The Evil of Sin.\

By Rev. JOHN JAMIESON.

(Continued from p. 96.)

Thus in the Divine Nature, which, in the full and proper sense of the words, is the only Infinite, although infinitude necessarily belongs to all its perfections, yet there is a very great difference with respect to the displays and effects of these. Infinite wisdom, power and goodness are displayed in the works of creation and providence; but all these are displayed in a more striking manner in the work of redemption. The exertions are all infinite and so admit of no degrees. But the expressions and effects are different. There is no more infinite wisdom, power, or goodness, put forth in any one work, in which these perfections are exerted, than in another; but there is a more illustrious manifestation of these in some works than in others.

*This sermon is one of the series published by The Inheritance Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich., U.S.A.

Therefore, we must distinguish between the nature and acts of sin. Although every sin is infinitely evil, yet in some particular acts, there is a greater display of this evil than in others. This is agreeable to the doctrine of our catechisms. “Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.” Some sins in themselves are so, as being more immediately opposed to the Divine being, and containing a greater degree of virulence and enmity against his glorious perfections, as being committed against the first, rather than the second table of his holy law.

Atheism and blasphemy are greater sins* than theft or covetousness. It is a higher offence against God, to murder our neighbour, than to hurt his reputation only. Thus we read of some abominations greater than others (Ezek. 8:6, 13), of greater sin (John 19:11); of sin which is unto death; and sin which is not unto death. Some sins are also more heinous than others, because of their aggravations. Sin derives its aggravations “from the persons offending; from the parties offended; from the nature and qualities of the offence; and from the circumstances of time and place.”

Therefore, in urging this consideration, we do not mean to insinuate, that a man, because he is already a sinner, may indulge himself in the commission of the greatest sins, thinking that he can become no worse; for we have seen, that there are different degrees in the evil, and, therefore, in the guilt and pollution of sin. But we urge it, to warn sinners of the folly of being unconcerned about what they call little sins, because these same little sins will as certainly insure them of eternal punishment, if they continue under the guilt of them, as the greatest.

Can any sin be little, which offends and injures a God of infinite majesty and perfection? Can sin be little, which has so much guilt as to expose the subject of it to everlasting condemnation? The guilt of one sin, yea the guilt of the least sin, comparatively viewed, as really exposes to eternal wrath as that of the greatest, or of all our sins accumulated. The least sin implies in its ingratitude, unbelief, rebellion, and atheism.

And what more can be said of the greatest, save that these ingredients exist in a greater degree; as arising from the means enjoyed, the mercies received, and its immediate tendency, which subject the aggressor to a higher degree of guilt, deformity and pollution? The law saith: Cursed is every one that continueth not in All things, which are written in the book of the law to do them (Gal. 3:10). Christ, who came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil, further declares: Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments—shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. It was

II. Proposed to speak of the evil of Sin.

Sin is said to be an evil thing—

1. Because it is contrary to the nature of God.
   This is the supreme standard of truth and righteousness. Everything is good, just as it is like God, or evil, as it is unlike him. There can be no good in the world, but that which is a resemblance of his nature, and an emanation from himself; and disconformity to him is that alone constitutes the essence of evil.

Now, sin being unlike God, must, of necessity, be evil. Men may talk as they will of moral rectitude, and the fitness of things. But these are terms without meaning, unless we understand them as relating to the perfections of the Divine Nature; for there can be no notion of rectitude, fitness, or propriety, abstracted from the nature of God. This is the standard of right and wrong which is in every man’s breast. How unjust and deficient soever the apprehensions he may entertain of these, through his own disconformity to God, he naturally reduces all his ideas to this standard, and when attempting to deviate from it he acts in opposition to the dictates of conscience, which knows no other. It is impossible it can know any other: for this is the test of right and wrong, the umpire and witness that God has implanted in us, and however weak and imperfect its representations, they still refer to the nature of God; however hardened and seared the conscience itself, as it can never be altogether erased, if it has any motions at all, they are still directed to this quarter.

Even Heathens themselves, amidst all their ignorance and corruption of the means which they enjoyed, had some remaining sense of the Divine Nature, as the only standard of truth or moral rectitude. Their laborious, although unsuccessful investigations into the origin of moral evil, were a demonstrative evidence of this. For notwithstanding the gross and impious representations that the Poets gave of their Deities, their Philosophers, knowing, from the dictates of conscience, that the Divine Nature must be infinitely removed from sin, were extremely at a loss to account for its entrance into the world.

Being destitute of Revelation, and having all their traditions so corrupted, that they could learn nothing certain from them; they adopted innumerable theories for explaining this undeniable fact, which however false and fruitless, plainly discovered their sense of the nature of God as the standard of truth, and their sense of sin as being his opposite. To this purpose speaks the Apostle: For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law; these, having not the law are a law unto themselves: which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else excusing one another.

1. Because it is contrary to his holy law.
   This is the exact transcript of his nature. He has delineated his own likeness in the commands and threatenings of the law. These are especially declarations of his holiness and justice, those perfections by which he cannot but hate sin, and cannot but punish it. He has manifested great kindness to man, by revealing his will in the written word; because man discovers by this means what God requires, and what he forbids. It is a beacon constantly deterring him from sin, and prompting him to duty.

We are not called to form our apprehensions of these from the nature of God, abstractly and essentially considered, but from that striking representation of it impressed on his law; because otherwise we can have no just apprehension of them. Now, the strict and proper idea of sin is, “the want of conformity to, or transgression of the law of God.” We are not to consider these as two distinct ingredients in sin; for they cannot be viewed separately. Wherever there is a want of conformity to the law, there must be a transgression of it: for sin is the transgression of the law; John 3:4.

There may be such a transgression, where no act of sin is openly committed, as in that which is secret; nay, where there is no actual sin chargeable, as in children who are transgressors from the womb. But there can be no want of conformity to the law, that does not immediately and necessarily imply transgression. For this very want is a disposition of the mind directly opposing the law, which requires holiness in heart and nature, as well as in life.

Sin can never be viewed as a bare defect; for wherever there is this want of conformity, it is inseparably attended by depravity, and a principle of opposition. This is the very meaning of the word used by the Apostle John, which is rendered transgression of the law. It means unlawfulness, such a deviation from the law as implies contrariness to it. It signifies a removal from that integrity which the law requires not only the want of original righteousness, but a propensity to all sin; yea, it is applied to the commission of the greatest sins, as in Matt. 7:23. Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity. So also Rom. 6:19, Ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity, unto iniquity.

The formal idea of sin is said to consist in this, of its being a transgression of the law because where no law is, there is no transgression, Rom. 4:15. This notion of sin is usually illustrated by the situation of a person under a bodily disease, who, not only labours under the want of a proper temperament of humours, but has a positive disorder among them. So sin, which is a moral disease, a malady of the soul, not only implies a want of proper conformity to the law, but a real opposition to it. But it ought to be observed, that men are chargeable with sin, even when destitute of the written word; because they have the remains of the law upon their hearts.

1. It is an attempt against the moral government of God in the world.
   This is the necessary result of its being a transgression of the law. For God, as the Creator of the universe, has an undoubted right to act as its Supreme Ruler; and the way in which he governs his intelligent subjects is by a law, suited to the nature he has given them. Now, when this law is broken, God’s moral government is denied and rejected. The sinner thus does all in his power to dethrone God.

Every sin is a denial of all the Divine Perfections. Therefore is sin so often described in the holy Scripture as rebellion. I have nourished and brought up children; and they have rebelled against me. Isa. 1:2. This is a rebellious people, lying children, that will not hear the law of the Lord. Isa. 30:9. They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit. Isa. 63:10. In the same manner speaks the Prophet Daniel in his confession of sins: We have sinned and committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled by departing from thy precepts, and from thy judgments. Thus a departure from God’s precepts is accounted rebellion by God himself, and by all who have a due sense of the evil of sin.

1. Sin appears to be evil, because it is abominable to God.
   This is the unavoidable consequence of its opposition to his nature, law, and moral government. Being contrary to his nature, it must also be the object of his abhorrence. Sin is the very reverse of God’s holiness, and therefore he must hate it. For God, being infinitely and absolutely perfect, must be the object of his own love; and therefore, sin being contrary to his own perfection, must be the object of his hatred. Could God cease to hate sin, he would cease to be God; for then he would cease to love himself, he would cease to be holy. But, in the word, he constantly declares his unchangeable hatred of sin. It is called that abominable thing which God hateth; Jer. 44:4 Oh! do not this abominable thing that I hate. Sin is not here particularly mentioned; but it is described much more emphatically. It is called the abominable thing. It is thus described by way of eminence, as denoting that it is so abominable in such a sense, as to admit of no parallel; so very abominable; that although the thing itself be not specified, there is no danger of anything else in the world being mistaken for it. Yea, it is that abominable thing that God hates.

The hatefulness of sin is doubly expressed. It is represented as abominable in its nature, and abominable to God. It is so abominable, that nothing else in the universe is the object of Divine hatred, or nothing else but on account of sin. As if it were not enough, that sin is called the abominable thing, and that which God hates; it is elsewhere spoken of as that which his soul hateth. Psalm 11:5. Him that loveth violence his soul hateth. God speaks of his soul after the manner of man; not as if he had a soul, like man; but as the soul of man is that by which he wills and acts, so also God has in himself a faculty of willing and acting; but of so superlative a nature, that it is the fountain of all being, willing and acting to his creatures.

The same word is sometimes rendered his soul, and at other times his life. When his soul is said to hate sin or wickedness; the meaning therefore is, that he has the most perfect abhorrence of it; that he hates it absolutely and essentially; that he cannot but hate it; that it is as necessary for him to hate it, as it is for him to live as the self-existent God; that he hates it with all the powers and energy of his infinite, eternal, and necessary life. When God hates with his soul or life, it denotes the most absolute and unalterable hatred; as when he swears by his life, to express the most absolute certainty, Isa. 49:18.

It is the character of mankind in general, that they do abominable works, Psalm 14:1. Man, because of his sin, is represented as abominable to God; Job 15:16. How much more abominable and filthy is man, who drinketh up iniquity like water? There is a how much more introduced here, an argument from the less to the greater. If he putteth no trust in his saints, if the heavens are not clean in his sight, if his holy angels and heavenly hosts, which are here meant, are not clean, not in respect of any positive defilement, but because of their natural imperfection, as being only derivatively holy; if they are not worthy of confidence, as being destitute of necessary perfection:—how unspeakably vile must man appear, who, not only in his best estate, is less perfect than they; but in his depraved condition, is positively defiled by sin, and so attached to iniquity, that he greedily drinketh it up, as a thirsty person drinketh water?

To declare the essential holiness of God, and the great evil of sin, it is said, that he is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that he cannot look on iniquity, Hab. 1:13. This is a metaphor taken from a person, who has such a thorough abhorrence of any object, that he cannot look upon it, that the very appearance or apprehension of it makes his nature shudder. The strongest metaphors that nature can afford are heaped on each other, to declare the abominable nature of sin to the holy God: which expressions are by no means to be confined to idolatry, as only denoting God’s hatred of it, but to be extended to all sin whatsoever. Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: Their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps, Deut. 32:33. As the guilt of sin refers to the justice of God, and is the obligation of the sinner to punishment, because of the transgression of the law; so the filth of sin respects his holiness, and is that which renders the sinner abominable in the eyes of Infinite Purity.

1. That sin is an evil thing, is evident from that malignity which is in its nature.
   Does the Justice of God proclaim the guilt of sin? Do we learn its filth from its contrariety to Divine holiness? Its malignity also appears by its opposition to the alluring perfection of love. The first sin of man included this in it. For it was a rebellion not only against the just and holy God, but against that God who had eminently manifested his goodness and liberality to man, in giving him every thing that could tend to his temporal comfort, and that could encourage and enable him to secure his eternal happiness by obedience; especially in entering into a federal transaction with his own creature, in delivering his law in the form of a covenant containing a promise of life, when he might have simply revealed his will in the form of a law, guarded by the penalty of death.

The great and unmerited goodness of God towards his creature, appeared in making him a party with himself, in coming under an obligation to the work of his own hands, for the gifts of that which it was of his own free love to bestow. Therefore there was great malignity in the sin of Adam, as committed against such ineffable goodness. But the wickedness that is in sin is greatly increased by reason of the revelation of grace to lost mankind.

The love of man was, indeed, displayed to innocent man. But it was not displayed with such lustre, at so great an expense, and in a manner so infinitely transcendant, as in the promulgation of eternal life through the Son of God. Divine love to innocent man was undeserved; but love to fallen man is opposed to the greatest demerit. As it is the contrariety of sin to infinite holiness that constitutes its essence; opposition to infinite love constitutes its highest aggravation.

The evil of sin surpasses comprehension in all; but it is of such a superlative nature in gospel-hearers, that it cannot be surpassed. Sin against the law of nature, although it has the essence of sin, being committed against law, is yet comparatively no sin, when put in the balance with that which is committed against the light and love of the gospel. Therefore saith our Lord of the Jews: If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin, John 15:22. To represent this malignity which belongs to sin, it is declared that the carnal mind is enmity against God, Rom. 8:7. Therefore is sin in Scripture so often described under the notion of wickedness; not as if that sin only were meant, which is open and enormous, as some apprehend; but to intimate that wickedness which is essential to every sin, as committed against a God of love and mercy.

1. Because it makes man the slave of Satan.
   By the law of his creation, he is the subject of God. To him he owes his service, and to him only. From this argument, the Psalmist encourages others to worship God. Know ye that the Lord is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. His innumerable mercies of a temporal nature, in feeding, clothing, and protecting us, are additional motives enforcing our subjection to him. In him we live and move, and have our being. And if we live by him, we certainly ought to live to his glory. His grace in the work of redemption is a superadded tie to his service, strongly enforcing every other.

But sin alienates us from the service of God, and engages us in that of Satan, his enemy. For he that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning, 1 John 3:8. Man, as dead in trespasses and sins, walks according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, Eph. 2:1. Here the Apostle, in a beautiful and striking manner, connects two ideas, that in themselves directly oppose each other, but perfectly harmonise in man as unregenerate. These are death and life. He describes the spiritual death of man, as consisting in a life of sin and subjection to Satan, in walking according to the course, or as the expression might well be rendered, according to the LIFE of this world. And indeed, the life of this world is at best nothing more than a state of spiritual death. That must be evil indeed, that transforms the servants of God, those who are bound by a threefold cord to his service, into the slaves of Satan.

It was the glory of Adam, that he was the son of God, Luke 3:38. But sin makes the subjects of it the children of the devil. It changes the heir of eternal life into a child of wrath and heir of hell. It effaces the image of God, and imprints the image of the wicked one. Justly may the Lord say: They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of my children; they are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye thus requite the Lord, O! foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? Hath he not made thee, and established thee? Deut. 32:5.

From what has been said on this subject, we may infer,

1. That those who have never seen sin to be evil and bitter, have no fear of God.
   We do not say, that all who have had this view of sin really fear Him; for this depends on the nature of the discovery obtained. But we are certain, that those who have no discovery whatsoever of the evil and bitterness of sin, have no fear of God. This is an inference native from our text; because forsaking the Lord by sin, and having no fear of him are used as expressions of the same import. It is an evil thing—that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of Hosts. This cuts off all obdurate sinners, who never had their consciences burdened by a sense of sin, whatever be their pretensions to what is called moral rectitude or virtue, from all claim to the character of fearers of God.

2. The danger of entertaining trivial thoughts of sin.
   This is nothing else than for a man to think lightly of his own ruin, yea, his eternal ruin; and what is unspeakably more, to condemn God, against whose being and perfections it is the most daring attack. Certain it is that all who think little of sin in this world, will, at least in the world to come, be convinced of their extreme folly. May the Lord grant you an early discovery of it, for then it will be too late. For they that go down to the pit, do not show forth God’s praise.

Those who are strangers to the evil of sin, are truly in a miserable situation. They are languishing under a dreadful disease, and know not their sickness. They are going on in a state of the most deplorable enmity; and know not, or care not, that they are adversaries to God, and that God is their adversary. Sinners, you cannot choose a worse enemy than God. You would be safe with, yea, from every other enemy, were God your friend. But his arm is strong against his adversaries. His fury shall burn to the lowest hell, towards those who go in their trespasses.

1. We may see that dreadful ingratitude that is in sin.
   This charge God exhibits in verse 21. Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then are thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? What would you think of a child, who, although under God, owing his being, nourishment, education, and every temporal comfort, to his parents, would rise up against them, and seek their destruction? He that striketh his father or mother, is cursed of God, and reprobated of man. But every sinner is a parricide.

This is all the return we have made to our kind and compassionate Father in heaven; we have lifted up the heel against Him. Sin is such a miracle of ingratitude, that God appeals the justice of his complaint, even to the irrational and inanimate creatures; because these are, in their different orders, unspeakably more attentive and obedient than man, and have all fulfilled the end of their creation, but in as far as prevented by his rebellion: Hear, O heavens! and give ear, O earth! for the Lord hath spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me, Isa. 1:2.

1. We may infer the impossibility of delivering ourselves from sin.
   This is declared, verse 22. For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord of God. The stain of sin is so deep, that all the nitre and soap of our own doings or sufferings can never wash it out. They shall be as ineffectual as washing in the waters of Jordan would have been, for the removal of Naaman’s leprosy, without the special command of God. All the sinner’s own washing makes him only the fouler in the eye of his judge. It is but adding sin to sin, Isa. 30:1.

Finally, we may learn the necessity of washing in the blood of Christ.
If every other method of purification will be unavailing, there is surely the greatest reason for applying this precious blood. This is the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, Zech. 13:1. The virtue of this fountain corresponds, both to the evil and bitterness of sin. It is opened for sin; and thus takes away its bitterness, with respect to all the consequences of guilt. It is opened for uncleanness and so removes that abominable pollution flowing from the evil of its nature. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. It removes the dominion of sin, when applied in regeneration; its guilt in justification; its filth in gradual sanctification; and at length, its very being in the soul, in the perfection of holiness, when the believer is translated to glory.—Amen.