found no sufficient excuse for sin.
God requires you to do: Exod. 23:2, "You shall not follow a multitude
to do evil." Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern
of this world;" that is, do not fashion and conform yourselves to the
corrupt customs and courses of wretched worldlings, who have made
gold their God, and gain their glory. The running cross to a divine
command cost the young prophet his life, though he did it under
pretense of revelation from God, as you may see in that sad story, 1
Kings 13, etc. The command of God must outweigh all authority and
example of men [Jerome].
And we must be as careful in the keeping of a light commandment as
an heavy commandment. Says a Rabbi, Divine commands must be
obeyed against all contrary reasonings, wranglings, and examples.
Ah! young men, you who doat so much upon examples now, will find
that a stinging terrifying question, when put home by God or
conscience, Who has required those things at your hands? Isaiah
1:12. But,
4. Fourthly, I answer, Company and allurements to sin—will be
found no sufficient excuse for sin.
If Eve lays her fault on the serpent, and Adam lays his fault on Eve—
God will lay the curse on both. Saul's provocation by his people, and
by Samuel's long stay to offer sacrifice, would not exonerate him; but
for his disobedience he must lose both his crown and life, 1 Sam.
15:14-15, 26-27. The young man in the Proverbs, though tempted and
solicited by the harlot, yet has a dart struck through his heart,
Proverbs 7:14-15, 21. Though Jonah did plead God's gracious
inclinations to show mercy, and his fear of being disproved; yes, and
though he might have pleaded his fear of cruel and savage usage
from the Ninevites, whose hearts were desperately set upon
wickedness, and his despair of ever doing good upon a people so
blinded and hardened, and that they were Gentiles and he a Jew; and
why should he then be sent with so strange, so terrible a message to
such a people, nothing being more hateful and distasteful to a Jewish
palate? But all these pleas and excuses will not bear off the blow.
Jonah must be thrown into the sea for all this; yes, he must go to "the
bottom of hell," as himself phrases it. It is in vain for the bird to
complain—that it saw the corn but not the trap; or for the fish to
plead—it saw the bait but not the hook. So it will be in vain for
sinners at last, when they are taken in an infernal trap, to plead the
company and allurements by which they have been enticed to undo
their soul forever.
Dionysius, the Sicilian king, to excuse himself from the present
delivery of the golden garment he took from his idol Apollo,
answered, that such a robe as that was could not be at any season of
the year useful to his idol, for it would not keep him warm in the
winter, and it was too heavy for the summer--and so put off his
idol-god. But the God of heaven, the God of all flesh, will not be put
off with any excuses or pretenses, when he shall try and judge all
men. But,