The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Part · Chapter 57
CHAP. LVII.
Uſe 6. If there be ſo much evil in ſin, it ſhew the miſerable condition of thoſe whoſe hearts and lives are filled with ſin.
Uſe VI. ANother Uſe is this, If there be ſo much evil in ſin, Then what a miſerable condition are thoſe in that be full of ſin, w…oſe hearts and lives are filled up to the brim, to the very top, exceeding full of ſin. Is there all this evil (that I have ſpoken of) in the nature of Sin? in one ſin? (as you have heard) ſuch dreadful evil in the leaſt ſin? Oh Lord, what a condition are thoſe in (I ſay) that are guilty of an infinite number of ſins? It is ſaid, Eccleſ. 9. 3. The hearts of men are full of evil, full of ſin: it is true of all the ſons and daughters of men in the world that their hearts be full of ſin. A toad is not ſo full of poyſon as the heart of every man and woman in the world is full of ſin: and that which thou art full of, is ſuch an abominable thing in the eyes of God, as you have heard: yea, and as their hearts are full of ſin, ſo they be fully ſet to do evil, Eccleſ. 8. 11. Becauſe Sentence againſt an evil work is not ſpeedily executed, therefore the hearts of the ſons of men are fully ſet in them to do evil: this is true of all; in their natural condition, their hearts are full of evil, and their hearts are fully ſet in them to do evil. All the actions that ever thou didſt do, all the thoughts of thy mind, and the words of thy mouth; all the actions of thy life, ever ſince thou wert born, hath been nothing elſe but ſin, if thou be in thy natural eſtate. This we dare avow, and ſpeak as in the preſence of God, That every man and woman not yet converted, had never any thought▪ never ſpake word, never did any action in all their lives, but they ſinned againſt God. And if Sin be to evil, what an evil caſe are thoſe men in, who be ſo full of ſin? in all that ever they did in all their lives, yea, their beſt actions; how full of ſin be thoſe? and how miſerable is their condition, in that regard; who have given up themſelves to follow Sin with greedineſs? Are there not ſome of you before the Lord, whoſe conſciences cannot but …el you that you have given up your ſelves to follow the luſts of your own hearts with greedineſs? to ſatisfie them to the full? and all your grief hath been, that you could ſatisfie them no more: this hath been the condition of many who have lived in a courſe of ſin all their daies; yea, and it may be againſt conſcience alſo; who have been guilty, not only of multitudes of ſin, but guiltie of ſuch multitudes with woful aggravations, as againſt light, againſt means, againſt vows: Certainly if Sin be ſuch an evil in its own nature, though but any one, if God ſhould ſet but the leaſt ſin, but of thought, upon a mans heart as he may do, he would …ink the ſtouteſt-heart down to the bottomleſs gulph of deſpair; then what will become of thee if God come to ſettle all thy abominations upon thy heart altogether? The Floods of ungodly men (ſaith David, Pſal. 18. 14.) hath made me afraid: The word Men there, is not in the Original; but tranſlated by ſome, The floods of wickedneſs have made me afraid. Certainly if God diſcover the floods of thoſe wickedneſſes that your conſciences may tell you, you have been guiltie of it cannot but make you afraid: if God come, and ſet all thoſe ſins in order before thy face, it will be a moſt dreadful Object and Spectacle. Let me make uſe of that Phraſe, Job, 6. 12. Is my ſtrength the ſtrength of ſtones? and my fleſh of Braſs? So may I ſay unto thoſe who have ſuch woful guilt of ſin upon them; What is thy ſtrength the ſtrength of ſtones, and thy fleſh of braſs? that thou canſt bear the weight and burden of ſo many, and ſuch horrible tranſgreſſions as thou haſt been guiltie of? when thou heareſt that there is ſo much evil in one ſin, and that in the leaſt Sin. We reade, Leviticus, 16. 22, 24. of the Scape Goat, that when Aaron and his Sons the Prieſts, ſhould come and lay his hands upon it, and put the Sins of the people upon him, he was to go into the Wilderneſs, into a deſolate place among the wild beaſts there; to note the woful condition of a Sinner that hath the guilt of multitudes of Sins upon him; when he is like that Scape Goat to go into the Wilderneſs among wild beaſts readie to tear him. Thy condition is worſe, except thou art delivered from the guilt of ſin; I ſpeak of one under the guilt of ſin, it is like to be worſe with thee, thou art in a worſe condition, than if thou wert to live among Tigers, and Bears, and Dragons, readie to tear thee: Certainly thy eſtate is far worſe. If thy bodie were full of ſores, thou wouldeſt think thy condition very ſad, it would cauſe much dejection of Spirit; but for thy ſoul to be full of Sin, to have ſo much Sin, is worſe than if thou hadeſt plague ſores upon thy bodie from head to foot. If you ſhould ſee a man, all over from the crown of the head to the ſoal of the foot, full of plague ſores, you would think that man in a ſad condition: Certainly the ſtate of every man unconverted, is far worſe, becauſe he is all over full of Sin, that hath ſo much evil in it.
As for that Doctrine of the fulneſs of Sin in the heart and life of man, that will require another and larger Treatiſe by it ſelf; therfore I do not intend to fall upon that Doctrine, how man is full of Sin in his heart and life; that may be done hereafter: but only for the preſent, to preſent this Meditation before you; If ſo much evil be in every Sin, then the fulneſs of Sin muſt needs put a man or woman in an evil and ſad condition: Pſal. 73. 10. God ſaith, He will wring out to the wicked, a full cup of wrath, to thoſe full of Sin. Job, 20. 11. there it is ſpoken of the wicked and ungodly, That their bones are full of the ſins of their youth: thy life is full of ſin, thy bones may be full of the ſins of thy youth: many youths, yong people, run on in great iniquities in the times of their youth; and multiply ſins, and ad Sin to Sin: well, know that thy youthful ſins, may prove thy ages terror; and thou that art ſo full of Sins when yong, and given up to all kind of Sin now, hereafter thy bones may be full of the Sins of thy youth. Thus much for this Uſe likewiſe, becauſe that it would require a Doctrine by it ſelf. I proceed to another.