Branch 2. If sin be so great an evil, then admire the wonderful patience of (iod that bears with siimers. Sin is a breach of (Jod's royal law, it strikes at his glory ; now, for God to bear with sinners, who ])rovoko him, it shows admirable patience; well may he be called " the God of patience," Rom. xy. 4, 5. It would tire the patience of the angels, to bear with men's sins one day;" but what doth God bear? How many af- fronts and injuries doth he put up ? God sees all the intrigues and horrid impieties committed in a nation, Jer. xxix. 23., " They have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery ; even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord." God could strike men " dead in their sins ;" but he forbears and respites them. IVIethinks I see the justice of (Jod with a flaming sword in his hand, ready to strike the stroke; and patience steps in for the sinner. Lord, spare him a while longer. INIethinks I hear the angel saying to God, as the king of Israel to the ])ro|)het, 2 Kings vi. 21., " Shall I smite them? Shall I smite them? Lord, here is such a sinner, shall I smite him? Shall I take ofl^ the head of such a drunk- ard, swearer, sabbath-breaker ?" And God'.s patience saith, as the dresser of the vine- yard, Luke xiii. 8., " Let him alone this year." O the infinite patience of (Jod, that sin being so great an evil, and so contrary to God, he should bear with sinners so long ! 1 Sam. xxiv. 19., " If a man find his ene- my, will he let him go well away ?" God finds his enemies, yet he lets them go, he is not presently avenged on them. Every sin hafh a voice to cry to God for vengeance; Sodom's sin cried, (ien xviii. 20. \ ct God spares men ; but let notsinners presume upon God's patience; if they repent not, long for- bearance is no forgiveness ; God's j):itience abused will leave men more inexcusable.
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OF THE SIXTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
Branch 3. If sin be so jj:reat an evil, tlien there is no sin little. There is no lit- tle treason ; every sin strikes at God's crown and dijTnity, and in this sense it may be said, as Job xxii. 5., " Are not thy iniqui- ties infinite?" The least sin as the school- men say is infinite objective, because it is committed ajjainst an infinite Majesty; and besides, nothing can do away sin, but that which hath an infiniteness in it ; for though the sufferings of Christ as man were not infinite, yet the divine nature did shed forth an infinite value and merit upon his sufferings. So that no sin is little, there is no little hell for sin. As we are not to think any of God's mercies little, because they are more than we can deserve, so nei- ther are we to think any of our sins little, because they are more than we can answer for. That sin we esteem lightest, without Christ's blood will be heavy enough to sink us into perdition.
Branch 4. If sin be so great an evil, then Bce whence all personal or national trou- bles come ; they come from the evil of sin ; our sin grows high, that makes our divisions grow wide ; sin is the Achan that troubles us, it is the cockatrice egg out of which comes a fiery flying serpent. Sin is like Phaeton, who, as the poets feign, driving the chariot of the sun, set the world on fire. Sin, like the planet Saturn, hath a malig- nant influence ; sin brings us into straits, 2 Sam. xxiv. 14., " David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait." Jer. iv. 17., " As keepers of a field are they against her round about ;" as horses or deer in a field are so enclosed with hedges, and so narrow- ly watched, that they cannot get out, so Jerusalem was so close besieged with ene- mies and watched, that there was no escape for her. Whence was this ? v. 1 8., " This is thy wickedness." All our evils are from the evil of sin. The cords that pinch us arc of our own twisting. Sin raiscth all the storms in conscience ; the sword of God's justice lies quiet till sin draws it out of the scabbard, and makes God whet it a- gainst a nation.
Branch 5. If sin be so great an evil, then how little reason hath any one to be in love with sin. Some are so infatuated with sin that they delight in it. The devil can so
cook and dress sin that it y)leaseth the sinner's palate, Job XX. 12., "Though wick- edness be sweet in his mouth." Sin is as delightful to corrupt nature, as meat to the taste. Sin is a feast on which men feed their lusts ; but there's little cause to be so in love with sin, Job xx. 12, 14., " Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, it is the gall of asps within him." To love sin is to hug an enemy. Sin puts a worm into con- science,— a sting into death, — a fire into hell. Sin is like those locusts, Rev. viii. 10., " On their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions, and they had tails like scorpions, and they had stings in their tails." After the woman's hair comes in the scorpion's sting.