The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
The Servants of God, have Choſe the moſt dreadful Afflictions rather than the leaſt Sin.
FIrſt, Thoſe Servants of God that have been guided by the Wiſdom of God, to make their Choice, they have rather choſe the ſoreſt and moſt dreadful Afflictions in this world than willingly to commit the leaſt ſin: as now, if you would but turn your thoughts to what you have read or heard of the Martyrs, what hideous, and grievous torments did they ſuffer; the boyling of their bodies in ſcalding Lead, laying of their naked backs upon hot Gridirons, and …ending and tearing their Members a pieces with Horſes, the pulling of their fleſh off from their Bodies with Pinchers, and others by red hot burning Tongs, their enduring their fleſh to be ſcorched with broyling of it, firſt on the one ſide, and afterward on the other ſide; Yea, weak Women have endured this, To have their fleſh harrowed with ſtones and ſharp irons, to have their bodies flayed, and then thrown into rivers of cold ice; and a thouſand more whatſoever Hel and wicked men could deviſe: they were content to endure al this, and certainly could they have deviſed ten thouſand times more exquiſite torments then they did, they would have been content to have endured that, and whatſoever elſe, rather than to act againſt their Conſciences the leaſt ſin, and they accounted this to be a good Choice, when as they ſaw Sin againſt their Conſciences on the one hand, and al their torments on the other, they did rather embrace theſe tortures, then embrace that ſin; and for this their Choice they are renowned in the hearts of the Saints to al generations: yea, the holy Ghoſt doth witneſs, That they have a good Report, Heb. 11. Thoſe that ſuffered ſawing aſunder, and ſcourging, and went up and down in Sheeps-ſkins and Goats ſkins, in leather Breeches and Doublets, and ſuffered the ſpoyling of their goods and of al that they had, theſe had a good Report, and the Holy Ghoſt commends them for their Choice. Many of you when it comes to it wil be loather to looſe a groat than commit a ſin, loather to endure the leaſt ſhame or a nick-name, than to commit a ſin: Are there not many Servants here, or Children, wil tel a Lye (when they have done an evil) rather than ſuffer a little ſhame in the Family from their Parents, or Maſters, or fellow Servants, and Children. What a difference is there between thy heart, and the heart of the Martyrs? they could endure al tortures on their Bodys that could be deviſed, rather than to commit any known ſin againſt their Conſciences; and thou wilt venture to commit a known ſin againſt thy Conſcience, rather than to be found out in ſome fault, and have an angry word, or a little ſhame: If it be but to gain two pence they wil tel a Lye, and are willing to chuſe ſin rather than endure the leaſt trouble; a mighty difference between thee and them. You know how it was with Paul, when he ſpeaks of Afflictions theſe be his Expreſſions, but light and momentary, but for a moment, but they work an exceeding weight of Glory: (mark) light Afflictions, what were they? you would account them heavie if they were upon you. Bleſſed Paul (that great veſſel to bear the name of God as great an inſtrument of Gods glory as any in the world except Chriſt himſelf, and yet this Paul) was whipt up & down as if he had been a Rogue, put into the Stocks, had not Cloaths to cover his nakedneſs, had not Bread to eat, and was accounted the off ſcouring of the world; and yet he accounts all this but Light: But when he comes to Sin, that is heavie, Oh wretched man that I am! Thus he gives a dreadful ſhreek at ſin; ſee what a difference he makes between Affliction and Sin, and accounts it abundantly more evil to be in ſin, than in affliction. And ſo Chriſt himſelf▪ that is the Wiſdom of the Father, and therfore could not chuſe but judge right, and yet he was content for the ſake of poor Souls, to come and under go al kind of Affliction, and Pain, and Sorrow, ſo as to be made a man of Sorrows, according as the Scripture ſpeaks; How was he content to have his Body whipt and ſcourged, was laughed at and ſcorned, and though he was poſſeſſor of Heaven and Earth, yet had not a houſe to put his head in; yea, to bear the wrath of God for the Sin of man, to be made a Curſe for man, under the Curſe of …he Law, and to be under that pain & extremity through the wrath of his Father, when he ſweat great drops of Bloud? all this Chriſt would endure: But now if it had been to have committed the leaſt ſin to have ſaved al the World, Chriſt would never have done it: though Chriſt could be content to ſuffer all kind of Miſeries, yea, the wrath of his Father; yet had it been to have committed the leaſt ſin, Chriſt would have let al the World be Damned eternally rather than he would have done that, there is ſo much evil in it. Afflictions taken in the ſtrength and latitude of them, yet they have no greater evil in them then Chriſt is capable of. I ſay, take them in the ſtrength and latitude of them, certainly there was never any Affliction ſince the world began endured like Chriſts, and yet theſe be no other than Chriſt, God and Man, is capable of; and it may ſtand with the bleſſedneſs of his Divinity, That that perſon, both God and Man, could be under ſuch Afflictions: Chriſt was content with theſe, He made his Soul an offering for Sin: But ſin is ſo great an evil, that Chriſt is not capable of it; Chriſt never entertained the leaſt thought of it, but caſt it off if it came to him: therfore certainly there is more evil in the leaſt Sin, than there is in the greateſt Affliction: The Afflictions that Chriſt indured, though they were not every way the ſame with the damned in hell, yet certainly there was the wrath of God as really and truly upon Chriſt, as truly as upon the damned in hell, as really though I ſay not in every kind in the ſame way and manner; and therefore ſee, Chriſt was Capable of that evil, of the wrath of the Almighty upon his Soul, and yet not capable of Sin, he was willing to undergo that, and yet not to have the leaſt guilt of Sin applied to him; and therefore certainly there is more evil in the leaſt Sin, than in the greateſt Affliction.