Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-10-05
What is Sin ?
NO. l..

measure ofguilt in each wrong act. Is the
man who does this thing as guilty as theman
who does that thing-he who steals, as he
who tells afalsehood-he who swears, as he
who breaks the Sabbath-he who laughs
at religion, as he who plays the hypOcrite
he who cheats, as he who commits adul-
tery-he who Expresses the poor and max es
a gain of the ignorant, as he who rules
Christ and the atonement out of his relig-
ion? Queries like these occupy many
minds The anxiety is to know whether
all these rank in the same scale in kind of
guilt or not. And if they and all things
of like species, are not only out of the way,
but positively wicked, how is their exact
guilt graded for surely some Of these
things are more vile than others. If God
weighs those guilty Of each of these in the
same notch because they are simply found
wanting then where is the justice? With
some minds these questions are satisfactory
ly settled. With others they are not. Many
who are at rest themselves about such
points, are often troubled to answer others
so that they, too, shall rest.
In thinking of this question, we should
keep in mind that it is sin against God,
and not crimes against men, of which we
are trying to find definition.
In listening to the sounds that come to
us bearing upon the subject, we shall hear
voice from the old prophets. They speak
of transgressors and sinners, and then seem
to define and explain whom they mean );
and they say they mean such as .forsake
God This they call and treat as sin. Then
perhaps it becomes needful to look and see
what it is TO forsake him. 1t is sometimes
departing from him." and again, "reject-
ing him." and again, chatting him, "-"des-
pising him" These and various other like
expressions all mean the same thing. 1t is
not following the lead of God. To forsake
path-leave a shelter-depart from home
refuse to hear and follow the call of any
one, and to despise the offer man makes,
and spurn the advice given, are phrases we
can understand. just see what it is to do
this toward God and it explains forsaking
him. Adam forsook God when he did that
after doing which he had rather not meet
God. He forsook him in feeling and de-
sire, and therefore would forsake him in
person when there was chance. So he
hid himself when God came near. Gods
word is himself revealed that is expressed
for us to follow. five neglect that we for
sake him. Its calls to service are our duty.
Not to obey is to depart from God. Not to
put ourselves within hearing where we
know they are sounded, is forsaking. We
may say we are too busy. Busy about
what? fit is about our harvests, he has
given us these to use for him, and he has
therefore a right to be heard even while We
are gathering up his gift, has he not? Is il
about our homes? Has he not given these
and does he not do more to preserve
them each day than we can ever do? i
is Gods business to feed, clothe and shelter
us, for everything of the material we ust
about it is from him, as well as the skill t
use it. We may say we have acquired thi
skill by study, and the gold to purchas
the material by toll. But whose is tn,
mind TO search out the invention, anC
whose the gold we got by labor? Ifw
should feel like saying that God was no
very reliable in this his business of pro
viding for us, let us just think once if W
have not used his gifts put in our hands t
use for him, in such way that he nigh
Justly see it to be as well to take them al
away. We are at work then with his in
struments upon his material and when h
calls what should we do but hear? Givin
no attention is lorsaking The calls to du
ty, service, prayer, worship, confession, ar
the calls we forsake God by not following
Calls to weeping and death are irresistibl
and there is no virtue in obeying.
And this is the great sin ofman. Lool
and you will find the bible so treats it,
Scripture history is filled with the though
The prime cause of the destruction of tn
earth by the food, is stated in the words
the Lord himself. "They have corrupte
their way, and followed the imagination
of their own heart" Forsaking God wa
the charge. When men were buildin
Babel, God scattered them by confusion {
tongues, the crime laid to them was tbs
they had followed the imaginations of thei
own hearts, and their own ways. The 81
Of Israel when Moses was upon the Mour
was the same. The Lord said to him, &c
get thee down, for the people which tho
broughtest out of Egypt have corrupte
themselves. They have turned aside quicl
ly out of the way" They had so soon TO
saken the God who brought them throug
the Red sea. But it is not necessary
multiply instances The expressions ~
departing from the living God, we ha,
turned aside from followingme, saith God
eye have sinned in forsaking the Lor
thy God, and the like phrases, are too Fl
miliar to have it desirable that we dive
upon them to show that in turning ava
from the living God, and that by ways e.
cry one of us are likely to follow, is the vel
essence and root of all sin against heaveI
Besides the law and the commandment
show thes same thing. Hear 'hearken, i'il
cline your ear, "draw near" follow aft
God" follow me-" says Christ. "Fo
sake not my ways" and such like con
mandmeuts are the great staple of the b
bic, and most familiar to one who reads
They are given as the substance and sur
mary of the whole duty of man. And
addition to this the words of Christ, viii,
gatheredup the whole law in single vers
are plain, The love of which he speal
implies nearness. friendship, trust. 1t
the only sure and lasting bond that kee
one from forsaking the thing loved. Al
again men are instructed to forsake the
iniquities by turning TO God, that is
ceasing to forsake him. And as seeki
and following after God is the very he.
and substance of all right doing, folio
ing Christ made disciples of man VIII
Christ was in the flesh. Looking to hi
which means following his words, and {
ample and choosing his people and serv
is the test of discipleship now. This
the sign and evidence of ones being chr
tian' And to turn away from dol
these things to do something else, is
sign and proof that the heart is not ri,
before God. II is the sum and essence
the rebellion of the heart against him.
There are too, a multitude of words