A body of divinity by Thomas Watson (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read '4. Original sin' and '5. Man's misery by the fall'.
(i) in original sin there is something privative (we have lost that excellent quintessential frame of soul which we once had) and positive (original sin has contaminated and defiled our virgin nature);
(ii) the nature of original sin is universal, adhering, retarding and breaking forth unexpectedly.
Secondly we read about man's misery from the fall. The misery is:
(i) privative (we have lost communion with God);
(ii) positive (we are under the power of Satan, heirs of God's wrath, subject to all the miseries of this life, exposed to hell and damnation).
I appreciated Watson's comments about original sin's contamination of even our good works: 'Original sin mixes and incorporates itself with our duties and graces. (1.) With our duties. As the hand which is paralytic or palsied cannot move without shaking, as wanting some inward strength; so we cannot do any holy action without sinning, as wanting a principle of original righteousness. As whatever the leper touched became unclean; such a leprosy is original sin; it defiles our prayers and tears. We cannot write without blotting. Though I do not say that the holy duties and good works of the regenerate are sins, for that were to reproach the Spirit of Christ, by which they are wrought; yet this I say, that the best works of the godly have sin cleaving to them. Christ’s blood alone makes atonement for our holy things.
(2.) With our graces. There is some unbelief mixed with faith, lukewarmness with zeal, pride with humility. As bad lungs cause an asthma or shortness of breath, so original corruption has infected our hearts, so that our graces breathe very faintly.'
The pervasiveness of sin is shocking!
Next week's reading
Read '1. The covenant of grace', '2. Christ the mediator of the covenant' and '3. Christ's prophetic office'.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
No comments:
Post a Comment