10. It is a disorder in nature, or a breach in the moral order and harmony of the world, whilst man, the most excellent of all visible creatures, is so perverted and depraved, like the chief string to an instrument broken and out of tune. God hath appointed all creatures their work and service, and the chiefest part of his workmanship is spoiled and disordered. He was certainly the chief wheel in this curious artifice. God hath made all things by number, weight, and measure ; no creature so depraved and unfitted for his use as man ; the rest of the creatures continue according to his ordinance, Ps. cxix. 91. They are all subject to him according to the rule and law of their creation, the proud waves of the sea not excepted: Jer. v. 22, 'I have placed the sand for a bound to the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass ; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail ; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.' That vast collection of waters, which no might or sleight of man is able to master, yet it cannot stir an inch further than the Lord pleaseth. Now what an aggravation is this of man's sin, who will not be ruled by God, who is able to rule and overrule the sea, the most unruly creature of all others ! The sea itself observeth God's law ; but he complaineth there that his people had revolted from it, ver. 23. Man alone of all creatures transgresseth the law which God hath prescribed, and goeth beyond the assigned bounds. The inanimate creatures, that have no sense and reason and choice, do not pass the line of their decree ; so that sin is a greater disorder than for the sea to break its bounds : Ps. cxlvi. 6, ' Which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that therein is ; which keepeth truth for ever.' Sun, moon, and stars keep their orb and course, and observe the just points of their compass ; man only is eccentric and exorbitant.
11. It is a disbelief of the promises and threatenings wherewith the law is enforced ; for in the law, besides the precept, there is a sanction by penalties and rewards. In the two former considerations, we considered sin as it transgresseth the precept of the law ; now we come to consider the sanction of the law, as it offereth death or life to the transgressors and observers of it : Deut. xxx. 15, ' I have set before thee life and death, good and evil.' Now this is as little believed as
508 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. VII.
the precept is obeyed ; and thence cometh all our boldness in sinning, and coldness in duty. First, It we believed his promises, by which he doth allure us to obedience, we would be more forward and ready to comply with his precepts. Surely God meaneth as he speaketh ; he will make good his word to the obedient ; but the sinner thinketh not so, and therefore is loath to undergo the difficulties of obedience, because he hath so little sense and certainty of the fulfilling of the promise. The apostle telleth us, Heb. xi. 6, ' That without faith it is impossible to please God : for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of all that diligently seek him ; ' implying that if the fundamental truths of God's being and bounty were well rooted in our hearts, we could not be so careless as we are, nor so barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ ; our unbelief lieth at the bottom of all our carelessness, 1 Cor. xv. 58. Secondly, Threatenings ; if these were more believed, we would not venture as we do ; for you cannot drive a dull ass into the fire which is kindled before him : Prov. i. 17, ' In vain is the snare laid in the sight of any bird.' And would a reasonable creature wilfully run into so great a danger if he were sensible of it? and if he did believe these fearful threatenings, would he venture upon them ? We think God doth not intend any execution of them, but only frightens us with a deceitful terror and a cry of false fire. Unbelief had a great predominancy in the first sin : ' Ye shall not surely die,' Gen. iii. 4 ; and still it is a main ingredient. Men embolden themselves to rebellion, because they look upon God's wrath as a vain scarecrow.
12. It is a slighting of all those providences by which he would confirm and back his law. The Lord knoweth how apt we are to be guided by present sense. Things future, and that lie in another world, leave little impression upon our hearts ; and therefore the terror of wrath to come cannot prevail against strong and violent affections to things that are present. The pleasures of sin being apprehended by sense, work more strongly upon the affections than tilings absent can do, which want that help of sense to convey them to our minds which the affections are much moved by ; therefore God by some sensible dispensations will wean us from evil, and draw us to good, as by the mercies of this life, by public judgments, by chastenings. Even carnal nature is apt to be pleased with these kind of mercies, protec- tion, provisions, and many worldly comforts : Ps. cxix. 56, ' This I had because I kept thy precepts ; ' Mat. vi. 33, ' First seek the king- dom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.' But alas ! a naughty heart slighteth these expressions of God's common goodness : Kom. ii. 4, ' Despisest thou the riches of his goodness ? ' So all those chastisings by which God will show us the bitter fruit of sin : Jer. ii. 19, ' Know therefore and see that k is an evil thing, and a bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God;' Jer. iv. 18, ' Thy way and thy doings have procured these things to thee : this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter.' All the hurt that cometh to us in this world is the fruit of sin ; this is little taken notice of.