Exodus 23:30 By little and little I will drive them out from before you, until you be increased, and inherit the land. It is important, not only to see, but to love, the gradual processes of God. There is more love in doing the little thing than in doing the great thing. A great mind is never so great as when it is throwing itself into something exceedingly minute. The special subject to which the text spiritually and allegorically refers is the conquest of sin. For such as the old inhabitants of the land of Canaan were to Israel, such the old inhabitants of our hearts are to us. But now here let me draw what appears to me to be a very important distinction before I proceed. If the processes of sanctification are exceedingly small, the work of justification is template — perfectly complete — in its one defined isolated act. Never confound this — the advancement of your holiness with the perfection of your pardon. There are no degrees of pardon. Nevertheless, though, the Lord Jesus Christ being set up in his heart, sin has gone down, and grace is in the ascendancy — the sin is there — and there it is in tremendous rebellion and awful conflict. Make the distinction of the sin dominant, and the sin subservient, but rebellious against the grace dominant. Yet still, though the sin be thus so far subdued, it lives. Only "little by little," after it is put down from its throne, is it expelled. It goes on to that expulsion — till at last, as the condemnation of sin was exchanged for the rebellion of sin, the rebellion of sin is exchanged for the removal of the presence of sin, and sin is no longer there. Now I want to lead you to see the benefits of this "little by little." It is in infinite mercy. It is the discipline of life. And not only in the external event, but in the internal experiences, to a believer, it is all discipline. And that very gradual overcoming of sin is a great part of the discipline of life — to exercise many graces, patience, faith, waiting upon God, prayer, humiliation. And not only so, but remember in this discipline of life, God has His punishments. And do you know what God's heaviest punishment is? Sin. He makes sins scourge sins! — often a sin we hate to scourge a sin we love — often a sin of action to chasten a sin of feeling — often a sin of conscience to humble us in the dust and make us discover a sin of emotion. Sins punish sins. Therefore, as the old Canaanites were kept in the land of Canaan for this very end — that they might be thorns in the side of the Israelites, and whenever the Israelites fell into idolatry — for their grievous sin some were allowed to rise up and overcome them for awhile, till God raised up some judge to overcome that nation, so it is in your heart. And not only is it thus discipline and punishment — but remember it is for the manifestation of the glory of the Holy Ghost who exhibits His power and grace in the process of converting sinners into saints. Or look at it again thus. I do not believe that we could bear now to be perfectly holy. That inward light, if so unclouded, would be of such a brightness as would wither us and scorch us. The body would not be capable of it — the mind would not be capable of it. But when we have the disembodied spirit, or when we have the "spirit clothed upon with the new body," then, and then only, we shall be capable of perfect saintliness. And till that, it must be "little by little," — a gradual approaching to that state which we could not bear if introduced to at once. Now, just in conclusion, observe the expression "I will drive them out." It is one of God's high works; it requires the power of Omnipotence to eradicate sin from the human soul. (J. Vaughan M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. |
    |