The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 3 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Reason carrieth men upon corrupt Principles. As 1 It is not good to engage too far in any Cause. 2 It is the safest way to go according to the common streams of the times, and places where we live. 3 Not to venture present things for future, certain for uncertain. 4 It is not likely that a poor contemptible man, should understand more than the Learned. 5 To be Happy, and to be poor and persecuted, are inconsistent. 6 Good meanings, and performance of good Duties, are sufficient to make us accepted of God. 7 Zeal in some beyond others, must needs come from Hypocrisie.
FIrst, How men that are guided by Reason, are carried on by corrupt Principles. As,
1 First, That it is not good for a man to engage himself too far in any Cause: Men that are wise for themselves, and are carried on by the wisdom of the flesh, they are acted by this corrupt Principle, That it is not good to be engaged in any thing too far; there may be more danger in such a thing than I am aware of, and therefore let me go on fair and softly, and not engage my self too far. This is one Principle of corrupt Reason, and I verily beleeve, that as I am naming of them, many may go along with me, and have cause to lay their hands upon their hearts, and say, the Lord be merciful to me, I have walked by sight, according to Reason, even these corrupt Principles that have in this Book been mentioned before me.
2 Secondly, It's not good to cross the stream and course of the tide where I live; it's the safest way for us to go according to the common stream of the times and places where we live; and this is that which the Apostle in Ephes. 2. saith was the way of men while they were in their Natural Estate, In times past you walked; How? according to the course of the world; that was your walk: you saw the course of the world, how it was, and you thought in Reason it was fit to go according to the Current: That's the Principle that acts many Polititians that are accounted the wise men of the world, they are spirited b ythat Principle.
3 A Third Principle of corrupt Reason is this, Not to venture Present things for Future, and Certain things for Uncertain: Men that are wise according to the flesh, they wil not venture things that are present, for things to come, especially looking upon things that are present as certain, and the other they imagine to be uncertain; and upon this Principle they are so acted and guided in their course that makes them put off the things of God, for the special and chief things of God, are things that are future, and by reason they can never be made certain: in Heb. 11. it's said, Faith is the Evidence of things not seen: Now according to a principle of Reason it seems to be a foolish thing for men to venture a certain good for that which is to come, and for I know not what, and I know not when: This is against Reason, and it's that which makes the wise of the world to go on in their way, and to imbrace this present world: As it is said of Demus, It seems he was wise for himself, Paul told him of things for to come hereafter; but he forsakes him, and imbraces this present world.
4 A Fourth corrupt Principle of Reason is this, That it's not like that a poor contemptible man should come to understand more than the learned Rabbies and Grandees of the world: Would Reason think that, that a few poor men that are contemned in the world, and whose parts of Nature are but very low in all Earthly things, yet that these should be the men that should come to understand the mind of God more than men that are Learned and wise in the Learning of the Egyptians, that had better Breeding and Education; this in Reason a man could never imagine; and this is the great stumbling-block to the men of the world, They look, and see who are they that go on in such waies, not the Scribes and Pharisees, not the Rulers of the people, but the Multitude, and is this like to be the right way? Reason would tell one that 'tis not like to be the right way, Reason would inform one that the other way were more like to be the right way: Oh it would be a Mercy of God for men to be delivered from this corrupt Principle of Reason.
5 The Fifth is, That to be Happy, and to be Poor and Persecuted, are inconsistent: Carnal men they walk by their Sight, by their Reason, and for one to be Happy, and yet to be poor and contemptible in the world, to be persecuted, and yet to be the happiest in the Earth, this is that which Reason cannot comprehend; and therfore according to that Principle they walk, they cannot beleeve that Happiness and Persecution, and Poverty, and Contempt, and Scorn, can consist together; this is a Riddle, a Paradox: and yet you shal observe that when the Lord Christ that is the Wisdom of the Father, and knows fully the mind of the Father, when he comes to teach us wherein Blessedness consists, he begins with Poverty, and ends with Persecution; read but the 5. of Matthew, and see how he begins, Blessed are ye poor; and in the 6. of Luke he leaves out poor in spirit, and ends with this, Blessed are ye when ye are persecuted for Righteousness sake.
6 A Sixth Principle of corrupt Reason is this, That good meanings, and performance of good duties, are sufficient to make one acceptable to God: A man in Reason cannot imagine what people mean to take off men from Duties, and that their good meanings are not sufficient; they wonder that good hearts and meanings, that good works, and performance of holy duties, the living fairly and civilly, that the performance of these things should not make them acceptable to God, they cannot compass this; this is a corrupt Principle that many go by.
7 Another corrupt Principle of Reason is this, That the zeal and forwardness that there is in some beyond others, must needs come from Hypocrisie: Men that are acted meerly by Reason, because they understand not those Spiritual Principles that Godly people are led by, they cannot judg in Reason what need there should be of so much forwardness and zeal that there is in some kind of men. The wise men of the World walk according to such Principles as these.