An Expofition of the Epifile --:~:::-:-:--',5:-J~ them up in their Converfion, the fame that,raifed up Jefus Chrifl:, as appears by ~ the Coherence both in the sth.Yerfe following, and in the 19th Verfe of the former Chapter. . Now when it is faid, they were dead in Sim a11d TrefPaJJes, there is this Qyefl:ion moved by Interpreters: What di!l:infrion there is between Sins and T>·ejp.1fes? Or whether actual Sins only, or Corruption of Nature be alfo meant ? Zrmchy upon the place, faith, .A,7ual Sins are 011/y meant: And his Rea[ons are thefe : Firfl, becallft, faith he, the word 7flXe;i-1f1wp.«a~, which i< tranjlated Trefpafles, it doth jig11ify al1ual Sins, Manu aberrare, to err with ones hand in wor/;jng, or the lik.§. Secolld/y; Bewtft in the ftcond Verft it i< foid, In which ye walked : Now yo11 do not walk_ in Original Sin, b11t in At1ual Sill, f.1ith he. And his third Rea[on is, Becauft it is faid, Sins and Trefpaffes, in the Pl11ral, whereas Origillal Sin is OllC great Sin. But to me it feems, (I fhall give but my Judgment in it,) that both are meant, and my Reafons are thefe: (I fhall'anfwer his by and by.) . Firfl ; From the Coherence; for the Death here mull: needs anfwer to the Qg_ickning, Now the Qyickning,_ it is the infuGon of a new Habit, a new Spirit of L1fe; therefore the Death of Sm mufl: needs be m refpefr of Corruotion, and the Power ofSin in a Ma_n. Sin is oppoGte to that new Life, as a Death, which not only was traduced from Adam, but is encreafed by every afrual Sin ; every actual Sin makes a Man anew a dead Man, in refpefr of the Power of it, I mean one that is in an unregenerate condition, for I [peak of fuch a l\1an. Secondly ; Tha~ Ori)Sinal Sin is meant and !mended, appears by that in Go/off. 2. 12. (winch Ep1!1:le mterprets thts,) where he Guth, they were dead in the Vn– cirwmcifton tif the Flefo. And then, Thirdly; As in verf. 3· he faith, they were Children of Wrath by Na– tllre; fo when he faith in this firfl: Verfe, they ••ere dead in Sins and Trejpaljes, his meaning is, in refpefr of their Natures alfo. And then again: If that .afrual Sins were only meant, I do not fee how the Power of Sin here at all fhould be intended, which yet it is evident is princi– pally intended, becau[e it is oppofed to a fpiritual Life infu[ed into the Soul. Now to anfwer his Reafons: He faith, In which J' walkgd, therefore afrual Sins are intended. It is true, they are, but not only: that makes, that actual Sins are intended ; but other things make, that Original Sin, or Corruption of Nature is intended. Secondly ; Whereas he faith, That the Word tranjlated Trefpaffes, jignifies aaual Sills only; yet let me add this: In 'I?!m. 5· 17. there [peaking of Adam's Sin, he calls it, T~ 7flXe;i-"T.:St-<.om, that Sin which we are all gnilty of, Original Sin. No Author ufeth this word, """-e:f."Twp.rx, for Sin, but only the Scripture ; and as I take it, the fir!l: time the Scripture ufeth it, it is applying it unto .Adam's Sin. It Ggnifics a Fall properly, as Come would have it, or an Aberration with the hand, for the Derivation may be from both. Hence you call it Adam's Fall. And then, whereas he faith, It is Sins in the Plural, therefore not Original Sin: I anfwer, That Original Sin is Sins, in the Plural ; for Original Sin, and the Corruption of Nature, bath all Sins in it, it is the Guilt of Adam's Sins, and it is the Guilt of a Body of Sin, [o it is called, 'I?!m. 7. And if the firfl: word, tranl1ated Trefoa.Jfes, fhould be only meant of afrual Sins; yet notwithfl:anding, the word tranflated Sins, is general, and will include both. So much for the clearing of that. I gave an Obfervation or two the lafr day. One was this, That the Soul could die by nothing but by Sin. I will not enlarge upon that. Satan himfelf could not kill it; only it was in Man's Will, to Gn againfr God, and fo to kill himlelf. It was, and is Sclf-murther in every Man, which of all Sins elfe is accounted the grcatefr, next that ofthe Sin againfl: the Hoi~-Ghof1:_, as certai~ly it is the greatefl: Sin that can be committed: yet every Man klileth h1mfelf fpmtually, when ever he linnetl1. . • And then again, the [econd thing I obferved was this, That in every Sin (in a M..n's nat11ral Eftate) there is a kJ!ling Virtue. He cloth not fay, Dead iJJ Srn; but
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