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Whatsoever swerveth from the law of God, written in the table of the
heart, or of stone, whether in our nature, or actions, either in the not
being of that which should be, or being of that which should not be, which
two are always joined together in original sin, and often in actual, is
sin, and evil: yea, the greatest; yea, the only evil indeed.
Sin is worse than the devil, as having made him evil, whom God made
good: yea, than all punishments, yea, than hell itself, which God
prepared, and made, and is therefore good, to punish sin and sinners by.
Matt. xxv.41. And
accordingly, it was godlily said of one, that if sin and hell were set
before him, the one on the one side, and the other on the other; and that
he must needs go through the one of them; he would rather enter upon hell,
than sin [Anselmus]. But
blessed be God, who will assuredly keep them from hell, whose hearts are
so set to keep themselves from sin, by his grace.
This sin is incident only to reasonable creatures: God the Creator being
above sin; and unreasonable creatures, beneath it.
For the disorders in brute beasts, they are not sin in them, to
whom there is no law; but punishments of man’s sin against God, who hat
“subjected them to vanity,” Rom. viii.20, thereby to testify how
greatly he is offended at man’s, for whom at first he made them, and all
other creatures in a more excellent state [Beza].
The case of children is otherwise, as being reasonable creatures,
made after God’s image in Adam, and having the law written in their
hearts, as a subject capable both of good, and evil, which brutes are not.
Although sin be only in reasonable creatures, yet is it a most
unreasonable thing; otherwise it were not sin, save as it crosses true
reason, either by lust against reason, or show of reason against truth. So for particular enormities; the more unreasonable, the more
sinful: as lusts against nature; adultery in a married person; pride in a
mean; prodigality in a needy; covetousness in him that abounds in riches;
profaneness in a preacher; and so of all other vices.
All sins, save that first of Adam, and man’s very last, are both sins in
themselves, and effects of former sin, and causes of latter: and that not
only by God’s just, though severe judgment, in punishing one by another;
but ofttimes also by a kind of natural, and necessary coherence and
affinity. Sometimes one sin
brings on another by provoking unto it, as rash anger unto strife, Prov.
xv.18; sometimes, to back it, as Peter’s denying of Christ did his after
forswearing him, Matt. xxvi.70-74; sometimes, to conceal it, as all other
evils draw on laying, and theft, and murder, many times; sometimes to
maintain it, as pride doth covetousness and oppression; and sometimes, to
countenance it, that it be not disgraced, as Herod’s rash oath drew
after it the beheading of John the Baptist.
Matt. vix.7-10. And of
these commonly a lesser draws on a greater, as lesser sticks set the
greater on fire. So also by those degrees of iniquity do men proceed in one
and the same particular enormity; in which, as in a chain drawing from
heaven to hell, each link moveth his next, from the one, and smaller end,
to the other greater. First,
there is in a man concupiscence, by which he is drawn away from God, James
i.14, unto whom he ought to cleave with the whole heart.
And having once let go his hold on him, the true and unchangeable
good; he is forthwith seized by some appearing and counterfeit good, and
thereby enticed; as the bird by falling on the ground is taken in the
snare, from which, whilst she held aloft, she was free.
Upon this inveigled affection, and deceived judgment thereby, comes
consent of will to have or do the thing which is evil, called by the
apostle the conception of lust: which that it may bring forth sin in
outward act and execution, wants nothing but opportunity.
This sin perfected by a continual course therein without
repentance, brings forth death unavoidably.
He therefore that begins to do evil, or to forsake that which is
good, in the affection of his heart, is like him that puts his feet into a
pit, and lets the hold of his hands go; and without God’s gracious hand
catching hold of him, can never stay, till he come to the bottom of the
pit of perdition. And no
marvel of this progress in evil, seeing every sin, how small soever in
degree, hath joined with it the contempt of God.
As therefore the safest way against the flame is to quench the
spark, by which it may be kindled; so against this fire of hell, to quench
betimes the spark of concupiscence and lust.
This is done, partly, by withdrawing from it the occasions, and
incitements of, and unto sin, which are as fuel for nourishing it; as, if
it be the lust of anger and revenge, not to give ear to words of
provocation, Eccl. Vii.21, but to be as a deaf man that hears not, Psa.
xxxviii.13; if of uncleanness, not to look upon a maid, Job xxxi.1; if of
drunkenness, or excess that way, not to look upon the wine, when it is
red, Prov. xxiii.31, &c. The
second help is by smothering the corruption in the beginning; which as
fire, if it have no vent, goes out; but getting passage, breaks out into a
flame. Lastly, as water,
fire’s contrary, quencheth it; so do the spiritual means of grace, as
prayer, meditation upon God’s Word, and the like, quench by degrees, the
sparks of sin, and fire of hell.
The greatness of the sin is not always to be esteemed by the thing done.
For, as much crookedness may be found in a small line; so may a
great evil be committed in a small matter.
Hereupon, he that but “gathered sticks on the Sabbath with a high
hand,” viz., in contempt of Moses, and of God in him, was to be
“stoned by death without mercy,” Numb. xv.33-36.
The sin is also greater, as the temptation or occasion is less; and
therefore the rich man, that having many sheep of his own took his poor
neighbor’s lamb to entertain his stranger withal, 2 Sam. xii.25, was
adjudged worthy of death; whether we take the words, as they seemed to
David, or as Nathan meant them. Likewise,
the forecasting of evil exceedingly aggravates it; as with him who
“devised mischief upon his bed.”
Psa. xxxvi.4, and after, set himself in a way to practice it:
others are overtaken by sin, but such overtake sin, Gal. vi.1. So doth it not a little, if men sin, that they may sin; as it
seems many swear, that they may swear: and as Austin confesseth of
himself, that being a boy, he stole apples, and cast them away, when he
had done. He stole, that he
might steal. Lastly,
sin becomes more sinful, if it have scandal, and offence of men, or other
damage joined with it. Yet
even for the least sin; if any sin by any, being against God’s infinite
majesty, may be accounted little, if God should press the same upon the
conscience, and suffer Satan to urge it to the full, it would be a burden
intolerable, and such as neither the heavens could bear; for the angels
that sinned were cast from thence: nor paradise; for Adam for
transgression was driven from then: nor the earth; for that swallowed up
Dathan and Abiram for their sins; neither could any men or angels undergo
it, without being borne down into the bottom of hell by it; and there only
it rests, as in its proper center.
Happy are they, who in the sense and feeling of the intolerable
burden thereof come to Christ by faith, that he may ease them!
Matt. xi.28.
The sin against the Holy Ghost, which small never be forgiven in this
world, or the world to come, is not only committed by them who have
sometimes professed the gospel; but by others also, though never coming so
far, but being convinced of the truth thereof, do maliciously hate,
blaspheme and persecute it, and therein, sin against the work of the Holy
Ghost in their own hearts. And
this Christ insinuates against the Scribes and Pharisees, Matt. xii.31,32,
who yet never came to profess Christianity.
The reason of the irremissibleness of this sin is not any defect
either in the mercy of God or merits of Christ; as though the evil in it
were greater, than the good in them; but for that God hath set those
bounds of his grace and mercy, that he will never vouchsafe faith and
repentance to that person, who once so despiteth his Spirit, in that, its
holy work. And considering
how oft the Scriptures speak of this sin, not only for warning of persons
in themselves, but also for direction touching others so sinning; it is to
be feared, that the same is more ordinary, where the gospel is preached,
than the most make account of; and that many maliciously hating and
persecuting, specially after some singular profession made and forsaken,
true and conscionable gospellers, would do the same by the gospel itself,
if they were not restrained by fear of men, and shame of the times.
Matt. xii.31; Mark iii.28; 1 John v.16; Heb. vi.5, x.29; 2 Pet.
ii.20; Jude 13.
The Lord often punisheth men in the same kind, wherein they have sinned,
and causeth to be meted unto them with the measure, wherewith they mete to
others. Matt. vii.2.
Thus he drowned Pharaoh in the sea, who had formerly drowned the
Israelitish infants, Exod. i.22, xiv.23; and served king Adoni-bezek, as
he had served other kings before. Judges, i.6,7. And
this God doth to make his justice the more conspicuous; and that men’s
punishments may be as glasses, wherein their sins may be seen more
clearly, if not for their repentance, yet for the warning of others.
When I seriously weigh and consider the fearful and grievous punishments,
which God so good and gracious hath partly executed, in this life; as upon
the old world; Sodom and Gomorrah; Korah and his company; and the like:
and party threatened; as in the end of this life, in the soul; so in the
end of the world, both in soul and body; and the same for measure,
intolerable; and endless in continuance: Lord, think I, what sin can
procure such punishment? But
when, on the contrary, I consider the horrible contempt of God and his
Word, even in them to whom it is daily and diligently offered: Lord, think
I, what punishment can be sufficient for such sin?
What is it then? Man
is fearfully wicked in sinning: and God fearfully just in punishing,
where, by faith and repentance, mercy is not obtained.
“My flesh trembleth for dread of thee: and I fear for thy
judgments.” Psa. cxix.120.
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