The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
How ſin reſiſt God: 1 It's a hating of God. 2 It's rebellion againſt God. 3 It's a deſpiſing of God.
FIrſt, Sin doth reſiſt God in his Authority; in his Soveraignty, in his Dominion over the Creature; the language of Sin is, God ſhall not reign. It is the ſetting of the Will of a baſe wretched Creature, againſt the will of the infinite, eternal, glorious God. And is there not evil in this? though it may be thou doeſt not on purpoſe do ſo, ſet thy will againſt God, yet it is ſo in ſin, there is the ſetting of thy will againſt the will of the infinite eternal God: reſiſting the Soveraignty, and Majeſty, and Dominion of the infinite God. Yea, thou doeſt reſiſt-God in his Law, thou reſiſteth and oppoſeth God in that righteous Law of his, which he gave thee to obey.
Queſt. But how is this in every Sin? It may be in ſome great and notorious ſins this may be, but is this fighting againſt God, ſtriving, and riſing, and walking contrary to him, (and ſo of the reſt) is this in every ſin?
Anſw. For that I Anſwer, 1 That every Sin comes from the ſame root, and look what venom there is in any one ſin, for the nature of it, it is in every ſin, though not for its degree: 'Tis true, one ſin may have a higher degree of evil in it than another, but every ſin is invenomed with the ſame evil: That which is the venom of any one ſin, is the venom of all; all comes from the ſame root. As in a Tree, there is more Sap in an Arm of the Tree, than in a little Sprig; but the Sprig hath the ſame Sap for kind that the Arm of the Tree hath, and it al comes from the ſame root. So though there be more venom in ſome groſs, crying ſins, than in ſome others; yet there is no ſin but hath the ſame Sap, and the ſame venom, for the kind, that every ſin hath, that the worſt ſin hath.
2 Yea, Conſider further, That God doth not account ſin only according to mans intentions in ſinning; what man intends, but what the nature of the ſin tends unto, not what I do aim at in my ſinning, but what my ſin doth aim at. There is the end of the agent, and the end of the act, now tis true though the end of a Sinner be not alwaies to ſtrive againſt God, and f…ght with God, yet the end of his Sin is ſo, though not of the Sinner; I beſeech you obſerve how God may lay grievous Sins to their charge, and that he doth not account of a mans Sins according to his intentions, but according to that which is in the nature of his Sin as now, you would think it a ſtrange Sin, to charge any man in the world with hating of God, come to any man though the greateſt Sinner in the world, the moſt notorious villain, and charge him thus, Thou art a vile wretch thou hateſt the living God; he would revile you and be ready to to ſpit in your face: and yet it is ſaid, He hates God: In the 1 Rom. the Apoſtle in the catalogue of Sins (when he would ſhew the ſtate of all men by Nature, for the firſt Seven Chapters of the Epiſtle to the Romans are to ſhew the nature of the Jews and Gentiles) and among others, he tels them there were thoſe that were haters of God, among other notorious Sins haters of God is one: But I will ſhew it in a more plainer wav, in the Second Commandement; the verieſt villain in the Nation would ſpit in vour face if you ſhould ſay he hates God: What ſay you to him that will ſeem devoute, and worſhip God in a more glorious way then he hath appointed; the Scripture ſaith, he hates God: See the Second Commandement, Thou ſhalt not make unto thy ſelf an, graven image, nor &c. Thou ſhalt not bow down thy ſelf to them, nor worſhip them, &c. for I will viſit the Sin of the Fathers upon the Children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that HATE me: Why is this ſet in the Second Commandement rather than any other? That God will viſit the ſins of them that hate him, thoſe that ſin againſt the Second Commandement ſeem to honor God, and to love God more than any other, they be not only content to worſhip God in that ordinary way others do, but in a more glorious, and pompeous way; well, it may be the breaker of the ſecond Commandement pretends more love to God than any, and yet there God ſaith they be thoſe that hate him, ſo that you ſee God doth not reek on Sin according to mans intentions. Certainly the worſhippers of Images do not intend to hate God, but God accounts of Sin what it is in its own nature, it is as if God ſhould ſay, If you wil not worſhip me according to my way of worſhip, will not be content with that, but will ſet up a new deviſed worſhip of your own, do you call it what you will, I account it hatred of me.
Secondly, Sin is Rebellion: What man in the world will be convinced that he doth any thing in way of Rebellion againſt God, and yet mark, God chargeth Sin with Rebellion even in that which they pretend they do all for Gods glory; See in that Example of Saul, 1 Sam. 15. you ſhall find there, when Saul did but ſpare …gag and the fat of the Cattel, and pretends to offer Sacrifice to God; Samuel comes to him in the name of God, and ſaith he, Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft. Why (might Saul ſay) Lord, have mercy upon me, is this ſuch rebellion? I did it for the honor of God, I did it to ſacrifice to God; and yet the Prophet of God in Gods Name chargeth Saul with rebellion. Now Brethren, Sin you ſee hath that in its own Nature that is not intended by men in their ſinning: Therfore while I ſpeak of the Nature of ſin, ſome may ſay, Indeed this my be true of ſinful, wicked, notorious wretches; but is this true of me? Yea, it may be true of the moſt civil man or woman in Gods preſence this day; God may charge them with hatred and rebellion.
Thirdly, Sin is a diſpiſing of God. Who would acknowledg in the way of ſin they deſpiſe God? Scarce any in the world is ſo wicked as to acknowledg they deſpiſe God. And yet mark, God chargeth David with this for the commiſſion of that one ſin: ſee the 2 Sam. 12. 9. David did deſpiſe God. Well, if hatred, and rebellion, and deſpiſing of God, though neither of them all be in the intention of the man in committing of them, yet God ſeeth it in the Nature of them. So then if ſin be a deſpiſing of God, rebellion againſt God, walking contrary, and enmity, &c. if there be all this in ſin, though in every ſin the Creature intend not this, but God ſeeth this in the root of every ſin, in the venom of every ſin: Therefore then, you that have gone on in the courſe of ſin, lay but this ſecond thing to heart, That you are thoſe, who have walked in the courſe of your lives in an oppoſition againſt the infinite dreadful God of all the World; againſt the infinite God, this hath been the courſe of your life. Truly Brethren, it is enough, this that I ſpeak of, to pluck down the ſtouteſt heart, the wickedeſt and wretchedeſt hard heart in the world; for a Miniſter of God to come and charge them in Gods Name, Thou haſt gone on in all thy life hitherto, ever ſince thou waſt born, in a continual oppoſition to God Himſelf, unto the infinite Lord, the Eternal firſt being of all the World; thy life hath been nothing but enmity to this God: thou haſt as directly oppoſed, and ſtriven againſt, and reſiſted Him, as ever man did oppoſe, and reſiſt, and ſtrive with another man, and this thou haſt done in the whol courſe of thy life: Certainly there is more in this to humble a man than any thing that can be ſpoken to ſhew him the evil of ſin. When Chriſt would humble Sauls heart, what doth he do? he comes and ſaith, Saul, Saul, Why perſecuteſt thou me? Alas, thou thinkeſt thou haſt to deal with theſe poor Creatures, who are not able to right themſelves: but be it known to thee, thou haſt to deal with Me, the ever living, Eternal God. Why perſecuteſt thou Me? Who art thou Lord? as if he had ſaid, Lord, I did not think I had to deal with thee, who art thou Lord? I am He whom thou perſecuteſt. He ſaid no more, but as if ſhould have ſaid thus, Look upon me, I am that great and glorious God that hath thee at an advantage, and can tread thee under My feet: preſently Saul fals down (the text ſaith) trembling, and aſtoniſhed, and ſaith, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? Oh that it might be ſo this day, that ſome heart might fall down trembling, and aſtoniſhed: and when you get alone, and think on what hath been declared, ſay, Lord, in the waies of ſin have oppoſed, reſiſted, and been an Enemy to thee; Oh Lord never thought it, Oh now Lord forgive. It is time, it is time Brethren, to ceaſe reſiſting of God, and walking contrary to God; for he is above you, and wil have the Victory and the glory over all Creatures Oh perhaps thou haſt been an old Enemy, an old Sinner, that all thy daies haſt walked on in a courſe of ſin; yea, perhaps thy Father hath been an Enemy, thou his Enemy, and thy Father his Enemy; an old Adulterer, a Swearer, a wicked oppoſite to God; and perhaps thou nouriſheſt up Children to be Enemies to God; thou nouriſheſt and breedeſt up a company of Brats to be Enemies to God; thou breedeſt them in the waies of ſin and wickedneſs, and ſo there is a generation of Enemies againſt God Oh Brethren, that God would but ſtir your hearts and make you fal down before Him, and ſee your ſelves guilty of ſo great an enmity. Many be ready to excuſe themſelves and others thus; He is no bodies Enemy but his own, a good natured man, and I am no bodies Enemy but my own: Yes, beſides thy own, thou art an Enemy to the Eternal God; and thy waies hath been a way quite contrary to the Eternal God, and this thou art guilty of, and the Lord chargeth thee with it this day. I remember when Daniel comes to Belſhezzar, he comes to him, and thinks he hath enough to humble that proud King Belſhezzar, when he ſaith thus to him: That God in whoſe hands the breath of thy Noſtrils, and al thy waies are, that God thou haſt not glorified: And it hath a mighty deal of power to bring down the proudeſt and ſtouteſt ſpirit upon the Earth; when God ſhall give commiſſion to conſcience to come and charge him and ſay; Oh thou wicked wretch, remember that, that God in whoſe hands all thy waies, and the Breath of thy Noſtrils are, that God thou haſt not glorified: and ſuppoſe Conſcience hath commiſſion to come thus, and ſay, That God in whoſe hands the breath of thy noſtrils and all thy waies are, that God in all thy life thou haſt walked quite croſs unto, in all thy life. I ſay it would have a great deal of power in it to humble the proudeſt heart in the world. And this is the ſecond particular of the operations of ſins workings; it is a going croſs to God.
There are two more in this Branch, how ſin is oppoſite to God. Sin wrongs God, and ſin is a ſtriking at God. But becauſe the fourth is ſhorter than the third, I ſhall begin with the fourth, and make the third laſt. I ſaid before, ſin was continually working againſt God; but now I ſay,