1. When we think of the sins of wicked men, we should likewise think of their punishments.
(1) Because these two are in God’s purpose, and their own nature knit together.
(2) Because the consideration of sin often does more hurt than God, if the consideration of the punishment be not joined unto it.
2. Profuse luxury is a sign of a man sinning securely.
3. Luxury, the more it is shown openly, the more it is to be condemned.
4. There is the greatest danger in those sins from which the greatest pleasure and delight ariseth.
(1) Because pleasure is a sign of a perfect habit.
(2) Because pleasure is very hardly left.
5. They that please themselves most in their sins, do most contaminate both themselves and others.
6. The outward members also of wicked men are full of wickedness. Because out of the abundance of the heart all our faculties, and all the instruments of operations receive impressions answerable unto the heart.
7. The uncleanness of the body is oftentimes joined with impurity of religion (2Pe_2:14).
8. In such men covetousness is oftentimes joined with their impiety.
9. The exercising of the heart unto such sins doth very much strengthen and increase them.
10. They that are after this manner accustomed unto their sins are hardened in them.
11. Such men are most to be detested. (Wm. Ames, D. D.)
Pleasure to riot.
Pleasure
1. Whether a man may take any pleasure in this world, or no? Yes, certainly; one special use of wisdom stands in tempering our pleasures: to be delighted is not evil, but to be delighted in evil. Why ,hath God given man such a choice of earthly commodities, but for his use? The wise man can distinguish between the love of pleasure and the use of pleasure; and while others serve delight, he teacheth delight to serve him.
2. How may a Christian take pleasure in the world? By having respect to three things: whether it be lawful, expedient, or becoming. The pleasure must be lawful, there can be no safety in a sinful delight. Poison may be qualified, and become medicinal; there is use to be made of an enemy; sickness may turn to our better health, and death itself to the faithful is but a door to life; but sin can never be made good. Pleasure therefore first must have the warrant, that it be without sin; then the measure, that it be without excess. If the cup be evil, we may not taste it; though good, yet not carouse it. We are not born to play or sport. Nor is the lawfulness only observable, but the conveniency; a man may wear good clothes unhandsomely. The stuff may be good, yet while the fashion of the garment does not become him, it appears ridiculous. The place, occasion, company, opportunity, all must be fit. (Thos. Adams.)
Spots they are, and blemishes.--
Spots and blemishes
Inevery sin there is not only guilt, that binds over to punishment, but defilement; which makes the sinner not less filthy than guilty; and even when the guilt is remitted, the filth remains still. The hurt is not so soon cured, as the fault is pardoned.
1. All men are spotted, originally from their parents; of actual spots themselves are the parents. If all our internal spots should break out, we could not endure one another. The whole world would be an hospital, and every man a lazar.
2. The whole world is spotted, that is another step: in the universal blemishes of nature let us read our own. To charge God with this degeneration is the highest blasphemy: coldness may sooner arise from fire, than any evil from the fountain of goodness.
3. But if every man be spotted, who shall then enter into heaven, seeing into that city no unclean thing shall come? (Rev_21:27.) This is true, yet many that have been unclean persons are since admitted (1Co_6:11; Rev_7:14; Jer_4:14). The grace of God may go a great way in our souls, and yet not leave us without spots. Not to have no spot here, but to have no spot imputed hereafter, is the happiness of a Christian.
4. We have all spots, but these arespots; for the apostle speaks not of their actions here, but their persons; not the blemishes of the men, but that the men themselves are blemishes. This is a high degree of sin, to be wholly turned into sin.
5. To whom do these appear spots and blemishes?
(1) To God, who hath pure eyes, and can abide no unclean thing.
(2) To the angels. Iniquities be sport for devils, but an eyesore to the angels; they that rejoice at a sinner’s conversion do rather grieve at his aberration.
(3) To good men, whom nothing pleaseth that displeaseth their Maker.
(4) To bad men; for howsoever sinners love to be evil themselves, yet they would have others good to them.
(5) To the creatures; they grieve that they are compelled to wait on a wrong master.
(6) And do they not offend themselves? No, the sick man may feel, the dead does not.
6. Sin is of a defiling quality; like a bemired dog, when it fawns upon us it fouls us. It may in this one thing be compared to fire, it converts matter into itself.
7. Open and notorious offenders ought to be denied these holy feasts; and instead of communicating with us, to pass under the censure of excommunication from us; till in penitent tears they have cleansed their pollutions.
8. We may not abstain from the sacrament, because there be spots and blemishes in the society.
9. As all sins are spots, so some have a more special resemblance, as carrying in them a natural poison and filthiness. Such particular instances we find in Scripture, wherein God discovered the spots in their consciences by sticking spots on their bodies (Exo_9:11; Num_12:10; 2Ki_5:27).
Application:
1. Learn to see thy spots. Many have unknown sins, as a man may have a mole on his back, and himself never know it (Psa_19:12). But many a one knows his fault, yet loves it.
2. Confess these spots. The spots that God hateth, are the spots that man hideth.
3. It is madness to confess ourselves foul, and not to wash, therefore let us endeavour our own cleansing. In our making there was work for God only; in our marring there was work for ourselves only; in our restoring there is work for God and ourselves together.
4. There is only one fountain to purge all these spots, the blood of the Lamb. For this purpose Christ was baptized, even to wash us. His first baptizing was with water, His last with blood; both of them wash the world from their sins. (Thos. Adams.)
Sporting themselves with their own deceivings.--
Sporting with sin
It is hard when the fool can find no bauble to play with but sin; casting firebrands, and arrows, and death; and then jeers (Pro_26:19). Custom brings sin to be so familiar, that the horror of it is turned into pleasure, and homicide is held but a sport. It is ill for a man to make himself merry with that which angers God. If sin were rightly considered, it were more worthy our tears than our sport; the fool laughs at it, but the saint weeps for it. (Thos. Adams.)
