338 Sins Stipend, and Sin infinite three wages. r. fn reipeft of the obicft. z.The fubicft. The fInncrs defile. Vfe r. Original luit a fin. Ea le. ¢Jfe z. Confutation, no fin in it (cif venial. t Job I. q. Sins enottal, and venial how. a61, andas it is a tranfcient a&ion it is finite, yet in other refpe&s it is infinite, and that in a threefold confideration. Firft,in refpe&of the objeet againft whom it is committed;forbeing the offence ofan infinite Majefly,it deferves an infinite punifhment : fos.we know offences are reckoned of for their greatnefs, according as the greatnefs of the perfon is, againft whom they are committed. If he that clips the Kings coyo, or deface theKings Arms,' or counterfeitthe broad Seal ofEngland, or the PrincesprivySeal, ought to die as a traytor,becaufe this difgrace tends to the perfonof the Prince, much more oughthe that violates the lawof God, die, the firft andfeconddeath ton, becaufe it tends to thedefacing of theImage,and the difgracing of the perfon of God himfelf, who is contemnedand difhonoured in every fin. Secondly, fin is infinite in refpe&of the fubje&wherein it is, the foul ofman. Seeing thefoulis immortal, andofaneverlaftingfubifance, and that the guilt offin, anctthéablot together (fain the foul, as a crimfon, and skarlet die upon wools: and canno more be feveredfrom the foul than the fpots from the Leopard it remains as the foul is eternal, and asthat is everlafting, fo fin is infinite in durance, andcon= tinuance,and deferves an infinite wages,andpunifb ment,which iseternaldeath: Thirdly, it is infinite alfo in refpe&of the tie, between the &fire, and endeavour ofan impenitent finner r for his delireistowalkonflillinfin,and except God çutoff the line of life, never to give over finning t but hewould run on infinitely, commit- ting fin, even withgreedinefr. And it is reafon that as God accepts the willfor the dentingodlincfs,fohe fhould punifh the wilt for thedeed inwickednefs: ifwe fin according to our eternity inour will and purpofe to fin, God will punifh us accord- ing to his eternity : it is jnft, that they that would never be without fin ( if they might have their own will ) fhould never be without punifhment. Thus we fee eternal death is the stagesoffin, though fin be emir-flitted in amoment, though it be a tranfcient a&ion in it f lf, yet it is juft with God togive it the wagesof eternal death. So you fee Death, both temporal and eternal is the wages affix, We come to theüfe of the point, being thus declared. Firft, it tcacheth us (contrary to the Doftrineof the ChurchofXome) that ori- ginal tuft, andconcupifcence inthe regenerate is a fin r for howelfe fhouldGod be juft,in infliaing tempt/tar deathUpon infants that are regenerate? a&uaffrns they have none;. and ifthey.have nooriginal fin neither, thenGod fhould infli& thewa- gea offzn,where there were no fm,which cannotbe,betaufe there is no iniquitywith God. Therefore certain it is, that afterregeneration, this original Id}, though the guilt ofit be taken away,yet isfin it remain's,the fubftance ofit ftill remains,and will as tongas we live in this world. For it is in us, as it is well compared, asthe Ivy is in thmarl, which having taken root fo twines,and incorporates it felf,that it canne- ver'bequite rooted out till the wall be taken down : fo, till bodyand'foulbe taken afunder by death, therewill be no toral riddance ofOriginalcorruption, and the de- pravation ofour nature, it is Hill in us, as appears by the temporal death, even of the heft Saints, ofthole that are molffan&ified in this life, it thews there isremainders ofcorruption inthena ftill : for ifthere were not fin, there would not bribewages of (tn: there wouldnot be death,iftherewere not fin. Secondly, the üfe of it isto take away a fond Popish diflin&ion of mortal, and venialfin : they teach fome fins to be venial ; that is, loch fins as in their own na- ture deferve not death, whereas the Apoftle here (peaking ofall fin in general, he faith, the wages thereof is death. And how can it be otherwife when aft; is the tranforeonof the Law, and Saint John defines it, and all tranfgreilion of the Law defeives,andis worthy of the curfe,which isboth thefirft and feconddeath, forCisr- fed is every one that continrs'etb not in allthings that arewritten in thebookofthe Law to do them. There is no fin then,but it is worthy,of death, therefore there is no inch venial fin as they dream of. We deny not, but that fome fins are venial, and fame mortal in another fence, not in refpe&ofthe natureof the fin, but of the efface ofthe perfon inwhom the fins are ; fowe fay all the fins of theEle& are venial, becaufe they either are or(hall, be pardoned. And all the fans of reprobate perlons are mortal, becaufe they(halli never!i
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