Ranting before their Execution Would you not think him a Mad-man indeed that should laugh in the face of the Judg passing a Sentence of Law upon him to go from the Bar to the Gibbet This is such an high degree of sin that Scorners are said to be in the highest Form in Satan's school and that he is a blessed Man that is not one with them in this Form Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the councel of the ungodly Here is one degree one form in this School Nor standeth in the way of sinners Here is another Form of Sinners and this is still an higher Form Nor fitteth in the seat of the scornful Psal 1.1 This is the highest Form in in all the Devil's School This is to take the * The Septuagint reads it Chair it is called the Chair or Seat of Pestilence To note the height and hainousness of it Other Sins are like ordinary Diseases but this is the Plague this is the Pestilence this is the highest Infection the highest Malignity of Sin Such Sinners have taken their Degree they are Masters of this Black Art and are in the Chair For the Hebrew Moshab is used for a Chair And will not you be cautioned poor Sinners against such a piece of Sin which is the highest degree of Folly and Madness Secondly O take heed poor Sinners of making a mock at sin This degree of sin arrived at very rarely are poor sinners converted from I do not say but the Lord hath had Mercy of some gone thus far But such Instances are very rare very seldom heard of When a sinner is gotten into this Seat or Chair it is a very hard thing to raise him They frequenly die upon this Seat Satan puts forth all his power to hold his own he lulls them asleep in this Chair it is the Sinners sleepy Chair and their sleep usually is unto death Those die of a Spiritual Lethergy they are not in an ordinary way recovered if at any time they be Some of Satans snares are more easily broken but this holds many until they be found dead in it The Bands of mockers are usually made strong O then poor Sinners will not you take heed of coming under such Bands Thirdly O take heed of being mockers at sin many times such have had strange testimonies born against them O how often hath God reached forth his hand against such in a very eminent manner He hath not let this sin of all others go unpunished When Men come to glory in their shame then God makes their end destruction Judgments are prepared for sinners and stripes for the backs of fools Prov. 19.29 They must be sure great Judgments that are prepared Judgments yea prepared Judgments by the great God It speaks the greatness of his Judgment as preparing Mercy speaks the greatness of his Mercy How great are those things says the Apostle God hath prepared for them that love him They are Judgments too not one Judgment but variety of Judgments Little do such sinners know what they expose themselves unto When the scorners are punished the simple is made wise Prov. 21.11 It seems the Punishments are so great that they become teaching Examples unto others They that mocked the Messengers of the Lord did not wrath come upon them and that without remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 I might give you Instances out of History but I refer the Reader to Doctor Beard 's Theatre of Gods Judgments To Mr. Fox's Book of Martyrs and to Mr. Clerks Examples least this Piece should swell too bulky for the Readers Purse Fourthly Take heed of mocking at sin in this doing you mock at God himself and will God be thus mocked Mocking at sin is virtually mocking at God 1. Do not you in thus doing mock at the Justice of God Who many times makes Examples of such Persons If he be a Just God and will reward the Proud and the Evil doers will you mock at sin that God in his Justice is engaged sooner or later to punish Is not he the Judg of all the Earth and will not he do right He that makes a mock at Stealing and Murder and Robbery doth not he make a mock of the Judg upon the Bench that sits to pass Sentence upon these Crimes And will a Judg upon the Bench bear it to be mocked by the Prisoner at the Bar O sinners what do you do when you laugh at the Justice of God which ere long must pass a final and an irreversible Sentence upon your immortal souls 2. To mock at sin is to mock at the Holiness of God Is God an Holy God and cannot look upon Iniquity Is God so Holy a God that without Holiness no Man shall ever see him Is God so Holy a God as he is Glorious in Holiness Is God so Holy a God as he cannot be approached unto but out of the hand of a Mediator Is God so Holy a God as he could not bear the sin of the fallen Angels though thought to be only sin in thought Is God so Holy a God as to cast Adam out of Paradise upon his Fall Is God so Holy a God as he will not let sin go unpunished in the dearest of his Children And will you not take heed how you mock at sin lest you mock at the Holiness of God If God was not an Holy God then you might mock on but God being thus Holy look you to it poor sinners 3. While you make a mock at sin you mock at God's Threatnings hath not the Lord dreadfully threatned sin What stand all his Threatnings upon Record for What hath God told Sinners of Wrath to come for Is all this false Fire Are all Gods Comminations in vain against sin Is there any thing in all the Word threatned with Judgments here and Judgments hereafter like sin Is not the wages of sin death Hath not God that will make it good said The soul that sins shall die And shall not his Word of threatning as sure be made good upon Impenitent Sinners as his Word of Promise shall be made good to Penitent Believers You forget Sinners that sin which you mock at is the Butt that all the Arrows of Gods Threatnings are levelled at Could you run on in Sin but that you sin off your souls the sense of Gods Threatnings against Sin Should not you say Sure there is something in it something more than ordinary in it that Sin should be thus threatned by God 4. Do not you make a mock at the Patience of God while you make a mock at Sin Do not you say with those Mockers and Scoffers that Peter speaks of Where is the Promise of his coming So many that see for the present that God doth not punish Sin that Sentence is not speedily executed therefore their hearts are hardned and they go on mocking at Sin They see not that God is a Word and a Blow so quick as Preachers make him to be but the Lord keeps silence
the strictness of Religion at the Ordinances of God yea make a mock at Repentance for sin 2. Inquiry What are the leading Occasions to this Folly of making a mock at sin They pretend something for it this is their folly but they have some pretended Reasons for this their wicked practice 1. Occasion of this sin being long before it be discovered it lying long â—id occasions sinners to make a mock at it they think because it is â—ong before it be discovered that it will never be Alas poor sinners â—ll this while your secret sins are set â—n the Light of Gods Countenance O what folly is this to think to hide â—hy sin and prosper You sinners that talk of your sins being hid dâ—o you ever consider these things While your sin is hid your Consciences will sting you O how will it flie in your Faces Did not the guilt of Josephs Brethren do so after many Years it had been hid When guilt shall have a Resurrection by Conviction and shall walk in your Consciences O how dreadful will this be what a fearful Spectrum is unpardoned guilt when it walks in aâ— awakened Conscience Ah sinner dost thou ever consider this What though thy sin be hid yet it will walâ— in thy Conscience 2. Dost thoâ— consider though thy sins be hid yeâ— God hath all thy secret sins in hâ— Treasures Deut. 32.34 are thâ— not laid up in store with him Aâ— they not sealed up among his Treasures Ah sinners what fools aâ— you to think God hath forgottâ—â— them until he hath forgiven them Though you have cast them behinâ— your backs yet God hath Treasured â—hem up And O dreadful will this be when the Lord shall open these Treasures to bring them forth against you 3. Sinners did you ever consider there is a Court-Day coming in which you must have all the Books opened and it will be read out of these Books what hath been hid for many Years all sinners Indictments are drawn out of these Books And the Dead were Judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20.11 12. 4. Do you ever consider sinners that God often discovers that which sinners labour to hide most If it be thy design to hide it God will make it his design to discover it Ah sinners how sad is it to carry on contrary Designs to God 5. Did you â—ver consider that you have not more ways of sinning than God hath of discovering Sometimes God makes use of Conscience to discover sin sometimes he makes uâ—â— of Providence to discover sin as in Jonahs case The storm is sent to discover the guilty Person sometimes by Ordinances sometimes by such as were Partners with you in your sin Ah sinners put all these things together and you will see hiding of your sin is a poor Plea to make a mock at it 3. Sinners are led into the evil oâ— mocking at sin by sin growing successful and prosperous When theâ— see the path of the wicked to prosper O how are they hardned by it Prov. 1.24 The prosperity of Fools slâ— them Such Fools are we to thinâ— a prosperous Condition a good Condition but it hath been the undoing of many a poor Soul to all Eternity O how did the Church of the Jew Hos 2.7 8. run from God after other Lovers until God hedged uâ— her way with Thorns and madâ— Wall to prevent her And how â—id the Prodigal like a foolish Son â—hat causeth shame run from his Fathers House Luke 16.17 until his Father sent a Famine after him â—nd denied him Succour in his Apoâ—acy For he would gladly have filâ—ed his belly with the Husks which the 〈◊〉 wine did eat but no Man gave unto â—im Rubs in the ways of sin are â—â—eat Mercies what mercy it is to â—ave a Rub in the way to Hell to â—â—ing a sinner to a stand that stand â—ay bring him to a turn First the â—â—ner comes to a stand of Consideration before he comes to a turn of conversion I considered my ways says David and turned my feet to â—y Testimonies 3. Another thing that leads Fools 〈◊〉 make a mock at sin is Gods deferâ—â—g Punishment when sinners see 〈◊〉 escape the strokes of Divine Venâ—â—ance then they begin to think 〈◊〉 at sin is but a sport Because God kept silent viz. did not presently thunder upon them with the Tokens of his Wrath What was the use they made of it They thought God was like unto themselves Psal 50.21 Now they fall into Atheistical thoughts concerning God and surely this will lead them to make a mock at sin if they once come to make a mock at God Thus were they hardned upon whom Sentence was not speedily Executed O how many poor fools have been hardned and flattered by this to the Gallows here and to Hell hereafter 4. Another thing that leads Fools to make a mock at sin is they never have felt it a Burden upon thâ— back of their Consciences Anâ— poor Soul that hath felt it weigh 〈◊〉 dare say is past making a mock aâ— it David will tell you how 〈◊〉 weighed upon him It went over hâ—â— Head as a Burden yea as too heavâ— a Burden to bear It is the heavieâ— thing in the World to such as have felt the burden of it and it is the bitterest thing in the World to such as have tasted the bitterness of it It is true Afflictions are heavy burdens and Temptations are heavy burdens Doubts and Objections that press in upon many a Believers soul are heavy burdens but alas these are all light things comparatively to the guilt of sin What a burden was sin upon the backs of Angels Did it not tumble them headlong into Hell What a burden was it upon our first Parents did it not tumble them out of Paradise O what a burden was it to our dear Lord Jesus Christ Did not he cry out under it Though they were not his own sins but our sins which he took upon him And could you mock at this if ever you had felt â—t Ah what fools are poor sinners many Thousands are sunk into the Pit of Eternal Perdition with the weight and burden of their sins upon the back of their Immortal souls 5. Thing that leads sinners to make a mock at sin is custome in sin This is very hardning we say it is a second Nature Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati Alas when Souls have got a custome of sinning then they begin to make a mock at it being hardened in it O how often doth the custome of sin take away the feeling and conscience of it That is a great word in the Prophet Jer. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the Leopard his spots Theâ—â— may you do good that are accustomed to do evil And yet how ordinary is it for these poor Fools to plead a custome for sinning which is so far from being a Plea that it is an aggravation I
have say Sinners gotten a custome of it I cannot leave it Tell a sinner of his Drunkenness of his Uncleanness c. O hâ—â— hath gotten a custome of it Is this any Plea thou foolish sinner Suppose a Malefactor before a Judg of Assize should plead thus My Lord the Indictment is true I confess the Fact but I have gotten such a custome to Steal and play the Thief or I have gotten such a custome of it to cut Purses that I cannot leave it therefore I crave your Lordships favour Would this pleading Mittigate or Aggravate the Offence think you And yet is not this the Case of Thousands of sinners Some have Allegorized that passage of Lazarus being dead four days as though it set out a sinner dead in his sins and trespasses dead the first day â—y conceiving sin the second day by consenting to sin the third day by committing sin the fourth day by â—ustome in sin so that a Sinner accustomed to sin is not only dead â—ut buried in sin and a Grave-stone â—olled upon it and now no sense being left in this sinner being dead in sin he becomes a mocker at sin 6. Another thing that leads foolish ones into mocking at sin is because it doth not appear to them at present in its proper colours it appears to them in Disguises in Masks Sinners do not look at sin in two Glasses and so have not a right view and prospect of it 1. The Glass of the Law this will make sinâ— to appear in its proper colours Siâ— says Paul that it might appear sinâ— it did not appear sin before it did not look like it self before it had a painted Face but now it hath death in the Face of it yea Hell and Damnation in the Face of it Sin revived and I died Rom. 7.9 10 11 12 13. The Apparition of it thâ— sight of it kill'd him O what 〈◊〉 thing is sin that thou mockst aâ— poor sinner The sight of it will kiâ—â— a man He had been looking upon his sin in the Glass of the Law thâ— Commandment Alas Do not the most of sinners in the World look upon sin like a painted Lion that cannot take a Man by the Throat O but the Law of God will let you see it is a real Roaring Lion and will tear you to pieces if you get it not pardoned 2. There is the Glass of the Gospel to shew you sin in its proper colours The Gospel lets you see sin is the Knife that cut the Throat of Gods Isaac viz. the Lord Jesus Christ This was the Dagger that stab'd the Son of God â—o the Heart This was the Spear that let Water and Blood out of his side The Nailes that fastned his Sacred Hands to the Cross And if â—hou hadst such a sight of sin couldst â—hou nay durst thou make a mock 〈◊〉 sin 7. Another thing that leads Fools 〈◊〉 make a mock at sin is their unbelief of the severe Threatnings of â—od against it Though the Lord hath threatned it with Eternal Condemnation with Destruction yea everlasting Destruction from his Presence and the Glory of his Power to lie under Wrath to come without the least hopes of Mercy to all Eternity But alas these sinners are such fools that they put them far from them and so make a mock at that they should mourn over Did they believe the soul that sins shall die Did they believe that the wages of sin is death Did they believe that the wayes of sin do lead down unto death Did they believe that Jesus Christ will come in flaming fire rendring Vengeance to them that know him not and obey not the Gospel Could it be that they durst make a mock at sin But alas Do not all these severe Threatnings seem to them like so many idle Tales as things spoken they think meerly in Terrorem and that God will never make theâ— good upon them But what a dream what a delusion is this God will as surely perform his Threatnings as he will his Promises Not one Threatning shall fall to the ground no more than one Promise 8. Another thing that leads Fools to make a mock at sin is this A secret apprehension that they have taken up that God will never call them to an account hereafter for what sin they run into now O if poor sinners did but reckon of a day of Account of standing before a Judgment Seat of being called before Gods Bar could they durst they make a mock at sin Did the Thief in the act consider I must answer for this before the Judg would it not strike him with dread and terrour while he is about it Would he then make a mock at it What at that which he must answer for And sinner hath not God said we must all appear at his Judgment Seat And that to give an account of all the deeds done in the Body whether they be good or evil And hath not he told us after death we must come to Judgment And that we must give an account for every idle word at the great Audit-Day Then surely we must for every action Mat. 12.36 1 Pet. 4.5 Is not Christ Judg of the Quick and the Dead before whom we must all appear And sinner is all this in Jest can the Holy God thus dally with guilty sinners What is all this an idle story Is this only a Romance Are these only big words Come come poor sinners you will find every syllable of this to be true and will you go on mocking at that which you must be accountable for to an Impartial Judg Will the Judgment Day be a mocking matter Is the dreadful Tribunal of God a jesting Business Then go on like Fools and make a mock of sin 9. Thing that leads Fools to make a mock at sin is a wretched Conceit sinners have taken up that God will forget sin as fast as they commit it Tush say they will God remember He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it Psal 10.11 And so poor deluded souls go on making a mock at it Ah poor sinner what a madness is this in thee to harbour such a Conceit God did foresee such a piece of Atheism as this in the hearts of the Sons of Men therefore he hath laid us in with plentiful Texts of Scripture against it Deut. 32.34 Is not this laid up in store with me and sealed among my Treasures God hath laid them up to bring them out when occasion serves Therefore you read that in Job Job 14.17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag thou sowest up mine iniquity Some read it Thou packest up mine iniquity Others complicate them together Lays one of them upon the top of another Former sins with present sins to make up the pack and aggravate one another When the great Assizes come we read how sinners must be proceeded against out of the Books which are written says the Text Rev. 20.15 O poor
hearts and then ask your Souls this Question Ah my Soul is sin a mocking jesting Business Argue them over with thy Soul and see if thou canst bring thy self to a sober sadness in this Debate and make a discovery of thy Folly in thinking sin to be a mocking matter Application Is it such egregious Folly to make a mock at sin Then it informs us of the madness of all impenitent secure merry Sinners There are a company of Jovial Sinners in this mad Age of this World that are running head-long to their eternal Ruine laughing that swim down merrily the stream of the sins of the present day to that Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone and the misery of it there is no stopping them because they are insensible whither they are going They say there is a Serpent that when Travellers are bit with it they die Laughing And is not this Sin this Serpent Do not many die eternally Laughing Go to the Pit of eternal Perdition as some ranting condemned Malefactors do to Execution But alas poor Sinner for all thy Laughing and Mirth and Mocking at sin now ere long thy Note will be altered when thou shalt be stated irrecoverably Where there is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth That such Merry Sinners may be reduced a little to their Reasons and right Minds let me ask them a few Questions and beg of them as they love their Souls that they would put them home to their own Souls and Consciences before they go hence and be no more seen First Dost thou know O poor foolish Sinner whither thou art going Didst thou never ask thy heart this Question whither thy sin and mocking at sin will lead thee at last Wilt thou meet with thy merry Companion in another World to rejoyce together to sport together as you have done upon Earth Is there any such Trade driven on in Hell Are there any Mockers at sin there Is there any Mirth and Jollity there Doth not the infallible Oracle of the Word of God tell us there is weeping and gnashing of Teeth Is there one word of Laughing What Sinner never come thus close with thy own Soul before thou lie on a Death-bed Come Sinner be perswaded to put the Question home it may so prove thou mayst bless God for it to all Eternity Secondly Dost thou remember Sinner what thou art doing while sinning Art thou not provoking a Great and Good God What art thou doing O my Soul treasuring up Wrath against the day of Wrath Wounding thy precious soul and a wounded spirit who can bear Every time thou sinnest against God art thou not carrying Fewel to the Eternal Flames to torment thy own soul Doth not every one that sins against God wrong his own soul And what is this a mocking matter Thirdly Dost thou remember Sinner what a little time thou hast to enjoy the pleasures of sin in thou art so mad upon These are but for a season and then thou wilt say with him O for how short a pleasure have I lost a Kingdom Will not thou ere long be saying O for how short a pleasure have I lost a precious Immortal Soul and an everlasting Kingdom Methinks Sinners the shortness of your time should make you think of something else than making a mock at sin O that Sinners would be perswaded to argue in the midst of their sinful mirth and madness O but will this last always Fourthly Dost thou remember wherefore thou camest in the World Dost thou never ask thy own Heart the Errand thou camest on hither Was it to sin or make a mock of sin Was it to dishonour that God that gave thee Life and Being Did God give thee an Immortal Soul so to degrade thy self as to mock at sin Did God send thee into the World to lift up the heel against him that had Bowels and pity in his Heart towards thee Was it to laugh at him who mourns for thee To spit in the Face of thy dear Redeemer who hath wept over thee as he did over Jerusalem as I may say Fifthly Dost thou remember thou must answer for thy bold presumption Is not this bold presumption to make a mock at sin Didst thou ever see a condemned Malefactor laugh in the face of an angry Judg And yet what is this less poor Sinner that thou doest when thou makest a mock at sin Sixthly Dost thou ever remember the Day is fast approaching that thou wilt cry to the Mountains and to the Rocks cover us from the Wrath of the Lamb that sits upon the Throne O what a change of thy Tune is here poor sinner now thou canst not make a mock at sin O now thou feelest the burden of sin intollerable and insupportable O how will such Souls cry out of it The second Vse Is it so that 't is so great a folly to make a mock at sin O then be cautioned poor sinners how you glory in that which is your shame and run on in that which will be your ruine If you glory in that which is your shame observe it is said of such Their end is destruction Phil. 3.19 You have heard what a folly it is to mock at that which will certainly cause your mourning another day May it not be said to such Woe be to them that laugh for they shall mourn You will find sinners it is no laughing business one day Is it not a folly to make a mock at that the Righteous God hates with a perfect hatred Reflect upon the former particulars and will you not take heed for all these warnings how you go on in these sinful Courses Shall all this be said unto you in vain poor Sinners Do you think God and Christ the Spirit Scriptures Ministers and Conscience are all in Jest while they tell you the danger of making a mock at sin Can you rationally think that God hath said what he hath said against sin only in Terrorem No Sinners you shall all know that sin is such a two edged Weapon that there is no jesting with it First be cautioned against making a mock at sin This is the highest degree that Sinners arrive at in this Life it is the height of sin it is bad enough to sin but it is worse to make a mock of it Sin is folly but to make a mock at sin is the height of folly and madness Would not you think him a Mad-man that should wound and gash his flesh and all this while laugh at himself for so doing and because he doth not feel it at present conclude that he shall never feel it afterwards would not every one say he was fit for Bedlam And is not this the case of Sinners that make a mock at sin They are like him you read of Mar. 5.5 that was among the Tombs and Mountains and cut himself with stones So sinners are cruelly gashing their own souls and yet all this while like a company of condemned Prisoners Singing and