20. Thou scornest men for keeping that covenant, which thou also madest with God in thy baptism thyself. At the same time thou speakest against the anabaptists, that will not have their children baptized, and deridest those that keep their covenant, which in baptism they made. What a monster of contradictions is an ungodly hypocrite! Didst thou not in baptism renounce the flesh, the world, and the devil, and give up thyself in covenant to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? And dost thou not yet know what thou didst? but scorn them that perform it? What is it to be given up to God in baptism, but to take him for thy God, thy Saviour, and Sanctifier, whom thou must love, and seek, and obey in holiness, with all thy heart, and soul, and might? He is a covenant-breaker indeed, that hates the keeping of it.
I have hitherto been showing thee what it is that thou opposest and deridest: I shall now tell thee further what thou dost, in showing thee the aggravations of the sin, and its importance.
2. Consider in all this, what an open enemy thou art to God, and an open soldier for the devil: what canst thou do more against God, and do thy worst, than make a scorn of all his work and servants? He feareth not thy power or rage; thou canst not hurt him. How many millions of such worms as thou can he tread to hell, or destroy in a moment! It is in his servants and service that he is honoured or opposed here, and that mortals show their love or hatred to him. And how canst thou devise, if thou wouldst do thy worst, to serve the devil more notoriously, than by opposing and deriding the service of God? If such be not Satan's servants, he hath none.
3. Consider what a terrible badge of misery thou carriest about thee! thou bearest the mark of Satan, death, and hell in thy forehead, as it were. If there were any doubt whether a swearer, or drunkard, or fornicator may be in a state of grace, yet it is past all doubt that a scorner of godliness is not: it were strange indeed for that man to be holy that derideth holiness: there is scarce any sort of men in the world, that are more undoubtedly in a state of damnation than thou art. It is dark to us what God will do with infidels, and heathens that never had the means of salvation; but what he will do with all the unbelieving and ungodly that have had the means, we know past doubt; much more what he will do with those, that are not only void of holiness, but deride it. I deny not but yet if thou be converted thou mayst be saved: and oh that God would "give thee repentance to the acknowledging of the truth," that thou mightest escape out of the devil's snares, who leads thee captive at his will, 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26. It is written of Basil, that by his prayers he caused the devil to give back a writing, by which a wretched man had sold his soul to him, that he might enjoy his master's daughter; and that the man repented and was delivered: if thou mayst be so recovered it will be a happy day for thee. But till then it is as sure as the Scripture is sure, that thou art a miserable creature, and an undone man if thou die in that condition that thou art in. Oh with what fear shouldst thou rise and lie down, if thou hadst thy wits about thee, lest thou shouldst die before thou art converted.[554]
4. To scorn at holiness is a defiance of grace, as if thou didst renounce God's mercy: thou dost thy worst to drive away all hope, and make thy case uncurable and desperate. For if ever thou be saved, it must be by this grace and holy life which thou deridest: and is scorning grace the way to get it? And is it likely that the Holy Ghost will come and dwell in the man that scorneth his sanctifying works?
5. To scorn at godliness, is a daring of God to give over his patience, and presently to execute his vengeance on thee! Canst thou wonder if he should make thee a monument of his justice, and set thee up for all others to take warning by? Who is fitter for this, than the scornful opposers of his grace and service? Hasten not vengeance, man; it will come time enough. Will a worm defy the God of heaven?
6. How little dost thou understand of all that thou opposest! Didst thou ever try a holy life? If thou hadst, thou wouldst not speak against it; if thou hast not, art thou not ashamed to speak evil of that which thou dost not understand? It is a thing that none can thoroughly know without experience: try it awhile, and then speak thy mind.