Chap. 9 How sin resists God: 1 It's a hating of God. 2 It's rebellion against God. 3 It's a despisin
not a fighting against us men, but against God: you may turn it off with what names you will, and put what pretences you will upon it, let me tell you, They that strike upon the lantern, offer violence to the Candle therein.
5 sin, in Scripture is called striving against God, Isa. 45. 9. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker: Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth: So far as sin does prevail in thy heart, or in thy life, so far thou art guilty of striving with thy Maker.
6 A rising against God: By sin the Soul does rise against God. And for that you have an Expression in the 2. Micah, 8. Even my people of late are risen up as an Enemy. these be strange expressions; enmity, walking contrary, striving, fighting, resisting, rising against God; and yet this is in sin. But that I may open it further, I shall shew how sin does fight, strive, and rise against God.
CHAP. IX.
How Sin Resists God:
1 It's a hating of God. 2 It's rebellion against God. 3 It's a despising of God.
First, sin does resist God in his Authority; in his Sovereignty, in his Dominion over the creature; the language of sin is, God shall not reign. It is the setting of the Will of a base wretched creature, against the will of the infinite, eternal, glorious God. And is there not evil in this? though it may be thou does not on purpose do so, set thy will against God, yet it is so in sin, there is the setting of thy will against the will of the infinite eternal God: resisting the Sovereignty, and Majesty, and Dominion of the infinite God. Yea,
thou doest resist-God in his Law, thou resisteth and opposes God in that righteous Law of his, which he gave thee to obey.
Quest. But how is this in every sin? It may be in some great and notorious sins this may be, but is this fighting against God, striving, and rising, and walking contrary to him, (and so of the rest) is this in every sin?
Answ. For that I Answer, 1 That every sin comes from the same root, and look what venom there is in any one sin, for the nature of it, it is in every sin, though not for its degree: 'Tis true, one sin may have a higher degree of evil in it than another, but every sin is envenomed with the same evil: That which is the venom of any one sin, is the venom of all; all comes from the same root. As in a Tree, there is more Sap in an Arm of the Tree, than in a little Sprig; but the Sprig has the same Sap for kind that the Arm of the Tree has, and it al comes from the same root. So though there be more venom in some gross, crying sins, than in some others; yet there is no sin but has the same Sap, and the same venom, for the kind, that every sin has, that the worst sin has.
2 Yea, consider further, That God does not account sin only according to mans intentions in sinning; what man intends, but what the nature of the sin tends unto, not what I do aim at in my sinning, but what my sin does aim at. There is the end of the agent, and the end of the act, now tis true though the end of a sinner be not always to strive against God, and fight with God, yet the end of his sin is so, though not of the sinner; I beseech you observe how
God may lay grievous sins to their charge, and that he does not account of a mans sins according to his intentions, but according to that which is in the nature of his sin as now, you would think it a strange sin, to charge any man in the world with hating of God, come to any man though the greatest sinner in the world, the most notorious villain, and charge him thus, Thou art a vile wretch thou hatest the living God; he would revile you and be ready to to spit in your face: and yet it is said, He hates God: In the 1 Rom. the Apostle
in the catalogue of sins (when he would shew the state of all men by nature, for the first seven chapters of the Epistle to the Romans are to shew the nature of the Jews and Gentiles) and among others, he tells them there were those that were haters of God, among other notorious sins haters of God is one: But I will shew it in a more plainer way, in the Second Commandment.
The worst villain in the nation would spit in your face if you should say he hates God: What say you to him that will seem devout, and worship God in a more glorious way then he has appointed; the Scripture said, he hates God: See the Second Commandment, Thou shalt not make unto thy self an, graven image, nor &c. Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them, nor worship them, &c. for I will visit the sin of the Fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that HATE me: Why is this set in the Second
Commandment rather than any other? That God will visit the sins of them that hate him, those that sin against the Second
Commandment seem to honor God, and to love God more than any other, they be not only content to worship God in that ordinary way others do, but in a more glorious, and pompous way; well, it may be the breaker of the second Commandment pretends more love to God than any, and yet there God said they be those that hate him, so that you see God does not reek on sin according to mans intentions.
Certainly the worshippers of Images do not intend to hate God, but God accounts of sin what it is in its own nature, it is as if God should say, If you will not worship me according to my way of worship, will not be content with that, but will set up a new devised worship of your own, do you call it what you will, I account it hatred of me.
Secondly, sin is rebellion: What man in the world will be convinced that he does any thing in way of rebellion against God, and yet mark, God charges sin with Rebellion even in that which they pretend they do all for God's glory; See in that Example of Saul, 1
Sam. 15. you shall find there, when Saul did but spare Agag and the fat of the cattle, and pretends to offer Sacrifice to God; Samuel
comes to him in the name of God, and said he, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. Why (might Saul say) Lord, have mercy upon me, is this such rebellion? I did it for the honor of God, I did it to sacrifice to God; and yet the Prophet of God in God's name charges Saul with rebellion. Now brethren, sin you see has that in its own nature that is not intended by men in their sinning: Therefore while I speak of the nature of sin, some may say, Indeed this my be true of sinful, wicked, notorious wretches; but is this true of me? Yea, it may be true of the most civil man or woman in God's presence this day;
God may charge them with hatred and rebellion.
Thirdly, sin is a despising of God. Who would acknowledge in the way of sin they despise God? Scarce any in the world is so wicked as to acknowledge they despise God. And yet mark, God charges David with this for the commission of that one sin: see the 2 Sam. 12. 9.
David did despise God.
Well, if hatred, and rebellion, and despising of God, though neither of them all be in the intention of the man in committing of them, yet God seeth it in the Nature of them. So then if sin be a despising of God, rebellion against God, walking contrary, and enmity, &c. if there be all this in sin, though in every sin the creature intend not this, but God seeth this in the root of every sin, in the venom of every sin: Therefore then, you that have gone on in the course of sin, lay but this second thing to heart, That you are those, who have walked in the course of your lives in an opposition against the infinite dreadful God of all the world; against the infinite God, this has been the course of your life.
Truly Brethren, it is enough, this that I speak of, to pluck down the stoutest heart, the most wicked and most wretched hard heart in the world.
For a Minister of God to come and charge them in God's Name, Thou hast gone on in all thy life hitherto, ever since thou wast born, in a continual opposition to God Himself, unto the infinite Lord, the
Eternal first being of all the world; thy life has been nothing but enmity to this God: thou hast as directly opposed, and striven against, and resisted Him, as ever man did oppose, and resist, and strive with another man, and this thou hast done in the whole course of thy life: Certainly there is more in this to humble a man than any thing that can be spoken to shew him the evil of sin.
When Christ would humble Saul's heart, what does he do? he comes and said, Saul, Saul, Why persecutest thou me?
Alas, thou thinkest thou hast to deal with these poor creatures, who are not able to right themselves: but be it known to thee, thou hast to deal with Me, the ever living, Eternal God. Why persecutest thou
Me? Who art thou Lord? as if he had said, Lord, I did not think I had to deal with thee, who art thou Lord? I am He whom thou persecutest. He said no more, but as if should have said thus, Look upon me, I am that great and glorious God that has thee at an advantage, and can tread thee under My feet.
Immediately Saul falls down (the text said) trembling, and astonished, and said, Lord what wilt thou have me to do?
Oh that it might be so this day, that some heart might fall down trembling, and astonished: and when you get alone, and think on what has been declared, say, Lord, in the ways of sin have opposed, resisted, and been an Enemy to thee; Oh Lord never thought it, Oh now Lord forgive.
It is time, it is time brethren, to cease resisting of God, and walking contrary to God; for he is above you, and will have the victory and the glory over all creatures Oh perhaps thou hast been an old
Enemy, an old sinner, that all thy days hast walked on in a course of sin; yea, perhaps thy Father has been an Enemy, thou his Enemy, and thy Father his enemy; an old adulterer, a swearer, a wicked opposite to God; and perhaps thou nourishest up children to be enemies to God; thou nourishest and breedest up a company of
brats to be enemies to God; thou breedest them in the ways of sin and wickedness, and so there is a generation of enemies against God.
Oh brethren, that God would but stir your hearts and make you fall down before Him, and see yourselves guilty of so great an enmity.
Many be ready to excuse themselves and others thus; He is no bodies enemy but his own, a good natured man, and I am no bodies enemy but my own.
Yes, besides thy own, thou art an enemy to the eternal God; and thy ways has been a way quite contrary to the eternal God, and this thou art guilty of, and the Lord chargeth thee with it this day. I remember when Daniel comes to Belshezzar, he comes to him, and thinks he has enough to humble that proud King Belshezzar, when he said thus to him: That God in whose hands the breath of thy nostrils, and al thy ways are, that God thou hast not glorified.
And it has a mighty deal of power to bring down the proudest and stoutest spirit upon the Earth; when God shall give commission to conscience to come and charge him and say; Oh thou wicked wretch, remember that, that God in whose hands all thy ways, and the breath of thy nostrils are, that God thou hast not glorified.
And suppose conscience has commission to come thus, and say, That God in whose hands the breath of thy nostrils and all thy ways are, that God in all thy life thou hast walked quite cross unto, in all thy life. I say it would have a great deal of power in it to humble the proudest heart in the world. And this is the second particular of the operations of sins workings; it is a going cross to God.
There are two more in this Branch, how sin is opposite to God. sin wrongs God, and sin is a striking at God. But because the fourth is shorter than the third, I shall begin with the fourth, and make the third last. I said before, sin was continually working against God; but now I say,