The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Part · Chapter 58
CHAP. LVIII.
Uſe 7. If there be ſo much evil in ſin, how dreadful a thing it is for men or women to delight in ſin.
Uſe VII. IF there be ſo much evil in ſin as you have heard, mark then further what follows: What a dreadful thing is it for men and women to delight in ſin, and rejoyce in ſinful waies, to make a ſport of ſin: What infinite impudency is this for a Creature to make merry and rejoyce in Sin againſt God? Haſt thou nothing to be merry withal? Haſt thou nothing to rejoyce in but ſinning againſt the Almighty? What? ſhall there be ſo much revealed to thee concerning the dreadful evil of thy ſins, and yet you ſo far from being convinced, that there is ſo much evil in it, as you rather look upon it, as having more good in it, than there is in God himſelf, and Chriſt, and Heaven, and all the glorious things of eternal life? for ſo doth everie man and woman that makes anie ſinful way their chief joy; I ſay, they are ſo far from being convinced of ſo much evil in it, as hath been declared, as that they do rejoyce in it, as if there were more good in it, than there is in God himſelf, or Chriſt, or anie thing revealed in the Word concerning the treaſures of the riches of the grace of God in Chriſt; this is horrible wickedneſs: it is an horrible evil in thy heart, that ſuch an evil as ſin is, ſhould be ſo ſuitable to thy heart; that there ſhould be anie ſuitableneſs between thy heart, and ſo great an evil as ſin is: yea, note that thou haſt a verie curſed heart, that ſhould be ſuitable to that which is ſo evil; a verie poyſonous heart, that there ſhould be ſo much agreement between that which is ſo poyſonous, and the temper of thy heart: True, a toad will take poiſon, and it is ſuitable to it, it lives upon it, and takes delight in it, as you do in meat and drink: Now thoſe that can make Sin their meat and drink; as Chriſt ſaith, It is meat and drink to do the Will of my Father; ſo it is meat and drink to manie ungodly men and women to do wickedlie. Now hereby thou art declared to be a toad, to be of a venemous nature, that haſt ſuch a ſuitableneſs between thy Nature and Sin. Sure nothing but a venemous toad can delight in poiſon: ſo nothing but a heart more venemous and loath ſom than a toad is to the daintieſt Ladie in the world to put a toads head to their mouth; I ſay, none but ſuch a heart can take delight in a ſinful and ungodlie way. Suppoſe there were a ſuitableneſs between the corrupt humors in thy ſoul and ſin; yet now thou haſt heard ſo much of the evil of it, it is a curſed madneſs in thee to take delight in it, becauſe it is ſuitable to thy Nature: What canſt thou delight to drink ſweet poiſon? becauſe poiſon is ſweet, and comes to be ſuitable becauſe of the ſweetneſſe? If thou know it to be poiſon, and ſtrong poiſon, what a madneſſe were it in thee, to drink a …ll draught only becauſe 'tis ſweet? There is the ſame madneſſe in all men and women in the world that can take pleaſure in ſin, becauſe there is ſweetneſs in it, and the ſuitableneſſe of it unto their corrupt nature. There is not only difference, but contrarietie between thy heart and a godlie mans; a godlie man or woman had rather ſuffer all the torments in the World, than endure that which thou makeſt thy chief Joy. What a contrariety to God, and the Nature of God? what a difference between the Nature of God and thee? That which is a burthen to the Spirit of God, is the moſt delightful thing in the world to thy ſpirit. Yea, what a deſperate heart haſt thou, that that which murthered Chriſt, thou canſt delight in. Certainlie where there is delight and pleaſure in Sin; Sin increaſeth infinitelie; there muſt be moſt deſperate increaſe of Sin. For as it is with grace, thoſe men and women that have gracious hearts, and come to make the waies of godlineſs their delight once; Oh they grow up in godlineſs; no men and women grow up in godlineſs ſo as theſe do that come to make the waies of God their delight. If you would grow up in grace, make the waies of God your delight, and then you will grow in grace. So contrarilie, thoſe men and women that come to make anie waies of Sin their delight, and joy of their hearts, they grow up in ſin, in a moſt dreadful manner. And be it known unto you, that according unto the meaſure of your delight in Sin, ſo ſhall be the bitterneſs and torment that you ſhal indure herafter. As Rev. 18. 7. it is ſaid of Babilon, So much as ſhe hath glorifed her ſelf, ſo much torment give her: So God will ſay of all ſinners, that hath taken pleaſure in unrighteouſneſſe; So much as you have rejoyced in ſin, ſo much torment give that ſoul. Yea, the time will come that God will take as much delight in your deſtruction, as you have delighted in ſinning againſt him. Prov. 1. latter end, God will laugh at their deſtruction, and mock when their fear cometh: Is there never a man or woman here in this congregation that hath committed ſin and laughed at it? or made ſome others commit ſin and laugh at it? I ſpeak to you as in the name of God, Is there not one man or woman whoſe Conſcience tels them, I have ſworn an oath, or told a lye, and laughed at it? made another drunk and laughed at it? Doſt thou laugh at ſin? rejoyce at ſin? take heed, come in quicklie, thou hadſi need fall down and mourn bitterlie at Chriſts feet; otherwiſe certainlie thou art the man or woman at whoſe deſtruction God will laugh another day. It were thy wiſdom rather to howl and cry out in anguiſh of Spirit, becauſe of Sin, than to make it matter of jollitie and joy; Let us all take heed of making our ſelves merrie with ſin: We muſt not play with edge tools: There is a notable place we have Prov. 26. 18, 19. As a mad man, who caſts fire brands, arrows, and death, ſo is the man that deceaves his neighbor, and ſaith, Am I not in Sport? I beſeech you conſider this text, many of you will cozen and cheat your neighbors, and when you have done, make a jeſt, and mock of it that you cozened and cheated: ſo what the holie Ghoſt ſpeaks to ſuch a man, and this Scripture culs out that man and woman whoſoever they be that ever deceaved their neighbor. And afterwards when they come among their companions, laughed at it. As mad men or women (mark what the text ſaith) who caſts fire-brands, arrows, and death; ſo is the man that deceives his neighbor, and ſaith, Am I not in Sport? and it is but a jeſt, and a matter of nothing, and can jeer him, when he hath done: mark, this is a mad man that caſts fire-brands, arrows, and death; Oh that God this day, would caſt a fire-brand, and arrows, and every ſentence of death upon thy heart that haſt been guiltie of this, and not humbled to this day for it, Oh it is the fool as I have ſhewed, makes a mock of ſin. What? Canſt thou commit a wickedneſſe, be drunk, or unclean, or filthie, and then thou afterward go and tell thy companions, and make a ſport, or a mock at ſin? Thou art one of the fools in Iſrael, and God this day caſts ſhame in thy face; thou haſt ſhame caſt in thy face even by the Almightie this day out of his Word. Certainlie Brethren, if we underſtand what the evil of Sin is, when we are in any company, where men and women be never ſo merry; if there were but one wilful ſin committed among them, anie one apparent ſin, it were enough to damp all the joy that day; and indeed it ſhould be ſo. We reade of David when he carried the Ark, a gracious work, and there was but one ſin committed, in touching the Ark unadviſedly, and it damped all the joy. And certainlie, it was the ſin from which there was more cauſe of damping the joy, than from the puniſhment; for there was more evil in the ſin, than in the puniſhment: Now you ſhall have many men and women in merrie Meettings, and Companie, they be merry, and eat, and drink, and laugh: well, but abundance of ſin is committed in the Companie, but not one whit dampt all that day; but can go on in their mirth, and tales, and laughing; go on as freelie and fullie, as if there were no ſin committed. Be it known to you this day from the Lord, any of you that have been in anie Companie, merrie and jollie, and yet ſin hath been committed before your eyes, and you have heard it with your ears, if it have not dampt your joy and mirth; know your hearts be not right with God; and it is a ſign your hearts have been vile, curſed hearts, that when you have ſeen ſin committed in your companie, yet you can go on with joy. Suppoſe in your company, in the midſt of your mirth, one takes a knife and ſtabs himſelf into the heart; would not this damp your joy? would you goon in your mirth ſtill? would not all your joy be gone? when you be in companie and hear one ſwear, if you had eyes you would ſee them even ſtab them ſelves to the heart: and there is more Evil in this, than in the other; and yet you can go on in your joy and mirth, though ſince you ſate down there hath been fortie oaths ſworn there. We reade in the 2 Sam. 13. 29. at the feaſt of Davids Sons, Abſaloms inviting of Amnon to dinner, Abſalom bids his ſervants, whem Amnon was merrie, to ſtrike him to the wall; and they did ſo: and then every one of the King's Sons gat up, and all their mirth was done, though they were very merrie before. So if your hearts be right when you are in companie, and hear one ſwear, or blaſpheme Gods Name, or ſpeak againſt Religion, it would be as much as if one were ſtab'd in the room, all the mirth of that day would be gone if your hearts were right. And do not think this too ſtrict, that ſin committed by others ſhould damp your joy: Certainlie, the thing is moſt reaſonable, and apparent as poſſibly can be, to convince anie mans Conſcience, that underſtands what the Evil of Sin means: and yet many of you have not onlie continued your joy, but have been joyful and jocond, the rather becauſe ſin is committed in the companie. As ſuppoſe one make a jeſt upon Religion, and ſcorn Profeſſion, you laugh with them, and make merrie with them. When one makes a lye upon Religion, you can laugh and be merrie: Oh certainlie, if you have anie Conſcience at all, you cannot but be this day convinced of horrible ſin againſt God. Suppoſe thou wert in merrie companie, and thou ſhouldeſt hear of a certain, that tydings is come, that thy Ship is caſt away, and that thou haſt loſt all that ever thou didſt venture in that Ship, wouldeſt not thou give over▪ wouldſt thou go on? wouldſt not thou ſay it is time for me to be gone now? and doſt thou not account more the hazard of thy own ſoul? and the ſoul of thy brother? than of thy Goods? Certainlie, thy heart cannot be right with God. Oh! take heed than in your merrie Meettings; we do not denie but men and women may be ioyful, and eate, and drink together, and delight themſelves in the Creature, but it muſt be ſo, that it muſt be without apparent ſin: I know there will be natural infirmities in anie action; but I ſpeak of open and apparent wickedneſſe; joy muſt not be when there is apparent wickedneſſe. You think godlie people are not for Societie and good-fellowſhip; indeed you cannot expect they ſhould be joyful and merrie, but that they ſhould rather be melancholly and heavie, and ſad in your companie, when they ſee ſo many ſins committed there: what would you have them merrie when they ſee the companie inbrue their hands in their fathers bloods? would you have the Son merrie, when the companie imbrue their hands in his Fathers blood? Certainlie everie godlie man or woman, when they come in companie, and ſee ſo manie ſins committed, they do actuallie and reallie ſee you ſtab and imbrue your hands in Gods blood: when you rejoyce in the Lord, they can be as merrie and joyful as anie of you all: and have ſweet comfort in your companie; but not when ſin is there committed. Manie of you when you have been in merrie companie, when you are gone, you can report, Oh we were to day in ſuch a place, and we had ſuch merrie companie, it would do ones heart good to be among them; we were ſo merrie and jocund, we had a brave time. Well, but was there no apparent wickedneſſe committed in your companie? never an oath ſworn? no exceſs in the Creature in drinking? no ribaldry talking? you never think of that, as if that were nothing at all, it did not abate the leaſt of thy joy: Certainlie thy heart is not right, thou knowſt not what ſin means, thou muſt know it after another manner.
One Particular more, becauſe tis uſeful, and theſe *This was Preached at Stepney the 26. of February.merry times are moſt pleaſing among the yonger people, when they come abroad in company, they will make a ſport of ſin, and think nothing of it. I will apply one text of Scripture to that ſport of yong men, when they ſeek to make one another drunk, or ſwear, and ſpeak wickedlie, and rejoice in it: 'tis juſt like that ſport, 2 Sam. 14. Abner ſaith to Joab, Let the yong men ariſe and play before us: and obſerve what play this was; then there aroſe and went over twelve men of Benjamine, which pertained to Iſhboſheth the Son of Saul, and twelve of the ſervants of David, and they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thruſt his ſword in his fellows ſide, ſo they fell down together: and this was their play. So it is with yong men, many times when they come into companie, yong prophane men, they come to play, and make ſport, but it is in the furtherance of Sin one in another; and they do but as it were take the ſword and thruſt it in one anothers bowels, and what in them lies, to be their ruine and eternal deſtruction for ever.