The Incomparableness of God, Treatise · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. If God be incomparable: 1. How great is the malignity of Sin, which contemneth, diſhonoureth and oppoſeth this God.
I Come now to make ſome application of this great and weighty Truth: It may be uſeful by way of Information, Counſel and Comfort.
Firſt, By way of Information: If God be ſo incomparable, that there is none on Earth, none in Heaven comparable to him; It may inform us,
1. Of the great venome and malignity of Sin, becauſe it is an injury to ſo great, ſo glorious, ſo incomparable a Being. The higher and better any Object is, the baſer and the worſe is that action which is injurious to it: To throw dirt on Sack-cloth is not ſo bad as to throw dirt on Scarlet or fine Linnen. To make a flaw in a pebble or common ſtone, is nothing to the making a flaw in a Diamond or precious ſtone. Thoſe opprobrious Speeches, or injurious Actions, againſt an ordinary perſon, which are but a breach of the good behaviour, and bear but a common Action at Law; if againſt a Prince may be high Treaſon, becauſe of the execellency of his Place, and Majeſty of his Perſon: The worth and dignity of the Object, doth exceedingly heighten and aggravate the Offence. How horrid then is Sin, and of how hainous a nature, when it offendeth and oppoſeth not Kings, the higheſt of men; not Angels, the higheſt of Creatures: But God, the higheſt of Beings, the incomparable God, to whom Kings and Angels; yea, the whole Creation is leſs then nothing. We take the ſize of Sin too low, and ſhort, and wrong, when we meaſure it by the wrong it doth to our ſelves, or our Families, or our Neighbours, or the Nation wherein we live; indeed herein ſomewhat of its evil and miſchief doth appear, but to take its full length and proportion, we muſt conſider the wrong it doth to this great, this glorious, this incomparable God: Sin is incomparably malignant, becauſe the God principally injur'd by it, is incomparably excellent. It's one thing to diſpleaſe and offend man, a poor ſlimy worm, a mean ſhallow Creature, of the ſame make and mold with our ſelves, and another thing to diſpleaſe and offend God, that unconceivable immenſe Being: If one man ſin againſt another, the Judge ſhall judge him, (an humane Judge may undertake to determine and compriſe Offences between them that ſtand upon the ſame level) but if a man ſin against the Lord, who ſhall intreat for him? 1 Sam. 2.25. Here the caſe is alter'd, here is a pitiful finite Creature offending an infinite Creator; what man dares arbitrate this difference, nay who can intercede and interpoſe between theſe too?
Hence, hence it is that there is no leſs then an infinite demerit in ſin, becauſe its an injury to an infinite Majeſty. Nothing diſcovers ſin to be ſo great an evil, as its oppoſition to ſo vaſt, ſo matchleſs, ſo great a good, ſo incomparable a God.
The evil of ſin appeareth ſomewhat in the injury it doth to our Eſtates, (Prov. 23.21. The Drunkard and Glutton ſhall come to poverty, and idleneſs ſhall cloath a man with rags.) To our Names (The name of the Wicked ſhall rot, Prov. 11.7.) To our Families (A wicked man troubleth his own Houſe, Prov. 15.27. & Prov. 3.33.) To our Neighbours (One ſinner deſtroyeth much good, Eccl. 3.18.) To our Nation (Jer. 18.7, 8. Pſal. 107.34. He turneth a fruitful Land into barrenneſs, for the wickedneſs of them that dwell therein.) To our Bodies (Who hath woe? who hath ſorrow? who hath wound? without cauſe? They that tarry long at the Wine, Prov. 23.29, 30. Prov. 5.11.) To our Souls, He that ſinneth againſt me, wrongeth his own ſoul, Prov. 8. ult. But all this diſcovers nothing of ſins evil, to that which is diſcover'd by the injury it doth to the incomparable God, becauſe our Eſtates, our Names, our Families, our Neighbours, our Nations, our Bodies, our Souls, are all nothing, infinitely leſs then Nothing to the great God, the incomparable. This, this is the only Glaſs that diſcovers the horrid ugly features, the monſtrous frightful deformities of ſins face, that it is a wrong to the bleſſed God, to him who is the high & lofty one, Iſa. 57.15.
1. In that ſin is a breach of this incomparable God's Law, a violation of his Command, a contradiction of his Will: Whoſoever ſinneth, tranſgreſſeth the Law, for ſin is a tranſgreſſion of the Law, 1 John 3.4. Neither the greatneſs nor ſmallneſs of our obedience or diſobedience is to be valued, according to the greatneſs or ſmallneſs of the thing commanded or forbidden, nor according to the greatneſs or ſmallneſs of the good or hurt done to man by it, but according to the greatneſs of the Perſon, who commandeth or forbiddeth.
2. In that it is a contempt of this incomparable God's Authority, a ſlighting his Dominion, a denying his Sovereignty; Who is the Lord, that I ſhould obey his Voice? (Exod. 5.2.) is the Voice of every Sinner: We are our own (ſay they) Who is Lord over us, Pſal. 12.4. They know no Maker, and therefore own no Maſter: For this cauſe the Sinner is ſaid to caſt the incomparable God behind his back, as not worth minding or regarding, 1 Kings 14.9. And to deſpiſe him as ſome mean inconſiderable Being, 1 Sam. 2.30. 2 Sam. 12.9. & 10.
3. In that it is a diſhonouring this incomparable God, whoſe name alone is excellent; It layeth him low, who is the most high, Pſal. 92.1. Through breaking the Law, diſhonoureſt thou God, Rom. 2.23, 24. It is ill to reproach a common man, worſe to reproach a Noble man, or a Prince; but O how bad is it to reproach the great God! to blaſpheme that worthy Name: Sin layeth the honour of this incomparable God (which is more worth then millions of Worlds) in the duſt, and trampleth on it. The Romans when they would mark one with ignominy, and brand him with reproach, would put him out of their Senate, or any place of Credit in which he was, and pull down his Statue or Monument, if any were erected to his Honour. Sin degrades and dethrones God, it will not allow him to be the Lord and Supreme of the World, and it defaceth his Image where-ever it finds it, as one contrary expels another: It diſgraceth his Juſtice, thence is called Ʋnrighteouſneſs, 1 John 1.6. His Wiſdom, thence is called Folly, Prov. 5.23. His Patience, thence is called Murmuring, Jude 16. His Power, thence is called Weakneſs, Rom. 5.8. His Mercy, thence is called Ʋnthankfulneſs, Luke 6.35. His Knowledge, thence is called Ignorance, and a work of Darkneſs, 1 Pet. 1.14. Eph. 5.8. His Truth, thence is called a Lye, and lying Vanity, Pſal. 58.2. Jonah 2.8. In all theſe, and every way, it diſgraceth his Holineſs, which is his Glory, and the glory of all his Attributes, Exod. 15.11. thence is called Filthineſs, 2 Cor. 7.1. Ʋncleanneſs, Rom. 1.24.
4. In that it is a fighting with, and (to its power) a deſtroying this incomparable God: The murther of any man is hainous, it is horrid, 'tis againſt nature, and 'tis the extremeſt miſchief that one Creature can do to another, Gen. 4.10. Math. 10.28. The murther of a Father or a Sovereign is far more hainous, as being more againſt Nature, and againſt more ingagements to the contrary. He is curſed that mocketh his Father; and his Heart ſmote him who did but cut off the ſkirt of his Kings Garment, thought his Enemy; what a Monſter then is he that kills either? but O what a Monſter! what a Devil is that which deſtroyeth (as far as it is able) the good, the gracious, the great, the glorious, the incomparable God? Truly, ſin is ſuch a Monſter, ſuch a Devil, that were its power equal to its ſpite, and its ſtrength anſwerable to its malice, the living God ſhould not live a moment.
Omne peccatum eſt Dei-cidium, All ſin is God-murder: The Sinner hates God, Rom. 1.30. and hatred ever wiſheth, and, as 'tis able, worketh the deſtruction of its object: The Fool hath ſaid in his heart, There is no God, Pſal. 14.1. i. e. It is a pleaſing thought to him, to ſuppoſe there were no God; as to guilty Priſoners, to imagine there were no Judge to arraign and condemn them; whom we fear as hurtful to us, we hate, and wiſh he were taken out of the way: In order hereunto the Sinner ſtrives with God, and contendeth with him, Job 34.7. fighteth againſt him, Acts 5.39. He ſtretcheth out his hand against God, and ſtrengtheneth himſelf against the Almighty: (He puts forth all his force, and venteth all his ſtrength,) He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick boſſes of his Bucklers; Runs upon him as one Enemy upon another, furiouſly, without fear, and, as he is able, gets him down, ſets his Feet on his Neck, trampleth on him, and cruſheth him, Job. 15.25, 26.
O how odious! how loathſome, how abominable is ſin, that breaks the Law, ſlights the Authority, diſhonors the Name, and to its utmoſt dethrones and deſtroys the Being of this incomparable God, this ſelf-ſufficient, independent, abſolutely perfect, eternal, incomprehenſible, infinite Being, which alone deſerves the name of Being, and to which all other. Beings are no Beings. Reader, ſhould this God of Glory appear to thee, as once to Abraham, and ſhew thee a glimpſe of his excellent glory, that is above the Heavens; ſhould he diſcover to thee but a little of that greatneſs which the Heavens, and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain, of that duration which had no beginning, hath no ſucceſſion, knoweth no ending; of thoſe perfections that admit of no bounds, no limits, that are uncapable of the leaſt addition or acceſſion to them, and then ſhould ſay unto thee (as when he appeared to Saul) Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me? Man, man, why deſpiſest thou my Commands? why deſpiſest thou my Authority? Sinner, how dareſt thou diſhonour my Name, and ſeek my deſtruction? What wouldſt thou then think of Sin? O what wouldſt thou then think of thy ſelf for thy ſins! Shouldſt thou not have other thoughts of ſin, and of thy ſelf for ſin, then ever yet thou haſt had? Wouldſt thou not even loath thy ſelf, for being ſo baſe, ſo vile, ſo unworthy; yea, ſo mad, as to offend & affront, and fight againſt ſuch a God? wouldſt thou not cry out as Job, I have ſinned againſt thee, and what ſhall I do unto thee, O thou Preſerver of men, Job 7.20. I have ſinned againſt thee, an incomparable, infinite, unconceivable Being: I have wronged thee, the moſt high, moſt holy, moſt bleſſed God, and what ſhall I do unto thee? what amends ſhall I make thee? what reparation ſhall I give thee? It is impoſſible for me, ſhould I weep & wail, and lament and grieve millions of Ages, to make the leaſt ſatisfaction for the injury I have done to ſuch a Majeſty. Or wouldſt thou not ſay as he in another place, Lord, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the Ear, but now mine Eyes ſee thee; wherefore I abhor my ſelf, and repent in dust and aſhes, Job 42.5, 6. Lord, I have heard of thee ſomewhat by thy word, and by thy works, they have told me ſomewhat of thy beauty and glory, and excellency; howbeit I believed them not, but now mine Eyes have ſeen thy Majeſty and Royalty, and Sovereignty, wherefore I abhor my ſelf, that ever I ſhould tranſgreſs thy godly Will, that ever I ſhould blaſpheme thy great Name, that ever I ſhould deſpiſe thy Supremacy, and fight againſt thy Majesty. Ah I Reprobate, turn away mine eyes from my ſelf, cannot endure to behold my ſelf; my ſtomach is turn'd against my ſelf, I loath my ſelf, that ever I ſhould preſume, and dare to conteſt and contend with, to wrong and injure thine Excellency; I recant all that I have been, all that I have done against thee, and repent, am unfeignedly grieved for it, heartily wiſh I had never been ſo, never done ſo, but ſince what is paſt cannot be recalled, I will as far as I can be revenged on my ſelf, for my impudency and diſtraction, I will lie in the duſt, lick the duſt, own my ſelf to be much baſer and viler then the duſt, I will abhor my ſelf in dust and aſhes.
This, this is the venome, the malignity of ſin, that it is oppoſite and contrary, offenſive and injurious to the incomparable God. This is the conſideration which ſhould humble us moſt for our ſins: This was the weight that preſſed David down moſt, and laid him ſo low in the day of his Repentance; Againſt thee, Pſal. 51.4.thee only have I ſinned, and done evil in thy ſight: Though he had ſinned againſt the Enemies of God, in occaſioning their blaſphemies; againſt the friends of God, in grieving their Spirits; againſt his whole Kingdom, in provoking God to plague them; though he had ſinned againſt Bathſheba, in defiling her Body and Soul; againſt Ʋriah, both in the matter of his Wife and Life, and againſt his own Body and Soul; yet he looks upon theſe, though great in themſelves, yet little, nothing comparatively; the Head of the Arrow that pierced his heart, was this, I have ſinned againſt the Lord, 2 Sam. 12.13. Againſt thee, thee only have I ſinned. The injury which he did to himſelf and others, was ſo inconſiderable, in compariſon of the injury he did to God, that he paſſeth it quite by, in his penitential Pſalm, & ſticks wholly upon this, Againſt thee, thee only have I ſinned. This is the ſtrongeſt the weightieſt Argument to drive and diſſwade from ſin; none is like it. When Moſes would couch all Arguments in one, he uſeth this inſtead of all, Num. 32.23. But if ye will not do ſo, (i.e. perform your promiſe to aſſiſt your Brethren, till they have conquer'd their Enemies, and are ſetled in their Poſſeſſions; what then? what great harm if they do not? Is it not that they ſin againſt their Brethren, & wrong their own Souls? No, but) Behold (mark it, it is worthy your attention, and moſt ſerious conſideration,) ye have ſinned againſt the Lord, the great, the mighty, the almighty, the incomparable God.