The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Part · Chapter 63 – Chapter 65
CHAP. LXIII.
Uſe 13. If there be ſo much evil in ſin, Then its 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.
Ʋſe 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 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 merciemercy 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 merciemercy, 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 do good to the ſouls of their Children: for know, according to the nature of the wrong, muſt the Reſtitution be; One text is obſervable for this, to ſhew that according to the nature of the wrong muſt the reſtitution be to the utmoſt that can be, Exod. 22. 5. If a man ſhall cauſe a Field, or Vinyard to be eaten, and ſhall put in his Beaſt, and ſhall feed in another mans field: of the beſt of his own field, and of the beſt of his own vinyard ſhall he make reſtitution. This is the ſcope of the holy Ghoſt in this text of Scripture, That if anie one ſhall wrong another in his vinyard, or his field, he ſhall make reſtitution: (and mark what the text ſaith) not in anie ſlight manner, but of the beſt of his field, and vinyard: he muſt not ſay, I warrant my Cattel did not do any hurt, but eat a little of the worſt, and I will make reſtitution of the worſt; no, but muſt make reſtitution of the beſt of his field and vinyard: he muſt not think to get off with a barren peice of ground, but with the beſt muſt he make reſtitution. This ſhews what a full reſtitution God will have. So then if a man hath wronged his neighbor in his vineyard, tis not enough for him to ſay, I will make reſtitution in my barren ground; no, but out of his vinyard muſt he make reſtitution; ſo if he have wronged his neighbor in his field, he muſt not go and ſay, I will give a part of the Common, but of the beſt of his field muſt he make reſtitution; ſo if he have wronged another in his eſtate; he muſt give of his eſtate: and if the wrong be to the ſoul, the reſtitution muſt be to the ſoul; according to the wrong muſt be the reſtitution: And I beſeech you be convinced of this, All the ſorrow in the world is not ſufficient, without you make reſtitution; this is ſo cleer out of the word, and even by the light of nature and of Conſcience, that they may eaſilie convince themſelves, whoſoever doubts of the thing; nothing in Religion more cleer than this is, therefore reſtitution is required by God of thee, as ever thou wilt expect to find merciemercy.
This Argument (if God be pleaſed to ſet it home) will make many men and women, who when they were yong, were ring leaders to wickedneſs to others, Oh how forward would they be to good now, they would be ring-leaders to good to others now. I pronounce it as in the name of God, you can have no aſſurance of the truth of Repentance, except there be ſome indeavor in ſome degree to be as forward for God, now as thou haſt been in the waies of ſin before, if you have been Ring-leaders to the ſin of Sabbath breaking, you muſt be Ring-leaders to draw others to keep the Sabbath; and if you have been Ring-leaders to ungodlineſſe, you muſt be forward to draw others to godlineſſe. Oh take heed of this, it is a woful thing to draw others to ſin, ſeeing there is ſo much evil in ſin as there is.
CHAP. LXIV.
Uſe 14. If there be ſo much Evil in Sin, than there ought to be no pleading for ſin.
Uſe XIV. IF there be ſo much Evil in Sin as you have heard, hence then ſurely there ought to be no pleading for ſin; there is too much evil in it for any one in the world to plead for it; to make any excuſe, or any Plea for it: As if there be a notorious wicked houſe where there is much evil done in it, we account it a great diſgrace for any to Plead for it: If it be in Queſtion, and any Juſtice of Peace plead for wicked Ale-houſes it is a blot to him. If there were no ſin committed in it, it were not much; but if it be a notorious houſe for ſin, to Plead for it, is accounted a great blot. And now you that have heard of the great evil of ſin, will you ever open your mouths to deminiſh and excuſe ſin? and yet how ordinarie is this in the world? Some go to evil wicked company, and when they ſpend their times in drinking; Plead, Why? they muſt have recreation? I pray, what work do they tire themſelves withal that needs ſo much recreation? what ſervice do they do for God wherein they ſpend their Spirits? and the ſtrength of their Souls in ſerving God, that they need ſo much refreſhing? And ſo when they ſpend whole daies in drinking and eating, why? they do but rejoice in the uſe of the Creature; and may they not keep Companie with ſuch men that be honeſt men? and ſo anie kind of ſin, wicked ribaldry talking, is but mirth; and notorious covetouſneſſe, but providing for their Familie; and horrible pride, but handſomneſſe; ſomwhat they will have to ſay, Pleas and Excuſes for almoſt anie ſin. Certainlie brethren, if we underſtood the nature of ſin, we would ſay as Jerubael, Let Baal plead for himſelf: So let ſin plead for it ſelf; never be heard to open thy mouth to plead for ſin in others, excuſe it in others; much leſſe in thy ſelf. Thoſe that be ſo full of excuſes and pleas for ſin, it is an evident argument God never diſcovered the evil of ſin yet to them; never cauſed the weight and burthen of ſin to lie upon their Conſcience, nor what we have mentioned of the evil of it. Oh! know thou haſt to deal with the infinite God, it is a matter of thy ſoul and eternal eſtate; and think not to put it off with vain pleas and excuſes; but ſet thy ſelf in the preſence of the eternal infinite God. Indeed if you have to deal with your Mothers, or Friends, you may put them off with excuſes for ſin; but if you would ſet your ſelves as in the preſence of God, and there ſet ſin before your eyes, you would not ſo eaſilie put it off with excuſes, as you do.
CHAP. LXV.
Uſe 15. If there be ſo much Evil in Sin, Then of all JƲDGEMENTS, ſpiritual Judgements are the greateſt.
Uſe XV. IF there be ſo much Evil in Sin as hath been delivered, then above all Judgements ſpiritual Judgements are the greateſt. Oh! what a dreadful thing then is it for God to give men or women up to ſin, this is the moſt fearful Judgement that can befal anie man or woman in the world, except God ſhould ſend them quick down to hell. Yea, it may be, if God ſhould ſend them quick down to Hell, and cauſe Hells mouth to open preſentlie, it would not be ſo great a Judgement as to give them up to ſin. And yet this the Scripture ſpeaks of; much of Gods wrath burning this way; God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, God gives up to a Reprobate ſence; he that wil be filthie, let him be filthie ſtill; he gives men up to their own Counſels: I might ſhew you divers texts of Scripture for this, but there are Two Things in this POINT, that requires large diſcuſion.
1 How can God that is ſo infinitly good, have a hand in ſin, that have ſo much evil in it? we muſt clear God, that he is not the Cauſe of ſin in anie, but to ſhew how far God hath a hand in ſin, this would require a long time to open, which I cannot now do.
2 To ſhew how much dreadfulneſſe there is in this miſerie to be given up to Sin; to open to you the dreadfulneſſe of ſpiritual Judgements will require a long time alſo: Therefore becauſe I have reſolved to make an end of this at this time, therefore I muſt reſerve theſe Two things to larger diſcuſion. Only thus for the preſent upon what hath been ſaid, let this be the Prayer of everie one of you; Oh Lord, whatſoever Judgement thou ſendeſt upon us, deliver us not up to ſpiritual Judgments; Lord, give us not up to ſin; do not puniſh ſin with ſin; rather puniſh ſin with anie Affliction than with Sin: when God doth come to puniſh Sin with Sin, the condition of that man or woman is a very dreadful Condition, becauſe there is ſo much Evil in Sin.