Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

I. What is the sin of the world?

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

Sin, says the Apostle, is the transgression of law. This perhaps is the best definition of sin which can be given. This embraces the whole of sin. It is nothing more and nothing less than the violation of law. The question, then, how sin ever existed in our world? is similar to this one; how did moral agents ever come to transgress law? The question, how sin ever existed in heaven? is similar to this one; how came angels to transgress law? The answer is, because they chose to transgress. Men and angels, with powers and faculties adequate to keep law, and with motives sufficient to induce them to keep law, chose to break law. In this way sin found its way into heaven and into our world. Men and angels are the authors of sin, and not God. God could not transgress law consistently with his perfections. But sin exists, therefore law has been transgressed, and consequently some moral agents inferior to God must have transgressed it. But, asks one, if God foresaw that moral agents would sin, why did he create them? This question is designed to reflect on the character of God as a moral gover

nor.

The question amounts to this-why did God have a moral government if he knew that sin would be incidental to it. Sin is incidental to God's government. That is-moral agents may sin, and they may not. But God has chosen out of all possible governments the best government.

Sin therefore is incidental to the best possible government. The question, then, why God has a moral government if he knew that sin would exist, is similar to this one-why does God have the best possible moral government? But, says, the objector, why did he have any government at all, if he knew sin would be incidental to the best possible moral government? But has the objector wisdom enough to say that no moral government would be better than the present? Can he who is but a finite worm of the dust measure the works and ways of the infinite God? But the infinite God has chosen to have his present system of government in preference to all others-this is proof that it is the best possible. And he has chosen his present government in preference to no government at all-this is proof that the best possible moral government, though sin be incidental to it, is infinitely better than no government.

Suppose a man should ask, in reference to the crimes that are committed among men, how came adultery, and theft, and murder, to exist? The reply would be, men by transgressing law have given existence to them. Men there are in the community who are sufficiently depraved to commit these crimes-therefore they exist.

But, asks one poorly skilled in the utility and science of human governments-why did our wise forefathers erect a government in this land if they knew there would men rise up and violate law and introduce wretchedness and suffering into this otherwise happy republic? Why did they

toil and bleed and die for a government like ours, which, while it is the best possible, yet crime is incidental to it? The answer is obvious-crime must be incidental to the best possible government. The best possible government is better than no government, and the good flowing from the administration of a government the best possible, will outweigh the evil flowing from the same government.

But, says the thief-annul your laws!—annul your laws!-better have no law than a law which will punish the guilty and protect the innocent.

And so says the sinner-annul your law-annul your law-better have no law than a law which will punish the transgressor and throw its bulwarks of protection around the loyal subject. But human law-givers and legislators would say, "No-let law reign ;”—and the Law-giver of the Universe says -“No-let law reign for ever and ever.”

"The sin of the world," then, of which John speaks, is the transgression of law. It is the transgression of law by a free agent, and a free agent inferior to God. Sin, then, in its origin and perpetuity, is owing to moral agents among men and among angels having freely violated law, and still purposing to violate law.

No man and no angel can be a sinner any further than he transgresses law-" for sin is the transgression of law."

But what law is this, the violation of which constitutes sin?

All will agree in the answer-that it is that law

contained in the Ten Commandments-that law which God wrote with his own finger in the skies, and gave to Moses on Mount Sinai-that law which the Son of God alluded to when he said, I came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfil them-that law, the divine summary of which is, "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself”—that law, before one jot or tittle of which shall fail, the heavens and the earth shall pass away.

This law then is the law which, being violated, sin exists-"for sin is the transgression of the 'law."

This law is the law of God. This law is the law of God's empire. In its precepts it reaches all his interests, it involves all his claims, it contemplates all his rational creatures, it reaches all, progresses with all, endures with all. It is the law of an infinite God-aims to prevent infinite evil, and secure infinite good. Obedience to this law is the best possible good, and disobedience the greatest possible evil. Its rewards and penalties then must be in proportion to the character of the precept. Every human law is armed with a penalty equal to the precept. If the law enacted is for the defence of great interests, such as life and reputation, it has and must have a corresponding penalty. If it had not a penalty equal to the magnitude of the interests it is intended to defend, then it is an imperfect law, and does not fully protect those interests which it was designed to protect. This is the beauty and perfection of human

law-when the penalty is just in proportion to the precept.

But God's law, in beauty and perfection, must equal the laws of finite man. The infinite God then must have an infinite law-a law adapted to his own perfections-to his own infinite capacity -a law which shall extend from the throne of the universe round the universe. But this law must have a penalty, or it would be no law. Who ever heard of a law without a penalty? And this law must have a penalty equal in magnitude to the interests which it is intended to defend. But it is intended to defend the interests of God, angels, and men. And are not these infinite, and consequently must there not be an infinite penalty? If the interests which the law aims to protect are infinite, then the penalty must be infinite. An infinite law must have an infinite penalty. But how, asks one, can finite man break an infinite law? How can finite man refuse to love God with all his heart, and his neighbour as himself? This is the real. question. But man does refuse to do this-therefore he can break an infinite law-therefore he must fall under the curse of an infinite penalty, Man tramples upon a principle which God is governed by, and which he desires all his creatures to be governed by, viz. that every moral agent should do all the good he can. This man refuses to do. As far as his agency and influence goes, he violates a principle upon which the throne of the Eternal is based, and which fills the empire of God with holiness and bliss. He invades the inte

« EdellinenJatka »