Chap. 40 sin is opposite to all good, and therefore a greater evil than any affliction
my sins this day have got a blow; this sin of mine that has done me so much hurt, and so pestered me, and so hindered my peace and comfort, blessed be God this day it has got a blow.
Thus we should do because sin makes so much against our selves.
And thus we have finished the Two First Heads of sins being against God, and against our selves. Now there be Four more.
THE THIRD PART OF THIS TREATISE.
CHAP. XL.
Sin is opposite to all Good, and therefore a greater evil than any affliction, opened in five things: 1 sin take away the Excellency of all things: 2
It brings a Curse upon all: 3 sin is a burden to Heaven and Earth, and all creatures: 4 sin turn the greatest Good into the greatest Evil:
5 sin (if let alone) would bring all things to confusion.
Thirdly, sin is opposite to all Good in General. sin is opposite to God, and to our selves; and I say in the third place, It's against all kind of Good, and therefore a greater evil than any affliction: Now for that there be five things to be opened: only in the general, take this sure Rule, There must needs be more evil in sin than in any affliction, because there is no other evil, but is opposite to some particular good; an affliction is opposite to the particular good contrary to that affliction: but sin is opposite to every good; not only is sin opposite to the contrary virtue, but it is opposite to every good, so Divinity teaches us; though Heathens in Morality teaches, that one sin is opposite to the contrary virtue, but Divinity teaches,
that one sin is opposite to every Virtue, and every Good: which appears in Five things.
First, sin spoils all good, takes away the beauty and excellency of all Good whatsoever: It may be said of any thing that has an Excellency when sin comes, as its said of Reuben, Gen. 49. 4. His Excellency is gone, is departed, he shall not excel: therefore Rom. 8. 20. it is said
(through the sin of man) All creatures be subject to vanity, the whole world is put under vanity through mans sin. Now then it appears by that, that the lustre, and beauty, and excellency of glory of all things in this world, are spoiled by the sin of man, for all is put under vanity by sin; and sin not only makes the heart vain, and so is against our selves, but all things in the world is put under vanity by sin; the excellency of thy estate, of thy parts, the excellency of any creature thou doest enjoy, all is spoiled through sin: therefore Tit.
1. 15. it is said, All things be unclean to the sinner: said he, To him that is unclean, al things are unclean. This is the first, Your sin is opposite to al Good, spoils al Good.
Secondly, sin brings a curse upon all: I opened before how it puts man under a curse; but now I am to shew how it brings a curse upon the whole world, Gen. 3. Cursed shall the Earth be for thy sake; and so by the same reason upon the whole world that thou hast to do withal: not only the sinner, but through mans sin the world is under a curse; and therefore it is a most dangerous thing for any man or woman to seek after happiness in the things of the world, when as the whole world is under a curse, and wilt thou seek thy happiness in that which is under a curse? no marvel though the Devil himself be called the god of this world; why? because the world is accursed through the sin of man: sin brings a curse upon the whole world.
Thirdly, sin is a burden to Heaven and Earth, to all creatures: Rom.
8. 22. The whole creation groans and travels in pain to be delivered, and that through the sin of man. Now what is the evil of sin, when it is so weighty, that it makes the whole frame of Heaven and Earth to
groan to bear the burden of it? It may be thy sin is light to thy Soul, thou carriest it lightly, but as light as it is to thee, it is such a heavy burden to Heaven and Earth, and the whole Frame of the Creation, that if God did not hold it by his mighty Power, it would make it not only shake, but fall down.
Fourthly, sin turns the greatest Good into the greatest evil, therefore opposite to all Good. As thus, Take the greatest good of man in prosperity: the more prosperity thou hast, though a fruit of God's Bounty, yet thy sin turns it to the greatest evil to thee: As if Poison get in Wine, it works more strongly than in Water: so sin in a prosperous Estate, usually works more strongly to turn it to a greater evil, than sin in a lower Estate. Poor men by sin, have their
Water poisoned; and rich men by sin, have their wine poisoned:
Now poisoned wine has more strength than poisoned water. And it turns not only prosperity, but the best means, not only the means of grace, but the better any means is thou enjoyest, the more evil it is turned into to thee, except the means take away the sinfulness of thy heart: if thou retainest the sinfulness of thy heart, the more powerful Sermons thou hearest, and the more glorious truths laid open, the worse will be thy condition, and thou wilt one day curse the time that ever thou hadst such means.
Yea, sin turns God to be the greatest evil, and makes him the greatest evil in all his Attributes: And Christ himself (though infinitely good) to be the greatest evil: Christ is a stumbling stone to wicked men, and laid by God a stumbling stone: what! Christ the precious Corner stone, that has infinite treasures of all excellency, in whom the fullness of the God head dwells bodily, yet this Christ a stumbling stone, and the greatest evil through sin to wicked men; so that one day they will curse the time that ever they heard of Christ.
So sin is opposite to all good, because it turns the greatest good to the greatest evil.
Fifthly, and Lastly, sin is the greatest evil, Because if let alone, it would bring all things to Confusion: Therefore it is said, by Christ
all things subsists; were it not for Christ who sets himself against the evil of sin, al things would be brought to Confusion: 1 Joh. 5. 19.
The whole world lies in wickedness: Just as a Carrion lies in slime and filth, and there rots; so the whole world would be in the same case that the Carrion is that lies in filth and brought to confusion.Were it not that God has his number of elect, and they keep the world from confusion.
Now put all these together, sin spoils all, brings a Curse upon all, is a burden to heaven and earth, turns the greatest good to the greatest evil, and would bring all things to Confusion if let alone: This is the evil of sin in Opposition to all good.
There be but Three more, and they be, 1 To shew how sin is the evil of all evils whatsoever. 2 has a kind of infiniteness in it. And, 3 It has Reference to the Devil: But these I cannot come to in this
Chapter, but shall in the following to conclude all; much you have read of the evil of sin, and how it is above all afflictions; afflictions are of a lower nature: Oh Brethren, This is that we should seek for and prize, to enjoy those means, that may lessen sin, and oppose wickedness among us: And of all others these be the two great means to crush sin, and bring down, or make it less in all places; the great Ordinance of the Magistracy, and the great Ordinance of the Ministry.
Now (as I told you before) reproach has come to our nation through sin, and from whence is it sin has grown to that height it has, but because there has been corruption in both, great Corruption in Magistracy, and Ministry, among us.
As we read of Dan and Bethel, two Calves set up there: Dan signifies Judgement; and Bethel The house of God. So there was great
Corruption in Dan and Bethel places of Judgement Magistracy, and Bethel the house of God in the Ministry.
Now it has pleased God of late, to begin to be merciful to us, this way; through that great Ordinance of good, he has appointed for us,
The Assembly of Parliament, to purge both Dan and Bethel, Magistracy, and Ministry, to cast out Corruption from places of Judgement, and the House of God. And as we are to bless God for this; so we are to further this work of theirs, and stand by them to the utmost that we are able in all good ways those Worthies of God in that great Assembly for the finishing of that Work which they have begun: and that our sins and wickedness may be done away from among us.
And for that which has been done, certainly God has received much praise, and we have cause to bless God for it. And those that have gone on in a good way according to what the Law does permit them they are to be encouraged. And in a more especial manner, you that be the especial means of good to this Land, I mean in regard of Safety, and your employment; the Mariners, in whom much of the Strength of this Nation consists, for our Walls be Water and Wooden Walls: Seas and Ships be the Walls of this Land, and therefore much of the Good, and of the Safety, and Prosperity of this State depends upon those.
And if God stir up their hearts to the maintenance of their Protestation, and Parliament, and Liberties, and to set themselves against Popery and Superstition, and to encourage the Parliament in their good way; this is that we be to bless God for, and encourage you in.
We read in Judges 5. several Tribes when the People of God were in straits, would not go up but had many excuses: others did go to help in the Cause of God, Judg. 5. 14. See how many excuse themselves, but especially in the 16. Vers. Why abidest thou among the Sheepfolds to hear the bleatings of the flocks? Oh Ruben said, We must not leave House and Cattle, we must not go out: And Gilead abode beyond Jordan; and Dan abode in Ships; some think Dan did not live near the Sea, but thought they ran to Ships and abode there:
And Asher continued by the Sea shore, and abode in his Breaches:
He pleads thus, We must continue our business, in making Fences against the Sea; we have many Breaches, and we must continue there and look to our business. But Zebulon and Naphtali they jeopardized their lives to the death in the high places of the field.
Who be those two Zebulon and Naphtali that were full of courage and zeal, when others were-full of Pleas and would not venture their lives? Who be these that ventured their lives? These two were the especial Tribes of Mariners that were forward rather than others.
That these were Mariners appears Matt. 4. 15. The Land of Zebulon and Nephtali by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan these that lived by the Sea. Others would not stir that lived by the Sea, but Zebulon and Nephtali, these jeopardied their lives.
Now mark, God seems to remember this: they did not jeopard themselves in a good Cause in vain: God remembers it many hundred years after. When Christ comes, the first Tribes that seem to be enlightened were these; the people that sate in darkness saw a great light, and to them that sate in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up: they sate in darkness, a company of poor
Mariners, exceeding ignorant of the ways of God; and Christ comes first to them, and brings light to them.
It may be God might aim to shew Mercy to these Tribes the rather for this that they did in appearing in a good Cause, though it were with jeopardy to themselves. So go you on, and in a good Cause appear and venture yourselves to assist these Worthies of ours in whom so much of our good consists, and God will remember this in Spiritual Mercies.
Would you have the means of Grace continued, and the means of Light come to them that sit in darkness; if you would have the blessing of Zebulon and Nephtali, then be Zebulon's and Nephtalies to go out, whatsoever excuses others have, and jeopard yourselves for the good, of this Common-wealth.