A Christian Directory Volume I Part 22

2. It is a denial or contempt of the authority, or governing power, of G.o.d: as if we said, Thou shalt not be our Governor in this.

3. It is a usurping the sovereign power to ourselves of governing ourselves, in that act: for when we refuse G.o.d's government, we set up ourselves in his stead; and so make G.o.ds of ourselves as to ourselves, as if we were self-sufficient, independent, and had right hereto.

4. It is a denying or contempt of the wisdom of G.o.d, as if he had unwisely made us a law which is unmeet to rule us.

5. It is a setting up of our folly in the place of G.o.d's wisdom, and preferring it before him; as if we were wiser to know how to govern ourselves, and to know what is fittest and best for us now to do, than G.o.d is.

6. It is a contempt of the goodness of G.o.d, as he is the maker of the law: as if he had not done that which is best, but that which may be corrected or contradicted, and there were some evil in it to be avoided.[100]

7. It is a preferring our naughtiness before his goodness, as if we would do it better, or choose better what to do.

8. It is a contempt or denial of the holiness and purity of G.o.d, which sets him against sin, as light is against darkness.

9. It is a violation of G.o.d's propriety or dominion, robbing him of the use and service of that which is absolutely and totally his own.

10. It is a claiming of propriety in ourselves, as if we were our own, and might do with ourselves as we list.

11. It is a contempt of the gracious promises of G.o.d, by which he allured and bound us to obedience.

12. It is a contempt of the dreadful threatenings of G.o.d, by which he would have restrained us from evil.

13. It is a contempt or denial of the dreadful day of judgment, in which an account must be given of that sin.

14. It is a denying of G.o.d's veracity, and giving him the lie: as if he were not to be believed in all his predictions, promises, and threats.

15. It is a contempt of all the present mercies, (which are innumerable and great,) by which G.o.d obligeth and encourageth us to obey.

16. It is a contempt of our own afflictions, and his chastis.e.m.e.nts of us, by which he would drive us from our sins.

17. It is a contempt of all the examples of his mercies on the obedient, and his terrible judgments on the disobedient, (men and devils,) by which he warned us not to sin.

18. It is a contempt of the person, office, sufferings, and grace of Jesus Christ, who came to save us from our sins, and to destroy the works of the devil; being contrary to his bloodshed, authority, and healing work.

19. It is a contradicting, fighting against, and in that act prevailing against the sanctifying office and work of the Holy Ghost, that moveth us against sin, and to obedience.

20. It is a contempt of holiness, and a defacing, in that measure, the image of G.o.d upon the soul, or a rejecting it: a vilifying of all those graces which are contrary to the sin.

21. It is a pleasing of the devil, the enemy of G.o.d and us, and an obeying him before G.o.d.

22. It is the fault of a rational creature, that had reason given him to do better.

23. It is all willingly done and chosen by a free agent, that could not be constrained to it.[101]

24. It is a robbing G.o.d of the honour and pleasure which he should have had in our obedience; and the glory which we should bring him before the world.

25. It is a contempt of the omnipresence and omniscience of G.o.d, when we will sin against him before his face, when he stands over us, and seeth all that we do.

26. It is a contempt of the greatness and almightiness of G.o.d, that we dare sin against him who is so great, and able to be avenged on us.

27. It is a wrong to the mercifulness of G.o.d, when we go out of the way of mercy, and put him to use the way of justice and severity, who delighteth not in the death of sinners, but rather that they obey, repent, and live.

28. It is a contempt of the attractive love of G.o.d, who should be the end, and felicity, and pleasure of the soul. As if all that love and goodness of G.o.d were not enough to draw or keep the heart to him, and to satisfy us and make us happy; or, he were not fit to be our delight. And it showeth the want of love to G.o.d; for if we loved him rightly we should willingly obey him.

29. It is a setting up the sordid creature before the Creator, and dung before heaven, as if it were more worthy of our love and choice, and fitter to be our delight; and the pleasure of sin were better for us than the glory of heaven.

30. In all which it appeareth, that it is a practical atheism, in its degree; a taking down G.o.d, or denying him to be G.o.d: and a practical idolatry, setting up ourselves and other creatures in his stead.

31. It is a contempt of all the means of grace, which are all to bring us to obedience, and keep us or call us from our sins: prayer, sacraments, &c.

32. It is a contempt of the love and labours of the ministers of Christ; a disobeying them, grieving them, and frustrating their hopes and the labours of their lives.

33. It is a debasing of reason, the superior faculty of the soul, and a setting up of the flesh or inferior faculties, like setting dogs to govern men, or the horse to rule the rider.

34. It is a blinding of reason, and a misusing the n.o.blest faculties of the soul, and frustrating them of the use and ends which they were made for: and so it is the disorder, monstrosity, sickness, or death of the soul.[102]

35. It is, in its measure, the image of the devil upon the soul, who is the father of sin: and therefore the most odious deformity of the soul; and this where the Holy Ghost should dwell, and the image and delight of G.o.d should be.

36. It is the moral destruction not only of the soul, but of the whole creation, so far as the creatures are appointed as the means to bring or keep us unto G.o.d: for the means, as a means, is destroyed when it is not used to its end. A s.h.i.+p is useless if no one be carried in it.

A watch, as such, is useless, when not used to show the hour of the day. All the world, as it is the book that should teach us the will of G.o.d, is cast by, when that use is cast by. Nay, sin useth the creature against G.o.d which should have been used for him.

37. It is a contradicting of our own confessions and professions; a wronging of our consciences; a violation of our covenants and self-obligations to G.o.d.

38. It is a preferring of time before eternity, and regarding things of a transitory nature, and a moment's pleasure, before that which never shall have end.

[Sidenote: The perverting and confusion of societies.]

39. It is a making a breach in the harmony and order of the world: as the dislocation or deformity of a particular member, is the trouble and deformity of all the body, because the comeliness and welfare of the whole, containeth the comeliness, proportion, and welfare of all the parts. And as the dislocation or breaking of one part in a watch or clock, is against the use of all the engine; so every man being a part of the kingdom of G.o.d, doth by sin make a breach in the order of the whole; and also giveth an ill example to other parts, and makes himself unserviceable to the body; and dishonoureth the whole body with the blot of rebellion; and lets in judgment on the world; and kindleth a consuming fire in the place where he liveth; and is cruel and injurious to others.

40. Sin is not only a preferring the body before the soul, but it is also an unmercifulness or cruelty against ourselves, both soul and body, and so is contrary to the true use of the indelible principle of self-love; for it is a wounding and abusing the soul and defiling the body in this life, and casting both on the wrath of G.o.d, and into the flames of h.e.l.l hereafter, or a dangerous venturing them into the way of endless d.a.m.nation and despair, and a contempt of those insufferable torments. All these parts of malignity and poison are intrinsical to sin, and found in the very nature of it.

The common aggravations of sin being written of by many, and easily gathered from what is said of the nature of it, I shall briefly name only a few.

1. The infinite perfection of G.o.d in all those blessed attributes and relations, which sin is against, is the greatest aggravation of sin.

2. The inconceivable glory of heaven, which is despised, is a great aggravation of sin.

3. So is the greatness of the torments of h.e.l.l, which sinners despise and venture on.

4. So is the great opposition that G.o.d hath made against sin, having said and done so much against it, and declared himself to hate nothing else immediately in the world.

5. The clearness of evidence against it, the nothingness of all that can be said for it, is also a great aggravation of it.

6. So is the fulness, and fitness, and power of all the means in creatures, providences, and Scriptures, that is vouchsafed the world against it.

7. So is the experience and warning of all ages, the repentings of the converted, and the disowning it by almost all when they come to die.

Wonderful! that the experience of the world for above five thousand years, will teach them no more effectually to avoid so mortal, pernicious a thing.

8. The nearness to us also is an aggravation: it is not a distant evil, but in our bowels, in our very hearts; we are bound so strictly to love ourselves, that it is a great aggravation to do ourselves so great a mischief.