The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 3 · Chapter 6 – Chapter 7
CHAP. VI.
Worldly men walk according to what they apprehend to be Reason, and that's their happiness; and 'tis good in the way of Justice between man and man, not in Gods Worship and Eternal Happiness. Five Expressions how they are acted by Reason in the course of their lives, and in Gods Worship.
INdeed the men of the World, those that are in their Natural Estate; their walk is according to their eyes, according to what they apprehend to be Reason.
First, The happiness and highest good that they have, it is but that which in a way of Reason they apprehend, and no higher; and therefore but Natural.
And then their course and way is suted according to what principles of Reason they have: and if there be any thing propounded to them in the Walk with God that is not sutable to their Natural Reason that they do reject: A mans Natural Reason, if he be but guided by the Rules of it, may help him to converse with men very much in the waies of Justice between man and man: But when he comes to deal with God in matters of his Eternal Estate, and of Divine Worship, there let him look to himself that he be not acted by his Reason, for he will be undone if he be.
Therefore first I shall shew you how Carnal hearts are acted by Reason in the course of their lives, and especially in the way of Gods Worship.
And Secondly, How this is not a good Rule to walk by.
And then thirdly, The danger that there is in walking according to the Rules of mens Reasons. And so apply that.
And then come to treat about Sanctified Knowledg.
For the first, I find Five notable Expressions of carnal hearts to shew how they are acted by their own Reason.
As first, They lean to their own Ʋnderstanding: In Prov. 3. 5. there's a Caution, Lean not to thine own Ʋnderstanding; nothing that men naturally do lean to their own Understandings, it's that which doth support them and prop them up; let them come and hear from the Word, things that are against them, yet they lean to their own Understandings, and regard that rather than the Word; and in Hosea 13. speaking how they worshiped God, in vers. 2. And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten Images of their silver, and Idols according to their own understanding: They had a way of Gods Worship set out unto them in the Word, but that would not serve them, but they must go according to their own understandings: Oh this hath been the way of carnal mens worshiping of God in all Ages; what kind of Worship and Service of God had we of late, but according to mens own Understandings? and therefore we used to say, Me thinks this is very good, and there's no hurt in such and such things, but they are very decent and comely; I but that's according to your own Understandings: that should not be the way of Gods Worship, but according to the Word: Hereupon General Counsels and Synods have seldom been successful about the Matters of Gods Worship, because men came with confidence, leaning to their own Understandings. That's the first Phrase when men go according to their own Understandings.
The Second is, According to the Imagination of their own hearts; and that you have in Jer. 9. 14. Oh they duplicate page duplicate page would walk according to the imagination of their own hearts, rather than according to what was revealed unto them by the Word.
The Third expression is, The walking according to their own Counsels: they would walk according to the Plots, and Imaginations, and Counsels of mens minds, rather, than to follow the Counsel of the Word; and that you have in Psal. 81. 12. They walked in their own Counsels; and indeed God in Judgment gave them up to their own Counsels.
The Fourth Phrase is, According to their own Thoughts: In Isa. 65. 2. it's a very remarkable Scripture. The Reason of the wickedness of men, and why they did resist all the offers of Grace, and the Imitations of Christ was this, Because they did walk according to their own thoughts. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people: God here complains, All the day long (saith he) I have spread out my hands; To whom? To a rebellious people: How came they to be so rebellious, and not to profit by Gods spreading out his hands? As a man when he is earnest about a thing, spreads out his hands to imbrace another; so God in the offers of Grace spreads out his hands readie to imbrace wretched sinners, but they are Rebels for al this: From whence comes al this? saith the Text in the next words, Which walketh in a way that was not good; what way was that? After their own thoughts: Oh lay up this Scripture and remember it; take heed of walking in a way after your own thoughts, you think it's a good way, but the way after your own thoughts, is an evil way, a rebellious way, it's that which makes you to be Rebels against God: How many men and women when they have some truths darted into their Spirits, that do begin to shew unto them that the way that they have walked in heretofore, hath not been good? Then they begin to think thus and thus, If I change this way, I shall have a deal of trouble in it, and I shal lose this and the other, and it will not be comfortable to me, and so according to their own thoughts they wil order their way; Oh this is a dangerous walk to walk in a way according to our own thoughts: I beseech thee poor soul take heed of your own thoughts, for there's nothing more dangerous to undo you than your own thoughts, and because they are so near to men, they let them in, and dandle their own thoughts, but those thoughts that thou pleasest thy self many times in, are the thoughts that are like to undo thee for ever: They walk according to their own thoughts.
The Fift Expression of Scripture is, That They are wise in their own eyes: and so you have it in Isa. 5. 21. and so in divers places in the Prov. This is to walk by Sight, to walk according to the apprehension of mens own Reason; but the Apostle did not, nor dar'd walk so: This is one main thing in the walking according to this sight and Reason; that is, such as are led according to what they see, working in a Natural way, by Natural Causes: A man that lives by the Candle light of Reason looks no further than Second Causes, if he sees Second Causes working thus and thus, then he will go that way, and follow the tract of Second Causes: Now certainly so long as thy soul is tied unto a tract of Second Causes, to work according to them, thou art not acquainted with the Spiritualness of the waies of God, nor with this walk of Faith: But reason is not that which should guide us in our way.
CHAP. VII.
Reason is not that which should guide a Christian. 1 Reason not corrupted, is uncapable of the way of the Gospel. 2 Reason corrupted, is enmity with God, both in the Apprehensive and Discursive Part.
FIrst, Reason is too low a thing to be the guide of a Christian. It is inferior to the Happiness that God made man for; God hath higher thoughts about man, to bring him to an higher Happiness than Reason can reach unto: The outward Sences are too low to guide a man that would live like a Rational Creature; outward Sence is not enough to guide men in a Civil way: So Reason is too low a thing for to guide men in a way that must lead to that supernatural Happiness that God hath made the Children of men for: Take Reason though not corrupted, right Reason, I do not speak of Reason as it is corrupted, but suppose mans Reason were not corrupted at all, but meerly were ordered according to what was right Reason, yet it was too low to bring thee to that glorious Estate that God made man for; yea, if thy Reason was as perfect as Adams was in Paradice, yet it would be too low; for the first man was of the Earth Earthly, and his Happiness was a kind of Earthly Happiness; but that which God hath made man for now, it is a higher Happiness.
But it is too low, especially if we consider how it is corrupted: If our Reason had not received a blow, but was as perfect as Adams was in Innocencie, and did understand God, and the mind of God as Adam did, yet this could not bring us to that Happiness that God hath made man for: The way of the Gospel is higher than Adam did understand, or than his Reason was capable of.
But our Reason is corrupted; and the Scripture tells us of the Wisdom of the Flesh, that it is enmity with God: the Wisdom, the highest part of the Flesh, as in Rom. 8. he doth not say only, that the wisdom of the flesh is an Enemy, but Enmity to God; and the carnal mind, or the wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be: Mark the opposition, It is Enmity, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither can be; Oh what an opposition is here! And so you have another Scripture in the Epistle to the Colossians, where the Apostle speaks of the state of the Gentiles, and what they were before they were converted to God, and there he tels you, That we were enemies in our minds by wicked works: In your [Mind,] your very Reason was so corrupted as it was nothing but even enmity against God: the Apprehensive, and Discursive part of Reason is opposite to God, and therefore in 1 John, 5. 20. it is said there, That God hath given us understanding, a mind to know him: The word signifies the Discoursive Faculty, foreign, Discourse of the Mind, and Reason, whereby we may come to know the things of God. The very Discourses of men as they are Natural, they are corrupted, the Lord sees the Thoughts of the Wise to be but vain and corrupt, and therefore you know what our Savior said, I thank thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent: and so saith the Apostle, Not many Wise, not many Rich, not many Mighty. And here I shal shew you,
First, The corrupt Principles that Reason carries men upon.
Secondly, How Reason is opposite and contrary to those main Spiritual Truths that should carry men on in the way to Life.