The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Treatise · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
The Eight Corollarie.] If Sin doth ſo much againſt God, hence ſee why God manifeſt ſuch ſore diſpleaſure againſt ſin as he doth: 1 Againſt the Angels that ſinned. 2 Againſt all Adams Poſterity. 3 See it in Gods giving the Law againſt ſin. 4 See it in Gods puniſhing ſins that are accounted ſmal. 5 See it in Gods deſtroying all the world for ſin. 6 See his diſpleaſure in puniſhing ſin eternally.
EIghtly, This is one Conſequence follows, If ſin be ſo great an evil as you have heard, ſo much againſt God, wrongs God ſo much as it doth, and ſtrikes at God; Hence then we ſee the reaſon why God manifeſts ſuch ſore diſpleaſure againſt ſin. We find (Brethren) moſt dreadful manifeſtations of Gods diſpleaſure againſt ſin, and the ground and bottom of them is in theſe things which you have heard opened unto you. And indeed did you underſtand and beleeve what hath been opened unto you concerning ſins oppoſition of God, you could not then wonder at Gods manifeſtation of his diſpleaſure againſt ſin. There are manifold Manifeſtations of Gods diſpleaſure againſt ſin, which when they be ſpoken of, and opened unto people that do not underſtand the dreadful evil that is in ſin, they ſtand and wonder at it, and think, Oh they be hard and ſevere things. When Miniſters reveal the threatnings of God againſt ſin, Oh ſay they, God forbid, we hope God is more merciful than ſo; and all becauſe they apprehend not what dreadful evil there is in ſin. That ſoul that apprehends and beleeves theſe particulars that have been opened unto you, cannot but juſtifie God when they hear the revelation, and the manifeſtation of the diſpleaſure of God againſt ſin. As now in theſe Particulars: That which hath been delivered is the bottom and ground of theſe that we ſhall mention, and we ſee the reaſon of all theſe. As
Firſt, That dreadful manifeſtation of the diſpleaſure of God againſt the Angels that ſinned againſt him: there is that revelation of the diſpleaſure of God againſt the Angels, that might cauſe all our hearts to tremble before the Lord at the very thought and hearing of it. I beſeech you conſider, you who think that God is only a God of MercieMercy, and God is not ſo ſevere againſt ſin as many Miniſters would make him; do but attend to what I ſhall ſay unto you, how God hath manifeſted his diſpleaſure againſt ſin in the Angels: Conſider of theſe five or ſix Particulars, I will but onlie mention them.
1 That God ſhould caſt ſo manie glorious Creatures as the Angels are, for ever from himſelf, conſidering the Excellencie of their Nature.
2 Conſider their Multitude.
3 Conſider, That the Chains of darkneſs that they be caſt into, are eternal Miſeries.
4 Conſider, That this was but for one ſin.
5 And conſider, That this was but the firſt ſin that ever they committed.
6 Laſtly, conſider, That God ſhould not now enter ſo much as into any parley with them about anie terms of peace; nor never would, nor never will: This is the ſore diſpleaſure of God againſt them, that God (I ſay) ſhould not look upon the Angels that he hath made glorious Creatures, the moſt excellent of all the work of his hands: And when there were manie thouſand millions of them, for ſo the Scripture ſpeaks of Legions, even in one man Legions of Devils: though there were thouſands and millions of ſuch glorious Creatures that God made; and theſe were in Heaven about his Throne, beholding his glorie, and when theſe committed but one ſin againſt him, never but one before their Fall, and the firſt that ever was committed; they had no example before them of Gods wrath, but upon the verie firſt ſin, though it were but one that all theſe glorious Creatures committed, they were preſentlie caſt down from Heaven, and of Angels made Devils, and reſerved in Chains of eternal darkneſs: And ſo is God ſet againſt them all for that one firſt ſin, that he would never enter into any parley with them, to be reconciled upon any terms; never to conſider of any terms of peace, but caſt them away from him unto eternal torments without anie recoverie; this is the dreaſul diſpleaſure of God againſt ſin. Now Brethren, this I ſpeak of, is that which there is no doubting or controverſie about; anie one that knows the Scripture knows this. In ſome things there may be controverſies about them; but no Divine that hath knowledg of anie thing of Scripture, but will confeſs this that I ſpeak of; and if you know not this, certainlie you were never acquainted with the Scripture: Though other Points be controverted, yet none that know Gods Word make queſtion of this, this is cleerlie granted of all. And the conſideration of this might ſtrike abundance of fear & terror into the hearts of wicked and ungodlie men and women, to think, Lord, how have I thought of thee al this while, and have looked upon God as a merciful God, that though I have ſinned, I have thought things would not be with me as I have heard by ſuch and ſuch Miniſters; but this day I have heard, ſuch was the ſore diſpleaſure of the infinite God againſt Sin, that when he had to deal with thoſe glorious Angels for one ſin, he caſt thouſands of them into eternal Miſerie, and upon no terms will be reconciled, nor never will. You think if you ſin againſt God, you will crie God merciemercy, and ſo hope God wil pardon: true, there is a difference between Man-kind and the Angels, becauſe we have a Mediator, and they have not; but moſt people that ſpeak of crying to God for merciemercy, they look upon God, as Gods Nature meerlie being merciful, and not through a Mediator; they do not underſtand the neceſſitie duplicate page duplicate page of a Mediator between God and them, but they apprehend that that God that made them wil hear their crie: Now God made the Angels and they were more noble Creatures than you abundantlie; now the Angels that ſinned but once, for that one ſin are caſt for ever, and God reſolves, though they ſhould crie and ſhreek, and ſhed thouſands of tears for ſin, God wil never hear them; Gods diſpleaſure againſt ſin is ſo great: certainlie then ſin is a dreadful evil. Suppoſe a Prince were ſo wrath with a great companie of his Nobles, that he caſts a great multitude of them into a Dungeon, and there they endure torment, and the King would not vouchſafe ſo much as to enter into a parley, to be reconciled upon any terms; everie one would ſay, ſurelie 'tis ſome great matter that hath provoked the King: if they underſtand this Prince is verie Juſt, and withal verie merciful; to be ſure he would do none any wrong, but were verie merciful above al men in the world; and yet for but one offence he ſhould caſt theſe his Nobles down into a Dungeon to be tormented, and would by no means be reconciled: everie one would conclude, certainlie there was much evil in that offence if it deſerved thus much; and certainlie for the Prince to deal thus with them there was much in it: Would you not make ſuch a concluſion from thence? then learn to make ſuch a concluſion from Gods dealing with the Angels; That ſeeing God is Juſt, and can do no Creature wrong; yea, God is infinitely merciful, and yet he doth caſt his noble Creatures, thoſe Creatures that were the higheſt that ever he made any Creature, for one ſin without any means of Reconciliation: Certainlie Sin hath more evil in it than men are aware of, for though God hath not dealt thus with Man-kind, yet he might; there is ſo much evil in ſin that God might have done thus with anie of us; and had it not been for the Mediation of his Son, we had been thus irrecoverably miſerable to all eternitie.
Secondly, Conſider, That for one ſin in our firſt Parents (and not in our own perſons) that all the Children of men by Nature are put in ſuch an eſtate to be Children of wrath, and liable to eternal miſery, and that for the ſin of our Parents: that will ſhew the wonderful Juſtice of God: How unſearchable are his Judgments, and his waies paſt finding out! Certainlie God is infinitelie diſpleaſed with Sin, that when the firſt Parents of Man-kind did offend, then upon that all their Poſteritie to the end of the world are put into a damnable condition, all of them are children of wrath, and heirs of eternal perdition as in themſelves. Certainlie my Brethren, this is a truth, and none can denie it that underſtand Scripture, and if you do not underſtand this, you have not underſtood a great and neceſſarie Truth of the Word of God, that is neceſſarie to eternal life, That all Man-kind are by the ſin of their firſt Parents put into a condemned eſtate, ſo as they are all the children of wrath by nature as the Scripture ſaith: ſo that we are not onlie in danger of Gods eternal wrath through the ſin that we in our own perſons do actually commit, but though we had never committed any actual ſin in our own perſons, yet the ſin of our firſt Parents is enough to make us children of wrath, and be our eternal ruine. Certainlie there is a great deal of evil in ſin more than the world thinks of, when it ſhall ſo provoke God as that he ſhall have ſuch diſpleaſure to put all Man-kind to be in the ſtate of Children of wrath for the ſin of our firſt Parents. This is a ſecond Manifeſtation of Gods diſpleaſure againſt ſin.
Thirdly, A third Manifeſtation of Gods diſpleaſure againſt ſin is in that fiery Law (as the Scripture cals it) that God hath given for forbidding and threatning of ſin. Conſider the dreadful manner of Gods giving the Law, that it was with Fire, Lightning, Thunderings, and Earthquakes, and Smoke, ſo as the Scripture ſaith Moſes did ſhake and tremble at the very ſight of the dreadfulneſs of the Law when it was firſt given. That was only to ſet forth thus much to us, That if the Law that God gave be broken, that then God will be very dreadful to thoſe that break it; therefore he gives it at firſt in ſuch a dreadful manner. It may be many bold preſumptuous ſinners think it nothing to break the Law of the infinite eternal God; but in that God gives the Law in ſuch a dreadful manner as you may read in the 19. of Exodus, how dreadfully God gave the Law; God doth thereby declare to all the world, how dreadful ſinners are to expect him to be, if they do break the Law. But eſpecially conſider that dreadful Curſe annexed to the Law, Curſed is every one that abides not in every thing that is written in the Law; to do that which the Law of God pronounces to be done: a curſe to every one that doth any thing at any time that ſhall break it. That there ſhould be ſuch a dreadful Curſe annexed; this manifeſts the ſore diſpleaſure of God againſt ſin.
Fourthly, A fourth Manifeſtation of the ſore diſpleaſure of God againſt ſin (all this but to ſhew you further how Sin is a greater evil than Affliction) the Manifeſtation I ſay of Gods diſpleaſure againſt ſin is ſeen, in that we find in Gods word God hath ſo ſeverely pun…ſh'd ſome ſins that do appear to us to be very ſmal, little ſins: and yet God hath been exceedingly ſevere againſt thoſe ſins which appear to us to be exceeding ſmal: To inſtance in three.
1 In 1 Sam. 6. 19. there you have this example, that the men of Beth-ſh…eſh, when the Ark came to them they did but look into the Ark out of curioſitie, for ought we know for no other end but meerly out of curioſitie: Now becauſe the Ark was a holy thing, and none but the Prieſts of God were to meddle with it, God did preſently at an inſtant ſlay fiftie thouſand, and three ſcore and ten men of them: Upon this the text ſaith, theſe men beholding this ſeveritie of God for this offence, they all ſaid, Oh! who ſhall ſtand before the holy God! If God be ſo holy that he cannot bear ſo ſmal a ſin as this did appear to men, that but for looking into the Ark ſo many thouſands ſhall be ſlain preſently: who can ſtand before the holy Lord! Many of you have ſlight thoughts of the Lord and his Holineſs, and think you may be bold and preſumptuous, you venture upon greater offences than this was; but theſe men upon the venturing upon this one thing, above fiftie thouſand are ſlain preſently: This is the diſpleaſure of God againſt ſin, though very ſmal to our thoughts.
2 Again, A ſecond example you have in Uzzah that did but touch the Ark out of a good intention, as being ready to fall, yet that not being according to the Law, God ſtruck him with death preſently; it coſt him his life, he was ſtruck with ſudden death. We are terrified when we ſee one fall down ſuddenly: now upon that offence, though he had a good meaning, and good intention, yet God brake in upon him with his wrath, and ſtruck him dead preſently. Conſider this you that think you have good meanings, and good intentions, yet not doing according to the Law; the leaſt breach of the Law, though we have a good meaning, doth provoke the wrath of God, and God when he pleaſeth lets out this his wrath.
3 A third example you have in that poor man that we reade of, who did but gather ſticks upon the Lords day, and by the Command of God from Heaven this man muſt be ſtoned to death: You would think theſe things little matters. Alas poor man, he might have need of them: How many of you venture upon other manner of things upon the Lords Day, profaning of it? and yet God ſpeaks from Heaven, and gives command to have this man ſtoned to death. Now Brethren, though it be true, that God doth not alwaies come upon men for ſuch little ſins, it may be to make known his Patience and long-ſuffering. Perhaps the Lord doth let others go on for a long time in greater ſins: but yet God by a few ſuch examples doth declare to all the world what the evil of the leaſt ſin is, and how his diſpleaſure is out againſt the leaſt ſin. If he do forbear, that is to be attributed to his patience and long-ſuffering, but not to the littleneſs of the ſin, or the littleneſs of the evil that is in that ſin. This is a Fourth.
Fifthly, A fifth thing wherein God manifeſts his diſpleaſure againſt ſin, is in thoſe dreadful and hidious Judgments that the Lord executes abroad in the world that we have the ſtories of in the Scripture, and all Ages: As that God ſhould come and drown a whol world except eight perſons, all the whol world ſwept away and drowned. And ſo that God ſhould command fire and Brimſtone to come down from Heaven, and burn and conſume whol Cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Cities adjoyning; yea, and all the men, women, and children, but only Lot, and thoſe few with him. And ſo the fire to come down upon thoſe Captains and their Fifties, 2 Kings, 1. And the Earth ſwallowing up Corah, Dathan, and Abiram. There is no Age but hath ſome one or other dreadful example of His Judgments againſt Sin. The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven againſt all unrighteouſneſs. Now Brethren, though ſome people have ſcaped, and theſe manifeſtations of Gods Judgments are not ſo general and ordinary; yet when they are but now and then, God manifeſts what his diſpleaſure is againſt Sin, and what might be to all that Sin againſt him.
Sixthly, A ſixt manifeſtation of Gods diſpleaſure againſt Sin, is in thoſe eternal torments and miſeries in Hell that the Scripture ſpeaks of: the worm that never dies, and the fire that never goes out: when you hear Miniſters ſpeak of fire that never is quenched; for poor people to lie burning in fire thouſands of thouſands of years in eternal flames, ſcalding under the wrath of God; you ſtand agaſt at the dreadfulneſs of theſe expreſſions. Certainly theſe are only to reveal the diſpleaſure of God againſt ſin, becauſe there is no finite time can be ſufficient to manifeſt to the full the diſpleaſure of God againſt ſin: therfore thoſe that periſh, muſt periſh eternally.