The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Part · Chapter 60
CHAP. LX.
Uſe 9 If there be ſo much evil in ſin, this ſhould be a loud cry to ſtop men, and turn them from ſin.
Uſe IX. ANother Uſe is this, If there be ſo much evil in Sin, Then the conſideration and meditation of all that hath been ſaid, ſhould be a mighty cry unto all, to turn back, and ſtop in the waies of ſin. Oh thou Sinner, whoſoever thou art, in whatſoever place of the Congregation thou art; God hath brought thee by his providence to hear or reade theſe Sermons concerning the evil of Sin; know that all theſe Sermons that have been preached unto thee, they be all but as one loud, loud crie to thy ſoul, ſtop, ſtop; Oh Sinner in thy ſinful courſes, ſtop here, turn, turn; Oh Sinner out of thy ſinful waies, turn, turn, why wilt thou die? why wilt thou die? Oh wretched, ſinful ſoul, thou art loſt, curſed, undone, and wilt periſh eternally in that way thou art in; turn, turn, while thou haſt time: God cries, his Word cries, his Miniſters cries, Conſcience cries, all thoſe that have known what the evil of ſin means, cry to thee, unleſs thou wilt deſtroy thy ſelf, undo thy ſelf eternallie, ſtop in that way, for it is a dangerous deſperate way thou goeſt in, the verie road way to the Chambers of eternal Death. As ever thou wouldeſt be willing God ſhall hear thy crie upon thy ſick bed, in the anguiſh of thy ſoul; thou wilt then crie, now Lord have merciemercy upon a poor, wretched, ſinful ſoul: Thou wouldeſt be glad (I ſay) that the Lord ſhould hear thy crie upon thy ſick bed and death bed: Now then, as ever you would have God hear your crie, when you are in the greateſt anguiſh of your ſouls upon your ſick bed, and ſee death before you, be willing to hear the crie of God to your ſouls at this preſent: and know, if you do not hear the crie of God that cries to you, to ſtop you in ſinful waies; then theſe verie words I have ſpoken to you at this preſent, may come in your mind, when you crie for merciemercy; and then you may think, Oh wretch, now I crie to God for mercy, but do I not remember ſuch a time? was there not a loud crie in my Ears and Conſcience, as from God, that I ſhould ſtop in my ſinful waies and courſes? and was not I then charged as in the Name of God, and as ever I expected God ſhould hear my crie in ſuch a time, that I ſhould hear his voyce? Oh it will be dreadful for you to hear ſuch a voyce as this, Becauſe you would not hear me, therfore I will not hear you. Therfore behold, I crie again in the Name of God, ſtop, ſtop, turn thee; Oh ſinful ſoul; alas! whether art thou going? from God, from Comfort, from Life, from Happineſs, from all good whatſoever, thou art going! I call Heaven and Earth to record, that theſe things that I have delivered to you concerning the evil of ſin, are the Truths of God, and have been the Truths of God: And certainlie what I have delivered, and you read, concerning the evil of ſin, it will come and riſe up one day againſt everie ſinful man and woman that doth go on in anie known way of Sin; and it will prove as ſcalding lead in thy Conſcience: Everie Truth thou haſt heard, and everie Chapter thou haſt read, concerning the evil of Sin, I ſay, if yet thou goeſt on in any one known way of Sin, it will one day be as ſcalding lead in thy Conſcience; the dropping of ſcalding lead in the eyes of a man, will not be more terrible to him, than the droppings in of theſe Truths will be in thy Conſcience another day. Now it will be a ſad thing, my Brethren, if God ſhould ſend me amongſt you by his Providence, onlie to aggravate anie of your Condemnations: God forbid, there ſhould be this Errent ſent amongſt you, that anie of his Meſſengers ſhould be ſent for this end, to aggravate your condemnation: this is that which is the prayers of my ſoul, that this may not be the Errent I am ſent for, if poſſible; not to ſeal the condemnation of anie one ſoul: But this I know, except there be great reformation among manie, certainlie the verie Errand God intended in the concluſion (though I do not ſay that is the primarie, and firſt end, but it is that which will prove ſo in the concluſion) through the ſtubbornneſs of the hearts of ſinners, that will prove the Aggravation of their condemnation. Wherefore yet let me labor with your ſouls; who knows whether anie of you ſhall hear me preach anie one Sermon more? whether ever God will call after you any more? to ſtop or turn in the waies of Sin? whether ever you ſhall hear the Word more? Perhaps God will ſear your conſcience, and ſay to him that is filthie, let him be filthie▪ God now ſpeaks to you, and cries after you, if you harden your hearts now, it is more than Angels or men know, whether ever you will have one crie more. Therefore let me abide here; tell me Oh Sinner what is it thou getteſt in waies of ſin that thou wilt dwel here? what is it the world hath to draw thy heart from the ſtrength of all theſe Truths delivered in theſe Sermons? Sure it muſt be ſome mightie thing when ſuch Truths as theſe, backed with Arguments from Scripture, ſtrength of Reaſon (as all theſe be) cannot reſtrain thee. Sure it muſt be ſome wonderful thing, that muſt over ballance all theſe Sermons, and all theſe things: what haſt thou ſuch a heart, that is ſet upon any ſinful way, anie ſecret hant of Sin, that thou findeſt ſuch good in it? that by it all theſe Truths are over ballanced? Certainlie there is no ſuch good in the world, if all Creatures in the world ſhould joyn together, to give ſome comfort to ballance theſe Truths delivered concerning the evil of ſin, all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth could not give ſuch things as would ballance it▪ Therefore certainlie thou art deceived; the refore return, return, Oh Shulamite, return▪ return. Oh that the Truths delivered in this Point might be as that ſudden amazing …igh that came to Saul, when he was going o… i… courſes of Sin, Acts, 9. there was an amazing Light came and ſtopt Saul in his courſe. Oh that God would cauſe the light of theſe glorious Truths delivered concerning this Argument, to be as an amazing light to thy ſoul, to ſtop you in the waies of Sin.
Object. Oh but you will ſay, We cannot ſtop, you put that upon our power, that God muſt do.
Anſw. 1 Firſt, For that act (I have told you) what power God gives, though you have none of your own; God gives power for the bare outward act; and do not ſay you cannot do this; you know what convincements you have had of that, therefore ſay no more you cannot: And though you cannot, yet God uſeth to convey power through the Word, while God calls upon Sinners to ſtop and mend, Gods way is then to convey power: But in the mean time though there be no ſaving work of grace come in; yet thus much by an ordinarie and common work of Gods Spirit may be done, God may cauſe a Sinner to reſolve whatſoever come of it, that way of ſin I dwelt in, I will never meddle withal; and ſo there may be a ſequeſtration of the heart from ſin, though not a full poſſeſſion of Gods Spirit come into the ſoul. As thus, It is many times with God and the Sinner, as with man and man; A man in debt, and not able to pay, an Ar…eſt comes on his Goods, and there is a Sequeſtration of the Goods, but ſo as they are to lie in other mens hands; ſo as though they, be not quite take …way from the Debtor, yet they be out of his power, he can have no uſe of thē for the preſent, til the debt is paid; but whoſoever wil come & pay the debt, he ſhal have the goods. So wth the heart, when the ſiner comes to venture on Chriſt for pardon of ſin; the ſinner ſeeth I cannot over-rule my ſelf, ſanctifie my heart, overcome my luſts; however, God ſequeſters the heart for the preſent ſo far from them, that I will not go on in theſe waies again, I will not follow that Company again; there is a forbearance of thoſe acts of Sin; that though the heart could not ſanctifie it ſelf; yet it lies thus before the Lord, Oh Lord, do thou pardon, do thou come in, and Oh, let Chriſt pay the debt for my Sin, and let him take poſſeſſion of my heart, but in the mean time, Satan ſhall not uſe it, as before; and the waies of Sin, thoſe groſs waies I will forbear, though I die for it: I will rather ſit ſtill all my daies and never ſtir off my ſeat, than go to ſuch wicked Companie; and I will rather never open my mouth again, than ſwear, and ſpeak ſo filthilie; but Oh Lord, do thou diſcharge my ſoul, and take it to thy ſelf: and then comes in a ſanctifying work of God, to ſanctifie the ſoul, and ſave it. But Oh! that I might prevail thus far, That there might be but a Sequeſtration of the Soul from ſin this day; though Sanctification come not in, though the holy Ghoſt come not to rule in thy Soul; yet that there might be a Sequeſtration, that the heart might come and lie down, and ſay, Lord, come thou in, and take Poſſeſſion; but for thoſe delights and contents, I took in ſin before; I am reſolved, though I periſh for ever; I will not go on in them hereafter. Here would be a good ſtop in the waies of ſin; for a man that goes in a dangerous way, he muſt make a ſtop before he turns, and conſider, Oh Lord, where am I? and whether am I a going? and is this my way? and then he turns. Now this I endeavor, if poſſible, to make a ſtop in ſinful waies; that you might conſider, Oh Lord, where am I? what am I a doing? what will become of me? Oh! that you might go away with ſuch thoughts in your boſoms. And then followes the next.