sin and lyable to the curse Adams sin incurs Gods cu se of death § 8. Thus the Act of disobedience committed by Adam of his a Eccl. 7.29 own free-wil bringeth upon him the curse of death inflicted of God in his just judgment and not onely upon himself in his person upon himself and his posterity but also in his b Rom. 5.18 19 posterity for that God entered not his Covenant with Adam as he was one man Why upon his posterity but as he c Acts 17.26 1 Cor. 15.21 22 represented all mankinde of which he was the Root and the Head And therefore as by Adams obedience all his Posterity should have received the reward of life promised so equal it is that upon Adams disobedience d Rom. 5.14 15 all his posterity should undergo the curse of death threatned Adam propagates the curse and the sin too § 9. And thus as the blessing of the Covenant had not rested in Adams person so nor doth the a Rom. 5 12. curse and as not the curse so nor doth the a Rom. 5 12. sin But both sin and curse being seated in b Eph. 2.3 humane nature and this in propagating his nature as well as Adams person Adam propagating his nature doth propagate also his sin and with his sin the curse of Death So that as many as by natural generation descend from Adam are c Psal 51 5. shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin d Eph. 2 2 3. children of disobedience and children of wrath subject to e Mat. 10.28 Rom. 6.23 temporal and eternal death § 10. Now that no man may question the goodness and Justice of God in giving Adam a free-will God's goodness justified in giving man a free-will though he knew the Devil would thereby enter and destroy man How it was necessary that man should have a will and that will a liberty to good and evil whereat he knew Sin and Satan would enter and destroy him we acknowledge free-will to be a a Gen. 1.26 necessary part of the pure naturall being of man and so likewise of Angels therefore that God might make the Angels intelligent Spirits and Man a rationall creature necessary it was that they should have a will which will in its pure naturall constitution must have its freedome in a b Deut. 30.19 liberty to good and evill for that the will doth become free onely to good is from confirming Grace free onely to evill that is from degenerating sinne free both to good and evill that is from pure Nature § 11. Seeing then it was absolutely necessary that Angels and Man being Intelligent and Rationall Creatures should have a will and having a wil it was absolutely necessary that will should be free and being free it was absolutely necessary that freedome should be in a liberty to good and evill either God must not have made them such creatures or he must make them such wills To have made a rationall creature without a will or a will without its liberty doth imply a contradiction For God cannot doe what implies a contradiction in the thing not from any deficiency in God but from an incapacity in the creature indeed to be free onely to good by Nature is the perfection of Gods will whose wiâ—â— thereby becomes the very Rule of goodness § 12. Besides The mutability of estate in Angels and Man did depend upon the liberty of the will the a Job 4.18 15.15 John 4 44. Jude 6. Gen. 2.17 Mutability of estate in Angels and Man to the manifestation of Gods justice and mercy doth depend upon the liberty of their will to good and evill so that to have created Angels and Men in this perfection of will as free onely to good had been to have created them immutable in their estate whereas to be such by nature To be immutable by nature is peculiar unto God is b Mal. 3.6 Jam. 1.17 2 Cor. 5.1 Luke 20.36 1 Pet. 1.4 proper unto God and incommunicable to the creature which is not made such but by Grace and that grace made c perfect in glory § 13. So that to take away liberty from the will is to take away the will from man and to take away the will from man is to take away man from the Creation and to take away man from the creation is to take away much of the manifestation of Gods glory in the exercise of his mercy and justice as well as his wisdome and power Wherefore though God gave man a free will whereby Satan entred upon the soul to destroy Adam Mans fall not to be laid to Gods charge and sin entred upon Adam to destroy his posterity yet can we not in common equity lay mans fall to Gods charge § 14. To stop the mouth of all irrationall reasoning we make this reasonable instance by way of apt illustration Illustrated by a fit similitude In the building of an house it is necessary that for use conveniency and being it have a door which is made of sufficient strength to keep out the thief so the inhabitant have sufficient care to keep it shut Now if the thief by fair words not violent force get entrance and spoyl the goods whose is the fault the workmans that built the house or the inhabitants that set open the doores With the application we curb and stop mens curiosity that it do not run or rush them into blasphemy and where they cannot satisfie their reason they are taught to exercise their faith Where man cannot satisfie his reason it is reasonable that he exercise his faith and with devout praise to take a part in that heavenly Anthem a Rev. 15.3 Great and marvellous are thy works O Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes O thou King of Saints § 15. This then we affirm as certain truth that In mans fall Gods will was permitting and disposing in mans fall a Psal 5.4 Hos 13.9 God was neither compelling nor commanding nor perswading but permitting disposing And thus though God did not will mans fall yet was not indeed could not be mans fall without Gods will So that as God did not will mans fall so nor was mans fall without Gods will for if the b Matth. 10.30 hair of mans head cannot sure the head of all mankind could not if one poor c Matth. 10 29 Sparrow cannot sure our first Parents and in them whole humane Stock could not fall to the ground universally sink into the gulph d Rom. 5.18 of sin How ordered to his glory and mans good and guilt of death without the will of God whose will did certainly determin to permit and order man's fall to the greater manifestation of his own glory and the higher advancement of mans happiness in a gracious redemption by Christ § 16. Thus as God did not positively wil
Acts 4.12 13.38 Christs all-sufficient satisfaction or the f Mat. 5.25 26 25.46 Sinners everlasting condemnation Wherfore seeing the poysonous guilt of the least sin is not expelled but by the Soveraign Antidote of Christs blood g Mark 1.15 Acts 20.21 Luke 24.47 Rom. 3.25 through repentance and faith it cannot be that any sin is veniall in its nature but in a respect to Gods mercy and Christs merits in the effect In what all sins are mortal yet not all equal § 27. In this all sins are mortall that by their guilt they meke liable to * Matth. 5.22 eternall death and though all are mortall yet are they not therfore a Ezek. 8.6.13.15 John 19.11 all equall some by their more b Mat. 5.22 11.22 24. Luke 12.47.48 hainous guilt making subject to a more grievous punishment in that death which is eternall How some sins mortall and some veniall That some sins then are said to be mortall and some veniall it is not in the nature but in the effect or rather the event of the sin in relation to the subject which is the sinner to c John 5.24 Rom. 8.1 Acts 13.39 whom through faith and repentance not onely the lesser but the greater sins become venial and d John 3.36 Gal. 5.10 without faith repentance not only the greater but also the lesser sins are mortall so that if we take the weight of sin From whence we are to take the just weight of sins guilt not from the deceitful scales of our own opinions but from the just ballance of the Sanctuary the truth of Gods word we find the least sin to have the greatest guilt so that e Mat 12.36 1 Cor. 4.5 every vain thought What the guilt of the least sin without Ghrist and idle word shal be brought to judgment and whatsoever sin Christ brings to the last judgement shall without Christ bring upon the sinner everlasting punishment § 28. Though all sin be in its nature mortall Though all sins be mortall yet most especially the sin against the Holy Ghost and so to be mortall is common to all sin yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is appropriate to the a 1 John 5.16 sin against the Holy Ghost for its most deadly naure call'd in Scripture the sin unto death which excluding repentance depriveth b Math. 12.32 of forgivenesse even so as never to be forgiven What the sin against the Holy Ghost is not Which sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in any c 2 Kings 21.6 c 24.4 2 Chron. 33.12 13. 1 John 5.16.17 18. particular transgression of Gods Law nor yet in that blasphemy and persecution of Christ and his Gospel which ariseth from ignorance no nor in that Apostasie from the truth d 1 Tim. 1.13 and deniall of Christ which ariseth from e Mat. 26.70 72 74 75. infirmity though all of them sins of a deep die and horrid guilt § 29. But the sin against the Holy Ghost What it is is such a denying and rejecting of Christ as ariseth from malice in an hatred of Him and his Truth contrary to knowledge and conscience opposing and persecuting the Gospel of Christ as an imposture of Satan the power and grace of the Spirit as a work and designment of the Divell thus it was in the a Matth 12.24 c. Luke 19.14 20.13 c. Mark 3.30 John 7.28 Pharisees As in the Pharisees Also to sin against the Holy Ghost is to b Heb. 6.4 5 6 10.26 fall away from the faith of Christ by an universall Apostacy in wilfully denying and maliciously opposing Christ and his Truth yea in a contempt of his Sacrifice and an hatred of his Gospel persecuting his Church with an irreconcilable enmity Thus it was in Julian As in Julian thus in many in the Apostles times and thus in many in these our dayes of whom we cannot Why not now to be discovered by us we may not pass sentence of judgement wanting that so eminent a gift c Acts 5.3.9 8.32 13.10 1 Cor. 12.10 among the primitive Saints namely the discerning of the Spirits Why calâ—d the sin against the Holy Ghost § 30. This sin is said to be against the Holy Ghost in respect of his a Isa 12.2 Ephes 1.17 more immediate Office of illumination not as being any wayes the more eminent person in the Trinity all being b Isai 6.3 Matth. 28.19 coequall in their Unity of Essence and of Glory Seeing then it is the more immediate c 1 Cor. 12.11 Office of the Holy Ghost to illuminate in the truth of Christ a d Acts 7.51 wilfull hatred of Christ and his truth accompanied with a malicious opposition of his illuminating power is properly called a sin against the Holy Ghost and that this sin shall not be forgiven is not because it e Rom. 5.20 exceeds Gods grace Why this sin shall not be forgiven or out-vies Christs merits f Heb. 7.25 but because it excludes g Heb. 6.5 6. the work of Repentance in despightfully opposing the Spirit and rejects the h Heb. 10.26 Sacrifice of Christ in wilfully denying his truth Sins against Conscience lead the way to this sin against the Holy Ghost § 31. Sins against Conscience they a Psal 19.13 lead the way to this sin against the Holy Ghost Wherefore that this may be prevented those must be avoided avoid we not onely sins against conscience b 1 Tim. 1 19. when enlightned with the truth but also though c Rom. 14.23 seduced with error For that an Erroneous Conscience doth d Tit. 1.15 entangle and fetter in sin How an erroneous conscience entangles in sin but binds not to what is sinful though it doth not oblige or bind to what is sinfull So that he alwayes sins who e Rom. 14.5 23. acts any thing against the dictate of his conscience because the f Rom. 1.14 15. 1 Sam. 24.5 6 dictate of the conscience is by interpretation the precept of God And thereby it is that though the act be materially good yet it cannot be formally so the good is not done well because accompanied with so great an evill a contempt of God in the doing Wherefore whatsoever is good in it selfe if done against conscience though errour judging it to be evill it thereby becomes sin and a sin against Conscience deep in its guilt An erroneous conscience may somewat excuse but cannot wholly acquit § 32. Again the erroneous Conscience may a Acts 26.9 10. Phil 3.6 1 Tim. 1.13 mitigate but cannot make void it may somewhat excuse but cannot wholly acquit from what is sinfull whether it be in omitting what is good supposing it to be evill or in committing what is evill and why misdeeming it to be good Indeed impossible it is that
can be but one God How One single pure and perfect Sec. 9. Why said to have eyes and hands to be angry and grieved c. He admits no bodily likeness CHAP. III. Concerning God in the Trinity of Persons Sec. 1. WHat the Knowledge of God from a natural light What from a light supernatural Who are the three Persons and what a Person is Sec. 2. A finite understanding not possibly able to comprehend this infinite Mystery Not to be illustrated by any Instances Sec. 3. The highest pitch of Reasons apprehension Sec. 4. Reason directing to Faith What and how a Trinity of Persons in the Vnity of the Godhead Sec. 5. The Son of God and the Holy Ghost firmly proved Sec. 6. How the Persons are distinguished Sec. 7. How Trinity and Person are found in Scripture What a subsistence is Sec. 8. How the Father is the first Person How each Person is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sec. 9. How the essence and attributes of the Godhead are communicated Sec. 10. The properties of the Persons incommunicable CHAP. IV. Concerning Gods Knowledg Sec. 1. HOw God knoweth all things Sec. 2. Gods foreknowledg how and what it is Not the cause of things and why Sec. 3. How all things depend upon Gods Will preordaining not his Knowledg foreseeing Yet Gods fore-knowledg depends not upon the creatures future existence Before and after past and to come relate not to God Sec. 4. But is in the creature This aptly illustrated Sec. 5. God knowing things to come and past doth it in one and the same act of Knowledg This act eternal So no change in God Sec. 6. No contingency in respect of Gods fore-knowledg Yet in the secondary causes Sec. 7. All future events are fore-known of God His fore-knowledg infallible Sec. 8. How applied unto the Elect in Scripture CHAP V. Concerning Gods Will. Sec. 1. GOds Will one and absolutely free Distinguish'd into his will secret and revealed of sign and of good pleasure Sec. 2. What his secret will What his revealed will Sec. 3. The Will of Gods good pleasure hath its reason not its cause Sec. 4. Gods glory the final cause of what he wils but not of his will How the impulsive cause of Gods will to be understood in Theology Sec. 5 6. The execution of Gods will admits several causes the volition not any what the volition and what the execution is Sec. 7. God wils not sin and why Sec. 8. The purpose of Gods will doth not abolish but establish the liberty of mans will what the necessity of being from the immutability of Gods will Sec. 9. How Gods secret will becomes revealed by his word and by his works How Gods word is called his will Sec. 10. How they agree in a sweet harmony So to be interpreted as that ille harmony be preserved Sec. 11. How Gods revealed will argues with that of his good pleasure when he wils all men to be holy Sec. 12. Where also he commands Abraham to sacrifice his Son Isaac Sec. 13. How the promises and threatnings in Gods revealed will which are conditional de agree with Gods secret will which is absolute Sec. 14. What the true meaning of the conditions declared CHAP. VI. Concerning Gods Decrees Power and Manner of Working Sec. 1. GOd the primary Cause and supreme Agent in his Vnderstanding Will and Power What his Decree what his Work Sec. 2. What his absolute power How limited by his will Sec. 3. Why and how said to be omnipotent Sec. 4. There is no overcoming Gods power no resisting his will what he acts in time he hath decreed from eternity Sec. 5. How the creatures are in God before they are in themselves What the Counsel of God in his decrees Sec. 6. How the whole Trinity is one entire cause What their diverse manner of working Sec. 7. How some one action is appropriate to some one person Sec. 8. The firm relation between Gods decrees and his works God hath not decreed sin though he hath decreed to permit sin What the effectual decree accompanying the permissive Sec. 9. The purpose of Gods decree imposeth no forcible necessity but bringeth an infallible certainty to all Agents and Events CHAP. VII Concerning the Works of Creation Sec. 1. GOd the Creator of all things as an absolute and free Agent Sec. 2. Creation the Work of the whole Trinity as one entire cause Why of God as a free and all-sufficient cause Sec. 3. Observ'd in the Work of Creation 1 The command of Gods Power 2 The approbation of his Goodness 3 The ordination of his wisdom 4 The declaration of his Authority Sec. 4. The immediate Creation what and of whom The mediate Creation what and of whom Sec. 5. Mans partaking of both Sec. 6. How and why called the lesser world Sec. 7. What the first Heaven what the second Heaven What the third Heaven Sec. 8. What the influences And what the predictions of the heavenly bodies Sec. 9. The creation of man and the forming of woman How God rested the seventh day Sec. 10. Gods wisdom in the Order of his creation Sec. 11. Every thing created perfect in its kinde Sec. 12. In his works God manifests his glory 1 The glory of his Power 2 Of his Goodness 3 Of his Wisdom 4 Of his Eternity Sec. 13. The light of nature directs to the worship of God as the Creator The seventh day the Sabbath How long to continue Sec. 14. How the Creation is an object of our faith CHAP. VIII Concerning the Providence of God Sec. 1. ALL things subordinate to Gods will In order either to his Meâ—cy or his Justice The wisdom and power of his Providence Infallably in its administrations Sec. 2. The Infallibility of Gods Providence doth not take away the use of means but confiâ—ms it Sec. 3. To deny Gods Providence is atheism to despise the use of means is profaneness to establish both is truth and righteousness to what end is the use of means Sec. 4. The course of nature declares the Providence of God this aptly illustrated Sec. 5. Gods Providence is no naked view but an actual administration What Gods Providence is in its general concourse How absolutely necessary for the creatures preservation Sec. 6. This aptly illustrated Sec. 7. The extent of Gods Providence Why it makes use of means Sec. 8. The seeming disorder in the world doth advance the glory of Gods Providence and assure the general Judgment of the last day Sec. 9. Gods Providence doth order sinful actions without any the least share in the sin This illustrated Sec. 10. That Gods Providence extends to what is sinful is not by a meer permission but by a powerful and wise ordination Wicked Instruments are proper Agents and how Sec. 11. How the Executioners of Gods Justice and in that Execution how guilty of sin The wonder of Gods Providence in respect of wicked mindes Sec. 12. Gods Providence imposeth no compelling force but establisheth the nature of all causes contingent
of sin into that against God against our Neighbours and against our Selves How all sin is against God how said to be against our Neighbours and our Selves The three-fold order which God hath established amongst men The threefold inordinacy in breach of this order making three kindes of sin Sec. 14. What the distinction of sin into that of infirmity of ignorance and of malice From whence this distinction is taken What is the inordinacy of the sensitive appetite what the inordinacy of the understanding what the inordinacy of the will When a sin of infirmity is when a sin of ignorance when a sin of malice Sec. 15. How the sensitive appetite doth beget an inordinacy in the will Which are the sins of infirmity Sec. 16. Why sins of sudden and inordinate passion are said to be sins of infirmity Sec. 17. What passions do excuse wholly from sin and what do not How reason ought to moderate passion Sec. 18. What is the office of the understanding When guilty of that ignorance which is sin and when guilty of those sins which are of ignorance Sec. 19. What ignorance doth not and what ignorance doth make the sin What things a man is capable of knowing but not bound to know what things a man is neither bound to know nor capable of knowing in all these ignorance rather a nescience is not sinful Sec 20. What ignorance doth excuse from sin somewhat excuse not wholly acquit illustrated by instance Sec. 21. When sin cannot be excused by any ignorance what an affected ignorance is and how it aggravates the sin Sec. 22. What ignorance is indirectly voluntary how it self sin yet the sins issuing from it lessened in their guilt and why Sec. 23. How the sin of malice is rightly discern'd How men are said to sin wilfully and against conscience Sec. 24 That the will doth not necessarily follow the right judgment of the understanding cleerly prooved Especially from the work of regeneration in which the will is renewed as well as the understanding enlightned Sec. 25. How we may distinguish sins of infirmity from sins of malice Sec. 26. What the distinction of sin into that of mortal and venial is no sin venial in its nature and why All sin is directly against not any meerly besides the law which incurring the guilt of eternal death cannot be expiated by temporal punishment Sec. 27. In what all sins are mortal yet not all equal How some sins mortal and some venial from whence we are to take the just weight of sins guilt what the guilt of the least sin without Christ Sec. 28. Though all sin be mortal yet most especially the sin against the Holy Ghost What the sin against the Holy Ghost is not Sec. 29. What it is As in the Pharisees As in Julian Why not now to be discovered by us Sec. 30. Why called the sin against the Holy Ghost why this sin shall not be forgiven Sec. 31. Sins against Conscience lead the way to this sin against the Holy Ghost How an erroneous conscience entangles in sin but bindes not to what is sinful Sec. 32. An erroneous conscience may somewhat excuse but cannot wholly acquit and why What is the entanglement of an erroneous conscience CHAP. XV. Concerning the State of man fallen Sec. 1. THe original of all mans misery is in original sin and how Sec. 2. Adams disobedience imputed makes lyable to the punishment inflicted which punishment is death Sec. 3. In what this death doth formally consist In what it doth materially consist Sec. 4. This death is spiritual corporal and eternal What this sp ritual death is Sec. 5. What are the relicks of mans primitive estate in the estate of man fallen In respect of his understanding In respect of his will In respect of his conscience and in respect of his affections Sec. 6. The soul in mans fall is whole in its natural essence but spoil'd of its spiritual habits Thereby disabled for any spiritual good Sec. 7. What freedom the will hath lost by the fall and what it retains after the fall What liberty of will remains in the vilest Reprobate or Devil Sec. 8. How God doth turn and incline the wils of men without any forcibly compelling Why the exhortations c. of Gods word are not in vain in respect of the wicked Sec. 9. By multiplying his sin man aggravates his punishment and how in spirituals Sec. 10. What the corporal death and how begun Sec. 11. How and when finished Sec. 12. What the eternal death In its punishment of loss and of sense Sec. 13. What the punishment of loss is Sec 14. What the punishment of sense is Sec. 15. How the punishment of the damned is infinite as well as eternal Sec. 16. That wrath which comes by original sin is aggravated by mans actual transgression the full measure is at the day of judgment and how Sec. 17. The estate of man fallen summarily describ'd No salvation by the law or first covenant of works So that without Redemption by a Mediator Adam and his posterity must inevitably perish in their sin SION'S PROSPECT In it's FIRST VIEW CHAP. I. Concerning the Holy SCRIPTURES SEeing Grace doth not destroy but exalt Nature therefore as the Naturall inclination of the Will becomes subservient unto Charity so doth the Naturall Reason of the Understanding become subservient unto Faith Hence it is Reason arguguing from Scripture for the Scriptures that the holy Scriptures doe not only establish our Faith but also instruct our a 1 Pet. 3 15. Isa 1 18. Eze. 18.25 29. Reason even furnishing us with arguments rationally to prove their Truth to be sacred their Authoritie divine The manner and method of arguing is this Among all the Principles of Naturall Divinity there is none more firm more evident more universall then this That b 1 Ki. 18.21 Act. 17.23 Rom. 1 23 25. God is to be worshipped § 2. The true Knowledge of which God The knowledge of God and his worship by Revelation and right form of whose Worship cannot be had but by some a John 1.18 Deut. 29.29 Revelation whereby he doth manifest himselfe and declare his will as the b 2 Cor. 3.18 2 Cor. 4.6 Glasse of his Divinity and the c Mat. 7.21 Isa 1 10 12. Col 2.23 Mat. 5.9 Rule of his Worship This Revelation either with the Jews or with the Christians Now such a Revelation upon Reason's strictest enquiry is no where to be found but either in the Jewish or the Christian Church The former tells us they have committed to them the d Rom 3.2 chap 9.4 Oracles of God the latter the e Mar. 16.15 1 Cor. 1.17 Gospel of Christ and this Gospel as a f 2 Cor 3 9. Mat. 5.17 Rom. 10 4. 2 Cor. 3 14. Heb 9 10. chap. 10.1 cleerer light in the full complement of those Oracles The Church of the Jewes enquired into by Reason § 3.
from without to compel him to will or do what was good or what was evil whether it were in things Natural Civil Moral or Divine CHAP. XI Concerning the Covenant of Works and the Fall of man § 1. MAN being made in a Gen. 1.27 Gods Image Adam had a knowledg of Gods will perfâ—ct in its kinde had a perfect b Col. 3.10 knowledg of Gods will not that c Isa 40.13 Rom 11.33 34. absolute and secret will of God which is the Cause of all Being but that d Deut. 29.29 conditional and revealed will of God What the Law to Adam which is the e Psal 143.10 Mat. 6.10 rule of mans working Which will of God was to be a law to man How the same with the Decalogue and Adam in his creation had this f Psal 40.8 Jer. 31.33 Rom. 2.15 law written in the table of his heart the same in substance with the Decalogue g Exod. 34.28 that law of the ten Commandments which afterwards Israel had written in tables of stone § 2. God having given man a law What the Covenant of Works he further entreth with him a a Exod. 34.28 Deut. 9.10 Jer. 31.31 32. Heb. 8.9 13. Covenant This call'd the Covenant of Works In which the b Lev. 18.5 Ezek 20.11 Rom. 7.10 10.5 Gal. 3.12 promise on Gods part is the confirming man in his created estate of life holiness and happiness The c Lev. 18.5 Ezek. 20.11 Rom. 7.10 10.5 Gal. 3.12 condition on mans part is perfect obedience unto the d Deut. 27.26 Luke 10.25 26 27. Gal. 3.10 Jam. 2.10 whole law of his Creator according to the full extent of his revealed will What the seal of the Covenant This Covenant God seals in a solemn ratification with that Sacramental Tree the e Gen 2 9. 3.22 Prov. 3.18 Tree of life § 3. Thus God having made firm his Covenant The trial of mans obedience he doth put man upon the trial of his obedience a Gen. 2.16.17 forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledg setting on the prohibition with this commination b Gen. 2.17 that in the day he eateth thereof he shall surely dye So that as upon mans performing the condition God freely promised by covenant a Blessing of life so upon his breach of the Covenant God severely threatned in justice the curse of death Man left to the use of his freewil § 4. Now God having entred a Covenant and seal'd it enacted a probatory law and publish'd it he leaveth man a Eâ—cles 7.28 furnish'd with sufficient power to the use of his free will for the trial of his obedience Tempted by Satan And here the b John 8.44 Devil in malice to God and envy to man making use of the c Gen. 3.1 2 3 c. 2 Co. 11.3 Serpent by the subtilty of his suggestions deceiveth Eve and by the plausible importunity of her d Gen. 3 6. 1 Tim. 2.14 perswasions Transgresseth in eating the forbidden fruit seduceth Adam to a breaking the Covenant of his God by eating the forbidden fruit Satans bait to catch men § 5. That which Satan in his temptation doth labour by subtil Sophistry to perswade is this That man should not dye though he did eat but should be like God The subtilty of Satans temtation when he had eaten This poyson the Devil first presents unto Eve in a cover'd cup words of a dark dubious and perplex'd sense by a Gen. 3.1 way of interrogation yea hath God said the better to catch at her answer His order and progress in it and pursue his design And when by his questioning he hath b Gen. 3.3 brought Gods Command into question he presently c Gen. 3.4 takes away the commination which God hath set as a bar to his law lest man should break in and transgress his command and to Gods severe threatning he d Gen. 3.5 opposeth an enticing promise which he sets on with a false crimination cast upon God and as a gloss to his lye he gives a rare commendation of the fruit The Tree of knowledg of good and evil why so called seemingly made good by the very denomination of the Tree the e Gen. 2.17 Tree of knowledg of good and evil which name it had of God not from the constitution of its nature but of his ordinance with respect to the event of mans sin foreseen § 6. wherein the hainousness of Adams transgression doth consist The enormity and hainousness of Adams sin is not to be sought for in the tast or in the fruit or in the tree which present but a low estimation of the sin to a seeming meanness of the fact but it is to be sought for in the a Gen. 2.17 3.11 Exod. 20.1.2 high contempt of the Divine Majesty and Law in the b Gen. 3.5.6.22 proud affectation of the Divine Dignity and Likeness yea in the horrid Apostacy of preferring Satans word before Gods and thereby turning from God in his truth to a siding with Satan in his c John 8.44 lie The sin then of our first Parents it was no light trivial or single sin but indeed a mass or heap of hainous horrid and manifold impieties even to a violation of the whole Decalogue how a violation of the whole Law in a total breach of that d Jam 2 8 Royal Law of love which doth e Mat. 22 36 37 38 40. Rom. 13.10 fill up both tables in what concerns God our neighbour and our selves § 7. In this transgression of Adams What was mans fist sin is doubtful and so difficult to determine the concourse and complication of many sins it is doubtful and difficult to determine which was the first sin the erroneous a Jer. 4.22 Psal 14.2 judgment of the understanding that must necessarily go before the evil election of the will in order of nature yet we conceive the understanding and will What the first internal principle of evil in man by error and evil choise did in one and the same instant compleat the sin and thereby became the first internal principle of evil in man whether that evil were a sin either of vain confidence or infidelity or of pride or of covetousness one of which most probably was which is not necessary to be determined the first sin committed by Adam in his Apostacy Adams sin was from himself freely without force And thus that Adam sinned was not by any a Jam. 1.13 enforcement either of positive decree in God or of b Jam 4.7 irresistible temptation in Satan or of c Eccles 7.29 evil disposition in himself But at the suggestion of the Devil Adam misusing the liberty of his will of his own accord did d Rom. 5.14.15 transgress the command of his God and thereby became guilty of
Why God did neither positively will nor properly nill mans fall so nor did he properly nill mans fall for if God had wil'd that man should fall man falling must have derogated from his goodness and holinesse and if God had will'd that man should not fall man falling must have derogated from his Wisdom and Power but God neither willing nor nilling but permitting and disposing mans fall doth manifest the glory of all his Attributes in the advancement of his mercy and justice his mercy in that a Eph. 1.8 9 10. grace he vouchsafeth by Christ to his Church and his justice by b Psal 9.16 Rom. 9.22 23. those judgments he executeth upon sin in the world § 17. Why God ordered man to be tempted left him and permitted him to be overcome God ordered man to be tempted for his triall left him in that temptation to himselfe for his conviction and permitted him to be overcome for his punishment In the triall he proves mans obedience in the conviction he discovers mans weaknesse and in the punishment he doth correct his a Jer. 17.5 vain confidence his vain confidence in trusting to his own strength Adam lost the assistance of God by not seeking it in prayer and not seeking by prayer the assistance of God who as he gave Adam a power in his Nature whereby he might have obeyed if he had willed would also have given him a further power in his triall whereby he had wil'd that he might have obeyed What strength Adam had by creation and What he might have had by prayer b 1 Chron. 28.9 Psal 9.10 if he had sought it of God And thus having obtained so much grace by creation as to have a power whereby if had wil'd he might not have sinned he had certainly obtained more grace by prayer so as to have had a power whereby he neither might have sinned nor have will'd it being approved in his triall and confirmed in his conquest and so established in grace and made perfect in happiness Why God cannot be said to be the cause of mans fall § 18. God cannot properly be the cause of what he doth not positively will Seeing then he did not positively will mans sin he cannot properly be the cause of mans fall His determining to permit and decreeing to order mans sin and mans fall doth declare his wisdom and power without the least impairing of his holiness and justice it doth speak him in his providence an all wise Disposer Why he permits sin not an unjust Author of sin for that his a ◠Psal 145.9 1 John 1.5 infinite goodness is such as would not permit evill in the world were not his infinite power such as out of that b Rom. 6.20 2 Cor. 4.6 evill to bring a world of good CHAP. XII Concerning the Author Cause Nature and Adjuncts of Sin Why God cannot be the Author and cause of sin Its first Originall in the Devill § 1. THe a Psal 99.97 145.1 Isa 26.7 Jer. 12.1 Rev. 15 3. Just and Holy God who doth b Psal 97.10 Heb. 1.9 Rev. 2.6 hate c Exod. 20 3 c. Levit. 11.44 forbid and d Exod. 34.7 Jer. 9.8 9. Amos 3.2 John 5.14 punnish Sin cannot possibly be the e 1 John 1.5 2.16 Jam. 1.13.18 cause and Author of Sin which indeed had its first f John 8.48 1 Iohn 3.8 birth and being from the Divell and unto which Adam g Eccles 7.29 voluntarily betrayed himself in the exercise and abuse of his free-will How by him in Adam by h Gen. 3.6 Matth. 4.3 consenting to the Divels suggestions which had in themselves no power to force though permission from God to perswade How the fountain and cause of sinne is in our selves fallen in Adam § 2. And thus by Adam sin a Rom. 5.12 entred into the world upon whose fall we find the Originall fountain and efficsent or more properly deficient cause of sinne to be in our selves for having lost that harmony and broken that subordination of the appetite to the will of sense to reason of the body to the soul and of all to God man is become even in his best and highest faculties b Jer. 10.14 Rom. 1.21 7.14 sensuall and carnall so that sense overcoming reason and the appetite overswaying the will the will doth over-rule all to a leading the whole man c Rom. 7.14.23 captive into sin And thus the true cause of mans sinne is in mans self for that How actuall sin is brought forth d Jam. 1.14.15 Lust conceiving in the e Matth. 5 28. will 's confenting actuall sin is brought forth § 3. It is not then any coaction or constraint of necessity in Fate any force or fore-sight of Providence in God or any compulsion or power of Temptation in Satan but the perversnesse and consent of a Psa 32.5 51.3 Acts 5.3 Ephes 2.3 will in man which is the proper cause of his sin What those Scriptures intimate in their truth which wicked men wrest to make God the Author of sin in their blasphemy Wherefore all those places of sacred Scriptures which wicked men do wrest against truth and blasphemous mouthes retort upon God to the making him the Author of sin doe all declare and chiefly intimate that wonderfull wisdom and infinite goodnesse of the Almighty who as a powerfull Disposer not a bare Spectator doth order the evill actions of the wicked to his glory yet not any way partaking of the evill b Jer. 51.20 John 19.11 though powerfully assisting in the action § 4. God restrains from sin doth not prompt to sin God it is who a Gen. 31.29 Num. 22.22 2 Tim. 3.8.9 1 Pet. 5.8 restrains the wicked from sin so farre is he from prompting them for ward unto wickednesse but as the Lion let loose from his chain of his own cruell nature doth devour and spoile The wicked rush into sin when not restrained How the same actions are holy in respect of God yet sinfull in respect of the wicked so the b 1 Sam. 16.14 1 King 22.23 Ezek. 14.9 2 Thes 2.11 12 wicked let loose by Divine Providence for the execution of Gods wrath c Rev. 20.7 8. of their own corrupt dispositions they rush into mischief and sin d Gen 50.20 Isa 47.6 7. Acts 2.23 3.14 15. yea the same Actions are good and holy in respect of God as ordered to a good end even the advancing his Justice and Mercy which yet are sinfull and abominable in respect of man as contrived to an evill end even the satiating their malice and fury And thus when e 2 Sam. 12.11 Isai 47.6 7. Acts 2.23 3.14 15. wicked men are raised up to be a scourge for the punishment of others it is from Gods most just and holy will but the malice covetousness cruelty and other
evils which they commit in their executing this punishment are all from their own corrupt and vile affections It is no excuse to the wicked that they fulfill Gods secret will when they disobey his will revealed and why § 5. And though true it is the wicked do perform a Rom. 9.19 Gods secrets will his will of purpose even when they disobey b Acts 2.23 his revealed will his will of precept yet because Gods revealed will is the Rule of our obedience to disobey that though we perform the other it c 1 Iohn 3.4 is sin So that it can be no excuse of sin in man or imputation of unrighteousnesse in God that the wicked whil'st they sin yet not in their sin actually do what he by his secret counsel eternal decree hath appointed to be done d Acts 4.27 Isai 10.5 c. because they do it not in obedience to Gods just will but in pursuance of their own unjust wilfulnes God wills the permission not the commission of sin and why § 6. Besides Gods purpose and foreknowledge is not the cause of what he hath decreed to permit but of what he hath decreed to effect seeing God then doth not wil the commission but the permission of sin he cannot be the cause of it And that God should wil the permission of sin is most just for that otherwise he should lose the glory of his Justice yea and of his mercy too of this we may be confident God is so infinitely good that he would not permit evill were he not withall so infinitely powerfull as to a Rom. 8.28 5.20 order that evill unto good How God is said to harden in sin § 7. Further yet when God is said to a Exod. 9.12 Deut. 2.30 Isai 6.10 29.10 63.17 Rom 9.18 harden malicious sinners he doth it not by adding more sin or infusing more malice but by further withholding or quite withdrawing his Grace and so in just judgement b 1 Sam. 16.14 Psal 109.6 1 Tim. 1.20 giving them up unto Satan and their own c Rom. 1.24.26.28 vile affections they truly and really d Exod. 9.34 Mat. 13.14 15. Heb. 3.13.15 Acts 28.26 27 harden themselves Sin then is not prompted or caused by God but suggested by Satan or raised by lust and through consent of the will committed by man § 8. And as sin hath no efficient What sin is in its privative Being but a Rom. 3.23 1 Cor. 6 7. deficient cause so hath it no positive but a privative Being and so cannot properly be an action which is a naturall good but the obliquity and error of the action which is a morall evill it is not the work but the evill of the work What in its proper nature in a deviation from the rule of righteousnesse the b Rom. 4 5. Law of God which is the sin And sin being in its proper nature the c Rom 5.15.17.18 Job 34.31 Jam. 3. ◠offence of Gods Justice in the d Isa 48.8 Job 31 33. Isa 35 5. 1 John 3.4 transgression of his Law doth bring upon man a guilt a pollution and a punishment § 9. In The severall adjuncts of sin that 1. It is Guilt The guilt of sin is that whereby a Mat. 6.12 23 16. Rom. 1 32. 3.19 4.15 man becomes debtor unto God bound over unto the penalty of that law which he hath transgress'd From this guilt doth proceed an b Gen 3 10. Heb. 10.31 horror From whence proceeds horror attended with despair The c Rom. 1.32 2.15 Conscience terrifying the Soul with a selfe-accusing and condemning sentence d Gen. 4.13 Heb. 2.15 Heb. 10 31. made more dreadfull by despair 2. It s Pollution § 10. Besides this guilt of sin which relateth unto the punishment there is a a Mat 15.11 Rev. 22.11 pollution Whereby God abhors man which cleaveth unto the soul Which pollution doth make God to b Prov. 3.32 6.16 Isai 1.15 Jer. 16.18 b Isa 59.2 Hab. 1.13 abominate and abhorre man and Man himselfe with a confuon of face c hiding his face from him and doth make man d Ier. 3 25 Dan. 9.7 8. with confusion of face to loath and e Ezek. 6.9 Iob. 42.6 abhorre himself and to f Gen 3.8 Ier. 32.33 flie the divine presence 3. It s Punishment Gods vindicative Justice diversly exprest § 11. The punishment of sin that is an a Prov. 13.21 Ier. 18.8 Amos 3.2 6. evill of misery inflicted by God in the execution of his vindictive Justice Which Justice as it is provoked by sin is call'd b Ier. 7.19 Mich. 7.18 anger and wrath as it is more hotly incens'd to severity it is call'd c Deut. 29.20 Ierem. 7.20 fury and jealousie as it denounceth sentence and executeth punishment upon sin it is call'd d Deut. 32.35 Ierem. 51.6 Rom. 2.5 judgement and vengeance Why the guilt punishment of sin is infinite § 12. The weight of the offence committed is to be measured according to the greatnesse of the person offended The a Gal. 3.10 Matth. 5.22 12.36 least violation then of an infinite Majesty must incurre the guilt of an infinite punishment How all punishment is equall and how unequall which is b Rom. 6.23 Eternall Death And thus all punishment becomes equall extensively in duration of time though not Matth. 5.22 11.22 24. intensively in degrees of torment yea as is our obligation to the duty such is our transgression of the command and as is our transgression of the command such is the punishment of our sin all of equall extent the transgression infinite because the breach of an infinite obligation and so the punishment infinite because the penalty of an infinite transgression The duration of punishment is correspondent to the duration of sin and how § 13. Thus the duration of punishment doth become correspondent to the duration of sin of the sin not in respect of its Act which is transient but of its pollution and of its guilt which are permanent and so a John 8.24 permanent as that they are eternall Wherefore seeing the least sin without the grace of the Spirit to sanctifie and the mercy of God to pardon is eternall in its pollution and guilt it must needs be so too in its b John 3.36 punishment c Rev. 21.27 certainly excluding the sinner from life and glory and d Ezek. 18.20 eternally subjecting him to death and misery How Gods Justice doth punish and his mercy pardon sin § 14. When Gods justice executeth the punishment of wrath a Lam. 3.39 Jerem. 9.9 it is with respect to the guilt of sin And therefore when Gods mercy doth pardon the sin he b Heb. 8.12 remits the punishment by acquitting from the guilt So that if God should
require penall satisfaction when he hath forgiven the sin Penall satisfaction is inconsistent with sins remission it were as if a man should demand the debt when he hath c Col. 2.41 cancelled the bond an act this of absolute power if not of direct injustice and cannot be supposed in the most holy God who doth forgive sin God doth not punish man for the sin he forgives him but with respect to the d Rom. 3.23 5.11 all-sufficient satisfaction of Christ who hath e Heb. 9.28 1 Pet. 2.24 born away our sin by bearing of our punishment So that the punishment of sin and its forgiveness are inconsistent both in the nature of the thing and by vertue of the satisfaction of Christ § 15. The afflictions then of the godly What is formal punishment and why the afflictions of the godly are not such punishments they are not formal punishments because inflicted of God not as an avenging Judg but as a a Heb. 12.9 10 provident Father and so are not intended for the satisfaction of his justice which is the nature of punishment but either for the abolishing and preventing of sin by way b Heb. 12.7 Rev. 3.19 of correction or for the proof and approbation of grace by way c Job 1.8 9 12. Zech. 13.9 of trial or for the testimony and propagation of the truth by way of d Phil. 1.29 2 17. 3.10 martyrdom And thus the afflictions of the godly have in them the nature of e Heb. 12.11 healing medicines not destructive punishments f Heb. 12.6 they are the issue of a fatherly love not the effects of an avenging wrath § 16. To say that God punisheth sin with sin is a saying so improper To say God punisheth sin with sin is very improper and why that unless candidly interpreted cum grano salis with a due proportion of Prudence and of charity it is very sinful even unto blasphemy for that God and God alone is the a Isa 45.7 Amos 3.6 prime Author of punishment but no ways and in no sense the b 2 Chro. 19.7 Author of sin Besides punishment and sin are as inconsistent in their formal being as light and darkness for seeing privatives are best known by their opposite positives as the good to which the evil of punishment is opposite and that to which the evil of sin is opposed cannot be one and the same good so no more can punishment and sin be one and the same evil yea sin is an evil as being from the will whereas punishment is an evil altogether against the will § 17. True it is that the same a Psal 79.27 thing How that which is sinful may be the punishment of sin which is sinful may be the punishment of sin yet not a sin as a punishment nor yet a punishment as a sin That any thing is a punishment inflicted is from the just ordination of Gods Providence but that the same thing is a sin committed is from the evil deordination of mans perversness Thus the b 2 Chron. 36.14 15 c. slaughter and spoil of the Caldeans was a punishment inflicted by Gods justice upon Judahs sin yet the c Isa 47.5 6. 50 7 11 17 18. 51.24 34 35. cruelty and covetousness of the Caldeans was a sin committed by their own malice in Judahs punishment Yet not sin the punishment God then doth often punish sin with that which is sinful but not so as to make sin the punishment How sin and punishment are formally inconsistent § 18. Indeed punishment being the a Deut. 32.4 execution of Gods Justice and sin b John 3.4 the transgression of Gods law these two cannot possibly so consist together as to make one to be the other and thereby God to be the Author of both or the Author of neither which is equally absurd and impious Besides sin being the c Gen. 6.5 6 7 11 12 13. disorder of the Universe is reduc'd into order by punishment God repairing the breach of his law by the execution of his justice the transgression by the penalty And seeing God doth order sin by punishment sure he doth not punish sin with sin Gods wisdom and power in ordering sin and punishment for that were more disorderly No here is the wisdom and power of God in his providence so to order the same thing which is d 1 King 12.19 sinful in respect of mans wickedness to be e 1 King 12.24 righteous in respect of his justice f 1 King 11.31 33 35 37. even in the just judgment of sin and this without any such absurdity and impiety of making sin to be formally a punishment Punishment the concomitant or consequent of sin but not the same with it § 19. Wherefore true it is that sin which is the a Job 4 8. Lam. 3.39 meritorious cause of punishment may sometimes be its b Rom. 5.10 concomitant or c Rom. 1.24 28 consequent but not the same with it nor yet any proper effect of it for as darkness is the consequent not the effect of the Suns with-drawing or with-holding his light so is sin the consequent not the effect of Gods with-drawing or with-holding his grace CHAP. XIII Concerning Original Sin § 1. What Original sin is Original Sin is that guilt and pollution which seizeth us in a Psal 51.5 Isa 28.8 our mothers wombs in the first Original of our humane being and is either imputed or inherent according to our legal or natural capacity in the first Adam How imputed and inherent As we were b Rom. 5.12 legally in Adam he representing all mankinde we have Original Sin in c Rom. 5.18 his actual disobedience imputed to our person And as we were d Acts 17.26 Heb. 7.9 10. naturally in Adam he the root of all mankinde we have Original sin The unhappy consequent and effects of both in his e Job 14 5. John 3.6 propagated corruption inherent in our natures by that imputed disobedience we are wholly deprived of f Rom. 5.19 1 Cor. 15.22 all Original righteousness and by this inherent corruption we are habitually g Gen. 6.5 Mat. 15.19 enclined unto all actual wickedness § 2. We affirm Original sin doth formally consist in the privation of original righteousness that Original Sin in Adams Posterity doth formally consist in the privation of Original righteousness as it is an evil defect a Gen. 2.17 3.6 through Adams default we not having through the demerit of his Sin what we ought to have b Gen. 1.16 Eccles 7.29 Rom. 7 10.14 by the law of creation and the c Deut. 6.4 5. bond of Covenant with our God by the breach of which law and Covenant in Adam it is that whosoever descends from him by d John 3.6 Ephes 2.2 3. natural generation even the
What meant by that saying The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father whereas then it is said that c Ezek. 18.20 the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father it is meant of those sins whether in Adam or others as are meerly personal not of that disobedience which Adam committing as our representative doth therefore become ours by imputation nor of that corruption which being seated in humane nature doth therefore become common to Adam with his posterity as his natural branches § 10. It is not then by a Rom. 5.14 actual imitation How orignal sin is propagated but by b Gen. 5.3 Ephes 2.3 natural generation that we become partakers of Adams sin and therefore liable to Gods wrath yea in the regenerate themselves How it remains even in the regenerate How they propagated it to their children though Original Sin be c Rom. 8.1 remitted in its guilt yet it d Rom. 7 23. Gal. 5.17 remains in its pollution and so becomes propagated in generation So that the children which descend of pious parents do partake of Original sin because they are children by e John 1.13 3.6 carnal not spiritual generation begotten not according to the operation of grace but propagation of nature For that the regenerate beget children in their likeness is according to the flesh as men and the sons of Adam not according to the Spirit as Saints Illustrated by apt similitudes and the Sons of God Sanctified parents f Mat. 8.9 10. beget children sinful by nature even as the circumcised Jewes beget children uncircumcised in the flesh or as the wheat cleansed from the chaff when sown doth bring forth wheat with its chaff again § 11. How the children of Beleevers are said to be holy Wherefore when the children of Beleevers are said to a Rom. 11.16 1 Cor. 7.14 be holy it is to be understood as spoken of a political or civil or of a sanctifying and saving holiness even such a federal holiness as consists in a capacity of right and a priviledge of claim b Gen. 17.7 Acts 2.29 unto the promises of life and glory made of God in Christ unto his Church And thus it is in the Christian Church Illustrated by a fit allusion much like as it was in the Roman State As in the Roman State a Consul did beget a son in a political right to the Cities priviledges which son was not born a Consul though politically free thus in the Christian Church a Saint doth beget a child in a federal right to the Churches promises which child is not born a Saint though federally holy What is the subject of Original Sin § 12. The Subject of Original sin cannot be the body or the soul alone but both together in the whole and perfect nature of man And though true it is that in the knowledg of Original sin it is more profitable to seek how we may evade it in its punishment then to examine how it doth invade us in its guilt yet somewhat to inform mens judgments though not fully to satisfie their curiosity we teach That to conceive when and how man doth become the subject of original sin it must be observed When the human nature is perfect that the humane nature is not perfect till the a Gen. 2.7 union of the soul with the body Now the soul that is b Zech. 12.1 infused by creation and created by infusion and in the same instant that the soul is infused into the body by creation the body is also united to the soul in that infusion to the making up of both into one entire Composition of humane nature and When the subject of Original Sin which humane nature in the first instant of its being is the subject of original sin How the human nature in man becomes infected with Original Sin § 13. Now that humane Nature in the first instant of its being doth become the subject of original Sin is not from the body infecting the soul as the musty vessel doth the sweet liquor nor yet from the souls infecting the body as the musty liquor doth the sweet vessel but by a secret and ineffable resultancy from the inherence in them both The depraved inclination unto evil inseparably accompanying and indeed necessarily flowing from the evil deprivation of righteousness which deprivation of righteousness is the proper effect of Adams sin though the necessary consequent of Gods wrath who doth make this a just punishment of Adams disobedience even to withhold from his posterity that treasure which he had prodigally wasted that grace which he had wilfully lost that image which he had wickedly defac'd And seeing by a just imputation we are partakers of his Sin it is by a just dispensation that we become partakers also of his punishment And thus no sooner do we partake of Adams Nature but we partake also of Adams curse and so by an immediate and inseparable consequence we become defil'd with Original Sin § 14. That Original sin is propagated by carnal generation appears by its antithesis of spiritual regeneration That Original Sin in the image of God defac'd is propagated by carnal generation appears by that which in an apt antithesis is opposite unto it even the image of God renewed by spiritual regeneration which the Apostle tells us is through the a Jam. 2.18 1 Pet. 1.23 incorruptible seed of Gods word yet that Original sin is propagated by carnal generation is not by vertue of any seminal power How propagated by vertue of divine ordination but by vertue of divine ordination it being the just ordination of God that Adams Posterity who were legally guilty of disobedience in him b 1 Cor. 15.22 as their Head should be legally deprived of righteousness c Rom. 5.15 from him as his members which deprivation of Original righteousness being inseparably accompanied with a pollution of natural uncleanness it was further the just ordination of God that Adam having corrupted his nature in propagating his nature should propagate his corruption and so we being d Rom. 5.12 Heb. 7.9 10. naturally in him as our root do become as men so e Rom. 5.19 sinnâ—â—s too from him as his branches § 15. The sum of what concerns original sin Thus Original Sin is not seated in the substance of the body or of the soul single but in the humane nature upon the union of both and doth consist in the imputed guilt of Adams disobedience and the propagated corruption of Adams nature conveyed in carnal generation by vertue of the Divine ordination of Gods justice which propagated corruption in the regenerate is destroy'd according to the a Rom. 6.6 8.1 condemning and b Rom. 6.12 Gal 5.16 raigning power thereof but doth remain in its c Rom. 7.18 24 inhering and d Rom. 7.23 Gal 5.17 infecting nature which becomes more
e Rom. 7.25 Ephes 4.23 weakned by grace shall be perfectly f 1 Cor. 15.53 Rev. 7.14 abolish'd in glory What concupiscence is as spoken of in sacred Scripture § 16. This propagated corruption inherent in our natures is called sometimes in Scripture a Rom. 7.7 Jam. 1.14 15. concupiscence which concupiscence is nothing else but that depraved disposition or habitual propension of our corrupt nature b 1 Thes 4 5. Jam. 1.14 inordinately and actually inclining unto evil and this not onely in the unbridled desires of the sensitive appetite Why seated in the superior as well as in the inferior faculties but even in the inordinate lustings of the will and so is seated not c Gal. 5.19 20 21. only in the inferior but also in the superior faculties of the soul as appears in those sins of envy hatred heresie idolatry and the like From whence concupiscence in its inordinacy is § 17. Concupiscence then in its inordinacy as sin is not from the natural condition of our primitâ—ve being but from the corrupt condition of our lapsed estate For though it is true that upon the union of the soul with the body a spiritual substance with a sensible matter there did necessarily follow in man whilst stated in integrity an a 1 Cor. 15.47 48. inclination and propensity to what was sensible and material yet that this inclination doth now become inordinate and rebellious this propension precipitate and vitious is from the b Eccles 7.29 Rom 7.17 20. corruption of mans nature lapsed into sin Why the sensitive appetite cannot be this concupiscencâ— Wherefore the sensitive appetite and natural affection they may be the c Rom. 7.18 23 sâ—â—t or subject of concupiscence but not formally d 1 Iohn 2.16 concupiscence it self which doth consist in an inordinacy and enormity e Deut. 10.16 Rom. 8.7 repugnant to Gods Law which law saith f Rom. 7.7 Thou shalt not covet What the sensitive appetite in m n is § 18. Further we must know that the sensitive appetite in man it is the faculty not of a brutish but of a rational soul and therefore in pure nature though the Spiritual part did desire carnal things And in pure nature how subordinate unto reason yet did not those carnal things return upon the spiritual part an inordinacy of its desires the sensitive appetite being an inferiour faculty of the rational soul and so subject to the dictate and command of the superiour faculties the Understanding and Will And thus in the state of integrity the rational Soul in its natural desires acting by its sensitive appetite Thereby specifically distinguish'd from that in the beasts it was not in a sensuality the same with the beasts but specifically distinguish'd from them as being seated in such a soul as was endued with the light and rule of reason and as being constituted in such an harmonious subjection as was without the least breach or jar of inordinacy and immoderation § 19. Concupiscence in its inordinacy is the issue of mas fall and why Concupiscence then as an inordinate inclination transgressing the bounds of reason is altogether repugnant to the natural constitution of man in his primitive purity and therefore must necessarily be the issue of mans fall as the sin of corrupt nature Indeed we cannot but with Saint Paul call a Rom. 7.7 8 9 11 13 c. concupiscence sin which exposeth to b Rom. 7.24 Ephes 2.13 death Wherefore call'd Sin and makes subject unto wrath yea certainly it must be sin in its self if made c Rom. 7.8 13. exceeding sinful by the law And how shall concupiscence d Jam. 1.15 conceive and bring forth sin if it be not it self sinful The e Mat. 7.17 20. fruit being evil doth sufficiently declare the tree to be corrupt CHAP. XIV Concerning Actual Sin § 1. AS the body which hath lost its health The privation of original righteousness is inseparably accompanied with the corruption of original uncleanness must needs be sick the member which hath lost its strength must needs be lame so man having a Eccles 7.29 lost his integrity must needs be wicked having lost b Eph. 4.23 24 his purity must needs be corrupt Which Original corruption doth break forth into c Rom. 7.5 23. Gal. 5.17 19 c. inordinate desires and actual lustings contrary to the rule of life the law of God so that Original corruption is to Actual Sin as d Gen. 6.5 fuel to the fire What original corruption is to actual sins or as the e Mat. 15.19 fountain to the stream or as the f Gal. 5 19. Mat. 13.17 tree to the fruit or as the g Jam. 1.15 womb to the child or as the h Col. 3.5 body to the members or as the i Rom. 7.5 habit to the act What actual sin is § 2. Actual Sin as it is formally a de-ordination a 1 John 3 4. in the transgression of Gods law cannot properly have any efficient cause but is rather the b 1 Cor. 6.7 deficiency of those causes which are the efficients of those acts wherein the sin is seated What the immeâ—iate internal causes of it and how The immediate internal causes of actual sin are the c Isa 27.11 Ephes 4.18 understanding and d Prov. 12.8 Isa 1.19 will as defective in their proper offices the former to give the later to observe the rule and direction of Right Reason The remote internal causes are the e Psal 94.8 Prov. 30.2 Jer. 10.21 Jam. 1.26 imagination and sensitive appetite moving and inclining the understanding and wil to what is evil f Rom. 7.5 Ephes 2.3 prompted on by the inordinate propension of Original Concupisence No inducement whatsoever can cause sin without a conspiracy in the inward man § 3. Evil Spirits wicked men and sensible objects may outwardly perswade but they cannot sufficiently induce to any sin a Psal 51.4 Jam. 4 7. Psal 1.1 Jude 16. without a conspiracy in the inward man b Jer. 4.22 Ephes 4.17 even of the judgement and will The external object by means of the imagination may provoke the sensitive appetite and the sensitive appetite by the judgment may tempt the will but neither truly necessitate nor effectually induce a man to sin without some c Gen 6.12 Prov. 1.16 2 Pet. 2 15 22. previous disposition in the inordinacy of the will No actual sin prevailing without the will consenting The Will not necessitated in its volition by any power but that of Gods whereby it consenteth unto evil So that the fort is not gained d Deut. 5.29 Prov. 4.23 23.26 Mat. 15 8. till the will by consent be surrendred the soul by temptation is not overcome till the will in its consent be surprised and God alone it is who in his wisdom and
though grace in the regenerate be powerful enough to d Gal. 5 16 24 suppress these inordinate motions yet that doth not excuse reasons being defective in its duty to prevent them They ought to be kept down by Reasons watchfulness and therefore cannot arise but in sins guilt What makes any act to be sin And whereas it may be pleaded that they are involuntary and so cannot be Sins we say How the motions of concupiscence are voluntary through the wils defect before they rise though not consented to when râ—ised it is e 1 Iohn 3 4. repugnancy to Gods law which makes the sin and that though it be against the wil that these inordinate lustings should be fulfilled yet it is from the will that these lustings in their inordinacy are not prevented the will neglecting or failing in her primitive powerful command to keep under what is rebellious How concupiscence it self is voluntary Besides concupiscence is voluntary as flowing from Adams wilful disobedience For in mortality quod ex voluntario causatur pro voluntario reputatur what is caused by a voluntary act is reputed voluntary in the acting The motions of concupiscence prov'd to be sinful by an infallable argument drawn from the indifferent nature of the wills consent § 11. Further yet That those motions of concupisence are sins when fully consented to by the will doth infallibly prove them to be sinful before the will doth give yea though the will doth not give its full consent For the consent of the will is a thing indifferent in it self neither good nor evil but according to its object If any thing be good it is not the consent of the will that makes it evil and if any thing be evil it is not the consent of the will can make it good but according to the nature of the object such is the act of the will whether it be in good or whether it be in evil wherefore if the first motions of concupiscence were not sinful in themselves they could not be made sins by the consenting of the will But seeing by the confession of all parties they are sin when the will doth give its consent therefore they must be sinful before the consent of the will be given What the Specifical distinction of sin into spiritual and carnal is § 12. Whereas Sin in respect of the Subject is specifically distinguished into spiritual and carnal Sins the distinction is taken from the end a 2 Cor. 7.1 Spiritual Sins being perfected in spiritual delight as pride vain-glory and the like b Rom. 8.1 Gal. 5.19 but carnal Sins in carnal delight How all sin is carnal as gluttony luxury and the like True it is all sin is carnal as arising from the flesh as flesh in Scripture is taken for Original Sin in mans corrupt nature and how Spiritual and all sin is spiritual as affecting the Soul in the commission and defiling the spirit of man with guilt What the true difference betwixt both But when spiritual and carnal Sins are contradistinguished as several and specifical sorts of sin by Spiritual Sins are meant those which affect and defile the soul immediatly in the body by carnall sins are meant those which affect and defile the soul immediatly by the body § 13. Sin in respect of the object What the specifical distinction of sin into that against God against our neighbours and against our selves How all sin is against God How said to be against our neighbours and our selves is specifically distinguished into sins a 1 Sam. 2.25 Luke 15.28 18.2 Acts 24.16 Tit. 2.12 against God against our Neighbour and against our selves For though it is common to all sin that it is against God as being formally a violation b Rom. 4.13 1 John 3.4 Jam. 2.9 of his eternal law and so properly the offence of his sacred Majesty yet sin materially considered in respect of the injury and dammage which accompanies it it may be against mans self or his neighbour Indeed all sins as they are inordinate actions do imply an acting something to the breach of Order The three-fold order which God hath established amongst men And seeing God hath establish'd among men a threefold order there are three kinds of sin according to their three-fold inordinacy The three-fold Order is 1. That of the inferior faculties unto reason in mans naturall constitution 2. That of one man in a politicall constitution unto another 3. That of all men in a religious constitution unto God Now the inordinacy which makes a breach of any of these orders is a sin against God as the c Exod. 20.2 Jam. 2 13. supreme Law-giver but in comparing one with another that sin sin which immediatly breaks the order of Religion as Blasphemy Heresie Infidelity and the like is said The threefold inordinacy in breach of this order making three kinds of sin to be a sin against God Again that sin which immediatly breaks the order of policy as theft oppression murder and the like is said to be a sin against our neighbour Lastly that sin which immediatly breaks the order of Nature in man as drunkenness gluttony and the like is said to be a sin against our selves yea some sins there are at once against our selves and our neighbours as d 1 Cor. 6.18 fornication adultery c. and some against God our neighbours and our selves as the e Rom. 12.19 prosecuting unjust revenge the persecuting Gods Church c. What the distinction of sin into that of infirmity of ignorance and of malice From whence this distinction is taken What is the inordinacy of the sensitive appetite What the inordinacy of the understanding What the inodinacy of the will § 14. That sin in respect of the efficient is distinguish'd into sins of infirmity of ignorance and of malice is taken from the three principles of all actions and so consequently of all actuall sins in man the sensitive appetite understanding and will which as they are the principles of all actions in their natural Beings so are they the principles of all actuall sins in their preternatural inordinacies The inordinacie of the sensitive appetite is in being irregular and immoderate in its affections the inordinacy of the understanding is in not knowing what it ought or in not actually dictating what it habitually knows the inordinacy of the will is in subjecting it self to the sensitive appetite or in following the understanding in its erroneous dictates or in opposing it in its right judgement Now when the will becomes inordinate through the sudden a Gen. 9.21 2 Sam. 11.2 3 4. Matth. 26.70.72 74. surprize and eager importunity of the sensitive appetite When a sin of infirmity is the sin is the sin of infirmity again when the will becomes inordinate through the defect of b Gen. 19.33.35 Lev. 5.17 Lev. 4.2 Psal 19.12 judgement in the understanding
the sin is the sin of ignorance When a sin of ignorance and when the will becomes inordinate through its own perversness c Mat. 13.15 John 15.22.23 24. Matth. 3.56 Acts 7.5.7 opposing and repulsing the right judgement of the understanding When a sin of malice the sin is the sin of malice and against conscience § 15. When the sensitive appetite doth beget an inordinacy in the will How the sensitâ—ve appetite do h begâ—t an inordinacy in the will it is by way of distraction with-drawing it from its proper function in the exercise of its free choice and chief command for seeing all the faculties are radicated in the essence of the Soul by how much the operations of the inferior faculties are the more intended by so much the functions of the superior whether understanding or will are the more remitted The sensitive appetite then being vehemently intent upon its object the rationall faculty becomes but weakly imploy'd if not altogether hindred in its duty Besides the a 2 Sam. 11.2 3 4. Matth. 26.70 c. imagination being disturbed by the affections the understanding becomes darkened by the imagination and the understanding being darkened misguides the will Which are the sins of infirmity whereby it becomes inordinate to a sin of infirmity by sudden passion And as sudden passion so b Mat. 6.12 Prov. 24.16 1 John 1.8 Jam. 3.2 Rom. 7.19 20. likewise all inordinate motions vain thoughts sins of fly surreption and of daily incursion and are all sins of infirmity § 16. What sins of suddun and inordinate passion are said to be sins of infirmity Inordinate a Matth. 8.17 Isai 1.5 passions are the sicknesses of the soul and therefore as the members of the body disabled by distemper so the powers of the soul disturbed by passion not performing their proper functions are said to be b Rom. 15.1 Heb. 12.12 13. 1 Cor. 8.11 12. infirm and weak And thus when the sensitive appetite by its vehement and sudden passions doth invade the rational faculties to the disturbing the understanding and disabling the will in their operations we truly though figuratively say The soul is sick and the sins which issue from this impotency of reason through distemper of passion are properly call'd sins of weaknesse and infirmity § 17. What passions do excuse wholly from sin and what do not Those passions which totally abolish the use of reason totally excuse from the guilt of sin committed in those passions as in the cases of frenzie and madness unless those passions were a 1 Sam. 19.9 10. voluntary in their beginnings or in their causes for then they become imputed as sins themselves and so the evils committed in those passions must needs be sins too but those b Prov. 14.16 29.22 passions which doe not wholly intercept the use of reason cannot wholly excuse from the guilt of sin because reason remaining How Reason ought to moderate passion ought to moderate and order passion either by diverting it self to other thoughts or by hindering the effectuating of those obtruded upon it The more of passion there is in the sin the lesse there is in the sin the less there is of reason and so the less is the sin and the more of reason there is in the sin the more there is of will and the more voluntary the more sinful What is the office of the understanding § 18. The office of the understanding in respect of its own proper object being this to enquire and find out truth and in respect of the inferior powers to direct and conduct them aright according to truth if the understanding doe not know all the truth When guilty of that Ignorance which is sin it is both able and ought to know it becomes defective in its duty and thereby guilty of a Acts 17.30 Rom. 1.21 22. that ignorance which is sin and if the understanding dictate amisse to the wil and when guilty of those sins which are of Ignorance bringing inordinate commands upon the subordinate powers or after deliberation had doth not check their exorbitancies it becomes thus also defective in its duty and thereby guilty of those b Num. 15.28 Lev. 4.13 27. Acts 3.17 sinnes which are of ignorance What ignorance doth not and what ignorance doth make the sin § 19. In the sins of ignorance then it is not every ignorance that makes the sinne It is not the ignorance of a pure negation but that of a a Eph 4.18.19 1 Pet. 1.4 depraved disposition It is not the negative ignorance being a meer nescience a not knowing what is needless or not possible to be known but the privative ignorance a not knowing what we are able and ought to know There are many things which a man is capable of knowing What things a man is capable of knowing but not bound to know What things a man is neither bound to know nor capable of knowing In all these ignorance rather a nescieâ—â—e is not sinfull which yet by no divine law he is bound to know as many Mathematicall theorems in Philosophy many particular contingencies in Nature yea there are many things which as a man is not bound to know so he is not capable of knowing as b Mat. 24.36 John 16.12 many Mysteries not yet revealed many secret truths not yet communicated by Christ unto his Church Ignorance of these is not sinfull and so whatsoever consequent effect proceeds from this ignorance cannot be a sin but an ignorance of those truths which we are capable of and concern'd in which is vincible by the use of means this ignorance is it selfe sin and the consequent evils thereof are said to be sins of ignorance § 20. In any inordinate act What ignorance doth excuse from sin it is not that ignorance which is concomitant with it or consequent of it but antecedent to it which doth excuse from sin Which ignorance being antecedent to it becomes accidentally a Lev. 5.15 1 Cor. 2.8 1 Tim. 1.13 the cause of it as excluding that knowledge which would have restrained from the sinne And though this ignorance doth always somwhat excuse b Gen. 38 15 16 c. yet not always wholly acquit Somewhat excuse not wholly acquit Illustrated by Instance For should a man going forth with an intent to kill a man unwittingly kill his Father though such an ignorance may excuse from patricide yet not from homicide For had he known the man to be his Father though haply he might have been restrained by that knowledge from killing him yet not altogether from killing from that kind not from all kinds of sin or of murder § 21. Yea When sin cannot be excused by any ignorance that sin cannot be excused by any ignorance where there is an inclination or resolution in the will to commit it notwithstanding all knowledge as for instance should a man
have a disposition or purpose to kill another though he knew it were his Father if killing the man he knows him not to be his Father which yet after proves to be his Father it is not the ignorance that shall excuse but the depraved disposition and wicked purpose which shall make guilty of patricide For though ignorance had its Concomitancy with it yet it hath not any efficiency in it and so the malefactor cannot be said to offend out of ignorance but being ignorant For there What an affected ignorance is and how it aggravates the sin when a man will be a Ezek. 12.2 Zech. 7.11 12. 1 Cor. 14.38 ignorant on purpose that he may not suffer controll in his sin but have the greater scope to offend this ignorance is affected and becomes directly b Iob 22.14 2 Pet. 3.5 voluntary because it is wil'd upon design and for ends and therefore doth rather inhance then any way abate the guilt of the sin What ignorance is indirectly voluntary § 22. But that a Hos 4.1.6 1 Cor. 15.34 ignorance which comes by negligence in a sloathfull carelesnesse or through unnecessary imploiments not indevouring to attain that knowledge which a man ought and is able to attain and that ignorance which comes by b Gen. 19.32 33. intemperance in a sottish drunkenness a man being rob'd of his discretion or the use of it such an ignorance is truly though indirectly wilfull seeing he that wils the cause doth indirectly and by consequence will the effect and this ignorance thus wilfull c 2 Thess 1.8 Rom. 8.2 3. becomes it self a sin How it self sin yet the sins which issue from this ignorance d Luke 23.24 Acts 3.17 13.27 are lessened in their guilt having the less of reason and will in their act for seeing the understanding cannot pass a right judgement yet the sins issuing from it lessened in their guilt and why the will cannot be said to give a direct consent so that though the ignorance may be aggravated by circumstances yet is the consequent sin in it self lessened by the ignorance How the sin of malice is rightly discerned § 23. To discern aright what the sin of malice is we must know that though the will be determined by a Psal 142. Prov. 2.11 the understanding in the specification of its object yet hath the will this liberty intire in it self in the exercise of the act freely to chuse what is presented as good and freely to reject what is presented as evill So that though the will doth alwayes follow the last practical judgement of the understanding How men are said to sin wilfully and against conscience yet this last judgement being often after the right judgement and the right judgement first given by the understanding and repuls'd by the will b Exod. 8.10.15 19 28 32. 9.13 14.27 28 34 35 c. 1 Sam. 15.1 2.3 9 11 13 15 18 19 22 c. virtually remaining in the act of sin and even then actually renew'd by the checkes of Conscience men are hereby said to sin winfully on set purpose and against conscience which is the true nature of that we call the sin of malice § 24. That the will doth not necessarily follow the right judgment of the understanding clearly proved That the will doth not necessarily follow the right judgement though it doth the last judgement of the understanding is apparent in the Divels reprobate in the sin against the holy Ghost and in sins against conscience And indeed if the will did necessarily follow the right judgment of the understanding Especially from the work of Regeneration the whole work of Regeneration were perfected in the act of illumination and God needed not a 2 Cor. 5.17 1 Thes 5.23 throughly sanctifie fully to enlighten were sufficient for the new birth and the new man But this is altogether dissonant from the truth of Christ which tells us the b Eph. 4.23 24. Phil. 2.13 will is renewed In which the will is renewed as well as the understanding enlightned as well as the c Eph. 1.17 18 Col. 3.10 understanding enlightned in the work of regeneration The d Phil. 1.9.10 11. understanding is enlightned to give a right judgement to the will and the will renewed to follow that right judgment of the understanding to the bringing forth the works of holiness and of righteousness § 25. How we may distinguish sins of infirmity from sins of malice By this we may distinguish sins of infirmity from sins of malice In sins of infirmity this a Psal 40.8 Acts 11.23 Gal. 6.1 Matth. 26.33 Luke 22.33 purpose and intention of the heart to please God in all things remains sincere so that though for a time the wil suffer a violation of her integrity an interruption of her resolutions through some b 2 Sam. 11.2.4 inordinate affections c Luke 22.56 c. violent passion or d 1 Chro 21.1 Luke 22.31 32 prevailing temptation yet after a while she returneth to her former good purposes by e Psal 51. Luke 22 61 62 1 Chron. 21.8.17 Prov. 24.16 repentance But in sins of malice the heart is f Jer. 13.23 Psal 10.4 Rom. 3 18. 1 John 3.8 habitually inclined unto wickedness the will is evill disposed in respect of the end There are not any sincere purposes of holiness no true aims at Gods glory and therefore the infection of the sin is the more permanent and destructive to the soul in a g Luke 7.30 Acts 7.51 stronger opposition of the good Spirit of grace in the work of repentance and faith § 26. What the distinction of sin into that of mortal and venial is The last distinction of sin is in respect of the effect into sins * 1 John 5.16 17. mortall and veniall we say in respect of the effect no sin being veniall in its nature For No sin veniall in its nature and why that any sin is pardoned doth denote an a Exod 18.20 Gal. 3.10 act of divine mercy which in b Exod. 34.67 severity rigor of Justice God might have not done But for any sin to be in its nature veniall as expiated by temporall punishment were to destroy this pardoning mercy of God and after temporall punishment to oblige him to an improperly called forgiveness lest he be tax'd with cruelty and injustice All sin is directly against no any meerly besides the law Which incurring the guilt of eternall death cannot be expiated by temporall punishment Yea c Rom. 4.15 1 John 3.4 whereas all sin is directly against not any meerly besides the law and that the violation of Gods eternall law doth incurre a guilt of d Ezek. 18.20 Rom 6.23 1 Cor. 15.56 eternall death There is no sin that can be expiated by temporall punishment but either it must be by e John 1.29
any thing evill in its selfe should be made good by what is evill in another that sin in the act should be justified by error in the conscience It is not the Conscience then b Rom. 3.8 no nor any thing else whatsoever What is the entanglement of an erroneous conscience that can oblige to what is unlawfull in it self and as it cannot oblige so nor c Rom. 3.7 can it acquit Here then is the entanglement of an erroneous conscience that if we do what it dictates we sin and if we doe not what it dictates we sin too so that there is no avoiding the sin but by reforming the error CHAP. XV. Concerning the State of Man fallen § 8. SEeing Originall Sin in its guilt The original of all mans misery is in originall sin and how pollution and punishment is a Psal 51 5. Job 14.5 Isa 48.8 John 3.6 effectually connveyed and really communicated by naturall propagation and carnal generation in a lineal descent and hereditary right from Adam the b Acts 17.26 Rom. 5.12 1 Cor. 15.21 22. Ephes 2.3 root of humane Stock to all the posterity of mankind his natural branches Therefore by Adams c Rom. 5.18,19 c Rom. 3.9 Gal. 3.22 disobedience is judgement come upon all men to condemnation Jew and Gentile being d shut up under sin and thereby become e Rom. 3.19 Ephes 2.3 subject to the just wrath and vengeance of God § 2. Adams disobedience imputed makes liable to the punishment inflicted Though that single act then of Adams disobedience did passe away yet it continued to be his and remaineth ours by a Rom. 5.12 13. just imputation And the sin imputed must needs make us liable to the b Rom. 5 17.18 punishment inflicted Which punishment is death which punishment of Adams sin is c Gen. 2.17 Rom 5.12 death In what this death doth formally consist § 3. Which death doth formally consist in a being a Deut. 30.20 Psal 30.5 36.9 Isai 59.2 separated from the blessed communion and banish'd from the gracious presence of God A Figure and Type whereof God gave Adam in b Gen. 3.24 driving him out of Paradise that visible Testimony of Gods favour and presence In what it doth materially consist And again this death doth materially consist in a miserable privation of that life and happinesse accompanied with a sinfull privation of that Holiness and Righteousness which man did either actually possess by Creation or might assuredly have obtained in a more eminent manner and a more abundant measure upon Condition even upon the c Gen. 2.16 17 Ezek. 20.11 Gal. 3.12 condition of obedience to Gods law This death is spirituall corporall and eternall What the spirituall death is § 4. This death is either spirituall or corporall both which are consummated and swallowed up in that death which is Eternall a Ephes 2.1 5.14 Spirituall death that especially seizeth the soul b Rom. 3.23 Ephes 4 18. whereby sin defaceth the lively Image of God in the c Eph. 4.23 24 Col. 3.10 totall deprivation of primitive integrity and originall righteousnesse despoyling man of all those sanctifying and saving graces wherewith he was endued in his creation even to the d Luk. 10.30 wounding and weakning the very faculties and powers of his naturall Being What are the Reliques of mans primitive estate in the estate of man fallen In respect of his understanding § 5. So that though there be in man fallen some a Jam. 3.9 Reliques of his primitive estate yet such only as are found with a corrupt being of nature not a spirituall well-being of grace The understanding both in the b Rom. 1.20 21. theoretick and c Rom. 1.32 2.15 practick part hath some glimpses of morall righteousness but not d 1 Cor. 2.13 14. the least light of Evangelical truth The will that as a free faculty retaineth its liberty In respect of his will which it exerciseth in e Gen 13.9 1 Cor. 7.37 John 21.18 naturall and morall actions but through the servitude of sin is wholly disabled as of its self for f Rom. 8.7 Ephes 2.1 2 Cor. 3.5 supernaturall and divine So that though the will is of its selfe g Eph. 4.19 Rom 3.15 freely carried unto the willing what is evil yet being h Rom. 6.16 17 enslav'd unto sin In respect of his conscience doth not of i John 15.5 Phil. 2.13 its selfe move to the willing what is good good k Rom. 8.8 Heb. 11.6 in order to eternall life Yea the conscience though sometimes l Rom. 2.15 awakened yet is it m Tit. 1.15 polluted and the affections and In respect of his affections though n 1 Cor. 5.1 2 Tim. 3.5 restrained from some evils yet are they inordinatly o Rom. 1.28 29 30. carried into other impieties § 6. In man fallen then the soul The soul in mans fall is whole in its naturall essence but spoyld of its spirituall habits Thereby disabled for any spiritual good with its rationall faculties doth remain whole in its naturall essence though it be spoyled of its spirituall habits and being dispoyled of all divinely spirituall habits it becomes disabled for the a Rom. 3.11 Phil. 2.13 Jam. 1.14 apprehending willing and desiring any divinely spirituall good And as the soul hath not lost its faculties so nor have those faculties lost their acts in what is natural moral or artificial but seeing b 1 Cor. 2.14 ignorance hath seized the understanding c Rom. 3.11 12 8.7 perversness the will and d Num. 7.5.23 inordinacy the inferior appetite the understanding will and affections become averse undisposed and altogether e Gen. 6.5 2 Cor. 3.5 Ephes 2.1 2 3. insufficient for what is divine and spirituall § 7. What fredome the will hath lost by the fall and what it retains after the fall Though the will then hath lost its freedome in respect of its a John 8.34 36. Rom. 6.6 7 20. 8.2 2 Pet. 2.19 Jer. 13 23. voluntary servitude unto sin whereby it becomes necessitated so b as to will nothing in spirituals but what is evil yet hath it not lost its freedom in respect of the naturall liberty of its acting so as to be compell'd or necessitated to will this or that evill Indeed seeing to will is an immanent and elicite act for man to lose his liberty were to lose his will to lose his liberty in the exercise of its act What liberty of wil remains in the vilest reprobate or Divell were to lose his will in the faculty of its being This liberty then remains in the will of the vilest reprobate and Divel who can be no longer said to will then they will freely though they doe not thereby will any thing that is good yet have they the faculty
still and freely exercise it in willing what is evill How God doth turn and incline the wills of men § 16. God himself a Prov. 1.21 who as he hath the hearts so hath he the wills of all men in his hands and when he b 1 Kin. 10.26 Jer. 31.18 turns and bends inclines and moves them as he wils without any forcible compelling he doth it not by forcibly compelling but either by c Phil. 2.13 graciously renewing or by d Gen. 9.24 fairly perswading or by e Pro. 21.1 wisely disposing them And this indeed is the wonder of Gods working i Psal 19.7 Jer. 23.29 Jam. 1.18 21. that as a f Psal 115.3 135.6 free Agent he doth freely what he wils yet offers no violence to the wills of men but that in all that they doe will Why the exhortations c. of Gods word are not in vain in respect of the wicked they will freely Yea b Eph. 4.19 1 Tim. 4.2 and from hence it is that the exhortations threatnings and promises of Gods word are not in vain in respect of the wicked being the g Heb. 4.12 appointed means effectuall through the common enlightnings of the Spirit to h Num. 22.18 1 King 21.27 restrain from sin and through the sanctifying power accompanying his word to convert unto righteousness By multiplying his sin man aggravates his punishment and how in spirituals § 9. But man rejecting Gods Word and transgressing his Law doth by his a Lev. 26.18 multiplication of sin beget a further aggravation of punishment in that contracting an habituated custom to an a Lev. 26.18 hardness of heart his soul is inseparably attended with an c Rom. 2.5 Heb. 10.27 utter despair to an horror of conscience And thus man being d Acts 26.18 Eph. 2.2 Col. 1.13 2 Tim. 2.26 subjected to Satans power he is by Satan inslaved unto the e 1 Joh. 2.15.16 John 8.23 Gal. 1.4 world and f John 8.34 Rom. 6.12.16 c. 1 John 3.8 sin and thereby brought under bondage unto g Isai 5.14 Luke 16.23 Rom. 8.15 1 Cor. 15.56 Heb. 2.15 Death and Hell What the corporall death and how begun § 10. This spirituall death which especially seizeth the Soul is inseparably accompanied with corporall death which especially surprizeth the body being begun in a Deut. 28.21 22 27 28. Matth. 9.2 sicknesses and b Gen. 3.16.17 Job 21.17 sorrows c Deut 28.36 4.48 c. servitude and slavery d Gen. 3.19 Eccl. 2.22 23. weariness and toyl e Deut. 28.25 26 53 c. calamities and f Deut. 28.39 40 48 c. wants the very Creatures intended for Mans use being g Gen. 3.17.18 Eccl. 1.2 Rom. 8.22 cursed for Mans sake § 11. How and when finished When death at last doth put a period to mans dayes it doth add a a 1 Cor. 15.42 43. complement of his temporall miseries and begin the anguish of eternall torments The body being laid in a grave of corruption the soul is b Luk. 16.22 23. Luk 12.5 hurried to an hell of perdition where they remain till death spiritual and corporal be swallowed up in death eternall § 12. What the eternall death The dead a Joh. 5.28 29 Acts 24.15 body at the last day being raised from the grave to an immortall death shall by an b Mat. 25.41 irrevocable sentence of the last judgement be c Mat. 10.28 22.13 25.30 Rev. 21.8 cast with the soul into hell the d Luke 16.23 26 1 Pet. 3.19 place and prison of the damned In its punishment of losse and of sense where they shall suffer together an unsufferable and eternall punishment of losse and of sense that privative this positive § 13. The punishment of loss What the punishment of loss is that doth consist in a a Luke 13.27 28 Matth. 22 13 25.41 2 Thes 1.9 totall and finall separation from the b Psal 139.8 Psal 16.11 36.8 9. grâ—cious presence of God and from all the c joy blisse and glory which doth accompany the beatificall vision and full fruition of him § 14. What the punishment of sense is The punishment of sense doth consist especially in that a Isai 66.24 Mark 9.44 worm of an evill conscience which ever gnaweth with uncessant tortures and in that b Mark 9.44 Luke 16.23 24. fire of hellish flames which ever scorcheth with uncessant torments which cause endless easeless and remediless c Luke 13.28 Matth. 13.42 weepings and wailings and gnashings of teeth § 15. This punishment as it is eternall How the punishment of the damned is infinite as well as eternal so it is infinite infinite in respect of that privative part the punishment of loss not in respect of that positive part a Mat. 11.22 24 23.14 15 Luk. 12.47 48 the punishment of sense And therefore in Hell there are different measures of punishment proportionable to the different degrees of sin yet the least measure as it shall be then b Isa 33.14 intollerable so it is now c Matth. 22 13 unconceiveable § 16. That wrath which comes by originall sin is aggravated by mans actuall transsgression The full measure is at the day of judgement and how Thus man having the wrath of God abiding on him for a Rom. 5.18 originall Sin he increaseth his sin and thereby b Rom. 2.5 aggravateth that wrath by his actuall transgression treasuring up to himself wrath against the day of wrath that is the c Jude 6.14 15. day of judgement which shall be at the d Mat 24.3 end of the world to the e John 5.29 finall condemnation f 2 Pet. 2.2 full punishment and g 2 Pet 3.7 utter perdition of the ungodly The estate of man fallen summarily described § 17. Wherefore seeing this is the estate of man fallen a captive to the Prince of darkness sold a Rom. 7.14.23 under the power of sin b Rom. 6.23 Gal. 3.10.23 involv'd in the curs of death c Rom. 3.19 Jer. 7.29 made subject to the judgement of wrath d Rom. 5.18 Mat. 25.41 liable to the condemnation of Hell certain it must needs be No salvation by the law or first covenant of works that by the e Rom. 3.20 Gal. 2.16 3.21 law or first covenant of works no flesh can be saved So that unlesse God in the unsearchable riches of his wisdom unconceivable tenderness of his mercy So that without Redemption by a Mediator Adam and his posterity must inevitably perish in their sin had decreed from all eternity and in fulnness of time wrought recovery and redemption by a f 1 Tim. 2.5.6 Acts 4.12 Mediator Adam and all his posterity must inevitably have perish'd in their sin FINIS