The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 8, Part · Chapter 50
CHAP. L.
Uſe I. Shew that trouble of Conſcience for Sin, is another manner of buſineſs than Melancholly, or timerouſneſs.
Uſe I. HEnce follows this plainly from all that have been ſpoken, if ſin be worſe than any affliction, and not to be choſen rather than Affliction; Hence it follows, Then that trouble of Conſcience for Sin certainly is another manner of buſineſs than meerly Melancholly diſtemper, it comes not from Melancholly, nor fooliſh timerouſneſs, and the like. There is another manner of buſineſs in trouble of Conſcience for Sin then the world thinks for; this is the Firſt Uſe that followes from all that hath been delivered. Me thinks all of you ſhould yeild to the ſtrength of this Conſequence: If you have heard or read what I have opened: you that have heard al, or read it, it ſhould take this effect in you all: Well then by what I have heard now, I come to underſtand what the meaning of trouble of Conſcience for ſin is. I have heard (heretofore) of many men and women troubled for ſin, and I wondered what it meant, I wondered what it was that troubled them; many yong people may be heirs of great eſtates and excellent good friends, of healthful bodies, in good trades, all well about them; and yet mightily troubled for ſin. yea, perhaps ſome that to the view of the world lived very civilly, yet had in ſecret been guilty of ſome notorious profane courſe, and yet when God ſhall but ſettle any one ſin upon their hearts, and trouble their Conſciences for any one ſin; they could not bear the horror of their Conſcience for this one ſin. Well, this I have heard of the evil of ſin, tells me I have had miſtaken thoughts about it; I thought all was melanchollineſs, and even madneſs, and the Phyſitian muſt be ſent for, and merry company ſent for, becauſe men and women have ſuch poor and mean apprehenſions of the evil of ſin. and therefore when any are troubled in Conſcience for Sin, Oh then get him into merry company, get a pair of cards, make them play a fit of Muſick, go to ſome buſineſs in the world, put themſelves upon buſineſs, one thing or other, drink down their trouble, play down their trouble, thus many have ſlight thoughts of trouble of Conſcience: And therefore when in their Children, they cry out, Oh! my Child will certainly run mad, is grown mad; many carnal men and women when their Children begin to think of ſin, they think verilie they begin to run mad: I remember in the ſtorie of Erancis Spira, he ſaith thus (becauſe his friends thought it a kind of Frenzie, and that it was not trouble of Conſcience for ſin) Oh ſaith he to his friends, I would to God it were Frenzie, either feigned or real; if it were feigned Frenzie, then I could put it off when I pleaſed: if it were a real Frenzie, there were a great deal more hope of Gods mercy, I ſhould not apprehend Gods wrath as I do, but it is otherwiſe with me. Brethren, thoſe that have felt trouble of Conſcience for ſin, upon whoſe hearts God hath ſetled, but the guilt of any one ſin: what do you think of trouble of Conſcience for ſin? they feel reallitie, they find that there is reallie unto them, that which is a greater burthen, and grief, and trouble than all the miſeries of the world. Dreadful expreſſions are many of them that Francis Spir… hath, which is a moſt dreadful example of horror of Conſcience for ſin; Oh! (ſaith he) I feel the very torments of hell within me, and this afflicts my Conſcience with intolleroble pain: Oh! that ſome body would let out this tyred ſoul out of my body; Oh! that I were in the place of the damned, that I might be but free from FEARING any thing that is yet WORSE to come. For though he did acknowledg, there was greater torments in hell, yet he profeſſed he did deſire to be in hell, that he might be freed from the torture of his Spirit, that was ſtill in fear of worſe, that was to come. And verily a moſt hidious ſtory it is, that ſhews the dreadfulneſs of a wounded and troubled Conſcience for Sin.
Certainly if Sin be all that which you have heard, or read, well might the Holy Ghoſt ſay, A wounded ſpirit, who can bear? A man may ſuſtain his infirmities, whatſoever his infirmities and troubles are in the world, it is no great matter to ſuſtain them; but a wounded ſpirit who can bear? for a wounded ſpirit ſeeth it hath to deal with the Infinite God, the Glorious Eternal Deity: and you muſt not tell ſuch a one of Melanchollineſs, and ſuch grounds of trouble; for ſuch a one knows, the Arrows of the Almighty ſtick in his heart, and it is another manner of buſineſs than ſo. I might here have enlarged my ſelf, and have ſpoken much to thoſe that have ſuch mean apprehenſions of trouble of conſcience for ſin; and have ſhewed the difference between melancholly and trouble of conſcience for ſin; but I ſhall not at preſent, only I ſhall wind up all now briefly, and proſecute it further in the next Chapter. Certainly it is not melanchollineſs, it is another manner of buſineſs than melanchollineſs. What think you of the Lord Chriſt himſelf in his Agony? that ſweat drops of water and blood, which you ſee was the fruit of Sin? was that melancholly? certainly that was of the ſame nature that the troubled in conſcience feel for ſin. The Angels that ſinned againſt God, the Devils themſelves, they are not capable of melancholineſs, they have no bodies; and yet none have ſuch horrors for ſin as they have: And ſo the ſouls of wicked men many times they have horrid apprehenſions of the wrath of God for ſin. But certainly, if the ſouls of wicked men and women go out of their bodies without pardon, the very firſt inſtant the ſoul is departed from the body, it hath other manner of horrid, dreadful, and diſmal, apprehenſions of the wrath of God for ſin, then ever it had before. I remember further, Luther had ſuch a Speech concerning trouble of Conſcience for Sin, in his Comment upon Geneſis; It is a harder matter to Comfort an Afflicted Conſcience for Sin, than to raiſe one from the Dead. This was a Speech of Luther, he ſaw what was in an Afflicted Conſcience for ſin.
Further, Surely Melancholly 'tis not; no nor timerouſneſs, nor folly▪ do but take an example or two, and ſo I ſhall conclude. …hat of David, you ſhall find in David that he was a man moſt free from melancholly, for the temper of his body it was a moſt cheerful diſpoſition, and a warlike ſpirit, and very wiſe: And yet there is none in the Book of God more troubled in ſpirit …or Sin, than he was.
Firſt, I will ſhew you what manner of man David was; and then what his troubles of Conſcience were for ſin: Sure he was no melancholly man▪ For Firſt) you ſhall find it in 1 Sam. 16 12. that he for his bodily Conſtitution was ſanguine, and not melanchollie; he was of a ruddy and beautiful Countinance, and goodlie to look upon: So that David for the Conſtitution of his bodie, was of a ſanguine conſtitution. And then, for the Valor of David, he was a mightie man of Valor, 2 Sam. 17. 10. And he was valiant whoſe heart …as as the heart of a Lion: This was the commendation of Huſhay, 2 Sam. 17. 10. concerning David. And he was verie cheerful who made ſo manie Pſalms, and was ſo Muſical as David? 2 Sam. 22. 1. he is called the ſweet ſinger of Iſrael; and had ſuch a ſweet complexion, was ſanguine, and a great deal of valor, and the ſweet ſinger of Iſrael. And for Wiſdom, he was as an Angel of God, as the woman of Tekoa ſpak to him. And yet, who ever in ſuch anguiſh and diſtreſs for ſin as David was? this you ſhall find if you read his penitential Pſalms; I cannot mention all, take but ſome few; Pſal. 6. there he is in trouble of Spirit; and then Pſal. 32. When I kept ſilence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long: Mark, David felt the weight of ſin ſo upon his heart that his bones waxed old through his roaring all the day long; he found not ſin a light matter as many ordinary people do. And Pſal. 38. there is notable expreſſions, verſ. 2. Thy Arrows ſtick faſt in me, and thy hand preſſeth me ſore: there is no ſoundneſs in my fleſh becauſe of thy Anger, nor reſt in my bones becauſe of my Sin. Verſ. 3. and verſ. 4. My iniquities have gone over my head as an heavie burthen, they are to heavy for me: verſ. 5. My wounds ſtink and are corrupt becauſe of my fooliſhneſs. verſ. 6. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly, I go mourning all the day long. See what Sin coſt David. And I beſeech you take this note along with you; you that will make uſe of Davids Sin to incourage you, and harden your hearts in ſin; you will ſay, Why? did not David commit Adultery & Sin, that was a man according to Gods own heart? Yea, but mark, you that will make uſe of Davids ſin, make uſe of what David felt for ſin, you ſee David's ſin coſt him dear, and made the arrowes of the Almightie ſtick faſt in him, and cauſed him to roar out in anguiſh and diſtreſs of Spirit, all day long, and he profeſſes, he watered his Couch with tears. And that 51 Pſal. Reſtore to me the joyes of thy ſalvation, that the bones that thou haſt broken may rejoyce. David's bones were broken through the trouble of his Spirit, that is the ſtrength of his ſpirit (not bones litterally) as bones are the ſtrength of the body, ſo the ſtrength of his ſpirit was overcome by the anguiſh and trouble of his ſoul for ſin. Thus it was with David that was ſuch a ſanguine, ſuch a pleaſant, and ſuch a valiant man, and ſuch a wiſe man, and yet he felt this trouble of Spirit; trouble of Conſcience for Sin. You think ſlight, and make a light matter of it, Oh you have brave ſtout Spirits, you will ſcorn to be ſo afraid, What! afraid of every thing the Miniſter ſpeaks, I ſcorn to be ſuch a fool; you think you be Sermon proof, and can hear all this dreadful evil of Sin, opened without anie fear or trembling: Well, you that have ſo ſtout ſpirits, know Davids ſpirit was as valiant as yours, his heart was as valiant as a Lion, and yet the weight of ſin brok his heart, and ſo it will yours too if God lay it aright upon your Spirits: Oh! it is not timerouſneſs that cauſeth this trouble of Conſcience; for let God come and lay Afflictions, his afflicting hand on them, they can bear that as nothing in compariſon of ſin. I remember I have heard a ſtorie of a Woman that had Nine Children, and great pains with them all, and yet having afterward trouble of Conſcience, Oh! ſaith ſhe, All the pains I have had with my Nine Children, is nothing to that which I have felt in a little time, in trouble of Conſcience. So certainly, all pains are nothing, in compariſon of the pains of Spirit when Sin is ſettled by ſtrong conviction upon your Souls. So you have many that are troubled for ſin, that could bear outward affliction, but can not bear that. And you that ſpeak of the valor of your Spirits, that are ſo valiant, that can bear trouble for ſin ſo eaſily as you think, and are ſo full of Courage; when afflictions are upon you, your hearts are down, and are poor, low, ſpirits; white liver'd, and can bear nothing, no croſs, and affliction, this ſhews you have no true courage; you have courage to reſiſt Conſcience and the motions of the holy Ghoſt, and the Word; but no true courage, it may be you have impudent ſpirits. And mark one example more: One of the wiſeſt men that ever lived upon the earth, yet greatly troubled for ſin, all his days, and this is the example of Heman, ſuch woful trouble of ſpirit had he on him for ſin: See Pſal. 88. reade the whole Pſalm and you ſhal ſee the trouble of his ſpirit for ſin, eſpecially the 7. verſ Thy wrath lies har… upon me, and thou haſt afflicted me with all thy waves. And the 14. verſ. Lord, why caſteſt thou off m… ſoul? Why hideſt thou thy face from me? I am afflicted and ready to die (mark) from my youth up God was pleaſed to exerciſe him from a yong man & it is a bleſſed thing when God begins with yong ones, & makes them kn…w what ſin means, when they are yong, as Heman did, from my youth up. While I ſuffer thy terrors I am diſtracted: & v …. Thy feirce wrath goeth over me, thy terrors even cut me off. Well, who was this Heman? for this is not a Pſalm of David; you▪ ſhall ſee in the Title it was a Pſalm of Heman, and you ſhal find, that he was one of the wiſeſt men that lived upon the Earth, … Kings, 4. 31. there he ſpeaks of Heman, he was brought in, in the Story among the moſt wiſe men that lived upon the Earth, he is compared with Solomon; it is ſaid of him, he was exceeding wiſe, and of excellent wiſdom, More wiſe than the Children of the Eaſt Country, for he was wiſer than all men, than Heman; for he was one of the wiſeſt of all, though Solomon excelled him; yet next him, he was one of the wiſeſt: and how comes he to be thus wiſe? it is like that was one means that cauſed him to be ſo wiſe, he was afflicted, and ready to die; from his youth up, he was troubled for ſin all his daies. What is the folly of yong people? They go up and down, and take liberty in wickedneſs and ſin, and never feel the weight of Sin; but if God pleaſe to begin with them, and make them to ſee the evil of ſin rightly, this is the way for them to come to have true wiſdom; if God train them up in trouble of conſcience for ſin, it is the way to make them wiſer than their Teachers, rhan their Fore-fathers, and to bring them to the wiſdom even of the moſt wiſe.