The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Part · Chapter 47
CHAP. XLVII.
The Fourth Corollarie.] Its worſe to be given up to any way of Sin, than to be given up to the Devil: Queſt. How the Delivering up to Satan, can be for the ſaving the Soul?
A Fourth Corollarie hence is this, That for any man or woman to be left to one Sin, it is worſe than to be given up to the Devil. I ſay, it is a greater evil, a greater judgement for any man or woman to be left to any way of Sin, than to be given up to Satan: is thy ſoul given up to the power of any one Sin? I dare here as I ſtand in the preſence of God, To ſpeak the truths of God, I dare avow it; you are in a worſe condition than if you ſhould be given up to the devil. I make that good thus, In Scripture, 1 Cor 5. 5. we have an example of one that was given up to the Devil, and that in a right way, there is an Inceſtuous perſon that committed that horrible wickedneſs, not named among the Gentiles, that had his fathers wife and committed Inceſt with her: the Apoſtle commands him to be delivered to Satan for the deſtruction of the fleſh, that his ſpirit might be ſaved in the day of the Lord Jeſus: He was delivered to Satan; but for the deſtruction of the fleſh; but to the end that he might have his Spirit ſaved in the day of the Lord Jeſus: So that the delivering up to Satan was a means appointed by God to ſave his ſoul: But to deliver up any one to the power of Sin, is no means to ſave his ſoul, that is a means to damn the ſoul, and not to ſave it. So then, you ſee the reaſon grounded cleerly upon Scripture, That it is worſe to be delivered up unto any ſin than to be delivered to the Devil; for he that was delivered to Satan, it was for the ſaving of the ſoul; but he that is delivered to Sin, it is for the damning of his ſoul. This requires a little opening.
Queſt. You will ſay, How can the delivering up to Santan be for the ſaving of the ſoul?
Anſw. It will be needful for cleering of this, to tell you what this delivering up to Satan was; and the truth is, this delivering up to Satan, or excommunication from the Church, this was a moſt dreadful thing when done in a right way; it was done when the Church was gathered together by the power of Jeſus Chriſt: As certainly where there are a company of Saints, that at leaſt outwardly ſo appear; a Church, that in a ſolemn manner is gathered together, through the power of Jeſus Chriſt, having their Elder going before them the Officer of the Church; when they in a ſolemn manner▪ in the power of Chriſt, ſhall caſt out any one deſervedly from Church Communion; this is a delivering a man or woman to Satan (this is another manner of buſineſs than ordinarily we were wont to have, by the Ordinary, or Commiſ…ary, and Dean, in the Prelates Courts; certainly they were but wooden Daggers in compariſon of this dreadful Sword, to cut off from the Communion of the Church) it was when the Church was Aſſembled, not the Commiſſary and Officers, but when the Church was gathered together, to cut ſuch a one from the Church of Chriſt, for ſome vile act; not for not paying of their Fees, or the like, theſe things only ſcared people; but if this Cenſure of Excommunication were in a right way executed, it were the moſt dreadful thing in the world: it is that which hath awed and terrified the moſt proud and ſtout ſinners; the very ſight of anothers Excommunicating, it hath terrified the conſcience of thoſe that have been by: It is a delivering them to Satan, and putting them from under the protection of God, giving them up to the devil, to take power over them, except they come in, and repent: and this is a way to ſave the ſoul, becauſe if there be any way in the world to cauſe men to ſee their ſin, and repent, and be humbled, and come in, this is it; and when no other way would do it, this many times hath done it. And therefore thoſe people that live in ſuch a condition, that want this Ordinance of Excommunication in the right way, want an eſpecial means to keep off ſin, both to keep them from ſin before they are fallen, and of delivering of them from ſin when they have fallen into it. But to be given over to the power of ſin, is a greater evil than to be delivered to Satan.