Of the Degrees of ACTUAL SIN.

O much of the Kinds of Actual Sin: The Degrees thereof are next to be confidered. And there are several Degrees of Sin. For all Sins are not equal; but fome are more heinous than others, and deserve heavier Punishment. Tho' all Sins be Breaches of the Law, yet fome are greater Breaches than others: For as the Law hath fome weightier matters, fome Duties more excellent and confiderable than others; fo the Breach of these must needs be more heinous, than Tranfgreffion in leffer matters. The Punishment also that is due to Sin fhall be greater or leffer, according to the Quality of the Sin. Indeed, every Sin deferveth Punifliment extenfively infinite, but not intenfively equal: For it fhall be more tolerable for fome in the Day of Judgment than for others.

AND fome Sins are made more heinous than others by the Circumstances which accompany them. And the Circumftances, whereby Sins are aggravated, are thefe following.

THE First Circumftance aggravating Sin is, The Dignity of the Perfon finning. They that excel Others in Power or Gifts, ought to go before

them

them in Piety and Virtue. And if they tranfgrefs their Duty, their Guilt is the greater: So if Parents give an evil Example, and thereby teach their Children to tranfgrefs, their Sin is the greater by reafon of that Authority and Influence which they have over their Children. And when fuch as excel others in Gifts and Bleffings, do abuse the same by finning, their Wickedness is the more heinous and provoking, because they have more Ability and Encouragement to avoid it.

THE Second Circumftance aggravating Sin is, The Dignity of the Perfon against whom it is done. If a Sin be committed directly against God, it is greater (cateris paribus, if other things be equal) than a Sin committed against Man. And he that defpifeth and contemneth his Parents, and those that have well-deferved of him, finneth more in fo doing, than if he fhewed the fame difrefpect to others. And not only the Dignity, but the Innocency alfo, and Meannefs of the Perfon against whom a Sin is done, increaseth the Guilt of it. So he that robbeth the Poor,and defraudeth the Needy, or oppreffeth the Fatherlefs and Widows, finneth more heinously than if he did the like Injuries to others that are able to defend themselves.

THE Third Circumftance aggravating Sin is, The Matter of the Fact. The greater the Commandment is, the more heinous is the Breach of it. And the more Evil and Mischief is caufed by a Sin, the greater is the Sin. And Sins in Deeds are greater than when they were conceived only in the Heart. And of evil Deeds alfo there are degrees, which arife from the Nature of the things forbidden. So Idolatry and

Perjury

Perjury are greater Sins, than to do fervile Works on the Lord's Day. And a greater Crime it is to take away a Man's Life, than to rob him of his Goods. For every Tranfgreffion is to be judged chiefly by the Nature of the things done, and the evil Effects of them.

THE Fourth Circumftance aggravating Sin is, The Manner of doing it. A Tranfgreffion committed through Infirmity, or fimple Ignorance, is a Sin of the loweft rank; because the Ability to refift it is small. But if we know how to do Good, and do it not, to us it is the more heinous Sin, Fam. iv. 17. And if we do not only know what Sin is, but have alfo Time to confider, and Means to avoid it, and yet we commit it thro' Wilfulness, hereby we contract a greater Guilt. And when we have Space and Grace fufficient to refift Sin, if our Confcience alfo admonisheth and warneth us to avoid it, if then we go against the Dictates of our Confcience, this increafeth the Sin higher. But if we endeavour to ftupify our Confcience, that we may fin the more freely, and fo at length arrive to that Degree of Iniquity, that we tranfgrefs of Malice, and in Contempt of the Divine Law; this aggravates Sin to the highest pitch.

THE Fifth Circumftance aggravating Sin is, The Reiteration of it, and the Continuance in it. The fingle Acts of fome forts of Sins are fo crying, that they are of equal Malignity with finful Habits of an inferiour kind. But the Repetition of any Sin, and the Continuance in it, increafeth the Guilt of it: For Relapfes into the fame Sins do not only contra& the Guilt of fo many more Acts, but every Sin repeated grows fo much more finful and dangerous. But if

a Man

a Man commits Sin fo often and continues fo long in it, 'till he comes to a Cuftom and Habit in finning, his Guilt is increased: And yet of Habits and Cuftoms of Sin, fome are worse than others. For if Men are so hardned in Sin, that they do not only delight therein, but alfo defend it, and glory in their Shame, and endeavour to draw others with them into Destruction, their Guilt is much greater.

THE Sixth Circumftance aggravating Sin is, The Continuance in it after great Mercies received, or under Judgments. Where God hath bestowed his richelt Bleffings, there he expecteth the better Obedience, and the greater Measure of Holiness. And they that receive his Grace in vain, and make the very Bleffings, which they enjoy, an Occafion of finning the more, are utterly inexcufable, and guilty of the more notorious Wickedness. The Continuance alfo in Sin under Judgments, doth much heighten the Guilt of it. The main End of God's fending Judgments on Men is to bring them to Amendment. And when God hath fmitten Men, if instead of turning unto him with humble and penitent Hearts, they grow more obftinate in their Wickednefs, they are then more notoriously guilty.

BUT though there be feveral Degrees of Sin, and some deserve greater Punishment than others, yet all Sins in their own Nature are mortal, and in ftrict Justice oblige the Sinner to Punishment: For the leaft Sin is a Tranfgreffion of the Law; And every Tranfgreffion of the Law deferves the Curfe thereof; For curfed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book

of

of the law to do them, Gal. iii. io. Though fome Sins by the Mercy of God in Chrift be venial to the Penitent; yet there is no Sin in its own Nature venial: But the Law threatneth Death to the least Violation of it. Nay, if fome Sins are fo small, that they do not in Juftice deferve Punishment, then they would be no Sins, nor need Pardon: For that which doth not oblige to Punishment, hath no Guilt; and that which hath no Guilt, is no Sin. Neither can that Sin be faid to be pardoned, which doth not oblige a Man to Punishment. For Pardon is nothing else than the acquiting a Man from the Punishment, which he hath deferved: And therefore every Sin in its own Nature is worthy

of Death.

HE third A&t of Providence concerning Men is, The Punishing them T for the Breach of the Covenant of

Works. And the Punishment due

to the Breach of the Law is Death and Mifery both in this World, and in the

next.

THE Punishment due to Sin in this World is either Spiritual or Corporal.

THE