Chap. 31 Eightly, sin is a greater evil to man than affliction, because it's that which put the crea
had brought guilt upon his spirit, then David was quickly cooled; and upon any occasion of trouble, David was quickly frightened.
This is a seventh thing wherein sin appears to be a greater and more evil thing than affliction, because it makes the soul guilty before God.
CHAP. XXXI.
Eighthly, sin is a greater evil to man than affliction, because it's that which put the creature under the Sentence of Condemnation.
Eighthly, sin is a greater evil than affliction, Because it is that which puts the creature under the Sentence of Condemnation, and so makes more against the good of man than any affliction can do. For a poor creature to see himself stand before the great Judge of all the world, and have the Sentence of Condemnation come out against him. This is a greater evil than to have any affliction that all the creatures of Heaven and Earth could bring upon him.
As now, take a Malefactor that is to stand before Mans Judgment Seat, and to receive Sentence of Condemnation; is not this a greater evil unto him than if he should hear of loss in his estate, than if he had sickness in his body, any pain in his limbs; to stand thus to receive the Sentence, he looks upon it as a greater evil than possibly can befall him in this world otherwise. But then, when the soul shall see it self stand before the infinite glorious, eternal first-Being of all things, and looks upon God sitting upon his Tribunal passing
Sentence of Eternal Death upon him; this is another manner of evil than any affliction and suffering that can befall him.
But now, know there is not any one sin that thou committest (but if you look upon it as in it self) God sits, I say, upon his Throne, and passes Sentence of death upon thee for it as really as ever he will do at the great day of Judgment; it is done now as really and as truly in this world as ever it shall be at the day of Judgment, only here is the difference, then it is irrecoverable; nay, shall I say it cannot be recalled here; no certainly it shall not, only it may be transmitted to Christ, he must bear it, he must have the sentence; so that it is not properly recalled, God does not as a Judge that passes Sentence, and afterward nullifies it: no, but God passes Sentence and condemns the sinner; only Christ comes in and takes the Sentence upon himself; so that the Sentence goeth on still, only it is transferred from one person to another; Christ comes in, and he puts on the Sentence of Condemnation for thee that hast it passed against thee, so that the Sentence is not properly nullified, but transferred to Christ.
Ecclesiastes. 8. 11. says, Because Sentence against an evil Work is not speedily executed, therefore the heart of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil. (Mark) the sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed: so that it appears there is a sentence against every evil work: The sentence is out brethren; thou goest and art drunk, or to the commission of such a sin, I say, presently the sentence of death is clapped upon thee, the sentence is out against all sinners.
You see men go on and live in prosperity a great while in the world; but they be under the Sentence all the while, sin is not removed by the blood of Christ, and all the comforts (I beseech you observe that) that any man or woman have in the world that are in their natural condition, and are not delivered from condemnation by Christ, they are all but just as meat and drink, and some refreshments that are granted to a condemned Malefactor before Execution.
Suppose a malefactor is condemned, but now Execution is not till two or three days after; in that space of time he has granted unto him liberty to have meat and drink, and friends come to him, and he may refresh himself in those two or three days; but he has forfeited all his Estate, and the tenure now upon which he holds any comfort, it is not the same which he had before, but merely through the bounty of the Prince it is that he has comforts.
So here, wicked men have committed sin, and the sentence of death is out against them, and they have forfeited all the comforts of their estates, and of their lives, only God in patience grants unto them some outward comforts here a few days before Execution; and upon this tenure do all wicked men hold their Estates: I will not say that every wicked man is an usurper of their estates, as some perhaps have held, that they have no right at all before God; some right he has, as you cannot say a Malefactor has no right (when he is condemned) to meat and drink before Execution; he has right to what is given to him of donation and bounty, but not that right which he had before:
So I say, for wicked men that have estates in this world, they have a kind of right to that they have; but how? Just that right that a condemned man has to his dinner or supper before Execution; this is the right of wicked men to their Estates; that is, God of his bounty grants a little while before Execution they shall have a few comforts to them in this world: And this is the evil of sin, and the least sin, there is not any one sin, but the fruit of it is Condemnation. And Brethren, you must not mistake, to think that wicked men are never condemned until they come before God in the day of Judgment; they be condemned here, mark that, John, 3. 18. He that believes not is condemned already: now condemned, not hereafter, but a condemned man already: this is a sad condition indeed.
If a man had the Sentence of death so past that the whole Parliament could not help him, you would think that man in a sad condition. Now let me speak it, and God speaks it to the conscience