We now come to the second motive or encouragement, which is in the text. There is a double reading of these words — that in the margin, and that in the text. In the marginal reading it is, ' Much transgres- sion,' as relating to other heinous sins. In the text, ' The unpardonable sin,' or, as we express it, ' The great transgression.' From the marginal reading observe this point —
Doct. He that alloweth himself in one sin cannot promise himself freedom from the greatest sins.
The point will be made good by these two considerations — (1.) That some sins are greater than others ; (2.) That the lesser sins make way for greater.
VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON PSALM XIX. 13. 391
I. That some sins are greater than others. Certainly there is a difference between sins ; some are lesser, some greater. Thnt appear- eth because the scripture telleth us of gnats and camels, Mat. xxiii. 24, motes and beams, Mat. vii. 3. All sins are not alike, nor all sinners. Some sins are more heinous than others: 2 Kings iii. 1, 2, ' Jehoram, the son of Ahab, wrought evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father and like his mother ; for he put awaj^ the image of Baal which his father had made.' His sins were great, but not so great as theirs : John xix. 11, 'Therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.' All that had a hand in the persecutions of Christ were guilty, yet some more heinously than others ; they that betrayed him out of mere maUce than those that judged him secundum allegata et probata, upon pretence of proof. Tiiey that are trained up in the church iiave more knowledge than a pagan. It appeareth also by the judgment, wdiich is always proportioned according to the oflt'ence, Mat xi. 22. Some have Trepiaoorepov Kplfia, a more intolerable judgment: Mat. xxiii. 14, ' I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.' And some have many and some few stripes ; Luke xii. 47, 48, ' And that servant which knew In's lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes ; but he that knew not, and did coumiit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.' Though for duration all are punished alike, and as to poena dam7u, the punishment of loss, all are alike, yet as io poena sensus, the punish- inent of sense, there are degrees of torment; some more and some less. Then certain it is all sins are not equal. But whence doth the inequality arise ? Not merely from the opinion of the multitude and shame among men. There is peccatum majoris infamia, a sin of greater shame, and majoris reatus, of greater guilt. Spiritual sins, as unbelief and impenitency, may be of greater guilt than those acts of sensuality which are more odious in the eye of the world, and betray us to greater shame.
The difference and aggravations of sins do arise — (1.) From the lawgiver ; (2.) From the law, by which good and evil are determined ; (3.) Fioni the offender; (4.) From the nature of temptations; (5.) From the consequents and effects.
First, From the lawgiver. The more contempt is done to God, the greater the offence: 1 Sam. xv. 23, 'Rebellion is as the sin of wilch- -craft ; and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.' When men wilfully transgress God's known will, and commit a sin the rather because they know God hath forbidden it, that is rebellion ; so that the quantity is not forbidden so much as the quality, not the materiality so much as the formality of it. Rebellion, it is no f'niall matter; it is like going to witches and devils, or worshipping idols. The authority of the lawgiver expi-essly known is as much con- temned in the one as the other, as in Saul's sparing Agag against God's expiess conimand : Ps. xcv. 10, 'Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their hearts.' There is a sin out of ignorance, and that is an erring with the mind and there is a sin out of incogitancy and inattentiveuess, which is an
392 SERMONS UPON PSALM XIX. 13. [SeR. VI.
ignorance for the time, or a not considering our duty ; and there is an erring with the heart, when we love to wander, and care not to regard the mind of God. A man erreth in his mind that knoweth not the ways of God, but lie erreth in his heart when he desireth not to know his wa3'S. The fault is not in his mind, hut his heart. These sins grieve God and provoke him exceedingly, because his authority is slighted.
Secondly, From the law. Sins of the highest degree against the first table are greater than the sins of the highest degree against the second, because Christ telleth us. Mat. xxii. 38, ' This is the first and great commandment.' He committeth a greater offence that beatetli his father than he that striketh another man, that immediately resistetk his prince than he that resisteth his officer. The more directly any sin is against God, the greater the offence, for God is greater than man,. Job xxxiii. 12. He that sinneth against his neighbour sinneth also against God, but not so directly : 1 Cor. viii. 12, ' But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.' Duties of the first table must needs be greatest, because they enforce the second. We perform our duty to them as in and to the Lord ; but yet this must be understood so as the comparison be rightly made ; the chief of the first table with the chief of the second, of the middle with the middle, the least with the least ; otherwise not:. Isa. i. 15, ' And when ye spread forth your hearts, I will hide mine eyes from you ; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear : your hands are full of blood ; ' Hosea vi. 6, ' For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.' First, love to God, then love to men ; acts of outward worship to God^ and acts of outward kindness to men ; the circumstantial and cere- monial duties of the first table must give place to the necessary and moral duties of the second. But when the comparison is duly made in the same rank, those laws which do simply and directly respect God are to be preferred ; the love of our neighbour must give place to the love of God ; the love of wife, children, friends, brethren: Luke xi\'. 26, ' If any man will come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.' God is chief and most worthy of respect.