The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Part · Chapter 59
CHAP. LIX.
Uſe 8. If there be ſo much Evil in sin, than every ſoul is to be humbled for ſin.
Uſe VIII. IF there be ſo much Evil in ſin as you have heard, Hence the Conſideration of what hath been delivered, ſhould cauſe al your hearts to be humbled for the ſins your Conſciences tels you, you be guilty of: not onlie thoſe that are ſo full of ſin, but everie womans Child hath cauſe to apply what hath been ſaid, and to be humbled in their ſouls before the Lord for that woful guilt they have brought upon themſelvs. And now I ſpeak to every ſoul, for there is none here but have much ſin, they be guiltie of: Now Oh thou ſinner whoſoever thou art, charge upon thy ſoul what thou remembereſt concerning the evil of ſin, charge it upon …hy own heart, labor to bring it with power upon thy own ſpirit; bring thy ſin with all the aggravations of it that poſſible thou canſt, and lay it upon thy heart, and labor to burden thy heart, to make thy ſpirit ſenſible of it: open thy conſcience, and let in all theſe Truths thou haſt heard, ſuffer the Law to come with power, and though it doth ſlay thee (as Paul ſaith, when the Law came, ſin revived, and I died) though it ſlay thy ſoul, open thy boſom, and let it come: go to the verie pits brink that ſin endeavors to plunge ſoul and bodie in eternallie; be willing to go to the pits brink, and ſee what there is in the verie pits brink, and upbraid thine own heart for the hardneſs of it, and think with thy ſelf thus, Lord, what a heart have I? I can be troubled for everie little loſs and affliction, but Oh the hardneſs of my heart, for ſin I cannot be affected, it yeilds and ſtirs not; for anie pettie loſs, or if anie croſs me, what a diſturbance is there in my ſpirit then? but little or nothing for my ſin; Oh what ſhall become of this heart of mine? what ſhall I do with this heart of mine, thus hardened from the fear of the Lord? what? wil ſin bring confuſion upon the whol Creation? what ſhall then become of my ſoul, if ever I come to anſwer for my ſin my ſelf? Certainlie my Brethren, God muſt have glorie, and therefore we muſt be humbled for Sin, ſeeing there is ſo much evil in it: it cannot poſſibly be, but that God muſt expect to ſee all his poor Creatures that have been ſo guiltie, to lie down abaſed, and humbled, as poor, wretched, miſerable, forlorn undone Creatures by reaſon of ſin. It is a mightie diſhonor to God that ever we have ſinned thus againſt him, as we have done: but that we ſhould not be ſenſible of it; this ads as great diſhonor unto God as the former Sin did. When a man or a woman commits Sin, they diſhonor God in that; but being not ſenſible of it after committed, is a greater diſhonor to God than the commiſſion of it was: and the longer they continue unſenſible of their ſin, the more deſperate their Sin againſt God grows: for if thou haſt not anie ſence of Sin, but goeſt on, in a little time thou maieſt come to be paſt feeling, as the Scripture hath the Phraſe, being paſt feeling: So manie men and women, firſt they begin not to be troubled for ſin, and put it off; at length they come to be paſt feeling, and if thy heart be unſenſible of the evil of it, then ſin grows exceedingly: So ſaith the Scripture, Being paſt feeling they give up themſelves with greedineſs to all laſciviouſneſs, and wantonneſs. What is the reaſon men and women give up their ſouls to ſin, to laſciviouſneſs and wantonneſs with greedineſs? Becauſe they be paſt feeling. Oh the hardneſs of the heart in Sin; the ſtone in the heart, is worſe than the ſtone in the bladder.
Object. But you will ſay, If I labor to bring the weight of ſin upon my ſoul, you have told us there is ſo much evil in ſin, that if God ſhould but bring, and ſet it upon my heart, it would ſink my heart, and bring me to deſpair; we had need labor to put off the weight and burden of it then; and yet now, after you have told us the heavy weight of it, do you labor now to bring the weight and burden of it upon our ſouls?
Anſw. Yes Brethren, To bring the weight and ſence of Sin, is that I labor for; not to bring more guilt, but the ſence and burden of ſin; and this is not the way to bring you to deſpair. But firſt learn what I mean by this, that you may learn, not to be ſo ſhie of bearing the weight of Sin, as before you have been; but to be willing to take up the burden; for there is no danger of deſpair in this: If there come deſpair, it is rather when God ſhall force the burden of Sin upon your ſouls; but if God ſee a man and woman free and willing to lay the weight and burden of ſin upon themſelves; to that end that they may be humbled before the Lord, and give glorie to God: Certainly God will take care of that ſoul, it ſhall never ſink under the burden of ſin. This now, as in the name of the Lord, I pronounce to you; everie ſoul that is willing to bring the weight of Sin upon himſelf, to that end that it may be humbled, and give glorie to God; my life for that ſoul, that ſoul ſhall never ſink under the burden of ſin; certainlie God will take care of ſuch a ſoul, that it ſhall not ſink under that burden: therfore be as willing as you will, to let as much weight of Sin as will, be upon your heart, and the more willing you be, the greater is the care of God over that heart, that it ſhal not periſh. But 'tis the way to deſpair, if you upon the hearing of theſe things, come to be ſhie of meditating upon ſin, and be loth to entertain thoſe meditations, that may work the weight of Sin upon your own ſouls. Now it is juſt with God, when he ſhall come and force the weight of ſin upon you, and lay the burden of it upon your ſpirits, then to let you ſink under the burden of it, for God to behold you ſweltring under the burden of it without pittie and compaſſion; and your own Conſcience will be readie to tell you ſo; yea, now the weight of Sin is upon me, but is forced whether I will or no; now God may juſtlie let it lie: This is a ſad and a ſinking thought; and if anie thing let ſin lie upon the ſoul, that it ſhall never be purged, it will be this; When the Spirit would have brought Sin in the weight of it upon my Conſcience, I put it off, and now God puts it upon me, and therefore it troubles me thus. Therefore be willing to be humbled, and know, if you be willing, Jeſus Chriſt is appointed for that end to raiſe you up; and there is as much power in the Goſpel to raiſe your heart, as there is in ſin to preſs down your heart, if you be rightlie burdened with it.