The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Treatise · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
The Third Corollarie.] That but few are humbled as they ſhould for Sin. 1 It will not be deep enough except it be for Sin as its againſt God. 2. It will not Sanctifie the Name of God. 3 It will not be laſting. 4 Elſe it will never make a divorce between Sin and the Soul.
THirdly, That which follows hence, That Sin is ſo much againſt God as hath been ſhewed, We ſee that there are but very few that are humbled for ſin aright: It will follow from hence, I ſhall make it out from the Point, That if Sin be of this nature ſo much againſt God as you have heard, certainly there are few people in the world are humbled for ſin aright. There are many people that are troubled for ſin, and will cry out of their ſin, are ſtruken with many feares and terrors for ſin, and yet never humbled for ſin aright, and it is clear from that you have heard out of this Point. Why? Becauſe that Humiliation for ſin that is aright, it muſt needs be an humiliation for it as it is the greateſt evil of all; and it is the greateſt evil as it is againſt God himſelf. Now the humiliation of moſt in the world it is not ſo much for this, becauſe ſin is ſo much againſt God, becauſe it oppoſeth God, ſtrikes at God, and wrongs God ſo much: This is not the thing that doth uſually take the hearts of men and women▪ in their trouble for ſin; but for the fear of the wrath of God, and of Hell, and an accuſing Conſcience that doth flaſh the very fire of Hell in their faces; this troubles them. And well were it for many that they were but troubled ſo far; true, this trouble is that which God doth many times bleſs, and there is great uſe of it, but this is not all; no nor the chief trouble of the Soul for ſin. Theſe fears and horrors (I ſay) are not the chief; the chief of all is the humiliation of the ſoul for ſin, as it is againſt God; then is the heart humbled aright for ſin, when it apprehends how by ſin the ſoul hath been againſt the infinite glorious firſt-Being of all things. All other humiliations in the world is not ſufficient without this. For,
1 It is not deep enough, there can be no humiliation deep enough, except the ſoul be humbled for ſin, as it hath ſinned againſt God: yea, though the heart be ſo burdened with fears and horrors as to be ſunk down into deſpair, yet I do not call that a depth of humiliation, it is not from the depth of humiliation that the ſoul deſpairs, for certainly (conſider what I ſay Brethren) there is a miſtake in this, to think that thoſe that deſpair are humbled too much: no, deſpair is for want of humiliation, for deſpair and pride may ſtand both together; for the Devil is proud; you will ſay as proud as Lucifer; The Devils deſpair, they be the moſt deſpairing Creatures in the world, and yet the moſt proud Creatures in the world; therefore deſpair doth not come from the depth of humiliation, but rather from the want of humiliation. Certainly the hearts of men and women in deſpair fly againſt God, many times flies moſt deſperately and proudly againſt God: in deſpair therefore the heart is not humbled enough when it hath only terrors and fears, except it be humbled for ſin when it ſeeth it againſt the Majeſtie of God as here hath been opened to you: nothing doth caſt down the ſoul ſo low in true humiliation as the ſight of ſin againſt God. Oh what have I done againſt God? what hath my life been againſt that infinite, glorious, eternal firſt-Being of all things? When the ſoul comes to ſee that effectually, then it falls down, and falls down low too. Certainly Brethren, the heart is never humbled throughly till it come to feel the burden of ſin to be heavieſt there where it is heavieſt; mark, I ſay, till the heart feel the burden of ſin to be heavieſt where it is heavieſt, it is not brought low enough: but the burden of ſin it is heavieſt as it is againſt God, rather than as it is againſt the good of the Creature; that though it be a wonderful burden, yea (if God put not under his hand) an intollerable burden if the Conſcience only apprehend ſin as againſt the good of the Creature; but the apprehenſion of ſin as againſt God is a great deal more, it doth ſhew the burden of ſin, and make the burden of ſin to be far more weighty than the other can poſſibly be.
2 The Apprehenſions of ſin any other way but this, it doth not ſo ſanctifie the Name of God as this doth. When the ſoul ſhall be caſt down before the Lord for ſin, as it is againſt himſelf, as it is againſt his glory, as it hath wronged him; I ſay, that this doth ſanctifie the Name of God a great deal more than any other humiliation doth: for other humiliation, other trouble for ſin (for I will rather call it trouble for ſin than humiliation) if this be not in it, there may appear in it much ſelf-love, and a forced perplexitie of ſpirit: But now the Name of God is not ſanctified ſo as when the heart ſhall fall down and be humbled becauſe that God hath been wronged, his Attributes wronged, becauſe he hath been oppoſed in his glory. Now this humiliation doth eſpecially lift up the Name of God, and ſanctifie the Name of God.
3 Take any other humiliation, and it is not ſuch an abiding humiliation as this is; this humiliation for ſin will more abide upon the Spirit than any other doth, many are troubled for ſin, have a great deal of horror and perplexity of Spirit in ſome fits, in ſome moods, at ſome times; but this their trouble is but for a flaſh, and it goes away, vaniſheth and comes to nothing: when trouble is only from the apprehenſion of danger and miſerie in it felf, I ſay it uſually vaniſheth and comes to nothing; why? Becauſe when there comes but any thing to make you to think that this danger may be in any degree over, or that things are not ſo bad as I was afraid, now the trouble preſently vaniſheth upon that. In times of ſickneſs, the ſoul apprehends it ſelf in danger of periſhing, I am now going, I ſee my ſelf at the brink of the Pit; now the ſoul is troubled for ſin, but when the danger appeareth to be a little over, the trouble for ſin ceaſeth. But when the ſoul is troubled for ſin as againſt God, this trouble cannot but abide, though afflictions be gone, yet my trouble abide. What's the reaſon many people upon their ſick beds be ſo troubled for ſin (as they think) and cry out, Oh! if God ever reſtore them, they will never do as they have done, and yet as ſoon as they are well they fall to their ſin again: here is the reaſon, Becauſe only their danger troubled them. But now let the ſoul be kindly humbled for ſin as againſt God, Oh I have wronged God that infinite Deitie, that infinite glorious Firſt Being of all things; let ſuch an one be in ſickneſs or in health, whatſoever condition ſuch an one is in, the trouble abides upon the ſpirit, yea Brethren it abides upon the ſpirit even then when the ſoul hath hope ſin ſhal be pardoned, yea when the ſoul knows certainly ſin ſhal be pardoned, yet will the humiliation abide upon the heart of ſuch a man or woman There's a great miſtake in the world in the matter of trouble for ſin; they think Repentance or mourning for ſin, is but one act, that if once they have been troubled for ſin, they need never be troubled any more It is a dangerous miſtake, for we are to know, true ſorrow for ſin, true repentance, is a continual act that muſt abide all our lives: and it is not only at that time when we are afraid that God will not pardon our ſins, when we be afraid we ſhall be damned for our ſins, but when we come to hope that God will, yea when we come to know that God hath pardoned our ſins, yet then it will abide, only working in another manner, and it muſt needs be ſo if the heart be humbled for ſin thus againſt God, for ſuppoſe God come in and graciouſly tell the ſoul, though thou haſt wronged me, yet through the Mediation of my Son, I will forgive thee; will this quiet the ſoul ſo as it will be no more troubled and ſorrie for ſin? No. Now the ſorrow comes in another way: And is this the God I have wronged, the gracious merciful God I have wronged, that notwithſtanding all the wrong I have done him, that when he had my ſoul at an advantage, and might juſtly have ſent me down to the nethermoſt Hell, and will he yet pardon though no goodneſs in me? and yet will he have ſuch thoughts of mercy, as to ſend his own Son to make up that wrong, and ſatisfie for the evil I have done? Oh now the heart bleed afreſh upon this, and mourns more than ever it did before. Many can ſay of this, that after they have apprehended their ſin to be pardoned, then their ſouls have mourned and melted more than ever they did before in the apprehenſion of horror and fear of Gods wrath; and all upon this, becauſe they did not ſee ſin to be an evil only as it brings danger of puniſhment, but they did ſee the evil of ſin as againſt a God, as I have wronged God, ſtroke at the infinite glorious firſt-Being of all things; and this will abide upon the heart: therefore this is another manner of trouble for ſin than the other; and becauſe this trouble for ſin is ſo effectual, and ſo good, therefore it is that I have endeavored the more to open unto you how ſin is againſt God: Therefore when I come to the other to ſhew how it is againſt our ſelves, I ſhal be but brief in that becauſe I know that this is the Principal.
4 The trouble for ſin if it be apprehended evil any other way but this (or if this be not chief) cannot be ſo good, becauſe there is no trouble for ſin but this that ever will make a devorce between ſin and the ſoul; all other trouble will not do it unleſs this come in. And indeed it is to admiration to conſider how ſtrong the union between ſin and the ſoul is, and how hard to make the devorce; that take a man or a woman that apprehends never ſo much the wrath of God againſt ſin; take a man that lies as it were ſcalding in Gods wrath, his conſcience burning and bringing even Hell to him, that he cries, and roars, in the anguiſh of his ſoul for ſin; one would think certainly this man will never have to do more with ſin, that is in this horror and anguiſh, and trouble for ſin, certainly he will never keep company, be drunk, be unclean, or cozen any more: But this may be to the admiration of Men and Angels, to ſee how men and womens hearts are ſet upon ſin, that notwithſtanding al that anguiſh and horror, that they have many times for it, yet they will to it again, and that as greedily as ever; yea, and ſomtimes more greedily: for if once a man (conſider I beſeech you what I ſay) hath overcome the trouble of conſcience for Sin, and fallen to it again, he will then be more greedy; he will ſlight conſcience then, and ſcorn at conſcience then, and make nothing of it if once he have out ſtood conſcience. As an unruly horſe, if he have but once caſt his Rider, then let him come on his back he cares not for him, he contemns him, he will quickly throw him off again: So when the ſtubborn unruly luſts of a mans heart have once caſt off conſcience, that a man or woman have been once under terrors of conſcience for ſin, and yet fall to it again, ſuch a mans condition is very lamentable; I… ſay not wholly deſperate, I dare not ſay ſo, for Gods thoughts are higher than ours as high as the Heaven is above the Earth: but this mans condition is very lamentable: there is this ſtrength in ſin in the ſoul, that all the terrors in the world will not breed a devorce between ſin and the ſoul. But when once the ſoul can come to ſay with David, Againſt thee, againſt thee only have I ſinned; in my Sins I have gone againſt that God who is ſo infinitely above all praiſe and glorie: This is the humiliation; if any thing make a devorce between Sin and the Soul this will do it. This is the third Corollarie, That therefore there be verie few humbled for Sin aright, becauſe not thus humbled.