The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 3 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Shewing the Scope and Meaning of the Words, what is meant by Walking, what by Sight; That Christians walk not by Carnal Sense, nor Spiritual Sense, nor by Natural Reason, nor by Spiritual Reason only, but a Principle above all these, namely, Faith.
THE Apostle in the latter part of the former Chapter, and the beginning of this, shews what it was that carried him, and the rest of suffering Saints through the great and manifold afflictions that they met withal in their way to Heaven, as is evident in the 17. vers. of the 6. Chap. by that elegant Antithesis, & a double Hyperbole beyond Englishing: For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh or prepareth for▪ us afar more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory: and then it follows in the next verse, While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: It was the exercising of their eye of Faith upon the things which were not seen; and what those things are that are not seen, are shadowed out in the beginning of this 5. Chapter▪ We know that if our Earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens, and this we groan for, being burdened with sin and misery: and then in the 6. verse, We are alwaies confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the Body, we are absent from the Lord: We do not enjoy that of God that we do expect, but yet we are confident; for however things seem to work sadly in respect of outwards, yet stil we have Confidence of the great things that are to come, For we walk by Faith, and not by Sight: That's the Scope.
We Walk▪] That is, The constant Course of our hearts, and of our lives, is acted and guided by Faith, and not by Sight: That's the meaning of Walking.
Not by sight.] Sight, that is taken either largely for Sence, not only the sight of the Eye, but for al other Sences both internal and external, oneIn sese visus sensus complectitur omnes. being put for all: We do not walk by Sence, and especially by the sight of our Eyes: And this Sight or Sence hath a Twofold Consideration.
1. Either first considered as Carnal Sence, We do not walk according to what we see with our Eyes before us, we do not guide and steer our Course according to this.
2 Or Secondly, which I think the Apostle doth as truly intend as the other; we do not walk by Spiritual Sence neither; that is, in what we feel in respect of Spiritual things; no, we have a Principle to guide and act… us, not only beyond Carnal Sence, but even beyond Spiritual Sence, we are guided and acted by Faith, that's a Principle higher. And this indeed is a blessed Walk of a Christian, he doth most blessedly walk with God when he comes to be guided and acted by a Principle higher than either Carnal Sence, or Spiritual Sence.
Again, Not by Sight, but by Faith: By Sight is not only meant Sence, but Reason; we do not walk according to the sight of our Understandings: that's a higher Principle than Sence. And this likewise hath a Twofold Consideration.
1. Either Carnal Reason; we do not walk according to the Carnal Reason of our minds, as if we were acted by nothing else but what we apprehend by our own Natural Reason.
2 Or Secondly, We do not walk by our Spiritual Reason only, we have a Principle beyond Spiritual Knowledg: And when I come to that Point I shal shew how this is meant, not only beyond Natural Knowledg, but beyond Spiritual Knowledg; Faith goes higher than that: Now that both these are meant, Spiritual▪ Sence, and Spiritual Knowledg, it's cleer to me from that which the Apostle saith here, While we are present in the Body, we are absent from the Lord; for we walk by Faith, and not by Sence: Though now we have a confidence, and we have some knowledg of God, and of what we shall enjoy in him, but saith he, we are absent from him, we have not that Sence of it fully as we shall have, neither have we the knowledg of it fully; but our Faith goes beyond our Sence of the presence of God, and goes beyond our Knowledg of God: We rise higher by our Faith than we can by our Knowledg▪ Not only Natural, but that Spiritual and Sanctified Knowledg that the Apostle had, did not reach so high as his Faith did. Thus you see the Scope and the meaning of the Apostle: In the opening of the Point we shall see it further.