No fashion, no vanity, no profuseness, and yet no n.i.g.g.ardliness, but is found among professors. They pinch the poor, and nip from them their due, to maintain their own pride and vanity. I shall not need to instance particulars; for from the rich to the poor, from the pastor to the people, from the master to his man, and from the mistress to her maiden, all are guilty of scandal, and of reproaching, by their lives, the name of the Lord; for they profess, and name that worthy name of Christ, but are not as they should be, departed from iniquity.
1. Hence the name of G.o.d is polluted and reproached, even till G.o.d is weary and cries out, "Pollute ye my name no more with your gifts and with your idols." (Eze. 20:39) O do not pollute my name, says G.o.d; rather leave off profession, and go every one to his wickedness. Tell the world, if you will not depart from iniquity, that Christ and you are parted, and that you have left him, to be embraced by them to whom iniquity is an abomination. It would far better secure the name of G.o.d from scandal and reproach, than for you to name the name of Christ, and yet not to depart from iniquity. Then, though you sin, as now you do, the poor world would not cry out, Ay, this is your religion! Then they would not have occasion to vilify religion because of you, since you tell them that Christ and you are parted. But,
2. If you will not leave off to name the name of Christ, nor yet depart from iniquity, you also scandal the sincere professors of religion, and that is a grievous thing. There are a people in the world that have made it their business, ever since they knew Christ, to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and that desire to perfect holiness in the fear of G.o.d; and you scandalous professors mixing yourselves with them, "make their gold look dim." (Lam. 4:1) You are spots and blemishes to them; Jude 12, you are an evil mixing itself with their good, and a scandal to their holy profession. (2 Peter 2:13) You are they that make the heart of the righteous sad, whom G.o.d would not have, sad; you are they that offend his little ones. Oh! the millstone that G.o.d will shortly hang about your necks, when the time is come that you must be drowned in the sea and deluge of G.o.d"s wrath.
3. If you will not leave off to name the name of Christ, nor yet depart from iniquity, you continue to extend your scandal also to the word and doctrine of G.o.d. They that name the name of Jesus religiously, should so carry it in the world, that they might adorn the doctrine of G.o.d their Saviour; but thou that professest and yet departest not from iniquity, thou causest the name and doctrine which thou professest to be blasphemed and reproached by the men of this world; and that is a sad thing, a thing that will bring so heavy a load upon thee, when G.o.d shall open thine eyes, and he will open them either here or in h.e.l.l-fire, that thou wilt repent it with great bitterness of soul. (1 Tim. 6:1) The Lord smite thee to the making of thee sensible to thy shame and conversion, if it be his blessed will. Amen! But,
4. If thou wilt not leave off to name the name of Christ, nor yet depart from iniquity, thou wilt bring reproach, scorn, and contempt upon thyself. For "sin is a reproach to any people." (Prov.
14:34). (1.) These are they that G.o.d will hold in great contempt and scorn. (Isa. 1) (2.) These are they that his people shall have in great contempt. "Therefore," saith he, "have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways," but have lifted up the face against my law.[9] (Mal. 2:9; Jer. 25:9, 18) 3. Such shall also be contemned and had in derision of the men of this world. They shall be a hissing, a bye-word, a taunt, and a reproach among all people.
"For them that honour me," saith G.o.d, "I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. (1 Sam. 2:30) I remember that Philpot used to tell the Papists that they danced with their b.u.t.tocks uncovered, in a net,[10] because of the evil of their ways; (Isa. 20:4) and the Lord bids professors have a care, "that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear," or lest they walk naked, and their shame be discovered. For those professors that depart not from iniquity, however they think of themselves, their nakedness is seen of others: and if it be a shame to the modest to have their nakedness seen of others, what bold and brazen brows have they who are not ashamed to show their nakedness, yea, the very shame of it, to all that dwell about them? And yet thus doth every one that religiously names the name of Christ, and yet doth not depart from iniquity.
Second, Those that religiously name the name of Christ, and do not depart from iniquity, they are the cause of the perishing of many. "Woe," saith Christ, "unto the world because of offences,"
(Matt. 18:7). And again, "Woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" These are they that cause many to stumble at sin, and fall into h.e.l.l. Hark, you that are such, what G.o.d says to you: "Ye have caused many to stumble at the law," and at religion. (Mal.
2:8) Men that are for taking of occasion you give it them; men that would enter into the kingdom, you puzzle and confound them with your iniquity, while you name the name of Christ, and do not depart therefrom. One sinner destroyeth much good; these are the men that encourage the vile to be yet more vile; these be the men that quench weak desires in others; and these be the men that tempt the ignorant to harden themselves against their own salvation.
A professor that hath not forsaken his iniquity, is like one that comes out of the pest-house, among the whole, with his plague sores running upon him. This is the man that hath the breath of a dragon, he poisons the air round about him. This is the man that lays his children, his kinsmen, his friend, and himself. What shall I say? A man that nameth the name of Christ, and that departeth not from iniquity, to whom may he be compared? The Pharisees, for that they professed religion, but walked not answerable thereto, unto what doth Christ compare them but to serpents and vipers?
What does he call them but hypocrites, whited walls, painted sepulchres, fools, and blind? and tells them that they made men more the children of h.e.l.l than they were before. (Matt. 23) Wherefore such an one cannot go out of the world by himself: for as he gave occasion of scandal when he was in the world, so is he the cause of the d.a.m.nation of many. "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life." (Prov. 11:30) But what is the fruit of the wicked, of the professors that are wicked? why, not to perish alone in their iniquity. (Job 22:20) These, as the dragon, draw many of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth with their most stinking tail. (Rev. 12:4) Cast many a professor into earthly and carnal delights, with their most filthy conversations.
The apostle did use to weep when he spake of these professors, such offence he knew they were and would be in the world. (Acts 20:30; Phil 3:18, 19) These are the chief of the engines of Satan, with these he worketh wonders. One Baalam, one Jeroboam, one Ahab; O how many fish bring such to Satan"s net! These are the tares that he strives to sow among the wheat, for he knows they are mischief to it. "Wherefore, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
Fifth, Those that religiously name the name of Christ, and do not depart from iniquity, how will they die; and how will they look that man in the face, unto the profession of whose name they have entailed an unrighteous conversation? Or do they think that he doth not know what they have done, or that they may take him off with a few cries and wringing of hands, when he is on the throne to do judgment against transgressors? Oh! it had been better they had not known, had not professed; yea, better they had never been born; for as Christ said of Judas, so may it be said of these, it had been good for that man if he had never been born; and as Christ says it had been good, so Peter says it had been better. (Mark 14:21; 2 Peter 2:20, 21) Good they had not been born, and better they had not known and made profession of the name of Christ.
But perhaps some may ask me,
WHAT INIQUITY THEY MUST DEPART FROM THAT RELIGIOUSLY NAME THE NAME OF CHRIST?
First, I answer first, in general, those that religiously profess the name of Christ, must depart from ALL iniquity. They should lay aside every weight; they should fly "all appearance of evil."
(Heb 12:2; 1 Thess. 5:22) Many there be that are willing to part with some sins, some pleasures, some unjust profits, if they may be saved; but this selling of all, parting with all, forsaking of all, is a very hard chapter.
And yet the Lord Jesus lays it there, saying so likewise, "whosoever he be of you," of any of you that professeth my name, "that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."
(Luke 14:33) Christ by this text requireth more of them that are his than to forsake all iniquity. Wherefore, to be sure, every sin is included. No less than universal obedience will prove a man sincere. A divided heart is a faulty one. (Hosea 10:2) He that forsaketh not every sin is partial in the law, nor can he have respect to all G.o.d"s commandments. (Job 20:13; John 14:21-24) There can be no true love to Christ where there are reserves; he that will hide any one sin in his bosom, or that will keep it, as the phrase is, under his tongue, is a secret enemy to Jesus Christ. He loveth not Christ that keepeth not his sayings. To halt between two is nought, and no man can serve two masters. Christ is a master, and sin is a master; yea, and masters are they so opposite, that he that at all shall cleave to the one shall by the other be counted his enemy. If sin at all be countenanced, Christ counts himself despised. What man would count himself beloved of his wife that knows she hath a bosom for another? "Thou shalt not be for another man" saith he, "so will I be for thee." (Hosea 3:3) Would the king count him a loyal subject who would hide in his house, nourish in his bed, and feed at his table, one that implacably hateth and seeketh to murder his majesty? Why, sin is such an enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, as kings command that traitors be delivered up to justice, so Christ commands that we depart from iniquity. "Take away all iniquity," is a good prayer, and to "resist unto blood, striving against sin," is a good warfare, and he that brings "every thought to the obedience of Christ" gets a brave victory. (Hosea 14:2; Heb. 12:4; 2 Cor.
10:5) Grace leaveneth the whole soul, and so consequently all the parts thereof. Now where the whole is leavened, the taste must needs be the same throughout. Grace leaves no power, faculty, or pa.s.sion of the soul unsanctified, wherefore there is no corner in a sanctified soul where sin may hide his head, to find rest and abode without control. Consequently, he that has a harbour for this or that sin, and that can find a hiding-place and an abode for it in his heart, is no Christian man. Let them then that christianly name the name of Christ, make it manifest that they do not do it feignedly, by departing from iniquity. But,
Second, And more particularly, they that name the name of Christ, as above, let them depart from their CONSt.i.tUTION-SIN, or, if you will, the sin that their temper most inclines them to. Every man is not alike inclined to the same sin, but some to one and some to another. Now let the man that professes the name of Christ religiously, consider with himself, unto what sin or vanity am I most inclined; Is it pride? Is it covetousness? Is it fleshly l.u.s.ts? And let him labour, by all means, to leave off and depart from that. This is that which David called his own iniquity, and saith, "I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity." (Psa. 18:23) Rightly are these two put together, for it is not possible that he should be an upright man that indulgeth or countenanceth his const.i.tution-sin; but on the contrary, he that keeps himself from that will be upright as to all the rest; and the reason is, because if a man has that grace, as to trample upon and mortify his darling, his bosom, his only sin, he will more easily and more heartily abhor and fly the rest.
And, indeed, if a man will depart from iniquity, he must depart from his darling sin first; for as long as that is entertained, the others, at least those that are most suiting with that darling, will always be haunting of him. There is a man that, has such and such haunt his house, and spend his substance, and would be rid of them, but cannot; but now, let him rid himself of that, for the sake of which they haunt his house, and then he shall with case be rid of them. Thus it is with sin. There is a man that is plagued with many sins, perhaps because he embraceth one: well, let him turn that one out of doors, and that is the way to be rid of the rest. Keep thee from thy darling, thy bosom, thy const.i.tution-sin.
Motives to prevail with thee to fall in with this exhortation, are several.
1. There can no great change appear in thee, make what profession of Christ thou wilt, unless thou cast away thy bosom sin. A man"s const.i.tution-sin is, as I may call it, his visible sin; it is that by which his neighbours know him and describe him, whether it be pride, covetousness, lightness, or the like. Now if these abide with thee, though thou shouldest be much reformed in thy notions, and in other parts of thy life, yet say thy neighbours, he is the same man still; his faith has not saved him from his darling; he was proud afore, and is proud still; was covetous afore, and is covetous still; was light and wanton afore, and is so still. He is the same man, though he has got a new mouth. But now, if thy const.i.tution-sin be parted with, if thy darling be cast away, thy conversion is apparent, it is seen of all, for the casting away of that is death to the rest, and ordinarily makes a change throughout.
2. So long as thy const.i.tution-sin remains, as winked at by thee, so long thou art an hypocrite before G.o.d, let thy profession be what it will; also, when conscience shall awake and be commanded to speak to thee plainly what thou art, it will tell thee so, to thy no little vexation and perplexity.
3. Besides, do what thou canst, so long as thou remainest thus thou wilt be of a scandalous life. No honour is brought to religion by such. But,
Again, As they that name the name of Christ "should depart from their const.i.tution-sin, so they should depart from the sins of other men"s tempers also. Much harm among professors is done by each others" sins. There is a man that has clean escaped from those who live in error, has shaken off the carnal world and the men thereof, and is come among professors; but, behold, there also he meeteth with wicked men, with men that have not departed from iniquity; and there he is entangled. This is a sad thing, and yet so it is. I doubt there are some in the world, I mean professors, that will curse the day that ever they were acquainted with some professors. There are professors that are defilers, professors that are "wicked men," professors of whom a wicked man may learn to sin. (Jer. 5:26; 2:33) Take heed of these, lest, having fled from thine own sins, thou shouldest be taken with the sins of others. "Be not partakers of other men"s sins," is the counsel and caution that Paul giveth to Timothy, if he would keep himself pure. (1 Tim. 5:22)
4. Dost thou profess the name of Christ, and dost thou pretend to be a man departing from iniquity? Then take heed thou dost not deceive thyself, by changing one bad way of sinning for another bad way of sinning. This was a trick that Israel played of old; for when G.o.d"s prophets followed them hard with demands of repentance and reformation, then they would "gad about to change their ways."
(Jer. 2:36) But, behold, they would not change a bad way for a good, but one bad way for another, hopping, as the squirrel, from bough to bough, but not willing to forsake the tree. Hence they were said to return, but not to the Most High. Take heed, I say, of this. Many leave off to be drunkards, and fall in with covetousness.
Many fall off from covetousness to pride and lasciviousness: take heed of this. (Hosea 7:16) This is a grand deceit, and a common one too, a deceit of a long standing, and almost a disease epidemical among professors.
Many times men change their darling sins, as some change their wives and servants: that which would serve for such an one this year may not serve to be so for the year ensuing. Hypocrisy would do awhile ago, but now debauchery. Profaneness would do when profaneness was in fashion, but now a deceitful profession. Take heed, professor, that thou dost not throw away thy old darling sin for a new one. Men"s tempers alter. Youth is for pride and wantonness; middle age for cunning and craft; old age for the world and covetousness. Take heed, therefore, of deceit in this thing.
5. Dost thou profess the name of Christ, and dost thou pretend to be a man departing from iniquity? take heed, lest thy departing from iniquity should be but for a time. Some do depart from iniquity, as persons in wrangling fits depart from one another; to wit, for a time, but when the quarrel is over, by means of some intercessor, they are reconciled again. O! Satan is the intercessor between the soul and sin, and though the breach between these two may seem to be irreconcilable; yea, though the soul hath sworn it will never give countenance to so vile a thing as sin is more; yet he can tell how to make up this difference, and to fetch them back to their vomit again, who, one would have thought, had quite escaped his sins, and been gone. (2 Peter 2:18-22) Take heed, therefore, O professor. For there is danger of this, and the height of danger lies in it; and I think that Satan, to do this thing, makes use of those sins again, to begin this rejoinder, which he findeth most suitable to the temper and const.i.tution of the sinner.
These are, as I may call them, the master sins; they suit, they jump with the temper of the soul. These, as the little end of the wedge, enter with ease, and so make way for those that come after, with which Satan knows he can rend the soul in pieces. Wherefore,
6. To help this, take heed of parleying with thy sins again, when once thou hast departed from them: sin has a smooth tongue; if thou hearken to its enchanting language, ten thousand to one but thou art entangled. See the saying of the wise man, "with her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks." (Prov. 7:21, 22) He heard her charm, and by hearing is noosed, and led away to her house, which is the way to h.e.l.l, "going down to the chambers of death."(ver. 27) Take heed, therefore, of listening to the charms wherewith sin enchanteth the soul. In this, be like the deaf adder, stop thine ear, plug it up to sin, and let it only be open to hear the words of G.o.d.
Third, Let them that name the name of Christ depart from the iniquity of THE TIMES. There are sins that may be called the iniquity of the day. It was thus in Noah"s day, it was thus in Lot"s day, and it was thus in Christ"s day--I mean, in the days of his flesh: and it is a famous thing for professors to keep themselves from the iniquities of the times. Here lay Noah"s excellency, here lay Lot"s excellency, and here will lie thy excellency, if thou keep thyself from the iniquity of this day. Keep or "save yourselves from this untoward generation," is seasonable counsel, (Acts 2:40) but taken of but few; the sin of the time, or day, being as a strong current or stream that drives all before it. Hence Noah and Lot were found, as it were, alone, in the practice of this excellent piece of righteousness in their generation. Hence it is said of Noah, that he "was a just man, and perfect in his generations."
(Gen. 6:9) And again, the Lord said unto Noah, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark, for thee have I seen righteous before me, in this generation." The meaning is, he kept himself clear of the sin of his day, or of the generation among which he lived. (Gen.
7:1)
The same I say of Lot, he kept himself from the sin of Sodom; and hence Peter cries him up for such a righteous man. "Just Lot,"
saith he, "that righteous man," whose righteous soul was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. Mark, "a just man,"
"a righteous man," "his righteous soul," &c. But how obtained he this character? Why, he abhorred the sin of his time, he fell not in with the sin of the people, but was afflicted and vexed thereabout; yea, it was to him a daily burden. "For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day, with their unlawful deeds. So David, "I beheld," saith he, "the transgressors, and was grieved, because they kept not thy word." (Psa. 119:158) The sin of the times is to G.o.d the worst of sins; and to fall in with the sin of the times is counted as the highest of transgressions. Consequently, to keep from them, though a man should, through infirmity, be guilty of others, yet he is accounted upright. And hence it is, I think, that David was called a man after G.o.d"s own heart; to wit, because he served his own generation by the will of G.o.d; or, as the margent reads, after he had, in his own age, served the will of G.o.d.
(Acts 13) By the sin of the times, Satan, as it were, set up his standard in defiance to G.o.d; seeking then to cause his name, in a signal way, to be dishonoured, and that by the professors of that age. And hence it is that the Lord doth manifest such wrath against his people that are guilty of the common sin of their day, and that he shews such special favour to them that abstain therefrom. Was there no more, think you, but Noah, in his generation, that feared G.o.d? Yes, several, no doubt; but he was the man that kept clear of the sin of his day, therefore he and his family must be partakers of G.o.d"s deliverance; the other must die before, and not be permitted to the mercy of the ark, nor to see the new world with Noah. Unbelief was the sin of the day when Israel was going from Egypt to Canaan; therefore all that were guilty of that transgression must be denied to go in to see that good land, yea, though it were Moses himself. "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." (Num. 20:12)
The sin of the day is an high transgression; from the which, because Caleb and Joshua, kept then selves, G.o.d kept them from all the blasting plagues that overtook all the rest, and gave them the land which he had promised to their fathers. "But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it." (Num. 14:24) Idolatry was the sin of the day just before Israel were carried captive into Babylon. Now those of the priests that went astray then, even they say, G.o.d shall bear their iniquity. "But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near unto me, to minister unto me; and they shall stand before me, to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord G.o.d. They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge." (Ezek. 44:15, 16)
Great complaints have we now among professors, of deadness in duties, barrenness of the ministry, and of the withdrawing of G.o.d from his people; but I can tell you a cause of all this, namely, the sin of the day is got into the church of G.o.d, and has defiled that holy place. This is the ground and cause of all these things; nor is it like to be otherwise, till the cause shall be removed.
If any should ask me what are the sins of our day, I would say they are conspicuous, they are open, they are declared as Sodom"s were. (Isa. 3:9) They that have embraced them, are not ashamed of them; yea, they have got the boldness to plead for them, and to count them their enemies that seek to reform them. All tables are full of vomit and filthiness. And for pride and covetousness, for loathing of the gospel, and contemning holiness, as these have covered the face of the nation, as they have infected most of them that now name the name of Christ.
And I say again, when you find out a professor that is not horribly tainted with some of these things, I exclude not the ministers nor their families, let him be as a beacon upon a hill, or as an ensign in our land. But says one, Would you have us singular? and says another, Would you have us make ourselves ridiculous? and says a third, Such and such, more G.o.dly-wise than we, do so. But I answer, if G.o.d has made you singular, and called you to grace, that is singular; and bid you walk in ways that are singular, and diverse from the ways of all others. Yea, if to depart from iniquity will make you ridiculous, if to be holy in all manner of conversation will make you ridiculous, then be contented to be counted so. As for the G.o.dly-wise you speak of, let them manifest themselves to be such by departing from iniquity. I am sure that their being tainted with sins of the day, will not prove them G.o.dly-wise. "Behold, I have taught you," said Moses, "statute and judgments, even as the Lord my G.o.d commanded me; that ye should do so in the land whither you go to possess it. Keep therefore, and do them, for this is your wisdom, and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear of all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." Here then is wisdom, and this is that that manifesteth a people to be, understanding, and G.o.dly-wise, even the keeping of the commandments of G.o.d. And why follow the apish fashions of the world? Hath the G.o.d of wisdom set them on foot among us? or is it because the devil and wicked men, the inventors of these vain toys, have outwitted the law of G.o.d? "what nation is there so great, who hath G.o.d so nigh unto them" as his people have, and as he "is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous, as all this law," said Moses, which I set before you this day?"
(Deut. 4:5-8) This then is that which declareth us to be G.o.dly-wise, when we keep our soul diligently to the holy words of G.o.d; and fit not only our tongues and lips, but also our lives thereto.
Fourth, But again, let them that name the name of Christ depart from the iniquity, that is, as I may call it, from FAMILY INIQUITY.
There is a house iniquity; an iniquity that loves not to walk abroad, but to harbour within doors. This the holy man David was aware of, therefore he said that he would behave himself "wisely, in a perfect way;" yea, saith he, "I will walk within my house with a perfect heart." (Psa. 101:2)
Now this house iniquity standeth in these things. (l.) In domestic broils and quarrels. (2.) In domestic chamberings and wantonness.
(3.) In domestic misorders of children and servants.
1. For house broils and quarrels, it is an iniquity to be departed from, whether it be betwixt husband and wife, or otherwise. This, as I said, is an iniquity that loves not to walk abroad, but yet it is an horrible plague within doors. And, many that shew like saints abroad, yet act the part of devils when they are at home, by giving way to this house iniquity; by cherishing of this house iniquity. This iniquity meeteth the man and his wife at the very threshold of the door, and will not suffer them to enter, no not with one foot into the house in peace, but how far this is from walking together as heirs of the grace of life, is easy to be determined. Men should carry it in love to their wives, as Christ doth to his church; and wives should carry it to their husbands, as the church ought to carry it to her Saviour. (Eph. 5:21-28; 1 Peter 3:7) And until each relation be managed with respect to these things, this house iniquity will be cherished there. O! G.o.d sees within doors as well as without, and will judge too for the iniquity of the house as well as for that more open.
2. As house iniquity standeth in domestic broils and contentions; so it also standeth in chamberings and wantonness. (Rom. 13:13) Wherefore the apostle putteth them both together, saying, "not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying." This chambering and wantonness is of a more general extent, being entertained by all, insomuch, that sometimes from the head to the foot all are horribly guilty. But, "it is a shame to speak of those things that are done of some in secret;" for "through the l.u.s.ts of their own hearts, they dishonour their own bodies between themselves," "working that which is unseemly," (Eph. 5:12; Rom.
1:24, 27) to their ignominy and contempt, if not with their fellows et with G.o.d, who sees them, for the darkness hideth not from him."
(Psa. 139:12) It was for this kind of iniquity with other, that G.o.d told Eli that he would "judge his house for ever." (1 Sam.
3:13) also the words that follow are to be trembled at, that say, "The iniquity of Eli"s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever." (ver. 14) Such an evil thing is house iniquity in the eyes of the G.o.d that is above.
3. As domestic iniquity standeth in these, so also in the disorders of children and servants. Children"s unlawful carriages to their parents is a great house iniquity; yea, and a common one too. (2 Tim. 3:2, 3) Disobedience to parents is one of the sins of the last days. O! it is horrible to behold how irreverently, how irrespectively, how saucily and malapertly, children, yea, professing children, at this day, carry it to their parents; snapping, and checking, curbing and rebuking of them, as if they had never received their beings by them, or had never been beholden to them for bringing of them up; yea, as if the relation was lost, or as if they had received a dispensation from G.o.d to dishonour and disobey parents.
I will add, that this sin reigns in little and great, for not only the small and young, but men, are disobedient to their parent; and indeed, this is the sin with a shame, that men shall be disobedient to parents; the sin of the last times, that men shall be "disobedient to parents," and "without natural affection." Where now-a-days shall we see children that are come to men and women"s estate, carry it as by the word they are bound, to their aged and worn-out parents? I say, where is the honour they should put upon them?
who speaks to their aged parents with that due regard to that relation, to their age, to their worn-out condition, as becomes them? Is it not common now-a-days, for parents to be brought into bondage and servitude by their children? For parents to be under, and children above; for parents to be debased, and children to lord it over them. Nor doth this sin go alone in the families where it is; no, those men are lovers of their ownselves; covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemous, that are disobedient to their parents.
This is that the prophet means, when he saith, "The child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable." (Isa. 3:5) This is a common sin, and a crying sin, and to their shame be it spoken that are guilty; a sin that makes men vile to a high degree, and yet it is the sin of professors.
But behold how the apostle brands them; he saith, such have but "a form of G.o.dliness, but denying the power thereof," and bids the G.o.dly shut them out of their fellowship. (1 Tim. 3:5) This sin also is, I fear, grown to such a height in some, as to make them weary of their parents, and of doing their duty to them. Yea, I wish that some are not "murderers of fathers and mothers," by their thoughts, while they secretly long after, and desire their death, that the inheritance may be theirs, and that they may be delivered from obedience to their parents.(1 Tim. 1:9) This is a sin in the house, in the family, a sin that is kept in hugger-mugger, close; but G.o.d sees it, and hath declared his dislike against it, by an implicit threatening, to cut them off that are guilty of it.
(Eph. 5:1-5) Let them then that name the name of Christ, depart from this iniquity.
Disorders of servants is also an house iniquity, and to be departed from by the G.o.dly. "He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my, house;" said David; and "he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight." (Psa. 101:7) One of the rarities in Solomon"s house, and which the queen of Sheba was so taken with, was the goodly order of his servants. (2 Chron. 9:4)
Some of the disorders of servants are to be imputed to the governors of families, and some to the servants themselves. Those that are to be imputed to the governors of families, are such as these: (1.) When the servant learns his vileness of his master, or of her mistress. (2.) When servants are countenanced by the master against the mistress; or by the mistress against the master; or when in opposition to either, they shall be made equals in things.