Observations Divine and Moral, Chapter 52
CHAP. LII. Of Sin, and punishment from God.
WHatsoever swarveth from the law of God (written in the table of the heart, or of stone) whether in our nature, or actions, eyther in the not being of that which should be, or being of that which should not be (which two are alwayes joyned together in originall sin, and oftens in actuall) is sin, and evill: yea the greatest; yea the onelyonly evill indeed. Sin is worse then the divell, as having made him evill, whom God made good: yea then all punishments, yea then hell it self, which God prepared, and made (and is thereforeMath. 25. good) to punish sin, and sinners by. And accordingly, it was godlily sayd of one, that if sin, and hell were set before Auselmushim, the one on the one side, and the other on the other; & that he must needs go through the one of them; he would rayther enter upon hell, then sin. But blessed be God, who will assuredly keep them from hell, whose hearts are so set to keep themselvs from sin, by his grace.
This sin is incident onelyonly to reasonable creatures: God the creator being above sin; and unreasonable creatures beneath it. For the disorders in bruit beasts; they are not Rom. 8. Beza.sin in them, to whom there is no law; but punishments of mans sin against God; who hath subjected them to vanitie, thereby to testifie how greatly he is offended at mans, for whom at first he made them, and all other creatures in a more excellent state. The case of children is otherwise, as being reasonable creatures, made after Gods image in Adam, and having the law written in their hearts, as a subject capable both of good and evill; which bruits are not.
Although sin be onelyonly in reasonable creatures, yet is it a most unreasonable thing: otherwise it were not sin, save as it crosses true reason, eyther by lust against reason, or shew of reason against truth. So for particular enormities; the more unreasonable, the more sinfull: as lusts against nature; adulterie in a maryed person; pryde in a mean, prodigalitie in a needy; covetousnes in him that abounds in riches; prophanenes in a preacher; and so of all other vices.
All sins, save that first of Adam, and mens very last, are both sins in themselvs, and effects of former sin, and causes of latter: and that not onelyonly by Gods just, though severe judgment, in punishing one by another; but oft times also by a kinde of naturall, and necessarie coherence, and affinitie. Sometimes one sin brings on an other by provoking unto it, as rash anger unto strife: sometimes toProv. 15. Math. 26. back it, as Peters denying of Christ did his after forswearing him: sometimes to conceal it, as all other evils draw on lying; and theft murther many times: sometimes to mainteyn it, as pride doth covetousnes, and oppression; and sometimes to countenance it, that it be not disgraced, as Herods rash oath drew after it the beheading of Iohn the Baptist. Math. 14.And of these commonly a lesser draws on a greater, as lesser sticks set the greater on fire. So also by those degrees of iniquitie do men proceed in one and the same particular enormitie: in which, as in a chayn drawing from heaven to hell, each link moveth his next, from the one, and smaller end, to the other greater. First, there is in a man concupiscence, by which he is drawn away from God,Iames 1. unto whom he ought to cleave with the whole heart. And having once let goe his hold on him, the true, and unchangeable good; he is forthwith seazed by some appearing, and counterfeyt good, and thereby entised; as the byrd by falling on the ground is taken in the s…are, from which, whilst she held aloft, she was free. VponUpon this inveigled affection, and deceaved judgment thereby, comes consent of will to have, or do the thing which is evill, called by the Apostle the conception of lust: which that it may bring forth sin in outward act, and exequution, wants nothing but opportunitie. This sin perfited by a continued course therein without repentance, brings forth death unavoydably. He therefore that begins to do evill, or to forsake that which is good, in the affection of his heart, is like him that puts his feet into a pit, and lets the hold of his hands go: and without Gods gratious hand catching hold of him, can never stay, till he come to the bottom of the pit of perdition. And no marvayl of this progresse in evill; seeing everie sin (how small soever in degree) hath joyned with it the contempt of God. As therefore the safest way against the flame is to quench the spark, by which it may be kindled; so against this fire of hell, to quench betymes the spark of concupiscence, and lust. This is done partly by withdrawing from it the occasions, and incitements of, and unto sin; which are as fewell for nourishing it: as if it be the lust of anger, and revenge; not to give ear to Eccles. 7. Psalm 38. Iob. 31. Prov. 23.words of provocation, but to be as a deaf man that hear… not: If of uncleanenes; not to look upon a mayd: If of drunckennes, or excesse that way; not to look upon the wine, when it is red; &c. The second help is by smothering the corruption in the beginning; which as fire, if it have no vent, goes out; but getting passage, breaks out into a flame. Lastly, as water (fires contrarie) quencheth it; so do the spirituall means of grace, as prayer, meditation upon Gods word, and the like, quench by degrees, the sparks of sin, and fire of hell.
The greatnes of the sin is not alwayes to be esteemed by the thing done. For, as much crookednes may be found in a small line; so may a great evill be committed in a small matter. Hereupon, he that but gathered sticks on the Sabaoth with a high hand, (viz. in contemptNumb. 15 of Moses, and of God in him) was to be stoned to death without mercy The sin is also greater, as the temptation, or occasion is lesse; and therefore the rich man, that having many sheep of his own took his poore neighbours lamb, 2 Sam. 12.to enterteyn his stranger withall, was adjudged worthy of death; whether we take the words, as they seemed to David, or as Nathan meant them. Likewise, the forecasting of evill exceedingly aggrevates it: as with himPsal. 36. Galat. 6. who devised mischeif upon his bed, and after, set himself in a way to practise it: Others are overtaken by sin, but such overtake sin. So doth it not a litle, if men sin, that they may sin: as it seems many swear, that they may swear: and as Austin confesseth of himself, that being a boy, he Austin.stole apples, and cast them away, when he had done. He stole, that he might steal. Lastly, sin becomes more sinfull, if it have scandall, and offence of men, or other damage joyned with it. Yet even for the least sin; (if any sin by any, being against Gods infinite majestie, may be accounted litle) if God should presse the same upon the conscience, and suffer Sathan to urge it to the full; it would be a burthen intollerable: and such as neyther the heavens could bear; for the angels that sinned were cast from thence: nor paradise; for Adam for transgression was driven from thence: nor the earth; for that swallowed up Dathan and Abiram for their sin: neyther could any men, or angels undergo it, without being born down into the bottom of hell by it: and there onelyonly it rests, as in its proper center. Happy are they, who in the sense, and feeling of the intollerable burthen Math. 11.therof, come to Christ by fayth, that he may ease them.
The sin against the Holy Ghost, which shall never be forgiven in this world, or the world to come, is not onelyonly committed by them, who have sometimes professed the gospell; but by others also, though never coming so far; but being convinced of the truth thereof, do maliciously hate, blaspheme, and persecute it: and therein sin against the work of the Holy Ghost in their own hearts. And this Christ insinuates against the Scribes, & Math. 12.Pharisees, who yet never came to professe Christianitie. The reason of the … of this sin is not any de…ect eyther in the mercy of God or mer…s of Christ▪ as though the evill in it were greater, then the good in them; but for that God hath s…t those bo…nds of his grace, and mercy; that he will never vo…c…afe fayth, and repen…ce to that person, who once so despyteth his spirit, in that its holy work. And considering how oft the Scriptures speak of this sin, not onelyonly for warning of persons in themselvs, but also for direction …o… chingMath. 1…. Mark 3. … Iohn …. H…b. 6. and …. 2 Pe…. 2. …od…. others so …inning; it is to be feared, that the same is more ordinarie, where the gospell is preached, then the most make account of; and that many malitiously ha…eing and persequuting (specially after some singular profession made, and forsaken) true, and conscionable gospellers, would do the same by the gospell it self, if they were not restreyned by fear of men, and shame of the times.
The Lord oftens punisheth men in the same kinde,Math. 1…. wherein they have sinned: and causeth to be …ea…d unto them with the measure, wherewith they meat to others. Exod. 1. and 1….Thus he dr…ed Ph…rao… in the sea, who had formerly drowned the Israelitish infants: and served king A…o…bezek, Iudg. ….as he had served other kings before. And this God doth to make his justice the more conspicuous; and that mens punishments may be as glasses, wherein their sins may be seen more clearly; if not for their repentance; yet for the warning of others.
When I seriously weigh and consider the fearfull & greivous punishments, which God (so good, and gratious hath partly exequuted, in this life; as upon the old world; Sodom, and Gomorrah; Corah, and his company; and the like: and partly threatned; as in the end of this life, in the soul; so in the end of the world, both in soul and body; and the same for measure, intollerable; and endles in continuance: Lord, think I, what sin can procure such punishment? But when, on the contrarie, I consider the horrible contempt of God, & his word, even in them to whom it is dayly and diligently offered: Lord, think I, what punishment can be sufficient for such sin? What is it then? Man is fearfully wicked in sinning: and God fearfully just in punishing; where by fayth, and repentance mercy is not obteyned. My flesh trembleth for dread of thee: and I fear for thy judgments.Psal. 119.