Enemies! – Thomas Brooks

One of the first works of the Spirit is to make a man to look upon all his sins as enemies; yes, as his greatest enemies, and to deal with his sins as enemies, and to hate and loathe them as enemies, and to fear them as enemies, and to arm against them as enemies. He has earnest and sincere desires, and makes careful endeavors to abandon all sin, to forsake all sin, and to be rid of all sin.

Says the sincere Christian,
“Sin is the greatest evil in all the world!
Sin is the only thing which God abhors!
Sin brought Jesus Christ to the cross!
Sin damns souls!
Sin shuts heaven!
Sin has laid the foundations of hell!

Oh, sin is . . .
the pricking thorn in my eye,
the deadly arrow in my side,
the sharp sword which has . . .
wounded my conscience,
slain my comforts,
hindered my prayers,
embittered my mercies,
put a sting into all my crosses!  Therefore I condemn it to death, yes, to hell, from whence it came!

Certainly, a sick man is not more desirous to be rid of all his diseases, nor a prisoner to be freed from all his bolts and chains than the true penitent is desirous to be rid of all his sins!