328 SERMONS UPON GENESIS XXIV. 63.
worse to sin against the light of the word, that will make sin rise high indeed. Then there is more of enmity and malice in it. When a man will break through the convictions and restraints of conscience, it is a sign a man does love sin, and sins for its own sake ; which is sensibly and clearly discerned in apostates, who are carried on with most wilful malice and rage against the truth which once they pro- fessed. Aposfafce sunt maximi osores sui ordinis. Hosea v. 2, 'The revolters are profound to make slaughter.' Forward professors, when they revolt, turn violent persecutors. They set themselves against the light. Alexander was once a disciple, yet he ' made shipwreck of the faith,' 1 Tim. i. 19, 20 ; and he is the man that must set on the multi- tude against Paul : Acts xix. 33, ' And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward.' The same man is intended, for by the epistles to Timothy we learn that he dwelt at Ephesus, where Timothy was when those epistles were directed to him. Now the Jews set him up as the fittest accuser of Paul ; ' he knew his doctrine, and he must appear to turn all the blame of the uproar on the christians. Once more we read of this Alexander as a desperate adversary to the truth : 2 Tim. iv. 21, ' Alexander the coppersmith did me much hurt.' Certainly their rage and malice is the greater because of the abundance of light which they have forsaken. No vinegar is so tart as that which is made of the sweetest wine ; so when knowledge is once corrupted, it fills the heart with most rage : Prov. xxviii. 4, ' They that forsake the law praise the wicked.' They not only commit sin, but like it in others ; they are the most violent and forward men to defend wicked Avays and unjust courses. Sins against knowledge have the greatest marks of the divine vengeance and displeasure. When men abuse knowledge, God giveth them up to sottishness, madness, hardness of heart, or despair. To sottishness : Kom. i. 21-23, ' Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful ; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened : professing themselves wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corrupt- ible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things' Heathens, that had some common knowledge of the divine nature, when they sinned against their light, God darkened their hearts and made them more foolish. The heathens that were most civil and had most light were given up to the most beastly errors about the nature of God. The Eomans worshipped fevers, j^assions, and paltry gods ; the Egyptians, thunder and the sun. Or else the Lord gives them up to mad- ness. The most moral heathens were the sorest persecutors, as Severus, Antoninus ; they abused their light, and therefore God gave them up to fury and madness against his ways. Or else they are given up to hardness of heart. Iron oft heated and oft quenched groweth harder. God justly punisheth contempt of light with obduracy ; when a man hath had frequent convictions, and still he quencheth them, he grows the harder. Or else the Lord gives them up to a sad despair God opens their consciences, and makes them to see how they have gone against their own light. Much knowledge not digested is like meat in tiie stomach, that, being not concocted, breedeth the colic ; it breedeth sad gripes in the conscience.
SEKMONS UPON GENESIS XXIV. G3. 329
[4.] If they are committed against love. It is sad to sin against God's laws, it is more to sin against God's love. Suppose it be but against common love, against God that giveth us food and raiment, rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons. The apostle calls this a ' despising the goodness of God,' Rom. ii. 4, either by emploj^ing it to vile uses, or else by a careless slighting and not taking notice of it. You that slight the kindness of God do as it were say, God shall not gain me to his ways for all this. Every sin is not committed against knowledge, but every sin is against love and bowels. Christ may say to every sinner, as he said to the Jews, John x. 32, * Many good works have I showed you from my Father ; for which of those works do you stone me ? ' Tims the Lord may plead, I have given you protection and provision, and food and raiment, for which of these do you violate my law and put such an affront upon me ? It is I that have been so liberal to you, in giving you the fruits of the earth, the fish of the sea, the fowls of the air ; it is I that have caused your sheep to bring forth thousands, and your fields to yield meat ; and will you return upon me with my own weapons ? Malefactors are punished in the same things in which they ofi'end, and you seek to do me despite by my own blessings, as if I did you wrong when I did you good. But much more if you sin against special love. You that are Christ's favourites, every sin of yours is as a stab at the heart of mercy ; as when the multitude forsook him, says Christ to his disciples, John vi. 61, 'Will ye also go away?' That went to his heart. God reckoneth upon you that he shall have much service and obedience from you, and disappointment is the worst kind of vexation : Gen. xviii. 19, ' I know Abraham, that he will com- mand his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord ; ' Isa. Ixiii. 8, ' Surely they are my people, children that will not lie.' That which in others is but single fornication in you is adultery ; others sin agaiust common mercies, but you against the bowels of Christ ; they are not thankful for a piece of bread, nor you for the bread of life. As Absalom said to Hushai, 2 Sam. xvi. 17, * Is this thy kindness to thy friend ? ' so is this the fruit of all those tender loves and mercies which God hath meted out to you ? It is unnatural, as if a hen should bring forth the egg of a crow.