Sin always hunts and packs. By Charles Spurgeon.

One sin ruined our whole race. One fruit plucked from the forbidden tree hurled mankind from his pristine glory. The effect of that one sin has gone on rankling in our blood through 6,000 years and will go on when years cease to be counted, destroying men throughout an eternity of woe, if it is not first forgiven and purged from them. The results of this one original sin are dreadful to think about.

See what harm sin causes. One sin has often ruined a whole church. A kin committed only one sin and caused the whole nation of Israel to be defeated. There are poisons so potent that one drop will envenom the whole body. One leak in a ship may be sufficient to sink it to the bottom. One lone rock may break the staunchest timbers of a gallant warship.

We must realize that one sin never comes alone. Sin always hunts in packs. If you see one of these wolves, then you may be certain that a countless company will follow at its heels.

For instance, note Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden in taking a forbidden fruit. What was the essence of that one sin? It would not be difficult to maintain the thesis that Adam's sin was pride, or that it was discontent, or that it was lust, or unbelief, or indeed almost any other sin you would like to name. It was a many-sided transgression. That demon's name was Legion, for they were many. Sin's whole brood was hatched out of one egg. This original sin had all other sins in its loins.

We must never think of indulging one's sin, for it will bring in many others more wicked than itself. He who sports with one's sin will soon come to play with more and go from bad to worse. A thief who cannot get in at the front door because he finds it locked, tries the back door, and then the windows, and then he finds a window so small that it was not fastened because no full-grown man could enter by it. Hence he puts a little child through it, and that is quite enough. For the little one can unlock the door and let in as many thieves as he will.

In the same way, one sin allowed to run riot in the soul will prepare the heart for such vile transgressions which he could never have dreamed of. There are no little sins. They appear small in their infancy, but they will be giants when they come to their full growth. Men do not become abominable sinners all at once, but one sin opens the way for many worse sins. One sin nursed grows into crime.

Jesus never overlooked any one of our sins, but for every sin He wept and groaned and bled and died. Our sins were His murderers, and shall we indulge them? Shall we harbor those who spit in His dear face and pierced His blessed side? There is no argument so powerful for the Christian to mortify his sins as the astonishing love of Christ for him.

Beloved, will you grieve the Lord who bought you? Will you distress Him whose heart bled for you? By all the charms of His matchless beauty and the flames of His quenchless love, I charge you to be chased to your soul's bridegroom and drive out the vile rivals which would steal your hearts and defile you. Let Calvary be the gallows of all your sins.