The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 1 · Meditation 24
24. Sinne is onelyonly committed against God, and therefore eueryevery sinner who findeth not Gods merciemercy pardoning him his sinne, shall finde Gods Maiestie his partie and aduersarie for sinne.
IN this last and worst age of the world, alas, ô my soule, all men almost seeke after sinne, defile themselues with sinne, yea, alas, delight themselues in sinne, and all because few men, alas, studie to acquaint themselues with the nature of sin. Men, now adayes, ô my soule, miscarried by their owne deceiuing lusts, while they fall into sinne, seeke vntounto men, yea vntounto men onelyonly, as if sinne were committed against man, yea against man onelyonly: and out of this false ground, blindly, alas, laid by them, as they thinke of the man with whom they hauehave to do, so they thinke of the sinne which they hauehave committed. If that man be such a one who may grieue and annoy them, then they are grieued for their sinne. Alwayes not because that great God is abused by them, but because a man who may grieue them, is grieued by them. If that man be such a man who cannot grieue them, who dare not attempt to annoy them, by reason of their grandor and worldly credit, and his basenesse and lacke of credit with men. Oh then, ô my soule, they do both digest their sinnes sweetly, and go on in their sinne peartly and pleasantly: for can these men possibly dreame, that any beside man hath any interest to quarrell them for their sinne? Alwaies hearken, hearken, ô my soule, would man suffer that good word of God which is that word of truth (which neuer deceiued any man, which neuer shall deceiue any man) to leade him, he should find that eueryevery sinne committed on earth beneath here (be the committer of it Prince or peasant) looketh not lower then the heauen of heauens, and so he should find that sinne committed beneath here, is committed against none who liueth beneath here, but against that supreme Maiestie, who ruling ouer all things hath his throne set aboue all thrones, euen in the highest heauens. I will confesse, ô my soule, that a subiect may offend and grieue his king, and the king his subiect; that a father may hurt and grieue his sonne, and a sonne his father: but Scripture being well considered, will not suffer me to confesse, that a subiect can sinne against his king, or a king against his subiect; that a father can sinne against his sonne, or a sonne against his father. Tell me, tell me, ô my soule, what callest thou sinne? Sinne I know (being taught of God) is The transgression of the Law. 1. Iob. 3. 4.But of whose law I pray thee? not of the law of any pettie king, but of the Law of that King of kings,Iam. 4. 12. who is that onelyonly supreme Law-giuer, who is able to saue and destroy. Knowest thou not, ô my soule, wherefore theft is sinne, and when theft is sinne, wherefore murther is sinne, and when murther is sinne, and so forth of all other sinnes? Because God hath forbidden them, and when God forbiddeth them, are they not sinnes, and no otherwise? Hast thou not heard, ô my soule, that the Israelites spoyled the Egyptians of all their iewels,Exod. 11. 2. 3. & 12. 55. 56. yet, I thinke, you will neither accuse nor conuict them for their deed, and all because that was done of them by the speciall command of his mouth who can command no wrong. Yea, hast thou not heard, ô my soule, that Ehud killed Aeglon, yet thou must thinke that he cannot be reputed a murtherer for that, it being done by the secret commission of that supreme Lord, who hath ranged all liuing so vnderunder law, that he himselfe alone doth remaine free from all law, yea far aboue all law. Dauid againe, ô my soule, being a great King amongst men here, hath defiled but the wife of his meane honest subiect: yea Dauid hath by the hand of the Ammonites slaine the husband of this wife defiled by him: alwayes sinned not Dauid, ô my soule? Yes, yes, he sinned grosly, albeit not against Bathsheba, whose chastitie was defiled; albeit not against Vriah, whose life was taken: yet he sinned against that mightie King, who had said,Exod. 20. Thou shalt not commit adulterie: Thou shalt do no murther. The sight and sense of this truth, ô my soule, moued the enlightened mind, the renewed, and sanctified heart of this same Dauid, to vntye his tongue, to open his mouth, and to proclaime aloud before God, Angels and men,Psal. 51. 4. that notable confession: Against thee, against thee onelyonly I hauehave sinned, and done euill in thy sight. Hast thou sinned then, ô my soule, so secretly that no man knoweth thy sinne? Is that partie whom thou by thy knowne and publicke sin hast offended, so base and poore, that either he dare not quarrell with thee for feare, or may not for want of meanes? yet let neither of these I pray thee secure thee, for he is aboue thee whom thou by thy sin hast offended, and prouoked to wrath against thee: whose eyes are vponupon all the wayes of men; and whose hands be sufficiently able to punish man. O my soule, remember Naboth, for thy comfort in these euill dayes, shall not that God who required his bloud at the hand of his king, make inquisition for eueryevery sinne committed against him, by whatsoeuer sinner? though he suffer euen wicked men for a long time to runne on in their iniquities.