The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venninghe is, and it may be a good man's evil to appear worse than he is. A rod is for theback of fools, and it will be laid on a wise man's back if he is found in a fool's coat.(h) Take heed of being in any way or in any degree guilty of other men's sins. Alas,have we not many sins of our own? But will we have other men's sins to answerfor? They are our-other-men's sins, as I may call them. Take heed of being anoccasion of, a partaker of, or only accessory to other men's sins. God forbids it,that it may not be (Ephesians 5.7-1; 1 Timothy 1.22), and sharply reproves andpunishes it where he finds it to be (Psalm 50.18; 2 Samuel 12.9; 1 Kings 21.19). Inthe last two places, King David and King Ahab are found guilty of murder whichwas done by other hands, but, alas, by their commission. It is sad to sin againstGod ourselves but sadder to make others sin against God too. In this way the worldis made worse than it would otherwise be. Men are too prone to be vile enough ofthemselves, were there no Devil to tempt them, but when they have companionsand brethren in iniquity, they are apt to sin more lustily.St. Augustine confesses that he used to boast of sins he was not guilty of, that hemight seem to be as bad as his companions, who thought them the best that wereworst. O what sins, many and great, are committed in, with, and for company, thatwould otherwise probably never have been committed! There would be no stealerswere there no receivers; and therefore the receiver is as bad as the thief. Therewould be no adulteresses, were there no adulterers. Many in Hell would probablyhave been less wicked than they were, and so have had less torment than theyhave, had they not been furthered by others their companions. Though all sinscome from the heart, and may be indulged there when men are alone, yet as to theact, some sins cannot be committed by people alone, but every such sin has adouble sinner, if not a greater number.Besides, in this way men are confirmed and hardened in their wickedness. Whereall go naked, none are ashamed. Examples and company steel men in their sinswho were iron enough of themselves, and sometimes embolden those who weremodest and tender before. 'If any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meatin the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened?'(1 Corinthians 8.10); the Greek is, edified or built. He takes it for a good example,and makes a kind of conscience to do so too, as if you had instructed him toedification, when alas, it edifies him only to wound and put him in danger ofperishing; for it follows, 'Ye sin against Christ', as he also does, for you make himoffend (verses 11-13).So hereby we become guilty of other men's sins, and we are likely sooner or laterto regret this very grievously. Indeed, though we ourselves may be saved at last, itwill certainly pain us to think that any went to Hell in whose sins we had a head orhand, and maybe a heart. Besides, it is very usual that we partake of their plagueswhose sins we partake of; we are given warning of this by no less than a voicefrom heaven (Revelation 18.4). 'For because of these things cometh the wrath ofGod on the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them'(Ephesians 5.6-7). It is sad to be found on the Devil's ground; as the Devil said, hefound the woman (whom he possessed) when at a play. Yet to be more specific, wemay be guilty of other men's sins in several ways:151