The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 2 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Of the Second Thing implyed, Viz. That the Saints of God have some remainders of sin in them. And Three Ʋses thereof.
THe Second Thing that is implied is, That there is some remainer of sin even in the hearts of the sons of God who having true Hopes wrought in them by the holy Spirit, and ere long shall see Jesus Christ as he is, and be made like to him, yet they have some defilements remain in them while they live here in this world, it may be said of every child of God as Christ said to his Disciples, you are clean, but not all, you are clensed and sanctified, but not throughly, it cannot be said of any child of God here as it was said of Absolon, that from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, he had no spot in him, he was so comely, and yet by the way Absolon was a reprobate for all that, it cannot be said so of any while they remain in a world that lies in wickedness: the filth of sin hath so soak'd into the hearts of men that till there be a dissolution of body and soul, it cannot be quire purg'd away; God indeed doth justifie his Saints perfectly at first, but he sanctifies them by degrees, He that saith he hath no sin (saith this our Apostle) he lyes, and the truth of God is not in him: I need not stand to prove it, Experience proves it sufficiently.
USE, I.
Oh then let all the Saints of God walk humbly before God, though God hath indued them with Hope and much Grace, yet still look upon thy black …eet, thou hast a great deal of evil to be the matter of thy humiliation still, God hath good ends why he doth reserve sin in the hearts of the Saints, he brings out his own Glory from it.
USE, II.
Secondly, Here thou seest cause of dayly renewing thy repentance, thy Faith in the blood of Jesus Christ; do not think it enough that once thou didest beleeve, or once thou didest repent: Many people think that if ever they repented them of their sins, that will serve turn for all the time of their lives: Oh thou art not acquainted with the way of God in the hearts of the Saints, thou art to know that these Graces are to be renewed dayly; as Grace of Faith, thou wert a Beleever, God hath wrought Faith, yet God expects that thou shouldest daily act thy Faith upon Jesus Christ for the clensing of thy soul, according as thou doest defile thy soul dayly, thou dost not go about the least duty, but thou dost contract filth, your houses every day gather filth and dust at least; though swine be not suffered to come into them, yet they gather some kind of uncleanness every day, and need to be swept dayly, and wash'd too: so thou needest to wash thy soul in the blood of Christ every day, and thou needest to be renewing thy Repentance every day: it's true, afterwards in the life that is to come thou shalt never renew any act of Repentance, or act of Faith upon the blood of Christ for the clensing of thy soul; but this is thy work now, and it would be of marvelous use if we would so look upon it as to know what is our work every day; we should not lie down in peace except our consciences can tell us that this day we have renewed some act of Faith and Repentance for the clensing of our souls, we should not let our filthiness and uncleanness go on long, but presently renew the acts of Faith and Repentance.
USE, III.
And likewise if there doth remain some filth yet, and uncleanness still in our hearts, it should teach us to long for Heaven, when that our Sanctification shall be made as perfect as our Justification is, the Saints of God will not make any ill use but good use of this point, that there are reliques of sin in them; indeed carnal hearts upon hearing such a point grow more hard, and think we have all our faults, and the best had need be purified, they have some dross mixt with their silver, and therefore I hope we may be in a good condition (though we have some sin) as well as others: The Peacher tells us, there's not one that hath the best Hopes, is without sin: Thus carnal hearts will make an ill use of it; it may be thou that livest in a course of sin, yet thou puttest it off with this, That the best have their sins, though thou canst vex and be troubled for the loss of a groat or fixpence, yet thou art not much troubled for thy sin. I shall hint four things to you.