The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 1 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
Use 1. Of Comfort to weak ones. Use 2. By this we may see the Faith of most men is not true. Use 3. See whether thy Faith be better than the Faith of Devils. Use 4. To stir up every Beleever to do the highest works that ever any Beleever did, because thou hast like Faith. Use 5. Teacheth Christians that think they are eminent in Grace, to have an honorable esteem of their weak Brethren.
I Shall seal up this in a few words of Application.
Ʋse 1. This may be a great comfort to Beleevers; it may be you have not the like precious gifts that other men have, you have not the like Memories; you say, such a Saint hath an excellent memory, Oh that I had the like: well, but though you have not the like precious Memory, yet you have the like precious Faith that such a Saint hath: so though you have not the like Natural Understanding that other men have, yet the like precious Faith still; set this against the difference that God hath made between you and others in other things; God hath made a vast difference between you and other people in parts, in estate in the world, Oh what difference is between you and them in these things; but now God hath made so great a difference between you and others in these things that are not so necessary and excellent, yet in that which is the …ho…e excellency of all things▪ there God hath made no such difference; you have▪ … like precious Faith as well a… they, and will do the … things in many particulars as theirs will, and therefore comfort your selves when you see what difference▪ God hath made between you, and between others; somtimes men and women when▪ they do but look upon others that God hath made a great difference between us, it doth affect the heart much: know, though outward things may seem to make a great difference between man and man; I but this is a greater difference, Faith or not Faith, that makes the great difference between man and man; it is a discriminating Grace, therefore if God hath given thee any Faith, know, that there is no man in the world that is at any great distance from thee, yea, the truth is, there is not very great difference between thee and a Saint in Heaven, and therefore comfort thy self in that.
USE II.
In the Second▪ place, By this we may see that the Faith of most, surely is not true Faith, because it is not like precious Faith with the Saints; thou sayest thou hast Faith, is it the same Faith that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and as Paul had, and as the Worthies had: Certainly if it be Faith that will carry thee to Heaven, it is the same Faith. Now if it comes to be examined, thy Faith will be but the same Faith of Herod's; now what was his Faith? Herod heard John, and heard him gladly: Is thy Faith gone further than his? thou comest to hear the Word, and perhaps beleevest, and hearest it gladly; I but Herod's saith stood with some one beloved lust: If there be any man which comes to the Word, and hears what is said, beleeves many things, and rejoyces in them, and would not lose a Sermon for a great deal, and doth reform in his family▪ lives a great deal better than he did heretofore; before … was …ry wicked, perhaps a drun…a…d, and never praye… in his Family, and …ow …e the Word …o…es to him he leaves off his company, a…d perform… family duties (blessed be God we cannot but say there is a great deal of reformation among many of you) I but mark, yet doest thou live in any one beloved sin, is there any one known way of wickedness in thee, thou thinkest we are all sinners, and I hope God will be merciful unto me in that one thing; know this first, that thy faith is none other than Herod's faith was, it is not like Peters, or Pauls, or Abrahams Faith, the weakest degree of Faith is the like Faith with their….
USE III.
Again, You say you have Faith, but whose Faith is it like, it may be it's not beyond the Faith of the Devils? you know that the Scripture saith, the Devils beleeve and tremble; you hope you have Faith to be saved in Jesus Christ, why, what doth it do? you can say thus, I thank God, when I come to hear the Word, I find it strikes to my very conscience, and my heart shakes and trembles: this is good, I but is this all? this is but the same faith with the Devils, for the Word saith that they beleeve and tremble, and it may be never any of you came so far: Is your Faith like Abrahams and Pauls, and Peters Faith? you come and hear terrible Truths, Truths that should shake your hearts and consciences, and you can go away laughing and scorning, you Faith is not so excellent as the Faith of the Devils: Read but over the 11. to the Hebrews, and see what Faith did there, and see whether yours be like-precious Faith; perhaps you think you beleeve in Jesus Christ, but if you come in any place among wicked company that do s…o… at Religion, or that you may suffer much, &c. though they had not obtained the Promises, yet how they did wander up and down, and suffered torments and mockings (and the like) Now if you have like precious Faith with all the Saints, then in some measure you may be enabled to do what they did.
USE, IV.
The next Use is thus, If the Faith of the weakest be the same with the strongest, then there is nothing that we reade in Scripture that any Beleever did, but every one should labor to get to the height that they did: You will say, all cannot do alike: But what hinders? their Faith was as weak as thine, how did they get up so high to suffer such great things as they did? it was the truth of their Faith carried them through more than flesh and blood could effect, and their Faith being true, by using means they got up to those degrees; and seeing thy Faith is of the same stamp, why mayest thou not get up to the same degrees? their hearts were at first as naught as thine, and no better before they had Faith, if their hearts were better after, it was by Faith that they bettered them, and they had but the same means, nay certainly, you that live in the noon-day of the Gospel Light, have far greater means than those you read of in that Chapter which is a little Book of Martyrs: You are troubled, and are ready to think you have engaged your selves too far in the Cause of God, because you are afraid of your Estates to be taken away from you: you may see by Faith that they were carried to wander up and down in Sheeps Skins, and Goats Skins, in Leather Britches and Doublets, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, and yet they continued in their excellency still, their Faith made them so precious, that the world was not worthy of them, and they did not only live in faith, but they died in Faith, and they obtained a good report: Now I appeal to your consciences, can you think that any of those that the Apostle speaks of there, had the like means of the revelation of Jesus Christ, that you have? for they had not any one thing that is written in the new Testament, for they lived in the time of the Machabees, and indeed the worst times of all, for the… neither had the Prophets nor Apostles to be their helps, they had none of the new Testament to be their guides: Now what a shame is it that any Beleever though never so weak should not think that his Faith should not do as much as their Faith did; therefore let this consideration prepare you for sufferings if God call you to it, for you have the same Faith, and a cleerer day of Grace to work in, and therefore whatsoever they did suffer, think thus with your selves, why may not I suffer, through Jesus Christ strengthening me, as much as they? Be not discouraged, for you know not what Faith will do, it was nothing but Faith that carryed these Christians through the worst of times, and the greatest of Sufferings: Oh, but their hearts were not so bad as my heart, if they were not, it was only Faith that did make them better, they had not like precious means as you have, and therefore God expects that your like precious Faith must do and suffer great things if called as they were thereunto.
USE, V.
One Use more is this, let all Christians then, that think they are higher than others in their Graces, learn to have an honorable esteem of their Brethren though they have less degrees of Grace than themselves; do not contemn them, nor carry thy self a loof from them, but let there be an honorable esteem of all Christians, and a loving carriage of one Christian towards another upon this ground, they have like precious Faith, it may be you were in the Faith sooner than they, I but they have gotten the like Faith that you have, you have more gifts than they, I but they have like Faith with you. You have a great many in these times of Light, that if so be they have attained a little more notional brain-knowledg than some other of their Brethren in some new point of Speculation that others have not been acquainted withal heretofore (though when it comes to be examined, it is an old error) they are ready to contemn all other godly people as a company of poor silly notices, as those that are unworthy of being in their company; well, take heed what thou sayest, it may be thou hast more conceits than they have, but perhaps such a poor soul hath not only like precious Faith (if thou hast any at all) but abundantly more than thou hast, no question but there is many a poor broken hearred soul that the world little takes notice of that honors God more by beleeving than an hundred of your talking Christians whose greatest part of Religion lies in their tongues; therfore lift not up thy self because of thy gifts and parts, but look upon others as having the like precious Faith that thou hast. That place in James, 2. at the beginning is remarkable, My Brethren, have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons: There are some that do refer Glory to Faith there, and indeed the Original is not against it; My Brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Glory, with respect of persons: [The Lord] there, you may see is written in other Letters; it is not in the Greek, but only the Translators put that word in to make up the sence, therefore the words are to be read thus, My Brethren, have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Glory in respect of persons: now this may be referred to Faith, as if he should say, if there be any that hath Faith, he hath Glory, for he is a member of Jesus Christ. And again, Have not the glorious Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of Persons; if there be any degree of Faith, it is glorious and precious Faith, have it not in respect of persons: Paul that was so strong in faith, how doth he cry to the Romans: Oh! Paul saw that he had need of the Romans, as we know little chips will kindle great blocks, and so many Christians that have great strength and great parts, yet your weak Christians, they many times put life and quickening into their hearts, and therefore the strongest Saints should not disdain to converse with the weakest of all, because they are graced and spirited alike for the truth of Grace, and therefore they should not disdain to converse with them, and so to live in unity and love one with another: That's the Apostles Argument in Ephes. 4. that he would have the unity of the Spirit kept in the bond of peace, and mark his Argument, For there is but one Father, and one Faith, and one Baptism, and therefore keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace; it may be we are not of the same opinion one with another, yet there is an oneness of faith between us; perhaps one man is of this opinion, and another of that, but can you see Faith? It is said of Bucer, that if he could see any thing of Christ in a man, aliquid Christi, that alone was the Load-stone of his Love: It is a most miserable and horrible sign of Gods displeasure against us, that if there be but any difference in opinion one from another, Christians are so estranged that they make no use of one anothers Graces; But till we come to learn this, though we be of different Judgments and Opinions, yet still to make use of one anothers Graces, questionless things will never be well if men speak of divisions, and say the world will never do well so long as there are so many Opinions, and there must be a course taken to bring all men to one way; certainly this is a mistake, this is a dangerous Principle to think that there can be no peace without uniformity in Worship; but this is the Principle that will cause peace, that is, Though there be divers waies of divers Opinions, and of different Judgments, yet they have all one Faith, and let us make use of one anothers Graces, and have communion one with another though there be not the like Opinion, and the like way; this will cause peace in Churches, and in Common-wealths, whereas the other will never do it; for certainly the Judgments of men cannot be forced; but when there is walking in love and peace one with another, that's the way to bring one another to their Judgments, and not by keeping at a distance one from another: A sight of the different waies of people, makes some dream that one shall go to Heaven one way, and another another way; No my Brethren, there is but one Faith, and therefore look what the carriages of Gods people were in former times, they are the same now: You shall observe it, a Christian that lives in one place, and he hath occasion perhaps to travel forty or fifty miles, and he meets with a godly gracious heart that (it may be) he never saw before in his life; but by that time they have been half an hour together, their hearts closes together, and they find the very same spirit in them. As it is observed in Instruments of Musick, let one string of a Lute be raised up to one height, the other to the same, lay a straw upon one and touch the other, and that which hath the straw upon it, that simpathizes with it, and the straw will shake and fall off, meerly with the consent of the other string that is just of the same kind: So it is with the hearts of Gods people, because their Graces are all the same and doth simpathize one with another, and one closes with another, and joyns sweetly together; as you shall observe it in wicked men, there is the very same spirit of wickedness in all Ages, look how the spirits of wicked men were acted in their hatred and malice, you shall find that they go the very same way in this Generation as they did before; and so in one Town, there you shall have one kind of wicked men opposing the Saints, and scorning at them, and so go to another Town and those wicked men there go on in the same road; and so from one Age to another, as wicked men they have the same spirit of wickedness, the same cursed Spirit that doth act them, and therefore they can joyn together, and company together, because they have the same spirit of Satan that doth act in them: Oh! why should not the Saints as well joyn together, and love, and help one another, for they have the same precious Grace. Consider what hath been delivered, and the Lord give you Understanding in all things.
FINIS.
THE TENTH BOOK OF MR Jeremiah Burroughs.
Being a Treatise of HOPE.
Published by
Thomas Goodwyn,
William Bridge,
Sydrach Sympson,
William Adderly,
William Greenhil,
Philip Nye.
John Yates.
COLE.
1216.
London, Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall, and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil, neer the Royal Exchange. 1654.
THE TENTH BOOK OF MR Jeremiah Burroughs; Being a Treatise of HOPE.
The First of John, Chap. 3. Verse 3. And every man that hath his Hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure.