A Body of Practical Divinity

III. See the evil of Sin in the Price paid for it; it cost the Blood of God to expiate it. O 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 blood is no remission, Hebr. 9.22. O what an accursed thing is sin, that Christ should die for it! The evil of sin is not so much seen in that one thousand are damned for it, as that Christ died for it.

III. See the evil of Sin in the Price paid for it; it cost the Blood of God to expiate it. O 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 satisfie 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 blood is no remission, Hebr. 9.22. O what an accursed thing is sin, that Christ should die for it! The evil of sin is not so much seen in that one thousand are damned for it, as that Christ died for it.

IV. Sin is evil in the Effects of it.

1. Sin hath degraded us of our Honour. Reuben by Incest lost his Dignity, and though he were the first-born, he could not excel, Gen. 49.4. God made us in his own Image, a little lower than the Angels, but sin hath debased us. Before Adam sinned he was like an Herald that hath his Coat of Arms upon him, all reverence him because he carries the King's Coat of Arms; but let this Coat be pulled off, and he is despised, no Man regards him. Sin hath done this, it hath plucked off our Coat of Innocency, and now it hath debased us, and turned our glory into shame,