150. Queft. Are all Tranfgreffions of the Law of God equally hainous in themselves, and in the Sight of God?

Anfu. All Tranfgreffions of the law of God are not equally hainous; But fome Sins in themfelves, and by reafon of feveral Aggravations, are more hainous in the Sight of God than others m.

151; Queft. What are thofe Aggravations that make fome Sins more hainous than others?

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Anfw. Sins receive their Aggravations,

1. From the Perfons offending ; if they be of riper Age, greater Experience or "Grace";

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not for his wondrous works. v.46. Yet they tempted and provoked the moft high God, and kept not his teftimonies.

151. Jer. 2.8. The priests faid not, Where is the Lord and they that handle the law, knew me not: the paftors also tranfgreffed against me, and the prophets prophefied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit,

things foever the law faith, it faith to them who are under the law That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilry before God. James 3. from verse 2. to 13. For in many things we offend all, 150. John 19. TI. Jefns anfwered, Thou could have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater fin. Ezek. 8. 6. But turn thee yet again, and thou shalt fee greater abominations. v. 13. -Turn thee yet again, and thou fhalt fee greater abominations that they do. v. 15. Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt fee greater abominations than thefe. 1 John 5. PI Kings II. 4. For it came to 16. If any man fee his brother fina pafs when Solomon was old, that fin which is not unto death, he fhall his wives turned away his heart after ask, and he fhall give him life for other gods and his heart was not them that fin not unto death. There perfect with the Lord his God,' as is a fin unto death: I do not fay that was the heart of David his father. he fhall pray for it. Pfalm 78. 17. v. 9. And the Lord was angry with And they finned yet more againft Solomon, because his heart was tur him, by provoking the most high ned from the Lord God of Ifrael, in the wilderness.. 32. For all which had appeared unto him this they finned ftill: and believed twice.

Job 32. 7. I faid; Days should fpeak, and multitude of years fhould teach wisdom, 7.9. Great men are not always wife: neither do the aged understand judgment. Eccl. 4. 13. Better is a poor and a wife child, than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

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9 2 Sam. 12. 14. Howbeit, be- rael and of Judah; and if that had caufe by this deed thou haft given been too little, I would moreover great occafion to the enemies of the have given unto thee fuch and fuch Lord to blafpheme, the child that is things. v. 9. Wherefore haft thou born unto thee, fhall furely die. defpifed the commandment of the I Cor. 5. 1. It is reported commonly Lord, to do evil in his fight? --Ezeke that there is fornication among you, 8. 11. And there ftood before them and fuch fornication, as is not fo feventy men of the ancients of the much as named among the Gen-, house of Ifrael, and in the midst of tiles, that one should have his fathers wife.

James 4. 17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is fin. Luke 12.47. And that fervant which knew his Lords will, and prepared not him felf, neither did according to his will, fhall be beaten with many ftripes. v. 48, But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of tripes, fhall be beaten with few ftripes. For unto whomfoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more,

f Fer.s. 5. 4. Therefore I faid, Surely these are poor, they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord,nor the judgment of their God. v. 5. I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the. Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burft the bonds.

2 Sam. 12.7, And Nathan faid to David, Thou art the man. Thus faith the Lord God of Ifrael, I a nointed thee king over Ifrael,- v.8. And I gave thee thy mafters houfe, and thy mafters wives into thy bofom, and gave thee the house of If

them food Jaazaniah the fon of Shaphan, with every man his cenfer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incenfe went up, v. 12. Then faid he unto me, Son of man, haft thou feen what the ancients of the house of Ifrael do in the dark, every man in the chamber of his imagery? for they fay, The Lord feeth us not, the Lord hath forfaken the earth.

-- V. 19.

Rom. 2. 17. Behold, thou art called a Jew, and refteft in the law, and makeft thy boaft of God; ve 18. And knoweft his will, And art confident that thou thy felf art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, v. 20. An inftructer of the foolish, a teacher ofbabes, v. 21. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thy self? Thou that preach. eft a man fhould not fteal, doeft thou steal? v. 22. Thou that sayst a man fhould not commit adultery, doeft thou commit adultery? thou that abhorreft idols, doeft thou commit facrilege? v. 23. Thou that makest thy boaft of the law, through breaking the law, difhonoureft thou God? v. 24. For the name of God is blafphemed among the Gentiles, through you.

w Gal. 2. 11.

But when Peter was
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2. From the Parties offended; ifimmediately against God, his Attributes, and Worship a; against Chrift, and his Grace; the Holy Spirit,his Witnefs,

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blind for facrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and fick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor, will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy perfon? faith the Lord of hofts.

v. 14. But curfed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth and facrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, faith the Lord of hofts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

cometo Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. v. 12. For before that certain came from James he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew, and feparated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcifion. v. 13. And the other Jews diffembled likewife with him; infomuch that Barnabas alfo was carried away with their diffimulation. . 14. But when I faw that they walked not uprightly, b Heb. 2. 2. For if the word spoken according to the truth of the gofpel, by angels was ftedfaft, and every I faid unto Peter before them all, If tranfgreffion and disobedience rethou, being a Jew, liveft after the ceived a juft recompence of reward; manner of Gentiles, and not as do v. 3. How fhall we escape, if we nethe Jews, why compelleft thou the glect fo great falvation,-- Heb. 12. Gentiles to live as do the Jews? 25. See that ye refuse not him that fpeaketh: For if they escaped not who refufed him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.

* Mat. 21.38. But when the hufbandmen faw the fon, they faid among themselves, This is the heir, come let us kill him, and let us feize on his inheritance. v. 39. And they caught him, and caft him out of the vineyard, and flew him.

Y 1 Sam. 2.25. If one man fin against another, the judge shall judge him; but if a man fin against the Lord, who fhall intreat for him?-Alts 5.4.--Thou haft not lied unto men, but unto God. Pfalm 51. 4. Against thee, thee only have I finned, and done this evil in thy fight: that thou mightest be juftified when thou fpeakeft, and be clear when thou judgeft.

Rom. 2.4. Or defpifeft thou the richés of his goodness, and for bearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

* Mal, 1, 8. And if ye offer the

c. Heb. 10. 29. Of how much forer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath troden under foot the Son of God,-- Mat. 12. 31. Wherefore I fay unto you, All inänner of fin and blafphemy fhall be forgiven unto men; but the blafphemy against the holy Ghoft fhall not be forgiven unto men.v.32. And whofoever fpeaketh a word againft the Son of man,it shall be forgiven him: but whofoever speaketh against the holy Ghoft, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

4 Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fealed unto the day of redemption,

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and Workings : againft Superiours, Men of Eminency, and fuch as we ftand efpecially related and engaged unto ; against any of the Saints ", particularly weak Brethren, the Souls of them or any

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Heb. 6. 4. For it is impoffible h Zeph. 2. 8. I have heard the refor those who were once enlightned, proach of Moab, and the revilings and have tafted of the heavenly of the children of Ammon, whereby gift, and were made partakers of they have reproached my people,-the holy Ghoft, v. 5. And have . 19. This fhall they have for their tafted the good word of God, and pride, because they have reproachthe powers of the world to come; ed and magnified themselves againft 7. 6. If they shall fall away to re- the people of the Lord of hosts.. new them again unto repentance,-- v. 11. The Lord will be terrible f Jude v. 8. Likewife alfo thefe unto them:-- Mat, 18. 6. But whofilthy dreamers defile the flesh, de- so shall offend one of these little fpife dominion, and speak evil of ones which believe in me, it were dignities. Numb. 12. 8. --Where- better for him that a milftone were fore then were ye not afraid to hanged about his neck, and that fpeak against my fervant Mofes he were drowned in the depth of 7.9. And the anger of the Lord was the fea. I Cor. 6.8. Nay, you do kindled against them, and he de- wrong and defraud, and that your parted. Ifa.3. s. --The child fhall brethren. Rev. 17. 6. And I faw the behave himself proudly against the woman drunken with the blood of ancient, and the base against the the faints, and with the blood of honourable, the martyrs of Jefus :-

i 1 Cor. 8. 11. And through thy knowledge fhall the weak brother perifh,for whom Chrift died? v.12. But when ye fin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye fin against Christ. Rom. 14. 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge this rather, that no man put a ftumbling-block, or an occafion to fall in his brothers way. v. Is.. But if thy brother be grieved with now walkeft thou not

& Prov. 30. 17. The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valleys fhall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. 2 Cor, 12.15. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the lefs I be loved. Pfalm ss. 12. For it was not an enemy that reproached me, then I could have born it; neither was it he that hated me, that did magnify himself against me, thy meat, then I would have hid my felf from charitably, Deftroy not him with him. v. 13. But it was thou, a man, thy meat, for whom Christ died. mine equal, my guide, and my ac- v 21. It is good neither to eat quaintance, v. 14. We took fweet flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any counsel together, and walked unto thing whereby thy brother ftumthe house of God in company. v. 15. bleth, or is offended, or is made Let death seize upon them, and let weak. them go down quick into hell :-

k Ezeka

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any other, and the common Good of all or many 1.

3. From the Nature and Quality of the Offence ", if it be against the exprefs Letter of the Law", break many Commandments, contain in it many Sins: if not only conceived in the Heart; but breaks forth

ven-fold,-- v. 32. But whofo committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh understanding: he that doth it destroyeth his own foul. v. 33. Ą wound and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach fhall not be wiped away. and fo on to the end of the chapter.

Ezra 9. 10. And now, O our God, what shall we fay after this? for we have forfaken thy command-ments, v. 11. Which thou haft

k Ezek, 13. 19. And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley, and for pieces of bread, to flay the fouls that should not die, and to fave the fouls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies? I Cor. 8.-12. But when ye fin so against the brethren, and wound their weak confciences, ye fin against Chrift. Rev. 18.13. (The merchandise of gold,) and cinnamon, and odours, commanded by thy fervants the and ointments, and frankincenfe, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beafts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and fouls of men. Mat, 23.15. Wo unto you, fcribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye compass fea and land to make one profelyte, and when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the child of hell than your felves.

prophets, faying, The land unto which ye go to poffefs it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people,-- v. 12. Now therefore give not your daughters unto their fons, nor-- 1 Kings 11.9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Ifrael, which had appeared unto him twice, v. 10. And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.

Col. 3. 5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;

1 I Thef. 2. 15. Who both killed the Lord Jefus, and their own prophets, and have perfecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: v. 16. Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that fornication,uncleanness,inordinate they might be faved,-- Joshua 22. affection, evil concupifcence, and 20. Did not Achan the fon of Zerah covetousness, which is idolatry. commit a trespass in the accurfed 1 Tim. 6.10. For the love of money thing, and wrath fell on all the con- is the root of all evil: which while gregation of Ifrael? and that man fome coveted after, they have erperished not alone in his iniquity, red from the faith, and pierced Prov. 6.30. Men do not defpife themselves through with many fora thief, if he teal to fatisfy his rows. Prov. 5.8. Remove thy way foul when he is hungry: v. 31. But far from her, and come not nigh if he be found, he shall restore fe

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