others; if you will partake of other men's sins, you shall also partake
But before I come to the second answer, let me leave this note or
notion with those who make no conscience of undoing others by
their examples, namely, That a more grievous punishment is
reserved for those who cause others to sin, than for those who sin by
their example. Thus the serpent was punished more than Eve, and
Eve more than Adam. So Jezebel felt a greater and sorer judgment
than Ahab.
Friends, you have sins enough of your own, to make you forever
miserable; why should you, by giving bad examples to others, make
yourselves far more miserable? The lowest, the darkest, the
hottest place in hell, will be for those who have drawn
others there by their example, Mat. 23:15. Dives knew that if his
brethren were damned—that he would be double damned, because
he had largely contributed to the bringing of them to hell by his
wicked example. Therefore he desires that they might be kept out of
hell—not out of any love or good will to them—but because their
coming there would have made his hell more hot, his torments more
insufferable, Luke 16:28. "It would be better for him to be thrown
into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck—than for him to
cause one of these little ones to sin." Luke 17:2
2. Secondly, I answer, If you sin with others, you shall suffer with
others; if you will partake of other men's sins, you shall also partake
of other men's plagues, Rev. 18:4. Those who have been, like Simeon
and Levi, brethren in iniquity—they shall be brethren in misery.
Those who have sinned together impenitently shall be sent to hell