Twenty sermons preached at Oxford before His Majesty, and elsewhere

1. Consider the baseness of him that offends, and the excellency of him that is offended: You shall never know what sin is without this twofold Considerations: lay them together, and it will make sin out of measure sinful. See in David, The drunkards made songs and ballads of him. He aggravates the indignity offered him, in that he was their King, yet that those wretched ⟨p. 38⟩and filthy beasts the drunkards made songs of him. See it likewise in Job, Cap. 29. when he had declared unto them in what glory he once was, that he was a King and Prince in the Country. Then see Cap. 20. They that are younger than me have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock. He aggravates the offence. First from the dignity of the persons wronged, a King, and a Prince. Then from the baseness and vileness of those, who derided him, They were such as were younger than he, such as whose fathers he would have disdained to have set with the dogs of his flocks. A great indignity, and mightily aggravated by these circumstances, that a King should be abased by such vile persons. Now some proportion there might be between David and the drunkards, Job and these men; but between thee and God what proportion can th•re be? Who art thou therefore that darest set thy self in opposition and rebellion against God? What a base worm that crawleth on the earth, dust and ashes, and yet darest thou thy Maker? Dost thou (saith God) lift thy self up against him, before whom all the powers of Heaven do tremble? whom the Angels do adore? Exaltest thou thy self against him who inhabiteth Eternity? What, oppose thy self, a base creature, to Almighty God thy Creator? Consider this, and let the baseness of the delinquent, and the Majesty and Glory of that God against whom he offends, be the first aggravation of sin, and thou shalt find sin out of measure sinful.

1. Consider the baseness of him that offends, and the excellency of him that is offended: You shall never know what sin is without this twofold Considerations: lay them together, and it will make sin out of measure sinful. See in David, The drunkards made songs and ballads of him. He aggravates the indignity offered him, in that he was their King, yet that those wretched ⟨p. 38⟩and filthy beasts the drunkards made songs of him. See it likewise in Job, Cap. 29. when he had declared unto them in what glory he once was, that he was a King and Prince in the Country. Then see Cap. 20. They that are younger than me have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdain'd to have set with the dogs of my flock. He aggravates the offence. First from the dignity of the persons wronged, a King, and a Prince. Then from the baseness and vileness of those, who derided him, They were such as were younger than he, such as whose fathers he would have disdain'd to have set with the dogs of his flocks. A great indignity, and mightily aggravated by these circumstances, that a King should be abased by such vile persons. Now some proportion there might be between David and the drunkards, Job and these men; but between thee and God what proportion can thre be? Who art thou therefore that darest set thy self in opposition and rebellion against God? What a base worm that crawleth on the earth, dust and ashes, and yet darest thou thy Maker? Dost thou (saith God) lift thy self up against him, before whom all the powers of Heaven do tremble? whom the Angels do adore? Exaltest thou thy self against him who inhabiteth Eernity? What, oppose thy self, a base creature, to Almighty God thy Creator? Consider this, and let the baseness of the delinquent, and the Majesty and Glory of that God against whom he offends, be the first aggravation of sin, and thou shalt find sin out of measure sinful.