To the Reader
CHAP. 66. Use 16. If there be more Evil in sin than in affliction, then when sin and affliction meet they make a man most miserable.
CHAP. 67. Use 17. Being of Reprehension to six sorts of People.
First, It reprehends those that are more afraid of affliction than sin.
Secondly, It reprehends those that are careful to keep themselves from sin, but it's merely for fear of affliction. For 1 This may be without change of Nature. 2 Thy obedience is forced. 3 Thou art not released from thy self. 4 Thou art not like to hold out. Also two
Answers to an Objection of those that think they avoid sin for fear of Hell: 1. Thy Sensitive part may be most stirred up by fear; but yet thy Rational part may be most carried against sin as sin. 2. Those that avoid sin merely for fear, never come to love the Command that forbid the sin. 3. They are willingly ignorant of many sins. 4. Those that avoid sin, and not out of fear; even when they fear, God will destroy them; then they desire God may be glorified. 5. Those that avoid sin out of fear, do not see the excellency of Godliness, so as to be enamored with it. Thirdly, It reprehends those that will sin to avoid affliction. Fourthly, It rebukes such, as when they are under affliction, they be more sensible of affliction than of sin. Also there is five Discoveries whether mens affliction or sin trouble them.
Fifthly, It reprehends those that get out of affliction by sinful courses, and yet think they do well. Sixthly, It reprehends those, that after deliverance from affliction, can bless themselves in their sins.
To the Reader.
READER,
THE creatures vanity and emptiness, the abounding sinfulness of sin, and Christ's All-sufficiency and fullness, and how to live the life of Faith in Christ, are subjects containing the sum and substance of religion, and much treated on promiscuously amongst divines. And I think amongst all the treatises of this blessed man, Mr.. Jeremiah
Burroughs (now triumphing in glory above all sin and sorrow) which have been received with so much acceptation amongst the Saints, there has not been presented to thy view a more practical piece than this now under thy hands: And though divers divines have written and spoken much concerning this Subject, yet in my poor judgment, this out-goes all of this nature, that ever my eyes beheld, setting forth with life and spirit the Subject in hand, and bringing it down powerfully in a practical way to convince the judgment, and work upon the affections of the weakest reader. That which is the undoing of those who think themselves no small
Christians, is resting in a bare notion of the creatures emptiness, sins filthiness, Christ's fullness, and having some high towering speculations concerning the nature and object of faith: and to be able to discourse of these things in company, and upon occasion, is the religion of the world, and more especially of our formal professors.
Now the reality of these confessed principles are not made powerful upon the conscience by the clearest natural acquired light in the world: but when the Lord is pleased to set home those over-awing, soul ballasting-thoughts of Eternity, then, and never till then, shall we live, act, and walk as a people who acknowledged these principles of Christianity to be true: Whilst the things of religion, and thoughts of eternity lie swimming only in our brains, they never conquer, command, and subdue the heart in a way of practical obedience. Many mens thoughts language, and lives are such, that if they were certain there is no God, no sin, no Hell, no wrath to be feared, no grace to be minded and attained, no judgment day when they must give an account, they could not be worse than they are, nor do worse than they do.
Oh the horrid atheism bound up in mens hearts, and they see it not, how else durst men be so profane in their lives under Gospel light? how durst they sit so stupidly under the powerful awaking means of grace? how else could such vile thoughts be cherish'd, and such cursed practises and principles maintained? how else durst men choose sin rather than affliction when they are brought into straights? how otherwise are men more afraid of open shame than of secret sins? In a word, how durst men walk without God in the world, at least without secret prayer and communing with their own hearts, days, weeks, months, years together?
I am persuaded more souls drop down to Hell in our days under the abuse os Gospel light, than ever did in the gross darkness of popery; they then better improved their talents according to the light afforded, and walked better and more suitably to the light they received; whereas these Gospel truths which now shines more fully and clearly in the faces of so many thousands, are not so much improved in a more circumspect, holy, and humble walking, but rather abused to a more loose and wanton carriage and censorious judging of one another, men sinning the more because grace so much abounds; how could the Saints then love and embrace with singleness of heart? but now the foundations of love are shaken, and a perverse spirit is mingled amongst us.
Oh how heavily does the wrath of God lie upon the professors of our age for the abuse of Gospel light, and they feel it not; God's administrations in this latter age of the world, being more subtile and Spiritual, and therefore more undesirable than in former ages:
Oh how many have we nowadays, who think they walk clearly in the midst of Gospel light, magnifying and exalting free grace, triumphing in their Christian liberty, looking upon others as kept in bondage, who come not up to their pitch and practice, and yet are no better than Solomon's fools, who make a mock of sin, being conceitedly set at liberty, but really sin and Satan's bond slaves.
Certainly, till mens consciences be made tender and fearful of the least touches and appearances of evil, they have good cause to suspect, not only the strength, but the soundness of their hearts in grace: Whilst men are bold with sin, and can put it off at an easy rate of sorrow, let their attainments seem never so high in understanding the Mysteries of the Gospel, they never yet knew truly what it is to exalt Christ and free grace, for look in what measure we slight sin, in the same measure we slight God himself in his persons and attributes; And how can that great Gospel duty of walking humbly with God, be expressed? how can Christ be rightly lifted up and advanced in our souls without a right sight and sense of sin? Never will Christ be wonderful Christ, and grace wonderful grace, till sin be wonderful sin, and experimentally apprehended as out of measure sinful; never till sin be seen and sorrowed for as the greatest evil, will Christ be seen and rejoiced in as the greatest good.
Were we once thoroughly convinced of the infinite evil in sin, as containing in it the Evil of all Evils (nothing being an evil indeed properly, but as it has the bitter ingredient and cursed sting of sin in it) how would sin be hated and shunned more than the most deadly poison, and feared more than the Devil, more than Hell it self? seeing nothing has made and founded Hell but sin, nor made the Devil such a black fiend but sin; nay, nothing is so much a Hell, I mean a torment, as sin it self; nothing binds the creature in such chains of misery as when it is held in the cords of its own sin, Prov.
5. 22. Men look upon sin through false mediums, and believe the reports and interpretations which the world and the flesh gives of sin, and thus are cheated to their own destruction: Could we but a little lay our Ears to Hell and hear the howlings and yelling of those damned spirits aggravating sin, we should then have a true comment upon the subject in hand: afflictions in this world now and then awaken the conscience, reviving the sight and sense of sin by some grievous pains; but one half hour in Hell, being separated from the comfortable presence of all good and blessed•… will make the evil of sin rightly understood. Certainly there's an evil in sin beyond what the largest created understanding is able to fathom, sin