WHAT HAST THOU DONE?

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 21, 1860

WHAT HAST THOU DONE?

“And the Lord said, What hast thou done?” Gen. iv, 10.

This question was proposed to Cain. He was offended with God, he quarreled with his brother, he gave way to passion, and then murdered the innocent. God now calls him to account. He must answer for his conduct, he must give account of himself to God. Just so must we. We may not have sinned just as Cain did, but we have sinned from the same principle, we have sinned against the same God, we have sinned with as little cause as Cain did. The Lord now asks us, “What hast thou done?” Sinner, prepare thy reply! Number up thy crimes. Examine into the nature of thy transgressions. Look at the aggravation of thy iniquities. Thou hast sinned, not as Cain did, but in clearer light, against greater manifestations of love, notwithstanding thou hast read his doom, been warned of the consequences of transgressing, and wast entreated to forbear. Thou hast done the very worst thing thou couldst do; for thou hast made God’s justice thine enemy, shut God’s heaven against thee, and, wonderful to say, made it God’s duty to punish thee. “What hast thou done?” Forfeited all title to heaven, rendered thyself totally unfit for heaven, and incapacitated thyself to do anything to deserve or merit heaven. Done! thou hast done evil things as thou couldst. Done! thou couldst do nothing worse, for thou hast broken God’s whole law, deserved God’s wrath, and exposed thyself to everlasting punishment. The crown is fallen from thy head; woe be unto thee, for thou hast sinned. Sinned! yes, and not once or twice, not in one form only, but in a thousand. Sinned! yes, and thy sins are like scarlet, double dyed like crimson; and they cry aloud to God for the execution of his threatenings.

“These things hast thou done, and I kept silence. Now consider this ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.” Ps. 1, 21, 22.