The Sinners Last Sentence, Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV. The Reaſons why ſins of Omiſſion are damnable.
I Come now to the third thing to be ſpoken to in the explication of this Doctrine, and that is to give the Reaſons why Chriſt will condemn men at the Great Day to eternal Torments for Sins of Omiſſion.
Thirdly, The Reaſons of the Doctrine, Why ſins of Omiſſion are damnable:
Reaſon. 1 1. The great and grand Reaſon is, becauſe they are Sins. Every ſin is damnable: The wages of ſin (as ſin) is death, Temporal, Spiritual, and Eternal, Rom. 6. ult. Therefore theſe Omiſſions being ſins as well as Commiſſions, muſt of neceſsity be damnable to our Souls. As there is bitterneſs in every Sprig or Branch of Wormwood, and ſaltneſs in every drop or ſpoonful of Sea-water; ſo there is Death and Hell, and Wrath and Damnation in every Sin. The wicked Papiſts diſtinguiſh Sins into Venial and Mortal, but they got that diſtinction from the Devil, not from God; they have their ſeven deadly ſins; But the Holy Ghoſt tells us, All ſins are deadly, without any diſtinction, Gal. 3.10. Though one Sin may be greater and more hainous than another, yet every ſin is mortal. A Piſtol is leſs than a Muſket, and a Muſket than a Canon; but they are all of them killing; Ezek. 18. The Soul that ſins ſhall die. Under the word death is comprehended all the miſery of this and the other World. Sin being a contempt of the Authority, a violation of the Law, and a ſlighting the Love of an infinite God, deſerves all that privation of Good, and infliction of Evil which this Sentence of Chriſt includes, Go ye curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. God cannot inflict a greater puniſhment, nor can a finite limited Creature bear greater Torments than Sin (being of infinite demerit) requires and calls for.
Now I have largely proved, that Omiſsions are ſins as well as Commiſſions; and to ſpeak properly and exactly, there is no ſin but the ſin of …ion. For even in Commiſsions, their ſinfulneſs conſiſteth in their want of that goodneſs which the Law requireth. Were there not a deficiency in them of ſomewhat which they ought to have, or a want of conformity to the Law, there would be no ſin in them. Yea, I have proved ſins of Omiſsion in ſome reſpect greater ſins, as more againſt the Mind of the Law-giver, (whoſe Will conſiſts rather in the Affirmative than Negative part of the Command) and as the ground of ſins of Commiſsion, and as more directly againſt the Goſpel than ſins of Commiſsion. They are much miſtaken, who judge Omiſſions pure Privations, or meer Negations little other than non-entities; for Omiſsions are tranſgreſſions of an Affirmative Command, and violations of a poſitive Precept, and the greateſt Contradictions to the Mind of the Law, and therefore moſt juſtly liable to its Curſe. The Apoſtle tells us what Obedience the Law requireth, and what the Condition of ſuch as fail therein is, Gal. 3.10. 1. It requireth practical Obedience, not hearing, or knowing, or ſpeaking only of what is written in the Book of the Law, but doing it; To do them. It's doing that the Law requireth, Do this and live, &c. And it's doers that the Law juſtifieth, Rom. 2.13. Not the hearers of the Law, but the doers thereof ſhall be justified. Now under this doing, ſins of Omiſsion are expreſly forbidden, and thoſe Duties (the neglect of which are ſins of Omiſſion) are commanded.
2. It requireth perſonal Obedience, Every one. It takes no notice of Obedience by a Proxy, or a Surety, but requires it in our own perſons. The Law admits not a Mediator.
3. Perfect Obedience; In every thing written in the Book of the Law. It will not admit of the leaſt deviation, of any one ſtep awry, but preſently curſeth and condemneth for them. If any thought, word or deed, be never ſo little too light, it will not grant the leaſt grain of allowance, but damneth for them.
4. It muſt be perpetual; That continueth not. If in one day, one hour, one moment of his life he fail, he is undone. If a man could be obedient to the whole Law all the time of his life, and ſhould in his dying-hour diſobey it; the Law would take no notice of all his former Obedience, but ſent him to Hell for his latter Diſobedience. For mark the ſtate of thoſe that yield not this perfect, perſonal, perpetual, practical Obedience. Their Condition is curſed; Curſed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them. In the word curſed, all evil is included. So that Omiſſions, or the neglect of thoſe Duties which the Law requireth, being ſins, they render the Creature liable to the Curſe, which is indeed all manner of miſery here and hereafter.
Death and Hell are the end of every Sin, though they are not the end of every Sinner; they are the reward of every evil Work, though not the reward of every evil Worker. Free Grace in the blood of Chriſt doth ſometimes interpoſe, and put in an Exception to this general Rule. The Goſpel accepted and pleaded, is a bar to thoſe rigorous proceedings of the Law. Therefore though this Reaſon will juſtifie Chriſt, and condemn the Sinner in the judgment of his own Conſcience, (eſpecially this Sinner being under a Covenant of Works) yet I ſhall give farther Reaſons from the Sinners non-intereſt in the Priviledges of the Goſpel.
2. Chriſt will condemn men at the Reaſon. 2 laſt day to eternal Torments, for ſins of Omiſſion, becauſe they ſpeak a man in a carnal, natural eſtate. The Goſpel, that is the only Ark for a Chriſtian to ſhelter his Soul in, againſt the Flood of the Laws Curſes, requireth a change of the nature and diſpoſition, as abſolutely neceſſary to Salvation. Chriſt, the great Preacher and Purchaſer of the Goſpel, affirmeth ſolemnly, Verily, Verily, I ſay unto thee, Except a man be born again, he ſhall never ſee the Kingdom of God, Joh. 3.3. This is indiſpenſably requiſite, not only as a condition without which Heaven may not be had in regard of Gods pleaſure, but alſo as a diſpoſition without which Heaven or Happineſs cannot be enjoy'd in regard of the ſubject. For 'tis this that is meant by our being made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light, Col. 1.12. Again, the Holy Ghoſt tells us, That without holineſs no man ſhall ſee God, Heb. 12.14. This holineſs as a due qualification of the Agent in relation to the beatifical Viſion or ſight of God, the bleſſed-making Object, is neceſſary by the Goſpel. How often are the Unregenerate and unſanctified by the Spirit of God doomed to Hell, and excluded Heaven, Joh. 3.18. Rev. 19. Into it can in no wiſe enter any thing that is defiled or unclean. Again, Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die? Ezek. 33.11. Implying, that Death and Deſtruction are the portion of the Unconverted.
Now theſe Sins of Omiſsion are evidences of a mans want of Regeneration. Nay, there is much more evil in a ſtate of Sin, than in an act of Sin; which ſtate of Sin conſiſteth moſt in Sins of Omiſsion. For this was the great evil and miſery of the Epheſians by nature, Eph. 2.12. That they were without God, i. e. were without any inward regard of him, or outward Obedience to him. Sound Converſion and ſaving Repentance make clear work, as the Flood drown'd all out of the Ark, Noahs Friends as well as others. So Repentance deſtroys all ſins, even ſins of Omiſſion as well as Commiſſion. It loves none, it allows of none. Reſtraining Grace will probably refuſe the way of Diſobedience, but renewing Grace will cloſe the way of Obedience. Thoſe that are in a wicked and unregenerate ſtate, are characterized in Scripture from their ſins of Omiſſion. The wicked through the pride of his heart will not ſeek after God: God is not in all his thoughts, Pſal. 10.4. The Lord hath a controverſie with the Land, becauſe there is no Mercy, nor Truth, nor Knowledge of God in the Land, Hoſ. 4.1. Nay, the reign of Sin (which ever ſpeaks an unconverted and unregerate eſtate) is as viſible, if not more in Omiſſions than in Commiſſions. As there is as high an act of Authority, and Soveraignty, and Princely Power in a Negative Voice, or denying ſuch and ſuch things to be done as in a poſitive Law, enjoyning ſuch and ſuch things to be done. So the omiſſion of what is good, or refuſing to do what God commands, may ſpeak Sin reigning in the Soul, as well as doing, or commanding to be done what God hath forbidden. It is indeed the judgment of many, that a Princes Negative Voice is a greater part and mark of his Royalty, than any Affirmative Command of his; for a King may have Power to Command, that which he hath no Power to forbid. As he may and ſhould enjoyn his Subjects to Worſhip the true God, according to his revealed Will; but he hath no Power to forbid them. Thus in Sins of Omiſſion, for a man to live without Prayer, without the love and fear of God, without delight in him, and communion with him, without care of, and watchfulneſs over his own heart and life, may be a greater ſign of the reign of Sin, and thereby of an unregenerate ſtate, than the commiſſion of ſome groſs actual Tranſgreſſions.
It is apparent, that this man is under the power of Luſt, as a Servant to it, Tit. 3.3. And under the dominion of the Devil, carried captive by him at his will, 2 Tim. 2.26. And an unregenerate, unſanctified perſon, becauſe he lives in Diſobedience to theſe poſitive Laws of God. Whereas he that is born of God ſinneth not, 1 Joh. 3.9. with his whole will; there is not a free, voluntary, chearful ſubmiſſion of his Will to the quiet, undiſturbed dominion of Sin. And he that is born of God hath a tender regard to the whole Law. I have eſteemed thy Precepts concerning all things to be right; therefore I hate every falſe way, Pſal. 119.128. He hath reſpect to Affirmative as well as Negative Precepts: He hath an equal uniform regard to all the Law, to that part which commands the doing good, as well as that part which forbids the doing evil. Therefore the man that lives in Sins of Omiſsion, is not born of God, and therefore uncapable by the Goſpel of Heaven; and ſo juſtly for this cauſe ſentenced to Hell.