The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 305

SIN

A POWER

IN

REVERSED ACTION

265

it causes these activities, which under the sway of the divine law did run well and were full of blessing, to go wrong and be corrupt. The mainspring of a watch when detached from its pivot does not stop it immediately; but, being uncontrolled, it turns the wheels so rapidly as to ruin the mechanism. In some respects human nature resembles that watch. God has endowed it with power, life, and activity. Controlled by His law it worked well, and in harmony with His will. But sin deprived it of that control, and, while these powers and faculties remain, they run the wrong way, and destroy the delicate organism. If this condition lasted only for a moment, and the sinner were immediately restored

breathing, working, feeding, but

to his original state, lasts

a long time

;

it

could not lead to a positive

sixty centuries already.

Its

But

evil.

sin

pernicious influence

its effects ;

a secondary disease after the primary ; accumulations

of sinful dregs,

and increase of festering sores. The threads of our Everything wrenches itself out of joint.

has

nature's woof pull awry.

And, since this secondary activity continues unchecked, cious working becomes more and more critical.

What

causes a felon?

circulation.

come

A

perni-

sliver in the finger slightly checks the

But the blood continues to

circulate, trying to over-

The additional pressure against the walls of produces more friction, and raises the temperature.

the obstacle.

the capillaries

The surrounding

tissue swells, the delicate blood-vessels contract,

the friction increases, and the boil throbs.

Altho this

continued normal action of the circulation, yet evil.

its

There

is

a local congestion

;

it

is

but the

causes positive

poisonous matter inflames the

healthy tissue, and the parts are thoroughly diseased.

And

The action of our powers continues, This causes disorder and irregularities, which inflame our nature toward evil. This sinful inflammation creates unnatural and wicked deformations, which excite the tissues of the soul to a morbid growth, compared by Scripture to And from this unholy marsh poisonous gases rise foul matter. continually throughout our entire nature. Thus the whole economy such

is sin's

course.

but in the wrong direction.

Having run away from the divine law without disbody and soul become unruly. Hence, incited by its own inherent action, it involves itself more deeply and runs farther away from God. As a train that is derailed destroys itself by its very speed, so does man, having left the track of the divine law.

is

disordered.

cipline,

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