SIMPLICITY (sim-plis'I-tn (Het). tome, innocence, integrity), is predicated of the two hun dred followers of Absalom in his conspiracy (2 Sam. xv:11), who "knew not anything,' e., of their leader's intention.
In Prov. i simplicity is the rendering of (fiaw-thaw'), to let oneself be enticed, se duced. In the New Testament simp/icity stands for Gr. cln-NOrns (haklot'ace), free from pre tense and dissimulation (Rom. xii :8; 2 Cor. :12). The "simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor. xi:3) is that single-hearted faith in Christ which is op posed to a false philosophy in matters pertaining to Christianity (see Grimm, Gr. and Eng. Ler.). SIMRI (sim'ri), (I Citron. xxvi:to). See Stitsitzt, 4.
SIN (sin), (Heh. khat-erw-aw' ; Gr.
ap.apria, ham-ar-tee'ah), a falling away from or missing the right path. A transgression of the law, or want of conformity to the will of God (I John iii:4).
(1) Original Sin, nr native depravity, is that whereby our whole nature is disordered, and our inclinations rendered contrary to the law of God. This is sometimes called indwelling sin (Rom. vii). (See DEPRAVITY.) The imputation of the sin of Adam to his posterity is also what some divines, with some latitude of expression, call original sin.
(2) Actual Sin. Actual sin is a direct violation of God's law, and generally applied to those who are capable of committing moral evil; as opposed to idiots, or children, who have not the right use of their powers. Actual sin may be divided into: (t) Sins of omission consist in the leaving those things undone which ought to be done. (2) Sins of commission arc those which are committed against affirmative precepts, or doing what should not be done. (3) Sins of infirmity are those which arise from the infirmity of the flesh, igno rance, surprise, snares of the world, etc. (4) Se cret sins are those committed in secret, or those which we, through blindness or prejudice, do not see the evil of (Ps. xix :12). (5) Presumptuous sins are those which are done boldly, and against light and conviction.
(3) The Unpardonable Sin. Unpardonable sin seems to consist in the malicious ascription of the dispensations, gifts and influences of the Spirit to the power of Satan. The reason why this sin is never forgiven, is not because of any want of sufficiency in the blood of Christ, nor in the par doning mercy of God, but because such as commit it despise and reject the only remedy, i. e., the power of the Holy Spirit, applying the redemption of the Gospel to the souls of men.
There is, however, another view of this unpar donable offense, which deserves consideration. It is plain, says Bishop Tomline, that this sin against the Holy Ghost could not be committed while our Savior was upon earth, since he always speaks of the Holy Ghost as not going to come till after his ascension into heaven. A few days after that great event, the descent of the Holy Ghost en abled the apostles to work miracles, and communi cated to them a variety of other supernatural gifts. Hence it appears that the sin against the Holy Ghost consisted in finally rejecting the Gospel as preached by the apostles, who confirmed the truth of the doctrine which they taught "by signs and wonders and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost" (Heb. ii :4). It was unpardonable,
because this was the consummation of the proofs afforded to the men of that generation of the di vine mission of Christ. This sin was manifestly distinct from all other sins ; it indicated an in vincible obstinacy of mind, an impious and un alterable determination to refuse the offered mercy of God. This view will serve to explain those passages in the epistle to the Hebrews, in which the hopeless case of Jewish apostates is described.
This sin, therefore, is unpardonable not because the grace of God is not sufficient for its forgive ness, but because it springs from a state of the soul in which there is left no disposition for re pentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Thus they who arc in anxiety lest they have committed this sin show in this very fact that such anxiety is groundless.
SIN (sin), (Heb. isP, seen, clayey, muddy; Sept. sais).
1. A City of Egypt, which is mentioned in Ezek. xxx :15. 16, in connection with Thebes and Memphis, and is described as 'The strength of Egypt.' showing it to have been a fortified place.
The Sept. makes it to have been Sais, hut Jerome regards it as Pelusium. This latter iden tification has been generally adopted, and is scarcely open to dispute. Pelusium Was anciently a place of great consequence. It was strongly fortified, being the bulwark of the Egyptian fron tier on the eastern side, and was considered the 'key,' or, as the prophet terms it, 'the strength' of Egypt (Hist. Bell. Ale.rand. p. 20, 27; Liv. xlv :ti ; Joseph. elntiq. xiv :8, ; De Bell. Ind. i :8, 7; i :9, 3). It was near this place that Pompey met his death, being murdered by order of Ptolemy, whose protection he had claimed. It lay among swamps and morasses on the most easterly estuary of the Nile (which received from it the name of Ostiurn Pclusiacum), and stood twenty stades from the Mediterranean (Strabo. xvi, p. 76o; xvii, 802 ; Plin. Hist. Nat. v, it). The site is now only ap proachable by boats during a high Nile, or by land when the summer sun has dried the mud left by the inundation; the remains consist only of mounds and a few fallen columns. The climate is very unwholesome (Wilkinson's Mod. Egypt, i, 406, 444 Savary's Letters an Egypt, i let. 24; Henniker's Travels).
2. Desert of Sin or Wilderness of Sin (Heb. mid-bar'seen), the desert which the Israelites entered on turning off from the Red Sea (Exod. xvi:1; xvii:t ; Num. xxxiiiii2).
It is thought to be the present plain of el-Kaa, which commences at the mouth of the Wady Taiyibeh, and extends along the whole southwest ern side of the peninsula. It was the scene of the murmurings and the miracle of the quails and manna (Exod. xvi ; xvii ; Num. xxxiii II, 12). ( See DESERTS; SINAI.)