Originally published at The Catholic Thing
Sin is a fearful thing, and unrighteousness is the sorest ailment of the soul, secretly sapping its sinews, and exposing it to eternal fire; a self-chosen evil, the offspring of a man’ set purpose of mind. For that of our own purpose we sin, the Prophet says plainly in one place. I planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto Me? The planting is good, the fruit evil: and that evil is from our purpose of mind. The planter is blameless, but the vine shall be burnt with fire, for it was planted for good, yet hath of its own purpose borne fruit to evil. For God, according to the Preacher, hath made man upright ; but they have sought out many inventions. And the Apostle says, We are His workmanship, created unto good works. The Creator then, being good, created for good works: but the creature, of its own set purpose, turned to wickedness. Sin, then, is a fearful evil, as was said, but not an incurable one ; fearful to him who clings to it, but quite admitting of a cure when a
