A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

JOB 15. 16. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

The last particular to be treated upon concerning original sin, is the immediate effects thereof, which we now come to discover; and whereas they are many, some general and some particular, as the pains inflicted upon women▪ in child-bearing; the general are the curses that are brought upon the whole world, and every part thereof. I shall limit my self only to those that belong to mankind, and are inseparably annexed to every individium herein: Now these effects they are either spiritual or temporal.

THe last particular to be treated upon concerning original sinne, is the immediate effects thereof, which we now come to discover; and whereas they are many, some general and some particular, as the paines inflicted upon women▪ in child-bearing; the general are the curses that are brought upon the whole world, and every part thereof. I shall limit my self only to those that belong to mankind, and are inseparably annexed to every individium herein: Now these effects they are either spiritual or temporal.

I shall begin with the spiritual, and first pitch upon that propensity and vehement inclination which is in every one by nature to sin: This plainly demonstrateth there is a sinful and corrupted principle within, else all mankind would not be so prone and inclining to evil as they are, and this Text will abundantly confirm us of the ready and delightful propensity that is in every man (none exempted) to that which is evil; They are the words of Eliphaz one of Job's friends, who taketh an Argument from this proneness in mans nature to sin to humble Job, and to make him more patiently silent under Gods heavy hand upon him. Job indeed acknowledgeth this very truth, Chap 14. 4. and doth from thence debase himself under Gods dealings with him, but Eliphaz repeateth this again, either because the most holy that are, though they sometimes affect their hearts with divine truths, and do make a blessed improvement of them, yet at other times when the temptation is violent, they need to have the same truths suggested to them again by others, or else though Job was convinced, that man being thus unclean, he might well be moral, and subject to diseases, yet happily he did not see the righteousness of God, in inflicting extraordinary judgements such as his were upon a godly man, delivered from the dominion of this original pollution, and walking with all integrity of heart, as Job was persuaded he did. Eliphaz therefore maketh use of this Truth about mans sinfulness, still to bring Job lower in his own eyes, and to make him exalt God, and indeed there is no truth so greatly accommodated to bring a man off, yea though godly in an high degree from all self-confidence, as also all repinings and murmuring under the severity of God, as this about original sin. Now Eliphaz to aggravate this the more, doth at the 14. Verse speak interrogatively: What is man that he should be clean? and then exegetically explaining this he addeth, and he that is born of a woman that he should be righteous: So that by cleanness is meant righteousness, and there is also the reason given why none is righteous, even because born of a woman; So that it is plain all this sinfulness cometh by natural descendency from our parents.