The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venninghim, no matter what profitable pleasure might come to us thereby, and no matterwhat reason may be alleged or pretended for doing so.(5) How transcendently and incomparably beautiful a thing is holiness!How lovely a thing it is in the eyes of God and ought to be in the eyes of men! Thisis the thing that is so agreeable and pleasing to God, so adorning and beneficial toman. The black spot of sin sets off the beauty of holiness. But I have alreadyspoken of this in a separate discourse which is being published. I will therefore,refer you to that and shall say no more on this subject here.3. INFERENCES FROM THE CONTRARIETY OF SIN TO THE GOOD OF MAN(1) That they who seek for any good in sin are miserably mistaken.As sin is, so are its effects, wholly evil to man. There are some who call evil good(Isaiah 5.20), or as it is in the margin, who say concerning evil, IT 1S GOOD. Theythink, and do not hesitate to say as they think, that evil is good. They place theirchief happiness in the chiefest evil, that is, in sin, and they love evil more thangood, as is said of Doeg and such as he (Psalm 52.3). How many there are who notonly undo themselves but take pains and pleasure to do so! They think it strangeindeed, that others are not so mad as they, and run not with them to the sameexcess of riot (1 Peter 4.4). All this proceeds from the same mistake, that evil isgood, that is, good to them, bringing profit, honour or pleasure to them. This iscalled the lust of the eye, flesh and pride of life (1 John 2.16); from it came thefirst sin (Genesis 3.6). But the event proved then, as it will always do, that theygather no grapes from thorns nor figs from thistles. They seek the living among thedead, and may as well find ease in and from Hell as good in and from sin.The morsels of sin are deceitful, though called dainties. Sin is a mere cheat; withfalse shows it deceives the heart of the simple. However sweet the stolen waters ofsin seem to be in the mouth and to the taste, they will be gall and wormwood inthe belly, bitterness in the latter end. All the corruption that is in the world came inby lust (2 Peter 1.4), and all lust is deceitful (Ephesians 4.22). Thus the womanwas first deceived and by her the man (1 Timothy 2.14). Instead of being as Godwhich they thought was promised, they became as the Devil, which was the thingintended and designed by him. Sin first deceived and then slew St. Paul, as he says(Romans 7.11). It pretends to bring milk and butter in a lordly dish, as Jael did toSisera, but the hammer and nail is in its heart and hand. They who serve diverselusts are deceived, as the Apostle says (Titus 3.3). All the servants of sin aredeceived, not of sin's wages, but by sin's promises. Though they sport themselves,while they play and nibble at the bait like silly fishes, it is only to their owndeceiving, for an evil heart has deceived them (2 Peter 2.13). Therefore the Apostleexhorts us to take heed lest we be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin(Hebrews 3.13). Sin's first work is to deceive us, and when it has thereby drawn usin, it hardens and so destroys us. I shall seek to prove in various ways thedeceitfulness of sin.1. There is not, nor can there be any profit to man by sin. Can that which wrongshis soul be profitable? What doth it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul?111