A25466:921
Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /
Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume / by several ministers in and about London, preached in October, 1689.
London: printed by James Astwood for John Dunton, 1690
Sermon 11: Quest. How is Sin the most formidable Evil? SERMON XI.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. The end of giving the Law. God was pleased upon Mans creation, by an illustrious revelation to show him his duty, to write his Law in his Heart, that he might not take one step out of the circle of its precepts, and immediately sin and perish. His gracious design was to keep Man in his love; that from the obedience of the reasonable creature, the divine goodness might take its rise to reward him. This unfeigned and excellent goodness, the sinner outrageously despises: for what greater contempt can be expressed against a written Law, than the tearing it in pieces, and trampling it underfoot? And this constructively the sinner does to the Law of God, which contempt extends to the gracious giver of it.1 Thus the Commandment that was ordained unto Life, by sin was found unto Death.
2. The end of giving the Law. God was pleas'd upon Mans creation, by an illustrious revelation to shew him his duty, to write his Law in his Heart, that he might not take one step out of the circle of its precepts, and immediately sin and perish. His gracious design was to keep Man in his love; that from the obedience of the reasonable creature, the divine goodness might take its rise to reward him. This unfeined and excellent goodness, the sinner outragiously despises: for what greater contempt can be exprest against a written Law, than the tearing it in pieces, and trampling it underfoot? And this constructively the sinner does to the Law of God, which contempt extends to the gracious giver of it.1 Thus the Commandment that was ordain'd unto Life, by sin was found unto Death.
3. Sin is an extreme vilifying of Gods goodness, in preferring carnal pleasures to his favour, and Communion with him, wherein the life, the felicity, the heaven of the reasonable creature consists. God is infinite in all possible perfections, all-sufficient to make us completely and eternally happy: he disdains to have any competitor and requires to be supreme in our esteem and affections: the reason of this is so evident by Divine and Natural light, that 'tis needless to spend many words about it. 'Tis an observation of St. Austin