Body of Divinity

CHAP. VIII. 2. Of MAN.

WHen God had created Heaven and Earth, he rested not in Heaven nor any heavenly thing: neither in Earth, nor any earthly thing, but only in man, because he is a heavenly thing for his soul, and earthly in regard of his body.

Prometheus fashioned the bodies of men out of clay, but was fain to steal fire from Heaven for the quickening of them with souls.

Man is a living creature made after the image of God, Gen. 1. 26.

The efficient cause of man was the holy Trinity, God the Father, Son and holy Ghost.

In the Creation of man three things are considerable:

• 1. The consultation of the Trinity, Let us make man, Gen. 1. 26▪ Quia rationals creatura quasi cum consilio facta videretur.
• 2. The work made, not an Hermaphrodite, as some would have 〈…〉 Adam comprehended both sexes) but he is distinguished into both sexes 〈…〉 lows after, male and female. The man was made of the dust of the earth, the woman was made of the man's rib, to show the near and social conjunction between man and wife. She was not made of his head, because she should not rule over him; nor of his feet, because she should not be servilely subject to him. So Aquinas.
• 3. The pattern of it, the image of God, 1 Cor. 11. 7. Col. 3. 10. Bellarmine distinguisheth between an image and similitude; the first (saith he) consists in natural endowments: the other in supernatural graces: rather image and similitude represent an exact likeness. These two words are in an inverted order joined together, Chap. 5. 3. I am. 3. 9. mentions only likeness, leaving our image, which is a certain sign, that there is no difference between them, but that the second is added to insinuate the perfection of the image.

Mans primitive and pure condition was the enjoying of God's image, Gen. 1. 26. his Apostate condition is the loss of God's image, his renewed condition is the repairing of God's image, 1 Cor. 3. ult. his blessed condition in the state of glory, is the perfection of God's image, Psal. 17. 15.

The image of God in Adam and the Saints is not specifically distinct▪ though his image was conveyed to him by God immediately, and ours by a Mediator, Rom. 8. 29. the old image is renewed in his people, Col. 3. 10. Man is said to be after God's image, Gen. 1. 27. in that he was endued with perfect knowledge, and with true holiness and righteousness, Col. 3. 10. Ephes. 4. 24.

There is a four-fold image or likeness▪

First, Where there is a likeness with an absolute agreement in the same nature, and so the Son of God is called the express image of the Father.

Secondly, By participation of some universal common nature, so a man and beast are like in the common nature of animality.

Thirdly, By proportion only, as when we say, the Governor of a Commonwealth, and the Pilot of a ship are like.

Fourthly, By agreement of order, when one thing is a pattern or exemplar, and the other thing is made after it: Now when man is said to be like God, it is meant in those two last ways, Christ was the essential image of God, Mans was Imago representants: aliter Imago imperatoris in nummo, aliter, in Filio, Augustine.

The Image of God in which man was created, is the conformity of man unto God, 1. In his soul. 2. In his body for his soul. 3. In the whole person for the union of both.

The soul of a man is conformable to God in respect of its Nature, Faculties and Habits.

First, In respect of its Nature, Essence or Being, as it is a spiritual and immortal Substance. The Scripture witnesseth, 1. That the soul of a man is a spirit, Mat. 27. 20. Acts 7. 59. as appears by comparing the 1 Pet. 4. 19. with Heb. 12. 9. in Peter God is called The Creator of souls, in the Hebrews, The Father of spirits, in the same sense.

2. That it is immortal, 2 Cor. 5. 8. Phil. 1. 21, 22. 2 Pet. 1. 14. The Sadducees indeed denied the immortality of the soul, this opinion of theirs began on this occasion, Antigonus Sochaeus, the Disciple of Simeon the just said, We must not serve God for hope of reward or wages. Hence his Disciples Sadok and Baithos took occasion to teach that there is no reward or punishment after this life, whereas Antigonus meant, that there ought to be in us so great love of the Divine Majesty, and of virtue itself, that we should be willing to serve God, and ready to suffer anything, without looking for any reward or wages.

Reasons of its immortality:

• 1. Because it cannot be destroyed by any second cause, Mat. 10. 28.
• 2. Being severed from the body, it subsists by itself, and goes to God, Eccl. 12. 7. Luk. 16. 22.
• 3. Because it is a simple and immaterial substance, not depending on matter: the mind works the better the more it is abstracted from the body, when it is asleep or dying.
• 4. Because it transcends all terrene and mortal things, and with a wonderful quickness searcheth after heavenly, divine, and eternal things. There is an invincible argument for the thing secretly imprinted in the instinct and conscience of the soul itself. Because it is every good man's hope that it shall be so, and wicked man's fear.
• 5. The food of the soul is immortal, 1 Pet. 1. 23. the evident promises of eternal life prove the soul to be immortal, He that believeth in me hath eternal life: and To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. Nothing can satisfy the soul but God.
• 6. Man is capable of virtue and vice, of immortal desires and affections.
• 7. The souls of Adam and Eve were not made of any matter, but came by immediate Creation, in whom God gave a specimen what he would perpetually do with other men. That is but a cavil, that Solomon, Eccl. 12. 7. speaks only of our first Parents. See D ^r Rainolds of the Passions, c. 34.

Children are called the fruit of their Parents body, to note, that they are only fathers of their flesh: they have another, namely God, which is Father of their spirits. S. Paul teacheth it, Heb. 12. 9. and the use of it. And this checks their opinion who will have souls propagated no less then bodies.

Many collect the immortality of the soul, and salvation of Job's children, because they were not doubled as the rest of his estate was.

The soul of man is as it were the breath of God: God did not say of man's soul as of other creatures, Let it be made, Let there be a soul in man's body. No, but when he had formed the body, he breathed the soul into him. It was to note, that the soul of man had a more heavenly and divine original, then any of the other creatures that are here in this world. Vide Bellarm. de Amis. gratiae, lib. 4. cap. 11. See Sir Walter Rawleighs Ghost, lib. 2. per totum. And Master Ross his Philos. Touchstone, Conclusion.

2. The soul of man is conformable to God in respect of its faculties, in its Understanding, Will and Memory, is like the Trinity.

3. In the Qualities, Graces and admirable endowments of it. In the Understanding there was,

First, An exact knowledge of God and all Divine things, Col. 3. 10. Knowledge is a principal part of God's Image, by reason he was enabled to conceive of things spiritual and universal.

Secondly, A perfect Knowledge of all inferior things, Adam knew Eve, and imposed names on the creatures suitable to their natures. He had most exquisite prudence in the practical part of his understanding, in all doubtful cases. He knew what was to be done. 2. In the Will there was holiness, Ephes. 4. 24. God had the highest place in his soul, his glory was his end. His liberty then stood not in this that he could stand or fall, a possibility to sin is no perfection.

Thirdly, The image of God in our affections stood in four things:

• 1. All the affections were carried to their proper objects; Adam loved, feared, and desired nothing but what God had commanded him to love, fear and desire.
• 2. They were guided by a right rule, and carried in a due proportion to their objects. Adam loved not his wife more then God.
• 3. They were voluntary affections, he loved a thing because his will made choice of it.
• 4. They were whetstones of the soul in acting.

From this Image did necessarily follow peace with God, fellowship and union. He knew God to be his Creator, and to love him, in all good things he enjoyed God, and tasted his sweetness, Mans body also after a sort is an Image of Divine Perfection.

Observe first, The Majestical form of it, of which the Heathens took notice; by the structure of the body a man should be taught to contemn the earth which his feet tread upon, and to set his heart upon Heaven whether his eyes naturally tend.

It was convenient for man to have an erect stature, 1. Because the senses were given to man not only to procure the necessaries of life, as they were to other living creatures, but also to know, 2. That the inward faculties may more freely exercise their operations, whiles the brain is elevated above all the parts of the body. Aquinas part. 1. Quaest. 91. Artic. 3. he gives two more reasons there of it.

Secondly, God's artifice in it, Psal. 139. 15. Thou hast curiously wrought me, and I was wonderfully made▪ Vide Lactantium de opificio Dei. Materiam superabat opus, of the basest matter, dust, God made the noblest creature.

Thirdly, The serviceableness of every part for its end and use.

Fourthly, There is matter of humiliation, because it was made of the dust, Gen. 3. 19. Job 14. 18, 19. & 5. 15. The Greek name makes man proud, calls him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 bids him aspire, look up, but the Hebrew and Latin humble him, bids him stoop, look down.

Adams body was mortal conditionally, if he had not eaten of the Tree, there could be no outward cause of his death, for God's protection kept that off; nor no inward cause because original righteousness was in his soul, and for old age and weakness, the Tree of life would have preserved him from that.

3. The whole person (consisting both of soul and body) was conformable to God, in respect of his felicity and dominion over the creatures, Gen. 1. 26, 28. The image of God doth not principally consist in this, but secondarily, therefore though the man and woman were created perfectly after God's image in other respects, yet in this respect the woman had not the image of God, as the Apostle showeth. The power which Adam had over the creatures, was not absolute and direct (that God reserved to himself) but it was for Adams use, then the stoutest and fiercest beasts would be ruled by Adam, this dominion since the fall is lost for a great part, because of our rebellion against God, the creatures rebellion should mind us of ours: we may see sometimes a little child driving before him an hundred Oxen or Kine this or that way as he pleaseth.

For the infusing of the soul, it is most probable that the body was first made as the organ or instrument, and then the soul put into it, as God did make Heaven and Earth before man was made.

God did not create all the souls of men at once, but he creates them daily as they are infused into the body, for that the reasonable soul is not ex traduce. Baronius in his Philosophia Theology Ancillans. Exercit. 2. Artic. 3. proves it well.

There are these two Questions to be resolved:

• 1. Whether immortality was natural to Adam?
• 2. Whether original righteousness was natural to Adam?

For the first. A thing is immortal four ways:

• 1. Absolutely, so that there is no inward or outward cause of mortality, so God only, 1 Tim. 6. 16.
• 2. When it is not so by nature, but immortality is a perfection voluntarily put into the constitution of the creature by the Creator, so Angels are immortal.
• 3. Not by any singular condition of Nature but of Grace, so the bodies of the Saints glorified.
• 4. When it is mortal inwardly but yet conditionally it is immortal, that is, if he do his duty, and so Adam was immortal.

For the second Question.

The properties of it are these.

First, It is original righteousness, because it is the natural perfection of the whole man and all his faculties, for distinction sake we call it original righteousness.

It is so both in regard of itself, for it was the first in the first man.

Secondly, In regard of man, because he had it from his very beginning.

Thirdly, In regard of his posterity, because it was to be propagated to others.

Secondly, It is universal, it was the rectitude of all parts, it could not else be an image of God, unless it did universally resemble him in all holiness. His understanding had all things for truth, his will for good, his affections for obedience.

Thirdly, Harmonious, every faculty stood in a right order, the will subject to the understanding, and the affections to both.

Fourthly, It was due to him, not by way of desert, as if God did owe Adam anything; but conditionally, supposing God made Adam to enjoy himself, and by way of means.

Fifthly, Natural, 1. Subjective, that which inwardly adheres to the nature of a thing from its beginning. 2. Perfective, that which perfects nature for its end and actions. 3. Propagative, when it would have been propagated in a natural way, if man had continued in innocence; but Constitutive and Consecutive supernatural.

The Papists deny that that was natural to man in innocence, and therefore they say man's nature is not corrupted by the fall, because a supernatural gift only is taken from him, all his naturals being left, which is the opinion of the Pelagians, who affirm, That the nature of man fallen is perfect before the committing of actual sins.

Paradise is spoken of in Gen. 2. Some of the Ancients (as Origen, Philo ) yea and of later Authors have turned all this into an Allegory, but now that it was a real corporal place, we may prove, 1. Because God planted a Garden, and put Adam into it, and there went a River out of it which was divided into four streams; but these were visible, and corporeal as Euphrates and Tigris; and in the third Chapter, it is said, That Adam hid himself with the leaves of the Tree, therefore the Trees in Paradise were real and not allegorical, and lastly Adam was cast out of it. The ground of allegorizing all these things ariseth from the vanity of man's mind, which thinketh these things too low for the Spirit of God to relate, and therefore endeavors to find out many mysteries.

2. In what part of the earth it was.

Some have thought it to be the whole world, but that cannot be, for it is said, God took Adam and put him into it, and likewise that he was cast out of it: Others thought Paradise to be a very high place reaching to the very Globe of the Moon, but that cannot be habitable for the subtlety of the air. Others (as Oleaster and Vatablus ) think it was in Mesopotamia only, and that it hath lost his beauty by the flood.

A Lapide, Willet, Rivet, Zanchius, and others, say it was about Mesopotamia and Armenia, because

• 1. There are the Rivers Euphrates and Tigris.
• 2. Because Eden is part of Babylonia, and this part of Mesopotamia, as is manifest from Ezek. 27. 23. Isa. 37. 12.
• 3. These Regions are in the East, and most pleasant, and so agree with the description of Paradise, Gen. 2.

But the safest way is not to trouble ourselves any further then Moses Text, which saith it was in the Region of the East, in respect of Judea, Egypt or Arabia, and as for the limits and bounds of it, they cannot now be known. Vide Bellar. de gratia primi hominis, c. 12, 13.

Homer had his invention of Alcinous Gardens (as Justin Martyr noteth) out of Moses his description of Paradise, Gen. 2. And those praises of the Elysian fields were taken out of this story,

And from the talk between Eve and the Serpent, Aesop's Fables were derived.

Thirdly, Whether the waters of the Flood did destroy it?

Bellarmine , and generally the Papists will not admit that it was destroyed by Noah's Flood, and it is to maintain a false opinion, for they say, That Enoch and Elias (who are yet in their bodies) are the two Witnesses spoken of, and that they shall come when Antichrist shall be revealed, and then he shall put them to death; and therefore they hold that Enoch and Elias are kept alive in this Paradise which they say still remaineth; but that this is a mere fable, appeareth, because John the Baptist is expressly said by Christ to be the Elias that was to come, because he came in the spirit of Elias. Therefore we hold that wheresoever Paradise was, yet in the great Flood it was destroyed, not but that the ground remaineth still, only the form, beauty and fruitfulness is spoiled, Gen. 7. 19. Paradise signifieth a Garden, the word being translated out of Greek into Latin, and so into French and English; In Hebrew it is called Heden, which signifieth Delights, a Garden of all manner of Delights, a place beset with all kind of fruitful and beautiful Trees.

Paradise was a little model of Heaven, and a sign of the great Heaven, assuring Adam, that if he continued in obedience to God, he should be translated into Heaven, to enjoy God supernaturally, as there he did enjoy him naturally; for the Law saying, Do this and live, means it of everlasting life. So M ^r Wheatley held, but M Ball seems to differ from him in his Book of the Covenant.

Man was to die if he disobeyed, Gen. 2. 17. which implies strongly that God's Covenant was with him for life if he obeyed. In several other Scriptures the promise is annexed, This do and live, Negatio fundatur in affirmation, the life promised must be answerable to the death threatened, that was not only a miserable condition, but a separation from God forever in hell, therefore the life promised was not only a happy condition, but a translating of Adam to Heaven, and his enjoying of God forever there. How long Adam should have lived before he had been translated, is not determined. There is an innate desire in the soul after the full enjoyment of God here, this instinct was not put in men in vain, Rom. 3. 23. And come short of the glory of God. The word signifies to fall short of the race, that price and crown he ran, for the full and perfect enjoyment of God; See Heb. 4. and what man fell short of by sin, if he had not sinned he should have obtained.

This is the received opinion of Divines; That if Adam had not sinned, then as soon as the number of Saints had been accomplished, men should have been translated from the earth to heaven, from their natural life to spiritual life, as we read of Enoch and Elias, Heb. 11. 6. 2 King. 2. 11. D ^r Hampton on Gen. 1. 26. Though Manasseh Ben Israel de fragile. hum. Sect. 12. saith, That common opinion, that Enoch was translated with his body and soul to heaven, doth not take place with them, and saith, that R. Solomon, Abrabanel, Ibn Ezra interpret Gen. 5. 24. of a short death. See more there.

There were two special Trees in it, one called the Tree of life, the other of the knowledge of good and evil.

Some say it was called the Tree of Life from the effect, because of the hidden power and force it had of sustaining and prolonging man's life. Although it be a Dispute, Whether it had this force as meat to prolong life, or as a medicine to prevent death, old-age and diseases, as likewise whether this power in the Tree were natural or supernatural. Vide Menass. Ben Israel de fragile. hum. Sect. 4.

Therefore others say it was called so not from the effect, but signification, because it was an outward sign, that God would give them immortality if they did continue.

It is questioned, Whether the Tree of Life was a Sacrament?

Pareus answers, That it was a Sacrament three ways:

First, As an admonition to them, that the life which they had, they had it from God, for as often as they tasted of it, they were to remember that God was the author of life.

Secondly, As it was a symbol of a better life in heaven, if he did continue in obedience.

Thirdly, Sacramentally of Christ, as in whom Adam and Angels did obtain life, Revel. 2. 7. He is called The Tree of Life in the midst of Paradise, but that is only allegorical and allusive, so that what the Tree of Life was to Adam in innocence, the same is Christ to us in our corrupt estate.

2. The Tree of Good and Evil.

It was not so called from any internal form, as if itself were knowing good and evil, nor from the effect, as if by eating thereof it would have procured wisdom in man, and made him wiser; nor yet was it called so from the lying promise of the Devil, concerning omniscience, for God called it so before they met together, therefore it was named so from the Event, for God by this name fore-told what would follow, if man did not abstain from it; that he should experimentally know what was good, and what was evil, he should practically feel what he had lost, and what evil he had plunged himself into. Some have thought, that those words Gen. 3. 24. should not be understood historically but allegorically, that is, that God gave him no hopes of coming into this place again, but the Text contradicts that, some have understood by Cherubims, some species and images of terrible creatures, as we call Scare-crows, but that is simple to think that Adam was so childish to be afraid of those; others interpret it of the fire of Purgatory. The more probable Interpretation is, that by Cherubims are meant Angels, who did after a visible manner shake up and down this fiery sword, Moses doth therefore call them Cherubims, because the Jews knew what he meant, having such forms over the Ark. Therefore it is taken for Angels, not simply, but as they appeared in some shape. It is a curiosity to inquire how long they staid there, although it is certain they ceased when Paradise was destroyed, which was by the Flood.

Therefore this serves, 1. For Information to instruct us.

1. That every man and woman hath a soul, there is a body, and a spirit which enlivens and acts the body for all performances of the Compositum, we must glorify God in both, 1 Cor. 6. 20.

2. It is immortal by God's appointing (but in itself endable, because it hath a beginning) that it may be capable of everlasting weal or woe.

3. It is so immortal that it admits of no cessation or intermission, the Anabaptists say, It is asleep when it parts from the body till the day of Resurrection, as soon as it leaves the body, it goes either to Abraham's bosom, or a place of torment. This opinion of the souls sleeping is repugnant to the holy Scriptures, Luk. 16. 23. Phil. 1. 23▪ and an heresy long since condemned in the Church. The soul lives after death, and in a state of separation, Psal. 90. 10. and we flee away, that is, the soul as a bird out of the shell, Eccles. 12. 3. Revel. 6. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 1, 8, 9. See John. 17. 22, 24. 1 Cor. 13. 12. and B. Halls Invis. world, l. 2. Sect. 3.

4. At the last day it shall be united with the body, and the body raised up for it, and both be happy or miserable forever.

2. Be thankful to God that hath given us our souls, and redeemed them by the blood of his Son, Propter hanc Deus fecit mundum, propter hanc Filius Dei venit in mundum, Chrysost. Bless him especially for soul-mercies, Eph. 1. 3. John. 3. 2, 4. and let the soul praise him, Psal. 103. & 104. first and last.

We should love our souls, Psal. 22. 26. David calleth his soul his darling, it is the immediate work of God.

CHAP. IX. Of GOD'S Providence.

CHAP. I. Of the Fall of Man.

CHAP. II. What Original Corruption is.

THese names are given to Original sin in Scripture. It is called sin, Rom. 7. 8. The sinning sin, Rom. 7. 13. Sin that dwelleth in us, Rom. 7. 20. Sin that doth easily beset us, Heb. 13. 1. The body of sin, Rom. 7. 23. A law in the members, and the body of death, Rom. 7. 24. It is also called flesh, Joh. 3. 6. Rom. 7. 5. The old man, Rom. 6. 6. Ephes. 4. 12. Col. 3. 9. The law of sin, Rom. 7. 25. The wisdom of the flesh, Rom. 8. 6, 7. The law of sin and of death, Rom. 8. 2. The plague in ones own heart, 1 King. 8. 38. The root of bitterness, Heb. 12.

It is called by the Fathers, Original sin.

It is not a mere want of Original righteousness, carentia justitiae originalis debitae in • ss • . The Papists make Adam fallen to be the man in the Gospel that was wounded as he was going to Jericho, by thieves, and lay half dead. The scope of that parable is to teach who is to be accounted our neighbor. Our nature is not only void of God's image, Romans 3. 12. but fertile of all evil, Genesis 6. Psalm 14. & 53. Acts 13. 10. Ephesians 4. 19. It is hard to determine what kind of positiveness can be in sin. There are two kinds of privations, 1. Simple, which doth merely deprive, as darkness doth light. 2. Compound, which besides the mere privation includes the contrary form, privatio male disponens; as sickness, besides the mere privation of health, includes the humors abounding. Health is affectus corporis ad actum been agendum, disease is the contrary.

We call it positive, because the Scripture describes it by habitual deprivation, Ier. 17. 9. When we say such an one is a drunkard, it is not only a mere privation of sobriety, but a readiness to that sin, because of the inhesion of it, and to denote the efficacy of it. Original sin is an affection ad actum male agendum. It is both a privation of the habit of original righteousness, and also an evil disposition and proneness to all manner of sin infecting all the parts and faculties of the soul. B. Down. of Justificat. l. 7. c. 7. Vide Hoornbeeck. Anti Socin. l. 3. c. 3. Sect. 1.

It is 1. An internal uncleanness, Titus 1. 15. It is called concupiscence, which is the act of the will.

2. An abiding uncleanness, it never ceaseth so long as a man liveth, to provoke him to sin, Rom. 7. 21. Actual sins are but transient acts, an affront to God's commands: Original sin is a rooted contrariety to his nature.

3. An abounding uncleanness, Psal. 14. Rom. 3. It defiles all men and all of men. In the first Covenant Adam was made a root of all mankind, therefore all sinned and died in him, being all in his loins, Heb. 7. 9. Hence all that descend from him are children of wrath, Ephes. 2. 3.

Sin came upon all by Adam two ways: 1. By imputation; The Lord in justice imputing the guilt of the first sin to all his posterity, Rom. 5. 12, 14, 19. 1 Cor. 15. 22. see 45, 47. verses.

2. By propagation, The lump and root of all mankind being corrupted, so are the branches, Gen. 5. 3. Job 14. 14. Rom, 11. 16. They are dead in sins, Matth. 8. 22. Luke 15. 24. Ephes. 2. 1. 1 Tim. 5. 6. under the power of sin naturally, under the guilt of sin legally, Rom. 5. 15, 18. Therefore regeneration is called a creation and resurrection, Rom. 6. 5. John 3. 35. Ephes. 1. 19, 20. 1. All the faculties of the soul are dead, the mind blind, Zach. 11. ult. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Ephes. 4. 17. and vain in its apprehensions, resolutions, thoughts, Ier. 4. 14. 2. Reasonings, The will most desperately shut against Christ and duty, Matth. 15. 29. & 23. 37. Luke 19. 14. John 8. 44. violently evil, Isa. 57. 17. The memory retains toys and lets go solid things. The affections are not carried to their right objects; we love sin, are angry with those that reprove us, or not in a right measure, we over-love, over-joy, Col. 3. 5. they are contrary one to another, and inconstant: The conscience is not active in accusing or excusing, Titus 1. 15. 1 Tim. 1. 19. & 4. 2. Ephes. 4. 19. 2. They are dead in respect of spiritual duties, 1 Thes. 1. 13. Heb. 1. the Sabbath is a burden. 3. In their profession, Rev. 3. 1. Jude 12. 4. In their whole conversation.

4. An active powerful uncleanness, Rom. 7. 23. It is peccatum actuosum, though not actual, it acts continually, Gen. 6. 5. Sinful acts and habits both flow from the pravity of our nature.

5. A diffusive or infectious uncleanness like a leprosy or plague, Psal. 106. 36. it makes all bad that we meddle with; to the defiled all things are defiled.

It may well be called the sinning sin, not only because it is the punishment of sin and the cause of sin, but because itself is sin, as Austin.

Next unto the sin against the holy Ghost and contempt of the Gospel, original sin is the greatest sin. M ^r Shepherd.

All the sins of our lives are but original sin exercised and multiplied.

The will of man is more willful then the understanding blind. See M ^r Fenners Epist. Ded. to his Hidden Manna or Mystery of saving grace.

The seat or subject of this sin is the whole man: Some say only the passions, that we have • ound reason and and free will, every faculty of the soul and member of the body is corrupted, but principally the soul, Eph. 4. 18, 19, 23, 24. Rom. 12. 1, 2. 1 Thes. 5. 23. and in it the understanding, will and affections, Ephes. 4. 18. The will is primarium peccati subjectum, Rom. 7. 14.

The Manichees and Illyricus a Lutheran, make original corruption to be the essence and substance of a man; those places of Scripture where it is called the old man, a body of death, and the flesh, give no warrant for it, but the Scripture useth them 1. To show how near it is to us, and inseparable, even as our hands and feet, and that we have it from our birth. 2. To teach us that in all repentance, and so in the graces of sanctification, the greatest matter lieth within.

The Pelagians out of hatred to this opinion ran too far into another extreme, holding that as man was born sine virtute, so also sine vitio; and they say That original sin is derived, not by propagation but imitation and example. We are by nature (not imitation) the children of wrath. Pagans and Heathens never heard of Adam, and many sins are commitred that Adam never did, and they imitate not him, the first drunkard and adulterer had no example.

The Ancient Fathers against the Pelagians, and the Orthodox against the Arminians hold, That original sin is propagated from Adam to all his posterity: 1. God chargeth this on all the sons of men, Ezek. 6. beg. Isa. 48. 4. compared with 8. therefore it comes to them by natural inclination. 2. The Saints who have studied their own spirits, have confessed this to be in them, Psal. 51. 5. Rom. 7. 18. 3. Adam in his fallen condition must communicate such a nature as he had, viz. defiled, Job 14. 4. Adam infected nature, and after nature infected the person. The continual actings of the depravedness of our nature in our conversation, Psal. 58. 3. and the misery that lay on all men by nature, even infants, prove this, Rom. 5. 12. and the necessity of regeneration, John 3. 5.

The faculties of the soul only (not the substance thereof) are corrupted, otherwise the soul could not be immortal, neither could Christ take our nature upon him. The substance of man abstractedly considered is God's creature since the fall and therefore good, 1 Tim. 4. 4. Regeneration restores not the substance of man but the qualities.

Dr. Ames saith that Grevinchovius denied original sin, and Dr. Twisse proves by this argument that the Arminians deny it. As many as teach that all the posterity of Adam have as much power to everything that is good as Adam in innocence, they deny original sin; But the Arminians teach that all the posterity of Adam have as much power to everything that is good as Adam had in the state of innocence, for they hold that all Adams posterity have such power to every good work, that they want no other help but the persuasion and the concourse of God, which Adam himself needed to every good work.

The Semi-Pelagians also, the Socinians and Anabaptists deny this original venom or blot to be a sin; the Anabaptists that they might wholly take away Paedobaptism denied original sin, that there might not be a cause why infants should be baptized.

The denying of this fundamental Article of Original sin is dangerous, What need then of the Gospel, what need of Christ himself; if our nature be not guilty, depraved, corrupted? these are not things in quibus possimus dissentire salva pace ac charitate. Aug. about which we may dissent without loss of peace or charity.

The Papists say 1. Original corruption hath not rationem peccati, but is only a privation of original righteousness. The Council of Trent decreeth it not to have the nature of sin. Bellarmine saith it is a simple thing to be humbled for original sin. Pighus saith it is no sin at all. Andraedeus, its the least of sin.

2. That the concupiscence and lust which riseth from the corruption of our nature, the motions unto evil that we feel in ourselves, are no sins (but are called so abusively or metonymically, because they are from and incline to sin) till we consent unto them and obey them, till they reign in us. See the Rhemists in their Annotat. Rom. 7. 7. and James 1. 15. Bellarm, de statu peccati, c. 9. 10.

When our Divines urge that concupiscence is called sin several times in the sixth, seventh and eighth Chapters to the Romans, Bellarmine saith the Apostle doth not say it is peccatum proprie, De statu peccati, c. 8.

3. That original sin after Baptism is done away. Si quis asserit non tolli in baptis •• ate totum id quod veram & propriam rationem peccati habet, anathema sit. Decret. 5. Sections Council. Trid.

4. That the Virgin Mary was not conceived in sin. Pie ac recte existimatur B. virginem Mariam singulari Deo privilegio ab omni omnino peccato fuisse immunem. Bellarm. de Amiss grat. & statu pecc. l. 4. c. 15.

The Spirit of God in the holy Scripture expressly calleth the corruption of our nature sin, as Psal. 51. 5. and in the sixth, seventh and eight Chapters of the Romans fourteen times at the least, Heb. 12. 2.

2. The Scripture saith expressly, our original corruption is the cause of all our actual sins, James 1. 14. 2 Peter 1. 4.

3. Infants that are baptized, which have no other sin but original, and who never consented to it nor obeyed it in the lusts thereof, do die, Rom. 5. 14. therefore it must needs be sin, and may be truly and properly so called; for sin is the only cause of death, Rom. 5. 12.

Whatever holdeth not conformity with the rule of righteousness the law of God, is sin, it hath the nature of sin in its irregularity and defect of good, and the effects of sin.

2. The Scripture expressly teacheth us, that this concupiscence even in the regenerate, these evil motions that rise in us, though we consent not unto them, though we resist them, are yet a swerving from the law of God and a breach of it, Luke 10. 27. nay in the regenerate this corruption of our nature doth not only swerve from the law of God, but opposeth and resisteth the Spirit of God, Rom. 7. 23. Gal. 5. 17. therefore it must needs be sin. This argument convinced Paul's conscience, Rom. 7. 7. He means those motions unto evil which the heart doth not delight in nor consent unto.

When the Apostle saith, Rom. 6. Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies. By sin (saith their Cardinal Bellarmine ) all men understand concupiscence: and Ribera on Heb. 12. 1. saith, That by sin the Apostle understandeth concupiscence, calling it so with an article 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is the sin, a note of singularity. Cajetan in Rom. 7. calleth it formally a sin. Vide Cassand. Consult. art. 2. Tit. de Concupisc. p. 4.

The proper definition of sin being this, a transgression of God's law, therefore concupiscence is sin, see Exod. 20. 17.

CHAP. III. Of the Propagation of Original sin, and Conclusions from it.

HOw Original sin is propagated.

Nihil est peccato originally (saith Austin) ad praedicandum notius, nihil ad intelligendum secretius; that is, Nothing is more known then that original sin is traduced, and nothing more obscure then how it is traduced.

It is propagated from the soul as well as the body, Gen. 5. 3. John 3. 6. Ezek. 18. 20.

A spiritual substance cannot take taint from a corporal. This conceit led some learned Fathers into that error, that the soul comes from the seed, they conceived not the conveyance of original sin but so. The scruple a long time stumbled S. Agustine too, he knew not how else to answer the Pelagians. D. Clerk on Eccl. 12. 7.

When we say the soul by conjunction with the body is defiled with sin, we mean not that the body works upon the soul and so infects it, as pitch doth desile with the very touch: but that at the same instant at which God gives the spirit, puts it in the body, Adams disobedience is then imputed to the whole person, and so by consequent corruption of nature and inclination unto evil, the pain of sin by God's just appointment follows.

God is a Creator of the soul in respect of the substance, so it is pure; but he is also a Judge, and so he creates the soul not simply as a soul, but as the soul of one of the sons of Adam, in which respect he forsakes it touching his Image which was lost in Adam, and so it is deprived of original justice, whence followeth original sin.

CHAP. IV. Of Actual Sin.

THis distinction of sin into Original and Actual is according to Scripture, Deut. 29. 18. Matth. 17. 17, 18. & 12. 34, 35. Luke 6. 43.

It is a hard thing for any to tell exactly what sin is, 1 John 3. 4. Sin is the transgression of the law. The Greek word is a privative word, an anomy, irregularity, illegality. The Greek and Hebrew word for sin signifies a missing the mark, Peccare est quasi transilire lineam, actus indebitus contra debitum finem.

Ambrose saith it is a prevarication of the Divine law.

Agustine saith it is Dictum, factum, or concupitum contra aeternam legem, A saying deed or thought against the eternal law. It may be defined thus,

▪ It is a defect, declination or aberration from the Law or Will of God, obliging to eternal death. Or thus,

It is a transgression of the Law of God, by omitting some duty which it requireth, or doing of some act which it forbiddeth, Rom. 7. 7.

Chemnitz hath gathered eight names of sin out of the Old Testament, and eight out of the New: Gerhard hath added eight more, twenty four in all. See Exo. 34. 7. Psa. 12. 13. it is called a turning away from God, a defection, rebellion, abomination, filthiness and lewdness, Ezek. 24. 13. stubbornness, Deut. 29. 19. perverseness, Isa. 30. 10. provocation, the metaphorical names are innumerable.

The divers distinctions of sin.

Many have written great Volumes about the divisions of sin, who can set: out the several kinds of it?

They may be taken from the persons which commit it, or the object against whom they are committed, God immediately, as those of the first Table, irreligion, unbelief, our neighbor, injustice, oppression; and ourselves, as gluttony, intemperance; from the subject wherein they are, the outward and inward man, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Inward of the mind, will, and affections only, Eph. 2. 3. Tit. 3. 3. Heb. 3. 9. Psal. 10. 3. or outward committed by the members of the body also, Rom. 6. 19. Eph. 2. 3. Gal. 5. 16. Isa. 59. 3. Psa. 36. 3, 4. and 53. 1, 2.

From the canses that produce it ignorance or knowledge, I am. 4. ult. Sins 1. of ignorance, when a man doth evil not knowing or marking it to be evil by reason of his ignorance of the Law, or of the fact done, Lev. 5. 17. Luke 23. 34. 1 Tim. 1. 19. Psal. 29. 12. 2. Of knowledge, when a man's sins, knowing that which he doth to be evil, Rom. 7. 14, 15.

From the acts of sin, of omission when a good prescribed is left undone in respect of substance, manner or measure: Of commission, when a thing forbidden is committed, Eze. 18. 24. and both these are either against the Law, Rom. 3. 27. or Gospel, Heb. 2. 2, 3. 2 Thes. 1. 7, 8.

From the manner of committing them out of infirmity or obstinacy, secret or open sins, 1 Tim. 5. 24.

A sin of negligence or infirmity, when a man is overtaken or prevented with some sin before such time as he doth seriously consider of the fact, Gal, 6. 1. Heb. 12. 1, 2.

Of obstinacy or purpose, when a man upon deliberate counsel and purpose of heart doth do that which he knows is offensive in the sight of God. This division is in express words laid down, Numb. 15. 12. Psa. 19. 13, 14. 2 Pet. 3.

A presumptuous sin is 1. against light. 2. It is done with deliberation usually. 3. They bear themselves upon the mercy and free grace of God.

Some say, there are two things in sin, the blot or blemish, whereby the soul is stained. 2. The guilt of it, whereby we become actually obnoxious to the curses of the Law.

Others say, there are four things in sin, 1. culpa the fault, 2, macula the stain. 3. reatus the guilt, 4. dominium the reign of sin.

The fault is so essentially inseparable to a sin, that it can never be taken away but covered, the other three are taken away by Christ, Rom. 8. 2. Titus 1, 15. Heb. 12. 15. Answerable to these three powers of sin are Christ's three Offices, 1. His Kingdom takes away the reign of sin, his priesthood the guilt of sin, and his prophetical office the stain of it, Psa. 1 19. 9.

Secondly, the stain of sin.

The defilemen • , blot, and blackness of sin is the absence and privation of that moral rectitude, the want of that whiteness and righteousness which the holy Law of the Lord requireth to be in the actions, inclinations, and powers of the soul of a reasonable creature. The soul is deprived of that native beauty it had in the sight of God. Sin is compared to a menstruous cloth, a plague-sore, vomit, mire, called an excrement, I am. 1. 2. it defiles the soul and the very land, Hos. 4. 4. the Sanctuary of God, Ezek. 44. 7. the Sabbaths of God, Exo. 20. 16. the Name of God, Exo. 20. 39. God himself in the eyes of the people, Ezek. 13. 19. facinus quos inquinat, aequat. It is compared to the leaven which hath three properties say the Fathers, ser • it, infla • , inficit; To a leprosy which was 1 Loathsome, 2 Secret, lurking in the blood, Lev. 13. 2. 3 Spreads, 4 Infects, see 13 and 14 Chapters of Lev.

3. The guilt.

Some what which issueth from the blot and blackness of sin according to which the person is liable and obnoxious to eter • all punishment.

There is a twofold guilt, sinful and paenall, reatus culpae & poenae, the guilt of sin as sin, this is all one with sin, being the very essence, soul, and formal being of sin, and is removed in sanctification. 2. Reatus poenae, reatus formalis seu actualis, the actual guilt or obligation of the person who • ath sinned, to punishment, this is fully removed in justification.

There is a double guilt of sin.

• 1. •• reditary, this comes on all by Adam.
• 2. Personal, by the actings of sin.

This is likewise twofold,

• 1. Intrinsical, the merit of sin, this is inseparable from it, it deserves eternal wrath.
• 2. Extrinsical, a guilt which God hath added to it, a power which it hath to bind over the sinner to the just vengeance of God, until he hath made him an amends.

There is a four-fold guilt of sin,

• 1. Reatus culpae, which is an inseparable consequence of the offense, there is as necessary a connection between the sin and guilt, as between the precept and the curse in the Law.
• 2. Reatus poenae an obligation and ordination to punishment, this may be separated from the sin: the damned in hell blaspheme God, but are not punished for it: 2 Cor. 5. 10,
• 3. Reatus personae, a guilt that comes upon the person, this is taken off by Christ the Surety, Rom. 8. 1.
• 4. Reatus conscientiae, Jer. 17. 1. The whole man is the subject of the pollution of sin, conscience of the guilt, Heb. 9. 14. and 10. 17.

The properties of this guilt.

• 1. It is in its own nature incurable by all the power of the creature, he that breaks the precept of the Law, can never break through the curse of it, Rom. 5. 12. Jude 6.
• 2. It is universal, morbus Epidemicus, Rom. 3. 19. John 13. 10.
• 3. Hereditary, conveyed from parents to children, Rom. 5. 17, 18. by one man and one offense.
• 4. Lothsome and stinking, Psa. 38. 5.
• 5. Very troublesome, a small sin in the conscience is like a mote in the eye.
• 6. Of an infectious and spreading nature, Rom. 1. ult. 3 ep. John 10.

Christ was that true scape-goat, Lev. 16, 22. who expiated the sins of all the elect laid upon him, and carried them far from the sight of God, that they never appear, That is explained by the Prophet, Isa. 53. Isa. 11. and is confirmed by the Apostle, 2 Cor. 5. 21. if Christ had not taken our guilt upon himself, (saith Sanford de descensu Christi ad inferos, lib. 3.) We had been guilty to this day. There are 3 things (saith he) in sin, the name, the fault, the guilt which may be imputed: the fault, that is, the fact itself cannot be imputed but to us sinners, so either the guilt (saith he) is imputed to Christ, or only the empty name of our sin.

Fourthly, The dominion of sin.

There is

• 1. a virtual dominion in sin, so original sin reigns.
• 2. Actual, every man's darling and bosom sin.
  • 1. The darling sin keeps Christ out of the soul.
  • 2. All other lusts are serviceable to it.

These things make a reigning sin.

• 1. Sovereignty in the sin.
• 2. Absolute and uncontrolled subjection in the sinner.

Sovereignty is a Throne of sin set up in the heart, three things concur to this.

• 1. A conquest, yet that alone makes it not a reigning but a prevailing sin.
• 2. Possession, a standing power in the heart.
• 3. The exercising of that power.

Secondly, On the sinners side there must be a willingness, Rom. 5. his servants ye are whom ye obey, often in that Chapter of the Romans, Jude 11. there is a going on notwithstanding warning in the way, an obstinacy in sin. 2. They ran greedily or poured out themselves, there is a free giving of the will to it.

Sins of ignorance and omission may be reigning sins, Hos. 4. 1. 2 Thes. 1. 8. not so much the greatness of the sin as the manner of committing it makes it a reigning sin. Secret sins may be reigning sins. In the Eastern Countries the King was seldom seen abroad, Hos. 7. 17. an Oven the more it is stopped the hotter it is, ignorance of the act makes it not a reigning sin, but of the right doth, if one be bound to know it. Sins of thought may be reigning sins, therein the heart is the Throne, Isa. 59. 5. Pray that the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee. Little sins, such as the world calls little may be committed with a high hand. Every man hath some peccatum in delicijs, as the Fathers call it, some bosom or darling sin, as Modern Divines term it, Matth. 5. 29. 2 Tim. 2. 25. A man is proner to some sins then others, in regard of his temper of body, manner of life, education, age, place of living, state, calling, and the like; one man's bodily temper inclineth him to anger, another's to lust, a third to carnal sorrow, a fourth to fear, a fifth to carking and worldly cares. As envy in Saul, covetousness in Judas, ambition in Absalom, uncleanness in Herod. This is called in Scripture a man's right eye, his own iniquity, the stumbling block of his iniquity.

How to know a man's darling sin.

• 1. Nothing is so pleasing to the soul, nor so much ingros • eth his thoughts as it, ma • k what thy soul is most prone to take pleasure in, Job 20. 12. and what thou most thinkest of, Mat. 6. 21. Job 17. 11. Hos. 14 11.
• 2. What the Spirit of God in thy most secret soul-searchings discovers to thee, or thy private friends most tell thee of the guilt of it, doth most affright thy conscience when it is awakened.
• 3. What it is thy heart is most careful to hide, Job 10. 13. men have several distinctions and excuses for it.
• 4. It is the same which most interposeth in holy duties, Ezek. 31. 33.

How to know when ones darling sin is mortified.

Quod non placet non nocet, Rom. 7. 17. what displeaseth us shall never hurt us. Sin reigneth not,

• 1. If we have purpose against it.
• 2. If we have grief for it.
• 3. If we seek for strength against it. Baines Spirit, Armor.

A diligent and constant care to resist a man's own corruption is a sure proof of uprightness, and such a one shall enjoy the comfort of his sincerity in due time. This is Satan's great bait, and by this sin thou dost most dishonor God and wound conscience, because this sin sets up another God against God.

CHAP. V. Of the Evil of Sin.

1. IN regard of God it strikes not only at his sovereignty, Psa. 51. 4. but his Being, Psa. 10. 4.

It is contrary to the whole nature of God, Lev. 26. 22. Col. 1. 12. If we look on the Sovereignty of God, sin is rebellion; if on his justice, sin is iniquity; If on his goodness sin is unkindness; but it especially wrongeth the Holiness of God in respect of its defilement. Zech. 11. 8. Amos 5. 21. Hab. 1. 13. Psa. 5. 4, 5. If we consider God's Holiness as a Rule, sin is a transgression, if as an excellency, sin is a deformity.

It is a separation or aversion of the soul from him in these respects.

• 1. It is a taking off the soul from the love of God as the greatest good, and the fear of God and delight in him, • elying on him, committing ourselves to him, ler. 2. 12, 13. I am. 4. 4.

• 2. A separation from the Law of God as our rule, therefore it is a going besides, a being without the Law. John 3. 4. Mat. 15. 6.

  In the Law there is.

  • 1. A rectitude, I have esteemed thy Commandments in everything to be right, sin is a crookedness, Psal. 125. 5.
  • 2. A wisdom, wisdom is justified of her children, there is a folly in sin, the wicked man is called a fool often in the Proverbs, Jer. 8. 9.
  • 3. There is a purity and holiness in the Law, Thy Commandments are very pure, therefore thy Servant loveth them, Rom. 7. 12. sin is filthiness itself.
  • 4. There is a harmony in the Law, sin is a disharmony.
  • 5. There is a liberty in the Law, I am. 2. 8. sin is a bondage, 2 Tim. 2. 26.
  • 6. The keeping of the Law brings a reward, but sin, shame and death, Rom. 6. 22, 23.
• 3. It takes away the soul from the dominion of God, we will not have this man to rule over us, therefore it is often called rebellion.
• 4. Defaceth the Image of God, it doth this not only meritorie but physi •• , not only provokes God to take away his Image, but in the nature of it blots it out, Gal. 5. 17. as one contrary expels another.
• 5. It severs us from communion and fellowship with God, Ier. 2. 13. Psa. 10. 4. Job 21. 4▪ it makes much for the eternal separation.
• 6. It severs us from the conformity and likeness we had with God in our first Creation, it's a disconformity of our judgments to the judgment of God, and a disagreement of our wills from the will of God.
• 7. It alienates the soul from God, and turns it against him as an enemy, Col. 1. 21. men are styled therefore haters of God, Rom. 1. 30. Evil only should be the object of thy hatred, there is no evil in God, fighters against God, Act. 5. 39. There is an infiniteness in sin objective though not subjective, it is committed against an infinite God, though it be in a finite creature.

Secondly, In respect of all Creatures, all the antipathics betwixt the creatures came in by man's sin, Gen. 2. 29. man had an admirable dominion over them before the fall, they took delight to obey him, now they will not be subject to him. They are all fading, deceiving, and desiling, Eccl. 1. 14. Tit. 1. 15.

Thirdly, The Reasonable Creatures, it hath defiled the Angels Job 4. 17, 18. the devil is called the evil One.

It poisoned all mankind at one draught, Rom. 8. 19, 20. who can reckon up the particular evils that befall him by reason of sin.

The evil of sin goes through the whole man. It is expoliatio gratuitorum say the Schools, a stripping of the soul of all those supernatural excellencies that God gave unto man in his Creation. 2. Vulneratio naturalium, the wounding of the soul in things moral and natural, naturae vires non sunt ablatae sed diminutae. A man's soul is carried after truth and good, accompanied with difficulty or delight. As the soul is carried after truth, it is called the mind, as after good the will, as after good that is difficult there is facultas irascibilis, heat in the affections, as the good is accompanied with delight there is facultas concupiscibilis. The mind is now carried after error, and there is an unrighteous frame of Spirit, one can resist no temptation, there are inordinate affections.

It brings many calamities on the outward man, many diseases, some are born blind, others dumb, some reckon up three hundred diseases of the eye; every age discovers as new corruptions in the souls of men, so new diseases in their bodies: these are not from the condition of our nature, as the Pelagians say, but the demerit of our sins, natural evils, hunger, thirst, nakedness, shortness of life, there is a certainty of dying, yet an unwillingness to die. Austin saith, after his friend was taken away, he was continually afflicted, taedio vivendi & metu moriendi. Add to this the loss of heaven, glory, and the torments of hell, that God (who is love itself) should judge his creature to eternal torments, sin meritoriously caused hell and maintains it.

Fourthly, It appears from the names of it, it is called Evil in the abstract, Psa. 5. 4. and Psa. 97. 10. it is evil, the worst evil, all evil, either formaliter, efficienter, or meritorie. There is more evil in our sin then good in all the creatures in heaven and earth, Matth. 16. 26. one sin will undo the s • ul which all creatures cannot ransom, because they cannot make God satisfaction in point of good or honor, sin is both damnum and injuria, a soul is lost and a wrong offered to God.

Fifthly, From the nature of it. That which is only and perfectly contrary to the greatest good (God) must be the greatest evil, and that which is contrary to all good, hath all evil in it.

• 1. It is contrary to God the greatest good, Col. 1. we are said to be enemies to God, and Rom. 1. 30. haters of God. It is contrary,
  • 1. To his glory, both essential, that which is in himself, and shines forth in Christ, Heb. 1. and manifestative, that glory which he hath manifested in all the works of creation and redemption, Prov. 16. 3.
    • 1. It denies the glory due to God, Rom. 1. 21. Tit. 1. 16.
    • 2. Despiseth his glory, Psa. 10. 13. Ezek. 13. 19.
    • 3. Reproacheth God and all his excellencies, his justice, Rom. 3. 2. turns his mercy and grace into wantonness, abuseth his patience, all his dispensations.
    • 4. Misemploy • th his glory, gives it to ones self, to men, the very devil, he casts out devils by Beelzebub.
  • 2. It wrongs God in his nature and being, Psal. 14 1. Every sinner wisheth there were no God, he hates God for himself, so the devil and damned.
• 2. It is contrary to the Rule of goodness, the Law, it is a transgression of it, it looks upon it as a vain thing, Prov. 1. 7. as a needless thing, Heb. 2. 3. 1 Thes. 5. 20. as a burden or yoke, Psa. 2. 3. Isa. 5. 21, 24. as a hateful thing, Lev. 26. 15. as an unreasonable thing, Psa. 107. 11.

Sixthly, It hath been always counted the greatest evil by those that are able to judge.

• 1. By God he hates nothing but sin, he loves himself, his Son, his people, all his creatures: but his hatred is set on sin only, therefore he counts nothing evil but sin.
• 2. Christ was content to undergo all other evils.
• 3. The Saints counted nothing evil in comparison of sin, Heb. 11. 25. the Martyrs chose rather to lay down their lives, then to admit of anything against their consciences. Mallem, ego mundus à peccato gehennam intrare quam peccatorum sordibus pollutus regnum coelorum tenere, saith Anselm. One should rather venture the salvation of all mankind, then commit one sin to save them.

Seventhly, There is more evil in sin then in all sufferings whatsoever, they are but the issues of sin: Moses chose rather affliction, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

For suffering,

• 1. We have God's warrant, are called to it, 1 Pet. 2. 13.
• 2. His command to take up our Cross.
• 3. Christ's example, he hath left us a copy to write after.
• 4. The end of sufferings is glory, of sin shame.
• 5. By suffering we lose some outward good, by sin the soul.
• 6. God hath promised to be with us in suffering, never in sinning.

Sin made hell, Rom. 2. 5, • 1. and is worse then Hell.

• 1. God is the author of all punishment and of hell itself: Tophet is prepared, but he is not the author of sin, I am. 1. 14.
• 2. Some say Christ underwent the torments of hell in the essential parts of them, the wrath of God immediately upon his soul, but would not admit of the least sin, Psa. 110. ult.
• 3. In hell there is some good, the vindicative justice of God is glorified, there is no good in sin.
• 4. Hell is contra bonum creatum against a created good, sin contra bonum increatum, against an uncreated good, the glory of God.

Eighthly, Every sin is after a sort the greatest evil as God is the greatest good. After a sort (I say) non datur summum malum, quod sit causa omnis mali; say the Schools. For it would then follow, that there are two first Principles of things good and evil, which was the heresy of the Manichees.

• 1. God is per se bonus, so sin is per se malum, evil in itself, and good in no respect.
• 2. As God is to be loved for himself because he is the chiefest good, so sin is to he hated for itself, one should hate sin as sin, and then he will hate every sin, à quatenus ad omne valet consequentia.
• 3. God is the great reward of himself, and sin the great punishment of itself, Hos. 8. 11. Austin speaks of a poenalis vitiositas.

Ninthly, Everyone sin doth virtually contain in it all sins, an idle word the sin against the holy Ghost, Rom. 5▪ 14. the sin of Adam is called one man's offense. See Heb. 12. 15.

CHAP. VI. Of the Degrees of Sin.

IT was an error of the Stoics which Tully refuted, and of the Jovinians which Jerome refuted, that all sins were equal. Though all sins be mortal yet they are not equal. They are distinguished in name and really, there are several punishments, one sin may be heavier and greater then another in divers respects.

In respect of the object, 1 Sam. 2. 25. Zech. 2. 8. Psal. 7. 5. Prov. 3. 29. Exod. 22. 28. Act. 23. 5. Idolatry is a greater sin then theft, the cause Lev. 4. 2. and 6. 2. the Law, quality, Prov. 6. 30, 31. the matter, the soul sinning, Mat. 5. 13. and 10. 15. Luke 12. 27. John 19. 11. the sin of a professor or public person; the time, 1 Sam. 2. 17. John 9. 41. the place, effects, end, and manner of sinning, as when one knows it to be a sin and commits it, when sins are lived in, one committed in the neck of another, or the same sin is often committed.

There are Fautores, actores, and authors. Sins against the first table caeteris paribus are greater then sins against the second.

A sin against God in that respect is greater then a sin against man.

• 1. From the object who is so infinitely excellent.
• 2. The graces which have reference to God, are far more then the duties to our neighbor.
• 3. There is a less motive to offend God then our neighbor.
• 4. It doth therefore become a sin, because God is disobeyed whose Law is to love our brother.
• 5. By proportion, if a sin against our neighbor be less which is against his goods then his life, because it is a greater good, then much more concerning God: Life is a greater good then riches, God is to be more esteemed then life or goods are.
• 6. That which is against a higher end, is a more heinous sin; there are sensual and spiritual lusts, Eph. 2. 3. 2 Cor. 7. 1. sins of the soul are greater then the sins of the body in that respect, though otherwise there are greater aggravations, therefore the heart is called the good or bad treasure, because it gives all the sinfulness to the action.

Inward sins are greater then outward sins, Mat. 5. 27. Psa. 5. 9.

• 1. They are the causes of outward sins, Mat. 15. 18, 19. and 12. 35. John 13. 2.
• 2. They are the corruption of the chief part of a man, the understanding, judgment, thoughts, Mat. 6. 22. hence the Apostle prays for sanctification in the Spirit, Eph. 4. 23.
• 3. They are against the chiefest part of God's Law in regard of the obligation of it, Rom. 7. it is spiritual, his Law looks to the spirit and soul of a man.
• 4. From the contrary, inward obedience is far more acceptable, that is a great complaint by the Prophets, this people draw nigh with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
• 5. The sins of the Spirit do most imitate and resemble the devil, he cannot be a drunkard, an Adulterer, because he is a spiritual substance, therefore his sins are pride, malice, and envy, Rom. 2. 29. the devils are called spiritual wickednesses, Eph. 6. all sin is from Satan per modum servitutis, spiritual sins per modum imaginis.
• 6. Where there is the greatest delight and union, there is the greter sinfulness, they rejoiced to do evil, Amos 3. Sins of the heart are worse then of the life.
  • 1. They are more abundantly in the heart then in the life, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
  • 2. They are continually in the heart. Rom. 2. Sin that dwells in me. Evil thoughts are 1. A transgression of the Law as well as outward acts, the Law saith, thou shalt not lust, Deut. 15. 9. some sins are perfected in the thought, as envy and malice, though they come not into act, the Devils wrath, malice, envy, make him an unclean spirit. 2. We are called to repent of thoughts, and ask pardon of them, Act. 8. 22. See I •• . 55. 7. the heart is the seat of the thoughts, God calls for the heart. 3. Consider the multitude of our vain thoughts.
• 7. They are as incompatible with grace and sanctification as outward gross sins are, for that is a holy nature, and regeneration is chiefly in the understanding and will.
• 8. They do more strongly oppose the Spirit of God which works upon the soul first and the intellectual parts.
• 9. The cure of these is harder, partly because they are more rooted, and partly because they are more unperceivable, and also because there are not those bridles to curb them which might be in outward sins: there disgrace hinders, and the Laws of men: There are peccata carnalia & majoris infamiae, & spiritualia & majoris culpa▪ Gerson. Yet outward sins in some respects are above these.
  • 1. Because they are more scandalous and offensive.
  • 2. Outward acts strengthen inward corruptions more.
  • 3. They sometimes argue a more senseless and cauterized conscience.
  • 4. There are greater means and motives against these, a man's natural conscience tells him that these outward acts are sins.

Sins of omission are great sins, there are great threatenings against them, Ier. 20. 25. they fit the heart for doing evil, Psal. 14. 4. the not doing of good is the doing of evil.

They are the great sins of our lives, and go beyond sins of commission in these particulars.

• 1. The greatness of the evil of sin is to be measured by the greatness of the Law, that is the greatest Law in which the mind of the Law-giver is most. In every commandment there is a precept and prohibition, the precept commands duty, the prohibition forbids sin, omissions are against the precept the main thing, the curse is but the accidental part. He breaks the first Commandment, hath not Jehovah for his God, who doth not love, fear, trust in him; as well as he that sets up an Idol to worship him.
• 2. The first and main evil of sin was in the omission. Sin first draws away from God before it enticeth, I am. 1. 22. Ier. 2. 13. To speak exactly, there is no sin but that of omission, it is a deficiency and coming short of the rule.
• 3. The state of unregeneracy lies mainly in the sins of omission, there is much more evil in a state of sin then in the act of it, Eph. 2. 12. the reign of sin is more seen in omission then commission, there is a higher act of sovereignty in the negative voice, then in any positive Law.
• 4. The ground of every sin of commission is a sin of omission, turning away the soul from God, Psa. 14. 1, 2. Job 15. 4. I am. 1. 14. negligentiam in orando semper aliqua notabilis transgressio sequitur, John 20. 24, 25. Rom. 1. 21. compared with 24. 2 Thes. 2. 10.
• 5. The greatness of sin is measured by the mischief it doth the sinner, sins against the Gospel are greater then those against the Law, sins of commission make the wound, sins of omission keep you from the plaster, John 3. ult.
• 6. These are the sins which Christ will mainly inquire after, Mat. 25. 42, 43.

We should loathe sins of omission which in the world are little made of, 1 Sam. 12. 23. Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel, saith Paul. Peter and John say, We cannot but speak the things which we have heard. These omissions directly oppose the will, law, and honor of God, as well as the committing of foul faults. 2. They will damn us as well as commissions. 3. They will make way for gross evil deeds.

There are three sorts of omissions,

• 1. Total, non-performances, not praying, reading, hearing, meditating; Psal. 14 4, • .
• 2. Seldom performances, intermission or performing of duties unevenly, 1 Thes. 5. 17. Col. 4. 2.
• 3. Sleighty performances, when we keep a tract of duty, but do it customarily, pray not fervently and spiritually, Rom. 12. 11.

Sins against the Gospel are greater then sins against the Law.

• 1. The more Laws are transgressed the greater the sin.

  There are three sorts of Laws.

  • 1. The Law of nature, which teacheth to do good to them that do good to us. Mat. 5. 43.
  • 2. The moral Law, which requires subjection to whatever God commands.
  • 3. The Law of faith, Rom. 3. 27. which requires subjection to God in his Son: all these are broken by sinning against the Gospel.
• 2. The more of the mind of the Law-giver is in the Law, the greater is the sin, Men's legis est lex: God's mind is clearly seen in the Gospel, viz. the exalting of himself in his Son, Pro. 8. 30.
• 3. The more any one sins against light, the greater the sin, there was never such a discovery of the filthiness of sin, nor of the justice of God upon sin, it could not be purged but by the blood of God, Acts 12. 28. See Ephes. 5. 26. never such a discovery of God's grace as in the New Covenant, a second Covenant was never tendered to the Devils.
• 4. They are sins against higher love; God loved Adam and the Angels Amore amicitiae, they had never offended him, he loved us Amore misericordiae, Rom. 5. 8. he loved Adam and Angels in themselves, us in Christ, Eph. 1. 6.
• 5. These sins make way for the sin against the holy Ghost, Matth. 12. 32. Objectum hujus peccati non est lex sed Evangelium.

The sins of God's people are greater then others sins.

In eadem specie peccati gravius peccat fidelis quam infidelis, Grace aggravates and heightens sin. They sin 1. Against the highest light, Ps. 51. 6. 2. The highest love, peculiar goodness, electing love.

Of all sins to be without God, or out of Covenant with God, is the greatest sin; it is against the great command in the Law, the first Commandment, and the great promise in the Gospel.

Those sins wherein a man's self is the object are the worst of all sins, self-deceit is the worst of all deceits, and self-murder is the worst of all murders.

The degrees of sin in a man's own heart, or the conception, birth and perfection of sin there.

First, Injection or suggestion from Satan, which stirs up the lusts in the heart, 1 John 5. 19.

Secondly, The soul receives the thought, there must be Partus cordis as well as seminarium hostis. Bernard. Job 17. 11.

Thirdly. Delectatio, the soul is pleased with such thoughts, so Eve.

Fourthly, Upon this the will consenteth, then lust is conceived.

Fifthly, There is a consultation in the soul how to bring this into act, Rom. 13. 14.

CHAP. VII. That all Sins are Mortal.

THe Schoolmen and their followers the Jesuits distinguish sins into Venial and Mortal. Some sins say they are sua natura, in their own nature venial, others mortal, of which they reckon up seven. Veniale quod est praeter, mortal quod est contra legem. As all sin except that against the holy Ghost Mark 7. 29. is venial in Christ, so without him is all mortal and deadly, Cartw, on Mat. 5. 23.

All sin deserveth eternal death, Rom. 6. 23. as appeareth by the opposition of life everlasting, which the Apostle joineth in the same verse, Id. ibid. There is the merit of hell in every idle word, because the wages of sin as sin is death.

Every transgression of the Law is worthy of death, Gal. 3. 10. Every sin is a transgression of the Law, 1 John 3. 4. Reynold. de lib. Apoc. Tom. 2. cap. 164. & 165. See Deut. 27. 26. & 30. 19. Ezekiel 18. 4. James 2. 10. Numbers 15▪ 22, 23, 24. 1 Cor. 15. 56.

Bellarmine seeks to elu de these and that other place with these glosses, The soul that sinneth, that is, mortally, shall die; the wages of sin, that is, of mortal sin, is death; and the sting of death is sin, that is, deadly sin; these are tautologies; as if the Prophet had said, The soul that sinneth a sin unto death shall die; and the Apostie, sin that deserveth death deserveth death; He saith they are venial ex natura sua, such as if God please to remit the temporal punishment, they are so little that he cannot inflict eternal for them, they are venial propter parvitatem materiae, & imperfectionem actus.

Quodvis peccatum peccantem in rigor l • gis morte involveret, si persona absque misericordia Dei in Christo judicaretur. Episc. Daven.

Sins may be termed venial or mortal: 1. Either comparate in comparison of others; or simpliciter simply and in themselves, and that either, 1. Ex natura sua of their own nature. 2. Ex gratia by favor or indulgence. 3. Ex eventu in the issue or event; in the two last respects all the sins of the elect are venial, but no sins ex natura sua are venial, that is, such as in their own nature deserve pardon, Nullum peccatum est veniale dum placet: sicut nullum mortal si vere displicet, August. Ambrosius saith, All mortal sins are made venial by repentance.

CHAP. VIII. Of the Cause of Sin.

SIn properly is nothing formally subsisting or existing (for then God should be the author of it) but it is an ataxy or absence of goodness and uprightness in the thing that subsisteth, Psal. 5. 4. 1 John 2. 16. 1 John 1. 5. Hab. 1. 13. Job 34. 10.

The Church of Rome slanders the Protestants, and saith, that they maintain God to be the cause of sin, but we hold that the Devil and man's corrupt will are the cause of it. Sin in man at first came from Satan, John 3. 8. & 8. 44. John 6. 17. Matth. 16. 23. the cause of sin now man is fallen, is from ourselves, Matth. 15. 19.

God hath no hand in the acting and approving of sin, Rom. 3. 5. & 9. 14. He is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity with approbation; He is the wise permitter, powerful disposer, and eternal avenger of it.

God cannot sin, or cause others to sin:

• 1. Because his will is most holy and pure, and the rule of perfection, Isa. 6. He is holy in his Nature, Actions, he hath so confirmed his Angels in holiness that they cannot sin.
• 2. To sin is to turn away from the chiefest and last end, therefore he cannot sin.
• 3. God threatens sinners in his word, and punisheth them, therefore he allows it not.
• 4. All deservedly hate the Manichees, Marcionites and Libertines, who would make that sacred and dreadful Majesty the cause of their detestable enormities, therefore Bellarmine doth wickedly in imputing to Protestant Divines that which they detest with the greatest loathing.

That is a great Question in Divinity, An Deus author peccati ex reformatorum placitis statuatur?

Four several kinds of power though not in, yet over sin, may be ascribed to God, a permissive, desertive, restrictive and disposing power.

First, A permissive power, else it could not be; he may permit what he is not bound to hinder.

Secondly, A desertive power, it would not be if he withdrew not his grace; sin needs no efficient cause no more then darkness, Causa deficiens in moralibus efficiens.

Thirdly, A restraining power, there may be an act of restraining grace on the Devil.

Fourthly, A disposing power, whereby he disposeth and ordereth sin to some excellent and good end, his glory: When God doth dispose or order the sin of any man,

• 1. He doth not infuse this evil but use it.
• 2. He useth it not as an evil or sin, but as an instrument.
• 3. He would not use it to such an end, but that he is able to raise more good by it, and to counterpoise all the evil in the action.
• 4. God did not infuse malice into Joseph's brethren, but made use of it rather to a sale then a murder, he sent him before to save much people alive, Gen. 45. 8.

In the beginning of sin God's will is exercised:

First, By way of inhibition in giving a Law against it.

Secondly, By way of permission, leaying a lawless man to a lawless way. In the progress of sin, God either hinders or over-rules it, in the end, he either punisheth or pardoneth it. And all this without sin, or the least blemish of sin. For in the beginning of sin he showeth his Wisdom: In the progress he showeth his Power: In the end, he maketh manifest both his Justice and his Mercy. M ^r Wischart on the Lord's Prayer, Petit. 3.

Those places Acts 2. 23. 2 Sam. 1. 43. besides a permission do express an active providence; he is said to harden and deceive. God's permission is not otiosa but efficax permissio.

• 1. God permits sin.
• 2. Cooperates to the act as natural.
• 3. Decreed it.
• 4. As a just Judge he denieth grace.
• 5. As the supreme Judge he useth all these as instruments of his glory.

Papists and Arminians allow God no other power about sin, but what is barely permissive or desertive at most.

There are two ordinary similitudes, one from a halting horse, the rider which makes the horse go is not the cause of his halting, but of his going only; but it is a question whether this clears the doubt, for the rider is but an outward moving cause to the other, he doth not work to the motion of the horse as immediately as the horse himself doth, therefore this simile were good and fit if that opinion were true, God doth only give being, but not immediately work to the effect itself; and if the simile were to the purpose, it would be, that the rider besides this outward motion did as immediately help to going as nature itself.

As for the other about a dunghill, the Sun-beams that work upon any boggy places and make them smell, but yet they themselves are not defiled: this would illustrate well for all the sins men run into since the fall, but how will it answer about the first sin? for Adams nature was not a bog.

The best way is to hold these two truths:

• 1. God doth not sin nor is not the author of it.
• 2. That he hath a providence about it, and for the manner it is hard to determine.

CHAP. IX. Of communicating with other Men's sins.

NO godly man ought to partake or communicate with other men's sins, Isa. 52. 11. Ephes. 5. 11. 2 Cor. 6. 15, 16. 1 Tim. 5. 22. Revel. 18. 11. Vitia aliorum si feras, facis tua.

We are guilty of other men's sins, or communicate with others, First, Negatively and privatively, and that

• 1. By sinful silence: the Heathen knew not the exactness of godliness, when he said, He repented him often that he spake, but never that he held his tongue.
• 2. When one omits to do his duty with that life, courage and zeal which he ought; as Eli reproved his sons, but not sharply enough, and punished them not for their sins.
• 3. When one doth not pray for a reformation, Psal. 51. or humble himself for the sins of others, 1 Cor. 5. 2. 2 Cor. 12. 21.

Secondly, More directly and positively:

• 1. He who commands or persuades Isa. 10. 1. as Jeroboam who made Israel to sin was a cause of all the people's Idolatry, there was not one of the one and twenty Kings of the house of Israel that departed from the sins of Jeroboam. Balaam enticed the people of Israel to fornication and idolatry; the Devil by being a tempter becomes guilty of all the sins committed by men: Eve became a tempter to Adam, 1 Tim. 5. 22.
• 2. He who is a minister and servant to execute the evil commands of others, the three Worthies in Daniel refused to obey Nebuchadnezzar, and the Apostles would obey God rather then men; Doeg is cursed by God for this, Ps. 52. 2 Kin. 1. 9. Ier. 7. 17, 18.
• 3. He that gives consent and allowance to it, Levite. 20. 4, 5. though he do not act it, Rom. 1. ult.
• 4. He who defends, praiseth and encourageth others that have sinned, He that breaks one of these least commandments, and teacheth others so to do. Cajetan holds that to drink till a man's head be giddy is no sin, or a venial one: Another holds that there is a lawful idolatry: the Papists canonize such acts, to murder and poison Princes: the Pharisees encouraged the people in sin.
• 5. Those that familiarly converse with wicked men, 1 Cor. 5. 11. 2 Thess. 3. 14. our very presence in idolatrous service is evil, 1 Cor. 14. 15.
• 6 Permission and connivance at evil, Levite. 20. 4, 5. Qui non vetat peccare cum potest, jubet. This concerns Magistrates and other Superiors, if they restrain not sin when they have power and authority in their hands, 1 Sam. 3. 30.
• 7. Provoking to sin, 1 Kin. 21. 25. Ephes. 6. 4. Gal. 5. 26.
• 8. Giving ill example, as when Magistrates and Ministers swear, Jeroboam by his ill example as well as precepts made Israel to sin, Mat. 23. 35. not that they killed Abel, but they went on in their predecessors steps.

CHAP. X. Of the Punishment of sin.

GOD punished Adams sin with original and actual sin: See Gen. 3. 17, 18, 19, 23. The Lord sent Adam forth from the garden of Eden, there is loss of communion, and verse. 24. he drove out the man as a testimony of his wrath and displeasure.

Before sin is committed it is Inimicus blandiens. In committing it is Dulce venenum, after committed it is Scorpio pungens. That speech of Abner is true in sin, 2 Sam. 2. 26. It will be bitterness in the later end. Ubi peccatum ibi procella, saith Chrysostom, sin always brings a storm with it, Lam. 3. 38.

Sometimes sins are punished a long time after they were committed, 2 Sam. 21. 1. the blood of Christ was visited on Jerusalem forty years after; the wickedness of Eli 's sons was visited on the whole family in the days of Saul: Job saith, Thou makest me possess the sins of my youth. God would show patience as well as justice, therefore he spares long to see if men will convert without blows.

All evils of misery are but the issue of sin, first sin entered into the world, and by sin death.

1. Temporal evils.

All public commotions, wars, famine, pestilence, are the bitter fruits of sin, Deut. 28. there is God's curse on the creature, man's body, all his relations.

2. Spiritual:

Terrors of conscience, horrors of death, 1 Cor. 15. 56. are the effects of sin.

What an evil is a condemning heart, an accusing conscience! yet this is the fruit of sin, A wounded spirit who can bear. Some will bear outward evils stoutly, nay suffer death itself boldly, but sin will not so easily be born, when the conscience itself is smitten. See this in Cain and Judas, many a one maketh away himself to be rid of this vexation. This sils one with shame, John 8. 9. fear, Gen. 3. 11. and grief, Acts 2. 37. The greatest torment that in this life can be fall a sinner is desperation; when the soul of a man convinced in herself by the number of her heinous offenses, loseth all hope of life to come, and casteth her eyes wholly on the fearful torments of hell prepared for her; the continual thought and fright whereof do so amaze and afflict the comfortless soul, that she shrinketh under the burden, and feeleth in herself the horror of hell before she come to it.

3. Eternal:

The everlasting absence of all good, 2 Thes. 1. 19. and the presence of all evil, Mark 9. 49. are the consequents of it. Iustum est, quod qui in suo aeterno peccavit contra Deum, in aeterno Dei puniatur.

Sin is finite in the act and subject, but of infinite demerit, being committed, 1. Against an infinite Good, therefore it deserves infinite punishment, 2. The obligation of the Law is everlasting. This was the first Doctrine which was published to man, that eternal death is the punishment of sin, Gen. 2. 17. the Devil opposed it, Gen. 3. 4. the belief of the threatening would have hindered them from sin.

The Socinians say, that man should have died in the state of innocence, although he had not sinned, and therefore that death is not a punishment of sin, but a condition and consequent of nature. The holy Ghost assigns death to sin as the cause. See of it Rom. 5. 12. & 6. 23. Our bodies were not mortal till our souls were sinful.

Arminians say, That there is neither election nor reprobation of Infants, and that • o Infants can be condemned for original sin.

Jacob was in a state of election in his mothers womb, Rom. 9. 11. All men in the counsel of God are either elect or reprobate, But Infants are men or part of mankind, Therefore they are either elect or reprobate.

• 1. Infants are saved, therefore there is some election of Infants, for salvation is a fruit of election, and proper to the elect, Rom. 11. 7. There is a manifest difference among Infants, between those that are born in and out of the Church, Gen. 17. 17. Acts 2. 37. & 3 21. Children of unbelievers are unclean, 1 Cor. 7. 14. and aliens from Christ and the Covenant of promise, Ephes. 2. 11, 12.
• 2. That opinion, That no Infants are condemned for original sin, seems to be contrary to that place, Ephes. 2. 3. If this were true, the condition of a Turks child dying in his infancy is far better then the condition of Abraham, Isaac or Jacob living, for they might fall from grace (say they) and be damned, but a Turks child dying, according to their opinion shall certainly be saved.

The worst punishment of sin is to punish it with sin, and so God punisheth it sometimes in his own people, Isa. 63. 17. Mar. 6. 52. a judicial blindness and hardness is the worst.

See Ezek. 24 13. Rom. 1. 26, 28. Revel. 22. 11.

CHAP. XI. Signs of a Christian in regard of sin, and that great corruptions may be found in true Christians.

OF the first.

Signs of a Christian in regard of sin:

First, He is convinced of sin John 16. 9. the Greek word signifies to evidence by demonstration, the Spirit so demonstrates it, that a man hath nothing to object, Psal. 51. 13.

Secondly, He is free from its dominion, as Paul saith, Sin shall have no dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace; and after, Being freed from sin. Whosoever is born of God sinneth not, John. They do no iniquity, David. They serve not sin in the lusts thereof. He hath not an habitual resolution to continue in sin.

Thirdly, He is troubled and wearied with the relics of it, and driven to Christ for pardon and help. He is weary of sin, and every sin so far as he knoweth, specially his own sin, and that iniquity which cleaveth closest to him. His flesh is inclined to it, but his Spirit is a verse from it, and even tired and burdened with it, so that he often sighs out in himself the complaint of S ^t Paul, O miserable man that I am. Still as he prevails more against sin the remainders of it do more afflict him: sin in itself considered is his greatest unhappiness, that he hath so vile a nature, is prone to so vile deeds, and doth in many things so foolishly offend, this troubleth and disquieteth him even then when he hath no other cross to trouble him, and many times imbitters all his prosperity.

Fourthly, He is grieved with the sins of others, Ier. 9. 1. Ezek. 9. 4. Ezra 9. 3, 4. See 1 Cor. 5. 2. David was the great Devotionist of the Old Testament, Psal. 119. 136▪ Phil. 3. 18.

The greatest sinners when once converted are most compassionate to others, because they have experience of the power of sin, and have most sensibly felt the goodness of God.

God is dishonored by the sins of others, as well as by our own sins, the godly hate sin both in themselves and others, Psal. 97. 10.

Of the second:

Very great corruptions in heart are yet to be found in sincere Christians, 2 Chr • . 15. 17. Very few men are recorded in Scripture, but their great sins are recorded as well as their graces, except Josiah and some few others. David's adultery and murder, 1 King. 15. 5. Some think he was given to lying, Psal. 119. Remove from me the way of lying. Solomon's gross Idolatry, 1 King. 11. 4. Peters shameful Apostasy, Mark 14. 71. Asa's persecution, 2 Chron. 16. 10.

First, For inward corruptions, there is the body of all sins remaining in the soul of every gracious person, though it be mortified and broken, it doth not rule in him. Paul writeth to the Ephesians and Colossians, and wisheth them to put off the corrupt old-man.

Secondly, For actual, we may say with James, In many things we offend all; our infirmities are mingled with our best duties, we break out many times into things we know to be evil, slagitious crimes.

The people of God are freed,

• 1. From the sin against the holy Ghost, 1 John 3. 9.
• 2. From sin reigning.
• 3. From a total apostasy, Ier. 3. 22. they cannot lose all saving grace, 1 Pet▪ 1. 13.
• 4. From final impenitency, Psal. 37. 24.

Godly men may fall into other sins:

• 1. The state of grace cannot exempt them, 1 John 2. 1.
• 2. The truth of grace cannot preserve them, their actions come from a mixed principle.
• 3. No degrees of grace can preserve them, Phil. 1. 6. nothing will perfect our sanctification but the beatifical vision, 1 John 3. 3.

They may fall into the grossest errors in judgment, and foulest evils of practice. In the Church of Galatia some denied Justification by the righteousness of Christ. In the Church of Corinth some denied the Resurrection, Revel. 18. 4. Tertullian fell to Montanism. Luther to Consubstantiation: David into murder and adultery: Solomon to Idolatry: Peter to deny his Master with execration▪ True believers may fall grievously and heinously:

• 1. Into sins not only quotidiani incursus. August. of daily incursion: but such which do vastare Conscientiam, as the Schoolmen speak, though they do not Excutere fidem.
• 2. So as to wound the consciences of their brethren, Rom. 14. 15.
• 3. To wound their profession, 1 Tim. 6. beg. Rom. 2. 24.
• 4. They may strengthen the hands of sinners, 2 Sam. 12. 14.
• 5. They may greatly grieve the Spirit.
• 6. They may contract a damnable guilt, Psal. 90. 8.
• 7. They may fall so as to bring on themselves great temporal afflictions, Ezra 9. 13. Psal. 99. 8. Ier. 2. 19.
• 8. They may be chastened with spiritual afflictions, Psal 51. 12.
• 9. God may in them punish one sin with another. David was punished with carnal adultery for his spiritual security.
• 10. They may lose, though not jus ad regnum, yet aptitudinem regnandi.

Yet there is a great difference in their sinning between them and the wicked, their spots are not alike:

• 1. They have not such a full inward principle to sin. David committed adultery not as Zimri with his whole heart, the other had a principle checking him, totus homo sins, but not totum hominis, there is a principle of grace.
• 2. They do not constantly sin, they live not in gross sins; it is one thing to fall into the dirt as a sheep, another thing to wallow in it as a swine doth.
• 3. These are bitter sins to them, and minister much matter of humiliation afterwards; David was a murderer and a bitter penitentiary for it, Psal. 51. Deliver me from blood guiltiness.
• 4. They are in a combat and fight with their ordinary infirmities of passions, as Paul Rom. 7. & Gal. 6. it makes them often pray, it puts them into sad agonies, as Rom. 7. what they would not do they do, therefore O wretched man that I cannot pray, be humble.
• 5. They do at last come out of these with the contrary graces, and delight in them, they mortify and subdue their lusts, Rom. 8. The law of the Spirit frees them from the law of sin, yea they delight in the contrary graces, His delight is in the law of the Lord.
• 6. They do not only come out of them themselves but set against them in others, the woman of Samaria called her neighbors; Lydia her family; Then will I teach transgressors thy ways.

It is a great mercy for the holiest men to be preserved from gross and scandalous sins, 2 Pet. 1. 10.

Reasons

• 1. Hereby all the actual exercises of grace are suspended, one hath no more use of grace then if he were an unregenerate man, Psal. 51. 10, 11. there is a Deliquium gratiae as well as animae.
• 2. There is a suspension of all the privileges of grace when one falls into gross sins, there is an interdiction though not an intercision, a sequestration though not an ejection, Psal. 51. 7. He alludes to the purging of the Leper under the Law, he had a right and title to his house, but not an actual enjoyment of it, a man hath communion with God here by the acts of grace and consolations of the Spirit, these are suspended.
• 3. Grosse falls in God's people are commonly penal, the punishment of other sins, 2 Sam. 11. 6. Matth. 26. 33, 34. as sin cannot be called by a worse name then sin, Rom. 2. 1 • . so God cannot punish sin worse then by sin.
• 4. It leaves a blot on a man which shall never be wiped off. Peters denial is spoken of where ever the Gospel is published; Jeroboam that made Israel to sin; This is that Ahaz; Judas the Traitor.
• 5. Hereby you grieve the hearts of the Saints, and strengthen the hands of the wicked.
• 6. Though God pardon the sin, yet he will not take off the temporal judgment from the person and posterity.

The execution of judgment shall begin with them, Amos 8. 1. 1 Pet. 4. 17. God will punish his people with greater severity, Lam. 4. 6. Mat. 3. 10.

Six sorts of godly persons are in danger:

First, Men in the highest place, Magistrates, Ministers, David, Peter.

Secondly, Men of great parts, Knowledge puffeth up. Augustine saith of Licinius, one of great parts but of a corrupt judgment, Cupit Diabolus à •• ornari.

Thirdly, Men of the greatest graces, God leaves sin in men to keep them low, therefore when men are high in grace he leaves powerful lusts to exercise them.

Fourthly, Men that are carnally confident, as Peter, D ^r Pendl • ton.

Fifthly, Those that are censorious against the falls of others, Gal. 6. 1.

Sixthly, Those that are used to great visions of God; Solomon's heart departed from the Lord that appeared to him twice, Eclipsis lunaris nunquam contingit nisi in plenilunio.

The Saints of God are often gainers by their sin, Rom. 8. 28. Good comes to them this way by accident, the Lord over-ruling it by his wisdom and grace.

First, Hereby a man is discovered to himself, sees that in his own heart which he never saw before, 2 Chron. 32. 31.

Secondly, The work of his humiliation and repentance is perfected; this use Paul made of his grievous sins, I was a persecutor, saith he.

Thirdly, The work of regeneration is perfected, Luke 22. 32.

Fourthly, He exalts the grace of God: so Paul.

Fifthly, It makes him watch over his own heart, and shun the occasions of sin the more.

Sixthly, It makes him the more compassionate to others when they fall, Gal. 6. 1.

CHAP. XII. Two Questions resolved about sin.

CHAP. XIII. Of the Saints care to preserve themselves from sin, and especially their own iniquities.

GOD'S people must and will carefully preserve themselves from wickedness.

2. They must bend their care most against their own sins.

The first Proposition is proved out of 1 John 5. 18. Our Savior saith, Take heed to yourselves of the leaven of the Pharisees, and take heed of covetousness, take heed to yourselves that your hearts be not oppressed with surfeiting and drunkenness. Paul bids Timothy to keep himself pure, 2 Cor. 7. 11. Among other fruits of godly sorrow the Apostle begins with care or diligence, which is the duty we are now speaking of, viz. a care not to sin, Psal. 119. I hid thy law in my heart, that I might not sin against thee, I took pains to with-draw myself from sin, Let everyone that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.

Reasons 1. Why the people of God ought to keep themselves in this manner. 2. Why they can and will do so.

First, They are bound to do so in divers respects:

• 1. Because of the many advantages which sin hath against them, in regard of which they will be miserably overtaken with it, if they do not look to themselves:
  • 1. A naughty nature within them by which they are apt to all sin, as occasion, temptation, and their natural ability doth serve, which if it be not opposed will break forth very much.
  • 2. We have an enemy the Devil, who doth observe and watch us with all subtlety and malice, with unwearied diligence, it is his business to draw us to sin, to suggest evil fancies into us, and to work upon our corruption, we see how he empoisoned our first parents when they were not careful.
  • 3. The world is stored with variety of means to draw a man to every sin, objects to every sense, encouragements, provocations, examples. Great danger of sinning requires great diligence to prevent the danger.
• 2. We must consider of the hurt that will befall us from sin, if through our carelessness we suffer it to get the better of us, not to speak of the mischief of eternal death, a holy man may run into great sins, and shall surely do so without great care and watchfulness, and those will be very hurtful unto him, they will break off his communion with God, interrupt the peace of his conscience, deface God's Image in him and disable him from praying or doing any good duty, and fill him full of doubts, fears and horrors, and make him grow worse and worse.
• 3. With due care and diligent observing of ourselves; a godly man may much prevail to keep himself innocent from great transgressions, and unspotted of the world.

Secondly, The Saints can and will keep themselves from sin.

Reasons, 1. Because they have received the divine nature, by which they shun the pollutions that are in the world through lust, by which they are made sensible of the evil of sin, and framed to a loathing and hatred of sin; every true Christian hath the spirit which will make him lust against the flesh. The wisdom of the world is to keep themselves from misery, the wisdom of Saints is to keep themselves from that which is the cause of all misery, and the worst of all misery, from iniquity.

The godly will not only be careful to abstain from evil acts, but to subdue their lusts, to crucify sin in the thoughts and desires, Rom. 7 8, 9.

• 1. The chief dominion of sin is in the heart, there is the evil treasure, the root.
• 2. This is contrary to the chief part of the law; the letter of the law is against the acting of sin, the spirit of it is against lusting.
• 3. This is the strongest part of sin and hardliest subdued, 2 Cor. 10. 5.

The way to keep ourselves from sin,

• 1. Often and earnestly call upon God to keep you by his Spirit of wisdom and strength, for you are not able to keep yourselves.
• 2. Often renew and settle in your own hearts a resolution of not sinning, and that upon spiritual grounds and considerations taken out of God's word, 1 Pet. 4. 11. David saith, I hid thy word in my heart that I might not sin against thee. This hiding the word is a calling to mind, and serious pondering the commandments, threats, promises, exhortations, examples and reasons of God's word against sin in the general, and against such and such sins in particular, and pressing them upon ourselves till they have wrought in us a settled and determinate resolution, I will not sin, I will not do this and this evil.
• 3. It is requisite to observe and oppose the first rising of sin in the motions and desires thereof, in the thoughts of it, with a sigh, groan, ejaculation, calling to mind some text of Scripture against it, and stirring some detestation of it, and calling upon ourselves to keep our former resolutions against it: The conception of sin is by the stirring and moving of ill desires within.
• 4. Shun the occasions of evil, Gen. 39. 10. Prov. 11. 14. all those things which ourselves have found in our experience to provoke and stir our corruptions and to give them advantage against us, Solomon saith, Look not on the wine when it is red, Prov. 23. 31.

Secondly, Our care of avoiding sin must show itself specially against our own sins, Ezek. 18. Cast away all your transgressions by which you have transgressed, Psal. 18. 23.

Reasons,

• 1. Where the danger is greater, the care of preventing must be most used. Every man is soonest and most easily overtaken with these sins.
• 2. What will be a greatest proof of his truth and sincerity, and so the surest foundation of his comfort, that should he be most careful to practice; this will make it appear that he strives against sin because it is sin, when he striveth against those evils that are most pleasing to him.
• 3. What will most further him in the works of sanctification and amendment of life, that ought he most diligently to endeavor; now in prevailing against ones corruptions he shall most further the work of grace and holiness in himself, kill that sin, and the rest will be more easily killed.
• 4. There we should bestow most pains, in which if we do not use care we lose our labor in other things.

Means were prescribed before to be used against sin in general, you must apply these in particular against your particular sins.

Pray often against these, meditate and resolve most against these, observe and resist most the first rising of these, shun the occasions of these first. A diligent and constant care to resist a man's own corruption, is a sure proof of uprightness, and such a one shall enjoy the comfort of his sincerity in due time.

CHAP. XIV. Of the cause of forbearing Sin, of abhorring it, and of small Sins.

THe main cause of our forbearing any sin should be the sinfulness of it, that is, because it is repugnant to God's will, and offensive to him, Isa. 59. 2. So Joseph, How shall I do this great evil and sin against God. Loe what did curb him from that wickedness which in the verdict of carnal reason he had so much cause to have committed, and he might have done with so much safety and assurance, even this, It was a sin against God, Ier. 44. 4. Nehem. 13. 27. Psal. 51. 3. Psal. 97. 10.

Reasons,

• 1. This is the very proper cause of all the other evil effects of sin, and herein doth the very evilness and vileness of it consist. The foul nature of sin stands in this, that it is offensive to God and opposite to the will of that excellent Majesty to whom all creatures ought to be subject.
• 2. Our forbearance of sin is no otherwise a fruit and effect of love to the divine Majesty, then if we forbear it on this ground, and further then it ariseth from this ground it is naught worth to our comfort, nor shall bring us any everlasting reward, Ezra 9. 14. Eadem velle & nolle, ea demum firma est amicitia.
• 3. Unless this thought make us fly from sin we shall never forbear it constantly nor universally, because no other motive will still and everywhere hold.

We must not only avoid sin but abhor it, Psal. 97. 10. Isa. 30. 22. Rom. 12. 9. David saith, I hate vain thoughts. Paul mentioning divers evils, saith, God forbid. The wicked, and much more wickedness, is an abomination to the just, 1 Sam. 26. 11. Rom. 6. 2. Sin is often expressed by abomination; 'tis so to God, it should be so to men.

Reasons,

• 1. Because our affections must be conformable to God's. Prov. 6. 16. He hateth nothing simply but sin, and sinners for sins sake.
• 2. Sin in itself is most hateful, because most hurtful to man and injurious to God: The ground of hatred of anything is the contrariety of it to our welfare; as we hate wild, fierce and raging beasts for their mischievousness; a toad and serpents for their poisonousness which is a strong enemy to life and health: so we hate thieves and murderers. Sin is the most mischievous and harmful thing in the world.

Our hatred against sin must have these properties.

• 1. It must be universal, we must hate all sins, Psal. 119. 104. James 1. 21. 1