Sin the Plague of Plagues, Part 9
5 The Law witneſſeth againſt, and condemns Sin.
The Law of God is without ſin in it ſelf, 5The Law doth witneſs againſt ſin.and 'tis againſt ſin in others: The Law being holy, juſt and good, that which breaks the Law muſt be unholy, unjuſt and evil: The Law diſcovers the authority, wiſdome, will and goodneſs of God (in its primary intention and promulgation, for 'twas to life) ſin muſt therefore be exceeding ſinful, it being againſt all this: The Law diſcover'd mans d… ty and mans happineſs ('twas the whole of man, in both theſe ſenſes) how evil is ſin then that is a contradiction of, and contrariety to both the duty and happineſs of man; ſo that ſin being a tranſgreſſion of Gods good Law, the ſinfulneſs of ſin appears by the Commandment. More particularly.
1 The Law is againſt ſin before 'tis committed.
2 After 'tis committed.
1 The Law is againſt ſin before 'tis committed, 'tis againſt its being to be committed, its holy, and wholly againſt ſin, for it forbids ſin, all ſin, whither of Omiſſion or Commiſſion, whither in thought, word or deed, whither againſt God, or againſt man, the voice and cry of the Law is, thou ſhalt not ſin; ſo that (in this ſenſe) by the Law is the knowledge of ſin, viz. what is ſin, as well as what ſin is, Rom. 7.7. Is the Law ſin, God forbid! nay, I had not known ſin but by the Law, for I had not known luſt or concupiſcence (to be a ſin) except, or unleſs the Law had ſaid, thou ſhalt not covet, thou ſhalt not luſt: The Law ſhews that luſt is ſin by forbidding it; yea, the Law doth not only forbid ſin, but forbids it upon great and ſevere penalty, upon no leſs then pain of death, on the peril of a curſe, for this it ſaith, curſed be every one that doth not, and continueth not to do all things which are written in the Law, Gal. 3.11. So that the Law is utterly againſt the commiſſion of ſin.
2 The Law is againſt ſin after 'tis committed; and here, even by the commandment, ſin appears to be exceeding ſinful after commiſſion. For
1 The Law diſcovers (as before what is ſin, ſo now) what ſin is, how diſpleaſing to God, how deſtructive to man, and that as 'tis a tranſgreſſion of the Law of God made for the good of man, no ſooner is ſin committed, but the Law is ſo far from indulging or juſtifying it, or the ſinner, or from concealing it, that it diſcovers it, and the diſpleaſure of God againſt it, Rom. 3.20. yea, not only diſcovers ſin, but
2 It condemns the ſinner; the Law is not againſt the righteous, againſt ſuch there is no Law, nor condemnation; but this Law, which (like a good Magiſtrate) is an incouragement to them that do well, is a terrour to evil doers, ſaith the Apoſtle, Rom. 7.9. when the commandment came (and ſhew'd me ſin as in a Perſpective-glaſs) ſin revived, it got the victory over me, was too ſtrong for me (for the Law ſtrengthened it againſt me, 1 Cor. 15.56.) and I died; I was dead in Law, I had ſentence of death within me, as he ſpeaks in another caſe: The tranſgreſſed Law worketh wrath, Rom. 4.15. it ſends abroad terrours, thundrings and flaſhes of wrath; it diſcovers wrath to them, that by ſin have made work for wrath. Thus the Law is againſt ſin, before and after the commiſſion of it.