The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Title page – To the reader
THE NINTH, TENTH, AND ELEVENTH BOOKS OF MR JEREMIAH BURROUGHS: Containing Three TREATISES:
I. Of Precious Faith.
II. Of HOPE.
III. The Saints Walk by Faith on Earth; By Sight in Heaven.
Being the last Sermons that the Author preached at Stepney, neer London.
Published by
Thomas Goodwyn,
William Bridge,
Sydrach Sympson,
William Adderly,
William Greenhil,
Philip Nye,
John Yates.
London: Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall, and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil, neer the Royal Exchange. 1655.
Aetatis Suae 45. June. 1. 1646
Printed by Petr: Cole in Leaden Hall
JEREMIAH BVRROUGHES Gospell-Preacher To two of the greatest Congregations in England Viz: Stepney and Cripplegate London.
Cross fecit
COLE. 1216.
A TESTIMONY TO THE WORLD, CONCERNING Several BOOKS of MR Jeremiah Burroughs, that are Printing, and will shortly be Published.
WHAT we have by way of Preface set before the several Books already published of this Reverend Author, Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs, may sufficiently serve for al that are to come forth: So that we only need now to give Letter▪ Testimonial to the World, that these … one …ermons on Job, chapt. 36. verse 21▪ The second Epistle of Peter, chap. 1 verse 1. The first Epistle of John, chap. 3. verse 3. The second Epistle to the Corinthians, chap. 5. ver. 5. Matthew, chap. 11. the 28, 29, & 30. verses: The second Epistle to the Corinthians, chap. 5. the 18, 19, and 20. verses, which are, or wil shortly be Printed) We avouch likewise to be the painful and profitable Labors of the same Author, and published by the best and most Authentick Copies.
Thomas Goodwyn,
William Greenhil,
William Bridge,
Sydrach Sympson,
Philip Nye,
John Yates,
William Adderley.
TO THE READER.
READER.
NEver did a People live in a more reeling and staggering Age, where there hath been such tumbling and tossing of Opinions, and things; wherein there hath been such strange and amazing Dispensations of Providences, as in our Daies: So that if thou beest one that Walkest by Sight, and not by Faith, thou shalt see enough laid before thee every day to make a wise man mad: Thou shalt see the Earth with the Inhabitants thereof, like a drunken man, as the Prophet describes it in Isa. 24. 20. Thou shalt see one yeer, men prodigally spending Estates, and Blood, to destroy that which anothe… yeer with the same cost and expence they are buildingEccles. 7. 14, 15. up: Thou shalt see good men, and good Causes fare ill in the world; and wicked men, and wicked Causes flourish and prosper in the world: So that if thou beest not of a quick Ʋnderstanding in the Word and Works of God, which is not to judg according to the seeing of the eyes, and hearing of the ears, thou would'st verily thinkIsa. 11. 3 by outward administrations, that Godlines… is the thing God hates, and wickedness is the thing he loves▪ I preface this to let thee see what a necessity there is of handling such a Subject as this Book holds forth, Faith and Hope, standing in opposition to Sence and Reason, being the Subject Matter of it: Now as the filings of Gold are precious, so are the runnings out of the Spirit of this precious Man, who now liveth in the cleer sight and full fruition of that Blessedness which in the daies of his abode in the flesh, he so fully beleeved, so earnestly hoped and longed for. The intimate Familiarity, and …nverse, which by the good hand of Providence I have formerly had with the Author before his Death, and more especially since his Death, being the sole Possessor of his Papers, hath given me some advantage above others to tell the World what Works are Father'd upon the Author as being truly his own, and what not.
The Scope of this Book, is to set the soul upon a sure Bottom for Eternity, to call off this heady, guiddy Age from perverse disputings to heart-searching, that people may not take shews and shadows for real substances, thinking they stand stedfast in the Faith, when they only stand strong and steadfast in their own fancies; so dropping to Hell unexpectedly with a fals-grounded Hope and Security. The Author saw to his grief upon what weak Bottoms many lay the weight of their Hopes for their everlasting Salvation; mens understandings shining with light whose lives are as noysom as dunghills; men (as they say of Toads) having Pearls in their Heads, but their Bodies full of deadly Poyson: He saw how a Laodecean self-conceited fulness was in his time (as it yet is) the reigning sin of our daies, and a more dangerous desperate Enemy to Christ and his Grace than gross Prophaness; I say the Author saw fearful guile lying upon mens Consciences who were Protestants in Doctrine, but Recusants in their Lives, possessed with a lazie spirit of slothfulness, selfconceitedness, and self-flattery, who would rather adventure to go down to Hell in a sweet dream quietly, than to be inwardly touch'd and try'd, than to set themselves upon the torturing painful rack of Examination. Therefore the Reader shall find in all the Works of this holy Man, an earnest endeavor to lay open the Sound, and False Foundations of Christian Buildings: and indeed how sad is it to consider how men flatter themselves in their imaginary twinklings, hugging their own fancies, which may perhaps have the sh…ne of a glowworm▪Isa. 8. 17▪ but no morning light in them; I say how many now adaies speak and boast of high attainments of wonderful raised hopes, and strong Faith if we may beleeve them; but if you ask▪ what did the obtaining of this Hope and confidence in God cost? what Prayers? what Tears? what panting after Holiness, and communion with Christ? They can render little or no accompt here, only they are full of Joy, exceeding f…ll; rich in Faith and Hope, exceeding rich, and stand inRev. 3. 17. need of nothing; like many who seem rich till they die, and then discover themselves worth nothing. There are a Generation of men and women who think God wil provide a Salvation for them, as he did a Wife for Adam, by casting him into a dead sleep, when he knew nothing, discerned nothing of it, or think to be carried to Heaven in a Golden Dream, … the Poet feigned of that Vessel which carried Ulisses to the Haven without a Pilot▪ Here therefore Reader thou shalt find, whether the Hope, be that Heaven▪ born, Scripture grounded▪ Heart-p…rging, Death-enduring Hope; or that perishing Hope of Hypocrites, Job, 8. 13. a Hope that shall be cut off a… a Spiders Web, verse 14. a Hope like the writing in the Sand, Job, 14, 19. or like giving up the Ghost, Job. 11. 20. Here thou shalt find whether the life thou now livest in the flesh is by the Faith of the Son of God▪ Gal. 2. 20. or whether thou livest a meer life of Sence, or at the best, a life of Reason a little refined and elevated above ordinary, by Natural and acquired helps, and the improvement of the Common Gifts, and Graces of the Spirit; not saving, not sanctifying; and because men fall into Spiritual Consumptions apace by too much familiarity and fellowship with sin, and for want of timely looking to, get such Soul-blows, such Spirit-wounds, that the pangs of their after-birth, comes to cost them as much, and to be as bitter as those of the first Birth, I mean of the New Birth. Here therefore the Saints may find proper and sovereign Salves for raising up, and establishing their languishing Spirits, for joynting their disjoynted souls, and setting together their broken bones in a Gospel way, which is not by frighting the soul to Hell, and swallowing it up of overmuch grief and sorrow, and after that season is over, to tell them then they are too much dejected, and it's time now to begin to take heart and comfort to themselves, but by leading them to the Brazen Serpent, to the Rock that is higher than they, to Jesus Christ who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to the Father in his Name, seeing he ever lives to make intercession: By setting this homeHeb. 7. 25. upon your Consciences, that they have too little exalted Christ in their hearts, and too little lifted up their hearts by Faith in Christ, and that as the greatest dishonor they can put upon Christ is by distrusting his Promise of free Grace and Mercy; so the greatest honor they can put upon him, is to give Glory to him by beleeving. Here thou shalt find how Faith laughs Death, Sin, Hell, and Destruction in the face, and how it lives and looks out smilingly in the most blustering storms, deadliest confusions, and darkest midnight of desertion that can come upon the soul. Thou shalt here learn how to kill thy fears and doubts that they may never outgrow thy Faith any more.
Here thou shalt find what a blind Guide Sence and Reason is in the things of God, nay how far short sanctified Reason comes of attaining the great Mysteries of Salvation without the Spirit of Faith and Revelation in the Knowledg of Christ. How Reason in its primaeve estate, is uncapable of the way of the Gospel, because the Ground of Faith is meerly Divine Revelation.
Thou shalt here learn, whilst others are poring upon, and digging into the Creature for satisfaction, meeting with nothing but vanity and vexation, and finding Cole-pits instead of Gold-Mines; I say thou shalt here learn, how by Faith to take up and satisfie thy self in one God alone, that thou mayest say with the Psalmist, Psal. 73. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and I desire none in Earth besides thee; or as the Chaldee Paraphrase hath it, I have no Companion on Earth with thee.
This Precious Faith the Author speaks of, will perswade thee that it's not the Creature, but God in it that gives comfort and content; as it is not the Posset-Ale, but the Potion that works. Faith will tell thee, the Creature can do neither good nor hurt without God. They who live by Sence upon the Creature, will be still chiding with the Creature, and vexing at it; as the People living upon Moses, eyeing him more than God, were alwaies chiding with Moses in all disappointments. Now they who live by Faith upon God, their souls will still keep silence before him, and be turning in upon him whether their trouble come from sin within, or sorrow without. The soul that hath once truly by Faith touched Christ, will be like the needle in the Marriners Compass, that will never stand still, till it be full North; and though a jog of temptation may turn it aside some times from Christ it's resting place; yet it still trembles, and is restless till it can point it self full towards Christ again, there setling and quieting it self, and resting as a stone at the Center.
And because the waies and Works of God and men are much in the dark, and no eye but the eye of Faith can find out the walks of either, I know (saith a holy man) where God treads, though he treads upon the waters (where he leaves no visible fool-steps behind him) Here therefore thou shalt learn how to reconcile Gods Wo…d and Works, when Promises and Providences seem to cross & thwart one another. When the soul by the eye of Faith sooks into the Word of God, and sees what is there promised to the Church and People of God, it concludes, all things are well, very well, and will be so; but when it comes down from the Mount, gazing and judging by Sence of the Works of God, it concludes al things are …ll, very ill, and likely to continue so: It's through the want or weakness of Faith, that we cannot put the Word of Promise, and Works of Providence in an harmonious way together: When Sight and Sence cries out, here is nothing but jarring and division, Faith saith here is union and harmony, even as discords bound with concords makes the sweetest Musick; they who have but little or no Faith, will still be reading riddles in the dark midnight of these distractions, confusions, divisions, and unequal administrations amongst us, whilst faith ploughs with the right Heifer, gets into the bosom of Christ, and knows all his heart and meaning in those things that stumble and amaze the world.
Let me yet ad further, Thou shalt here learn how to walk by Faith with an unchangable spirit inchangable conditions. As a Watch though tossed in the pocket, yet keeps even motion; or as the Cork in a Net keeps it from being drawn under water by …he Lead, so those soul-refreshing Comforts enjoyed in God will keep the head and heart above water when the soul seens to be up to the chin in misery: Faith I say will still keep the heart above, like the Lark up…n the wing, singing continually; and it will keep the soul in an even temper, being neither too much under the comforts of life, nor terrors of death; it will bring the Creature in subjection to us, and set our selves and it in the proper place where both should stand. Whilst by Faith the soul keeps Christ and Heaven in its heart, it hath the Moon under foot, and is not greatly moved at things that fal out every day, though cross to the grain of Natural desires and expectations. Faith will keep the soul cleer in the midst of temptations, like the Israelites walking on dry Land safely, and the Seas on each side; or like Peter on the Waters. Faith wil abase the beauty of the World without, and tame lusts within: it will let us see the World is gain in the loss of it, and loss in the gain of it; it wil assure us, that what we leave and deny for Christ, we shal find in him. Faith wil wean from, and moderate affections to the world; for by uniting the soul to Christ, it makes it like him. Now Christ ruled his Affections, anger, grief, joy, desire: the High-Priest was girt about the Paps; so Christ, and that with a Golden Girdle, Rev. 1. 13. and so are al the Saints in their measure, being baptized into the same spirit, and partakers of the Divine Nature. Now to be girt about the Paps shews how those stirrings of our affections, all those motions, thoughts, and inclinations of our hearts should be kept in order by the indwelling of the Spirit. Whilst mens experiences tels them every flower in the worlds Garden either hath pricks, or smels ill; and that like a dirty Dog, the world besmears with fawning, and that all the choicest contentments in it are mingled with much bitter, as a good day between two Agues: Now Faith comes in as a Super addition to experience, with more over powring arguments, weaning from the Breasts of Creatures by holding forth a fuller Breast of more satisfying good in things above.
To conclude, Thou shalt learn how by Faith to keep all thy other Graces alive, still active and operative, which is a blessed frame of heart: this makes the Christian indeed, when the heart of a man is heated with burning love, as well as his head enlightened with shining light: the power of Godliness lies in the Affections, Grace is for operation as its perfection, therefore the Commands of God are for the Acts, not simply for the Habits, little to chuse twixt having no grace, and dull sleepy habits unacted, I mean in regard of service and usefulness to God and man: Stir up the Gift of God that's in thee, saith Paul to Timothy, 2 Tim. 1. 6. that is, blow up that living spark within thee, for so the word implies, alluding to the fire of the Alter, which was to be kept in, and blown up continually. Christ should be in the heart of a Christian, not as a Jewel in a Cabinet, to be kept secret, but as a spring in a Watch, to be alwaies in motion: For want of this stirring up, and acting Grace continually, temptations come upon us, and do what they will with us, even as standing Waters stink and putrifie if they have not vent, and do not run continually.
And now Reader thou seest of what singular use this Treatise may be to thee in these heart-shaking, trembling, and patient assaulting times wherein we live: here is one singular use and benefit wherein this precious Grace of Faith besteads the soul in evil times, viz. Not to be afraid of evil tydings, Faith fixing the soul upon Christ, fences the heart against slavish fears, Psal. 112. 7. The hour of Darkness and Temptation is now upon the World to try the Inhabitants thereof; blessed are they who watch and keep their Garments pure; such have the Promise to be kept from (or at least in, and therefore from) this hour of temptation. England this day is like the woman with the Issue of Blood who had spent all her living upon Physitians, and yet could not be heal'd by any. We never look'd to have seen such deadly bloody work in England so long continued; and after all that such revolutions and wheelings about of things again into the old path; How long shall England bleed before good blood appear? Much is already run out, and what bleeding is yet behind the Lord knows, Divine Justice is throughly awake, yet England is not awake: How justly might the Lord say unto England, Sleep on now? The time is at hand that thou shalt see what it is to play the wantons with the Word: Justly may the Lord say to Magistrates and Ministers, The season is now upon you that you shall with tears of blood, rue and lament the loss of the precious opportunities put into your hands, of advancing my Waies, my Truths, my Worship in England: Sloth, Cowardice, Hellish Policy, base Ends, shall now slay the Womb that hath conceived and bread all these: Righteous is the Lord in every drop of Blood; We have had many Allarums, many Warnings, Soundings in our Ears many yeers together, yet not awakened, not reformed: How great is the misery upon us, and how little do we feel it? Our misery, like great blows on the head rather stupifie our sences than beget any kindly feeling in us; our Sun may be neerer a setting than we are aware of, I mean the Candlestick removing; it was never Gods end to send his Gospel to this Nation and continue it so long that people should bring forth such wild Grapes as England hath done; Is this Commodity of so low a value think we, that it cannot have vent in any other Nation but in ours? Must this glorious Gospel needs be laid aside as a refuse Commodity in a corner, if England will not give it Credit? Is the Lord so beholding to us for a dry, sapless, fruitless Profession of the Gospel in England? How soon can the Lord make us the scorn and derision of Nations, as hitherto we have been the Glory of the World? How soon may the Lord turn the Key, shut up doors, and be gone, and send his Gospel to a People that will bring forth better fruit than England hath done? How easily can he of stones raise up children to Abraham, calling his sons from far, and his daughters from the remotest corners of the Earth? Wh…, if discerning spirits, sees not the Glory in great measure departed from England? Where is the Lord powerfully present in his Ordinances with success and blessing as he was wont to be? How blind are our Watch-men? how miserably have our Leaders in Church and State corrupted their way through false heartedness to Christ, taking up in the gainfullest, easiest, cheapest way of Religion? going to Egypt again, and turning back the People with them, saying it's best and safest to sit down by the old flesh-pots: Is this the fruit of begging so long at Heaven Gate, spending so much Blood, and laying out so many Millions?
But I have already I see exceeded my bounds, I shall therefore now abruptly conclude, leaving the Reader and this useful Treatise to the Blessing of the Almighty.
John Yates.