The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venningbut this is a falsehood as well as a mistake. I have met with two stories, which mayperhaps help you in some way. One is of a maid who was tempted to be unchasteand unclean. The person who solicited her promised to do great things for her ifshe would yield. I will, he said, do anything for you. Will you? she said, then burnyour hand in the fire. Oh, that is unreasonable, he answered. But, she replied, it ismuch more unreasonable that I should burn in Hell for your sake. Who wouldventure his soul to torment, to gratify his own or another's pleasure and lust? Theother story, which suits the case in hand, is of a maid solicited to this same folly,who would not give her consent unless he would bring her to a place where no eyecould see them. Whereupon he brought her to a very dark place and repeated hisrequest, saying, Here nobody can see us. Oh, she said, but here God can see us.Oh, that we would tell all the tempting courtships of men and devils, that we cannever sin but there will be two witnesses present to observe and register it, ourown selves and God himself. We owe a great deal of reverence to ourselves, andthough no one were present. we should revere our consciences and ourselves.What, shall we be witnesses against ourselves, and be condemned by our owntestimony? Yet if our hearts condemn us, God, who is greater than our hearts andknoweth all things, will much more condemn us. When St. Paul knew nothing ofwhich to condemn himself, yet it made him very modest that the Lord was to judgehim (1 Corinthians 4.4). We cannot escape the sight, any more than we can escapethe judgment of God. He sees us, and what we do when under the figtree, thoughlike Adam and Eve we cover ourselves with figleaves. And he will one day call to us,as he did to them, Adam, sinner, where art thou? If you go up to Heaven, he isthere: it is his throne. If down to Hell, he is there: it is his prison. You cannot gofrom his presence. You may more easily hide from man and yourselves than fromGod. Therefore that you may not be so foolish and wicked as to sin in secret, or tothink any thing or place secret from God, I urge you often and seriously to read the139th Psalm. Then 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!(g) Take heed of the occasions and even the appearances of this evil, sin. Abstainnot only from apparent evil but from all appearances of evil (1 Thessalonians 5.22).Do not be so irreligious as to go into temptation, when you have been so religiousas to pray God not to lead you into temptation; this is mock-prayer. Keep out ofharm's way. 'Enter not (put not a foot) into the way of the wicked' (Proverbs4.14,15). And if you have been so foolishly froward, yet do not go on in the way ofevil men; but avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it and pass away. You cannot standat too great a distance from sin. If you will not sit in the seat of the scornful, do notstand in the way of sinners nor walk in the counsel of the ungodly (Psalm 1.1).Touch not pitch lest you be defiled. Do not gaze, like one enamoured, on the wine,when it looks well and dances in the glass. Make a covenant with your eyes, lest bylooking too much on beauty, your eyes become sore and sinful. Abhor not only theflesh or the spot, but the very garment that is but spotted with the flesh (Jude 23).Indeed, abstain from what is inexpedient as well as from what is unlawful; for inbeing inexpedient, it tends to become unlawful. If it is not a sin, yet if it looks like asin, beware of it. It is next to being a sinner to be like one; to being proud andwanton to seem so or look so. An appearance of good is too little, but anappearance of evil is too much. It is the hypocrite's sin that he appears better than150