Sin is contrary to the nature of God. God’s name is holy, and as his name is, so is he and his nature, all holy; he is so, and cannot but be so. Therefore God takes it worse that men should think him wicked like themselves (Psalm 50.I6-22), than that they think him not to exist (Psalm 14.1). It is said to weary him when men say that evil is good in his sight (Malachi 2.17). This is the thing God glories in, that he is holy, even glorious in holiness (Exodus 15.11).
Holiness is the attribute which frees God, not only from evil itself, but from all appearance or suspicion of evil. If God were not holy, many of the things which God does would look unlike him: his justice and judgments would look not only like severity, but tyranny, were not it and they holy; his love in its conduct and behaviour to some people would look like fondness and respect of persons, but that it is holy; his patience would look like a toleration, if not approbation of sin, but that it is holy patience. Thus many acts of God, were it not for holiness, would appear as seemingly evil as they are really good, and would be as much suspected by all, as they are unjustly censured by some.
God is holy, without spot or blemish, or any such thing, without any wrinkle, or anything like it, as they also that are in Christ shall one day be (Ephesians 5.27). He is so holy, that he cannot sin himself, nor be the cause or author of sin in another. He does not command sin to be committed, for to do so would be to cross his nature and will. Nor does he approve of any man’s sin, when it is committed, but hates it with a perfect hatred. He is without iniquity, and of purer eyes than to behold (i.e. approve) iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13).
CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION
WHAT SIN IS
THE SINFULNESS OF SIN
- Sin's Contrariety to God
- Sin's Contrariety to Man
- Sin is Against Man's Present Good, in this Life
- Man’s folly is shown to be great in three ways
- Examples of man’s folly
- Sin is Against the Good of Man in the Life to Come
- Damnation
- Objections
- The Torments of Hell
- the Devil, conscience, and God
THE WITNESSES AGAINST SIN
- God himself bears Witness Against Sin
- Angels Bear Witness Against Sin
- The Witness of Men - The Whole Creation Witnesses Against Sin
- The Law Witnesses Against and Condemns Sin
- The Gospel Also Bears Witness Against and Condemns Sin
- The Witness of Sin Itself
- Objection
- To Conclude
APPLICATION AND USEFULNESS OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE PLAGUE OF PLAGUES
- Sin is the Worst of Evils
- Inferences From the Sinfulness of Sin Against God
- inferences from the Contrariety of Sin to the Good of Man
- Exhortation and Counsel
CONCLUSION
