A, 9. Those sins arc greater which pro- ceed from a spirit of malignity. To malign holiness is diabolical. 'Tis a sin to want grace, 'tis worse to hate it. In nature there are antipathies, as between the vine and laurel. Some have an antipathy against God, because of his purity, Isa. xxx. 11., " Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us." Sinners, if it lay in their power, would not only un-throne God, but un-be God ; if they could help it, God should no longer be God. Thus sin is boiled up to a greater height.
A. 10. Those sins are of a greater magni- tude, which are mixed with ingratitude. God cannot endure of all things to have hi.s kindness slighted. God's mercy is seen in reprieving men so long, — in wooing them
ALL SINS NOT EQUALLY HEINOUS.
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by Ins Spirit and ministers to be reconciled, — in crowning them with so many tempo- ral blessings : now, to abuse all this love, when God hath been filling up the measure of his mercy, that men sliould fill up the measure of their sins, this is high ingrati- tude, and doth make their sins of a deeper crimson. Some are \vorsc for mercy. The vulture (saith Aelian) draws sickness from perfumes: so the sinner contracts evil from the sweet perfumes of God's mercy. The English Chronicle reports of one Parry, who being condemned to die, queen Eliza- beth sent him his pardon ; and after he was pai-doned, he conspired and plotted the queen' tj daatb : just, so some deal with God ; he bestows mercy, and tliey plot trPMson a- gainst him, Tsa. i. 2., " I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me." The Athenians, in lieu of the good service Themistocles had done them, banished him their city. The snake, in the lable, being frozen, stung him that gave it warmth. Certainly sins against mercy are far more heinous.
A. 11. Those sins are more heinous than others, which are committed with delecta- tion. A child of God may sin through a surprisal, or agains.t his will, Rom. vii. 19., " The evil which I would not, that do L" Like one that is carried down the stream involuntarily ; but, to sin with delight, doth l:eighten and greaten the sin ; a sign the heart is in the sin, Hos. iv. 8., " They set their heart on their iniquity," as a man fol- lows his gain with delight : Rev. xxii. 15., " Without are dogs, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." To tell a lie, is a sin ; but to love to tell a lie, is a greater sin.
A. 12. Those sins are more heinous than others, which are committed under a pre- tence of religion. To cozen and defraud is a sin , but to do it with a Bible in one's hand, is a double sin. To be unchaste, is a sin ; but to put on a mask of religion to play the whore, makes the sin greater : Prov. vii. 14, 18., " I have peace -oiferings with me ; this day have I paid my aows : come let us take our fill of love." She speaks as if she had been at church, and had been saying her prayers : who would ever have suspected her of dishonesty ? But, behold her hypocrisy ; she makes her devotion a
preface to adultery, Luke xx. 47., " Who devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers." The sin was not in making long prayers, (for Christ Avas a whole night in prayer), but to make long prayers, that they might do unrighteous ac- tions, did make their sin more horrid.
A. 13. Sins of apostasy are more heinous than others. Demas forsook the truth, 2 Tim. iv. 10., and afterwards became a priest in an idol-temj)le, saith Dorotheus. To fall, is a sin; but to fall away, is a greater sin. Apostates cast a disgrace upon reli- gion. Tne apostate (saith Tertulian) seems to put God and Satan in the balance, and having weighed both their sen'ices, prefers the devil's service, and proclaims him to be the best master. In which respect the a- postate is said to put Christ to " open shame," Heb. vi. 6. This dyes a sin in grain, and makes it greater. It is a sin not to pro- fess Christ, but it is a greater to deny him ; not to wear Christ's colours is a sin, but to run from his colours is a greater sin. A pagan sins less than a baptized renegado.
A. 14. To persecute religion, makes sin greater. Acts vii. To have no religion, is a sin ; but to endeavour to destroy religion is a greater. Antiochus Epiphanes took more tedious journies, and ran more hazards, to vex and oppose the Jews, than all his pre- decessors had done in obtaining ^nctories. ' Herod added yet this above all, that he put John in prison," Luke iii. 20. He sinned be- fore by incest ; but, by imprisoning the pro- phet, this added to his sin, and made it great- er. Persecution fills up the measure of sin. Mat. xxiii. 32., " Fill ye up then the mea- sure of your fathers." If you pour in a porringer of water into a cistern, that adds something to it; but pour in a bucketfuH or two, and that fills up the measure of the cistern ; so persecution fills up the measure of sin, and makes it greater.