See this sad sight

by Charles Spurgeon

"The iniquity of the holy things." Exodus 28:38

What a veil is lifted up by these words--and what a
disclosure is made! It will be humbling and profitable
for us to pause awhile--and see this sad sight!

The iniquities of our public worship--its hypocrisy,
formality, lukewarmness, irreverence, wandering of
heart and forgetfulness of God--what a full measure
have we there!

Our work for the Lord--its envious rivalry,
selfishness, carelessness, slackness, unbelief
--what a mass of defilement is there!

Our private devotions--their laxity, coldness,
neglect, sleepiness, and vanity--what a mountain
of dead earth is there!

If we looked more carefully, we would find this iniquity in
our holy things, to be far greater than appears at first sight!

Edward Payson, writing to his brother, says, "My parish,
as well as my heart, very much resembles the garden of
the sluggard. And what is worse, I find that very many
of my desires for the betterment of both, proceed either
from pride or vanity or indolence. I look at the weeds
which overspread my garden, and breathe out an earnest
wish that they were eradicated. But why? What prompts
the wish? It may be that I may walk out and say to myself,
'In what fine order is my garden kept!' This is pride! Or,
it may be that my neighbors may look over the fence and
say, 'How finely your garden flourishes!' This is vanity!
Or I may wish for the destruction of the weeds, because
I am weary of pulling them up. This is indolence!"

So even our desires after holiness may be polluted by
sinful motives. Under the greenest sods, 'worms' hide
themselves--we need not look long to discover them.

How cheering is the thought, that when the High Priest
bore the iniquity of the holy things he wore upon his brow
the words, "Holiness to the Lord" (Exod 28:36) and even
so while Jesus bears our sin, He presents before His Father's
face not our unholiness--but His own holiness! O for grace
to view our great High Priest by the eye of faith!