Aggravation of sin and sinning against knowledge. Mercy. Delivered in several sermons upon divers…Aggravation of sinne and sinning against knowledge. Mercie. Delivered in severall sermons upon divers…

First then, to sin against the inbred light of nature,¹ that is, in such sins, as though thou hadst wanted the light of the word in, thou wouldst have known to be such: This is a high kind of sinning. Such the Apostle speaks of, Jude 10. What things they know naturally, in these they corrupt themselves, as brute beasts, putting as it were no difference of actions, no more than beasts, no not in what nature teacheth them, and therefore therein are as beasts: for it is the light of nature puts the first difference between men and beasts; and in such kind of sins the Apostle instanceth in this first Chapter, as namely, that of unnatural uncleanness, in three particulars: as 1. self-uncleanness, ver. 24. [Greek or Hebrew], that is, alone by themselves: so Beza and Theophilact understand it, which he makes there the first degree of unnatural uncleanness, which is therefore unnatural, because thou destroyest that which nature gave thee for propagation, quod perdis homo est. Then 2. the unclean love of boys, men burning in lust with men, ver. 27. be it discovered in what dalliance it will, though not arising to an act of Sodomy, ⟨p. 79⟩doing that which is unseemly, ver. 27. which he therefore says, is the perverting the use and intent of nature, and so is a sin against nature, leaving the natural use of women. My brethren, I am ashamed to speak of such things as are done in secret. These kind of sins, by the Apostles ranking them, are in a further degree of unnaturalness, than any other, because they are made the punishments of other sins, which yet were against the light of nature also: namely, not glorifying God when they knew him: yet that being a sin, the light of nature was not so clear in comparison of these, therefore these are made the punishments of the other, as being more against nature. So for men to be disobedient to Parents, stubborn to them, and without natural affection, as the Apostle says, ver. 30, 31. this is against nature, even the instinct of it. So unthankfulness, and requiting evil for good, is against a common principle in mens minds. Do not the Gentiles do good to those that do good to them? your hearts use to rise against such an one out of common humanity; or if you see one cruel and unmerciful, which is another reckoned up, ver. 31.