The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Part 6 – Part
THE SIXTH PART OF THIS TREATISE.
CHAP. XLIII.
Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil, opened in Six Particulars. Firſt, Sin is of the ſame Nature with the Devil. Secondly, Sin is from the Devil. Thirdly, Sin is a furtherance of the Devils Kingdom in the World: For 1 By Sin we oppoſe Chriſts deſtroying the Devils Kingdom in the World. 2 By Sin thou oppoſeſt thy prayers when thou prayeſt, Thy Kingdom come. 3 By going on in a way of ſin, thou becomeſt guilty of all the ſin in the World. Fourthly, Sinning is a fulfilling the will of the Devil. Fifthly, Sin ſells the Soul to the Devil. Sixtly, Sin, it turns the Soul into a Devil.
THe Sixt and Laſt Demonſtration of the Evil of Sin; It is from that reference Sin hath to the Devil.
The Scripture ſpeaks of Afflictions, that they make us conformable to Chriſt; but Sin makes us conformable to the Devil. There are Six things to be opened about this: I have mentioned the Firſt, which was this, That Sin was of the ſame Nature with the Devil: every Sin hath the ſame kind of Malignity in it, that the Devil hath. But,
Secondly, All Sin, it is from the Devil, either Originally, or at leaſt by way of a Cauſe, helping it forward: Sin is the work of the Devil, not only a joyning with him, but his work: therefore Chriſt is ſaid to come to diſſolve the works of the Devil: Sin is from the Devil, therefore it is ſaid in 1 John, 3. 8. He that commits ſin is of the Devil, for the Devil ſinneth from the beginning; and to this purpoſe the Son of man was manifeſt, that he might deſtroy the works of the Devil: He that commits ſin is of the Devil, it comes from the Devil. And ſo John, 8. 44. Brethren (theſe things which I ſpeak concerning the reference Sin hath to the Devil, though they may ſeem hard and harſh, yet) it is to be obſerved, none ſpeaks ſo much of Sins coming from the Devil as John, who was of the moſt loving, ſweet Nature of any of the Diſciples; and yet when he comes to ſpeak of ſin, he ſpeaks of it in the moſt harſh terms that poſſibly can be; ſo that it comes not from harſhneſs, but may ſtand with a loving and ſweet Nature to ſpeak of ſin in the harſheſt terms that we can do: for John the moſt loving, and beloved Diſciple of Chriſt, ſo full of love; and yet none ſpake ſo harſhly of ſin, eſpecially in its reference it hath to the Devil, as he ſaith here, Joh. 8. 44. You are of the Devil, and his luſt you will do: Thus Sin, the luſts of Sin come from the Devil, and it makes a man or a woman to be the Child of the Devil: So the Scripture is clear it comes from him Originally; all Sin that is in you, is Originally the Spawn of the very Devil himſelf in your ſouls; and originally it comes from him: as all Sin originally comes from his temptations and ſuggeſtions, ſo alſo the Devil helps forward and furthers all ſin that is in your ſouls, this is the evil of it. But here underſtand this aright, The Devil is not ſo the cauſe of all Sin, as God is the cauſe of all Grace, not ſo: It is true, the Devil hath a hand in every Sin, but not ſuch a hand in Sin, as God hath in Grace; for God hath ſuch a hand in the work of Grace, that he doth not only give a principle of Grace, but all the operation of Grace is ſo from him, as it would never ſtir but by him, he gives the will to work and do all; the will and the deed are from him: But all Sin is not ſo from the Devil, though originally it is, and the Devil puts it on; yet we are to know, though the Devil now ſhould tempt no more, yet there is enough in the hearts of men and women to ſin againſt God all manner of ſin, even from their own innate corruption that now is in them; if the Devil were deſtroyed, Sin would not be deſtroyed: In Grace there is no power to work but by Gods working together with it; but in Sin there is a power to work without the Devils working: though the Devil is forward enough to work with our corruption, yet I ſay there is corruption enough in our hearts for to work al kind of ſin, though the Devil ſhould not tempt us any more; therfore we muſt not lay all upon the Devil, as many do; when they fall into any wickedneſs, they will ſay, this is the Devil, and lay all the fault upon the Devil, and ſo think to take it off from themſelves by laying it upon the Devil: No, know, though the Devil labors to further it what he can, yet there is ſuch corruption in you, that it would ſtream forth from you though the Devil ſtir it not at all: therefore charge your own hearts as well as the Devil. In the work of Grace, we muſt give all the glorie to God; but in the work of Sin, we cannot allot all the fault to the Devil; we are not to take any of the glorie of the work of Grace to our ſelves, but we are to take a great part, yea, ſomtimes the greateſt part of Sin to our ſelves: but however the Devil is the cauſe of Sin originally, and helps forward to it.
Thirdly, All Sin is the furtherance of the Kingdom of the Devil in the World. You know that the Scripture ſaith, that the Devil is the Prince that rules in the Air, and is called the God of this World, becauſe he rules in the Children of diſobedience. There is a Kingdom of the Devil ſet up by ſin in the World, and maintained by ſin in the World; it hath a ſucceſſion in the World by ſin: So that all ſinners that continue in waies of ſin, they do what in them lies to uphold the Kingdom of the Devil in the World, and the Rule of the Devil in the World.
1 Therefore men in ſin, are exceeding oppoſite to the End of Chriſts coming in the World: for it is Chriſts End in coming into the world to diſſolve the Kingdom of the Devil, as you had it before in 1 John, 3. 8. It is an eſpecial End why Chriſt came into the world, for to bring down the Kingdom of the Devil, and yet thou by ſinning upholdeſt the Kingdom of the Devil; ſo thou doſt what in thee lies to oppoſe and reſiſt the very End of Chriſts coming into the world. There is very much in this conſideration to humble the hearts of all wicked men for ſin; thou haſt lived in a courſe of ſin it may be many yeers; now Brethren know, the Lord charges thee with this, this day, That all this time that thou haſt lived in a courſe of ſin, thou haſt done what in thee lies to oppoſe the End of Chriſts coming into the World; that if thou couldeſt thou wouldeſt hinder the end of the death of Chriſt, and of all that he hath done: for the eſpecial end why Chriſt is come into the World, it is to diſſolve the work of the Devil; and thou keepeſt up the work of the Devil.
2 Again, it follows hence, That thou doſt directly contradict thy own Prayers: When thou prayeſt, Thy Kingdom come, in the Lords Prayer, thou prayeſt there that the Kingdom of Chriſt might come: but in every way of ſin that thou takeſt liberty in, thou doſt oppoſe the Kingdom of Chriſt: How doſt thou take the Name of God in vain, and mock God in this Prayer? Every wicked man and woman in the world mocks God in praying the Lords Prayer, when they ſay Thy Kingdom come, and yet live in ſuch waies as upholds the Kingdom of the Devil, inſtead of the Kingdom of Chriſt.
3 Yea further, this follows, That by going on in waies of ſin, thou comeſt to be guilty, and ſtandeſt charged for all the ſins that ever were committed in the world: This may ſeem to be a hard thing, to charge any man or woman that now lives in waies of ſin, that by that ſin of thine that thou now liveſt in, thou comeſt to be guilty of all the ſins that ever was done in the world, ſince the beginning of the world. I undertake to make that good thus; You know the Scripture chargeth thoſe that perſecuted the Prophets, as guilty of all the perſecution of the Prophets that ever were, all the blood that was ſhed from Abel to Zacharias ſhall come upon this Generation, ſaith Chriſt; why ſo? why ſhould all the blood ſhed from Abel to that time, come upon that Generation? The Reaſon is this, Becauſe they continued the ſucceſſion of that ſin of perſecution of the Prophets, that as there was a perſecution of the Prophets before, ſo they go on and uphold this ſucceſſion of that ſin. Now by the holding of the ſucceſſion of a way of ſin, we come to be guilty of all that ſin that went before: As for example, Suppoſe there ſhould be Treaſon againſt a King or State, by ſome vile treaſonable act; now the Father commits the firſt act, the Son afterward goeth on in the ſame way, and his Children come after him, and goeth on in the ſame way, and their Children after them: now I ſay, the Children, and the Grand-children, and the great Grand-children, are guilty of the firſt treaſonable act that was committed; why? Becauſe they uphold the ſucceſſion of the treaſonoble act. So now, Sin that was in the beginning of the world, was to bring in the Kingdom of Satan; and the next Generation upheld it, and the next upheld the ſame, and the next Generation went on the ſame way; ſo that every Generation is not only guilty of thoſe particular ſins which they commit; but they be guilty of all that went before, becauſe they uphold the ſucceſſion of the Kingdom of the Devil, and the oppoſition of the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt: As for inſtance, Take a ſcorner of Religion, that is one ſin (for we cannot open things but by inſtancing in particulars) I ſay, take a ſcorner of Religion, know thou art not guilty of theſe acts of ſcorning only in thy ſelf, but art guilty of all the ſcorning of Godlineſs ſince the beginning of the world; why? Becauſe thou holdeſt a ſucceſſion of that way of ſcorning of Religion. So a Blaſphemer may be ſaid to be guilty of all the blaſphemies in the world; why? Becauſe he upholds the ſucceſſion of that way of ſinning againſt God; and ſo oppoſing the Kingdom of Chriſt, and upholding the Kingdom of the Devil. This is the third thing, Sin is the upholding of the Kingdom of the Devil in the World.
Fourthly, A Fourth thing is this, That Sin, it is a fulfilling of the will of the Devil: That is another diſtinct Conſideration, and you ſhall ſee that in the opening of it, it will be of diſtinct uſe to you: I ſay, it is a fulfilling the will of the Devil; that place is very famous for that in the 2 Tim. 2. 26. That they may recover themſelves out of the ſnare of the Devil, who are taken captive of him at his WILL: There wicked men be taken captive by the Devil at his Will, or to do his Will, ſo you may reade it: ſome they be inſnared by Satan to do his will, his luſts you do, as Chriſt ſpeaks: you may think you do your own will in ſinning, but certainly you do the will of the Devil as well as your own: As for inſtance, that of paſſion and anger Epheſ. 4. 26. Be angry, but ſin not, let not the Sun go down upon your wrath; neither give place to the Devil: you think you give place to your own paſſion, but you give place to the Devil, and fulfil the will of the Devil: You come by ſin to do the Devils drudgery and ſlavery; you do his work he ſets you about, and his will you fulfil. Now for ſuch a Noble Creature as Man is, to come to be a ſlave of the Devil, that is the loweſt now of all Creatures; it muſt needs be a very dreadful thing; it is an evil to be in ſlavery to any thing vile or baſe. I remember I have read a Story of one Gunno, King of the Danes, that having overcome a People, he ſet a Dog over them to be their Governor; that is thus, he would have all Commands to go out under the name of the Dog, and they ſhould be under the Government of the Dog; this he did in diſdain and indignation againſt thoſe people he overcame. But now, as he would ſhew the baſeneſs of that People that he deſigned to be under a Dog; much more debaſement is it for an immortal Soul to be under the Command of the Devil, as all wicked men are under the command of the Devil himſelf. Thou wilt not fulfil the will of God when it is opened to thee out of his Word and Will, what thou oughteſt to do; thou ſtandeſt out againſt the Will of God: But now you that think it ſuch a bondage to be obedient to the will of God, you be brought under a worſe bondage, you are fain to be obedient to the will of the Devil. And certainly thoſe men and women that think they be at moſt liberty when they be free from obedience to the Will of God; by that libertie they come to be under bondage, under ſlavery to the Devil All wicked men that think much to obey God, they muſt be obedient one way or other; we muſt be all ſervants, and obedient either to the Will of God, or the Devil: which is beſt then? Wicked men think it a brave life that they may have their own will; true, if they might have their own will, they might think it a brave life: but know, you have rather the will of the devil than your own, in that you do his will, you fulfil the will of the devil. To be in ſlaverie, not only to the devil, but to any man, is a great evil, to be at the wil of man, yea, to be at the will of a good man is an evil: I ſhould be loth to live in any ſuch Commonwealth, as that I ſhould be under the will of man in it, any further than might be revealed and bounded by ſome ſet Law. The difference between a Slave and a Subject is this, A Slave is ſuch a one as lives under Arbitrary Government, that is the WILL of ſuch as are in Authority, is their Law, and they are ruled by no other Law but by the Will of ſuch as Govern them, there is no Law ſet, to know when they ſhall offend, and when not; but when their Rulers ſay, this is an offence, that his will is croſſed, that is an offence, and they be therefore puniſhed: But now Subjects, they be bound to no obedience to any man, any further than ſome ſet Law doth require their obedience; that is a Subject, and that is the very difference between a Slave and a Subject. If men in Authority ſhould command any thing, though good (I mean only indifferent) yet I am not bound in conſcience to obey at al, becauſe they command, except it be by a Law, except they command it by a Law: if he command it meerly as his Will, and only ſay, I Will, here is no tie upon the conſcience. It is ordinarie for people to think, if men in Authoritie command, they will have ſuch a thing done, Oh ſay they, Authoritie commands: We deny it, Authoritie commands nothing but what it commands by a Law; and then we are bound to obey, or to ſuffer, if it be a Law once: but if it be not a Law, though it ſhould be the will of men in Authoritie, it doth not bind us at all, till it come to be a Law, any further than there is Equity it ſelf in the thing, in its own Nature: for then doth a People come to be in ſlavery when they come to be ſubject to the will of men without a Law. Now Brethren thus; If it be a ſlavery, and a great evil to be ſubject to men, though good men, ſubject to their will, and nothing elſe, without Law; then what an evil is it to be in ſubjection and ſlaverie to the will of the devil? meerly at his will? and yet every wicked man is ſo. We ſhould account it a very ſore thing if we ſhould come under Arbitrary Government, to be ſubject to the will of men. Now ſo long as thou remaineſt under the power of Sin, thou remained under the government of the devil himſelf; this is a ſorer evil than affliction: A man were better live in any Countrie, though not ſo fruitful as England, and ſuffer hardſhip in his Eſtate, ſo he live like a Free man, than to live here, or in any other fruitful Countrie, and live under Arbitrary Government. This we hope for, not to be under the Wills of men, but the Laws made by them. Then it were better to endure hardſhip and any affliction, than bear this, to be at the will of the Devil, and ful…l his will.
Fifthly, In reference to the devil, Sin hath this evil in it, if it grows to a height, itſels the ſoul to the Devil: As with Ahab, 1 Kings, 21. 20. when Elijah met Ahab, Haſt thou found me, O my Enemy? (ſaith Ahab) And he anſwered, I have found thee, becauſe thou haſt SOLD thy ſelf to work evil in the ſight of the Lord: Now if he ſell himſelf, he muſt ſell himſelf to ſome body, to ſomwhat, we cannot ſell a thing but we muſt ſell it to ſome body, or to ſomwhat; now to what muſt Ahab ſell himſelf? Certainly, to no body but to the devil; he ſold himſelf to work iniquity and wickedneſs, and wickedneſs when it comes to the height, is a ſelling of our ſelves to the very devil himſelf. We cry out of thoſe poor, miſerable Creatures that ſel themſelves to the devil, we ſay, Oh how be they deluded and beſotted that ſell themſelves to the devil? Certainly every wicked man and woman in the world, when ſin groweth to the height ſell themſelves to the devil.
Sixthly and laſtly, Sin when it grows to a height, it doth turn the Soul into a Devil; it makes men and women to become Devils, when it grows once to a height: The Scripture is very clear in that; you know what is ſaid concerning Judas, John, 6. 70. Have not I choſen you twelve, and one of you is a Devil? and ſo ordinarily the Scripture ſpeaks in this kind of phraſe, Revel. 2. 10. Fear none of theſe things you ſhall ſuffer, behold the Devil ſhall caſt ſome of you into priſon: why? is the Devil come to be a Purſevant, or an Officer, or to give Warrants to caſt into priſon? No, but it is ſpoken of wicked Perſecutors that the Devil ſets on work, they be called by the name of the Devil. Sin when it comes to a height, it makes the ſinners to be ſuch, that they are pronounced to be Devils: the Devil ſhall caſt ſome of you into priſon; and one of you is a Devil: that is a ſtrange metamorphoſis. We reade of ſtrange Fictions, of ſome Creatures turned into other Creatures; but this, for the Creature to be turned into a Devil, is the ſtrangeſt metamorphoſis that can be. Brethren, what made the Devil a Devil? they were once glorious Angels, more glorious Creatures than men and women, but what is it that ſhould make them devils now? Nothing but Sin; it is Sin that hath made Angels to be Devils: and therefore do not ſo much wonder that ſin ſhould make men and women to be devils Incarnate. Do not wonder at the phraſe of Scripture, ſeeing Angels by ſin, yea, the ſin that the Angels did commit, did preſently turn them into devils: therefore wonder not, that the continuing the acts of ſin, when it groweth to the height, ſhould turn men and women into devils. Theſe be the Six Particulars in this Head, of Sins Reference to the Devil. 1 It is of the ſame Nature with the devil, joyns with him againſt God. 2 It is the work of the devil, that is, he is the Original, and helping Cauſe of it. 3 It furthers the Kingdom of the devil. 4 It fulfils the will of the devil. 5 When it grows to a height it ſels the Creature to the devil. 6 It turns them into devils. Theſe be the Six Particulars of the evil of Sin in the Reference it hath to the Devil.
From theſe Six, follow theſe notable Corollaries and Conſequences, to ſhew the dreadful Evil in Sin beyond all Affliction.