The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Part 4
THE FOVRTH PART OF THIS TREATISE.
CHAP. XLI.
That Sin is the Evil and Poyſon of all other Evils, ſhewed in ſeveral Particulars: Firſt, Its the ſtrength of all Evils. Secondly, Its the ſting of Affliction. Thirdly, Its the Curſe of all Evils, opened in Five Particulars. Fourthly, Sin is the ſhame of all Evils. Fifthly, The eternity of all Evil comes from Sin.
THere are Four Things, which except we be well inſtructed in, and know, we know nothing to Purpoſe: Except we know God, and Sin, and Chriſt, and Eternity: Theſe are the Four great Things that you had need to be well inſtructed in: The knowledge of Sin I have endeavored to ſet before you: In this Argument I have ſhewed you the evil of fin above al affliction. The next thing I am to Open to you, is the Fourth General Head, Propounded in the Fifth Chapter.
Fourthly, Therefore, that Sin is the Evil of all other Evils.
It is the very pith of all other Evils; there's nothing that would be ſcarce worthy the name of Evil, if Sin were not in it. That it is the evil of all other evils, will appear in theſe Particulars:
Firſt, It is the ſtrength of all other Evils. The ſtrength, the prevailing ſtrength that any evil hath againſt man, it is from Sin. There is no Evil would have any prevailing ſtrength to do us any hurt were there not Sin in it. That is certain, nothing in heaven, or earth, or hel, would do any of the Children of men any hurt, were it not for Sin, if there were not Sin to give it ſtrength. The ſtrength of any evil that can do us any hurt, is from Sin. Let the evil be never ſo ſmal, yet if it come armed with the ſtrength of the guilt of Sin, it is enough to undo any man or woman in the world. This is the Reaſon of the difference of the power, the prevailing power, of any croſs and affliction in ſome more than in others; you ſhall have ſome, that let there be but the leaſt croſs and affliction upon them, it ſinks their hearts, they are not able to ſtand under it; others that have a hundred times more upon them, they go under it with joy: this is the eſpecial difference, one having the guilt of ſin in …he evil, and the other being delivered from it. It is a Compariſon I remember of a learned man, to expreſs the difference of afflictions; Afflictions are like water, and a little water upon a mans ſhoulder in a Leaden veſſel, is a great deal heavier than much more water in a veſſel of Leather or Wood; take a Leather Bucket filled with water, it is not ſo heavie as a little water in a Leaden veſſel; ſo a little affliction where there is much guilt of ſin is abundantly more heavie than a great deal of affliction where there is not the guilt of ſin. Haman could not ſtand before ſuch a pettie Croſs as that Mordacai would not bow his knee; being a wicked man, that Croſs being with ſin, troubled him ſore: and Achitaphel when he was croſſed in his way could not bear it. Therfore Brethren, if you would bear afflictions, this is your way; your wiſdom is to labor to know wherein the ſtrength of an affliction lies, if you would overcome it. As you know the Philiſtims that deſired to overcome Sampſon, their great care was to know wherein his ſtrength lay, if they could by Dalilahs means find out the ſtrength of Sampſon, they thought they might eaſilie overcome him. So certainlie if you could but find out where the ſtrength of your afflictions …lie, it is eaſie then for you to have fears and diſquiets taken away: the reaſon why fears and diſquiets overcome you as they do, is, becauſe you find not out the ſtrength of them; if that were found out and gotten away, you might quicklie overcome afflictions, and they would be light to you. The prevailing ſtrength of all afflictions is from ſin: this is the firſt thing to ſhew ſin is the evil of all evils.
Secondly, Not only the prevailing ſtrength, But the bitterneſs, the ſting of Affliction, that which makes it bitter to the Spirit, is ſin; Sin makes it come like an Armed man with power: And beſides, Sin makes it inwardly gaul at the very heart, ſting like a Serpent, as the Apoſtle 1 Cor. 15 56. ſaith of death, The ſting of Death, is ſin, ſaith the Apoſtle: ſo that which he ſaith of death, it is true of all evils, of all afflictions, that are but makers of way to death; the ſting of a ſickneſs, the ſting of the loſs of your eſtates, the ſting of diſcredit, the ſting of impriſonment, the ſting of all afflictions, and that which makes them bitter to the ſoul is ſin: you have a notable place; Jer. 4. 18. Thy waies, and thy doings have procured theſe things unto thee, this is thy wickedneſs, becauſe it is bitter, becauſe it reacheth unto thy heart: In the Greek it is, This is thy wickedneſs, and becauſe it is bitter it reacheth unto thy heart, that interprets the word: ſaith he, thy wickedneſs hath procured this, and the puniſhment to thy wickedneſs is bitter, and reacheth to thy heart; becauſe it comes as a puniſhment of thy wickedneſs, ſo it comes to be bitter, and reacheth to thy very heart. Oh when ſin is in affliction, it comes to the heart, and is very bitter: were the guilt of ſin taken away in any affliction, the ſoul might be able to make uſe of that expreſſion of Agag in a better way than he did, and come joyfullie and cheerfullie to look upon anie affliction, and ſay, The bitterneſs of death is paſt: So doth God lay any affliction upon me, or my familie, the bitterneſs of death is gone; the bitterneſs is gone, becauſe my ſin is gone: Sin is as it were the rotten Core in an Apple, or Fruit, it will make all the Fruit to be bitter and rotten: And ſo ſin, that is the rotten core, take away, cut out the rotten core, and then you will not taſt ſo much bitterneſs in the Fruit: So if Sin, the rotten core be cut out, affliction will not be ſo bitter. This is the Second, All the prevailing ſtrength of affliction is from ſin, and the bitterneſs and anguiſh of ſpirit in affliction, is from ſin.
Thirdly, The Curſe of all evil is from ſin (the ſtrength of all evil, the bitterneſs of all evil, and the curſe of all evil) I have ſhewed before, Sin brings a Curſe upon our ſelves, yea, how it brings a Curſe upon all good. Now I am to ſhew you how ſin brings a Curſe upon all evil; it is that which makes the affliction to be accurſed: We have a moſt excellent Scripture for this, to ſhew the difference between Gods afflicting of his people whom he hath pardoned, when ſin is pardoned and removed; and Gods afflicting of the wicked and ungodly, whoſe ſin is yet upon them: a moſt admirable Text for this, and the difference between theſe two, that you may ſee what a difference ſin puts upon affliction when it is upon us; the Text is, Jer. 24. 5. compared with verſe 9. We have before (in the Chapter) Gods expreſſion of the differing eſtate of his people by the baſket of good Figs, and evil Figs; thoſe that were godlie, like good Figs, and the wicked by the evil Figs: Mark the different dealing of God with both: both were in Captivitie, both good and evil, they muſt both be delivered into the hand of their Enemies; but ſee with what difference, verſ. 5. like the good Figs, So will I acknowledg them whom I have carried away Captive into the Land of the Caldeans for their good: Mark, they muſt go into the Land of the Caldeans, but it muſt be for their good: ſaith God, though I do afflict them, yet becauſe I have pardoned them, let them know I aim at nothing but their good. Then he ſpeaks of the bad Figs, the wicked men in Captivitie, verſ. 9. I do deliver them to be removed into all Kingdoms of the Earth for their hurt: I will ſend them, they ſhall go into Captivitie, but I intend them no good, it ſhall be for their hurt; to be a reproach, and a proverb, a tant and a curſe in all places, whither I ſhall deliver them. I beſeech you keep this Text by you, that which is ſaid of this particular affliction is true of everie affliction: when God doth bring any evil upon any wicked man or woman, looking upon them, ſaith he of ſuch as are in their ſins, God certainly intends their hurt, he brings it for their hurt, even the ſame affliction that befals one whoſe ſin is pardoned, and God intends for their good: ſo the priviledg of godly men that have their ſins pardoned through Chriſt, how different that is from the eſtate of wicked men that have the guilt of ſin upon them: Sin is the curſe of all evils; I will deliver them for their hurt that it may be a curſe to them. Now this Argument would enlarge it ſelf (but that I ſtudie brevitie) to ſhew how ſin brings a Curſe upon everie affliction, and what that is; and that thereby we ſhall make it appear, Sin is a greater evil than affliction, becauſe it brings a Curſe upon affliction. I will but briefly name what might more largely be inſiſted upon.
1 When there is ſin and affliction, affliction comes out of Gods revenge for ſin: God looks upon the guiltie Creature with indignation and wrath: Here's a wretch that hath been bold, thus to ſin againſt me, and now my hand ſhall be upon him. And ſo when the ſinner is under Gods hand, God is ſo far from looking upon him with pitie and compaſſion, that he looks upon him with indignation and wrath, as an Enemy to him when he looks upon the ſinner that is got under him: and this is a ſore evil, that when God, that is the God of all mercy, and of infinite compaſſion, yet when he gets a wretched ſinner under him, he ſhall look upon him in the depth of his affliction, with indignation and wrath, as a loathſom Creature, as loathing and abhorring this Creature under his wrath: he ſhall be caſt out in his wrath, God caſts out a Sinner and curſes him, when he looks upon him in ſuch a manner.
2 The Curſe of afflictions when it comes in ſuch a manner in way of ſin is in this, God regards neither the time, nor the manner, or the meaſure of the affliction: whether it be a time ſenſonable for the Sinner or no, nor the manner, nor the meaſure, whether it be ſuch as the ſinner can bear; no, let that go, God minds not that. Indeed when God comes with his afflicting hand upon thoſe to whom ſin is pardoned, whom he looks upon in Chriſt, he weighs out their afflictions: God comes, and with his Wiſdom doth order it, for the due time, and weighs it out for the due proportion, that there ſhall not be one dram put into it; any further than their ſtrength can bear; he doth not tempt us beyond our ſtrength, he laies not upon us what we cannot be able to bear; this is true of his People. But when God comes upon thoſe that have the guilt of ſin lying on them, he will come at that time that is moſt unſeaſonable for them, at the worſt time that can be: As thus, when a Huſband-man would cut a Tree, to make it fruitful, he will obſerve his time, and lop his Tree in its ſeaſon, perhaps about this *This was 23. of January.time of the year, and then it will grow up; but if he mean to have it die he lops it about Midſummer, when the Tree hath ſent forth his Sap, and then the Tree dies. So God, when he comes to his Children with afflictions, he will come in a ſeaſonable time, ſuch a time to lop when lopping may make them more fruitful: But when he afflicts wicked men, he comes to them as to a Tree at Midſummer, when as they be flouriſhing, and then cuts them down, and then they periſh; God regards not the time and ſeaſon for their good when he comes in a way of a Curſe for ſin.
And ſo for the manner and meaſure of Affliction: When God comes to his Children when ſin is pardoned, God weighs it out: As a ſkilful Phyſitian weighs out Phyſick, though that which the Patient takes, it may be is Poyſon in it ſelf, yet the Phyſitian will be ſure there ſhall not be one dram too much, and there ſhall be enough mixt with it, that ſhal be proportionable to weaken the ſtrength of that poyſon, that it ſhall do no hurt, but good: but now if he give poyſon to Vermine, he gives it without mixture, or weight, he never ſtands weighing for them, let them eat and burſt themſelves, he will mix no help there: when he gives Poyſon to Vermine, 'tis to deſtroy them. So all Afflictions that come to wicked men, when God comes upon them in a way of a Curſe for ſin, God gives it to them as we give Poyſon to Vermine to deſtroy them: but the afflictions that come to Saints, when Sin is pardoned, God gives that which indeed in its own Nature is Poyſon, but it is ſo weighed out, that there is not one dram too much, and ſo mixed with Ingredients of the merciemercy and goodneſs of God, as only it works good to them to work out corruption, and do them no hurt at all: Here's the difference of afflictions upon thoſe whoſe ſins be pardoned, and thoſe who have guilt upon them. Hearken to this you that have the guilt of ſin, when any evil comes to you, for ought you know it comes as poyſon to Vermine to kil you; whereas if your hearts be humbled for ſin, and ſin▪ pardoned, if you be under never ſo much affliction, it comes but as from a ſkilful loving Phyſitian, that weighs out the Phyſick, to do the Patient good. This is the Second thing wherein the Curſe of affliction conſiſts when it comes for ſin.
3 The Curſe of Afflictions when they come for Sin, is in this, That all Afflictions that come meerly for ſin, they are but forerunners of the miſeries of Hell it ſelf; I ſay they are the forerunners of the very forments of Hell: Let the affliction be never ſo little in it ſelf, yet it is the harbenger and forerunner of thoſe dreadful eternal torments that thou muſt bear; it is but a Meſſenger from the Lord, whatſoever they are: What doſt thou feel them grievous and tedious for the preſent? ſome grievous tedious diſtemper, trouble or diſeaſe thou haſt; they are but a taſt of that bitter Cup full of wrath, and they do but give thee notice of what dreadful things thou art to endure when time ſhall be no more.
4 Nay, they are not only forerunners to give notice of what is like to be, But they be the very beginnings of the miſeries of Hell: every evil a wicked man doth ſuffer, he may look upon it but as the beginnings of everlaſting torments, if he die ſo, if he be not delivered from the guilt of ſin, and this is that which makes it grievous: 'tis not ſo much the pain that lies upon a man for the preſent, as that he by this pain is told what he ſhall have for ever; it is as a ſummons of him to bear the wrath of God eternally; and this is that which is the beginning of that everlaſting torment he ſhall endure. Suppoſe there were one to be executed, and he were to die ſome grievous and fearful death; well, it may be when the Tormenter comes at firſt, he doth but a litile pain his hand, put his wriſt to pain, tyes his hands, and he cryes out of the pain of his wriſt. Alas! what is this? Doth he cry for this? What is this but a preparation for thoſe dreadful torments that are now about to be executed upon him. So all men and women in the guilt of Sin, when they have any affliction, ſickneſs, or trouble, I ſay, ſo long as they be in that eſtate they may look upon it but as the girting of their hands with the cords. A little pain they be put to by the ſtrictneſs of the cord that binds them, but this is but to the body, and ſo prepares them to be caſt out into utter darkneſs, as you know the Phraſe is, Take him that came without the wedding garment, and bind him hand and foot and caſt him into utter darkneſs. Thy Afflictions be but as bindings of thee, they are but the beginnings of thoſe everlaſting pains thou art like to have: and that ſhould make the leaſt Affliction of any ungodly man or woman in the world exceeding dreadful to them; now I feel pain, but what is this but the beginning of ſorrows? I am now a ſinking, but how far I ſhall ſink, I do not know.
5. Again, All Afflictions when they come in a way of a Cuaſe for Sin, they be ſent to ripen men and women for deſtruction, and therefore they harden their hearts and make them often flie out againſt God. There is no affliction ſent in a way of a Curſe, but doth ripen any man or woman for eternal miſery. Oh conſider this you that have been under great Afflictions, it may be you are delivered from the pain, and you think your ſelves ſafe: examine, how is it? are not your hearts more hard than before? are you not more greedy upon Sin than before? know then that is a dangerous ſign that that affliction was but ſent to ripen you for deſtruction and eternal miſery; though you be eſcaped for a time, yet they only were ripeners to haſten you to everlaſting deſtruction. And in theſe things conſiſts the Curſe of ſin; in all evils that befal us. This is the Third.
Fourthly, Sin is the Evil of all Evils, For it is the ſhame of all evils; it is that which makes any affliction to be a ſhame to us: I remember before in the opening the nature of Sin as it is againſt our own good, there I ſhewed, Sin was a ſhame to the Soul; whether there be affliction or no; but now I am to ſhew you how ſin puts ſhame into other evils, not only brings ſhame to our ſelves, but puts a ſhame upon the evils and afflictions that are or ſhall be upon us: As thus, A Male factor is ſtigmatized, is branded; well, there is pain to his body in the branding, and then there is the ſhame that is in the brand that goeth along with the pain; and therefore it is, that it might be a Note of perpetual ſhame and reproach. So in Afflictions, there is the pain of the Affliction, and then there is the ſhame that is upon men through the affliction. Let men be branded, and if it be not for their ſin, if it be for Righteouſneſs, then their brands are honorable, let them be ſtigmatized never ſo much; let their Ears be cut off, and branded with an. S. or any other brand in the cheeks, or foreheads; if it be for Righteouſneſs; this is their honor and glory. As the Apoſtle ſpeaks in a Triumphing way, I bear about with me the Marks of the Lord Jeſus: and he glories in it. So for any man to be branded for Chriſt, he bears the marks of Jeſus Chriſt, though there be pain, there is no ſhame. So in any Affliction God ſends, if there be no ſin, there may be pain but no ſhame: but when God comes upon men for ſin, and by the very affliction God doth as it were point out the ſin of man; Oh! then it is not only painful, but abundance of ſhame and confuſion goes along with it. And therefore in that Text, Jer. 24. 9. God ſaith, He would caſt them out for a reproach, and a taunt, and a by-word. For a reproach as well as trouble. The ſhame of Affliction comes from Sin: This is the Fourth Thing.
Fifthly, The Eternity of all Evil comes, from Sin: I remember I ſhewed before, how Sin was a Principle of Eternal Evil; but this is in another regard. I ſpeak not of Sin now, as than; that was, as it is in its own nature, Sin it ſelf was a principal evil, and brought an eternal evil. But thus I ſay here, Sin puts an Eternity upon that preſent evil thou doſt ſuffer, if the guilt be not taken away. No Creatures but only the Reaſonable Creatures, Men and Angels, be ſubject to any eternity of evil. What ever evil is upon any other Creature it cannot have that denomination of eternity; but the evils upon a ſinner may have a denomination of eternity upon them. For this, obſerve this one Note (though it be high) as in Grace that is in it ſelf (I told you) an eternal good, and brought eternal good: But further, Grace is not only in it ſelf a principle of eternal good, and brings eternal good, but Grace doth make that very good that now we have, to have an eternity upon it. It dot… not only procure that hereafter it ſhall have eternity, but makes our preſent good to be eternal, though it be conveyed in another way. As now, we have abundance of Comforts from Creatures, and Gods Ordinances; it is true, we ſhall not have our Comforts conveied to us from Creatures, and Ordinances, but thoſe that have Grace ſhal have the ſame comforts that now they have from the Creature, and the Ordinances, conveyed immediatly from God, as from the fountain: that which thou now haſt from Ciſterns and Conduits of conyeyance, thou ſhalt come to injoy the ſame from God immediatly, and really, another way. So that no man or woman in Affliction (if gracious) need to be troubled for any thing. For this is a true maxim in Divinity, A Chriſtian may have many Croſſes, but no Loſſes. A Chriſtian never loſt any thing. How can that be? A Chriſtian receives Good, in huſband, and wife, and Children, and eſtate, and they have loſſes in theſe as well as others. No, they be croſt for the preſent, but never any Chriſtian had any loſs: This we may (as a certain truth) aſſent to, never any godly man or woman that had Sin pardoned, never had after that time, any loſs. Grace (me thinks) ſhould be very precious in your thoughts if this be true, if I can make this good; if I ſhould come and tel you Marriners, or Merchant adventurers in dangerous Seas, wel, I will come and ſhew you what Courſe you ſhall take, and you ſhall never have loſs more; you would think this good News, if it were not a fancy, and deceit, if you found it ſo, you would account your time well ſpent if you could but find this to be true, though you heard nothing but this. Certainly I can tell you a way where you ſhall never have loſs in the World; the way of godlineſs. Get but Sin once pardoned in Chriſt, and you ſhall never have any loſs. Suppoſe I had a Pipe that were laid into a fountain of water that brought water to me; well, afterward this pipe is ſtopped, and there comes no more water through this pipe, but though this pipe be ſtoped, yet if I come to injoy the very fountain, I have no loſs of Water, for I have it from the fountain, though the pipe be ſtopped yet I have the ſame water I had before: So it is with a Chriſtian that have any loſs in the Creature. For thus we are to know, all Creatures be but as ſo many Pipes of conveyance of comfort, and good, from God the fountain of all good in the Creature, and he is pleaſed with one kind of Pipe, to convey comfort from one Creature, and from another another way, ſome have greater, and ſome ſmaller Pipes, as God ſhall miniſter in his Wiſdom and Providence to his Servants. But now, one that is godly, though the pooreſt man or woman in the world, hath an intereſt in God himſelf, the fountain of all good: And therefore if any Pipe be cut off and ſtopped, as perhaps ſuch a time thou didſt looſe a thouſand pound, perhaps three or four thouſand pound; there was three or four Pipes cut off, but ſtil thou haſt a God and an intereſt in him, and there all is made up. And there is this art in godlineſs, and the skill, that ſtill thou maieſt come and injoy that immediately from God, and ſuck that from the fountain, that thou dideſt from the Pipes. So that a Chriſtian may looſe much of his eſtate, or comfort in friends, ſo as he ſhall never receive it from them any more, but he goeth to God and injoyes it in God: So that that preſent good which he had here, he makes it all up in God. Thus Grace makes that good and comfort you have here now, an eternal good; only the conveyance is in another way, more immediately from God, and therefore the ſweeter and the fuller. So Sin puts an eternity, in every evil; obſerve ſin doth not only deſerve, that thou ſhouldeſt have eternal evil befal thee hereafter; but whatſoever evil thou haſt now, ſorrows, diſtreſſes, anguiſh, or troubles upon thee; Sin wil make that ſorrow, and anguiſh, and diſtreſs, to be Eternal: though not perhaps conveyed that way, by that channel, yet thou ſhalt have that to be immediately let out through Gods warth and Juſtice. All that evil that ever thou dideſt bear here from any Creature; here perhaps thou haſt a grievous diſeaſe; Oh! it doth (it may be) extreamly afflict, and torment thee; perhaps thou dieſt; the ſtrength of that evil is gone: but that torment upon thee by the diſeaſe was nothing elſe but the wrath of God working through that channel; and let out through that; though now thou die, and the matter of the diſeaſe be gone, yet when thou comeſt to hell, there thou ſhalt meet with the ſame grievous pain; only in another way. That is, The wrath of God ſhall let out this evil immediately, through his wrath, which was mediately through the Creature before, and now it is immediately from himſelf. And this meditation rightly conſidered, is enough to bring down the proudeſt, ſtouteſt ſinner on the earth; to Conſider how the Wrath of God is all that evil to a ſinner that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth are able to convey, and much more. And thus you have this opened how Sin is the evil of all evils.