The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Sin is a ſtriking againſt God. 1 The ſinner wiſheth God were not ſo Holy, &c. 2 It ſeek the deſtruction of God. Alſo ſin is a wronging of God.
THirdly, Sin is a ſtriking againſt God. I told you ſin was an oppoſing of God, and all his waies: but now I ſay, Sin is a ſtriking at God; at the very life of God. A man may fight with another, and yet not ſeek to take away his life, to deſtroy him; but ſin ſtrikes at the very Being of God. I remember an expreſſion in the 24 of Levit. 16. ſpeaking of the Blaſphemer that blaſphemed the Name of God; the words are tranſlated in the Latine, He did ſtrike through the Name of God: Certainly Sin is a ſtriking of God. Indeed God is not a Body that we can ſtrike through him with our hands; but God is a Spirit, and ſo the Spirits of men may by their ſins ſtrike through God Himſelf: ſo ſtrike at God (obſerve it) as for the maintenance of thy ſin, thou doſt wiſh God might ceaſe to be God; this is horrible wickedneſs you wil ſay indeed What will you ſay to ſuch a wickedneſs as this, that it ſhould enter into the heart of any Creature, Oh that I might have my luſt, and rather than I will part with my luſt, I had rather God ſhould ceaſe to be God; rather than I would leave my luſt, I had rather God ſhould be no more; this is horrible wickedneſs. But what wil you ſay if I convince your conſciences that this is in your boſoms, that you have been guilty of this ſin? yea in ſome meaſure, every ſin may juſtly be charged with this, that rather than the ſin ſhould not be committed, thou wouldſt rather have God to ceaſe to be. You will ſay, Lord, have mercy upon us, though you have told us ſome other things hard, and ſtrict, and yet they ſeem to be true; but you ſhal never make me beleeve this, all the men in the world ſhal never make me to beleeve this; that I ſhould be guilty of ſo much wickedneſs, as to be ſet upon my luſts ſo, as to deſire rather God not to be God at all, rather than I loſe my luſt; I hope there is not ſuch wickedneſs in me. I beſeech you hearken, and I hope to convince you that there is ſo much wickedneſs in the heart of man; that they be ſet upon their ſins ſo, that they had rather God were not God at all, than they loſe their luſts; and to this end, obſerve theſe two things.
1. Firſt, Do you not think it in the nature of a ſinner, ſo far as ſin prevails in his heart, to come to this (ſo far as ſin prevails I ſay) that he could wiſh God were not ſo holy as he is: hated not ſin ſo much as he doth; that he were not ſo juſt, and ſo ſtrict, and ſevere againſt ſin as he is: Is not this in every ſinners heart in the world' Certainly you deceive your ſelvs if you do not own this; I ſay ſo far as ſin prevails in your hearts, could not you wiſh that God were not ſo holy, to hate thoſe ſins you love, and not ſo juſt, to be ſo ſevere againſt ſin as he is, is not this in your hearts? It is impoſſible for any Creature to love any thing, and yet not wiſh that another did not hate it ſo much as he doth. Well, if there be this in thee, that thou loveſt ſuch a ſin, that thou couldeſt wiſh God did not hate it ſo much as he doth, that he were not ſo juſt, holy, and ſevere againſt ſin as he is; this is to wiſh in thy heart that God were no God at al, that the Life of God, and Being of God were gone: ſo that thy heart in this ſinful frame and diſpoſition of it, it is no other but to ſtrike at the very Being of God: For it is the work of the heart wiſhing that God were not God, for if he did not (as I told you) hate ſin as much as he doth, he could not be a God at al. Now this is plain, and there is ſcarce any one boſom, but is guilty of this, ſcarce any of you, but may lay your hand upon your hearts and ſay, This Breaſt of mine is guilty of this, that when my heart is ſet upon any evil way, I could wiſh that God were not ſo holy to hate this; I had rather God ſhould like of this: I hear of Gods Juſtice, but doth not my heart riſe againſt Gods Juſtice? and I could wiſh that God were not ſo juſt as he is: Certainly there is this in ſome degree or other; therfore charge your hearts with this; and know, That ſo far as you have been guilty of this, you have ſtruck at the Being of God; and this horrible wickedneſs is charged upon you, That your hearts have been ſet ſo far upon ſin, that you could wiſh God had not been God rather than you loſe your ſin. You would think it a horrible wickedneſs for any man to be ſo far in luſt with another woman, as to wiſh his Wife dead, that he might have his fill of luſt with that woman; this were a horrible wickedneſs; and yet this is in your hearts, to wiſh God had no Being, ſo that you might have your ſin: eſpecially thoſe that be prophane ones, they, if they could have their wiſh, would deſire there were no God at al. The Scripture ſaith, That the fool ſaith in his heart, that there is no God at all. That man or woman that could wiſh that there were no God at all, ſo he might have his luſt; and to wiſh God were not ſo holy, and did not hate ſin ſo much as he doth, ſo he might have his luſt; this is a horrible wickedneſs. Oh that God would make thee fall down and think, Oh the horrible wickedneſs and abomination of my heart, that I ſhould be ſet ſo far upon any baſe luſt, as to wiſh that God were not God rather than I not be ſatisfied with my luſt; and yet this is in ſin, I and in every ſin, ſo far as it prevails in thy heart.
Secondly, It muſt needs be thus, becauſe it it is the nature of Contraries, to ſeek the deſtruction of one another, as it is the nature of fire to ſeek the deſtruction of water; ſo of any thing contrary to another it is the Nature of it to ſeek the deſtruction of the contrary. But now you have heard there is nothing contrary to God (to ſpeak properly) but only ſin; and if ſin be the only contrary that God hath, then certainly ſin doth ſeek the deſtruction of God, ſo much as it can: though it be true, a ſinner can never do God hurt, nor cannot hinder Gods working, or Being at al: whatſoever become of this wretch, though he be deſtroyed, and periſh to al Eternity, God will remain bleſſed for ever. But this is the Nature of ſin, to ſeek the deſtruction of the Eternal God of glory. Oh charge your hearts with this; do not ſtay till God come at the day of Judgment to charge you with this; for many poor ſinners that went on blind-fold all their daies, and never ſaw ſin what it was, then comes God upon their death bed, and chargeth them with this, and then their hearts are full of horror. And ſo at the day of Judgment, when God comes to charge them with this, then they will be amazed, and will ſee the truth of this. Therfore, ſeeing God doth it now before the day of Judgment, do you now charge it upon your own hearts, that ſo you may be humbled. This is the Third Particular, It ſtrikes at God.
Fourthly, Sin wrongs God exceedingly. It doth that wrong unto God, that all the Angels in Heaven, and men in the world cannot make up again. Any one ſin, take but the leaſt ſin that thou doſt commit, I ſay it doth that wrong unto God, that all the Angels in Heaven, and Men in the World can never make up again: if all the Angels in Heaven, and Men in the world, ſhould come and ſay, Lord God, this poor wretched Creature hath committed this ſin this day, O Lord we are content to ſuffer ten thouſand yeers torment in Hell, to ſatisfie for that wrong that is done to thee by this man or womans ſin; God would ſay, it cannot be done by all Men and Angels, they can never make up this wrong: and yet (as I ſhall ſhew hereafter) God wil have this wrong made up, or thou muſt periſh Eternally. Many men plead thus, Who can challenge me and ſay, I have wronged them in al my life; they think this enough: well, ſuppoſe thou haſt lived ſo, that thou haſt not wronged man, either in word or deed; Oh but thou haſt wronged God, the Living Eternal God can charge thee (though man cannot) that thou haſt done him that wrong that all the Creatures in the world cannot make it good. It were a ſad thing if a man had done that wrong to a Kingdom, that all the Blood in his Veins, and in ten thouſand generations more could not make up again, he would be weary of his life. You have done that wrong to the God of Heaven, that all the Angels in Heaven, and Men in the World can never make up again. Well, to conclude, Though the things be hard, and ſad to think on, God knows I treat in tender bowels and compaſſion to you: and I do not know that ever I ſpake to any people in the world with more compaſſion, and that in this particular: And know, though I ſpeak of theſe things now, yet if God give liberty, I ſhall be as glad and willing to be large in ſhewing you the riches of the grace of the Goſpel in Chriſt: and Gods mercy in Chriſt. And I hope your hearts will be as free and large in this, as I am in ſpeaking of this. And if I were now treating never ſo much of the riches of Gods mercy in Chriſt, I could not do it with more Bowels of Compaſſion than I do this: but I do this that you may come to know your ſelves; that you may come to know Chriſt; that Chriſt may be precious in your thoughts: For the ſpecial end of Chriſts coming was, To take away ſin, to deliver from ſin; therfore we muſt know ſin, and charge our ſouls with ſin, that Chriſt may be precious. Therefore if any ſoul ſhal go away and ſay, Wo to me what have I done? yea then, ſuch a ſoul is fit to hear of the Doctrine of grace and mercy in Chriſt, and that in due time (if God give liberty) may be declared to ſuch a ſoul. But now for the preſent I beleeve this is a neceſſary point for you to know; and this is that (though ſome may perhaps riſe againſt it) that thouſand thouſands wil have cauſe to bleſs God for to all eternity when it is preached home upon their Conſciences by the Spirit of the Lord which convinceth of the ſinfulneſs of ſin.