442 REIN AND RECOVERY, &C. carnal mind, the law of sin, and the law in the members. The same disorder in the actions of life makes them be called sins, abominations, iniquity, wickedness, evilworks or ways, 8fc. I add yet further, sinconsidered as areal evil, and a disorder of heart and life, hath its natural effects and consequences following it, such as painor anguish of conscience, self -vexation, shame, &c. Secondly, Let us consider the relative evil of sin. This consists more particularly in its respect to the governing authority and law of God ; it is acontrariety to the precepts of that law, partly in the very principles and habits of the soul, as well as in the actions of life*. But as this relative evil chieflybelongs to sin- ful actions, it is more properly an actual opposition to, or viola- tion of God's righteous law, awl so it subjects the sinner to the punishment which that law threatenst. The terms of nnrighte- ousness, disobedience, trespass and transgression are sometimes applied to this relative evil of sin in the actions of life in scrip- ture, or more properly it is called guilt, or guiltinessbeforeGod, and it signifies our liableness to punishment because of sin. As the real evil of sin hath its natural effects and consequences on the sinner ; so the punishment which the law threatensmay be called the legal consequences of sin, and includes pain, misery, or death, inflicted upon sinners. Again, as the relative evil of sin is removed by pardon through the atonement of Christ, so the real evil ofit is removed by sanctification by the Holy Spirit. The first changes our condemned state into reconciliation with God ; the last changesour sinful nature and temper intp the image of God and holiness. Perhaps some person may object against this scheme, and say all the evil that is in sin is relative, for the mere natural action abstracted from all its relations bath no real evil in it ; therefore this distribution of the relative and real evil of sin is not just and proper. I answer, Sinconsidered as It badprinciple in the soul, or as a bad action in life, is indeed a real evil, for it hails Manypositive evil qualities and natural evil effects, whichall man- kind know and feel, and which are too many to be reckoned up but the abstract idea of singor rather the sinfulnessof any action, is granted to he relative, because it consists in a want of con- formity to the law of nod. I grant also that sin may in some sense be called a relative evil, because it bears a contrariety to the image of God, as well as it consists in acontrariety of the law of * The apostle John describes it thus ; John iii. 4. n oaoema sç,y s cont.ua, sin ìr unlawfulness, whidh our translators have called the'lransgression of the law.' t I say, the relative evil of sin belongs chiefly to sinful actions, rather than to the habits and principles of sin in the soul, because I take the evil inclinations of the heart prompting us to 'act contrary to the law of God, and to be part of the rest evil of sin t And besides I dó not remember the word guilt, which is the proper relative evil of sin, it ever in scripture ascribed to the habit' or 'principle of sin withoat the act.
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