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I shall arrange the matter of this scorning in different classes, so as to begin with the ultimate and fundamental objects of scorning, and gradually to come down to the more immediate, and those which are obvious to common observation.

I. SUCH THINGS AS RELATE TO THE DIVINE NATURE AND CHARACTER IN GENERAL.

1. The infinite holiness of God.

2. The infinite justice of God.

3. All the natural excellences of the Divine nature. When these natural excellences of strength, wisdom, eternity, etc., are considered as clothed with the moral lustre of infinite holiness, justice, etc., their beauty is converted into gloom and horror to the sinner. He hates, and therefore derides them.

4. The mercy of God.

II. SUCH THINGS AS RELATE TO THE MANIFESTATION OF THE NATURE AND CHARACTER OF GOD, IN HIS WAY OF SAVING SINNERS: BECAUSE THE GLORY OF GOD, AS ABOVE DESCRIBED, SHINES FORTH IN THIS WAY.

1. The sovereign counsels, purposes, and compacts of the Three Persons in the Godhead concerning the salvation of sinners.

2. The solemn, holy, and glorious operations of the Godhead, in the actual procurement of salvation, in the incarnation and humiliation of the Second Person in the glorious Trinity. While the Redeemer was on earth, there was a multitude of sinners who poured out their hostile scorn upon Him, especially when He was upon the Cross (Psalm 22:7, etc.).

3. The holy operations of the Spirit of God, in the Person of Christ, and in His people.

III. THE MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD, IN THE CHARACTER AND LIVES OF HIS CHILDREN. Here, the excellences of God are brought near to the eyes of natural men; and there are two reasons why the natural enmity is more exercised against the saints than directly against God.

1. They have more lively views of the holiness of the saints than they have of the holiness of God Himself.

2. Because there is greater appearance of impunity.This enmity at the saints shows itself in derision.

1. At their sins. The wicked will give no quarter to the least sin in a child of God.

2. At their sinless infirmities.

3. At the success of their efforts to draw them into sin (Isaiah 29:21).

4. Nicknaming their graces, and then taking liberty to ridicule them.

5. The sorrows and joys of the saints.

6. The hopes and fears of the saints; for the same reasons as above.

7. The counsels and reproofs of the saints.

IV. SUCH THINGS AS RELATE TO THE PURE AND SPIRITUAL WORSHIP OF GOD.

1. This is a combination of all the things already mentioned.

2. The spiritual substance of Divine worship is itself hateful to the sinner; and that considered both as an exercise of sanctified self-love and as springing from disinterested, voluntary love to God — particularly in this last view.

3. But the sinner frequently dares not to avow this; not from any want of enmity, but from a sneaking, cowardly dread of God. And therefore he fixes his ridicule upon the outside of the service of God. Here he nibbles, and plays off his sordid artillery.

V. THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD.

1. The external operations of the power and wisdom of God in the visible world, when considered by themselves, detachedly from His moral administration, are indeed the lowest of His works. There is least of what is peculiarly Divine apparent in them.

2. But if the external manifestations of God, in the creation, are considered as intimately connected with His moral character, then even the goodness of God therein appears under a gloom, if it be considered as leading on the sinner to repentance, under certification of double vengeance if he repent not, and as giving a low picture of his superior and sublime goodness as to moral things (Romans 2:4, 5).

3. And, much more, external judgments. There seems nothing so material in sin as to justify external calamities.

(J. Love, D. D.)

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KJV: Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

WEB: Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.