THE EIGHTH BOOK OF M R Jeremiah Burroughs Being a Treatise of the EVIL of EVILS OR THE Exceeding Sinfulness OF SIN Wherein is shewed 1 There is more Evil in the least Sin than there is in the greatest Affliction 2 Sin is most opposite to God 3 Sin is most opposite to Mans Good 4 Sin is opposite to all Good in general 5 Sin is the Poyson or Evil of all other Evils 6 Sin hath a kind of Infiniteness in it 7 Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil All these several Heads are branched out into very many Particulars Published by Thomas Goodwyn William Bridge Sydrach Sympson William Adderly William Greenhil Philip Nye John Yates London Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Printing Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1654. M R Burroughs on the Evil of Sin A TESTIMONY TO THE WORLD Concerning Several Books of M R Jeremiah Burroughs that are Printing and will shortly be Published WHAT we have by way of Preface set before the several Books already published of this Reverend Author Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs may sufficiently serve for all that are come forth So that we only need now to give Letters Testimonial to the World that these viz. The Sermons on Job 36. chapt 21. verse The Second Epistle of Peter the 1. chapter the 1. verse The First Epistle of John the 3. chap. 3. verse The Second Epistle to the Corinthians the 5. chapter 7. verse Matthew the 11. chapter 28 29 and 30. verses The Second Epistle to the Corinthians the 5. chapter the 18 19 and 20. verses which are or will shortly be Printed We avouch likewise to be the painful and profitable Labors of the same Author and published by the best and most Authentick Copies Thomas Goodwin William Greenbil William Bridge Sydrach Simpson Philip Nye John Yates William Adderley To the Reader READER THE Creatures vanity and emptiness the abounding Sinfulness of Sin and Christs All-sufficiency and Fulness and how to live the life of Faith in Christ are Subjects containing the Sum and Substance of Religion and much treated on promiscuously amongst Divines And I think amongst all the Treatises of this blessed man Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs now triumphing in glory above all sin and sorrow which have been received with so much acceptation amongst the Saints there hath not been presented to thy view a more Practical Piece than this now under thy hands And though divers Divines have written and spoken much concerning this Subject yet in my poor Judgment this out-goes all of this Nature that ever my eyes beheld setting forth with life and spirit the Subject in hand and bringing it down powerfully in a practical way to convince the Judgment and work upon the affections of the weakest Reader That which is the undoing of those who think themselves no small Christians is resting in a bare notion of the Creatures emptiness Sins filthiness Christs Fulness and having some high towering speculations concerning the Nature and Object of Faith and to be able to discourse of these things in company and upon occasion is the Religion of the World and more especially of our Formal Professors Now the reality of these confest Principles are not made powerful upon the conscience by the cleerest natural aquired light in the World but when the Lord is pleased to set home those over-awing soul ballasting-thoughts of Eternity then and never till then shall we live act and walk as a people who acknowledg these Principles of Christianity to be true Whilst the things of Religion and thoughts of Eternity lie swimming only in our Brains they never conquer command and subdue the heart in a way of Practical Obedience Many mens thoughts language and lives are such that if they were certain there is no God no Sin no Hell no wrath to be feared no Grace to be minded and attained no Judgment day when they must give an account they could not be worse than they are nor do worse than theydo Oh the horrid Athiesm bound up in mens hearts and they see it not how else durst men be so prophane in their lives under Gospel light how durst they sit so stupidly under the powerful awaking means of Grace how else could such vile thoughts be cherish'd and such cursed practises and principles maintained how else durst men chule sin rather than affliction when they are brought into streights how otherwise are men more afraid of open shame than of secret sins In a word how durst men walk without God in the world at least without secret prayer and communing with their own hearts dayes weeks months years together I am perswaded more souls drop down to Hell in our dayes under the abuse os Gospel Light than ever did in the gross darkness of Popery they then better improved their Talents according to the light afforded and walked better and more sutably to the light they receiv'd wheras these Gospel truths which now shines more fully and cleerly in the faces of so many thousands are not so much improved in a more circumspect holy and humble walking but rather abused to a more loose and wanton carriage and censorious judging of one another men sinning the more because grace so much abounds how could the Saints then love and embrace with singleness of heart but now the foundations of love are shaken and a perverse spirit is mingled amongst us Oh how heavily doth the wrath of God lie upon the Professors of our Age for the abuse of Gospel light and they feel it not Gods Administrations in this latter Age of the World being more subtil and Spiritual and therefore more undiscernable than in former Ages Oh how many have we now adaies who think they walk cleerly in the midst of Gospel Light magnifying and exalting free Grace triumphing in their Christian liberty looking upon others as kept in bondage who come not up to their pitch and practice and yet are no better than Solomons fools who make a mock of sin being conceitedly set at liberty but really sin and Satans bond slaves Certainly till mens consciences be made tender and fearful of the least touches and appearances of evil they have good cause to suspect not only the strength but the soundness of their hearts in Grace Whilst men are bold with sin and can put it off at an easie rate of sorrow let their attainments seem never so high in understanding the Mysteries of the Gospel they never yet knew truly what it is to exalt Christ and free Grace for look in what measure we slight Sin in the same measure we slight God himself in his Persons and Attributes And how can that great Gospel Duty of walking humbly with God be expressed how can Christ be rightly lifted up and advanced in our souls without a right sight and sence of sin Never wil Christ be wonderful Christ and Grace wonderful Grace till sin be wonderful sin and experimentally apprehended
thee lies been a means to undo an immortal soul yea and to cause them to sin against the infinite God so that thou art guiltie of everie sin thou hast been a means to draw others to and thou art worse than those that have sinned for thy act in drawing them to it is a dreadful evil and then that which they have done is thine too Hast not thou sins of thine own enough to answer for before the Lord but thou must have the sins of another also Dost thou know what thou hast done in enticing others to sin either to uncleanness drunkenness to companie keeping and breach of the Sabbath and other sins Perhaps thou hast brought them to pilfering and purloining and many other particulars and other waies that might he named for indeed if we should enlarge our selves in this Point it might well require a whol Treatise but we must contract our thoughts It may be there are some in this Congregation that have been a means to draw others to sin and they be now in Hell at this instant for that sin thou wert a cause of What a sad thing is this for any man or woman to have this to lay to heart I know I have drawn such and such to sin I have been a means at least to further sin in them well they be dead and gone and they manifested no repentance before they died and therfore for ought I know yea it is much to be feared that they be now in Hell and now a tormenting for that verie sin I was the cause of and if the Lord gives me wages according to my works I must thither to them What shall they be in Hell for the sins I brought them to and shall I escape is it anie way likelie and probable but that I must follow when as they be there for the sins I brought them to what shall the Accessarie be condemned and executed and shal not the Principal I am the Principal and the other is but the Accessarie Certainly there had need be a mightie work of humiliation for thou art in exceeding danger that art the cause of bringing anie other to sin for it is that must needs lie exceeding heavie upon the soul of anie man and woman if God never give you a sight of this great evil certainlie you perish but suppose God do give you the sight of so great an evil and you begin to be humbled Oh this very meditation wil cause your humiliation to be full of bitterness and will cause it to be very hard for you to lay hold upon mercie and pardon when you shall think thus Ah were it for my own sins only I were to answer for I might have greater hope but there be others sins I drew them into and they be condemned perhaps and in Hel and how shall I escape condemnation my self I do not say that there is an impossibilitie of pardon for the Grace of God is infinite and were it not infinite it were impossible for such a soul to perish and thou that art the cause of it come to be saved I say there is a possibilitie but it is as if it were through the fire if ever thou escape do but thou consider if it should be that thou shouldest die in impenitencie also as the other did and that thou didest go to Hell when you two should meet at the day of Judgment and he should see thee the cause that drew him to sin Oh what a grief it would be to thee how would he curse thee and the time that ever he saw thy face that ever he lived in that Familie where thou livedst It may be some Parents have been a means to draw by counsel and advice the Child to sin Oh the Child when he sees his Parent at the Day of Judgment how will he curse the time that ever he came from such Loyns and such a womans Womb Oh that rather he had been the off-spring of a Dragon and the generation of a Viper than from the Loyns of such a man and woman you encouraged me to such and such waies of sin to opposition and hatred and speaking evil against the People of God the Servants of God that were strict in their way and now you and I must perish eternally sure in Hell they will be readie to cast fire-brands in one anothers faces that have been the cause of sin in one another in this world and so Husband and Wife that lie in one anothers bosoms if they be the cause of any sin in one another it may cause woful terror to them and appear worse than if a Serpent had lay in their bosom for those that draw others to sin do worse mischief than any Serpent or Viper in the world can do You had need look to it betimes I shall wind it up with this one Note Whosoever hath been the cause to draw others to commit any Sin know this That the least that can be required if God do give thee a sight of thy sin and to be humbled for it if thou doest go away out of the presence of God as having an Arrow darted into thy bosom for this then I say go away with this one Note You be bound to make some restitution in a spiritual way as much as you can For this you know I shewed before in a mans temporal Estate when you have wronged you must make restitution if you will have mercie you must make up the wrong as you are able much more here when you have wronged any in their souls a Soul wrong calls for Spiritual Restitution as well as Body wrong or Estate wrong calls for a Bodilie or Estate Restitution Quest What do you mean will you say by this Spiritual Restitution Answ This I mean That if those be alive that thou hast drawn to sin thou art bound to this part of Restitution that is To go to them and to undo what possibly thou canst what thou hast done and now to tell them of the evil of that sin and to do them all the good for their Souls that possibly thou canst Now to shew to them how God hath convinced thee and what the work of God hath been upon thee and how heavie and dreadful sin hath been made to thee and to beseech them for the Lords sake to look to themselves and to consider of their estates and to repent of that their sin that you were the cause to bring them to And so if there be anie means in the world wherbie thou canst do good unto their Souls thou art bound to do it yea to them their children their friends as you are bound to make restitution unto the next friends and heirs of those that you have wronged in their goods if the partie wronged be dead So if those should be dead thou hast drawn to sin suppose when thou wast yong thou drewest such a man to drunkenness adulterie or the like and they be dead and gone thou art bound to
You may know them by this If you propound limits thus far you will go this certainlie is a Natural work But when the heart lets out it self to God without any limits or bounds this is a Supernatural work So you dislike sin and Oh you would not commit it but this is the Question Whether your dislike or hatred be Natural or Supernatural If Natural then there be some limits and bounds you propound that is you will not commit such gross sins and live in such open sins and upon such and such grounds you will abstain from such and such Sins But if there be a Supernatural work your hearts are set against all sins with a kind of infiniteness without anie bounds or terms you will set no bounds to your hatred of anie Sin that man or woman that so hates Sin as to set no bounds at all unto their hatred and will admit it upon no terms this is a Supernatural hatred Manie are against Sin Naturally but in that true hatred it is so boundless that there must be no bounds set to your hatred it evidentlie shews Sin to have a kind of infinitness of evil in it Fifthly Sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it in that it is the Vniversal Cause of all Evil As God appears to be an infinite good because he is the universal cause of all good this doth much set out the infiniteness of Gods goodness in that he is the universal cause of all good So it doth set out the infiniteness of Sin in that Sin is the universal cause of all evil all evils flow from it This is the Fifth Thing Sixthly There is an infiniteness of Evil in Sin it appeareth thus That as the infiniteness of good in God is shaddowed out unto us by all good things and in as much as we and the Scripture makes use of all good things to shaddow out the goodness of God this manifests an infiniteness of good in him So in as much as the Scripture makâ—s use of all kind of Evil things only to set and shaddow out the evil in sin this makes it appear there is a kind of infiniteness of Evil in it As thus That all those Creatures Vipers Serpents Dogs Cockatrices Dragons Wolves all deadly Creatures the Scripture makes use of but to shaddow out the evil in Sin As if the Holy Ghost should say do you see any evil in such Creatures that you account the worst put them all together and that is in Sin and more So take all kinds of uncleanness the vomit of a dog menstruous Cloaths all this doth but shaddow out the evil in Sin Look at sicknesses leprosies plague and death it self and darkness any hidious evil all these do but shaddow out the evil of Sin We might mention many more to shew you the evil of Sin And in that the Scripture makes use of so many evil things to shew the evill of Sin This shews Sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it Seventhly As Gods infinite goodness is set out thus that he is his own Happiness and Blessedness in this God doth appear to be infinitely good because he is his own good and happiness there is no higher good to be the goodness of God no higher blessedness to be the blessedness of God but himself because he is infinitly good and blessed So the Scripture sets out to us the Evil of Sin by it self because there is no greater evil to set Sin out by but by it self Therfore this shews there is a kind of infiniteness of evil in Sin And therefore you have that of Rom. 7. 13. Was that then that was good made death to me God forbid but Sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which was good that Sin by the Commandement might become EXCEEDING SINFVL He doth not say that sin might appear to be Exceeding miserable but that it might become Exceeding Sinful So that the sinfulness of Sin is that which sets out the evil of Sin more than any other thing doth It was the Speech of the Heathen Seneca It is the punishment of Sin to have Sin So it is the reward of Vertues to have them Godliness in it self is the Excellency of a man and Sin in it self is the misery of a man and this is a Proof of this That there is a kind of infiniteness of evil in Sin Now then by all these Seven Discoveries of the evil in Sin having a kind of infiniteness in it this one thing comes fully and powerfully from them That for to fall into sin again and for to be prevailed withal by any such temptation as this Oh it is no great matter if I do no worse than this I hope it is well and others do worse I say to yield again to the commission of any sin upon such a temptation is a great wickedness What dost thou make any comparison in sin and use any such words when thou hast heard it or read it proved to thee that Sin hath a kind of infiniteness of evil in it Nay which I thought to have finished here but cannot now come to it but shal in the next Chapter shew the reference Sin hath to the Devil this shews the greatness of Sin above all Evils Sin is that which makes the Soul conformable to the Devil Afflictions doth not they make the soul conformable to Jesus Christ I suppose you know that place Phil. 3. 10. mark there the difference between Sin and Affliction Paul there accounted all things dung and dross for the Excellency of the knowledg of Christ and what more That he might be found in him and that he might know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death He did desire above all things to have the fellowship of his sufferings and to be conformable to his death he accounts all the world as dung and dross to be conformable to Christ by Afflictions or sufferings It is true it may be many account all the world to be nothing to be conformable to Christ in Glory in Heaven But here is the work of Grace and I beseech you observe this in the conclusion and carry it away That a gracious heart accounts all the world dung and dross to be conformable to Jesus Christ in his sufferings there is so much excellencie and glorie in the Sufferings of Jesus Christ Now you see the wide difference between Afflictions and Sin Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil Afflictions make a man conformable to Jesus Christ I would have shewed wherein in several Particulars how sin makes us conformable to the Devil I will but name this one now and that which might be enough to make every soul out of love with Sin in that by Sin thou joynest with the Devil and conspirest with the Devil against God himself There is no Creature that is against God but Men and Devils The Devil was Gods first Enemie and now
man comes in and conspires with the Devil Now we account it a great evil if you had a Child and if there were but one Traitor in the Common wealth and you hear Oh my Child is joyned with this Traitor and conspireth against me and the State Before sinful Man there was but one sort of sinful Creatures in the world the Devils now by Sin Man comes in and joyns in conspiracie against the blessed God and so one Generation after another perhaps the Father comes and conspires with the Devil and then the Child and so along in a Succession And this should come neer our hearts to humble us for our sins and wickedness that in this we be those that of all Creatures that ever God hath made conspire with the Devil against the blessed God the Fountain of all Good THE SIXTH PART OF THIS TREATISE CHAP. XLIII Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil opened in Six Particulars First Sin is of the same Nature with the Devil Secondly Sin is from the Devil Thirdly Sin is a furtherance of the Devils Kingdom in the World For 1 By Sin we oppose Christs destroying the Devils Kingdom in the World 2 By Sin thou opposest thy prayers when thou prayest Thy Kingdom come 3 By going on in a way of sin thou becomest guilty of all the sin in the World Fourthly Sinning is a fulfilling the will of the Devil Fifthly Sin sells the Soul to the Devil Sixtly Sin it turns the Soul into a Devil THe Sixt and Last Demonstration of the Evil of Sin It is from that reference Sin hath to the Devil The Scripture speaks of Afflictions that they make us conformable to Christ but Sin makes us conformable to the Devil There are Six things to be opened about this I have mentioned the First which was this That Sin was of the same Nature with the Devil every Sin hath the same kind of Malignity in it that the Devil hath But Secondly All Sin it is from the Devil either Originally or at least by way of a Cause helping it forward Sin is the work of the Devil not only a joyning with him but his work therefore Christ is said to come to dissolve the works of the Devil Sin is from the Devil therefore it is said in 1 John 3. 8. He that commits sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning and to this purpose the Son of man was manifest that he might destroy the works of the Devil He that commits sin is of the Devil it comes from the Devil And so John 8. 44. Brethren these things which I speak concerning the reference Sin hath to the Devil though they may seem hard and harsh yet it is to be observed none speaks so much of Sins coming from the Devil as John who was of the most loving sweet Nature of any of the Disciples and yet when he comes to speak of sin he speaks of it in the most harsh terms that possibly can be so that it comes not from harshness but may stand with a loving and sweet Nature to speak of sin in the harshest terms that we can do for John the most loving and beloved Disciple of Christ so full of love and yet none spake so harshly of sin especially in its reference it hath to the Devil as he saith here Joh. 8. 44. You are of the Devil and his lust you will do Thus Sin the lusts of Sin come from the Devil and it makes a man or a woman to be the Child of the Devil So the Scripture is clear it comes from him Originally all Sin that is in you is Originally the Spawn of the very Devil himself in your souls and originally it comes from him as all Sin originally comes from his temptations and suggestions so also the Devil helps forward and furthers all sin that is in your souls this is the evil of it But here understand this aright The Devil is not so the cause of all Sin as God is the cause of all Grace not so It is true the Devil hath a hand in every Sin but not such a hand in Sin as God hath in Grace for God hath such a hand in the work of Grace that he doth not only give a principle of Grace but all the operation of Grace is so from him as it would never stir but by him he gives the will to work and do all the will and the deed are from him But all Sin is not so from the Devil though originally it is and the Devil puts it on yet we are to know though the Devil now should tempt no more yet there is enough in the hearts of men and women to sin against God all manner of sin even from their own innate corruption that now is in them if the Devil were destroyed Sin would not be destroyed In Grace there is no power to work but by Gods working together with it but in Sin there is a power to work without the Devils working though the Devil is forward enough to work with our corruption yet I say there is corruption enough in our hearts for to work al kind of sin though the Devil should not tempt us any more therfore we must not lay all upon the Devil as many do when they fall into any wickedness they will say this is the Devil and lay all the fault upon the Devil and so think to take it off from themselves by laying it upon the Devil No know though the Devil labors to further it what he can yet there is such corruption in you that it would stream forth from you though the Devil stir it not at all therefore charge your own hearts as well as the Devil In the work of Grace we must give all the glorie to God but in the work of Sin we cannot allot all the fault to the Devil we are not to take any of the glorie of the work of Grace to our selves but we are to take a great part yea somtimes the greatest part of Sin to our selves but however the Devil is the cause of Sin originally and helps forward to it Thirdly All Sin is the furtherance of the Kingdom of the Devil in the World You know that the Scripture saith that the Devil is the Prince that rules in the Air and is called the God of this World because he rules in the Children of disobedience There is a Kingdom of the Devil set up by sin in the World and maintained by sin in the World it hath a succession in the World by sin So that all sinners that continue in waies of sin they do what in them lies to uphold the Kingdom of the Devil in the World and the Rule of the Devil in the World 1 Therefore men in sin are exceeding opposite to the End of Christs coming in the World for it is Christs End in coming into the world to dissolve the Kingdom of the Devil as you had it before in 1 John 3. 8. It
wiser than their Teachers rhan their Fore-fathers and to bring them to the wisdom even of the most wise CHAP. LI. The former Vse further prosecuted First Against those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience which ariseth either from gross Ignorance or Atheism or desperate slighting of God Secondly Trouble of Conscience is the beginning of Eternal death Thirdly Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience can never prize Christ Fourthly Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience now shall one day alter their opinion Fifthly It were just with God to let those sink under the burden of Conscience that have slight thoughts of it now Sixtly Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience those very thoughts do take away a chief restraint from sin Seventhly Slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience for sin are 1 A high degree of Blasphemy 2 And a degree towards the unpardonable sin WE have entred upon the Application of all that hath been said concerning the evil of Sin And you may remember I have only named one Use that do arise from all that hath been said about the evil of Sin and that we shall now prosecute The Use is this If there be so much evil in sin as you have heard opened unto you beyond all the evil of any affliction Hence then we see that the wounds and trouble of Conscience for sin certainly it is no melancholly conceit it is not a fancy or imagination as many in the world think of it Many men have very slight thoughts about the trouble of Conscience for sin and when they hear of men or women troubled for their sin they think it is nothing but melancholly or temptation or some kind of frenzy or madness or folly or weakness of spirit or timerousness These be the thoughts men have of trouble of conscience and according to their thoughts that they have of it such are their Cures that they seek for it I spake som what of it in the last Chapter but now certainly if these things be true as verily they are the Truths of God that have been delivered concerning the evil of sin then we are not to wonder at men and women that have troubles of conscience for sin I shewed by some examples that trouble of conscience was not melancholly especially in the example of Christ himself that had the burden of sin troubles of spirit I cannot so properly cal it trouble of conscience for there is a substantial difference between the wrath upon his soul that he felt and the wrath of God that others feel upon their consciences but in effect the wrath of God is the same that was upon him by imputation of sin and upon others by reason of their own proper guilt and it was not melancholliness in him nor in David as I shewed in the last Chapter Now to proceed There be two things I desire to proceed in And First I have many things to say unto those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience for sin somwhat to say to those and if there be any in this place that have wondred at men and women that have been troubled in their conscience for sin let them attend to what they read I have divers things to say unto them Secondly I am to shew you some difference between melancholly distempers and trouble of Conscience for sin First These thoughts of thine they certainly eome from either abundance of Ignorance or Atheism or Desperate slighting of God One of these three Causes 1 Ordinarily these thoughts that men have of trouble of Conscience to be no greater matter than such melanchoby conceits they do come from gross Ignorance thou knowest not God thou knowest not what it is for a soul to have to deal with an infinite Deity thou never yet hadest a real sight of an infinite Deity with whom thou hast to deal And it is a sad thing to think that men and women should live a long time and never in all their lives come to have a real sight of that infinite Majestie and Deitie with whom we have to do It comes from ignorance of the nature of sin thou dost not know what sin is God hath yet blinded thine eyes that thou shouldest sin but not know what sin is Certainly thou dost not know the Law of God the Spiritualness of it and the dâ—eadfulness of the wrath of God revealed against sin thou dost not know what Eternty means thou dost not apprehend what it is for a soul to be in hazard of miscarrying to all Eternity It was the Speech of Francis Spirâ— as I opened in the former Chapter I shall make use of that example further because a notable ezample Oh saith he If I might endure the heavy wrath of God but for twenty thousand years I should not think it much but it must be Eternally Eternally I must endure the Eternal wrath of God that lay heavy upon his spirit Let any man or woman in the world the stoutest proudest spirit that lives upon the face of the Earth think what it is to miscarry to Eternity and this will make his spirit be troubled Therefore its gross Ignorance in men that makes many have such slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin 2 Again If not from Ignorance yet from Atheism For many men that seem to have excellent Parts and are not ignorant Sots and yet have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin It is not so much to be wondred at to see a company of ignorant Sots that know nothing of God and the Principles of Religion that they should have such slight thoughts and wonder what men mean to be troubled for sin But men that have good Parts perhaps men of great Gifts and pregnant Wit and great Schollers and yet they have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience for sin Now in them Vsually the cause is Atheism or slighting of God Woful desperate Atheism is in the hearts of many great Schollers many pregnant Wits many that wâ—ll speak much of Religion yet they are desperate Atheists in their hearts therfore from thence it comes Therefore when you see learned men understanding men go on in such and such sinful waies and slight all that is said concerning the evil of sin do not wonder at it for woful desperate Atheism lies under abundance of Knowledg a great deal of knowledg learning wit and parts and yet slight sin this is the Cause the Atheism in their spirits Compare these two Scriptures together Psalm 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God and in Prov. 14. 9. Fools make a mock of sin that is those fools that do say in their hearts there is no God those fools make a mock of sin and they think lightly of all that hath been said of the evil of sin and what need so much ado about the evil of sin they can slight it and make light of it well it is such
Striking Sin is a striking at God 50 Spirit Sin wrongs the Spirit of God 71 Sweat Christs sweat 128 Strictness Strictness of Gods people justified 448 Stubbornness Stubbornness distinguished from from Conscientiousness 452 Separate What separates men for God 291 What separates men from God 292 Slave vide Subject Soul Christs Soul sufferings 401 Sorrow Christs sorrow 125 Sin More evil than any misery 3 c. A heavie Thing 7 A Non-Entitie 11 No good in the being of it ibid It is cause of no good 12 It comes not from good 13 No good annexed to it 14 No good of Promise ibid Of Evidence ibid Of Blessing 15 Sin is Opposite to all good 319 Sin in its self is misery 354 Sin sells the soul to the devil 367 Turns the soul into a Devil 368 Sensible Some more sensible of affliction than sin 528 Sinner Every sinner guilty of all the sins in the World 362 Succession Of Sin 362 363 Subject Difference between a Slave and a Subject 366 T Temptation To avoid 98 Edward the 6th avoids it with tears 101 No sin if not entertained 372 Terror What causeth terror 273 274 Thoughts Thoughts of God terrible to some 273 Time Time spent in sin is lost 28 Truth Sin wrongs God in his truth 67 Truth in its Latitude the object of mans understanding 283 Turns Sin turns all good into evil 321 Exhortation to turn from sin 476 V Venture No good should be ventured for sin 26 Venome Of sin 43 Vile A wicked person is a vile person 141 144 Useless Wicked men useless men 29 Undo Man doth undo himself by sin 140 262 Union What breaks Union 282. 284 Spiritual things Unite 282 Why mans soul is capable of Uuion with God 283 284 W Wisdom Sin wrongs God in his wisdom 63 Weapons Sinners fight against God with his own weapons 77 Way Of the godly and wicked difference 441 Worse No man is worse for Affliction but for Sin 141 Worth All the men in the world not worth one Christian 143 145 The end is worth the means 260 261 Work Sin is not the work of God 25 Sin opposite to God in its working 41 World Sin would destroy the world were it not for Gods wisdom 74 Wrong What wrong sin doth to God 54 They who have wronged God must do much for God 109 110 111 112 Sin wrongs the Soul 309 Wrath Of God 125 Christ drinks the Cup of Gods wrath 129 What the wrath of God is 343 Will A Sinner exalts his will above Gods 64 65 Fulfils the Devils will 363 364 365 Walk How God walks contrary to sinners 286 Word The Word must be prized 406 407 The Word justified for threatning 455 456 Worm Sin is the matter whereon the worm breeds 263 Wayes to kill the worm of Conscience here 26 The Blood of Christ cures the worm here 264 Weight Of Sin what 132 God weighs out Afflictions to Saints 334 335 It is good to bring sins weight upon our selves 474 Y Youth It is good to be godly in Youth 488 FINIS THere are these several Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs that will shortly be published viz. His Sermons on Job 36. 21. The second of Peter the 1. and 1. The first Epistle of John 3. 3. The second of Corinthians 5. 7. Matthew 11. 28 29 30. The second of Corinthians 5. 18 19 20. There are also in the Press Seventeen Books being the substance of many Sermons Preached at Harford in New England By Mr. Thomas Hooker somtime Fellow of Emanuel Colledg in Cambridg in England which are Discourses on Seventeen several Scriptures Reader â—…is Treaâ—ise was first Preached at Stepney neer London on the Lordsday mornings â—t was begun Nov. 29. 1641 and finished Feb. 27 1641. It is thought good â—o give the Reader Notice hereof in espect to â—ome Expressions â—…d in 〈◊〉 Treaâ—…e Doct. * This was written in the Year 1641. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praepositio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 auget significationem declarat animum undique maerora obsessuÌ„ circum vallatum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat attonitum esse ex significationem auget ita ut sit animo corpore per horrescere Medici vâ—cant horripilationem Gerrh in Harm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza Hesychius dicit significare palaestrum bellum proprle est timor quo corripi solent in certamen descensury Stephan in Thes * This was preached on the 2. of January * This was 23. of January * This was Preached at Stepney the 26. of February
the presence of God if it were not upon deliberation and good search it were a great boldness and therefore certainly beleeve there is such evil in Sin and though you pass by a thousand idle thoughts and evil actions and they be gone with you and you make little of them but if you did know what the evil of Sin were you would look upon them with amazement and cry out Lord what have I done Men and women go abroad and before they come home meet with Company and there swear many Oaths commit lewdness have told lyes and done wickedness Oh did they but know what they have done that day they would come home wringing their hands and ready to tear their hair and lie tumbling upon the very ground for the evil that they have done 3. Further We must not commit sin though for the glory of God for many put this end upon it as the Papists this is their Principle To advance the Catholick Cause they think they may do any wickedness murther Princes blow up Parliaments keep no Faith Promises Oathes take liberty to rise in Rebellion to commit all outrages and cut all the Protestants throats and to advance the Catholick Cause take the Sacrament upon it and yet think because t is for so good an end as they conceive therefore they may commit any wickedness It is certain God needs not the Devil to help his Cause but suppose by sin Gods glory might be furthered in some particular yet we must not commit the least sin for the greatest glory of God that can be imagined so much evil there is in sin And therfore for such that many times strain their Conscience to do that which their Consciences have regreet upon and their Conscience told them they should not do it yet meerly upon this pretence that they might do service in the Church Oh their Ministry is dear to do good to Souls to preach to so many Souls by this means God may have glory and hereupon they venture to strain their Consciences to have liberty to Preach this certainly is a great evil we must not strain our Consciences in any thing to commit the least sin upon imagination of the greatest glory that can be brought to God Good ends put upon sins cannot make them better This is the Second thing Fourthly All the good that God himself can bring from sin can never make sin good such evil there is in it that the infinite power and goodness of God can never make sin good true God may destroy Sin Yet that which is Sin all the power of God cannot make that good Such evil there is in Sin This is a Fifth thing 6. There is no good in Sin not Comparatively That is Though it be true one Sin is less than another yet no sin is good in comparison of another In Affliction as one affliction is less than another so one affliction is good in comparison of another a less affliction is good in comparison of a greater and all affliction is good in comparison of Sin But in Sin though one Sin be less than another yet the least Sin is not good in comparison of the greatest and take the least Sin of all it is not good in comparison of any Affliction And you shall see how this is Useful to us CHAP. IV. Vses And Nine Consectories of excellent use viz 1. Sin is not the Work of God 2. Sins promises are all Delusions 3. Sin cannot be the Object of a rational Creature 4. Nothing that 's good should be ventured for Sin 5. Nothing that 's good to be made serviceable to Sin 6. The mistake of making Sin the chiefest good 7. Time spent in Sin lost 8. The wicked useless members 9. Sin need no debate whether to be done or not HEnce we see for our Instruction that that maxime many have hath nothing to do in point of sin to wit of two evils you must chuse the least True in regard of the evil of Affliction comparing one Affliction with another so we may chuse the least but this cannot have truth in matter of Sin that of two Sins we may chuse the least because though one Sin be less than another yet the least Sin can never come under the notion of good comparitively As all other evils be good comparatively though never so great evils yet comparatively they may be good Yet Sin can have no goodness any way comparatively Therefore of two evils we must not chuse the least in this sence 1 Because Sin in it self is sinful And 2 Because Chusing the least can never be a means to prevent the greater but rather to make way for the greater And Brethren obseive it for it may be useful in the course of our lives God never brings any man or woman to such straits that of necessity they must chuse one Sin chuse this or the other Sin When two Sins shall stand in competition we may conceit such straits to our selves yet there is no such real straits Though God doth bring men into such straits that of necessity they must chuse one affliction either this or that affliction So David was brought into such a strait that he must chuse Famine Sword or Pestilence yea God doth never bring men into such straits that of necessity they must chuse this or that Sin thou deceivest thine own heart if thou thinkest thou art brought into such a strait Therefore this is a vain thing and savors of an exceeding carnal heart when men are doing that which is evil for them to say I were as good do this as worse As for instance now Suppose some keep at home upon the Lords day and mend their Cloaths if any rebuke them they will say Better do this than worse better do this than go to the Ale-house this is true but this savors of a carnal heart to think that you must chuse one Sin rather than another thou must not chuse any of them both of these are evil though one may be less evil than the other Or if some spend their time in Play when they are rebuked they put it off with this shift Better do this than worse and so they go abroad and spend their time in seeing Playes and say Better do this then worse 't is yet true though this be not so great a sin as others if it be a sin it must not be done upon any terms and thou deceivest thine own heart in this conceit that thou wert better do this than worse for sin cannot be good and so not to be chosen at any time Thus we see there is no good in sin and a great deal of good in affliction Hence there follows these Nine Consectorys of exlent use for us First Consectory If there be no good in sin then certainly sin is not the work of God for God saw all his works and they where very good but sin hath no goodness in it therefore not of God God disclaims it The Second
other thing It is not so with Affliction Affliction is from God and by God and for God and is not contrary unto God because it is from Himself 2 Sin is so opposite to God that if it were possible that the least drop of it could get into Gods Nature God would instantly cease to be a God He could not continue one moment to be a God any longer such evil there is in sin If there should be such a Poyson that if one drop of it should come into the Ocean all the whol Ocean would be at an instant poysoned yea all destroyed and anihilated in one instant you would say that were a very fearful Poyson If a drop of Poyson should be so poysonful that if one drop of it got into Heaven that then presently the Sun Moon and Stars would fal down and be anihilated you would say this were a venemous Poyson Certainly if but one drop of sin should get into God the infinite Being of God would instantly cease to be The Sea though vast is not infinite the Heaven though vast is not infinite the infinite God would have no Being at all if sin should get into God therefore it is very evil Therfore also we ought to have holy thoughts of God seeing sin is so infinitely contrary to his Nature 3. So opposit is sin to God that if God should be but the cause of any sin in any other He would instantly Cease to be a God It strikes at the very life of God He would cease to be God he could be God no longer if he should be the Cause of any sin in any other We had need take heed therefore how we father sin upon God that he should be the cause of sin for such is the evil of sin that God must cease to be if he should be but any cause to give any efficacy to sin in us Indeed for Afflictions God will own that he saith in Amos 3. 6. Is there any evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it and in Mich. 〈◊〉 3. it is said there that God deviseth evil If there be no evil in the City but God doth it yea saith the Prophet God deviseth evil there is no evil of punishment but God deviseth it God will be content to own it to be the Author of all the torments of the damned in hel God will own God will say I have done it and I am the Author of al the torments of al the damned in hel but such is the evil of sin if God were the Author of that He could not be God any longer but would cease to be God 4. Such is the evil of sin that if God should but approve of it and like it if he should but like it when another have commited it even that would cause him to cease to be God Wicked men be ready to think because God is patient and long suffering that God is of the same judgment with themselves Psal 50. 21. Because I held my Peace thou thoughst that I was altogether such an one as thyself but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes it is the just temper and frame of wicked and ungodly men to this day because God holds his peace and comes not upon them to revenge sin presently they be ready to think that God approves sin and is of their judgment Indeed saith a wicked man many Ministers cry out of sin that it is very grievous but I hope God wil give liberty to my wayes and walkings sure God is not against them he approves of them otherwise why should God suffer me in them and be so patient towards me in them Oh! know when thou hast any such thought of God as this thou blasphemest God If that were true that thou thinkest That God did approve of thy wicked wayes God must cease to be God God would be God no longer Quest Why How doth this appear Answ This is the Reason of it Because then God were not infinitely holy and holiness is Gods Being and if God be not infinitely holy he is not God at all but ceaseth to be presently Which is impossible and blasphemous to think 5. Such is the evil of sin so opposite to Gods Nature that if God did not hate sin as much as he doth he would cease to be a God not only if he did allow of it and like of it for he may permit it in his Creature and not like of it But I say If God did not hate sin so much as he doth hate it if it could be conceived that God could but hate sin somwhat less than he doth I say he would instantly cease to be a God he could not remain to be God one moment if he did cease to hate sin in any degree less than he doth Quest Why How doth this appear Answ Thus If God cease to hate sin I do not speak of the manifesting of his hatred but that which is his nature that is proportionable to hatred as we say if God did not hate it so much as he doth then he did not hate sin infinitely for there cannot be any infinite and less than infinite stand together these two cannot ever stand that it should be infinite and less then so and remain infinite if it be infinite it remains so if there should be a degree under that it must be finite Now if Gods hatred to sin were less than it is it would be but a finite hatred and if it were a finite hatred then God could not be infinitely holy for infinite holiness must needs have infinite hatred against sin I beseech you observe this for you are ready to think Though God be against sin and hate it yet I hope God hates it not so much as many Ministers make of it tush God is not so much against sin as they speak of though its true when we do a miss we must cry God mercy and pray God to forgive us yet to make so much of sin as they do and that God sets himself so much against it as they say this is but their opinion and he hopeth God doth not hate it so much as they say Oh! Brethren take heed of this opinion for if God should hate sin less then he doth he should cease to be either he must hate sin with infinite hatred or he ceaseth to be God So evil and opposite is sin to Gods Nature And if these things be true there is a great deal of evil in sin If there be nothing so opposite to God as Sin and if but the least drop of sin should get into God it would make God cease to be God and if he should be but the cause of any sin in his Creature he would cease to be God and if he should but like it in his Creature he would cease to be God and if he should but hate it less then he doth he could not be God but al this is true Then we
take a man that lies as it were scalding in Gods wrath his conscience burning and bringing even Hell to him that he cries and roars in the anguish of his soul for sin one would think certainly this man will never have to do more with sin that is in this horror and anguish and trouble for sin certainly he will never keep company be drunk be unclean or cozen any more But this may be to the admiration of Men and Angels to see how men and womens hearts are set upon sin that notwithstanding al that anguish and horror that they have many times for it yet they will to it again and that as greedily as ever yea and somtimes more greedily for if once a man consider I beseech you what I say hath overcome the trouble of conscience for Sin and fallen to it again he will then be more greedy he will slight conscience then and scorn at conscience then and make nothing of it if once he have out stood conscience As an unruly horse if he have but once cast his Rider then let him come on his back he cares not for him he contemns him he will quickly throw him off again So when the stubborn unruly lusts of a mans heart have once cast off conscience that a man or woman have been once under terrors of conscience for sin and yet fall to it again such a mans condition is very lamentable Iâ— say not wholly desperate I dare not say so for Gods thoughts are higher than ours as high as the Heaven is above the Earth but this mans condition is very lamentable there is this strength in sin in the soul that all the terrors in the world will not breed a devorce between sin and the soul But when once the soul can come to say with David Against thee against thee only have I sinned in my Sins I have gone against that God who is so infinitely above all praise and glorie This is the humiliation if any thing make a devorce between Sin and the Soul this will do it This is the third Corollarie That therefore there be verie few humbled for Sin aright because not thus humbled CHAP. XVIII The Fourth Corollarie Admire the Patience of God in seeing so much Sin in the World and yet bear it FOurthly If this be so that sin is so much against God doth so much wrong God Hence then we have all cause to stand and admire at the infinite patience of the great God that shall behold so much sin in the world from such poor wretched vile Creatures and yet shall bear it 'T is true those that do not know how sin doth make against God strikes at him and wrongs him they are not so much taken with the patience of God and with the long suffering of God But now that man or woman that comes to know how sin wrongs God and comes to understand this such a one cannot but to amazment stand and wonder at Gods infinite patience that such a great God who seeth himself so struck at fought against opposed and wronged by such wretched Creatures that yet he doth forbear crushing them too pieces presently I beseech you Brethren consider do but take along with you what I have said about Sin how it is against God and then consider how all sins that are committed God is present at it stands and looks upon it Do but think somtimes with your selves when you are among a great concourse of people among a company of prophane wretched people as in Markets Fairs Taverns Inns and Ale-houses how is Gods Name blasphemed there What daring of the blessed God what scorning and contemning of his Word and Sacraments and Ordinances well and now carry along that thought how God is wronged in all these struck at in all this and what an infinite God this is and then think how God stands by them heareth every Oath seeth every filthy act of Uncleanness seeth every Drunkard and yet when the least word of his mouth were enough to sink them to the bottomless-pit yet God is patient the first second and third time yea a hundred times Perhaps thou hast been a Blasphemer twenty years forty years a Swearer and when thou comest in company Oh the wicked Oaths that come from thee and hidious Uncleanness and abominable wickedness and yet God stands by and looks upon the Swearer and is patient all the while Certainly Brethren there is no man in all the world that is wronged as God is and yet man is not able to bear wrong from his equal if he have power in his hand to prevent it What! Shall he wrong me I will make him know what it is to wrong me You cannot bear any wrong from your fellow Creature Oh consider what wrong God hath born from you and others stand and admire at the infinite patience and long-suffering of the Lord Truly Brethren when any mans Conscience comes to be inlightened and awakened then the greatest wonder in the world to such a Conscience is the Patience and long-suffering of God Oh! that God should be so patient and long-suffering unto me all this time of my life that I am out of Hell he stands and wonders that he is out of Hell and wonders at others that others should not be affected with the patience of God Certainly brethren that wrong is done unto God by sin as that if any one man that had all the patience of all the men and women in the world put into his heart all the patience and meekness that ever was in all the Saints since the beginning of the world if it were all distilled into the heart of one man or woman and suppose that this man or woman were but wronged as God is it were impossible but that that man or woman should break forth with revenge against those wrongs done to him or her it were impossible for such an one to bear so far as he can see himself able I mean to right himself so far he could not bear the wrongs done to him But now God shews himself here to be infinite in patience and long-suffering as well as infinite in any other Attribute of his Brethren it wil be an especial part of the glory of the great day of Judgment that when all the wrong that ever was done to God from the beginning of the world by sinners shal then be opened at the day of Judgment Alas we see but little wrong done to God now we look upon notorious wretches and think they wrong God now we see but little but at the day of Judgment then all the secret villanies and wickedness that ever was committed in secret places since the beginning of the world in all places of the world then shal it all appear And then how will it appear to Men and Angels how God was wronged by his Creature and then there will be the patience of God seen that he should be so patient so many thousand years together notwithstanding
there was so much wrong done to God and never discovered to man but God sees it all this whilâ—… this will be a great part of the glorie of the day or Judgment If our hearts were eâ—…ed we would begin now to give God the glorie of 〈◊〉 Patience which we shall see at that day CHAP. XIX A Fifth Corollarie Hencesie a way to break your hearts for Sin And also to keep you from Temptation FIfthly A fifth Corallarie Hence is this If Sin be so much against God as you have heard then here you may find a means and way both how to break your hearts for sin and how to keep your selves against temptation for the time to come I put them both together for brevitie This is the strongest way and means I can shew you to break your hearts Would you fain break your hearts for sin Oh saith some what a hard heart have I Many put up papers complaining of the hardness of their hearts and desire the Minister and Congregation to seek God to break their hearts well Would you fain have broken hearts have your hearts troubled in such a manner as you may give glorie to God This is the way There is two waies to humble the heart for sin There is looking upward unto God and seeing whom it is thou hast sinned against And looking downward to thine own miserie and what thou hast deserved by sin Now many altogether pore downward and look nothing but downward to sin and what is the desert and punishment and miserie but their hearts though they be troubled and vexed yet they are not kindly broken as I shewed before but now if you would have your hearts kindly broken for sin for this is one use of Direction that we may get our hearts broken for sin look upwards and behold him whom you have pierced That is behold 1 God in his infinite Glorie and what an infinite blessed Being God is and how worthy of all the honor the Creature can give set this before your Eyes in a fixed and setled way 2 Look upon God in all the relations God hath to you as your Creator from whom you had your being as he that preserves your being everie moment look upon him as your Lord infinitlie above you at whose mercie you wholly lie Thus view God and see him in his glorie and the relations he hath to you and thus by beholding God in such a manner is an especial way to work stronglie upon the heart For hereby I come to see as it were the present evil of Sin the other is but onlie a sight of the evil of Sin to come as when a man or woman looks upon Sin as bringing Hell that is but onlie to look upon that evil of Sin that is to come hereafter But we know that present things do most affect as now any good thing if it be to come it doth not take the heart so much as a present good As when the soul makes the good of the Promises to be present then they affect the soul but if the soul look upon them as to come they do not so much affect So if the evil of Sin be look't upon as bringing Hell and miserie this is looked upon as to come hereafter so that it may be avoided but if I look upon Sin as against God then I look upon Sin as a present evil upon me that flows from the very nature of sin and cannot be avoided and this evil is even now upon me and doth as immediatly flow from the Nature of Sin as light doth from the Sun it self And now looking thus upon Sin is a mightie means to break the heart And then for avoiding sin for the time to come when Temptation come you say it is strong and overcomes me Now would you avoid Sin for the time to come in temptations then do as we reade of Joseph you know how he beat off the strength of the temptation and when he might have done the evil in secret see what prevails with him Oh how shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God not How shal I do this great wickedness and bring danger and miserie upon me but How shall I do this and sin against God So if you can have your Eye upon sin and remember what especial things you have heard of the evil of Sin and when temptations come you can say how shall I do this and sin against God Oh remember this you Servants that have opportunitie in secret to do evil Josepth was a Servant and yet this kept off that temptation from him when he was a yong man that is the honor of Joseph a yong man and a Servant when the temptation comes Oh this breaks his heart How shall I do this and sin against God So you yong ones and Servants go away with this lesson when any temptations to sin comes think Oh! I have heard in such a Point and out of such a Text how Sin makes against God strikes at him wrongs him How shall I do this and sin against God impossible unreasonable it should be done upon any terms Set but this one Argument against the most powerful temptation and certainlie it wil prevail Psal 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil What! do ye hear how sin is against God strikes at God! that it is evil not onlie against you and indangers you but strikes at God Oh all you that love God hate sin let your hearts be set against sin because so much against God Oh Brethren there be many people do indeed avoid sin but it is upon poor low grounds very low and mean be the grounds of many people upon which they avoid sin There be many Oh they will not do such and such evils they will resist a temptation to such and such a sin why mark the ground according as the grounds of men and women are upon which they do or stay from doing of a thing so judg of your hearts if the grounds be high and raised then their spirits are high and raised if their grounds be but low and mean then their spirits be low and mean As thus many abstain from such and such sins why Oh if I do it it will be known and I shall be made ashamed therfore I will not do it It is good to resist Sin upon any terms but if this be the chief cause it is a poor low base thing and argues a great deal of lowness in the heart to resist sin upon this Oh if I do this I shall be known and incur the displeasure of my Father or Master or such a dear Friend it may incur punishment or it may be I shall be turned out of the Family and such like Arguments I say it is true it is good to bring in all the Arguments we can to oppose sin withal but when these be the chief things when these be the only Grounds that keeps thee from such wickedness that thy heart is set
the Convulsion but if we did know they were really possessed we should be terrified Oh such a friend such a neighbor lived wickedly before and now the Devil hath possessed him we thought it a Disease till now we thought it the Convulsion but now we see it is from the Devils possession of them Would you not endure any affliction in the world rather than God should say of you the next oath you swear when you open your mouthes to swear the Devil shal come in and take possession of your bodies or the next evil language you speak the Devil shall come in and possess you this were a fearful thing and you would take heed of this But this I am to make good That when you go on in sin in any one sin it is a greater evil than if never so many Devils possest you if there should be Legions as he said to Christ when he asked his name he said Legion because we be many It is not so great an evil if God should give up your bodies to be possessed by Legions of Devils you will say surely that is a great evil but not so great as to be under the power of one sin How will that appear you will say Thus Possession makes you not hateful to God and guilty before God and loathsom to God nor is it that which God hates but it is an object of pitty Christ pittied them when he saw them thus but Sin makes a man odious and hateful to God I remember an excellent Observation Gregory hath on the Book of Job saith he What is the reason when God gave up Job to the Devil and bid him do what he would but spare his life saith he What is the reason the Devil did not possess him when he was given up to his hands for so the words are He is in thy Hands only spare his life So that it appears he was in his power to possess him but yet he did not and what is the reason this is the Answer that Ancient gives the reason is this Because if he had possest him then though Job had fretted and frowned and torn himself it had not been his Sin his impatiency so as it was when he was not possessed Now because the Devil envied Job the Devil would bring that upon Job which he knew to be the greatest evil as much as he could for so all envy doth One that envies another labors to bring the greatest evil on him that he can So certainly the Devil envied Job and therefore he labored to bring the greatest evil on him that he could Now it seems possession was not the greatest evil but the Devil would go so to work as if he could possibly he would get Job to be impatient and make Job curse God and sin against God If Job should have cursed God in word by possession of the Devil the Devil cursed God in him it had not been Jobs sin so much as if he had got him to curse God otherwise Now the Devil would have him so curse God as to be a sin to him and therefore the Devil would not possess him because that was the lesser evil So that to be given up to sin is a greater evil than to be possest Therefore all you that have friends and children which you see wicked and licentious and you see some cause to fear they be given up to the power of sin for the present it should cause Fathers and Mothers to come to Christ as earnestly as ever those poor Creatures did that had Children possessed with the Devil in the Gospel poor women had children possessed and so men Fathers that had Children possessed with the Devil that did rent and tear him in the presence of Christ he cries out mightily to Christ if he could Oh that he would come and help him and so the woman of Canaan for her daughter cries after Christ to help her Daughter for she was miserably vexed with an unclean Spirit So you should even go and cry to God Lord help if possible and have mercy upon my Son upon my Daughter for they have unclean Spirits yea they are in a worse condition than if possessed by the Devil I have a Son a swearing yong man a Daughter that is vain and profane and wicked and licentious and stubborn and unruly Oh if it be possible help me if you could be as sensible of the sins and wickedness of your Children as in the time of the Gospel Fathers and Mothers were of the possession of their Children much might then be done CHAP. XLIX The Sixt Corollary Sin brings to wicked men the same Portion the Devils have SIxtly Hence it follows if Sin hath such reference to the Devil then this must needs follow That the same Portion that the Devils have must needs be at last the portion of wicked men The Scripture expresseth it Mat. 25. Go you wicked into the Portion prepared for the Devil And so in Timothy the same portion that the Devil hath shall be the portion of wicked and ungodly men We reade in the Book of the Revelations of fearful Judgments that shall befal such as have the mark of Antichrist upon them Revel 14. 9 10. An Angel followed saying with a loud voyce If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in their Foreheads or in their Hands the same shall drink of the Wine of the wrath of God poured out without mixture and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the Presence of God and his holy Angels and of the Lamb. Mark the dreadful Judgments upon such as have the mark of Antichrist either openly in their Foreheads in profession or more privately in their Hands he shall drink of the wrath of God c. Now if such as have but the mark of Antichrist upon them shall have such dreadful punishment pray what shall those have that have such a likeness unto the Devil himself the mark of the Devil that are even turned into the very Nature of the Devil that are children of the Devil what shall the end of such wicked and ungodly men and women be And now Brethren we have finished all these Six Particulars in opening the evil of Sin and therein shewed that there is more evil in Sin that there is in any Affliction And now I had thought to have made some good entrance into the Application of this for though all this while in the Explanation I have mingled some Application yet there remains very many excellent useful Considerations which doth flow from all that hath been said of the evil of Sin that if possible it may be brought to your hearts that all may not vanish and come to nothing in the Conclusion Now this one Use I had verily thought to have gone through I shall only name it and shew what I intend in it and I shal finish it in the following Discourse CHAP. L. Use I. Shew that trouble of Conscience for
you to Heaven there is use of Godliness to keep you away from Sin and Ungodliness and there is enough in that to countervail anie pleasure suppose you yong people abstain from some pleasure or joy that others have the truth is you have greater and better pleasures but suppose you had none but keeping of your souls from sin this meerlie were enough to countervail whatsoever you suffer in the waies of God There are manie converted when they were old and what would these give for to be delivered from the guilt of some sins committed when they were yong When they look back to their lives Oh this sin I committed in such a familie and when I was an Apprentise in such a place Oh that I were delivered from them Oh they lie upon my heart Oh that vanitie and wickedness Oh those oaths I swore in such a companie among yong men Oh those Sabbaths I brake Oh those lyes I told and the drunkennesse I was drawn to Oh I cannot look back to these but my thinks I could even tear my heart from my bellie to think what a heart I had to sin against God and multiplie Sin against Him Thus at the best when God awakens their hearts they would give ten thousand worlds to be delivered from the Sins of their Youth And therefore now you yong ones seeing there is such evil in Sin Oh prevent it You know how the Sins of Youth lay upon David Remember not against me the sins of my youth therefore now prevent those Sins that otherwise will lie so heavilie upon you as that you will be forced to crie out Oh remember not against me the Sins of my Youth Oh it is a happie thing to see yong ones good and it is the greatest hope that God will shew mercie to England in that God begins to draw yong ones on in the waies of Godliness so that we hope there will not be so manie Sins committed in the Age to come We have cried out of the Sins of yong ones and one Generation that hath followed another hath been but like the Kennel the lower and further it goeth the more filth it hath gathered and so the lower Generations have gone the more filthie they have been But we hope God intends to turn the course and to make Godliness as much honored as it hath been dishonored heretofore and that there should not be so much Sin in the next Generation Heretofore yong people when they had daies of Recreation what did they but multiplie Sin what abundance of wickedness was committed by Youth then and on Shrove-Tuesdaies abundance of wickedness committed by Youth then and so the Generation was filled with Sins of Youth But now God is pleased to stir up the hearts of yong ones that instead of multiplying of Sin they be got together on such daies to Fast and to Pray and make daies to attend upon the Word and so avoid Sin It is that certainlie that doth encourage the hearts of Gods People to pray to him and to seek him for mercie that God gives hearts to yong people that they multiplie not Sin as heretofore If there be anie here that have begun this Oh go on in that way and when others multiplie wickedness upon such daies get alone and attend upon the Word and recreate your Souls in the Word and holie conference true God gives libertie to recreate but let it he as it was wont to be with the Companies in London though they did recreate they would have their Sermons too So instead of horrible wickedness that was wont to be upon those daies as I suppose some of you can remember upon Shrove-Tuesdaies infinite wickednesses was committed in the Citie and thereabouts we hope instead of wickedness and joyning together in wickedness there will be joyning together in the Waies of God And thus doing you wil encourage us in the Waies of God and Peace and Mercie will be upon you CHAP. LXIII Use 13. If there be so much evil in sin Then it s a fearful thing for any to be instrumental to draw others to sin WEE are now to finish that Tractate about the greatness of the evil of Sin It hath been an Argument that hath much encreased in our hands like unto the bread the Loaves that Christ did break unto the People that in the verie breaking did multiplie and so hath this Argument done but we are now to put a period to it Manie Uses you know hath been made alreadie as Corollaries and Consequences from that great Doctrine of the evil of Sin that Sin is a greater evil than Affliction The last day the especial aim and intention of the Application was Therefore to drive Sinners to Jesus Christ seeing there is so much evil in Sin more than in all Affliction Oh what need have we who are such great Sinners of Jesus Christ that is the Propisiation for Sin I have only one Note to ad further on that and we shall proceed it is an Excellent Expression I find in Luther saith he There is a great deal of difference between the Consequencia Legis and Consequencia Evangelii There is a Consequence of the Law and that is this Thou hast sinned and therefore thou must be damned But the Consequence of the Gospel is this Thou hast sinned therefore go to Jesus Christ that is the Argument the Gospel uses from Sin But passing by all we have said concerning that Use we proceed to further Applications that are behind Four or Five Uses we are to speak of and then we shall have done with the Point I will be brief upon the first Two or Three and the Two last we shall stick most upon Vse XIII If there be such evil in Sin as you have heard Hence then it is a fearful thing for any one to be instrumental to draw others to sin All that hath been said in the opening of the evil of sin must needs speak very terribly unto all that ever have been any way instruments to draw others to sin in all their lives Now Oh that God would speak to every man and womans Conscience in this Congregation that are conscious to themselves that ever they have been any cause to draw others to sin Is there not one whose Conscience presently at the naming of this Use doth even tell you well now God speaks to me for certainlie there hath been some that I have drawn to sin that I have been a means to further sin in If any one of you have ever been a means by counsel or advise by approbation by perswasion by encouragement by abetting of any by joyning with any in anie sinful course to draw them to sin know that God speaks to you First God tells you this That if you had been born to do mischief you could not do a greater mischief than this is if you had been the means to undo men and women in their outward Estate it had been nothing so much but thou hast what in
from thy self 4 Thou art not like to hold out Also two Answers to an Objection of those that think they avoid sin for fear of Hell 1. Thy Sensitive part may be most stirr'd by fear but yet thy rational part may be most carried against sin as sin 2. Those that avoid sin meerly for fear never come to love the Command that forbid the sin 3 They are willingly ignorant of many sins 4. Those that avoid sin and not out of fear even when they fear God will destroy them then they desire God may be glorified 5. Those that avoid sin out of fear do not see the excellency of Godliness so as to be inamored with it Thirdly It reprehends those that will sin to avoid affliction Fourthly It rebukes such as when they are under affliction they be more sensible of affliction than of sin Also there is five Discoveries whether mens affliction or sin trouble them Fifthly It reprehends those that get out of Affliction by sinful courses and yet think they do well Sixthly It reprehends those that after deliverance from affliction can bless themselves in their sins Use XVII COme we now to the last thing The last Use is this I wil but shew what might have been said and so wind up all There are six sorts of People that from this Point are reprehended You shall see all Naturally follow from the Point in hand that there is greater Evil in Sin than in Affliction First Such kind of people as be more afraid of Affliction than of sin There be many people very â—hy of Affliction and solicitous to prevent Affliction but not to prevent Sin Many reason thus I had need be a good Husband and lay up somwhat I know not what I may meet withal before I die I may want before I die many are penurious and covetous and will not enlarge themselves to good uses when God calls because they be afraid they and their Children may want before they die who knows what we may meet withal and thus they are careful to prevent Affliction But for Sin they do not lay up to prevent that whereas we should be very solicitous least we should be drawn into temptation and therefore we are taught to pray Lead us not into temptation as well as Forgive us our trespasses True God keeps me from such and such sins but what if God should leave me to temptation what a wretched Creature should I be if ever this corrupt heart of mine should prevail against me as I have cause to fear I find such wickedness boyling and bubling up and such pronenesse to such and such sin if the Lord be not infinitely merciful to me I shall break out to the dishonor of his Name scandal of Religion and wounding of my Conscience and this God knows causes the most solicitous care that I ever had least my heart should break out against God to the scandal of that holy Profession I have taken upon me Oh is it thus with you Oh this were a happy thing indeed As when men hear of one that is broke they wil inquire what is the reason he had such an Estate what is the reason he broke One may be saith he trusted Servants too much and that caused him to break Oh this will cause him to look so to it that he will never trust his Servants too much Another may be saith Because he lived above his means and this makes him that he will not live above his means And another He will have his Country House and his Servants riot at home when he is abroad And another He trusted too much and such like Reasons Now we will be wise to take heed of that which brings others to afflictions So it should be with us when we see any fall into sin Professors that made a shew of Religion and afterwards fall foully inquire now what is the matter this man broke he broke his Conscience what is the matter one that had such admirable gifts and made such a Profession Oh may be all the time he had a proud heart therefore I will keep my heart humble Oh he had Excellent Gifts and enlargements in Prayer but he had a slight vain Spirit Oh let me take heed of this root of bit ternesse in my Soul He is broke now but what is the matter Oh he began to be sluggish and cold in Closet work and such duties in his Family Oh let me take heed and keep up communion with God in secret in my Closet and in my Family He broke indeed but how Oh some secret sin he kept in his bosom there was some secret sin he let his heart hanker after and now God hath left him to it now by Gods grace I will look to my self I will by the grace of God take heed of secret sins Thus Brethren if we were sensible of the evil of Sin we would be thus careful to prevent the evil of sin as well as the evil of affliction And so many for their Children Oh they will be providing for their Children that they may live like men and have somwhat to take to but if you were apprehensive of the evil of sin you would provid for their Souls as well as their Bodies and therefore Oh let me put him in a good Family and there he may learn to prevent sin This is the First To reprove those that labor to prevent Affliction but not Sin Secondly It serves to reprove those that be careful to keep themselves from sin but 't is meerly for fear of affliction only upon that ground as if there were not evil enough in sin it self but all the evil were in affliction Certainly these men and women understand not this That there is more evil in Sin than in Affliction if thou didest understand and wert sensible of this Point I have treated upon thou wouldest find Arguments enough from sin it self to keep thee from sin though no affliction should follow Thou abstainest from sin what is the reason not because of any great evil thou seest in sin but because of affliction thy Conscience tells thee it will bring thee to trouble and into affliction and this keeps away sin 'T is true it is good for men and women to avoid sin upon any terms and this is one motive God propounds to avoid sin by but this is not all or the chief motive because of affliction and trouble Conscience tells thee God will be even with thee and the wrath of God pursues thee very few come so far to have such apprehensions of the evil consequences of sin and to avoid sin upon them grounds But you should labor not only to avoid sin from the evil consequences of sin but for the evil of sin it self for if thou avoid sin only from the evil consequences of sin Know 1 This may be without change of Nature a man or a woman may be in such an estate as they may not dare to commit some sin out of fear
end in sin ibid The end of the Agent and of the Act 44 Loss of the end worse than loss of means 75 Gods glory his end of creation 76 Mans end what 259 Endless Torments 133 134 Enjoy We cannot enjoy God and sinful wayes together 61 Estate vide Gettings Wicked men usurpe not their Estates 280 Have right to them and how ibid Eternity The Eternity of all evil from sin 339 Evil Sin the greatest 10 Of Two Evils to choose the least no god axiome in point of sin 23 Sin makes a man evil 140 It 's better to hear reade evils than feel them 297 F Face Gods face what 286 Fight Who fight against God 41 Froward Guilt causeth frowardness 270 Fuel Prosperity is fuel to sin 436 Full Mens hearts full of sin 458 Flouds Flouds of wickedness 460 Fear vide Terror Sin causeth fear 290 You must not fear affliction more than sin 517 Feeling Past feeling 473 G God God needs not the Devil to help his Cause 21 Good Good in comparison vide Affliction 3 Good of Entity and Causality 11 Good by occasion 12 Good instrumentally ibid Good and End is the same 258 Sin spoyls all good 320 Grief Must be for others sins as well as for our own 103 Guilt Sin brings guilt 269 Guilt what ibid Guilt makes men bloudy 270 Guilt takes away comfort 271 Guilt brings fear 272 273 274 275 Only guilt makes sufferings evil 276 Gettings Gettings by sin cost dear 430 Gettings by sin are accursed 431 c. Glory Sin labors to frustrate God of his glory 75 It cannot frustrate Gods glory 76 God wil have his glory one way or other 78 Our good and Gods glory connexed 312 Grace An eternal Good 340 346 In Grace no power to work except God works with it 359 H Hearts The different working of the Saints hearts 15 The way to break a heart 96 Sin hardens the heart 297 Hell Hell is better than sin 4 Humble The way to humble the soul 34 47 48 49 Few humbled truly 84 Holiness Sin casts dirt upon Gods holiness 64 Holiness what 291 Horror Is not true Humililiation 88 House The house where sin is is worse than that which is haunted by the Devil 374 375 Harden Prosperity hardens 442 Hands Concerning such as lay violent hands upon themselves 19 Hate God hates sin 38 Who hate God 44 The object of Gods hatred 265 266 267 Sinners hate themselves 310 Humiliation For sin against God sanctifies his name 87 It abides after pardon 89 Makes a divorce from sin 91 92 Exhortations to humiliation for sin 471 I Image Sin most opposite to the Image of God in man 145 146 The excellency of the image of God in man 147 Holiness the image of God 147 148 149 150 151 Infinite Infinite and less than infinite cannot stand together 345 A kind of infinitness in sin 345 Infinite power must overcome sin 346 Sin hath infinite desert 347 Sin deserves infinite misery ibid Infinite in time and in degree 348 An infinite price paid for sin 349 Justice Sin wrongs God in his justice 66 Judgement Examples of Gods judgements upon sin 118 119 120 121 122 The difference of the judgment of God from the judgment of the world 142 Spiritual judgements the worst 502 Joy Against joy in sin 464 465 466 467 468 Sin damps joy 468 469 K Know Few men know God or sin 80 81 Sinners know not the excellency of the rational creature 306 They know not Gods holiness 307 Four things must be known 327 Knowledg Knowledg of sin makes Christ precious 56 Kingdom Of Christ and of Satan what 361 362 363 L Law The glass to see sin 124 Light Common light and saving light 150 Little Call no sin little 448 449 450 Lye An Officious lye 19 Lye not to save the world 20 Life Sin strikes at the life of God in man 151 152 256 What the life of God in man is 253 The life of man excellent 256 Losses A Christian may have many Crosses but no Losses 340 Liberty Prosperity gives liberty to sin 437 M Mercy Sin wrongs Gods Mercy 68 Mediator Must be God Man 82 Ministry Ministry of the Word is for our good 295 And Gods glory ibid It makes sin bitter ib. Makes stomachs rise against it 296 A great Ordinance 323 Magistracy A great Ordinance 324 Marriners Englands strength 324 325 326 Mean Mean-men who 252 Malliciousness Maliciousness in sin 312 Means Means to crush sin 323 Melancholly Distinguished from trouble of Conscience 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 Six Differences of it 414 c. Misery Men freed from affliction may be in misery 426 Great misery when sin and affliction meet 504 N Nature Sin in its nature opposite to God 35 Mans nature 253 Necessity No man brought to a necessity of sinning 24 O Omniscience Gods Omniscience wronged by sin 62 Omnipresence Gods Omnipresence wronged by sin ib. Opposition Of sin to God in Four things 33 Order Sin breaks the worlds Order 72 Occasion God takes occasion by sin 73 Affliction may occasion sin 141 P Persecute Who persecute God 47 Pitty Sinners to be pittied 313 314 315 Pleased Saints never well pleased with sin 16 Pleased with Affliction ibid Price A great price notes greatness of inisery or of the Person 350 Promises The promises of sin are delusions 25 Possession Satans possession of the heart 379 God hates not people possessed but pitties them 380 Portion The Devil and wicked men have the same portion 383 Prosperity Of prosperity by sin 428 429 430 Of sin by prosperity 436 437 438 Prosperity a judgment to the wicked 441 Plead Plead noâ— for sin 500 Pardon Some Saints grieve most after apprehension of Pardon 90 Pardon is a great mercy 445 446 Patience Of God to be admired 92 Of Christ is perfect 233 Power Sin wrongs God in his power 65 Power in creatures a drop of Gods power in them 287 Pray Afflictions teach to pray 298 R Rebellion Sin is rebellion 45 Report Martyrs have a good report 6 Repentance A continual act 89 Resist Sin resists God how 42 Revenge Let out revenge upon sin 317 Root All sin comes from the same root 43 Rejoyce Saints rejoyce not in sin 16 Saints rejoyce in affliction ibid Redemption Sin wrongs Christ in his work of Redemption 70 Restore Ill gotten goods must be restored 432 433 434 435 Restitution According to the nature of the wrong 497 S Satisfie Sin denies good in God to satisfie the soul 58 Serviceable No good thing ought to be Serviceable to sin 27 Seed Sin the seed of evil 293 Grace the seed of good ibid Shame Shame better than sin 6 7 Sin brings shame 303 304 305 Why Sinners not ashamed 306 Sufferings Of Martyrs 5 The red glass of Christs sufferings 124 More in Christs sufferings than in any 134 Speak For God 104 105 Strength Of Christ 133 Sin the strength of all evil 328 329 Striving Striving against God what 42