The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Treatise · Chapter 4 – Chapter 6
CHAP. IV.
Ʋſes: And Nine Conſectories of excellent uſe, viz 1. Sin is not the Work of God. 2. Sins promiſes are all Deluſions. 3. Sin cannot be the Object of a rational Creature. 4. Nothing thats good ſhould be ventured for Sin. 5. Nothing thats good to be made ſerviceable to Sin. 6. The miſtake of making Sin the chiefeſt good. 7. Time ſpent in Sin loſt. 8. The wicked, uſeleſs members. 9. Sin need no debate whether to be done, or not.
HEnce we ſee for our Inſtruction, that that maxime many have, hath nothing to do in point of ſin; to wit, of two evils you muſt chuſe the leaſt: True, in regard of the evil of Affliction, comparing one Affliction with another, ſo we may chuſe the leaſt; but this cannot have truth in matter of Sin, that of two Sins we may chuſe the leaſt; becauſe though one Sin be leſs than another, yet the leaſt Sin can never come under the notion of good comparitively. As all other evils be good comparatively, though never ſo great evils, yet comparatively they may be good. Yet Sin can have no goodneſs any way comparatively. Therefore of two evils we muſt not chuſe the leaſt, in this ſence.
1 Becauſe Sin in it ſelf is ſinful: And
2 Becauſe, Chuſing the leaſt can never be a means to prevent the greater, but rather to make way for the greater. And Brethren obſeive it, (for it may be uſeful in the courſe of our lives) God never brings any man or woman to ſuch ſtraits, that of neceſſity they muſt chuſe one Sin, chuſe this or the other Sin. When two Sins ſhall ſtand in competition, we may conceit ſuch ſtraits to our ſelves, yet there is no ſuch real ſtraits. Though God doth bring men into ſuch ſtraits that of neceſſity they muſt chuſe one affliction, either this or that affliction: So David was brought into ſuch a ſtrait, that he muſt chuſe Famine, Sword, or Peſtilence; yea, God doth never bring men into ſuch ſtraits, that of neceſſity they muſt chuſe this or that Sin; thou deceiveſt thine own heart if thou thinkeſt thou art brought into ſuch a ſtrait. Therefore this is a vain thing, and ſavors of an exceeding carnal heart, when men are doing that which is evil, for them to ſay, I were as good do this as worſe: As for inſtance now, Suppoſe ſome keep at home upon the Lords day and mend their Cloaths, if any rebuke them, they will ſay, Better do this than worſe; better do this than go to the Ale-houſe: this is true, but this ſavors of a carnal heart, to think that you muſt chuſe one Sin rather than another; thou muſt not chuſe any of them, both of theſe are evil, though one may be leſs evil than the other. Or if ſome ſpend their time in Play, when they are rebuked, they put it off with this ſhift, Better do this than worſe: and ſo they go abroad and ſpend their time in ſeeing Playes; and ſay, Better do this then worſe; 'tis yet true though this be not ſo great a ſin as others, if it be a ſin it muſt not be done upon any terms; and thou deceiveſt thine own heart in this conceit, that thou wert better do this than worſe, for ſin cannot be good, and ſo not to be choſen at any time. Thus we ſee there is no good in ſin, and a great deal of good in affliction.
Hence there follows theſe Nine Conſectorys, of exlent uſe for us.
Firſt Conſectory.
If there be no good in ſin; then certainly ſin is not the work of God, for God ſaw all his works and they where very good, but ſin hath no goodneſs in it, therefore not of God. God diſclaims it.
The Second Conſectory.
If this be ſo, then hence whatſoever promiſes ſin do make to any people, Certainly they be al but deluſions. Why? Becauſe ſin is not good in any kind: Sin can bring no good to any ſoul If any one ſay; Oh but ſin bring pleaſure; and doth it not bring profit, and honors in the world? do not many live in high eſteem in the World by ſinfull courſes? have they not pleaſures and delights in ſinful Courſes; But curſed be the Pleaſures, Honors, Profits that come in by ſin. Certainly if ſin promiſe any good, it deludes you, & thy ſeduced heart deceivs thee, and thou doſt feed upon aſhes: for there is no good in ſin.
The Third Conſectory.
Hence it follows, That no ſin can be the object of the will of a Rational creature; becauſe the true object of the will, for it to cloſe withal, is good. Oh the deſperat deceit in the hearts of men in the world, that whereas God hath made the will, (and put it into a rational ſoul) to be of that nature, that the only object of it, is good one way or other, yet they are ſo miſerably miſtaken that they chuſe ſin under colour of good: certainly there is no good in ſin.
The Fourth Conſectory.
Hence it follows, that nothing that is good ſhould be ventured for ſin, why? becauſe ſin hath no good: and will you venture the loſs of good to get that which hath no good; ſure if ſin have no good in it, then there ſhould not be the loſs of any good ventured for it. You would not venture at Sea or Land, any good for that which hath no good. Oh how infinitely be men deoeived, that venture the loſs of God, peace of conſcience; loſs of Credit, health, eſtate, loſs of all for their luſts. Oh this is a mighty miſtake, thou haſt ventured the loſs of a great deal of good, for that which hath no good at all. Know this day God preſents to thy ſoul the deſperate deluſions of it, what? wilt thou loſe God, Heaven, and Chriſt, and al for that which hath no good? but thus do many venture all the good in God, in Chriſt, in Heaven, in eternal life; they are laid on the one ſide as it were, and their luſts on the other; and they will venture the loſs of all that good that they may attain the ſuppoſed good in ſin. What haſt thou done Oh Man or Woman; that haſt vetured the loſs of all good for that which hath no good at all, nay all evil in it?
The Fift conſectory
It follows, if there be no good at all in ſin, then we ought to make nothing that is good to be any way ſerviceable to our ſin; as thus we muſt not take the good creatures of God and make them ſerviceable to our luſts that have no good at all; take not the faculties of your ſouls and members of your bodyes to make them ſerviceable to your luſts. Oh how do Men and Women abuſe the good things of God to make them ſerve their corruptions. Yea Brethren, there be many that abuſe the ordinances of God, the dutyes of Gods worſhip, the graces of Gods ſpirit, to make them ſerviceable to their luſts; to ſerve their pride, and ſelf ends, and ſelf ſeekings. Do but think of it, if it be a great wickedneſs to take meat and drink, any of Gods good Creatures and make them ſerviceable to thy luſts, Oh how great a wickedneſs is it to take the graces of Gods ſpirit, working of Gods ſpirit, enlargment in prayer, and following of ſermons, and profeſſion of Religion, to make theſe ſerve thy luſts that have no good at all in them?
The Sixt Conſectory.
Hence (if ſin have no good at all in it) follows this; How be they mi…taken that make ſin their Chiefeſt good as thouſand thouſands in the world, their chief good that their hearts are ſet upon, is, ſatisfying themſelves in ſome baſe luſt. I put it to your ſouls this day as in the name of God, what is it that thy heart is ſet upon as thy chiefeſt Good? is it not that height of wickedneſs that I ſpeak of? Such a ſecret luſt thou liveſt in? that thou ventureſt thy eternal eſtate upon? Oh wickedneſs above meaſure.
The Seventh Conſectory.
Hence followeth this then, That all the time that we ſpend in a ſinfull eſtate is all loſt time. Oh look to this you yong ones, all the time that you ſpend in the vanity of your youth is all loſt time; and you that have lived til you are old, & a long time in a ſinful eſtate, you have loſt all your time. Oh the time upon which Eternity depends is all loſt; for you have ſpent it in the wayes of ſin, that hath no good in it.
The Eight Conſectory
If ſin have no good in it, then all wicked men that live in the wayes of ſin, are uſeleſs members in the world; burthens upon the earth; unprofitable members, that go on in the wayes of ſin, that neither have nor can have anie good.
The Ninth Conſectory.
Laſtly, if ſin have no good at all in it; hence then when ther is a temptation to ſin there needs no deliberation about it, whether it ſhould be admited or not; if once thou knoweſt it to be a ſin, thou needeſt not Reaſon the condtion of admition or not, or what will follow, but preſently reject it, without deliberation. Why? becauſe there is no good in it; any thing that hath but a little good, we may (though a greater good be offered) deliberate the buſineſs before we accept of the one, & caſt off the other, but if there be no good there needs no deliberation, if any thing be pronounced to be ſin, to be prejudicial to the eſtate of thy ſoul, This muſt not be deliberated upon. Therfore this is a vain plea that men have, what kind of *This was written in the Year 1641.Government muſt we have if this be taken away? Firſt examine if this be evil or not evil that we have, if evil, it muſt be rejected without deliberation what we muſt have in the ſtead. Indeed if it▪ were good we might deliberate, but if be it evil and a ſin, it muſt be caſt off without deliberation. Brethren, it is of great uſe this I ſpeak of, becauſe that ſtrength ſin hath uſually got, is from deliberation about it. I beſeech you obſerve this; Take heed for ever of reaſoning with Temptation, of conſulting and caſting about in your thoughts, what will become of it? what trouble may come by this if I hearken not to this? Take heed of reaſoning, if the Devil do but get you to reaſon about it, he hath got it half granted already: you need not reaſon with any temptation, but caſt it off preſently, becauſe ſin hath no good in it. Oh that God would convince al our hearts of theſe things.
CHAP. V.
There is more Evil in the leaſt Sin, than in the greateſt Affliction, Opened in ſix Particulars, being the General Scope of the whol Treatiſe.
TO go on to that which remains. I am yet further to make out to you, That Sin is worſe than Affliction. Firſt I have ſhewed, that there is no good at all in Sin; and there is good in Affliction.
Now Secondly, There is more Evil in the leaſt Sin, than there is in the greateſt Affliction.
This I am now to make out unto you in theſe Six Particulars.
Firſt, Sin is moſt oppoſite unto God himſelf, the chiefeſt Good.
Secondly, Sin is moſt oppoſite unto Mans good: Affliction is not ſo oppoſite to the good of the Creature as Sin is.
Thirdly, Sin is oppoſite unto all Good in General; and ſo will be diſcovered to be an Ʋniverſal Evil.
Fourthly, Sin, it is the Evil of all other Evils; it is that which is the very venom and poyſon of all other Evils whatſoever, therefore greateſt.
Fifthly, There is a kind of Infinitneſs in ſin, though not properly Infinite, it cannot be ſo, yet in the Nature of it, it hath a kind of infinitneſs.
Sixtly, The Evil of it is diſcovered, In the conformity ſin hath with the Devil; there is no Creature that conſpires againſt God, but only Devils and Sinful Men.
Theſe be the Six things to be opened, for the diſcovery of the evil of ſin: And I beſeech you ſeriouſly attend to what ſhall be delivered in theſe, for I hope before I have done to make it appear to every ones Conſcience that ſhall vouchſafe to read, attend, and conſider what I ſay, that ſin is another manner of buſineſs than the World thinks it to be. Oh that your hearts might come to ſee your ſelves to be as you are, in an ill Caſe, in a worſe condition than you imagin: and … beſeech you give way to this, and be willing to hear it, for though it ſeem a hard Doctrine, yet it is a Soul ſaving Doctrine; and for want of this, many thouſand thouſands of Souls periſh, becauſe they never underſtood what ſin meant: Many thouſands in …ell if they had known what ſin had been, it might have delivered them from everla…ing flames. God hath reſerved you alive, and who knows but for this end, To underſtand what ſin is, that ſo your hearts may be humbled, and ſo everlaſtingly ſaved through Chriſt. Brethren, but that the way to underſtand ſin, is the way to be humbled for ſin; and to be humbled for ſin, is the way to have ſin pardoned, and the Soul ſaved, I ſhould never treat upon ſuch a Doctrine as this is: therefore I beſeech you mark what I ſay, and ſee whether I do not make out theſe things I undertake.
CHAP. VI.
Sin moſt oppoſite to God the chiefeſt Good, opened in four Heads: 1. Sin moſt oppoſite to Gods Nature 2. Sin oppoſite in its working againſt God. 3. Sin wrong God more than any thing elſe. 4. Sin ſtrikes at Gods Being.
FIrſt, It is moſt oppoſite to God who is the chiefeſt Good. The meaneſt Capacity may eaſily underſtand, That which is moſt oppoſite to the chiefeſt good, that muſt needs be the chiefeſt evil: I ſuppoſe the weakeſt in this Congregation will underſtand this way of Reaſoning, that evil that is moſt oppoſit to the chiefeſt good, that muſt needs be the chiefeſt evil; but ſin is that which is moſt oppoſite to God, who is the chiefeſt good, and therfore muſt needs be the chiefeſt evil. That then is that I muſt make good.
Queſt. How doth it appear that ſin is moſt oppoſite to the chiefeſt good?
Anſw. Brethren, When I have made out this, I ſhal ſhew ſin to be very ſinful, and the greateſt venom of ſin lies in this one thing I am now opening. Should I tel you never ſo much of the evil of ſin, in the danger that comes by it, Hell that follows it: ſhould I write a Book about Hel and Damnation for ſin, it hath not ſo much to humble the Soul in a ſaving manner, as this I now treat about: perhaps I might ſcare you in preaching of Hell and Damnation, but diſcovering this I now ſpeak of, the oppoſition ſin hath unto God; it hath more in it to humble the Soul in a ſaving manner, and to cauſe the Soul to feel ſin to be moſt evil where it is moſt evil; to be the greateſt burden where it is moſt waighty. This Point I ſay hath more power in it than any other; therefore let me ſet upon this, and ſee how I make this good, That ſin is moſt oppoſite to God the chiefeſt good. There be theſe four things diſcover the truth of this.
Firſt, Sin in its own Nature, is moſt oppoſite to the Nature of God.
Secondly, Sin in the Working of it, is a continual working againſt God. The Nature of ſin is oppoſite to Gods Nature, and the working of ſin is moſt oppoſite to God.
Thirdly, Sin, it doth wrong God more than any thing elſe.
Fourthly, Yea, Sin ſtrikes at the very Being of God ſo far as it can do.
So then let us ſum it up again: That which in its own Nature is moſt oppoſite to God, 2ly That which in its working, is continually working againſt God, 3ly That wch doth moſt wrong God, and 4ly That which ſtrikes at the very Being of God Himſelf, that muſt needs be the greateſt evil: but ſo doth ſin.