This is the knife which cut the throat of your dear child!

(Jeremiah Burroughs)

If I do indeed believe that my sin has cost the blood of Christ-then certainly my sin is a dreadful evil.

Oh, let me never have to do with such sin as was the cause of such sufferings to my Savior-which shed His precious blood.

If you saw the knife that had cut the throat of your dearest child, would not your heart rise against that knife?

Suppose you come to dine, and there is a knife laid by your plate, and it was told to you that this is the knife which cut the throat of your dear child-could use that knife to eat your dinner?

Oh with what detestation would you fling away such a knife!

And with the like detestation it is required that you should renounce sin-for your sin was the cause of the death of Christ!

So when a temptation comes to sin-you must think, "This is the knife . . .
  which cut the throat of Christ,
  which pierced His side,
  which was the cause of all His sufferings,
  which made Christ to be a curse!"

Now you will look upon your sin as a cursed thing, which made Christ to be a curse!

"A bleeding Savior I have viewed,
 And now, I hate my sin!"