Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 10 · Part 3 – Part 4
Sin a heavy Burden.
Pſal. 38.4. For my Iniquities are gone over my Head, as a heavy Burden, they are too heavy for me.
Heb. 12.1. Let us lay aſide every Weight, and the Sin that doth ſo eaſily beſet us, &c.
WEight foreign,] ſignifies ſeveral Things; (1.) The Greatneſs of Heavenly Glory, 2. Cor. 4.17. (2.) Trouble, or the Wrath of Wicked Men, Prov. 27.3. which often preſſeth down the Godly. (3.) That which is ponderous, Things, Words, or Matters of Moment, in oppoſition to ſuch Things, or Words, that are Light, Airy, &c. (4.) Sin, becauſe it preſſeth down and is grievous to be born, &c.
☞ Note, Sin is a great Weight or heavy Burden.
| Simile. | Parallel. |
| A Weight or Burden that bears hard, or lies heavy upon the Breaſt of a Perſon, ready to cruſh him to pieces, is very grievous, worſe to be born, than a Weight upon the Legs or Arms, &c. | SIn is a Weight or Burden, that lies heavy upon the Soul of an inlightned Chriſtian, and this is the cauſe it is ſo grievous, it preſſeth down the Powers of the Noble and Superiour Part of the Creature. Lay a Weight upon a Stone, and that will bear it, and not break or yield under it; but if a great and mighty Weight be laid upon ſuch things, that are tender, or of a ſoft ſubſtance, how ſorely will it mar and cruſh that? So a ſtony-hearted Sinner, tho he hath great Mountains of Sin and Guilt lying upon him, he complains not, he is, alas! unſenſible (and to uſe the Apoſtle's Words) paſt feeling, his Heart being like a Rock,Eph. 5.19. Ezek. 36.26. Pſal. 38.4. or the nether Milſtone; but a poor Saint whoſe Heart is tender, God having taken away the Heart of Stone, and given him a Heart of Fleſh, he is ſenſible of this Burden, his Soul and Conſcience cannot bear it, he cryes out in great Anguiſh and Horrour of Spirit. |
| II. Some Weights and Burdens laid upon ſome Men, are ſo heavy that they cannot be born, the ſtrongeſt Man cannot ſtand under them, &c. | II. Sin is ſuch a Burden or Weight that no Man is able to bear, it will make the ſtouteſt Heart to ake, and the ſtrongeſt Back to ſtoop; it made David (that mighty Man of God) to cry out,Pſal. 38 6. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly, &c. All my Bones are broken. Nay, when this Weight was laid upon the Lord Jeſus, whom God made ſtrong for himſelf, how did it cruſh him, and cauſe him (if I may ſo ſay) to ſtagger and ſweat under it, as if it had been great Drops of Blood falling down to the Ground: 'Tis ſaid his Soul was exceeding ſorrowful, even unto Death,Luke 22.44. Mark 14.…2, 33. Pſal 89.19 and that he went forward and fell on the Ground. He bore our Sins upon his own Body on the Tree. O what a Mercy was it, that God laid help upon one who was Mighty; tho he was able to bear this Weight, yet how did it make him to cry out, under the Burden of it, Father, if it be poſſible, let this Cup paſs from me, &c. There is a twofold Weight in Sin. 1. As it hinders our Juſtification. 2. As it hinders our Sanctification. The firſt reſpects the Puniſhment that is due to it; and that Weight Jeſus Chriſt bore for us, which none was able to do beſides himſelf. |
| III. A heavy Weight or Burden, laid upon a Man that is to run a Race, is very troubleſome, and a great Impediment to him, and therefore ought to be caſt off, &c. He is a very fooliſh Man that having a long Race to run, will carry a great Weight or Burden about him: can ſuch expect to win the Prize? | III. So Sin greatly hinders the Saints of God in their ſpiritual Race, 'tis unto them like a heavy Burden, and therefore ought to be caſt off by them. Let us lay aſide every Weight, Heb. 12.1. and the Sin that doth ſo eaſily beſet us, and let us run with Patience the Race that is ſet before us. Sin will ſoon cauſe a Chriſtian to faint, if he throw it not off by true Repentance. See Runner. |
| Simile. | Diſparity. |
| SOme heavy Weights or Burdens, tho they cannot be born when they are bound up or tyed together, yet if ſevered, ſome part of them may be born and eaſily carried. | BUT Sin is ſuch a kind of Burden, that it cannot be born, either whole or apart; that is to ſay, one Sin ſevered from a Multitude, that a Perſon may be guilty of, and charged upon the Soul; (tho it ſhould be judged the leaſt) no Man is able to ſtand under the Guilt, or Burden of it. 1. For the leaſt Sin being againſt an Infinite God, deſerves an Infinite Puniſhment. 2. The leaſt Sin being a breach of the Law, brings a Soul under Wrath, and the Curſe thereof. 3. The leaſt is not done away without Chriſt's Blood, nothing but that only can waſh it away, or cleanſe from it. Now that which makes Sin to be ſo great a Burden to a Child of God is, (1.) Becauſe it ſets God againſt the Soul, it makes him to become a Man's Enemy, and to fight againſt him, &c. (2.) Becauſe 'tis a Burden unto God himſelf, hence he crys out, I am preſſed under you, as a Cart is preſſed with Sheaves. Amos 2.13. Nothing is more oppoſite to God than Sin, or is more loathſome to him. (3.) Becauſe it wounds, bruiſes, and lays the Soul it ſelf a bleeding. (4.) Becauſe it brings the Soul under the dreadful Wrath of an angry God, yea binds down under everlaſting Wrath, cauſing a final Separation from God and Chriſt for ever. |
Inferences.
WHat inſenſible Creatures are unconverted Sinners!
2. Moreover, what a ſore and grievous thing it is to have this Burden laid upon the Soul!
3. It may ſtir up ſuch who feel this Weight, to caſt it off, by Repentance and Faith: remember Chriſt hath born it for thee, that thou mighteſt go free.Iſa. 53. The Lord hath laid on him the Iniquities of us all.
4. It ſhews us what a wonderful Mercy it is to be freed from this Burden. Saints are delivered from the Power and Dominion, Guilt and Condemnation of it,Rom. 6.14 through the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
Sin a Sting.
1 Cor. 15.56. The Sting of Death is Sin.
Parallels.
DEath is like a venemous Serpent, that hath a cruel and tormenting Sting, and this Sting is Sin.
II. The Sting of ſome Serpents, in the Fleſh, is very painful, it makes ſuch to cry out exceedingly: So ſuch who feel themſelves ſtung with Sin, cry out, like as thoſe did in Acts 2.36. The pain and torment of a wounded Conſcience is intolerable, as many can experience, and the Hiſtory of Francis Spira abundantly ſhews.
III. The Venom or Sting of ſome Serpents is mortal, it killeth the Body: ſo Sin, that Venom of Death and the Devil, killeth both Body and Soul.
IV. If a Serpent biteth or ſtingeth any one part, the Venom and Contagion ſpreadeth over all the Body, and deſtroyeth the whole Man: ſo the Sting and Poyſon of Sin, which entered by one Man's Offence,Rom. 5 15, 18. hath infected and killed all the Lump of Mankind: moreover, he that harboureth but one Sin in his Boſom, it will deſtroy his whole Soul, if this Sting be but in his Tongue, 'tis like the Poyſon of Aſps, his Life muſt go for it, without ſpeedy help.
V. No Salve or Medicine could heal the Bodies of thoſe who were ſtung with thoſe fiery Serpents in the Wilderneſs, till they look'd up to the Brazen Serpent, no Phyſician on Earth could cure them:Dioſcor. l 6. c. 30. ſo no work of Man can cure the biting of Death and the Devil, or Sting of Sin, but the Venom thereof rageth and raigneth tormenting the Conſcience, untill the Soul looks up by a true and lively Faith to Jeſus Chriſt.
VI. As the Sting of a Serpent muſt be pulled out, before the Perſon ſtung can be cured; ſo Sin muſt be lifted, pulled, or worked out of the Heart and Life of a Sinner, by the Spirit, before he can be either healed or ſaved.
VII. As ſome Serpents cannot hurt when they have loſt their Sting; ſo Death cannot hurt a Soul, whoſe Sin is taken away by Jeſus Chriſt.