There are

own nature, more hainous than others. fome capital offences as it were, which God's wrath does in a special manner burn againft, and which are most provoking to the eyes of his glory: fuch as murder, Gen. iv. 10. oppreffion, Hab. ii. 11. which are noted to be crying fins; blafphemy and contempt of God, Exod. v. 2. ; idolatry, Ezek. viii. ; unbelief, rejecting of Chrift, and difobeying the gofpel, Matth. xxii. John iii. 19. 2 Theff. i. 8. But of all fins the moft hainous is the fin against the Holy Ghoft*, Matth. xii. 31.

Secondly, Some fins are more hainous than others by their aggravations; and the greater and more numerous the aggravating circumftances be that attend any fin, it is the more hainous. Now, fins are aggravated, or made greater or more hainous than others,

1. From the perfons offending; the more notable they are, the more hainous are their fins; as the the greater the fire is, the more mischief will it do, if it go out of its place; the greater the tree is, the more mifchief will it do by its fall. Thus one and the fame fin is greater in magiftrates, minifters, parents, and the aged, than in fubjects, people, children, and the younger fort. For mens places and offices, which refpect the government of others in the way of holiness and justice, aggravate their fins, Rom. ii. 21. Thou which teachest another, teacheft thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? And fo do the greater gifts and profeffion that one hath, Luke xii. 47.48. That fervant which krew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, fhall be beaten with many fripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of ftripes, Jhall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomfoever much is given, of him fhall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him will they will ask the more. And fo doth the * See the nature of this fin explained, vol. ii. VOL. III. Hh

P. 135.139.

greater experience of God's goodness which they have had, as in the cafe of Solomon, of whom it is faid, 1 Kings xi. 9. The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Ifrael, which had appeared unto him twice. For fuch advantages make their fins more pernicious, in refpect of the influence of their example on others, as in the effect of Peter's diffimulation at Antioch, Gali 13. of whom it is faid, And the other Jews diffembled likewife with him; infomuch that Barnabas alfo was carried away with their diffimulation. And thefe advantages carry them over greater obligations they are under to the Lord.

2. From the parties offended. Let men confider whom their fins ftrike against, if they would fee how hainous they are. For as a thrust in a leg or arm is not fo much grievous as one at the heart ; fo is it in this cafe.

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, Sins immediately againft God, his Son, and his Spirit, are more hainous than fuch fins against inan, any man whatfoever, 1 Sam. ii. 25. If one man fin against another, the judge hall judge him but if a man fin against the Lord, who fhall entreat for him? Thus lying and diffembling to God, is more hainous than lying to men, as appears in the cafe of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts v. 4. becaufe of the infinite difiance of the immediate objects of the fin. Thus, whereas in all fins of the second table, there is a fault against God, and against man too; yet the fault against God, and the injury done to his glory, is the bittereft ingredient in it. Thus David's fin in the matter of Bathfheba and Uriah was a great fin in refpect of thefe perfons; but fee how he confeffes it, Pfal. li. 4. Against thee, thee only have I finned, and dene this evil in thy fight.

2dly, Sins againft fuperiors in the church, ftate, and family, are more hainous than fuch fins are, being done against perfons of their own rank and condition. The reafon is, becaufe fuperiority given

of God is fuch a divine imprefs on a man, that it makes his character in fome fort facred, as in the cafe of Mofes, Num. xii. 8. Hence it is that dif obedience to parents is fo hainous a fin, Prov. xxx. 17. The eye that mocketh at his father, and defpifeth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley fhall pick it out, and the young eagles fhall eat it.

3dly, Sins against thofe whom we are under fpecial engagements and obligations to, are more hainous than fuch fins against others we have no fuch concern in. Religion teaches gratitude, and fets a black mark on ingratitude, Pfal. Iv. 12. For it was not an enemy that reproached me, then I could have borne it; neither was it he that hated me, that did magnify bimfelf against me, then I would have hid myself from bim.

4thly, Sins against the faints and people of God are more hainous than against others, because of their relation to God, as being thofe in all the world deareft to him, Matth. xviii. 6. Whofo fall offend one of thefe little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were banged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the fea. Such are fins agaiuft weak faints, as being more liable to get harın by them, than those who are ftrong, Rom. xiv. 15. If thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkejt thou not charitably, Destroy not bim with thy meat, for whom Chrift died.

Lastly, Sins against the common good of all, or of many for the wider the effects of one fin go, it is fill the worse, Joh. xxii. 20. Did not. Achan the fon of Zeral commit a trefpafs in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Ifrael and that man perifhed not alone in his iniquity. One finner, lays Solomon, defroyeth much good; and the more, the greater is his fin

3. From the quality of the offence. A fin may be vefted with fuch qualities, as will make it much more hainous than when divefied of them. Thefe

evil qualities are many; I will reduce them to two heads.

(1) Intrinfic qualities. Thus fins against the letter of the law are more hainous than others; motherfins, which are big and bring forth many others, than fimple ones; fins confummated by action, than while merely in the heart, Jam. i. 15.; fins that are fcandalous, than others not fo; fins the injury in which to men admits of no reparation, than that of others in which it does. This was the reafon why death was the punishment of adultery, not of fornication, becaufe in this laft cafe the man was obliged to marry the woman.

(2.) Extrinfic qualities; which again are of two

forts.

[1.] Being done againft means whereby one might be with-held from fin, Matth. xi. 21. 22. Wo unto thee, Chorazin, wo unto thee, Bethfaida for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in fackcloth and afbes. But I say unto you. It fhall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgement, than for you. Thus one's finning against mercies drawing them from their fin, judgements and rebukes from the word or providence, from God or men, finning against the light of one's own confcience, do all of them aggravate fin, il

[2.] Being done against bonds one has taken on him against the fin, when men fin against purposes and refolutions of amendment, against their cove nants and engagements to the Lord, whereby they are bound to ftand off from fuch courfes, Ezek. xvii. 19.

4. From the manner of committing it. Who can imagine but fin done deliberately, and wilfully, and prefumptuoufly, is more hainous than fin committed through inadvertency and weaknefs? if one be impudent in his fin, delight in it, and boaft of it; if he go on in it obftinately, fall in it frequently, and

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relapfe in to it after convictions and humblings for it; every one of these aggravates the guilt.

5. From the time of it, as in the cafe of Gehazi, 2 Kings v. 26. where Elifha fays to him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive yards, and vine yards, and Sheep, and oxen, and men-fervants, and maid fervants? Thus fins committed on the Lord's day, immediately before or after divine worship, are more hainous than at other times. And fo is finning juft after reproofs,. warnings, engagements; or in a time when the anger of the Lord is going out against the land, family, or perfon, as Ahaz in his diftrefs.

Lastly, From the place of it. Thus in a Thus in a place where the gofpel is preached, fin is more hainous than elsewhere, If, xxvi. 10. Let favour be fhewed to the wicked, yet will be not learn righteousness in the land of uprightness will be deal unjustly, and will not behold the majefty of the Lord. Sins done in public before others, are more hainous than thofe in fe, cret; for in the former many may be defiled, as in the cafe of Abfalom, lying with his father's concu, bines on the house-top,

A few inferences fhall conclude this fubject.

Inf. 1. Never think light of fin, nor flightly of Chrift, and your need of him, fince all fin is hainous in God's fight, and expofes the finner to his sjuft vengeance.

2.There will be degrees of torment in hell, though the leaft degree will be dreadful, Matth. xi, 21. fince there are degrees of finning.

2. No wonder God's anger, go out against us, and the land wherein, and the generation amongst whom we live. For hainous are our fins beyond thofe of many, and a frightful look inay we get of them in this glafs. Magiitrates, minifters, parents, the aged, profeffors, fons and daughters of the Lord, have corrupted their ways, as well as others.