Sin the Plague of Plagues, Part 4
More particularly ſin hath ſeparated man.
1 1From the ſight of God.From the ſight and ſeeing of God: Man could talk with God face to face, as a man converſeth with his friend, but (woe and alas!) man cannot ſee his face and live: One of the firſt diſcoveries of mans ſinfulneſs and miſery by it was; that he could not endure (but hid himſelf from) the ſight, yea and the voice of God, Geneſ. 3.8. Our happineſs lies ſo much in the ſight of God, that it hath the name of Beatifical Viſion, a ſight which paſſeth all ſights: When our Saviour prays for the happineſs of his, he doth not only pray that they may be where he is, but that they may ſee his glory, Joh. 17.24. And this is the glory which doth not yet appear, that we ſhall be like him, for we ſhall ſee him as he is, 1 Joh. 3.2. They that are regenerate, and enlightned from above, and are refined and clarified, have ſome glimpſes and gradual ſights of God, and yet 'tis comparatively called darkneſs; we ſee but darkly (as 'twere his back-parts) through a glaſs, which is ſhort of ſeeing face to face, 1 Cor. 13.12. We do live by faith now rather then by ſight, as the Apoſtle doth expreſs it, 2 Cor. 5.7. 'Tis true, faith is to us inſtead of our eyes, for 'tis the evidence of things not ſeen, Hebr. 11.1. and by it we look (as Moſes did) to him who is, and to his things which are inviſible, 2 Cor. 4.18. Seeing then mans happineſs lies ſo much in ſeeing God, what an exceeding great miſchief hath ſin done to man in ſeparating him from the ſight of God, that man cannot ſee God and live, whereas the beſt life is in ſeeing God.
2 Sin hath ſeparated man from the life of God, 2From the life of God.not only from living unto God, and with God, but from living the life of God, viz. ſuch a life as God lives, which is a life of holineſs in perfection; and therefore 'tis ſaid of ſinners, that they are alienated from the life of God, Eph. 4.18. yea, and more, that they are dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, Eph. 2.1. So far from living, that they are dead ſo far from living to God, that they live againſt God; ſo far from living the life of God, that they live the life of Devils: 'Tis according to the Prince of the Power of the Air, i.e. the Devil, Eph. 1.2. Oh what an injury hath ſin done in ſeparating man from the Divine Life and Nature, and ſinking him into the dregs and death of ſin, viz. made him dead in ſin!
3 Sin hath ſeparated man from the love of God: 3From the love of God.I ſpeak not now of what love and good will there is in God toward man, but of that love, and the actual communication thereof, which man once had and enjoy'd, whereof ſin hath not only deprived him, but made him the object of his wrath; for God is angry with the wicked every day, Pſal. 7.11. and they are by nature the children of wrath, Eph. 2.3, 4 and therefore ſaid not to be beloved, Rom. 9.25. Man was once the object of his love and delight; when man came into the world in the likeneſs of God, God lookt on him with delight, and was enamour'd of this his Image; but ſin (alas) hath made him the object of his wrath: Oh injurious ſin!
4 4From communion.Sin hath ſeparated man from communion with God; God and man kept company, while man and holineſs kept company, but when that and man parted; then God and man parted (the redintegration of any is upon a new account) they could not walk together, becauſe of this diſagreement, Amos 3.3. When man left walking in the light of holineſs, and walked in the darkneſs of ſin, fellowſhip ceaſed, 1 John 1.6, 7. 'Tis true, there is reconciliation and recovery by Jeſus Chriſt, but ſin did what in it lay to cut man off from all communion with God for ever; Oh this ſpiteful and pernicious ſin!
5 5From Covenantrelation.Sin ſeparated man from the Covenant-relation wherein he ſtood unto God; ſo that God had no obligation upon him to own him, or look after him, to have any thing to do with him, but ruine him; and what ſin did at firſt, it doth (if not repented of, and pardon'd) to this day; and therefore ſinners called Loammi, not my people, which is worſe then not to be a people, 1 Pet. 2.10. and they are without God, Promiſe and Covenant, Eph. 2.12. Man can claim nothing of God upon any right or Plea of his own, having ſinned; and therefore are ſaid alſo to be without hope, viz. in themſelves: Oh what a ſeparation hath ſin made! in robbing man of God, it robs him of all things, for all things are ours, but ſo far as God is ours, 1 Cor. 3.21.-2.
From hence come two great miſeries on ſinners from God, as judgments upon this ſeparation.
1 God hideth his face; and this follows on the ſeparation, as 'tis expreſs, Iſ. 59.2. Your iniquities have ſeparated you and your God, and your ſin hath hid his face from you, or (as the Margin reads it) have made him hide his face from you; his face which makes heaven, a ſmile whereof, or the lifting up the light of which countenance upon us, refreſheth us, more then corn, wine, and oyl, Pſa. 4.6, 7. yea, his loving kindneſs is better then life; we had better have parted with this then that: Mans ſin is expreſt by this, that he turns his back to God; and not the face; and his puniſhment by this, that God turns his back to him, and not the face; God carries it not like a friend, but a ſtranger: And indeed this hiding of his face is ſignificative of many more miſeries then I can now ſtay to inſtance in.
2 Another, and no leſs miſery hereupon is, that God hears not his prayers, as it follows in that fore-mentioned Text, Iſ. 59.2. and ſo it attends the hiding of Gods face, Iſ. 1.15. God is a God hearing prayers, but ſin ſhuts out our ſhouting, and the prayers of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, and he calls them no better then howlings, Hoſ. 7.14. Yet further.
There are two or three other miſeries, not to name many more that are conſequent upon this ſeparation, which continually attend poor ſinful man.
1 That man is without ſtrength: Mans great ſtrength is in union with God, ſeparation weakens him; for without him, apart from him, out of him, ſeparated from him we can do nothing; to be a ſinner, is to be without ſtrength Rom. 5.6. with 8. Man was once a Sampſon for ſtrength, but having parted with his Lock, his ſtrength is departed from him, that of himſelf (as of himſelf) he is not ſufficient to think one good thought, 2 Cor. 3.5. He was ſtrong, while in the Lord, and the power of his might; but now his …ands are weak, and knees feeble, his legs cannot bear him up, having got the Spiritual Rickers.
2 Being ſeparated from God, man becomes afraid of God, and aſhamed to appear before him; while Innocent (though naked, yet) man was not afraid nor aſhamed to approach to God, or of Gods approaching to him; but when he had ſinned, he was aſham'd to ſhew his face, and afraid to ſee Gods face, or to hear his voice, Gen. 3.9, 10. When righteous, he was bold as a Lyon; but now he runs his head into a buſh.
3 This ſeparation and departure hardens his heart againſt God, that when God comes to talk and treat with man about his ſinning, he will lay it any where, yea at Gods own door (as Adam did) rather then confeſs it: 'Tis three times ſaid in one Chapter, Hebr. 3.8.13, 15. Harden not your hearts, leaſt any of you be hardened, harden not your hearts; and all this in relation … hearing the voice of God, as 'tis there: When God comes to convince man, he cannot endure to hear on't, but hardens his heart; and as it was in the beginning, ſo it is now among the ſinful children of men.
Thus have I as briefly as ſo large a ſubject would permit, ſet out the ſinfulneſs of ſin, as 'tis againſt the good of man (body and ſoul) in this life, in a natural and moral reſpect, which was the firſt thing propounded. The ſecond follows:
2 Sin is contrary to, 2Sin againſt the good of man in the life to come; it damns men.or againſt the good of man in the life to come: It hath brought on man that eternal death, Damnation: In this life man by reaſon of ſin is in deaths often, but in the life to come, he is in death for ever. If ſin had only wrong'd man in this life (which is but for a moment) it had not been ſo conſiderable, but ſins miſerable effects are everlaſting, if mercy prevent not: the wicked die, and riſe to die again the ſecond, and a worſe death: There is a Reſurrection to life for the righteous, the children of the Reſurrection; and for the wicked, a Reſurrection to condemnation, or death, (for 'tis oppoſed to life) John 5.29. But
Before I ſhew what (and wherein) damnation is, and conſequently the miſchief and miſery that ſin hath thereby brought on man, I ſhall premiſe a few things which will make our paſſage ſmooth and eaſie. I ſay then:
1 That God damns no man but for ſin: Damnation is a puniſhment, Mat. 25.46. and all puniſhment ſuppoſeth guilt and tranſgreſſion: God the judge of all the earth will do right, and he lays not on man more then is meet, that man may not enter into judgment with God, Job 34.23. or quarrel and find fault with him; which man would quickly do, if Gods judgment were not juſt, even ſinners themſelves being Judges▪ Death is but ſins wages, Rom. 6.23. that which it hath merited; mans undoing, is but the fruit of his own doing; mans perdition is of himſelf, Hoſ. 13.9. His own wickedneſs correct… him, Jer. 2.19. and that not only in this life, but that to come, Mat. 7.23. and Mat. 25
2 That by ſin all men are liable to condemnation: We were all of us children of wrath by nature, Eph. 2.3. and the wrath of God cometh upon the children of diſobedience, Eph. 5.6. H… that believeth not, is condemned already; he i… in a ſtate of condemnation, beſide that which unbelief will bring upon him, Joh. 3.18. and he that believeth not, the wrath of God abideth on him: He was a child of wrath by nature and continues ſtill ſo in unbelief; Joh. 3.36. Th… wrath of God ſeiſeth on him, as its habitation an… abode: Every mouth muſt be ſtop'd, for all th… world is become guilty, all have ſinned and fallen ſhort of the glory, and are obnoxious t… the judgment of God, Rom. 3.19.-23.
3 Some men have been, are, and will be damne… for ſin; all but them who have, do and ſhall condemn ſin, and themſelves for ſin: If we judge our ſelves, we ſhall not be condemned of th… Lord, elſe woe be to us! When our Saviour ſen… his Diſciples to preach, ſaith he, Go preach, the Goſpel (that's good news and glad tidings) he that believes ſhall be ſaved, Mark 16.16. Ay… but what if they will not believe, what ſhall we ſay then? Why then tell them, he that believe… not ſhall be damned: This is as great a truth of the Goſpel, that he who believes not will be damned, as this is, that he who believes ſhall be ſaved: Heaven and Salvation is not more ſurely promiſed to the one, then hell and damnatio… is threatned to, and ſhall be executed on the other: broad is the way that leads to this deſtruction (there are as many tracts to it as there a… ſins, but) impenitency and unbelief are the high road way, the beaten path wherein multitudes go to hell.
4 Damnation is the greateſt evil of ſuffering that can befall a man; 'tis the greateſt puniſhment that God doth inflict: This is the wrath of God to the uttermoſt, 'tis his vengeance: Oh who knows the power of his wrath? none but damned ones: It is miſery, altogether miſery, and alwayes miſery to be damned. This will yet more fully appear upon examination, and diſcovery of