Chap. 14 sin wrongs God in the End for which he has made all things
Certainly there is this in sin, for there is infinite depth of counsel and wisdom of God in setting all things in frame, that one thing should be serviceable to another; and at length all should come to be for God's glory.
Now there is no creature can break the order God has made but men and angels, none but those creatures that are capable of sin. And certainly sin does not only aim to break God's order, but does it actually; sin brings disorder, and does break the order God has set: only God by his mighty Power knows how to bring sin it self to that, that he will have his glory from it, to take occasion at least by it to bring things into their right order again. But were it not that God were of infinite wisdom and Power, sin would break all that curious work God has made, and bring it all to confusion.
Now we know art and wisdom ads to any thing; as suppose some curious building were all beaten too pieces and rubbish, there were no material less in the rubbish than in the building, only the art of the workman, the art and the order that makes the beauty of the work, and the difference in excellency from a heap of rubbish.
So it is the Order God has set in the world that makes the beauty of God's work, and sin does do all it can to make all the work of God to be a heap of rubbish, a mere Confusion. Indeed when there is such a curious piece of work of a workman broke all in pieces on a sudden, if he had so much skill and power instantly to put it in frame again, his art would exceedingly be admired and wondered at. Thus it is with God.
Certainly were it not for God's infinite wisdom and Power, whereby he can bring all in Order again, sin would bring all to Rubbish; and know thou hast a hand in this that hast a hand in sin.
CHAP. XIV.
Sin Wrongs God in the End for Which He Has Made All Things.
Fourthly, sin wrongs God in the end for which he has made all things, which is his own glory. Now we know that of all things a man cannot endure to be wronged in his end, when he has an End to such & such a thing, and aims to bring such and such a thing to pass, though he should be frustrated in regard of some means, this troubles him not, but when he comes to lose his end, this troubles him exceedingly.
Thus it is with a sinner, he sets himself against God to do what lies in him that God should lose his end of all that ever he has done: and if so be God were not Almighty to over power things, certainly sin would quite frustrate God of his end of his works, for which he did make all things, to wit, his glory.
Now a sinner does what he can to darken the glory of God, does in effect stand up and say, if I can help it, God shall have no glory in the world.
I say, you that walk on in ways of sin, this you are charged with in the name of God this day, that you are guilty of this, you have in effect stood up, and as it were said, If I can help it God shall have no glory in the world: and yet it was for his glory that God made all things.
Truly brethren, it cannot but be a soul-piercing consideration for any stout stubborn sinner in the world for to have this one thought
(take it with you, and work it upon your hearts, see what it will do) to think thus, had I never been born, God had never been so much dishonored: this one thought has a mighty power to pierce the stoutest hearted sinner in the world. Oh! is not God infinitely worthy of all glory and honor in the world? has he not made all creatures for his glory? and if I had never been born, and never had
had a being, God should never have been so dishonored, he would have had more glory if I had never been. If God had made me a dog or a toad, a snake or a serpent, God should have had more glory than by making me a man.
True, God will bring about his glory, and have more glory from thee another way, than if thou hadst been made a Dog or a Toad; but no thanks to thee, thou dost what thou canst in way of sin to hinder his glory, God's almighty power brings this to pass. But if thou goest on in ways of sin, it may be said of thee, that if thou hadest been made a Dog or Toad, God would have had more glory in the world than now he has in making thee a Man: yea, thou art so far from bringing
God glory that thou dishonored God as much as in thee lies. And this, if it lies upon the heart as it should is a sad consideration to humble the proudest heart in the world; to think that thou livest, and God has no glory by thee, though this be the End for which God made the world.
Think thus, suppose God should have no more glory by all the world, than by me, to what end were the world made? Suppose one that lives in a mere Atheistical way, and takes no notice of the Majesty and Glory of God, but lives only to eat and drink, and play and swear, and the like; now if his conscience tell him this has been his way, I speak to such a one in these words, suppose God had never had more glory from any creature than from thee? to what purpose had the world been made? For God that has wrought so wonderfully and gloriously in raising such a glorious Edifice and Frame, certainly it was, that he might have some glory from what he has done.
No man works any thing but for some end, and wisdom directs every man that his end be worth his Labor, that, that which he aims at shall be worth all his work. Now God had some end therefore in making thee, and he must needs have some excellent end; but now, what do I think in my conscience was the End of God in making of the world and me? what was it for no other end but that men and
women might live and eat and drink, and lie, and swear, and commit such wickedness? was this God's end?
I put it to your conscience every sinful man or woman; think how hast thou lived? what hast thou done in all thy life? look back to thy former life, and think how hast thou spent it? I have gotten money, and what to do? is it only to eat and drink, and the like? and thou hast lived in a Course of Nature thy conscience tells thee thus, now
I put this to thee, Doest thou think in thy conscience this is the end thou livest in the world for?
Did God (when from all Eternity he intended to make such a creature as thou art, to live in such a time in such a place, and preserved thee all this while from such dangers at Sea, or at Land) I say, did God aim at no other end but this that thou shouldest live to do thus? Certainly thy conscience will condemn thee if thou hast but a heart for to think of it.
Thou wert upon thy sick bed, and then thou cryest to God to spare thee; well, thou didest escape, now I put this to thee, Dost thou think God spared thee, and gave thee thy life, to live to no other end but this? dost thou think this was the only end?
Take heed thou dost not go on in ways of crossing God in his end, for God will have his end one way or other. If a man have been at a great deal of cost to deliver another man from misery, redeemed him from Captivity, and when he has brought him home, he rails at him that did this for him, and does him all the mischief he can: And in any mans account he is exceedingly wronged that has done thus and thus for one that is thereby as it were his creature, and yet he live and do thus and thus wrong and abuse him.
Certainly then, God is wronged when he has given thee a body, delivered thee from such and such dangers, and thou livest to no other end but to satisfy thy lust; thou exceedingly wrongest God.
This is so clear, that a man would wonder where mens consciences