"Sin"

Sin is worse than suffering; it is better to suffer than to sin. Every sin is an attempt to dethrone God in your heart. Sin never goes alone but leaves a stain wherever it touches.

[Richard Baxter]

Sin is the dare of God's justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, and the contempt of His love. Sin turns the soul into a dungeon of darkness.

[John Bunyan] 

Sin is infinitely worse than any affliction. One sin allowed, is enough to damn the soul. Sin is the soul's only sickness, and Christ is the soul's only Physician.

[Jeremiah Burroughs]

Sin in the heart is like Jonah in the ship it turns the soul into a tempest. Sin will usher in the greatest and saddest losses imaginable. Sin is Satan's firstborn.

[Thomas Brooks]

Sin is an offense against infinite holiness and deserves infinite punishment. Sin is a deicide every sin would kill God if it could.

[Stephen Charnock]

Be killing sin, or it will be killing you. The seed of every sin is in every heart. 

[John Owen]

The smallest sin is an infinite evil, because it is committed against an infinite God. Sin is the foulest evil it pollutes everything it touches. 

[Samuel Rutherford]

Sin is the cause of all suffering and the root of all sorrow. Sin is the disturber of Heaven, earth, and Hell. One of the greatest sins, is not to see sin as the greatest evil. Sin is the soul's enemy, the heart's wound, and the thief of eternal joy.

[Ralph Venning]

Till sin is bitter, Christ will not be sweet. Sin has the devil for its father, shame for its companion, and death for its wages. Sin is a spiritual poison that would murder the soul. Sin is worse than Hell, because sin brought Hell into being.

[Thomas Watson]

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Hatred in God Himself

God hates man for sin!  It is not only sin, but sinners that God hates and that for sin!  It is said of God, that He hates the workers of iniquity; not only the works of iniquity but the workers of it.

It is because of sin, that the merciful God says, "Their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor!" Isaiah 27:11

This is the worst that can be spoken of the venom of sin, that in a sense, and to speak after the manner of men, it has put hatred into God Himself! Sin has made the Lord hate and destroy His own workmanship!

[Ralph Venning]

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Psalm 5:5 ... The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Psalm 11:5 ... The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Psalm 7:11 ... God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.❤

Worse Than Devilish

Those who mock at sin, are worse than fools and madmen!

Tell them, as Lot told his sons-in-law of the danger and judgments which hang over their head and, as with Lot, you seem to them as one who jokes. They laugh at it, as if God were not in earnest when He threatens sinners and as if those who preach against sin were deranged.

There are some who sport themselves on their way to Hell as if sin were but a recreation! What fools are they who laugh at their own folly and destruction! It is a devilish nature in us, to mock at the calamity of others but to laugh at our own calamity, seems to be worse than devilish!

There are many, too many, who mourn under affliction yet laugh over their sins! They sigh and weep when they feel any burden on their body but make merry at that which destroys their soul! Can anything be more mad than this to laugh, mock and make sport at that which eternally wrongs and damns their own souls!

The wicked laugh over their sin now. But if they do not repent then they will weep forever in Hell over it!

Holiness is the beauty of earth and Heaven without which we cannot live well on earth, nor shall ever live in Heaven. Certainly those who jeer and scoff at holiness, will be turned into Hell.

[Ralph Venning]

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Genesis 19:14 ... And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

Proverbs 14:9 ... Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

Galatians 6:7 ... Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.❤

Hold Your Hand in This Fire

Take heed of what men call secret sins. There are only too many who continue in wickedness, because as they think, no one knows how wicked they are. They are drunkards but it is in the night. They are immoral but it is in the dark. Their mystery of iniquity trades in the works of darkness and in the dark. Indeed, if men could sin and no eye see them, then they might sin securely; but this is a falsehood as well as a mistake.

Once a young maiden was tempted to be unchaste. The person who solicited her, promised to do great things for her if she would yield.   "I will," he said, "do anything for you!"  "Will you?" she said, "then hold your hand in this fire!"  "Oh, that is unreasonable!" he answered.   "But," she replied, "it is much more unreasonable that I should burn forever in Hell for your sake! Who would venture his soul to eternal torment to gratify his own or another's pleasure and lust?"

We cannot escape God's sight any more than we can escape His judgment. He sees us, though like Adam and Eve we cover ourselves with fig-leaves. And He will one day call to us, as He did to them, "Sinner where are you?"  You cannot flee from His presence. You may more easily hide from yourselves than from God.  I hope you will say, for I am sure you will see cause to do so, "How shall I do this wickedness and sin against God!"

[Ralph Venning]

Hebrews 4:13 ... Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Mark 4:22 ... For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

1 Corinthians 4:5 ... Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.❤

Give The Devil An Inch ...

Beware of such sins as the world calls little sins! They say: "What harm is there in an innocent lie?" Alas, what a contradiction this is! Can a lie be innocent? One says, "Oh, it is only a trick of youth!" Yes, but it is such a trick as may cost you going to Hell! Another "deceives his neighbor and says: I am only joking!" 

Yes, but he who sins in jest or makes a jest of sin may be damned in earnest! Consider that no sin against a great God, can be strictly a little sin though compared with a greater one, it may be. But however little it is to account it so, makes it greater.  The nature of the greater sin is in the least sin. A spark of fire, or a drop of poison have the nature of much more sin.  God has severely punished sins that have been looked upon as little sins, indeed, some of them well-meant sins as when Uzzah took hold of the Ark when the cart shook.  When men only looked into the Ark, it cost them dearly! "The LORD killed seventy men from Beth-shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the LORD!" Gathering a few sticks on the Sabbath was severely punished! 

These seem to be small matters but in sin, we must not consider so much what is forbidden as why it is forbidden, and who forbids it. Besides, a little sin makes way for a greater sin just as a little boy-thief entering a house, makes way for a man-thief to enter. It is hard to sin once and only once to commit one little sin and only one.  Give the devil and sin an inch and they will take a mile! Vain babbling increases to more ungodliness. A little leak in a ship, may by degrees fill it with water and sink it.

The Devil does not much care by what sins we go to Hell, whether small or great; whether by religious formality or open immorality. If a man makes no conscience of little sins, to which the temptations can be only little then how little conscience is he likely to make of great sins, to which there are greater temptations? If Judas betrays his Lord for thirty pieces of silver then what would he not do for more? Beware then of little sins!

[Ralph Venning]

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Proverbs 26:19 ... So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

2 Samuel 6:6-7 ... And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

1 Samuel 6:19 ... And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

1 Peter 5:8 ... Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: ❤

Living Monuments of God's Goodness

If sin is so exceedingly sinful so contrary to and displeasing to God then surely His patience is exceedingly great, His goodness is exceedingly rich, and His long-suffering is exceedingly marvelous even such as to cause astonishment!  We are all living monuments of God's goodness and patience! It is of the Lord's mercies that all of us are not altogether and utterly consumed and that in eternal Hell! Such is the power of His patience, the infiniteness of His mercy and compassion, and the riches of His unsearchable grace!

Consider the multitude of sinners in the world. If it were only one or two sinners then they might be winked at and passed by. But all the world lies in wickedness (1 John 5:19). There is none righteous no, not one! If there had been only ten righteous ones, then God would have spared Sodom, although ten thousand sinners might be there. Yet there is not a single man to be found who does not sin. All have sinned and that continually. What grace, then what patience is this!

Consider the multitude of sins committed by every sinner. Every sinner commits innumerable sins! If all men had sinned only once it would have mitigated the matter. Sin, however, has grown up with men. Not a single good thought is to be found in their hearts! (Genesis 6:5) Sin grows up faster than men do, they are old in sin, when still young in years. They are adding iniquity to iniquity, and drawing sin on with cords and ropes, committing it with both hands greedily, as if they could not sin enough! They dare God Himself to judge them. They drink down iniquity like water, as if it was their element and nourishment and pleasure also. Yet, behold, how miraculously patient is God!

God sees sin.  He is sensible of it and angered about it, for it grieves and vexes Him. God is able to avenge Himself whenever He pleases, yet He forbears with sinners. Be astonished at it!

It is a wonder that men are spared so long, especially if we consider how quickly God cast the angels that sinned down to Hell!

O the wonder of sovereign grace!

[Ralph Venning]

Lamentations 3:22-23 ... It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

1 Chronicles 16:34 ... O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Ephesians 4:7 ... But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.❤

The Worst of Hell

Sin is worse than Hell!  Hell is only a punishment but sin is a crime! The crime is more evil than the punishment. Hell is the punishment for the crime of sin. The very greatness of this punishment argues the greatness of the crime, and the sinfulness of sin. That God is glorified on men in such a way is a clear and full proof what an evil thing it is to sin against and dishonor God. Consequently Hell itself does not inflict so much hurt as sin does. Hell, indeed, is a dismal place of horror and torment, the extremity of suffering but it never had any existence until sin came. Nor could Hell have such extreme torments as it does if sin were not there.

It is reported as a saying of Anselm, that if sin and Hell were set before him and he must go through one of them he would choose to go through Hell, rather than sin!

Sin is the worst of Hell and worse than Hell! Sin is what makes sinners cry out for the torment of devouring fire and everlasting burnings which are no terror to righteous and upright souls. It is sin which makes Hell to be Hell. God was never angry until sin made Him so. His wrath was never kindled except by sin.

Now just as sin made Hell, so the more sin, the worse the Hell!

[Ralph Venning]

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Isaiah 33:14 ... The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

Matthew 23:33 ... Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Mark 12:40 ... Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.❤

The Devil is A Deceiver

The Devil disguises himself as an angel of light that he may more effectually lead us into darkness. If he were to come like a devil, like an enemy then everyone would run from him. But he comes masked and puts on the face of a friend and so he tricks and cheats us. Indeed, he prevails more by his wily subtleties than by his power.

If the Devil had come to Eve and spoken to her as follows: 'I was once a glorious angel and lived above in the Court of Heaven but I have sinned and am now cast down to Hell. Eat the forbidden fruit and you will be like me!' Would this have succeeded? Surely not!

Thus if he came and tempted men to sin, by telling them that sin is the sure way to Hell would this prevail with them to sin? No! The Devil is a subtle old serpent he cloaks and paints sin. He covers his hook with a bait and draws men in before they are aware of it. He is a deceiver and lest he should be known, he puts on a false garb and disguises himself as an angel of light.

He dare not say, "I am the Devil I am a deceiver! I will lead you into Hell!" for that would spoil his wily schemes.

[Ralph Venning]

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2 Corinthians 11:14 ... And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Matthew 7:15 ... Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

1 Peter 5:8 ... Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: ❤

Content and Thankful

It has been every man's lot to come into and go out of this world naked--to show that he has no right to anything, but lives on the alms of God's charity and grace. All that we have or hold between our birth and death is the mere gift of God.

God might choose whether He would allow us anything or not; and when He has given, He may take back again, and none of us has cause to say anything but what Job said: "Naked I came into the world and naked I shall return. The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!" Job 1:21

All that we have, our food and clothing and belongings are only lent to us. Therefore, seeing that we deserve nothing we should be content with, and thankful for anything.

[Ralph Venning]

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1 Timothy 6:7-8 ... But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

Hebrews 13:5 ... Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Philippians 4:11 ... Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.❤