8. This induration and excecation, this blindness and hardness of heart, is at first partial, concerning this or that sin ; but at length general, concerning all sin ; and this begetteth that horrid impudence that men are past all shame. When by the terrible judgment of God they are let alone after their first transgression, they repeat their sins, and still the delusions of the flesh increase upon them. Therefore it is good to stop betimes, lest with swine we begin to take pleasure to wallow in this mire and filth.
Doct. 2. That it is the folly and madness of sinners, that know the filthiness of sin, to commit it secretly, and think themselves secure if they may escape the eye of man.
I shall prove it —
First, From the evil of secret sins ; although to be a bold and open sinner is in some respects more heinous than to be a secret and private sinner, because of the dishonour to God, the scandal of others, and impudence in the sinner himself. Dishonour to God : 2 Sam. xii. 14, * Thou hast given occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme.' The scandal of others. When a fire is kindled by our negligence, if it be kept at home and within doors, the loss is only our own ; but if the :sparks fly abroad, and consume the dwellings of others, our private fault becometh a public loss and detriment. So Mat. xviii. 7, ' Woe ■unto the world because of offences.' So the impudence of the sinner himself : Jer. iii. 3, ' Thou hast a whore's forehead ; thou refusest to be ashamed.' A common strumpet, that hath wholly forfeited her •credit, is ashamed of nothing!
Yet in other respects secret sins have the aggravations which other «ins have not.
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 315
1. Because they are more against knowledge and conviction. Men are conscious to themselves that they do evil, and therefore seek a veil and covering. They would sin, but they would not have the world know of it. Now to sin with a consciousness that we do sin is a dreadful evil ; for that is a sin that hath presumption in it, and pre- sumption leaves no small guilt : Ps. xix. 13, ' Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over me ; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great trans- gression.' Every sin, the more we understand the law, and know our duty, the more it hath of a culpable transgression ; for this is know- ingly and seeingly to run against God. Those that live in secret wickedness, envy, pride, sensuality, and would fain keep it close, they smother checks of conscience, and plainly rebel against the light, and so are self-condemned in those practices which they secretly allow and •commit.
2. This secret sinning, and with security, hath atheism annexed to it. Atheism is either a denial of God or a contempt of God.
[1.] A denial of God, which directly, deliberately, and formally cannot be done by any reasonable creature ; but by denying his provi- dence, we do in effect deny his being. This kind of atheism striketh at the root of all piety and obedience: Ps. Ixxiii. 11, 'How doth God know ? and is there knowledge in the Most High ? ' Ps. xciv, 7, ' They say. The Lord shall not see, nor doth the God of Jacob regard it ; ' •Job xxii. 13, ' And thou sayest, How doth God know ? can he judge through the dark cloud ? ' Those that live in secret sin, they do in -effect deny that God doth exercise a providence and government in the world, that he doth not mind the affairs of men, or regard what is •done by them ; for all their care is to hide themselves from men, which is in effect to deny that God is God. Their security and hypocrisy «peaketh it : Zeph. i. 12, ' I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart. The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.' Men do not believe a particular inspection, because they cannot conceive how it should be, considering the distance be- tween him and us.
[2.] A contempt of God. If they do not deny his being and providence, yet they slight his judgment ; for this doing evil in secret puts far more respect upon men than upon God, whilst through the prevalency of palliated atheism they only fear men, seek to hide their «ins from men, but little reckon of the all-seeing eye of God, are careless of that : Jer. ii. 26, ' The thief is ashamed when he is found ; ' that is, surprised by man in his theft. Now, you are atheistical hypo- crites when you look so much to men and so little to God. If man be once feared more than God, you will not care how much you dis- please God, so you do not offend man ; and so you are stabbing your obedience to the very heart. But how preposterous is this ! Can man damn thee ? Can man fill thy conscience with terrors ? Can man bid thee to depart into everlasting burnings ? Why then art thou afi-aid of man, and not of God ? Thou canst be envious in secret, declaim against God's children in secret, neglect duties in secret, be sensual in secret. 0 wicked wretch ! art thou afraid man should know it, and not afraid God should know it ? What ! afraid of the