The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venningnot be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase'(Ecclesiastes 5.10,11).(iv) You will not carry away with you one penny, and where then is the profit? Itmay be that you will say that none of the above arguments fit your case. But thismust be your case. What you leave behind you is none of yours, but you die thepoorer for leaving your riches behind you and not having laid up your treasures inheaven (1 Timothy 6.7,19). The rich man said to his soul, Thou hast goods; but ourSaviour said to him, Thou fool, thou must die tonight, and whose shall these thingsbe? Not thine! What do you get by all your getting, to leave everything behind you?Indeed, perhaps you will leave everything to the very persons whom you wouldleast wish to enjoy it (Psalm 39.6; Ecclesiastes 2.18-21). To go naked out of theworld is a sore evil and of no profit (Ecclesiastes 5.15,I6). If you enjoy everythingto your dying day yet then you lose all; and perhaps you not only lose it, but loseby it. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, and surely that cannot be worthmuch while we live that will be worth nothing when we die.Besides, there is no man in more danger to lose by getting than the covetous man,who is in the ready way to lose his soul; for the love of money is the root of all evil,which while some have coveted after, they have got nothing by it but the loss oftheir souls, being drowned in perdition (1 Timothy 6.9,10). Moreover, take richeshere for the present, while they are at their best; the pains of getting, the cares ofkeeping, and the fear of losing, eat out the comfort of having. So all must subscribeto what our Savior said, that a man's life--neither the length, health or comfort,much less the happiness of a man's life--does not consist in the things he enjoys inthis world; life needs more and better things. What silly foolish things are sinners!To place the good of profit in that which is not only unprofitable, but expensive! Topay so dear a price for so vile a commodity! To pay according to the rate of Heavenand to be put off with Hell! We laugh at the simplicity and childishness of little oneswho will part with gold for a toy or a novelty; but how much more ridiculous andworse than childish are they who risk their precious souls for that which does notprofit! They are like the king who is said to have sold his kingdom for a draught ofwater; or like Israel whom God upbraided that they changed their glory for thatwhich did not profit, and left and parted with a fountain of living waters for anempty cistern that had none, indeed, for a broken cistern that could hold no water,not even a drop (Jeremiah 2.13).Sinners often ask this question, What profit is there if we serve God? (Job 21.15).In answer I say that godliness is profitable at all times, for here and hereafter; ithas the promise of both lives, this and that to come (1 Timothy 4.8). But let meask them what I wish they would often ask themselves, What profit is there if wesin? as Judah asked his brothers, What profit is there if we slay our brother?(Genesis 37.26). Surely there is none but shame and sorrow. You may put yourgains in your eyes and weep it out; if not, a greater loss will come to you.Thus we have seen that no good by way of profit comes by sin, no, even by thatwhich is called the most profitable sin, covetousness. So our inference holds good,that though you seek good in evil, you are mistaken.113