J.C.Ryle Quote - What Fallen Man Does Not Understand About Sin

Thanks to Johnny Farese for this quote:

The deaf man cannot distinguish between a penny whistle and a cathedral organ. The very animals whose smell is most offensive to us have no idea that they are offensive, and are not offensive to one another.

And man -- fallen man, I believe, can have no idea what a vile thing sin is in the sight of God whose handiwork is absolutely perfect -- perfect whether we look through a telescope or microscope; perfect in the formation of a mighty planet like Jupiter, with his satellites, keeping time to a second as he rolls round the sun; perfect in the formation of the smallest insect that crawls over a foot of ground.

But let us nevertheless settle it firmly in our minds that sin is "the abominable thing that God hates"; that God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and cannot look upon that which is evil; that the least transgression of Gods law makes us "guilty of all"; that "the soul that sinneth shall die", that the wages of sin is death"; that God shall "judge the secrets of men"; "that there is a worm that never dies, and a fire that is not quenched"; "that the wicked shall be turned into hell," and "shall go away into everlasting punishment", and that "nothing that defiles shall in any way enter heaven". (Jer. 44:4, Hab.1:13; Jas. 2:10, Ezek. 18:4; Rom.6:23; 2:16; Mark 9:44; Ps 9:17; Matt 25:46; Rev.21:27.) Thes are indeed tremendous words, when we consider that they are written in the book of the most merciful God!