of Satan.
for everlasting fire, for everlasting burnings; and this may work when
other things will not.
I have read of a chaste woman, who being pressured to commit sin
with a lewd Russian—that she called for a pan of burning coals, and
requested him for her sake to hold his finger in them but one hour.
He said this was an extreme and harsh request. She replied that
seeing he would not do so much as to put one finger upon the coals
for one hour for her—that she could not yield to do that for which she
should be tormented, both body and soul, in hell-fire forever. The
application is easy, etc.
Notion (4). Fourthly, If you would break with sin early, if you would
arm against sin in the spring and morning of your days, then you
should look upon sin under the notion of a THIEF.
And, indeed, sin is the greatest thief, the greatest robber in the world.
It robbed the angels of all their glory, 2 Pet. 2:4; it robbed Adam of
his paradise and felicity, Gen. 3, and it has robbed all mankind of five
precious jewels, the least of which was more worth than heaven and
earth.
1. Sin has robbed them of the holy and glorious image of God, which
would have been engraved upon them, had Adam not fallen into sin.
2. Sin has robbed them of divine sonship--and has made them slaves
of Satan.