2. Sin disquiets the peace of the soul. Wliatever defiles, disturbs; as poison tor- tures the bowels, corrupts the blood, so sin doth the soul, Isa. Ivii. 21. Sin breeds a trembling at the heart ; it creates fears, and there is torment in fear, 1 John iv. 18. Sin makes sad convulsions in the con- science. Judas was so terrified with guilt and horror, that he hanged himself to quiet his conscience. And is not he like to be ill cured, that throws himself into hell for
ease r
3. Sin produccth all temporal e^dl. Lam. i. 8., " Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, therefore she is removed." It is the Tro- jan horse, — it hath sword, and famine, and pestilence, in the belly of it. Sin is a coal that not only blacks but burns. Sin creates all our troubles; it puts gravel' into oui bread, wormwood in our cup. Sin rots the name, consumes the estate, buries rela- tions. Sin shoots the flying roll of God's curses into a family and kingdom, Zech. v. 4. It is reported of Phocas, that having built a wall of mighty strengtji about his city, there was a voice heard, " Sin is within the city, and that will throw down the wall."
4. Sin unrepented of brings final dam- nation. The canker that breeds in the rose is the cause of its perishing; and corrup- tions that breed in men's souls are the cause of their damning. Sin, without repentance, brings the * second death,' Rev. xx. 14., that is, mors sin morte, Bern., — " a death always dying." Sin's pleasure will turn to sorrow at last; like the book the pro- phet did eat, Ezck. iii. 3., sweet in the mouth, but bitter in the belly. Sin brings the wrath of God, and what buckets or en gines can quench that fire? Mark ix. 44., " Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.''
Use \st. See how deadly an evil sin is, how strange is it that any one should love ■»t? Ps. iv. 2., " How long will ye love
vanity?" Hos. iii. 1., " Who look to other gods and loA^e flagons of wine." Sin is a dish men cannot forbear though it make tlicm sick. Who would pour rose-water into a kennel ? Wliat pity is it so sweet an affection as love should be poured upon so filthy a thing as sin ! Sin brings a sting in the conscience, — a curse in the estate, — yet men love it. A sinner is tlic greatest self-denier; for his sin he will denv him- self a part in heaven.
Use 2d. Do any thing rather than sin ! O hate sin ! There is more evil in the least sin, than in the greatest bodily evils that can befall us. The ermine rather chooseth to die than defile her beautiful skin. There is more evil in a drop of sin, than in a sea of affliction ; afiliction is but like a rent in a coat, sin a prick at the heart. In afflic- tion there is aliquid boni, some good; iri this lion there is some honey to be found, Ps. cxix. 71., " It is good for me that I have been afflicted." Utile est anima si in hac area mimdi flagellis trittirdur corptis^ Aug. AflBiction is God's flail to thrash off our husks ; not to consume ; but refine. There is no good in sin ; it is tlie spirit and quintessence of evil. Sin is worse than hell ; for the pains of hell only are a bur- den to the creature ; but sin is a burden to God, Amos. ii. 13., " I aiti pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves."
Use Sd. Is sin so great an evil ? Then how thankful should you be to God, if he hath taken away your sin? Zech. iii. 4., " I have caused thy iniquity to pass from thee." If you had a disease on your body, plague or dropsy, how thankful Mould you be to have it taken away ? INIuch more to have sin taken away. God takes away the guilt of sin by pardoning grace, and the power of sin by mortifying grace. O be thankful that this sickness is " not u to death ;" that God hath changed your na- ture, and by grafting you into Christ, mad-e you partake of the sweetness of that olive ; that sin, though it live, doth not reign, but the elder serves the younger, the elder of sin serves the younger of grace.
ADAM'S SIN.
ADAM'S SIN.
Quest. XV. WHAT was the sin tcherclnj our first parents fell from the estate wherein they irere created ?
Ans. The sin was their eating the for- bidden fruit : Gen. iii. C, " She took of tlie fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her liusband."
Here is implied, l.s^. That our first pa- rcTits fell from their estate of innocency. 2(f. The sin by which they fell, eating the forbidden fruit.