The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Treatise · Chapter 11 – Chapter 13
CHAP. XI.
How ſin wrong God: 1 In his Attributes. 2 Relation of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt. 3 His Counſels. 4 In the End for which God hath done all he hath done. And Firſt, Sin wrong Gods Attributes: 1 His All-ſufficiency, ſhewd in two particulars. 2 It wrong his Omnipreſence, and Omniſciency. 3 Sin wrong his Wiſdom. 4 Wrong his Holineſs. 5 Sin wrong God in ſetting mans will above Gods. 6 Sin wrong Gods Dominion. 7 Sin wrong Gods Juſtice. 8 Sin wrong God in his Truth.
THis was that which we propoſed in the third place; but we ſhall handle it in this fourth place, that we may enlarge upon it. But how doth ſin wrong God? The wrong you do to God by ſin, is ſuch wrong, that if all the Angels in Heaven, and Men in the World, would be content to endure thouſands of yeers of torment in Hell to make up that wrong, it could not be; any one ſin that you commit doth ſuch wrong to God. How doth this appear? To make it out, I ſhal ſhew unto you four things.
1 How ſin doth wrong God in all his Attributes.
2 How it wrongs God in his Perſonal Relations, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt.
3 How it wrongs him in his Counſels, in that order he hath ſet in the World in all Creatures.
4 How it wrongs God in the very End for which he hath done all that he hath done, in the end of all his Works, even his Glory.
Firſt, Sin wrongs God in his Attributes: As thus,
Firſt, Sin doth hold forth this, That there is not a ſufficiency of good in God, for the ſatisfying of a ſoul; this language is apparant in every ſin, and it holds this forth; ſo far as ſin doth appear, it holds this forth before all, and ſpeaks this language, That there is not enough good in God, That is, the Bleſſed, Glorious, Al-ſufficient Eternal, Unchangable good and Fountain of all good: yet ſin makes this profeſſion, That there is not enough good in God to ſatisfie this ſoul: or elſe why doth the ſoul depart from him in any ſinful way, and go to the Creature for any good, if there be enough in God himſelf? Now there is great wrong done to that bleſſed God, who is goodneſs it ſelf; for any Creature to hold this forth, That there is not ſufficient good there, but that the Creature muſt be fain to ſeek for it elſwhere out of God. So long as we ſeek comforts in the Creature in order to God, we ſeek for it in God, though in the Creature, if in order unto God: but when we come to ſeek for any good, any comfort in any way of ſin (as no ſin can be committed, but there is this in it) Though deliberately you do not ſay, that you think there is not comfort enough in God, but you will have it in this ſinful way, you do not ſay ſo: but there is this in thy walking in the way of ſin, God ſeeth this in the Nature of every ſin. Would not a Father think it a wrong to him, or a Maſter think it a wrong, to have his Son, or his Servant, go and complain to his Neighbor and ſay, he hath not meat enough? That wrong you would think your Child doth to you, in going to ſhark at your Neighbors door for meat; this you do to God when you go to ſin: As if you ſhould ſay, notwithſtanding there is ſo much ſaid of the infinit goodneſs of God, and that infinite ſatisfaction in Him; for my part I find not enough in Him, I muſt have it elſwhere. This is a wrong to Gods Al-ſufficiencie in this firſt regard.
Secondly, A ſinner, going in waies of ſin, wrongs God thus; he holds this forth, That there is more good to be had in a ſinful luſt, than there is to be had in all the glorie and excellencie in the infinite bleſſed God. This you will ſay is a wrong, if this can be made out that there is this evil in ſin, holding this forth, That there is more good to be had in a baſe ſinful luſt, than in all the glorie in Heaven, and comfort in God. Certainly this is ſo, and God ſeeth it ſo; and except God be ſatisfied for this ſin in Chriſt, God will charge this upon thy ſoul another day, that haſt been guilty of this great ſin. And that I may cleer it to your Conſcience, That in every evil way there is this: Thus it appears;
Becauſe everie ſinful way is a departing from God, and all that good in God: now this in the account of Reaſon may appear to the weakeſt capacity, That where there ſtands two goods propounded, and I depart from one, and chuſe the other; by my chuſing, though I ſay nothing, when I chuſe the one, when I cannot injoy both together; I do thereby profeſs I account more good to be in that other I chuſe, than in that former I parted from: Thus it is in the waies of Sin, God ſets forth himſelf to the Soul, and ſhews his goodneſs and excellencie, as appeareth in all his glorious works; and thoſe that live under the Goſpel, as appeareth in his word to them; and God woes the Soul, My Son give me thy heart, and here I am willing to communicate my ſelf to thee, and all that good in me to thy Soul; if I have anie good, anie thing in that infinite Nature of mine, to comfort thy Soul, and make thee happie, here I am willing to let it out and communicate it to thee: Thus God profeſſes to all the world, all the Children of men, to whom at leaſt the Miniſterie of the Goſpel comes, if thy Soul will come in and cloſe with him in that way he reveals to thee, he is readie to communicate that goodneſs in him to thy Soul to make thee bleſſed. But now anie man or woman in anie ſinful way, though they do not ſay ſo, yet they profeſs by their practice this, That though there be ſuch goodneſs in thee, yet here is ſuch a ſinful luſt, I expect more goodneſs in this than in thy bleſſed Majeſtie: Certainly there is this in everie Sin, and God ſeeth it, and God will deal with a ſinner according to this if he come to anſwer for his ſin himſelf. For (Brethren) thus it ſtands, we cannot enjoy God and ſinful waies both together; ſo far as any decline to ſinful waies, ſo far they venture the loſs of God eternally, and all that good in God. It may be God may have merciemercy upon thee, and bring thee into Chriſt; and Chriſt may ſatisfie God for that wrong thou didſt to him, this is nothing to thee, but there is this evil in thee, there is not one ſinful way that thou cloſeſt with, but thou ventureſt the loſs of all that infinite good to be injoyed in the bleſſed God, in that ſin: here is the evil of ſin: And is not this a wrong to God? what is God, if not better than a baſe luſt? The Devil himſelf is better than a baſe luſt, that is, the Devil hath an Entitie in him, he is of God, though he be a Devil by ſin, yet he is a being that is of God; but ſin hath no good, and therfore ſin is worſe than the Devil: It is that which makes the Devil ſo evil as he is, and yet thou in thy ſinful way doeſt profeſs, thou accounteſt more good to be in ſin than in all the good of God himſelf, as if ſin were better than God himſelf: For thou ventureſt the loſs of God that thou maieſt have thy ſinful way. Oh ſinner! ſtop in thy way, and conſider what thou doeſt: and know all thy life long which thou haſt lived, hath been nothing elſe but a continual profeſſion before all the world by thy ſinful life, That thou accounteſt more good in a luſt, than all the good in the bleſſed God to be enjoyed to al Eternitie.
II. Thou wrongeſt God in the way of thy ſin thus, in his Omnipreſence, and Omniſciency: to put them both together.
1 In that thou dareſt do that before the very face of God, that God infinitely hates: Is it not a wrong to any King, yea, to your ſelves though mean, for thoſe that are your inferiors to do that before your face that you hate above all things in the world? thus a Sinner doth, al the wayes of thy Sin are before the very face of God, and they are ſuch things as God infinitely hates, yet thou dareſt do that before the face of God in ſome Sin, that thou dareſt not do before the meaneſt boy or girle in thy houſe. What a wrong is this to Gods Omniſciency and Omnipreſence! Nay, perhaps thou dareſt not do it before a Child of ſix years old, and yet dareſt do it before the face of the infinite bleſſed God, if a man ſhould be afraid to do a thing before any Servant in his houſe, the very Scullion of the Kitchin, and yet when he comes before the King, doth it there; were not this a wrong to his Majeſty, that any dare be ſo bold before him?
2 Again, Thou wrongeſt his Omnipreſence in this, in that thou dareſt to caſt that which is filthy before his preſence, to caſt Carrion, a dead Dog, before a Prince, is a wrong: men in ſinful wayes do nothing but caſt vomit and filth before the preſence of a moſt holy▪ God: thus thou wrongeſt God in his Omnipreſence and Omniſciency.
Thirdly, Thou wrongeſt God in his way of Wiſdom, becauſe in Sin thou profeſſeſt Gods wayes are not wayes of Wiſdom, but thou knoweſt better to provide for thy ſelf, than in that way God hath ſet thee; how doeſt thou caſt folly on the waies of God, and ſetteſt thy ſhallow way and heart of thine before Gods, as if thou couldeſt provide for thy ſelf and thy own good more wiſely than God hath ſet thee in a way to do; The Word of God and that revealed in the light of Nature, is nothing elſe but ſeveral beams of the infinite Wiſdom of God for the guiding of manking unto happineſs and glory; the light of Nature helps ſomwhat, though it reach not far enough, yet I ſay, the light of Nature is made up of ſeveral beams of Gods Wiſdom, but the light of the Word is made up of beams of Wiſdom, a great deal more bright than the beams of Nature, now any Sinner that forſakes the waies of God, rejects theſe beams of Wiſdom as if they were dark, and doth as if he ſhould ſay, I know how better to provide by this way. Hence carnal men account the waies of God fooliſhneſs, and preaching of the Word fooliſhneſs, and the uſual title that they give to thoſe that walk more ſtrict than others, is this, What fools they are, nothing but a company of fools that keep ſuch a ſtir: And it is an ordinary thing in the world for carnal hearts to caſt folly upon the waies of God; and for themſelves, they can ſit at home and applaud themſelves in their Wiſdom, as if they go in a neerer way than others; and why ſhould they be ſuch fools as others? And it is uſual for Parents that be carnal, to come to their Children and caſt folly upon them when they look after the waies of God, ſome do it openly, but every ſin doth caſt folly upon God and his bleſſed way; and in every ſin thou ſetteſt thy wiſdom above Gods Wiſdom.
Fourthly, In Sin thou doeſt caſt dirt on the Holineſs of God. Holineſs is the brightneſs of of Gods glory, and in the waies of Sin thou caſteſt dirt upon the face of Holineſs it ſelf: Gods Nature is pure, thy Sin is filthy and vile, and contrary to him, and doth what it can to darken the brightneſs of the infinite Holineſs of God.
Fifthly, Thou wrongeſt God in this, That thou ſetteſt up thy Will above the Will of God; Gods Will is to be the rule of all the actions and waies of the Creature, but thou comeſt and ſetteſt up thy Will above Gods; there is this hidious wickedneſs in every ſin, at leaſt in every wilful Sin when it comes into the will, then the will of man is ſet up above the will of the infinite and glorious God: do not you account your ſelves wronged when you will have your will, and a poor boy ſaith he will have it otherwiſe? do not you account your ſelves wronged when he dares ſet his will before yours? Oh conſider this you that are wilful, you cannot bear to have your will croſt, to have an inferior, or a Child ſet their will againſt yours, you are not able to bear it: Oh conſider what you do when you ſet your will againſt the will of the infinite God: nay, above it in two regards.
1 Becauſe when Gods will is one way, and yours another, you will rather have yours, than God ſhall have his.
2 Though God doth onlie will that which is right and good, and is content to have his will ſatisfied in nothing but in things good, you will have yours right or wrong, good or bad; God will have his in onlie that which is righteous and good, if you were ſet upon your will in that which were good, it were another matter; but in that you will have your will right or wrong, good or bad, as come to men in their paſſion, and reaſon with them, why this is not wel, yet ſay they, I wil; and this carries it: what a proud Spirit is this that dares ſet up his will againſt Gods will; good or bad, right or wrong I muſt have it, and this is in ſin.
Sixthly, Sin wrongs God in the Dominion and Power, and Soveraigntie of God, which with men is a verie tender thing, where there is Sovereigntie, there cannot be endured the leaſt wrong. Men be mightie tender of Power and Sovereigntie; ſure if they be ſo, God may much more be tender of his, which is as the apple of his eye. Let me ſuggeſt one Conſideration to you, which ſhould make anie mans heart to bleed to conſider how God is wronged in the world; and that is this, You ſhall have poor men and ſervants, that dare not do anie thing to diſpleaſe thoſe that have power over them, if but a Maſter, or Landlord, or Juſtice of the Peace (eſpecially if it come higher) Oh how they ſhake and tremble if they be diſpleaſed, and if anie thing go againſt their mind they dare not do it; but there is not the baſeſt fellow, the vileſt wretch that lives, the pooreſt worm, but he dares venture to ſin againſt God, blaſpheme the Name of God, ſhakes at the word of a man of power, or a man but a little above him; but he dares fill his mouth with Oaths even in the face of God himſelf, there he hath courage and valor, and he ſcorns to be afraid, what to fear an Oath! he hath too brave a Spirit to be afraid of that: Oh horrible wrong to the infinite God! What is anie Superioritie in man ſo great that men dare not offend them, and yet the pooreſt Spirit that is, dares wrong and blaſpheme the Name of God.
Seventhly, There is a wrong to God in his Juſtice: Sin wrongs God in his infinite Juſtice.
1 In that it is not afraid of God; God expects all Creatures ſhould fear him becauſe of his Juſtice.
2 Thou doeſt wrong to his Juſtice, in that by waies of Sin, thou doeſt as much as in thee lies even accuſe the waies of God for unjuſt-waies, and not equal, but that your waies be more juſt and equal than Gods. Therefore God in Scripture reaſons the Caſe with his People, What are not my waies equal, are not your waies unequal? Ezek. 18. 29. Certainly there is this in ſin, for if you account not your waies more equal, why chuſe you them?
Eightly, You wrong God in his Truth: As if all Gods threatnings againſt the waies of Sin you walk in were nothing but a Tale and a Lie, as if all the Promiſes God hath made in his word of grace and mercy to poor Sinners that will come in and repent, they were all but a Lie: thus Sin wrongs God in his Truth, Hence it is that a Sinner is in a woful eſtate, becauſe he hath thus wronged God; he hath therefore all the Attributes of God pleading againſt him, yea, they are continuallie againſt thee. Therefore look to it, till your Sins be done away in Chriſt, and your Souls clenſed in him, both night and day all the Attributes of God are pleading againſt thee for to require that wrong you have done to them may be righted upon thee. A man is in a ſad condition if he have but divers thouſands of men come to plead againſt him, and theſe cry out for Juſtice, juſtice, upon him! but if a man have a whol Kingdom, and everie one comes and cries Juſtice! Juſtice! upon this man that hath wronged this Kingdom, this man is in a woful eſtate, but I ſpeak of everie Sinner before God, if that thy ſins be not done away in Chriſt, know it is not a whol Kingdom ſpeaks againſt thee, but all the divine Attributes, al the Attributes of God be continuallie before the Lord, crying out againſt thee, Juſtice againſt this ſin; he hath wronged me ſaith one, and me ſaith another, and me ſaith another, and thus, and thus, and thus, and therefore thou art in an evil condition, and it is much that thou ſhouldeſt ſleep quietlie when all Gods Attributes plead againſt thee, it is a hard caſe when the Devil pleads againſt a man, and but accuſe him, and plead againſt him before God, but when all the Attributes of God plead againſt him (as I might ſhew you more at large) how woful is his condition.
Object. But you will ſay, though all the other Attributes plead againſt me, yet I hope Mercy will plead for me
Anſw. But that pleads againſt thee too, for thou wrongeſt his MercieMercy alſo. Indeed there is no Attribute more wronged by Sinners ordinarily than the Mercy of God is. The MercieMercy of God, doeſt thou think that ſhall plead for thee? That is wronged eſpeciallie: Why? Becauſe there is no Attribute abuſed to be an Abettor to Sin, more than the MercieMercy of God is; and its abuſed and made to harden the hearts of men and women in Sin, no Attribute ſo much abuſed. The Juſtice of God thou thinkeſt that pleads againſt thee, but MercieMercy thou thinkeſt pleads for thee; Juſtice is not ſo much wronged by Sin as MercieMercy is: The Juſtice of God is not made an Abettor of Sin: Now that is the greateſt wrong that can be for Gods MercieMercy to be made a means to abet Sin, and to harden mens hearts in Sin. It is a great wrong to make uſe of any Creature to be ſerviceable to our Sin; if a man make Meat, or Drink, or Cloathes, or anie Creature ſerviceable to his Luſt, it is a wrong to that Creature and to God the Creator of that Creature that thou makeſt ſerviceable to thy luſt: but if it be a wrong to the Creature, what is it to make the MercieMercy of God ſerviceable to your luſts? and who is there almoſt but makes the mercy of God in ſome degree or other Serviceable to his luſts? It is a horrible thing thus to abuſe merciemercy: how doeſt thou think the merciemercy of God ſhould plead for thee when thou doeſt it ſuch infinite wrong? when thou ventureſt upon ſin becauſe God is a merciful God. Thus you wrong the Attributes of God by ſin.
CHAP. XII.
How ſin wrongs God in his perſonal Relations. 1 The Father. 2 The Son. 3 The Spirit.
SEcondly, Now for the Perſonal Relations of God; Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt; how they be wronged in way of ſin.
Firſt, God the Father. Conſider of theſe in thoſe operations moſt proper, and eſpecially attributed to them. As now, that attributed to the Father, is the work of Creation: now thou wrongeſt God the Father in this eſpecial operation, In that thou abuſeſt the gifts God hath given thee; that Body and Soul God hath made, thou abuſeſt it to Gods diſhonor; abuſeſt his Creatures; takeſt Gods own Creatures, and abuſeſt them to his diſhonor: yea, thy own Members that God made thee to honor him withal, thou takeſt them, and with his own weapons fighteſt againſt himſelf: not only fighteſt againſt him, but with his own weapons, faculties and gifts he hath given thee, thou fighteſt againſt him. Thus thou wrongeſt God the Father in his work of Creation.
Secondly, Thou wrongeſt Chriſt in the Work of Redemption.
1 Becauſe the leaſt ſin thou committeſt (if ever it be pardoned) it is that which ſtab'd Jeſus Chriſt to the very heart: I ſay, thy ſin was that which pierced Chriſt, and brought forth blood and water from him; it was that which whipt Chriſt; it was that which put Chriſt to death, that ſhed the blood of Chriſt, that crucified Chriſt. I may ſay to every ſinner that expects to be ſaved by Chriſt, as Peter in the 2. Acts ſaid to thoſe Jews, Whom you have crucified, and the text ſaith, that then they were pricked to their hearts. Certain it is, thou ſinner (man or woman, whoſoever thou art) that doſt expect to have part in the blood of Chriſt, Thy ſin crucified Chriſt, made Chriſt cry out upon the Croſs, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? What doſt thou think of thy ſins now? And if thou be ſuch an one as hath never been affected with the Blood of Chriſt that was ſhed for thy ſins, then thou wrongeſt the Blood of Chriſt more, for then thou doſt trample the Blood of the everlaſting Covenant under thy feet, and accounteſt it a common thing. Moſt men and women be ſuch that live under the light of the Goſpel, that like Swine trample the very blood of Chriſt under their feet, and make nothing of the Blood of Chriſt, go to the Sacrament hand over head unpreparedly, and ſo come to be guilty of the Body and Blood of Chriſt. Certainly theſe be not ſtrains of wit above the truth and reality of things; there is a reality in it, that thy ſoul is charged from God this day of wronging Chriſt the ſecond Perſon.
Thirdly, Thou wrongeſt the Spirit of God, in defacing of the work of Sanctification (what in thee lies) in oppoſing the work of Gods Spirit in thy ſoul, in reſiſting the motions of Gods Spirit. Who is there but is guilty of reſiſting the motions of the Holy Ghoſt? Who is there but at ſome time or other when they have been at the Word, but they have had ſome ſtirrings of the Spirit of God within them, when they have heard ſuch and ſuch truths of God? But they have gone to company, and laughed it away, drunk, and played it away talked it away. What a wrong is this to the Holy Ghoſt? thou wrongeſt the Holy Ghoſt by defiling thy Body, which ſhould be the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt.
CHAP. XIII.
Sin wrong the Counſels of God in ſetting that Order in the World that he hath ſet.
THirdly, Thou wrongeſt the Counſels of God in ſetting that order in the world which he hath ſet. To underſtand it know this, God in his Eternal Counſel hath ſet a due order in all his Creatures, they walk in an orderly way to fetch about that end that he himſelf did intend. As a Workman that makes a curious work, puts everie wheel and piece in a right frame, and due order, that ſo by that order his Art hath placed in the work, the work may attain unto that end he made it for: So God hath done, he hath made all things by weight and meaſure in due order. God made all things good, very good, and all that one Creature might be ſerviceable to another; as one wheel to a curious Watch is ſerviceable to another, and all to bring about the end of the Workman; ſo God in his eternal Will and Counſel hath ſet all things in that proportion and order that he may fetch about his own end. But ſin is the thing, and the only thing that break the order of God in the world, and ſtrikes at Gods Work to break it al to pieces what lies in the ſinner. If we ſhould ſuppoſe that all the cunning Artificers in the whol Nation, nay in all the world, ſhould joyn together to make a curious work in a curious frame, perhaps they have been ſeven years in making of it, and at length bring it to perfection, and things be made in that order and exactneſs, that it is to admiration, ſo that this work is worth more than can be imagined, becauſe of the curious art and order in this work: But ſuppoſe now, one ſhould come, and (through ignorance, much more if knowinglie) give it a blow and ſtrike it al to pieces; what a miſchievous thing were this? Certainlie there is this in ſin, for there is infinite depth of Counſel and Wiſdom of God in ſetting all things in frame, that one thing ſhould be ſerviceable to another; and at length all ſhould come to be for Gods glorie. Now there is no Creature can break the order God hath made but Men and Angels, none but thoſe Creatures that are capable of Sin. And certainlie Sin doth not onlie aim to break Gods order, but doth it actuallie; Sin brings diſorder, and doth break the order God hath ſet: Onlie God by his mightie Power knows how to bring Sin it ſelf to that, that he will have his glorie from it, to take occaſion at leaſt by it to bring things into their right order again. But were it not that God were of infinite Wiſdom and Power, Sin would break all that curious work God hath made, and bring it all to confuſion. Now we know Art and Wiſdom ads to anie thing; as ſuppoſe ſome curious Building were all beaten too pieces and Rubbiſh, there were no Material leſs in the Rubbiſh than in the Building, only the art of the workman, the art and the order that makes the Beautie of the work, and the difference in Excellencie from a heap of Rubbiſh. So it is the Order God hath ſet in the World that makes the Beautie of Gods Work, and Sin doth do all it can to make all the Work of God to be a heap of Rubbiſh, a meer Confuſion. Indeed when there is ſuch a curious piece of work of a workman broke all in pieces on a ſudden, if he had ſo much skill and power inſtantly to put it in frame again, his art would exceedingly be admired and wondered at. Thus it is with God; Certainly were it not for Gods infinite Wiſdom and Power, wherby he can bring all in Order again, ſin would bring all to Rubbiſh; and know thou haſt a hand in this that haſt a hand in Sin.