The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 3 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Wherein the Text is opened; and it is shewed that Worldlings guide their way according to Sight, i. e. of their Eyes, and according to their other Sences, and according to their Natural Reason. 1 The end they propound to themselves is some sensual good. 2 They judg of things according to Sence. 3 Though they have somtimes some convictions and good affections, the main work of their lives is for some good of Sence.
FIrst, We shall treat of the Negative, What a Christian doth not walk according to, in the way of his heart or life: Not according to Sight.
Secondly, We shall treat of the Positive, By what a Saint on Earth doth walk: He walks by Faith.
And Thirdly, How this walking by Faith is beyond walking by Sight.
First of the Negative, That he doth not walk by Sight. We walk by Faith, and not by Sight: A Christian walks not by sight as other men do: It doth imply this, That other men walk by Sight; but those that are Saints do not: Worldlings steer their Course, and guide their way here in this world according to Sight.
And First according to the sight of their Eyes, and their other Sences, they make that to be their way and guide.
And Secondly, According to their Natural Reason; they make that to be their guide, and go no further; But a real Christian is beyond all these, yea, he is beyond his Spiritual Sence, and Sanctified Reason and Knowledg.
1 First then to open to you what it is to walk by Sight, that is, what Carnal men do when they walk by Sight.
2 And then we shall shew unto you, That they do so.
3 And Thirdly, What a great evil there is in walking by Sight.
4 And then, That Saints do not do as they do.
First, Then when I say that the men of the world that are Carnal, walk first by Sence, and then by Reason: They walk by Sight; I mean by that, this,
1 The great good or end that a Carnal heart propounds to its self, it is some good that is the Object of Sence; for in a Walk there is propounding an end whether you would walk to; now those that are Carnal and Natural, the end that they propound to themselves is some sensual good.
2 They judg of things according to Sence, and their hearts are taken and affected with things according as they are to Sence.
3 And then lastly, Though they have somtimes some good motions to that which is beyond Sence, somtimes they may have some convictions, and somtimes some good affections rising in them, as the morning Cloud, and early Dew, yet the constant way and tenure of their hearts is according to Sence, and so of their lives and actions, according to what they see, what they feel.
The End they propound to themselves is the good of Sence.
The Rule by which they judg, it is Sence.
That which takes their hearts, it is Sence.
The main work of their lives, it is for some good of Sence.
And though they have some Convictions, and some good Affections some times about things beyond Sence, yet the constant By as and stream of their hearts is according to Sence: This is a description of a great many men, and the Course of most people, and I fear that many of your Consciences will tell you that this hath been your way.
Wicked men they are set upon the sight of their Eyes; Esau saw the Pottage that it was red, he was taken with the …ight of his Eyes; so he was acted by Sight: For the Priviledges of the Birth-right was beyond sight, and he did not order his Course according to that, that indeed was an Object of his Faith: But the Po…age that was so red, that the Text saith, he saw it, and so he went according to that: And the holy Spirit in Heb. 12. brands him for a prophane man, and bids all take heed of being prophane as Esau was that sold his Birth-right for a mess of Pottage; Hence he is four or five times branded with, This is Edom: Many such Edomites how adaies that prefer Earth before Heaven; a Swine-sty before a Sanctuary, as the Gaderens: Their part in Paris before their part in Paradice, as the carnal Cardinal. Vale lumen amicum said Theotimus, farewel Eyes if I may not drink and do worse, ye are no eyes for me; he would rather lose his Eyes than his Sin: Oh take heed of sensualness. In the Epistle of Jude, verse 19. the Apostle makes a Sensual man, and one that hath not the Spirit to be all one; noting that every man that hath not the Spirit of God to act and guide him, is sensual, and led according to Sence: these be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. I confess the word in the Original includes both these Things that I am speaking of, Walking according to Sence, and according to Natural Reason; and it's the same word that is used for a Natural man in the Corinthians, A Natural man perceiveth not the things of God, a man that is acted by Sence, and hath meerly Natural apprehension of things: Wicked men they are carried by Sence, both yong and old; in Eccles. 11. 9. Rejoyce O yong man in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the da…es of thy youth, and walk in the waies of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: You will say, here yong men are bidden to walk according to their hearts, and according to the sight of their Eyes, I but it is in a way of Irony, it doth carry with it a severe reprehension, Do if you dare; like as God said to Balaam, Rise up and go to Balak, Numb. 22. 20. That is, Go, if thou thinkest it good; Go, sith thou wilt needsly go; but thou goest upon thy death. Let no man imagine that it ever came in the Preachers heart here, Oleum camino addere, to ad fuel to the fire of youthful lusts, to encite yong people (unruly enough of themselves) to take their ful swing of sinful pleasures. But by an ironical Concession the wise man bids the yong man rejoyce, &c. yields him what he would have, by way of mockage, and bitter scoff, like as Elias jeered the Baalites, bidding them cry aloud unto their drowsie or busie god; or as Micaiah bad Ahah, Go up against Ramoth Gilead, and prosper: or as our Savior bad his drowsie Disciples, Sleep on now, and take your rest, Mark, 14. 41. viz. if you can at least, or have any mind to it with so many Bils & Halberts about your ears. So the Preacher seems to speak, as sometimes you use to say to those you reprehend sharply; I, go on and do thus, and see what will come of it at last; that's the meaning of that Text. Yong men, you are set upon the waies of your own hearts, according to Sence, and the sight of your Eyes, you see a great deal of Bravery and Gallantry in the world, and whereby you shall come to live jocund and merry lives, your minds are upon that, and you will walk according to the sight of your eyes: when you see other yong men brave, and merry, and jocund, and gallant, O you think that's a brave life: well, go on, But remember that God will bring you to Judgment for all this: It notes that their hearts are mightily set upon this, to do according to the sight of their Eyes, and according to what is sutable to their own spirits: And so you know the Apostle John calls Covetousness, The Sight of the Eyes; there's the Lusts of the Flesh, the Pride of Life, and the Sight of the Eyes: The world is much acted by the sight of the Eyes; for Riches, that's the sight of the eyes, and Pleasures here in this place of Eccles. is a living according to the sight of ones eyes: And this is the way of carnal hearts, They live according to Sence; that is, they see the things that are before them sutable▪ unto the Flesh, and that takes their hearts; they see what the world runs after, and that their hearts are upon, and they see the Saints they suffer hard things, those that walk most strictly, yet they suffer as hard things as any; and they see wicked men that live according to the Flesh, that they prosper as well as any: These things are before them in sight, and this takes their hearts much; whatsoever is said to the contrary, they see it, and are sensible of pleasures and delights to the Flesh, and that which is the Object of Sence, that's real to them, and as for that of Faith, that they look upon as a Notion and Imagination, but the Object of Sence, that's real and certain.
And then the things of Sence they are Present, they enjoy them now; but the things of Faith they must stay for they know not when, and to have them they cannot tell how; but for those of Sence they see they may have them at present, and they find them good unto themselves: And upon this they walk according to Sight.