Body of Divinity, Book 4 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of the Punishment of sin.
GOD punished Adams sin with originall and actual sinne: See Gen. 3. 17, 18,Vide Bellarm. de statu peccati, l 6. c. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Poena est aliquid damnosum quod infligitur ob peccatum. Cameron. d… Eccles. …ain is so allied to sinne, that in the Hebrew Tongue one word signifies both; that in Cains speech the Translator knows not whether he shall english it, Gen. 4. 13. My sinne is greater then can be forgiven, or my punishment is greater then can be born. Dr Clark. See D. Halls Holy Panegyrick, p. 484. 19, 23. The Lord sent Adam forth from the garden of Eden, there is losse of communion, and vers. 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 bitternesse in the later end. Ubi peccatum ibi procella, saith Chrysostome, sin alwayes brings a storm with it, Lam. 3. 38.
Raro antecedentem scelestumHorace.
Deseruit pede poena claudo.
Sometimes sins are punished a long time after they were committed, 2 Sam. 21. 1.Before sinne came into the world there was no evil, Gen 1. 31. but when sin came (which was the first and is the chiefest evil) it brought with it all other evils. When Adam sinned all other creatures should have been destroyed, they were all cursed for mans use. There is a curse on mans body, 1. Weating and wasting labour: 2. Mutilation: 3. Deformity, want of that beauty which God bestowed on him: 4. Sicknesse: 5. Old-age. the bloud of Christ was visited on Ierusalem fourty years after; the wickednesse of Eli's sons was visited on the whole family in the dayes of Saul: Iob saith, Thou makest me possesse the sins of my youth. God would shew 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 entred into the world, and by sin death.
1. Temporal evils.
All publick commotions, wars, famine, pestilence, are the bitter fruits of sin, Deut. 28. there is Gods curse on the creature, mans body, all his relations.
2. Spiritual:
Terrours of conscience, horrours 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 it self boldly, but sin will not so easily be born, when the conscience it self is smitten. See this in Cain and Iudas, many a one maketh away himself to be rid of this vexation. This sils one with shame, Iohn 8. 9. fear, Gen. 3. 11. andBish. Bilsons Redempt. of mankinde by the bloud of Christ in conclus. to the Reader, for the clearing of certain object. Spiritual plagues are the greatest, 1. In respect of the subject, they light on the soul; mercies to the soul are the greatest mercies. 2. They are not only judgements from God, but for sinne in us, Isa. 63. 17. 3. They are the greatest evidences of eternal wrath, Iohn 13. ult. 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 her self by the number of her hainous offences, 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 comfortlesse soul, that she shrinketh under the burden, and feeleth in her self the horrour 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,Gregorius l. 4. Moral. It is such a stain as cannot be got out but by a remedy that is infinite, Isa. 34. 13. All the tribulation in the world cannot do it, Ier. 6. latter end The bloud of bul… and goats could not purge the conscience from dead works, nothing could get it off but the heart bloud of Jesus Christ, Ier. 28. later end. Heb. 9. 13, 14. Hell fire will not do it. Mark 9. 49. are the consequents of it. Iustum est, quòd qui in suo aeterno peccavit contra Deum, in aeterno Dei puniatur.
Sin is finite in the act and subject, but of infinite *In peccato duo sunt: Quorum unum est aversio ab incommutabili bono, quod est iusi…um, Unde ex ha… parte peccatum est infinitum. Aliud quod est in peccato, est inordinata conversio ad commutabile bonum: & ex hac parte peccatum e…i sinitum, non enim possunt esse actus creaturae infiniti. Exparte igitur aversionis respondet peccato poena damni, quae etiam est infinita: Est enim amissio infiniti boni, scilicei Dei: Ex parte autem inordinatae conversionis respondet ei poena sensus, qu… etiam est f…ta. Aquinas 1…, 2…. Quaest. 87. Art 4. Peccatum non formaliter, sed materialiter, & objectivè est infinitum, quia peccato majestas infinita violatur.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 sinne, Gen. 2. 17. the Devil opposed it, Gen. 3. 4. the belief of the threatning would have hindered them from sinne.
The Socinians say, that man should have died in the state of innocency, althoughThe Pelagians (whom the Socinians follow) say, Mors est conditio naturae, non peccati argumentum vel poena; Death is rather the condition of nature then the fruit of …in. he had not sinned, and therefore that death is not a punishment of sinne, but a condition and consequent of nature. The holy Ghost assigns death to sinne 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.
Iacob 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 mankinde, 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 *De extraneis judicare vetat Apostolus 1 Co. 5. 12. Ideoque hos infantes libero Dei judicio relinquimus: non audemus salutem cuiquam permittere manenti extra foedus Christi. Molinaeus.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 sinne, seems to beArminiani dicunt neminem damnari propter originale peccatum, hoc est, Turcarum, Sarac…norum, Ethnicorum liberi in infantia defuncti regnum Coelorum ingrediuntur, & consequenter meliori conditione sunt, quam sun Abrahamus, aut Moses, & Virgo Maria, dum in terris agerent. Poterant enim illi perire juxta sententiam vestram, non possunt Turcarum liberi in infantia defuncti. Et tamen omnes & singulos irae filios nasci profitetur Apostolus; & quae ratio sub imaginationem cadit, quare non moriantur …iam silii irae? Twiss. cont Corvinum, c. 9. sect. 3. contrary to that place, Ephes. 2. 3. If this were true, the condition of a Turks childe dying in his infancy is farre better then the condition of Abraham, Isaac or Iacob living, for they might fall from grace (say they) and be damned, but a Turks childe dying, according to their opinion shall certainly be saved.
The worst punishment of sinne is to punish it with sin, and so God punisheth it sometimes in his own people, Isa. 63. 17. Mar. 6. 52. a judicial blindnesse and hardnesse is the worst.
See Ezek. 24 13. Rom. 1. 26, 28. Revel. 22. 11.
Concerning National sins.
Sins though committed by particular persons, may be National:
First, When they are interwoven into the policy of a State, Psa. 94. 20. when sin is established by a Law, Rev. 16. 8. & 17. 17. & 6. 12. Ier. 15. 9.
Secondly, When they are universal and overspread the whole Kingdom, Ier. 9. 2, 3. Isa. 56. 11.
Thirdly, When the people that professe the name of God are infected with those sins, Gen. 6. 2, 3, 4.
Fourthly, When few or none in the Nation bewail them, Ier. 5. 31.
Fifthly, When they are openly countenanced and tolerated, 1 Kings 14. 24. when there are no masters of restraint, Iudg. 18. 7.
Sixthly, When they are the predominant humour of the Nation at that time.
The sins of Gods people which commonly provoke him to break a Nation.
1. Their omissions, that they stand not in the gap, Ezek. 22. 30, 31. improve not their interest in him.
2. When their hearts are inordinately set upon the things of this world, 2 Chro. 36. 12. Mat. 24. 39.
3. When there is a great unfruitfulness and lukewarmness in the things of God, Hos. 10. 1.
4. When divisions are still fomented amongst those that fear God, Isa. 9. 21. Desolations in a State follow divisions in the Church.
The sins which may provoke God against a Nation:
1. Idolatry, Ier. 5. 19. when the true God is worshipped in a way that he hathThree things fill up the measure of the sins of a Nation, Universality, Impudence, Obstinacy. not appointed.
2. Intestine divisions, Isa. 9 ult. compared with 10. 6.
3. Incorrigiblenesse under lesser judgements, Isa. 9. 11.
4▪ Wearying of God, Isa. 7. 13, 18.
5. Unworthy and wicked compliances, Hos. 5. 13.