Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 122 – Section 125
§ 122.
SEcondly, 2. His ſine are againſt knowledge and conſcience.the ſinnes which thou committeſt are againſt knowledge and conſcience, and ſo farre greater then the ſame ſinnes, if another ſhould doe them ignorantly. The ſervant that knowes his maſters will, and if he doe it not, is a greater ſinner, and ſhall indure a greater puniſhment, then hee which neglects the ſame, not knowing it, Luk. 12.47.48. to know and not obey, doth but teach God how to condemne us; the greater light wee have, the more ſhame it is for us to ſtumble. Anaxagoras that ſaw the Sunne, and yet denyed it, is condemned, not of ignorance, but of impiety.
The infidell diſputes againſt the faith, the impious lives againſt it, both deny it; the one in termes, the other in deeds; both are enemies to the Goſpell; but of the two, it is worſt to kick againſt the thorns, wee ſee, then to ſtumble in the darke at a block, which we ſee not: it ſhall go ill with ſinnefull Pagans, but worſe with wicked Chriſtians; for the Thiſtell in the Forreſt ſhall not fare ſo ill, as the barren Figgtree in the Vineyard, the Vine fruitleſſe, is of all Trees moſt uſeleſſe: the daughter of Sion would never have beene ſo notorious an Harlot, had ſhee not firſt beene ſo rare a Virgin: Iulian and Lucifer had been leſſe damned, if the one, had not beene a Chriſtian; and the other, an Angell of light.
Reade wee not that the ſinnes of the Iewes were greater, then the ſinnes of the Gentiles? becauſe, in Iury God was known, and his name great in Iſrael; it was not ſo, ſaith the Holy Ghoſt, with other Nations, neither have the Heathen knowledge of his wayes; ſo the ſinnes of us Chriſtians (other circumſtances being matches) are greater, then the ſinnes of the Iewes; becauſe our knowledge is more, or may be more; they had but an aſperſion, line to line, here a little, and there a little; we have an effuſion, Asts 2.17. I will powre out my ſpirit upon all fleſh. For if ſimple ignorance find no mercy; what Cloak is long enough, to cover wilfull and affected ignorance? certainly, if neſcience be beaten with ſtripes, willfull impiety ſhall be burned with fire; ſinne, even in ignorance, is a Talent of leade; but ſinne, after knowledge, is a milſtone, to ſinke a man to the loweſt. If flaming fire be their portion that know not God, and could not; how terrible ſhall their vengeance be, that might know him and would not? howſoever men live, or dye, without the pale of the Church, a wicked Chriſtian, who either doth, or may know the whole revealed will of God, ſhall bee ſure of plagues.
O how many at that dreadfull day (when God's revenges have found them out) ſhall unwiſh themſelves Chriſtians, or wiſh that the Goſpell and they had never beene acquainted? yea, how will they in hell curſe their knowledge, and unprofitably wiſh, that they had beene Ideots or infidels, and never had ſo much as heard of Chriſt; when they ſhall find this glorious light, a meanes to promote them to a higher place in the kingdome of darkneſſe, and procure to them, a greater revenew of torment then others have, who know leſſe? for he who is ignorant of, or neglects his owne ſalvation, all his knowledge tendeth to his greater condemnation: to know good, and doe evill, makes a mans owne mittimus to Hell. If with Baalam and Iudas, we have knowledge in the head, without holineſſe in the heart; we ſhall, with Vriah and Bellerophon, but carry letters to cut our owne throates; or with that ſervant in the comedy, carry Sathan a ſpeciall warrant, to bind us hand and foot, and caſt us into everlaſting fire.
§ 123.
THirdly, 3. He ſins not of infirmity but preſumtuouſly and of ſet purp…ſe.as in ſin there is ſundry ſteps and degrees, whereby one and the ſame ſinne, may be leſſened, or increaſed; ſo thou doeſt mightily increaſe the guilt of thy ſinne this way. As for example. It is a fearefull thing to omit good; more fearefull, to commit evill; (as I have ſhewed) but worſe, to delight in ſinne; worſe then that, to defend it; but worſe then worſt, to boaſt of it; which is an uſuall thing with thee.
Or thus, hee doth bad enough, that ſins through infirmity, being led captive againſt his will, to doe foule crimes; but thou doeſt incomparably worſe, who ſinneſt preſumtuouſly, and of ſet purpoſe, yea, of obſtinate and reſolved malice againſt God, and his image (as I ſhall in due place prove) ſining, not only without all ſhame, but not without malice; inſomuch that it is thy leaſt ill, to doe evill; for behold, thou ſpeakeſt for it, joyeſt in it, boaſteſt of it, enforceſt to it, mockeſt them that diſlike it; as if thou wouldeſt ſend challenges into heaven, and make love to deſtruction.
Fourthly, 4. His ſias are ſo open and ſcandalous that the Goſpel is diſhonoured and God blaſphemed.thy ſinnes exceed and weigh downe other mens, that ſhall goe to the ſame place of torment, becauſe they are ſo open and ſcandalous; for he that ſinnes publickely, to the diſhonour of God and religion, is a greater offender, then if hee did the ſame at home, and in private.
Sinne that is done abroad, ceaſeth to be ſingle, for it is many ſinnes in one, and that in a double reſpect; it ſtumbles others, it infects others. Firſt, it ſtumbles others, and this doth much to increaſe it. It did wonderfully aggravate David's ſin, that it cauſed the enemies of God to blaſpheme: and made the ſinne of Elie's ſons (whoſe ſcandalous lives, made men abhorre the offerings of the Lord) ſo heynous that God even ſwore unto Ely, that the wickedneſſe of his houſe ſhould not bee purged with ſacrifice, nor offering for ever, 1 Sam. 3.14.
O the difference between thy practiſe, and what it ought to be: Chriſtians ought to be blameles, pure, and without rebuke, yea, to ſhine as lights to other men, in the middeſt of a naughty and crooked nation, Phil. 2.15. whereas thou by thy deboyſhed life: and abominable licenciouſnes, doeſt ſcandalize the Goſpell and true religion, yea, make it odious to Turkes and Infidels, according to that of the Apoſtle Rom. 2.24.
Secondly, it infects others, in which regard, ſaith Iſiodore, It is a greater offence to ſinne openly then ſecretly; for he is doubly faulty, who both doeth, and teacheth the ſame. To ſinne before the face of God, is to diſhonour him; but withall to ſinne before the face of men, whereby others are taught and incouraged to doe the like, is doubly to diſhonour him. An exemplary offender, is like a malicious man ſicke of the plague, that runs into the throng to diſperſe his infection, whoſe miſchiefe outweighes all penalty: Many an Iſraelite committed fornication, and yet upon repentance got pardon; but Zimry that would doe it impudently, in the face of God and man, was ſure to periſh.
§ 124.
FIftly, 5 He commits many ſins one in the …ck of another, and multiplies the ſame ſins often.this aggravates thy guilt exceedingly, in that thou addeſt ſinne to ſinn; as firſt, thou committeſt drunkenneſſe, and then in the necke of that thou blaſphemeſt God, ſlandereſt thy neighbour, ſeduceſt thy friend, committeſt adultery, murther, &c. as thou beſt knoweſt the wickedneſſe, whereunto thy heart is privie: when for a leſſe matter then one of theſe, that worldling forfeited his ſoule, Luk. 12.20.
Againe, thou aggravateſt thy guilt, by multiplying of ſinne, that is, by falling often into the ſame wickedneſſe; and hereby Sathan makes ſure worke, for though the Devill be the father, luſt the mother, conſent the midwife, ſinne the child, and death the portion; yet all is like to miſcarry, if cuſtome become not an indulgent nurſe, to breede up the ſame till it come to an habit.
Sathan firſt twines certaine ſmall threads together of ſeeming profit, pleaſure, &c. and ſo makes a little cord of vanity, therewith to draw us unto him; and afterwards compoſeth of ſuch leſſer cords twiſted together, that cart-rope, or cable (cuſtome of iniquity) and therewith he ſeekes to bind men faſt unto him for ſtarting; for when ſinne, by cuſtome and long practice, is growne to an habit, this is ſinne in perfection, or the perfection of ſinne; becauſe cuſtome in ſinne, brings hardneſſe of heart; hardneſſe of heart, impenitency; and impenitency, damnation.
Yet this by the way is to be noted and remembred, that men of yeares liveing in the Church, are not ſimply condemned for their particular ſinnes, but for their continuance and reſidence in them: ſinnes committed make men worthy of damnation, but liveing and abiding in them, without repentance, is that which brings damnation upon them: ſuch as live within the precincts of the Church, ſhall be condemned for the very want of true faith and repentance.
§ 125.
SIxthly, 6 He ſins againſt mercy, the abuadance of meanes, and the many warnings, which others never bad.thy judgment ſhall not onelyonly be increaſed, according to thy ſinnes; but God will therefore adjudge thee, to ſo much the ſorer and ſeverer condemnation, by how much thy meanes of repentance hath beene greater.
If I had not come and ſpoken unto them (ſaith our Saviour) they ſhould not have had ſinne; but now have they no cloake for their ſinne, Iohn, 15.22. Ordinary diſobedience in the time of grace; and wilfull neglect of Gods call, in the abundance of meanes, is a great deale more damnable, then the commiſſion of ſinne in the dayes of ignorance and blindneſſe, when the like meanes are wanting. Thoſe Gentiles, the Ninivites, were more righteous then the Iewes, in that they repented at the voice of one Prophet, yea, and that with one Sermon; whereas the Iewes refuſed and reſiſted all the Prophets, which God ſent among them; but the Iewes who reſiſted our Saviour Chriſt's doctrine, and put him to death, were more righteous then ſuch as amongſt us are ſcoffers at Religion, and Antipodes to the power of grace, they were never convinced that he was the Meſsias, ſent from God to redeeme the world, as all, or almoſt all are, that call themſelves Chriſtians, becauſe they profeſſe themſelves members of Chriſt, and Proteſtants, in token that they are ready to proteſt againſt, and reſiſt all ſuch as are profeſſed enemies to, and oppoſers of Chriſts Goſpell.
As for the Heathen Philoſophers, who knew not God in Chriſt, they are more righteous then wicked Chriſtians beyond compare, for they beleeved as Pagans, but lived as Chriſtians: wheras ſuch beleeve as Chriſtians, but live like Pagans: yea, many of them would have beene aſhamed to ſpeake that, which many of theſe are not aſhamed to doe: and though we are unworthy to be called Chriſtians, if we profeſſe him in name, and be not like him in workes; yet the moſt part of men amongſt us proclaime to the world, that they have never thought whether they are going to Heaven or Hell.
There be many profeſſed Chriſtians, but few imitaters of Chriſt: we have ſo much ſcience, and ſo little conſcience; ſo much knowledge, and ſo little practiſe; that to thinke of it, would move wonder to aſtoniſhment, had not our Lord told us, that, even amongſt thoſe that heare the Goſpell, three parts of the good ſeede falls upon bad ground.
The common Proteſtant is of Baalam's Religion, that would dye the death of the righteous: but no more, Ioſhua's reſolution; I and my houſe will ſerve the Lord, is growne quite out of credit with the world: and there are more banquerupts in Religion, then of all other profeſſions: but let men take heede, leaſt by their diſobedience they loſe their ſecond Paradiſe, as our originall Parents did their firſt. If we are commanded to exceede Scribes and Phariſees in our righteouſneſſe, then thoſe that come ſhort of the Ethnick Pagans, what torments ſhall they ſuffer? Ieruſalem is ſaid to juſtifie Sodom; yet were the Sodomites in Hell; now if we juſtifie Hieruſalem, ſure we ſhall lye lower in Hell, then either the Sodomites, or the Iewes; for we are ſo much the worſe, by how much we might have beene better.