Body of Divinity, Book 4 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of Actual Sin.
THis distinction of sin into Original and Actual is according to Scripture,See of actual sins, Rom. 7. 17. Jam. 1. 15. They are called the deeds of the old man, Evil works, Dead works, The works of darknesse. See Ainsw. on Deut. 17. 2. what transgression is. 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 Iohn 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.
Austen aContra Faustum l. 22 c. 27.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.
Chemnitius 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, filthinesse and lewdnesse, Ezek. 24. 13. stubbornnesse, Deut. 29. 19. perversenesse, Isa. 30. 10. provocation, the metaphoricall names are innumerable.
The divers distinctions of sin.
Many have written great Volumes about the divisions of sin, who can set: out the severall kindes of it?
They may be taken from the persons which commit it, or the object against whomAugustinus & Hieronymus ita ponunt, peccata cordis, cogitationum, oris, verborum, operis, membrorum. they are committed, God immediatly, as those of the first Table, irreligion, unbelief, our neighbour, injustice, oppression; and our selves, as gluttony, intemperance; from the subject wherein they are, the outward and inward man, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Inward of the minde, 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, Iam. 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 mans sins, knowing that which he doth to be evill, 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,Prov. 3. 28. Jer. 48. 10. 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 someThat is an infirmity in the body which a man makes not choice of, takes not pleasure in, and labours to cure, and so in the soul. 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 counsell and purpose of heart doth do that which he knows is offensive in the sight of God. This division is in expresse words laid down, Numb. 15. 12. Psa. 19. 13, 14. 2 Pet. 3.
A presumptuous sinne 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 sinne are Christs three Offices, 1. His Kingdome takes away the reign of sinne, his priesthood the guilt of sin, and his prophetical office the stain of it, Psa. 1 19. 9.It is called a spot, Deu. 32. 5. See Psa. 51. 2. Rev. 22. …1. The stain of sin is that silthiness whereby the precious soul being tu… ned from God is defiled and become unclean, Mat. 15. 20. 2 Cor. 7. …. Jam. 1. 26. Lyf. Princ. of Faith and good Consc.
Secondly, the stain of sin.
The defilemen…, blot, and blacknesse of sin is the absence and privation of that morall rectitude, the want of that whitenesse and righteousnesse which the holy Law of the Lord requireth to be in the actions, inclinations, and powers of the soul of a reasonable *Rutherfords Triall and Triumph of Faith, Serm. 19. Macula… (si quae sit quae in Iustificatione tolli dicitur) mihi ignotam esse ingenuè fateor, nec à quoquam exponi posse quae tandem sit, …xistimo. Theologi Pontisicij, quum in hujus maculae natura investiganda quingentos propemodum annos summo studio & diligentia elaboraverint, nihil reperire potuissent quod verum esse ulla ratione demonstraverint, aut demonstrare co…ti suerint. Wotton d… Reconcil. par. 2. l. 2. c. 27. Ne concilium quidem Tridentinum quicquam de macul…e natura d…sinitum reliquit im… eam ne no…ina…t' quidem, nedum explicavit, etsi tam multa sess. 6. de justific. disseruerit. Id. ib. c. 26. Macula importat quendam desec…um nitoris propter recessum à lumine rationis vel divinae legis. Aquin. 1. 2. quae. 86. art. 2.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, Iam. 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…, The guilt of sin is properly in the conscience, but every part is defiled with it, Rom. 3. 13, 14, 15.inficit; To a leprosie which was 1 Loathsome, 2 Secret, lurking in the bloud, Lev. 13. 2. 3 Spreads, 4 Infects, see 13 and 14 Chapters of Lev.
3. The guilt.This is also hard to discover, some make it a middle thing betwixt culpa and poena. Rutherfords triall and triumph of faith. Serm. 19. Reatus poenoe vel ad poenam is the chief thing which is commonly called guilt, and therefore guilt is obligdtio ad poenam.
Some what which issueth from the blot and blacknesse of sinne according to which the person is liable and obnoxious to eter…all punishment.
There is a twofold guilt, sinfull and paenall, reatus culpae & poenae, the guilt of sin as sin, this is all one with sin, being the very essence, soul, and formall being of sin, and is removed in sanctification. 2. Reatus poenae, reatus formalis seu actualis, the actuall 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. Personall, by the actings of sin.
This is likewise twofold,
1. Intrinsecal, the merit of sin, this is inseparable from it, it deserves eternal wrath.
2. Extrinsecall, a guilt which God hath added to it, a power which it hath to binde over the sinner to the just vengeance of God, untill he hath made him an amends.
There is a four-fold guilt of sinne,
1. Reatus culpae, which is an inseparable consequence of the offence, there is as necessary a connexion 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 sinne: 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 sinne, 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. Iude 6.
2. It is universall, morbus Epidemicus, Rom. 3. 19. John 13. 10.
3. Hereditary, conveighed from parents to children, Rom. 5. 17, 18. by one man and one offence.
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 spreding nature, Rom. 1. ult. 3 ep. Iohn 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,He proves it also there out of the Fathers l. 3. p. 103, 104 that is, the fact it self 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 sinne.
There is
1. a virtuall dominion in sin, so originall sin reigns.
2. Actuall, every mans darling and bosome sin.The division of sin into sin reigning or not ruling is taken out of Rom 6. 12, 14. Rom. 8. 22.
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. Soveraignty in the sinne.
2. Absolute and uncontrolled subjection in the sinner.
Soveraignty 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 raigning 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 willingnesse, Rom. 5. his servants ye are The reigning powe… of sin lies mainly if not only in the will. There is a fourfold act in the will, and sin reigns by every one of them. 1. Election when one chooseth what sin commands. 2. Consent to all the laws of sinne. 3. Fruition, Ephes. 4. 19. 4. The imperium of it, it is the commanding faculty of the soul. 2 Sam. 22 24. Psa. 18. 23. Ezek. 7. 19. Every mans bosome sin ariseth from the inordinate love of some earthly thing, 1 Joh. 2. 15. Licitis primus omnes. See M. Burgess of Grace and Assurance, sect. 9. Ser. 76.whom ye obey, often in that Chapter of the Romans, Iude 11. there is a going on notwithstanding warning in the way, an obstinacy in sin. 2. They ran greedily or powred out themselves, there is a free giving of the will to it.
Sins of ignorance and omission may be raigning sins, Hos. 4. 1. 2 Thes. 1. 8. not so much the greatnesse of the sin as the manner of committing it makes it a raigning sin. Secret sins may be raigning sins. In the Eastern Countries the King was seldome seen abroad, Hos. 7. 17. an Oven the more it is stopt the hotter it is, ignorance of the act makes it not a raigning sin, but of the right doth, if one be bound to know it. Sins of thought may be raigning 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 cals little may be committed with a high hand. Every man hath some peccatum in delicijs, as the Fathers call it, some bosome 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 mans bodily temper inclineth him to anger, anothers to lust, a third to carnall sorrow, a fourth to fear, a fifth to carking and worldly cares. As envy in Saul, covetonsnesse in Iudas, ambition in Absalom, uncleannesse in Herod. This is called in Scripture a mans right eye, his own inquity, the stumbling block of his iniquity.
How to know a mans 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, Iob 20. 12. and what thou most thinkest of, Mat. 6. 21. Iob 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, Iob 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. Bains Spirit, Armour.
A diligent and constant care to resist a mans own corruption is a sure proof of uprightnesse, and such a one shall enjoy the comfort of his sincerity in due time. This is Satans great bait, and by this sin thou dost most dishonour God and wound conscience, because this sin sets up another God against God.