Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
The Burden under Sin, laid open in nine Particulars. 1. When the Soul not only apprehendeth, but is ſenſible of the Evil of Sin in the reality of it. 2. Finds all the comfort that did attend Sin before to vaniſh and come to nothing. 3. Looks upon it ſelf as loathſome, and is in Some meaſure bowed to God. 4. Trembles at the leaſt thoughts and Temptations to Sin. 5. Feel Sin heavieſt, where it is indeed heavieſt. 6. Feels the weight of Sin to be ſuch, as that no Creature is able to remove it. 7. Had rather be under any burden, then the burden of Sin. 8. Doth notwithſtanding the weight thereof, juſtifie God. 9. Doth not lie ſullenly, and diſpair under it, but attend for direction from God, how it may be freed there from.
NOw you that are Burdened with Sin, and labor under this; you are thoſe that Chriſt calls to himſelf to come to him that you may have reſt unto your Souls.
For the opening of this, I ſhal ſhew you.
Firſt, How the Soul is burdened with Sin in a right way, ſo as Jeſus Chriſt looks upon it, and doth invite it to come to him. How the Soul is wrought upon, and what it feels in the burden of Sin, that is here ſpoken of, that Chriſt doth cal unto himſelf for to receive reſt.
Secondly, Why it is that the Lord wil have the Soul burdened for ſin.
Thirdly, Upon what ground it is, that Jeſus Chriſt hath ſuch a deſire to have the Soul come in to him, and doth invite the Soul. And ſo apply it.
For the Frſt. You that are weary, and heavy laden. Chriſt invites the heavy laden; [heavy laden] what is that?
The firſt Burden of Sin.
Firſt, Thoſe notions, or truths that before lay floating as it were in the underſtanding; Thoſe truths of God, and apprehenſions of the evil of Sin that lay before as it were aloft in the underſtanding of a man; now the Lord cauſes them to ſink down within the heart, And doth preſs the evil of Sin upon the Soul, making the ſoul now, not only to apprehend, but to be ſenſible of Sin, of the evil of it, in the reallity of it; it feels I ſay, thoſe truths that were but hovering in the underſtanding before, now to ſettle upon the heart, and to preſs the heart with the real apprehenſion of ſin; ſaith the Soul, I heard talking of it before, and I could ſpeak of it before; but now I feel it; now ſaith the ſoul, thoſe things that were as notions before are the greateſt realities that are in the world; the Lord preſſeth them down upon the heart ſo as they are heavy upon the Soul, ſo heavy as to be cruſhed as it were under them; now al thoſe vain reaſonings, al thoſe vain hopes, thoſe ſhiftings that before the Soul had for to quiet it ſelf, they are now quite cruſhed under the real apprehenſions of ſin. If there ſhould be a Mill-ſtone upon the ground, and a few light things put on the top of it, and an other Mill-ſtone ſhould be let fal upon them, it would even grind them to pouder; ſo before there were vain Hopes, and vain reaſonings in the heart. But when God cauſeth thoſe truths and the realities of them to preſs upon the heart, it cruſheth al thoſe vain Hopes, and vain reaſonings to nothing.
The Second Burden of Sin.
Secondly, The ſoul that finds al thoſe Comforts that did attend ſin before, to vaniſh and come to nothing; there is ſcarce any man or woman in the world, or very few ſo vild as to delight in ſin, meerly becauſe it is ſin without any other conſideration; but ſin as it hath ſome comforts attending upon it, is pleaſing unto the hearts of men; as now there comes in perhaps ſom gain or pleaſure to men, and that gives content to them; but when the heart is burden'd with ſin, the Soul feels ſin ſo weighty, as it is ſenſible of it, as a dreadful evil notwithſtanding al the comforts that do attend it. Al the comforts that attend upon ſin do vaniſh and come to nothing; now the Soul can take no further contentment in any thing that comes in by ſin; & that is the ſecond thing; it is ſo burdened with ſin as it can take no contentment with any thing that comes in by ſin; whatſoever gain comes in that way it caſts it off: or whatſoever pleaſure or other ſeeming accomodation ſin is attended with, the ſoul looks upon them al with diſdain.
The third Burden of Sin.
Thirdly, The Soul that is burdned with ſin doth ſo feel the weight of it, as that the back is bowed down and tyred, at leaſt makes it look upon it ſelf as a vild and loathſom Creature, and fit to be dealt withal as a vild and loathſom creature; it is burdened ſo, as the heart is in ſome meaſure tired with it.
The fourth Burden of Sin.
Fourthly, Yea ſo burdened with ſin, as that it now trembles at the leaſt thought of ſin, or temptation to ſin fearing that if it ſhould willingly comit any further known ſin, that it would ſo ad unto the burden, as that it would preſs the ſoul down to eternall miſery: it is ſo burdened, that it dares not ad any one ſin more, as far as it can at leaſt, it is afraid of adding any more ſins leaſt one more ſhould ſink it to Hell.
The Fift Burden of Sin.
Fiftly, The ſoul Feels Sin heavieſt where indeed it is heavieſt, when it is rightly burdened, it Feels it heavy, becauſe of the wrath of God that is due to it; But it is moſt heavy becauſe it is againſt the Infinit Holy God; and rule of righteouſneſs; there lieth the weight of al,See the treatiſe of the evil of ſin. that by it I have Struck at the infinit holy God, and bin an enemy to him, as you have had opened to you at large. Now when the heart is truely burdened with ſin, it feels Sin heavieſt there, as it is againſt Such an infinit bleſſed holy God, that is ſo infinitely worthy of al honor from me.
The ſixt Burden of Sin.
Sixtly, When the heart is truely burdened, with ſin; it is ſo burdened, and feels ſuch a weight, as it clearly apprehends that no creature in heaven or earth is able to remove and take it away, it is made ſo ſenſible of the weight of ſin, that it feels & apprehends it ſelf to lie under ſuch a weight, as no Creature in Heaven or Earth is able to take away, & if there comes not ſome power beyond the power of any Creature, here muſt I lie downe and be preſt eternally under this weight. As ſuppoſe a poore man Should lie under a greivous burden, in ſome ditch or the like, and there comes it may be a child to him, or there flies a Bird over him, or there runs a dog by him; But alas, he thinks with himſelf, I may lie long enough notwithſtanding al theſe, there muſt come ſome other Strength to help me, or elſe I muſt ſurely periſh; So the ſoule lies under the burden of Sin, and thinks, Lord what a burden have I brought my ſelf under, ſo great that if al the men in the world, or al the Angels in heaven ſhould come to me they cannot help me; they may ſpeake good words to me but they cannot help me, it is only the almighty power of god that is able to help me: now the ſoul feels ſin to ſome purpoſe, when once it feels that there is no created power, no finite power but only the infinit power of the great god that can help it, and give it eaſe.
The ſeventh Burden of ſin.
Seventhly, And then in the next place, the ſoul that is truly burdened with ſin had rather ten thouſand times have any burden upon it, then the burden of ſin; there was a time that ſin was delightful to me, but now I would rather have any burden upon me then this, I did before think, that thoſe that wanted the comfort of the creature, and were outwardly poore, and mean, were miſerable, but now had I al the outward miſeries in the world upon my back, I had rather bear them al then this burden; I have felt much affliction in my dayes, but this burden and this weight, is moſt greivous and heavieſt of al, Oh! if the lord would but take off this weight, and this burden from me, let him lay what weight and burden upon me he wil. Thus the ſoul that is rightly burdened with ſin is affected.
The Eighth Burden of ſin.
Eighthly, Again, Though it feels much weight of ſin upon it, Yet in al this it Juſtifies God, and doth not think hard thoughts of God notwithſtanding the heavy hand of God is upon him. Its true I feel Gods heavy hand is upon me; and preſſeth me ſore but yet Gods hand is juſt, he is righteous in al this, let him have glory whatſoever becoms of me, for the truth is, I have brought this burden upon my ſelf; there was a time that I heaped up one ſin after another, as if I could never have had weight enough upon me, but now I find it heavy, Oh! the Sins of my youth they lie heavy now upon my ſoul, my lying and Swearing, And the Loſs of my time, and my Saboth-breaking; Oh! the Lord is righteous in al his waies. And in this manner doth the heart work that is burdened in Such a way as the Lord doth intend good unto.
The Ninth burden of Sin.
Ninthly, And laſtly; though it be under ſuch a burden as is almoſt intollerable Yet it is not Sunk down in Deſpare, under its burden, as a beaſt while it is under a burden, for a little while it wil ſtrugle and ſtrive under it, but afterwards it wil lie down and be ſullen and die under it. But now thoſe that are burdened with ſin in ſuch a manner as the Lord doth uſe to prepare the heart for his Sonn by; they feel the weight indeed of it, but ſo feel the weight as they labor, that is, their hearts are yet active and ſtirring and working, attending ſtil upon any directions that God hath to give them out of his word, their hearts do keep active and crying to God and waighting to know what the mind of God is towards them, and are willing to do any thing that God ſhal require of them, they do not lie Sullen and dead as it were under the burden of their Sinns. Now if there be any Soule in this condition expreſſed in the nine particulars before mentioned, if there be any ſuch as theſe, Know, that theſe are they that Chriſt doth in a more eſpecial manner cal unto, and Saith; Come to me yee that are thus weary and heavy Laden and I wil give you reſt.