The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Treatise · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
That it's a very evil Choice, to chooſe Sin rather than Affliction.
IN theſe words is drawn up Elihues falſe Charge againſt holy Job wherin he did ſhamefully ſcan dalize this man of God, concerning whom the Lord himſel gives in this Letter teſtimonial That he was perfect and upright, one that ſe…e… God a… ſchewed Evil, Job 1. 1. And yet Elihue ſpeaks here to this effect againſt him, That he choſe Iniquity rather than Affliction; that he ſhould ſee leſs Evil in Sin, then he did in Affliction: that for his Affliction he was troubled but for his Sin he was not Afflicted; that the burthen of his Affliction lay heavy as a talent of …ead upon him, but his Sin was lighter than a Feather. Or thus, Thou haſt Choſen Iniquity, rather than Affliction; whereas God requires of thee to give him glory in thy humble ſubmiſſion unto him in thy Patience, under his mighty hand, thou haſt behaved thy ſelf ſtubbornly and ſtoutly, and haſt denyed to give God the glory of his Soveraignty, Majeſty, Holineſs, Juſtice, and Purity; and this thou haſt Choſen rather than to be content to lie under the Afflicting hand of God: which way ſo ever it be taken, it was a heavie Charge had it been true; So for it to be alleadged againſt any Souls, That they Chuſe Iniquity rather than Affliction, is a great and heavy Charge.
The Doctrinal truth which ariſeth from the Doct.words thus opened, is this, That it is a very …v… Choice for any ſoul under heaven, to chooſe the leaſt Sin, rather then the greateſt Affliction. Better be under the greateſt Affliction then be under the guilt or power of any Sin: it is true, that neither Sin, nor Affliction is to be Choſen: Affliction in it ſelf is an Evil, and Sin is an Evil, but the object of the Will is good, and choice is of the Will, therfore neither (barely conſidered as in themſelves) can be choſen; but becauſe of ſome Evils, the leſs in compariſon of the greater, may come under a notion of good, and ſo may be ſomtimes choſen the Will cannot chuſe any thing but under the notion of good, either real, or in appearance: and though Affliction be in it ſelf an evil, yet in regard of Sin, it may come under the notion of good, and that's to be choſen rather than Sin: Now this is the work I have to do, to make out this Concluſion to you, That any Affliction is to be choſen rather than any Sin; that there is more evil in any Sin, the leaſt ſin, than in the greateſt Affliction.
My principal buſineſs is, To charge mens Conſciences with the evil of their ſin, and ſhew to them how much evil there is in ſin: all men are a raid of afflictions, and troubled at affliction, but wher's the man or woman that fears ſin, and …yes from it as from a Ser…ent, and is troubled at ſin more then any affliction? That there is more vil in ſin than in affliction, in the General (I ſuppoſe is granted of all, none dare deny it; but becauſe they do not ſee how this is, they have not convincing Arguments to bring this truth with power unto their Souls: but I hope before I have done with this Point, that I ſhal make it clear to every ones Conſcience, That there is more evil in ſin, than in affliction; not only more evil in ſin, than in outward trouble in the world but more evil in ſin, than in al the miſeries and torments of Hel it ſelf: Suppoſe that God ſhould bring any of you to the very brink of that bottomleſs Gulf and open it to you, and there you ſhould ſee thoſe damned Creatures lie ſweltring under the wrath of the infinite God, and there you ſhould hear the dreadful and hideous cryes and ſhreeks of thoſe that are under ſuch ſoul amazing, and ſoul-ſinking torments through the wrath of the Almighty; yet I ſay there is more evil in one ſinful thought, than there is in all theſe everlaſting burnings: and that is that which I ſhal endeavor to clear and prove to every mans Conſcience, that we ſhal not only ſee it an ill Choice that we chuſe ſin rather than affliction, but (if it come in competition) to chuſe ſin rather than al the tortures and torments of Hell, howſoever many of you admit of ſin upon very eaſie terms; yet the truth is, That if it ſhould come into competition whether we would endure al the torments that there are in Hell to all eternity rather than to commit one ſin, I ſay, if our Spirits were as they ſhould be, we would rather be willing to endure al theſe torments, than commit the leaſt ſin. And Brethren do not think this is a high ſtrain, for that com to ſpeak in the Name of God come not to ſpeak Hyperbollically, to raiſe Expreſſions higher than the things are in their reality; no, I come not for that end, and I ſhould take the Name of God in vain if I ſhould do ſo, therfore I dare not raiſe things beyond that which they are in reality in themſelves: Therfore know, Whatſoever I ſhal ſay unto you in this thing, that they are not Words or Expreſſions, but I ſpeak as in the name of God as I would take it upon mine own Conſcience, having to deal between God and you in this great work, and in this place to deliver this truth, That there is more evil in the leaſt Sin, than in al the miſeries that poſſible a Creature is capable of, either here or in Hel beſides: I hope if I ſhal make out this to you, you wil then beleeve that ſure you have not yet underſtood the ſinfulneſs of Sin, that yet the burthen of Sin hath not lain upon you to be felt as the burthen of ſin▪ Now then that I may fully convince you, That there is more Evil in the leaſt Sin, than in any Affliction.