The Devil's Brat!

"That sin might become utterly sinful." Romans 7:13

Paul, to set forth the formidable evil that is in sin, expresses

it thus. He could find nothing more evil and odious to express

sin by--than itself. Sin is so great an evil, that it cannot have

a worse epithet given it. Paul can call it no worse than by its

own name--sinful sin. Had he said that sin was a snare, a

serpent, a viper, a toad, a plague, a devil, a hell, etc.--he

would have said much--but yet not enough to set forth the

transcendent evil which is in sin. Therefore he calls it sinful

sin.

All other evils are but outward, they only reach the name,

the body, the estate, the life--but sin is an inward evil, a

spiritual evil, an evil that reaches the precious and immortal

soul--and therefore is the greatest evil.

Death puts an end to all other troubles; namely, poverty,

sickness, disgrace, scorn, contempt, afflictions, losses, etc.

But sin is so great an evil, that death itself cannot put an

end to it! Eternity itself shall never put a stop, an end--to

this evil of evils!

All other evils can never make a man the object of God's

wrath and hatred. A man may be poor--and yet precious in

the eyes of God; he may be greatly abhorred by the world

--and yet highly honored by God; he may be debased by

men--and yet exalted by God. But sin is so great an evil,

that it subjects the sinner's soul to the wrath and hatred

of God!

All other evils do but strike at a man's present well-being

--but sin strikes at a man's eternal well-being! All other

evils can never hinder a man's communion with God. A

man may have communion with God in poverty, in sickness,

in prison, in banishment. But sin is so great an evil, that it

interrupts communion with God, it cuts off communion with

God.

All outward evils are God's creatures: "Is there any evil in

the city--which the Lord has not done?" But sin is the devil's

brat--it is a creature of his own begetting! Yes, sin is worse

than the devil! It is that which has turned glorious angels

into infernal devils!

All other evils do not fight against the greatest good--but

sin is that grand evil that fights against the greatest good.

Sin fights against the being of God, the essence of God, the

glory of God. Sin is a killing of God--it is a murdering of God.

Sin is a universal evil, it is all evil, it is nothing but evil;

there is not one drop, one spark of good to be found in

any sin. In all outward evils there is some good; there is

some good in poverty, in sickness, in war, in death--but

there is not the least good in sin.

Sin is the sole object of God's hatred!

He hates nothing but sin!

He is angry with nothing but sin!

He has forbid nothing but sin!

He has revealed his wrath against nothing

but sin! So great an evil is sin!

Sin is that grand evil which has midwifed all

other evils into the world. It was sin which

drowned the old world with water. It was sin

which destroyed Sodom with fire and brimstone.

It was sin which laid Jerusalem in heaps. It was

sin which has midwifed sword, famine, and

pestilence into the world. It was sin which laid

the foundation of hell--for before sin there was

no hell.

It was sin which crucified the Lord of glory!

Now, oh how great must that evil be--which has

ushered in all these great evils into the world!

Sin is enmity against God. God has no enemy in the

world but sin, and those whom sin has made enemies.

Sin has set all the world against the Lord of glory. It

is sin which has turned men into incarnate devils, and

which has drawn them out to fight against God, and

Christ, and their own souls, and their everlasting peace.

A Christian looks upon sin as the greatest evil in the

world, and his heart rises and is enraged against it,

because of the vile, filthy, odious, and heinous nature

of it!