou, dear Lord, still nigh, Lest I should suffer loss. Far more the treacherous calm I dread, Than tempests thundering overhead.

The bosom sin in grace exactly resembles a strong current in Nature, which is setting full upon dangerous shoals and quicksands. If, in your spiritual computation, you do not calculate upon your besetting sin, upon its force, its ceaseless operation, and its artfulness, it will sweep you on noiselessly, and with every appearance of calm, but surely and effectually, to your ruin. So may we see a gallant ship leave the dock, fairly and bravely rigged, and with all her pennons flying. And the high sea, when she has elest her way into it, is unwrinkled as the brow of childhood, and seems to laugh with many a twinkling smile; and, when night falls, the moonbeam dances upon the wave, and the brightness of the day has left a delicious balmiuses behind it in the air. The ship is anchored negligently and feebly, and all is then still, save the gentle drowsy gurgling, which tells that water is the element in which she floats. But, in the dead of the night, the anchor loses its hold; and then the current, deep and powerful, bears her noiselessly whither it will: and in the morning the wall of desperation rises from her decks; for she has fallen on the shoal. And the disconsolateness of the dreary twilight, as the breeze springs with the daybreak, and with rude impact dashes her planks angrily against the rock, contrasts strangely with the comfort and peacefulness of the past evening.

— Dr. Goulburn

As the sentinel on duty watches for the coming foe; as the sailor on deck watches for the coming danger from storm or breakers; as the watchman watches for the thief who seeks to plunder; as Satan watches for opportunities to sow tares, and ruin souls; as the worldling watches for "chances" to make a bargain; as the pleasure-taker watches for seasons, times, and companies for personal enjoyment; as the lover of knowledge watches all openings for the increasing of his knowledge: so should the Christian watch for the approach of his enemies, and be prepared for conflict and victory. He should watch for the dangers which beset his passage to the haven of rest, and, by the wisdom which cometh from above, avoid them: he should watch for all occasions of usefulness in all ways in his power; for all opportunities of laying up treasure in heaven; for all means of promoting his purity and happiness; for all sources whence may flow an increase in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. "What I say unto one, I say unto all, Watch." "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation." Bate.

Gotthold said, "Whatever else you may do, I beseech you see that you keep with care the precious jewel of your immortal soul. In these days of ours, means have been devised for searching and recovering lost things out of navigable rivers and even the tempestuous sea; but who knows how to rescue a lost soul from the abyss of hell?"—"Alas!" exclaimed one of the company, "this jewel is far from safe when intrusted to such care as ours; and He who is the Keeper of Israel, and neither slumbers nor sleeps, must undertake the larger share of the task." To which Gotthold replied, "How true that is!"

How precious a thing is youthful energy if only it could be preserved, entirely englobed as it were, within the bosom of the young adventurer, till he can come and offer it forth a sacred emanation in yonder temple of truth and virtue! But, alas! all along as he goes towards it, he advances through an avenue formed by a long line of tempters and demons on each side, all prompt to touch him with their conductors, and draw this divine electric element, with which he is charged, away. J. Foster.

There is an old fable that a doe that had but one eye used to graze near the sea; and in order to be safe, she kept her blind eye toward the water, from which side she expected no danger, while with the good eye she watched the country. Some men, noticing this, took a boat and came upon her from the sea and shot her. With her dying breath, she said:

“Oh! hard fate! that I should receive my death wound from that side whence I expected no harm, and be safe in the part where I looked for most danger.”

The dangers to moral integrity most to be guarded against are those which come disguised, and are often hard to detect.

D. W. Whittle tells of a soldier who was posted in a forest to watch the approach of Indians. It was a position of peculiar danger, three different men having been surprized and killed at this post without having had time to fire a shot. The soldier was left with strict orders to observe the utmost vigilance. In a short time an object moving among the trees at some distance caught his eye. He watched it, with gun ready; as it came a little nearer, he saw it to be a wild hog. Another came in sight. He satisfied himself it was a wild hog, rooting under the leaves. Presently, in another direction, the leaves were rustled and a third wild hog appeared. Being now used to these creatures, he paid but little attention. The movements of the last animal, however, soon engaged the man’s thoughts. He observed a slight awkwardness in its movements, and thought possibly an Indian might be approaching, covered in a hog’s skin. If it was an Indian the safest thing was to shoot. If it was not an Indian, and he should shoot, he would run no risk. He raised his rifle and fired. With a bound and a yell, an Indian leapt to his feet and fell back dead. The man had saved his life, and prevented the surprize of the garrison by his watchfulness. (Text.)

There are weeds in almost every soil. If you dig up the soil there will be found the seeds from which they grow. These seeds, however, can germinate only under the conditions brought about by sunshine and rain. There may be the seed of weeds in our nature, deep down out of sight; but should they be thrown up by some change of circumstances, we shall find evil in ourselves we never dreamed of. The Devil has neither forgotten us, nor lost our trail. If we resist him, he will flee.

In far-off Syria, a country lying northeast of Palestine, the land in which Jesus was born, the farmers who keep vineyards are very much troubled with foxes and bears, which destroy their crops at night. And so, to protect their vineyards, they build high stone-walls about them, and put broken bottles on the top to keep these animals out, much as some people in this country who have orchards do, in order to keep out small boys. These fences keep out the bears, because they cut themselves on the glass in trying to climb over, and they also keep out some of the foxes. But after all, when the grapes are nearly ripe, the owners of the vineyards and their men are obliged to build platforms up above the trellises, and stay there all night, in order to guard their crops. These watchers manage very well with all the other wild animals excepting the little foxes. They can see the big foxes and drive them off, but the little ones they cannot see, and so these destroy the vines. I suppose that it was an experience something like that which led one of the Bible-writers to say that the little foxes destroy the vines. It seems to me that this is very true with sins, too; it is the little sins that destroy us. When a big sin like stealing, lying or cheating comes along we can see that easily enough, and we will not let it over the fence into our lives. We drive it away, and are soon rid of it. But when the little sins come, like little foxes, we do not see them, and so they get in and destroy our character. What are some of these little foxes? I think one is pride, which makes you so conceited, because you live in a big house or have an automobile or fine clothes, that you will not speak to or play with other boys and girls who have not quite such fine things, although they may be just as bright and just as good as you. Pride is a little fox that kills the vine of brotherliness which Christ planted in our hearts. Then another little fox is sulkiness. Sulkiness makes you frown and go away in a corner. It sucks up all the sunlight there is, and makes the world very gray and dull, like a day in November. This fox kills the vine called "peace" which Christ planted. One more little fox is jealousy. This makes boys and girls dislike others who get higher marks than they in school, or who have more friends, or better toys. It is one of the most destructive little foxes there is, for it kills the best vine of all that Christ planted: that is, love. Be careful, then, boys and girls, of these little foxes, for they are worse than bears and big foxes, because they look so small and harmless, and slip by when you are not paying attention, but which destroy your character as readily as the others.