A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 58 (Question 17)
SERMON LVIII.
QUESTION XVII.
INTO what Eſtate did the Fall bring M…nkind?
ANSWER.
The Fall brought Mankind into a ſtate of Sin and Miſery.
WE have been conſidering of the firſt Tranſgreſſion, from whence all our unhappineſs derives, in the nature of it, and in its prop…n, it now follows,
III. THAT we take notice of the puniſhment under which man …s falle… by it. And this is a thing neceſſarily conſequent upon the tranſgreſſion, and therefore next in order to be ſpoken to. And ou… A…ſwer gives us a full diſtribution of it. The… the puniſhment of man's …ſi…n is here intended, is certain; for it not only points us to the ſtate, into which …n are ta…, ſince the Apoſta…y; but it tells us that the tall it ſelf hath brought them i… it, or is the proc…ing cauſe or i…: and t… m…ſt needs be in way of penalty. I ſhall commo…ate a little upon this Anſ…er; there bring two things needful to be enquired after fo… the clearning of it. viz. 1. The general conſid…ion of the puniſhment inflicted on man … the tranſgreſſion. 2. The legitimacy of the … it ſelf that is here given …
1. W… may enquire in general after the … ſin, becauſe the diſtribution here gi…-ſ…is us to it. And in this enquity, we may i… look into the nature of the puniſhment, and then the …ercy of it …
… is the nature of i…, we may firſt… take … of the common notion of puniſhment among men, and then apply it to the preſent ….
1. …ISHMENT is properly that …o…t which is … upon a tranſg…e… righ…nſty, for, …ding to the me… of his tranſg…ſſ…n. Th…e are ſeveral things belonging to this de…tion, which muſt he well obſerved.
1. The general nature of it; it is a… evil. …d ſo the wite man expreſſ…th it, Prov. 13.…1. … …ſ…eth ſinners; but to the righteous good …al be repayed. Good and evil are oppoſed p…i…tively. Whatſoever deprives the creature of the good it is made capable of, is evil. Puniſhment is therefore called, a doing m…n …, Joſh 24.20. It is true, puniſhment is good with reſpect. to the i…ſi…der, (as will appear in what follows) but it is always evil in inſpect to the ſufferer; he is always dam…ſy'd by it. Only let …s remember, that the all puniſhment be evil, yet every evil is not a puniſhment. We muſt then look a little farther.
2. The ſpecial nature, it is an evil righte…ty inflicted. The… is an evil contracted in guilt. (as will hereafter he obſerred.) but in puniſhment it is laid upon the man; for it belongs to the execution of juſtice, and it muſt …e done righteou…ſ…y elſe it is …o puniſhment but an i…jury. He…ce that, 2 The…. 1.6. Seeing it is a righteous thing … G…d, is reconcence tr…nlan… to them … trouble you. And to this righteouſneſs there are two things in general requiſite.
(1.) THAT there in a juſt cauſe for the inflicting of it. To do a perſon evil without a cauſe, is not to puniſh …im, but to …buſe him. Hence that complaint, Pſal. 119.161. Princes have …r…ted me without a cauſe. When wicked men a…ct the people of God for their holineſs, and bring trouble upon them for well doing, that is not puniſhing but wronging them. Puniſhment hath always a reference to the reaſon of … for if it be what it pre…tends to be, it muſt needs be juſt: unjuſt puniſhment is a mere contradiction, at leaſt a very harſh ca…echre…i….
(2.) THAT be … inſlicts it, have a right of …usb…y ſo to do. Puniſhment is …n act of m…diction; it is not then every bodies work; but it belongs to thoſe who are inveſted with ſuch a power. For civil Judges to pu… a murderer to death, is to puniſh him; but for other p…irate perſons to do it, is no… … but murder. Hence God makes th… challenge to himſelf, on this account, … 18. … Be…il… …ll ſouls …re mire, as the …l of the father, ſo alſo the ſoul of the ſon is mine …h…ſoul th… ſinneth it ….
3. THE ſubject of it is, a tranſgreſſ…. Though puniſhment terminate upon the perſon, who is the ſufferer in …, yet it always refers to the fact for which it is inflicted; it therefore ever preſumes two things.
(I.) That there… a … with …uth …ſ…n…tion put to…, unto w…ith be owes ſu…io…. AIR puniſhment muſt be regular; …o…e can be liable to it, but one that is under ſome law, or…r…e: and that which makes …m ſo is, becauſe there is a pen…ley added to the precept of the law, by which it is ratified it…h o…gy to remunerative juſtice to puniſh; and tha… muſt be referred to a threatning in which it is contained.
—(2.) THAT be …rb ſome …ay broken that law, and ſo brought himſelf under that ſanction. …or the threatning o… a law cannot juſtly hu…t him, who doth his duty, and doth not tran…greſ… it. 1 Tim. 1.9. knowing this, that the … is not made for a righteous man, but for the l…o… …oſe and diſobedient, …or…he ungodly … for ſinners, for unholy and proſone; for murder…rs of ſa…bers and murderers of mothers, for …. Now by thus doing, he comes to b…ar the denomination of a tranſgreſſor; and becauſe; he is ſo, he may be puniſhed.
4. THE reaj…t of puniſhment; it is for tranſgre…on. And without a reſpect … this … cannot come under that denomination. W…atever evil is ſ…red, if it be not on this account, it cannot be called a puniſhment. Though the man …ierves it, yet if it be not done for that, it muſt have ſome other name. There are many evil things that God's people ſuffer in this life, meerly as trials of their Grace, in reſpect of God, and acts of ma… in reſpect of men, and devils: theſe are not puniſhments, but acts of ſovereignty as from God, and in…tion as from …eſtraments: ſuch were … …o particular.
5. …ut meaſure … pr…tion of this evil; it is …ng it the merit of the tranſgreſſion. It it comes …h…rt of or within that merit, there is a mixture of mercy in it; and ſuch are all that men undergo in this World, E…ra 9.1…. Th… our God haſt …hed as …ſs th… … iniq…u… it…erce. But it it ſhould exceed that, is would ceaſe to be puniſhment, and become cruelty. Now, though among Men, the Law is ſuppoſed to determine this, and men are judged to be puniſhed according to merit. …rea the penalty provided in law is i…ti…cied; yet, there may be to ſevere Laws among men, and it is not real juſtice but barbarous cruelty to do it; and alſo, if the law be right, and men do more; they do not puniſh, but perſecate. Puniſhment is the wages of a tranſgreſſion. Hence that, Rom. 6.23. The wages of ſin is death. And therefore it is to be ſo much as is earned by it in equity.
1. TO apply theſe t…ngs to the preſent caſe. God then pen…ſeth, when he executes His juſt wrath upon ſinners, for their ſins: this agrees in every par… to the foregoing notions. Here then obſerve,
1. THAT the execution of puniſhment for ſin, is God's proper work. Not that He doth not uſe ſecond cauſes as His inſtrument in it; as civil relets alſo have their executioners by whom they puniſh offenders; but it is not a puniſhment becauſe they do it, but becauſe authority appoints it. He therefore challeng… it as His p…rogative. H…b. 10.30. For … know him that bath ſ…d, vengeance belongeth unto …e, I …ll recom…ence, ſaith the Lord; …nd again, the Lord ſmall judge his people. And when ſinners are puniſhed, they are ſaid to fall into his b…nds, ver. 31. For this reaſon He is called a conſuming ſire, Heb 1…. …s. the Pſalmiſt therefore appropriates it to Him, Pſal. 94.1. O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth, ſhew thy ſelf. And none may challenge to do it but He, or by His order. Though becauſe He uſeth all creatures to do His will by them, the ſame evil which is done to any by inſtruments may be both an injury done them, in reſpect of theſe, becauſe they had no precept for it; and yet a puniſhment relating to God, in whoſe …ands they are but the rod of his wrath. Iſal. 10.5.
2. THAT God then properly puniſheth ſinners, when He brings his wrath upon them for ſin. That God is diſpleaſed at ſin, and ſinners for it, belong… to his holineſs; when he reveals his wrath, in the works of his Providence, againſt men, then He puniſheth them. This therefore is in Scripture called his anger, and wrath and fury: ſo that if God afflict any, yet if it be not in anger, … i… not puniſhment; but it there be of that in it, whether it …e of a father or a judge it is ſo. Hence that expreſſion in, Deut, 29.20. Then the …nger of the Lord, and … jea…ſie ſhall ſm…ke againſt the men, and all the curſes … are written in this book, ſhall a… upon …m. And Pſal …0.7. … are …ſumed by thine anges, and by thy … we are treaded. And, 79.5. H… …ag Lord … thou be …gry for ever? ſhall thy ſc…l…uſy … like …re?
3. THAT this wrath of God againſt ſ… is juſt. All mankind owe ſubjection to God, … they are his creatures, Pſal. 100.3. The … He gave them was an holy, juſt, and good … R…. 7.12. The penalty annexed to this …, was no more than in deſerved. Rom. 6.2…. …d hath a right to execute it, for He is the jud… of the whole earth. Gen. 10.25.
II. IT follows to take ſome account of … neceſſity of this puniſhment; not only there is a righteous thing that if ſhould be ſo… …o neceſſary and unavoidable: and the … ther, becauſe the neceſſity of a Redeem… built on this …y potheſis. Here then obſ…
1. THAT the low given to men ot firſt … a rui… if …ive Juſtice between God and … As God is inti…e…y juſt in Himſelf, ſole would declare it in his works; and to… end he gave man a rale, according to w… he was to walk, and by which he was … judged: and hence there were reward … puniſhments annexed to it. By this … God intended to manifeſt Himſelf to be … reous, in His proceeding with man upon … it was therefore juſt in its ſelf, and God … appant ſo in doing according to it.
2. THAT God, to ma…e this rule ſure … viola…, put it into a Covenant. That theſe … …ant of Grace is called, a new covenant, … that there was an old one, antecedent … and that was a covenant of works. This in… was pron…lgated on mount S…n…i, Exod, … but that was not the firſt edition of it; … made with our firſt Parents, as …th b… … fore proved. …ow in a covenant both … ſtand firmly bound upon articles; as th… man was obliged to his obedience, ſo God … liged Himſelf to reward him with life … diſobeyed, and puniſh him with death i… diſobeyed: and that is plain in, G…n. … for if the word be gone on… of His mouth … will ſtand to it; and it is of a threa… that there is ſuch a paſſage, 1 Sam. 15 … And alſo the ſtrength of Iſrael will not li…, … repent: for be is not a man that be ſhould re…
3. THAT mankind are by the apoſtacy br… under the threatning. This alſo hath … made to appear. And now he muſt needs … either in himſelf, or ſurety. Though God, be … lordſhip, could have pardoned him, yet by … covenant He cannot unleſs his ſin be puniſh… in one that is accepted in his room. So that not only the holineſs of God ſtands engaged againſt ſin, and his juſtice is armed againſt the ſinner for it, but His truth alſo, and His faithfulneſs to His word and covenant, ratify and contir… the thing: ſo that it is not only a may be, but muſt be … the ſinner is not only in danger, but bound, to ſuffer the wrath of God.
II. LET me now add a few words to vindicate the diſtribution here given of the puniſhment of ſin. The parts of it are here ſigni…ed to be ſin and miſery. Two things are objected againſt it,
1. That ſin is the m…riter: us … precuring cauſe of all miſery, and that is an effect morally flowing from ſin; how then can it be one part of the puniſhment?
2. That God is the number of the puniſhment which is in… on ſinners, as is confeſſed on all hands: and how then can ſin be reckoned to be a puniſhment, without making Him the author of it, which is a reproach to Him, and reflection on His holineſs? For the removal of theſe …kes, and eſtabliſhment of the truth, let thoſe things be obſerved.
1. THAT us God is holy in His Being, ſo be …phys His holineſs in all His works of …thei…y. That is a truth for ever to be acknowledged, Pſal. 145.17. The Lord is righteous in all his …, and holy in all his works. He ſeeks his …glory in all, and will not endure any thing that oppoſeth; or ſtands in the way of it, Iſai. 4…. … on the Lord, that is my Name, and my glory will I not give to another, …ther my praiſe ingr… images. So that nothing is to be … that caſts any reflection upon that … …ribere of His.
2. THAT hence, it is blaſphemy to charge God as the author of ſin. In no one thing doth God more diſcover this holineſs of His, than in the diſpl… which He hath at ſin. He hates it, and … endure it, Hab. 1.13. Thou art of … to …hold evil, and canſt not look … And therefore ſtands at a diſtance … on this account. Pſal. 54.5. He … evil to mine enemies; cut them off …. Is would therefore be a contradi… to aſſert Him to be the author of that which is ſo contrary to Him. As well may light … the author of darkneſs, as the holy God of this …neſs.
3. THAT yet God doth, for ſin, give men up … …chrated Scripture truth. Needs … be conſiſtent with his ſpotleſs …, elſe He would not ſo do. We have that …ous …ſtance for this in, Pſal. 8 …11, 12. … my people would not hearken to my voice, and … would none of me. So I gave them up unto … hearts luſts: and they walked in their … …ſe…s. Thus God is ſaid to harden …h's heart, that he ſhould refuſe to let Iſrael go out of his land. Thus God is ſaid to move David to number the people, 2 Sam. 24.1. Aid we have that expoſtulation of the Church …. 63.17. O Lord, why hast thou made us … from thy ways? and hardened our hearts from …oy fear? It is true, the way in which God doth this, is very abſtruſe and hard for unto comprehend; but when we are aſſured both, that he doth it, and yet is not the author of ſin in ſo doing, we are to entertain it with humble admiration, and not bold and ſaucy argumentation: and remember that although it is His pleaſure that ſin ſhould be in the world, or it had never been, yet He cannot approve of ſin itſelf, though He approves that it ſhould be, for His own glory, which belongs to His holineſs; and alſo, that although the entity of the actions, unto which the ſin doth ad here, is of His all-efficiency, yet the obliquity of them, in which their ſinfulneſs doth conſiſt is of themſelves, or their own deficiency who do commit it.
4. TO be leſt, for ſin, to ſin, is cut of doubt a very great puniſhment. This will be evident if we conſider,
(1.) THAT ſin itſelf is a great evil. There is nothing that more, or indeed ſo much deſerves the title of evil … be put upon it. Not only are its conſequents evil, but it is of it ſelf, that which is contrary to God, who is the chief good, and muſt for that reaſon be, the greateſt evil. By every ſin the man hurts his own ſoul, in it he falls ſhort of the glory of God, and ſo loſeth his laſt end. Rom. 3.23. Yea, he obſtructs his own happineſs, which finally conſiſts in well working, be ſpots and defiles himſelf, he brings himſelf under vanity.
(2.) THAT ſin is alſo a very great evil in its effects. It is the moral and meritorious cauſe of all the other evils that men are ſubjected unto: every new fin that a man commits, contracts a new guilt unto him; it increaſeth his condemnation; it is therefore called a treaſuring up of wrath, Rom. 2.4. Men by finning make their woes the more intollerable; ſo that the longer a ſinner lives, and the more ſins he commits, the more fearful is his hell at laſt: hence the more ſins are committed; the more ſtripes are to be expected.
(3.) HENCE by giving men up to ſin, God certainly inflicts evil upon them. It is true, this is rightly by Divines aſcribed to the permiſſive providence of God; becauſe though He ſuffers it, yet He is diſpleaſed, and dorn not approve of the ſin ſo committed. But we are not to think, that God's permiſſive providence is meerly paſſive; no, the whole tenor of Scripture expreſſions about this, evidence the contrary; God …th certainly an hand in it; and hence by giving then up, He doth do them hurt, he lays a ſore evil upon them: and hence it is expreſſed as a threatning againſt men, which always ſuppoſeth evil, Exod. 7.3. I will barded Pharaoh's heart.
(4.) TO do this for ſin muſt needs be in way of penalty. For we obſerved, that the inſticting of evil on a tranſgreſſor for his tranſgreſſion is the nature of puniſhment: ſo that whatſoever evil it be that a man ſuffers, upon the merit of his ſin, in a judicial way, muſt needs bear the reſpect of a puniſhment upon it: for though it be ſin in it ſelf, yet in the reaſon and order of it, it is a penalty.
(5.) AND it is a righteous thing for God thus to do: and this makes it to be truly and properly a puniſhment. God doth not wrong men, when he gives them over to their ſins, becauſe they will ſin Hence, we have the method of it aſſerted and vindicated, Prov. 1.29, 30, 31. For that they hated knowledge, and did not chaſe the ſcar of the Lord. They …could none of my counſel: they deſpiſed all my reproof. Therefore ſhall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be ſilled with their own devices. If man hath made choice of ſin, God doth him no wrong, if He …fies the choice, and abandon him to it… and it this conſideration be added, that it is juſt, there needs no more to evidence, that it is a real puniſhment, according to the true nature of it.
5. THE firſt ſin lard the foundation, for all the after ſins commented in the to r…d, the me in as a puniſhment. The firſt tranſgreſſion was not in itſelf a penalty; but it was the precuring cauſe of all the penalties which follow; for though every ſubſequent ſin he alſo cauſal, and meritorious, yet that is commutative; but this was the leading meriting cauſe of all. Rom. 5.12. Wherefore as by one man ſin entred into the world, and death by ſin: and ſo death hath paſſed upon all men, for that all have ſinned. That therefore Adam himſelf tell under the power and dominion of ſin, immediately upon his earing the forbidden fruit, and that all his children, that derive from him ſucceſſively, …ere in their natural ſtate hold under ſin, is not only conſequent upon, but a penalty of the firſt tranſgreſſion; and God hath for that righteouſly left the whole progeny to be carnal, and ſold under ſin.
6. HENCE the puniſhment of ſin properly conſiſt, of theſe two parts, viz ſin and miſery. That all the miſeries which befall men in this life, and after it in an other world, are the recompences of ſin, will not be denied; that to be left under the power of ſin, and led in the ſtreams of it, as a fruit of ſome antecedent ſin that hath procured it, is alſo a puniſhment, we have now ſeen evidenced; this therefore equally belongs to this head, under ſuch, conſideration, with the other. And to one of theſe two may be r…e…ed, al the evil which is befallen the unhappy race … fallen Adam. So that the diſtribution … …e…u…e and full; though indeed ſin thus …ered is a miſery, in a large ſenſe; …et i… …e take miſery more reſtrainedly, for th… …mities which are: o… in themſelves … but the unhappy attendants and conſequents of it, it is diſtributive; and what theſe are will afterwards come to be conſidered of.
USE I. SEE here then what every ſinner in his natural ſtate is to expect at the hand of God. If ſin go before, puniſhment is like to follow after. This is the ſtate which the apoſtacy hath brought you into. I am to warn you all, that it you are under ſin, you are dead creatures, dead in law. There is a puniſhment ordained for Sinners, and it is no leſs then deſtruction; and God Himſelf is concerned in the execution of it. Job 21.30. T…e wicked is reſerved to the day of deſtruction; they ſhall be brought forth to the day of wrath. It may be, you little think of this in the midſt of your career; but know it, as long as you are under the law, you are under wrath; and miſery is your portion from the moſt High. And were this believed more, it would be a check to the madneſs, which is diſcovered to be in the hearts of the children of men. Well conſider the tenor of the firſt covenant, and there you will be aſſured of this.
USE II. WE here ſee what muſt have become of us all, if Jeſus Chriſt had nor come to be a Redeemer. The eſtate into which mankind was fallen by the tranſgreſſion ſaith, that we muſt have all hopelelly periſhed, had not the Son of God undertaken to interpoſe, between us and the wrath of an angry God, and take upon Him the puniſhment which we had merited, and accordingly in fulneſs of time ſuſtained it. Here was the foundation of our hope laid. 2 Cor. 5.21. For he hath made him to be ſin for us, who knew no ſin, that we might be made the righteouſneſs of God in him. How much then are we engaged to thankfulneſs unto God for this great love of His, in ſending His Son on this errand? And how greatly doth it concern us all, to uſe utmoſt o… to get a title to Chriſt as a Saviour, that … we may be found in Him at laſt; there being no other hope for the poſſibility of our eſcaping the puniſhment, which will undo all theſe for ever, whoſe lot is to fall under it.
USE III. SEE here what a fearful judgment of God it is for any to be leſt to a courſe of …. The woful neceſſity of finning, u… which mankind is fallen, is a dreadful evil, and declares their great unhappineſs; and for any to have the chains of reſtraint taken … from them, and be delivered up, to … themſelves into all abominations, is a to… of the terrible wrath of God. Prov. 22.14. … that is abborred of the Lord, ſhall fall the…. Sinners may take it for a priviledge, & young perſons may think it an affliction to be under any curb or check to hinder it, to walk in the way of their hearts, and the ſight of their eyes; but he aſſured, that the time is coming when you ſhall know, that there was no greater puniſhment or this ſide hell, than to be th… deſerted of God, and ſo left to fill up an amazing meaſure of wrath. Bleſs God then for reſtraining grace, but yet reſt not ſatisfied without that which is converting and ſavineſ.
[MARCH 21. 1692.]