Welcome to the Hackberry House of Chosun, sermonaudio.com. My name is Bob, and this message is coming to you from Columbus, Ohio again tonight. And this is a reading from Thomas Watson out of the Free Grace Broadcaster publication entitled The Sinfulness of Sin from the summer of 2017. It's issue 240 if you want to order such a thing yourself. This Free Grace Broadcaster group is quite a place to get some good literature. You may or may not have heard of Thomas Watson. He was an English nonconformist Puritan preacher and author, possibly born in Yorkshire, England, in the United Kingdom. Thomas Watson, a teacher, of Charles Spurgeon, not a teacher directly, but Charles Spurgeon learned much from this man, and I think you will too. This will be an extended session today, so hold on to your hat. Here we go. There's two articles I want to read to you from Thomas Watson. From 1620 to 1686 was his birth time. A heinous, execrable thing. Those two words mean extremely wicked and detestable. deserving to be cursed. That's the title of this thing. My, my. He says, I shall show what a heinous and execrable thing sin is. It is the compilation of all evil. It is the spirits of mischief distilled. The scripture calls it the accursed thing, Joshua 7, 13. It is compared to the venom of serpents, the stench of sepulchers, The apostle useth the expression of sin out of measure sinful, Romans 7, 13, or as it is in the Greek, hyperbolically sinful. The devil would paint over sin with the vermilion color of pleasure and profit that he may make it look fair. But I shall pull off the paint from sin that you may see the ugly face of it We're apt to have slight thoughts of sin and say to it, as Lot said of the little town of Zoar, is it not a little one, Genesis 19, 20, but that you may see how great and evil sin is. Consider these four things. Number one, the origin of sin, from whence it comes. It fetches its pedigree from hell. Sin is of the devil. He that commits sin is of the devil, 1 John 3, 8. Satan was the first actor of sin and the first tempter to sin. Sin is the devil's firstborn. Number two, sin is evil in the nature of it. First, it is a defiling thing. Sin is not only a defection, but a pollution. It is to the soul as rust is to gold, as a stain is to beauty. It makes the soul red with guilt and black with filth. Sin in scripture is compared to a menstruous cloth, Isaiah 30, 22, to a plague sore. Joshua's filthy garments in which he stood before the angel were nothing but a type and hieroglyphic of sin. Sin hath blotted God's image and stained the orient brightness of the soul. Sin makes God loathe a sinner, Zechariah 11, 8. And when a sinner sees his sin, he loathes himself. Sin drops poison on our holy things. It infects our prayers. The high priest was to make atonement for sin on the altar, Exodus 29, 36, to typify that our holiest services need Christ to make an atonement for them. Duties of religion in themselves are good, but sin corrupts them, as the purest water is polluted, running through muddy ground. Under the law, if the leper had touched the altar, the altar had not cleansed him, but he had defiled the altar. The apostle calls sin filthiness of the flesh and spirit, 2 Corinthians 7.1. Sin stamps the devil's image on a man. It turns a man into a devil. Have not I chosen you 12 and one of you is a devil, Jesus said, John 6, 70. And then secondly, sin is a grieving of God's spirit. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, Ephesians 4, 30. To grieve is more than to anger. Question, how can the spirit be said to be grieved? For seeing he is God, he cannot be subject to any passion. Answer, this is spoken metaphorically. Sin is said to grieve the spirit because it's an injury offered to the spirit and he takes it unkindly. And as it were, lays it to heart. And is it not much thus to grieve the spirit? The Holy Ghost descended in the likeness of a dove. Sin makes this blessed dove mourn. Is it not sad to grieve our comforter? And then third, sin is an act of contumacy, now that word means stubborn resistance in authority, to authority. It's an act of resistance against God, a walking antipodes, that word means exact opposite, to heaven. If you'll walk contrary to me, in Leviticus 26, 27, a sinner tramples upon God's law, crosses his will, and does all he can to affront, yea, to spite God. The Hebrew word for sin signifies rebellion. So there is the heart of a rebel in every sin. Sin strikes at the very deity. Sin would not only unthrone God, but un-God him. If the sinner could help it, God would no longer be God. Fourthly, sin is an act of disingenuity. That's a word that means unfair treatment. and unkindness. God feeds the sinner, keeps off evils from him, bemiracles him with mercy, but the sinner not only forgets God's mercies, but abuses them. He is the worst for mercy, like Absalom, who as soon as David had kissed him and taken him into favor, plotted treason against him. God may upbraid the sinner. I have given thee, may God say, thy health, strength, and estate, and thou payest me evil for good. Thou woundest me with my own mercies. Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Did I give thee life to sin? Did I give thee wages to serve the devil? Then fifthly, sin is a disease. The whole head is sick, Isaiah 1 5. Some are sick with pride, others with lust, others with envy. Sin hath distempered the intellectual part. It is a leprosy in the head. It hath poisoned the vitals. Their conscience is defiled, Titus 1.15. It is with a sinner as with a sick patient. His palate is distempered so that the sweetest things taste bitter to him. The word that is sweeter than the honeycomb, Psalm 19.10, tastes bitter to him. They put sweet for bitter, Isaiah 5.20. is a disease and nothing can cure this disease but the blood of the physician. Sixthly, sin is an irrational thing. It makes a man act not only wickedly but foolishly. It is absurd and irrational to prefer the lesser before the greater, the pleasure of life before the rivers of pleasure in God's right hand forevermore, Psalm 1611. Is it not irrational to lose heaven for the satisfying or indulging of lust? And then seventh sin is a painful thing. It costs men much labor in pursuing their sins. How do men tire themselves in doing the devil's drudgery? They weary themselves to commit iniquity, Jeremiah 9.5. What pains did Judas take to bring about his treason? He went to the high priest and then after to the band of soldiers and then back again to the garden. While the sinner travails with his sin, in sorrow he brings forth. It is called serving diverse lusts, Titus 3.3. Not enjoying, but serving. Why so? Because not only of the slavery in sin, but the hard labor. It is serving diverse lusts. Many a man goes to hell in the sweat of his brow. And eighth, sin is the only thing God hath an antipathy against. God does not hate a man because he is poor or despised in the world. You do not hate your friend because he is sick, but that which draws forth the keenness of God's hatred is sin. Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate, Jeremiah 44, 4. And sure, if the sinner dies under God's hatred, he cannot be admitted into the celestial mansions. Will God let him live with him whom he hates until sin be removed? There is no coming where God is. All of that was under point two, sin is evil in the nature of it. And then point three, see the evil of sin and the price paid for it. It costs the blood of God to expiate it. Oh man, saith St. Austin, consider the greatness of thy sin by the greatness of the price paid for sin. All the princes on earth or angels in heaven could not satisfy for sin, only Christ. Nay, Christ's active obedience was not enough to make atonement for sin, but he must suffer upon the cross. For without shedding of blood is no remission. Oh, what an accursed thing is sin that Christ should die for it. The evil of sin is not so much seen in that 1,000 are damned for it as that Christ died for it. And then finally, number four, which has four sub-points. Sin is evil in the effects of it. First, sin hath degraded us of our honor. God made us in his own image, a little lower than the angels, but sin hath debased us. Sin hath done this. It hath plucked off our coat of innocence, and now it hath debased us and turned our glory into shame, and in his "'A state shall stand up a vile person,' Daniel 11, 21. This was spoken of Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a king, and his name signifies illustrious, and yet sin hath degraded him. He was a vile person. Secondly, sin disquiets the peace of the soul. Whatever defiles disturbs. As poison tortures the bowels and corrupts the blood, so sin doth the soul. Sin breeds a trembling at the heart. It creates fears and there's torment in fear. Sin makes sad convulsions in the conscience. Judas was so terrified with guilt and horror that he hanged himself to quiet his conscience. And he is not likely to be ill cured that throws himself into hell for ease. Thirdly, sin produces all temporal evil. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, therefore she is removed. Lamentations 1.8. It is the Trojan horse. It hath sword, famine, and pestilence in the belly of it. Sin creates all our troubles. It puts gravel into our bread, wormwood in our cup. Sin rots the name, consumes the estate, buries relations. And finally, sin, unrepented of, brings final damnation. The cancer that breeds in the rose is the cause of its perishing, and corruptions that breed in men's souls are the cause of their damning. Sin, without repentance, brings the second death that is a death always dying. Sin's pleasure will turn it to sorrow at last, like the book the prophet did eat, sweet in the mouth but bitter in the belly. Sin brings the wrath of God, and what buckets or engines can quench that fire? Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9, 44. That was from another article of Mr. Watson called Concerning Sin in a book called A Body of Divinity, and that book is in the public domain. Let me read you another article from the same man, same length of time, And so if you want to pause and meditate on this and hear the rest of it later, it'll be about the same amount of time. Thomas Watson, Degrees of Sin. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous? Some sins in themselves and because of several aggravations are more heinous in the sight of God than others. He that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin, said Jesus to Pilate, John 19 11. The stoic philosophers held that all sins were equal, but this scripture clearly holds forth that there is a gradual difference in sin. Some are greater than others. Some are mighty sins and crying sins. Every sin has a voice to speak, but some sins cry. As some diseases are worse than others and some poisons more venomous, so some sins are more heinous. You have done worse than your fathers Thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways, said the prophets. Some sins have a blacker aspect than others. To clip the king's coin is treason, but to strike his person is a higher degree of treason. A vain thought is a sin, but a blasphemous word is a greater sin. That some sins are greater than others appears, one, because there was difference in the offerings under the law. The sin offering was greater than the trespass offering. Secondly, because some sins are not capable of pardon as others are, therefore they must needs be more heinous as the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. And then thirdly, because some sins have a greater degree of punishment than others. You shall receive the greater damnation, Jesus said. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? God would not punish one more than another if his sin was not greater? It is true, all sins are equally heinous in respect of the object, that is, the infinite God against whom sin is committed. But in another sense, all sins are not alike heinous. Some sins have more bloody circumstances in them, which are like the dye to the wool to give it a deeper color. Question, what sins may be said to be worse than others? First, such sins are worse as are committed without any occasion offered. A man swears or is angry and he has no provocation. The less the occasion of sin, the greater is the sin itself. And secondly, such sins are worse that are committed presumptuously. Under the law, there was no sacrifice for presumptuous sin. Question, what is it to sin presumptuously, which to heighten and aggravate sin and make it more heinous? To sin presumptuously is to sin against convictions and illuminations or an enlightened conscience. They are of those that rebel against the light, Job 24, 13. Conscience, like the cherubim, stands with a flaming sword in its hand to deter the sinner, and yet he will sin. Did not Pilate sin against conviction and with a high hand in condemning Christ? For he knew that for envy the Jews had delivered him. He confessed he found no fault in him. His own wife sent to him saying, have nothing to do with that just man. And yet for all this, he gave the sentence of death against Christ. He sinned presumptuously against an enlightened conscience. These sins make deep wounds in the soul. Other sins fetch blood. They're a stab at the heart. Question, how many ways may a man sin against illuminations and convictions? Well, when he lives in the total neglect of duty. He is not ignorant that it is a duty to read the word, and yet he lets the Bible lie by as rusty armor, seldom making use of it. He's convinced that it is a duty to pray in his family, yet he can go days and months, and God never hears from him. He calls God Father, but never asks his blessing. Neglect of family prayer doth, as it were, uncover the roof of men's houses and make way for a curse to be rained down upon their table. And when a man lives in the same sins he condemns in others, thou that judgest doest the same things, Romans says. As Austin said of Seneca, he wrote against superstition, worshiped those images which he reproved. Again, when a man sins after counsels, admonitions, warnings, he cannot plead ignorance. The trumpet of the gospel has been blown in his ears and sounded a retreat to call him off from his sins. He's been told of his injustice, living in malice, keeping bad company, yet he would venture upon sin. This is to sin against conviction. It aggravates the sin. It's like a weight put into the scale to make his sin weigh the heavier. Also, to sin against convictions and illumination is joined with sliding and contempt of God. Judas knew Christ was the Messiah, and yet he impudently went on in his treason. Nay, when Christ said, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. Woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed. Judas knew that Christ meant him. And thus to sin presumptuously against an enlightened conscience dyes the sin of a crimson color and makes it greater than other sins. Also, such sins are worse than others, which are sins of continuance. The continuing of sin is the enhancing of sin. He who plots treason makes himself a greater offender. Some men's heads are the devil's mint house. They're a mint of mischief. Inventors of evil things, Romans 1.30. And those sins are of greater magnitude that are mixed with ingratitude. Of all things, God cannot endure to have his kindness slighted. His mercy is seen in reprieving men so long and wooing them by his spirit and ministers to be reconciled. and crowning them with so many temporal blessings. To abuse all this love when God has been filling up the measure of His mercy for men to fill up the measure of their sins is high in gratitude and makes their sins of a deeper crimson. Some are worse for mercy, just so some deal with God. He bestows mercy and they plot treason against Him. I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me, Isaiah 1, 2. Certainly sins against mercy are worse. And those are worse than others that are committed with delight. A child of God may sin through a surprise or against his will, the evil which I would not that I do. He's like one that is carried down the stream involuntarily, but to sin with delight heightens and greatens the sin. It is a sign that the heart is in the sin. They set their heart on their iniquity as a man follows his gain with delight, Hosea 4.8. Without are dogs, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie, Revelation 22.15. To tell a lie is a sin, but to love to tell a lie is a greater sin. And they are worse than others that are committed under a pretense of religion. To cheat and defraud is a sin, but to do it with a Bible in one's hand is a double sin. To be unchaste is a sin, but to put on a mask of religion to play the whore makes the sin greater. I have peace offerings with me. This day have I paid my vows. Come, let us take our fill of love. She speaks as if she had been at church and had been saying her prayers. Who would ever have suspected her of dishonesty? But behold her hypocrisy. She makes her devotion a preface to adultery. Sins of apostasy are worse than others. Demas forsook the truth and afterwards became a priest in an idle temple, says Dorotheus. To fall is a sin, but to fall away is a greater sin. Apostates cast a disgrace upon religion. The apostate, says Tertullian, seems to put God and Satan in the balance. and having weighed both their services, prefers the devil's and proclaims him to be the best master. In which respect, the apostate is said to put Christ to open shame. It is a sin not to profess Christ, but it is a greater sin to deny him. A pagan sins less than a baptized renegade. To persecute religion makes sin greater, Acts 7, 52. To have no religion is a sin, but to endeavor to destroy religion is a greater sin. Antiochus Epiphanes took more tedious journeys and ran more hazards to vex and oppose the Jews than all his predecessors had done to obtain victories. Herod added this above all, that he shut up John in prison. He sinned before by incest, but by imprisoning the prophet, he added to his sin and made it greater. It aggravates sin and makes it greater when a man not only sins himself, but endeavors to make others sin. Such as teach errors to the people who decry Christ's deity or deny his virtue, making him only a political head, not a head of influence, who preach against the morality of the Sabbath or the immortality of the soul, these men's sins are greater than others. If the breakers of God's law sin, what do they that teach men to break them? Such as destroy others by their bad example. Also, the swearing father teaches his son to swear and damns him by his example. Such men's sins are greater than others and they shall have a hotter place in hell. You see, All sins are not equal. Some are more grievous than others and bring greater wrath. And therefore, especially take heed of their sins. Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sin, Psalm 19, 13. The least sin is bad enough. You need not aggravate your sins and make them worse. He that has a little wound will not make it deeper. Oh, beware of those circumstances that increase your sin and make it worse. The higher a man is in sinning, the lower he shall lie in torment. And that's from All Sins Not Equally, heinous, in the book The Ten Commandments, which also is in the public domain. Thank you for being with me today. I trust you will take these things to heart as you consider your own life as I consider mine. Consider what we must do to get in right relation with God so that the punishment of all these sins will stay on Jesus as he intended and not on us. God bless you. Check in from time to time to see what's going on here at the Hackberry House of Chosen website, sermonaudio.com. Lord willing, we will talk soon. Bye bye.