The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 3 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Use 1. We must not follow the example of men of Parts. Use 2. Men of Parts must be humble. Use 3. In the work of Conversion, judg not according to Reason. Use 4. To rebuke those that come not so high as Reason, or as Heathens. Use 5. Saints must have a Principle above Sanctified Reason.
HEnce you see what a vain thing it is to follow the Examples of Men of Parts.
USE I.
If it be so evil to walk according to the sight of mens Understandings, Then surely it's a vain thing to walk as they walk, and to make their walk to be the rule of thy walk: Oh no, we must not walk according to our own Reason, much less according to the Reason of other men; that's a double folly: It's a folly and danger to walk according to the dictates of our own Reason; of other mens, that's a very great madness. No, we should seek to God that he would open our eyes, that we may understand and that by a Principle higher than Reason, that so we may walk in a safe way indeed.
USE II.
Secondly, Hence let men that are of Parts learn to be humbled before God: There's nothing in the world puffs up mens minds more than the strength of Parts, than the quick sight that they have of things: when they come into company, and they see that they can have fetches beyond their Companion, and can see into a business more cleerly than others, they are ready to despise other men, and they are some body in their own thoughts: Oh walk humbly before the Lord you that have parts more than others, lest your parts be your undoing, lest God gives you up to walk according to your own understandings, unto your own Counsels, and then you are undone.
USE III.
It's an Use of special Direction to those that God begins at first to work the work of Conversion, unto yong Converts. I beseech you consider of this one thing, and lay up this, and if God would but settle this one thing home, it may recompence you for what difficulties you come through to wait at Wisdoms gate; that is, When God is beginning to make himself known to you, and to shew you the things of Jesus Christ, and your Eternal Estate; take heed of poring too much by the eye of Reason, and judging of things according to Reason; it will keep you off from Christ if you do so: If you would indeed have the Word go on graciously and comfortably in your hearts, you must lay the naked Word and your hearts together, and do not puzzle your selves by Reason, I cannot understand how this and this thing should be thus and thus: As now, a poor soul when God begins to work, the Devil casts in this Temptation, and Reason helps to strengthen it, That such a poor wretch as I, so vile, so wicked, yet that God should have regard to me, I that can do nothing; there are others that are of great Parts, and yet that God should reject them that are able to do great things, repeat Sermons, and have great Memories, and yet that God should reject them, and have regard to me; what Service can I do for God? surely it wil never come to good. I, Reason will tel you so, in a way of Reason you cannot see how this should be: but when you have to do in matters that concerns your souls, you must remember not to be acted by the eye of your Understanding, it is dangerous. I remember Luther hath such a Speech, Reason is the most cruel Enemy to Faith that can be: And in another place, saith he, In the matters of God we must not be asking why so, and what's the Reason of every thing: If we walk according to Reason in the great things of Godliness and Eternal Life, we shall hinder our selves exceedingly; and therfore let all yong Converts in the matters that concern their Souls and Eternal Estates, not hearken too much to what Reason saith: and though Reason say it cannot be, yet know, if the Word saith otherwise, I must go according to the Word. I know not how it should be, I cannot see how such a wretched heart as mine should ever be brought to any good at all, and how God should take delight and Pleasure in me, and how I should come to have communion with God, I cannot see how ever I should come to this. Well, though you cannot see it, look at the Word, and rather shut the eye of Reason than follow the Dictates of Reason: we must not walk by sight, nor walk by the Eye of Reason.
USE IV.
Further, It should have been to rebuke those that come not up so high as Reason: There be many that walk in such a base and wicked course that Reason would convince them to the contrary, and God will bring their Reason against them one day: The Gentiles that had nothing but the sight of Reason, would have scorn'd such waies as many walk in, they did abominate those waies of yours. Then how far are you from the walk of the Saints, and walking with God, that come not to so high a walk as the very Heathens walk; they walk'd up more to the Rules of Right Reason than thou doest.
USE V.
The next thing is, That a Saint should be so far from ordering their waies according to Reason, as their very Sanctified Knowledg is not sufficient; though they come to have the Spirit of God to Sanctifie their Reason, yet they must have a Ptinciple beyond this. I mean by this, That Sanctified Knowledg is not sufficient: There are many things, and the great and necessary things of Eternal Life, which are things that are to be apprehended by a Principle beyond Knowledg, which is Faith, that we cannot by Knowledg come to apprehend: As thus; The Mystery of the Trinity, of the Personal Union of both Natures in Christ, how these Bodies of ours should come to be more glorious than the Sun in the Firmament: it's impossible that we should come by Knowledg to have these things made real to us in this world; no, it must be by Faith: that's thus, The Evidence that we have of them, it is not because we come to understand these things, how these things should be by any Knowledg, but meerly because we beleeve what God hath aid, for that's the difference between taking thing… by Faith, and taking things by Knowledg: we do not use to say that we beleeve that twice Two is Four, because that we know it by Reason: Beleeving is grounded upo… the Testimony of another, and the proper Object of Faith is such things as are out of the reach of Knowledg: I work upon some Principles of Knowledg, indeed there are some Principles that I know, and I ground upon them, whereby I come to know that God saith thus and thus: and then I come to have this made evident to me by Faith, that goes beyond my Knowledg; for those things that we apprehend by Faith, are such things that we shal have and enjoy when Knowledg is gone. In 1 Cor. 13. saith the Apostle there, We now (saith he) see through a glass darkly, but then face to face▪ now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known: our Sanctified Knowledg, it's not that which shall be hereafter: But by Faith we come to have the same things in effect, though not in degree; as the things of Heaven and Eternal Life that we shall enjoy when Knowledg shall be done away: Faith can get into Heaven to the Throne of God, and make evident and cleer to the soul such things as we cannot come to have now by Knowledg, though our Knowledg be Sanctified: Obs…rve what I mean in it, If we had nothing but Knowledg, and Knowledg Sanctified, that is, our understandings delivered from our corruption, and made as perfect as Adams was; yea, though our Knowledg had some Sanctified Grace whereby we … able to understand many Spiritual things beyond what Adam did, yet still there is somthing that we cannot have by Sanctified Knowledg without an higher Principl…▪ we c… …ot fetch in the Truths of the Trinity, … …he … …ion of the Two Natures of Christ; …houg… …ngs have Grace in them, yet t…re … of Faith that is able to fetch in … to be real to the soul; and that … t…nk the Apostle here meant, for he speaks how …s …t, When we are at home in the body, we … from the Lord: we know somthing of God …ow though we are in the body, I but yet we are absent …om God for all that; for saith he, We walk by Faith, and not by Sight: that is, there are other things of God than we can see, and understand by Knowledg, yet by Faith these a…e made rea… to us, and therefore in Heb. 11. it i… …aid there, that Faith is the evidence of things not s…en; Certainly there the Apostle doth not mean by things not seen, only things that I do not see with my bodily eyes, but it is the evidence of things that I cannot see with my understanding, yea, I cannot in a way of Knowledg; though my Knowledg is Sanctified to me, yet … …ome by my Knowledg to take in those things and make them evident to me, but by Faith they are, so that we walk by Faith, and not by Sight, beyond all our Natural Knowledg, and beyond all our Sanctified Knowledg, we have a Principle that carries us higher.