Sin so sets itself against the nature of God that, if possible, it
would annihilate and turn him into nothing, it being in its nature
point-blank against him.
What a thing is sin; what a devil and master of devils is it, that
it should, where it takes hold, so hang that nothing can unclutch
its hold, but the mercy of God and the heart-blood of his dear Son.
No sin is little in itself; because it is a contradiction of the
nature and majesty of God.
O, sin, what art thou! What hast thou done! and what still wilt thou
further do, if mercy and blood and grace do not prevent thee!
Sin is the living worm, the lasting fire;
Hell soon would loss its heat, could sin expire.
Better sinless in hell, than to be where
Heaven is, and to be found a sinner there.
One sinless with infernals might do well,
But sin would make of heaven a very hell.
Look to thyself then, keep it out of door,
Lest it get in and never leave thee more.
No match has sin but God in all the world;
Men, angels, has it from their station hurled,
Holds them in chains as captives, in despite
Of all that here below is called might.
Release, help, freedom from it none can give,
But even He by whom we breathe and live.
Watch therefore, keep this giant out of door,
Lest, if once in, thou get him out no more.
Fools make a mock at sin, will not believe
It carries such a dagger in its sleeve.
How can it be, say they, that such a thing,
So full of sweetness, e'er should wear a sting?
They know not that it is the very spell
Of sin, to make men laugh themselves to hell.
Look to thyself, then, deal with sin no more,
Lest He that saves, against thee shut the door.
There are sins against light, sins against knowledge, sins against
love, sins against learning, sins against threatenings, sins against
promises and vows and resolutions, sins against experience, sins
against examples of anger, and sins that have great and high and
strange aggravations attending them; the which we are ignorant of,
though not altogether, yet in too great a measure.
Sins go not alone, hut follow one another as do the links of a
chain.
A presumptuous sin is such a one as is committed in the face of the
command, in a desperate venturing to run the hazard, or in a
presuming upon the mercy of God through Christ, to be saved
notwithstanding: this is a leading sin to that which is
unpardonable, and will be found with such professors as do hanker
after iniquity.
One leak will sink a ship; and one sin will destroy a sinner.
He that lives in sin and hopes for happiness hereafter, is like him
that soweth cockle and thinks to fill his barn with wheat and
barley.
Crush sin in the conception, lest it bring forth death in thy soul.
Some men's hearts are narrow upwards and wide downwards--narrow as
to God, but wide for the world.