2. By committing what God hath forbidden, or breaking through the restraints God hath laid upon us, in worshipping idols, or satisfying our revenge, or fulfilling our lusts. The first sin was eating the for- bidden fruit ; and the decalogue consists rather of prohibitions than precepts, to meet with the corrupt nature of man. God doth as it were in his law cry to us, ' Oh, do not this abominable thing which I hate ! ' Jer. xliv. 4. He hath hedged up our way, and yet we break through. If you ask which is the worst of these two, sins of omission against the affirmative, or commission against the negative command- ments ? I answer — In some cases the one, in some the other. Sins of commission are usually more foul and scandalous, but sins of omission, especially total neglects of necessary duties, are more dangerous. Sins of commission, when they break out into shameful acts, scourge the conscience with remorse and horror ; but sins of omission bring an insensible slightness, carelessness, and hardness of heart. Our mischief cometh by neglecting what should keep religion alive in our souls. But now sins of commission may be acted in thought, word, and deed ; for the whole man falleth under the law of God. These three ways of sinning are implied in Prov. viii. 13, ' Pride and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth.'
[1.] Thoughts are not free ; the workings of the heart fall under a law : ' The thought of foolishness is sin ; ' Ps. cxix. 113, ' I hate vain thoughts, but thy law do I love.' Mark, he inferreth his hatred of vain thoughts out of his love to the law. Thoughts and desires are con- demned by the law of God, as well as more perfect operations.
VEPw. 4] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 495
[2.] Words also fall under the law, and we are to give an account thereof in the judgment: Mat. xii. 36, 'Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment;' James ii. 12, 'So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.' Then the judgment is carried on according to law.
[3.] Evil actions, that break out into the conversation, are consum- mate sins : James i. 15, ' Lust, when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin.' These being more deliberate, argue greater boldness and con- tempt of God, bring scandal and dishonour to his name, and convey the taint and contagion of an evil example to others. It is ill to have a fire kindled in our bosoms, but it is worse when the sparks of sin fly abroad. These acts of sin are either secret, done between God and us, without the privity of any others than the sinning parties ; these are an affront to God's omnipotency, because they put more respect upon men than God, which is palliated atheism : Jer. ii. 26, ' A thief is ashamed when he is found ; ' Job xxiv. 15, ' The adulterer waiteth for the twi- light ; no eye shall see me ; and disguiseth his face.' To be unjust in secret, unclean in secret, malicious, sensual, voluptuous ; art thou afraid men should know it, and not afraid God should know it ? Open sin, when in defiance of all that is good and holy, men will commit, and are not ashamed of it ; as Absalom lay with his father's concu- bines in the sight of all Israel : Isa. iii. 9, ' They declare their sin as Sodom, and hide it not.' This is to enter into an open war and defiance against God.
III. That those that live in sin, or any allowed breach of this law, are still under the curse of it, and cannot look upon themselves as God's adopted children ; for he that breaketh the law is opposed to those whom the Father hath loved with so great love, as to take them into his family, and to acknowledge them for his children.
To clear this to you —
1. It is certain that when we come to take the law out of the hand of a redeemer, we are all sinners and transgressors before God. When we first received the law out of the hand of a creator, we were pure and upright, had no former faults to be pardoned, but were as the creation had left us ; but now we have a mountain of guilt upon our backs when we are called upon to submit to the kingdom of the Mediator ; therefore we come to him as one that will pay our debts, and discharge us of this heavy load, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear : Ps. cxxx. 4, ' There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared;' Mat. xi. 28, ' Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and ye shall find rest for your souls.' Pardon, rest, and ease for your burdened souls, is our first invitation ; for alas ! we are all sinners and transgressors.
2. Though God findeth us sinners, and we apprehend ourselves to be so, yet when he taketh us into his family, he doth not leave us so ; but on God's part regeneration maketh way for adoption : John i. 12, 13, ' But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name ; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' And regeneration doth fit us for obedience to the law, as was said before ; for it is a writing his law on our minds, and a putting