Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-01-24
[Original.1
SIN.


A good old man, long since dead, once
wrote book, which has been, ever since its
first publication, highly priced by pious peo
pie. The subject of this book is mans "four
fold state" These four states of man are
his state of innocency; his fallen state; his
gracious state, and his glori6ed state.
The state in which we all find ourselves, by
nature, is one of sin. There is no just ground
to call this declaration in question. 1t is
taught again and again in the Scriptures, and
all men feel, in some way or other, the dread
full consequences of sin. What is that grea,
evil we call sin? There is far less difficulty
in giving correct verbal definition of sin
than there is in feeling the force of the defn
ition after it is given. We learn to say
glibly, that we are sinners; but it takes some
thing more than human to enable us to fee
that we are sinners. Il is one thing to say
that we are sinners, and another thing to fee
that we are sinners.
Sin may be Scripturally defined to be vi
olation of Gods law. The law of God may
be violated by doing what the law forbids US
to do; or the law of God may be violated by
neglecting to do what the law Of God requires
US to do. Paul says the sting of death is sin
and the strength of sin is the law. 1st Cor
inthians 15 :56. In another place, the same
Apostle says: "The wages of sin is death. u
Romans 6:23. Unite these two inspired dec.
larations, and we have clear statement Of
what sin is in its consequences. From the
last, we learn that death is due to him who
sins, as rightfully as the stipulated reward is
due to the hireling. From the first, we learn
that which makes death fearful is sin. Death,
we are taught, has no sting apart from that
which sin gives it. Sin brought death into
the world, and whatever there is in death that
makes it to be dreaded, is on account of sin.
There would be no death were there no sin,
and even were there such thing as death
and no sin, death would be harmless. There
would, in that case, be nothing in death that
would cause it to be dreaded 1t would have
no sting and would be attended with no suffer.
ing.
The strength of sin, we are informed by
the Apostle, is the law. By law, We are to
understand Gods law, in its most comprehen'
sive sense. Were there no law, there would
be no transgression. 1t would be impossible
to violate the law if there was no law. The
law of God is the rule to which all intelli
gent creatures must conform. Every crea'
ture is required to conform to Gods law. Sin
does not consist in acting contrary to reason
or in acting in way which is not profitable
or expedient; but in acting contrary to God.
law. The standard to which every creature
must conform, is not reason, or instinct, OF
expediency, or anything of the kind, but tc
law. In this lies the strength of sin. Were
there no law, there could be no transgression
of law, and consequently no condemnation.
1t is the law of God that condemns the
sinner, or if it be preferred, the sinner is con-
demned by God in strict accordance with his
law. 1t is the law of God that Furnishes the
sinner, or the sinner is punished in scrupu
lous conformity to the perfect law of God
No sinner will be punished more than he de-
serves; nor will any be punished less. JUS
tice, strict and exact, will be dispensed to all
by the law. Here lies the strength of sin.
1t is remarkable fact, worthy of the con
sideration of all of Adams race, that the law
of God incites sinful men to violate it. MOI
that the law of God encourages sin, but the
restraint that it puts upon the sinner seems
to inAame his passions. His wicked heart
seems to prompt him to do those things which
God forbids him to do, and to leave undone
those things which God commands him to do
The propensity to violate law is developed, al
an early period, in the human heart. Chill
dren seem to take special delight in viola
ting law, and what is only a propensity in
children, natures into passion in man
hood.
View sin as you may, it is dreadful thing
1t mars mans happiness for time, and blights
all his prospects for eternity. Fools, we are
told in the Scriptures, make mock of sin
Nothing but fool would look upon sin as
an Insignificant thing. He who finds enjoy
ment in violating Gods law, is treasuring ur
sorrow for himself. No tongue can tell the
havoc that sin has made in this world. The
whole creation groans beneath it. Multtudes
look upon sin as thing of perfect inditfer
ence, or whilst others vainly suppose, by ren
dering a mere temporary and very Imperfect
obedience to the law of God, they will be able
to atone for all their transgressions. Such
persons forget or refuse to consider that the
strength of sin is the law. The law of Goo
promises nothing to the sinner. On the con
trary, it threatens death. The wages of sir
is death. There is way by which the sinner
may escape. God, in his wonderful grace
sent his son into our world to save sinners
Jesus offers to do for the sinner what the Law
cannot do. The law of God condemns th'
sinner; but by grace, God proposes to saw
all who will believe on Jesus Christ.
Bg He that never changed any of his opin
ions, never corrected any of his mistakes
and he who was never wise enough to find ou
any mistakes in himself, will not be charta
BILE enough to excuse what he reckons mis-
takes in others.-Dr. Whichcote.
n9~ The smallest and lightest impediment
are the most annoying, and as little letter
most tire the eyes, so do little affairs mos