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Dh'isioit ..
Section » J—),. jD/J.-i..
Number
%kl)ds Series 0f Coiuiueiitaries.
C^""0
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES,
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V, 1-7.
COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION.
W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., Professor of Theology, Congregational Union, Edinburgh.
JAMES BEGG, D.D., Minister of Newington Free Church, Edinburgh.
THOMAS J. CRAWFORD, D.D., S.T.P., Professor of Divinity, University, Edinburgh.
D. T. K. DRUMMOND, M.A., Minister of St Thomas's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.
WILLIAM H. GOOLD, D.D., Professor of Biblical Literature and Church History, Reformed
Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh.
ANDREW THOMSON, D.D., Minister of Broughton Place United Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh.
General ^bilor.
THOMAS SMITH, D.D., Edinbuegh.
THE
SAINTS' HAPPINESS,
TOGETHER ■R'lTH THE SEVERAL STEPS LEADING THEREUXTO.
DELIVERED IN DIVERS LECTURES ON THE BEATITUDES;
BEING PMT OF CHEIST'S SEKMON OX THE MOUXT, CONTAINED IN THE FIETH OP MATTHEW.
y
JEREMIAH BURROUGHS,
LATE PREACHER OF THE OOSPEL AT STEPNET AND CRTPPLEOATE, LONDON.
EDINBURGH: JAMES NICHOL.
LONDON: JAMES NISBET & CO. DUBLIN: G. HERBERT.
M.DCCC.LXVII.
JEREMIAH BURROUGHS, A.M.
IT will probably by most readers be deemed sufficient, by way of introduction to one of the numerous
works of this author, to reproduce the ' brief notice' of him which was prefixed by the late Kev-
James Sherman to his edition of his Exposition of Hosea. — T. S.
It is deeply to be lamented that no life was given to the church of this excellent minister of Christ ;
concerning whom Mr Baxter says, ' If all the Episcopalians had been like Archbishop Usher, all the
Presbyterians like Mr Stephen Marshall, and all the Independents like Mr Jeremiah Burroughs, the
breaches of the church would soon have been healed.' From the few scattered notices of him in
different authors, and chiefly from those of liis enemies, we learn that he was born in 1599. He
studied and took his degree at Emmanuel College, Cambridge ; after which he became colleague
with the Rev. Edmund Calamy, at Bury St Edmund's. In the year 1631 he became rector of
Tivetshall, in the county of Norfolk ; but upon the publication of Bishop Wren's Articles and
Injunctions, in 1636, he was suspended and deprived of his living.
The Earl of Warwick, who was the friend and patron of the persecuted ministers, and one of their
constant hearers, gave him an asylum in his house, till the fire of persecution, which raged so strongly
against him, obliged him to fly to Holland. He was chosen assistant minister to the church at
Rotterdam, of which the Eev. William Bridge was pastor. The violence of party strife at that
period raised against him many accusations for leaving his country, but his \dndication of himself
and his conduct in retiring to Rotterdam is so ample and circumstantial, and withal written in so
meek and humble a spirit, as to raise in the reader a high estimation of his veracity and piety.
The church at Rotterdam gave liim a most hearty welcome, and he laboured among them, in
conjunction with Mr Bridge, with great acceptance and usefulness for several years. After the
commencement of the civil war he returned to England : ' Not,' says Granger, ' to preach sedition,
but peace ; for which he earnestly prayed and laboured.' The renown which he had acquired at
Rotterdam accompanied him to his native land. His popular talents as a preacher, his peaceable
spirit, and his exemplary character, soon excited great attention ; and as a proof of it, he was chosen
lecturer to the congregations of Stepney and Cripplegate, then accounted the largest and wealthiest
VI BRIEF NOTICE OF JEREMIAH BURROUGHS.
in England. At Stepney lie preached at seven o'clock in the morning, and Mr Greenhill at three
in the afternoon: one was called the morning sfar, and the other the evening star, of Stepney. He
was chosen one of the Assembly of Divines, and united with his brethren, the Kevs. Thomas Good-
win, Philip Nye, William Bridge, and Sydrach Simpson, in pubUshing their ' Apologetic Narration'
in defence of their own distinguishing sentiments, which contain the general jirinciples by which con-
gregational churches are governed in the present day. In the year 1645 he was elected one of
the Committee of Accommodation, and was of great service in all their important deliberations.
Though, after his exile, he never accepted a parochial benefice, or became pastor of a separate
church, he laboured extensively in preaching at various and distant places, and in rendering other
important services to the church of Christ. But his incessant labours, and grief for the distractions
of the times, brought on consumiitiou, of which he died in the forty-seventh year of his age.
In the spirit of union among all Christians, which he so powerfully advocated, he was far before
the opinions of his day. Tlie following sentiment, in reply to one of his bitterest enemies, does equal
credit to his piety and discernment: ' I profess, as in the presence of God, that upon the most serious
examination of my heart, I find in it, that were my judgment presbyterial, yet I should plead and
preach as much for the forbearance of brethren diffei'ing from me, not only in their judgment, but in
their practice, as I have ever done. Therefore, if I should turn Presbyterian, I fear I should trouble
Mr Edwards, and some others, more than I do now ; perhaps ray preaching and pleading for forbear-
ance of dissenting brethren would be of more force than it is now.' The last subject on which he
preached, and the last treatise he published, was his ' Irenicum,' or an attempt to heal the divisions
among Christians. Oh that we had more of his spirit among all who take the lead in the Christian
church ! The estimation in which he was held by unprejudiced persons who were capable of forming
a judgment of his spirit and character, was very high. Granger says, ' He was a man of learning,
candour, and modesty, and of an exemplary and irreproachable life.' And Fuller has classed him
among the learned writers of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
READEE, — although all meu desire happiness,
and nothing be more needful to be laiown, yet
great are the mistakes of men thereabout. It is not
in sensual pleasures — if so, Dives had been happy,
Luke xvi., and those [who] made their belhes their
gods, Phil. iii. ; it is not in honours — for then the
dragon and the beast should have been happy, Rev.
xiii. 4 ; it is not in riches, James v. 1 ; it is not in
habits or acts of moral virtues — then heathens had
been happy, and Paul in his pharisaism, Phil. iii. G ;
it is not in knowledge, Eccles. i. 18, nor in contem-
plation of divine things — for then Balaam had been
so. Num. xxiv. 3, 4, and Plato whose contemplations
were such ; it is in none of these, but in what is laid
down by the Lord Chiist, and held forth in this en-
suing work. Some deny saintship and happiness to
be in this life, but David confutes the one, Ps. xvi.
3, and Clrrist the other. It is true, perfect happiness
is not attainable in this life, because there is a mix-
ture of sin, vanity, and misery with every condition
and thing we enjoy ; the best of men having more
wormwood than wine. Yet there is a true blessedness
in this life, which consists in those qualifications,
actions, and sufferings, which have a clear, certain,
and strong tendency unto perfect happiness, and may
be called seminalis or radicalis heatitudo. Such are
the beatitudes here mentioned, and many elsewhere
in holy writ, as delighting in the law of God, Ps. i.
2 ; fearing the Lord, Ps. cxii. 1 ; being undefiled in
the way, Ps. cxix. 1 ; and such men are blessed, but
not simply blessed for the qualities had, things done
or suffered, but because they lead up and issue into
perfect blessedness at last.
Reader, the times are perilous ; a sentence of death
is over most, if not all thy comforts ; how soon thou
mayest be stripped of thy seeming happiness, thou
knowest not. If thou hast not a part in these Chris-
tian beatitudes, thou art a miserable man, thy Ufe is
a dream, and thy death will be di-eadful. Here is
propounded unto thee not that the world calls blessed-
ness, or what thou thinkest so, but what the blessed
Son of the blessed God hath pronounced so, and wiU
be found in life and death to be so ; reckon and make
that therefore thy blessedness which the Lord Christ
himself accounts and calls blessedness ; and then let
times, troubles, and changes be what they will, thou
art a blessed m&,n, shalt so abide, and have a blessed
end. The reverend author of these sermons, Mr
Jeremiah Burroughs, did so, being the subject he
preached on before his death.
These sermons of his have lain thirteen years com-
plete this very day in the dark, for he died the 14th
day of the 9th month, 1646 ; but by the help of that
hand which took most of those sermons [that] are
already in print, are now brought to Ught, discovering
themselves to be the genume issue of such a parent,
the face of whose spirit is Hvely represented in them.
Reader, the aim of those [who] do publish them is
that thou mayest know, desire, and attain true bless-
edness in these unhappy times, and have thy thoughts,
affections, and actions suitable unto such a happi-
ness, wliich that thou mayest have, and they may be,
is the earnest desu'e of
WiLLiAJi Geeenhill.
WiLLi.\M Bridge.
Philip Nye.
John Yates.
William Adeklv.
Mathew Mead.
The lith of the 9M month.
1659.
SERMONS
CHRIST'S SERMON IN THE MOUNT.
'And seeing the multitude, he went up into a mountain : and when he was set, his disciples came unto him : and
he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of
hea,ven,' &c. — Mat. v. 1.
THIS chapter, with the sixth and seventh chapters,
are a sermon that Jesus Christ preached upon
the mount, the largest and fullest sermon that we
have recorded in the Scripture : the sermon of Christ
himself.
I heing solicitous what to pitch upon that might
be most for your edification, this took my thoughts.
What can be more suitable for a minister of Christ
to preach of, than the sermon of Christ ? And
therefore I intend, God willing, if life, and strength,
and liberty continues, to go through this whole ser-
mon of Christ unto you. For a minister to preach
other men's sermons it is negligence, but for him to
preach Christ's sermon it is faithfulness. In the
2d Cor. V. 20, the ministers of God are the am-
bassadors of Christ, and are to speak unto people as
if Jesus Christ spake unto them, ' in his stead ; ' and
so they are to look upon them as coming to them in
Christ's stead, as if Clirist were speaking. And if we
must preach as if Christ were preaching, what more
suitable than to preach what Christ hath preached ?
This sermon, in these three whole chapters, is a ser-
mon preached by the mouth of the Son of God him-
self, of him that is the wisdom of the Father, that
hath all the treasures of wisdom in him, of him that
hath been in the bosom of the Father from all eter-
nity, and knows all his mind, his whole heart, the
counsels of his will concerning man's eternal estate.
And it is he that is sent by the Father into the world,
designed to this office, to preach his mind and his
will unto the children of men.
Oh, what attention is called for, while you are
hearing this sermon of Christ repeated to you, and
opened and applied unto you !
Oh, we have infinite cause to bless God for the way
of knowing his mind by Jesus Christ his Son ! The
Lord in former times did reveal his mind to men
several ways ; but now saith the apostle in Heb. i.,
he ' hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by
whom also he made the worlds, who being the bright-
ness of his glory, the express image of his j^erson,'
&c. Oh, this is the hapj:)iness of those that live in
the times of the gospel, that God speaks unto them
by his Son, that Christ is come from the Father to
make him kno\\'n unto us : for ' no man knows the
Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will
reveal him.' Surely there are great things to be
known of the mind of God, seeing the second person
in Trinity is designed by the Father to come to
preach his mind to the children of men. If we hear
but of a friend that is come out of a far country to
tell us news there; if the news be of moment, and
nearly concerning us, and we know that this friend
is wise and faithful, and will tell us nothing but that
that is truth, we flock about him. Sometimes if one
come but from the army after some notable war hath
been done, and we know that he doth understand
things, and is faithful, how greedy are we to be with
him, and to know wliat news from thence ! But
here, my brethren, we have Jesus Christ coming
from God the Father, that knows fully all the mind
BUEROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 1.
of his Father, and is sent by the Father into the
world to make known to us a*ll those counsels of
God that were kept hid from the beginning of the
World ; news about our eternal estates, for that is the
gospel — the gospel signifies nothing else but good
news that Christ is come to bring, — and therefore I
beseech you hearken : saith God, ' This is my well-
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear him ! '
I am now beginning, and intend, God willing, to
go Qii preaching what Christ saith ; and therefore so
long as I keep to what he saith, you are to hear him
in it ; and that will be a very great aggravation to
your sin if you mind not what shall be preached now,
because it is the sermon of Jesus Christ that is to be
opened, and the fullest sermon that we know of that
ever he preached, that is recorded to us. In Heb.
xii. see what weight the Holy Ghost lays upon this,
that God hath made known himself to us by his Son :
ver. 25, ' See that ye refuse not him that speaketh,
for if they escaped not who refused him that spake
on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn
away from him that speaketh from heaven.' Here,
in this chapter, Christ speaks from heaven ; though
he were himself upon earth at that time, yet we are
to look upon him as speaking from heaven. For so
the words that are before shews it is meant of Jesus,
the mediator of the new covenant, that came to
, preach. It is the sermon of Christ that is our sub-
ject, and therefore calls for serious attention, and fear,
and reverence. And oh that we would carry this
thouglit with us all the while we hear him preaching
out of these chapters !
All that I shall do at this time shall be but to pre-
face this sermon. There are these six things con-
siderable in this sermon : —
I. First, Because we find this sermon recorded
not only in Matthew, but also in Luke, to inquire
whether they be the same ; yea or no : for we shall
find it of use ; one will much enlighten the other if
they be the same.
II. Secondly, We shall inquire at what time Christ
preached this sermon, and upon what occasion.
III. Thirdly, In what place he preached it.
IV. Fourthly, To whom he preached it.
V. Fifthly, The manner of his preaching ; and
VI. Sixthly, The scope of his sermon, what it did
principally aim at. These six things will be useful
for the making way to what shall follow.
I. For the first, Whether it be the same sermon
that Luke records. I find interpreters are very much
troubled about it : and yet if yoa read the sermon
itself, you shall find, though not recorded so largely
as Matthew doth it, yet the substance of it is the
same, and almost the same words. In Luke vi. 20,
' He lift up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed
are the poor,' and so he goes on, just as here. And
the reason of the doubt is, because we find in Matthew
that Christ chose his disciples in the tenth chapter
and sent them out, but we find in Luke that Christ
did choose his disciples before this sermon was
preached. In this sixth chapter, ver. 13, you shall find
that the twelve were sent out first, and then the
sermon was preached. There is the difference. And
then, secondly, Matthew saith that Jesus Christ went
up to the mountain, and there taught his disciples,
ver. L But Luke saith, he 'came down with them
and stood in the plain, and he lift up his eyes on
his disciples, and said,' &c. Matthew saith he sat,
and Luke saith he stood in the plain ; so that divers
interpreters say it was a different sermon. But yet
these may easily be answered.
For the first : Though Luke makes it to be after the
sending out of the twelve, and Matthew seems to
make it to be afore, yet it may be reconciled thus :
that though indeed it be recorded in ^Matthew after,
as in the tenth chapter, yet we know that many
times the Scripture doth not set down things that
are before in time, always before in place, as I might
easily shew you. There be many things that are
after in a book that yet were done before those
things that are set down first ; it is ordinary. Here
Matthew had occasion to speak of Christ's doctrine ;
afterwards, in the tenth chapter, to speak of sending
out his disciples. That is no argument, because it is
in the tenth chapter, therefore it was not before this
that is in the fifth chapter.
And then for the other : That it is said in Matthew
that he was upon the mountain, and in Luke that he
came down to the plain. To that the answer is :
that here it is not said that he came down to the
plain, and preached upon the plain ; but it is said
that after he had sent forth his disciples he came
down to the plain, and then the company came to
him. So, then, after he had done the work of giving
his disciples the commission to go and preach, then
comes abundance of people to him. He had been
upon the mount, as we shall see by and by, all night,
and then did the work of sending out his disciples,
and then comes down and sees a great multitude of
people, and did some work about them in healing of
them, and then returns up into the mountain again,
withdrawing himself from the tumult of the people
to preach to his disciples, and those that came to-
gether with him. So that, though it be said he was
in the plain, and he stood — that is, he stood while the
multitude was with him, but after he had done some
work about tliem, then, according to ^Matthew, he re-
tires into the mountain again, and there falls a-preach-
ing. So that there is no objection of any moment,
that I know, why it should not be the same sermon,
but these two, and these two may easily be recon-
ciled. Therefore, seeing that the very substance of
Mat. V. 1.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
the sermon is the same, we will take it that it was all
one. Now being all one sermon, you shall find
much help by this. The one evangelist will give
light into another.
II. And then the second thing that is to be in-
quired into is, The time when Christ preached it, and
that help you must have from Luke, — for so I intend,
that what light one evangelist will give, I will make
use of that, — though it be not mentioned here in
Matthew, and you will find it of very great use to in-
quire after this. You shall find that the very night
before he preached this sermon, that he was at prayer
all night. Luke vi. 12, 'And it came to pass in
those days that he went out into a mountain to
pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.' It
was the night before this sermon was preached.
And this scripture will justify long prayers upon
extraordinary occasions, though, I confess, in an or-
dinary way in family prayer, oi'dinarily it is more
convenient to have them short than long. But this
scripture justifies long prayer — speaking many hours
in prayer — upon extraordinary occasions. Jesus Christ
speaks a whole night in prayer unto God, and you
see how the things of the glory of God, and the good
of his church, did take up his heart, so that he speaks
a whole night in prayer about them. Oh consider
this, you that spend so many nights in chambering
and wantonness ; you that can sit up nights in drink-
ing and playing, remember Jesus Christ sat up a whole
night together in praying. He prays all night ; hereby
giving an example to his ministers upon occasions to
be praying for people when they are sleeping — to be
seeking to God in prayer, and when they are about
other things. Christ he was a whole night here in
prayer.
But you will say, What was the occasion ? why
was he a whole night in prayer before he preached
this sermon ? Why, the occasion seems to be the
work that he had to do the next morning, which
was to send forth his disciples, for so the text saith
in ver. 13: 'When it was day, he called unto him
his disciples, and of them he chose twelve, whom also
he named apostles.' He had a great work to do — to
choose twelve apostles to go up and down in the
world to preach the gospel of God, the greatest work
that ever men were to do since the beginning of the
world. To go and preach the gospel, Christ looked
upon this as a great and a weighty work. And,
therefore, by way of preparation before he chooses
them, he spends a whole night in prayer to God to
prepare for that great work.
You may see by this, that tlie work of the minis-
try it is a great work. You may think it indeed a
light matter, but Christ accounted it a great matter :
he makes solemn preparation for the choosing his
apostles, and prays to God all night before. Oh let |
those, then, who are in the ministry, consider of this
as a mighty and great work, as a solemn business.
That that Christ shall spend so much time in prayer
about, must needs be a solemn thing. They should
so look upon the work that they are called unto.
And for people that are at any time to choose or to
call a minister, oh, they should look upon it as a
solemn work, and not think it a light matter. Some
when they hear of such a man, say, Come let us have
him presently; when Christ was to choose his
apostles and send them forth, he makes a prepara-
tion by sitting up all night in prayer. And it is a
very seemly thing for people that are at any time to
choose a minister, that they should spend much time
in prayer and seeking to God. Indeed, for the choice
of civil officers, or of any that shall be but by way
of assistance to the civil magistrate, there is not
need of so much solemnity ; but if it be for the choice
of those that shall exercise the power of Christ in the
administering of ordinances, they are to be chosen and
brought into their place with a very great solemnity :
here it was so at first ; and so I find it continued,
that if but a deacon was brought in. Acts vi., it was
with prayer and imposition of hands ; and so elders
much more, if they be for to exercise the power of
Christ, then, as in Acts xiv., they are with prayer
and fasting and imposition of hands brought into
their places. It is a solemn and great business, and
all ministers of God should consider of this prayer of
Christ in way of preparation for the ministry ; con-
sider of it, and exercise their faith in believing the
blessing of it upon them. Now whereas Christ him-
self saith in John xvii. 20, that he prayed not only
for them that were present, but for all others after
that should believe : so certainly Christ, when he
spent this whole night in prayer, did not pray only
for the twelve apostles, but for all those that should
be in the ministry, to preach the gospel of Christ, to
the end of the world. But now having spent all the
night in prayer, then in the morning the first thing
he doth is to choose his twelve apostles, and when he
hath done, he seeing the multitude come to him, doth
a little retire himself from them and falls a-preach-
ing, and preaches this excellent and notable sermon
that we are now beginning to speak of. After Christ
had been all night up, yet next day he falls a-preach-
ing. You see Christ is not so tender of his body ;
those that had been tender over him, would have
been ready to say that he should go and sleep. What!
shall he tire and wear out his body, having sat up all
night, and spent himself in prayer? — as there is no
exercise that is more spending to the body than
prayer — yet after all this, the next morning, Christ he
takes this opportunity, and falls a-preaohing.
Teaching thus much, that the ministers of the gos-
pel should not be too nice and dainty of their bodies ;
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 1.
not to be always wliining and complaining of the
weakness of body, and spending of themselves, and
such things ; but if there be opportunity given for
service, they should be ready to take it, although it
should be a weariness and spending. What if it
should shorten their days a little while ? is it not all
one, to do a great deal of good in a little time, or to
do a little good in a great deal of time 1 To do a great
deal in a little time is the more comfortable. A
man's life is to be reckoned according to his service,
not according to how many years he lives. Christ he
preaches this long sermon, the longest that ever he
did preach, for aught we know, and it was the morn-
ing after he had been up all the night a-praying.
Further observe from this time of the sermon of
Christ : what a notable sermon doth Jesus Christ
preach, after he had been thus praying. It is a most
heavenly sermon. And that prayer that he had a
little before he died, from John xiv. on for two or
three chapters, they have the most of Christ in them
that the vScripture doth record of anything that
Christ hath done. Then let ministers pray more, and
they will preach better. The way to be a good
preacher it is to be a fervent prayer. Do as Christ did :
ministers should come reeking from prayer into the
pulpit ; and those wiU be the best sermons that are
warmed in their own hearts by prayer. They come
to give the milk of the word ; and you know nurses,
when they give milk to the child, will not give it raw,
nor cold, but they will warm the milk before they
give it to the child. Oh, the milk of the word, that
is warmed by the prayer of a minister in his own
heart before he comes, that is that that is hke to be
most nourishable unto people.
And hence lil<ewise we may note, that the way to
be filled with the Holy Ghost, to be filled with
heavenly truths, with a most spiritual frame, it is
to be much in prayer, the spending time in prayer ;
and doing of it to purpose indeed, will help not only
ministers but Christians to rise up full of the Holy
Ghost, full of heavenly and divine truths. Consider
that this sermon was preached the next morning
after Christ had spent a whole night in prayer, and
it will add much to the excellency of the sermon,
and vv'ill be a special motive to your attention, and
for the receiving of what shall be said out of this
sermon. Certainly there must be some notable mat-
ter in this sermon, that was preached presently after
such a ])rayer ; and that is the second consideration
by way of preface, The time when this sermon was
preached.
III. The third thing by way of preface to this
sermon is. The place where it was preached ; for there
is nothing in Scripture without use. My text saith
that he went up to the mountain. He had been in
the mountain in prayer, and came down and did
some work among the people, and then goes up
thither again to preach.
Why upon the mountain ?
Something it was to fulfil those prophecies that
we have in divers scriptures about preaching of the
gospel upon the mountain, in Isa. xl. 9, and Joel
iii. 18, but these are only guessings. Others I
find do allegorise very much, how a minister should
be as upon the mountain, and how heavenly he
should be when he is a-preaching : but I like it not
to strain Scripture any further than I think to be
the meaning of the Holy Ghost ; therefore I think
there is nothing else to be considered than this, the
conveniency of the mountain, because it was a re-
tired place, and there being a clutter of people^ he
could not be so composed among them to speak so
freely to edification, therefore he retires unto a moun-
tain again, where he had spent so much time in
prayer.
Christ doth not stay till he comes to the syna-
gogue to preach, or the temple ; no, but takes any
place that was a fitting place to preach unto the
people. It is not necessary that thefe should be a
consecrated place for the preaching of the word.
What mountain was this ? j'ou will say.
Some have thought it to be the mountain of Olivet,
but that cannot possibly be, for Christ was in the
upper Galilee at this time, and mount Olivet was near
to Jerusalem, as near to Jerusalem as Islington is
near the city ; but Christ was about forty miles from
Jerusalem at this time, therefore Jerome and others
think it to be mount Tabor.
And certainly, this will further justify that preach-
ing may be in any place where ministers have op-
portunity, and may be with peace and edification.
There is a double vanity of conceit in people. Some
men think that some places are so profane by pro-
fane uses, that there must not be no preaching there ;
and others think that some places are too supersti-
tiously used, and because of the superstition that
hath been there, there must be no preaching there ;
they will not go to hear a sermon because of the
superstition of the place. Truly this may help us
against both these.
For profane ; Certainly there is nothing done in
any place that doth so defile the place but that if
occasion serve there might be preaching in that place,
and would be acceptable to God ; though it were in
a place that had been a playhouse, it would not de-
file the work at all, if there can be no more con-
venient place had. Shall so many thousand souls
perish for want of knowing God and Christ, because
they have not a consecrated place ? It is a very sad
thing to consider of. This mountain — if it be mount
Tabur, as I find both Jerome and others think it was —
was as ill a place as a playhouse could be, where Christ
Mat. V. 1.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
preached this sermon ; and a place that was hke to
be abused to much superstition and idolatry. I find
in the prophecy of Hosea mention of this place, chap.
V. 1, ' Hear ye this, O priests ; and hearken, ye house
of Israel ; and give ye ear, 0 house of the king ; for
judgment is towards you, because ye have been a snare
on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.' The
meaning of it is this, that when the ten tribes had
fallen off from the true worship of God in the temple
at Jerusalem, and set up their calves in Dan and
Bethel, there w-ere some that were more godly and
strict than others, and they could not be content to
worship there, but they must needs go to worship at
Jerusalem. But now the laws of the king and the
priests were against it, and no man could be suffered
to worship at Jerusalem but it was upon his peril ;
but yet there would many go, therefore the priests
and others set watchers to watch those that did go up
into Jerusalem to worship. As heretofore there have
been men set to watch when men went from their
parish churches, though they had no preaching at
home; so there were watches set upon mount Tabor to
watch those that went to Jerusalem, for they were
to go by that place, and therefore it is said that
there was a net spread upon Tabor. Surely this
place was profaned as much as any place could be ;
and yet for all that, Christ he goes and preaches
this sermon upon mount Tabor. It was as wicked
a work to set watchmen to spy out those that went
to the true worship of God to Jerusalem, as it was to
make a play ; and yet, I say, Christ comes and preaches
here upon the mountain.
And so for any superstition in places, the syna-
gogues of the ten tribes, and the jolaces that they
set up for their service, and for teaching, they were
abused exceedingly, for they set them up in opposi-
tion to the true worship of God in Jerusalem : and
yet Christ would preach in every place according as
he came into it, and we do not find that Christ re-
fused preaching in any such place where he came,
though it had been abused this way or that way ;
Christ stood not upon that, but took the present
opportunity to do his vpork, for to preach the word.
That is the first ; and,
Secondly, That all ministers of God should take
what opportunities they can for doing good ; and
that is the third consideration by way of preface.
IV. The fourth is. Who are these auditors that
the text speaks of ? ' And seeing the multitude, he
went up into the mountain.' Now I confess some
they make this sermon of Christ to be to the multitude
that was there, that did come and clutter about him,
and therefore think that Christ was moved with com-
passion to preach unto them, because he saw such
abundance of people. It is very true, it is a very
moving object to any gracious heart, to any godly
ministers, when they see abundance of people coming
to hear, and especially manifesting a willingness to
attend, it is a very moving object to draw forth
any minister's heart in the world : and so we find at
some other time that Christ's heart was much drawn
forth upon the sight of a multitude of people, in
Mat. ix. 36, 'But when he saw the multitude, he
was moved with compassion on them, because they
fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having
no shepherd : then saith he unto his disciples, The
harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few ;
pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he
will send forth labourers into his harvest.' When
Jesus Christ looked upon abundance of people that
were there, the text saith that he was moved with
compassion, thinking with himself. Lord, what shall
become of these many thousand souls, that know so
little of God and the things of heaven ? And therefore,
Oh pray, saith he to his disciples, pray ye that he would
send forth labourers into his harvest. These people
are -willing to hear, the regions are white unto har-
vest ; oh pray that there might be labourers sent into
the harvest. The very sight of a multitude is a
moving sight, to preach and to pray that God would
send faithful ministers to preach unto them. Indeed,
the sight of a multitude is an object of envy to many ;
as heretofore we know it was enough for a faithful
minister to be silenced, such was their envy, and so
contrary to the spirit of Jesus Christ. But I cannot
tell how to build any point of doctrine upon this,
because I think that at this time Christ did go up
into the mountain, and withdrew himself from the
most of the people, for so I find the text saith, ' And
seeing the multitude, he went up into a mountain :
and when he was set, his disciples came unto him : '
and it may be some of the rest, but not the gener-
ality of them. And so in Luke vi., there having the
same sermon recorded, the text saith, ' That he lift
up his eyes upon his disciples, and said. Blessed are
the poor,' &c. So that it is probable that rather than
he would spend his time at this present among the
multitude, he retires himself to speak to his disciples.
Why ? for his chief work was about his disciples,
about the sending out the twelve, and making them
to be apostles ; and therefore, though the preachinn- to
all the multitude be a very good thing, and that the
heart of Christ was much in upon all occasions, yet
now Christ would mind his work that he was about,
to speak to his apostles that he was to send abroad.
From whence we may note. That men must tend
their present work, and not be upon thinking that
they may do more good some other way, and so
leave the present work that God calls them to. Let
us look to the work that we are about for the present,
and not be taken off to think, Ay, but another work
may be more useful ; but. Is this my work for the
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 1.
present ? Then let me go iipon it, and commit my
work to the blessing of God.
And then, secondly ; Hence we may see that
Christ hath a special regard unto his ministers ; he
•withdraws from the multitude to speak to them ; he
did not forbid any of the people to come, but the thing
that Christ intended, was to speak to them. Christ
hath a special regard to his ministers ; he knows that
great things doth depend upon them, as afterwards
in this chapter he calls them the salt of the earth, as
if all the world would rot and putrefy if it were not
for them. And so he calls them the light of the
world, as if all the world would be in darkness were
it not for the light of the word ; they should be full
of light, and so should enlighten others. Ministers
they should be filled with the will of God, as it is said
of Epaphras in Col. iv., he prayed for the people that
they might be ' filled in all the will of God,' ver. 12.
Oh ! it is an excellent thing for a minister to be filled
with the will of God, as a sail is filled with the
wind.
Those who are most instructed by Christ, they
are fittest to instruct people. Christ he falls a-
preaching to them, that they may preach, to the
people. Those cannot preach to the hearts of people
that have not had Jesus Christ preaching to their
hearts before.
And besides, Christ saw that the work was very
difficult. The work of the ministry is a hard work ;
therefore Christ spends a great deal of time, as in
praying for them before, so after he had chosen them,
in instructing of them. They were to be set as a light
upon an hill ; and the eyes and observations of men
would be upon them to watch them in all their ways.
They must bear the brunt of all, and if there be any
hazardable work they must approach. This work of
God is very difficult. It is a speech of Luther,
' What is it to preach, but for a man to drive the
envy of people that are evil upon himself?' And
therefore it was that Christ made such a preparation
of his apostles before they were to go abroad. And
that is the fourth consideration about the preface to
Christ's sermon, his auditors whom he had.
V. And then the fifth consideration by way of
preface is, The manner of Christ's preaching. And
there are three things observable. I would gladly
take up all things in Scripture, for the Scripture is
not like a carpenter's yard, that a great deal of chips
lies about and are of no use ; but it is like a gold-
smith's shop, that every dust is precious. So, when
we have to deal in Scripture, we should not neglect
the least particle, for we shall find it of much use.
There are three things that are recorded about the
manner of Christ's preaching.
First, That Christ did sit and preach.
Secondly, That he opened his mouth and spake.
And then the third is, That Christ fastened his
eyes upon his disciples ; — that you have in Luke vi.
But we have two of these in Matthew : That he
sat and opened his mouth and spake. For the sit-
ting : Christ when he preached he sat down ; he did
not stand as preachers do now. And we find it was
the ordinary way of preaching among the Jews, for
the preacher to sit down. In Mat. xxiii. 2, the
scribes and pharisees sit in Moses' chair : hear them,
and do what they say, saith Christ, though do not
what they do. And so you shall find it in Mat. xxiv.
3, and xxvi. 55 ; you shall see in both tliese places
that Christ when he came to preach sat down ; he
stood up when he read the law, but when he
preached he sat down. And so in Luke iv. 20. In
all these scriptures you may see it was the manner
in preaching to sit down. Now some would make
a significancy in it ; but I take it, it was only a civil
gesture, that Christ observing what the way was at
that time, he would conform himself to the order
and way of sitting, not that it had any spiritual sig-
nification. As now, the French ministers they
preach with their hats on, it is the custom there ; and
no question, if any one were to go among them it
were fit they should observe the customs that they
have : and so here, to sit down, ajid in other churches
to stand.
You will say, Doth not this justify the conform-
ing to ceremonies in churches ? Christ you see con-
formed to this ceremony of sitting, and why had we
such a stir about kneeling at sacrament ? And,
Now to answer that clearly, thus : You must know
the difference of ceremonies. Whatsoever ceremony is
but merely natural or civil, and is but helpful to the
worship of God in a natural and civil way, certainly
we should conform to the customs of churches where-
soever we come. But now when a ceremony comes
to have a spnitual use, and to have by the institution
of man some spiritual thing put upon it, as our cere-
monies had, then, though they be but ceremonies, we
must not, except we would sin against Jesus Christ
and our consciences, we must not conform to them ;
for then they come to have some worship in them,
when they come to have spiritual significations, and
there is that put upon them by way of institution.
But if there be no more in a ceremony than what
the nature of the thing carries with it to be helpful
in God's worship, there is no question but the pru-
dence of men is enough for the ordering of that in it ;
as it is a natural help for people when they come to
hear the word, to have convenient seats. It is a na-
tural help so when it is but used in a natural way ;
but now kneeling at sacrament, and such ceremonies,
they had a spiritual efficacy put into them, and an
institution from them.
And so for garments : for a minister to have a con-
Mat. V. 1.]
BUREOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
venient garment it is a natural thing; but now, if
they will make an institution, that a garment must
be therefore decent because it is appointed and not
else, for what decency is there in the nature of the
thing, but all is in the institution that is put upon it
by man. Therefore observe here, whatsoever cere-
mony is but natural and helpful in a natural way,
there there should be no contention ; we have no such
custom, nor the churches of God, to contend about
these ; but if they come to have a religious use put
upon them, for so it is said in the Common Prayer
Book, to stir up the dull minds of men, now they come
to be sinful, and therefore Christ he observed the
ceremony of the Jews as a natural help.
And secondl}', Christ opened his mouth and spake.
Opened his mouth, you will say ; why is this men-
tioned ? How could he speak else to them ?
I answer, first, There is a speaking though there
is not an opeiring of one's mouth. In Heb. xi. 4,
there the Holy Ghost speaks of a speaking without
opening of the mouth. ' By faith Abel offered to
God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which
he obtained witness that he was righteous, God
testifying of his gifts ; and by it be, being dead, yet
speaketh.' So there is a real speaking as well a verbal
one, and so some think that this was a similitude,
■whereas Christ did preach in his life ; as a minister of
God should preach in his holy life continually before
them, so Christ preached.
But secondl}'. By opening the mouth, according to
the Je'ivish expression, is to signify,- not only that he
did speak, but that he had some weighty matter to
speak, as in Job xxxii. 20. There Elihu, when he
saith that he is full of matter, and hath excellent
things to say, he saith, ' He w'ill open his mouth to
speak.' And so our English phrase will bear it ; when
we see an object wishly, we will say, I saw it with
mine eyes — that is, I did mind it, and regard it ;
and so if a man will express a serious intentness to
hear, he will say, I heard it with mine ears — that is,
he did diligently hear it, and mark it. And so he
opened his mouth and spake : he did not only
speak, but he had some great and weighty matter to
deliver.
Thirdly, This was to shew that the mouth of
Christ was as a door of a rich treasury. Jesus
Christ had in his heart a rich treasury, and his
mouth was the door of that rich treasury ; and now
Christ opens the door and fetches out these precious
things that you shall hear in this sermon. And thus,
then, opening the mouth, and setting these things
before us, you see is of great use unto us. There
are some that have so much evil in their hearts, that
it doth burst out of the door of their mouths, and
they speak without any consideration. As a man that
hath an unclean heart, it breaks forth in his mouth.
As a vessel that is full of filthy liquor, it will break
forth when it hath no vent. And so that is the
reason men speak so wickedly, in baudry, or swear-
ing ; their hearts are full of wickedness, and it breaks
the door open. And so the heart of Jesus Christ
was full of heavenly and spiritual things, and Christ
he opens the door of his mouth and speaks. It should
be so with us. It should be so with the ministers of
God especially; they should have their hearts full of
heavenly treasure, and when they come to preach, it
is but to open the door of this treasury ; their mouths
should be but as the door to vent those treasures of
heavenly truths that they have been trading for in
heaven. And so all people, they should have their
hearts as a treasure of excellent things, and so have
command of their mouths, that when they see an
occasion of doing good where they come, they should
open the door of this treasury to vent what good
things they have got in this treasury. Oh that all
our mouths were so ! This is the meaning of this
expression, Christ opened his mouth. It was a mercy,
my brethren, that Christ had his mouth open to
speak to this people. Had the scribes and pharisees
had their wills upon Christ, his mouth had been shut
long before this time, for they envied him, but
through God's mercy the mouth of Christ was open
to speak to the people the great things of God. And
it is a mercy that ministers' mouths are open, that
they may open their mouths to speak to people, and
shew them what the mind of God is. We had not
such a mercy long since. Though there were many
ministers that had their hearts full of rich truths,
yet the door was locked and bolted against them ;
they could not open the door, so as the people could
not have tliem. And I believe there was never any
reformed church that contracted so much guilt, in
all the world, in stopping the mouths of faithful
ministers, as England hath done in former time.
But blessed be God, that God hath stopped the
mouths of the stoppers of mouths. I remember in
Chrysostom's time, I find that the godly people then
did profess that they had rather have the sun with-
draw her beams than the mouth of Chrysostom
should be stopped; there was so much excellency in
Chrysostom's preaching : say they. Shall the door ol
the treasury of John Chrysostom's heart be shut,
shall that be bolted, and shall we have no benefit 1 y
it ? It were better we had no benefit by the sun itself.
Oh account it a great mercy that the mouths of faith-
ful ministers may be opened to speak unto you.
And that is the second consideration in the manner
of his preaching. He opened his mouth.
And then the third is, He set his eyes upon those
he spake unto. So the Holy Ghost doth note in
Luke vi. 20, ' He lifted up his eyes upon his disciples.'
Certainly, my beloved, the eyes of Christ did sparkle
BUEEOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 2.
with very mucli wisdom, and there was mucli of the
glory of God sparkling in the very eyes of Jesus
Christ. In Rev. i. 14, we find that ' the eyes of Christ
were as a flaming lire.' Wisdom makes a man's face
to shine. And many times there appears a great
majesty in the very countenance of a minister; and a
great deal of use is made by the minister's looking
upon the people, and the people's looking upon the
minister. Therefore because Christ would have his
vs'ord effect the more, the te.xt saith, he lifted up his
eyes upon his disciples, and looked upon them.
And it hath a great deal of power in way of repre-
hension and threatening ; and many times a guilty
conscience is not able to bear the fastening of the
eyes of a minister upon them. Therefore in Acts
xiii. 9, we read of Paul, whenas Elymas the sorcerer
would have taken off Sergius Paulus, that was the
deputy of the place, and would have hindered the
work of the ministry upon his heart, Paul was a-
preaching, and the deputy began to be stirred up,
and to hearken to what Paul should say, and there
comes one Elymas and would have taken off the
deputy ; now when Paul, having hopes to have
gained such a man that might be a public instru-
ment in the place where God had set him, the text
saith that Paul set his eyes upon Elymas, and spake
to him in a terrible manner, as if he should say, O
wretch ; for so he saith, O child «f the devil, and full
of all subtlety ! What ! wilt thou seek to hinder the
word upon such an eminent man, 0 thou child of
the devil ? There is a great deal of power sometimes
in the eyes of a minister of the word. And we find
that when Peter had denied Christ, the text saith that
Christ looked upon him, and then Peter went forth
and wept bitterly. There was much darted through
the eyes of Jesus Christ ; and there is much many
times darted thorugh the eyes of a minister of God.
Now then, my brethren, this is the close of this
sermon for the present. I beseech you, while we are
preaching over this large sermon of Jesus Christ, do
you apprehend that the eyes of Jesus Christ are upon
you all. Why should we not apprehend it so now as
well as then, when Christ saith. He that heareth you
hears me? It is the sermon that Christ preached
himself ; and as he lift up his eyes upon his auditors
at that time, so do you know that Jesus Christ lifts
up his eyes upon you all, and his eyes will be upon
every heart all the while his sermon shall be
preached. Oh, Christ comes into the congregation
to look upon this man and the other man, to see
how they will entertain his word ; and if you will but
remember this one note all along as we go, it will be
of very great use to you — remember the eyes of Jesus
Christ will be upon you, and looks upon your be-
haviour all the while. And that is the fifth thing
by way of preface.
Sermon II. Ver. 2.
VI. The sixth thing is to shew what the scope of
this sermon was ; and that consists especially in these
three things : —
First, To discover wherein true blessedness doth
consist ; who they are that are truly blessed.
Secondly, To open the spiritualness of the law, or
that spiritual light that hj the light of the gospel
we come to understand. Christ undertakes to shew
the duties of the law, how they were by the gospel
raised to a higher height. 'The gospel doth not
abolish them, but shews us a more spiritual life to live
than those generally under the law did understand.
Our Saviour aims at taking of men oft' from satisfy-
ing of themselves in external duties of righteousness,
of prayers, or any other way, or keeping from exter-
nal sins.
And then thirdly, A forewarning of false teachers.
These are the three principal heads of the sermon.
There are many other things interwoven in. But for
the first thing. It is to shew wherein true blessed-
ness consists. He begins with blessedness in his
mouth, — Blessed are the poor, Blessed, Blessed, again
and again. From this we have these notes briefly —
First, That it is Jesus Christ that teaches wherein
true blessedness doth consist. If we would know
how to be ha2:)py and blessed, it must be by Christ ;
the natural wisdom of man can never reach it.
There were among philosophers a hundred and four-
score opinions of man's happiness, and some reckon
more. They did but beat the bush ; it is the Chi'is-
tian that catches the bird. It is only by Christ that
we may know how to be happy ; Christ is come from
the bosom of the Father to reveal unto mankind
those eternal counsels of the Father about man's last
end. Man since the fall would never have come to
have known wherein his last end consists, and what
good it is that he is capable of and God intends
towards him, had not Christ come from the bosom
of the Father to declare it. Oh the poor and low
things wherein the children of men place their happi-
ness in, that know not Jesus Christ, but are strangers
to Jesus Christ ! When Christ comes to be revealed,
the thoughts and hearts of men are raised and en-
larged ; they look after happiness in another manner
then than formerly they did. Oh let us bless God
for Jesus Christ, by whom we come to know how we
may be happy — that is, wherein our last end consists,
that high good that man's nature is made capable of
by God.
Secondly, It is the end and scope of the ministry
to shew to people how they may come to be blessed.
For this sermon was preached especially to the apos-
tles when they had their commission, as I opened the
Mat. V. 2.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
last day. Now in that Christ speaks so much of
blessedness to them, it was to prepare them to go
and preach it to the world. Oh, it is the ministry of
the word that shews to men how they may come to
be happy ! This is all the hurt it will do you, to
shew you how you may be blessed for ever. How
poor and miserable are those people that live without
the ministry of the word ! What poor things do
they plant their happiness in ! When you come to
attend the ministry of the gospel, you must come to
attend it as a message from God, to shew you how
you may be happy for ever. It is called the gospel
that they preach ; good tidings. It brings tidings to
you from heaven, how those souls and bodies of yours
may come to be eternally happy. Come with such a
disposition to the ministry of the word. Those,
therefore, who forsake the ministry of the word, for-
sake their own mercy — the way that might shew them
to be happy. Oh how vile are men's hearts, to prize
it at no higher a rate than most do, so as ye cannot
think it Avorth the enduring a little cold in a morning
to come to attend upon the ministry that is appointed
by God to shew happiness to those that God intends
eternal good to !
Oh, the convictions that many have had in the
ministry of the gospel ! what a turn sometimes hath
the word given to their hearts in one half-quarter of
an hour ! Their hearts have been seeking after vain
and drossy things for their happiness, and would rest
in them as the only good that they would think
themselves happy in. And the ministry of the gospel
hath darted in tlaose truths unto them that have given
a turn to their hearts ; and they would not have lost
what they have found in the ministry of the word, some-
times in one sermon, for ten thousand worlds — that
that you prize at so low a rate, they find such good
in, as, I say, they would not have lost for ten thousand
■worlds. They have come sometimes to hear the word
with carnal, drossy, vain, sensual hearts, looking only
to things that are here, base and vile ; but in attend-
ing upon the word, there hath been those flashes of
light let out unto them that hath made them to see
wherein the true good of a rational creature consists —
to see what was the end God made man for, and the
infinite good that man's soul is capable of; and upon
this they have gone away with their hearts scorning
and contemning all those sensual delights and vanities
that they placed their happiness in before. There-
fore, learn to know what the scope of the ministry of
the gospel is ; that is the second general note.
The third note from the design of Christ in general
is this, By what we hear Christ telling us blessedness
doth consist in, we may learn that there is a great
deal of difference between the thoughts and judgment
cf God about true happiness, and the thoughts and
jvdgment of the world. For if so be that you look
into all those eight beatitudes that we have here, you
will see them in such a quite cross way to the judg-
ment of the world as nothing can be more.
For, in the first place. Suppose the judgment of the
world should be asked, who are those that are blessed ;
certainly they would never have said the poor was
blessed. They would think them to be miserable
men that are poor. Ay, but Christ is of another judg-
ment, ' Blessed are the poor, poor in spirit, theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.' Blessed are the rich, would
the world say ; they are happy indeed. We call the
proud happy in Mai. iii. ; but here it is ' Blessed are
the poor.'
Then, secondly, Ask the world again, who are
blessed men ; they would never tell you that those
that mourn are blessed. Certainly, if there be any
blest in this world, they must be those that live brave,
jolly lives ; there is a happy man that Uves a brave,
merry life. No, saith Christ ; it is quite contrary.
Blessed are they that mourn. Quite cross the
judgment of Christ goes to the judgment of the
world.
Then, thirdly, If you would ask, who are the
happy men ; why, those that will take no wrong,
and those that are able to right themselves ; and if
any man wrong them, they shall know it; the world
would think them to be happy men. No, saith
Christ ; ' Blessed are the meek' — those that are willing
to put up wrongs, and carry themselves meekly to-
wards those that do abuse them. The world thinks
he is a fool that puts up wrongs, but in the judgment
of Christ he is a blessed man.
And then, fourthly. If you would ask the world,
who are the blessed ; surely they would say, Those
that are full of all kind of delicacies— that can fill
themselves. No, saith Christ ; ' Blessed are those that
hunger, and those that thirst ;' hungry and thirsty souls
are the blessed souls.
And then, fifthly, If you would ask the world, who
are the blessed men ; why, they are those that keep
their estates to themselves. They think it is wisdom
for a man to keep what he hath, and not let it go.
No, saith Christ; 'Blessed are the merciful.' If a man
hath an estate and great means, and lets it go for
good uses, blessed is he.
Again, sixthly, Ask the world, who are blessed ;
they would never have pitched upon the pure in
heart. Blessed are they that follow their lusts, and
satisfy them to the full. No, saith Christ ; ' Blessed
are the Puritans — those that are pure in heart.'
And then, ' Blessed are the peace-makers.' The
men of the world think it a happiness for those that
stand out and defend their right. No ; ' Blessed are
the peace-makers ' — that will rather part with that
which is their right than that there should not be
peace.
10
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 2.
But, above all, tlie world would never have thought
that those were blessed that are persecuted. No;
saith Christ ; now I appeal to your consciences whe-
ther ever you would have thought that blessedness
had consisted in these things, had not we had it from
Christ. Thus have we seen that there is a great
deal of difference between the judgment of Christ
and the judgment of the world about true happi-
ness.
It is of great concernment for the ministers and
the young disciples of Christ to have their hearts
taken off from all earthly blessedness, and to con-
sider wherein true heavenly blessedness doth consist ;
for this is the sermon, as I told you, that Christ
preaches to ministers when he sends them to preach
to others, and likewise to other disciples that were
newly converted, for Christ had been in his public
ministry for two years before this sermon, and many
were turned to the profession of Christ. But now,
though they were turned to be the disciples of Christ,
yet nothing but troubles and afflictions did befall them
in this world. Upon that, Christ saw that it was
like they might be offended through their weakness ;
therefore Christ takes care fully to inform and in-
struct them, that, though they did continue in a poor
and mean and low condition for the world, and per-
secuted and reviled, yet there was a blessedness that
was beyond all these ; yea, in the suffering of all
these they might be most happy. Why, this is that
that Christ would have ministers and young disciples
to know, because that their hearts may be taken off
from outward things. They are like to meet with
afflictions and troubles, and therefore Christ would
have them to be spiritual ; and if they be not so, they
are not like to do much good to those they preach
to. If their hearts be entangled with the world and
with sensual things and the pleasures of the flesh,
they are never like to do good ; but they that see a
happiness higher than these things, they are like to
do the greatest good in their way. And then for
you that are young ones, if yOu are not fully informed
in this when you first give up your names to Christ,
that whatsoever afflictions and miseries you endure
in the world, yet there is a happiness wherein you
may be blessed, you will never hold on in the profes-
sion of Christian religion, but you will be offended,
and in a small time cast it all off.
Christ doth not say, you ought to be poor in
spirit ; it is your duty to hunger and thirst, and to be
meek. No, he doth not come that way, but ' Blessed
are the poor in spirit, and Blessed are they that
hunger and thirst;' he goes by way of commenda-
tions of what should be in them, rather than by way
of exhortation, or threatening the contrary. From
whence we may learn this note : that it is a very
useful and profitable way for the ministers of the
gospel to seek to gain people to the love of what is
their duty, by shewing them what is the excellency
and glory of it, and what good and happiness they
shall come to enjoy by it ; that is the way, not alto-
gether to be merely in laying the burden of a duty,
in exhorting or threatening for want of the duty,
though these things are seasonable in then- times,
but a main thing that ministers of the gospel should
aim at, should be to convince people that in what is
required of them there is a blessedness ; for if we
should get people to set upon duty merely upon
necessity, because they must be done, this would do
but little good, and they would be ready to fall off
from what they do. But now if we can gain people
not only to do what God requires, but to be in love
with what God requires, that they may see there is
an excellency in it, that they may see they are
blessed by it, we then gain their hearts to the duty
and to Christ for ever.
And yet there is one note more from this scope of
Christ in his blessedness : that Christ doth not here
begin his sermon thus. Blessed are those that do be-
lieve in me, and that are godly and righteous. Why
doth not Christ speak of blessedness that way in
general of righteous men, of believers, of saints ;
but those that are poor, those that hunger and thirst,
those that mourn, they are the blessed ones ? Why,
this is because Christ would suit himself to his present
auditory, to those that he was now preaching to ;
this was a doctrine that was more suitable to Ms
disciples, because they were like to be most offended
witli poverty and with their afflicted conditions, in
which they were like to be put into, and therefore
Christ he labours to help them in that thing wherein
their chief temptation was like to he, and pitches
rather upon this, ' Blessed are the poor, and those
that mourn,' than blessed are those that believe, and
that are righteous. It is a great part of the skill of
a minister of the gospel not only to preach things
that are truths, but to labour to suit himself what
possibly he can to those that he speaks unto — that he
may speak a word in due season to their hearts,
fitted for their condition ; and therefore not so much
to labour to preach what he might, perhaps, wherein
he might shew more depth and excellency of his own
parts, but wliat it is that may be most suitable for
the condition of the people that he is speaking to.
These are the notes briefly from the general, that
Christ begins here with this kind of blessedness,
'Blessed are the poor.' It is good to take Christ's
judgment rather than our own about blessedness.
Rather follow what the blessed God saith blessedness
consists in, than what a wretched, miserable man
saith.
' The poor, they are the blessed."
That is, if you would know what is meant by
Mat. V. 2.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
11
blessedness here, it is this : they are such as are par-
takers of the chief good that it was made for, and
shall certainly be tilled with all good that their
natures are capable of, for in this blessedness con-
sists.
Now the poor in spirit, whatever they may want
for the present in the creature, yet they are now
made partakers of that wherein the highest good of
man doth consist, and shall certainly be filled with
all good whatsoever, that their souls and bodies are
capable of, these are blessed.
The poor ; ' Blessed are the poor.' The Greeks
had two words to signify a poor man ; first, 'tttu-^/Ic,
such a poor man as is destitute of necessaries such
as he cannot live without; the other tsv));, which
signfies a man that indeed hath nothing but bare
necessaries, that can maintain life and soul, as we
say, and keep them together.
The word that we have here in the text, it is not
a poor man that hath but just enough to maintain
him, but it is the poor that are destitute of that that
is necessary. They want that without which they
are Hke to perish, they apprehend such a want to
themselves ; that is the property of the word, ' Blessed
are the poor.'
The poor, but not all poor. ' Blessed are the poor
in spirit.' There are some poor that are cursed, that
are miserable poor, that are every way poor ; that
bring poverty upon themselves by their idleness, by
their wickedness, by their prodigality, by misspending
what they have when they are young and have time
to lay up something against charge come upon them,
spend it all presently, and so they and their families
are like to perish through poverty. Christ doth not
pronounce them blessed that bring poverty upon
themselves by abuse of the creatures, or by idleness,
or by committing such wickedness as they should by
the stroke of justice be deprived of the comforts of
this world, and so be made poor ; nor those that are
through bare necessity poor, outwardly poor, or
through any secret curse of God upon their estates,
as sometimes it is, he doth not pronounce such to be
blessed, as these are. Oh no, there are many poor
people that are outwardly poor, yet are far enough
from being poor in spirit ; they are outwardly poor,
and yet proud, stubborn, profane, and ungodly,
scorning at godliness and religion; certainly these are
cursed poor. Therefore in Luke vi., about the 20th
verse, saith Christ, ' Blessed are the poor ; ' when he
looked upon his disciples, ' Blessed are the poor.' A
man may be poor in this world, and yet be a very
cursed man, be miserable in reference to God, as he
is in reference to men, yea, more miserable a thousand
times in reference to God than he is unto men. Oh
vi'hat a multitude of the poorest of people do we find
living without God in the world — swearing poor, un-
clean poor, most profane and ungodly as any kind of
people that lives upon the earth. Oh, these are dreadful
objects to took upon, like to be miserable here, and
to be miserable to all eternity hereafter ; such poor as
these, you must not think that because you are
miserable here, therefore you have your hell here,
and shall not be miserable hereafter ; oh no. If you
can read, you may read in the Epistle of Jude, where
the apostle speaks of some that were consumed with
fire from lieaven, and yet were sent down to eternal
fire afterwards ; so there are some that the Lord hath
forsaken in this world, and are like to be forsaken to
all eternity in the world to come.
But, you will say, this is little comfort to the poor.
Little comfort ! are there any here that would
have comfort ? Is it the word that you do expect
comfort from ? If there be any poor that doth but
desire to have comfort from the word, I would be
loath to let this pass without adding something ;
therefore, that you may not be discouraged in your
poverty,
You may have this comfort from the word, ' Blessed
are the poor ; ' for, first. You poor ones have as precious
souls as the greatest monarchs of the earth. Your
souls are as much worth, and capable of as much
glory, as the great emperors', kings', and queens' of
the world ; and that is somewhat.
Secondly, You poor may have as free access to
God, and heaven is as open to you as to any of the
greatest potentates of the world. There is as great a
possibility, if you have hearts to look after it, for
you to have a crown of glory in the highest heavens,
as for the greatest monarch that lives upon the earth ;
and that is somewhat to you.
Thirdly, Let me say, that not only you are as near,
but in some respects nearer, to eternal blessedness
— if you be not wicked and ungodly, and have but
hearts to look after blessedness, you may more likely
attain to blessedness — than the great ones of the
world ; for your temptations are not so great as theirs.
Indeed, the temptations of poverty are great, but the
evils that other temptations would draw the heart
to, are things more pleasing to nature than the
temptations of poverty. Poverty tempts to despair
and to shifting courses, but there is a more hardness
in these temptations to a man's nature than the sins
that riches tempts to, which is to satisfy our lusts,
and be proud and haughty and scornful, and there
is more danger in that.
Fourthly, You that are poor, you have not so
great an account to give as the rich men of the world
have.
Fifthly, The Lord hath revealed in the Scriptures
that he hath chosen the poor of the world ; though he
hath chosen some rich, yet of both the Lord hath
pitched his thoughts to all eternity upon the poor of
]2
BURllOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 2.
the world to choose them. In James ii. 6, 'Hearken,
my brethren,' — it is a matter to be hearkened after, —
' the Lord hath chosen the poor of the world to be rich
in faith.' Oh hearken to this, you poor ones, that
you may be encouraged to hearken after true blessed-
ness !
Sixthly, As God hath put his choice upon the
poor of the world, so he hath appointed his gospel
especially to be preached to them. In Luke xiv. 21,
Christ sends forth his servants to call in the poor,
the maimed, the halt, and the blind ; Christ invites
them : and in Mat. xi. 5, ' To the poor is the gospel
preached.' Now if the gospel be appointed to be
preached to the poor, then surely it is appointed to
be preached to this congregation ; and oh that God
■would but give those that are such miserable poor
people in regard of outwards, but hearts to come to
hear the preaching of the gospel, and not to make
any excuses for want of clothes, or this or the other
thing, but to come to hear the preaching of the gos-
pel ! For you are invited, you alms-people, and poor
people that have not bread to satisfy your hunger
■withal, you are invited to come to partake of the
bread of life : you that are not invited to rich men's
tables, yet God hath invited you to his table, to the
supper of the Lamb, he hath invited even you poor
to come.
Seventhly, We find in Scripture, for an inward call,
there are very few but poor people have it, 1 Cor. i.
26, 'You see your calling, brethren, how that not many
■wise men after the flesh, nut many mighty, not many
noble are called : but God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise, and God
hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty, and base things of the
■v\'orld, and things which are despised, hath God
chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to
nought things that are.' And the poor, they have
the gospel preached to them.
Eighthly, If so be that you do come in upon the
call of the gospel, the Lord will not disregard you
ever a whit the less because you are poor, but the
Lord will have as high thoughts of you, and tender
you as much as his soul shall cleave to you, and
you shall enjoy communion with him, and as ranch
as the greatest emperors shall do, though they be
godly. You will say, As much as great emperors
and kings that are wicked; that is true: pray, although
they be godly ? Sujipose there be a godly king, and
a poor godly alms-body : this poor alms-body may
have as much communion with God, and God may
accept as much of the services of this poor creature
as of a prince, though he be godly ; for God doth not
so much regard the greatness of the ■work that is
done, as the faithfulness and the uprightness of our
hearts in doing of our work. Oh that God now
would sanctify your poverty to you, so as to bethink
yourselves after this manner — Why, I am in this
world, a poor miserable creature, and there is little
hopes that ever I should come to any great matters
in this world ; oh let me look after spiritual riches
then ! I am like ever to be miserable here, as to
outwards ; oh but why may not my soul, yea, and
body too, be blessed at the last ? why may not I be
blessed with God and his Christ for ever ? If I could
be able to preach to this congregation, and to all the
poor in this congregation ; if it might be but pro-
claimed, that such a day there should be a sermon to
shew how all the poor in this parish should come to
be made rich men and women, and so as to live
richly all their days, I make no question there
would be an auditory full enough then of poor
people. But we can say, as in the name of God, and
we can pawn our souls upon it, that if you would come
and hear, or get those that you know to come and
hear, we can shew you ways how it is possible for
you to be blessed to all eternity, for you to have
greater riches than if God should make you
kings and queens — so that it might be said, not
only for the general, ' Blessed are the poor,' but blessed
is this poor man that dwells in this street, or in such
a poor smoky hole. The very angels of God may
look upon you as a blessed creature, if you have
but a heart to attend upon the gospel, that reveals
the way of blessedness to you. ' Blessed are the
poor.'
Ay, but blessed are the poor in spirit. What ! every
poor ; no, nor every poverty of spirit is not blessed
neither. There is a poverty of spirit that is an evil,
and an accursed poverty of sj^irit. A man may be a
man of a poor sjDirit, and of a cursed spirit, because,
indeed, he is a poor spirit. By that, therefore, I
mean this, such a man as is of a low, base, sordid
spirit, that hath his spirit sunk down to low, earthly,
sensual things as his highest and chiefest good ; he
minds no higher good than to eat and drink, and
satisfy his flesh. Here is a man of a poor spirit ; he
is of a low spirit indeed. But this poor, low spirit is
sordid, is base and accursed. You see many times
poor people ; they mind those mean things that they
are exercised in, as their adequate object. You shall
see sometimes a poor woman be scraping in a dust-,
heap or dunghill for an hour together. Now she is
not miserable because of that ; but when that is her
adequate object, that if she can but get sixpence or a
shilling a day she thinks herself blessed, and minds
no higher things than this, you will say, this is a
poor spirit indeed. Why, truly, such kind of poor
spirits have the men of this world, yea, the princes
and great ones of the world. For many of them
they mind only the satisfying of their flesh, to eat
and drink and be unclean, as that that is the most
Mat. V. 2]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
13
suitable thing to tlieir spirits. Why, these are men
of poor, low, base spirits. The Lord would have his
saints to be of low spirits in a godly sense — that is, to
be humble. But the Lord would have his servants
again, in another sense, to be of high and lofty spirits —
that is, that nothing in the world should satisfy their
spirits for their portion but God himself. Here is a
man of a high spirit indeed, that though indeed he
knows he is unworthy of the least crumb of bread,
yet, saith such an one, though I be unworthy, yet if
God should give me all the world, it would not
satisfy me for my portion. I must have him-
self ; I must have heaven, and eternity, and glory.
This is a man of a true raised spirit ; and all men
in the world are of poor, base, low spirits in com-
parison of this man, whose spirit godliness hath
thus elevated in this gracious way. Therefore it
is not every one that is poor in spirit which is thus
blessed.
Well, but who then ? what povery of spirit is that
that makes a man blessed ?
For that you must know, first, thus. Blessed are
those that are poor in s]3irit notes thus much, when
a man or woman — so I find some carry it — is willing
in their spirits to be in a low and poor condition, if
God shall so please ; so as to be willing, though he
hath never so much of the world, yet if God shall
please to call for all his estate, he is willing in his
spirit to give it up to God and to live poorly. Now
God doth give a man a comfortable estate ; he hath
comings in, he hath all things well about him in his
family. Ay, but now saith this soul, It is true,
I have received these good mercies from God ; but
yet God knows this is in my spirit, that God that
searches the hearts of all, and converses with men's
spirits, knows that this is in my spirit, that if the
Lord will call for all these to give witness to his truth,
I am here ready to part with all these outward accom-
modations, and to live upon bread and water all my
days ; to live in as poor a condition as ever poor
creature lived in in this world ; to lay aside all my
pomp and riches and glory that I have in this
world, and willing to be in the lowest condition that
any poor alms-body is, so be it that the Lord
may have any glory by me, and I may further wit-
ness to himself. Here is one that is truly poor in
spirit ; it may be he is not poor in his estate. I
confess the papists make a great deal of do about this
poor in spirit — that is, say they, one that is willing
to vow poverty ; but God doth not call for this, but
whenever he calls for your estates, or any comforts
you have, that you should be willing to lay them
down at his feet. . So much God requires of every
man. And now examine as I go along, you that
have estates, and do enjoy them, do you find such a
disposition in your hearts — indeed if it were put to it.
that rather than you would deny the least truth of
God, all your estate should go ? Eather than you
would commit the least sin any way against your con-
sciences, your estates should all go ; and you will
prize rather the witnessing to anj' truth, than to live
in all the jollity in this world '? Could you bring
your hearts to this ? Why, this is to be poor in spirit,
in the midst of all your abundance. It is not grace
to cast away our estates and riches willingly ; but
grace consists in the well-managing of our estates
while we have them, and in the wilhngness to part
with them when God calls for them.
But secondly. Blessed are the poor in spirit — that
is, a spirit willing to lie down under God in a low
condition, when I am put into such a one. First,
Such as are willing to be poor if God will ; and
secondly. Such as are already poor for their outward
estate : and suitable to that poverty of their outward
estate, they find a poverty in spirit — that is, their
spirits do lie down under God's hand, and are will-
ing to glorify God in this way that God hath set
them. They do not envy at others that are in a
higher condition, they do not murmur and repine
against God. Why doth God dispense his gifts so
diversely, that such and such men shall have so much,
and other men shall have so little ? No, God hath
by his providence brought me to this condition ; and,
Lord, here I am, and submit to thy hand. I am con-
tent to glorify thee in this mean condition that thou
hast set me ; I am content to apply myself to those
duties that thou requirest of me in such a poor and
low estate. Many poor people think. Oh if I were rich
as others are, then indeed I could glorif}' God ; but
in the way that they are in, they vex and fret, and
seek after shifting ways to provide for themselves,
and cannot bring their souls to glorify God in such
a low way wherein they are. But now if you can
find your hearts submissive to God in that low way
wherein you are, blessed are the poor in spirit. And
this disposition of your spirits to be wilUng thus to
glorify God, it is a greater excellency than if God
made you the chief of a parish or the chief of a
kingdom.
Thirdly, ' Blessed are they that are poor in sphit ' —
not those that seem to be poor in their words, in
their expressions, in their carriages. You shall have
many that will be complaining of themselves, and
say that they are thus weak, and poor, and vile, and
have nothing in them ; and yet God knows their
hearts are haughty enough, and proud enough, that
if other men should but think of them, and say of
them as they speak of themselves, they would not
bear it. Therefore though they be poor in words,
yet not in spirit. There be some that will carry
themselves in a very poor way, and live very meanly in
the world. Ay, but in spirit they are not so ; they go
14
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 2.
very poorly, and seem to be very luimble, as if there
were no other pride but in clothes and gay things.
But the main pride is the pride of men's spirits.
Therefore blessed are those that are poor in spirit —
that is, those that have their wills and affections and
understandings bowed down to God ; blessed are
those that are so sincerely poor.
In the fourth place, and more especially and prin-
cipally, ' Blessed are those that are poor in spirit ' —
that is, such as are truly apprehensive and sensible
of their spiritual poverty. Now this is a great point,
I am now indeed come unto the point itself, that
Christ promises blessedness too.
Now for this, there are these three things that I
shall do about it : —
First, To shew you what is that spiritual poverty,
that these that are poor in spirit do see and are sensi-
ble of.
Secondly, What the behaviour of the heart is that
is thus poor in spirit ; how it doth behave itself, or
what are the several workings of such a heart that is
thus poor in spirit.
Thirdly, Why it is that such a heart is so blessed
in the esteem of Jesus Christ.
But now wherein the blessedness consists, that
especially will appear in the promise, ' For theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.'
I will but briefly open a little the first unto you,
What the spiritual poverty is that such a soul doth
see and is sensible of.
In respect of its spiritual estate, such a soul appre-
hends itself as a very poor creature.
First, It sees that it is deprived, as it is in itself, of
all true spiritual good that should do it good in refer-
ence to God, and in reference to its own happiness ;
this it is that it sees clearly. As a poor man sees
himself poor ; what is that? — that is, I want all those
outward comforts that others have, I am destitute of
such and such comfortable things, the necessary
things that others have ; so one that is poor in spirit
sees his condition to be thus, 0 Lord, though indeed
at first when thou didst make man, thou didst make
him rich, thou puttest him into paradise, and madest
him according to thine own image, by which he was
the king and the great heir of all the world ; but.
Lord, now I am deprived of all good whatsoever, of
all spiritual good, deprived of thine image — I have
nothing of thine image now in me that is spiritual,
not any part of spiritual life whereby I should come
to have union with thee, or communion with thee,
that in any way may work in order to eternal life —
I am wholly destitute of every good thing that may
make me any way acceptable to God. Now here is
a poor man : when I can see it, and be convinced of
this, that whatever good thing that should make me
acceptable to God, that am I wholly deprived of, I
have not one whit of it. I have, it may be, an estate
in the world, and outward comforts in my family ;
ay, but what have I in reference to God ? How are
things with me in reference to the infinite glorious
first being of all things ? Why, as I am in myself
naturally, I am deprived of all ; never was there a
man so poor, that had not a rag to cover him, as I am
poor in regard of my spiritual condition. Oh, for a
man that hath the riches of the world, yet to see
himself a miserable, poor, undone man ! This is not
ordinary, and therefore, indeed, you shall find that
Christ in Luke vi. doth oppose that poor here to the
rich of the world ; that is, because there are so few
of the rich of the world that can be brought to be
convinced of this, their spiritual poverty.
A poor man, you know, is put upon many straits
that others are not put upon, and many miseries a
poor man doth endure that others do not ; and so a
second thing in this spiritual poverty is, for the soul
to apprehend and be sensible of those spu'itual evils
that are upon it. As I do not only want the image
of God and spiritual life, but I have that that is con-
trary, oh the misery that is upon me in my mind,
the darkness of that ! the crossness of my will and
heart to God, those many corruptions that are in my
soul ! Oh the vermin that creeps about me continu-
ally ! There is no misery that poor people do endure,
but those that are spiritually poor do see that misery
upon themselves, as they are in themselves.
And then a third thmg that makes one poor is
this : suppose I have many miseries upon me, yet if
I am able to work for myself, I cannot be extremely
poor ; but when the man hath many miseries upon
him, and is not able to work for his livelihood, then
is he poor indeed. So it is, though we have lost the
image of God, yet if we were able to do anything to
help ourselves we were not so poor ; but now, when
a man sees himself thus miserable, and can do no-
thing for himself to get any good for the enriching of
his soul, he is poor. A man or woman that hath
lost all, and then falls lame, so that they cannot work
nor do anything for their maintenance, this now is a
poor man or woman, when their labour is lost as well
as their estate ; so now when we have lost all and are
lame, and can do nothing that may help us in any
spiritual good, then must we needs be poor indeed.
Fourth!}', But if I be not able to labour, yet if I
have friends that may help me, I am not miserably
poor ; thus it is in regard of our spiritual estate.
What friend hast thou to relieve or help thee ? is it
God or Christ that should help thee ? Why, God he
is a stranger, Christ thou hast no interest in ; as thou
art in thyself, thou must not look upon God as he is
in himself — thou art an enemy to God ; for so the
Scripture saith, ' We are enemies to God, and strangers
to the covenant of grace ; ' and thou art a poor crea-
Mat. V. 2.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
15
ture indeed that hast no whither to go for thy help.
All the angels in heaven cannot help thee, all the
men in the world cannot help thee in this thy poor
condition in which thou art.
Fifthly, But suppose a man hath no friend to
help him, and he is not able to work, yet if he hath
any excellency at all in him, there is some hope that
some will regard him for the worth that is in him ;
perhaps he is a man of excellent parts, though
through weakness he is able to do little now. This is
our spiritual poverty ; we are thus miserable, we
have no friends, we can do nothing, and then we
have no worth at all in us whereby God should have
any respect to us — whereby his angels should have
respect to us, if they could do us good ; we are na-
turally worthless creatures, we still aggravate our
poverty.
Sixthly, If a man were so poor as that he should
not be able to do something now, yet if it can be
conceived that hereafter he might do something,
there were hope ; but I am so in debt, that as soon as
I can get anything my creditors may come upon me
and take away all. This is our spiritual poverty;
suppose God should put abilities in us to enable us
to do something that is good, why, all that we are
able to do cannot satisfy for what is past. If we were
able to obey now the law of God perfectly, Avhat be-
comes of all the old arrears ? Tlie justice of God will
have satisfaction ; God is resolved that no soul shall
ever be accepted but his infinite justice shall be satis-
fied. Now the soul sees itself poor indeed, as it is in
itself, when it sees that the debt must be paid to
every farthing. If a man now hatli broke, and lost his
estate, yet he thinks he may agree with his creditors
and get up again, and so is not so miserably poor ;
but if he knows this, that certainly the debt must be
paid now, and tliere will be no compounding with
his creditors, he will conclude his hfe is like to be
poor indeed. This doth those that are spiritually poor
see in themselves ; they are in debt, and all that they
can do can never be able to satisfy for what is past.
Seventhly, Suppose a man or woman should receive
something to help them for the present, yet they
must hve upon continual alms ; this is poverty. So a
soul that is spiritually poor, it sees it must live in a
continual dependence — that though God doth give me
some power to act, yet there must be a new influence
of his grace to help me to make use of what I have.
That is a poor creature indeed that hath nothing of
itself, and if anything be given him; knows not how
to make use of it without help of another ; so doth
the soul see itself in such a condition, that whatso-
ever God should bestow upon me, I know not how
to make use of it, without new supply of grace, and
that continued to me every moment. Now if we put
these seven particulars together, we shall see that
here is a poor man indeed : first, I am destitute of
all spiritual good; I have woeful spiritual miseries
upon me, and I am not able to work at all ; I have
no friend, and I have no worth to commend me to
another ; and I am in debt, and if anything be given
me, I must have new supplies for using it and for
continuing of it. Oh, what a poor creature am I
then ! Now for a man to see this, and to be made
sensible of it, here is a man or woman that is poor in
spirit ; but now this is not all.
But in the next place, there must be that be-
haviour in a man that is suitable to this to make
him poor in spirit ; but of that we shall speak fur-
ther afterwards.
16
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 3.
SERMON III.
A DESCRIPTION OF A POOR-SPIRITED MAN.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,' dx. — Mat. v. 3.
Divers things have been spoken by way of pre-
face to this excellent sermon of Christ : you have'
heard the scope of it. First, to shew unto the
world wherein true blessedness doth consist. That
that men arc so much deceived in, that there is so
great a mistake about. And there is nothing more
contrary unto blessedness in the world's esteem, than
what Christ pronounces to be blessed. Blessedness
is the enjoyment of the last end, and so of the chief
good that the rational creature is capable of ; for it
is proper to the rational creature. ' Blessed are the
poor in spirit.'
There are men of poor base spirits that are far
from blessedness ; as.
First, Such men as have their designs, ends, and
aims only in money, and base and unworthy things ;
that mind no higher things but to eat and drink,
and to have pleasure to the flesh. But as for God,
and Christ, and heaven, and eternity, the gospel and
the word, they are notions to them ; but give them
money, and meat, and drink, and in that they ac-
count themselves happy. Why, here is a poor, sordid,
base-spirited man ; when such things are adequate to
a man's spirit, then he hath a base and poor spirit.
The spirits of the saints are all raised spirits high ;
though they look upon themselves as unworthy of
any crumb of bread, yet they account heaven and
earth not sufficient to be their portion.
But secondly, — to add two or three particulars, to
shew you a base, poor-spirited man, — A man that
when he sets about any e.xcellent work, he is pre-
sently discouraged with every little difficulty ; here
is a poor-spirited man.
The first was so base as they mind no excellent
work at all ; they have no excellent thing in their
aims, in their thoughts. But suppose by seeing of
others they do begin to set upon some work that
hath an excellency in it, but as soon as ever they
meet with any difficulty in it, they are dead in the
nest presently — they are quite discouraged, and fall
down and leave all ; he is a poor, base-spirited man
that, that is hindered either from a work by foreseeing
of difficulty, or when he meets with a difficulty he is
discouraged, when he meets with any opposition, yea,
if it be but a mere fancy that he meets with, he is
discouraged. Some that have begun to set upon re-
ligion, a mock, a scorn, every little opposition presently
discourages them, and they turn off. And others in
any public business that concerns church or com-
monwealth, though being put upon by others, they
set upon it a little, but if they be opposed, or find it
difficult and hard, their hearts are down ; oh, these
are poor-spirited men !
And then, further. Men that are selfish, that are
narrow-spirited men, that are only for themselves,
and let the publis go which way it will, they
regard not that ; but if they can provide for them-
selves, there is all they look at. Oh, these are poor,
base-spirited men likewise, and come not to the
height and excellency of spirit that many heathens
have come.
And then, lastly, Such as are led aside like fools by
every temptation, every little temptation can lead
them aside like fools to their own slaughter. For
a man though he is convinced in his conscience that
such and such things he should not do, yet he is not
able to resist the temptation ; let but his com-
panions come and call him to an alehouse or tavern,
he cannot resist it. For a man not to be able to
stand against a temptation, but to be led by every
poor temptation like a fool to his own destruction,
here is a base, poor-spirited man — a man that hath
no excellency, no natural excellency of spirit in him.
And yet how ordinary is this in those that look full
highly; they are men of poor and mean spirits.
This poverty of spirit that is in many, it is a curse of
God that is upon them ; and it is a heavy curse when
such men are in public place — they are causes of
hindering a great deal of good, and doing a great
deal of mischief. It is a miserable curse, either upon
kingdoms or countries, when the Lord by his provi-
dence shall so order things that men that have no
excellency of spirit in them, but are poor, base-
spirited men, should sit at the stern and have no
Mat. V. 3.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
17
power to manage things. Oli this, wherever it is, is
a grievous affliction ! and therefore we have cause to
pray, that those that are in place of power that they
should have spirits suitable to the places wherein they
are, not men of sordid and low spirits. Well, these
are not the poor spirits that are here blessed.
Who then ? I the last day shewed you three or
four several poor-spirited men that are blessed ; but
to let that pass, and to proceed to that that further
remains — and that, indeed, is of great concernment,
and is more close to the words. The poverty of the
saints, even godly men, though they have grace in
them, yet still they are spirituaUy poor. Now this
poor in spirit is one that doth apprehend and is sen-
sible of his spiritual poverty, together with several
other things that were mentioned before. But now,
I say, suppose God hath given grace, yet still there
is a great deal of poverty.
As, in the first place. That grace thou hast, it hath
need of continual supply. There is no Christian can
live upon the grace he hath without new supply. It
is not with a Cliristian now as it was with Adam — to
live upon the stock that was given him, and so able
to act by it now. God will not trust thee with the
stock of grace ; it is not in thy hand, but in the hand
of Christ : and this is the condition of the strongest
godly man in the world ; he must go daily and con-
tinually to Christ to fetch new supply, or he cannot
subsist. The poor condition that we are now in, in
respect of what Adam was in, may be set out in this
similitude : a man that is set up to trade with a stock,
and so is able to go on in his trade, and hath skill
in it, his father lets him go on till such time as he
proves an ill husband, and breaks and loses all, anel
runs into debt. Yet his father afterwards takes pity
on him, will set him up again, but so as he will not
trust him with the stock any more; he will give the
stock into some trusty friend's hand, and his son
shall go every day to give an account to his friend,
and to fetch money from him, and to return to him
every day, because his father will not trust him any
more. This is just our condition. In Adam we did
receive a stock of grace, and God enabled us to go on
and trade with it for himself ; but all mankind fell in
him ; we turned bankrupts — we lost that stock.
Xow the Lord is pleased to set up again those that
lie hath chosen for himself, to trade again in a way
of godUness, but so as God will not trust his stock in
their hands. The stock, therefore, of God's grace, it
is now in Christ, in our head, and we must have
supply daily from him. And this is the poor condi-
tion that we are in — this spiritual poverty even of
the saints.
Secondly, The poverty of the saints consists in
this : the gi-aces that they have are but small. Godly
men and women, though they have grace bestowed
upon them, yet for the most part it is so small as
they can scarce know whether they have grace or not
— I say, for the most part it is so. Now that is a
poor condition ; thou art a very poor creature, for
though thou hast grace, yet it is so little as you can-
not tell whether you have any or no. Though God
hath given thee grace, yet how often art thou at
a stand in thy thoughts about thy grace, ^vhethe^
there be any or no in thy heart. Thy grace is like a
little spark wrapped up in a heap of embers, so that
the maid is raking a good while before she can see it.
Oh, how long art thou a-raking many times in thy
heart, in the examination of thy heart, before thou
canst see one spark of grace, so as thou canst say,
This is a spark of true grace I Surely thou art but
poor, then.
Thirdly, Even those that are godly they are very
poor, for they are always needy. We use to say of a
man or woman that is always in want, and always
complaining, surely they are poor people. Why now,
all godly people they are always needy people, al-
ways in want, always complaining; though indeed
they have cause to be thankful too, yet they have
cause of complaint in themselves, and therefore poor.
Fourthly, Their services are very poor services that
they do perform. All their duties and services that
they do, when they do but look over them, what
poor things do they see they are ! how unworthy to
be tendered up unto such an infinite great and
glorious God as the Lord is ! They are ashamed of
the best of their services, they are so poor, when they
consider how unbeseeming they are for such a God
as they are to tender them up unto : they are poor
in their duties, in their services.
Fifthly, Take them at the best, and they are very
poor and weak ; but ordinarily, yea, alwa3's, there is
such mixture in what they do, as it doth deserve to
be rejected. Considering how mingled both graces and
duties are with corruption and evil, their services are
a poor thing indeed — so poor, as were it not for the
convenant of grace, the righteousness of Christ and
his merits, it were impossible but that the Lord
should cast all that comes, from the best man in the
world, as filth and dung back again in his face.
Sixthly, Again, poor are the very saints, the
godly, for little temptations doth overcome them,
at least unsettle them and put them out of frame.
Though they have not such poor spirits as we spake
of before, to be led like fools by every evil tempta-
tion to that which would ruin them, yet thus far
they are poor in spirit, that little temptations do
unsettle them and put them out of frame. Oh how
often hath it been so ! You cannot but be conscious of
this, that when God through his grace hath put you
into frame, yet a little temptation hath put you out
of temper again. It may be thou hast been with God,
IS
BUKROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
IIIat. V. 3.
and hast had some comfortable communion with
him, and thou comest out of thy closet, or chamber,
and seest but something amiss iu the family, and it
puts thee quite out of frame again. Oh, what! is
this the soul that was with God, and enjoyed such
communion with God, but it may be an hour ago,
and yet at every little thing in the family is presently
out of frame ? What a poor spirit is this ! Even
the saints are very poor, fur they are quickly put out
of frame, and unsettled by small temptations.
Seventhly, Poor they are, further, for they have
but little ability to help others. There are very few
godly people have ability to do any more but even
to keep life and soul together, as we use to say. It is
even as much as ever they can do to live and to hold
their own, to maintain their peace with God ; but to
be able to be useful to others among whom they live,
that very few are. What a deal of do have many
godly people to live themselves, to maintain what
once they have had ; they are ever and anon afraid
that they shall one day even perish. As poor people
that have evett but from hand to mouth they thinlc.
Why, though I can get bread now, yet I know not
where I shall have it to-morrow, or next week:
.surely we shall come to beggary one day. Godly
jieopie live at such a poor rate for the most part, as
they are little useful unto others, and have much ado
to provide for themselves. Now here you see the
poverty of spirit : first, what our spiritual poverty is
naturally — that hath been opened the last time ; and
now even what the spiritual poverty of the saints is.
But you will say. This dath not make them
blessed that they are thus poor ; this is jsart of their
misery.
That is true; it is jiart of their misery that they
are poor : but yet blessed are tlwy that are throughly
apprehensive and sensible of this spiritual poverty of
theirs — that come to know this their poverty, and
come to be throughly affected with this their poverty,
they are blessed. There be few iu the world who
come to understaiid what their poverty is. Wh«'e is
the man or -woman that laiows the poverty that we
are in by nature ? And then for poverty in respect
of weakness of grace, or otherwise, this is taken little
notice of : but now blessed are they that do appre-
hend this, and are sensible of it. Therefore, that
you may understand who the blessed one is that
Christ speaks of, we must wow turn our thoughts to
consider of the behaviour of the soul, or the worlvimgs
of the heart iu the sight and in the sense of this
spiritual jioverty, which makes him to be thus
blessed. Now for that there are many particulars,
which I shall go over brielly.
As, in the firet place, A man that is poor in spirit
truly, so as to be blessed, is such a one as looks upon
himself as vile and mean : whatsoever outward excel-
lency he hath, yet I am a vile and mean, wretched
creature in myself, in respect of this poverty of mine.
God hath given me indeed an estate above my brethren,
to live comfortably in the world ; oh, but wliat am I in
respect of my spiritual stat« ! I that am richer, and
have more comings in than others, how many poor
servants of God that live in a m^ean condition out-
wardly, yet do honour God more in one day than I
do in a month, it may be in a year ! God hath more
service from them in a month perhaps, than he hath
from me in a year, or seven years ! He looks upon
himself as mean and vile, notwithstanding any out-
ward excellency ; whatsoever parts of nature that he
hath, why, yet he looks upon himself as mean iu com-
parison of others. Oh, this is an excellent thing indeed
for a man that hath excellent parts, and yet sees
another to have more grace 3 Perhaps there is some
poor man or woman that hath more humility, and .
more faith, and more sweetness, and more savouriness
in their conversation, and more lioliness, and more
heavenly-mindedness, now he looks ujjou himself as
mean in comparison of that other; though j>erhaps ho
is learned, and of esteem in the world, yet because he
sees others to excel in grace, he looks upon himself
meaner and lower than they. Why, here is a man
poor in spirit that is pronounced blessed. Some men
are proud of their vices, but the poor in spirit is
humble at the sight of his graces. Carnal hej^rts are
puffed up with that that should make them ashamed ;
but a gracious heart sees enough in his graces to
make him humble — in his love, knowledge, faith. In
that that is his best parts, he sees enough to make
him humble-, and blessed are such poor.
Secondly, Heiwe he thinks it not much if he
receive not such res[x»t and hoiiour as others do.
Why, though God by his providence order things so
that others have respect and honour, and many
encouragements in the world, I have no cause to envy,
nor to be troubled ; I have rather cause to wonder at
what I have; it is not for me to expect such encourage-
ments as others have, for I am a poor creature. Thus,
you know, poor people whose hearts are subdued by
their poverty, when they see othet-s that are brave in the
world, Ay, they may do thus, but it is not so for us ;
so those that are poor in spirit, when they see others
that God blesses, and have I'espect and honour, he
then thinks thus with himself. But it is not for me
to expect this, I am a poor vile creature.
Thirdly, One that is poor in spirit, is one that doth
admire at every little good that he doth receive, that
it is so much ; he wonders at every affliction that it is
no move; every mercy he thinks it very great, and is
veiy thankful ; and every affliction he wondei's it is
so little. Quite contrary to the world : they are
troubled their afflictions are so much, and that their
mercies are so little ; but a poor-spirited man, he
Mat. V. 3.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
19
wondera that his mercies are so much, and that his
afflictions are so little ; and therefore is thankful for
every little. Poor people whose spirits are subdued
>Yitli their poverty, give them but a halfpenny, they
are thankful ; so a poor-spirited man or woman, he
admires at mercy, and is thankful at everytliing that
God affords to him ; and if there be an affliction, he
doth not murmur and repine, but wonders that God
doth lay his hand so tenderly upon him as he doth.
Fourthly, A poor-spirited man is one that is often
craving ; he is a praying man, a beggar, that is often
begging for an alms. There is none that are truly
poor in spirit, but are great praying Christians ; God
always hears from them, and God is not weary of
such beggars. In Prov. xviii. 23, ' The poor useth
entreaties ;' and so in Prov. x. 14. Now such kind
of men as can live without prayer, and can go day
after day without seeking of God in prayer, God
hears but little of them ; they are grown high and
rich — as a company of the wantons of our age, that
scorn and contemn duty, and think that they are
grown so rich, and have so much comfort, and so
much assurance and grace, that they have no such
need as others have. Well, but when they are so
flush and high, blessed are the poor. Those that are
needy, and see themselves thus, so as to be begging
at the throne of grace ; those that God hears much
from at his throne of grace, these are the blessed
ones.
Fifthly, The poor, they are the admirers of free
grace, and the great extollers of free grace ; whatever
they have they look upon it as free grace, and over-
look themselves, overlook their duties when they
have done ; they are as much in duties as any, but
when they have done they overlook all; they stand
not upon anything, but it is free grace only that is
admired by them. Certainly these are the honourers
of free grace.
And from hence, in the sixth place. The poor in
spirit, this is his behaviour — he is emptied of himself;
whatsoever he hath in himself, or whatsoever he doth,
he dares not rest upon it, not for his spiritual and
eternal good, but is delivered as it were from himself,
looking upon himself as undone, utterly undone in
respect of what he is, of what he hath, or of what he
can do. One that is emptied, I say, of himself, and
of every creature, and is in a preparation now for to
trust only in the grace that is without him, in the
grace of God that is tendered in the gospel, he dares
not lay the weight of his eternal estate upon any-
thing that is in himself, or what comes from himself,
but merely upon the grace of God revealed in Christ
in the gospel. This is the poor-spirited man that is
thus blessed. One that commits himself to God, and
trusts in God ; so do the poor. Thus you have it in
Ps. X. 14, ' The poor committeth himself unto thee; '
he is emptied of himself, and commits himself to God ;
commits his soul to him, and all his ways ; he dares
not trust to his own wisdom for the guiding of him,
not in any of his affairs, bat especially for the guiding
of him in the great affairs that concern his eternal
good. And in Zeph. iii. 12, the Scripture saith
that the Lord would leave in the midst of them an
afflicted and a poor people, and they should trust in
the name of the Lord. It is the poor that commit
themselves to God, and that trust in the name of
the Lord. Now blessed are these poor, that is, such
poor as from a sight of their own emptiness, vileness,
wickedness, and inability to help themselves, shall
give up themselves to the grace of God revealed in
the gospel, and commit themselves and all their ways
to be guided by God, and are willing to live upon
alms for his present and for his eternal estate. It is
in the nature of man ever to be seeking to hare some
righteousness of his own ; and that is the reason that
men can have no comfort. Those that have their
consciences awakened, can have no comfort till they
be able to do thus and thus, and be able to perform
duties after such a manner,and overcome corruptions
thus and thus. Thou wilt not come, as it were, a
mere beggar to God, as one that hath nothing, but
thou wouldst fain bring something to God. But the
Lord will have thee come as a mere beggar, as one
that hath nothing at all, and to lie down flat before
him, stripped of all, even of thy rags ; for, you know,
many poor people they are proud of their very rags.
And so it is with the hearts of men ; though they have
nothing but their civil righteousness, yet that they
will be proud of. Now the Lord will strip thee of all,
and make thee come naked before him, and be will-
ing to live upon alms for eternity. Now it is hard
for a man to live upon alms for a little time, but to
live upon alms all the days of one's life is harder :
but now to hve upon alms for eternity ! And yet this
poor spirit is such an one, as is so sensible of his own
poverty, as can commit itseK to God in such a way
as to be content to live \ipon alms, even for eternity;
and blessed are these poor.
Seventhly, A poor-spirited man is one that is will-
ing that God should choose his condition. We use
to say that beggars must be no choosers, but now I
am speaking of one whose spirit is suitable to his
spiritual poverty. Now if thou be so spnitually poor,
then do not think that thou must be a chooser ; no,
thou must not choose what thy comforts shall be, or
thy ability shall be, or what thy worth shall be, or
any wages shall be, or at what time or means God
shall come in unto thee, thus or thus. No, thou must
leave that wholly to God ; only this, thou must look
up to God for mercy. 0 Lord, let me have mercy.
But how, and when, or at what time, and what
degree and measure, that I leave wholly to God ;
20
BUEROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 3.
only my soul's desire is, that the Lord would have
mercy upon me. Many do discover that there is not
poverty of spirit in them by this thing, for when
they seek to God for mercy, if they have not comfort
coming in as they would, their spirits are froward,
even with God himself : such a spirit is not down.
But blessed is the poor in spirit, that is, those that
shall lie down flat before the Lord, and be willing to
be at God's finding. Here I am, and let God do with
me whatsover he will ; I lie absolutely at his mercy,
and I do not expect to have myself to be chooser of
anything that I do desire.
Eighthly, Those that are truly poor in spirit, they
look upon others that God hath blessed with eminency
of grace, and bless them in their souls ; they think
their condition high. Oh, such and such do I see ex-
cellency of grace in ; oh how happy is their condi-
tion, saith a poor-spirited man or woman. As those
people that are poor, when they come by those that
have great houses and great comings in, say they are
happy men indeed. So those that are poor in spirit,
when they see others that have eminency of grace,
they look upon those as such as have obtained ex-
cellency indeed ; they look not upon the rich and
honourable in the world as the most excellent, but
those that have the greatest eminency of grace, they
look upon them and bless them. Oh how happy
were it if I could walk so with God as such do, if I
could overcome my corruptions as such, if I could
prize and profit by the word as such ! oh how happy
should I think myself to be ! This is a good poverty
of spirit indeed.
Ninthly, And further, blessed are the poor. The
poor in spirit are such as are willing to wait. Though
God doth not come according to their desires, yet
still they are content to wait upon God. God shall
choose what the thing is that shall be given them, and
the}' are willing to wait. So you have it in Zech.
xi. IL Those two are put together: 'And it was
broken in that day ' — that is, the staff of beauty and
of bands was broken — ' and the poor of the flock that
waited upon me knew that it was the word of the
Lord.' Men that are men of estates, and rich men,
when they come to a door for business, if so be that
they cannot have presently what they desire, away
they will go ; they will not stand waiting. Why ? be-
cause they are rich, and so proud in a suitable way
to their riches. But now, one that is poor and comes
for an alms is content to wait, especially if he knows
that there is no other door for him to go to at that
time ; if, indeed, he thinks he may have it at some
other door, he will not wait, but if he comes for an
alms, and lie must have it here or nowhere, he is con-
tent then to wait. So those that are truly poor in
spirit, they are content to wait at God's gates, know-
ing that there is no other door that they can have
their alms at but only at the gates of God. Thou
hast been seeking God, it may be a month or longer,
half -a year or a year, and yet canst find nothing ; oh,
but if thou canst have mercy at last, thy condition
is happy. Thus a poor-spirited creature will say,
and so will be content to be waiting all the days of
his life.
Tenthly, One that is poor hath an awful respect
to God and his word ; he is one that is struck
with an awful reverence of the greatness of God and
the authority of his word. This you have in Isa.
Ixvi. 2, ' To this man will I look, even to him that
is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at
my word.' You have those put together, the con-
trite and poor, and that trembles at God's word ;
when he comes to the word and hears it opened, he
looks upon it as having a dreadful authority in it;
he looks upon the word as a thing to be above him,
and his heart trembles lest he should not give that
due respect to the word that he ought to do ; and
when a promise is revealed, he trembles for fear that
it should not belong to him, and the divine lustre
that he sees in the word to be so much above him,
causes his heart to fear and tremble before the Lord ;
this is a poor-spirited man. It is opposite to that
boldness of spirit that is in man, which is from hence,
that he thinks he hath something to bear him out.
But now one that is poor in spirit looks upon no-
thing in himself that can bear him out against any-
thing that is in the word ; no, it is the word that
must prevail, whatsoever becomes of me either for
my present or eternal estate. It is the word that
must prevail, and therefore he gives an awful rever-
ential respect to the word when he hears it.
Eleventhly, One that is poor in spirit is such a
one that hath a melting heart likewise at the w-ord.
A little thing in God's word strikes him presentl)',
and will cause liis heart to melt ; as you shall see
men and women that are truly poor indeed — not your
ordinary vagrants and rogues, that will make them-
selves so in idleness, but those that are truly poor —
you shall find if you do but speak to them, a melting
spirit presently in them ; anything you say almost
will make their hearts to melt within them. So one
that is poor in spirit hath a melting spirit at the
word ; a little thing from God works upon him, and
he doth not stand out against the word so as others
do ; he hath not a heart to give the word a rebound
so as others have, but when the word comes, there is
a yielding of spirit unto the word. Now all these
put together that have been named, will plainl}"- de-
monstrate who that man or woman is that is pro-
nounced thus blessed here by our Saviour Christ.
Now if you would ask and demand why it is that
God hath such a respect and regard to such as are
thus poor in spirit, only a word or two.
Mat. V. 3.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
21
The great reason why the Lord hath such regard
unto such, it is because this disposition doth best
serve the great design that God hath of glorifying
himself in the world, namely, the lifting up of his
free grace. God would have his glory from the chil-
dren of men. But what glory ? The lifting up of free
grace, that is the glory that God would have above
all other. God would have the glory of his power,
the glory of his wisdom, the glory of his bounty, of
his patience ; ay, but that is not the glory that God
doth look at most ; but that he might magnify his free
grace in his Son, that is the glory that God doth most
delight in. Now of all dispositions in the world, this
disposition of poverty of spirit is that that serves
God's end and God's design best ; and therefore no
marvel though God doth so much accept of it.
Secondly, Such a disposition makes the soul to be
comformable even unto Jesus Christ. We know that
Christ was willing to be poor, and the Scripture tells
us that Christ did empty himself ; he was willing to
lay aside that glory that he had, and to come and
empty himself and be in the form of a servant.
Now when Christ shall see a spirit that hath a con-
formity to his, Christ looks upon it and saith. Here
is one that is conformable to my spirit. I was
willing to be poor ; and so is such a one. I was
■willing to empty myself, and to be anything for the
furtherance of the glory of my Father ; and so do I
see here such a poor creature that is willing to empty
itself of anything that it hath, and is willing to give
up itself for the glory of my Father and me. Oh,
blessed are these poor ! But how few of such as these
shall we find in the world ! We tell you who they are
if we could find them ; that they are such as are thus
and thus qualified, and whose hearts do work after
such a manner as this is; but, 0 Lord, where are they'?
Ordinarily we find that men's spirits are jolly, high,
proud, stately, surly, stiff, stubborn, rebellious, and
bold in the ways of wickedness, this is the juice of
men's spirits ; they scorn this kind of poverty of
spirit ; their hearts are up, and they stand upon
themselves, and stiff they are in their own way.
It is true in Isa. Ixvi., ' That the Lord that dwells
on high, in heaven, he doth look upon the poor
and the contrite : ' he looks upon them. Oh, but
where shall God have objects, such objects to be-
hold ? How few such objects are there in the world !
Now cursed are the proud, cursed are the haughty
in spirit, the stubborn and the stout-hearted : the
Scripture speaks most dreadful tilings against them ;
but we are not now to speak to them, neither am
I willing to defer what comfort Christ hath for those
that are poor in spirit, by turning aside to speak to
those of haughty and proud spirits. Therefore I am
to address myself to the opening of that that Christ
means when he saith that they are blessed. 'Ma.nj
things might be said for the opening of their blessed-
ness, but for the present there is only one scripture
that I will apply to those that are poor in spirit.
Those tliat are such, whosoever they are that are in
the presence of God this day, whose consciences can
tell them that, though in much weakness, yet they
can find such workings of spirit, I will give you but
one text to uphold your spirits till the next day, and
then we shall come to open what Christ saith of you,
that yours is the kingdom of heaven. The text is in
Luke iv. 18 : ' The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, be-
cause he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to
the poor ; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted,
to preach deliverance to the cajytives, and recovering
of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he closed the book.' Christ comes to the syna-
gogue, and, a book bein^ opened, he doth find this
place of Scripture out of Isaiah, which was a pro-
phecy concerning himself. The meaning of it is this
— that God the Father hath anointed Jesus Christ
his Son, appointed him solemnly to that office, to
come himself into the world, and to preach good
tidings to the poor in spirit. As if God should say to
his Son, Son, I have many of my poor servants in
the world who are poor in spirit, who are sensible of
their own wretchedness and poverty ; now I appoint
thee and anoint thee to go and preach unto them the
glad tidings of salvation ; and be you sure to comfort
them, be you sure to speak peace to them; pour oil
into their wounds, and relieve and refresh them. I
see that they are ready to be discouraged, but do you
encourage them. I appoint you to this. You will
say then presently these are blessed, whenas God
the Father from all eternity hath set Jesus Christ, as
it were, apart, appointed him to this office to preach
comfort to thy soul. This one scripture to one that
is truly poor in spirit is worth a thousand worlds.
For, what ! saith such a one, doth God regard me ?
Yes, such a regard he hath, as lie hath appointed his
Son to that office to take care of thee, to comfort
thee and to help thee; and Christ must be unfaith-
ful in his work if he doth not preach comfort to
thee. This care hath God of the poor ; whenas he
doth, as it were, slight, neglect, contemn, and scorn
the rich ones of the world. Them he sends empty
away ; but for these that are poor in spirit he hath
given Christ a charge over them. Now were there
nothing else said but this, that thou hast such a pro-
mise as this is, that Christ, when he comes into the
world, must come and preach glad tidings to thee, it
were abundant mercy ; and so in effect the very scope
of the gospel is to preach glad tidings to the poor.
And indeed we shall shew that that is a special thing
that is meant by ' theirs is the kingdom of heaven ; '
not only that they shall go to heaven when they die,
22
BURROUGHS OX THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 3.
but by ' kingdom of heaven ' is often meant the min-
istry of the gospel, and that is one especial thing in-
tended here, that the riches of the gospel, the state of
the gospel, the doctrine of the gospel, all the good of
the gospel, doth belong to those that are poor in
spirit.
SERMON IV.
PEOMISES TO THE POOR IN SPIRIT.
'Blessed are the poor in spirit,' iC'C. — ]Mat. V. 3.
I SHALL now briefly give yon a few promises that are
made in Scripture to such as are God's poor, and
then proceed to the blessedness that Christ pro-
nounces of them — namely, that ' theirs is the king-
dom of heaven.' Kow for the jjromises to those that
are poor.
First, God thinks upon these. It may be thy
friends think not of thee. Thou art a poor man or
woman, and yet godly ; thou hast rich friends that
perhaps have their full dishes and want nothing, but
have all coming in according to their liearts' desires,
and they think not of thee ; ay, but if you be one of
God's poor, as hath been described, God thinks of
you, Ps. xl. 17.
Secondly, The Lord looks towards the poor as an
object that he takes content in ; he doth not only
think of you, but ' his eye is upon you.' Poor men
when they pass by others, they scarce have a look
from them, but God's eye is continually upon them
for good ; so you have it in Isa. Ixvi. 2, ' He looks to
the contrite and poor.'
Thirdly, He so looks as he would not have his
dreadfulness to daunt thy heart ; so in Isa. xlvi. he
begins it thus : ' The heaven is my throne, and the
earth is my footstool ; ' he raises up his glory to shew
what a God he is. Alas ! now may a poor soul say,
oh, how glorious is God ! his glory will daunt my
heart. How shall I be able to stand before him !
Nay, though lieaven be his throne, and earth be his
footstool, yet ' he will look to him that is of a poor
spirit, and that trembles at his word.' As if he
should say, Let no poor soul be daunted with my
glory, for it is for their good, and no hurt at all to
them.
The fourth is this : The Lord he prepares his good-
ness for the poor, Ps. Ixviii. 10. Perhaps thou hast
not mercy for the present as thou desirest ; but God
is preparing all this while mercy for thee, and pre-
paring thee for mercy.
Fifthly, The Lord hears the poor. It may be poor
people may petition to others and they cannot be
heard, but if the rich petition they can be heard ; but
the Lord he hears the poor. You have many scrip-
tures for that, Ps. Ixix. 33 ; and we find the
psalmist makes it a rise of his prayer, because he is
so poor and needy, Ps. cix. 22 — ' For I am poor and
needy' — that God should hear him the rather ; and
so Ps. Ixxxvir the rise of his petition is, that God
should hear him because he is so poor.
Sixthly, The Lord will not have the expectations
of the poor to be frustrated. Poor men may wait
and wait long enough, and yet may fail at the last.
But now if thou beest one of this poor spirit, the Lord
will not have thy expectation to be frustrated, but
there shall come good of it at last, Ps. ix. 18.
Seventhly, The Lord will not forget the poor, Ps.
ix. 12. Others may forget them, it may be, even
when they have granted their petitions ; but the Lord
will not forget the poor. Many such kind of pro-
mises doth the Lord make to those that are of poor
spirits. But what do we speak to particular pro-
mises ? we have one in the text instead of all, 'Theirs
is the kingdom of heaven.' This hath all promises
joined together in one. Now from the words before,
we come to search into the bowels of them ; from
that that doth appear at present view, you have these
three or four notes : ' Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'
Ohserv. 1. The first is this. That God loves to
honour those that are willing to debase themselves.
Mat. V. 3.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
23
God doth not say here, Blessed are the poor, for their
sins are pardoned ; Blessed are the poor, for the pro-
mises of the gospel belong to them ; but ' Blessed are
the poor, for tlieirs is the kingdom of heaven.' It is
a kingdom that is theirs. God puts an honour upon
the poor. That which seems to be the most con-
trary, that Christ doth assume. If one that is poor
should come to have such a promise made him. Well,
you are poor, you shall be provided for, you shall
never want as long as yoii live; that were well. But
that is not all, they shall have a kingdom : so Christ
saith himself to poor broken hearts that think them-
selves not worthy of the least crumb of bread, 'theirs
is the kingdom.' It is no less than a kingdom that is
prepared for them ; and therefore do not have such a
poor spirit as to have low designs ; though thou beest
poor in respect of thyself, yet lift up thy heart, and
aim at no less than a kingdom. Many poor people
would think they should be happy men and women
if they might have a hundred pound a year land
given them. But those that are poor in spirit, as
here is spoken of, it is not a hundred pound land a
year, nor the possession of the world, but it is no less
than the kingdom, and the kingdom of heaven, that
will satisfy their souls. That is the first note ; the
Lord loves to put honour upon those that are willing
to debase themselves. I hnd likewise other scrip-
tures that are suitable : Luke xxii. 28, ' Ye are they
which have continued with me in my temptations,
and I appoint unto you a kingdom ;' you are content
to endure iu my cause, and to suffer the loss of all,
and therefore have I appointed a kingdom unto you.
But I intend not to stand upon these notes ; that we
only observe by way of connexion.
(Jbserv. 2. That blessedness doth not consist in any
worldly thing : 'Blessed are the poor.' Why? be-
cause they shall have the riches of the world, they
shall be brought into honour, they shall be brought
to have preferment in the world ? no, but ' Blessed
are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'
There is nothing in this world can make them
blessed ; it is the kingdom of heaven that must make
them blessed. If you would be happy, you must look
beyond the world. Thou dost not know what the
true happiness of an immortal soul is capable of, if
thou dost expect it here in this world.
Observ. 3. In that it is said in the present tense,
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. From whence the
note is this, that the saints of God live not only
upon comforts that they shall have hereafter, upon
the assurance of what they shall have, but ujion
present comforts. They have enough for the present
to uphold their hearts, in all their poor and mean
condition in which they are in respect of the world.
You will say. Indeed for good people that are mean in
the world, whatsoever they suffer, God will reward
them hereafter. Ay, but, poor souls, what have they to
comfort themselves withal for the present? Yea, saith
Christ, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Take all
together now, and thou hast enough not only to up-
hold thy soul ill this thy poor condition, but to coui-
fort it, and to make the angels in heaven to look
upon thee as a blessed creature. It is said of the
pure in heart that they fhall see God ; but the poor
in spirit, theirs is the khigdom of heaven. And the
reason why Christ puts it in the present tense is,
because he saw that those that were poor in spirit had
need of present comfort.
Observ. 4. That heaven is now to the saints. There
is comfort indeed ! Ay, but heaven they must look
for afterwards. No, they shall have it now ; heaven
shall come down to them before they go up to heaven.
In Luke xvii. 21 you have a notable scripture for
that: 'The kingdom of heaven is within you.' It is
within the saints now for the ]3resent. This that I
now say may seem to be a paradox, yet it is a certain
truth; no soul shall ever go to heaven that hath not
heaven first come down to it. There is certainly no
man or woman upon the earth shall ever go to
heaven, but such as hath heaven come down to them.
There is none shall ever be glorified among saints and
angels in heaven, but such as it may be said of them,
that the kingdom of heaven is within them.
You will say, What is that ? Why, that I shall
further open in coming to the main promise, ' theirs is
the kmgdom of heaven.' Now the great thing that
we are to do, it is in these two particulars : —
First, To open to you what is the meaning of this ;
what doth Christ mean by the kingdom of heaven.
And then, secondly, To apply the kingdom of
heaven to such as are poor in spirit. I shall not
speak of it, perhaps, as some of you may think, to
open the glory of God in the general, but only so far
as it is applicable to the poor in spirit. Christ means
some special thing here, that is more peculiarly appli-
cable to the poor in spirit — viz., three sorts of poor
who are to have the treasury of comfort in the king-
dom of heaven, which will ajipear further, both in the
opening of the Jvingdom of heaven, what it is, and
then the apphcation of it unto these three sorts of
poor people.
For the first then, The kingdom of heaven.
By the kingdom of heaven is understood not, firstly,
the glory of the saints that they shall have to all
eternity, but the state of the Messias, that is, the
king of heaven; the state, I say, of the Messias
after his coming into the world, and all the good
things that he brings with him. That is the kingdom
of heaven which is here meant. There is the kingdom
of God's power whereby he rules over the world ; and
then there is the kingdom that he hath given to his
Son the Mediator. It is the second kingdom that is
24
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 3.
here meant. When God had made this world, he
himself reigned over it, and was the king of it. But
the world that he made was spoiled with sin, and so
God could not have that glory from the world that
he made it for. Therefore, the Lord he was pleased
to erect a new world, another spiritual, heavenly-
world, to glorify himself in in another manner, more
spiritual and heavenly than in the former world ; and
he makes his Son to be the king of that spiritual
world — that new world which the Scripture speaks of
when it saith, ' All old things are done away, and all
things are become new ' — which new world is begun in
the work of grace in the hearts of the saints, and so
carried on till it comes to eternal glory. Jesus Christ
he is the king of that world. As for the other, it is
spoiled, and must come to confusion. Now before
Christ's coming, actually in taking flesh upon him,
there were some rays of his glory that did shine unto
the forefathers ; but in comparison of what was to be
done after the Messias came, this kingdom was not
set up. For the administration of things in the times
of the law, it is not called the kingdom of heaven.
The Jews they waited for the kingdom of the IMessias ;
and the kingdom of the ]\Iessias that they waited for,
it is this kingdom of heaven that is here spoken of in
this text. When Christ was near coming into the
world, this great king he sends his harbinger before —
John the Baptist — to proclaim that he was coming,
and that there was a new kingdom to come into the
world. Therefore, saith John, ' Repent, for the king-
dom of heaven is at hand.' He did not mean thereby,
Repent, repent because you must go to heaven, go
and be glorified with God in heaven ; but as if he
should say, Oh, now is the kingdom of the Messias
at hand. Within a few months Jesus Christ is coming,
and will appear to be king, and the gospel will be
made more clear to you ; within a small time the
kingdom of the Messias shall be set u)"). Repent,
therefore, and turn from your wickedness, that you
may have the benefit of the kingdom of the Messiah
when it comes to be set up. And it is said, therefore,
that 'from the time of John the Baptist, the kingdom
of heaven sufl'ered violence.' It may appear then that
the kingdom of heaven was in the time of John the
Baptist. The meaning of it was this, that John
Baptist being the harbinger of this kingdom, when
people did but hear that the kingdom of the Messiah
was at hand, their hearts were set on fire after it,
and there was a kind of holy violence to bear
down all kind of difficulty and opposition. They
were resolved with themselves, whatsoever becomes
of us, we will endeavour to the uttermost, at
least that we might have our part in the good
things of the kingdom of the Messiah ; it suft'ered
violence for that time. John Baptist did but speak
a little of that kingdom though not set up, yet the
hearts of the people were set on fire after it. 0
Lord, where are our hearts then, when a minister of
the gospel shall not only say that the kingdom of
heaven is at hand, but it is come, and this king hath
come and ascended and triumphed in heaven, and set
at the right hand of the Father, and governs and
rules his church ! Now, when we call upon men,
' Repent, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is come,'
it doth not suffer violence. But it is a blessed thing
when it can be said, that since the time of such a
minister, even heaven hath suffered violence. Whereas
the hearts of people were loose before, and they
minded nothing but the world, and gathering a little
together, and that they might eat and drink and
sport, that is all they minded ; but since they came
to hear of the preaching of the kingdom of heaven,
this kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the
violent take it by force. This kingdom of heaven it
is therefore the state of the gospel. And in this
sense I take it that that is meant, when they brought
little children to Christ : saith Christ, ' Suffer little
children to come unto me, for to them belongs the
kingdom of heaven.' He doth not mean that some of
them shall go to heaven ; but thus, as if Christ should
say. In the times of the law, I there did not only
take believers, but their seed, to have the privileges of
that state under that administration, of the good
things that were in the law. Therefore do not now
think that when I am come to set up another king-
dom, that I will take believers now and reject their
seed. No ! ' SuiTer them to come unto me, for unto
them belongs the kingdom of heaven ; ' and they are
members of this kingdom that I am now setting up,
as well as they were members of the Jewish church,
and had the benefit of that administration ; so shall
they be members and partakers of the state that now
I am setting up, together with the privileges of it ;
and therefore sufl'er them to come to me ; I will own
them to be such to whom belongs the kingdom of
heaven ; and therefore let them not be excluded any
more from this state of the gospel than they were
before excluded from the state of the law, and the
good things therein. That is the meaning of that
text, and a special scripture for the encouraging of
believing parents in respect of their children, and the
bringing of them to that ordinance of baptism.
Sometimes this kingdom of heaven is taken for
some particular thing in the state of the gospel, as
for the preaching of the gospel it is called the king-
dom of heaven : as the kingdom of heaven is like a
man going out to sow his seed, that is, this adminis-
tration of the gospel in the preaching of it is like a
man that sows his seed, and some fell upon the high-
way, li'c. The preaching of the gospel, that is one
thing in the kingdom of heaven that bath the name
of the whole. And sometimes it is taken for the
Mat. V. 3.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
25
work and efficacy of the gospel in the heart of a
moil : as ' the kingdom of heaven is Hke to a grain
CI mustard-seed ; ' what is that ? That is the work of
the gospel that is now preached in the state of the
^Messiah ; it hath that effect upon the heart, as a grain
of mustard-seed. Though it be little at the first, yet
it grows up to a mighty tree ; this is the substance
of this kingdom of heaven, it is the state of the
Messiah. So, then, the meaning of Christ is this :
Blessed are the poor in spirit ; you that are thus poor,
oh, blessed are you ; for look, what good or benefits
are come by the Messiah's coming into the world —
look, what blessedness there is in the state of the
^Messiah, that belongs to you, you shall certainly have
that blessedness.
Again, Sometimes the kingdom of heaven is taken
for the church, and the privileges thereof, as, I wiU
give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ;
and that is one gTcat part indeed of the kingdom of
heaven, the privileges of the Christian church. The
privileges and administrations and ordinances that
there are in the Christian church are a great blessing
of the kingdom of heaven, and you shall have all
these, you that are poor in spirit.
Why is it called the kingdom of heaven ?
First, It is called the kingdom of heaven because
Christ is from heaven, who is the king thereof.
Secondly, In distinction and opposition from or
unto the kingdoms of the world. It is not of this
■world, saith Christ.
Thirdly, Because that Christ his seat is now at the
present in heaven.
Fourthly, Because that the way of his government
it is spiritual and heavenly, not in an outward way.
And then,
Fifthly, Because it will certainly bring both soul
and body to heaven at last. Therefore the whole
administration of the Messiah in his way and govern-
ment is called the kingdom of heaven.
Christ is the king, and the blessing of this it would
be very large to open in the particulars ; there is in-
finite blessedness in this kingdom of heaven.
For, first. It is Christ the Mediator that gives the
laws. If thou beest brought under the state of the
gospel to be a subject of Christ by being a believer, I
say, Christ he gives thee thy laws ; now thou hast
them from the hand of a mediator. The Jews had
their laws — the ten commandments — from the hand of
a mediator, from Moses. But thou hast the law for
the guiding and ordering of thee from the hand of
Jesus Christ. It is true, the same thing that Moses
did require men then, was that that Jesus Christ
gave to them, and Moses likewise he was a kind of
type of Christ even in that ; but thou hast them more
fully from the hand of a mediator, from the hand of
Christ, — the law, — for the guiding and ordering of thy
life. And that is a great dispute about the law now,
which truly hath little in it to edification, — viz.,
whether we have our law now from Moses or from
Christ ; and so many that speak against the law,
when it comes to a dispute, the uttermost that they
can give is this, that we are dehvered from the law
as it was given by Moses. Why, what is that to pur-
pose, if we be bound to the same thing that Moses
did command, and by as strong bonds as those were
that lived in the time of the law ? What great matter
whether we liave it from Moses or no ? We have it,
and are bound to it by as strong bonds if it comes
from the hands of Christ. And we may satisfy our-
selves enough in this, for we have the laws that are
the rules of justice and equity, that are moral, Ave
have them in this kingdom of heaven. Indeed, we
have them given in another way in the hand of this
mediator, with more strictness, with more spiritual-
ness and enlargement rather. For this our king
tells us afterwards in this chapter, that he came not
to destroy the law, but to fulfil it; he comes to open
it ; saith he, ' Ye have heard it said by them of old
time, Thou shaft not commit adultery : but I say unto
you. That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust
after her hath committed adultery with her already
in his heart' Christ exjjounds the law, and seems to
put it in a higher pitch than the Jews had. There
is a great deal of comfort now I confess in that, that
thou hast thy law now from Jesus Christ. And in
this, indeed, thou mayst have this comfort, having
thy law from him, that he will not be so exact as to
require all forfeitures from the breach of the law, as
was required of the Jews. In the administration of
Moses there was such and such forfeitures upon
breach of the law ; but God is pleased to manifest
more grace now, so that he doth not now stand so
exactly upon breaches as to pronounce a curse upon
every one that doth offend in that way. Moses de-
livered his law that the people should look upon
themselves as accursed if so be that they did ofi'end
in any part of it. It is true, there was something of
Christ revealed to help believers indeed, but for the
most part it was little known, so as for the gener-
ality of the people they looked upon themselves, or
should do so, as accursed, if they did break any part
of the law.
But in this kingdom of heaven, that is a blessed-
ness that thou hast a law from him that loves thee
more than his life ; he was willing to lay down his
life for thee that gives thee thy law. Now when one
hath a law from one that we know loves him dearly,
it is comfortable. And he is the judge of the law, and
he is to take all the forfeitures of the law that loves
me dearly, even more than his own life ; why, this is
a great comfort.
The second thing in the blessedness of this king-
26
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 3.
dom of heaven is this, That Jesus Christ he now rules
in the hearts of his saints, by his -ivord and Spirit, a
great deal more fully than he did in the times of the
law, or in any way can be conceived. It is true,
there was a general work of God upon the hearts
of heathens, in those moral virtues of theirs, but
there was not a ruling in their hearts by the sceptre
and Spirit of Jesus Christ the Mediator ; and though
believers in the time of the law had the sanctifying
spirit — some of them — in some high degree, yet
generally it was very poor and low in the hearts of
believers in the times of the Messiah. The Spirit of
God is shed abroad in this his kingdom with more
fulness, with more clearness, with more power, with
more excellency abundantly, and it was reserved for
the coming of this king the Messiah to set up that
spiritual government of his in the hearts of his
people, which is a thing that we little understand.
We think there is such a duty requiretl of us, and
we fall upon it ; ay, but we do not look upon Jesus
Christ swaying his sceptre in our hearts for the
enabling of us to do what be requires of us in his
Avord. And then,
Thirdly, All transactions between God and them
are in this kingdom, and not to go out of this king-
dom. By that I mean thus : when thou hast offended
God at any time, and God hath anything to say to
thee for thine offence, thou shalt not come to have
this business of thine tried in the court of exact jus-
tice. No ; it must not go out of this kingdom, but it
must all be within the kingdom of the Messiah. As
this is the privilege of one that lives in one kingdom,
he cannot be called to another kingdom to answer for
his fault. If he were in another kingdom he might
die for it ; but here the laws do help him more, and
that is a comfort to him. So now, wert thou in the
kingdom of God's power, as he is Creator of heaven
and earth, and so rules the world, certainly any
ofl'ence of thine would be eternal death to thee ; and
it is so with all those men and women that are, I
say, only under the kingdom of God's power — that
is, they are God's creatures, and God is their Creator,
and so they have to deal with God as under the
kingdom of his power ; if they offend as creatures,
God in that kingdom deals in a way of exact justice,
so as to punish with death upon every oft'ence. But
now a behever brought into another kingdom, the
kingdom of the Messiah, there he comes to have
other privileges ; so that when a believer offends he
doth not go to answer in that court of his — to wit,
the kingdom of his power — but he is to answer be-
fore the court of Jesus Christ, and Christ is to be
the judge, and Christ he is to deal with them in
that administration of his that he hath received from
the Father, and so comes a believer to stand with
comfort before God, notwithstanding all his offences
and weaknesses, for the transaction is between God
and him within this kingdom, and not without it.
Oh, this is a great comfort for one' that is poor in
spirit: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.' Tli.e kingdom of heaven, of
the gospel, it is theirs, and this is the blessedness that
they have by this kingdom of the gospel, tliat, I say,
all the transactions between God and them are in
this kingdom. So likewise all God's dealings with
them every way it is through a Messiah, and all
that they tender up to God it is through the Messiah,
so as indeed they have nothing, as I may so speak,
to do in their reference to God, but only through
this their king ; their king doth undertake all busi-
ness between God and them. Thou that art brought
to this kingdom, he that is thy king, the Lord Jesus
Christ, God and man, hath undertaken all things
that concern thee in thy reference to God. There-
fore, ' Blessed art thou, for thine is the kingdom of
heaven.'
So that all the mercies that come from God, they
came from God through Christ to thee : by the means
of this king he brings them, and it is through his
right that thou hast them. As now, when there is
anything to do between two kingdoms, why, the
transactions are between the two kings ; every private
man doth not meddle in transacting of business be-
tween kingdoms. So I may say there are, as it were,
two kingdoms — the kingdom of God as he is a Creator,
and then the kingdom of the Messiah. Now all those
things that we are to receive from the kingdom of
God's power as Creator, Jesus Christ he deals with
God for them, and we come to receive them all
through the right of this our king's all-mercy. And if
there be any alflictions comes, if we have offended the
Father, and sin again.st the work of creation, and so
have deserved evil, God as Creator doth not take
believers so as to bring afflictions upon them, but he
gives them up to Christ ; it is Christ thy king that
doth correct him ; and the afflictions being within
this kingdom, they are of another nature than the
evils that are inflicted upon those that are under the
kingdom of God's power. Now the evils that are
inflicted upon such for their sin, they come from re-
venging wrath ; but the evils that are inflicted upon
those that are brought into this kingdom, they are
inflicted upon them by Christ the mediator, and so
come to them in another way, so that there is abun-
dance of blessedness in being within this king-
dom.
Thirdly, and then further. From hence thou bast
protection. Though thou beest poor and mean in thy-
self, thou hast Jesus Christ the Son of God that
undertakes to protect thee, to deliver thee from evil,
and to supply thee in all thy wants ; that is the work
of a king. And those that are subjects in a kingdom,
Mat. V. 3.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
27
they have a great deal of benefit in the protection of
the governor of that kingdom ; and for any man to be
in a kingdom and to be denied the protection, is a
great misery. Now tliere are none in tlie kingdom
of Cln-ist that Christ will deny the benefit of protec-
tion, but protects them all, and provides for all within
his kingdom. Indeed, kings of the earth may leave
the protection of their subjects, and if they should
deny protection to their subjects, there is some other
help for them to protect themselves some other way;
but there is no protection to the saints but only by
this their king.
Fourthly, And all provisions necessary. A king
doth not take cognisance of every family; but Christ
doth take cognisance to provide for every particular
soul.
Fifthly, In this kingdom Christ undertakes to
subdue all the enemies that are against thy spiritual
and eternal good. Christ is thy king, and either he
must lose his power or faithfulness, either of which
lie will not do ; therefore he must subdue thy enemies :
he will subdue sin, and death, and the devil, yea, and
all the enemies of the church shall at length be sub-
dued.
Sixthly, He, as a king, gives ordinances and gifts
and administrations. All the ordinances, gifts, and
administrations of the church they are given by Jesus
Christ as the king of it, and thou that art poor in
spirit thou liast right to them. It is not such a one
as hath such a high degree of grace that hath right
to the ordinances, but where there is any that are
but sensible of their poverty, thou hast right to all
ordinances upon that. But though there be right to
them, yet you must be exercised in them, in a way
suitable to the ordinances. All the gifts of the saints
are thine, and all administrations are thine; thou hast
the benefit of them all in this kingdom.
vSeventhly, further. All the world is brought into
subjection to this kingdom. The kingdom of the
Father, the kingdom of power, whereby the Lord
doth rule the created workl, and so by providence is
continued, all this is in order to this kingdom of the
Messiah. Certainly there is a great deal in this, for
one to know that all the administrations of God in
the ordering of heaven and earth, it is for the
furtherance of the kingdom of the Messiah, and of
the spiritual good of all those that are within this
kingdom. ' Blessed therefore art thou, for thine is
the kingdom of heaven.'
Eighthly and lastly. For this will bring thee at
length to reign with Christ. Thou dost in some degree
reign with Christ already ; all the subjects of Christ's
kingdom are made kings and pi'iests to God, and they
must be in a further glorious manner made to reign
with Christ : so you have it in Rev. iii. 21, ' To him
that overcometh ■will I grant to sit with me in my
throne, even as I also overcame, and am sat down
with my Father in his throne.' It is a text that hath
a great deal of difficulty in it ; but here clearly you
see there are two thrones that Christ mentions — his
Father's and his own. Now, saith Christ, ' I overcame,
and am set down with my father in his throne,' so
that Christ doth sit with the Father, and rules alto-
gether with his Father. But, saith Christ, ' I will give
you to sit down upon my throne, as I sit upon my
Father's.' There is a throne that is more particularly
the throne of Jesus Christ, and all the saints shall sit
with Jesus Christ thereupon. Nowfor this throne: It is
that that we have mentioned in divers other scriptures.
In Mat. xiv. and Luke xxii. Christ tells his disciples
that had endured with him in his temptations, ' That
they should sit with him and judge the twelve tribes of
Israel, and they should eat and drink with him in his
kingdom when he did come.' Now these scriptures
seem to hold out some special and glorious condition
that the saints must ha^'e at length before they come
to that full possession of that glory that shall be in
the highest heavens. They shall sit upon the Lord.
Christ's throne, judging. Surely in the highest heavens
there is no judging throne. But there is a time of
judging the wicked and the ungodly ; and the saints
shall reign with Christ in a glorious manner, and at
length they shall he brought to heaven itself, to the
possession of all that glory that Christ hath pur-
chased by his blood. And therefore, though now
for the present you deny yourselves so much, as to be
willing to sufl'er poverty, to suffer the hardship of
poverty, the contempt of poverty, the trouble that
there is in a poor estate, it is in my cause that you
are wilUng to be poor. It may be you could get
riches in the world as much as other men, but be
content to be in a low condition for the things of this
world ; be content to be mean, to trust me ; for
there is a kingdom for you — the kingdom of heaven.
This kingdom seeins to be poor now. As you are poor
in spirit, so this kingdom seems to be a poor con-
temptible thing ; the glory of it, it is spnitual, and
only can be seen with a spiritual eye. It cannot be
seen with a carnal eye, but yet you who are mine,
and have received my Spirit, you can understand the
excellency of this kingdom, and the many privileges
that are in this kingdom ; and therefore do you
labour quietly to bear your low condition, and though
you be low in parts, yet go on ; though you have
many weaknesses in you, yet still comfort yourselves
in this, for you are those that sit with the Messias,
and the good of the gospel is yours, and the glorious
kingdom that both Father, Son, and Spirit doth
intend to raise up to a mighty height. It is begun
for the present in your souls, and you shall .cer-
tainly come to the accomplishment of it in the
fulness of all the glory of it. This kingdom Christ
28
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 3.
speaks of in Dan. vii. 2-i, and there calls it the king-
dom of the saints that shall prevail in the world.
Certainly there is such a kingdom of Christ as will
prevail in the world, let men oppose it what they can.
The kings of the earth they rage, and the heathens
they imagine hut vain things, for the Lord will set
his king upon his holy hill, and the saints that are
in this kingdom of Christ they shall prevail in the
"vvorld at last. This kingdom must certainly go on.
My brethren, we read in Scripture of the good tidings
of the kingdom. These few things that I have spoken
of are some of the good tidings of the kingdom ; and
in Acts i. 30, wlien Christ was risen again, we find
that the great things that Christ did, it was to tell
his disciples of the good things of this kingdom of
heaven. You know Christ after his resurrection did
continue with his disciples forty days. Now you will
say, What did Christ do in those forty days ? We
read of many things that Christ did before his death,
hut what have we of what he did in those forty days ?
The Scripture tells you that he did speak to them
about the kingdom of heaven. Christ then did dis-
course about this point that I am now speaking of,
telling of them what a blessed and glorious kingdom
of the Messias they were to come to ; and though
they were like to be poor in the world and despised,
and be as nobody, yet they were members of that
kingdom, and had the privileges of it, and Christ
would make them instrumental for the furtherance
of that glorious kingdom, and so told tliem what
belongs to the kingdom, the ordinances of the king-
dom, the laws of it, and the privileges of it ; ajid
therefore we find it that the disciples before the
resurrection of Christ, and the shedding abroad of
the Spirit, they dreamed of a mere earthly kingdom
— When wilt thou restore the kingdom to Israel ? —
but when Christ had told them of this kingdom, and
the Spirit was shed abroad in their hearts, they
never minded an earthly kingdom more. No ; they
had done with that, now they came to understand
what was the meaning of the kingdom of the
Messiah that Christ did preach unto them in the forty
days that he was with them before his ascension.
Now these are some brief things that I have endea-
voured to present unto you about this kingdom of
heaven that here is said to he the portion of those
that are poor in spirit. You will say. Oh, these are
blessed things indeed ! But for the applying of them,
that is the thing we have now to do ; only at present
remember what hath been said. And now know what
the meaning of that scripture is, ' First seek the
kingdom of heaven, and the righteousness thereof,
and all these things shall be added to you.' I have
here briefly set out a little of the glory of the king-
dom of heaven, though all this while I have not
spoken of the felicity of the saints after the day of
judgment, but what shall be between this and their
going up to heaven. You see enough to set your
hearts on work, in the first place to seek the king-
dom of heaven. Oh, you that have sought after the
world, and have thought yourselves blessed if you
might live bravely and have a little coming in, now
know that there is a kingdom concerns you, and, for
aught we know, every soul in this place, and there-
fore above all things seek after that kingdom, that
you may have your portion in it.
Mat. V. 3.]
BCEROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
29
SERMON V.
on,
COMFOET TO THE POOR IN SPIRIT.
'Blessed are the j^oor in spirit,' d:c. — Mat. v. 3.
We are, as you may remember, upon the first blessed-
ness here that is attributed to the poor in spirit.
The subject of this blessedness we have spoken to
at large ; who those poor in Scripture are, and, in
general, that they are blessed.
But we came the last day to make entrance into
the blessedness that Christ pronounces upon them :
' Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' There were
divers observations taken notice of from the con-
nexion : ' Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the king-
dom of heaven.' He doth not say, Blessed are the
poor, for God will be merciful unto them, but ' theirs
is the kingdom of heaven ' — a suitable blessing unto
that grace that is most eminent in them — that po-
verty of spirit. Therefore Christ would raise them up
■with the glory of a kingdom : ' theirs is the kingdom.'
But it is no kingdom but the kingdom of heaven.
There we shewed that it is not anything of the world
that can make us blessed, but it must be somewhat
of the kingdom of heaven. And that is observable,
he doth not say, theirs shall be the kingdom of
heaven, as he saith of others : ' Blessed are the pure
in heart, for they shall see God.' He doth not say.
Blessed are the poor, for they shall have the kingdom
of heaven, but 'theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'
Poor people cannot stay, they have present need ;
saith Christ, I will not only promise you what you
shall have when you die, but you shall have a king-
dom now, for the present. ' Theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.'
We came to the opening of this kingdom of hea-
ven— what it is — and shewed you the several accep-
tations of the words, ' the kingdom,' — what it is taken
for in Scripture. But this is that that was conceived
to be the scope of Christ here, the kingdom of
heaven — that is, the estate of the Messiah, the good
things that the Messiah was to bring into the world
in his administration ; that is the kingdom of heaven
that is here meant. I do not think that Christ did
aim at this, that they should go to heaven when they
die and be in glory there, as the only thing ; that is
indeed among other things that will follow. But
that which Christ aims at here, those that are poor
in spirit they are blessed, for they are partakers for
the present of the blessed estate of the people of
God, that is, in the time of the Messiah's coming into
the world. And therefore I do not intend here to
speak about the glory of heaven ; for anything
that may be spoken about that will rather fall into
the tenth verse, ' Blessed are they which are perse-
cuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the king-
dom of heaven.' But all that I shall speak of here
is, the blessed estate of those that are poor in spirit —
viz., the enjoyment of the good things in the state of
the Messiah ; and that is the meaning of that scrip-
ture, ' Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand ; ' that is, repent and turn from your evil ways,
and follow not your lusts as you were wont, but
repent, for Jesus Christ is come into the world, that
brings a great deal of glory with him. Because I
would gladly finish at this time, I will pass by what
we spake to, and come to what remains, and the
rather because in that that doth remain we shall
make use of somewhat that we spake to the last
time, about the opening of the point of the kingdom
of heaven. And that is this : —
What comfort there is in the consideration of the
estate of the Messiah's coming into the world ; what
encouragement there is in this to those that are poor
in spii'it ; and how they in particular come to be made
happy — that is the scope of this sermon, and the
scope of Christ. Now, then, for the opening of this
I shall cast it into these three heads : —
First, What comfort those that are outwardly poor,
poor people that have spirits suitable to their outward
conditions, that are godly poor, whose spirits are
willing to submit to God in that poor condition that
they are in, what encouragement they can have from
the state of the Messias, from this kingdom of heaven.
And I rather think that Christ intended this, because
I find in Luke vi. that Christ doth oppose the rich
in this world to poor in spirit. Therefore Christ in-
tended certainly in this scripture to speak comfort-
able words to godly poor people.
so
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 3.
And then, secondly, To those that are poor in
parts, poor men and women tliat have mean gifts
and abiHties, and yet are godly, and their spirits are
low in consideration of the poor [larts that they have,
that they cannot be useful for God as others are ;
to shew what good they have, or what comfort they
may have from this kingdom of lieaven.
Thirdly, Those that are poor in grace, that are
sensible of their spiritual poverty, what blessedness
they have from this kingdom of lieaven.
First, then. Those that are outwardly poor, all
godly poor people, I am speaking to them ; and I
verily think Christ speaks to them, and so would
have his ministers to speak to them, such as are for
the outward estate kept low and mean ; and yet God
gives them spirits to submit to his hand in that, and '
are willing to honour God as they are able in that
poor condition without murmuring. Christ Jesus doth
pronounce you blessed this day, and tells you that
yours is the kingdom of heaven. As if he should
say, Be not you discouraged because you are mean in
this world, for your spirits being suitable to that con-
dition God hsXh put you in, the Lord hath appointed
a kingdom for you, even the kingdom of heaven.
You cannot be great in this world, but you have very
much in the kingdom of heaven.
Now for that there are these several things to be
considered of in poor people, that are poor in this
world, yet godly, Luke .xii. 2I3-3L See what
Christ saith to them that are so outwardly poor, in
reference to this kingdom : ' And seek not ye what
ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; neither be ye of
doubtful minds.' What are the thoughts of poor
people, even of poor godly i>eople many times? ' AVliat
shall we eat, what shall we drink ? ' Hoav sliall I pro-
vide for my family ? But be not of doubtful minds.
Those that Christ spake to were in as hard a
condition I believe as almost any godly poor are
that hear me this day ; yet be not troubled. Why
should we not seek for what we should eat and
drink, &c. '? ' For all these things do the nations of
the world seek after ; and your Father knoweth that
you have need of these things. But rather seek ye
the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be
added unto you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.'
Look after the kingdom of Jesus Christ ; if you have
that, you have enough, and though you be a little
little Hock, yet it is your Father's pleasure to give yon
a kingdom. As if Christ should say, The considera-
tion of this, that your Father hath appointed a king-
dom for you, and doth give you a kingdom, should
quiet your hearts in all those straits that yon are
in, in respect of your poor condition. But now for
the particulars — that for the general, that the con-
sideration of the kingdom of heaven should support
all godly people who are in a poor estate, and whose
spirits are humbled in respect of their poverty ; but
particularly —
First, Consider he that is the king of this kingdom
of heaven, he was poor himself ; your king was poor.
You tell us of a kingdom of heaven, but we sufi'er
hard things in the meantime in this world. But you
sulfer not harder things in this world than the king
of this kingdom did, even Jesus Christ himself, that
was the great prince. The king of this kingdom that
you are translated into, he was poor in this world.
Now the consideration that the king himself is in a
poor condition, and hath no better supplies and com-
fort than we have, it is a very great supportment.
As now in an army, if the general should say to his
soldiers to encourage them. Go on, you have nothing
to drink but water; ay, but you have as good to drink
as your general. So Christ may well say. You that
are poor in spirit, what ! are you dejected because of
your poverty ? Why, are you poorer than I was ? It
may be you have a poor house ; you know what is
said of Christ : ' The foxes have holes, and the birds
have nests, but the Son of man hath not whereon to
hide his head.' Christ had no house at all ; Christ
had not so good a house as you have, that was the
great king of heaven and earth. For your diet, that
seems to be poor and mean ; you have not those full
dishes that others have. In John xxi. 5, Christ
comes to his disciples and saith, ' Children, have ye
any meat ? ' He doth not say, have you such and such
kind of dishes, but have you anything : yea, and this
was after his resurrection, after he had made an end
of suffering for sin. Oh remember that scripture !
Christ was content with anything ; ' Have you any
meat,' saith Christ. 2 Cor. viii. 9, ' He was made
poor,' saith the text, ' that he might make us rich.'
There was never a godly man that we read of was in
a poorer condition than Christ was, in many respects.
Now he that was your king, and is your king, he
subjected himself into such a poor condition. Be
comforted in this, ' yours is the kingdom of heaven.'
If you iniderstood what the kingdom of heaven
means, who is the king of this kingdom, and con-
sidered that his estate was so poor, it should take
awayyour murmuring thoughts against a poor estate.
' My kingdom is not of this world,' saith Christ ;
therefore, what though you have not the riches of
this world ; Christ himself had them not.
But, secondly, Consider this, Christ's poverty it
was to sanctify your poverty. Merely to consider that
our captain or king suffers as well as we, that is
somewhat ; but no poverty or suffering of a king or
captain can take away the curse of the sulTerings of
his subjects. Ay, but the poverty of Jesus Christ, the
heir of this kingdom, it was to take away the curse of
thy poverty, and to sanctify thy poverty. When thou
Mat. V. 3.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
31
heai'est thcat he was poor in this world, why, thou
mayest exercise thy faith : Lord, this was to sanctify
my poverty. Whenas indeed, otherwise, poverty in it-
self it is a curse, but those that are godly have the
curse taken away iu the poverty of Jesus Christ. As
the death of Jesus Christ did sanctify the death of
the godly. The sting of death is taken away by his
death ; so their poverty and all their afflictions are
sanctified by what poverty and afflictions that Christ
himself did endure; and therefore in this kingdom
you see what comfort and good there is to you.
Thirdly, This kingdom of heaven it is so ordered
out for the most part, that the poor in the world are
the subjects of this kingdom. The very consideration
of this is a mighty help to those that are outwardly
poor. I confess sometimes there are some rich mem
that are subjects : as in Mark xv. 43 ; ' An honourable
counsellor,' tliei'e it is said, 'waited for the kingdom of
God.' Great men sometimes are, but ordinarily it is
the poor that are the subjects of this kingdom.
Then, fourthly, The Lord hath so ordered things
that the great transactions of this kingdom of heaven
— that hath been opened unto you — hath been carried
on by those that are mean and ])oor, not by the great
ones of the world. The Lord Christ hath been very
little beholden to the great ones of the world for the
furthering of his kingdom.
Hence follows therefore, in the fifth place, That
poverty it is no hindrance to the highest degree in
this kingdom of heaven. Indeed, poverty it is a hin-
drauee to degrees in the honours of a worldly kingdom.
A poor man cannot expect to bear great offices in
the kingdoms of the world; but for the kingdom of
heaven the poor may, the poorest that is may, come
to as high degree as the richest that is. So that the
truth is, when you come to choose any officers that
concern the church, there should be no consider-
ation of men's estates. I confess when you come to
choose officers for the_ Ftat«, though perhaps a poor
man may be a wiser man than a man of estate, yet a
man of estate should be chosen rather than another
that is poor, because it is not so fit for a man that
hath no estate to have the dispose of all other men's
estates. But now when you come to the kingdom
of heaven, where there is nothing but spiritual power,
nothing but in a sjjiritual way wherein men are to
deal with consciences, and no way to deal with men's
estates nor outward liberty — the kingdom of heaven
concerns not the business of outward liberty or
estate, but merely to deal with men's consciences in
regard of their spiritual estates in reference tinto
heaven— I say now, whatever offices thei-e are in the
church, there should be no consideration of the
estates of men so as to downweigh the least grain ;
but if the poorest man have more godliness and un-
derstanding in the things of the kingdom of heaven,
he should rather be an officer there than any man
whatsoever that hath less understanding in the things
of the kingdom of heaven ; and therefore it is a car-
nal way to go after that manner when they come to
choose church-officers, then to tliink of the chief of
the parish whether he be godly or no. It is true, if
he were as godly and understanding as any other,
then for him as well as another ; but to make that to
be the sway of business, though there be not that
godliness nor understanding, I say this is to suit the
state of the kingdom of heaven to the world, whereas
those that are poor in that kingdom, they are capa-
ble of as high dignity thei'e as any whatsoever. And
that is a great help and comfort to godly poor people
that are partakers of the kingdom of heaven, they
have all the privileges of this kingdom ; they cannot
enjoy the privileges of a worldly kingdom so as
others do, but they may enjoy to the full the privi-
leges of this kingdom.
Sixthly, Even those that are outwardly poor, if
godly, they have right to all things in this world so
far as may be good for them. It is said of Abraham,
Esm. iv. 13, that he was 'theheii- of the world.' It is
spoken of Abraham as he was a behever. Now every
believer is a child of Abraham, and eveiy child of
Abraham doth inherit Abraham's blessing, and there-
fore every believer is heir of the woi'ld : ' All is yours,
and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' You will
say, Why have they not the world then in posses-
sion ? There may be right to all tilings, and yet not
possession, because they are not in a fit condition for
them ; all things are to work for their good, one
way or other. As ail the kingdoms of the world are
subject to Jesus Christ, — they are given up to him
for the furtherance of his kingdom, — so all the
things in the world are given up to the saints for the
furthering of their good, whose is the kingdom of
heaven.
Seventhlj', In this Idugdom ar-e spu'itual riches
that may countei-vail to the full, and are infinitely
good beyond all outward riches. Thou thinkest if
the state would give thee so much, thou wouldst be a
happy man. Oh, that were a carnal heart, to prize
more the riches of the world than the things of the
kingdom of heaven ! The things of the kingdom of
heaven make thee rich in faith, rich in holmess, rich
in the promises, rich in thy reference to God and
Christ, and rich in the enjoyments of the Holy
Ghost and his gifts and graces. Now these things
are in an alxmdant manner communicated in the
kingakm of the Messias, more than they were in the
times of the law. Indeed it was a greater evil to be a
poor man then than now. Why? Because then there
was not such a plentiful measure of spiritual riches
communicated from God ; but it was reserved to the
coming of the Messias that there should be suck
32
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 3.
spiritual riches let forth and communicated. God
indeed to some few did communicate his spiritual
riches then, and there -were some eminent godly
people in the times of the law, such as Abraham and
David ; but ordinarily they were very scanty in regard
of the communications of spiritual things now ; and
the reason was, the Lord reserved those spiritual
riches to the Messias' coming into the world, and
hence it was that God was more indulgent in the
times of the law for their outward estates. We read
there, that if they did but wallv in ways of obedience to
God, they were for the most part abundantly blessed
in outward tilings more than he doth now, because
that now is the time of communication of spiritual
riches. If thou hadst lived in the times of the law,
it is very like that thou wouldst not have been so
poor ; but then, on the other side, it is not like that
thou wouldst have had such grace as now thou hast,
such manifestations of God to thy soul as now thou
hast ; and therefore it is well with thee that thou art
in the kingdom of heaven, where there is such com-
munications of such spiritual riches.
And then from all these, in the eighth place, follows.
That hence the great temptations that those that are
poor people are troubled withal, may from the con-
sideration of the blessing of the kingdom be taken
away. What are they? you will say. There are three
great temptations which those that are poor people
and are godly have ; the devil comes against them with
very sore temptations, that such as have estates are
not so much troubled withal.
As, first, I am afraid that God goes out against
me, and doth not bless me in anything that I go
about ; and so they are afraid, and under great bond-
age. But that hath been answered already.
The second is, I am in a poor condition, and there-
fore despised. No ; thou art a king, thou art translated
into the kingdom of his dear Son ; thou hast part fn
liis kingdom, and art a king together with himself.
And therefore listen not to that temptation that rises
from contempt and being despised. Doth not the
world regard thee ? the Lord God hath a high respect
to thee, for he hath given thee a kingdom.
And then a third temptation is, They are useless
in tlie world. Nay, this text will answer this tempta-
tion, Thine is the kingdom. And as you heard, the
Lord Christ doth carry on the great design of his
kingdom by those that are poor ; and therefore be not
troubled because of thy uselessness in the world. And
that is the eighth support of those that are outwardly
poor, and poor in spirit suitable to their outward
poverty.
The ninth is this, That at last those that are poor
and godly, yet they shall possess all things ; and I
find scripture for it, Eev. xxi. 7. Let men think
what they will of such an assertion as this, yet by
comparing one thing with another, it cannot speak of
the glory that there shall be in the highest heaven,
but of another glory : ' He that overcometh shall in-
herit all things ; and I will be his God, and he shall
be my son.' There is a time that he shall have all,
and honour certainly he shall have enough. In Zech.
ix. 16, he speaks there of the kingdom of Christ;
and we have there an excellent expression of the
honour that God will put upon his saints — 'And
the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the
flock of his people : for they shall be as the stones
of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.' It
is a promise that respects all the saints. That there
is a time a-coming that they shall be as the precious
stones in a king's crown, that are lifted up — that is,
that they shall be honoured among all people how-
soever they are despised now. And in Mat. xiii. 43,
there Christ tells what his saints shall be in his
kingdom : ' Then shall the righteous,' speaking of
the time of his kingdom, ' shine forth as the sun in
the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to
hear, let him hear.' There is a time coming when
poor people that are clothed with rags, and are very
despicable in the eyes of the world, shall shine then
as bright as the sun. Dost thou see the sun in the
firmament ? That poor body of thine that wants food
and raiment shall within a while shine as bright as
the sun in the firmament. And for possession of the
things that are in the world, compare those two
scriptures together : in Mat. xix. 29, ' And every
one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters,
or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands,
for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and
shall inherit everlasting life.' So that he doth not
speak of being rewarded in heaven for it ; for that is
beside, besides his everlasting life he shall receive an
hundredfold. But, you will say, I find in another
gospel that the hundredfold it is spoken of with the
addition of persecution — in !Mark x. 30. Though
there be the addition of persecution, you shall find
the promise more large, for ' He shall receive an
hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren,
and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands.'
You will say, He shall receive an hundredfold — that
is, he shall have grace, that is as much worth as a
hundred times his lands. Nay, you see the Holy
Ghost doth mention the particulars, of liouses, and
lands, &c. But, you will say, there is one pas-
sage that seems to spoil all — he shall in this time re-
ceive houses and lands, and the like, but with perse-
cution, and in the world to come eternal life. It
shall be with persecution, so that this speaks of a
time when they shall be persecuted. Now how can
these two stand together ? Therefore, for the answer
to that, I do verily think that this is a true answer
to it, that this that is translated in your book ivith
Mat. V. 3.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
33
persecution, those that understand the original
know that it is ^sra, it doth not always signify with,
but afte): I could give you divers places where the
word /j-iTo. signifies after as well as with ; as in Mark
viii. 31, ' And he began to teach them, that the Son
of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the
elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be
killed, and after three days rise again.' There it is .aera,
the very same word, and it must of necessity be trans-
lated after. So that you may by the same warrant
that here it is translated after three days he shall rise
again, so translate the other, that he shall receive
houses and lauds, &c., a hundredfold cfter he hath
endured persecution. Now to determine in what
way, or how, or when the Lord will fulfil this, it is
very hard to do. You know the fulfiUing of pro-
phecies is the best interpretation of them ; but to me
it seems to be very clear that the Scripture doth hold
forth this, that it is part of the kingdom of Jesus
Christ, that he will bring his people in time to enjoy
whatsoever good things there are to be enjoyed here ;
for the reward of God stands in a spiritual way — not
in a sensual way, as some have dreamed of, but in a
spiritual and holy way. And this is the blessing of
those that are poor in respect of theu' outward estates,
and have spirits suitable.
Now there are many that are troubled in respect
of the mean parts that they have ; yet they having
spirits suitable to their mean parts, and willing to
honour God in them, theirs is the kingdom of heaven
also. But now I will for the present leave them,
and speak to the third, and that is those that are
poor in grace.
As, first. Thou hast but a little grace, and art very
poor and mean, and this troubles thee, yet blessed art
thou. For,
Fh'st, Thou art translated from the power of dark-
ness by that little grace thou hast, and so art trans-
lated into the kingdom of heaven: Col. i. 13, 'Who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and
hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.'
Though there be a great deal of darkness in thy
mind, yet the power of darkness is taken away, and
so thou art brought into the kingdom of his dear Son.
And in Mat. xii. 28, where Christ makes that a fruit
of casting out the devU- The devils were cast out
Why ? Because the kingdom of God is come : ' But
if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the
kingdom of God is come unto you.' When the king-
dom of the IMessias came, then the devils were cast
out of possession. You never read concerning the
casting out of devils till the Messias came into the
world ; which was to shew us that it was reserved to
Jesus Christ for to manifest his power over the king-
dom of Satan ; and it was a sign that the kingdom
of God was come, because the devils were cast out.
So then the kingdom of heaven is come to thy soul,
if the devil can reign no more. Certainly the devils
had their reign in thy soul before thou wert translated
into the kingdom of his dear Son ; and thou mayest
be sure now that thou shalt never be under the power
of darkness — that the devil shall never reign in thee
— because the kingdom of God is come to thee. Thou
art one under the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The
devil is the king of tliis world. The devil rules in the
air, and in the children of disobedience, but the devils
have nothing to do to rule in the children of the king-
dom ; those that have got out of the kingdom of the
world into the kingdom of Jesus Christ the devils
have no further power. It may be, when thou art
melancholy or in the dark, thou mayest have appre-
hension of devils ; but certainly all those that have in
them but the least drachm of grace, though they are
never so poor, yet theirs is the kingdom of heaven — •
that is, the kingdom of God is come to them that
hath cast out all the power of the devil. Thou wert
a captive slave to the devil before thou camest into
this kingdom, but now thou art delivered from aU the
power of the devil.
Secondly, The meanness of any one's parts cannot
hinder them from understanding the highest things
in the kingdom of heaven, for it doth not depend
upon parts at all. Nay, we know that usually those
are chosen that have mean parts, to confound the
wisdom of the world ; and such as have very mean
parts may have more understanding in the things of
the kingdom of heaven than the gi'eatest Eabbis in the
world.
And then, thirdly, which is an admirable help to
them that are sensible of their little grace. Why,
thou art not now to answer for any of thy miscar-
riages in the court of divine justice, for thou art got
into the kingdom of heaven. If thou wert in the
kingdom of God's power only as he is Creator, there
thou art to answer for all thy offences in the court of
God's justice. But now being translated into the
kingdom of his dear Son, thou art to answer for all
thy miscarriages there, and not to be hauled before
the court of divine justice ; and that is a mighty help
to those that are poor in grace, to consider of this
thing ; and this is the privilege of one in this king-
dom.
Fourthly, Christ himself, thy king, he is thy judge
and thy advocate. Oh, it is a blessed thing to be in
such a kingdom, especially if a man knows that he
is obnoxious many ways. 0 thou that art poor in
grace, and yet art in the kingdom of heaven, know
that Jesus Christ, thy king, is to be thy judge, to cast
thee for thy eternal estate. He is likewise to be
thine advocate, to plead for thee ; and therefore it is
not the poverty of thy grace that should daunt thy
heart, or cause thee to sink.
34
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 3.
Fifthly, The righteousness of this thy king is thy
righteousness, if thou comest into tliis kingdom. In
1 Cor. i. 30, ' He is made of God to us wisdom and
righteousness, sanctification and redemption.' When
- thou comest into the kingdom of the Messiah, here
thou liait a privilege that no subject can have in any
kingdom in the world. There may be subjects in
other kingdoms that may have good kings, but the
goodness of their king is not their goodness. But
thou art in that kingdom that hath a perfect right-
eous king, and the righteousness of that king is thy
righteousness. Thou art poor, and thy corruptions
doth overcome thee. Oh, but blessed art thou for
all that, being poor in spirit, for thou art come into
that kingdom wherein thou hast the righteousness
of the king to be thy righteousness. That is the
fifth comfort of being in this kingdom.
Sixthly, The wisdom likewise of thy king it is
thine. Jesus Christ thy king he hath all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge in him. He is made unto
us wisdom ; therefore let not the meanness of thy
parts discourage thee.
The seventh is this, If thou beest come into this
kingdom, then that little grace that thou hast, be it
never so little, yet thou shalt be sure that that grace
shall be upheld to eternity. For it is a special part
of the glory of the kingly power of Jesus Christ to
uphold the graces that are in the hearts of his people ;
and this doth make them to be of more certain durance
than all the grace that Adam had in innocenoy.
Adam had perfection in his state of innocenoy. Now
thou art weak and poor, and art ready to think, if he
fell, thou shalt fall much more. It is true, if thou
wert left to that kingdom that Adam was in, it might
be so ; but thou being brought into this kingdom of
heaven, the power of Christ, thy king, it is to be
exercised in upholding that little little grace thou
hast. In 2 Tim. you have a place that is very
sweet that way: chap. iv. 18, 'And the Lord,' saith
the text, ' shall deliver me from every evil work, and
will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom : to whom
be glory for ever and ever.' As if he should say. The
Lord hath already brought me into the possession of
the kingdom of heaven, and certainly he must pre-
serve me till I come to the full enjoyment of it.
Thou art afraid of such and such temptations, that
they will prevail over thee ; but be of good comfort,
it concerns the kingly power of Christ to preserve
that little grace thou hast to his heavenly kingdom.
It is in thy case here just as it was with David ; you
know after David was anointed, oh how he was
persecuted by Saul ! insomuch as he saith, I shall
perish one day by the hand of Saul. But if he had
had faith to have believed the promise that was made
him, he would never have so reasoned. Just thus
do many poor souls say which are anointed to this
heavenly kingdom — they say. Certainly I shall perish
by the hand of this corruption. Know thou art an
anointed one, and it concerns the power of Jesus
Christ to uphold that little grace thou hast. And this
is another benefit and fruit of this kingdom.
And then, in the eighth place. Know that being
brought under this kingdom, though thy grace be
poor, yet thou art as perfectly justified before God as
ever was Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob ; as ever was
David, Paul, or Peter, or the strongest saints in the
world. Thy grace in respect of thy sanctification is
poor, but thy grace in thy justification it is as rich
and glorious in this kingdom, as the grace in the jus-
tification of any saint that ever lived upon the face of
the earth. And indeed this may be said to be the
fruit of this kingdom of heaven. In the times of the
law this was very little manifested ; it being such a
great treasury of the goodness of God, it was reserved
to be opened when the Jlessias was to come into the
world. There was this treasury before ; but this
treasury of justification that now I am speaking of, I
say, the opening of it, it was reserved to the coming
of the Messiah. And the Messiah he is come to open
this rich treasury of justification, and to tell all poor
in spirit, that are troubled for the poverty of grace
that they have, that howsoever they are poor in re-
spect of their sanctification, yet they are as perfectly
justified as ever any godly man was. Now is not here
a blessedness, to be a member of the kingdom of
heaven ? Oh, methinks this should mightily set the
hearts of men and women a- work in seeking after the
kingdom of heaven !
Ninthly, Know that the right of thine inheritance
in this kingdom, yea, the very peace and joy of this
kingdom, it is not forfeited by thy failings. In
Rom. xiv. 1 7, ' The kingdom of God it is righteous-
ness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' So long as
thou art in this kingdom, thou hast righteousness
and peace, and thou hast matter of joy.
And then, in the tenth place, Certainly thou shalt
be perfect ere long. Judgment shall return unto
victory. There will be a treading down Satan under
thy feet shortly, and all imperfections shall be swal-
lowed up with perfection ; thou hast the seeds in thee
now which shall come to perfection. Thou art weak
now, and dost not love God as thou wouldst. Why,
thou shalt love, and dehght in, and glorify and fear
God ere long as much as thou wilt.
Yet further, in the eleventh place, There is this for
the support of such as are poor in grace, that all the
ordinances in this kingdom do belong to them, and
whatever good is in them, and they ought not to be
deprived of them, if there be anything of the grace of
Christ in them. Indeed, let men take heed how they
come into this kingdom. If I had time I should
have spoken a word or two to that, for any man to
Mat. V. 3.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
35
challenge the benefit of this kingdom that hath no
grace at all ; but one that is poor in grace must not
say, Because I am poor in grace I am afraid to come
to the ordinances, or afraid to pray. Oh no ; thou
sbouldst the rather come, for all the ordinances are
thine, thine is the kingdom of heaven. And there-
fore, whensoever thou lookest upon any ordinance of
the word and sacrament, thou mayest think, Well,
this is that ordinance that Jesus Christ hath ap-
pointed for the building up of my soul, and for the
strengthening of ray grace. And therefore come to
it in such a way as that that is appointed for the
strengthening of thy grace.
Twelfthly, By coming into this kingdom thou
comest to have free-trading to heaven. Men now
that live in the city, they have free-trading to divers
parts of the world that others have not : so those
that remain in the world, and are yet in their natural
estates, they are such as are banished from the pre-
sence of the Lord ; they have not the free-trading to
heaven for grace, comfort, happiness, and glory, as
the saints now when they are come into this king-
dom. Thou through Jesus Christ mayest trade to
heaven every day, and hast a privilege and right
unto it, and so to enrich thyself in heaven. What
though thou beest poor ; when the trade is open for
heaven, why shouklst thou be discouraged with the
little grace that thou hast ? Oh blessed art thou,
thou hast that privilege of this kingdom.
The last thing that I shall speak of now is, That
in this kingdom the Spirit is shed abroad in a great
deal more abundance than it was heretofore. Be
not discouraged, thou dost not find yet such a work
of grace in thy heart but thou art in such a condition
wherein the Spirit of God is to be communicated in
a far more abundant manner than in the time of the
law. Indeed, in the time of the law David and such
as were to be employed in public work might
expect it ; but though thou beest not employed in any
pubKe work, yet thou mayest expect to come to be
glorious in grace here in this world. So we have the
promise, ' That the feeble shall be as David, and
those of the house of David should be as the angel
of the Lord.' There is a time when the gifts of the
saints shall be raised, and they shall have clearer and
further understanding in the mysteries of godliness
than ever formerly. And one great thing that doth
hinder the growth of grace in those that are thus
poor in spuit, it is because they have not faith to act
upon the promises that are made for the shedding
abroad of the Spirit m the times of the Messiah : ' If
evil men know how to give good things to them that
ask them, much more will the Lord give his Spirit to
those that ask him.' And the consideration of these
things is a mighty help to such as are poor in spirit,
to shew their blessedness. And that that will bind
up all these is this, that in this kingdom of heaven
the Lord would have his people delivered from the
spirit of bondage. As there is a spirit of bondage, so
there is a spirit of adoption, a free spirit to come
into God's presence. The Lord would not have his
people to be afraid of his presence, but would have
them all to look upon themselves — I mean all such
as are apprehensive of their spiritual poverty — yet to
look upon themselves as 'the children of this king-
dom, and to come with freedom of spirit before their
Father. And now, my brethren, I have been shew-
ing you the blessedness of those that are poor in
spirit. I would to God I had spoken to none
but such as are poor in spirit. I confess such
points as these would make one fear and tremble
to treat of, especially in these wanton times ; how-
soever, children must not lose their bread. But now
if there be but one poor in spirit that should have
benefit by it, though there should be a thousand
hardened, yet God will accept of that ; and in the
meantime, therefore, you that are of poor spirits and
truly humbled before God, do but consider what your
comfort cost. It may be they cost the hardening of
many hundreds in this congregation to speak of such
a thing : saith God, let it cost the hardening of them,
yet your comfort is so dear to me that I would have
it notwithstanding. Oh, therefore take these things
and make use of them for the furtherance of your
sanctification. We have a very notable scripture for
that, to make men to take heed of the abuse of these
things, in Heb. xii., 'We receiving a kingdom which
cannot be moved.' What then ? Shall we take liberty
andjive loosely ? No, saith he, ' Therefore let us have
grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear.' He makes this use of it,
therefore what ? — therefore let us be wanton ? No ;
but let us ' serve him with reverence and godly fear,
for even our God is a consuming fire.' And in 1
Thes. ii. 12, 'That ye would walk worthy of God,
who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.'
Walk as those that are partakers of the king-
dom of heaven, walk above the world ; let there
not appear to be sueh base and low spmts in you
as there are in the men of the world, but walk
worthy of that kingdom which the Lord hath called
you to.
36
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 4.
SERMON VI.
GODLY MOURNEES SHALL BE COMFORTED.
' Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall he comforted.' — Mat. v. 4.
The last day, you may remember, we spake of the
first beatitude, the blessedness of the poor in spirit ;
and that wherein Christ saith their blessedness con-
sists, 'theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' We have
opened what the meaning of the kingdom of heaven
is, not vmderstanding it to be meant only that when
they die they shall go to heaven, though it is true
that they shall do so, yet the main scope of Christ
here is to shew that even the poor in spirit shall have
the good things of the state of the Messias. The
Messias being come into the world, and erecting a
new kingdom here in the world different from what
Vi'as before, the poor in spirit shall be made partakers
of that kingdom with all the privileges of it. I shall
not look back to open further the privileges of that
kingdom, only the main scope of the last sermon was
to apply this to the poor in spirit, and to shew what
blessedness those that are poor in spirit have
from this kingdom. The Lord hath chosen the
poor in this world that they might be partakers of
the kingdom of heaven. And therefore it is a great
encouragement to the ministers of the gospel to preach
the kingdom of heaven to congregations that have
many poor ; and I would to God that the poor of
this congregation might be got to hear of the blessings
of the kingdom of heaven. I should have as great
hopes to do good to this place as in any jjlace in the
kingdom, if the poor in this place might be brought
to hear the gospel ; for the very gospel itself is called
the kingdom of heaven, because it doth reveal the
great tilings of the kingdom of the Messias. Therefore,
you that are poor and do come, be encouraged to
come, and do you encourage all your poor neighbours
and friends, and tell them that though they be never
so poor, yet if their spirits be poor and humble
according to their poverty, the kingdom of heaven is
open for them like\Yise; and tell them what you have
lieard of the kingdom of heaven out of the gospel,
what blessed things there are there ; and then there
may be a great deal of hope that God intends to
bring many in this congregation to this his blessed
kingdom.
The preaching of the gospel is compared to the
casting of a net, and it is compared to it under this
title, the kingdom of heaven. We have a great sea
here to cast in, but those people that I would most
gladly cast the net upon, I am afraid seldom do come
within the comjoass of the net — I mean the poorest
and meanest. Oh you that are rich, and are men in
place, take some course to bring in the poor that they
may come into this net, that when we come to cast
the net — that is, the preaching of the gospel — that
that may be as the kingdom of heaven to them.
And you that are young ones, do you hearken after
the things of the kingdom of heaven, and ask ques-
tions about it ; when you come home, ask your
parents and governors what is the meaning of that
of the kingdom of heaven, that poor people may come
to be made kings and priests unto God. And the
rather have we encouragement to speak to young
ones that they should be inquiring, because we find
that as soon as ever the kingdom of heaven began to
be known, young ones were very earnest about it,
and were very much affected with this kingdom of
heaven. Compare those two places of Scripture,
Mark xi. 9, 10 with Mat. xxi. 15, and there you shall
find that the children and young ones were crying
' Hosanna to the Son of David.' ' And when the
chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things
that he did, and the children crying in the temple,
and saying, ' Hosanna to the Son of David, they
were sore displeased.' Compare this now with
Mark xi. 9, 10, ' And they that went before, and
they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna ; Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord : blessed
be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh
in the name of the Lord : Hosanna to the highest.'
They cried Hosanna to the highest, because of
the kingdom of the Messias that was coming. Now
it is said that the chief priests and scribes were
troubled at it. Carnal hearts may be troubled to see
young ones so forward in the way of the kingdom ; but
the Lord stirred up these to be affected with the
kingdom of the Messias, and Chiist doth justify them.
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
37
And Jesus said unto them, ' Have ye never read, Out
of the mouths of babes and suckhngs thou hast per-
fected praise ? ' This is for the honour of Jesus Christ
that young ones shall cry Hosanna, &c. And all that
hath been said about the blessedness of the poor
should teach us to have high esteem of those that are
poor in spirit ; though they are contemned by the
world, yet do not you contemn them. Blessed is he
that considereth of these poor. And in James ii. 5
it is said, ' That God hath chosen the poor in this
vporld to be rich in faith. Hearken, my beloved
brethren,' as a thing of admiration, ' Hath not God
chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs
of the kingdom which he hath promised to them
that love him. But ye have despised the poor.'
Take heed that this charge be not upon you to despise
any of Christ's httle ones. Those that are poor in
spirit, they are liighly esteemed by Jesus Christ,
therefore let them not be slighted by you. There are
many things further about this, but we wiU leave
what further may be said about that that is promised
to the poor, namely, the kingdom of heaven.
We come now to the second beatitude.
'Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
comforted.'
We find that Luke cites it in another way, and divers
copies have it different. You shall find two or three
blessednesses set in a different order there. But for
the thing itself, it is one of the strangest paradoxes in
the world ; ' Blessed are those that mourn.' Of all
affections, the affection of sorrow nature is least be-
holding to ; it doth the least good to nature. Nature
gets something by the affection of love, and the
affection of joy, and the affection of desire, and of
hope, and somewhat by fear ; but sorrow is that that
weakens nature, and yet Christ doth fall upon this ;
saith he, ' Blessed are they that mourn.' It is more
than blessed are they that are sorrowful : so Chrysos-
tom upon this place. He doth not say. Blessed are
those that grieve, but ' Blessed are those that mourn.'
For the word that is here translated mourn, signifies
an exceeding great mourning. The mourning that
there is at the death of friends, when any buries an
intimate friend, a dear child, or a dear kinsman, what
mourning is there in the view of the world ! But,
saith Christ, Blessed are you then ; if you be godly
and my disciples, you are blessed in that mourning,
though your mourning be the greatest mourning in
the world. And it is in the present tense, ' you that
mourn,' noting the continuance of it. Though you
mourn constantly, though you be brought into a
mournful condition, and so do live in it all the days
of your lives, yet blessed are you that mourn. The
world is altogether for jollity and bravery. Oh,
blessed are they that are merry, that can jdiink wine
in bowls, and crown themselves with rosebuds, and
chant to the viol, and invent instruments of music
like David ! They are accounted the blessed men in
the world. But we see the judgment of Christ is
quite contrary, ' Blessed are they that mourn.' They
that mourn ; surely not all they that mourn are
blessed.
First, There is a foolish mourning, in which men
and women are not blessed — that is, they mourn
they know not for what. This is no blessedness, but
folly.
Secondly, A natural mourning ; when there is a
mourning merely because nature is pinched, and some
evil hath befallen it, and you go no further. This
hath not a blessedness in it.
Thirdly, A worldly mourning ; worldly sorrow
causes death ; to mourn for the loss of worldly
things, as the great and the chief loss of all. This ia
not blessed, it causeth death ; and,
Fourthly, An envious mourning ; when men mourn
and are grieved for the good of others. Surely this
is not blessed, but cursed.
And there is, further, a devilish mourning ; when
men and women mourn tliat they cannot have oppor-
tunity to satisfy their lusts.
And lastly. There is a hellish, desperate mourning ;
when men and women mourn in despair. This is
hellish, and not blessed. These mourners are not
blessed.
But who then ? Tliose that mourn — that is, such
as being by the providence of God brought into a
mournful condition, either by way of testimony to
any truth of God, that they are deprived of many
comforts in this world that others have, or by any
afflicting hand of God are brought into a sad condi-
tion, and their hearts are brought under to yield to
God's hand, and to sanctify his name in those his
dealings with them ; these are blessed. For so you
must clear that expression that we have in the verse
before, ' Blessed are the poor ;' not all poor, but the
poor in spirit. So, ' Blessed are they that mourn ' —
that is, they that mourn in spirit likewise ; whose
spirits are brought in subjection to God, to honour
God in that mournful condition in which they are ;
whose condition cannot be so low, but their hearts
are lower than their condition. These are blessed,
but especially these who set the object of their mourn-
ing right ; who mourn for sin as the greatest evil ;
who mourn not only for their own sins, but for the
sins of others, that God is so little honoured in the
world ; yea, who take to heart the afflictions of the
church, mourning not only for their own afflictions,
but for the afflictions of the church. Blessed are these
that mourn.
And then all those that mourn in a gracious way.
You will say. When doth one mourn in a gracious
way and manner ?
R8
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 4.
First, When any evil is upon one the heart doth
freely yield itself up to God, to honour God in such
a condition as God hath put it into ; not to do it by
force, but freely.
And then, secondly. Those whose mourning hath
the exercise of grace, in order to regulate their
mourning ; when the mournings of men and women
are under the command of grace, of faith, of love, and
of hope, not mourning as those without hope ; when
grace can command mourning, and can say to those
waves of sorrow, hitherto shall ye go, and no further.
Thirdly, When in mourning the heart mourns
after God; there is such a comfort that is taken
away from me, either in way of testimony to God's
truth, or in way of providential afflicting of me ; but
the thing that I mourn for, it is not so much be-
cause the comfort is gone, but because I am deprived
of some good that might help me forward towards
God, wherein I might be some way furthered in the
way of God. And so the soul mourns after God, in
the mourning for any affliction that is upon it.
Fourthly, When those that mourn have great care
to do the work of their mourning condition ; that is
a special thing to be considered of in the blessedness
of mourning. One that mourns so as he hath care
to do the work of that mourning condition ; to con-
sider, God hath put me into this mourning condition,
and what is the duty that God requires of me in
this mourning condition in which God hath set me ?
Men and women ordinarily are solicitous about their
afflictions, and their thoughts are altogether poring
upon their afflictions. But now a gracious mourning
causes the soul to be solicitous about the work.
What is the work of this condition that God hath
put me now to ? It is not a sullen mourning, but
a mourning that hath much activeness in it and stir-
ring. The heart is travailing; for so in John xvi., about
the middle, it is comjxared to a woman in travail.
' You shall mourn,' saith Christ ; but there is promise
of comfort : ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye shall
weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice ; and ye
shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned
into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath
sorrow, because her hour is come ; but as soon as she
is delivered of the child, then she remembereth no
more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into
the world : ' hereby intimating that the mourning of
the saints should be like the sorrow of a woman in
travail ; but some good should come of it. And this
is a very useful meditation for us, when at any time
we find our hearts much pressed with sorrow, we
should consider. But what am I travailing about ; I
■ can never have comfort in my mourning, except I
bring forth something in my sorrow. And though
the Lord should keep them mourning thus all days
of their lives, yet they are blessed.
For they shall be comforted ; comfort will come.
Now the ground of the blessedness ariseth, first, from '
the mourning itself; secondly, from the promise.
Surely it is a blessed thing to be such a mourner.
First, Because that the lower our hearts are in our
subjection to God in this mournful condition, the
higher are our respects to God that brings us into
this condition. The Lord brings his people into a
mournful condition. Now the lower their hearts are
in their subjection to God, the higher are their re-
spects that they do shew unto God. There is a
great deal of grace exercised in a gracious mourn-
ing.
Secondly, A mourning condition, when it is ordered
by grace, it is a means of much good in the soul ; it
is that that takes away the rankness in the hearts of
men. There is a rankness in all men's hearts naturally ;
especially if they enjoy contentment to the flesh, their
lusts will grow very rank. As weeds grow very rank
in summer time, now in the winter the frost nips the
weeds and keeps them under ; but if it be a long frost
it kills them. And so doth a mournful condition ; if
it be sanctified, it kills the vermin, it kills our lusts,
and is a special means of mortification in the soul ;
and therefore blessed are they that do mourn, and
carry themselves graciously in a mourning condition.
Thirdly, It is that that delivers from many tempta-
tions. You think tliat jollity and bravery is the
only luippy life, but know there are a great many
more temptations in that life than in a mournful
condition. It is true, there are temptations in a
mournful co]idition : there are temptations to despair,
— but that is grievous to nature, — or to shift for
themselves in some unlawful way. But now the
temptations in a jolly condition : it is very suitable
to a man's nature, and therefore more dangerous ;
and therefore blessed are they that are kept in a
mournful condition, if God gives them hearts to sanc-
tify his name in it.
Fourthly, They are blessed that are in a mournful
condition, because God hath chosen for them that
mourning condition in the most seasonable time.
You know when a man is sick, then bitter things
are more seasonable than sweet. Now we are all
sickly poor creatures, and it is a great mercy of God
in this time of our lives to choose for us a mournful
condition — bitter things rather than sweet and
luscious things. And if God doth subdue thy heart,
so that thou canst be willing to take this, blessed art
thou ; for thou dost now mourn when it is most
seasonable to mourn. A mournful state it is a
seasonable state for men, considering what conditions
we are here in, in this world. Thou wouldst be
choosing of jollity, just like a poor sick man that
would be choosing of sweetmeats ; but blessed art
thou that art willing to be under the choice of God.
]\Iat. V. 4.]
BUKROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
39
FLftUy, And then especially liere in tliis text, be-
cause they shall be comforted ; it is but to make the
comforts sweeter unto thee when they do come. The
Lord is but working of thy soul to his own will, and
working thee to a greater comfort. You loiow that
when a man would build a structure, a stately build-
ing, the stones that he intends principally to build
withal are hacked and hewn, that so they may be
comely and fit for his building; but as for other
stones, they are not regarded as those that are thus
polished which he intends to lay. So it is an argu-
ment that the Lord hath great things for thee, great
comforts for thee ; he is now preparing thee in this
thy mournful condition for great comforts. Thou
shalt be comforted.
For, first. There is a time coming when all tears
shall be wiped from thine eyes. Do but read Eev. vii.,
from the 14th verse to the eud, and there you shall
find what is said to the people of God that are
brought up in a mournful condition in this world.
And as all tears shall be wiped from thine eyes, so
thou shalt have the fruit of all the promises. It is
hard to look over the many promises, Isa. xxxv. 10,
and li. 3, with many others which we must not
stand to read unto you, but these, and as you read
along the book of God you shall find many the like :
and among many other promises that promise of
Christ's coming again, in John xvi. 20, that is made
as the great comfort, when Christ tells them that
thougli they did weep and lament now, yet they
should be comforted. Vfhj, I will come again saith
Christ. They should have the enjoyment of Jesus
Christ, and all the good things that Christ hath pur-
chased by his blood shall be theirs ; sui'ely thou shalt
then be comforted. Jesus Christ pleads, Lord, what-
soever good all my sufferings hath purchased, let this
soul be made partaker of. Surely if thou comest ever
to be made partaker of all that good that Jesus
Christ hath purchased by his blood thou shalt want
no comfort.
And all thy comfort shall be proportionable to thy
sorrow ; as it is said of the whore of Babylon, so much
as her pleasure hath been, so much torment give her.
So, on the contrary, so much sorrow as thou hast had
for my name's sake, so much joy and comfort shalt
thou have, and that in a proportionable way. Christ
hath many mansions in his Father's house. And he
hath comforts in a proportionable way to all thy
sorrow and mourning. It may be if thou hadst a
more comfortable life in this world thou mightst
have less comfort reserved for thee hereafter.
They shall be comforted.
But when, when shall they be comforted ?
When ? Why, they shall be comforted when the
wicked shall be sorrowful In Isa. Ixv. 1 3, where there
is set forth the different condition of the saints, and
the wicked and ungodly, ' Therefore thus saith the
Lord God, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall
be hungry : behold, my servants shall drink, but ye
shall be thirsty : behold, my servants shall rejoice,
but ye shall be ashamed : behold, my servants shall
sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of
heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.' Then
shall you have comfort when the ungodly shall be
ashamed.
And then, secondly, You shaU be comforted ; there
is a time when the Lord will communicate unto you
the choicest of his mercies. Now the Lord com-
municates himself, but in a very small and little way
in comparison to what he doth intend. This time
of a man's life is not the time of comfort. You
know what Abraham said to Dives : Son, remember
that in thy lifetime thou hadst thy good things, thy
joys, thy comforts, and Lazarus had his evil things,
he had sorrow and grief. It is not best, my brethren,
for us to seek to have our comforts and portions in
this lifetime, because this is not the time for God to
communicate the choice of his mercy, but it is a great
deal better that our comforts should be reserved to
that time when God shall open the rich treasury of
his mercy. All the things of this ^vorld are but the
giving a few crumbs. I remember Luther saith
to the whole Turkish empire, ' It is only a crumb of
bread that the great Master of the house doth cast
unto dogs.' They have but their crumbs here ; but
there is a time when God will deal out the choice of
his mercies ; he will open all the treasures of his
grace, and communicate them unto his saints. ' They
shall be comforted.'
And then we shall be comforted when we shall be
more capable of comfort than now we are, and then
to be comforted it is the best. ' Blessed are they that
mourn, they shall be comforted.' And this comfort
that the mourners shall have.
Shall be, first, a pure comfort. We have something
that is s\yeet, but there is a great deal of mixtui'e
with our sweet. There is little sweet that we have
but there is some poison or other ; but this will be a
pure comfort, free from danger, free from the mix-
ture of trouble or danger.
And then they are spiritual comforts. Spiritual — by
that I mean, not only that it shall be a soul comfort
and not a carnal sensual comfort, as the comforts of
most men in the world are ; but that is not that I
mean, especially when I say spiritual comforts, but
by that I mean this : that their comforts shall come
more firstly in their souls, and so they shall have
comfort to their bodies by way of the eradiation, as
I may so say, of the comfort that they shall have to
their souls. The comforts that we now have comes
first to the outward man, and so our hearts are com-
forted by the sympathy with the body ; but now the
40
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 4.
comforts of the saints shall be firstly in their souls,
and come from the soul to the body.
Secondly, Divine comforts they are that they shall
have — that is, all comfort is from God one way or
other, but from God more immediately. Here we
have our comforts at second or third or fourth hand,
but now there shall be comfort that shali be from
God more immediately. And such comforts as are
from the very nature of God himself — that is, such
comfort as God is comforted in, such joy as God
joys in, and God joys with them in it. It may be
thou hast money, and canst go into a tavern, and
drink and play, and thou rejoicest in it ; but doth
God rejoice in this ? Is it any joy to God to have
wine, good cheer, laughing and playing ? But now
the consolations that Christ promises here are the
consolations of the Almighty. None of the saints
that have true comfort even now in this world in
some degree, but if their comfort be holy and gra-
cious, the Lord rejoices in their rejoicing ; there is joy
in heaven, even in tlie heart of God, that joins with
the joy that is in thy heart. And there is no com-
fort should satisfy a heart that hath communion with
God, but such comfort wherein I may have some
evidence that when my heart rejoices I know the
heart of God rejoices in this my joy. Ask this ques-
tion of your souls in the midst of your joy : I have
a great deal of joy, but doth the heart of God re-
joice in this my joy ? Such are the comforts of the
saints.
Thirdly, It is a full comfort, 'Ask and you shall
have, that your joy may be full.' What a low kind
of expression would this be, Blessed is a man that is
sick, for he shall have health : this were a poor kind
of expression, because health is but by taking away
the evil of the sickness. But now Christ when he
saith, ' Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
comforted,' he means they shall have that fulness of
comfort that would be abundantly more good unto
them than all their sorrow could be evil unto them ;
they shall enter into their master's joy, the joy not
enter into them.
Fourthly, And then it shall be a strong comfort,
Ileb. vi. 18; such comfort as shall bear down any
afflictions or oppositions.
Fifthly, An eternal consolation ; so you have it in
2 Thes. ii._ 16 ; in 2 Tim. ii. 11, ' It is a faithful say-
ing : For if we be dead with him, we shall also live
with him.' Mark with what an emphasis the Holy
Ghost speaks when he speaks of the certainty of tlie
comfort of the saints—' It is a faithful saying : For if
we be dead with him, we shall also live with him ; if
we sufl'er, we shall also reign with him.' Mourning,
it is as the seed that shall certainly have a harvest.
In Ps. xcvii. 11, there it is called a seed, ' Those that
sow in tears shall reap in joy ; ' and so iu Ps. cxxvi.
you have the same expression. The mourning of
the saints it is their seed-time, and therefore there
will come a harvest.
And then, further. The Lord doth delight to com-
municate himself unto his saints, and therefore they
must be comforted. God rejoices in that title. The
God of all comfort, and that God that comforts us in
all our tribulations.
They must needs be comforted, because God hath
so engaged himself in his promises.
And because God the Father hath anointed Jesus
Christ to be a comforter to you, as in Isa. Ixi. As
I told you of those that were poor in spirit, Jesus
Christ was designed by God the Father to preach
glad tidings to the poor ; so in the same place we
have Jesus Christ anointed to comfort those that
mourn. As if God should say, I appoint thee, 0 Son,
to this work ; and certainly Christ will be faithful in
his office.
Lastly, They shall be comforted, because the
Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, hath his denomina-
tion from hence — the Comforter, the Holy Ghost,
that is equal with the Father and with the Son ; and
very glorious in his work. Now the work that he
hath to do, it is to comfort the poor mourning saints
of God, to be a comfort unto them. If the Holy
Ghost be equal with the Father and the Son, his
work must be glorious as well as the work of the
Father and the Son. How glorious is the work of
the Father in creating all things by his own word !
How glorious is the work of the Son in the work of
man's redemption ! Now the work of the Holy
Ghost must have some kind of proportionable glory.
It is impossible therefore but that thou must be com-
forted ; so long as there is a Holy Ghost, so long
thou must needs have comfort.
Oh the difference from hence between the comforts
of carnal hearts and the saints ! Thou hast comfort.
How ? By pouring forth drink into thy throat, or
by thy cards or dice, here is thy comfort. What
difference is there between a man's having comfort
by a little beer or wine or play, and a man that hath
comfort by the Holy Ghost, designed by God the
Father and the Son to be the comforter of him to all
eternity ! And thou that dost slight the comforts of
the saints, and rather hast thy carnal heart to choose
unto thee comfort and joy by eating and drinking
and playing, what is the language of thy soul in this,
but thus : 0 Lord, let me rather have comfort from
meat and drink than from any work of the Holy
Ghost. We hear in thy word that the Holy Ghost is
designed by thyself and thy Son to be the comforter
of the saints, but those are the comforts I have no
skill in ; I had rather have meat and drink and satisfy
my lusts, and for the comforts of the Holy Ghost I
will venture them whether I have any part in them ;
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
41
yea, or no. Well, but whatever they do, ye that are
of mournful spirits, and God keeps you under, and
you go on mourning, and through the grace of God
you can deny yourselves those sensual comforts that
others let out their hearts unto, be not discouraged,
but go on and bless thyself in thy God, bless thyself
in this that Christ hath said concerning thee, that
certainly thou shalt be comforted. Thus I have but
run through the very heads of those things that
may give a little light to the opening of these words.
But that which I had thought to have settled on
all should have been the application of it, for to have
spoken to the people of God, and to be some help to
their comfort that Jesus Christ would have com-
forted ; for if Jesus Christ hath said that they shall
be comfoi'ted, it doth concern all men to comfort
them, and especially the ministers of Christ. I
shall only speak a word or two for the present
to that which concerns us all from what hath been
delivered.
First, You may see that there is a great deal of
excellency in religion and godliness. Why, it is that
that will make the mournfullest condition in the
world to be comfortable. Suppose a man or woman
had lost all that ever they had, if they be godly, re-
ligion will shew how they shall be blessed in this con-
dition, for they are blessed before their comfort comes,
so that those that are godly, their saddest condition
cannot hinder their blessedness. When others in the
world shall wring their hands for their losses, and be
very sad, thou mayest be satisfied in this : I have not
lost my happiness. Thou mayest say, I have lost my
estate, and lost all outward comforts wherein I took
so much delight ; yet thou canst not say that thou
hast lost thy blessedness. Thy blessedness is not in
any creature comfort, but it is in thy God. Be not
shy, therefore, and afraid of godly sorrow because it
brings trouble and affliction unto thee. Be not de-
luded with this temptation — for it is a temptation of
Satan, whereby many souls are kept in bondage, and
kept off from the ways of God — that therefore when
once they come into the ways of God, they think
they shall never have a merry day after it ; but yet
we see that there is comfort, abundance of comfort
pronounced by Christ himself even unto that duty
which seems to be the most contrary to mirth.
' Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be com-
forted.' If the enemies should prevail against you,
and you were under their power, yet, being godly,
that doth not take away your blessedness. If your
bodies be sick and in grievous pains, yet still you
may be blessed, being godly. If you have lost your
friends, yet blessed still. Be not shy, therefore, and
afraid of godliness, because it perhaps brings some
trouble to you, and sorrow to you. Many men and
women they are afraid to be godly. Why ? Be-
cause they fear it will take away their joy. But be
not gulled with this temptation. It is true, religion
may bring some other sorrows than thou hadst be-
fore ; it may be thou mayest suffer more in the cause
of God than before, and thou comest to be more
afflicted for thy sin than before. It is true, religion
may bring some outward sorrows and afflictions more,
but there is abundantly more comforts than sorrows ;
therefore be not afraid to be one of Christ's mourners,
for Christ hath engaged himself unto thee, that thou
shalt be comforted. As we read concerning Egypt,
as there were more venomous creatures there than in
other countries, so there was in no country more anti-
dotes to cure them than in theirs. So, though reli-
gion may bring sorrow and trouble, yet there is no-
thing brings more cure and more help.
42
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 4.
SERMON VII.
THE FOLLY OF MEN EEBUKED WHO AKE ALL FOR MIRTH.
' Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall he comforted' — Mat. v. 4.
2.* Here is rebuked the vanity and the folly of
the spirita of most men and women among us who
are altogether for mirth and jollity. They are, as it
were, a fish out of the water if they are not in worldly
joy and mirth, who place their happiness in this.
How contrary is thy judgment unto Jesus Christ !
Christ saith here, ' Blessed are those that mourn.'
Why so ? ' For they shall be comforted.' Thou
sayest, Blessed are those that are merry, that have
abundance of the creature ; but the Spirit of God saith
in Eccles. vii. 2, ' It is better to go to the house of
mourning, than to the house of laughter.' Now
which of these two shall be believed ? Shall thy Ijase,
carnal heart be believed who placest all thy happiness
in joviality ; or the wisdom of God, who saith, ' It is
better to go to the house of mourning, than to the
house of laughter ' ? If man had said this, you would
have thought him a fool for his pains. Which of you
would have made such a choice had it been put to
you — Whether you would take delight in the
abundance of the creature, company, and the hke ?
Whether you would take content in that or in the
house of mourning ? Now the Holy Ghost he decides
the case : he saith, ' The house of mourning is better
than the house of laughter,' for the heart is made
better by sadness. There is much good comes unto
the soul out of the house of mourning which doth
not come from the house of laughter. The lieart for
the most part is made worse by laughter, but often
better by sorrow. What if this dreadful woe should
prove to be thy portion pronounced by Christ himself ?
Luke vi. 25, ' Woe unto you that laugh now ! for ye
shall mourn and weep.' The time of your sorrow is
to come. When you see men live bravely and
merrily in the world, and do no service for Jesus
Christ, are not useful in their places, you may thus
say of them, Alas ! here are men that now rejoice,
but they shall mourn and weep ; their time of
mourning is a-hastening. How much better were
it to mourn now, than to have an eternity to mourn
in ! If thou givest thyself to pleasure, and to let
thy heart run out after vanity now in thy youth,
* Continued from preceding sermon. — Ed.
then all thy sorrow it shall come together and sink
thee to despair. Thou in thy youth, and in the
strength of thy days, lettest out thy strength to
vanity, and know that thy sorrow is but a heaping
np, to come upon thee all at once, and to sink thee
into everlasting despair. How canst thou think but
that God shonld loolv upon thee with indignation, who
art so full of sin and wickedness as thou art ? Can it
be well with thee in the end, when there are so many
precious saints in the world that would not for a
world sin against God knowingly ; who make it their
great care and their study how to honour God in
their generation ? ' And if at any time they are over- .
come through weakness, they go mourning all the day
long.' And are such as these kept down ? Have
they their time now to mourn and weep, and
dost thou rejoice ? Dost thou take pleasure, and
give up thy heart to take its full satisfaction in
the creature? Know thou must mourn sadly. The
mirth that these men have, it is from ignorance ;
the mirth thou hast, it is because thou art ignorant
of thy condition, because thou art in darkness.
Thou art in darkness ; and woe to that mirth that
hath no other foundation but ignorance ! Nay, these
men they must take the advantage of conscience
when that is asleep and benumbed ; it were impos-
sible for such as these are to be so merry and
frolic, did they not take the advantage of their con-
sciences when they are deaded and benumbed; for
were conscience awake it would fly in their faces,
and would say, Thou art a-doing that thou hast no
right unto. Now cursed be that comfort that can-
not stand with a sound conscience, and that joy of
yours which cannot stand with the thoughts of
death and judgment — that mirth cannot be good.
Oh that you would consider of this ! when at any
time you have serious thoughts of God, of death and
eternity, this damps your joy, when you are in the
full career of your pleasures, yet if conscience then
hint into you the thoughts of an eternal condition,
you have secret qualms come over you. Now thou
hast cause, whosoever thou art, to suspect that joy
and mirth to be sinful that cannot stand with the
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
43
thoughts of God and eternity ; therefore take heed
lest thou be in the number with him who took his
pleasure, and satisfied his soul to the full in the
creature, and when he came to die had nothing to
satisfy himself withal ; oh have a care, lest that be
thy portion ! Son, remember that in thy lifetime
thou hadst thy good things, but now thou art
gone ; so God may say to thee, who art such a one
as makest thy heaven to be here. Thou hadst thy
pleasures, thou hadst thy comforts in the world, and
there is all that thou art like to have, but now thou
art tormented.
The main thing here in this text that I am to in-
sist upon is the third use, which is for comfort and
consolation, that I may come up fully to the mind of
Christ in this thing, and to do as he did, who made
it his work here to comfort those that mourn ; and
that shall be my work now for the rest of the time.
Blessed are ye of the Lord that do thus truly mourn !
And here I shall speak,
First, Comfort to those that do truly mourn.
Secondly, Answer an objection that may be made.
Thirdly, Give some directions how mourners
should carry themselves in their mourning estate,
that they may be comforted.
It is an excellent thing to comfort mourners ; and
in Job xxxiii. he is made there to be one of a thousand
that can speak a word in season to the heavy laden.
This is part of the office of Jesus Christ and of the
Spirit of Christ, and it is the glory of men. Now
certainly that must needs be a gi-eat work, and full of
glory, that is part of the office of Jesus Christ and
the Spirit — for the Spirit he is a comforter as well as a
convincer, John xvi. 7 — and it is the glory of men.
Many men rejoice in bringing others into sorrow; this
is a cursed thing to bring any into sorrow, and by so
much the more wicked it is, by how much harder it
is to comfort those that do mourn. To rejoice in
the exercises of the saints' graces in sorrow is no
cursed thing ; we may rejoice in the exercise of a
saint's grace in humiliation ; but to bring them into
sorrow and mourning, and then to rejoice in it, this
is a cursed thing. Perides being upon his death-bed,
his friends came about him, and began to speak of
his virtues, and of the great authority he had borne,
and accounting the number of his victories he had
won : he hearing of them, said, That all tliis while
they had forgotten to speak of the best and most
noble thing that was in him, which was, that no
Athenian had ever worn a black gown through his
occasion.'" This he accounted his glory; and we
should take heed of bi'inging men into a mourning
condition, that we may be able to say there is not
any that were ever made sad or heavy by anything
that I did to them.
* Plut. vita Perides.
AVe should be humbled for it if we have done it ;
and it should be that which we should confess to
God, desiring him to pardon it. God glories to com-
fort men, and not to grieve them that mourn ; and if
God will not grieve them, certainly we should not.
They cannot so much wrong us, whereby we should
be incensed against them to grieve them, as we daily
wrong God ; but yet God saith, Lam. iii. 33, ' He doth
not delight to grieve the children of men.' Now that
I may come more close to speak to you that are
spiritual mourners, take your comfort in these parti-
culars :
First, If thy mourning be gracious, thy very tears
and sorrows is a great deal better than the wine of
the men of the world ; thy tears are more sweet and
pleasing to God than the mirth of wicked men can
be to them. It is better to be in thy condition than
in other men's ; thy tears are precious unto God, if
they come from a principle of godly sorrow ; there is
nothing more precious unto him, next unto the blood
of Jesus Christ, if they come from a right principle
of godly sorrow.
Secondly, Consider this for thy comfort, it may be,
if thou hadst not been a-mourning thou wouldst have
been a-sinning, thou wouldst have been a-doing that
whereby thou wouldst have darkened the glory of
God. Now which is the best of these ? — judge you.
The curse of all thy afflictions is now taken away ;
that which is the bitterness of sorrow it is taken
away from thee by Jesus Christ, and thy mourning
is rather upon mistake than otherwise. "Thou hast a
right to comfort, though thou dost not see it, and
thou mournest because thou dost not apprehend thy
right to it ; for what is there, or what can there be,
to discourage thee or to keep thee off from comfort,
seeing the curse of every aflliction and the evil of sin
is done away ?
Thirdly, Consider that all thy sorrows are mea-
sured out by God, who is thy Father ; thou dost not
lie at the dispose of wicked men to mourn how much
they will, or when they will, but thou art at the dis-
pose of God, who is thy Father. Now do you think
that you who are parents, if it were in your power to
dehver your children from anything that did tend to
hurt them, would you not do it if it were for your
children's good ? Now you are at God's dispose, and
you shall not sorrow nor weep one tear more than
your Father sees is for your good. God he takes
notice of all thy sorrows, he bottles up all thy tears,
and himself is afflicted in all thy afflictions : Isa. Ixiii.
9, ' In all their afflictions he was afflicted.' God is
sensible of all our miseries though other men should
not mind them : as it is too, too often seen when any
of the saints are under the clouds, that they are in
an afflicted condition, though they were in favour be-
fore, they are frowned upon then. But now God he
44
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 4.
doth not do so ; thou canst not be so sensible, but
God is more — God is more sensible of thy sufferings
and takes care of thee.
Fourthly, Consider for thy comfort that Christ was
a man of sorrows, and in thy sorrowing thou art but
conformable unto him ; and why shouldst thou think
that to be a burden wherein thou art made like to
Jesus Christ ? Nay, Christ's sorrows were to sanctity
thine, therefore did Christ sorrow that thy sorrows
might be sanctified. Now if God order Christ, who
was the Son of his dearest love, to be a man of sor-
rows, thy condition is not so sad as thou takest it to
be, seeing Christ was so, and thou art conformable
unto him in this. Now why should we think much
to be like unto Christ ? Did God not think it too
much to make Christ to be a man of sorrows for
thee, and wilt thou think it much to be a man of
sorrows that thou mayest be conformable unto him ?
Fifthly, Let this be for thy comfort, to consider
thou hast an interest in him tliat is the God of all
consolation ; the darkness of thy condition it cannot
hinder thine interest in God. Thou hast comfort in
the promise now as certain and as sure as if thou
hadst it in real possession ; and thou shalt have it
most certainly hereafter, and the time is coming that
thou shalt have full consolation, and God will reckon
with the wicked for all their mirth. He will both
reckon with them for causing them to be sad, and
they must give an account for all their merry hours.
Their mirth will be a bitter portion unto them, when
God shall come to charge the guilt of all upon their
spirits. Oh what a difference will there then be between
thee and them at that day ! when thou for a few days
hast mourned and shalt be comforted in the end, and
they for a few days have rejoiced, and in the end
shall have an eternity of sorrow.
Sixthly, But it may be poor souls may here say,
It is true, here is great comfort, here are precious con-
solations indeed, but my afflictions are great ; they
are greater than others. Were I so and so afflicted I
could bear them ; had I the burden that such a one
bears I could be contented, and submit under it.
Now for thy comfort here, know that perhaps this
comes from the distemper of thy spirit, rather than
from the burden of the affliction ; the distemper of
thy spirit may be great, and that causes the burden
to be heavy. The affliction is not so great, but thy
heart is not willing to yield to the affliction ; were
thy heart willing to submit to the hand of God the
affliction would be easy.
And then thou hast many mercies mingled with
thy afflictions ; there is none of you can say that
your afflictions are pure, but they are mingled. God
might have brought upon thee pure afflictions, pure
miseries upon you, and you might have been deprived
of all the very glimpses of mercies; but in your
saddest hours you have some cordials — more mercy
than affliction. I am confident that there is none
here in this assembly whose afflictions are the great-
est, but his mercies are greater.
And then consider that God suffers more by thy
sins, than thou canst suffer from God's hand in thy
afflictions. The darkening of his glory in the least
degree is a greater evil than any affliction that thou
canst endure ; and this should support thy spirit, to
consider that God suffers more ; and therefore thou
shouldst not be unwilling to suffer something, seeing
God suffers more than thou canst.
Seventhly, If thou wouldst be comforted, consider
this : the way that God takes to comfort his saints,
though thou hast it not in sense, thou mayest have it
in faith ; and therefore exercise faith, and fetch it in
that way. Set faith on work in the promise, and let
that bring out the comfort of the promise. Sense is
not the way by which God comforts his people, and
if we look for comfort in a sensual way we mistake
ourselves ; therefore let us labour to fetch in comfort
from the exercise of faith. And indeed we should
more prize those comforts that come from the exer-
cise of our graces than from any sensible apprehen-
sions. When thou canst not see comfort in the
creature, know it is God that thou hast to deal
withal, and that is thy comfort. God hath not
placed the creature to be the object of thy comfort,
but himself; and therefore when thou seekest that
in the creature, when he hath appointed himself to
be thy comfort, thou dost undervalue God, and goest
the wrong way to find comfort. In Isa. li., ' I, even
I, am he that comforteth thee : who art thou, that
thou shouldst be afraid of a man ? ' Consider that
God saith to thee after this manner, I am he that
comforteth thee. Ai't thou disquieted ? Look upon
God thus saying to thee. Why art thou cast down, 0
poor soul? Is there not more comfort in my word,
in my power, than in anything which thou makest
the object of thy disquiet ? In Isa. Ivii., ' I create
the fruit of the lips, peace,' &c. Thou canst not see
which way thou shouldst be comforted, and therefore
because thou canst not thou thinkest it is impossible;
but when thou canst not see comfort thou shouldst
consider that God can create comfort for thee; thou
shouldst look upon God as a creator of comfort, and
not lie down in discouragement. God will rather go
about his first work again of creation than that thou
who art a true mourner shalt want comfort ; he will
fall a-creating comfort for thee. And this should
strengthen your faith, and stay up your souls in the
saddest times of darkness. Why, there is nothing too
hard for God ; as he made all things of nothing, by
the bare word of his power, at the first, dost thou
think that he is not able to create comfort for thee
now ? If God go to work do not fear thy comfort.
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
45
Eighthty and lastly, Suppose thy condition Avere
such as there was never any in the 'world in the like
case, yet thou mayest be comforted notwithstanding.
I suppose there is not any here in this congregation
that are in that trouble of spirit or body, but that
there hath some of the saints been in the same, if
not worse. But grant that there were never any
that ever were in the conchtion that thou art in, yet
there is comfort for thee from this scripture : in Isa.
Ixiv. 4, ' Since the beginning of the world men have
not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the
eye seen, 0 God, besides thee, what he hath prepared
for him that waiteth for him.' Hast thou but a
heart to wait upon God in thy mourning condition,
God hath mercy and comfort for thee that none
knows of. Oh, this should be an encouragement for
thee to wait upon God. What though we know not
the comfort ; God doth. And thus I have endea-
voured to open this box of consolation under this
head, which is the first particular in this use.
The second is to answer a question that may here
be propounded. But you will sa_y, the promise here
saith, ' They shall be comforted ; ' but I fear this
don't belong to me. I have mourned a long time, and
yet cannot be comforted ; I have been in sadness of
spirit, and I cannot find the promise made good to
me ; how should I support myself in this case ?
First of all, Hast thou mourned ? Perhaps thou
hast sinned more than sorrowed. Examine there-
fore thy heart well ; hath not thy sins been more
than thy sorrows ? Therefore be not di.scouraged.
And what is this sorrow to eternal sorrow ? what is
this inch of sorrow and mourning to an eternity of
misery ? But thou art delivered from the hazard of
miscarrying to all eternity, and therefore this con-
sideration should sweeten all thy sorrows ; though
thy condition be sad, yet thou art delivered from
eternal perishing.
Secondly, Consider, that faith makes comforts
future as present to thee ; and it is the glory of faith,
and that wherein the excellency of it doth consist, to
make a mercy in a promise that seems a great way
off to be present. As Abraham by faith saw the day
of Christ afar off, so faith will represent a mercy to the
soul in the promise that seems to be at a great dis-
tance as present. As despair- makes hell and the wrath
to come present unto the wicked who have enlightened
consciences, who have the sense of their sin set home
upon their consciences, it makes the wrath to come
as present that they cry out many times they are in
hell while they are upon the earth ; so faith it makes
a mercy to be certain though not in possession.
Hast thou no comfort, no glimpse of love in thy holy
converse with God ? Look into thy spirit and see
whether thou hast no bunches of Canaan's grapes in
thy soul ; this is a sign thou shalt have more if thou
hast any. If thou hast but a spark of divine love,
gather from thence thou shalt have more; but if thou
canst not discern any gUmpse of God, yet we have
the word and ordinances now. Why have we these,
but that we may support our spirits with them ?
This was that which David did support his heart
withal, in Ps. cxix. 49, 50, ' I had fainted in mine
affliction, had not thy word comforted me.' The
word of God is sufficient to support the soul in the
darkest of times of sorrow, and when thou findest
the least comfort in thy soul in sense, then fly to the
word and fetch it out by faith.
Thirdly, Consider, though it be long before comfort
come, yet this is no strange thing that thou art kept
without comfort for a while. The most precious saints
that ever God had have been kept a long time with-
out comfort ; though they have done Gad much ser-
vice, and have been very faithful with him, yet they
have walked in darkness for all this, and their hearts
have been at a distance from God in point of com-
fort, as we may see in Heman : Ps. Ixxxviii. 7, 14, 15.
See how he speaks there, ' Thy wrath lietli hard
upon me, I am pressed down even unto hell, and
thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves ; the terrors
of the Almighty they stick fast upon my spirits ;
Lord, why castest thou off my soul, why hidest thou
thy face from me? Shall I never be remembered
any more ? I am afflicted and ready to die from my
youth up ; while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.'
He was even a man of sorrows ; here is the con-
dition of a godly and wise man : so David in Ps.
cxix. 81, 82, 'My soul fainteth for thy salvation;
mine eyes fail for thy word, saying. When wilt thou
comfort me ? ' When I read thy word I read that
which may comfort me ; but I cannot be comforted. I
read those scriptures that have comforted others, but,
alas ! I cannot find any comfort for me ; they speak
no peace to me. Lord, when wilt thou comfort me ?
So that this is no strange thing ; thou hast com-
panions in this thy sorrow, in this heavy affliction of
thine, do not say God never did the like to any.
No ; there are records in Scripture you see of other-
guess men than you are who have been in the clouds.
Fourthly, Consider, all this while though comfort
play, yet thy sorrow is a working comfort for thee ;
thine afflictions are but working greater consolations,
and when comfort comes thou wilt see cause to bless
God that comfort came no sooner. Thou wilt not
have any cause to repine, but to bless God that com-
fort was so long delayed ; thou wilt say then, I had
been undone had I been delivered sooner. It was the
speech of Mr Bates in prison, I bless God I am not
in my own or in my enemies' hands in point of
sorrow or affliction ; for were I in mine own hands,
I should come out of trouble too soon, were I in
mine enemies' hands, they would keep me too long ;
46
BURROTTGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 4.
but I am in the hand of God, who knows when it is
best for to deliver me. So tlion wait on God pa-
tiently ; though comfort may stay, yet when it doth
come, thou shalt see that it was worth the waiting
for. What though it be till death, what thongh thou
hast not comfort till the last hour, yet eternity will
make amends for thy staying.
Fifthly and lastly. Consider, that this is the time of
mourning, and we know things are seasonable and
best in their time. This is a Christian's seed-time.
In the world we must have trouble, and through
many tribulations we must enter into heaven. We
know the husbandman ; he is contented to endure
storms and hardships in seed-time, with this consid-
eration— the harvest is a-coming. So, though thou
now sowest in tears, there is a time of reaping in
But here is that which troubles me, saith many a
soul : I would be contented to wait till God come,
were I assured that this promise did belong to me
— this were that would stay up my heart indeed. I
would be contented to do God service to the utter-
most of my power, and to endure any affliction, and
account myself happy, if he would employ me in any
thing. Were I but assured of this, that the promise
were mine, then it would support me. But I fear
that this promise belongs to others, and that I have
nothing to do with it.
For answer to this : we should labour to get our
mourning into a gracious frame, and tlien we may be
sure we shall have comfort ; which brings me into tlie
third thing which I propounded to you concerning
the rules.
The third thing propounded in this use is this :
how we may so order our mourning that it may com-
fort us. How may I so order my sorrow that I may
comfort myself with this — tliat the promise belongs
to me, and that our consciences may tell us we are
blessed from this word of'promise ? Though others
see us sad and heavy, yet how may we so carry our-
selves that they may say, these are blessed, though in
a sad condition ? Now for this I would entreat you
to take notice of these rules.
First of all, (which I desire you would principally
mind,) In your mourning be sure that you keep good
thoughts of God. Whatsoever your troubles be, let
them not raise tumults and hard thoughts of God.
Let not the devil prevail so far over you as to cause
your hearts to rise against God. This hath been the
great care of the saints, to keep down their hearts
from this distemper. In Ps. xliii. 5, see how David
there chides his own heart, and rebukes it ; he gives
it a secret check and a curb. ' Why art thou cast
down ? ' My soul, thou wouldst be a-rising against
God now, but come down. Why art thou cast down ?
I will go unto God, my exceeduig joy. It is a good
thing when we have any reasonings in our hearts
about the sadness of our states to lay this conclusion
in the bottom. 'Yet God is good to Israel;' yet
God is good, though I am under misery and sorrow ;
yet God is good to the saints — those that are in a sad
condition. Those that are in a sad condition love to
be musing and meditating on their sorrows and afflic-
tions in their thoughts. But when thou doest thus,
be sure j'ou lay this foundation first before ever you
think of your sorrows. ' Yet the Lord is good ; '
whatsoever becomes of me, the Lord is good, and his
counsels are sure and steadfast. David was much
cast down in his spirit in Ps. Ixxiii. 1, yet see how
he lays this for a conclusion : ' Y''et God is good to
Israel.' So say thou thus : Yet the Lord is good to
my soul; whatsoever sense saitli, and whatsoever temp-
tations say, or Satan would make me believe, ' yat God
is good to Israel,' yet God is good to my soul. So in
Jer. xii. 1, 'Eighteous art thou, 0 Lord, when I plead
with thee, yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments.'
Mark how he lays this before he would go to reason
the case. He justifies God. ' Thou art righteous, 0
Lord, yet let mc reason with thee.' So when thoughts
arise in our hearts about our sad conditions — when we
ponder and muse upon them in our hearts, yet let
us be sure to say, ' Thou art righteous, 0 Lord,' and
then we may consider of our afflictions, and weigh
them in the balance when this principle is laid at
the bottom. vSo that good man in Ps. Ixxxix. 38-52
— there we have a sad story, yet he begins with the
mercy of God, and exalts the mercy of God in the
first place. And having raised faith to the very
heavens in the exaltation of God, then he expatiates
himself in his sorrows and in the sorrows of the
church. When the heart is stablished in God's love,
in the covenant, and in the mercy of God, then we
may expatiate our sorrows ; but before ever thou let-
test out thy heart into sorrow, be sure thou viewest
the love of God in the first place. And in the close
of the psalm, after that sad story there reckoned up,
he concludes, ' Blessed be God for evermore,' and he
puts two asseverations to it, ' Amen, and amen.' As
if so be he would have it taken notice of, God is
good in the beginning ; and though there be a bitter
piece in the middle, yet he concludes, ' Blessed be
the Lord,' and would have it taken notice of by this
asseveration, ' Amen, and amen.' So let us reason
thus : My condition is very sad, and I know not
almost what to think of myself, but God forbid that
I should think hard thoughts of God. No ; I will say,
' yet the Lord is righteous.' Perhaps you have seen
the saints suffer hard things for God and his cause,
and your spirits begin to rise perhaps, and you begin
to question the faithfulness of God, and the love of
God towards his people. Oh, God forbid that this
should be in any of you ! Eemember these/ scrip-
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
47
tares, and let it be the conclusion of your hearts in
the saddest state you can be in, ' Blessed be the
Lord for ever, Amen, and amen.'
Secondly, Be sure to take notice of all the mercy
thou hast from God in the afflictions thou art in.
Let not any affliction drown the mei'cy thou hast.
It is very sad many times to see how one or two
afflictions hinders the sight of many mercies that the
saints do enjoy. A little thing will hinder the sight
of the eye ; a penny laid upon the eye will keep it
from beholding the sun or the element above ; so a
httle affliction, it darkens and hinders the soul from
seeing a multitude of mercies ; every little trouble
darkens God's mercies. We should take heed of
this ; be sure to bring in our mercies with our afflic-
tions ; whenever we reckon up our sorrows, number
our mercies with them. In Ps. ciii. 2, David was
there flying for his life, and yet we see what a won-
derful sweet frame his spirit was in, how full of
praises was he : ' Praise the Lord, 0 my soul, and
forget not all his benefits.' Praising of God in a
sad condition is sweet melody in the ears of the most
High.
Thirdly, Take heed of a sullen, dogged disposition,
eitber towards God or man in thy sorrows. It is
very usual for men in a troubled condition, when
they are in sorrow, to add frowardness to mourning ;
but we should labour to take heed of this as a great
evil. Labour for a quiet and meek spirit. Men when
they are pleased then they are merry and cheerful,
and of a very good disposition ; but when they are in
affliction, when they are in pain or sorrow, then they
are rugged and dogged, so that no man knows how
to speak to them almost, they are so froward and
touchy. This is a very ill disposition, and God doth
not allow of it in troulale of sin.
Fourthly, Take heed of determining against a com-
fortable condition in sorrow, that it will never come.
Say not that comfort will never come, because thou
bast it not for the present. And therefore when
comfort doth come, many are so untoward that they
will not receive it, because they will make their de-
termination good. God saith to such a soul, ' Peace
be to thee ; ' but saith the soul. This is too good
news to be true, I will not receive it because I will
make my determination good. As Rachel, who re-
fused to be comforted, so many in their trouble of
spirit refuse comfort from the word — this is unkind
deaUng with God. In Job xv. 11, ' Seemeth the
consolations of the Almighty a small thing to thee ? '
know that the Lord expects that thou shouldst
thankfully fall down and accept of a crumb of mercy
that he tenders to thee. Look upon thy unworthi-
ness, that thou art unworthy that God should speak
a word of comfort to thee ; but if the Lord shall come
in with his consolations of free grace, welcome them.
Bless God thou mayest have mercy upon any terms.
As the woman of Canaan said, ' The dogs have
crumbs,' so say thou, I am but a dog, yet. Lord, let
me have a dog's portion. I will thankfully accept of
it at thy hands. Oh be thankful for the least
mercy, and it is the ready way to have more, and
the Lord in his time will give out more mercy to
thee.
48
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 4.
SERMON VII I.
OR,
HOW MOURNERS SHOULD ORDER THEIR MOURNING.
' Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall he comforted.' — Mat. v. 4.
6.* When tliou art in a mourning condition thyself,
take heed of envying at otliers that are not in sucli a
sad condition as thou art in. Though thou wantest
many comforts tliat thou dost desire, yet bless God
that others have them. That heart is in a very good
temper, and a good way of preparation for comfort
that can heartily bless God for the comforts that
others have. But this is usual when the heart is
distempered with sorrow, if so be that they are in an
under condition and affliction, they are ready to envy
at others that are more prosperous ; but take heed
of such a distemper, for it will keep thee under sor-
row more, and make it more bitter to thee.
Lastly, According to thy mourning condition, let
there be much praying. Be sure to add much prayer
to much sorrow. Never give way to thy heart to much
sorrow that cannot stand with much prayer ; for
let thy state be what it will, thou wilt say thou art
brought into such a state as thou canst not but
mourn. I will grant it ; but know this is an ever-
lasting rule to be observed in such as will mourn in
a Christian way — there must be a proportion of prayer
to their sorrow. If there be but little prayer, let
there be but little sorrow ; if much sorrow much
prayer. I find in Scripture that mourning and
prayer are joined much together. ' If any man -be
afflicted, let him pray,' saith the apostle James ; and
in that of Hosea xii., about the third or fourth verse,
the text saith concerning Jacob, that ' he wept and
made supplication.' Weeping and supplication are
joined together, and afflicted and praying are joined
together ; and so you read in Judges ii. that the
people of God did so mourn and weep that the very
place had its denomination from their weeping. ' It
was called Bochim, and they sacrificed there unto
the Lord ; ' but that is added to it, and they sacri-
ficed there unto the Lord. For one to be in such a
mourning estate as makes them unfit for sacrifice,
makes them unfit for prayer — certainly that mourn-
ing it is not a godly sorrow. Thou hast gone beyond
the mourning of true gracious sorrow if so be that
* Continued from previous sermon. — Ed.
it doth hinder thee from prayer. That thou canst
not pour forth thy soul with that freedom before
God as at other times, take heed of any such mourn-
ing. There is a notable scripture in Ezra ix., where
you shall find that holy man Ezra in much aflliction,
with much sorrow and trouble, so that he sat astonied,
ver. 4 ; but in ver. 5, ' At the evening sacrifice I
arose up from my heaviness.' At the evening sac-
rifice, when the time came for him to ofl'er sacrifice,
then he did arise from his heaviness, his mourning
did not hinder him in duty. When thy heart is so
straitened in thy mourning, pretend what thou
wilt for thy mourning, thy unworthiness, or sinful-
ness, or anything else, yet if it straitens thy heart
in prayer it is no godly sorrow. Add much prayer
to much mourning ; when any comes unto you, you
are always complaining of your afflictions, and you
mourn more than your neighbours ; but do you pray
more than your neighbours do? do you pray asrpucli
as you do complain ? is there a proportion between
your praying and complaining ? — certainly if there be
not a proportion between praying and complaining,
hold your peace, complain no further, but pray more.
Many other rules might be given, but we leave them
and proceed unto that which yet raises the text in a
more spiritual sense.
' Blessed are those that mourn.'
I have spoken now hitherto about those that have
been in a mourning condition, and behaved them-
selves graciously in that mourning conchtion, and
have shewn how they were blessed, and how they
shall be comforted ; but now that that is yet more
spiritual in the text is.
That if those that are in any mourning condition
behaving themselves graciously are blessed, and shall
be comforted, then certainly those that mourn for sin,
that make that to be the object of their mourning,
their own sins, and the sins of others, and the afflic-
tions of the church, those that make these to be the
objects of their mourning, they are blessed indeed,
and they shall be comforted.
In speaking of these I do not intend to launch out
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
49
into that argument or commonplace of godly sorrow,
to handle it at large, but I shall only open to you
something about spiritual mourners that mourn for
their sins and the sins of others. Therefore I shall
first shew you what true mourning for sin is ; when
a man or woman may be said to mourn for sin in a
gracious manner.
Secondly, Wherein they may be accounted to be
blessed.
Thirdly, What are comforts that belong to such
mourners for sin ? For the first, then, the true
mourning for sin is in this manner :
Firstly, When a soul mourns for sin because it is
against God. In Ps. li. 4, ' Against thee, thee only,
have I sinned,' saith David. David had sinned
against Uriah and his kingdom, and against his own
soul ; but, above all, he had sinned against God, and
this went nearest to his heart, that it was against
thee, and he repeats it again, ' Thee, thee only, have
I sinned.' As if he should say, 0 Lord, as for any
evil fruits that may come of my sin, I stand not so
much upon that, but this goes most to my heart, that
I have sinned against such a blessed God as thou
art. I have gone cross to that blessed will of thine
in that which I have done. This is godly sorrow ;
not so much to mourn because that sin is against
thyself, as because it is against the blessed God whom
thy soul doth love.
Secondly, The right mourning for sin, it is to
mourn for sin as the greatest evil. ' Oh wretched
man that I am ! who shall deliver me from this body
of death ?' Eom. vii. 24. You never find Paul cry-
ing out of himself, ' 0 wretched man that I am !
that I suffer so much affliction in the world ; that I
am so despised ; that I have such losses in the world ;
or have not ways of outward subsistence.' He never
cries out for his suffering, but for his sin. ' 0
wretched man that I am 1 who shall deliver me ? '
His greatest sorrow it was for sin.
Thirdly, Yet bo as approving of the law that forbids
that sin : I find my heart afflicted for my sin, and in
the midst of the affliction of my spirit for sin, I
approve the law of God to be holy, to be just and
good, though I be wretched and vile, Rom. vii. 12 ;
where Paul had a great conflict in his own spirit,
much troubled for the corruption that was in him,
and yet then did he approve the law to be holy and
righteous. Many men are afflicted for sin, and their
spirits are against the holiness of the law that forbids
the sin. They could wish that there were no such
law. Indeed, they cannot but be troubled for their
sin. But in the meantime they could wish that
there were no such law that did forbid their sin, or
did reveal any threatenings of God against their sin.
But a gracious mourning heart that mourns for sin
is apprehensive and sensible of all the evil that comes
by sin, and that through the law ; and, saith the soul,
' I would not but that there were such a law ! I
bless God that ever I knew the law ; and I approve
of the law, not only to be a righteous law, but to be
a good law ! ' and that is the third thing in true
mourning for sin.
The fourth thing is this. That it carries the heart
to Jesus Christ. If so be that you are troubled for sin,
and mourn, and think thereby to satisfy God by your
mourning, this mourning it is but carnal and natural.
Many men and women, when they are troubled for
their sin, they think God will be satisfied ; no, all the
mourning that possibly can be, if thou shouldst mourn
thine heart out, and be mourning thousands of years
for thy sin, it could never satisfy the justice of God ;
all thy mourning will come to nothing except it drives
thee to Jesus Christ for satisfaction unto God's justice.
The mounnng for sin that drives the soul to Christ,
that is the blessed mourning ; but when any man or
woman satisfies themselves in their mourning, and
thinks that because they mourn for sin God will
accept of them without having their hearts carried
unto Christ, this mourning will vanish and come to
nothing.
Fiftlily, It must be such a mourning as whereby
the heart comes to be set against sin, not mourn for
sin and live in sin, not mourn for sin and yet con-
tinue in the practice of it, but true gracious mourning
for sin makes an everlasting separation between that
league that there was in the soul and sin before.
Every man and woman naturally hath a league
between sin and their souls, but when God comes to
afflict the soul for sin that it mourns in a gracious way,
the soul is made so sensible of the evil of sin, as that
it breaks the league between sin and the soul for
ever. If God hath made sin to be thus bitter to me,
then for ever adieu ; through the grace of God, though
I may be overcome through weakness, yet I will re-
nounce it ; it sets the soul for ever against it.
Sixthly, The true gracious mourning for sin ; it is
a free work in the soul ; the soul is active — that is, it
is not forced upon the soul whether it will or no, but
such a soul as doth in a gracious way mourn for sin,
it doth -willingly and Ircely apply unto itself those
scriptures that may make sin to be burdensome to
it ; it doth not turn away from those scriptures and
those truths, but if so be it hear of any truths, or read
any scripture that may make sin to be heavy to it, it
applies those freely and willingly ; it is glad that it
comes to hear any truth of God that shall discover
the evil of its own sin unto it ; so it is a free mourning.
Such as mourn desperately, they are forced to it
whether they will or no, but when the heart can ajiply
itself to the word freely, and can bless God that God
did ever open the eyes of it to understand the evil
of sin, and that ever the Lord did apply those truths
60
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 4.
to it that hath made sin to be burdensome, here is a
gracious mourning. Many men are troubled for sin in
spite of their hearts, and they wriggle and Iveep a stir,
and do what they can to get the truths of God out of
their hearts, and therefore they go into carnal com-
pany, r.r.d fall a-playing or drinking, that so thereby
they may get truths out of their hearts ; but now a
gracious man or woman, when any truth comes into
its heart that troubles it for the sin it hath been
guilty of, it goes alone and blesseth God for this
truth. Blessed be the time that the Lord hath dis-
covered the evil of sin to my soul, and the Lord sent
home these truths upon my soul more and more ; he
accounts it to be a great mercy, that is the sixth.
Then seventhly and lastly, A gracious mourner
for sin can be satisfied with nothing else but in the
removing of the guilt and uncleanness of sin. Another
that mourns for sin, but in a natural way, or forced
way, if so be that God would Ijut give unto him any
peace, or take away the anguish that is in his con-
science, take away the fears that are upon him, that
will satisfy him ; but now a gracious mourner for sin
is such a one as can be satisfied with nothing else but
the blood of Christ cleansing it from the guilt of sin,
and the spirit of sin, and the spirit of Jesus Christ
coming in to sanctify the soul, and this is that that
will comfort the heart only ; and thus briefly I have
shewn you, what a gracious mourning is. If I would
handle this point at large, these seven things might
very well have taken up our time, but I only give
you a hint of them. Now, then, such as mourn thus
for sin are blessed ; for,
First, By this they do much honour God. The
sovereignty of God is honoured, and the holiness of
God is honoured, and the justice of God is honoured.
Whenas a poor creature that hath offended the
sovereign, holy, and righteous God comes to be afflicted
for that sin that it hath committed, God looks upon
himself as honoured ; whenas a sinner goes on in a
proud, stubborn, stiff way in his sin, he goes in away
of defiance against the great God, and doth deny the
honour that is due to the great God ; but now when
the word of God comes and beats down this sinner,
and afflicts it for the sin it hath committed, and it lies
down flat before the Lord, mourning and lamenting
that ever it hath sinned against the Lord, here the
name of the great, holy, and just God is advanced, and
blessed are they that shall advance the name of God
thus ; thou shouldst have advanced the name of God
by thine obedience, but thou hast not done so, but
hast dishonoured it by thy disobedience ; now if thy
heart be wiUing to advance it by thy mourning, there
is a blessedness.
Secondly, It is a blessed thing to mourn for sin,
because it is an evangelical grace. It is that that is
promised in the gospel, when Christ saith, ' I will
send the Comforter.' What shall the Comforter do ?
The first work that the Comforter shall do, it shall
be to convince the world of sin. You will say, here
is a comforter indeed. What! to come and comfort
us by convincing us of sin ! It is the way of tlie
Comforter, and therefore it is a blessed thing. There
is nothing more evangelical than faith and repent-
ance ; mourning for sin in this way that I have
spoken it is no legal thing, it is not a work of the
law — the law takes no notice of mourning for sin —
but it is a work of the Spirit of God, of the comfort-
ing Spirit, to convince the world of sin. And there-
fore, by the w'ay, whenas you come to hear such
preaching of the word as gets into your bosoms and
convinces you of sin, be not vexed and troubled at it,
for now comes the Holy Ghost that is the Comforter.
It is the first work of the Holy Ghost, that is the .
Comforter of those souls that shall be saved, to con-
vince the world of their sin ; and therefore embrace
it, and bless God for it. Now comes the Holy Ghost,
and comes to make way for comfort unto my soul.
In Zech. xii. 10, 'I will pour out the spirit of grace
and supplication;' — and what then? — 'and tliey
shall look upon him Avhom they have pierced,' — with
their sins, — 'and mourn and lament as one that
laments for his only son.' It is a fruit of the spirit
of grace and supplication that was promised to be
poured forth in the times of the gospel. The first
sermon that we hear of Christ preaching, it is, 'Ee-
pent ; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ; ' and he
appoints his disciples to preach in that manner :
' Kepent ; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Preaching mourning for sin is an evangelical preach-
ing—a fruit of the spirit of grace that is promised in
the times of the gospel. And where there is a con-
gregation upon whom the Lord pours this spirit of
grace, to look up to Christ whom they have pierced
by sin, and to mourn over him, such a congregation
is blessed, for the fruit of the gospel is mightily upon
them.
Thirdly, Surely they are in a blessed condition,
for it appears that they come now to have a right
judgment. Theii' judgment is enlightened to under-
stand what is truly good and truly evil, and to have
a right temper of spirit. Before, they went on in
blindness, they knew not God, nor themselves, nor
those things that concerned their eternal good ; but
now tliey come to understand wherein good and evil
doth consist. Before, their hearts were hardened, so
that whatsoever was spoken to them did not take
with their hearts ; but now their hearts are in a
gracious softness, and so in a right temper, and
therefore they are blessed.
Fourthly, in the fourth place. This mourning for
sin, it helps against all other mourning, it lielpa
against other sorrows. Certainly while we are here
Mat. V. i.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
51
in this world there ■will be many sorrows ; we mnst
sorrow for something. Now the sorrowing for sin
will help against other sorrows ; those that are
affected with the evil of their sins will not be much
affected with any other evil, it will eat out the evil of
other sorrows.
Fifthly, further, It is a means to prevent eternal
sorrows. Certainly God will have every soul to
know what sin means at one time or other. There
is no sinner upon the face of the earth but at some
time or other must come to understand what sin
means. You must have sorrow for sin, that is a
certain rule ; as it is determined in heaven that all
men must once die, so it is determined in heaven
that all men must once sorrow. If they must repent
they must needs sorrow ; now how much better is it
to sorrow for sin while it may be pardoned, than to
sorrow for sin when there can be no help, if so be
that thou shalt pass thy days away in mirth and
jollity here, and never come to feel the weight of sin
upon thy spirit, thou art reserved to have eternal
sorrows to be thy portion, and to have the load of
thy sin to lie upon thee to all eternity. ' But blessed
are they that mourn now,' that feel what the burden
of their sin means ; for by feeling the burden of it
now, they feel it in such a time wherein they may
have hope of being delivered from that evil of sin to
all eternity, and therefore certainly they are blessed.
Surely blessed they are, for how many thousands of
creatures, of men and women, that have lived securely,
and have gone on all their lives in the hardness of
their hearts, and never have been made sensible of
their sin, yet upon their sick and death-beds, then
they have cried out of their sin, and the Lord hath
withch'awn himself from them. Now, 1 would appeal
to such an one. Would you have thought it a blessed
thing if you had had the weight of sin upon your
souls before, in the time of your health and strength ?
You shall hear them upon their sick and death-beds
cry, Oh happy had it been for me that I had known
the evil of sin before ! How happy had it been for
me that those times that I spent in jollity, in mirth,
in taverns, with such and such company, had I but
spent those times in mourning for my sin ; had I been
but alone, and only God and my soul together, and
there lamenting for my sin, how happy had it been for
me. I should now have had comfort and peace, now
I am laid upon my sick-bed ; but I was led by sense,
and by the flesh, and so sought to satisfy the lusts of
the flesh ; and I must live merrily and bravely here
for a while ; and now the weight of sin comes upon
me. Now I feel it a load. The Lord be merciful to
me ! Now comes into my mind all the sins of my
merry meetings ; all my oaths and Sabbath-break-
ings ; all my drunkenness and whoring ; all my
lying ; all my neglect of God and his worship. It
had been better for me that I had been a mourner
before. Therefore, ' Blessed are they that mourn.'
Sixthly, and then lastly. It is that that fits for the
grace of God. There is none that taste the sweetness
of the gi-ace of God in Christ more than those that
are mourners for sin. Now one drop of mercy, how
sweet is it ; now it is worth more than ten thousand
thousand worlds ! Any one drop of tlie blood of
Jesus Christ now applied to the soul, how sweet is it.
Well, blessed is that disposition that shall make that
blood of Christ to be sweet ! We preach Jesus Christ
and the glorious mysteries of grace and salvation to
you from time to time ; and how lightly are those
precious truths regarded by many thousands. You
can come and hear them and go away, and your
hearts not at all taken with them. But now were
you among those mourners you would prize the
crumbs that fall from the table. A few of those
truths that are disregarded now would be highly
esteemed then, and more worth than thousand of
thousands of worlds unto you. And therefore
' Blessed are those that mourn,' for they are in a
disposition to set a high price upon Jesus Christ,
upon the great work that Jesus Christ hath done in
the world, and upon the great work of God the Father ;
that is the chief work of his, and the great design
that he hath had from all eternity to magnify himself
in. Blessed are they that are in such a disposition
to prize the glory of God in Jesus Christ.
Seventhly, There is one more, and that is. They
are blessed ; why '? because there are many promises
that are made to those that mourn — this is one, and
this is a comprehensive promise. I might mention you
abundance of others, and we might spend all the
remainder of the time in the very naming of the pro-
mises that are made in Scripture to those that mourn.
Let but the mourners read Ps. xxxiv. 18, and Isa.
Ivii. 15, and it will be enough to speak comfort to
those that mourn. They are in a blessed condition !
why blessed ? ' Because they shall be comforted ' —
that is,
First, They shall be discharged of all those sins for
which they mourn ; yea, thou art dischjirged, and
thou shalt one day come to know that thou art dis-
charged of all those sins. Those sins that thy heart
mourns for shall never be charged upon thy soul :
thou art blessed in this thing, be assured of it. It
may be yet the Holy Ghost hath not come upon thee
to seal this to thy soul, but thou art one that the
Holy Ghost will come upon, and will make it clear and
sure to thy soul. Thy pardon is sealed in heaven
already ; and it shall be sealed in thy own conscience.
Though there be a man which is a malefactor and
condemned to die, yet if I know that his pardon is
sealed, I can look upon him as a blessed man. So,
though thou thyself dost not yet understand this thy
52
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 4.
blessedness, yet those who do understand tlie word
of God, and understand the mind of God as it is
revealed in the word, such know that thou art a
blessed man, and thou shalt know it one day.
Secondly, Further, not only thou shalt be assured
of thy discharge ; but, in the second place, this
mourning of thine for thy sin will cause God to pity
thee in any mourning for thy affliction, and the
Lord will sweeten the afflictions of such unto them.
The reason why our afflictions are so bitter unto us,
it is because sin is not bitter enough ; but those that
take their sin as a burden, they feel that the Lord
will pity them in all their afflictions.
Third!}', They shall be comforted in this, that thy
very mourning for sin shall be blessed unto thee to
help thee against that very sin that thou mournest
for. That is certain — either a man's sin will make an
end of his mourning, or a man's mourning will make
an end of his sin, one of the two. If so be a man
goes on in sin, he will leave off mourning, but if he
doth not leave off mourning, he will leave off sinning ;
for certainly mourning for sin hath a special efficacy
in it, it helps against the sin that thou dost mourn
for. This bitter aloes that now thou hast is a special
means for the helping against those craAvling worms
that are in thy soul.
Fourthly, But afiove all, thou art blessed that
mournest for sin, for thou shalt be one day wholly
delivered from thy sin, when thou shalt never sin
more against God ; and will not that be a blessed
time, will not that comfort thee ? certainly, there is
such a time. Now to open these particulars with
scriptures, and to enlarge them, would ask a great
deal of time, which I am not willing to do here, but
shall go on in the opening of this sermon of Christ.
Use. Now then by way of application for this.
Hence, in the first place, the use might be very
large, what shall become of those that rejoice in sin ?
those that can be merry in sin ? those that can sin
and laugh in their sin ? those that are frolic in their
wickedness, that make their sin to be their May-
game, and the chiefest delight that they have in the
world ? There are many men that have no greater
delight here in this world than the satisfying them-
selves in their sinful ways and in their lusts. Oh,
di-eadful, dreadful condition that thou art in, and
dreadful is the wickedness of thy soul ! hast thou
nothing else to make the joy of thy soul, but only
that that strikes at the blessed God himself, only
that that caused Jesus Christ to be heavy to the
death, and to sweat dodders of blood, and to cry
out, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me ? ' Is there nothing else to make thee merry ?
Here is a black brand of a man that is reserved to
eternal sorrow's, that shall in this world make his
chief joy to be in sinning against the blessed and
eternal God in the satisfying of his lusts, those lusts
of thine jthat thou findest so much pleasure in now,
they will be bitter one day : remember this in all thy
jollity; and if thou dost go on in a way of jollity
through thy sin, remember what is said against thee
this day, let it come into thy mind upon thy sick-
bed and death-bed, thy sin will be a burden. Cer-
tainly this is a truth ; every man must know and
feel sin to be a burden or^e day. I remember it was
a speech once that I have heard of a very jovial man,
that ((being in company, and his very life lay in
joviality, drinking and playing; and iiaving some
enlightenings in his conscience, on a sudden, in the
midst 'of his company, he claps his hand on his
breast, and saith, ' Well, one day I must know what
a wounded conscience means.' And I fear many
many have cause to say so. Well, one day this
breast of mine must know what a wounded con-
science means. Oh, take heed of rejoicing in sin !
Surely if Jesus Christ doth pronounce him blessed
that mourns for sin, then that man, that woman, is
cursed that can rejoice in sin.
And then surely mourning for sin is not melancholy ;
for one to mourn and be troubled for their sin is
not to grow heavy and melancholy. It is the work
of the Spirit of God that lays that weight of sin now
upon the soul, because the Lord intends that this
soul shall be blessed to all eternity. And do not
think it a foolish thing for people to be troubled for
their sin. I will give you but two instances : first,
against melancholy ; and then, against folly. For
melancholy : Who do we read had more sorrow for
sin than David had ? Read his penitential psalms,
Ps. xxxviii., li., and vi. What a grievous burden he
found sin I and how he mourned for it ! And yet
the text saith concerning David, ' That he was of
a ruddy complexion, and of an active spirit.' And
then, for folly. There is Ps. Ixxxviii. I do do not
find'any psalm wherein we may see an example of a
godly man more under sorrow and affliction than
the penman of that psalm was — namely, Heman.
Read but 1 Kings iv. 31, and you shall find that the
Holy Ghost doth set out Heman as one of the wisest
men upon earth ; and yet in Ps. Ixxxviii., which this
Heman did pen, we find him a man under as much
sorrow and aiBiction as any, and especially for sin :
therefore it is not folly but blessedness ; it is a work
of the Spirit of Christ. But the main thing is that
that I have to speak to such as are mourners. And,
First, To tell them what their comforts are, that
are in Scripture, which we find in the word of God.
And then, secondly, To give unto them some di-
rections and rules how to seek for the applying of
those comforts to their own souls.
And then, thirdly. To shew whether our comforts
that we have are right comforts or no. But for the
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
53
first, not letting such mourners go away without
some portion ; —
Is there any here whose hearts are down and low
before God in a mourning condition ? certainly
there is comfort for thy soul, there is comfort many
ways.
First, Know for thy comfort thou hast to deal with
a God of infinite grace and mercy, thou lookest upon
God as a God full of wrath and justice ; but thou
hast to deal with a God of infinite mercy, that de-
lights in mercy, with a God whose mercy is his chief
glory, and the greatest design that ever God had was
to magnify his free grace, and therefore thou mayest
be upheld in thy mourning for thy sin. If a child
have a loving and merciful father and mother, and
the child should get alone in a room and fall a wring-
ing of its hands, mourning and lamenting, Oh that I
could do more to please my father and mother, oh
that I could do more to give them content, oh that
I should do anything that should be a grief to my
father and mother — this is that that goes to my heart.
Suppose thou shouldest look through a key-hole
and see thy child thus mourning and lamenting,
and wringing of its hands for this, that there should
be any grief to your hearts ; and you should know
that they did it in truth ; that it were not a mere
hypocritical thing, but in the very truth of the heart
of the child there was this sorrow and mourning, would
you, that have but any compassions in you — would
you not have your hearts yearn towards this child ?
Now from whence is it that you have any yearning
in your hearts towards it ? Is it not from a drop of
that compassion that the Lord, who is an infinite
ocean of mercy, hath let out unto you? Take all
the compassions of all the parents that ever were in
the world, and they are unto God but as a drop to the
infinite ocean ; and therefore the Lord looks upon
the bewaihng of thy sin, and that thou canst do no
more to please him, but dost that which is a grief to
him, he looks upon thee in thy mourning, and he
holds his bottle, and every tear in thy mourning thus
for sin drops into the bottle of God.
Secondly, Know thou hast to deal with God in a
covenant of grace, Hadst thou to deal with God, as
he is Creator now, and thou a creature, in the way of
the covenant of works, thou wert undone, and all
thy mourning would be to little purpose ; if thou
shouldst howl out all thy days for thy sin, God
would never regard it. Thou mightest mourn to
eternity, and yet be tormented to eternity, but thou
hast to deal with God in the way of the covenant of
grace that he hath made with poor sinners in Jesus
Christ, and their mourning for sin is accepted. If
thou goest into the presence of God with the guilt of
thy sin upon thee, considering how holy and righteous
the Lord is, little comfort there can be to thee; but now
when thou goest to God in the mediation of his Son,
and in the way of the covenant of grace, didst thou but
understand what the covenant of grace means, that
the Lord now hath set apart some people, not to
deal with them as in themselves, but hath sent his
Son to come and make satisfaction, and all the ways
of God towards them shall be through his Son, and
all their ways towards God shall be accepted through
his Son ; this would be a great help and comfort to
them. Upon the fall of Adam our condition was such
as God might have for ever rejected us, so as not to
have had any regard to any mourning for sin ; but it
is through the purchase of the blood of Christ that
mourning for sin is regarded by God. Thou hast not
to deal with God as thou art in thyself, but as
through his Son, who hath tendered up to the Father
his sorrows for thy soul.
Thirdly, Know that Jesus Christ hath made a
sufficient atonement for sin ; that is, the Lord Jesus
Christ hath made up all the wrongs that ever sin
hath done to God. The Lord hath not suffered
more prejudice by thy sin than he hath had honour
through^the sufferings of Christ for sin ; thy sin hath
been very vile, and hath wronged God exceeding
much, but the Lord Jesus hath satisfied for all that
wrong. Now when there is such a way of atone-
ment, that when I go to God for the pardon of my
sin, and for help against it, that I know that God
shall never have any wrong through my sin, but
what is made up through the blood of his Son ; if I
had to deal with God in himself only, then I might
think that the Lord would one day or other be
avenged on mo though he doth forbear me for the
present ; but now when I come to understand what
the atonement doth mean that Jesus Christ hath
made, what the price is that Jesus Christ hath paid,
I now come to see a way wherein all the wrong
that ever my sm hath done to God to be made
up — now this cannot but raise up the heart very
much.
54
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 4
SERMON IX.
OR,
THE COMFORTS OF MOURNERS FOR SIN.
'Blessed are they that mourn: for thitj shall be comforted.' — Mat. v. 4.
To proceed ; fourthly, Know it is the very way of God
in bringing sinners to eternal life, to bring them in a
way of mourning for sin. The bringing from the
captivity of Babylon was as a type of God's bringing
sinners from the captivity of sin ; ' With supplica-
tions and weeping will I lead them,' saith God. It is
the way that God uses to bring sinners to himself,
the way to Jerusalem which signifies the vision of
peace, it is Bethany the house of sorrows; Christ went
that way when he went to Jerusalem ; and certainly
the way that God hath brought all his servants in all
ages to true comfort it hath been by sorrow ; the way
to the valley of Beracho, of blessing, is by the way
of Bacah, the valley of tears. In these wanton
times there are some that think they have gotten a
new way to comfort ; much good may do them with
their new way for comfort. Some think that there is
a speedier way to comfort than that which Christ
hath set here in the word ; he professed that those
are the blessed ones that are the mourners. They
shall have comfort, and if thou thinkest that that is
but a legal thing, even that that Christ preached in
this sermon of his, if thou thinkest him a legal
preacher for preaching that the way of comfort is by
mourning, thou mayest enjoy thy thoughts ; and if thou
durst venture that comfort which thou hast otherways,
go on with thy boldness ; but Christ he propounds
this way, and saith. Those that are mourners, they are
they that I take care to comfort, Christ is anointed
to preach glad tidings to the mourners.
Fifthly, Know this for thy comfort, that it is the
work of the Spirit, that is sent into the world to be
the Comforter, to convince of sin, John xvi. 8. You
find that Christ promising the Comforter to come,
what shall the Comforter do ? The first thing that the
Comforter shall do shall be to convince of sin, to
convince souls of their sinful estate, what their state
is out of Jesus Christ, what their wretched estate is,
the Spirit, even the comforting Spirit, shall convince,
saith the text. Now one would rather have thought,
according to the ways of men, that it had rather been
the spirit of the law, a legal spirit to convince of sin ;
but it is the Spirit that is the comforting Spirit that
doth convince of sin, and therefore if so be thou hast
not this conviction of sin, whatever thou mayest
speak of the comforts of^ the Holy Ghost, certainly
there is a mistake in thee, for the Holy Ghost when
he comes to comfort, he comes that way into the
heart, first, to convince of sin ; therefore thou who
hast thy spirit convinced of sin, of that unbelief that
is in thy heart, and convinced powerfully so as to be
affected, for that is the convincing of the Holy Ghost
to set home things so as to affect the heart with it,
let this be a comfort to thee. 0 Lord I through thy
mercy, I am not only in the way that thou leadest on
those that thou hast a purpose to save, but I have a
work of the Comforter ; I hope he is come to my soul,
he hath convinced me of my sin, and I find my heart
affected for my sin in sorrow in another way than
formerly I have done.
Sixthly, Another way of comfort to the mourners
for sin is this, that the Lord prizeth this thy mourn-
ing. Thou thinkest thou canst do but little for God,
thou hast a wretched sinful soul, and thou art weak
and unable to do much, but canst thou mourn ; know
that mourning, being such mourning as hath been
opened, it is a sacrifice unto God as acceptable as any
sacrifice thou canst tender up unto him, so in Ps. U.,
' The sacrifices of God are a broken heart : a broken
and a contrite spirit, 0 God, thou wilt not despise.'
They are instead of all sacrifices, therefore when thou
hast no sacrifice to tender up to God, yet hast thou
not a broken spirit for thy sin ? God highly esteems
of that, yea, let me tell thee this, there is nothing
that God esteems more than the tears of a broken
heart, than that that comes from a broken spirit ; and
that is a blessing, for godly sorrow comes from faith
as well as from sense of sin'; — I say nothing next to
the blood of Jesus Christ, that is in higher esteem by
God than this, and therefore thou mayest have com-
fort for the present.
Seventhly, Know that however the difference of
sin is a great matter in our eyes, and it should be so,
we should labour to look upon our sin in the great-
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
55
ness of it, witli all its aggravations, yet when it comes
into the hand of Jesus Christ to satisfy for, great
and small sins make no such difference with him in
the work of his mediation. If you spill water in a
house out of a pail it makes a great show, but there
is no great difference seen if you pour it into the
Thames ; so though in our consciences the difference
of sin is much, yet when it comes to the infinite sea
of the mediation and satisfaction of Jesus Christ,
and the grace that is there, the ditference is not so
much. Oh that only such as are mourners for sin
might hear this, except that the hearing of it might
be a means to break the hearts of others 1
Eighthly, Further, know this for thy comfort, that
so long as receiving comfort from the word makes
thee sensible of thine unworthiness, that sense of
thine unworthiness should not hinder thee from
taking comfort. This is a certain rule, when the
taking comfort makes me more sensible of mine un-
worthiness, then the sense of mine unworthiness
should not hinder me from taking comfort. For
this is the great matter that troubles those that are
mourners — they are afraid that they should presume
in taking comfort; but take this rule, If the taking
comfort makes thee more sensible of thine unworthi-
ness, that sense of thine unworthiness should not
hinder thee from taking hold of comfort. And that
might be the first rule of direction, as well as a rule
of encouragement, to those that mourn for sin.
But yet further, There are divers rules to help
those that are mourners how to order their spirits in
seeking comfort.
And the first rule is. Labour for a quiet, patient
heart, for sorrow is tedious to flesh and blood ; but
now the sorrow that is for sin hath a mixture of the
grace of God with it. And therefore if mourning
for sin comes to make the heart to be impatient, to
fret and vex, it is not right. But mourning for sin
it hath a sweetness in it, and therefore it should make
thee patient under God's hand, waiting for the time
when God will speak comfort to thy soul. Lord,
here I lie, and am sensible of so great an evil that is
upon me, that I know all the creatures in heaven and
earth cannot comfort me in this condition wherein I
am ; and therefore I am waiting for the good day,
for the time of love, when thou shalt speak peace to
my soul. And here I resolve to be waiting upon
thee in the use of all means as I am able, till my
last breath, whatever becomes of me. Let that be a
rule for direction how to order thy heart when thou
art in a mourning condition.
And then a second rule is this. Do not only lie por-
ing upon the dungeon that thou art in, as it were ; but
while thou art mourning for sin, though yet thou
hast not assurance that thy sins be forgiven thee, yet
look up to the promise. It may be thou thinkest it
doth not belong to thee, but let thine eye be upon it.
Look up to the brazen serpent if sin hath stung thee,
as those that were stung in the wilderness looked up
to the brazen serpent : present the covenant of grace
to thy soul. As the presenting of the law hath a
power to terrify the heart, so the presenting of the
gospel it hath a power to draw the heart to it. There
is a quickening in the grace of the gospel when it is
beheld. It is not as a mere object for the eye or un-
derstanding, but there is a virtue in it. It comes
into the heart, to work upon the heart ; many that
are mourners they sufter their hearts to sink down,
only to consider of the blackness of their souls, but
look not up to the graciousness of the promise. We
have a most excellent scripture for that in Ps. Ixxxvi.
4, 6, ' Eejoice the soul of thy servant,' saith David.
It seems David was in a mournful state ; now mark
what he saith, ' Eejoice the soul of thy servant : for
unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul ; ' that is the
way for joy. Thou prayest unto the Lord, Oh that
thou wouldst rejoice my soul ; and yet thou lettest
thy soul fall grovelling upon the ground. ' But re-
joice the soul of thy servant : for, 0 Lord, to thee do
I lift up my soul.' This scriptur&is of exceeding use
to mourners, for there is nothing that mourners for
sin are more faulty in than when they desire joy to
their hearts, yet they sufter their hearts to lie grovel-
ling below ; they do not stir up themselves, and strive
to lift up their souls. ' For unto thee do I lift up
my soul,' saith David. And in verse 5, ' For thou.
Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous
in mercy to all them that call upon thee.' The Lord
is ready, if thou canst but lift up thy soul and be
ready. Therefore take heed that the anguish and
trouble of thy soul doth not hinder thee from looking
upon the promise, from listening unto the promise
that is made unto thee. We find in Exod. vi. 9,
that when Moses spake to the children of Israel, the
text saith, ' They hearken not to Moses.' W''hy,
what did Moses come for ? He came to bring a mes-
sage to them for their comfort, but they hearkened
not to him. Why, ' For anguish of spirit, and for
cruel bondage.' The anguish of their spirits and the
cruel bondage was such as made them not to hearken
to Moses. Take heed that this be not thy condition,
thou that art a mourner for sin, that when the time
shall come that I should ajjply the promise unto
thee, that for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage
thou dost not hearken to what I said to thee. It is
not good for a man that is going over a narrow bridge,
and under which there is a gTeat stream and a deep
river, for him, especially being weak in his head, to
be looking upon the river and considering of the
depth of it, and what a gulf it is that he should be
swallowed up unto if he should fall ; this very look-
ing were enough to make him fall. But let him
56
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 4
look right on to the shore, and go as carefully as
he can, and when he is got upon the shore, then
he may look back safely, and bless God for his de-
Uverance. So it should he with the heart that is
afflicted for sin. Thou art mourning, and lookest
iipon it as a dreadful gulf that thou art ready to be
swallowed up of; thou art poring upon that now
that may endanger thee to be swallowed up of it.
But the truth is, when thou art upon this brink,
(for the work of repentance it is a kind of brink,)
thou art to look on to the promise, to the grace of
God in the gospel that is tendered unto thee ; and
when thou art got upon shore, and art enabled to
apply the promise of grace, then thou mayest look
back to that dreadful gulf which thou wast ready to
be swallowed up of, and then bless God for it.
And then a third rule in seeking after comfort is
this, Be not more solicitous about getting comfort to
thyself than about the glory of God ; even when
thou art mourning for sin, labour to get thy heart to
this frame, to be as sohcitous and careful about the
glory of God as about comfort to thyself. We find
this by experience, that many which are afflicted
much for their sin they are altogether for comfort.
Oh that one would s^jeak comfort to them ; and no
word is acceptable unto them except it bring comfort,
and that immediately, to them. But now, in the
meantime, they are little sensible of the dishonour
that God hath had, .or how God should have honour.
Whereas the heart that is rightly wrought upon,
when it apprehends the evil of sin, it is as well taken
up thus : Oh the dishonour that my sin hath brought
to God, and how can that dishonour be made up !
Oh, if I should Uve any further to the dishonour of
this blessed God, what should become of me ! how
much better had it been I had never been born, than
to live to the dishonour of that God that now I see to
be so blessed in himself, and so infinitely worthy of all
honour from his creatures. Ay, this is good, when the
honour of God takes up thy heart, and thou art
solicitous about that; and because thou canst not
make up that breach, therefore thou listenest after
that that thou hearest of in the gospel of Christ. And
yet thou art further careful of this, that whatsoever
rule may be propounded to make against thy sin, or
to further thee in any way of obedience to God, thy
heart doth as greedily embrace those rules as those
rules that make more immediately for thy comfort.
I would express myself in this similitude, that you
may more fully understand what I mean : Many who
have weak stomachs, and their nature almost spent,
they would fain have some spirits to refresh them,
and they are altogether for hot waters; they find
themselves cold, and want strength, and they think
to take such cordials, and to take hot waters, because
they have more spirits and heat in them, and are
more suitable to their condition ; whereas the truth
is, hot waters do but burn them up and spoil them,
and makes them still weaker and weaker, and doth
but consume that natural heat that they have.
Whereas a wise physician when he comes and asks
them what such a one took ; why, every day he drunk
such hot waters. Why, saith he, he hath spoiled him-
self ; he should rather have purged out the ill-humours
in the body, then take broth and other things ; and
though they be not so hot, yet by degrees they will
strengthen nature, and then begin to nourish, and so
there will be good blood, and from good blood there
will be good spirits raised, and they are the best
spirits. When one drinks hot waters they may be in
a flame and heat for a while; ay, but that will not hold.
But if one can come to have heat from good blood,
that will hold, and so the man lives and comes to be
strong. Thus it is for all the world in Christians ;
there are some that are very sensible of their sin, and
they would have all comfort — they would have that
which is altogether spirits preached to them, nothing
else but the very name of Christ, and free grace to
them ; well, it may be that may heat thee a little
while, but the truth is, this heat vanisheth and
comes to nothing. Whereas the other, if he be a wise
physician for the soul, he will apply that word that
may purge out the evil from their hearts ; that word
that carries the life of sanctification, and walking
v/ith God in the ways of holiness, that should put
them upon those things. Together with the free grace
of the gospel, he will present Christ as a king to
rule in the heart, as well as a priest to offer sacrifice;
and this will breed good blood. Therefore be solicitous
about the glory of God — how thou shouldst live to his
praise^ as how thou shouldst come to get comfort to
thyself; for otherwise the greedy seeking of comfort
to thyself may come to be thy undoing.
Fourthly, And then further thou must seek for
comfort in order unto grace, rather than grace in
order unto comfort. You shall have those that vanish
and come to nothing in their seeking for grace ; they
only seek for grace that .they may have comfort, and
have no loye to grace any otherways but because it
may bring them comfort and ease to their consciences.
But now a godly soul it rather seeks for comfort for
the furtherance of grace, than grace for the further-
ance of comfort. Why, why wouldst thou have com-
fort ? Why, by that means I hope my heart will be
more enlarged for God ; and the more peace I give
to my soul, the greater furtherance will this be to the
grace that is in my soul, and therefore would I have
comfort. But a hypocrite he would have grace because
he can have, no comfort without it ; but the other
would have comfort because else grace would not so
much thrive in him.
Fifthly, And then the last rule that I would give
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
57
to mourners is this — If thou canst not be able to
exercise a faith of assurance, try what tliou canst do
to exercise a faith of adherence ; and that thou mayest
do at any time, that every one hath hberty to do.
You will say it is only believers can do this ; but thou
dost not know whether there be some seed of faith
that is begotten in thy heart already, yea or no ; and
therefore let thy contUtion be the saddest that pos-
sibly can be conceived. Thou sayest that thou hast
been such and such a wretched sinner ; well, we will
grant it. Yet I say this very instant, when thou lookest
upon thyself as such a vile sinner, there is nothing to
the contrary but that there may be a putting forth of
the faith of adherence — that is, the casting of thy
soul upon the free grace and the full grace of God in
Christ, and cleaving to it. You will say, But I may
presume ; have I any right to it ? I say this. There
is never any soul had any other right to the promise
of grace but by casting itself upon it ; that gave it
right. Now it may be thou hast not the faith of
assurance — that is, to conclude thus : Well, Christ is
mine, and because I know he is so, therefore I will
trust and believe in him. But thou mayest do thus :
I see the promise that is tendered to \Yretched, sinful
creatures, and therefore, though I do not know that
he is mine, yet I will venture luy soul and eternal
estate upon it ; I will lie here and roll ray soul upon
this free grace of God in Christ for pardon, and like-
wise for sanctification and salvation, and for all good.
This is the way of getting comfort, I say, to endea-
vour what you may to put forth an act of the faith
of adherence in cleaving, though thou canst not put
forth an act of assurance. Thus I have endeavoured
to speak to those that are. mourners to comfort them;
for Christ saith, ' They shall have comfort.' If I
could but now bring the promise that Christ hath
made here to any one soul, though it may fall out so
that some may be hardened and abuse what is said,
yet it will be enough, and Christ will accept of it.
If the comfort promised may be brought by this ser-
mon home to any one soul, Christ saith, ' Thou shalt
be comforted;' but how shall this be effected but by
the word, and therefore thou dost well to come and
attend upon the word. It may be thou hast come
oftentimes to hear the word. Ay, but it hath not com-
forted thy soul ; there hath not been a union between
the word and thy soul, and so thou hast gone away
comfortless. Well, yet come again ; do not say that
it is in vain for me to attend the word, for I have
heard, I am sure, as precious truths deHvered as ever
can be heard by any, and I liave not found them to
comfort me. Well, though they have not at that
time, there hath not been a close between thy heart
and those truths ; yet still come again and again, and
at length there will be a close between the word and
thy soul ; and that may be darted into thy soul by
the Spirit of God in one sentence that thou hadst
not before in all thy life. Oh, sailh one, I find my
heart troubled for sin, and mourning for sin ; I would
have comfort, and God knows I read the word, and
there I find precious and excellent truths ; ay, but they
do not get to my heart. Well, I come to hear the
word, and I find that I get nothing thereby ; ay, but I
will come again, and wait at the pool to see when the
angel will come and stir in my heart. Well, now
though it come not yet, yet at length thou shalt be
able to say, as Mr Glover, that spake to his friend
Austen, though he could have no comfort for a long
time, yet at length when he came in sight of the
stake he cries to his friend, ' 0 he is come, he is
come.' So in the use of means wait while the word
shall come and close with thy heart, that thou mayest
have comfort. Well, I cannot say but that God
hath comforted my soul in my mourning condition.
Oh that I did but know whether it were the comfort
of Jesus Christ, yea or no ! Well, I will give you two
or three notes to know whether it be the comfort of
Jesus Christ or no.
In the first place. If thy joy and comfort be the
joy of the Lord, why then it is thy strength : so
Nehemiah, chap. viii. 10, saith to the people. You
find joy brings strength, comfort brings strength to
your souls. As thus, canst thou say. Well, through
God's mercy, though I were weak heretofore, and could
not overcome such and such corruptions, since God
hath spoken peace to my soul I have found more
strength to come into my heart to overcome my cor-
ruptions than ever I did before. Why, is this thy
comfort ? doth it work thus ? Peace to thee, it is
from God ; that that carries unto God it comes from
him, it is* a delusion or a fancy. Hypocrites are
discovered in this as much as in anything ; though
when they are in terrors, then they will take heed of
sin, and set upon duty ; but when they have peace,
then they grow more loose. But it is otherwise in
such whose hearts are sincere with God.
Secondly, That that is the true comfort of Chris-
tians, is fed by that that at first wrought it. Look,
what begets a thing doth nourish it, so the philoso-
phers say; it is so in nature, and it is so in the heart
of man. Look, what nourishes thy comfort, that
did beget thy comfort ; and what begets it, that will
nourish it, and nothing else. Now then, if thy com-
fort be truly spiritual, be from the Spirit of Jesus
Christ in thy heart, then there is nothing that will
nourish thy comfort more than Jesus Christ in thy
heart; and it makes thee therefore long after more
communion with Jesus Clirist. Hypocrites have
comfort; but what doth nourish andmaintain their
comfort ? ■ Outward things that they enjoy, the
esteem of the world, their gifts and parts and en-
* Qu. ' otherwise it is' ?— Ed.
68
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 4.
largements maintain their comfort. But now the
comforts of the saints are such as are maintained by
higher principles. As you know, the Scripture com-
pares joy to light ; now we know in nature there is a
light that is maintained and fed by mean things, as
the light of a candle. But then there is the light of
the sun. Now that light is of another nature; that
is not fed by such low and base things as the light of
candles are. Now in Scripture the joy of the wiclced
is compared to the light of a candle ; but the joy of
the saints is compared to the light of tlie sun : Prov.
iv. 18, 'The righteous is as the sun, that shineth more
and more unto the perfect day.' Now if thou findest
this, that tlie light that thou hast in thy soul is main-
tained from principles that are above, from the Sun
of righteousness shining into thy heart, surely it is a
right comfort.
And then thirdly. If thy comfort be such as doth
rule all other comforts in thy heart — I mean the
comfort in hope of the pardon of thy sin. The com-
forts of a hypocrite are such, that though they are
much affected with joy, yet it is not able to overrule the
natural comfort they have, neither can it eat out the
corrupt joy that was in their souls. But now the joy
of the saints, I say it is such as overrules natural joy,
and eats out corrupt and sinful joy. As the light of
the sun, you know, it will put out the light of the
kitchen fire, and darken the light of the candle, so
the light and heat of true comfort in the soul will
eat out that carnal joy that was before : saith Austin,
How sweet is it to want such sweetnesses. There
was a time that I thought I could not tell how in
the world to be without the sweetness of such and
such lusts. But now, oh how sweet is it to be with-
out them! So many of you must live jollily; ay,
but the joy that you have, what is it but joy in base
and low things ? it is nothing but corrupt joy which
you have. But now, if you had the comforts of the
Holy Ghost, it would eat out that joy, so that there
would be no place for such corrupt joy as now your
hearts take such content in : and thus much for the
speaking to those that are mourners. We have yet
a word or two to speak,
First, To those that have rot yet been such
mourners, and then to speak to the saints to put
them on to mourn yet further, seeing Christ jsro-
mises such comfort.
For those who are shy of mourning. There are a
generation of men that are so shy of mourning, they
think it will bring them to despair if they should
give but any way in their mourning for their sin ;
and therefore, though sometimes they think their
hearts begin to be touched by the word, they labour
with all their might to put off that word, and they
will come no more to hear if they meet with a word
thatcouics to their consciences and cuts to the quick.
They will come no more ; they cannot sleep so quietly
that niglit as they did formerly ; they look upon
mourning for their sin with such a shy eye, as if it
were the most wickedest thing in the world. Oh,
poor deluded soul, thou art infinitely mistaken ! Ee-
member this text, and know that by this text thou
mayest — if thou well acknowledge this to be the
book of God, and these to be the words of Christ —
know that thou art mistaken. Christ saith that they
are blessed — ' Blessed are those that mourn ; ' if thou
wouldst come to be a blessed man, entertain even
a spirit of mourning. Doth the Spirit of God begin
to come to thy soul through the word 1 be willing to
open thy heart to him, and entertain it, and make
much of that word. Eemember that text — I speak
of it but by way of allusion — in Dan. vii. 28, saith
Daniel there, ' My cogitations much troubled me, and
my countenance changed in me : but I kept the
matter in my heart.' It is a very observable place;
Daniel had something revealed by God unto him. It
is true, the case is dififerent, Daniel's and yours ; but
there was a message of God revealed unto him, and
the text saith, ' That the thoughts of his heart did
trouble him, and his countenance was even changed.'
Well, would he cast it off now? No; but I kept
the matter in my heart for all that. I verily believe
that some of you coming to hear the word, there is
sometime darted into your spirits that doth trouble
your thoughts when you lie upon your beds and
awake in the night season ; there is something that
troubles your hearts, and you will go into company
to put it off. Oh no, but you should keep it rather.
How dost thou know but that now the Lord is in a
way to make thee blessed ? Thou didst go on before
in a way that tended to wrath and misery, in a cursed
way. Now the Lord Christ is coming to thee to
make thee blessed, for aught thou knowest, and thou
hast an opportunity for blessedness that, perhaps, if
thou shalt reject, thou shalt never have again. Thou
wilt now put off the word that doth now begin to
work with thee. It may be, if thou shouklst, the
Lord may say. Let the word never strike thy heart
more, let the Spirit never accompany this word more ;
and then upon thy sickbed, when thou wouldst have
comfort, this scripture may be brought against thee,
' Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be com-
forted;' and thou hadst a wretched heart, that didst
reject the ways of the Spirit, that would have made
thee mourn. Oh, as e^'er any of you would have
comfort upon your sickbeds and deathbeds, be willing
to mourn, and follow on the work of the Holy Ghost,
when it doth begin to stir your hearts in a mourn-
ing way for your sin ! and be not put off by any con-
ceit whatsoever ; though some perhaps have taught a
new way to make people wholly abandon moiu'iiing,
yet know that it is the old way which the saints of God
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
59
have gone on heretofore in ; and therefore embrace
this, and to the end that thou mayest embrace it,
take these few directions.
In the first place, It is a good way for men that
find their hearts begin to be troubled for their sin,
for them to get alone, to get out of the way from
other company, and to retire themselves. At any
time when thou findest thy heart begin to be troubled,
retire thyself, get alone, be musing of thy sin, and
lay the rule to thy heart all alone between God and
thy soul. It is a very excellent observation that we
may have from that of Peter when he had committed
that great sin, and Christ did look upon him ; you
know the text saith, ' He went out and wept bitterly.'
But I find, in one of the Gospels, it is said more than
'he went out ; ' — though that would serve our turn, that
he would not stay among the company, but when he
vi'ould fall a-mourning he gets alone — but I find in
Mark's Gospel, chap. xiv. 72, it is said, ' And when
he thought thereon, he wept.' Now the word that
is translated ' He thought thereon,' sct/Skaws, those
that understand the original know it is a word that
signifies any kind of violence that a man uses upon
himself, and so by some translated, ' The casting out
himself — a using a violence upon himself in casting
himself out from the company ; he had enough of
them. Oh do thou so when thou feelest the Spirit
of God begin to stir and work in thy heart ! even cast
out thyself, as it were, from company, and labour to
work upon thy thoughts those things that may affect
thy heart further.
Secondly, Present God to thy soul to the uttermost
that thou art able. Consider that thou hast to deal
with an infinite God in all thy ways ; present God
and Christ to thy soul. You will say, I dare not.
Ay, but be not afraid of tliis ; you must one day see
the Lord in his glory, and therefore present the Lord
to thy soul now in his glory.
Thirdly, And then do not satisfy your hearts in any
duty till you find your hearts beginning to break ; do
thou call thyself to account, I am now praying to
God, and I can pray, ' Forgive us our trespasses as
we forgive them.' But now do I find my heart mourn-
ing for them, I speak of my sins, do I acknowledge
them in the bitterness and trouble of my soul ? Oh,
this were an excellent frame, not to leave off till thou
findest thy heart somewhat to stir. Ay, but you Avill
say. Oh, but I cannot get my heart to ■ stir ; God
knows I would give a great deal if every time I went
into the presence of God I could get my heart to
lament and mourn for my sin ; oh, but I cannot. It
is well that thou sayest that thou wouldst do it,
whereas you have some that think if once they be
believers, why, then, should they mourn ? Now for
the convincing of this vain opinion, know but thus
much, that the truth is, there is rather more mourn-
ing that is required and used to be preached by the
saints after the assurance of the pardon of sin than
before it. I say more, and I will give you that notable
example of David. You find that when David had
sinned, and the prophet came to convince him of his
sin, David said he had sinned ; the prophet, in the
name of God, saith to him, ' The Lord hath done
away thy sin.' But now a long time after, when
David made the 51st Psalm, you shall find he fell a-
mourning afresh; and yet his sin was forgiven before,
and he knew it was forgiven, and yet do but observe
the 5Ist Psalm, what the title is that David gives to
the psalm, ' To the chief musician, a psalm of David,
when Nathan the prophet came unto him after he
had gone in to Bathsheba.' So that Nathan had
come to him before he makes this psalm, and Nathan,
when he came to him, he told him his sin was for-
given, and yet he makes this psalm, and laments his
sin in bitterness, and cries to God to restore the joy
of his salvation, that the bones that he had broken
might rejoice. His very bones were broken, notwith-
standing he had that message from God that his sin
was forgiven. If the Lord should send a messenger
from heaven to tell any one of you, man, woman, all the
sins that ever thou hast committed in all thy hfe are
freely forgiven, what wouldst thou do now ? Truly
thou hast much cause upon this, this evening to get
into thy closet and to lament thy sin, and this night,
if it were possible, to water thy couch with thy tears
— as David saith, he made it swim ; tlierefore the
assurance of the pardon of our sin is no hindrance
to mourning for sin, only it makes our mourning
more sweet and evangelical than it was before. And
therefore for thy help, that thou mayest get thy heart
thus to mourn, look up for the spirit of mourning :
Zech. xii. 10, ' I will pour the spirit of grace and sup-
plication, and they shall look upon me whom they
have pierced; and they shall mourn for him as one
mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness
for him, as one is in bitterness for his first-born.'
Mark, God hath not only promised comfort to the
mourners, but he hath promised mourning to the
sinners too. Why, thou art not excluded, the promise
is infinite : ' I vyill pour out the spirit of grace and
supplication, and they shall mourn.' Why, Lord
God, I have a hard heart, yet if thou wilt pour that
Spirit of thine upon me, I shall mourn ; therefore
look up to God and plead the promise. And then
that other promise, ' I will take away the heart of
stone, and give them a heart of flesh ; ' why. Lord,
this promise of thine is not to such and such upon
such and such conditions, but a free and absolute
promise.
And then it is a good way to converse with
mourners, to go into the company of such as are
broken-hearted Christians. It will make a man
60
BUEROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 4.
think thus : Why, Lord God, such a one that walks
so moft'ensively, so graciously, yet what a broken
heart hath such a one. I have a wretched heart,
and yet I cannot find my heart break ; thus the very
society of poor broken hearts will be a mighty help
to thee.
And then, fourthly. If you cannot mourn, then
mourn that you cannot mourn. Oh this will be
acceptable unto God. You will say, I cannot have
command over my heart to mourn for sin as I desire.
Ay, but canst not thou go to God and make thy
moan, and complain of this as the greatest evil that
is upon thee : Lord, I account this dull, hard heart of
mine as a most fearful evil upon me ?
And then, fifthly. Do not give way to yourselves
to take any joy or comfort in anything in this world
till you get your hearts broken for your sin. Will
not my heart yieUl in way of mourning for sin, it
shall not rejoice then ; I will not let it out to any
vain mirth and joy until I can get it to break, and
although heretofore I took content in such and such
company, and in the use of the creature. It is true,
it is lawful for a man to take comfort, but is it con-
venient for such a man as I that can never mourn for
my sin ? Nay, I will charge this upon my heart, first
to labour to be affected for sin, and to mourn for sin,
and then I hope I shall take more comfort both in
God and his creatures than heretofore.
And then, Lastly, Oh take heed of sinning after
mourning, thou that wouldst have such a mourning
heart as is here spoken of in this my text for thy sin.
Take heed that if ever God begins to break thy heart
and help thee to mourn, that thou do not sin wilfully
after mourning. If God begins to wound thy heart
for tliy sin, above all times thou hadst need now to
be watchful and careful over thyself. Oh let me lay
a deep charge upon thy soul to look to itself, that now
being troubled for such and such a sin, thou do not
after this give way and liberty to thy soul to commit
the same sin again.
SERMON X.
OR,
AN EXHORTATION TO MOURNERS FOR SIN.
' Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall he comforted,' — Mat. v. 4.
I HAVE hut a word or two for exhortation further
about this argument of mourning for sin.
It is an exhortation even to those that have
mourned for sin, to mourn still, to make it a con-
tinued work. I told you that the assurance of the
pardon of sin is no hindrance to mourning for it, but
should rather be a furtherance, as it was in David ;
and therefore you who are the people of God, God
expects that you should mourn for sin, for you know
how sin is against the holiness of God, the blessed
will of God, more than others do ; you know what
price was paid for the purchase of the pardon of it
more than others do, and therefore do you mourn.
Your sins they grieve the Spirit of God more than
others' do. The sins of other men may provoke God's
Spirit, but yours grieve God's Spirit, Eph. iv. 30 ;
your sins do more hurt than others' do, therefore do
you mourn. You know what the great mischief is
that sin doth iu the world, Rom. viii. 21, 22 ; sin
makes the whole cre^ition to groan under the burden
of it, and shall not you be sensible of so much evil of
sin as remains in your hearts ? You know that sin is a
greater evil than all afflictions whatsoever, and there-
fore do you mourn ; go under the burden of sin with
a heavy heart as long as you live. It is not long
that God hath to glorify himself in your sorrow, it
will not be long but you shall be delivered from your
sin ; but so long as you have this body of sin about
you, God expects mourning from you. God expects
from you not only to mourn for your own sin, but to
mourn for the sins of others, ' and blessed are they
that do so, they shall be comforted.'
First, We are to mourn for the sins of others. We
have very remarkable scripture for this, Ezra ix. 3.
Oh the lamentable condition that Ezra was in for
the sins of his people ! he doth rend his garments,
and sits down astonished for their sins. And David
in Ps. cxix. 63, ' Horror takes hold upon me,' saith
David. What! wasthcreanygreat judgment near him?
No ; ' Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS OM THE BEATITUDES.
61
wicked thcat forsake thy law.' When he behekl the
\Yickedness of men, his heart Was struck with horror,
because they forsoolc God's law; and ver. 136, ' Rivers
of water run down mine eyes, because they keep not
thy law;' and ver. 158, ' I beheld the transgressors,
and was grieved ; because they kept not thy word.'
David's spirit was in a very blessed frame when lie
penned this psalm, and see how he is atl'ected with
the sins of others ; and in that famous place, the 9th
of Ezekiel, there you find how God marks those that
mourn for the sius of the places where they live. And
if we look into the New Testament, there is nothing
more full ; the example of Paul, 2 Cor. xii., ' When
I come God shall humble me, and I shall bewail those
that have sinned ;' and that place is famous, 2 Pet.
ii. 7 — it is said of righteous Lot that his soul was
vexed ; and then in ver. 8, it is said, ' He vexed his
righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful
deeds.' The word in the Greek is different from what
it is in your books ; m the 7th verse is a word, -/.(ira-
Tototj/j.itov, that signifies opjiressed; as much as op-
pressed the soul ; it was a burden to his soul, as an
oppression is a burden to a man ; he accounted him-
self wronged by the sins of others, and he went under
it as a great oppressing burden. That is the mean-
ing of the word. I find the same word in Acts vii.
24, where it is spoken of ]\Ioses that helped the man
that was oppressed. The word that is there, him
that was oppressed, is xararroiov/iieui ; it is the same
that is here, for Lot's soul was vexed. And I find
sometimes the word signifies to be weakened by sick-
ness in other authors; so it is said of Lot, righteous Lot,
the wickedness that he saw in others did so trouble
his righteous soul, as it was as grievous to him as a
sickness is to you. That is the meaning of the first
word in ver. 7. Then the second word that is in
ver. 8, there it is vexed again ; but the word is in the
original, f/Saurai'/^si', he did cruciate. It is a word
that is used to signify the tormenting of a man upon
a rack, as if the Holy Ghost should say the wicked-
ness of those he lived among did put that gracious
soul of his upon the rack. He was as a man upon
the rack, with the sins of those among whom he lived ;
and you that are wicked and ungodly, you must not
think that you shall only suffer for your own sins,
you shall suffer for the grief that you put the godly
to. You must not think that your sins concern not
them at all ; oh yes. You do wrong them by the sins
you commit. Why, if you should see a man strike
your father in the street, and you should come to him
and ask him why he did it ; and he should answer.
What is that to you ? I did not strike you. But you
strike my father. So when you sin you strike their
Father, you dishonour their God, and this is a crucia-
ting unto them.
The reasons therefore why we must mourn for the
sins of others as well as our own, that is the first,
because the blessed God is so much dishonoured. Oh
how must it needs go to the heart of a godly man to
see that God, whom his soul loves — that God who is
so infinitely blessed and glorious, so infinitely worthy
of all honour from all creatures, to be so dishonoured
by base, wretched worms ! There is a report of
Crcesus' son, that was dumb all his days, until he saw
a soldier striking at his father to kill him, and then
the afl'ection that he bore to his father did break the
bars of his speech, and he cries out. Why do you kill
Croesus ? So when we see God, that blessed God, so
dishonoured, whom our souls do so love, it must of
necessity piiBrce our hearts.
And then, secondly, Our love to others should
cause grief. Why? when we see others sin against God,
we see them do mischief to themselves. Doth it not
grieve you when you see men wound and destroy
themselves ? when j'ou hear of men's houses on fire,
and of the grievous pains they are in ? Why, you
mourn for it, and it would make, you say, the hard-
est heart in the world to melt. You can never see a
man so miserable by anything as he is by sin ; sin
makes him the most miserable creature in the world,
and therefore, if you have any love to your brother,
mourn for his sin.
And then, thirdly. Because the sins of others doth
bring a great deal of evil to the world. What is the
cause of the evils that are in the world but the sins
that are committed in the world ? and while thou
dost live in the world, thou canst not but partake of
the miseries that do come by sin. In Eccles. ix. 18,
' One sinner destroys much good ;' what doth many
sinners then ? As the vapours, they ascend in-
sensibly up, but they come down sensibly ; so the sins
of the world they may ascend up, and men not regard
them, but they will come down in grievous storms
and tempests.
And then, fourthly, There is cause of mourning
for the sins of others, because thou canst never see
any man commit any sin but thou hast cause to con-
sider that the root of that sin is in thy heart. It is
reported of Bradford that he never saw a man commit
a sin, never heard a man swear an oath, or the like,
but he would use to say, ' God be merciful to me a
sinner.' God be merciful to me — that is, he saw the
root of that sin in his heart. It is true, the Lord hath
restrained thee from such cross sins, but thou hast
the root of them in thy heart ; and therefore thou
hast cause to mourn when thou seest sin in others.
And blessed are they that do thus mourn.
For, first, This argues sincerity ; this argues much
of the Spirit of God. It doth not argue so much sin-
cerity to mourn for our own sins as for the sins of
others ; though indeed there is more cause why we
should mourn for our own sins than for others', yet
G2
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 4.
there is more sincerity in monrning for others' sins
than for our own.
And then, secondly, By mourning for other men's
sins thou dost free thyself from the guilt of them.
How canst thou that livest in a nation or family be
free from the sins of those that thou dost converse
withal, if thou dost not mourn for them ? But now
when thou canst mourn for the sins of others, thou
dost free thyself from the guilt of them, and especially
when thou mournest for the sins of such as are in
relation to thee, then thou dost free thyself from the
guilt of those ; as it may be there is such a godly
child whose eyes God hath opened to see his own
sins, and he mourns for them. Oh, but he thinks
with himself, will ever God be merciful to me that
came of such a stock ? I have such a father or mother
that is so profane, a drunkard, a swearer, a scorner,
and I am afraid that the Lord will visit the sin of
my father upon me. Now, thou that art a child hast
no way to be delivered from the guilt of the wicked-
ness of thy father and mother, or thy forefathers,
but by mourning for them. Hath God pulled thee out
of a wicked stock, now God doth expect that thou
shouldst mourn and lament for the sins of that stock ;
and so thou livest in a wicked family, and the judg-
ments of God may come upon the family for its sin,
why, thou canst not free thyself but by mourning for
their sins as well as thy own ; and blessed art thou
if thou dost so. If thou dost mourn for their sins, the
Lord will not visit their sins upon thee.
And then, thirdly. Blessed are they that do mourn
for the sins of others, because by this means they
make themselves fit instruments of God to be used
by God to help against the sins of others. No men
are such fit instruments of God, to do God service, to
stop the course of the sins of others, as those that
take them to heart ; and therefore above all men,
men in public place, that God makes use of to stop
the course of wickedness, they should be men that
should be much exercised with this grace of mourning
for the sins of others. You that God makes to be
chief in parishes, and towns or cities, and puts into
your hands to stop the course of sin in the place
where you live, now if your hearts be not touched
with the sins of the places where you live, how unfit
instruments will you be for the honour of God, for
the stopping of sin. No marvel though men in place
care little what becomes of things ; let things go
which way they will, if they may get any gain. Why, to
this day they never knew what it was to be in a closet
alone, between God and their souls, lamenting for the
sins of the places where they live; but blessed are they
that do so, for they are the instruments that God doth
use, and that he delights to employ in much service.
And then they shall be comforted, these that do
thus mourn.
For, first. In public calamity they shall be hid. As
we know Jeremiah, he was a great mourner for the
sins of others ; and in Jer. xv. 1 1 the Lord makes a
promise to him in the time of public calamity to be
hid. Kead Jer. ix., beginning, and so on, and you shall
find him bitterly lamenting, oh that his head were
waters, and his eyes a fountain of tears, and that he
had a cottage in the wilderness ; indeed, it is in part
for the slain of his people, but it is for their sins like-
wise. And in Jer. xv. 1 1 God promises that he shall
be hid : and that place in Ezek. ix. is famous ; the
Lord would have one with a pen and iukhorn go and
mark all them that mourn for the sins of others.
Take notice of them, saith God ; whatsoever calamity
doth befall the place where they live, I will be mer-
ciful to them — one way or other I will provide for
them.
And then, secondly, Thou shaltbe comforted. Know
thou that art a mourner for the sins where thou
livest, that within a little while all the wickedness of
men shall be subdued — all shall be brought under, so
as God shall not be dishonoured by the sins of men
as now he is, all the refuse shall be cast upon the
dunghill ; there shall be nothing but rejoicing at the
righteous judgments of God upon wicked men. In-
deed, now when we see God dishonoured by wicked
men that live among us, we are to mourn, but there
is a time coming that there shall be no more mourn-
ing for their sin, but rejoicing at the righteous judg-
ments of God executed upon their sin : ' Blessed are
you that mourn, for you shall be comforted.'
And for this, by way of use, briefly, thus :
Oh, let us learn then to lay to heart the sins of
those where we live, not only in our parishes, fami-
lies, those that belong to us, but the sins of the
nation.
I will instance but in some few particulars, and
you that are the most barren in meditation you may
easily reckon up abundance more.
As, first, Let us mourn for the great injustice that
is among us at this day ; there is cause of mourning
for that, the oppression and injustice. In Isa. lix.
11, 14, 15, 'We roar all like bears, and mourn sore
like doves.' Why ? ' We look for judgment, but
there is none ; for salvation, but it is far oti' from us ; '
and so he goes on in the 14tli verse : ' And judgment
is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar
off, for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot
enter : yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from
evil maketh himself a prey; and the Lord saw it, and
it displeased him that there was no judgment.' What
an aggravation is this to this sin of injustice, that it
should be at such a time as now it is, that when the
Lord by such an outstretched arm delivered us from
our oppressors, that now we should oppress one an-
other. I believe there was never a greater cry for the
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
63
sin of injustice to Heaven than there is at this day,
however it may be some may complain that have no
such cause ; but woe to us, there is a great deal of
cause, for there is woeful injustice among us.
And then, secondly, Oh mourn that Christ is no
more embraced among us, that when we have as fair
opportunities to bring in Jesus Christ among us as
ever people had since the world began ! Jesus Christ
is ofi'ering himself to us in as fair a way as ever he
did otTer himself to any people, and yet what a spirit
of malignity is risen among us, as we are ready to
say, ' We will not have this man to reign over us.'
Oh mourn for the ignorance, for the profaneness of
the people of the land ! even now when there is such
a uberty of the gospel, (for never was the like,) yet
they turn away from it, and judge themselves un-
worthy of eternal life, and even do despite to the
Spirit of grace. In Eom. ix. 2, mark how Paul was
atfected for his countrymen's sake, that he could even
have wished himself to have been cut off from Jesus
Christ, he was so troubled for then- ignorance and
rejection of Christ ; one would tliink that, seeing God
hath so wonderfully wrought to bring us to the enjoy-
ment of the liberty of the gospel, that this should be
a time that generally people should come in to em-
brace it. Oh, but we find it otherwise ; there is a vile
spirit risen among men against the ways of godliness.
And then, thii-dly. Mourn we that there are such
divisions now among us. The devil sees that he cannot
get many to that profaneness and popery as he was
wont to do, and therefore now he comes to spoil reli-
gion, and that by divisions, yea, and among the godly;
and there the pohcy of Satan is as much seen as in
anytliing. Yea, and the rather let us take this to
heart, when we consider that almost every time men
meddle with divisions, and cry out against them, they
make them wider, and many they are affected indeed
because of the divisions that are in the land. Ay,
but it is because every one will not be of their mind,
and therefore they mourn; but it is a selfish mourn-
ing, fur the most part, when men cry out of divi-
sions because they may carry away all the esteem,
and honour, and dignities, and preferments, with-
out any control whatsoever ; therefore they cry
out of divisions, but there is not a spiritual mourn-
ing of heart for the sins of the divisions that are
among us.
And then, fifthly. Oh mourn we for the abuse of
our liberty, the wantonness that is among us now.
The Lord grants unto us times of liberty more than
ever our forefathers had, or could have thought to
liave had, and ]iow, O Lord, what an abuse of this
liberty is there ! How do men run out to all kind of
licentiousness because of liberty ; out of tliat pleadmg
for that true liberty of conscience that Christ would
have us to tender one another in, they run out to all
kind of licentiousness, blasphemy, and wickedness
whatsoever.
Sixthly, Oh mourn we for this, that there is so
much unthankfulness among us ; that is, because we
have not everything as we would have, therefore we
are ready to say, there is nothing done. Oh it is a
vile speech that comes from any mouth to say, "What
hath God done for us ? The Lord hath done that
for this kingdom that is more worth than thy hfe, or
the lives of ten thousand more than thou art, and
therefore to say there is nothing done because all is
not done that thou wouldst have done, it is a most
wretched unthankfulness, and you should bleed in
the consideration of it.
And then, seventhly, Jlourn we for the scandals
that are among us, the many stumbUng-blocks that
lie in the way, the evils of men that are professors
of religion ; how do they cast stumbling-blocks in
the ways of such as are coming on, and make the
ways of godliness to be abhorred because of theii-
wicked lives !
And then, lastly, Mourn we that good men when
they are put upon the trial do so much miscarry.
This is a sore evil that we may see under the sun at
this time. There was never a time in any kingdom
wherein so many godly men had so much power in
their hands, either in place of magistracy or ministry,
but yet, oh the miscarriages of them ! How do many
of them go by the same principle that others went
before, but in another way ! And we come to see
plainly the truth of that speech, Put men into place,
into power, that they may have power over others,
and we see what strange spirits they have ; even such
as we thought were broken-hearted, and did hereto-
fore mourn for the sins of other men that were in
place, and, together with their brethren, were fasting
and praying and crying to Heaven against the evils
of those that were in place but a few years ago, now
they come to hope to enjoy the same power, we find
that they go apace towards the same way that others
were in. Oh my brethren, I speak these things out of
conscience, as a duty that we owe to God, to lay them
to heart, and to bewail them in the bitterness of our
souls. I do not speak this to upbraid any, for there
is upbraiding enough abroad, but that we should
mourn for them. God forbid that we should speak in
way of reproach; no, but in way of lamentation,
because these evils have been so much against God
and against the public good. Oh if we could lay
aside our wrangling a while, and fall a-mourning in
one another's bosoms, reformation would go on in
another manner than now it doth.
And here is yet a further evil, we have some cause
to mourn for men's mourning — that is, men mourn
because they cannot have their wills, and they mourn
merely out of a kind of spirit of revenge, and make
64
BUBROtTGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 4.
many times their very fasts to be fasts for strife ; we
should mourn, I say, for our mourning. And thus
much for this that lies so full in my text, ' Blessed
are they that mourn;' such as can thus mourn are
blessed. Oh that this spirit of mourning were upon
us !
And then the next, that is, the last point in my
text. It is those that mourn for the afflictions of the
church, as well as otherwise : Blessed are those that
mourn for them ; and we find it in Scripture to
be the way of the saints likewise to mourn much
for the afflictions of God's people, as in Neh. i.
Though Nehemiah were at the court himself, and had
a great place, and was at ease, and had abundance
of riches, yet he looks sad, and would not have the
king to wonder at it, when it was so ill with the
church, and a notable scripture we have in Luke
xix., even in our Saviour, Christ. It is a very
remarkable scripture. When Christ came near to
Jerusalem he wept, both because of their sin, and
the misery that was coming upon them, and said,
' Oh if thou hadst known, at least in this thy day,
the things that concern thy peace ; but now they are
hid from thine eyes.' Mark this, at what time Christ
did this, it was not in a time that Christ was in any
great affliction himself, for you shall find that when
he did thus lament, ver. 36, 37, it was when they cut
down boughs and strewed them in the way, and cried
Hosanna to him ; it was at that time when they
honoured Jesus Christ most; and yet that did not
take up his heart so as not to be affected with the
miseries of others. ' And,' saitb the text, ' as he
went, they spread their garments in the way ; others
cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them
in the way. And the multitude that went before,
and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Sou
of David ; blessed ia he that cometh in the name of
the Lord : Hosanna in the highest.' The people went
before Christ magnifying of him, and they took off
their garments and strewed them all along in the
streets, and would have Christ go upon them, as not
thinking it fit that such an honourable person as
Jesus Christ was should go upon the ground, but go
upon their garments : and they cried out before him,
' Blesse'd is the king that cometh in the name of the
Lord : Hosanna in the highest.' What honour had
Jesus Christ here I But now mark, Christ was not
much taken with the honour that was done to his
person ; that you shall find almost in the very next
words, ' And when he drew near, he beheld the city,
and wept.' He falls a-weoping at that time when he
is so much honoured. Oh this should for ever teach
us, that how good soever our own condition be,
though our tables be furnished, and we have honour
and respect from others, yet this should not at all
hinder our affections towards the miseries of our
brethren : we should be in our weeping and mourn-
ing condition even at those times when we have the
greatest abundance of the comforts of the world. I
beseech 3-ou, think of this you that are lifted up in
places, and you that have means commg in, and have
as great a fulness as ever you had, and it may be
more tlian ever you had, yet at this time, if you
liave the Spirit of Jesus Christ in you, that that you
enjoy in the fulness of it will not take away your
affections unto the sorrows of your brethren. It
is a command in Rom. xii. that we ' must weep
with them that weep, and mourn with them that
mourn ; ' and in Heb. xiii. 3, we must be ' even in
bonds with them that are in bonds ; ' we must be
affected with their bonds as if we ourselves -were in
bonds. This God requires of us. Now what shall I say
of the examples of Jeremiah and David, and others
of the propliets that did thus mourn, of Paul, &c.
It were endless to name all examples that we might
have in Scripture for this, but blessed are they ;
there is a great deal of cause that we should do so.
Why, first, Those that are in afflictions, they are
men, mourn for them as they are men. Oh but they
are our brethren, they are those that are near to us,
they are the saints of God.
And consider, secondly, we have the root of the
matter in ourselves. Why canst thou think in thy
conscience that such men should be in such an
afflicted estate and thou shouldst feel nothing thy-
self— thou shouldst have all things about thee as
ever ? Is there any reason why such excellent saints
of God, that have done God so much service in their
generation, should be cast out of house and home,
and thou shouldst sit at thy table so full, and have
thy wife and children about thee, and thy house so
furnished, and all at peace, what reason can there be
given ? is there not as much in thee to provoke God
as in them ? hast thou done more service for God
than they ? Oh, if thou hadst not the heart of an
adamant it would break thee !
But there is another that is yet more. Consider
the dishonour that God hath by the afflictions of his
people. The truth is, tlie Lord suffers in their suffer-
ing, 'in all their afflictions he is afflicted;' the more
the churches go down, the more do the wicked insult
and triumph, the more doth wickedness prevail. Oh
this should go to thy heart : God goes down, as I
may say, and his cause goes down in the saints' go-
ing down ; the glory of God is inwrapt in the good of
the saints, and he suffers in it.
You will say now, If God suffers, why will he let
the saints be so afflicted ?
To that I answer. The Lord will let them be
afflicted for the discovery of those who are true and
false. And indeed he doth raise to liimself a glori-
ous name many ways ; but yet though the Lord doth
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
6,5
raise to himself a name of praise by the sufferings of
the saints, yet we must mourn and lament, because in
the meantime God doth sufler, and they tend much
to his dishonour, although he by his infinite power
can fetch honour out of them.
And, besides, if you consider only this, the great-
ness of the evils that is in these days. If ever there
were a time to mourn for the afflictions of others,
now is the time ; and those that are the witnesses for
the truth have cause to jjrophesy even in sackcloth
now. Oh if we did but understand the woeful evil
and miseries of vrar ! It is an evil that hath abundance
of evils, as it were, in the belly of it. It is the cup
of God's anger, and the wine thereof is red — it is as
red even as blood — and it is a mixed wine. The in-
gredients in the cup are murder, and robbery, and
rape, and deflowering, and cruelty, and torment, and
famine, and pestilence — these are the ingredients in
the cup ; and therefore, though we sit here in our
houses quietly, and find not the woeful evils of this
civil wars, yet others can tell us, Did you but see
those doleful miseries that they see — men that were
of good rank and fashion, that lived comfortably, and
were of public use and eminent saints, how they are
driven from their house and home like brute beasts !
Oh should we but see what hath been done in Ire-
land ! They cry to us, 0 you that pass by, is
it nothing to you all that we have suffered ? was
there ever sorrow like our sorrow ? It might be of
very great use to lay open the woeful misery of
others ; but I will shew you how blessed are those
that do mourn for the afflictions of others. They are
blessed.
First, Because they have much of the spirit of
Christ in them. Theirs is such a kind of spirit as
Jesus Christ had when he lived upon the earth, and
this was a blessed spirit.
Secondly, They do evidence that they are mem-
bers of the same body. Thou that canst hear of the
woeful evils that the churches suffer, and not mourn,
thou dost evidently declare to all the world, and God
tells thee to thy conscience, that thou art but a dead
member, and not a living member of the body of
Jesus Christ ; but when your hearts can be affected
with the miseries of the churches, you have evidence
to your souls that you are living members of Jesus
Christ.
And then blessed are you, because in this j^ou do
walk with God — that is, you observe God's way.
When God comes in mercy to his clnjrch, then you
can rejoice ; and when God is in a way of afflicting,
then you mourn. I say this is to walk with God, to
have our hearts affected according to the several ad-
ministrations of God's providence ; and blessed are
they that walk with God.
' You shall be comforted ' — that is.
First, Know there is a time that God's people shall
be delivered from all their sorrows, that all tears shall
be wiped away from their eyes, that ' there shall be
no more pricking brier nor grieving thorn,' Ezek.
xxviii. 24. This is promised to the saints ; and I
hope that this time must be even in this world, that
the saints shall be as much honoured as ever they
have been dishonoured, and that wicked men shall
no more persecute them, but sliall be brought under
them. And there is a morning wherein the saints
shall have dominion over the wicked and ungodly ;
you shall have comfort in this, you that do mourn for
the affliction of the saints: '0 thou afflicted and
tossed with tempests,' now thou art afflicted and
tossed, but thy foundations shall be laid with sap-
phires and with precious stones, Isa. liv. 11. The
foundation of the church shall be so ; the church
shall be a burdensome stone to all that do persecute
them : ' Arise, shine, 0 shine, for the glory of God is
risen upon thee,' Isa. Ix. 1, saith theLord unto ths
churches ; ' Comfort ye, comfort ye my people.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto
her, that her warfare is. accomplished, that her in-
iquity is pardoned,' Isa. xl. 1, 2. There is such a
time that the people of God shall be so comforted,
and when the saints shall triumph in the salvation
of God, and shall say, ' Lo, this is our God, we have
waited for him; this is the God of our salvation.'
There is, I say, such a time.
And then there are many promises to you who do
mourn for the affliction of the saints. In Ps. xli.,
' Blessed is he that considereth the poor '— those that
consider such as are afflicted are blessed ; and in Isa.
Ivii. 18, there the Lord promises unto his church
that he will 'restore comforts to her and to her '
mourners ' — to them both, they shall be comforted ;
those that now mourn with the saints, they shall re-
joice with them; in Isa. Ixvi. 10, there you have a
promise to them. Those that mourn with the people
of God they shall rejoice; and then in Zeph. iii. 18
there is a promise that those that did ' account the
reproach of the solemn assembly to be a burden, God
would gather them/ The saints of God are re-
proached, they are persecuted; others can rejoice
now, but there were those that accounted it a bur-
den to them, and to them the Lord makes a gracious
promise.
Again, You that mourn for the affliction of the
saints are blessed ; for when God shall bring you
into affliction, God will own your souls in the day of
affliction. If at any time your children should be
afflicted, your dear wives, &c., you may with comfort
go to God and pray, 0 Lord, comfort me in mine
affliction, and comfort me in the affliction of my
wife, my children, my father, my mother ! You may
have comfort, I say. Why ? Because you did mourn
fi6
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 4.
for the afflictions of his children. Nay, saith God, here
is one indeed that is afflicted. What, is the man's
child or wife under any affliction ? "Why, I remember
when my children were afflicted, they mourned for
my children ; why, now their children are afflicted,
I will take that to heart, and have compassion
upon them in their affliction ; and therefore blessed
are they that mourn. Now for the application
of it.
First, It should have been to rebuke the jollity of
men's spirits in these sad times. Oh, it is a wicked
thing in these sad times to have a carnal, jolly spirit.
God indeed gives you liberty to have comfort, and to
rejoice in himself ; for so you will say we are bidden
to rejoice always. Ay, but know spiritual joy and this
mourning may stand both together — know that God
expects that you should abate of your carnal joy.
I will give you but two scriptures for this, which are
very terrible against those that are so jolly and merry
in sad times. The first is in Isa. xxii. 13, 'And in
that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping,
and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding
with sackcloth ; and behold joy and gladness, slaying
oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking
wine : let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall
die. And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord
of hosts. Surely this iniquity shall not be purged
from you till you die, saith the Lord of hosts.' Oh,
it is a daunting scripture to those that in these times
take liberty to the flesh. I beseech you, if you do
believe that this scripture is the Svord of God, when
you come home lay it upon your hearts and con-
sciences. Saith God, When I called to mourning
and weeping, behold there was joy and gladness, and
mirth, and drinking of wine. This iniquity shall
not be purged till you die, saith God ; I will never
pardon it. It is spoken, as in the New Testament
it is said of the sin against the Holy Ghost, that it
should never be forgiven. And so this is made a
kind of an unpardonable sin, though I think that it
is not so unpardonable as that ; but though God
should give you a heart to see the evil of it never so
much, yet you may smart for it in this world, even
as the Lord did concerning Ikloses. He would not
hear him, but bid him speak no more of that matter,
but be must die in the wilderness. Oh, the Lord can-
not but look with indignation upon such as these
are. What ! saith God, shall I chastise my own
dear children, and shall this wretch, that is good for
nothing but to eat and drink and get money here,
shall he not take it at all to heart ? I will never bear
this, saith God ; it shall never be purged from him
till he die. 0 my brethren, if ever God calls to
weeping and mourning, it is now ; and therefore not
to have a heart in these mourning times it is a sign
that thy heart is hardened from the fear of God. If
ever this text of Christ were suitable it is in these
mourning times, wherein those are held forth to be
blessed that do mourn ; and on the other side, those
that do not mourn they will certainly prove to be
accursed by Christ when they shall come to stand
before him.
And then the other scripture is in Amos vi., where
the Lord complains, ' that they drank wine in bowls,
and had their music, and all kinds of joUity,' &c.
Oh but, saith he, ' there was none that did remember
the afflictions of Joseph;' Joseph might be imprisoned,
might be sold, might endure any afflictions, what was
it to them ? They would not so much as remember.
Oh woe to them !
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
67
SERMON XL
HOW TO MOUEN FOR THE AFFLICTIONS OF SAINTS.
' Blessed are they that maurn : for they shall be comforted^ — Mat. v. 4.
But now, my brethren, the thing I shall speak a
little to is this, to shew unto you how we should
mourn for the afflictions of the saints, that so you
might mourn kindly for their afflictions.-
For some will say, We are affected ; and God for-
bid but that we should be gi'ieved when we hear
that the church is so afflicted. It doth grieve our
hearts when we hear of the plundering of so many
good people, and how they are put out of their houses
and homes. But now,
First, There may be a natural mourning for the
afflictions of others, which is not this blessed mourn-
ing ; and therefore if you would know the differauoe
between the natural and spiritual mourning for the
afflictions of the church, take it biiefly in these three
or four particulars, which I shall but name : —
The first is. Those that mourn for the afflictions
of the church in a spiritual way, they mourn
upon spiritual grounds ,• and a natural man is upon
natural grounds. You mourn to hear such woeful
bloodshed, desolations of countries. As you are men
you cannot but be affected ; but now are you most
affected upon spiritual grounds, because the saints
do suffer, because the liberties of the ordinances a»e
taken from them, because the adversaries of God's
people do most prevail, because religion is trampled
under- foot? Do you mourn therefore '? It is true
these are mourning times. Most people they mourn
because of fear of outward danger, or for their great
taxes, and they have not things as they were wont
to have ; but a spiiritual mourning is upon spiritual
grounds.
And then, secondly, Spiritual mourning will put
much upon prayer. That we spake to in the general,
when we shewed how those that are in a mournful
condition themselves they should pray much ; so
here, those that do mourn for the churches, if they
mourn in a spiritual way, they will pray much for
the churches. I appeal to your consciences in this
thing. You hear many times sad news concerning the
sufferings of your brethren abroad : it may be you
will say, the Lord have mercy upon them, or so ; but
when did you get alone between God and your souls,
and pour forth your souls before God in secret, on
the behalf of the churches of God — or it may be you
have done so sometimes ; but is this in your hearts
to do so in an ordinary way ? If your children be
afflicted, perhaps you will go to prayer then, and
wring your hands ; but you have heard of the afflic-
tions of the churches, and have your hearts been so
affected as to go and break your spirits before the
Lord in prayer ? Now that is a spiritual mourning.
For to have a sadness upon your spirits, upon the
hearing of ill news, that may be but in a natural way ;
but for your hearts to break before God in prayer for
the church, that is in a spiritual way. Now the
churches suffer more than they have done ; and are
your prayers enlarged more than formerly for them ?
This is spiritual, and blessed are they that so mourn,
as that they are put upon prayer, and enlarged in
prayer by their mourning.
And thirdly. If your hearts be spiritual in your
mourning, why then, look what God doth spare you
in. In that you do not spend your strength in suffer-
ing as others do, it will cause you to be so much the
more earnest and willing to spend your strength in
service and doing for God. If your hearts were affected
as they ought to be for the churches, you would con-
sider thus : How do they suffer in their estates, and
in their bodies and liberties ! They are forced to
spend their strength and estates in a way of suffering.
Why now. Lord, thou dost not call me to spend my
strength and estate in that way of suffering as thou
callest my brethren to ; why. Lord, thou shalt have it
spent for thee in a way of doing, in a way of service.
Oh it is good for us to have our strength and estates
to be spent for God in the exercise of our graces,
rather than to be spent for him in the suffering for
our sin ; and it were a very good meditation when you
hear of any that suffer by any accident whatsoever :
They suffer so much for God in a passive way; Oh
then let me be willing to spend in an active way for
God ; and this will be a good argument that your
hearts are spiritual.
6S
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 4
Fourthly, Yea, further, when the thankfuhiess that
you have for your behig deUvered from those heavy
afflictions that are upon others shall humble your
hearts as much as if you were under the same afflic-
tions that others are under, this were a good sign of
a spu'itual frame. You hear of the afflictions of other
men ; why, now when you can be so sensible of those
afflictions, so as to make you to be as much humbled
in a way of thankfulness as you should be if you were
under the same afflictions, now your hearts are in a
spiritual way sensible of their condition. And so
much for tliat of the spiritualness of our hearts in
being sensible of the afflictions of others.
But now, in the second place, What duties doth the
consideration of the afflictions of others call for from
us? "When we hear that others are in affliction, and we
are delivered, I say, what duties doth this call for at
our hands ? Now to that I answer, it calls for these
three : —
First, An abatement of our outward comforts in
this world. We should be willing, when we hear how
the churches suffer, to abate of a great part of our
outward comforts that we had before for the flesh, to
be willing to be cut short ourselves, so far as we may
do it in a way of service for God. Certainly it is not
lawful for men in such times as these are, when there
is such a darkness upon the face of the land, and
upon so many thousands of their brethren, it is not
lawful for to give that full liberty to the satisfying of
the flesh as in other times you may do. I might shew
it out of divers scriptures, but that I hasten to that
remains.
But secondly. The second duty is to be ready to
help them in their afflictions, to let out ourselves for
their comfort. Seeing that Christ hath said, ' Those
that mourn shall be comforted,' every one of us
should endeavour to make good what Christ hath
said — that is, to comfort them by our estates, to com-
fort them by all the means that possibly we can ;
and never to think it much that you are frequently
sent unto to pity them that are in an afflicted condi-
tion, though you liave often contributions, yet to do
it freely and cheerfully. You cannot perform the
duties that God requires of you in your being sensible
of their mournful condition, except you will put to
your hand to comfort them. You cannot pray to
God to comfort them, but you take God's name in
vain, except you likewise are willing to do what you
are able.
And then the third duty is this. We should pvit
ourselves into the same condition that they are in, in
our meditations, and consider what we would do if
God should put us really into the same condition
that they are put into. When you hear of those
that have lost their estates, and are banished and
driven up and down to seek bread, that were wont to
live comfortably, you should put yourselves into such
a condition — Lord, what would become of me if I
were so ? Suppose I were under the enemy's mercy
as they are, what would become of me ! in what a
sad condition should I be in ! But you will say.
Why should we so trouble ourselves, seeing God de-
livers us, to put ourselves into the same condition in
our meditation as our brethren are in ?
To that I answer, That God requires this. You
cannot be so thoroughly sensible of their estates as
you should, nor make that use of that afflicted con-
dition that they are in, except you do put yourselves
sometimes into their conditions, and think with your-
selves. What should I do if I were in their estate ?
And for that I will give you this scripture, Heb. xiii.
3, ' Eemember them that are in bonds, as bound with
them ; and them that sufl'er adversity, as being your-
selves also in the body.' ' Bemember them that are in
bonds, as bound with them.' Here the apostle writes
to those that were at liberty, and yet he requires of
them to ' Remember those that were in bonds, as if
they were bound with them.' So that those that are
in prison now by the enemy, why, consider as if you
were in prison with them, those that have lost all, as
if you had lost all with them ; so that you must re-
member them. Otherwise it is a very slight kind of
affection that you find your hearts touched withal, if
so re that you can but only say, Oh how cruelly are
they^used ! The Lord pity them, and have mercy upon
them ! Ay, but lay this to heart. What if I were so ?
what if it were really my condition ?
But you will say. Suppose we should put that to
ourselves, what good use would there come of this ?
To that I answer. Many ways,' if you would but put
yourselves into their condition, and consider What if I
were so, then consider from hence what duties you
would be further put upon in this.
As, first. If I were in their condition, certainly I
could not but then be sensible of the vanity of the
creature ; what a vain thing it is to rest upon any
outward comforts in this world. There was a time, it
may be, that not long ago they enjoyed as much of
the outward comforts of this world as I do ; but in
one night they are stripped of all, and have nothing
in theii' houses, and are under woeful afflictions.
Why, certainly, they cainiot but think thus with
themselves : Oh, the creature is a vain thing. It is
a vain thing to trust in any creature comfort ; it may
soon be taken away from me, beyond all expectation
of mine. Oh I could not, if I were in their condition,
but judge of the vanity of the creature. Let me do
so now then.
And then, secondly. If I were in their condition,
why, my conscience would be freely telling of me and
charging of me for the abuse of the mercy that I
have had. Suppose that all my comforts were taken
Mat. V. 4.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
69
away from me, as from them, do not I think my
conscience would presently fly in my face, and tell
me how I have abused those mercies that I did
enjoy ? how I did not make use of my estate for God
as I might have done ? You who have comfortable
estates now, and you think because they are your
own that therefore you may do with them as you
list ; but if God should, by some accident, come and
take your estates from you, the first tiling that your
consciences would do would be this, to charge upon
you the abuse of your estates ; and then, secondly,
to tell you that you did not make that use of your
estates for the honour of God's name as you might
have done. Suppose God should come upon you
by the adversary, or fii'e, or any other way, and
sweep away all in one night, do not you think that
your consciences would then tell you, Oh I might
have made better use of it for God than I have done ?
It is an ordinary thing, when a mercy is taken from
one, for conscience to accuse then for the abuse of
that mercy that he did enjoy ; as now, when a man
buries a wife, the first thing that conscience will
tell one, will be. Oh, I have not performed the duty
that I owed to my wife, which I should have done ;
and so for any mercy, when the mercy is taken away,
conscience then hath greater liberty to charge one
for the abuse of that mercy than formerly it had. And
so we should put ourselves in their case, and put
conscience to it and say, Suppose that all the out-
ward comforts which I do enjoy in this w'orld were
taken away from me, could I then have a clear con-
science, and could I be able to say, Lord, thou that
knowest all things knowest that while I did enjoy
my estate, it was my care to serve thee with it, and
to improve my estate to the iittermost for the glory
of thy name. I am afraid that there are not many,
which are deprived of their estates, that have their
consciences so free in excusing of them ; and so I fear
that there are not many of you, but if you Avould put
yourselves into their sonditions, your conscience Avould
deal more freely with you than now it doth ; and that
is a second thing that conscience would do if you
were in their case.
And then the third thing, If you would but put
yourselves into their condition it would be this : you
would shorten your outward comforts, but you would
enlarge your duties. I verily think that generally
our brethren in those parts wliere the adversary hath
been — I do not speak of such that are sottish, but any
that have any work of grace — I verily believe they are
larger in duties than ever they were before ; they
do not cut short holy duties so much as formerly .-
And certainly, if you were in their case, if the Lord
should cut you short in respect of your outward com-
forts, the larger would you be in the performance of
holy duties.
Fourthly, If you were in their case, you would
have a more serious spirit than now you have. Now
you enjoy an outward prosperity, you do not lay to
heart how things are between God and you ; but now,
if God should come and rend away all the outward
comforts that now you have, oh that would cause
many serious thoughts to be in your mind, and to
consider how are things between God and my soul.
Things are very sad with me in respect of the world,
but how are they in respect of heaven ? Oh put your-
selves into that condition, that the slightness and vanity
of your spirits may be taken off, that you may be
now as serious as you would be if you were in their
condition.
Fifthly, If you were in their condition, oh you
would learn to be content with a little. Therefore
now put yourselves into their condition, and think
with yourselves. Suppose God should take all from
me, then I .should bless his name if he would return
but a little part of that again. But now I am in my
family, and have abundance of comforts, and yet
if any one thing doth but cross me, I am froward and
discontent. Ay, but if God brought me as low as my
brethren, I should bless his name for a little, then
I would be glad of bread. Many of them that have
lived as comfortably as you now live would be glad
of bread and the smallest drink, if they might have
but sufficient of that. Why, now put yourselves into
their conditions, and bless God for that little you
have ; and thus you should be in bonds, in affliction
w'ith those that are in affliction.
And then, sixthly. Prize peace with God. Those that
are in an afflicted condition, oh how do they prize
peace with God, and peace with conscience ! Now such
of them as are godly, they think thus with them-
selves: Oh, had not we laid up peace with God, and had
we not peace with our own consciences, what should
we do ? But blessed be the name of God, that wo
have kept our peace with God, and we have peace in
our own consciences. In these days of war it is this
only that comforts their hearts, they prize it now.
Oh, therefore, put yourselves- into their conditions,
that you may learn to prize peace with God, and
peace in your conscience.
And then the seventh and last thing of all is this,
If we put ourselves into their condition, certainly you
would rise up against popery and tyranny. Suppose
you were in Ireland, and there were under that heavy
tyranny of those barbarous papists that are there, why,
would not this make you to rise against those that
are popish, and to think thus : Is this the popish
religion ? Oh bloody religion, what wickedness would
that religion countenance ! a cursed religion is popery.
You would be ready to charge your children to hate
popery as long as they lived ; oh the cruel usage of
people that have been there! And so the popish
70
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 5.
party that have prevailed here should make all to
rise against popery, and so against tyranny. What a
miserable condition is a people in where a few men
shall tyrannise over them. Oli let us join what. possibly
we can to cast off the yoke of tyranny, that we may
be governed by law, and know aforehand when it
is that we do offend. Certainly the miseries that
have been of late in these three kingdoms cannot
but stir up. the spirits of those in the kingdom that
are not sottish and willing to be slaves, to rise against
tyranny, and never suffer it to prevail over them again.
By putting ourselves into their- conditions, we may
come to have our hearts affected in some measure as
their hearts are ; and thus we shall be sensible, in a
right way, of the mournful estate of our brethren.
And to that end, that we may be sensible of the
mournful estate of our brethren, it is good for us
often to charge ourselves with the great evil of a
selfish spirit. What ! because I am free myself, and
feel nothing myself, shall none of the afflictions of all
the churches of God, and the sufferings of all the coun-
tries, come near to my heart? Oh base selfish spirit that
I have ! what is my liesli more than the llesh of others?
Charge this upon your souls as in the presence of God,
and this will be a means to break your hearts.
And secondly, Let all the mercies that you have
be seasoned with the consideration of the thoughts
of the afflictions of your brethren, when you sit at
your table. Why, I have a full talsle ; but how is it
with others ? Why, you go to bed, I go to bed, and
have my house in peace ; but how is it with others
of my brethren ? When I walk out into the streets,
I go about my trade and business ; but how is it
with others? When I come home again, I see my
wife and children and all about me ; oh, but how is
it still with my brethren ? So upon every mercy
that you do enjoy, you should as it were season the
mercy with the consideration. How stands it with
my brethren ? As you season your meat with salt,
so every mercy that you enjoy should have the con-
sideration of the affliction of your bretlu-en, to be
joined with it for the seasoning of that mercy. Cer-
tainly your mercies would be a great deal more savoury
to you if they were seasoned with the consideration
of the afflictions that your brethren do endure.
And then, further. Remember you are in the body.
According to that scripture in the 13th of the Hebrews,
you are liable to those things that they are ; and how
just were it with God, if I should not be affected with
the miseries of others, that God should bring as great,
if not greater upon me. The Lord hath thousands of
ways to bring as great afflictions upon you as ever
were brought upon any part of the kingdom, and
there is no such dangerous sign that God intends it
towards you as the being unsensible of the aftiiclions
of your brethren. Oh how soon may the Lord, by
secret treachery, by massacres, &c., bring you into
as woeful afflictions as they ; and therefore, consider-
ing how liable you are to the same, or to much greater
afflictions, oh be sensible of the miseries of your
brethren ; the serious thoughts of them would be a
mighty argument to work upon the heart.
And then, lastly. Consider that of the apostle Peter :
1 Pet. iv. 17, 18, ' If judgment begins at the house
of God, what shall become of them that obey not the
gospel of God? And if the righteous shall scarcely
be saved, where shall the wicked and ungodly appear.'
If so many of the righteous servants of God should
suffer hard things, and that they should go through
such great difficulties to hgaven, what shall become
of me then ? Shall the righteous scarcely be saved ?
— that is, saved through many difficulties and dangers
and sufferings. Then what shall become of me ?
where shall I appear ? for my conscience tells me
that there is much unrighteousness in me. And if
God's dear saints come to heaven through so much
trouble, surely there is trouble reserved for me then.
These kind of thoughts would break your hearts, and
cause you to mourn with them that mourn ; blessed
are they that do thus mourn, that are sensible of the
afflictions of the people of God, for they shall be
comforted. And thus now we have done with that
blessedness, the second beautitude, the poor in spirit,
and those that mourn.
Now then we are to proceed to the third.
Ver. 6. — ' Blessed are the meek : for they shall
inherit the earth.'
' Blessed are the meek.'
First for the word ' meek.' Some think it comes
from a Hebrew word that signfies to be thin, or low,
or lean ; and sometimes I tind it expressed by the
same word that is used for humility, for they are very
near akin. Christ puts them together : ' Learn of
me,' saith he, ' for I am humble and meek.'
The Latins express it by the word mitis, one that
is as it were mute, when he suffers any wrong, ad
sustinenda injur iam tacens; or else from a word
taken from beasts that are not fierce, but are accus-
tomed to one's hand, meek. The word that is in my
text it is one that is of a temper of spirit easy to be
entreated ; of a facile spirit. And the nature of meek-
ness consists especially in the right moderation of the
passion of anger — the due gracious moderation of the
passion of anger. Those men or women that have
power over themselves to moderate the passion of
their anger, they are meek.
Now there is a natural meekness sometimes, from
the constitution of man's body. Many men are not
so prone to anger naturally as other men are, from
their very temper of body ; others are more choleric
in their very temper. And so there is a natural
meekness that arises from the strength of reason — a
Mat. V. 5.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
71
man that is but a rational man, yet by bis reason
may be able to curb bis anger in great measure. But
this meekness must go beyond these — the natural
meekness from the temper of the body, or that comes
from the strength of reason. And if you would
know how it goes beyond them, you may take it in
these particulars :
First, One that is meek naturally, he is meek in
some outward thing wherein others would be angry ;
but this meekness of his that is but natural, it doth
quench all zeal for God, it doth not stand with the
exercise of the grace of zeal for God. But now
spiritual meekness is such, being a grace of the Holy
Ghost, as there is no opposition to any other grace ;
that is a certain rule. Several vices may be contrary
one to another, yet no grace can be contrary to an-
other grace ; therefore those men that are meek
spirituallj', they are zealous too. They have spiritual
principles in them, which makes them meek and
able to moderate their anger in their own cause ; yet
those principles will make them zealous for God. But
now where the principle of meekness is but natural,
from the constitution of a man's body, or only power
of reason, why, this will quench zeal. Those that are
meek thus, they are not acquainted with the grace of
zeal for God, as it appears plainly. You have some
men and women, you say you cannot anger them — they
will never be angry. It may be their children and
servants do such things as would anger you, but they
are very patient and quiet and meek, and they bear
all. Now it may be you think that this is from
true grace. No ; and you will know it by this, that
their children, when they do anything amiss against
them, they are not angry — no, nor though their chil-
dren sin against God they are not angry. Now this
is no gracious meekness. Grace will teach men and
women to be meek and gentle when they are crossed
themselves, but grace will never teach them to be meek
so as not to be angry when God is dishonoured. You
shall find that those that are in Scripture set out as
the most eminent men for meekness in their own
cause, yet when it comes to God's cause they have
been the most eminent in zeal. As for the example
of Moses, if you read the 12th of Numbers, you shall
find that the Lord doth give that testimony of Moses,
that he was the meekest man upon earth ; but yet
you know the story of Moses, when he came down
from the mount and saw how the cliildren of Israel
had set up an idol, the golden calf, Moses was all on
fire ; and having the tables of stone where the law
was written in his hands, and having received them
from God himself, yet when he saw that idol, he
took those tables and threw them down, and brake
them to pieces in his zeal for God ; yea, and after he
had done that, he stirs up the people to take their
swords and slay their brethren ; and yet Moses was
the meekest man that ever lived upon the face of the
earth. We read of Christ himself, that he propounds
himself as a pattern of meekness : ' Learn of me, tor
1 am meek.' Yet when he comes to the scribes and
pharisees, that were wretched enemies against the
power of godliness, though they made an outward
show, and so seduced the people, in makmg them
believe that all religion did consist in outward forms,
' Woe,' saith he, ' to you scribes and pharisees, hypo-
crites.' He pronounces eight woes against them in
one chapter, Mat. xxiii., and speaks in a most bitter
way. Never did any godly man preach with a greater
bitterness, as I may so speak ; for it was a bitter
anger that Christ had against the scribes and pharisees
in his speaking to them, and yet the meekest mau
that ever was. It was a bitterness of spirit, and you
cannot find more fiery zeal in any against sin than
you find in Jesus Christ. When he came and saw
how they did abuse the house of God, he threw down
the tables of the money-changers, and took cords and
made a whip, and whipped them out of the temple.
' The zeal of God's house ate him up.' And so Paul,
that was very meek, and writes to Timothy to instruct
' with all meekness those that did oppose themselves,'
2 Tim ii. 25 ; yet when Paul did but set his eyes upon
Elymas, that did seek to draw away Sergius PauUus
from the faith, why, ' 0 thou child of the devil, and
full of all subtlety,' Acts xiii. 10. What ! doth any
man speak more terribly than he did to Elymas?
So that this meekness is such as hath a mixture of
zeal : when a man or woman can be meek in their own
cause, can deny themselves in their own cause, and
be able to moderate their anger ; but yet when it
comes to the cause of God, they can there be all on
fire for God — this is the right meekness, the meekness
that here is pronounced to be blessed.
But now this meekness, as it is distinguished from
natural, so we must inquire wherein it consists. Li
the moderation of anger in these six particulars :
As, first, In regard of the object of anger. It is that
gi'ace whereby we come to be enabled to moderate
anger ; that is, first. Not to be angry and froward for
nothing, and so as to be able to give an account of
our anger. Where there is true meekness, the heart
hath so much power, as if I am angry, I am able to
give an account of it.
Secondly, When men are angry for everything ;
Or, thirdly, When they are angry for that that is
good — angry at the good of our brethren, when they
do but their duty ; these are not meek. But now
when the soul hath a command of itself, that I will
not be angry for anything but that I can give au
account of it to God. Indeed many of you when you
are angry, you think you are angry in a rational way,
and when one asks you, Do you well to be angry ?
you can say, Yes, I do well to be angry. But can
72
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 5.
you give such an account of it to God as you do to
men ? Can you say, Lord, I was angry, but it was
no more than thou wouldst have me to be, for it was
upon such and such just grounds that I was angry ?
Many are angry with insensible creatures ; sometimes
a workman angry with his tool, and throws it away ;
and so likewise angry with brute beasts. That is the
first, a moderation of anger in respect of the object ;
not to be angry at anything but that that we may
give an account of to God, and say. Lord, this is the
thing that hath provoked my anger, and thou wouldst
have me, else I would not be angry.
And then, secondly, A moderation of anger in
respect of the time of anger ; that is,
First, That it be not too sudden.
Secondly, That it be not unseasonable.
Thirdly, That it be not lasting. In these three
things meekness doth moderate anger.
First, That it be not sudden. There is nothing
wherein men and women are more sudden than in
the passion of anger ; and there is nothing wherein
tliey should be more deliberate, if there be a thing
wherein there is just cause why you should be angry.
Why, you may be angry an hour hence ; and it were
a good way, where there is anything falls out that
provokes to anger you, first weigh and consider of the
thing, and then, if there be sufficient cause, let out
your anger after. But now, when men and women
are suddenly angry, they have gunpowder spirits that
a little spark puts them all on a fire in an instant, that
one would wonder at the sudden change that is often-
times in many men and women in a family ; all things
are quiet now, and on a sudden all things are in a
hurly-burly.
And then, secondly. That it be not unseasonable,
as now, when you are to perform duties ; oh take
heed of anger then ! Are you to go to prayer ? why,
whatsoever falls out, if you have the grace of meek-
ness, you would so far curb yourselves as to say, Let
passion stay till I have done my prayer. This were
an excellent thing if there were this meekness in
families. Why, when men and their wives and
families, are going to prayer, many times the devil
will lay before you some temptations to provoke
your passion, and he knows that then your prayer is
spoiled if he can but put you into a passion ; why
now, if there be the grace of meekness to overpower
anger, and can make anger to be a servant to you
and not your lord, you frustrate Satan's design then.
Suppose a servant, or neighbour, or child doth other-
wise than they ouglit, yet you can say to anger. Stay
here till I have done prayer, and afterwards I will
consider of you then ; and so when you come to hear
the word. Oh it is a dangerous thing to give way to
passion at any time, but especially upon a Lord's
day I If you be put into a passion then, a ten to one
but you lose the Sabbath; for then your thoughts
are rolling about the wrong that is done to you, and
about thoughts of revenge, and then you will manifest
your displeasure. But now meekness doth moderate
anger, to give one power over one's anger so as it
shall not be unseasonable.
And then, thirdly. Meekness doth moderate anger
in respect of the lastingness of it, that it shall not
last longer than it ought to do. Many men's and
women's anger is like the fire of hell — being once
kindled, it is never quenched ; it is unquenchable as
the fire of hell is ; their dog-days do continue all the
year long. You shall have some men and women, if
anything have fallen out in their families, and they
be got into a fit of jjassion, you shall have them con-
tinue day after day in that fit of passion, so that
sometimes even man and wife will not speak one to
another in two or three days ; this sinful, this far from
meekness. If thou hadst this grace of meekness, it
would say to anger. Thus far shall you go, and no
further. As you can raise it up when you see cause,
so you can keep it down too ; but many times you
know the wind raises up the waves of the sea, and
when the winds are down, yet the waves of the sea
they are all in a broil, and do mightily rise still, and
are very boisterous though the winds are down : so it
is with many, though the cause of their anger be
taken away, yet their anger having been raised, they
are not able to overcome themselves. It is just with
men and women here as with your children, if once
they be displeased, put them into a cry, and though
you give them the thing that they would have, yet
they cannot overcome themselves presently : so it is
with many, they are not lasting in other things, but
in their anger there they last : in any good motion for
God, there they are fickle and inconstant, but their
passion, that holds. Now meekness it doth moderate
anger in regard of the continuance of it.
Fourthly, Meekness doth moderate anger in respect
of the measure of it. Why, if I be angry, I will be angry
no more than needs must. Why so violent, why so
fierce, why so cruel in anger ? as many they know
not how to be angry, but they must be mad. But
now one that hath a meek spirit, he may be angry
sometimes; ay, but his meekness will measure out his
anger — so much anger and no more, after the pro-
portion to that that I am angry for.
And then the fifth is. The ground from whence
anger arises. The ground it is from pride in your
hearts, or from some other lust, or from weakness; but
now meekness of spirit that doth so much moderate
anger, that whensoever I am angry, it shall not be
from my pride, nor lusts, nor weakness. Thus meek-
ness moderates anger.
And then the effects of anger. Oh the woeful, evil
effects that come from the anger of men and women !
Mat. V. 5.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
73
What acts of sin is there committed in one hour,
■when you give way to passions ! There is more sin com-
mitted sometimes by a man or woman in one day,
when they are in a froward, pettish humour, than by
others that are in a meek, quiet humour, for a year,
yea, it may be all their lives. Thou mayest do that
in one day, that it may be may cause thee to repent
all thy life after. Oh, sin is multiplied almost infinitely
when we come to a passion ! Passion and anger doth
heat the lusts that are in the hearts of men and
women, and therefore they are very active in their
sin in the time of a passion — as Moses, when he came
down, in his holy zeal he broke both the tables on
which the law was written ; so we may say that
people in their sinful passion they break both the
tables of the law by their woeful distempers and
sinful actions. "WTiat reviling speeches, what revenge-
ful thoughts, what words and desperate resolutions
are there in the time of anger ! But now, where there
is meekness in the heart, it pulls anger back, and
will not suffer it to proceed in any sinful effects. Nay,
saitli meekness, what hath the Lord given me this
affection in my soul for? is it not for his glory? What!
is it for the producing of such base and sinful effects
as these are ? The Lord forbid it. Oh the evil of
anger ! Oh remember in the days of your humiliation
to be humbled for the wonderful wicked effects of
your sinful anger ! And you that have not matter to
humble your souls before God when you are in
secret, you want matter for prayer, oh do but con-
sider of some fit of anger that you have been in, and
see whether there are not sins enough when you have
been in that to afford matter for your confessions.
And then meekness doth moderate anger in respect
of the end, that when I am angry I will not be angry
for myself. You are angry sometimes, but what
comes of it ? Now a meek heart, when it is angry, it
will look at this. Oh let it be regulated so far as I
may have good of it ; let me have holy ends and lioly
aims in my anger. As now, am I angry with a child ;
why, it is to the end that I might shew such dis-
pleasure against such an offence as that the child
may amend, and that the servant may amend. The
Lord that knows all things, knows that when I do
let out my anger against any man, or woman, or
child, or servant, I do aim at the good of them ; and
did I believe that to be gentle towards them, and not
to manifest my anger, would do them more good, why,
the)' should never see me angry. This should be the
resolution of every godly parent, master, &c. Oh,
' blessed are the meek ;' blessed are they that are thus
meek, that have thus much power to overcome the
passion of their anger — they are blessed. Now I
should have shewn many ways why those who are
thus meek are blessed here, and for ever shall be
blessed. There is as much said of this grace of meek-
ness to set out the blessedness of it, as almost any
grace I know, next to faith itself, that is the great
mother grace.
Why, thou that art meek art like God thy Father.
When God would shew his glory to Moses in Exod.
xsxiii., xxxiv., was not this a great part of his glory,
' The Lord long-suffering and gracious ' ? It is the
glory of the Father to be so.
And it is the glory of Jesus Christ to be so ; for,
saith Christ, ' Learn of me, for I am meek.' Christ
calls out no other grace that he would have his dis-
ciples follow him in but humility and meekness.
Why, blessed Saviour, why dost not thou speak of
those other excellent graces of thine ? Thou hadst
grace without measure, and when thou wouldst have
thy disciples learn of thee, why dost not mention.
Learn confidence of thee, and heavenly-mindedness of
thee, and despising of the world, or any other gi-ace ?
No, saith Christ ; if you would be my disciples, I
would commend this to you — I am humble and
meek. Why, was that the great. commendations of
Christ ? Yes, the Lord Jesus accounted it his glory
to be meek. Do not you account it a dishonour?
Why, is that a dishonour to thee that was an honour
to Jesus Christ ? Shall Jesus Christ reckon it his
glory to be a meek man, and shalt not thou account
it to be thy glory ? Oh blessed be those that are
like God the Father and God the Son !
And they have much of the Spirit of God. What
was the Spirit of God compared to more than meek-
ness ? When the Holy Ghost did appear upon the
head of Jesus Christ, John iii. 16, he did appear in
the form, of a dove. Now they say of the dove it
hath no gall ; it is the emblem of meekness. There-
fore, if thou wouldst be like either Father, Son, or
Holy Ghost, thou must be a man or woman of a
meek and gentle spirit. ' Blessed are those that are
meek,' for they have much of Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost in them. It is very observable that God in
his sacrifices he would not have lions, and tigers, and
such wild creatures to be offered in sacrifice to him,
nor no bu-ds of prey, but he would have the dove and
the pigeon, and the lamb and the sheep ; the Lord
doth regard rather such sacrifices than the froward,
perverse spuits of men. I will give you now but one
scripture for the blessedness of meek spirits. There
are many promises made to those that are meek.
Here is one great one in my text; but for the pre-
sent only this one scripture, that one would think all
those who have found any good by Scripture should
for ever lay upon their hearts to meeken their spirits,
— and especially it is applied to women, for they are
the weaker sex, and passion and anger comes from
weakness. Therefore the Holy Ghost, in 1 Peter iii.
1-3, where he is speaking unto women, exhorting them
shew themselves the daughters of Sarah ; saith
74
BUBROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 5.
' Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own
husbands ; that, if any obey not the word, they also
may without the word be won by the conversation of
the wives; while they behold your chaste. conversa-
tion coupled with fear. Whose adorning, let it not
be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of
wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel.' But
how then ? women are much addicted to these things,
therefore the Holy Ghost mentions these particulars.
But, saith he, ' Let it be the hidden man of the heart,
in that which is not corruptible.' What is that ?
what particular will the Holy Ghost instance in for
the hidden man of the heart ? Even, saith he, ' a
meek and a quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God
of great price.' Give me any scripture that puts such
a commendation upon any particular grace. Indeed
we have in effect other commendations, that come to
as much, of faith, — for that is the great grace of the
covenant by which Christ is made ours, — but for an
explicit expression almost of any grace whatsoever, a
meek and a quiet spirit is of great price with God, or,
as some of your books have it, is much set by. Why
would you have brave clothes and ornaments ? You
account them to be precious ; to have costly laces
and costly dressings and attire — you think to go in
things that are costly. Ay, but what are these to
God ? As if the Holy Ghost should say, H' you have
but the plainest garment you are as acceptable wath
God ; he looks into the inward man. Now to see a
man or woman to have brave clothes, and have a fro-
ward, perverse spirit, oh, such are loathsome to God,
-^God looks upon those as having an ugly dress upon
them. But now though you be never so clothed
outwardly, yet have you a meek and a quiet spu'it,
and that from the grace of the Spirit of God in you ?
Oh, saith the Holy Gho.st, here is an ornament ! this is
of gi-eat price with God ; it is much set by with God ;
oh be in love with it. You use to say when you
have a friend comes to you, If I did but know what
you love I would have it for you. Now women and
others say thus to God : Oh that I did but know
what thou dost love, what God doth most value !
Can you say, as in the presence of God, that if you
did but know what God loved most you would en-
deavour to the uttermost you could that God should
have it? Now behold here what the Holy Ghost'
saith. The Holy Ghost saith this to all women, —
and so it is true of men and women and servants, —
that a meek and a quiet spirit is of great price with
God. Therefore now though you cannot remember
other things, yet go away and conclude I have been
indeed of a froward and pettish temper heretofore, — ■
and oh the sins that I have committed in my fro-
wardness !— but the Lord hath commended meekness
to me. The text saith that they are blessed, and
another scripture saith that it is much set by of
God. Oh the Lord give us meek spirits that we may
be blessed !
SERMON XII.
MEEK PERSONS SUBJECTS FOR CHRIST TO COMFORT.
'Blessed are the meel : for theij shall inhent the earth.'— Mat. v. 5.
God doth not prize the gay things in the world. Gold
and silver and land and possessions and crowns,
what are these to God ? Wherefore the Lord saith
in Isa. xl., that 'all the nations of the earth
are to him but as the drop of the bucket, and as the
small duet of the balance ; nothing, yea, less than no-
thing.' He doth not regard the nations of the world
with all their pomp and glory, but now a meek and
a quiet spirit God prizes ; that is high in God's esteem,
that is worth a great deal with God, though all the
nations of the earth are no more worth than a little
dust is worth. Blessed then is the meek.
We add further, Blessed is the meek, for they are
the subjects that Christ is anointed by the Father to
comfort, to preach glad tidings to. Surely then they
are blessed. I say, Christ, as he is anointed by the
Father to preach the gospel to the poor, and to
those that mourn, so unto the meek ; in Isa. Ixv.,
' The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the
Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the
Mat. V. 5.]
BITRROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
75
meek.' The truth is, they are sad and disconsolate ;
therefore in the forefront Christ is designed by the
Father to preach good tidings to ther meek, and there-
fore they must needs be blessed that the Father hath
sent Christ unto to preach good tidings.
And then, thirdly, Surely they are blessed ; for
this meekness, or ability to moderate and order anger,
God himself accounts it his own glory, therefore it
must needs put a glory upon those that are meek.
In Exod. xxxiv. C, where God would shew his glory,
this is among the rest, ' The Lord, the Lord God,
merciful and gracious, long-suffering.' That he is
able to moderate his anger when he is provoked, and
to be long-suffering with men, that is the glory of
the Father.
Yea, and it is the glory of Christ. In Psalm
xlv. you have a prophetical psalm of Christ, setting
him out in his glory. And observe, when the Holy
Ghost would set out Christ in his glory, what he
saith of him : ' Thou art fairer than the children of
men : grace is poured into thy lips ; therefore God
hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon thy
thigh, 0 most mighty, with thy glory and thy
majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously,
because of truth and meekness.' Here is the majesty
of Christ set out, and his glory; and meekness is one
thing that is made that puts the glory and majesty
upon Christ. Therefore blessed are the meek.
And then for the Holy Ghost. You know that he
appears in the likeness of a dove, wliich, they say,
hath no gall, which is an emblem of meekness ; so
that the meek have that that is the glory of the
Father, the glory of the Son, and the glory of the
Holy Ghost upon them. Blessed, then, are the
meek.
Again, further. Blessed are the meek ; for meek-
ness it is an argument of their election. It is a fruit
of God's eternal love to them, of God's electing love.
Wherever there is true Christian meekness, we may
conclude that that soul was thought upon from all
eternity by God, elected unto eternal life. In Col.
iii. 12 — you that are acquainted with Scripture, you
cannot but know these things — ' Put on therefore, as
the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and long-
suft'ering, as the elect of God.' That as if the apostle
should say. Would you make it appear that you are
the elect of God, put on then tlie bowels of mercy and
kindness and meekness. It is not an argument that
a man is the elect of God because he hath means
coming in, because he hath excellent parts of nature
and honours in the world, and because he gets a great
deal of money ; this is no argument of God's elec-
tion. But meekness and loving-kindness and long-
suffering, these are the things that are the fruit even
of election.
And then the meek they are blessed, because
meekness it is a special fruit of the Holy Ghost in
the hearts of the saints, and an argument of the
Holy Ghost's dwelling there. In Gal. v., you
have there the most fuU setting out of the fruits
of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit that I know
in all the book of God. Now mark, in the fruits of
the flesh you shall find anger and wrath ; and when
he comes to set out the fruits of the Spirit, there saith
he in the 22d verse, ' But the fruits of the Spu-it are
love, joy, peace, long-sufl'ering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance ; against such there is
no law.' You shall find in setting forth the fruits of
the Spirit, though there be many words, yet the most
of them are but as it were synonnmas of meekness.
As now the fruit of the Spirit is love ; you know a
meek spirit and a loving spirit have great likeness
one to another. And joy, there is none have of that
sweetness of spirit as meek ones ; and peace, they are
those that are of peaceable dispositions, and long-
sufl'ering, and gentleness, and goodness ; and then he
comes with meekness. The truth is, in these there is
meekness ; but all these words are here mentioned by
the Holy Ghost on purpose to set out the excellency
of this grace of meekne.?s ; therefore he uame§ so
many graces that are so near akin to this grace of
meelcness. And as kinsmen look one like another,
so do these graces that are so near akin, and this is
the fruit of the Spirit. Passion and anger is the
fruit of the flesh, the fruit of the devil in the heart ;
but meekness is the fruit of the Spirit. Therefore
blessed are the meek.
And then meekness it hath in it magnanimity ; it
argues a magnanimous spirit to be of a meek and
quiet spirit. Men do think that their passion and
frowardness doth argue them to be of brave spirits, of
jolly spirits ; and no men do pride themselves more
in the bravery of their spirits than froward people,
especially in the time of their passion. But certainly
a meek spirit is the most brave spirit in the world ;
and that is the judgment of the Holy Ghost in Prov.
xvi. 32, ' He that is slow to anger is better than the
mighty ; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that
taketh a city.' Why, what greater bravery and
magnanimity is there than in soldiers when they
come to take cities ; and men that are full of courage,
we account them to be men of brave and excellent
spirits. Ay, but would you know who are the men
and women that the Lord looks upon as the most
brave and excellent spirits ; they are the meek ones :
' He that is slow to wrath is better than the mighty ;
and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a
city.' It may be thou thinkest thou canst do no
great service for God ; others are employed in great
and brave works, and do much in a httle time ; but
canst thou rule thy spirit with this grace of meek-
76
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 5.
ness, it is a more brave exploit, and more honour-
able in the e3'e of God, than if thou wert able to
overcome a city. Surely there is much spoken of
this grace in Scripture to shew how blessed they are.
And then meekness we find it much the walk-
ing worthy of our calling ; in Eph. iv., those that
are called to partake of the grace of the gospel,
they never walk so worthy of it as in this grace
of meekness : ' I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,
beseech you that you walk worthy of the voca-
tion wherewith you are called.' Now how should
we walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are
called ? The Lord hath called you out of your na-
tural estate, out of darkness into light, and he would
have you walk worthy of this calling. Oh, saith a
poor soul, how is it possible for such a poor creature
as I am to walk worthy of such a glorious calling ?
What ! for the Lord to let others to go on in the way
of sin and death, and to call me out of that way to
the kingdom of bis dear Son, what can I do to walk
worthy of this calling ? If there were anything in
the world wherein I might testify my walking worthy
of this glorious mercy of God to me, I would do it.
Why, would you fain walk worthy of your calling?
mark what follows in ver. 2, ' With all lowliness
and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one an-
other in love.' Here is the way to walk wortlty of
our calling ; it is the way of walking worthy of all
mercies, of God's delivering of us from our bondage,
when we can in ' meekness and lowliness, and long-
suffering, forbear one another.' This is the walking
worthy of our calling.
Now I come to that which I have here in the text :
' For they shall inherit the earth.'
It is as strange a promise as any we have in Scrip-
ture ; as much against carnal reason as anything
almost in all the book of God. ' Blessed are the
meek.' Ay, you will say, they are blessed ; they may
get to heaven when they die, but they are like to
suffer a great deal of wrong while they live. Nay, if
we do put up wrongs, and bear with others that do
us injuries, we may have wrongs enough, and we may
quickly lose all that ever we have ; this is the reason-
ing of a carnal heart. But Jesus Christ, if you dare
trust him, he professes that of all men in the world the
meek are those that shall inherit the earth — it shall
be better with them in the earth than with other men.
Now you will say. Can that make them blessed,
that they shall inherit the earth ?
To that the answer is : Yes, that way of in-
heritance of the earth is a great blessedness, and
a certain argument of a man blessed by God, not
because he shall have riches in the earth, but he
shall inherit it as a child of God, he shall have the
right unto the things of the earth as an heir. Men
may have the things of the earth by a donation from
God's bounty, and so I do not think they are
usurpers of what they have ; God gives it them as a
prince or judge should give a malefactor somewhat
to maintain him for his diet two or three days after
the sentence of death till he comes to be executed.
Now he doth not usurp his meat that he doth eat,
for it is given him freely. So wicked men they have
the things of this earth in that way given them by
donation to live ; though the sentence of death be
upon them, and though they have ferfeited all the
comforts of this world, it is given them, but they do
not inherit. They have not that right to the things
of this earth as they are co-heu's with Jesus Christ.
Now this is a blessed thing to have all our right
restored in Christ, even in the things of this earth,
and to have it upon such a tenure. Certainly this
love of God comes from the same fountain from,
whence Jesus Christ himself came, though the things
that are enjoyed are but outward in themselves.
Those that have the care of God, the fatherly care
of God, upon them here in this world to supply their
wants, to help them in all their necessities, that have
the inlluences of the love of God let out into them
through all the comforts of the creature, that they
can see God's love in them, and that have all things
here in this earth sanctified unto them for the fur-
therance of their eternal good, ' blessed are they, for
they shall inherit the earth.'
And there are some things else that we find in
Scripture that Christ intends to his saints here upon
the earth; for the Scripture tells us there shall be new
heavens and new earth — not only new heavens, but
new earth, wherein dwells righteousness. And so
this blessedness may be fulfilled at that day when
the new earth shall be : and in Rev. v. 10, ' And
hast made us unto our God kings and priests ; and
we shall reign on the earth.' I will not meddle with
that matter of controversy about this, but take the
words of Scripture as they lie. There is certainly a
reigning of the saints upon the earth some way or
other, for the Scri|)ture holds it out in so many
words, it is so. Why then those that are meek ones
they shall have a great share in this reigning with
Christ, even upon the earth.
Ay, but why meek ones rather than others ?
Why, all God's people shall have one inheritance
here in this world. It is said of Abraham, in Rom.
iv., that be was ' the heir of the world ;' and so all
the seed of Abraham doth inherit Abraham's inherit-
ance, and every one of them is an heir of the world
here as well as of heaven. But why the meek ones?
Surely there is a special connexion between this
promise of inheriting the earth and meekness. That
I will shew you in divers particulars. As,
First, Because those that are meek, they are not
given so to wrangling as other men are ; they love to
Mat. V. 5.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
77
be quiet, and so by that means they enjoy their
estates more comfortably here upon the earth. Men
and women that are froward and passionate, and love
wrangling and suing and lawing, many times they
rend their estates, and squander away a fair inherit-
ance that their parents have left them. There are
many men of such disposition, as that for a good
use, for the maintenance of the gospel, they would
grudge at five shillings ; yet to have their wills in
a way of law upon their neighbours they care not
though they spend a hundred pounds ; yes, five
hundred pounds. Do not you often hear them say,
Well, I will have my will though it cost me a brace
of hundred pounds ? Oh thou art a resohite, froward
fool. But didst thou ever say. We will have the gospel
set up among us whatsoever it cost us ? For a good
use nothing comes from thee but as it were thy
heart-blood, but now for thy will thou canst spend.
Well, many times God lets thee do so, and yet it may
be thou hast not thy will neither ; but now a meek one
saves all this, and so comes to live a great deal better
here in the earth ; and that is the first thing wherein
meek ones have the advantage here of the earth.
And then, secondly, That they have, though it be
but a little, yet they have it with quietness and com-
fort. Now ' a dish of green herbs is better with peace
and quietness, than a stalled ox where there is con-
tention.' Why, a poor man and his wife, that sits
but at a stool, and hath but a little piece of bread
and small-beer, and yet live sweetly together and
meekly, why, they enjoy more comfort in this earth
than your great men do that have great tables, but
yet are froward ; when their diet is brought up to
their table, why, this meat is not well dressed, and
this bread is not well baked, and this servant doth
thus and thus ! Men that have a great deal of busi-
ness in the world, and have froward spirits, why, they
enjoy nothing at quiet of all they have ; but now the
meek ones, though they have but a little, yet they
have it with comfort, with peace and quiet, and so
they may be said to inherit the earth rather than
others ; the truth is, you do not enjoy the things of
the world any further than you do with quiet.
Thirdly, Meek ones surely they shall inherit the
earth, because meekness is such a beautiful grace that
nobody will harm. Who will harm you if you follow
that which is good ? Such as live meekly and quietly
in a family, everybody will be ready to maintain
their cause ; and so they come to have benefit here in
the earth rather than others.
Fourthly, The meek shall inherit the earth. Why,
those that are meek they are more drawing than
others ; as, for instance, if you should want a servant
into your family, whom would you inquire for ? would
not you have a man or maid-servant to be of a meek
and quiet spirit ? And if you hear that they are of a
froward, passionate spirit. Oh, say you, they shall not
come into my house, and so you lose your good ser-
vice by that means ; and another servant that is of a
meek and quiet spirit. Nay, saith a master or mistress,
I will have this servant though I give them more
wages. Now here you see how the meek come to
inherit the earth rather than other. Why, if a man
be to seek a wife, one of the first qualities that he
will look after is to see whether she be of a meek
spirit ; and if she be not, let her have what she will
else, she is oftentimes rejected ; but now let them be
of meek and quiet spirits, though their portion be the
less, yet they are accepted : so that meekness helps in
the things of this earth. If a man were travelling,
he would rather lie in an inn where the host and ser-
vants are of quiet spirits, than in another place where
they are not ; meekness doth much advantage the
inheriting of the earth even in these things.
Fifthly, Wherever there is meekness, there the soul
doth give up its cause to God ; whatsoever wrongs a
meek man hath here in this world, he doth interest
God in liis cause, and by that means he comes to
enjoy a great blessing in this earth. I beseech you
mind this : I say a meek man is said to inherit the
earth more than another, because his spirit comes to
be so ordered that whatsoever wrongs he suffers in
the world, he can keep his heart quiet, and by that
means can interest God in his cause, and when you
have once interested God in your cause, you are like
to do well enough. As now sometimes when men
cannot get some debts, if they can make the debt to
be the king's, they could get it that way a great deal
better than any other way. So now is there any
cause that thou wouldst fain have success in here in
this earth ? It may be thou wUt be wrangling and
quarrelling thyself, and think to get it by thy own
strength, and making of friends ; this will not do it, a
hundred to one but thou wilt miscarry. But now if
thou canst with meekness give it up to God, turn it
over to God, and interest God in this cause, certainly
then thou wilt have success in it, and so thou wilt
come to have thy mind and will even here in this
world. I will give you an excellent scripture for this ;
in Num. xii., you have Moses commended there for
the meekness of his spirit : ' And the man Moses was
very meek above all the men that were upon the face
of the earth,' I remember Ambrose saith concernino-
Moses, that all his great works did not make him so
honourable as his meekness did ; and Chrysostom
gives the reason why God would speak face to face
with Moses rather than with any other — it was be-
cause of his extraordinary meekn«ss ; and ihe Jews
have this tradition, that when Moses was to die, God
came to him and embraced liim, and sucked out bis
soul. However the tradition is, the soul is very dear
to God, and if ever God vvould cbaw a soul out such
78
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 5.
a way, it would be the soul of Moses. And now see
how he doth interest God in a great cause, and how
God doth take it. We shall find in this chapter that
Moses had a great deal of wrong done him ; it is said
that Miriam and Aaron spake against ]\Ioses, be-
cause of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married,
and tliey said, ' Hath the Lord spoken only by Moses ? '
&c. ; ' And the Lord heard it,' saith the text. They
came and wrangled with Moses : What is this Moses ?
As if they should say, What ! hath the Lord spoken to
Moses alone ? he would take all upon himself, and
he would lift up himself above others. Ay, but
Moses is but an ordinary man as others are, and hath
married an Ethiopian woman, and so they spake
against Moses. But now you do not hear that Moses
began to exclaim against them, and cry out against
them. No; but ' the man Moses was very meek above
all the men that were upon the face of the earth.'
Mark, now, how this meekness did interest God in
his cause : And ' the Lord spake suddenly unto
Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out
ye three unto the tabernacle.' The Lord spake sud-
denly; he breaks, as it were, forth from heaven. As if
God should say. What ! is that servant Moses, that
meek servant of mine, wronged? I will quickly appear
for him. Mark, Moses was not sudden in passion,
and therefore God was sudden. You are very sudden
in your passion and anger, but if you would be less
sudden in avenging yourselves, God would be more
sudden in appearing for you. The Lord spake sud-
denly, ' Come out you three to the tabernacle of the
congregation:' come out; I will judge the cause,
saith the Lord. Then it follows in the 5th verse,
' And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud,
and stood in the door of the tabernacle ' — the Lord
comes down from heaven to right his meek servant
Moses — ' and called Aaron and Miriam, and they
both came forth.' Just as if a father that hath his
children wrangling one with another, he calls those
that did the wrong. Well, stand you forth. Then
mark ; 'And he said. Hear now my words : If there be
a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself
known unto him in a vision, and will spealc unto him
in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faith-
ful in all my house.' Mark, in the 2d verse, ' And
they said, Hath the Lord spoken only by Moses? hath
he not spoken also by us?' Moses doth not come
and tell them. Well, God hath spoken by others, but
not so as by me ; no, Moses doth not so. But now
mark, God saith, ' If there bo a prophet, I will speak
to him in a dream, and vision, but my servant Moses
is not so ;' now mark how God takes the part of a
meek servant of his : ver. 8, ' With him will I speak
mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark
speeches, and the similitude of the Lord shall he be-
hold : wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak
against my servant Moses?' then ver. 9, 'And the
auger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he
departed.' Moses when he was -wronged he was
the meekest man upon the earth ; his passion is
not stirred, but God's auger is stirred. The less
the anger of Moses is stirred, the more is the anger
of God stirred for him to vindicate him in his
cause. You think, Oh how others WTong you,
and your anger is stu-red presently. Ay, but you
do not interest God in the cause by this means ;
whereas if you were but meek, God's anger would be
kindled for you ; and do you not think that the
anger of God being kindled against those that do you
wrong will sooner right your cause than when your
own anger is kindled? And so I find that when David,
in Ps. xxxviu. 13, had wrong, and yet was very meek
in his wrong, God was interested in the business. He
complains of his wrong before : ' My lovers and my
friends stand aloof from my sore ; and my kinsmen
stand afar off. They also that seek after my life lay
snares for me ; and they that seek my hurt speak mis-
chievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.'
Well, was David's spirit stirred now in anger and
frowardness ? No ; laut, saith he, ' I as a deaf man
heard not ; and I was as a dumb man that openeth
not his mouth.' Though they did speak mischievous
things against me, I as a dumb man opened not my
mouth. And mark in the 14th verse, ' Thus I was
as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth
there are no reproofs;' but then in the 15th verse,
' For in thee, 0 Lord, do I hope : thou wilt hear, O
Lord my God.' Here is the reason that made him
so meek : 0 Lord, saith he, when they thus spake
agiXinst me and wi'onged me, I was as a deaf man,
and I heard not ; I opened not my mouth : and the
reason why I did not was because T had a God to
trust in. 0 you that are carnal indeed, and know
not the way of God, when you are angry you have
nothing to help you but the raising of the passion of
your auger. Ay, but a saint of God hath something
else to help him : saith he, ' I did hope in thee, O
Lord, thou wilt hear.' Mark, I heard not, but. Lord,
I hope in thee that thou wilt hear. The less thou
dost hear when thou art wronged, the more will God
hear. Oh that we had but such a spirit as the ser-
vants of God had in former times. Moses and David
here, oh how do they interest God in the cause !
Sixthly, The meek shall have blessings here upon
the earth because there are so many gracious pro-
mises ; besides this, made to them of very great mercy
that will help them even in the earth. This promise
that you have here, it is in Ps. xxxvii. 11. It is a
promise that was in the time of the law ; and mark,
Christ would shew that the entail is not cut olf, it is
renewed again in the gospel, though the promise of
outward things in other places are but in the general,
Mat. V. 5.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES,
79
that godliness hath the promise of this life, yet
Christ will single out particular promises for the
meek ones. In Ps. xxv. 9, ' The meek,' saith the
text, ' will he guide in judgment, and the meek will
he teach his way.' Oh what a promise is here I it is
worth all your estates. If you were but acquainted
with Scripture, you would account this promise worth
thousands. Give me one scripture -where the qualifi-
cation of the subject is named in so few words twice ;
the Lord loves the subject here, as if he delighted to
have the very name in his mouth. He doth not say.
The meek will he guide in judgment, and teach him
his way, but the Lord loves to have the name iir his
mouth ; Oh the meek, the meek, twice together, I
love him, and I will guide him in judgment, and
teach him his way. Now this promise, it is to be
understood of guiding in judgment and teaching a
man his way in anything ; as, for instance, suppose a
man hath an outward business befallen him in this
world that hath a great deal of difficulty in it, so that
he knows not what in the world to do to extricate
himself out of the way. A meek spirit when he is
in straits, the first thing he labours to do is this, to
quiet his spirit in reposing him on God, and then
when he hath quieted his spirit he looks up to the
promise. Lord, hast not thou said, the meek wilt thou
guide in judgment, thou wilt not leave him to his
own thoughts, to bis own spirit; the counsel of the
froward is carried headlong, but the meek wilt thou
guide in judgment. Thou hast a promise that God
will guide thee to order any affairs in the world, if
thou canst but overcome thy passion ; and there is
nothing will help a man more for understanding and
judgment than meekness and quietness ; therefore in
Prov. xvii. 27, ' He that hath knowledge spareth his
words, and a man of understanding is of an excellent
spirit.' But in the original it is, a man of under-
standing is of a cool spirit. Men that are of hot
spirits, hot-brained men, hot-spirited men, they
think they have understanding more than others ;
but the Holy Ghost saith otherwise^ — the man of un-
derstanding is of a cool spirit. There is a great
advantage that meekness hath even in a natural way
to help a man's spirit, but much more when there is
a promise too that he will teach them. There are
many other promises in Scripture tending to the
tha same thing. In Ps. Ixxvi. 9, ' When God arose
to judgment to save all the meek of the earth.'
When God comes to arise to judgment abroad in the
world, the Lord doth not care for froward spirits. Let
them go, saith God, those whose spirits are upon
every little occasion set on fire ; but when God arises
to judgment he will be sure to look to the meek ones.
And then in Ps. cxlix. 4, ' For the Lord taketh plea-
sure in his people ; he will beautify the meek with
salvation.' Meekness is a beautiful grace, and the
Lord will beautify the meek with salvation ; and in
Isa. xxix. 19 there is a promise to the same effect;
but tliat one more in Zeph. ii. 1, 2, there is a notable
promise when there shall be times of common cala-
mity. ' Gather yourselves together, yea, gather to-
gether, 0 nation not desired ; before the decree bring
forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the
fierce anger of the Lord come upon ynu, before the
day of the Lord's anger come upon you.' Then
mark, ver. .3, ' Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the
earth, which have wrought his judgments; seek
righteousness, seek meekness : it may be ye shall be
hid in the day of the Lord's anger.' You will say,
Through God's mercy I find I have some power over
my passion. Ay, but mark, are you meek? seek the
Lord then, and seek meekness still, and then it may
be 'you shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger ;'
as if the Holy Ghost should say. If there be any man
in the world hid, you may be he. Oh these are the
men that are public blessings in the places where they
live. The prayers of the meek ones shall prevail with
God, not the prayers of the froward. When you that
are froward come to seek God, why, you cannot lift
up your hands without wrath and without doubting ;
but seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth. Oh
the promises that God hath made to those that are
the meek ones in the earth! and all these tend to the
strengthening of this great promise that is here, ' The
meek shall inherit the earth,'
Now the main thing that hath been spoken hath
been but in way of explication, to shew you how this
promise is made good, ' that the meek shall inherit
the earth.' But now we shall come to the applica-
tion of it. This meekness is like our salt, that in
everything we have some need of it to season our
lives ; the lives of men and women are unsavoury in
the places where God hath set them, because of the
want of this grace of meekness.
80
BURROUGHS ON THE BK.\TITUDES.
[Mat. v. 5.
SERMON XIII.
A REPREHENSION OF PROFESSORS THAT ARE NOT MEEIL
' Blessed are the meek : for tlifi/ shall inlierit the earth' — il
We shall now come to the application, -whicli I in-
tend but in two particulars. The reprehension of
those that profess themselves disciples of Christ, and
yet we cannot see the stamp of the Spirit of Christ
upon them ; in this particular, in regard of meekness,
we have cause to draw buckets of tears to bewail, and
to quench, if it were possible, the fire of the passion
of men's spirits. And those that I shall direct myself
to, shall be such as profess themselves willing to be
Christ's disciples, to hear Christ, for it is Christ's
sermon, and he directed himself to his disciples in
this sermon. And it is no marvel to see men who are
carnal, who are led by an earthly spirit, for them to
be froward, passionate, and proud ; but for those that
are godly to be so, this is that that goes very near to
the Spirit of God. It is made a special argument
against passion and frowardness, and so for meek-
ness, because otherwise the Spirit of Christ would be
grieved. In Eph. iv. 30, ' And grieve not the Holy
Spirit of God, -whereby you are sealed.' Why, what
will grieve it ? what should we take heed of, that we
may not grieve the Spirit of God? Mark in ver. 31,
' Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and evil-
speaking, be put away from you, with all mahce :
and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, for-
giving one another, even as God for Christ's sake
hath forgiven you.' The giving way to passion and
frowardness will grieve the Spirit of God. You that
ever have found any good by the Spirit of God in
your hearts, take heed of frowardness ; labour for
meekness and kindness, that the Spirit of God may
delight in you, for that is very suitable to the Sjjirit
of God, that is a dove. I confess I had some thoughts
to speak of the vain pleas that many have for their
passion and frowardness ; but I consider for that, if
God gives life and liberty, in going on in the hand-
ling of this sermon of Christ, I shall meet with that
again in the 22d verse of this chapter, ' I say unto
you, Whosoever is angry with his brother without a
cause shall be in danger of the judgment.' There-
fore I leave those things to that place. But now this
one thing only in this use of reprehension, and that
AT. v. 5.
is to labour to shew those that profess themselves
saints, that frowardness, want of meekness, it is that
that is as much contrary to true grace as almost any
corruption that can be named, which it may be they
little think of. They think they have angry and
passionate natures, they are somewhat hasty, but
they are delivered from other corruptions that men
do wallow in. Know that a hasty, froward spirit, a
spirit that is not commanded by this grace of meek-
ness, so far as it prevails, it is as contrary unto true
grace almost as anything you can think of ; and
truly there may be a great deal of suspicion whether
there be true grace or no in those that have not,
in some measure, this meekness prevailing in them,
but rather passion and frowardness. As thus.
First, Frowardness and anger is contrary to true
grace ; for what is it that grace doth in the heart
when it first comes ? The first thing is to shew unto
the soul its own vileness, its own wretchedness and
baseness by sin, and the danger that it is in through
sin. Now how contrary to this is a froward, pas-
sionate heart, to the sight of its own vileness and
baseness. What ! dost thou see thyself to be a vile,
base, sinful worm, and yet canst bear nothing that is
against thee, but presently thy heart is in a flame if
anything come cross to thee ? Surely thou knowest not
thyself. And,
Secondly, The first lesson that Christ teaches any
that comes into his school, it is the lesson of self-denial ;
that is the ABC of a Christian : ' Whosoever will
follow me let him deny himself.' Now how contrary
is a froward, passionate spirit to the grace of self-
denial, which is the A B C of a Christian, the very
first lesson that Christ doth teach any that come into
his school ! Wilt thou come to learn of me ? let that
be the foundation of alL You must deny yourselves,
you must not be set upon your own mind, and own
will, and own thoughts, so as you have been. Ay, but
now there is no such self-seeker as a froward heart.
What is it that raises passion, but because I con-
ceive myself to be crossed ? I am crossed in my own
will, and that I would have ; whereas did but self-
Mat. V. 5.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
81
denial prevail in the least, there would be way for
meekness presently.
Thirdly, When grace comes into the heart, doth it
not discover to the heart the inlinite need it stands
in of mercy ? I lie at the feet of mercy, at the dis-
pose of mercy, and if mercy comes not in to save me,
I am undone for ever. Now, how doth this stand
with thy sight or sense and need of mercy, that art
of a froward disposition, and canst bear nothing with
others, and yet confessest thou staudest in so much
need of mercy thyself ?
Fourthly, When grace comes into the heart it brings
the heart into subjection unto God, unto another
rule than it walked by before. That is a principal work
of grace, to subdue the heart of a sinner to God. The
hearts of sinners are naturally stout and rebellious
against God, and go on in a stubborn way till grace
comes and lays them under. But now this is quite
contrary to frowardness and passion. A froward
heart would indeed be above God and any rule what-
soever ; it cannot keep itself under and lie in subjec-
tion unto rule ; and hence is the reason that froward
and passionate people use to have such expressions, I
will, and I will, and I care not ; their hearts are not
subdued to the authority of God. The heart that is
subdued to the Lord and to his authority, come and
bring it but a scripture, it yields presently; but a fro-
ward spirit i.3 not so. Hov^ contrary is frowardness
to true grace !
Fifthly, As soon as ever there comes any grace,
there comes in the spirit of Jesus Christ to the soul.
That makes the soul, in some measure, to be like unto
Jesus Christ. Now the spirit of Christ, as I shewed
you in the opening the excellency of meekness the
last day, it is a spirit of meekness : ' Learn of me, for
I am meek.' Now this frowardness of thine being
opposite so much to the spirit of Jesus Christ, it
is opposite to the work of grace.
Sixthly, Grace, when that comes in, it brings light
into the soul, it brings wisdom to the soul, and guides
it wisely. Naturally, we are foolish as well as dis-
obedient, we are darkness itself ; but now there is
no disposition of soul that is in greater and thicker
darkness than froward and passionate people. Passion
doth exalt folly ; such a soul is not guided by wisdom,
and therefore very contrary to the work of grace.
Again, seventhly, You know the promise of the
gospel, it is to meeken spirits, to meeken men. AYhen
tlie gospel comes, then the wolf and the lamb shall
lie down together — those that were of wolfish spirits ;
and the lion and the ox shall eat together ; there shall
be a great deal of peace, love, and quietness, where
the gospel comes. Now, then, that which is contrary
to the work of the gospel is contrary to the work
of grace in the heart. How hath the gospel been
fulfilled then, if it hath come into thy soul, to cause
a quietness in the heart, and there is none ? I
beseech you that profess godliness, to consider there
is more danger in a froward, passionate spirit than
you are aware of ; and though you may think, because
you make profession, and come to hear the word, and
spend a great deal of time in prayer and fasting
and longing after ordinances — you think now that
certainly you have grace ; but you may be mistaken,
the frowardness of your hearts may be your bane
eternally. We read of Moses, though he be com-
mended to be the meekest man that ever lived upon
the earth, yet one froward, passionate act of his shut
him out of Canaan ; though in the whole course
of his life he was so meek that God commends him
to be the meekest of all, yet shut out of Caanan for
one act. Canaan, you know, was a type of heaven ;
though Moses was pardoned so as he was received to
heaven, yet as for Canaan God would not Iiearken to his
prayer, but would take that advantage of him to shew
his displeasure against that act of his of passion,
and shut him out of Canaan. Take heed lest that
froward heart of yours shut you out of heaven
eternally. You mightily cry out of those that are
drunkards ; you are no such, and you think that
cannot stand with grace — they are shut out of the
kingdom of heaven. Why should there not be as
much danger in a drunken passion, as in drunken-
ness by beer or wine ? Certainly the drunkenness
that comes by passion doth cause often as many,
as great sins as that that comes by wine or beer.
You would think it a foul thing if it could be said that
once a year you should be overcome with drunken-
ness. Oh, how often have you been drunk with
passion ! and that drunkenness may be as grievous to
the Spirit of God as if you were drunken otherwise,
by beer or wine ; and therefore look upon it as a
greater evil than you are aware of.
But we proceed to the use of exhortation.
Blessed are the meek. Let us all learn to be of
meek and quiet spirits. I remember in the sixth of
Numbers it is said of the Nazarites, that they must
drink no wine ; so the text saith, they must drink
no vinegar neither. The Nazarites were a people
separated for God — from thence they had their name,
from separation — and all the saints of God they are
Nazarites. As Christ was a Nazarite, so all that are
Christ's are Nazarites — are separated for God's people,
separated from others : the Lord separates the godly
man for himself. Now this is the law upon all
Nazarites : they must drink no vinegar — that i--,
they must not be of vinegar spirits, of sour spirits,
but must be of quiet spirits, of loving and meek
spirits. It concerns us all, especially those that are
inferiors, that they should be of meek spirits towards
their superiors; those that are under afflictions,
bodily or spiritual, they should be of meek and
82
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 5.
quiet spirits. It is unbeseeming any to be of a fro-
ward, passionate heart, but especially those that are
'inder afflictions. The Lord sends afflictions upon
thee to humble thee, and to meeken thee; and if
thou beest not meek now, when wilt thou be meek ?
We ought to be meek towards our brethren, towards
one another, and to be meek towards neighbours.
There are many that are so used to frowardness and
passion towards their servants, their children, or
wives, that even when they have to deal with God
himself they shew themselves froward and passionate
then too. My brethren, let us learn to be in love with
this amiable and lovely grace of meekness. And all
that I intend to do therefore in this use, it shall be to
propound unto you some various waj's or helps whereby
youmaycometoget a habit of meekness, to behave your-
selves meekly and gently in the places where you live,
that so this promise may be made yours, that you are
the blessed ones of Christ, and shall inherit the earth.
In the first place. If you would have meek spirits,
learn to set a high price upon the quiet and sweet-
ness of your spirits. Set a high price upon it; account
it to be a rich jewel of great worth, as we told you
that God accounted the meek spirit to be of great
price. It is one way to get it, to have a right esteem
of the rest of spirit and quietness that meekness will
cause in the soul. We may say of it as Tertullus
the orator said to Felix, By thee we enjoy much
quietness ; there is many good things done by thee,
and by thee we enjoy much quietness. By meekness
there is much quietness enjoyed in the heart ; there-
fore saith Christ, ' Learn of me, who am humble and
meek, and you shall find rest to your souls.' There
is rest. Put a high price upon the rest and quiet of
your spirits. Say as the fig-tree did. Should I lose my
sweetness, and come and reign over you ? — when a
temptation comes to passion, .Shall I lose the sweet-
ness that I have had in my spirit, to have my will in
6uch and such a thing? Through God's mercy I have
found this, that when I have been able to overcome my
passion I have had the sweetest time that ever I have
had in all my life. When I could deny myself, and
exercise meekess, oh the quiet of my heart ! it was
worth a world ; and shall I lose this for a trifle now,
for a toy? Oh the poor trifles and toys that men and
women do cast away the quietness of their sj)irits for,
as if they were nothing worth ! If a man had a golden
ball in his hand, and any in the street should cast
dirt upon him, would it not be accounted a folly in
Iiim to throw his golden ball at them again that cast
dirt upon him, to revenge himself that way ? Truly
thus you do, you that have any of this grace of
meekness in your hearts, and ever have had any
quietness through the exercise of this grace. Now
there comes a temptation ; such a one doth things
displeasing to you, and crosses your will, how do you
revenge yourselves ? You cast this golden ball away
upon them — that is, the quietness and meekness of
your spirits, you lose this upon them. Account it
at a high rate, and therefore lose it not for a little.
That is the first rule.
A second rule to help us against passion, from the
exercise of meekness and quietness. It is often to
covenant with God, yet in the strength of Christ ;
and though it be but for a little time, as thus, why
may you not covenant thus with God, you that find
that you are overcome in your passion, and you
say you are troubled for them, and would fain get
victory over them to the exercise of this grace of
meekness, why may you not, when you rise in the
morning, thus bethink yourselves. Why, it is like
this day there may fall somewhat out that may stir
my passion, and take away the comfort of meekness
that I have had ; well, I will covenant, (through
God's enabling of me,) now this day that, whatever
shall befall me this day, I will be quiet tiU night at
least. I will bear it but till that time, and upon
this consideration, that if there be any cause for me
to be stirred and angry, I may be stirred and angry
afterwards for it, and I may right myself as well
afterwards as this day; but for this day I am re-
solved that I vi'ill set myself to curb my passion and
my will for this one day. And if you think that be
too long, do it but till noon ; to resolve that from this
time till noon, whatever befalls me, I will manifest
no passion, but I will rather take it into considera-
tion after noon, or the next day, than now. One
would think this were not impossible for a man,
though of a very hasty spirit, yet to be resolved for
one day that, whatever falls out, to bear -with it that
day. But you will say, this will not mortify that
corruption of jsassion. But though it will not mortify
it, yet you cannot imagine what power there will bo
in keeping down j'our passion but for a while. As fire,
we know if it be but smothered it may be put out
that way ; and that man or woman that can but
overcome themselves for one day, will find such sweet-
ness that day that they will begin to think with
themselves. Why may not I covenant for to-morrow
too? And then they will find so much sweetness for
that day, they will think they may resolve for the
next day. Oh, if you could but overcome yourselves
for a day, you find so much good as it would ex-
ceedingly help you against another day.
But thirdly, This covenanting will not be suffi-
cient, except there be humiliation for that that is
past. Those that only resolve to set upon a duty,
and are not humbled for the want of the duty before,
they are like to do little good by their resolutions.
You must therefore, if you would ovei'come your-
selves, and set upon anything that God requires of
you, you must be humbled for that that is past.
Mat. V. 5.]
BURROUGHS OX THE BEATITUDES.
83
Physicians use to purge out choler by bitter things ;
and those that would tame wild creatures, it is by
keeping them in the dark. So humiliation for the
distempers of passion is a special means to purge out
jjassion, and to tame and quiet the spirits of men
and women. Many of you have been overcome in
froward fits, and you have seen the inconveniency
of them, and it may be after you have thought. Oh
this is ill, and you hope you shall do so no more ;
but although you think you will do so no more,
yet except you be humbled for that you have done,
you will fall to it again. And so it is a rule in all
other things, that those who do resolve to amend in
any particular, if they be not humbled for that that
is past, they will fall to their sin again. It is a very
remarkable example that we have of the people of
Israel. Eead but the two or three chapters of
Exodus. Chap, xv., towards the latter end, there
you find that the people did chide with Moses
l.iecause the waters were bitter. Well, they were not
humbled for this. And in chap. xvi. you find them
at it again ; though God was merciful to them then,
yet when they came to another strait, they were
froward and angry again ; and when God delivered
them there, you shall find them at it again, in chap,
xvii. 2 ; so that upon every new occasion they fall
to it again. Why ? Because we do not find that in
the interim they were humbled for their former dis-
tempers. Therefore you that have such froward
distempers, oh get alone, and apply the salt tears of
humiliation unto that choler of yours, and see what
this will do. Humiliation for that that is past will
be a special help for time to come.
Fourthly, If you would have meek and quiet
spirits, take heed of the first beginning of passion.
AVe know that when a fire is, we do not stay
quenching of it till the house be all in a flame ; but
if there be but a little fire kindled in any part of the
house, if there be but a smoke, you will say. Where is
it ? and are not quiet till you find it out. So should
it be when passion begins to arise ; your house
begins to be on a fire, your souls begin to be on fire ;
and }'ou should be as much set upon quenching of it
at the first rising as you would be when you see the
fire break out in your house at the very first. Per-
haps a dish of water may quench that now, that if
you stay but till half an hour hence many pails of
water will not. So it is in the point of passion. If
so be that people would be careful at first, then with
a little ado they may quench their passion, if they
will take it when their passion begins to kindle ; but
stay a while, and there ^^ill be no rule at all, no
coming near a man. So poison : take it as soon as
ever a man feels his body distempered, and there
may be means to help against it; but if you stay
a while till it hath got power over nature, there will
be little help then. Oh, look upon passion as if it
were poison, and take some remedy presently ; let
not your passion be working any longer. So a fever ;
it oftentimes may be easily cured at first. So
passion ; it is a fever. Take the fever at the be-
ginning. There have been most fearful distempers
of passion risen from very small beginnings, which
have broken out to most fearful outrages. As I
remember in the history of Venice, I have read of
two sons of the Duke of Florence, that having been
a-hunting, there was contention about which of their
dogs killed the hare. Saith one. My dog caught it
first ; and the other, No, but it was mine. And so
they continued till one drew the sword upon the other,
and so slew his brother; and the brother's man that
was slain, seeing his master slain, he draws ujion the
other brother, and kills him. And so the duke loses
two of his sons at the same time upon that occasion.
How often is it in your families, that a little spark,
what a fire doth it kindle ! At the first there may
be but a word spoken amiss, that might easily have
been passed over. No ; but that word begets another,
and that word begets another, and that begets yet
another, and so it grows to a most hideous flame.
Take heed of the beginning of passion. Whenever
any anger begins to arise in the family, or in your
souls, oh it is time for you then to look to your-
selves. vSometimes you shall have friends that at first
their fallings-out begin but in the very countenance.
One man thinks. Surely such a one looks not upon
me with such a pleasant countenance as he was
wont to do ; and from thence he begins to have
surmises and suspicions, and then comes to make
misinterpretations, and from thence there comes a
strangeness ; and from being strange they begin to
hearken to tales that are carried one against an-
other, and to believe them, and to aggravate them ;
and then they begin to speak some hard words one
against another ; and then they begin to do some ill
offices one against another ; and then break out into
violent and eminent contention and actings one against
another ; whereas, had there been but care taken at
the beginning, all this might have been prevented :
Prov. xvii. 14, ' The beginning of strife is as when
one letteth out water : therefore leave olT contention,
before it be meddled with.' Take heed of the be-
ginnings of sin, if so be that you would keep your
spirits in any meek and quiet frame.
Then a fifth rule is this. If you would keep your
spirits in quietnes.s, make account beforehand that
you will meet with things that shall cross your wills.
That is a good help against passion. And to quiet our
hearts, as Anaxagoras said, when he heard of his son
that was dead, saith he, I know that I begat him
mortal ; so when you liire a servant at first, make
account that there will be weakness in your servant
8-1
BUEROUGHSON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 5.
beforehand — certainly there will be many things clone
by him that will displease me. When you marry a
wife, you should beforehand make account — there will
something fall out between us that will displease one
another. And so when you take a friend, before-
hand you must make account — it is a friend that hath
both his frailties and infirmities. Now if we make
account beforehand that while we live in this world
•we are not like to have our wills to be satisfied in
everything, this will be a means to quiet our hearts.
This is no more than I made account of. A soldier
that goes into an array, when he meets with hardship,
he is quieted with this, it is nothing but what I made
account of beforehand. Mariners, when they are
abroad and meet with storms, were it seemly for them
to vex and fret ? they knew that it was likely they
should meet with storms. So whenever anything falls
out that crosses you, remember this : If I had wisdom
beforehand, certainly I could think none other but
that I .should have divers things would cross me ;
and now God puts me to trial to see whether I will
bear these crosses or no that doth befall me.
The sixth rule is this. Consider thy own frailty.
Others there are that do provoke thee and stir up
thine anger ; but thou must go by that rule. We seek
pardon, and we give it. I meet with such and such
things in others, and it may be within a while they
may meet with things amiss in me ; they olTend me,
and I am like to offend them too ; and that is a
marvellous help to quiet the S])irits of those that are
truly gracious. Therefore in Gal. vi. mark the argu-
ment of the apostle there, ' Brethren, it a man be
overtaken with a fault, ye which are spiritual restore
such a one in the spirit of meekness: considering thy-
self, lest thou also be tempted;' and then it follows,
' Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law
of Christ.' Bear ye one another's burden; consider
you may be tempted, and then bear ye one another's
burden. The burden is like to be mutual ; I bear my
brother's burden, and my brother is like to bear my
burden ; I have a burden that may as well try his
patience, as his tries mine ; and therefore let us bear
one another's burden. As now among servants, when
one of them is sick, we would account it an unreason-
able thing if the other should murmur for the helping
of his fellow-servant — No, he will not do it. But reason
thus : I must help him now ; why, I may be sick ere-
long, and then he will help me. So do others cross
you, be you meek towards them, as you would expect
that they should be meek towards you. It is ordi-
nary for men that have the greatest weaknesses, for
them to bear with the weaknesses of others, lest they
be like, in this case, to the gouty leg, that must have
all the attendance itself, but is useful for nothing ; so
it is with many that have such proud and froward
spirits, that everybody must seek to please them, and
yet they will seek to jilease nobody themselves. Oh
remember your own frailty !
And if any of you shall say, Ay, but I am not so
great a burden to others as they are to me, and there-
fore there is no equality for me to bear his burden
because he is like to bear mine.
I beseech you, do but observe what the answer to
that is.
First, Every one is ready to think that he is not
so grievous to others as others are grievous to me.
Grant it ; but then observe, it a^ijDcars that thou art
stronger than thy brother, and therefore if the heavier
end of the burden be upon thy shoidder, then thou
shouldst quietly bear it, because it seems God hath
made thy shoulder more able to bear it ; and it is not
more difficult for a man to bear the offences of others
against him, than it is for him not to be offensive to
others. And therefore rather bless God when thou
thinkest thus : The burden of my brother is greater
than mine, and it is God's mercy to me that he hath
made my strength greater than his, and so, consider-
ing one another's burdens, let us labour to bear them
meekly and quietly.
Again, a seventh rule to help is this. Labour to
keep thy peace with God. There is no such means to
keep the heart in quiet as to keep peace with God.
Let all be well between God and thy soul, and that
will quiet thee when thou meetest with crosses. As
if all be well within the earth, the tempests and
storms that are about it will never shake it; and so
that that disquiets men's hearts, it is the corru}>tion
that is within, and not so much the temptation that
is without. But for this peaceableness of spirit tliat
comes from our peace with God, it may be we shall
have some occasion to speak more of, when we come
to speak of that blessedness, ' Blessed are the peace-
makers ; ' and therefore I pass by that.
The eighth rule is this. Convince thyself that thei'e
can be nothing done in anger, but may be better done
out of it. ' The wiath of man doth not accomplish
the righteousness of God,' saith the apostle. As now,
wouldst thou reprove a man, the best way is to
reprove him in meekness; you that are spiritual,
restore in meekness such as are fallen. Physicians
must notgive physic scalding hot. Eeproofs are physic ;
do not give it them scalding hot ; give it them but
merely warm, in a spirit of love; no hotter than love
will warm it. And so, whenever thou correctest thy
children or servants, thou thinkest that if thou doest
it not in a passion, thou must not do it at all ; that
is thy folly. Thou mayest do it better out of a passion
than in a passion ; and therefore divers of the heathen,
they would not correct their servants merely because
they were in a passion. If thou wouldst give an
answer to another who speaks to thee that that is
amiss, wouldst thou convince him, thou mayest do
Mat. V. 5.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
85
it better if thou canst overcome thy passion. Thou
mayest reason the case with thy brother a great deal
lietter out of thy passion than in thy passion. Ay,
tlie truth is, those that have power over their passion
liave a great advantage over any that they contend
withaL Consider but of this, and this will be a
means to meeken thy heart : when the heart is up in
anger, it would fain be acting presently ; but keep
down thy passion, and call in the grace of meekness.
Consider, I would now be acting, but why may not
I act as well out of passion as in passion ? yea, I
may do it better, and therefore I will do it then. If
passion do but stay a while, then it will be clarified.
It is true, anger is the whetstone of virtue, if it be
done in a right manner ; but it is as it is in physic —
if the gross be given, it will do no good, but if it be
clarified, then it may be of a great deal of use; and so
it is with passion.
In the ninth place, When thou feelest thy passion
begm to arise, labour to turn thy passion another
way, upon some other object : as thus — I feel anger
begin to arise against my brother, or wife, or hus-
band, or servant, now let me labour, instead of
anger, to exercise moiirning ; such a one hath dis-
pleased me, my wife, or child, or servant ; before thou
givest way to thine anger, get alone and bemoan their
sin. Thou sayest they have done exceeding ill.
Have they ? then they have sinned against God as
well as against thee ; and if so, then take this rule :
before thou shewest any passion — get alone, and
mourn for their sin against God ; then come out and
see how thy passion will work after thy mourning
for their sin. You would find this rule of very great
use— if husbands and wives that have not lived
quietly, or masters in their families — if you would
but observe it that when anything is done amiss ; if
it be not sin against God, then there is no great
matter to stir your anger, but if it hath sin in it,
then be sure to mourn for it. First before God you
let out your passion, and so turn anger into love.
Pliysicians, when they would stanch blood that runs
too much in one vein, they seek to turn it into
another ; and so should we do with our affections.
And that Christian hath a great deal of skill, wisdom,
and strength that is able to turn his affections : Now
I will exercise anger, and now I will exercise love,
and now I will exercise sorrow, and now I will
exercise joy, and now I will exercise hope ; so that he
is able to turn his affections this way and that way.
If a man be not able to turn his affections this way
and that way, surely there is some distemper; but
this is the excellency of a Christian, he hath com-
mand over his affections, he can turn them this way
or that way. It is a good thing in dealing with
childien, when they are dogged or sullen, not to fall
upon them in a rage, but if you can turn their
thoughts to something else. You have displeased them
in one thing, do not be grating u])on them in that
one thing, but see if you can turn them to be think-
ing or looking after some other thing, and by that
you shall get them sooner out of their sullen mood
than by opposing it. So it is with ourselves ; many
times there is a suUen, dogged, froward mood upon
our hearts; now the way perhaps will not be to
oppose directly that sullenness of our hearts, but the
way will be to have some object before us to turn the
stream of the heart to.
Tenthly, Another rule to help against anger it is
this : Do not multiply words ; take heed in froward
passion that words be not multiplied. In Prov. viii.
13, and in j\Iat. v. 22 — divers scriptures I might shew
that the multiplying of words is very dangerous in
time of passion, and especially to give liberty to wild
speech. Words are wind ; ay, but they are that wind
that blows up this fire to a mighty heat. In Prov.
vii. 11, it is said of the whore that 'she is loud.' It
is a most unbeseeming thing for women, though they
be provoked by anger, to be loud in speech, to be
loud in their words, and to multiply their words. The
whorish woman is described by that she is loud ; and
therefore those that would behave themselves as ma-
trons in sobriety and modesty, take heed of loud
speeches. And then of adding word to word ; the
best way is rather to be silent, rather to turn away,
as we read of David, when he had to deal with his
froward brethren, in 1 Sam. 17, 'He turned away
from them, and would answer no more.' I confess
to turn away in a sullen manner, that is not good
neither ; but to give a few gentle speeches and then
to turn away — to turn away without any answer that
may provoke as much ; but first to give some gentle
answer and then to turn away, and resolve not to
multiply words at such a time as this is; that is
another rule.
Eleventhly, If you would not be passionate, but of
meek and quiet spirits, take heed of putting your-
selves into too much business that God calls you not
unto. And the reason is this, because there is no
business but will have somewhat or other to fall
cross ; therefore be sure to be about nothing but what
God calls you to, and there you will have the blessing
of God. But when men will have many irons in the
fire, more than God calls them to, no marvel though
their fingers be burnt ; we find that those men that
are very busy are very froward. But now when you
know that your business is but that that God calls
you to, and you do it in obedience to God, you may
expect the blessing of God upon you to quiet you ;
but otherwise there will be many temptations in'it.
Twelfthly, Further, take heed of too much curiosity.
A man that is in a family, if he will be prying into
everything in the family, he must have his eyes in
SG
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 5.
every room, and take notice of every passage in the
family ; if so, a thousand to one but tliere will many
things fall out that will disturb his passion. ' You
must not take notice of every little fault in a servant,
nor every small offence in wife or children ; but you
must see and not see, if you will be of meek spirits.
A foolish, nice curiosity in men in prying into every-
thing in a family, and those things it may be that do
not concern them, as it is very unbeseeming a man,
so it is that that occasions a great deal of disturbance
in the family.
Thirteenthly, Another help will be to consider
thus : Oh, what if this be now a temptation of the
devil ! The devil owes me a spite, and who knows
what the devil is now putting me upon ! If thou
hadst but so mucli power over thy heart as to think
thus : Whenever I am in a fit of passion, this is like
to be a temptation ; the devil intends to do me some
mischief at this time. It is an excellent similitude
that Augustine hath about this : ' As it is with a
fowler,' saith he, ' he sets Ins net near a hedge where
the bu-ds are, and then he goes and takes stones and
Hings into the hedge to scare the birds. The fowler
doth not think to kill the birds by the stones, but it
is to drive them by the stones out of the hedge, that
so they may fly into the net.' So it is, saith he,
when the devil hath an intention to draw thee to
some sin ; saith tlie devil, I cannot tell how to draw
them to such and such sins except I stir their passion ;
let me but stu" their passion, and tlien I shall get
them to that sin well enough. The thing that the
devil aims at is some sin he would have them fall
into. When the devil comes to stir up passion — as
the fowlers throwing stones into the hedge — he cares
not so much for thy passion ; but the thing that he
aims at, it is the evil he would bring thee into by
thy passion_: so that the very thoughts of this, now a
passion is come, and if this should prove but a
temptation to some vile sin, what would become of
me ? and therefore I will sit still and do nothing
rather than I will be thus hatched by the devil.
Fourteenthly, Set the example of God, of Jesus
Christ, and of his saints before you ; it is a mighty
wa}' to help against passion and anger, considering
liow meek the Lord is. When God had to deal with
Cain, with what meekness and gentleness did God
liimsclf deal with Cain. ' Why, where is thy brother ?'
saith God ; and when Cain answered God churlishly,
yet God goes on in a meek way, and saith, ' If thou
dost well, shalt thou not be accepted ?' And so when
God had to deal with Jonas, which was that froward,
pettish jirophet — for so he was. ' Now,' saith God to
him, 'Jonas, dost thou well to be angr}'?' when he
saw him in a fit of anger. It is a good pattern for
us, when we have to deal with others that ai-e of
angry spirits, to say, Do you well to be angry?
God did not come in a boisterous way to Jonas, but
comes in a gentle and meek way : ' Dost thou well to
be angry?' saith the Lord. Consider how God deals
with his poor creatures ; and it is no dishonour to you
to deal so with your servants and children, that are
not so injurious to you as you are to God.
I might also set before you the example of Jesus
Christ. I remember 'I have read of one, that his
wife asking of him how he was able to overcome
himself when he had such wrongs and injuries offered
him. Why, truly, this is the way that I take, saith
he : I go and meditate on the sufferings of Jesus
Christ ; what wrongs Jesus Christ had, and yet how
he was as a lamb that opened not his mouth, and I
never leave meditating until I get my spirit quieted.
The medilation of the sufferings of .Jesus Christ, and
of his wounds, and his wrongs, and how gently and
meekly he bare them, oh it is a special means ! I re-
member Camerarius tells of some, when they were in
a mad rage they Avould set a sheep or lamb before
them, and it would be a means to quiet them. When
we are in a passion, in a mad rage, let us but set that
meek lamb, the Lord Jesus, before us, and that will
be a means to quiet us. So you have it in 1 Pet. ii. ;
there the apostle makes use of the example of Christ
to keep our spirits in a quiet and meek way, ' For,'
saith he, ' hereunto were ye called,' — that is, to take
patiently what wrongs were offered to us — ' because
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that
you should follow his steps : who did no sin, neither
was guile found in his mouth : who, when he was re-
viled, reviled not again ; when he suffered, he threat-
ened not ; but committed himself to liim that judgeth
righteously.' Read but this text, and set but this
example of Jesus Christ before you, and it will be a
special means to quiet your spirits.
And so I should have set before you the examjjle
of the saints, of Abraham, of David, of Stephen, of
Paul, and others ; but I will only name one or two
others. I remember the example of Calvin towards
Luther is very famous, and especially it concerns
ministers. Though there were a great deal of differ-
ence in judgment and ways — Luther was of a hot and
fiery spirit, and Calvin more tender ; and Calvin had
such a speech concerning Luther ; ' Well,' saith he,
'let Luther call me devil, call me what he will, yet
I will acknowledge Luther to be the servant of Jesus
Christ, and one whom Christ doth use as an instru-
ment of a great deal of good.' Here was a sweet and
quiet spirit in Calvin, that was a man so instru-
mental for God. There is no such way to heap coals
of fire upon the heads of those that do oppose us, as
to carry ourselves meekly and gently towards them.
Therefore, for the close of all, I beseech you lay
up these rules that you have heard.
And let this one be added more. Fifteenthlv,
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
87
Take lieed of the next temptation, if so be that you
would exercise this grace of meekness — though you
forget other rules, yet lay up this — take heed, I say,
of the next temptation, go away but with this reso-
lution : The Lord hath made me to hear of the ex-
cellency of the grace of meekness, how it is com-
mended by Christ, and that it hath such excellent
promises ; and he hath shewn me somewhat of the
evil of a froward spirit that is so contrary to it, and
hath given me many rules for the helping of me that
so I may live more quietly in my family. Well, now
I shall go away, and after I have heard all this, it
may be a temptation will come this night, for that is
the way of the devil, that just at any time when you
have heard against some particular sin, there will
come some temptation to that sin. And when you
have been put upon some duty, there will come some
temptation to take you off of that duty ; for if the
devil can but prevail with you after a sermon, then
he makes account that all that sermon is gone, and
will do you no good. So now, after you have heard
of all this about meekness, it may be this night, or
to-morrow morning, there is like to come some temp-
tation to frowardness and passion in your spirits — for
a hundred to one but you will meet with something.
Well, had vou but a heart to think now — Well, this is
the devil's work to take away all the profit of those
sermons that I have heard of meekness, and there-
fore, through God's grace, I hope I shall take heed of
that temptation. And you cannot imagine what a
deal of good the next temptation being resisted may
do. But now, if either to-night or to-morrow, or
two or three days hence in this next week, there
comes some temptation, and the very first temptation
of all overwhelms you and prevails against you,
farewell these sermons then ; I have lost my labour
as concerning you. And whether you may live to
hear any more sermons about this again it is more
than you know, and therefore look to yourselves that
you may not lose the word ; and go away with such
resolutions. Well, through God's grace, I will take an
account of these truths for the ordering of my heart
and of my life in my family ; and all that lives with
me shall see by my life that I have heard some ser-
mons of meekness. You that are women, and it
may be have lived unquiet Avith your husbands ; and
you that are husbands, that have been bitter to your
wives, oh that it might appear that you have heard
this blessedness, ' Blessed are the meek,' that so
both husbands and wives may put this even into
their prayers. Blessed be God that we have had this
scripture opened to us.
SERMON XIV.
RULES AND HELPS TO CHRISTIAN MEEKNESS.
' Blessed are they tchich do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall he filed.' — ^Iat. v. 6.
The last day you may remember we spoke to the
close of the third beatitude here mentioned by Christ,
' Blessed are the meek : for they shall inherit the earth.'
And the close of it was an exhortation to this
blessed and precious grace of meekness. Divers rules
were given for the furtherance of this grace of meek-
ness. I intend not to look back at all to what we
then spake, only add this one thing further as a great
help to the meekening of our hearts, and that is,
especially to those that are godly,
Sixteenthly, The want of this grace is a great dis-
honour to them and to their profession. Let such
remember their own prayers, their own expressions
before God in prayer; it would mightilyhelpto meeken
us. Remember how thou hast acknowledged thy vile-
ness before God ; thou canst freely in m.any expres-
sions tell God what a vile, unworth}', sinful, wretched
creature thou art, and how through thy sin thou dost
deserve the eternal wrath of God ; that it is a wonder
thou art out of hell. Thus thou canst go on perhapis in
prayer, or it may be in company, a long time speaking
thus against thyself ; and yet as soon as thou hast
done, if anybody cross thee, thou canst be as froward
and as angry as any else. What ! art thou the man
or woman that but a while since, a few hours or a
day ago, wert before God acknowledging how vile,
sinful, and wicked thou wert ; and that thou didst
wonder thou wert out of hell all this while ? Art thou
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 6
the man or woman that didst acknowledge this, and
when thou comest to any cross in the world thou art
not able to bear it ! Thou sayest thou deservest hell ;
but if a child, or servant, or wife, or husband, or
friend do cross thee, thou canst not bear it. If thou
couldst but look back to thine expressions before
God in prayer, it would cause thee to be vile in thine
own eyes, and so to have thy heart to fall down when
thy passion begins to rise. Thou that hast a pas-
sionate, froward heart, either in the morning thou
dost pray to God, or thou dost not. If thou dost
not pray, thou shewest thyself to be atheistical ; if
thou dust pray, I suppose one special part of thy
prayer is the acknowledging of thy wretchedness,
sinfulness, and vileness. Why hast thou done that
in the morning, if when any temptation comes to
passion in the daytime thou yieldest to it ? Now if
thou couldst but have the power over thyself as to
think of thy prayer, and to think how unsuitable
this carriage of thine is to all those acknowledgments
of thine, of thy sinfulness and wretchedness, it would
tame thee in the midst of thy unruly passion.
There should now have been mentioned several
sorts of people that should especially labour for this
grace of meekness. It concerns us all ; but some
more than others. I will only speak a word to those
thatare inan afflictedconditiou. Therefore the Hebrews
have the same word that signifies afflicted, for meeh;
meekness and affliction in the Hebrew tongue are
expressed by the same word. To note that such as are
under affliction, they should be of meek and quiet
spirits, for the hand of God is then u]ion them. And
yet it falls out quite contrary ordinarily, that such as
are most afflicted, are most froward ; as many times
those that are side, when they are sick, they are more
pettish and more froward than at other times; whereas
they should be m'ore meek, and quiet, and gentle un-
der God's hand, i^nd so m;iny that are poor jaeople
— where do you heaK such reviling communication as
from such as are rniseKably poor? how do they lavish
out words! Do but cross them in any one thing, what
railing and revilingcomes from them ! shewing a proud,
froward, passionate spirit. If God hath afflicted thee
with poverty, it is, if he hath a love to thee, that he
might keep thee low ; and if thy heart were low, thy
heart would likewise be meek.
But we let pass this of meekness, ' Blessed are the
meek,' and come to that : read in ver. 6, ' Blessed are
they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness.'
' Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst.' This
seems to be as contrary to the opinion of tlie world as
anything can be. The world rather saith. Blessed are
they that are full, than they that hunger and thirst;
but the Holy Ghost pronounces a blessedness upon
those that hunger and thirst, and a woe to those that
are full: in Luke vi. 25, 'Woe unto you that are full.'
You think it the greatest happiness that men have
their full tables, and full dishes, and full cups, and full
purses ; but the Holy Ghost doth not look upon men's
happiness to be there. ' But woe be to those that are
full ; and blessed are they that hunger and thirst'
Some understand this hunger and thirst literally ;
and the rather because, comparing it with what St
Luke saith — as I told you in the beginning of this
sermon, that, notwithstanding divers objections against
it, it appears to be the same sermon — chap. vi. 21,
' Blessed are ye that hunger now.' Luke doth not
mention the word righteousness, but only ye that
hunger now ; and opposes hunger to those that are
full, and therefore they think it is literally meant.
' Blessed are they that do hunger' — that is, such rnen
as are godly, so it must be understood ; that want
bread, and want drink ; such as being godly are put
to such great extremities as they have not bread to
put in their bodies, nor drink to quench their thirst ;
as if Christ should say, ' Be not troubled ; though you
should be put to such extremity as to want bread, and
want drink, this will not hinder your blessedness ; you
may be blessed for all that.' And whereas, when you
are in great wants, you may be ready to look upon
those that are full and have abundance, and to think
them to be blessed ; but be not deceived. ' Woe to
such as are full ; ' but you are blessed in these your
great wants and extremities. And so they take this
blessedness out of the Old Testament, as the former
of meekness, in Ps. xxxvii. 11, from whence Christ
takes that of meekness ; and this of hungering and
thirsting out of Isa. Ixv. 13. But to rest in this in-
terpretation is not my purpose ; and therefore we
must proceed further, for the object here of their
hunger and thirst leads us further than so, ' for they
hunger and thirst after righteousness.' Yet I confess
I find very learned interpreters and godly men, such
as Calvin and Musculus, they carry these words no
further than thus : Blessed are they that in their
great extremity do but hunger and thirst to have that
that is fit for them, that that is right. Those that
are godly and brought to a low condition, and op-
pressed, they hunger and thirst that they might have
righteous dealings in the world, that they may be
dealt withal righteously, and they go no further than
this ; and you know Mr Calvin is one that doth
usually hit the sense as right as any, and is as
spiritual as any interpreter ordinarily, yet I say in
tliese words he goes no further than this. By hunger
and thirst, that clearly is meant earnest desires —
desires that rise out of pain from the sense of the
want of the thing that is desired, from whence the
desires grow very strong and earnest ; for no desires
are so strong and earnest as the desires of the hungry
man, or the thirsty man ; and so do hunger and thirst
after righteousness, either after righteous dealings,
Mat. V. 6.]
BUEROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
89
that they may be dealt withal righteously, or that
there might be righteousness in the world ; that is a
little higher than they go, they only speak of hunger-
ing and thirsting after this, that they themselves may
be dealt withal righteously, and have righteousness ;
but I think we may go further even in the interpre-
tation of this righteousness, to speak of righteousness
as from your dealing, such as hunger and thirst that
righteousness might prevail in the world, and this
indeed I verily think to be one special thing intended
by the Holy Ghost. Christ he looks upon his dis-
ciples, and as if he should say to them. You are like
to meet with nmch unrighteous dealings in the world ;
you will see how the world is carried on in injustice,
and unrighteousness that prevails in the world ; but
in the meantime this will go near' to your hearts, it
will be a pain and grief to your souls to see the un-
righteous carriages of things in the world, and you
will long for the time wliereiu righteousness may pre-
vail in the world and rule among men. Well, blessed
are you ; do not you meddle with their unrighteous
dealings, but when you see it among others, let your
longing desires be for tlie time wherein righteousness
shall prevail in the world ; and blessed are you that
do thus hunger and thirst. This I verily do believe is
a special thing that Christ intends in the pronouncing
of this blessedness, and therefore I must not pass
over this so lightly as many do in handling of this
blessedness. I confess the other righteousness, the
most of your latter men that especially speak of this
in a preaching way, they look to that that they think
to be most spiritual — as thus, that hunger and thirst
after the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Blessed are
they that have earnest, strong, and unsatisfying* de-
sires after the righteousness of Christ, that they may
be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ,
and stand righteous before God through the right-
eousness of his Son : Blessed are they.
And then, Blessed are they that do hunger and
thirst after the power of righteousness in their own
hearts, to be delivered from the power of sin, and to
have further degrees of sanctification in their hearts.
This is ordinarily, and I suppose in most of your
thoughts that have minded this scripture — you have
rather looked upon this righteousness to be meant the
righteousness of justification by Jesus Christ, and
the righteousness of sanctification by the work of the
Spirit in the heart ; and these two are very godly
interpretations, very spiritual, and we must not ex-
clude them, but shall speak likewise to either of these
two. But for this exercise I shall speak only of the
first.
'That hunger and thirst after righteousness,' after
righteous dealing. And though the other are more
excellent in themselves, yet I doubt much whether
* Query, ' unsatisfied' ? or 'unsatisfialile'? — Ed.
Christ had not this in his thoughts, even first, speak-
ing to his disciples that were like to be in a poor and
mean condition ; therefore he begins with those that
are poor in sjiirit. We interpreted the meaning of
that ; and so now you are like to meet with much
unrighteous dealings, but blessed are you that are
content to submit to such a condition that you are
like to meet withal, and yet send up your desires to
heaven from God to clear your righteousness. As if
Christ should say. The world Avill accuse you and re-
vile you for being troublesome, factious, and turbulent
among them ; but blessed are you : can you appeal to
God for your righteousness, and desire. Lord, while
the world doth thus revile us, and account us to be
hypocrites, to make a show of religion, and yet to
have DO truth in us, Lord, do thou judge our right-
eous cause; Lordweappeal to thee. Why, saith Christ,
blessed are you while you do thus ; I will look upon
you, and have an eye to you. When others shall say
that you are false, and that you falsify your trust
that is committed to you, you can appeal to God,
and desire him to come and judge your righteous
cause. Lord, let righteousness appear ; let it appear
that under these accusations that I have behaved my-
self righteously. Blessed are you ; be not now troubled.
And so when the world accuses you of making a
trouble in the world, you can appeal to God and say,
Lord, thou knowest that there is nothing that I desire
more than peace ; and so far as I can see it to be thy
mind, I can yield in anything, and therefore, Lord,
appear and manifest my righteousness before the
world. Blessed are you, saith Christ ; be not over-
much troubled that you are thus accused ; you hunger
and thirst for the time when the Lord shall make
your righteousness appear. And so if the world
shall accuse you of self-seeking — that in all things
that you do you do but aim at yourselves in all — why,
you can appeal to God of the righteousness of your
hearts in these things, and you thirst after the time
when God will come to discover the secrets of all
men's hearts. Lord, thou hast a time for to manifest
the secrets of hearts, and then it shall appear whether
I sought myself or thy glory. Blessed are you if you
can do so, and hunger after the manifestation of God's
righteousness in this. If they shall accuse you for
partiality, or wronging others, it may be such accusa-
tions are upon you, why, still you hunger after the
time for God to clear up righteousness. There is
nothing more ordinary in the world than for the
wicked of the world to cast aspersions upon the saints
of God for some evil or other to darken them in their
holy profession ; but if they bear what is cast upon
them patiently, and long for the time that the right-
eous God will appear to manifest their righteousness,
blessed are you when you thus hunger and thirst
even after this righteousness.
90
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 6
Blessed are you, for,
First, You liave the testimony of your own. con-
sciences when men do accuse you.
Secondly, You have the testimony of God; God
witnesses ior you.
Thirdly, Blessed are you, for God is working for you
all this while, while you lie under these accusations.
And you shall be satisfied one day, you shall be
cleared ; God will clear your righteousness, and he
will make it break forth as the noonday. Now you
are bespattered, as if Christ should say. You are all
to be smeared with accusations from evil men, but
you shall be clothed with white linen : in Eev. xix. 8,
' And to her,' that is, to the church, ' was granted
that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
white : for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.'
White linen, it is true, it is the righteousness of
Christ ; but it may have reference to this righteous-
ness that I am speaking of. As if so be that a matronly
woman, being in the street, should have mad people
cast dirt upon her, when she comes home she hath
clean linen to put upon her ; so though the saints
here are bespattered with dirt, to make their names
to be odious in the world, yet Jesus Christ hath fine
linen to put upon them, and they shall appear riglit-
eous before the saints and angels, before all the
world another day ; and so in Mat. xiii. 43, there is
a promise that the righteous shall one day 'shine
forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.'
It is true, they shall shine forth then in a great deal
of glory put upon them ; but this glory of their
righteousness shall be as the shining of the sun,
besides the other glory of their great reward in the
kingdom of their Father. Now they are in the
Ivino-dom of the world, and they are where the king-
dom of darkness doth prevail; but when they come
to the kingdom of their Father they shall shine forth
as the sun. It is meant of all righteousness, either
that perfect righteousness of Christ that they shall
be clothed withal, or the perfection of sanctification,
or this righteousness whereby they shall be cleared
from all aspersions that are cast upon them. Blessed
are they, for they shall be cleared.
Yea, blessed are they, for they shall be filled. You
shall be recompensed for all those accusations that
are unrighteously cast upon you now ; you shall be
rewarded so much the more, it will increase your
glory, therefore blessed. Look upon yourselves as
blessed creatures when you are accounted thus un-
righteous, for you shall be honoured so much the
more; therefore we have that notable scripture in
1 Pet. iv. 14, 'If ye be reproached for the name of
Christ, hapjiy are ye ; for the Spirit of glory and of
God resteth upon you.' God will certainly recom-
jiense you for all that you shall suffer this way.
But further. Those that hunger and thirst after
righteousness. Not only that God would clear their
righteousness — that is one kind of righteousness that
they hunger and thirst after — but that there might
be righteousness among men in general ; that right-
eousness might prevail in the world. Blessed are
they that have their hearts pained when they see the
unrighteousness that is abroad in the world. I say,
such as find their hearts pained at the sight of that
unrighteousness that is in the world ; and so they do
long after righteousness, and cry out to God that he
would appear and set up righteousness to rule in the
world, such as are grieved in their hearts to see
the unrighteous dealings among the children of men.
This is that that Christ aims at: saith he, Indeed you
will see a great deal of unrighteousness ; but you that
are my disciples, it will trouble your hearts, and you
will long for that time when righteousness shall
prevail : Blessed are you : — ■
For, first. The people of God cannot but be pained
in their hearts when they see unrighteous dealings in
the world, as much pained as a man is that wants
bread ; it more troubles them than all their persecu-
tions, than all their afflictions ; and there is nothing
in the world that they long for more than the coming
of Jesus Christ — to this end, not only that they them-
selves may be saved, but that then righteousness maj'
prevail.
For, first, When the saints see unrighteous deaUngs
in the world, by that they see the honour of God
is much eclipsed. Why, they think thus within them-
selves, is not God a righteous God ? Oh, then what
a dishonour is this to such a righteous God, that
there should be so much unrighteousness in the world
as there is !
Secondly, This unrighteousness that they see among
men it is very unsuitable to their spirits; for the Lord
hath put righteousness into their hearts. In some
measure their hearts are for righteousness. Now
when they see men in public place, or men that make
profession of rehgion, to carry things unrighteously,
this pains them ; it is that that is unsuitable to that
gracious frame that God hath put into their hearts.
Thirdly, By this unrighteousness of men they see
how the godly suffer ; how precious servants of God
are trodden under foot; and how wicked and ungodly
men they shine and prosper, and they are made of.
Now this cannot but grieve their hearts to see such a
disorder ; yea,
Fourthly, By the unrighteousness that they see in
the world, there are many temptations to a great deal
of evil; yea, sometimes temptations that do in some
degree prevail with such as are truly godly, as they
did with David, with his righteous soul. In Ps. Ixxiii.,
when he saw the wicked prosjier, and how the godly
were afflicted, David began to fail, and his foot began
to slide. When such as are godly see that men that
Mat. V. 6.]
BURR0UC4HS ON THE BEATITUDES.
91
carry things unrighteously, and yet have their designs
and prosper ; and that others that are truly godly,
that walk according to rule, they many times suffer
much, this is a great temptation even to those that
are godly. Now they long for the time to have this
temptation taken away ; to have the dishonour of
God taken away ; to have that that is unsuitable to
their spirits taken away ; to have the sufferings of
the saints taken away, and to have this temptation
taken away. As if they should say, 0 Lord, if right-
eousness did prevail, then thou wouldst be honoured
more than ever ; then we should have that that would
be the joy of our hearts ; then thy saints should not
suffer as they do ; then we should be delivered from
those temptations that we meet withal.
Fifthly, By unrighteousness they see how the wicked
are burdened in their hearts. Now, say the saints,
this is grievous, to see that men in unrighteous ways
should so prosper as to be hardened, and think that
God is like to them. Oh that there were righteousness
prevailing, that wicked men may be ashamed and
confounded !
Sixthly, By this means they see that many grow
atheists, and they doubt whether there be a God or
no, ruhng in the world ; therefore, 0 Lord Jesus, let
it appear that thou dost govern things in the world.
Seventhly, By this unrighteousness they see the
kingdom of Satan set up, and the kingdom of Christ,
which is a righteous kingdom, that is mightily hin-
dered by it. Why, Lord, shall the kingdom of Satan
always prevail in the world ? 0 Lord, when shall the
righteous sceptre of Jesus Christ sway among the
children of men ?
Eighthly, lastly. This unrighteousness it tends to
wickedness, to ruin, to bring all things to confusion.
Now, Lord, except thou dost appear m thy righteous-
ness to right all these things that through the unright-
eousness of men are in such a disorder, all things will
run to rum and confusion ; therefore, Lord, hasten
and appear to be a righteous God. Thus the saints
do hunger and thirst after righteousness, that there
may be righteous dealings in the world ; and you see
what it is that pains their hearts, what evil there is
in unrighteousness, and what excellency they see in
righteousness.
They hunger and thirst after righteousness ; they
have great desires, and they send forth many prayers
to God. Oh that God would hasten those times !
They send up strong cries to God that righteousness
might come into the world. How long, how long
shall it be, holy and true ? &c. They send up mighty
prayers to God that righteousness might prevail in
the world. And for their own parts, therefore, they,
whatsoever they do, will not meddle with any un-
righteous ways, but rather suffer any misery in the
world than to be any means to countenance or join with
any unrighteous ways, much less to do any unright-
eous actions themselves. And therefore though they
be in any public place, though there be much coming
in by their places, they will rather be content to lose
all the advantages of their places, than to meddle with
any unrighteous actions. A righteous heart doth
more hunger and thirst after righteousness than after
bread or drink ; and therefore will shake his hands
of unrighteousness, though he lives in an unrighteous
world ; yet, saith he, God forbid that I should have
to do with this unrighteousness. No, it is righteous-
ness that my soul doth hunger and thirst after ; and
therefore though I lose all my friends, my estate, my
outward enjoyments, yet I will be sure to keep my
conscience right, and be a friend for righteousness as
long as I live. I will manifest that I do not dally
and trifle with God in hungering and thirsting after
righteousness, and yet be unrighteous myself. I will
labour to promote it as much as I can, that right-
eousness may prevail in the world. Now blessed are
these.
For, first, They have for the present the image of
God upon them. Thou that hast such a righteous
heart hast the image of God ; just as God's heart is,
so thy heart is. The Lord is a righteous God ; the
Lord loveth righteousness, and so dost thou. Blessed
art thou of the Lord, who hast the image of God in
thee.
Secondly, Such as do thus hunger and thirst after
righteousness, they are witnesses for God in this un-
righteous world. They live now in an unrighteous
world ; but shall the great God have none to witness
for him ? Yes, there are a generation of men that
live among others that are unrighteous, that do stand
up to witness for God's righteousness, that desire
nothing in the world more than righteousness. Oh
blessed, blessed are you of the Lord, you are witnesses
unto God.
Thirdly, You are blessed in this regard, for this
your hungering and thu'sting after righteousness doth
deliver you from many temptations that others are
overcome withal. Other men that it may be have
some resolutions not to be unrighteous, but yet when
they see the unrighteousness of others, they are over-
come, for theu' hearts are not so set against unright-
eousness as thine is to hunger and thirst after it; but
now when the heart is so grieved for the unrighteous-
ness that is in the world, and so longing after the
righteousness of God, this will deliver thee from
temptations ; the temptation that takes other souls,
it takes not thy heart; and that is a blessed thing, to
be delivered from temptation.
Fourthly, Those that do thus hunger and thirst
after righteousness, they are blessed; for they are fit
to be used in public service. They are not men that
would bring righteousness down to their own ends,
92
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. G.
and. seek to make a gain of the public. Wliat use are
they fit for? But now for such as do above all bhings
hunger and thirst for setting up of righteousness in
the world, these are men fit to be employed in public
service ; the Lord delights to employ such. And
men, when they come to see it, that their hearts are
set upon righteousness, they will love to employ such,
though it may be for a while those that seek to keep
themselves to the rule, some will fret and vex at
them ; but let such men go on in a constant way pro-
moting righteousness, such will get honour before men
in the conclusion. All that do converse with them
will look upon them as blessed here, and such men
as fire fit to be employed in public service.
Fifthly, They are blessed, for they are the men that
stand against the stream of unrighteousness, to hinder
the floods of it, that it doth not overflow the world.
Blessed are they that are willing to stand against the
stream of unrighteous dealings, to keep it from over-
flowing of all ; they are instruments of much good to
others as well as to themselves. These the Scriptures
saith are blessed. In Ps. v. 12, ' For thou, Lord, wilt
bless the righteous,' Certainly the Lord he will bless
the righteous; yea, 'the secret of the Lord is with
the righteous,' Prov. iii. 32 ; ' The Lord loveth the
righteous,' Ps. cxlvi. 8 ; ' The Lord upholdeth the
righteous,' Ps. xxxvii. 17; 'And the eyes of the
Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto
their cry,' Ps. xxxiv. 15. Thus the Scripture is full
of promises to the righteous, and shewing that they
are blessed. But this promise here is, that they shall
be filled.
Those that hunger and thirst after righteousness,
they shall be filled. Certainly there is a time coming
that the Lord will fill the desires of his righteous
ones ; as thus,
First, He will fill their desires : Prov. xi. 23, ' The
desire of the righteous is only good.' It is good,
therefore God approves of it. He will fill it, for,
First, There is a time coming that all those that
love righteousness shall certainly see unrighteousness
punished, and righteousness rewarded. Now and
then you see unrighteousness punished and righteous-
ness rewarded, but that doth not fill you. There is
a time coming that thou shaltsee all unrighteousness
in the world punished, and all righteousness in the
world to be rewarded: in Ps. Iviii. 11, 'So that a man
shall say. Verily there is a reward for the righteous :
verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.' The
time is coming for all men to be forced to say, that
'Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he
is a God that judgeth in the earth.' This will fill
the hearts of the saints with joy, w'hen thfy shall see
God's time to bring all the children of men ta an
account, and to have all the unrighteousness that
ever was in the world to be punished, and all the
righteousness that ever was in the \yorld to be re-
warded. This will fill them, and be a joyful day
indeed. And from hence all the disorder that is in
the world now through unrighteous dealing, it shall
all be brought into order again. He will make a
comely work out of that chaos of confusion. You
shall see all things brought to a most beautiful and
comely order ; and will not that fill you ? In the
book of Ecclesiastes you read of Solomon speaking
of injustice, chap. iii. 16, 'Moreover I saw under the
sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was
there ; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity
was there.' In the very place where I thought judg-
ment would have been, wickedness was there ; and in
the place where I thought righteousness would have
been, iniquity was there. What then? ' I said in
mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the
wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose
and for every work.' God's righteous ones, that now
hunger and thirst after righteousness, make much of
this text, you shall be filled ; for there is a time that
God will judge the righteous and the wicked ; there
is a time for every purpose, for every work, and you
shall be filled.
And all the desires of all righteous persons since
the beginning of the world shall be satisfied. From
Abel that was killed by Cain, so all the patriarchs,
and apostles, and prophets, and martyrs, and saints,
all in their generations they did hunger after right-
eousness ; righteous Abel, and so the rest : yea, their
blood doth call to the righteous God that he would
manifest righteousness in the world. ' 0 God, my
righteousness,' saith David ; and so of others. Now,
when the time comes that all the prayers of all the
servants of God, that ever they sent up unto God,
when their prayers shall come to be all heard and all
granted, surely it will be a blessed time. That will fill
them. Will not that satisfy thee, to have every
prayer of every righteous servant of God from the
beginning of the world fully answered and fully made
good what they desire. Surely this will satisfy thee.
Blessed art thou, for thou shalt be satisfied.
And for the satisfying of the righteous that are
crying to God against the unrighteous dealings in the
world, do but consider some texts of Scripture : there
are a great many very famous scriptures tending
this way, that there is a time coming that righteous-
ness shall prevail in the world. In Isa. i. 26, 'And I
will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy coun-
sellors as at the beginning : afterward thou shalt be
called. The city of righteousness, the faithful city;'
and in Isa. iii. 10, ' Say ye to the righteous, that it
shall be well with him ; for they shall eat the fruit of
their doings.' Mark, Say ye to the righteous that it
shall be well with him ; you that are rigliteous you
are afraid that things will not go well. ' Say to the
\
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
93
righteous, that it shall go well with them.' Why ?
' For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.' You
go on in a righteous way, committing your righteous-
ness to God ; be content and quiet a while, you shall
eat the fruit of your doings, and you shall be satisfied.
Here is a promise that you should feed upon when
any deal in an unrighteous way with you. It would
be endless to speak of all the scriptures which shew
how that shall prevail in the world .In Isa. xi. 4,
there, speaking of Christ, he shews how he will come
and judge the world with righteousness ; Isa. Ix. 1 7,
' I will also make thine officers peace, and thine exac-
tors righteousness;' chap. Ixi. 10. I could name near
upon twenty scriptures out of the prophecy of Isaiah,
that prophesy of a glorious time of righteousness,
that violence and oppression shall be done away. My
brethren, comfort we ourselves in this, whatsoever
violence and wrong there is, yet there is a time, and
we hope it may be even here in this world, that the
Lord will deliver his people from violence, wrongs,
oppression, and all unrighteousness. The exactor
shall be righteousness : chap. Ix. 17, where the Lord
makes a gracious promise to his church, ' For brass
I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and
for wood brass, and for stones iron : I will also make
thine officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.'
This is apparently a prophecy of the times of the
church. There are such times that the officers that
the people of God shall have to deal with, shall be
nothing but peace to them ; and those that are their
exactors they shall be even righteousness itself ; they
shall be as righteous as their hearts would desire.
Is not that a blessed time when all men placed in
public places shall be nothing but peace to the saints
of God, and never wrong them more ? All those that
were exactors before of them, that would lay heavy
burdens upon them, the Lord will make them right-
eousness itself. No marvel though Christ doth ex-
press this by hunger and thirst, because it will be such
a glorious time. And Christ knew that there was a
very glorious time coming for righteousness to prevail
in the world ; and the saints of God knew it in those
times a great deal more I believe than we do now.
The people of God they knew there would be such
times ; and therefore Justin Martyr, that is one of
the most ancient that we have, saith, there is no
man or Christian but he doth believe such times
a-coming. Speaking of the glorious times of the
church and people of God, wherein they shall be
delivered from the violence, wrongs, and oppressions
of ungodly men ; none a Christian but doth believe
it. And this interpretation of hungering and thirst-
ing after righteousness being not so usual among
you, yet I verily believe they in the primitive times
would as suddenly have pitched upon such an inter-
pretation as any. So in 2 Pet. iii. 13, mark there
how the glorious condition of the saints is described :
' Nevertheless,' saith he, ' we, according to his pro-
mise, look for new heavens and a new earth,' — not
only new heavens, but a new earth. What is that ? — •
' wherein dwelleth righteousness.' And this is, accord-
ing to the promise that we have in Isa. Ixv. 17, out
of which chapter my text is taken, according to the
opinion of all divines, ' Behold, I create new heavens,
and a new earth : and the former shall not be remem-
bered, nor come into mind. But be you glad and
rejoice for ever in that which I create : for, behold, I
create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.'
A time of the church's restoration. Now a verse or
two before this out of the same chapter is the scrip-
ture where my text is taken ; for saith the text in
ver. 13, 'Thus saith the Lord, Behold, my servants
shall eat, but ye shall be hungry : behold, my ser-
vants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty : behold,
my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed,'
&c. My servants that now hunger, they shall be
satisfied ; when you that are full, you shall hunger,
&c. So that it doth appear that Christ had a
reference to such times. You that do hunger and
thirst after such times — you, looking into the Scrip-
ture, find promises there, that though the Lord shall
suffer wicked men in the world to prevail a while, and
unrighteousness to have the upper hand ; yet you find
glorious promises in the Scripture, that there shall
be a time that righteousness shall be magnified in the
world, wherein the sceptre of the kingdom of Christ,
that is, the sceptre of righteousness, shall prevail.
And you long after these times. Oh that these
times would come ! Why, blessed are you, they shall
come — certainly they shall come ; you shall be satis-
fied. As if he should say. There shall be as glorious
times as you can think of, and righteousness shall pre-
vail as much as possibly you can imagine ; you shall
be filled. And so in Micah — almost all the pro-
phecies are full of this — vii. 9, there you shall find
that that time wherein Micah spake was a time
wherein much unrighteousness was in the world ;
but now mark, the prophet speaks in the person of
the church, and, saith he, ' I will bear the indignation
of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until
he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me : he
will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold
his righteousness.' The church complains that now
they did sutler most fearfully ; ver. 4, ' The best of
them is a brier : the most upright is sharper than
a thorn hedge.' And so he goes on in shewing the
unrighteousness which there was in those times ; ver.
5, ' Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in
a guide : keep the doors of thy mouth from her that
lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoureth the
father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law ; a man's
91
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 6.
enemies are they of his own house.' But now mark,
' Therefore I will look unto the Lord ; 1 will -wait
fur the God of my salvation : my God will hear me ;'
and in ver. 9, ' I wuU bear the indignation of the
Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he
plead my cause, and execute judgment for me,' &c.
As if he should say, Lord, I will not murmur, but
I will wait for thee, for I have sinned against thee ;
though I do not deserve such unrighteous dealings at
the hands of men, yet, in respect of thee, I deserve
that thou shouldst use them as instruments to afflict
me, therefore I will wait upon the Lord ; ' He will
bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his
righteousness.' This text should help us against the
unrighteous dealings that are here ; and this makes
way to the application of all.
Let the consideration of this point be a means to
take away that great stumbling-block that now is
before men, at which they stumble — namely, that
God suffers unrighteous men to prevail as they do.
Be not offended at this, for there is a time that right-
eousness shall reign, that the Lord Jesus Christ shall
come and appear in his glory, and take the throne
unto himself ; he shall judge the world in righteous-
ness, Acts xvii. 3L This meditation doth mightily
help those that are godly, that I am speaking of;
whereas others that are not acquainted with this,
when they see the unrighteous world to prevail, they
will fall to them and be on their side ; but the saints
'vill keep still to the righteous, and be still on their
side, for they know there is a time that righteousness
shall prevail. The Scripture speaks of the root of
the righteous that shall prevail, and the Scripture
speaks of the fruit of the righteous that shall come
forth from that root, though it be under storms and
tempests for a while.
And then, in the second place. If those that hunger
and thirst after righteousness be blessed, then cer-
tainly cursed are unrighteous men, cursed are those
that seek after unrighteousness. What ! shall Jesus
Christ pronounce those that seek after unrighteous-
ness, to promote that in the world, to be blessed?
Then if there be man or woman in this place, whose
conscience tells them that they love the ways of
unrighteousness, that they seek to increase their
estates by the ways of unrighteousness, by unrighteous
mammon, to gain anything in unjust ways, — thou
art the man or woman that dost join with this
unrighteous world to uphold the kingdom of darkness
in this world. Know that Christ curses thee ; it is so
implied. When he blesses such as hunger and thirst
after righteousness ; those are cursed that rather
hunger and thirst after the ways of unrighteousness,
and care not if they can get anything to themselves,
though it be by hook or crook, as we use to say. Oh,
fear and tremble for those servants of God that thou
hast dealt unrighteously withal ! They cry to God, and
tell God of all thine unrighteous dealings, and God hath
promised them that they shall be satisfied in their cries,
and their cries shall be answered. Whenas this servant
of God shall manifest his desires to heaven, 0 Lord,
I have suffered unrighteous dealing from such a man
or woman, why, know that these cries ilo lie in heaven
to be answered one day ; and what will become of thee
then ? We read in Acts xxiv. 25, that when Paul
was preaching of tempeiance, righteousness, and judg-
ment to come, before Felix, though Paul was a poor
prisoner at the bar, and Felix sat upon the bench as
a judge, yet he made him to tremble. What was
Paul's sermon of ? It was of righteousness and judg-
ment to come. As if he should say, Well, though you
think you have me in your hands, and may do what
you please, yet there is a righteous God that will call
all over again ; and he being conscious to himself of
unrighteousness, did shake and tremble, though at
the preaching of a poor prisoner at the bar. You
are here now hearing a poor minister of God preach-
ing to you tliat righteousness shall prevail. Wliat will
become of you then ? Let there be taken away from
some rich men all that they have gotten by unright-
eous dealings, and you may leave them poor enough.
Now cursed is that estate and those enjoyments that
are gotten by unrighteousness — thou must vomit it
all up again. And therefore the Lord now strike thy
heart, that thou mayest be willing to restore ! Now
be a friend of righteousness so far as to restore,
and labour to undo thy unrighteousness as much
as possibly thou canst, that tliou mayest have
comfort in the day of Jesus Christ, when he shall
come to manifest righteousness before men and
angels.
And then the last thing should have been this. To
encourage all the servants of God to go on in the
ways of righteousness, follow after righteousness, and
seek righteousness. In Rev. xxii., about ver. 11,
' He that is righteous, let him be righteous still.'
Are there any of you that the Lord hath sown the
seed of righteousness in your hearts, that your hearts
do now cleave to the love of righteousness, you can
say. Well, let God do with me what he will, I will
walk righteously. I will walk by rule, though God
hath cast me into such a generation, where I see the
generality of men and women to be unrighteous. Yet
I am resolved to walk by rule in righteousness, and
commit all to God. Well, be of good comfort, thou
shalt be satisfied, and ' be righteous still.' The Lord,
the righteous God, he is with thee ; and Christ, who is
thy righteousness, he is with thee to fill thy soul with
that that shall satisfy thee for ever. I will but give
you one scripture which doth shew that both these
shall be satisfied ; the wicked shall be satisfied, and
the righteous shallbe satisfied: Prov. xiv. 14, ' The
Mat. V. 6.]
BURKOUGHS ON THK BEATITUDES.
95
backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ^yays :
and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.' Mark,
every man shall be satisfied one way or other. The
apostate, such as was forward and made show of
religion, and yet to provide for himself in an un-
righteous way, because he would not trust God to
make provision for himself and family, be would
depart from righteousness. Well, saith the Holy
Ghost, they shall be satisfied. God will fill them by
giving them their own way ; but a good man is satis-
fied from himself. Such as are good and righteous,
and walk according to the rule of righteousness, peace
be to them. ' They are now blessed, and they shall
certainly be satisfied.'
SEEM ON XV.
TIMES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS PROMISED TO THE CHURCH.
' Blessed are they which do himjer and thirst after righteousness : for thetj shall be filled^ — Mat. v. 6.
There is a great blessedness in this hunger and thirst
alter righteousness, and that I have shewed in many
particulars. When the time comes that God shall
appear to all the world righteous in his ways, it will
be a blessed time indeed. The saints that know any-
thing of it, cannot but hunger and thirst for that
time. God's omniscience, his wisdom, power, holi-
ness, justice, goodness, faithfulness, will then be glori-
fied in another way than now they are. Then all the
groans and sighs and complaints of the saints shall
be heard by God, and it shall appear that they are
heard ; then all their appeals unto God shall be
examined and judged ; all their endeavours and ser-
vices shall be rewarded ; all their sutt'erings shall be
recompensed. And the end why God hath suftered
so much unrighteousness in the world for so long a
time shall be declared ; their enemies shall be subdued
and ashamed ; all their innocency shall be cleared, all
secrets shall be disclosed ; the base ends of men shall
be discovered, mistakes shall be rectified, the vanity
of the plots and designs and ways of the wisdom of
the flesh shall be manifested ; and this will be a
blessed time. Oh when will that time come, say the
saints, that this will be, that there shall be this
righteousness ?
And the rather I took it to be the meaning here,
because I find so mau}' promises in the Scripture of
an estate of the church that shall be wherein right-
eousness shall prevail, as in 2 Pet. iii. 13, 'New
heavens and new earth wherein dwells righteousness.'
Now that it is meant of a state of the church it is
plain by comparing it with Isa. Ixv. 17. In Isa. xi.
4, there is a promise that is suitable to this in the
connexion of it with that that went before, ' Blessed
are the meek;' and then, 'blessed are those that hunger
and thirst after rigliteousness.' Mark now, ' But
with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and re-
prove with equity for the meek of the earth.' And
then, ver. 5, ' And righteousness shall be the girdle
of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
This is the promise of Christ, and many such pro-
mises in Isaiah, for there is no prophet more full of
the prophecy of the state "of the church, what yet it
shall be, as Isaiah : chap, xxxii. 16, 17, ' Then judg-
ment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteous-
ness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of
righteousness shall be peace ; and the eflect of right-
eousness quietness and assurance for ever.' When
was this ever yet fulfilled? There is such a time
that the saints do long for, and in Isa. xxxiii. 5,
' The Lord is exalted ; for he dwelleth on liigh : he
hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.'
There is a time of filling Zion with judgment and
righteousness ; and in Isa. Ix. yon have many ex-
pressions, one of which we spake to the last time :
' I will also make thine officers peace, and thine
exactors righteousness.' And it follows, 'Violence
shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor
destruction within thy borders ; but thou shalt call
thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise,' when God
shall make their exactors to be righteousness to
them ; and in ver. 21, ' Thy people also shall be all
righteous : they shall inherit the land for ever.'
Here is that suitable to the former promise, ' Blessed
are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Thy
people shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the
96
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 6.
land for ever, the brancli of my planting, the \vork
of my hands, that I may be glorified.' Thus these
promises shew there is a time for glorious righteous-
ness. So in Mai. iv. 2, ' To them that fear the
Lord shall the Sun of righteousness arise with heal-
ing in his wings.' It is the latter end of the Old
Testament, it is true ; he doth heal spiritually, and
he doth heal outwardly too with righteousness. We
might even spend this hour to shew the many pro-
mises of the righteousness that God will have among
his people one day, and those that are godly, that
do understand the secrets of God ; for in Prov. iii.
o2, ' His secret is with the righteous.' They under-
stand the secrets of God, and they do believe that
there is such a time coming wherein righteousness
shall prevail, and this is that that upholds them
from being overcome with those temptations that
hypocrites are drawn aside withal : they keep on in
their way uprightly, waiting for the time of this
righteousness ; and blessed are they upon divers
grounds, as hath been shewn. But we shall pass by
what was spoken, or might further be said concern-
ing that interpretation. But it God appear in his
righteousness, who can stand? For are not the best
conscious to themselves of much unrighteousness ?
Can they hunger and thirst after the time when the
righteousness of God shall appear to the full ? Yes,
they can ; and this is the privilege of the saints, the
more just and righteous God is that they have to
deal with, the more do they long, hunger, and thirst
for the appearing of that God. This is a great pri-
vilege ; but how can that be ? There is another
righteousness that enables them to stand before the
infinite righteousness of God, and that is the right-
eousness of Jesus Christ ; and to the end that when
the Lord shall appear in the full glory of his right-
eousness to the world, they may stand before him
^Yith joy, therefore ' they hunger and thirst after the
righteousness of Jesus Christ,' after the righteousness
of Christ the mediator between God and them, the
righteousness of justification ; for without that even
our God with whom we have to deal is a consuming
fire. So we are now coming to speak of that text in the
second interpretation, ' Blessed are they that hunger
and thirst after the righteousness of Jesus Christ.'
Surely the spirit of Paul was very blessed in this.
His heart was much upon this righteousness that
we are speaking of; for in Phil. iii. 8, 9, he accounts
all dung and dross — yea, dogs meat. For what ?
That he might not be found in his own righteous-
ness, but in the righteousness which is of faith in
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
All things are accounted dung and dross that he might
appear in the i-ighteousness which is by faith in Christ,
the righteousness of God in him — that is, the right-
eousness of justification. Now for the handling of
this point there are these particulars to be observed ;
and in this method we shall speak to it : —
First, We shall open what this righteousness of
Jesus Christ is which the saints do hunger and thirst
after.
Secondly, We shall shew what their hunger and
thirst is; the working of their hearts in their hunger-
ing and thirsting after this righteousness.
Thirdly, What a desirable object this righteous-
ness is ; what there is in this righteousness that
makes the saints so desire after it.
Fourthly, Those that do thus desire after it are
blessed. They are blessed for the present.
Fifthly, That they certainly shall be filled with
this righteousness. These are the five things for the
explication of it.
For the first. What this righteousness is that now
we are speaking of. It is the righteousness which is
for justification ; which I would describe thus : —
That perfect satisfaction to divine justice in what-
soever it requires, either in way of punishing for sin or
obedience to the law, made by the Lord Jesus Christ,
God and man, the mediator of the new covenant, as a
common head representing all those whom the Father
had given to him, and made over unto them that be-
lieve in him ; this is the righteousness that Christ
pronounces them blessed that hunger and thirst after.
The other righteousness had some loveliness in it ;
but you shall see this is to be a matter of greater
moment and consequence than the other.
Now for this we are to know that sin having made
a most dreadful breach between God and man, God
was resolved to have his justice satisfied, or none of
the children of men should ever be saved. If his
justice were not satisfied, they should be all in the
same lost condition that the angels were that sinned
against him. Therefore, saith God, punishment must
be inflicted for sin committed ; and that law of mine
it must be kept, or none shall be excepted ; Now
when God stood upon this, that he would not merely
through mercy say thus. You have sinned against
me, and I will pardon you, and there is an end. No,
saith God ; yon have now sinned, and I am resolved
my justice shall be honoured, either in your eternal
perdition, or some other way wherein my justice shall
have as much honour as if you were eternally damned.
Man is now in such a condition fallen that he hath
lost all righteousness, that he is not able to think a
thought, to speak a word, to do an action that is
righteous, acceptable to God. But, saith God, I am
resolved upon this, that I will have my righteous law
kept if ever you be saved. What a dreadful condi-
tion is man in now, knowing what God stands upon !
Why, then, must not all men perish eternally '? If
that question had been asked in heaven, after God's
revealing such a determination of his, surely all the
Mat. V. 6]
BURROUGHS OX THE BEATITUDES.
07
angels in heaven must liave given in their answer,
Then man must perish ; we cannot see any way how
it is possible for them to be saved, if God stands thus
upon it. But now Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of the
Father, the second person in Trinit}', he comes in
and shews a way how the justice, the infinite justice
of God may be satisfied, the law Icept, and wretched,
sinful, corrupt man yet saved. The Lord Jesus Christ
comes and tenders himself to be the head of a second
covenant, saying, as it were, after this manner. Father,
all mankind is fallen from thee in that first covenant
that thou hast made with them, and they are all now
shut up under sin and unrighteousness. But I am
content to be the head of another covenant, for to be
a mediator, to take their nature upon me ; and I will
take such a way for their salvation as thy justice
shall be no loser, — thou shalt have as much glory to
thy justice as thou shouldst have if they were all
damned ; and thy law shall have nothing to complain
of, for it shall have full satisfaction. Upon this,
God the Father and the Son did, as it w^ere, agree
in that way of the second covenant, that we call the
covenant of grace ; and the Father makes his Son to
be the head of this covenant, — to take man's nature
upon him as a public person, representing all such as
the Father gives to him, for he will not that all in-
dividually shall come to be saved, but those that the
Father gave to him he should represent to him, and
they should have the gospel in time preached to them.
And this righteousness should be made known by
the gospel, and by the Spirit of God they should come
to be convinced of this righteousness, and by faith
this should be made over to them, that the sufl'erings
and obedience of Jesus Christ, which he tenders up
to God the Father, should be made over unto be-
lievers, and they by faith able to lay hold upon this
righteousness, and to tender it likewise to God the
Father for satisfaction ; this is the righteousness of
Jesus Christ. Thus do poor wretched sinners come
to be made righteous in Christ ; their sins are trans-
ferred upon Christ, and Christ's righteousness trans-
ferred upon them ; according to that scripture,
2 Cor. V. 21, 'He that knew no sin was made sin
for us, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him.' Tliis is a most glorious righteousness,
as we shall speak to by and by. Now those that
shall be enlightened by the Holy Ghost to see into
the reality, the certainty, the beauty, the necessity,
the glory of this righteousness, and upon that their
hearts shall be set with hungering and thirsting after
the assurance of their part in it, after the glorious
effects that shall come fi'om it, blessed are those souls,
for they shall be filled with this righteousness ; when
they shall come to have all the good that is to be had
by this righteousness, their souls shall say that they
have enough. Well, though they have not yet the
full comfort, and the full assurance, or the glorious
fruit of this righteousness, yet they are in a blessed
condition even now while they are hungering and
thirsting after this righteousness. This is the second
interpretation of this text, which indeed though the
other hath a meaning which concerns the glory of
God much, yet this much more ; and by this at any
time, when you hear out of the word the preaching of
the righteousness of Christ, or justification by Christ,
you may come to know what it means by this short
description.
Now the second thing that is to be opened, it is the
work of the soul in the hungering and thirsting after
this righteousness.
For the opening of that, we are to consider from
whence this hunger and thirst arises. It rises from
the clear apprehension and thorough conviction of
these four things : —
First, The soul doth clearly apprehend and is
thoroughly convinced that it hath need of a right-
eousness to enable it to stand before the holy and
righteous God ; whenas men going on in the common
way and course of the world, in the ways of unright-
eousness, they little mind that they have to do with a
righteous God, or, if they have to do with a righteous
God, yet because they think that this God is merci-
ful as well as righteous and just, therefore they do
not apprehend any absolute necessity of having any
righteousness to enable them to stand before this
righteous God. You see it ordinary for people that
have lived very ungodly all their days, when they ap-
prehend death to be near, they apprehend themselves
to be ready to appear before this righteous God, what
thoughts have they but only thus : The Lord have
mercy upon me! I am a gi'eat sinner ! God be merci-
ful to me, and I trust in God's mercy ! They look at
notliing else when they are just upon their appearing
before God. But now that soul that understands the
ways of God concerning sinners, and bringing of them
to salvation, such a soul comes to see not only that
God is merciful, but comes to see an absolute neces-
sity of some righteousness to enable it to stand before
the righteous God, and that no unrighteous thing
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; and there-
fore if I go out of this world an unrighteous soul, all
the mercy that is in heaven cannot save me. My
conscience tells me that I have been unrighteous iu
my way, the course of my Ufe hath been unrighteous
and ungodly ; well, now I am going to appear before
the great and infinite righteous God, and it may be
before the morning, must my soul stand before that
righteous God to receive the sentence of my eternal
doom from him. Now how shall I stand before this
righteous God ? certainly I must have righteousness,
or I cannot stand before him. That is the first thing
that raises this hunger and thirst.
98
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 6.
Secondly, The sovil comes to be convinced of the
insufficiency and imperfection of its own righteous-
ness. Must I stand before this righteous God, and
must I have a righteousness to enable me to stand
before him ? then let me look to my heart, and ways,
and life, what righteousness have I ? It may be some
that have not lived so wickedly as others have done :
Why, if I be to stand before the righteous God, I hope
I may, for I have not been so as others have been — so
wicked and ungodly; I have dealt righteously be-
tween man and man, my life hath been fair ; I have
been no whoremaster, uor drunkard, nor no swearer
nor blasphemer ; and upon this they think they may
stand before this righteous God. Oh these people
are infinitely mistaken ! and as yet the Spirit of God
hath not been at work upon them, to shew how
things are between God and their souls. Certainly
they know not God nor themselves that think so.
But when the Lord works graciously by his Spirit in
the soul, it comes to look into the life and heart, and
there sees all its righteousness is but as a menstruous
cloth. It may be it is not raised higher than a
mere moral, civil righteousness, and then I have no
true righteousness at all. But suppose my heart
were sanctified, and my life sincere, holy, yet this
righteousness being imperfect, it will never make me
able to appear before this righteous God ; but that
infinite burning justice that I must stand before, it will
come as a mighty flame and consume me all for this.
If I do set this between me and that infinite righteous
God, it will be but as the putting of a piece of brown
paper before a man to deliver him from a mighty
flame of fire that is coming out against him. That is
the secDnd thing.
Thirdly, The soul comes to see that there is another
righteousness beyond its own ; that notwithstanding
whatsoe\'er righteousness is in me I see imperfect and
unable to io what my soul now hath need of. Al-
though my righteousness that I had with men may
make me to ^■<e able to stand before men, so that they
are not able tc. plead anything against me ; but it is
God that I have to do with, therefore there must be
■ another righteousness. N'ow this is revealed in the
anu-„el. The gospel tv^l? me that the Son of God was
Surely ^in^ and it is thj v.gh him that there is an
His heart *-. made ; and lieM til.ade unto believers wis-
we are speaki.'rliteousness, s.'^hil. ilpation and redemp-
all dung and drot the soi;' dog's me. certa^ity of this.
That he might not \ie''found in his owR^o* be done
ness, but in the righteousness which is o^^ upon the
Christ, the righteousness which is of God b^^y Jesus
All things are accounted dung and dross that he fjtainty
appear in the i ighteousness which is by faith in ChrS' ^o
the righteousness of God in him— that is, the right'?'!''
eousness of justification. Now for the handlin" of" I
of it, that it is so, and not only so, but the fulness
of that righteoidsness, so that the soul sees it suf-
ficient to satisfy God for whatsoever sin I have been
guilty of ; though my sins have been very great,
yet here is righteousness enough to satisfy an infinite
justice.
Fourthly, The soul likewise must be enlightened in
the way of the gospel's making over this righteous-
ness to the creature. It is true Jesus Christ is come
as the great mediator to work righteousness for sin-
ners ; but now how shall this be made over to my
soul, to be made mine, that it should be as my right-
eousness, that I should stand clothed with that right-
eousness before the Father ? Therefore that is the last
thing that the Lord discovers to the soul in the way
of the gosjDel, that Christ is tendered to every wretched
sinner freely with all his righteousness, and that upon
their believing, or their casting their souls upon this
righteousness, willing to venture their souls and eter-
nal estates upon it, and wholly casting their souls
here, that this shall be made over to them, made as
their own righteousness before the Lord. When the
soul comes to see this, that this is the tenor of the
gospel, that Christ with his righteousness is freely
ofl'ered, and it is not what the sinner hath been,
either little or great, or what the condition of the
sinner hath been : but here is righteousness enough
to swallow up all unrighteousness whatsoever ; that all
thine unrighteousness in comparison of this it is but
as a drop to the infinite ocean, that can soon be swal-
lowed up. Upon this the soul doth, as it were,
launch forth into this infinite ocean of righteousness,
and God the Father doth by an act of liis make it
over to the soul, imputing the righteousness of Jesus
Christ as really to this soul as ever the sin of Adam
was imputed to the sons of Adam. Now, here you
see the rise of this hungering and thirsting after this
righteousness, now upon such a work of God as this
is.
Then mark how the soul puts forth itself in the
hungering and thirsting after this righteousness.
In the first place. It doth feel it, it gets an assur-
ance of it, it feels a mighty pain for the want of it ;
as you know in hunger and thirst there is a very
great pain in the body till nature be supplied. There
are not very many of you that have understood what
the pain of hunger and thirst means ; yet it may be
there are some here that may understand it, and
some more than others, but few of you as some have
done in former times. The pain of hunger and
thirst it is one of the greatest pains that our bodies
are capable of here ; and a man that were ready to
starve would rather venture, though it were through
the fire, to get meat, than he would not have it.
'.gNow, that soul that understands with what a God it
' ath to deal, 'and the infinite necessity of this kind
Mat. V. G.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
99
of righteousness to appear before this God, if it hath
not the assurance of it, it cannot but be faint ; it is
that that lies even throbbing at the heart, and till
this comes the soul is in great extremity, in most
lamentable extremity, if it doth come to understand
these things, .and yet hath not got assurance of it.
Secondly, All other things whatsoever that you
can tender unto a man that wants bread or drink,
that is ready to perish for want of those things, ten-
der what you will they are all nothing to him — he
regards them as nothing, there is no savour in any-
thing; come and bring him bags of gold or silver, it
is bread that he must have ; come and bring him
brave suits of satin and velvet, what is that if he be
ready to perish for want of bread ? If you wo\ild
give him all the possessions in all the world, if you
give him not bread, if you do not satisfy his hunger,
they are nothing to him. What is my birthright,
saith profane Esau, whenas I am ready to die for
hunger ? and so it is with the soul that comes to un-
derstand this righteousness. It is true, God hath
given me these and these outward comforts in the
world, but what is all this to righteousness, to my
soul's standing righteous before the great God ? I
must stand before him for the sentence of my eternal
estate, and how long it will be before I shall be
brought to him I know not ; and therefore it is right-
eousness that I stand in need of, and such righteousT
ness as shall be accepted of by the infinite, righteous
God.
Thirdly, As all things are nothing to him till this
comes, so in hunger and thirst there is a mighty
strong desire, such a strong desire as the body is
ready to faint if the desire be not satisfied, even to
faint and die. So it is with the soul here ; if I have
not this righteousness I die, I faint and die — yea, I
die eternally ; I see myself ready to perish eternally
if I have not this righteousness ; there is a fainting
in the spirit until this righteousness comes in.
Fourthly, There are strong endeavours after it ; that
must needs be in hunger and thirst. We use to say
that hunger will break through stone walls ; there is
no work accounted difficult to a man to get bread. If
he be ready to starve, he will not stay at home be-
cause it is ill weather, if there be bread to be had.
Do we not hear, saith Jacob, that there is corn in
Egy[)t ? So the soul that comes to understand the
meaning of this righteousness, and the need of it,
doth not plead or pretend the difficulty of God's
ways ; such and such things are hard ; for me to
leave such and such sinful kists and distempers of
my heart, it is hard, very hard ; and for me to turn a
new life, and set upon new ways, oh it is hard, very
hard to me ; there is no such pleading of a soul that
is in a hungering and tliirsting way after this right-
eousness. Is it possible it may be had ? This is
encugh to my soul that there is any possibility for
righteousness. If the Lord will require such and
such things, whatsoever they be, why, to attend upon
him in the use of ordinances never so long here, I
am content ; the soul puts forth its power, endea-
vours, miglitily crying to God, and studying ^^hat it
should do to know the way of the gospel, more than
ever it did.
Fifthly, One that hungers and thirsts, his desii'es
are resolute ; there is power, and endeavours, and
they are resolute ; he doth not stand upon conditions,
to indent this or that way, but let the endeavours be
what they will be, and indeed this is the work of
grace in the heart where a hypocrite fails. When
the soul oomes to resign itself up to God, it doth
give up itself to God ; it subscribes to a blank as it
were — that is, let God set down what he will, here I
am willing to yield up myself, as Paul in his conver-
sion with trembling and astonishment said, ' Lord,
what wilt thou have me to do?' here I am content
to yield up myself to do whatsoever thou requirest.
Not that this is a condition stQl ; I only speak this in
a way of metaphor to shew the submission of the
soul to God, for indeed this is not a thing upon
wliich God wiU give faith ; but this is the manner of
the working of God upon the soul in bringing of it
to this righteousness, when it is in this condition that
Christ here speaks of, hungering and thirsting after
this righteousness. It is true, God deals with a great
deal more indulgence to some souls ; but if you have
had it sooner than others, do not you be wanton, and
say, What need so much ado in hungering and thirst-
ing, and the like ? We do not impose this as a legal
qualification, but we say this is the way that God
doth work upon some, to keep them a great while
before they come to know that they have part in this
righteousness — to keep them hungering and thirsting
after it, and so break their hearts.
Sixthly, Which is very observable. The soul is un-
satisfied in this hunger and thirst till this righteous-
ness doth come. A child that doth but play with Iiis
meat, or whose belly is full, may be crying after some-
thing that he sees, but you may put ofl:' a chikl with
a rattle when his belly is full ; but if he be thoroughly
a-hungry, then offer him what rattles you wiU, yet he
must have his hunger satisfied if he be hungry in-
deed : and so it is with the soul. Many a man or
woman hath some beginnings in the work of God
upon them, and they begin to think they have need
of some righteousness ; their lives have been wicked ;
and how shall I be able to appear before God, whose ■
life hath been so wicked ? And I know not how
soon I may appear, and therefore I had need look to
make up my peace with God. Now upon this there
are some desires, and such a one will fall to prayer,
and to attend upon the word for a while ; but now
100
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 6.
mark it, within a while, being wearied and tired, be-
cause he comes not off fully to God, and hath not
this righteousness applied by faith, something or other
doth satisfy this soul, and draws the heart away from
those good beginnings. It may be, when they are
hungering and thirsting after this righteousness, the
devil persuades them that for them to live somewhat
betterthan formerly, that that is righteousness enough;
well, that they will do, and upon that they come to
be satisfied, and so they will be forward in many
public good works. This is good ; but if this satisfies
the soul, I say the soul is undone, undone eternally,
if it be satisfied with this. Now the soul that God
works savingly upon, wheti God puts it to hunger
and thirst thus, nothing in the world shall satisfy it ;
though the world should come in never so fully, yet
that shall not satisfy him when the soul is working
after Christ to get pardon and mercy in him. The
soul follows God in the use of all means and all
ordinances ; but now it doth not look upon these as
the righteousness that it must tender up to God, but
only as means to reveal righteousness, and as those
ordinances that God hath appointed, through which
he will convey the work of his Spirit into the soul, to
bruig the soul to the righteousness of Jesus Christ,
and so to rest here ; and for want of the right know-
ledge of this it is that many thousands do miscarry
in their profession. In the time of their youth they
were vain and loose, and after they came to be men and
women of discretion, they live better than before, and
they think this is conversion. Now this is miscar-
riage, to mistake those things that are the means of re-
vealing righteousness, or of conveying tlie work of the
Spirit ; they mistake it, and think it is the righteous-
ness itself tliat they should present to God. Oh no ; it
is just here for all the world as it was with Abraham.
God makes a promise to Abraham, that he should
have a seed in whom all the nations of the world
should be blessed. Now Abraham stayed a great
while after the promise was made, and he began to
grow very ancient, and his wife past bearing, after the
manner of women, and no child comes. Why, now
upon this Abraham's faith begins somewhat to stagger
and fail, and therefore Abraham goes in to his hand-
maid Hagar. Sarah's faith : she begins first to stagger,
and she would give to Abraham Hagar, that he might
bring forth children from Hagar. Why, Abraham
doth it. Ay, but he should have stayed till the time
of God's fulfilling his promise had come ; for though
Abraham had a child of Hagar, yet that was not
the promised seed, and the nations of the earth could
never be blessed by that child ; but afterwards comes
the child which he had by Sarah, and that was the
promised seed. I make use of this because I find the
Holy Ghost doth make use of it. The Holy Ghost
compares the law to Hagar, and the gospel to Sarah,
and the fruit that came by the law bred into bondage,
saithhe; but that that comes by the gospel is the
blessed seed indeed. It is thus with a soul that is
hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and would
fain come to have all made even between God and
itself. The soul is using of means, praying, and attend-
ing upon the word, and saith, Oh that God would
reveal to me his mercy in Christ, and that his justice
it satisfied for me in Christ, oh how happy should I be !
But now, when the soul hath been a long time seeking
after assurance of mercy this way, through the right-
eousness of Jesus Christ, and doth not find a real
work upon it, the soul is weary ; and now it goes, as
it were, in to Hagar — goes and seeks for this blessed-
ness by some works of the law, that is, by reforming
its life, and being otherwise than it was, and so rest-
ing in an outward, civil, or moral righteousness.
This is to be so weary of waiting, as to go from this
blessed seed, from that righteousness that should
make thy soul blessed for ever, to go in to a Hagar,
in to the works of the law, and there to rest upon the
works of the law, and think that they will make thee
righteous. Take heed of this mistake, it is a danger-
ous rock. Be forewarned all you that are seeking
after the righteousness of Jesus Christ ; look to your-
selves here, be unsatisfied therefore in your hunger-
ing and desires ; let nothing quiet your souls but the
application of the righteousness of Jesus Christ by
faith, so as you may he able, by the hand of faith, to
present this infinite righteousness of the Son of God
unto the Father for your souls. That is that that
only can make you stand with comfort before the
great God. Luther had a notable expression this
way about the difference of righteousness. Saith he,
Eighteousness between man and man in a political
way, it is a very sweet thing, for by that the peace of
kingdoms doth stand ; but if therefore, because thou
art a good citizen, a chaste husband, or a just mer-
chant, dealing justly in your merchandise — if because
of these thou wouldst be just before God, thou dost
of the most sweet thing make an abomination that
God cannot bear. That is Luther's expression con-
cerning this, and it is a very excellent one. Take
heed of that, you that are good citizens, and in the
place where you live good townsmen, or good parish-
ioners, and none of your neighbours can find any
fault with you. It is true there is none that have
the righteousness of Christ but attain to this : a
man may attain to this, and yet miss of the right-
eousness of Jesus Christ. If upon this you shall
satisfy your souls, if you shall from this sweet thing
think to be just before God, you do make of this
sweet thing an abomination that the Spirit of God
will not bear. Thus you see the work of the soul in
hungering and thirsting after this righteousness.
Now the main thing that yet remains, and that is, to
Mat. V. 6]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
101
set before you the loveliness of this righteousness —
that is, what a desirable object this is the soul
hungers and thirsts after. Now that we hunger and
thirst after, we see much in that thing which makes
us to desire it. In the opening what this righteous-
ness was, and the work of God in causing this hunger
and thii'st after this righteousness, you may see cause
enough why the soul should be earnest after it ; but
yet there be many things more to set before you, the
beauty and excellency of this righteousness, so as if
it be possible to draw hungering and thirsting in all
your souls after it. This is certain, there is never a
one of you but have infinite need of it. Those that
never knew it, if they but knew it, their hearts would
be taken off from other things and set upon this.
And you that have some knowledge of it, yet if you
knew it more, your hunger and thirst would be in-
creased more abundantly.
SERMON XV I.
on.
THE DESIRABLENESS OF THE OBJECT HUNGERED AFTER.
'Blessed are they zchick do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled.^ — Mat. v. 6.
1 COME now to the third thing, which is the desir-
ableness of this object. " Blessed are they that hunger
and thirst after righteousness.' Thus described, it is
a most desirable object, and those that know it, they
cannot but hunger and thirst after it, to have their
share in it. For,
First, By this righteousness all despairing tempta-
tions and thoughts for want of any righteousness in
ourselves are taken away. Whatsoever despairing
temptations or thoughts may be in the mind for want
of any righteousness in the creature, in one's self, these
thoughts and temptations are by this righteousness
removed from the soul. You do not understand,
many of you, what strong despamng thoughts doth
possess many souls when they come to apprehend
how they have to deal with an infinite great God,
and then come to see what the unrighteousness of
their hearts and the unrighteousness of their lives
have been ; you know not what throbs there are in
their spirits, what warring in their thoughts ; they
would give ten thousand thousand worlds that they
might be delivered from the anguish and trouble of
those sinking, despairing thoughts and temptations
that their souls are afliicted withal ; but there is
nothing in the world can do it but the sight and
application of this righteousness of Jesus Christ, as
it hath been before described. Therefore it is very
desirable.
Secondly, By this righteousness the soul comes to
see a way for making up all the wrong that ever was
done to God by his sin. I have wronged God by my
sin, and ho^Y this can be made up it were impossible
for angels and men to think of a way ; but the re-
vealing of this righteousness of Christ, made over to
the soul by faith, shews a way how all the wrong that
ever my sin hath done to God may be quite made up.
And is not this desirable ? Will not this draw the
heart ? Thou that art any way sensible of the wrong
that thy sin hath done to God, wouldst not thou give,
if thou hadst, ten thousand worlds to make it up
again ? Here is a way that all may be made up
again. Oh what a desirable object is this righteous-
ness !
Thirdly, By this righteousness the law is fully
satisfied, and all the claim of the law is answered,
that the law hath nothing to charge now upon the
soul, to lay any claim to the soul for any breach of
it. This is a desirable thing. There is no desirable-
ness at all in being freed from the law as a rule of
life ; that is no way desirable to a gracious heart.
' Blessed are they that love thy law,' (as the rule of
life,) ' nothing shall offend them.' They would choose
the law to themselves ; therefore that is desirable.
But the claim that the law lays to the soul, and the
charge that the law brings against the soul for the
breach of it, the soul desires to be delivered from
this. This is a sore and dreadful evil, that I stand
before the law of God, that hath infinite justice in it,
that hath such and such a dreadful charge to charge
upon me. Oh that I could be discharged from what-
ever the law hath to charge ! Why, this righteous-
ness wiU do it ; it will deliver the soul from whatever
102
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[at. v. 6.
the law hath to charge upon it. Therefore, in Rom.
X. 4, it is said that ' Christ is the end of the Law for
righteousness to every one that believetli.' He is the
end of the law ; it hath its perfection in him. Thou
mayest turn the demands of the law over to thy surety,
and God will never come upon the principal in this
case, but upon the surety. By having this righteous-
ness thine, thou comest here to be able to give the
law what it will claim, and to discharge it of what-
ever it hath to charge upon thee.
Fourthly, By this righteousness the hazard of mis-
carrying to all eternity is quite over. When the
soul comes to apprehend this righteousness, it may
see in the bowels of it, as it were, an absolute safety
and blessed security. May this but be made over to
my soul, though it is true that yet there will remain
much unrighteousness in me, yet I know that that
unrighteousness that will remain in me shall never
hazard the eternal miscarrying of my soul, but that
all the hazard of that is quite over. Is not this de-
sirable? What would any troubled soul give to
know the hazard of eternal miscarrying over, that
doth but understand what eternity means, and appre-
hends any hazard of miscarrying in it ! There is
nothing can satisfy the soul but this. If so be that
I think to satisfy my soul in the matter of my eternal
estate, and in the deliverance from the hazard of
miscarrying by what I do, to think I will mend my
life and do better, — (though every one should do so,) —
yet still the fears will return upon the soul again —
there will be an uncertainty whether I shall mis-
carry for ever or no. It may be I shall, it may be I
shfill not. I hope God will accept of me; but
whether he will or no I cannot tell. But now, when
the soul comes to understand such an infinite and a
glorious righteousness to be made over to it in the
way of the gospel, surely now the soul is able to
bless itself in Jesus Christ, and to say, ' My soul,
return unto thy rest, for the Lord hath dealt bounti-
fully with thee.' Now, though thou beest unrighteous
in thyself, yet there is that righteousness as doth free
thee from any such danger of miscarrying. But thou
art certainly safe ; this will certainly bring thee to
eternal life, ' for there is no condemnation to them
that are in Christ Jesus.' It is impossible for a soul
that God the Father shall look upon in the righteous-
ness of his Sou — a soul so righteous as a believer is
through the righteousness of Christ — to miscarry to
eternity, that even God should come to hate or to let
out his revenging wrath upon such a soul; it is im-
possible, it can never be.
Fifthly, It is worth the hungering and thirsting
after; for through this righteousness we come to
have access to tlie throne of grace, and to be able
to stand with boldness before the throne of grace,
before God, yea, before God's infinite holiness and
justice — not only before God's mercy, but before the
very throne of justice, as well as the throne of grace.
Though I have to deal witli an infinite holy and an
infinite just God, yet here is a way to make me stand
with boldness, with a holy boldness, before this in-
finite holiness and infinite justice of God : Rom.
V. 1, 'Being justified by faith, we have ])eace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ : by whom also
we have access by faith into this grace wherein we
stand.' By him we come to have access even to the
tribunal of God's justice ; so that there needs no
appeal now from the justice-seat of God to his mercy-
seat. It is mercy that God will have such a way,
that God will bring us to it, that God will accept of
us in it. It is that that makes us, through him,
stand before his justice-seat ; our pardon is sealed
in the court of justice.
Sixthly, This righteousness is a glorious robe.
When Jesus Christ shall appear, and God the Father,
and the holy angels, this shall be the glorious robe
that shall cover the souls of the saints, of believers,
in the presence of God and Christ and the holy
angels at the great day ; they shall be clothed with
this, and this is the robe that is prepared by Jesus
Christ to cover, to adorn, and beautify the saints at
the day of judgment in their appearing before God.
You hear much of the dreadful day of judgment ;
sometimes the shrill sound of the trumpet, and all
appearing before the Lord to hear the sentence of
your eternal doom, and it may be some terror may
strike into some of your hearts ; but this robe of
righteousness takes away all the terror of that day.
The glorious condition of the saints in being clothed
with this robe before the Lord, now those to whom
this righteousness conies to be revealed, they see
what the use of this righteousness will be at that
day. And tliat is the sixth thing wherein it appears
so desirable.
Seventhly, There must certainly be a most glorious
reward of this righteousness ; and this raises the con-
dition of the saints above that of Adam in paradise —
yea, in some respect, above the angels themselves.
If Adam had stood in paradise there had been a
righteousness suitable to such a creature, and the
angels have a righteousness suitable to their natures ;
but here is the righteousness of the Son of God, the
righteousness of God-man, and this is of a higher
nature than the righteousness of Adam was, or could
be, of a higher nature than the righteousness of the
angels themselves iu heaven ; and now for this to
he made over to the soul as its own righteousness,
there must needs be an expectation of a glorious
reward of this righteousness. If Adam had con-
tinued righteous he should have lived ; but it appears
not that he should have lived but on'y in paradise,
in this world ; but now this righteousness purchases
Mat. V. 6.]
BUREOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
103
a higher degree of glory than if ever Adam had
stood. Glorious must needs the reward of this be ;
and as the righteousness itself is made over to the
soul, so all that tliis righteousness doth deserve, all
the fruits of the good pleasure of God the Father for
this righteousness that his Son doth tender to Lim,
shall be made over to the soul too, and is made over ;
the soul hath present right unto it. When a poor
creature shall come to understand such a righteous-
ness that is beyond Adam's in innocency, that is be-
yond angels', the righteousness of the Son of God, to
be made over to it ; and all the good that this righteous-
ness doth deserve, all the fruits of the good pleasure
of the Father for this righteousness of his Son, that
is all mine too ; oh how desirable is this when appre-
hended really by faith !
Eighthly, This righteousness is a perfect righteous-
ness. There is no sinner whatsoever, but at the first
instant wherein it becomes a believer, and hath this
righteousness made over to it, it comes in the point
of justification to be equal with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, with David, the patriarchs, prophets, angels,
martyrs, with the most eminent saints. There is
a great deal of difference between thee and those
glorious prophets and saints that we read of, and
martyrs, and many eminent Christians ; a great deal
of difference when thou lookest upon that blind
mind of thine, that dull spirit of thine, that dead
heart of thine, those many strong lusts that are in
thee ; and upon this thy heart is dejected, it may be.
But though the difference be great in respect of
sanctification, yet in respect of the righteousness of
justification thou art equal with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob — thou art equal with any of the prophets, or
apostles, or martyrs. A perfect righteousness, that is
made over to thee, and therefore it is a most desir-
able object ; is not that desirable and worth the
hungering and thirsting after for one that hath been
a base, wicked, forlorn wretch in the whole course of
his life — hath been nothing but a very lump of filth
and abomination; for this man or woman at the very
instant of the time of believing, to come to stand
through a righteousness made over by Christ as per-
fect as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or of any saint
that ever lived in 4he world? Thy justification is equal
to theirs ; certainly if you knew this, if you did be-
lieve it, one would think it impossible but that you
should have a stomach to it, you should have hunger-
ing and thirsting desires after such a righteousness as
this is.
Ninthly, This righteousness is that that Jesus
Christ, at the right hand of the Father, is continually
presenting before the Father, that he might be well
pleased with those to whom it is applied. It is a
special work of the intercession of Jesus Christ, at
the right hand of the Father, to be presenting this
his righteousness before the Father for such and such
souls that do belong unto him ; and for thee, though
vile here in this world, and full of sin, yet to have such
a mediator at the right hand of God the Father con-
tinually presenting a perfect righteousness, to the end
that it should be accepted for thee : as if he should
say, Lord, though these and these poor creatures be
fall of unrighteousness, yet behold the perfect righteous-
ness of mine ; I perfectly obeyed, therefore accept of
that righteousness of mine. Is not this an object
desirable? doth not this call for strong desires,
hungering and thirsting ? and are they not blessed
that have such a righteousness as this is to be clothed
with ?
Tenthly and lastly, The acceptation that comes
from this righteousness it doth not ebb and flow ac-
cording to the difference of the gracious workings of
our hearts, but it abides constant for ever. It is
true the Lord looks upon the different workings of
our hearts, and in respect of weakness of sanctifica-
tion, or further degrees, there may be a complacency
in God more or less — I mean in the manifestations
for what is God's complacency but some way or other
the letting out of himself towards his creature ; and
the Lord is well pleased with the righteousness of
sanctification too, as we shall speak to afterwards,
as well as in this. But now though there may be a
different letting out of God, and in some respect we
may say the very complacency of God's heart may
be towards his servants in a chtTerent way, according
to the difference of their graces here ; but in respect
of their acceptation of this righteousness, it is
always the same. There is always the same accep-
tation of this righteousness, and no ebbings and
Sowings in the acceptation of this righteousness for
any believer. Oh, how blessed is this righteousness
of Jesus Christ, and what a desirable object is it !
Thus now you have bad the third thing opened —
what the workings of the heart are in hungering and
thu-sting after it, and what a desirable object this
righteousness is.
The fourth thing is the blessedness, which is to be
spoken unto : Blessed are they that do hunger and
thirst after this. Blessed are they.
First, Because they come to see the great mystery
of godliness, in the way of God's bringing man unto
himself, and this is a blessed thing. It is a blessed
thing for the eyes of the understanding to be so en-
lightened, as to be able to see the great mystery of
God in the way that he hath to bring man to him-
self. Most peo])le in the world they think there is
no other way of God to bring men to himself but
this : Those that have been wicked sinners they
must mourn, and be sorry that they have done so,
and sin no more, and there is an end; but those
that do hunger and thirst after this righteous-
104
BUKROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. G.
Bess, they are eniightened by another manner of light
from heaven. The beams of divine light hath shined
into them, whereby they come to understand the
deep counsels of God concerning his way in bringing
man to himself, and blessed are those that have their
eyes thus opened ; blessed are your eyes, because
you see these things. Blessed are they that hunger
and thirst because of the enlightening that they
have.
Secondly, Blessed are they for the present, for
their hearts are taken with that which hath the
greatest weight in it. There is nothing that ever
concerned God himself, or that ever concerned man,
or any creature, that had greater weight in it than this
that I am speaking of; nothing of God's works,
nothing, that is, ab extra, (for I speak of that,)
nothing that ever concerned God in his working
towards the creature, or in glory that he receives
from the creature. There was never anything of
such high concernment towards any creature as this
is, the righteousness of the Son of God applied by
faith. Now blessed are they who have their hearts
taken with this righteousness. For the most of you,
what are your hearts taken withal ? they are taken
with meat and drink, to live merrily, to be in com-
pany, and to play, and pour down wine, and to
satisfy your lusts. Your hearts are taken with this ;
here is no blessedness in this. But now for to have
the heart of a man that had nothing but vanity and
folly in it before, to be taken with a matter of such
infinite weight and consequence as this righteousness
is, blessed is that heart.
Thirdly, Blessed are they, for now is the time
when this righteousness of Christ is offered unto
sinners ; and blessed are they that by the work of
God are brought into the way that God brings those
into that he intends to give the righteousness of his
Son unto. In the time that he is ofl'ering of the
righteousness of his Son to sinners, if so be that
thou hadst but stayed a while, and God had but cut
the thread of thy life off before thou hadst seen the
excellency of this righteousness of Christ, and before
thou hadst had strong desires after it, thou couldst
not have been blest; but blessed art thou that in
this time of tliy life, that is, the time that God offers
this righteousness of his Son to sinners, that now
thou seest thy need of it, and that thy heart works
after it, and that thou art now in the way that God
brings those into that he doth intend to bestow this
righteousness of his Son upon ; for though it may
be yet thou dost not thorouglily know tliat this is
made over to thee, yet thou art blessed in this, be-
cause thou art in the way that God doth use to
bring those into that he hath a purpose to bless for
ever in this his Son's righteousness. Thou wert not
long since in a way of folly and vanity, minding
nothing less than this, minding only those things
that would have undone thee for ever, and doth God
now bring thee into the way that he uses to bring
those into that he hath a purpose to save ? blessed
art thou that thou art come so far.
Fourthly, Blessed art thou that hungerest and
thirstest thus after this righteousness, for it is a good
evidence that the soul hath some seed of faith
wrought in it aheady, that it makes so much after
Jesus Christ. Indeed thou hast not an assurance,
thou art not able to say yet, that Christ's righteous-
ness is mine ; but yet thou hast this blessedness,
that there is some good evidence to thee, in these
hungerings and thirstings of thine, that there is
some seed of faith sown in thy heart already, for
thou wouldst not otherwise cling so to Christ.
Those makings of thy soul after Christ, that nothing
in the world can take off thy soul from him, but
still thou lingerest after him, and with mighty
workings of spirit dost desire him ; surely he is
there already, that makes thy soul so much to work
after him.
Fifthly, but especially, ' Blessed are they that do
hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall
be filled ; ' that is thus, —
First, All fears, all misgiving thoughts shall one
daj' be removed. Thou hast some hopes that do en-
courage thee, but many doubts and fears mixed, but
thou shalt be satisfied in respect of them.
Secondly, All accusations of Satan shall be an-
swered. Satan will be clamouring, but this right-
eousness shall appear in that beauty and glory that
shall stop Satan's mouth.
Thirdly, Thou shalt be filled — that is, thou shalt
have the good of this righteousness, as if thou' hadst
satisfied and obeyed thyself. Consider of this, this
will fill indeed, thou shalt have the fruit and the
benefit of this righteousness as if thou thyself hadst
satisfied the law, and hadst obeyed thyself. If it
were possible for a creature to satisfy God's justice
and to discharge the law, there would be expecting
very great good to come of it. Thou shalt have as
much as if thou thyself hadst borne the punishment
of what thy sin had deserved ; yea, there shall be
greater benefit come by what Christ hath satisfied
and done than if thou hadst satisfied and done it
thyself. If this had been the way of God, that so
many as I intend to save, they shall lie ten thousand
thousand years in flames to satisfy for their sin, and
they shall perfectly obey my law, and so I will be
reconciled to them ; now thou wouldst thinlc it a
blessed thing that thou hadst gone through this
work ; but know, if thou hadst gone through it, and
so God reconciled, thou couldst not expect such love
from God, such acceptation with God after this as
now thou mayest expect upon the satisfaction that
Mat. Y. 6.]
BUEROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
105
Christ hatli made by liis perfect righteousness. And
therefore thou shalt be filled, for thou shalt have
more than if thou hadst done it thyself.
Fourthly, Thou shalt hereafter know that God, in
sending his Son to work such a righteousness as this
is, he had an intention at thee in particular. "When
those eternal counsels of his will were that his Son
should come into the world and work this glorious
righteousness, the Lord had an intention toward thee,
and said, Now I will send my Son to work this glorious
and eternal righteousness for the good of this soul,
and for the good of the other soul ; and will not this
till thee ?
Fifthly, Christ shall bring thee one day before his
Father shining bright in this righteousness. That was
the desu-ableness of it that I spoke of, and now I
make use of it only to shew how such as do hunger
and thirst after it shall be tilled.
Sixthly, Thou shalt eternally enjoy all the fruits
of this righteousness ; and certamly this will till
thee as full as ever thou canst hold, when thou
shalt come to enjoy all the benefits and fruits that
will be the consequents of such a righteousness as
this is. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst
aft-ev this righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Thus we have opened this second branch — viz., the
hungering and thirsting after the righteousness of the
Lord Jesus Christ
By way of apphcation ,• — • .
In the first place, The opening of what we have
will presently rebuke those that never minded or
regarded this righteousness that we are now speaking
of, that never felt any want at all of it, and therefore
never had any hungering and thirsting after it. I am
afraid I speak this day but riddles to most people.
I appeal to your consciences, as in the name of God.
When hath God discovered the glory of this righteous-
ness in the reality of it to your souls ? when have your
hearts been taken with it? And can any closet of thine,
any room of thine, testify those mighty cries to God
for thy part in this righteousness '? when hath there
been such stirrings in thy soul after this righteous-
ness : Lord, I am undone, I perish for ever ; better I
had never been born, but that I had been a toad, a dog,
than not to have this righteousness of thy Son : I
appeal to you, when was there ever any such kind of
working in your hearts ? Certainly, if you be alto-
gether unacquainted with these hungerings and thirst-
ings after this, you are not one of those that Christ
pronounces blessed ; you have hungerings and thirst-
ings after other things that can do you no good ;
here is an object to raise up the desires of a rational
creature, here indeed is that that should whet your
appetite.
In the second place, Let what hath been said
quicken and sharpen your appetites after this right-
eousness, and make you say, 0 Lord, thou hast this
day set before me out of thy word a glorious mystery
of reUgion, a righteousness of thy Son, that I either
knew not, or little minded heretofore. Lord, I see
my happiness to consist in that, I am for ever made
if I have that ; no great matter what becomes of me
in the world, what becomes of my name or estate, if
I have but that to clothe me I shall be made for
ever. Oh that the heavens might hear of the cries of
some souls this evening after this righteousness! or if
so be that some of you, upon the hearing of what is
said, may but think what is the meaning of this.
However, let there be this fruit of what hath been
spoken, as to get alone between God and yourselves,
and cry to him to help you to understand what hath
been said; for certainly it is one of the great mysteries
of godhness. You are undone for ever if you do not.
Therefore at least do thus much : cry to God that he
would reveal this to you, and that will be some good
way made for the stirring up your appetites after
this righteousness. There are two or three things
that may serve for the quickening of our appe-
tites.
First, Consider that thou hast to deal with a right-
eous God. We have a notable scripture in Rom. x.
3, ' For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness,
and going about to estabhsh their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness
of God.' Mark, they are ignorant of God's righteous-
ness, and so they go about to establish their own, and
have not submitted themselves to the righteousness
of God ; as if the Holy Ghost should saj', Did they
but know God's righteousness, they would never rest
in their own righteousness, but, being ignorant of
God's righteousness, they seek to establish their own
righteousness. Oh that God would but this night
cause one manifestation of his infinite righteousness
to thy soul! ihis would cause thee to hunger and thirst
after it indeed.
Secondly, Consider this, That the Lord is absolutely
resolved that he will have his justice satisfied, that
no soul shall ever be saved but he will have justice
satisfied for that soul. This is God's determination ;
and the right understanding of this, and laying this
for a certain conclusion, will mightily stir up the
heart to seek after this righteousness : What! is God
a God of infinite righteousness, and is this a certain
truth, that no soul shall ever be saved but God will
be honoured in his infinite justice as well as in his
infinite mercy, what then shall become of the children
of men ? Were it not for this satisfaction they
would all perish ; and this is the reason why all the
angels that sinned against God perish eternally, be-
cause there is no righteousness for them, there is no
way of satisfaction for their sin, and so it would be
with the children of men, for God is resolved to have
106
BURROUGHS ON THE BKATITUDES.
[Mat. V. G
his justice honoured either upon them or upon a
surety.
Thirdly, Know tliat it would go very ill with
Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, with the most glorious
righteous person that ever lived in the world, were
it not for this ; yea, we may boldly say, Woe to Abra-
ham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets and apostles,
were it not for this righteousness. And if these things
be so, we had need have our hearts to be making
after this righteousness here mentioned.
SERMON XVI I.
OR,
COMFORTS TO THOSE THAT HUNGER.
'Blessed are they tvhich do hunger and thirst after rif/hteoimiess : for they shall he filled.' — Mat. v. G.
For those that do find their hearts stirring after this
righteousness, I have divers things to speak unto
them by way of comfort and consolation. Tliere are
many poor souls, which, in the sense and burden of
their sins, do hunger and thirst after the rigliteousness
of Jesus Christ, so as there is nothing more that their
thoughts and hearts are upon than the righteous-
ness of Jesus Christ, that they may find it applied
unto them by faith and made theirs, that they may
have the comfort of it. To such I shall only speak
these things briefly by way of comfort and encourage-
ment :
First, If thy heart do in truth thirst after this right-
eousness of Christ that thou hearest preached of in
the gospel, and thou dost in thy soul bless those that
are able to make it theirs, know that thy thirst and
Christ's thirst are the same. Christ thirsts after souls
as much as souls thirst after him ; and it is as great a
satisfaction to Jesus Christ to see his righteousness
applied unto souls for their discharge, as it can be any
satisfaction to any soul to have the righteousness of
Christ applied to it for its discharge. No soul can be
more content in the assurance that Christ's righteous-
ness belongs to it, tlian Christ dotli to have his right-
eousness applied unto souls that do hunger and thu-st
after it, as hath been spoken of in the text ; and for
that I will give you only this scripture, Isa. liii., a clear
prophecy concerning Christ : ver. 10, it is said, 'It
pleased the Lord to bruise him ; he hath put him to
grief : when thou shall make his soul an offering for sin,
he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satis-
fied : for by his knowledge shall my righteous servant
justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.'
Mark, ' He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall
be satisfied.' What is the travail of the soul of Christ ?
Surely it is, that after he hath borne the burden of
the wrath of the Father, that then there might be
souls given to him, and discharged of their sin through
his sufferings ; this is the travail of Christ's soul. Is
thy soul travailing after the righteousness of Jesus
Christ ? Thou art as it were in a travail, and longest
after that, as any woman in travail longs to be delivered.
Know the soul of Christ is in as much travail for to dis-
charge sinners, as sinners are to be discharged; andsaith
the text, ' He shall see of the travail of his soul, and he
shall be satisfied.' There is nothing in the world can
satisfy the soul of Christ as to have poor sinnei's come
in to him, and to communicate his righteousness to
them. ' For by his knowledge shall my righteous ser-
vant justify many.' That shall satisfy his soul; as if the
Holy Ghost should say. After all that Jesus Christ hath
suffered for souls, when any soul shall come in and
believe in him, the Lord Jesus shall apply his right-
eousness to them and justify them ; and this is that
that Christ shall account worth all his sufferings —
shall, as it were, say, I do not grudge, I do not re-
pent for all that I have suffered, seeing I have the
fruit of it, that here are poor sinful souls discharged of
their sins by my sufferings. This is a great help and
comfort to those that are hungering and thirsting after
the righteousness of Jesus Christ ; you see what the
hunger of Christ is, the travail of his soul, and what
it is that will satisfy. Surely if this be an object so
satisfactory to his soul to justify sinners, then thou
mayest have encouragement in this, that when thy
soul travails for this, and longest after this righteous-
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS OX THE BEATITUDES.
107
ness above all things in the world, and nothing can
satisfy thee but that, that thou shalt in due time see
the travail of thy soul, and shalt be satisfied.
Secondly, The great design that God hath in all
the world to glorify himself by, it is by the honour-
ing of the righteousness of his Son in the application
of it unto sinful souls for their discharge. Of all things
that ever God did, or ever shall be done in the world,
the greatest design of God to honour himself is, that
the righteousness of liis Son may be magnified in
working such a course as this is, to deliver souls from
the guilt of their sin, and to set them as righteous
before the Father. The Lord takes delight in no
work lilve unto this work. Here is the masterpiece,
as I may so say, of God, and the glory of God.
Now, then, think thus with thyself : Is this the work
that, above all things, God glories in ? and is it his
design to honour himself in the magnifying the right-
eousness of his Son, in the fruit of that righteousness
to discharge sinful and guilty sinners by it ? then
who are they that God will honour himself in and
upon, if not upon such whose souls he hath be-
gun to stir to work after this righteousness, to
long after it above all things in the world ? It is
that that God's heart is in, to honour himself by
above all things, and it is that that God hath put
into my heart to desire above all things ; and I think
— yea, I am sure, if I know anything of my heart —
that if God would but once witness to my soul that
tliis rigliteousness of liis Son is mine, I should for ever
give up myself to honour him. Had I a thousand
lives they should all go for the glory of his name.
Surely God's heart and thy heart doth meet very
near together in this thing, and therefore be com-
forted and encouraged in thy hungering and thirsting
after this thing.
Thirdly, There is nothing offered more freely than
the righteousness of Christ is. Of all mercies that
God doth bestow upon sinners, the mercies of Jesus
Christ are bestowed the most freely. There are
many mercies that God bestowed in the time of the
law, upon legal obedience ; but Jesus Christ and his
righteousness was never given to any soul, but freely,
upon mere free grace — nothing but free grace hath
given him — he is the gift of God! And, together with
the freedom, there is an invitation to souls to come and
take it.' Thou that art thirsting after this righteous-
ness, consider of that scripture in Rev. xxii. 1 7, ' The
Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that
heareth say. Come. And let him that is athirst come.
And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life
freely.' Thou thirstest after this righteousness, as
the water of life, that would be life to thy soul. Now
mark what invitation is here, ' the Spirit,' ' the bride,'
that is, the church, they say, ' Come. And let him
that heareth say. Come. And he that is athirst come.'
Here is four times in one verse ' come.' 'And whoso-
ever will, let him take of the water of life freely.' There
is nothing more free than this water of life. God sells
it not to any ; but whosoever he gives it to, he gives it
freely. And now, is this the way of God in the dis-
pensing of this great mercy, that whosoever hath had
it, or ever shall have it, it must be given freely to
them, that any former unrighteousness shall be no
hindrance ? Whatsoever unrighteousness there hath
been before, that is no hindrance ; for if it were, then
it were not given freely. There is no unvi'orthiness,
tlien, that can hinder ; and if so, why may not I
have my portion in it as well as another ? why may
not I be blessed by it as well as any ? It is true, I
am vile, I am an unrighteous wretch, I am unworthy ;
but the Lord gives this water of life freely, Isa. Iv. L
Fourthly, I will add a fourth consideration for thy
further comfort ; that there is nothing can give any
right to any soul to apply the righteousness of Jesus
Christ, but merely this free offer, and the soul's be-
lieving, the soul's casting itself upon it. There is
nothing before that that gives any right to this right-
eousness of Christ.
You will say, I could apply it, and believe it, and
cast myself upon it, but that I fear I have no right
in it. Now this is as certain a truth as any we have
in the gospel, that there is nothing gives any soul a
right to Jesus Christ but believing in him — the ven-
turing of the soul upon this perfect, glorious right-
eousness. It is this that gives right unto the soul ;
and therefore do not fear, but come, then, thou
hungering and thirsting soul after this righteousness,
and open thy mouth and thy heart wide, that it may
be filled, and cast thy soul here upon this righteous-
ness, venture thy soul and thy eternal estate — that
is the best way, and the soonest way, to have the
comfort of it.
Those that are hungering and thii-sting after this
righteousness, take these cautions ; —
The first caution I shall give you. Take heed, you
that are seeking after your part in this, and to have
your souls to be justified through this righteousness
— take heed that you do not satisfy yourselves with
any righteousness beneath this, with any under-right-
eousness ; for the devil will be ready to come in here,
and he doth prevail with many, when their sins do
lie upon their consciences, and they see they stand
as guilty before the great God as those that are bound
over unto eternal death, and they hear that there is
no way of salvation but by Christ, and they seek
after Christ. Now the devil seeks to put them off
with some other righteousness besides this. Oh take
heed that nothing satisfies you but this righteousness !
It is true, through God's mercy I have broken off
many of my sinful courses; and I find this in my
heart, that I would not for all the world commit any
108
BURROUGHS OX THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 6.
one known sin against conscience, though in secret.
This is well ; but do not rest in this, but know there
is a righteousness beyond this. Do not think this
is enough to satisfy your consciences, that you are
brought to this. No ; nothing shall satisfy my con-
science but the application of the blood of Christ and
his righteousness to my soul.
Secondly, Take heed that you be not put off and
satisfied with comfort. It may be you shall have
mighty flashes of comfort given you. When you are
at "prayer, perhaps you shall have such flashes of
comfort and joy as are more than ever you have had ;
some may, and have had it so, and yet afterwards
it hath come to nothing. Therefore you must not
satisfy yourselves in that, but think thus : Is this
the fruit of Christ's righteousness, yea or no ? Have
I the righteousness of Christ ? Do I feel the work
of the Holy Ghost carrying my soul to Christ, and
so enabling me to rest upon his righteousness ? and
then is the Holy Ghost a comforter unto me as a
fruit of this ? Then it is good, if thy comfort comes
as a fruit of the act of thy faith, casting thyself upon
the righteousness of Jesus Christ; otherwise thy com-
fort may be but to please thee, and satisfy thee a
while, and so take thee ofl' from further pursuit
after this righteousness. That is the only thing will
hold, and make thee to stand with peace before the
judgment-seat of God.
A tliird caution is this : In seeking after this riglit-
eousness of Christ, take heed of reasoning with flesh
and blood. Take heed of carnal reasonings, and
arguing, How can this thing be, that such a one, so
vile and wretched as I am, and so ungodly as I have
been, that ever God should have such love and such
regard as to send his Son to be made a curse, to die,
and to work out a perfect righteousness to clothe my
soul with. I have heard of the glory of this right-
eousness, and how can it be that ever my soul should
be partaker of it? This is to reason with flesh and
blood ; thou must in thy pursuit after this have that
reasoning of flesh and blood to be swallowed up, and
faith alone must be advanced in it. If faith be not
put to this great point, there wiU never be any good
done of it. If reason come in, reason will spoil all;
for it is above all reason — it is infinitely supernatural.
' Eeason,' saith Luther, ' is a most terrible enemy to
faith ;' and it is a great mystery of godliness that the
angels themselves desire to pry into, and to wonder
at ; and therefore Christians must even, as it were,
shut the eye of reason, and exercise faith upon it : it
is only that that can bring peace unto thy soul.
Fourthly, And then the last thing is, Oh take heed,
above all, of turning this grace of God into wanton-
ness ! look to that. You have heard this righteous-
ness of the Son of God opened, and the glorious
properties of it, the excellency of it, the desnableness
of it ; it is that that very few hearts can bear ; they
cannot bear it. We find it by experience, that men
and women that come to have any little glimmering
about the righteousness of Christ, they run away
with it, and draw most ■\\Tetched and vile conclusions
from it. Then you say. What need we look after
anything further — Christ hath done all ; and so grow
loose in their conversations. Take heed of waiiton-
ness. There is a very wanton generation among us ;
and I verily believe that, if ever since Christ's time
the grace of God hath been turned into wantonness,
it hath been this four or five years ; only I find in
the story of Germany, that when Luther began first
to preach Jesus Christ, there were the very same
wantons in his time, abusing what he said. When
the gospel began to" break forth, men's bleared eyes
were not able to bear the glorious light that God did
cause to shine through the ministry of Luther, but
did extremely abuse it ; and Luther himself was much
perplexed and troubled with those wantons that
abused the doctrine of free grace and justification by
the righteousness of Christ. And as we find that
men, through their weak and corrupt spirits, are
ready to abuse this, so, above all sins, it is that that
goes most to the heart of God, that the heart of God
doth most hate ; and it is made, in the Epistle of
Jude, a dreadful brand of those that are even ap-
pointed to condemnation, that do turn the grace of
God into wantonness. This grace of God in the
righteousness of his Son, the Lord expects that all
that come to know it should even fall down upon
their faces and adore and magnify him for it, and
spend then- days in adoring and magnifying of him,
and not to make this as a means to nourish sin, to
nourish unrighteousness and looseness ; as we find it
in many, that since such times as they have spoken
most of free grace, of the righteousness of Christ,
their conversations have been more loose than for-
merly. This is abominable wickedness, that the
Spirit of God hates ; and if there could be any one
sign given of a man or woman that were never like
to have any part or portion in this righteousness,
that sign would be the most probable, that should
turn this rich and glorious grace of God into wanton-
ness. But thus much concerning this great point of
hungering after the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Now to proceed to the next point, the hungering
and thirsting after the righteousness of sanetifica-
tion, or inherent righteousness. I shall give you the
method in the same way as we went in the former.
First, What is this righteousness that now we are
speaking of ?
Secondly, What is the true hunger and thirst of
the soul after this righteousness ?
Thirdly, What the desirableness of this righteous-
Mat. y. 6.]
BURROUOnS ON THE BEATITUDES.
109
Fourthly, Why they are blessed that hunger and
tliirst after this.
Fifthly, That even these also shall be satisfied with
this righteousness.
Lastly, The application of all.
For thefirst then, 'Blessed are they that hunger and
thirst after righteousness.' You will say, What is
this righteousness that here you are now speaking of?
It is those gracious dispositions that God works in
the soul by the Holy Ghost, or the principle of holi-
ness that God puts into the soul by the Holy Ghost,
whereby the soul is enabled to work unto God as its
chief good, as it were in a right line, and therefore called
righteousness. It is the same thing that is called
holiness, or righteousness, or grace sometimes we
have it, because it is given freely by God. When a
soul that lay dead in sin before, hath the Holy Ghost
come and breathe upon it, and puts into it gracious
principles, that enables it to act and to work unto
God as the last end of all, and the highest good, as
it were, in a right line. In a right line ; therefore
sometimes it is called uprightness — that is, when a
soul that is convinced of the duty it owes unto God,
and that it ought to work thus and thus unto God,
whatsoever should come between God and the soul
to hinder the gracious workings of it, the soul doth not
fetch a compass, but goes through all difficulties ; that
is going in a right Ime — goes through all kind of difti-
culties that it may work itself to God. This is right-
eousness in the heart, inherent righteousness, when
thou hast received this work of the Holy Ghost upon
thee that thou findest such acting and working prin-
ciples, that works up thy soul to God as the last end;
and whatsoever there is between God and thy soul,
thy soul will work through it ; and work still, and
never leave working till it works through it, that thou
mayest get at God, and so come to enjoy him as thy
God.
Or thus, It is the levelling and acting of the heart
according to a right rule, the rule of righteousness
set in the word ; this is the righteousness that we are
now speaking of.
Or thus more fully. It is an impression of God's
righteousness upon the soul, whereby the soul comes
to be enabled to act according to his measure as
God himself doth act.
According to his measure. You will say, how is
that ? Act as God acts. That is, look, as God him-
self loves himself as the highest end of all things ;
and all other things the Lord loves in order to him-
self, and works for himself as the last end of all ;
and doth work all other things in a suitable way to
the attaining of himself as the last end ; so the soul
who hath the impression of this upon it, comes to be
enabled to work for God as the last end, and to love
God for himself, and all things in order unto God,
and to act for God as the highest end, and to act all
things that it hath to do with in order unto God as
this last end ; so that hereby the soul comes to act,
even as God himself doth act, according to its
measure and proportion. God he makes himself the
last end; the soul makes God the last end too. God
loves himself as the highest good, and all things in
order to himself; the soul doth so too. God in all
lis workings works towards himself, and orders all
things so as he may come to enjoy himself as the last
end ; so doth this righteous soul do, it works towards
God, and so as he may enjoy all things in order unto
God as the last end. This is the righteousness here
to be spoken of : blessed are they that do hunger and
thirst after this righteousness. Oh that it were so
with me, saith this hungering and thirsting soul. I
feel abundance of corruption that is in me, that keeps
me from acting to God ; I am convinced that the
Lord is worthy. Oh, the infinite glorious first-being
of all things ! he is worthy of all praise and honour
from all his creatures. I was made for him that I
might live unto him ; and how happy should I be if
I could make him to be my highest end, and my
heart could be taken off from all other things, and
enjoy him alone to be my portion ; and be acting to
him, and working to him, and to make his will to be
the rule of ray hfe ; then happy should I be. Oh
that it were thus in my soul !
For the second thmg, Know that this hungering
and thirsting proceeds first from this ground, that
the soul comes to understand the great good that
there is in this righteousness ; it looks upon itself as
one that should be a most happy creature if it were en-
abled to do so, to work so towards God. I were made
if I could feel the Holy Ghost thus in my heart,
working my heart thus after the Lord.
Secondly, It doth thirst after this righteousness in
a spiritual manner for itself, not only because I am
convinced in my conscience I cannot go to heaven,
or I must go to hell if I have it not, but I see this
righteousness lovely and excellent in itself, and there-
fore I long after it, because of the excellency there is
in itself. A hypocrite may desire to overcome his
sins, and to be enabled to do duties ; but mark it, it
is in order to his or her peace; because I cannot have
quiet and peace in conscience, therefore I would be
glad if such a corruption were overcome, or I could
have ability to do such and such duties that God
requires. It is not because of any excellency that
the soul doth see in this righteousness, but merely
because it cannot have peace without it. But this
blessed hunger and thirst that is here spoken of, it is
that that makes the soul hunger after righteousness
as for itself — my righteousness consists in it. What
can be better to my soul than that I should live to
God as the last end, that I should have my heart
110
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDE^.
[Mat. V. 6.
working to God, and make his will to be my will ;
■what can be better to my soul than this ?
Thirdly, This hungering and thirsting it is illi-
mited ; by that I mean this, the soul never stints
itself what measure of holiness it would have, but
would have it in the highest degree that it is possible
for any creature to have it. And still, if the Lord doth
enable such a soul to overcome some corruptions, and
to walk towards God in a better and more gracious
manner than formerly it hath done, it would have
still more and more, the desires are still enlarged ;
whereas a hypocrite may have a desire to overcome
corruption and to perform some duty, but he desires
only so much as he thinks may serve his turn to keep
him from dangers that he doth apprehend ; and that
is an evident argument that he desires it not for itself.
As thus : there be two men that would have learning ;
there is one man that is sent to the university, but it
is only to give bis father content, and therefore he
would fain have learning ; or thus, he would fain have
learning that he might get some preferment — that is
his end, and if he can but get so much as he may
attain his end, then he loiters after that. But there is
another that desires learning for itself ; he sees an ex-
cellency that there is in learning, he sees that it doth
raise a rational creature, and upon that he is never
satisfied, but he would have more and more, and so
studies to his dying day. Whether he have prefer-
ment or no, whether he hath employment or no, yet
still he will be studious ; whereas many wonder why
such a man should be so studious ; he hath not so
much employment as another hath, but the very love
he liath to it makes him do so, because he loves learn-
ing for itself. So one that doth desire grace to some
inferior end, if he may have but so much as may serve
the turn for his end, that quiets him ; but whosoever
deskes righteousness for itself, he is never quieted,
but yet would have more and more grace, even as
long as he lives. That is the third thing in this desire.
Fourthly, It is a ruling desire — that is, all desires
are ordered by the desire after this righteousness.
Whatsoever desires there are in the soul, saith the
soul. Well, but let my desire after the furtherance of
grace and righteousness, let that desire rule and order
these desires. So far, therefore, as my other desires
shall further this my desire unto this righteousness,
so far I will nourish them, so far I will follow after
them. But now if any desire that I have in my soul
to anythmg else, if I find that it is rather a hindrance
to me" in this my great desire of righteousness than a
furtherance, I will abandon that desire, I will rather
oppose it, and I will bless God if God will cross me
in that desire. This is the right desire after this
righteousness, when it is a ruling desire. It rules in
the soul, it is the chief desire ; and no desbe can be
cherished in the soul but such a desii-e as may be some
way serviceable to this great desire of the soul in the
hungei'ing and thiisting after righteousness.
Fifthly, The desires of the soul in hungering and
thirsting after this righteousness, it is a desire that pain
goes with. As was shewed in the other hungering and
thirsting after the righteousness of Christ there was a
pain ; as in natural hunger there is a pain, so in that.
The guilt of sin was painful to the soul ; and so here,
the unruly corruptions of the heart how grievous are
they to it ! When did you ever hear of Paul crying out
for any of his sufferings, ' Oh wretched man that I
am ' ? When he was buffeted, when he was imprisoned,
he did not wring his hands and cry, I am undone be-
cause of imprisonment ; when he was scourged he did
not cry out ; he could sing when he was in the stocks ;
but when he found his corruptions to be stirring in
him, and the want of some degree of this righteous-
ness, he gives a dreadful shriek, and cries out, ' Oh
wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from
this body of death ? ' how shall I come to get power over
these corruptions, and be enabled to walk after God ?
Oh that I could have but this ! then I were a happy
man. And therefore you find that this hungering and
thu'sting after righteousness follows upon mourning :
' Blessed are they that mourn,' and then, ' Blessed are
they that hunger and thirst after righteousness' — that
is, those that first are afl:ected with mourning for the
corruptions of their hearts, and then upon this mourn-
ing there follows this hungering and thirsting after
righteousness.
Sixthly, This desire likewise must be very ear-
nest ; it is not a wishing and a woulding, but a
mighty earnest desire. A divine of ours saith,
The desires of a hypocrite, they are faint desires ;
but the sincere desires of the soul are such as
make the soul faint — that is, they are so earnest
as makes the soul even pant again. We have such
expressions in Ps. cxix. 5, ' Oh that my ways,' saith
David, ' were directed to keep thy statutes ! ' David
had grace before to direct him, but he would have
more : Oh that my ways were du'ected to keep ;thy
statutes ! David that was a king, and had great con-
tentment in the world, and yet the thing that makes
him, with such a sigh, send up his desires to heaven,
it was for the want of grace in his heart, and there-
fore he cries out. Oh that my ways were directed to
keep thy statutes ! as if he should say. Lord, thou
that knowest all things, knowest there is nothing in
the world that would be a greater contentment to my
soul than if I could find my heart directed to keep
thy statutes. And then in ver. 10, ' With my whole
heart have I sought thee,' saith David. Why, what
is the matter ? ' Oh let me not wander from thy com-
mandments.' As if he should say. Lord, I account
this to be the greatest evil that can befall me in this
world, for me to wander from thy commandments ; if
Mat. V. 6.]
EUEROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
•Ill
thou leavest me to myself, I shall wander from thy
commandments. But, Lord, let me feel the work of
thy grace powerfully in my heart, that I may not
wander from thy commandments. And in ver. 20,
' ily soul hreaketh ; ' for what ? ' For the longing that
it hath unto thy judgments at all times.' There was
a breaking of David's soul ; there was never any man
that desired anything in this world with more earnest-
ness. What expressions can be moi-e than these ?
And in ver. 131, 'I opened my mouth and panted,
for I longed for thy commandments.' Now, put all
these together : ' Oh that my ways were directed to
keep thy statutes ;' 'With my whole heart have I
sought thee;' 'Oh let me not wander from thy com-
mandents;' 'My soul breaketh for the longing it
hath unto thy judgments at all times ;' and ' My soul
panteth again.' These are the earnest desires of a
gracious heart after righteousness.
Seventhly, These desires are very industrious de-
sires. They are not idle desu'es, as the desires of
most people in the world after grace are — mere idle.
The Lord give me grace, and when God gives me
grace I shall do better ; and so go no further than I
pray God give me grace. But I appeal to thee, what
labouring, what striving is in thy spirit, what pains-
taking, what working of thy soul after grace ? and
therefore observe that scripture in Ps. Ixiii. 1, 8,
compared : ' My soul tliirsteth for thee, my flesh
longeth for thee,' saith the psalmist ; but then mark
what follows in the 8th verse : ' My soul followeth
hard after thee,' saith David. That will be the fruit
of gracious desires. If thou hast a desire to get
grace, to get righteousness, if thou dost thirst for it,
then this will follow : thy heart will follow hard
after God in the use of all means that God is pleased
to afford. If there be any ordinance of God that
may further the work of thy grace, thou wilt desire
that too ; and if there be any pains, if ordinary means
will not do it, thou wilt be willing to set upon extra-
ordinary means. There is such a corruption that
thou complainest of, and ordinary means will not do
the work ; well, though it be to laeat down the body,
to beat down tlie liesh, whatsoever thou dost cross
thyself in, yet this is the thing that thou art resolved,
if power against corruption can be had, thou wilt
have it. Thou wilt rather do or suffer the hardest
thing in the world than not have these thy desires
accomplished.
Eighthly, They are abiding desires. They will
continue, and never be quiet until tlie thing be done.
In Ps. cxix. 20, before named, 'My soul breaketh
for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments' —
mark, 'at all times.' There are some of you that, in
some good moods, you have even breakings in your
souls — mighty desires — oh that God would give me
grace ! And you can pray mightily, and send mighty
cries to heaven for gi'ace in some good moods. It
may be when you have been upon your sick-beds,
and afraid of death, or when you have been stirred
in a sermon, you have gone home, and have mani-
fested your desires to heaven, that the Lord would
be pleased to help you, and purge your hearts, and
give you grace ; but is it at all times ? At other
times you are far enough from any such working of
spirit after this righteousness. But it was in David ;
his soul did break after the judgments of God at
all times. By judgments we are to understand the
statutes, the coaimandments, the will of God — that
is, that he might have his heart suitable to the will
of God, revealed in his word ; and in Ps. cxliii. 6,
' My soul thirsteth after thee, as a thhsty land.'
Now you know the thirsty land it gapes for want of
water, and it never closes again till there be some
showers, and so saith David, 0 Lord, it is with me
as the thirsty land. I am, as it were, chapped, and
I find a gaping in my heart after some showers of
thy grace ; and. Lord, till they come, I shall never
have my heart closed, but as the thirsty land. Thus
you have seen what kind of desires these are that the
soul hath to this righteousness, as well as to the other.
I should come now to the opening of the great de-
sirableness that there is in this righteousness. But
all that I sliall do now is, to desire you to take a
review of this that hath been delivered to you in the
description of this hungering and thirsting" soul after
this righteousness of sanctification. I suppose that
there is not any one of you but have had some kind
of desires after grace, though you have little under-
stood what it meant ; but now can you say, as in
the presence of God, 0 Lord, thou hast wrought
such kind of desires in my soul ; in some measure I
can say it. Lord, it hath been, not from ignorance, but
from some enlightening of Christ's Spirit. I was an
ignorant, sottish soul not long since, but the light of
thy Spirit came into me, and shewed me the excel-
lency of thy righteousness — what a blessed thing it
was for the creature to live to God ! And, Lord,
thou knowest that my desires for righteousness are
for itself. And there is no degree can satisfy me till
I come to heaven. I would have more and more.
Lord, thou knowest that all my desires are ruled and
ordered by this great desire of my soul after this
righteousness, next to the desires of my soul after the
righteousness of thy Son. Yea, Lord!| thou knowest
how painful it is to me to want it. There is nothino-
in the world more grievous to me than the body of
death that I carry about with me ; so that if thou
shouldst ask me from heaven, and say, Soul, what
wouldst thou that I should do for thee ? the Lord
knows I would make this answer. Lord, let me have
the righteousness of thy Son for my justification, and let
me have the righteousness of thy Spirit for my sancti-
112
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. y. 6.
fieation, to overcome my corruptions, and to enable me
to live to thy praise. And, Lord, thou knowest that
these desires have been earnest, and not at a mood or
flash, but in a constant and settled way; and they have
been industrious. Lord, thou knowest the pains that
my soul hath taken, and still am willing to take. If
I might but overcome such corruptions, and be en-
abled to walk with thee in holiness and righteousness,
I care not what pains I took. And, Lord, this liath
been from year to year, and I am resolved that this
shall continue, and through thy grace I hope it will
continue to my dying day, so as if I should perish, I
would perish crying to thee for the righteousness of
thy Son, and for the righteousness of sanctification
of my heart. Lord, this it is that thou hast wrought
in my soul. Now, if thou canst be able thus to ap-
peal to God, blessed art thou ; blessed are those that
do hunger and thirst after righteousness in this man-
ner. But now, though in the very naming of these
things, perhaps the Lord may be pleased so far to
work upon some hearts as to quicken some desires
after the ways of God and righteousness, yet the main
thing that is to be presented to you for the quicken-
ing of your hearts, is the setting the beauty and the
excellency of it before you. And so the comforting
and encouraging of the soul in seeking after it.
SERMON XVIII.
THE EXCELLENCY OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF SANCTIFICATION.
' Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after riffhteousness : for they shall he filed.' — Mat. v. 6.
The third thing propounded in the opening of this
great and weighty point of the righteousness of sanc-
tification, or inherent righteousness, was the excel-
lency of it. What is there in this righteousness that
causes a soul thus to hunger and thirst after it ?
There are many things that men hunger and thirst
after that are but vanity, and not worth the spending
of our thoughts, much less our spirits, upon ; and
surely Christ would never pronounce them blessed
that do so, that spend their time and their thoughts
upon vanity. But there is a great excellency in this
righteousness, whereby the soul is enabled to glorify
God, and honour him as the infinite first being of all
things. Now the excellency of this righteousness
consists in these things : —
Fu'st, This righteousness is the right temper of the
soul. The health of the body it consists in the well
and right constitution of it. Look, as the body when
it is in health can relish and taste things for sweet-
ness and delight, and can work and agitate in the
place God hath set it in ; but if a man's Ijody be dis-
tempered through sickness and weakness, then he can
neither work nor relish anything, nor enjoy himself
in anything that he hath ; and therefore it is that
man desires health above all outward blessings.
What is it for a rich man to have wealth and a great
estate, and not to have health ? What is it to a man
to have honours and preferments, to have friends,
and all the delights this world can afford, whenas
he doth not enjoy himself in those things ? Now
sin it is the distemper of the soul — that which puts
the soul out of taste, and takes away the excellency
of all it doth enjoy. Therefore it is so oft in Scrip-
ture compared unto things that are the most loath-
some. Now when grace comes into the heart, it pre-
vails against all the ill-humours of the soul, and
brings health into the spii-it ; it makes the soul health-
ful and hale in the service of God.
Secondly, This righteousness is a spark of the
divine nature. That expression we have in 2 Pet.
i. 4 : ' Whereby are given to us exceeding great and
precious promises ; that by these ye might be par-
takers of the divine nature.' Grace and righteous-
ness is all one, and it is nothing else but a sparkling
of the divine nature that is in God himself. And
the soul that understands what this is, how can it
but long after it ; it sees a greater glory and a more
worth in the least spark of this excellency than in
all the glory of the world represented unto it in the
most taking and beautiful show that can be. The
soul by this comes to live even as God himself doth ;
and is not this very desirable ?
Thirdly, It is the very image of God in the soul,
and an image represents a thing in the chief excel-
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
113
lency of it. As the image or picture of a man, it
doth not represent the legs and the feet of the man,
which are the inferior parts, but his countenance, his
face. The image of a man it is represented by his
face, which is the glory of the man, or the head. So
God's image in us is this righteousness, inherent
grace. The creatures have the footsteps of God
upon them. In all the creatures that are in the
world we may there behold so many footsteps of
God, as it were, but not God's image. If so be that
a man trod on the sand of the sea, there would not
remain the image of the man, but only the footsteps.
We cannot say, the man being gone, that there is
the image of such a man, but there is his footsteps.
So all the manifestations of God in the world, in
creation and providence, they shew forth the foot-
steps of God, that God hath been here ; all the
creation holds forth the footsteps of the Most High.
But when we behold a saint we see the glory of God ;
there we behold the face of God. As in Gen. i.,
where the council was called, ' Come, let us make
man.' How ? after our footsteps ? No, but ' after
our own image.' Now grace is the renewing of this
glorious image ; for we must know that this excel-
lent piece of God's image by man's fall was all de-
faced and blurred ; there was a blackness and de-
formity upon this glorious excellency, but now grace
is a-renewing of this image again. The soul it repre-
sents God in a lively way ; the image of a man in his
child, it is more lively than in a piece of wood ; it is
possible to draw it in such an excellency and feature
that it may be every way like the man, but yet not
so like a man's image as is his child. Grace in the
heart is the image of God livelily represented. God
may see himself thei-e, as a father sees himself in the
face of his child. God cannot see himself so in all
the world as in a saint. If so be God would say, Where
shall I behold my image ? If he went to acts of pro-
vidence, he might see his footsteps ; if he went to
works of creation, he might see his power and wis-
dom ; but surely when he goes into the heart of a
saint, there he sees his image most glorious. Surely,
then, grace it is an excellent thing. The prototype
of this image was in Christ without measure ; he re-
ceived of this grace without measure, and we from
his fulness receive, even of this grace, grace for grace.
Fourthly, The excellency of this righteousness it
appears in this, in that it is the very life of God
himself; a man may see his image, but not his life;
but now grace it is God's life. That expression hints
so much unto us that we have in Eph. iv. 1 8, ' Having
the understanding darkened, being alienated from the
life of God ;' intimating that when the soul comes
to have this righteousness, it comes to live the life
that God doth himself. How is that ? the same life
that is in the nature of God; the soul acting as God
acts comes to live the life of God. As when a crea-
ture shall act as God acts, and make the same end
that God makes, and works towards this end as God
works, this is the life of God ; for God's life it con-
sists in this, in willing himself the highest good, and
acting as unto an ultimate end, and ordering all his
undertakings to suit with this end. This is the
excellency of God ; and a saint comes to live the life
of God ; he propounds God to be the chiefest good,
the glory of God the ultimate end of all his actions,
and drives all his designs to this end. And herein
consists the excellency of this life of sanctification,
and thus a saint doth in his measure ; though he be
not able to reach up to the top and height of this
glory, yet every saint in his measure doth attain this
end. How desirable, then, is this righteousness, that
makes the soul to live that Ufe here which it must
live, and shall to all eternity.
Fifthly, It is the very glory of God in the soul of
man. The soul doth not only come to live the life
of God, but it comes to be the very glory of God.
Eom. iii. 23, ' All have sinned and come short of the
glory of God,' or, as it is in the original, ' deprived'
of the glory of God. We are now deprived of the
righteousness Adam was first made in. Adam he
was stated in a glorious being in paradise, but he
lost that righteousness ; and in that condition he was
the glory of God, being the e^scellentest creature that
God made ; but he sinning, did deface that excel-
lency. Now when this is renewed in the soul, God's
glory is come into the soul. Men desire glory in the
world. What are the thoughts and the desires of all
men almost after, but those things that may advance
themselves and their own honour ? How desirous,
then, is God's glory, or ought it to be unto us ; this
shines in the souls of the saints ; and to have a prin-
ciple that we shall hold forth this glory according to
the measure of grace received, this is very excellent ;
that a poor wretch should come to such a height of
excellency to hold forth the glory of the eternal God.
There is not only God shining upon the soul, but
God shining in the soul that holds forth the glory of
God to the world. And herein is a great mystery of
the excellency of this righteousness, that it doth not
only shine from God upon the soul, but there is a
shining in the soul that holds forth the shine of the
righteousness upon this soul to all the world.
Sixthly, By this righteousness the glory of God is
maintained in the world ; this is that which holds
up God's honour in the world. What glory should
God have in the world if all were as unrighteous
as some are ? You think that the saints they are little
worth ; let me tell you it is for their sakes that the
world now stands. Had God no more honour from
some than he hath from the most of you, what would
become of you ? It is not for your sakes the world
114
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 6.
is continued. The world is not worthy of these ex-
cellent ones ; but God doth continue these, that he
might have glory from them. Saith God, I have
made a world, and I have placed and filled it with
variety of creatures ; but of ail the works of my hands,
I have none that doth give me that glory that my
saints do. God puts such a principle into some that
they give him the glory of theii- being. Now, is not
this a most excellent thing, and most desirable, that
the creature should be able to live up to the fulfilling
of the end which it was created for ?
Seventhly, By this righteousness all natural and
civil righteousness is raised higher and to a more
glorious condition than possibly it could be before.
There is no action that a man can do that hath any
worth in it, any further than this righteousness is in
it. Men in their natural estate they work from a
natural principle; but when grace comes into the
heart, this inherent righteousness, the soul works
in natural actions from inward principles, and makes
those righteous actions ; when a gracious heart fol^
lows his calling, and the things of the world, it is in
a spiritual way. Carnal hearts are carnal in spiritual
things, and gracious hearts are spiritual in natural
things.
Eighthly, Upon the receiving of this righteousness,
every action, so far as this righteousness is in it, is
more worth than heaven and earth. You who are
saints, prize your parts, prize your duties. It was a
speech of Luther, who extolled faith and righteous-
ness as much as ever any did, when he met with an
expression of righteousness or faith, he would be sure
to carry it to exalt free grace. Yet he who was so
full in the extolling of the righteousness of Christ,
saith, that every good work that springs from faith
is more precious to God than heaven and earth.
Heaven and earth holds forth God's glory in a pas-
sive way, these in an active way. Those actions that
come from tliis righteousness hold forth the glory of
God in an active way ; and one action done unto the
glory of God in an active way, holds forth God's glory
more eminently than all the world besides.
Ninthly, This righteousness the excellency of it
consists in this, this raises the heart above all crea-
tures and enjoyments, and carries the soul beyond
them all. Before righteousness comes into the heart,
the heart lies below the creature, and is a slave unto
every creature. When the creature bids go, it runs ;
when that would be obeyed, it yields presently. But
this righteousness it raises the soul above them all ;
so as it now comes to have God alone to be higher
than itself. The soul .acknowledges no supreme but
God himself, and is subject unto him and him alone.
The soul now knows its excellency and worth, that
there is no creature fit and worthy to have converse
with it; it is only a companion for God himself.
If God will have it subject, it will in order to him
submit to anything ; but its submission shall be only
in order to him ; so that the good of the creature now
consists not in anything the creature can give, nor
the hurt in anything the creature can do, but only in
God alone. The soul is now in a kind enlarged in-
finitely, and can be satisfied with nothing but God ;
nothing but a God only can fill up the cravings of
the soul. Whereas before it was satisfied with every
lust, with every filthy vanity, now nothing but real
enjoyments, and only that which is real, can satisfy
the soul.
Tenthly, The excellency of this righteousness con-
sists in this, that it is a principle of union and com-
munion with God himself ; the soul now comes into
relation, into near union, with the Father. When God
made man at first he did not only give him a body
and a soul, but he put a principle of enjoying com-
munion with him ; for herein lies man's happiness,
that he is made capable of enjoying communion with
God. But now this happiness is lost ; man by his fall
is now become a stranger unto God, and when God
converts the soul this is restored ; at the first work of
conversion the soul is made near unto God, who was
before afar off. He that is joined to the Lord is one
spirit, and now the soul comes to be fitted for com-
munion with so high a good ; for no creature is fit for
communion with God but angels and men. Now there
must be a suitableness of lives in those that enjoy
communion ; there cannot be communion where there
is an unsuitableness in living. As a man cannot have
communion with the beasts, because they live not the
same life, and the beasts cannot have communion
with the plant, because they live a contrary life, a
natural man cannot have communion with God, be-
cause he Hves not the same Ufe that God doth ; but
a saint comes to enjoy communion with the Lord by
virtue of this righteousness. Before, thou wanderedst
from God, and soughtest after vanity, and never knew
what it was to enjoy communion with God. Com-
munion with God, it was but a light thing to thee
before; thou didst look upon it as a thing that had
not much in it — it was but a notion to thee ; thou
didst hear of such a thing, and thou couldst relate it,
but there was no worth in it to thee, thou didst not
prize it ; but now the soul comes to enjoy that which
is more worth than a thousand worlds to it, and the
more righteousness the soul hath, the more commu-
nion it hath with God. And this is the reason that
the soul hungers and thirsts after more righteousness,
for the more it enjoys of God the more sweetness it
finds.
Eleventhly, This righteousness is that which sanc-
tifies all our actions unto God, and puts a worth upon
them ; before, our actions they were not accepted,
they were looked upon as filthy, polluted things :
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
115
' To the pure all things are pure, but to the defiled
and polluted, all things are filthy;' so God looks upon
them. Now, what is it to sanctify a thing? To sanc-
tify, it is to set a thing apart for God. It is grace
that sanctifies the soul. Whereas the soul was em-
ployed for common uses before, now it is separated
for God; as when the vessels of the temple were sanc-
tified, they were separated for holy uses, only for that
use. So a godly man, he is separated for God,
being taken out of the world and employed now in
holy services. In Ps. iv. 5 ; not only separated for
God by an act of God upon the soul, which hath
been from all eternity — but though this be a bless-
edness and a high privilege to be sanctified and set
apart from all eternity for God ; but it is a sanc-
tification by grace. There is that put into the soul
whereby the soul is enabled to set itself apart for
God, and so it comes to grow in grace more and more,
and it is enabled for to make a sanctified use of all it
enjoys ; it can now tell how to make use of all crea-
tures for the glory of God, whereas before, the world
had the use of the soul — but now, saith the soul, I am
separated only for high ends, for the glory of that
God from whom I receive my being.
Twelfthly, This helps the soul to overcome the
greatest evil in the world. Sin is the greatest evil,
and one truly enlightened had rather suffer anything
in the world than be overcome by the least sin ; a
gracious heart looks with more indignation upon the
least sin than upon any sufferings. Now it is nothing
but the Holy Ghost can overcome sin ; it is the Spirit
alone that can subdue iniquity. The soul it hath a
principle within itself whereby it overcomes sin, and
so goes on until the work be perfected ; so that a
gracious heart doth not only overcome sin by the
help of the Spirit, but also from an inward principle
that there is working in the soul against that which
is contrary unto God.
Thirteenthly, The excellency of it consists in this,
because Jesus Christ in it attains the end of his death ;
and certainly that wherein Jesus Christ attains the
end of his death must needs be very precious. It is a
part of the end why the Father sent Jesus Christ into
the world, that we, being delivered out of the hand
of our enemies, might serve him without fear in holi-
ness and righteousness all the days of our lives: Luke
i. 74, ' Christ came into the world that he might
have a people to serve him, that he might redeem a
chosen generation.' "Wlio are they? Certainly they
must be some rare people that must have such a one
to come to redeem them. Man had lost all his holi-
ness and righteousness that he had at the first, and
lay under filth and misery ; but such was God's love
to righteousness, that he saith to Christ, My Son,
thou must go into the world to restore righteous-
ness again ; such' is my love to righteousness that
thou must go ; though thou art the only beloved of
my soul, yet go thou must. Well, saith Christ,
Father, I am willing to go, and though it cost me
my life to procure righteousness, and righteous ones
to be subjects for thy mercy to triumph in, I am
willing to die to procure it. How excellent then is
the righteousness, which is that in which Christ
attains his end in dying !
Fourteenthly, This is the only thing, next to the
righteousness of Christ, that will be of worth at
death and judgment — next, I say, unto the righteous-
ness of Jesus Christ. When all the world shall fail,
their hearts shall quake within them, and all their
civil righteousness, and all their formalit}', and their
foolish pomp in the world, that wliicli they have made
their hope, the rock of their confidence and their stay,
shall all sink under them, this is that which, I say,
next to the righteousness of Christ, will hold up the
head above water ; this shall comfort thee, and then it
will be desirable. Oh that we had oil in our lamps,
and grace in our hearts ! When the foolish virgins
saw the glory the wise virguis were possessed of, they
then saw their folly in their neglect, and they cried
then. Oh that we had grace ! oh that we had oil in
our lamps ! Certainly that which wLU be of such
excellency then, it is no less worth now.
Fifteenthly, This is an immortal seed. When once
the soul is insealed in righteousness, it is ever right-
eous ; the least seed of it, it shall endure to eternity —
and the lastingness of a thing, we say, puts a price
upon it. If thou hast this, thou hast that in thee
that all the devils in hell shall not overcome ; they
may assault, trouble, and disquiet thy peace, but they
shall never undermine this righteousness, they shall
never undo thee in that which is thy righteousness,
thy happiness ; and herein likewise is another excel-
lency of this righteousness.
Sixteenthly, lastly. This righteousness is nothing
else but the beginning of heaven. In that golden
chain in Rom. viii. there is no mention of sanctifica-
tion ; sanctification is heaven begun. There is mention
made of calling, of justification, of glorification, but
no mention of sanctification ; so that sanctification it
is heaven begun ; it is not only the way to heaven, but
heaven itself, Now certainly tliis is very desirable :
therefore put all these together, and we shall under-
stand the meaning of that scripture in Prov. xii. 26,
' The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour.'
He is more excellent in that he is a healthful man ;
more excellent in that he hath the divine nature.
In that he hath the image of God. In that he lives
the life of God. In that he is made partaker of
exceeding great and precious promises. In that his
sins are pardoned. In that he is accepted by the
Father. In this the righteous is more excellent than
his neighbour. It may be his neighbour is a rich man,
116
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. Y. 6
his landlord, his master, the best in the parish, but
he a poor man, yet if godly he is better thaii his
neighbour, though his neighbour be a lord, a prince,
though he be never so great. The righteous is more
excellent than his neighbour; for you that hunger and
thirst after this righteousness, behold what a glorious
object you have here which your thirst is placed upon.
From this point abundance of comfort flows to
you that can prove yourselves to be hungerers and
thirsters. We see some excellency in it ; oh that we
micht have more ! Do you say so, do you desire that
you might have more ? then know.
First, That these hungerings of thine are better
than all the world's fillings ; these desires are better
than all the cravings of worldlings. The worldly
man saith. Who will shew us any good ? and thou
sayest, Lord, hft thou up the light of thy counte-
nance, Lord, clothe my soul with righteousness,
Lord, bring me into such a condition that I may
stand with boldness at the throne of thy grace. Know
that thy hungerings are better than the world's
fillings.
Secondly, These desires of thine, they are better
than all common gifts, the greatest parts and natural
endowments that the most glorious hypocrite in the
world hath. Many can pray excellently, repeat largely,
and thou thinkest, hadst thou their gifts and parts,
how happy shouldst thou be. Thy hungerings are
better than those enlargements, for they are but com-
mon workings, and no distinguishing characters; but
these hungerings and thirstings after this righteous-
ness, they are the breathings of the Spirit of God,
the special workings of the Spirit.
Thirdly, This is the thing that hath been the com-
fort of the most precious saints in all the world.
Those who are now at rest in the bosom of the Father,
they have comforted themselves in these hungerings
and thirstings. Perhaps thou canst not see the full
manifestation of this in the assurance of it ; neither
could they; but they hungered and thirsted after this,
that God would lift up the light of his countenance
upon them. Look that choice scripture, and meditate
upon it as thy portion; mark how Nehemiah expresses
himself, ' 0 Lord, let thy ear be attentive to the prayer
of thy servant, and thy servants who desire to fear thy
name ; ' as if he should say. Lord, thou knowest
though there be many weaknesses in us, yet the
desires of our souls are to fear thee. Comfort thyself
with this scripture when thou canst not find that
righteousness thou wouldst have — when thou hast
sad dejected thoughts within thee that God perhaps
will reject thee, make use of this scripture, ' Lord,
thou knowest the desires of our souls are to fear thy
name ; ' Lord, let me have this and I am happy ;
though corruption prevails over me, yet this spark is
alive and in me, for which I bless thy name, I desire
to fear thee. And Christ saith in the text, ' Blessed
are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.'
It is very observable he doth not say. Blessed is he
that rfo?A thus and thus. No; but blessed is he that
hungers and thirsts after righteousness. Though they
are blessed that do this, yet for the comfort of weak
ones this is said, Blessed are they that do desire to
hunger and thirst after righteousness, blessed are they
who find the want of it ; and in the midst of that, the
desire of their soul is to fear God. This scripture be-
longs to thee ; comfort thyself with it as thy portion,
but be sure that thy desires are right.
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
117
SERMON XIX.
OR,
THEY THAT HUNGEE ARE BLESSED FOR THE PRESENT.
' Blessed are they loldeh do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled.' — Mat. v. 6.
There are two things yet to be opened about
blessedness, and then we shall come fully to the
application of it.
They are blessed that do hunger and thirst after
righteousness. They are blessed for the present.
First, Blessed, because they are so enlightened to
see wherein true excellency doth consist. Blessed
are they in comparison of others, that see no higher
excellency than to eat and drink, and to have con-
tentment to the flesh. Blessed are they whose eyes
God hath opened to see into the excellency of this
righteousness, to understand what it means. Those
■whose eyes God hath opened, and minds the Lord
hath enlightened but to see the excellency of this
righteousness above aH things that can be desired,
they bless God for tliis ; and account it the greatest
blessing under heaven, next the sight of the righte-
ousness of Jesus Christ, that God hath shewn unto
them the beauty, the excellency, and the glory of
this righteousness.
Secondly, Blessed are they ; they have a mag-
nanimous sphit. The Lord hath given to such a
spirit of magnanimity beyond other men. Men's
desires are according to their spirits. A man of a
poor base spirit doth bound his deshes to poor base
things ; as some men, if they might have but so much
money as to drink with their companions, they
would look no higher for a blessed life. But now,
another man's spirit is risen higher with desires after
honours, preferments, and great things. According
to the greatness of the tilings any man's or woman's
spirit makes after, so is the greatness of their spirits.
Now those whose spirits are after righteousness :
first. The righteousness of Jesus Christ ; and then
that righteousness — that is, the divine nature, the
image of God, the life of God, nothing will satisfy
them but that. It is not the world nor content-
ments to the flesh that can satisfy them, but the
righteousness of God. Here is an argument of a true
magnanimous spirit. An Alexander desires great
things, to be conqueror of the world, and then would
fain have more worlds to conquer. "Why? because
he had a great spirit, and therefore his desires are so
great. A Christian hath a great spirit in a true,
holy, and gracious sense, and therefore desires great
things. It is not all the world that can sanctify'' the
spirit of a Christian, it must have righteousness.
Thirdly, This desu'e after righteousness, it is the
seed of God, or rather it is a fruit of some right-
eousness that is in the soul already, and therefore
they are blessed. No soul can thus hunger and
thu-st after righteousness, but it hath got righteous-
ness ah'eady. There is some righteousness in the
soul, for everything desires after that that is suitable
to its nature. What is it that makes the ox desire
grass, or the fish desire water, or the bird desire
corn ? it is because these are suitable to the nature
of these creatures. So a covetous man desires
riches, a voluptuous man desires pleasure, an ambiti-
ous man desires honour, because suitable to them.
So where there is such a desire after righteousness,
there is a suitableness between righteousness and the
soul ; and therefore righteousness is begun already in
the soul. That soul that hath a suitableness unto
righteousness, certainly hath some principles of right-
eousness within it, and therefore they are blessed.
Fourthly, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst.
Though they do not feel the righteousness that they
desire, they are blessed, because in the covenant of
grace God accepts of the will for the deed. Now
they having righteousness manifested by their desire,
they have some principles of it, the}' are there-
fore within the covenant of grace ; and being within
the covenant of grace, they have this blessing,
that God accepts of the will for the deed. I beseech
you consider of this; it is a great point, the under-
standing how this privilege doth come of accepting
the will for the deed. Those that are under the law
have no such privilege. The law requires perfect
obedience, or else casts away all ; and therefore, for
men and women that are ignorant and graceless,
have nothing of Christ in them, they yet think that
God will accept of their desires, of the will for the
* Query, ' satisfy ' ? — Ed.
118
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 6.
deed. But they are mistaken ; this is a privilege that
belongs to such as are in the covenant of grace ; and
it is a purchase of Jesus Christ that God should
accept of the will for the deed. Now, those who
have such a kind of hunger and thirst after right-
eousness manifested as before, they have some princi-
ples of righteousness in them, and so are under the
covenant of grace ; they have this privilege, that
God accepts of the will for the deed, especially if
that hunger and thirst after this righteousness of
grace be joined with the hunger and thirst after the
righteousness of Christ that before hath been opened
to you. Many people who say they would fain do
better than they do, yet they never understood what
it was to hunger after the righteousness of Christ,
and so are not acquainted with the covenant of
grace, they cannot have the comfort of this blessed-
ness ; but such as having hungered and thirsted
after the righteousness of Christ, and so manifested
that they are acquainted with the covenant of grace,
and now hunger and thirst after the rigliteousness of
Banctification, they may hereby assure themselves
that the blessing of the covenant of grace belongs to
them, and that God accepts of the will for the deed.
Now this is a mighty blessing, for it is a help to the
soul in the midst of all infirmities. Though I find
never such want of righteousness, yet having hunger-
ing and thirsting desires after it, I may comfort
myself in this, the blessing of the covenant of grace
belongs to me ; it is accepted as if I had that very
righteousness that I so much hunger and thirst for.
And that is the fourth blessedness.
Fifthly, Which is a main thing to be considered of,
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteous-
ness ; because this hunger and thirst of theirs it doth
quench sinful and base desires in the soul, it helps to
mortify them. There is no such way to mortify
sinful desires as by gracious desires, as thus it is so
in all other affections. The way to get base, sordid
love in the soul to be mortified, it is by love to God
and love to Jesus Christ ; the way to overcome
sinful joy, it is by the joy of the Holy Ghost. So the
way for to mortify base, sinful desires in the soul,
wandering after this and the other thing, after a
thousand vanities and follies in the world, that doth
undo the souls of so many thousands, (for certainly
the wandering of the desires after vanity and folly is
the destruction of thousand of thousands of souls,) is
to have their desires right set, to be taken olf from
vain and base things, and to be set upon righteous-
ness, upon the image of God, and the life of God, and
upon the principles of union and communion with
God ; they are blessed, for here are desires that do
quench unlawful desires, sinful, wicked desires, and
BO doth regulate the soul, so that blessed are they in
that respect.
Sixthly, Blessed are they, for this hungering and
thirsting after righteousness makes the ordinances of
God, and any beginnings of the influences of grace, to
be very sweet unto the soul. How sweet is the word
to that soul that hungers and thirsts after righteous-
ness ! how sweet is any ordinance of God, because all
ordinances are the conveyances of grace, appointed
so by God, and any influence of grace to such a soul,
how sweet is it ! When the Lord doth come into the
soul in a prayer, or in the word, and doth quicken it
a little, or help it with some resolutions against sin,
and gives it any power against temptation, how sweet
is this to the soul ! Blessed is the soul that hath this
hunger, for it sweetens all ordinances, all beginnings
of influence of grace.
Blessed are those souls that hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they have many gracious invitations
unto the Lord and unto Christ, to come in to receive
mercy. The Lord invites those souls to come to him ;
and as they therefore said in the Gospel to the poor
blind man, Be of good comfort, he calleth thee, so I
say to all such as can approve their souls, that
though there be much weakness in them, yet if there
be this hunger and thirst after righteousness. Be of
good comfort, the Lord calls you, you are invited to
come. I will give you these scriptures for invitation :
in Isaiah Iv., (that known scripture), ' Ho, every
one that thii'steth, come ye to the waters, and he that
hath no money,' no worthiness, ' come ye, buy and
eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money,
and without price.' The grace of God is compared
to these excellent things, and here is a proclamation
to all that hunger and thirst to come unto the waters.
These waters are both the righteousness of Jesus
Clu'ist and the righteousness of sanctification. And
in John vii. 37 is another invitation. It is said,
' That in the last day, the great day of the feast,
Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let
him come unto me and drink.' Mark, Christ cries
unto those that hunger and thirst. They, it may be,
are under some discouragements, because they cannot
find that righteousness they do desire. Christ calls
unto them, ' Come unto me.' Surely they are
blessed that Christ doth invite to himself, and that
by crying to them that they should come to him; and
that place in Eev. xxii. 17, quoted for the righteous-
ness of Christ, and so likewise is an invitation to them
that hunger and thu'st after this righteousness.
Eighthly, As they are blessed because they are in-
vited, so they are blessed because they are under
many promises. There are many promises to the hun-
gering and thirsting soul : I will give you some few ;
in Ps. X. 17, ' Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the
humble : thou wilt prepare their heart.' The desire
of such as are humble thou hast heard it ; God hears
it, and he prepares their heart. ' Thou wilt cause
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
119
thine ear to hear ; thou preparest their heart.' These
desires that they have, they are of thy preparation ;
thou dost prepare their heart with these desu-es, and
thou wilt cause thine ear to hear. And then, in Ps.
xxii. 26, 'The meek shall eat and be satisfied; they
shall praise the Lord that seek him ; your heart shall
live for ever.' They shall praise the Lord that seek him ;
who are they but those that hunger and thirst after
him ? Here is a promise, they shall praise God. You
are now altogether in way of seeking, in hungering and
thirsting. Here is a promise that you shall praise, and
that your heart shall live for ever. There is a principle
of life begun, and your heart shall live for ever. You
think that, because of so much corruption that there
is in your hearts, that you shall at length fall off, die,
vanish, and come to nothing ; but they shall praise the
Lord that seek him, and your hearts shall live for
ever. You shall praise God one day for these desires,
for this hungering and thirsting ; that is another
promise. And then, in Isa. xli. 17, ' When the poor
and the needy seek water, and there is none, and
their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear
them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them, but
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the
midst of the valleys : I will make the wilderness a
pool of water, and the dry land springs of water, &c.
And I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine, and
the box, together.' Mark how God's heart is in this
promise to those that thirst. And we are to know
that by these expressions of outward things, spiritual
things are couched under them, for that was the way
in the times of the Old Testament especially, that the
Lord promised the graces of the gospel most under
outward things, in an external way, but spiritual
blessings were couched rmder them. And there is
two things that I would observe in this promise.
The first is, how many times God expresseth himself
and saith, I will do this for thee ; I, I, I will do it.
In ver. 17, there you have /, /, twice : 'I the Lord
will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake
them.' Then in ver. 18, ' I will open rivers in high
places, and I will make the wilderness a pool of
water,' &c. Then there is a fifth and sixth / in ver.
19, 'I will plant m the wilderness the cedar, and I
will set in the desert the fig-tree,' &c. I will do
these things for such as hunger, as thirst after me ;
they shall have water. Six times in a very few
words of Scripture God saith, /, /, /, /, /, / will
do it ; as if he should say, Poor hungering, thirst-
ing soul, you cannot see how it can be done ; you
find your heart so vile, corruption so prevailing, that
you are ready to think it impossible it should be done,
but /, /, /, /, /, / will do it. The second thing to be
opened is, that the Lord takes away the objections
that might discourage hungering and thirsting souls.
Say they. How shall I come to have this righteous-
ness ? I live in such a place where we have no means
— we have no ministry at all, or to little purpose. I
want the means. Let not that discourage thee, ' I
will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the
midst of the valleys : ' I will make the wilderness a
pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.'
Alas ! thirsty people that are in the wilderness, what
shall become of them ? I will make the wilderness
pools of water, and the dry land springs of water,
saith God. Perhaps you may come to some places
and hear the excellency of the gospel displayed before
you, and you may think. Had we but the gospel so
preached among us — as no question many poor peo-
ple that have been forced to fly to this place for
refuge have had such thoughts — if God would but
send the gospel of the preaching of the excellency of
Christ among us, how should we be satisfied ! But
how shall our souls be satisfied when we have not
this ? Mark this promise and make use of it, ' I
will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry
land springs of water.' God can bring into your wil-
derness, and to your dry land, those springs of water
that may refresh and satisfy your souls. And then,
in Isa. xliv. 3, ' For I will pour water upon him that
is thirsty,' saith God, 'and floods upon the dry ground :
I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing
upon thine offspring.' Here is an excellent pro-
mise, even to you and your seed ; for that is a most
uncharitable and a very evil opinion, that is much
against the covenant of grace, and doth much darken
the glory of the covenant of grace, for men to say
that the children of believers — of the godly — have no
more promise, and are in no sense in covenant with
God, no more than any other. These, besides others,
that God promises to ' circumcise their hearts, and the
heart of their seed ;' and here, ' I will pour water upon
him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground : I
will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon
thy ofl'spring ; ' so that the seed even of the hungerers
and thirsters after righteousness, they are blessed.
And it may be thou that art now hungering and
thirsting, and perhaps all thy lifetime continuest so,
it may be the Lord will grant these things iinto thy
seed after thee, that thou hast been praying for thine
own souk Thou shalt have as much as may save
thee, and as much as shall satisfy thee, but for the
particular of these things that thou hast been praying
for, it may be God will grant it to thy seed after thee.
But here is a promise that God will pour water upon
him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.
And how lightly soever a carnal heart may think of
the promises of the gospel, yet such as are gracious
would not give their portion in them for a thousand
worlds. Such a promise as this they would embrace,
and make account that their riches consists more in
it than the riches of a covetous man in many bonds
120
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 6.
and bills that he hath of many hundreds and thou-
sands.
But the main thing wherein they are blessed is in
that -which Christ saith, ' They shall be satisfied.'
And we have many promises for this besides this of
Christ. In Prov. x. 24, ' The desire of the righteous
shall be granted.' In Ps. cxlv. 19, there is another
jn-omise, that ' God will fulfil the desire of them that
fear him ;' and in Ps. ciii. 9, ' He satisfieth the long-
ing soul, and fiUeth the hungry soul with goodness.'
They shall be satisfied ; uow is that ? Thus,
- Eil'Si, So far all hungering souls in this world shall
be satisfied, as they shall find such contentment in
the ways of righteousness, as their hearts shall never
turn quite out of those ways, whatever temptations
they meet with. Certainly this is some satisfaction ;
certainly there is some satisfaction in a soul when it
is in such a way as no temptation can possibly draw
it out of that way. If there be a bee that fastens
upon a flower, and is sucking of honey, if it cannot
be got off of that flower, certainly the bee finds sweet-
ness and honey there ; so all those that have but the
least beginnings of true grace, though they be hunger-
ing after more, they would fain have more, yet they
find so much satisfaction as they wiU never turn
into the ways of unrighteousness again — they will
never leave the paths of God. It may be thou art
complaining, and sayest, I have been desiring for
many years, Oh that I might overcome such a cor-
ruption, that I might be enabled to serve God with
more freedom of spirit and cheerfulness, but I cannot
get anything ; I find I do not grow, I get little.
Why, then, temptation comes; If you can get nothing,
if you strive and labour, and desire, and pray, and
can get nothing, leave off all, saith temptation, and go
to your former course again. God forbid, saith the
gracious soul, I will never turn to my former ways ;
for though I cannot get what I would, yet I have a
thousand thousand times more peace and content-
ment than ever I had in any former ways, and that
is some satisfaction.
Secondly, again, Those that hunger and thirst
after righteousness, they shall have grace growing.
There shall be more and more grace ; grace shall be
always coming in. Perhaps they shall not be always
sensible of it, but they shall have grace coming in
to uphold them at least, if so be not so fully as to
comfort them so as they desire, yet grace is coming
in. And so their spirits are kept still a-working after
grace, and they find something to uphold their hearts,
though not so fully to comfort them as they would.
Thirdly, There is certainly a time when all these
hungering souls shall be in a sensible way satisfied to
the full — that is, there is a time coming wherein thou
shalt never sin more, wherein thou shalt never be
troubled with that wretched heart of thine, with that
proud, stubborn, carnal, distrustful heart of thine ;
there is a time coming wherein thou shalt serve God
as much as thou wilt, as much as thou dost desire ;
thou shalt do God as much service as thou canst
desire to do him ; thou shalt have as much grace
as thou canst desire to have. Certainly that is a
blessed time, and that will satisfy the souls of any
that are gracious, that there is a time coming that
they shall serve God as much as they can. Thou
shalt have, as it were, thy belly full ; thou art now
a vessel of mercy, and shalt be filled full with the grace
of God in thee ; and the very thoughts of this, that
there is such a time a-coming, doth in a great measure
satisfy the soul for the present ; how will the soul
then be satisfied when that time is come? ' Blessed are
th€y that hunger and thirst after righteousness : they
shall be satisfied.'
Now, for application, here is a use of comfort
and encouragement to those that hunger and thirst
after righteousness.
This hunger and thirst of thine after righteousness,
be comforted in it ; it is a sign of life. If the child
cry for the breast, surely it is alive : ' As new-born
babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that they
may grow thereby.' It is a sign that thou art a new-
born babe at least ; that is the expression of the
apostle in 1 Pet. ii. 2, ' As new-born babes, desire
the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby : if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is
gracious.' Here is an argument of a new-born babe.
Wherefore is it that thy soul doth desire so much
after the word ? Is it not that thou mightest grow
thereby ? What is that '? thou mayest have more
power over thy corruptions, and be more enabled to
serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness all the
days of thy hfe; thou art a new-born babe, there is hfe.
Secondly, It is a good sign of a thriving Chris-
tian ; not only of a living Christian, but of a thriving
Christian. As you find it by experience in the body,
when a man or woman begins to have a good appe-
tite to their meat, to be hungry, we say, then they
mend. A man that begins to have a stomach, to be
hungry, and to taste his beer, he begins now to
thrive ; so it is with the soul. Thou hast not that
growth that thy soul desires, but hast thou a stomach
to thy meat, canst thou taste thy drink, canst thou
taste the waters of life, canst thou say, These are
sweet, oh that I might have more, I am athirst and
desire after more ? When thou comest to the word,
thou gettest some milk to nourish thee, and thou
hungerest after more. It is an argument that thou
art in a thriving condition, it is a sign of health, that
thy soul is hale, that thou hast not those distempers
and corruptions that other men have. Other men
whose souls are clogged with the lusts of the flesh
and the desires of the world, the preferments, hon-
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
121
ours, riches, pleasures of it, they could be without
the word if it were for a whole twelvemonth together,
but only through custom they come and hear, whereas
the poor hungry soul, when it hath been at the word
but one day, it longs for the time to have another
meal's meat, and for another meal's meat^ and cannot
tell how to spare one meal's meat. Now that is a
sign that such a soul is in a thriving condition ; be
then encouraged from this.
Thirdly, There is an infinite fountain of grace that
is set open for poor souls. Thou that hungerest and
thirstest after righteousness, there is an infinite foun-
tain of grace, and there is bread enough in thy
Father's house. Thou needest not seek to satisfy thy
soul with husks, there is bread enough : ' My flesh is
meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.' Jesus
Christ is an infinite fountain of all grace; he is filled
vi-ith all th« fulness of God, and to that end, that
from him hungering and thirsting souls might be
satisfied, therefore Christ is thus filled : John i. 16,
' Of his fulness have all we received grace for grace.'
There is grace answerable unto the grace of Christ,
to be received from his fulness ; and though it is true
there is emptiness in thy own heart, and emptiness
in all ordinances any further than Christ is in them,
yet there is a fountain of grace for thy satisfying — an
infinite fountain, that hath been the fountain from
whence all hungering souls since the world began
have been satisfied ; and it is open for thee, and thou
mayest come as freely for it as ever any soul did, to
take that that may satisfy thy soul.
Fourthly, These hungering desires of thine are
raised by no other than the Holy Ghost himself.
In Eom. viii. it is the Holy Ghost that teaches us
how to pray and send up groans and sighs unutter-
able ; it is the Spirit of God that helps our infirmi-
ties. Now, in these hungerings and thirstings of
thine, hast not thou been in the presence of God
sending up groans and sighs unutterable? Surely
thy petitions are like to be heard, that are indited
by the Holy Ghost himself. When thou art crying
for this bread of life to overcome thy sin, to enable
thee to walk before God in holy duties, these sighs
and groans unutterable are from the Holy Ghost.
It may be thou canst not express these desires of
thine, as a man that is hunger-starved he is not able
to express the fulness of his desires after bread or
drink, but though this be thy case, yet know, the
Lord having stirred up those unutterable desires by
his Spirit, he knows the meaning of his Spirit.
Fifthly, Your desires and God's meet. There is
nothing in the world that God doth more feeely
bestow than righteousness. The Lord is more free
and willing to bestow the righteousness of his Son
(that was spoke to before) and the righteousness of
his Spirit, than he is wiUing to bestow a piece of
bread. Thou mayest as soon have one from God as
the other, for his heart is in one more than in the other.
Thou desirest that thou mightest overcome sin, that
thou mightest serve the Lord in holiness and right-
eousness, and God desires the same thing. God's
heart and thy heart meet together in one.
Sixthly, If God will fill vacuities in nature, and
will hear the ravens when they cry unto him, will he
not fill the emptiness of thy soul ? God hath so
ordered things in nature that there shall be no va-
cuity. Philosophers say ' that the world will sooner
fall to nothing than there should be the least empti-
ness in the world,' but it must be filled with some-
thing or other. Now hath the Lord so appointed
that there must not be the least vacuity in nature,
but there must be something to till it, surely the Lord
will not suffer a vacuity in an immortal soul ; but he
hath something to fill that soul of thine that is empty
for the present, and the Scripture tells us that the
Lord tills every living thing with his blessing, and
shall not a soul that hungers after righteousness, and
the image of God, and the grace of the Spirit of God,
shall it not be satistied ? shall God regard to satisfy
the hunger of a raven, and give water to a raven that
cries, and shall he not satisfy an immortal soul that
hungers after that that is his own image, that he
might overcome sin, and serve him in holiness and
righteousness ? Certainly the Lord will satisfy thee.
Seventhly, Yet further the Lord bids us, that if
our enemy hunger, we should give him meat, and if
he thirst, we should give him drink, Eom. xii. 20.
This is the charge of God. Will the Lord give a
charge to us poor creatures, that when our enemy
hungers, we must give our enemy meat, and wlien
our enemy thirsts, give him drink, and shall not God
himself, the infinite fountain of aU mercy, when a
child hungers, give meat, and when a child thirsts,
give drink ? Saitli Christ, ' If you that are evil know
how to give good things to your children, how much
more shall your heavenly Father,' &o. Certainly,
if so be thou hungerest and thirstest after righteous-
ness, God will not deny thee when thou hungerest
after that. He will give thee bread, he will give thee
di'ink, for the satisfying of thy soul. We must do
it to our enemies. The Lord will much more do it
to the soul that desires above all things in the world
to be reconciled to him.
Eighthly, Be of comfort in this, you that are hung-
erers and thirsters, these hungerings and thirstings
of yours will make you to be praying Christians.
They are mighty ingredients in prayer ; and it is a
very great blessing to be a praying Christian, espe-
cially in these times. There are no such praying
Christians as your hungering and thusting Christians,
that find the want of the righteousness, both of the
Son of God and the Spirit of God. These are great
122
BUKROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. G.
prayers in Israel. We have many tliat will enlarge
themselves to God in prayer ; but for a prayer to
come from a hungering and thirsting soul, it is a
prayer worth a hundred of those prayers that come
from parts and memory.
Ninthly, Know further, that the ordinances of
Jesus Christ are appointed to thee. There is a time
when Jesus Christ will satisfy thy soul immediately ;
till that time comes he hath appointed his ordinances,
his word, and sacraments, for the satisfying these
hungering and thirsting souls. And comfort thyself
in this, 0 blessed Saviour, I hope to have full com-
munion with thee hereafter; but for the present thou
hast not left me destitute, and I will take what thou
hast left me thankfully for the present, expecting a
more immediate satisfaction from thee hereafter.
Now as I have laboured to encourage those that are
hungry and thirsty,
Secondly, I desire to propound some considera-
tions to quicken our appetites after these desires of
righteousness. You that have hungered and thirsted,
take heed that you lose not your appetite and sto-
mach. There was a time that you had a strong sto-
mach after righteousness ; have you so still ? Take
heed of losing it. When you come home, and find
not yourself well, and have no stomach to your meat,
your wife and children about you begin to be afraid,
and you are troubled, saying, I have lost my stomach
to my meat. It is many times a forerunner of death,
and so it may be of the death of the soul. Lose
not your appetites, but labour to quicken them.
Now these considerations will serve to quicken your
appetites after this righteousness that we are speak-
ing of ; I speak to those I suppose have grace. Do
not think thus : I hope God hath wrought some be-
ginnings of grace, and that may serve my turn. No ;
but hunger and thirst after much. Lord, more, more
grace 1 Thou hast begun somewhat ; oh that I might
have more !
First, Consider, Thou dost not know what work
God may call thee to before thou diest ; and there-
fore it is not for Christians to have a little grace, but
they should desire after much. You may be called
to a great deal of work. A little grace will help thee
to do a little work, a great deal of grace will but
help to do much work. These are times that God
calls all his people to do much vfork. And it may
- be thou mayest live to such times as thou mayest be
called to do more work than ever thou wert called
to, and therefore be hungering after more. Lord,
strengthen me with more grace, that I may be en-
abled to do all the service that thou shalt call me to.
Secondly, Others who have began since you in the
profession of religion, they have outgone you, they
have got a great deal more than you. Perhaps thou
hast been a kind of professor these twenty or thirty
years, or more. Now, how many young ones that have
begun since thou, though abundance of them vanish
away in disputes and errors, yet some are very gra-
cious and godly, and oh how much of Christ, of God,
of heavenhness, of savouriness, of wisdom, of holi-
ness, have they got within a few years, more than
thou hast got for this twenty or thirty years I Then
hadst not thou need to be hungering and thirsting
after more ?
Thirdly, By this means, the more grace thou hast,
the more good thou shalt do to others. It is not
enough to have grace merely to carry thee to heaven,
but that thou mayest be useful in the place where
God hath set thee. Weak Christians may make shift
to uphold themselves here in this world, and to get to
heaven with much ado ; but strong Christians are
useful to others, and do abundance of good to others.
Oh that I might have grace, then, to do good to
others 1
Fourthly, Consider what strong hungerings and
thirstings you have had heretofore after the things of
the world. Lord, I remember that in former times
my heart was carnal, and what strong desires I had
after the world. How did my thoughts run about
my business, in my calling, that so I might thrive
and prosper, and have good comings in. Lord, thou
knowest that many times after base sinful lusts my
soul hath been strong in the desires of them ; and
shall not now my soul be strong in the desires after
thy righteousness ?
Fifthly, Know it is impossible for thee to have a
heaven upon earth. All Christians may come to
have a heaven upon earth, here in this world. There
is such a condition wherein our hearts may be filled
with joy unspeakable and glorious, in believing, in the
ways of godliness ; but now this cannot be by weak
grace. There must be strength of grace, whereby
the soul of a Christian may be in heaven while they
are upon the earth, and converse with God, his angels,
and saints here in this world, as if they were in
heaven. This may be had, and therefore hunger still,
and thirst after further degrees of righteousness.
Sixthly, It is the only way to help thee against
temptations, to grow strong in grace. Thou that hast
but a little grace, thou art hable to temptations on
every hand, and the devil is ready to foil thee in this
and the other thing ; but by strength of grace thou
mayest be able to resist temptations — and it is a
great mercy in this dangerous time wherein we live
to resist temptations. A weak, sickly man or woman,
they had need of a staff, they are ready to stumble
at every stone ; and so a weak Christian is ready to
stumble at every offence. But a man that hath got
strength, he can go steadily ; and so strong Chris-
tians they are able to do it ; and therefore you find
that St Peter, when he would give a rule how men
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS ON THK BEATITUDES.
123
should come to be steadfast, in the Second Epistle, iii.
17, 18, he saith, 'Beloved, seeing ye know these
things before, beware lest ye also, being led away
with the error of the wicked, fall from your own
steadfastness. But grow in grace,' &c. As if the
Christian should say. How should we take heed that
we fall not from our steadfastness ! Notwithstanding
the many errors there are in the times wherein we
live, saith he, ' Grow in grace.' There is in these
days a deluge of errors in the world, and they catch
young ones, weak people, and women, and so they
come to fall from their own steadfastness ; but the
way to prevent this is to grow in grace, hunger after
more, keep your appetites after more, and let your
prayers and your endeavours be after increase of
righteousness, that so you may keep your steadfast-
ness.
Seventhly, By the increase of grace you will be
able to have a more abundant entrance into heaven
when you die : you will die with more peace, and
have an abundant entrance into the kingdom of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is not by having
a little grace; though you may get to heaven, yet you
cannot have that abundant entrance into heaven, as
in 2 Pet. i. 5, ' And besides this, giving all dili-
gence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue know-
ledge; and to knowledge temperawce; and to temper-
ance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godli-
ness brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness
charity ; for if these things be in you and abound,
they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
'Wherefore,' saith he in the 10th verse, 'the rather,
brethren, give diligence to make your calling and
election sure ; for if you do these things, ye shall
never fall ; for so an entrance shall be ministered to
you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' The apostle would
have us add one grace to another. Have you got one
grace ? then labour for, and add more and more
thereby you shall make your calling and election sure
thereby you shall never fall, but be helped against
your many doubts and fears, and the power which
the devil hath had over you ; the way to help against
them is, by adding one grace to another, and growing
up still in the ways of godliness ; and by that means,
saith he, ' an entrance shall be ministered unto you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.' As if he should say. The
broad gates of heaven shall be set open to you. As
you know in great men's houses ordinarily you have
the wicket, the Kttle gate, opened ; but if great men,
earls, and princes should come, the broad gates are set
open ; so it is true God will admit to heaven where
there is the least grace ; but they are fain to crowd in
with many discouragements, but those that have got
a great deal of grace, an abundant entrance is made
oijen for them. Oh, you Chi-istians that have any
beginnings of grace, still, still be hungering and
thirsting to get more, more righteousness ; for it will
help you to an abundant entrance into the everlasting
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ !
124
BURKOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 6.
SERMON XX.
RULES TO HELP SOULS IN THE WAY OF HUNGEEING.
'Blessed are they luliich do hunger and thirst after righteoxisness : for they shall be filled.'— Mat. v. 6.
There are three things remaining in the text.
First, The propounding some rules for the help of
souls that are in a ■n^ay of hungering and thirsting
after righteousness, and yet cannot find righteousness.
Secondly, The shewing what may support souls
that are in a hungering condition after righteousness,
and yet cannot find that they do grow righteous.
Thirdly, The rebuking of the want of this true
hungering and thirsting after righteousness.
For the first, Is it so that the Lord hath brought
thy heart to hunger and thirst after righteousness ?
Can ye say that this is your condition, else you can
say Uttle ; or those have the weakest degree of grace
should be able to say thus, at least, that they find a
hungering and thirsting desu-e. Now, if it be so,
observe these rules in thy hungering and thii-sting,
that thou mayest not miscarry.
First, Though thou hast not what righteousness
thou wouldst have, yet be sure to renounce all un-
righteousness. I am yet in a hungering way, and
cannot find that righteousness I do desire ; but, 0
Lord, this I hope shall be my care for ever, whatso-
ever becomes of me, I will renounce unrighteousness.
Indeed, I cannot get such ability to serve God with
that enlargement of spirit that I desire ; I do not
find that I do grow as I would grow in grace; but.
Lord, this through thy mercy I hope I shall keep for
ever in my heart, that whatever appears to be un-
righteousness, I will not meddle with that, I will have
nothing to do with that. In Ps. cxix. 2, 3, saith
the psalmist there, ' Blessed are they that keep his
testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart :'
what follows ? ' They also do no inquity ; they walk
in his ways.' They that seek the Lord with their
whole heart, they do no iniquity — that is, in the
meantime while they are seeking God, if it be with
their whole heart, they do renounce all iniquity ;
there is no way of sin but they do abhor it as hell,
and will renounce it. Though I am not able to guide
myself as I would, and to do what I ought, yet thus
far I will have nothing to do with my former un-
righteous way. This is of great use to those souls
that God is bringing unto himself, in a way of seeking
him, but yet do not apprehend they have found him ;
they will renounce unrighteousness. Many men and
v/omen they seek for righteousness — they think so
at least ; but in the meantime they give way to them-
selves to some unrighteousness ; and so they flatter
themselves in their desires, and think that God will
accept of their desires for righteousness, though they
give way to themselves in some ways of unrighteous-
ness. Take heed of that.
Secondly, In thy hungering and thirsting after
righteousness, do thou often express these thy desires
before God, often express thy desires in the presence of
God ; when thou art alone in secret tell God of all thy
desires that thou hast after liis righteousness, after
his ways ; appeal to God of thy deshes. It is an easy
matter to tell men that thy desires are thus, but ex-
press to God daily thy desires after his righteousness.
Thirdly, Look to it that it be after his righteous-
ness that thou dost hunger and thirst. Do not satisfy
thyself in this, that thou hungerest and thirstest after
somewhat, that thou hast a desire after something in
the \yays of godhness, but let it be after all the ways
of righteousness ; let there be no way of righteous-
ness, but thou findest thy heart thus upright with
God to hunger and thirst after it. And thou canst
freely express thyself to God, that he that knows all
things knows that thy heart doth make after all
righteousness whatsoever ; it is that thou longest after
all his ways and all his commandments that thou
mightest fulfil them, that thou wilt not give liberty
to thyself in anything that is not according to his
ways. Hunger after all righteousness.
Fourthly, When thou hast expressed thy desires to
God, and that after all righteousness, look after thy
desires ; often consider what becomes of thy desires.
How long have I thus hungered and thirsted after
righteousness ? When did God begin to open my
conscience, and to stir my heart after righteousness ?
Think, hath it not been ever since I can remember,
or for a long time. What then hath become of my
desires all this while ? What hath become of my
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
125
many prayers that I have put up to God that he
would come in with his grace and renew his image
in my soul ? Look after thy desires ; see what be-
comes of them. Many men and women have a kind
of form in praying to God, and wishing that it were
better with them ; but they do not look back to tlieir
wishes. Either God grants my desires, or he doth
not ; either I do get more power over my corruptions,
and more ability to serve him in the ways of right-
eousness, or I do not. If I do, then I have matter to
praise and bless him ; if I do not, I have matter of
humiliation. But where is the man or woman that
every day examines what becomes of their prayers
after grace, to make either God's granting their
desires matter of praise, or God's denying their desires
matter of humiliation.
Fifthly, Be sure to manifest thy desires in the use
of all means. Observe that rule, and observe this
particular in it, that if some means will not do, then
add others ; if ordinary will not do it, then add ex-
traordinary ; but especially observe this in the use of
means, let it be righteousness thy soul longs after and
labours for. As, for instance, it may be you will say.
As I have good desires, so I do use means ; I pray,
I hear God's word, I read, and confer with God's
people. But when thou art doing all these, is it right-
eousness thy soul works after and longs for ? Canst
thou say when thou goest to prayer, 0 Lord, I pray,
and that I would have in prayer is righteousness, that
I might get somewhat this morning, some further im-
provement of righteousness, and increase of it. And
art thou not satisfied in thy prayer except thou find-
est that thou hast got some further righteousness, that
thou canst that day overcome thy corruptions more
than before ? And so when thou goest to hear the
word, Wh}', I am going to hear a sermon ; and what is
it that 1 long for, saith a gi'acious soul. Oh, righteous-
ness ! oh that God would speak to my heart, whereby
I might get power over my corruptions, and be more
strengthened in his way, and find grace increased, find
more wisdom, humility, and the fear of his name, and
more spuitual mindedness than ever I have had !
Oh that I tnight have that in the word ! That is a good
sermon wherein God speaks to my heart, for the fur-
therance of righteousness in my heart ; and if I come
to the word and do not meet with God there for the
furtherance of the graces of his Spirit in my soul, that
sermon is not good to me, whatsoever it be to others,
because I do not find the work of God's grace furthered
in my heart anything the more. How many times
do we come to sermons, one after another, and never
think of this, to come with panting desires after right-
eousness.
Further, For the use of means, I will give you a
scripture to shew that it is not enough for you to
hunger and thirst after righteousness, except you ex-
press it in the use of means. In Ps. cvii. 9, there is
a gracious promise from God to such : ' He satisfieth
the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with
goodness.' He satisfieth the longing soul ; the longing
and hungering soul are the same, but now the word
that is translated in your books the longing soul, it
is in the Hebrew nppK/ t^BJ, the running soul ; he
satisfieth the soul that runs up and down, that is the
propriety of the word, A longing soul is a soul that
runs up and down from one means to another ; if one
thing will not do it, another it must have ; its desires
must be satisfied or it cannot tell how to live, but
runs up and down from one means to another. So
in Mark \ai. 24, 25, you have a notable scripture to
shew that where the heart is set upon a thing it will
leave no means unattempted. It is said of Christ
that he arose and went into the ' borders of Tyre and
Sidon, and went into an house, and would have no
man know it : but he could not be hid. For a cer-
tain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean
spu-it,' &c. The meaning is this, that the poor
woman being affected with the misery of her daughter
having an unclean spirit, and believing Christ was
able to help her, though Christ was hid, the poor
woman resolves if he be above the ground to find him,
and to have him one way or other. And therefore
the scripture observes, that though Chi-ist would have
none to know where he was, yet he could not be hid
because of the poor woman. So it is here ; if the
Lord shall be pleased to withdraw himself from the
soul in one means, yet the soul that is sensible of
want of righteousness it will follow after God in one
means after another, and will never be at quiet and
rest until it meet with God, until it come to enjoy
God in the ways of righteousness according to his
desire. That is the fifth rule, Let thy hungering and
thu'sting work in the use of all means.
Sixthly, In thy hunger and thirst, take heed that
thou dost not rest in thy desires ; do not rest in this,
and think it enough : I have desires ; God hath
wrought desires in me, and that is sufficient — what
need I any more ? Though it is true there are many
encouragements to those that have true desires, but
this is as true, that when desires are right, the soul
will not rest in those desires. I have desires, but it
is the thing itself that I look after for the obtain-
ing of my desire. We read in Prov. xiii. 12, 'That
hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when the
desire cometh, it is a tree of life.' ' Hope deferred '
that is, when the soul would have a thing, and it
comes not ; ' but when the desire cometh, that is the
tree of life.' Therefore the soul that is rightly
wrought upon will not rest in desires, will not think,
God hath begun to work some desires in me, I hope
that is grace ; and if I have but the least degree of
grace, that will be enough to bring me to heaven.
126
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 6.
No ; I have desires, but nothing shall quiet my soul
until I come to the obtaining of my desires.
Seventhly, Exercise faith upon Jesus Christ for
righteousness ; that is the way to come to have thy
desires satisfied. Thou dost use means ? yea, that I
dare not but do — my conscience puts me upon it, to
pray, read, hear, and so to use all means I can, but
yet I do not find my desire satisfied. This, there-
fore, is another rule : thou must, in the use of means,
look beyond the means, and take heed of resting upon
means as well as upon thy desires, but look up to
Jesus Christ, from whose fulness the heai-ts of the
saints do receive grace for grace. The Father hath
put a fulness into his Son ; all righteousness is in
Jesus Christ ; there is all grace, righteousness, and
holiness in Christ beyond all measure. Now the
way to attain righteousness, it is not merely to pray,
hear, and use means, but by an eye of faith to behokl
Christ filled full of all grace as a fountain, so that the
souls of those that hunger and thirst may, by acting
upon him, fetch grace from him, and so come to be
satisfied. It is Christ that is the tree of life ; it is
from him that all grace doth come into the soul.
And I verily believe that there are many kept under
a great spirit of bondage in the times of their hunger^
ing and thirsting, labouring for grace, because they
did not look beyond means. They do not look upon
Christ, that is the fountain of all grace, to act their
faith upon him. They think that they must have
righteousness before they come to Jesus Christ.
Now, there is a mistake : thou must come to Clirist
that thou mayest have righteousness, for all right-
eousness is in him. The truth is, there is no saving
righteousness but it comes through union with Jesus
Christ — it comes from communion with Jesus
Christ — it comes from the Spirit of Christ let into
the heart ; and therefore the first act should be a
going to Christ for this righteousness. Act thy faith
more upon Christ ; labour to look upon him as he
that hath all treasures of grace in him from the
Father on purpose to communicate to the souls of
those that shall be saved ; and this is the way to
have the desires of thy soul satisfied. Thou sayest
thou hast been tugging and labouring, and nothing
comes. Try this means, try this way, to act thy
faith wpon Jesus Christ for righteousness. Thou
sayest, I fear i shall presume ; but never fear pre-
suming in acting upon Christ for righteousness.
There is fear of presuming when thou dost act upon
Christ merely to save thy soul, and to deliver thee
from hell ; but when thou dost act upon him for
righteousness, there is no fear there. When thy soul
is after righteousness, and thou findest that Christ is
appointed by the Father to be the conduit of convey-
ance of all grace from the Father, and thou art called
to cast thy soul upon him that thou mightest have
some work of his Spirit conveyed to thee, for the
subduing of thy corruptions, and for the enabling
thee to live righteously before God in this world, fear
not presuming in this case ; for presumptuous hypo-
crites would believe in Christ only to be saved from
hell, but they do not prize the righteousness of Christ
much. They would seek the kingdom of heaven for
deliverance from pain and torment, but to seek the
kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof,
they do not so much look at that ; it is not that that
will feed their souls. But now, when thou hast a
hungry soul after righteousness, and comest to Christ
to close with him, know that his flesh is meat indeed,
and his blood is drink indeed, both for justification
and sanctification likewise.
Eighthly, If thou findest in thy hungering and
thirsting after righteousness that thou hast not yet
thy desire, resolve this with thyself, If my desire can-
not be satisfied in this, I will never suffer my desires
to wander after other things any more, till I can be
satisfied here. Keep thy heart in this resolution, and
this will keep thy heart in such a frame as righteous-
ness will come. Many men and women they have
good desires stirred in them for a time, but they
vanish away ; because, not having their desires ful-
filled, they come to let out their desires to other
things. But when the heart comes to this, O Lord,
my desires are so set after the renewing of thy image,
after righteousness, that, Lord, if I have not satisfac-
tion here, I will not have satisfaction in anything else.
It is of very gi'eat consequence for thee to labour to
keep thine appetite continually after righteousness.
Take heed of those things that will take away thy
stomach after this righteousness. There are three
things that will take away the stomach ; as in the
body, so in the soul.
First, A man hath his stomach taken away, either
by somewhat that clogs his stomach. There is some
humours that is got into his stomach, and so takes
it away ; or.
Secondly, By wind that may fill his stomach, and
so he hath not an appetite to his meat ; or.
Thirdly, For want of exercise ; because he doth
not stir and act. So it is in the appetites of men
after righteousness. These three things will take
their appetites away, either, L when some ill-humours
are got into their hearts ; by that I mean some cor-
ruptions, some ill distempers that they have given
way to themselves in, and so defiled their souls.
Many in their young time were wont to have mighty
appetites after righteousness. They would run to
the word, and how earnestly would they pray, as if
they would rend the heavens again ; but now we find
no such thing in them. There hath got some fearful
stuff into their hearts that hath defiled their souls.
Or, secondly, Some windy stuff ; by that I mean.
Mat. V. 6 ]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
1-27
when tlie heart lets out itself to carnal contentments.
There be many that have made forward professions,
and mighty hungerings and thirstings they have
seemed to have ; and the ordinances of Christ, how
precious were they to them ; but now they are
altogether for the world, and give themselves up
unto the delights of the flesh. And what company
is it that now they prize most, but that company
wlierein they have most contentment to the flesh ;
that they prize most. There hath got windy stuff
into their stomachs that hath taken away their
appetite.
Thirdly, For want of exercise. Many Christians,
they grow dull and heavy. It may be they keep
themselves from the sin of the times, and from satis-
fying the flesh in carnal things ; but they grow dull
and sluggish and negligent, and there is no exercise
in them, no stirrings of heart after God ; whereas, if
thou wouldest keep thy heart warm, every morning
do not for fashion sake merely go to prayer, but
pray till thou gettest thy heart warm again. As if a
man hath not a stomach, it is good to go abroad in
the air — that may do somewhat ; but if his stomach
be far gone he will not only walk abroad a little, but
continue walking till he finds himself warm, and
then he comes home and finds a good stomach. So
let Christians be much in spiritual exercises, that
will keep their appetites after spiritual things.
Ninthly, Let not your desires after more righteous-
ness make you forget that you have ; look to that.
If God hath been pleased in any measure to give you
any power over your corruptions, any ability to do
any service for him, take notice of it, bless God for
it. And because you have not all your desire, do
not say you have none at all, do not wrong the grace
of God, and think that all is but counterfeit, because
you have not such a desire as you would have. As
if a man should give a kinsman so many pieces of
gold to set up his trade withal, and he should say.
What hath he given me ? they are but a few counters ;
a kinsman would think himself wronged by his
saying so. So it is with many a soul that is seeking
after righteousness. The Lord hath given thee the
graces of his Spirit already, that are so much gold,
that so thou mightest set up for heaven ; but because
thou hast not so much as thou wouldest have, thou
thinkest it is all but counterfeit. Take heed of this,
thou shouldest bless him for every httle, every good
motion, every good inclination ; bless God for this,
and so expect more. For poor bodies that were
ready to starve, if you should give them but a piece
of bread, they would be ready to thank you for that,
and bless God for that ; but if they should say. What
is this — will this satisfy our hunger ? and so scorn it,
you would give them no more. So it is with the
soul ; if God gives anything, bless him for that, and
say. Lord, I find this sweet, I find the beginnings of
the work of thy grace sweet to my soul ; oh that I
had more !
Tenthly, A further rule to be observed in this
hungering and thirsting after righteousness, is. Take
heed that thou seekest not after tliis righteousness for
thy justification ; that is a rule that is of very great
use. You have heard before what the righteousness of
Christ is, and it is that only justifies the soul before
God ; but now this righteousness of sanctification, it is
that whereby we are enabled to serve God according to
his way. But that is not the righteousness whereby
I can stand just before his tribunal at the great day.
Now there is a mighty mistake here. Many poor
souls would fain have more grace; but why ? Because
they think that by their grace they shall be enabled
to stand before God for acceptation to eternal life.
They thmk thus : Wei'e I enabled to overcome my
corruptions more, and to do my duty more, by that
means should I be able to look upon God's face with
comfort and joy ; but thou art mistaken in this. It
is true, it is a comfortable evidence of God's love to
thy soul, even the work of his Spirit ; for it is that
that God loves and takes delight in. But now thou
must never think to tender up thy righteousness to
God for justification ; therefore, hunger and thirst
after this righteousness, but as in the second place,
and say. Lord, it is the righteousness of thy Son by
which I expect to be justified. But now that I
might serve thee in ways of righteousness, therefore I
desire this grace to be in my heart, not for my justi-
fication, but for my sanctification.
Eleventhly, In thy hungering after this righteous-
ness, let thy soul be willing to go through all dis-
couragements that thou meetest with, and trample
down all difficulties, all hindrances that lie in thy
way. When thou art hungering after righteousness,
it may be thou mayest meet with more temptations
than ever, more stirring of corruption than ever ;
you must make account of this. And all those that
have found this work of God in their hearts, they
can by experience tell this, that when they began to
stir and labour after righteousness they found more
strong temptations than ever, more stirrings of
corruption than ever. Ay, but this would not dis-
courage them ; they got over this, as we read of the
poor woman, Mat. xv. 22-28, ' A woman of Canaan
came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him,
saying. Have mercy on me 0 Lord, thou son of
David ; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples
came and besought him, saying. Send her away ; for
she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I
am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying,
Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not
128
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. fi.
meet to take the cliildren's bread, and to cast it to
dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord : yet the dogs eat
of the crumbs which fall from their master's table.'
It is a most notable scripture of any we have in
the book of God, to shew that where the heart is
set upon a thing it will trample upon all discourage-
ments. For mark, one cannot imagine more dis-
couragements than this poor woman had at this
time in seeking to Christ.
First, She comes and seeks to Christ, and cries to
him, Have mercy on me, 0 Lord ; but he answers not
a word. When thou art hungering and praying to
God for grace, if God do not answer thee presently,
thou art all-a-mortand discouraged. This woman cries,
and Christ answers her not a word. This did not
discourage her ; neither let it discourage thee, though
Christ doth not answer thee presently upon thy seek-
ing to him.
Secondly, There eame the disciples, and they be-
sought Christ, ' Send her away, for she crieth after
us.' The disciples they speak churlishly ; so many
poor souls that are seeking after Christ, their friends
come and discourage them, they are churhsh towards
them. Well, it may be this hinders thee, but if thy
desires be right, this will not discourage thee neither.
It did not discourage this poor woman.
Thirdly, Christ answered, ' I am not sent but to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel,' saith Christ ;
' what have I to do with this woman ; she is none of the
house of Israel, and I am not sent to her.' This was
a fearful discouraging answer, when that Jesus Christ
should say that he was not sent but to the lost sheep
of Israel ; what should this poor woman do now ? Thus
it is with many in their seeking after grace. Saith
one, It may be I do not belong to the election of
God ; I am none of that little number that Christ
was sent for. Though Christ did say thus to her, yet
this did not discourage her, but she oame and wor-
shipped him, saying. Lord, help me. She would not
stand answering what Christ said, but her desire was
strong : Lord, help me.
Fourthly, He answered and said, ' It is not meet to
take the children's bread and cast it to dogs.' Here is
a fourth discouragement. Saith Christ, You are a
dog, and this is children's meat. If God should
speak thus to you, as it may be you think sometimes
that God speaks thus to you, you are crying for meat,
that you might be satisfied with righteousness ; but if
God denies you awhile, you think he rejects you as a
dog. Christ did tell the woman she was a dog, and
one would have thought this should have beaten her
off, but this would not discourage her. She came and
said. Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that
fall from the children's table. Truth, Lord, I am a
dog ; I am unworthy ; but. Lord, one crumb, one
crumb even for a dog ; and upon this Christ heard
her, and then she was satisfied. This was from a
mighty work of the Spirit of God in the heart of this
woman ; so in your desires after this righteousness, do
you do thus. When you have discouragements, j'et
get through them, and you will be satisfied at last.
There is thousands that have had good beginnings,
but they have been taken oft' by discouragements ;
therefore labour to trample down hindrances what
thou canst. It is very observable the story that we
read of in the book of Kings. There was a time that
there was a great famine in Samaria, and the prophet
told them, that by the morrow this time, corn should
be thus and thus cheap. Saith the captain, It cannot
be,, though God should open the windows of heaven.
Saith the prophet to him. You shall see it, but not
taste of it. And when the time came the people did so
unreasonably seek to get some part of the corn that
they might satisfy their hunger, that they trod upon
the captain ; and though he were the second man to
the king, yet they trod him down to the ground, and
all through their earnest desire that they might have
to satisfy their hunger. And so the soul that is thus
hunger-starved, as it were, saith. Oh that I might
have grace, I am undone else ; let there be whatever
hindrance in the way there will be, I care not, I will
be willing to part with all, so be it I may have grace.
As we read of the poor people in Egypt, they
wanted corn, and were hunger-bitten. They came and
brought their money to Joseph to buy corn ; then they
brought their cattle, and they sold their lands and
possessions that they might have corn ; and then they
came and sold themselves to be as bond slaves unto
Pharaoh, that they might have corn to satisfy their
hunger. Nothing stood in their way that so they
might have theii- hunger satisfied. Thus it is, the
soul will trample down anything that is in its way, and
will be contented to part with anything for the
fuitherance of the grace of God in it. And thus
much for the rules to be observed in our hungering
and thirsting after righteousness.
The next thing is to shew what may support the
hearts of them that hunger and thirst after righteous-
ness, but find not that they do grow righteous.
The first is this. Consider that if there be but the
least degree of grace, it is as true and as sure an earnest
of eternal life as the greatest degree is. It may be
some that are carnal may abuse what is said out of
the word, but let not children lose their portion for
that. The soul that finds such a working as this is
after righteousness, though thou hast not righteous-
ness as thou dost desire, yet this may support thee,
that the least degree of true grace, the least seed of
it — and some seeds there must needs be in that soul
that hath this desire — is as true and as sure an
earnest of eternal life as the greatest of all is. I do
not speak this that you should rest in any degree of
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
129
grace ; for that is a base spirit to say, Wliat need
have i then of more ? But I speak to those whose
hearts are upright — that will not so abuse it. It is
called the earnest of the Spirit ; and a man in a bar-
gain, when he gives earnest, thougli the matter be
not great, he can bind a bargain if he give but twelve
pence, as well as if he give twenty shillings. So it is
here, though, it is true, where there is a little grace
there cannot be so much honour to God as where
there is a great deal ; yet the least degree of grace
binds the bargain with God for eternal life, and makes
it as sure to thee as it thou hadst as much grace as
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It may be because thou
hast but a little thou shalt not know it so fully, and
so have the assurance in thy conscience ; but it is as
sure with God. Thou art as certainly translated
from death to life, as if tliou hadst the greatest
degrees of all.
Secondly, Where there are true desires, there the
Lord looks upon thy imperfections, not as thine, but
as sin that dwelleth in thee. That is it the apostle
saith, 'It is no longer I,' when I express mighty desu'es
after grace, and found corru^otions strong, ' it is no
longer I, but sin that dwelleth in me.' So I say to
the soul that is strong in the desires of it after grace,
though there be many imperfections remaining, the
Lord doth not now look upon thy imperfections so
much thine, as sin in thee ; there is a twofold self, as
it were — there is a self corrupt, and a self grace. It
is not I, but sin ; the Lord charges not the remainders
of sin on the soul that hath these sincere desires after
the work of his grace.
Thirdly, Further, so long as thy corruptions are
in thee, and be thy sickness, (observe it, for so doth
the soul that is in this case find the remaining cor-
ruptions that are in it to be its sickness,) so long as
thou findest the want of this righteousness to be thy
sickness, know that it makes thy soul to be an object
of God's pity and compassion, and not an object of
God's wrath and hatred. Here is the difference be-
tween the remaining part of sin that is in tlie saints,
and the corruptions in the ungodly. The sin that is
in ungodly men and women makes their souls to be
the object of God's wratli and hatred, for so the scrip-
ture saith, ' The Lord hates the workers of iniquity;'
but the saints that have any beginnings of grace,
though there be much unrighteousness still in the
soul, this unrighteousness being thy sickness, it makes
thy soul now not an object of God's wrath, but an
object of his pity and compassion. As your children,
when they are sick and weak, do not you love them
as well as when they are at the strongest and most
healthy? I appeal to any tender mother; she loves the
child when it is in health, and can go up and down,
and so can play with it ; but when the child is sick,
doth not her bowels yearn towards the child then?
When it is sick, and can do nothing for the mother
but lies sprawling, crying, and is troublesome to the
house, what delight can she take in it then ; but her
bowels yearn towards it, and the child is sick, saith
she. So the unrighteousness that remains, it is the
sickness of the soul, and the bowels of God's compas-
sions are towards his sick children, as well as towards
his strong children. I will put this to a father or
mother — suppose that thou hast a child that is weak,
but would fain do whatsoever you would have him,
and this child is got alone into a room, and the door
shut upon him, so that the child thinks nobody sees
it. Well, it may be thou lookest through a keyhole and
seest the child what he is a-doing ; he is crying and
bemoaning himself, Oh that I should be so untoward
as I am ! oh that I should not please my father and
mother more ! oh how little am I able to do for my
father and mother ! oh that I were able to shew my-
self more dutiful than I have been ! oh that I could
so walk before them as I might never be undutiful
any more ! this would be th« happiness of my life, if
I should never be any more undutilul to father and
mother. Suppose any of you should look through the
keyhole and see your child thus bemoaning himself
because he can be no better, and thus desiring that
he might live to be more dutiful, would not your
bowels yearn towards such a child ? You know the
child doth not think you see him, but by accident
you do come to see him, would not your bowels yearn
now toward him ? Know that God is a compas-
sionate Father. From whence is it that you have such
compassions toward your children ? is it not a drop of
that infinite compassion is in God? When thou gettest
alone, and art bewailing thyself that thou canst not
live to the honour of God more, if thou couldst thou
wouldst account thy hfe to be happy,- know God
hears all this, God looks upon thee and observes all
this. Surely God will not cast off such a one as
hath his heart thus hungering and thirstino- after
what might be acceptable unto God. You know the
Scripture compares Christ to a shepherd, and be-
lievers to sheep, now saith he. My sheep hear my
voice. That expression is taken from the way of
those countries where shepherds did use their sheep
so to the voice of them, as if they called the sheep
the sheep would come after them, (as when you call a
dog,) and therefore saith Christ, ' Jly sheep hear my
voice, and they will follow me.' Suppose, when the
shepherd came, a great part of the Hock came after
the shepherd upon his call, but one or two sheep that
were entangled in the briars, and were striving and
struggling to get out of the briars, but could not ;
they knew the shejjherd's voice, and would have fol-
lowed the .shepherd, but when they see they cannot
follow him, then they fall a-bleating and crying after
the shepherd, till the shepherd take notice of tliem ;
130
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 6.
and when this shepherd comes to the place and sees
the poor sheep Lihouring to get after the shepherd,
will he not pity this sheep, and so untangle it from
the bushes that it is got into ? This is the poor weak
Christian's case that is got into the briars of some
corruption, and entangled in some distemper of heart
or other, and Christ calls to the soul, and the soul
knows the voice of Christ and loves Christ, and it
would fain follow after Clu'ist, whose voice it hears,
and the soul is tugging and striving, but it is got into
the briars. Now Christ hears the voice of this sheep,
and comes and sees it in the briars, and observes how
it would fain get after him, and pities this poor sheep,
and so at length gets it out of the briars, and doth
provide for it as much as for any of the other. If
this be thy condition, though gi'ace be not come yet,
yet from thy desire thou mayest have comfort, and
comfort from this veiy test : ' Blessed are they that
hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall
be satisfied.'
SERMON XXI.
OK,
CONSIDERATIONS TO SUPPORT THE HEARTS OF THOSE THAT HUNGER AFTER
RIGHTEOUSNESS, YET WANT GROWTH IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
' Blessed are (hey ivliich do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they slmll he filled.' — Mat. v. 6.
The fourth thing for the support of such souls as are
seeking after grace in the use of means, but cannot
find that they have obtained it, is this. Consider that
the conquest of the will of a sinner is a principal
work of God upon the soul, and it is such a work as
God doth accept of. When God conquers the will
the great work is done. The vnW it is the great
wheel of the soul, which, when it turns, all the lesser
and inferior wheels of the soul move likewise ; and
the great difficulty of bringing a soul into eternal
life it lies in this, the conquering of the will. All the
inferior affections they are easily wrought upon, they
are even compelled to obedience when the will is
overcome ; the understanding it may be forced to
assent to the truth when it is discovered ; the affec-
tions they will close with the truth, love it, fear it,
obey it, when the will is gained to yield itself up unto
the truth. But now the will, that is the great hind-
rance ; the difficulty lies in gahiing that. It is a
greater work for the will to be conquered and brought
into subjection unto God, than for any man to do
the thing that God requires. God doth more look
at the gaining of the will to obey than if so be we
were able to do the thing that we desire. We would
think that, could we but do the thing that we desire,
we should be liapjiy, and that then we should be
accepted. Kuow for thy comfort, that what thou
wantest in obedience to the will of God, if thy will
be gained with desire to obey God, God doth accept
of the will, as if so be thou wert able to do the thing
to the uttermost of thy desire. In 2 Cor. viii. 10,
saith the apostle there, ' Who have begun before, not
only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.' You
did such a thing ; but herein I do not so much com-
mend you, as in this, that you had a will to do it be-
fore you had ability ; the will was present long before
you had the ability to do. The apostle commends
them more for having a will to fulfil the mind of God
than to do it to their power. Thou hungerest after
God, and thou wouldest enjoy communion with him ;
thou wouldest serve and honour him to the utter-
most ; thou wouldest look upon it as a great privilege
if the Lord would enable thee to pray and sanctify
his name as other saints do ; but thou canst not attain
to the doing of what thou dost desire. Know that
God is as much honoured in thy will to do, as if so
be thou didst do the thing ; this is more than if
thou couldst do the thing. A hypocrite may do
any external act ; there is no external act of obe-
dience but a hypocrite may come up to the managing
of it, but the will of a hypocrite is never brought
under the obedience of the truth. Therefore this may
be a great support to our souls, when we find our
wills brought under, though we want a power for to
Mat. V. 6.]
BUEROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
131
do. Tliou art weak and bast many failings in thee,
and thou canst not do what thou wouldest do ; thou
wouldest obey more, thou wouldest pray better. Oh,
know for thy comfort that God hath the better part
of thee ; that which is thy best part God hath ob-
tained, and that which he doth most prize. There-
fore do thou look upon it as the best part, and do
thou prize the gaining of thy will more than any
service thou art able to do besides. Most people
think the will is nothing, but would do better. Many
say my heart is good, and my will too ; I would be
better if I could. Thou dost not know what the
changing of the will means, that hast such slight
thoughts of the gaining of the will. It is the diffi-
cultest work of all, even the gaining of the will of the
soul of a sinner to the obedience of the truth.
Fifthly, Know for thy further comfort, where there
is the least degree of grace, there will be increasing,
there will be a growth ; where there is true seed
sown there is the blessing of God in it, and God, that
hath begun his good work, will finish it in his good time.
God never begins a work and lets it lie ; he doth
always perfect his own works. God's works are like
himself ; as God is perfect in himself, so whatever he
works upon the soul he works perfectly ; and however
weak and feeble grace may be at the first, yet know
that God, as he hath begun, so he will carry on to
perfecting the work. When thou findest thou hast
a desire after good, and longest after this righteous-
ness, and canst not do what thou wouldest, thy de-
sires are better than thy ability. Thou shouldest
reason thus : that God makes thee to see the vanity
of thine own heart, in thinking it an easy matter to
overcome corruption, a thing of nothing to stand
against a temptation, herein thou shouldest support
thyself. Now the Lord convinces thee of this thing,
thou findest a difficulty in it, and canst not do it ;
now hereby thou art convmced of thy folly and
vanity; be quiet then in submitting to the dealings of
God in this thing. God doth not intend me any
hurt in this. We should not make such hard and
ill constructions of God's dealing in this kind, but
we should improve such chspensations of God for our
good ; as thus to conclude, that the Lord in this doth
not intend my ruin, but the discovery of that foolish
opinion which I had formerly, what an easy matter
it was to overcome the base distempers of mine own
heart. The Lord now intends by keeping me low in
a sad condition, that thereby he might raise me up
unto higher glory, that he might prepare me for
greater degrees of comfort. He keeps me low and
in a sad condition, that he might keep my heart sen-
sible of its former vanity, and that thereby he might
make a discovery of the excellency of his gi-ace ;
therefore thou must not now conclude that God hath
forsaken thee, and that thou shalt never have the
righteousness of Jesus Christ, because thou canst not
lind upon the seeking of it that thou hast obtained
it. No, but thou must reason thus : God's intentions
are to humble me and not to leave me.
In the last place. Consider, for thy support, when,
after a long time in the use of means, thou dost not
find that God doth come into thy apprehension, and
to satisfy thee that thou hast grace, and that the
righteousness of Jesus Christ is thine — consider this,
that God would have the work of righteousness ap-
pear in the abasing and humbling of thee, rather
than in giving thee power over thy corruptions, it is
God's design in this thing. And thou shouldest inter-
pret the dealings of God with thee thus, that God
hath various ways for the working of his own grace ;
that this is God's dealing to keep thee humble and
low, and herein grace is exercised : and thou shouldest
say. Is this the will of God, to keep me in darkness,
and not to know in what estate and condition I am ;
that I should walk warily ? good is the will of the
Lord. Thou shouldest believe God in this condition
as much as if so be thou hadst sensible apprehensions
of thy interest in righteousness. We would have
righteousness many times to work upward in joy, in
enlargements, and in comfort; and when it doth thus
work, then we have good hopes, and then we think
our peace is made with God, and our interest is sure.
But if God will have it work downward in self-abase-
ment, soul-humbUng, and spirit-dejecting, this is as
well a working of the truth of righteousness in the
heart as if it did work up never so high in joy and
consolation, and this doth as much discover the truth
of righteousness in thee as if thou hadgt the greatest
raptures and elevations ; and therefore quiet your
hearts in this, it is a mercy that the work of God is
upon thee any way. There was a time, thou mayest
say, that we did not mind anything of God, but that
our faces were turned against God, and that we did
mind the things of the flesh. But now the Lord he
hath begun to work ; and if the work be but yet in
humiliation, if it be but in working downwards in the
root, bless God for tliis, and know it is a mercy which
thou canst never be thankful enough for ; for when
the work of grace works downwards, it is as sure an
argument of the truth of righteousness in thee as if
thou hadst the greatest elevations and raptures of joy.
And thus I have done with the second thing pro-
pounded in the first use.
There remains but one thing more, and that is for
rebuke and reproving of those that do not thus
hunger and tlurst after righteousness. There are
many who will say, this is a very choice point, and
blessed be God we do hunger and thirst after right-
eousness ; and though we are able to do but little,
yet this we can say for ourselves, our desnes are good.
But take heed you do not deceive yourselves in your
132
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 6.
desires, for there are many who do desire, but their
desires will never com-e to any good. I did in part
discover to you what those desires were before, which
did demonstrate a soul that did truly hunger and
thirst after this righteousness, but here I shall add
something by way of reprehension of false desires.
First, Such as see no excellency in grace, these are
to be reproved. As those that do not desire after
grace, how canst thou say thou desirest after that
which thou seest no excellency in ? Are there not
many among you that say as those in Job xiv. 21,
' They say unto God, depart from us, for we desire
not the knowledge of thy law'? These are a wicked
generation. But you will say, it is not our case ;
surely there are none amongst us that are so vile
and wicked that shall dare to bid the Almighty de-
part from them. Though few men dare be so wicked
as' to say it in their words, yet how many are there
that are so wicked as to say it in their practices.
Many secretly in their hearts say this ; what are the
meaning of those speeches of yours else to this effect ?
what need we have so much means, so much preach-
ing, such reformation? can we not have our old ways ?
can we not go to heaven in the ways that we were
formerly taught in ? these are new ways. We never
heard of such talk about government and worship,
and the straitness of the ways of heaven, as you tell
us of; may we not do as others do, and yet be saved?
Formerly it was accounted a dishonour to men to
wait upon the word, and they were nicknamed and
accounted for Puritans by this very sign, because
they did constantly attend upon the means of grace ;
but now it is accounted a dishonour for men not to
come to the wor-d. Oh the change that tliere is
among men 1 But yet among most, the preaching of
the word it is a flat, dry thing to them. Let us
have the fulness of the creature, say they, and let
righteousness go where it will. There is a dog-like
appetite in men to the creatures— they would have
more still. The dog, when you have given him as
much as you can, still he desires and craves : so men,
when they have never so much of the creature, they
are still craving, and their appetites are longing after
the world stilL But you will say. We pray to God,
and come to church, and we hear the word, and
what would you have us do more? we live quietly
and civilly, and we do no man any wrong ; and surely
will not this carry us to heaven ? These men they
have enough of righteousness ; they see no need of
this glorious, excellent righteousness of Jesus Christ.
But those that know what righteousness means, they
desu'e it more and more ; they never are satisfied
with any righteousness but this, neither are they
satisfied with any degrees of righteousness attained.
Secondly, But to come more close to the point in
hand. A second sort that are reproved from this point
are those that do content themselves in desires ; that
when they have desires think the work is done, and
that they need go no farther ; they will say this is a
good point, and blessed be God they can find desires
in them — we do desire. But let me tell you, are not
your desires false? are your desires true? yea or nay.
There are many that desire, but their desires are cold
and lazy desires, such as shall never do them good;
and therefore false desires they may be known by
these characters :
First, Their desires are false who satisfy themselves
with ignorant desires. Hath God enlightened your
hearts to see the excellency of grace, that is more pre-
cious than rubies, of more worth than the gold of
Ophir — hath God discovered to you the need of grace
and your undone condition without righteousness ? If
it come not from these grounds they are but false
desires. Many have a false appetite ; as sick men
think they could eat food, but when it is brought to
them they cannot eat it — their stomachs fail them.
So these men, they desire righteousness, they see
worth in it, and nothing is dearer te them than right-
eousness.; but when God in the ministry of his word
tenders grace to them, holds forth his righteousness
in the ministry of the gospel, they have no hearts, no
raind to it. How often hath God moved thee by his
Spirit, and then thou hast refused to hearken ; though
thou sayest thou desirest with all thy soul, yet when
God comes to make a proffer thou hast no desire.
Were thy desires right at any time, they would be
right at all times ; but this shews thy desires are not
true, but that it is a false appetite which thou hast,
because it is not constant.
Secondly, Such desires are false who satisfy them-
selves with foolish desires. When men desire the
end I .\1 not the means, when men would be happy,
but will not use the means that leads to happiness,
will we not account that man a foolish man that shall
desire food — Oh that I had something to eat ! oh that
I had bread or meat ! — but will not seek for it, will
not take pains to get it ? So a man would be at such
a place, and he earnestly desires to be there, but he
will not step one foot in the way that leads to it ; he
hes still and stirs not : so when men desire grace, and
not make use of all means, nor beg of God to bless
the means to them. Can you say thus, are you able
to appeal as in the presence of God : Lord, whatsoever
means I know thou hast appointed in thy word to
attain such a thing, I have made use of it, and I have
neglected no opportunity wherein I could enjoy the
means for the furthering of me to such an end. Art
thou able to say thus ? Then thou mayest have corii-
fort that thy desires are right ; but when thy desires
are large, and thy endeavours cold, and dost not make
use of all means, never flatter thyself — thy desires are
not right.
Mat. V. 6.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
133
Thirdly, When men's desires are absurd, such de-
sires are false. They desire grace, and yet liv« iu that
which is quite contrary to grace, 'whicli is incon-
sistent witli grace ; they would have grace and right-
eousness, but they would have their lusts too. To
desire righteousness, and yet to take pleasure in un-
righteousness, how canst tliou say thou desirest
after righteousness ? But you will say. Is there not
some unrighteousness in the best, hava not they
their weaknesses, do not they sin as well as others,
those that make great profession ? A ns. Though
there be unrighteousness in the best, yet there is no
taking pleasure in unrighteousness ; taking pleasure
in unrighteousness cannot stand with desire after
righteousness. Therefore those desires which are so
absurd as to desire grace, and yet to desire that also
which is inconsistent with grace, is not true.
Fourthly, Such as satisfy themselves in cold and
weak desires, whose desires are turned aH into wishings
and wouldings ; they could wish that they had grace,
and oh that they liad righteousness, oh that they were
delivered from wrath to come ! but they are not so
peremptory upon it as to conclude, I must have it or
I die. Now these desires they come to nothing, they
will not grow up. A man that desires grace for it-
self, he is resolved upon it, he must have it ; as the
hungry man that is ready to famish for want of bread
— give me bread or I die, give me food or I perish.
So saith the soul. Give me grace, let me have Christ
or I am undone for ever ; what will it do me good to
have abundance here, and yet to have no grace ?
These are like little sjjrigs ; their desires are superflu-
ous, as the little sprigs that come out of the body or root
of the tree, which do not bear any fruit, but doth the
tree a great deal of hurt ; they draw sap from the root of
the tree and hinders fruit-bearing. Such desires and
wishes as these they will never satisfy God, neither
will they ever be able to satisfy your own consciences.
Fifthly, When men's desires are conditional. Con-
ditional desires are false desires; that is thus, they would
have grace and holiness so far as-mJght stand with such
and such ends, and to carry on such and such designs
of their own — as to keep their estates and their liberty,
their ease and credit in the world. So far as religion
will ride with their designs, so far they will bear it com-
pany ; so far they like the ways of holiness as they
stand and suit with their ends ; but if their desires were
right they would be resolute. Let me have grace
upon any terms ; grace is able alone to make me
hapjjy, and therefore whatsoever becomes of me let
me have grace. Though I perish, though I endure
never so much hardship, so I may have grace, it will
make amends for all ; I am willing to let go anything
so I may have grace, for in it I shall be happy.
Sixthly, When men's desires are fleeting and un-
constant desires, they have desires in some good moods,
and in some pangs of conscience when the terrors of
God are upon their spirits. But such desires as these
they are hypocritical ; they desire grace merely to
serve their own turn, to stop the mouth of conscience,
and not for grace sake. They do not see an excellency
in grace which causes them to desire it, but for the
ease of their tormenting consciences, andj the stopping
the mouth of their disquieted spirits.
Seventhly, When theii' desires are lazy desires, such
are false desires; they are not willing to take pains
for what they do desire. The Scripture is very re-
markable ; and a terrible scripture for this we have
in Prov. xxi. 25, ' The desire of the slothful killeth
him; for his hands refuse to labour.' I much foar
that this text may prove a most dreadful text to
many. The desires of many they kill them. They
desire after that which is good, but they rest in them,
and trust to them, and think they have a work of
grace upon their hearts, whenas in truth it is nothing
so ; so that they deceive themselves in this great
business. In Prov. xiii. 4, ' The soul of the slug-
gard desireth, and hath nothing.' You are desiring
that which is good, but you have nothing, like those
women that the apostle speaks of iu Timothy, ' that
are ever learning, but they never come to the know-
ledge of the truth.' You have lazy desires, that take no
pains to get what you do desire. People they do not
examine what becomes of their desires. Have we got
those things that we were so taken withal ? How
many times have our spirits been wonderfully affected
in the hearing of the word, but what pains have we
taken for the obtaining of that, which we desire so
strongly after? Luke xiv. 15, 'Blessed is he that
shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.' Here they
were mightily taken with the miracle that Christ had
wrought, but it did vanish quickly. They were not
truly taken with the things of the gospel ; for the
text saith they minded their estates and outward
enjoyments more than the offer of mercy. So many;
they come to hear the word, and are taken with it,
but it doth not stir them to purpose. This will lie
sad upon the consciences of many thousands another
day, that these things were no more observed and
taken notice of by them. But you v/ill say. What
would you have us do ? We do what we can — wo
cannot do more ; we do what we can for our lives.
It is well if you do so ; but let me propound two or
thi'ee things to you. Take heed of the dangerous-
ness of this plea.
First, You say you do what you can. Will it
prove so. in the end? Can you go into the presence
of God, and say thus, Lord, I have done what I can.
There is no means but that I have made use of to
attain grace, and yet I cannot find it; and no other
means there is that I knew to be made use of. Lord,
I have done what I can. Go into the presence of
134
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 7.
God, and there faithfully examine your hearts, and
see whether you have done your uttermost. Canst
thou say that in the morning, when I arise, I arise
with a spu'itual heart ; when I was up, I went to
prayer, to seek God for myself and my family ; hut
yet I cannot find my heart so as I desire ; and I
pray that the Lord would keep my heart close with
him. And after prayer I had a watchful eye over
my heart and thoughts, and over all my words and
actions, that they might be holy, that tliey might be
such as are warrantable by the rule ; and what op-
portunity thou. Lord, didst afford me for my soul's
good, I did take it. At night, can you say you have
done this ? Can you say so to God ? To men, it
may be, you can say so, and put them easily off.
But can you tell God that from the morning to the
evening you have done so ? How comfortably might
you live were you really earnest in this ! How
sweetly might you sleep and lie down in the even-
ing, when you have kept such a watch over your own
hearts ! And though you have many weaknesses
and failings, you might comfort yourselves in this,
that your hearts have been right. Many never mind
God at all in their lives. Now do you what you can
when you never think of God ? And therefore they
put this off, and say. What can we do without tire
grace of God? But know for this, that God doth
give tliee some common grace, which would enable
thee to do more than thou dost ; but thou dost not
put forth that strength whicli you might do by the
power of common grace. Take heed of this plea,
lest God take you at advantage.
Secondly, Suppose God should take you at your
word, at this advantage, and say. Sinner, dare you
venture your eternal estate upon this plea? You
say you do what you can, and you know nothing
more but that you would do, did you know it. Be
it so ; you shall be tried by tliis plea, that you -do
what you can. If I am not able to convince you
you might do more, then I will yield to you that you
have done what you can ; but if you have not done
what you can, you shall miscarry, your eternal estates
shall be cast upon this plea. Dare you stand to such
a plea as this in time of sicliness ? You find you
could have done more than you have done, and you
cry out, I might have done more than I have done; I
might have liad more communion with God, more ac-
quaintance with the saints. Now that which a man's
conscience in sickness tells him he might have done in
health, that he may do ; for sickness doth not infuse
any power into man to act, but it stirs up men's
parts, and convinces them what they were able to
do. When men come to sick and dying beds, then
they see they might have done more for God, and
been more holy than they were in the time of their
healths.
Thirdly, For the convincing of thee that thou dost
not do what thou canst, what dost thou think that a
damned soul in hell would do if God should bid him
go and improve his time, and according to its im-
provement of such a stipend of time, it should either
go to hell again or come to heaven ? Do you think
such a one would neglect any opportunity ? What
think you that these would not do ? The torments
of hell they do not put any new strength into men,
but they convince them that they might have done
more. I might add many more things, but these
may serve as so many convictions that we do not what
we can. And therefore from this point we are to be
reproved which plead this plea. ' But blessed are
they' that do thus; ' that hunger and thirst after this
righteousness, for they shall be filled.' And thus I
have finished the fourth beatitude, which hath held
us the longest of any, having the most in it.
Ver. 7. ' Blessed are the merciful: for they shall
obtain mercy,'
Here we see in this beatitude a sweet conjunction
between the two verses, ' Blessed are those that
hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall
be satisfied ; ' and ' Blessed are the merciful.' You
would have mercy, saith Christ ; and that is a sweet
argument to you ; and you would have a share in
mercy, but do you desire righteousness as well ? You
would have righteousness, you would have a share
in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and you would
have the mercy of God to pardon your sins, but are
you merciful ? There is nothing tills the soul with
more mercy than the consideration of this, that we
have our sins pardoned in the righteousness of Jesus
Christ. This is that tliat fills the soul with bowels of
mercy. There are many arguments that may press
a man on to mercy, kindness, and pity ; but there
is no argument that prevails more with the soul unto
mercifulness than this, that the soul hath obtained
mercy in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Those
that are acquainted with the righteousness of Christ,
and the righteousness of inherent grace, they would
have all others know what it is to have a share in
the mercy of God as well as they themselves. Do
you hunger and thirst after righteousness, and are
you merciful ? Then ' blessed are the merciful : for
they shall obtain mercy.'
But who is this merciful man — what manner of
man is he ? Mercy in the general, it may be thus
described : —
It is that grace of God whereby the soul comes to
be truly grieved with tlie miseries of others, and un-
feignedly desirous to help and relieve them according
to their ability. Mercy hath misery for its object ;
as an envious man hath the prosperity of others to
be the object of his envy, so the misery of another
man is the object of my pity and my compassion,
Mat. V. 7.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
135
■who am a merciful man. For my part, saith the soul
of a merciful man, I bless God my estate is comfort-
able ; I want nothing, I have everything about me
my heart can desire, but the saints about me are in
misery. Oh that I could help them that are in
misery ! Men are made sensible by them that are in
misery. A saint's mercy is drawn forth by the
miseries of others that are about him.
But you will say. The papists and the heathens
they are merciful men, they are pitiful. But what
difference is there then between the mercy of a man
truly gracious and the mercy of others ?
Therefore you may remember in the description of
mercy in the general I told you that it was a grace
of God's Spirit, whereby the mercy of a man is drawn
forth to them that are in misery.
SEEMON XXII.
THE SEVERAL WORKINGS OF MERCY IN THE HEART.
' Blessed are the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy.' — Mat. v. 7.
The work we have now to do is to shew you.
First, The several workings of mercy in the heart.
Secondly, The motives unto it.
Thu'dly, The object of mercy.
Fourthly, The gracious manner of the work of
mercy. And then we shall come to this promise that
is here made to them that are merciful, that they
shall obtain mercy.
For the several workings of mercy in the heart,
they are these : —
The first act of mercy upon the taking notice of
the miseries of others, it grieves for them ; there is a
compassion towards those that are in misery. A
merciful man will not slight the miseries of others,
much less will he despise them, or contemn others
that are in misery. A merciful man doth not think
the miseries of others not at all to concern him, but
he looks upon them as concerning himself ; he is
grieved, his heart is touched with the miseries of
others.
Secondly, From these there is a working desire in
his soul to relieve them. Oh that I could tell how
to relieve and help souls as I see to be any way in
misery, bodily misery, or spiritual misery !
Thii'dly, The heart is solicitously careful about
ways of help ; not only wishes and desires to help,
but the thoughts of the mind are very solicitous what
way I may compass to be helpful to those that are
in misery. You have an excellent scripture for that
in Prov. xiv. 22, ' Mercy and truth shall be to them
that devise good.' Here is the merciful man de-
scribed, and the promise of mercy to him ; he is one
that deviseth good. A merciful man looks upon
others in misery, casts about him in his thoughts
when he lies upon his bed, and is devising how he
may do good. I am here lying quietly in my bed ; I
am warm, others are in misery ; how may I be any
ways useful to them, to do them any good ? He doth
devise good : and in Isa. xxxii. 8, ' The liberal de-
viseth liberal things.' A merciful man is not only
liberal and helpful when you put him upon occa-
sion, when you come to him, when he cannot for
shame, but he must give you something. No ; but he
himself deviseth liberal things ; he plots with himself
what he may do to be instrumental for the good of
those that are in a sad condition. A covetous man
doth not more devise how he might gain to himself
to get a good bargain, than a merciful man devises
how he may distribute, how he may do good. That is
the third act of mercy, it is sohcitously careful.
Fourthly, A timely improvement. He doth not keep
his mercy in his own thoughts, but he doth improve
what he hath for the good of others that are in miseiy,
if he hath an estate, parts, friends, strength of body;
or if he be poor and mean, and hath nothing else,
then his prayers, all that he hath, shall be some way
or other improved for the help of such as are m
misery. A merciful man doth not think that God
hath given him any good thing merely for himself,
but for improvement. I was not born for myself,
I have not an estate for myself, neither have I parts
of nature or grace for myself, but I have them for
to be of public good as much as may be. That is
the fourth thing, a careful improvement.
Fifthly, The act of mercy is to be willing to part
with much for others. Improve it I may for their
136
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 7.
good, or lend tliem, but part with it I will not ; but
mercy will part with anything that it hath. It is my
own. But how is it my own ? it is my own as a
steward, and not to be used as I please ; therefore if
I see that the Lord hath need of it, or my brother
hath need, that God may have glory, and good may
be done, I am as willing to part with it as ever I was
to receive it.
Sixthly, If any hath offended he is ready to par-
don, full of pity that way. Therein men of mean
estates may be merciful as well as others, though I
see miscarriages in others that hath need of me ;
though I see they are unthankful, they are unworthy,
yet mercy passes by unworthiness and wrongs.
Seventhly, It keeps back justice for a time. Though
it will not hinder justice, but that it shall have her
glory in time, yet mercy may cause a forbearance of
the stroke of justice, when justice is ready to strike
the stroke; mercy comes in, as the mercy of God,
when justice is striking the stroke, it comes in and
pleads, Lord spare, spare yet a little while ! As when
Abraham was lifting up the knife to cut the throat of
Isaac, the angel cries from heaven, Abraham, stay thy
hand 1 As the mercy of God doth, so the mercy of man
forbears justice, and will not have justice in the rigour
and full extent of it to be executed ; it causes to for-
bear a while, to see whether there may not something
be done wherein the offender may be spared and jus-
tice not wronged, and it will moderate the work of
justice as much as it can.
Eighthly and lastly, Mercy will cause one to put
oneself into the same condition as tliose are in that
are in misery. Whether it be in regard of poverty or
pain, or what kind soever it be, mercy causes one to
put himself into the same state, to be in bonds with
those that are in bonds, and to weep with those that
weep. It is true I am in this comfortable condition
myself, and have abundance of choice enjoyments,
but what are all these to me so long as others suffer
hard things ? What if I were in bonds with them, and
if I were spoiled of all that I have as they are — what
if God had put me into the same condition that they
are, how should I be affected ? And as I would have
others to pity me if I were in the like condition, so
I labour in my heart to pity them. Here is a merciful
man, a merciful woman. These are the several work-
ings of the bowels of mercy.
Secondly, Mercy, when it is a work of the grace of
God, and not merely some natural work, as may be
in natural men, there mercy arises upon gracious
motives; when the heart works in ways of mercy graci-
ously, it hath gracious motives to raise up this work-
ing, and to maintain these workings of mercy.
First, The soul looks upon God as the God of
mercy, and looks upon the excellency of mercy in God
himself. Oh mercy, it is lively in God ! the bowels
of God's compassion yearns towards his creatures in
misery ; and therefore, if I be a child of God, why
should it not yearn in me too ? why should there
not be a likeness in me to the God that I profess to
be my Father ?
Secondly, I myself have need of mercy every day.
I live upon mercy ; it is mercy that maintains me ;
it is mercy that keeps me out of hell; it is mercy
that provides for me; and if I have such need of
mercy, and live upon it, then why should not I be
merciful towards others ?
Thirdly, I have not only need of it, but I have
received mercy. The Lord hath been merciful to me,
merciful to my body, merciful to my soul. I have
had preventing mercy, delivering mercy, healing
mercy, comforting mercy, saving mercies ; mercies of
all sorts when I was in miseries. I have cried, the
Lord pitied me, and hath helped me. Now, I that
have received so much mercy, it is infinitely equal
that I should be merciful towards my brethren.
Fourthly, When the mercy of God comes from
grace, it comes from a sight of the mercy of God in
Christ ; not only that God is merciful, and hath been
merciful to me in a way of common providence, but
I look upon the mercy of God in Christ, the tender
mercies of God in Christ. A man in a natural way
may come to see and know that God is merciful; but
when I am merciful from a sight of God's mercy to
me in Jesus Christ, and therefore I shew mercy to
others, this is right mercy. In Christ the beams of
God's mercy are concentred as in a burning-glass ;
they are all concentred together in one ; and when
they shine through Christ to my soul, then they warm
my heart. The beams of the sun, when they shine
scattered up and down in the air, they cause some
light, glory, and heat; but when they are concen-
tred in a burning-glass, then they will be so hot as
to burn one's clothes. ^ So the beams of God's mercy
in common providence, they will heat the hearts of
men, and move them to natural pity ; but when our
mercy comes from the concentring of the mercy of
God to my soul in Jesus Christ, as it were the burn-
ing-glass, then how do they warm and enlarge the
heart of a merciful man ; when he can set his soul
under the beams of God's mercy, contracted and
shining through the burning-glass of Jesus Christ
himself, and when the heart comes to be warmed with
mercy thus, then it is a gracious work indeed, and
mercy beyond that of a natural man.
Fifthly, The consideration of my unworthiness. I
have had mercy, and not only common mercy, but
mercy in Christ, who am so unworthy ; and why hath
God made any difference between me and others ?
What is it that causes a difference, so that such a one
should be poor, and I have an estate ; that they are
born of beggars, and I of parents that hath left me a
Mat. V. 7.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
137
comfortable estate? Or if providence liath cast it so,
though born of as good parents as I, yet they are in
misery and I in comfort. Many of you may say you
came to the city but with a staif in your hand, and
■what an estate hath God raised you to ! If the grace
of mercy works in you the consideration of your un-
worthiness of anything, that God should malve a dif-
ference between you and others out of free-grace, and
from nothing of yourselves, this doth mightily enlarge
bowels of mercy.
Sixthly, Further, the consideration of the relation
that these have to God that ai'e in misery. Let it be
any creature, yet it hath some relation to God ; any
brute creature, it is the creature of God, and so it
hath relation to him — it is the work of God's hands.
But if he be a man, much more if he be a Christian,
much more if a saint, much more the relation that a
thing hath to God, and being in misery, that moves a
gracious man ; it doth not move one that is moved
in a way of natui'al jiity, but those that are merciful
in a gracious way. The relation that anything hath
to God, that is a mighty motive to mercy.
Seventhly, The consideration that I shall honour
God in this way of mercy. Not merely that I would
help others in misery, or be well spoken of, or the
like, but I shall honour God in this way of mercy ;
and it is this that moves my heart.
Eighthly, And the very love to the exercise of mercy
itself ; and love to such as are in misery, though they
be strangers, whosoever they be, this works in a mer-
ciful heart. And that is the second thing, the motives,
or what it is that sets a merciful man on work in the
ways of mercy.
For the object, but a word — for it was intimated
in the relation that a thing hath to God. "We are to
be merciful,
First, To all that are in misery. A good man is
merciful to his beast. Look upon your beast, and
consider, there is not such a distance between you
and that ; you are all of one lump. God might have
made you a toad, the vilest creature that is, and
therefore God expects that you should use his crea-
tures that he hath an interest in, that you should
use them mercifully, and not cruelly.
Secondly, We are to be merciful to all mankind.
If you do not give to such and such a one as a man,
give it to human nature, so far as not to suffer them
to perish, except it be in some cases that the Scrip-
ture would have others to perish if they continue
obstinately in wickedness. As, he that will not work,
let him not eat, saith the Scripture ; or if they sin, in
the way of justice, God doth will that wicked men
should perish in their sin — that is, when in a way
and course of justice they come to be dealt with ; but
otherwise, excejjt it be iu a way and course of justice
that they may be dealt with, we should have pity
upon wicked men when the hand of God is upon them
in bringing misery. It is true there is a time coming
that the saints shall be so swallowed up with God,
with love to God, as they shall pity wicked men no
more — yea, shall have no kind of compassion towards
them hereafter, whenas it shall be revealed fully that
they are reprobates, and that this is the way to
honour himself eternally, to withdraw all mercy from
them, then the saints shall not pity them. But in
the meantime, here m this world, we are to pity them ;
because, though they be now wicked, we do not know
but that they may belong to God, and be made vessels
of mercy. Such a wicked blasphemer, and wicked
unclean person — the most monstrous wretch that is —
who knows but that God may set him apart to be a
vessel of mercy to the glory of his free grace ; and
therefore, because you know not yet the contrary, mercy
should work towards him, to pity liis soul and body.
Thirdly, The next thing is, that as we should be
merciful to all that are in misery, so especially to
them in respect of their souls. There is many men
and wcftnen have pitiful hearts to others ; when they
see them poor, naked, and ready to starve, then they
pity them. But you shall have such pitiful men and
women to have no compassion towards their souls ;
but where mercy is true, it is towards the soul in the
first place, and then towards their bodies.
Fourthly, Further, for the object of mercy, the less
guilt there is upon any, the more he is to be pitied
in his misery. As thus, when any one cOmes into
misery merely by the hand of God, and not by their
own wickedness, then there is much mercy to be
shewn. I confess, though men should be brought
into misery by theh wickedness, yet still — except it
be in a way and course of legal proceechng in a course
of justice — they must not be left to perish ; but if it
be merely the hand of God upon them, and not their
own wickedness that hath brought it upon them,
much mercy should be shewn to them. Such as by
the providence of God, either by fire, or by wicked
men that have broken in upon them, and not through
their own fault, they have lived conscientiously, and
yet God, by some hand of providence, hath swept
away all their estate ; abundance of mercy should be
shewn to them.
But above all, though we are to do good unto all,
yet especially unto the household of faith ; to the
saints especially our mercy should be shewn unto, for
God shews most mercy to them. But it shall be
sufficient to name the objects of mercy.
For the gracious manner of shewing mercy to those
that are in misery, mercy must have these qualifi-
cations :
First, I must never be so merciful as to go against
any rule of justice ; but there must be a sweet concord
between both, Mark how they are knit together :
138
BURReUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 7.
' Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after right-
eousness,' which is not only the righteousness of
Christ, but between man and man, and ' Blessed are
the merciful.' We must be so merciful, as yet to be
righteous. Grace hath a blessed mixture in it ; and
though one vice be contrary to another, yet one grace
is never contrary to another. Justice and mercy are
never opposite one to another, but they may have a
gracious mixture. I may be a merciful man, and yet
hunwer after righteousness, that rigliteousness may
prevail in the world. That must be considered in the
first place, for the gracious manner of the work of
mercy.
Secondly, I must be so merciful as not to do hurt
to those that I think to shew mercy to, or to do hurt to
others by them. As thus, when men are in misery,
for me to shew mercy so as to harden them in their
evil way, this is no gracious act ; this is a foolish
pity. Or to shew mercy to one so as to hurt others ;
many times mercy may be shewn to one,' that is
cruelty to many others. Now, in Ps. cxii. 6, there
the Holy Ghost, speaking of a merciful man, he saith
that ' he guides his affairs with discretion.' He
guides them in a discreet way ; he dotli not do the
work of mercy in a lavish way, but considers wisely of
the poor, and guides his affairs witli discretion.
Thirdly, In the exercise of mercy there must be
mucli simplicity of heart : Kom. xii. 8, ' He that
giveth, let him do it with simplicity.' You will say.
What is the meaning of that ? The meaning of it
is this :
First, Not to have any by and squint-eyed aims in
my giving ; but to do it in the simplicity of my heart,
without any by and squint-eyed aims, and in sim-
pUcity. Many are merciful ; they do things that are
good, but they have squint-eyed aims at themselves.
Secondly, Simplicity — that is, not to be partial in
the ways of my mercy. God would have me to shew
mercy to one more than to another, according as there
is reason, but not to be merciful in a way of par-
tiaUty — that is, though others stand in as much need
of my mercy as this man doth, and every way deserves
it as well, yet out of private respects I let the course
of my mercy run this way rather than the other.
This is not to do it out of simplicity.
Lastly, We must so shew our mercy as that we
must be sure to tender up that mercy that we shew
to others for acceptation in Jesus Clu'ist ; to tender
it up in Jesus Christ that it may be accepted by God.
Lord, may such a soul say, I am unworthy thou
shouldest shew any mercy to me, or that thou shouldest
accept of any mercy that I tender \ip to thee. This
we see admirably set forth in Nehemiah, who was ene
of the meroifullest men that ever we read of ; yet
saith he, chap. xi. 22, ' Remember me, 0 my God,
concerning this also, and spare me according to the
greatness of thy mercy.' He was a merciful man, and
yet he pleads to be accepted in mercy for the failings
that passed from him in the shewuig of that mercy ;
and here in the text, ' Blessed are the merciful : for
they shall obtain mercy.' They shall obtain mercy
for those failings that they commit in the shewing of
their mercy. Thus you see who this merciful man is.
We shall now come to shew that he is a blessed
man : Prov. xxii. 9, ' He that hath a bountiful eye
shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the
poor.' To open unto you the blessedness of this
merciful man, take it in these particulars :
First, When God would describe a man truly godly,
he calls him- out by this very character, that he is a
merciful man : Ps. xxxii. 6, ' For this shall every one
that is godly pray unto thee;' in the original, l^DrT,
it is the ' kind man.' Godly men are called by this
denomination of kind ones ; and so wherever we have
the word 'godly' and 'saints' in the Old Testament,
it is the same with that we have in the New Testa-
ment, where they are called 'godly saints' and 'godly
ones.' It is the same with 'merciful men;' to note
thus much, that mercy it is the same with godliness.
Now take righteousness, as I opened it in the former
verse, for the grace of sanctification, and so this mer-
cifulness is a part of that sanctification. It is a part
of that righteousness which I shewed you was of such
excellency in Ps. xxxii. 6. God doth not instance in
any particular grace but in this of mercy : ' The mer-
ciful man shall seek him in a time when he may be
found.' And in Ps. cxii., ' A good man sheweth
favour, and lendeth ; he will guide his affairs with
■descretion.' And then in ver. 9, ' He hath dispersed,
he hath given to the poor, his righteousness endureth
for ever.' Mercy, it is a special part of righteousness.
In James iii. 17, the apostle there describing the
wisdom that is from above, he saith thus, ' The wisdom
that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
and easy to be entreated, full of mercy, and good fruits.'
Mark the words, it is full of mercy and gentleness;
therefore blessed are these merciful ones, for they are
such as God doth cull out to give a character of, that
they are godly men.
Secondly, Blessed, because they have so much of
that which is so nigh to God, and makes God so excel-
lent and glorious. There is nothing in a saint is nearer
unto God than this very disposition of mercifulness.
Now God glories in nothing more than in his "mercy.
This is that which God doth exalt himself withal, and
that he doth glory in, that he is the merciful God.
In Exod. XXV. the mercy-seat it was raised up on
high above all, that it might be seen. And in Scrip-
ture God is said to delight in mercy: Micah vii. 18,
' Who is a God Uke unto thee ? that pardoneth
iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the
remnant of his heritage ; he retaineth not his anger
Mat. V. 7.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
139
for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.' It is a very
pleasing thing for God to delight in his mercy ; and
he is called the ' Father of mercy,' and a God ' rich
in mercy.' A man accounts his glory to consist in
his riches. If in anything a man doth esteem himself
for, it is in his riches, in his wealth ; so God's riches are
his mercies, and God glories in his mercies; and when
God would shew, unto Moses his glory it is in this.
Moses he desu-es to see the face of God, and that God
would let him see his glory, Exod. xxxiv. G ; how
doth the Lord give a demonstration of his glory ?
Thus, ' The Lord God, gracious and merciful.' And
the chief design that God hath in the world it is to
glorify his mercy. In Eph. i. G, the Lord he delights
to glorify his power, his wisdom, and his justice ; but
he delights to glorify his mercy above all. When the
power of God is exalted, when the wisdom of God is
declared, God is glorified ; but when mercy is glori-
fied, then God is exalted. If mercy make God so
excellent, surely that man must needs be very happy
that hath much of this disposition in him. And you
have seen that the merciful man he hath much of this
disposition in him, which is by God accounted to be
his own gloiy.
Thirdly, You are blessed, because you are under
many precious promises. It were endless to mention
all the promises wherein your blessedness is set forth.
In Prov. xi. 25, ' The liberal soul shall be made fat ;
and he that watereth shall be watered also himself ;'
Ps. cxii. 9, ' He hath dispersed, he hath given to the
poor ; his righteousness endureth for ever ; his horn
shall be exalted with honour ;' 2 Cor. ix. 8, which is
very remarkable, ' And God is able to make all grace
abound towards you, that ye always, having all-
sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good
work,' See how words are heaped up here : ' to make
grace, and all grace, and all gi'ace to abound.' And
who is it to ? Unto the hberal, the merciful man. In
Luke vi. 38, 'Give, and it shall be given to you.'
The way for to receive more, it is to give out of what
we have ; and God will so order it ' that you shall
have good measure, pressed do\vii, and shaken together,
and running over.' See here the latitude and height
of expressions that can be. We account it good
measure when it is heaped up ; but when it is heaped
up and pressed down, that is more ; but when it is
heaped up and pressed down, and then heaped up and
running over again, this is as much as possibly can
be made. So those that are of merciful spirits, they
shall have mercy heaped up, pressed down, and
running over. Surely thou must needs be a happy
man when thou can^t not be in that condition in
which thoir shalt not have mercy, but mercy heaped
up, and running over, to supply thy necessity.
Fourthly, Blessed art thou, because thou hast the
blessing of those that are in misery upon thee. The
blessing of the poor is upon thee who art thus mer-
ciful; thy prayers are heard, and their prayers are for
thee. They bless God for such a one who hath done
them good in their straits : Job xxi.x. 13, ' The bless-
ing of him that was ready to perish came upon me,
and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.'
They praise God for them ; and in the text, ' they
shall obtain mercy.' This is a singular privileo-e,
were there no other scripture in all the word to en-
courage us to this duty but this, that we shall obtain
mercy. We are ready to think that if we shew mercy
we may want ourselves, we shall -come to beggary, we
shall come to poverty, we had need to store up for
ourselves. No, we shall grow ; therefore in Prov. xi.
2,5, ' The liberal soul shall be made fat.' Here is a
strange expression; what, to gain by liberality? We
have many proverbs used among us that doth quite
cross Scripture ; for we say, ' We had as good be out
of the world as out of the fashion ;' and God saith,
' Fashion not yourselves according to the world.' We
say, ' He is too free to be fat ;' and yet God saith
here, ' The liberal man shall be made fat.' Saith the
Scripture, ' You shall have mercy ;' and is it not a
sweet thing to find mercy from God? In 2 Sam'
xxii. 26, ' With the merciful he will shew himself
merciful ;' and therefore ' blessed are the merciful, for
they shall obtain mercy.' With the froward God
will shew himself froward. According to our walk-
ing unto God we shall find God walking unto us : if
we walk contrary unto him, he will walk contrary
unto us ; if we walk mercifully towards our bretlireu,
God will walk mercifully towards us.
Fifthly, All the good that we have, it comes from
the mercy of God ; there is not the least good that we
enjoy in any creature but it comes originally from
God's mercy. Saith God, Poor soul, thou art of a
merciful disposition. Ai't thou merciful ? Dost thou
do good to others, and doth thy bowels work towards
them that are in misery ? Art thou in straits thy-
self? Here is my mercy to help thee, here is my
mercy to pardon thee. It is very observable that
those that God intends to save, he doth so work upon
them by his grace here as they shall be like him.
There shall be such a work wrought upon them to
answer God's will in all things. As, to instance,
those that God intends to save, they shall choose him
here ; as those whom he hath elected unto glory, they
shall in time choose him here, and elect him. Those
that God doth intend to justify by .Jesus Christ, they
shall justify him and his ways ; those that God hath
separated for glory hereafter, they shall be separated
from the world here ; and those that God doth in-
tend to shew mercy to hereafter, shall be of merciful
dispositions. Hath God given thee a merciful heart ?
thou mayest assure thyself that God will shew mercy
to thee at the last. Blessed are the merciful, there-
140
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 5.
fore, for they shall have mercy ; they shall have sin
pardoned, they shall have their souls blessed. This
is a blessed and a fruitful promise ; for have not we
need of mercy in our straits ? There is none of us
all that enjoy the most of creature comforts here but
we stand in need of mercy ourselves ; and when we
shall come in any condition to stand in need of mercy,
we may be sure we shall have mercy from God, be-
cause the Lord hath wrought in us merciful disposi-
tions towards them that are in misery.
Sixthly, In this very thing thou hast a mighty
encouragement and help to faith ; for mercy, it is thy
own — tiiou mayest cast thyself upon mercy without
presuming. Thou who hast a merciful, loving dis-
position to the saints in their distress, it is no pre-
suming for thee to cast thyself upon the mercy of God
in thy straits. When thou art about to believe, what
is the stumbling-block that lies in the way ? Saith
such a poor soul, Shall such a wretched creature as I
have mercy from God? Will the Lord ever look
upon me ? Lord, thou mayest answer thus : Thou
hast wrought in me a disposition to shev,' mercy to
them that are in misery. Lord, if there be but one
drop of mercy in, me to shew pity to others, is there
not an infinite ocean of mercy in thee? Lord, is it
not much easier for thee to shew mercy unto me,
whenas by thai little drop of mercy which I have
thou hast gained upon my heart to shew mercy unto
others ? Here is a mighty help against temptations
and discouragements from closing with the mercy of
God ; for that mercy which is in us is but a drop of
the fountain that Ls in God. Our mercy, if it be true
and spiritual, as you have heard it described before,
it is but an effect and fruit of the mercy which is in
God himself. Lord,, it is more easy to thee to shew
mercy to my soul than for me to pity them that are
in misery. Lord, the misery that is in others requires
more of us to relieve them than for thy majesty to
relieve us. Lord, thou shalt part with nothing in
shewing mercy to me. Thou art infinite in mercy,
and thou partest witii nothing; but when we shew
mercy we part with something, though it be that we
receive from God ; and therefore it is easier with God
to shew mercy.
Lastly, Consider of this, That there is nothing holds
men longer under bondage and terrors of conscience
for sin than this very thing, than the rigid disposition
that is in us towards them that are in misery. There-
fore blessed are those that are merciful, that are of a
gentle disposition, for this will be a special means to
have those throbs and terrors of conscience that are
inward in the soul to be removed. We are ready
oftentimes to gather such conclusions as these are :
Surely the Lord will never be merciful unto me. How
can God shew mercy to such a wretch as I am, so
stubborn and hard-hearted ? I cannot shew mercy
to others that are in misery, I cannot forgive them
that are in misery ; and surely how can the Lord for-
give me, who have done more wrong to him than ever
any other hath done to me, and yet I could not for-
give them, nor pass by such wrongs myself? WeU,
thou that art merciful mayest think thus : Lord, must
I have a heart to forgive to seven times, yea, to seventy
times- seven ? And, Lord, canst not thou do more to
me ? Must I forgive till seventy times seven times in a
day if my brother offend me ? Canst not thou forgive
much more ? This is a mighty help to faith, and a
miglity help to prayer, that the Lord would shew
mercy to us in our straits, and help in the time of our
troubles: Ps. cxii. 6, 7, ' Surely he shall not be moved
for ever.' The way to be established, it is to be of a
merciful spirit, and he shall not be afraid of evil tid-
ings ; let what times come that will come, he shall
not fear them. The days may be clouded, and troubles
may grow bigger, but he shall not be afraid of them.
These evil tidings shall not affright the merciful man ;
and that is a famous text that we have in Isa. Iviii.
7, 8, when he describes the manner of the fast both in
the negative and the affirmative part. He shews what
they did in their false humiliations, and then he comes
to shev/ that if they did thus and thus, ' Then shall
thy light break forth as the morning, and then shalt
thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry,
and he shall say, Here am I.' God will say, Hearken,
there is a merciful man ci'ies ; there is one that is now
in distress and cries to me. I must go down and
hearken unto this man's request ; I must go and hear
what is the matter, it is a merciful man cries. Come,
God will say, here am I, call upon me ; what wouldest
thou have ? It is a merciful man that cries, I must
go and relieve him. God will say to this soul. Here
I am ; and ver. 10, ' The light of such a man shall
rise in obscurity, and his darkness be as the noon-
day;' and ver. 11, 'The Lord shall guide thee con-
tmually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make
fat thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered
garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail
not.' Thou complainest of deadness and barrenness
of spirit ; this is the reason, it may be thou profitest
no more under the means, because thou art of a
wretched, harsh, cruel disposition. But for the
merciful, they may go unto God and plead their
cause, and sa}', Lord, I was merciful unto my brethren
in their straits, and my mercy it was in obedience to
thy command, and therefore, Lord, hear me.
To make application of this point.
First, Here is abundance of comfort to those that
are of merciful spirits. Whoever you are that are
thus merciful, wherever you are, (though I fear there
are but few; like the gleanings .after the vintage, they
stand but here and there even in great assemblies,)
hearken unto your comfort. Hath the Lord drawn
Mat. V. 7.]
BURKOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
141
forth your hearts to melt at the sorrows of the saints
abroad, though you have had plenty at home, yet you
have been in bonds with them, and your comforts
have not been so sweet to you as otherwise they
would have been, because the church and people of
God have been in such straits ? You have been in
sorrow ; though you have enjoyed peace and plentj',
this hath taken away the sweetness of your mercies.
Know, if it be thus, take your comfort :
First, Thou art eminent in that which is God's
eminency ; and this is a great excellency. And this
is the best service thou canst do ; thou canst not
do a piece of service more acceptable to God than
this thing is. Thou complainest thou canst not
pray; thou art disquieted in thy spirits for thy dead-
ness, and dulness, and indisposedness of heart ; but
hast thou a merciful heart ? Know that this is most
acceptable to God : Micah vi. 6, 7, ' Wherewithal
shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before
the high God ? shall I come before him with burnt-
offerings, with calves of a year old ? will the Lord
be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thou-
sands of rivers of oil.' See what large proffers they
made there to God ; shall we come with these ?
' Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the
fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? ' No, saith
God, none of these ; I regard them not, I require
them not, 'only to do justice, and to love mercy;'
herewithal may est thou come before God with bold-
ness. It may be thou canst not bring rivers of oil,
thou canst not bring such enlargements, such
expressions, such fine placed words, yet canst
thou bring a heart loving mercy ; hast thou but a
merciful heart, thou hast that which God delights in.
Secondly, This is a most certain argument of thy
election unto mercy who hast a merciful heart : Col.
iii. 12, ' Brethren, as the elect of God ' — what? ' put
on bowels of mercy;' as the elect of God put on bowels
of mercy. It is mercy that God gives thee means to
relieve others, that God gives thee wherewithal to
help them that are in distress. Know it is more to
have a heart to shew mercy than an estate to shew
mercy. It is a greater mercy to thee for God to
make thee willing to shew mercj', than it thou hadst
an estate and not willing to shew mercy. And there-
fore, wherein do you account your riches ? In having
the world at will, in being in great places, and to do
what thou wilt, is here thy happiness ? Dost thou
account it thy riches to be great in the world, and to
have places and rule? If this be thy happiness,
know that thou hast little evidence to thy soul of
thy election. But if thou wert truly gracious, thou
wouldest say, Lord, I bless thee for my estate, for my
parts and riches. Ay, but Lord, I bless thee more for
a heart to pity them that are in distress ; I bless thee
that thou hast given me a heart to shew mercy to
them that are in misery ; and I bless thee that I may
be more serviceable than others by my estate to them
which want such an estate. I therefore prize my
estate because it doth help me to be more serviceable
to God than others : this is as sure a sign of grace
as can be. Suppose God hath given you an estate,
but withal had left you to a penurious, covetous heart,
know thy estate had been a curse to thee ; but if
thou hast a large estate, and a large heart to do good
with thy estate, it is a good sign of true grace.
Thirdly, Thou mayest with comfort expect an en-
larged heart in prayer. You complain many times
that your hearts are so straitened and dead ; would
you but examine, is not this the cause, you are so
cruel to others ?
And when thou comest to any affliction, the Lord
will remember, and remember what thou wouldest have
done, James ii. 13. Thou wouldest pray better ; the
Lord will accept of that desire of thine to pray
better : ' Mercy rejoiceth against judgment.' There
is a scripture which, though you have often read,
you do not, it may be, so well understand, or at least-
wise it hath been carried contrary to what I conceive
the meaning is. Many conceive this scripture to be
meant of the mercy of God rejoicing against the
judgment of the law and condemnation ; but I take
it for judgment here — judgment is coming, mercy
strives against. And how the Scripture saith, ' That
a man shall have judgment without mercy, that was
cruel.' When any judgment comes to be executed
upon a kingdom, upon families, the mercy of those
towards such as were in misery shall cry, and the
Lord will hear the cries of mercy in the time of
judgment ; the mercy which they had shewn to
others shall plead for them. Let whatsoever judg-
ments come, that soul may say, the Lord intends
mercy to me in it ; this merciful man shall be de-
livered. Though there is a storm abroad in the
land, and miseries in all places, yet the Lord will
remember this man ; he was merciful to them that
were in misery, and I will regard this man ; his
mercy shall come up into remembrance, and say, I
am above judgment. A merciful man, he may rejoice
in the midst of judgment as being above judgment.
The Lord hath discovered himself to me in making
me of a merciful disposition to others ; therefore,
now the judgments of God are abroad. I question
not but mercy will triumph over judgment. For me,
I shall be preserved ; my mercy will plead for me
that judgment shall not take hold of me, because,
when others were in misery, I was pitiful unto them :
'And therefore, blessed are the merciful, for they shall
obtain mercy.' In their troubles the merciful man
shall triumph and boast over judgment. Judgment
shall not take hold of him, because his mercy shall
be remembered in the day of his trouble.
142
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 7.
SERMON XX III.
COMFOETS TO THOSE THAT AEE OF MEECIFUL SPIRITS.
' Blessed are the merciful ; for they shall obtain mercy! — Mat. v. 7.
4. Know that this is a special evidence that thou
didst hunger and thirst after righteousness truly,
therefore Christ doth join it thereto : ' Blessed are
those that hunger and thirst after righteousness :
they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful : for
they shall obtain mercy.' Thou thinkest thy heart
is after righteousness. God knows thou canst appeal
to him that thou dost hunger and thirst after right-
eousness, but sometimes thou art afraid whether thy
hunger and thirst be true or no. Here is one rule :
Hast thou a merciful heart towards others ? While
thou art hungering after God's righteousness, doth
thy soul hunger after the good of others, and wouldest
thou do them all the good thou canst, both bodily
and spiritual ? this is an argument of the truth of
thy hungering after righteousness. But if so be that
thou shalt please thyself with this, that thou hast a
desire for righteousness, but in the meantime hast a
cruel unmerciful heart towards others, certainly thy
hunger after righteousness is not good, for these two
are joined, and they cannot be parted one from
another. Blessed are such as hunger and thirst after
righteousness. Blessed are the merciful ; unmerciful
men do not truly desire after grace. And this makes
way to speak unto the second branch in the ajjplica-
tion. Whatsoever might he further spoke by way of
encouragement, we shall bring it into the use of
exhortation.
Wherefore, in the second place, here is a use of re-
prehension to unmerciful men, to such as have not
their hearts affected with the miseries of others, nor
mind not what becomes of others, so be it they may
have contentment to themselves. Perhaps some of you
may think this point that I am about is au ordinary
thing to speak for mercy, and but a moral point.
I know not what you lay upon it, but I find, and
you may find it too, if you will examine Scripture, not
only in the Old Testament, but in the New, Christ
lays not more weight upon any one thing, excepting
faith itself, than upon mercy. Take but these three
particulars — faith, mercy towards others, and union
one with another. These be the three great things
that the gospel doth most insist upon ; and I know no
point that is so full of Scripture as this is, the point
of mercy, and that out of the gospel. Many pro-
fessors of religion lay too little weight upon this
point, but look upon it as an ordinary point, and'so
they make not that conscience of the exercise of this .
grace as they ought. But how little you think of it,
Christ puts much in it. ' Blessed are the merciful.'
Therefore know.
First, That an unmerciful heart is a wretched and
a vile heart. You that mind nothing else but your-
selves, if you can have your tables spread, your backs
clothed, your houses furnished, your children pro-
vided for, let others sink or swim and perish, no
matter what becomes of them — oh wretched, vile
heart of thine, what art thou more than others ?
What is thy flesh more than others, that thou
shouldest have so little regard to others? Should
there be any regard to thee ? Some there are that if
they get a little more than others, are so far from
letting out their souls to the relief and help of others,
that they look upon them with despicable eyes, de-
spising the poor, as in Prov. xiv. 21 ; they despise,
look contemptibly upon such as are under them, or
in a meaner condition than they. ' He that despiselh
his neighbour sinneth ; but he that hath mercy on
the poor, happy is he.' Take heed you do not look
upon poor people as despising them, for so it is meant
of poor neighbours, both by the opposition and the
verse before : ' The poor is hated even of his own
neighbour ; but the rich hath many friends. He that
despiseth his neighbour sinneth,' sinneth with a great
sin ; ' but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is
he.' Such a one is mean and poor, a'jd thou
thinkest him a mean, poor fellow, and so lookest
despicably upon him. Take heed of such & disposi-
tion ; God will not take it well at thy hands. And
others there are that are so far from shewing mercy
to those that are in misery, as they rather ppend their
estates that they have upon their lusts. They have
more than others, and that which may serve to re-
lieve the necessities of many poor cre&tures that
Mat. V. 7.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
Its
would bless God for their superfluities ; but their
superfluities are laid out and spent upon their lusts,
merely to satisfy their bellies, to satisfy their uncleau-
]iess it may be, whenas they will not freely give twelve
pence for good uses and for relieving others. There
are pounds spent upon their filthy uncleanness, or
upon their backs, and upon vanity in sporting, play-
ing, di'inking. Where is conscience in the mean-
time, when there are so many charges of God upon
you to shew mercy, and there is so much spoken of
the excellency of mercy ? What a blessed man the
merciful man is ! And thou that hast an estate above
others improvest it, and layest it out only to satisfy
thy lusts, thou canst sin more freely possibly than
others can, because thou hast an estate more fully
than they. Oh thou unwise soul, how foolishly dost
thou improve thy estate, whenas thou mightest
lay it out so as hundreds might be blessing God for
tU.ee ! thou employest it only in increasing guiltiness
upon thy soul. And others, though perhaps some-
what it is that they will give, yet grudgingly, and
only that that is forced from them, what they cannot
but for shame give ; but there is no freedom, no
cheerfulness at all in their distribution unto others,
and if anything be given, they think it is merely
lost, it is gone. But what goes into their own belhes,
and is put upon their own backs, that is not lost ; but
whatsoever they give in a way of mercy to others,
they look upon it as cast away : this is an argument
of a carnal heart, that knoweth not the way of God.
Didst thou uijderstand what is said in Scripture, thou
wouldest account that estate of thine which thou
givest out of a merciful heart for the relief of others,
the best part of thy estate. And so others, when they
are to die, then they think that they will give some-
thing to the poor, or to others ; but in the meantime,
while they live, all is for themselves, they cannot
trust God for anything ; and as for such promises as
these are, or others in Scripture, they are but as dry
things unto them. I shall speak to these, and such
as have cruel and hard hearts towards others, and
are altogether selfish.
First, Certainly thou knowest not God. Talk what
thou wilt of religion, if thou hast an unmerciful heart
towards others, thou art the man or woman that
knowest not God. I will give you this scripture for
it : in Hosea iv. 1, ' Because there is no truth, nor
mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.' These
two are put together — no mercy nor knowledge of
God in the land ; certainly where there is the know-
ledge of God, there will be mercy. ' The dark places
of the earth are habitations of cruelty,' saith ihe
psalmist ; in dark souls that know not God are works
of cruelty. You may conclude of any man that is of
a cruel disposition, a hard-hearted disposition, of a
penurious, sordid disposition, of a selfish disposition —
certainly this man, this woman knows not God ; if
they knew what God were, what treasures of mercy
there are in God, and how God delights in mercy,
and that it is his glory to communicate of his good-
ness to his creatures, it were impossible but their
hearts would be more communicative.
Secondly, God hath a great controversy against
thee. Thou sayest thou art not bound to relieve such
and such, thou thinkest it is no evil if thou dost not
wrong others ; but thy unmercifulness is enough for to
cause the Lord to have a controversy against thy
soul: in the forenamed place, Hosea iv. 1, ' The Lord
hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land,'
— for what ? ' because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor
knowledge of God in the land.' God hath a contro-
versy with that land, with that family, with that
person that hath no mercy; and canst thou stand out
against the controversy of God ?
Thirdly, Know that thy disposition is quite con-
trary to God's. Surely it is a very base one then.
There is no disposition whatsoever more contrary to
the disjiosition of God than a cruel, harsh, hard-
hearted disposition ; for God is mercy itself. Your
heavenly Father is merciful; he is the God of mercy,
(as we spake before,) so that thy heart is of a dispo-
sition cross to God. There is a mighty diflerence
and opposition between the disposition of God's
heart, and the disposition of thy heart.
Fourthly, There is a curse upon thy heart. Cer-
tainly a hard heart hath a curse upon it. There are
diseases m the bowels that are very terrible. Those
that have hard hearts, their bowels are diseased —
their bowels are corrupted ; they have not bowels of
compassion, there is a curse upon their spirits. There
can be no greater curse upon a man's heart than to
be liardened- — to be hardened from God's fear, and to
be hardened from doing good to others.
Fifthly, There is a curse upon all thou hast. An
unmerciful man or woman hath no sanctified use of
anything they have. Y"ou keep your estates, and
you think it is your own, and say. May I not do with
my own what I please? may I not eat and drink,
and please myself with my own ? Thy own, it is
defiled to thee by thy unmercifulness, and cursed to
thee. You have a strange expression in Luke xi. 41,
' But rather give alms of such things that you have ;
and behold, all things are clean unto you;' it is a
very strange expression. So that it seems without this,
nothing is clean to a man. Men that do not distri-
bute of what they have, but keep it altogether to
themselves, there is nothing that they have clean unto
them — that is, there is nothing sanctified ; all is de-
filed, all is cursed to them. But now, how are things
clean by this ? You may see the meaning by the
coherence in verse 39. The pharisees stood much
upon the cleaning of the outside. 'And the Lord
144
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 7.
said unto' him, Now do ye pharisees make clean the
outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward
part is full of ravening and wickedness;' ye cleanse
cups and platters and such things, and ye stand upon
ceremonial cleannesses, and your own kind of super-
stitious cleansings. But rather give alms of such
things as ye have, and behold all things are clean ;
raLher looiv to what God requires in the use of your
estates. Do not stand to cleanse cups and platters, to
have them very neat, as many of you have your cup-
board heads furnished, your plate shining, and fur-
niture in your houses, and you delight in that as
much in one way as the iiharisees did in a supersti-
tious way. You delight in it in a pompous way, but,
saith Christ, rather give alms of such things as you
have — that is, doth God give you estates beyond
others, you have more than for necessity, and you
liave for moderate dehght ; now with the remainder
relieve such as are in misery, and so make the right
use of your estates that God hath given them to you
for, and then all things v^dll be clean to you. You
shall sanctify all you have by this means ; but if you
have a base, penurious, and selfish disposition, to
keep all for yourselves, for pomp, bravery, and delight
to yourselves, there is nothing clean to you; and how-
ever you may make things so pompous and brave in
your houses, they are all defiled, all cursed to you.
Therefore it is an evil thing to have an unmerciful
heart towards others.
Sixthly, Further, know that the misery of others
cries continually against you. Thou art in thy house,
and hast all about thee well, and feelest no pain, no
hunger, no trouble thou meetest withal. But how
many fatherless children and widows, how many of
the saints that are in great extremities, have their
miseries cry to heaven against thee, as if they should
say, Lord, thou hast given to such and such men estates,
and here we want bread, and it is in thy cause too. We
have poor children that are ready to starve, and if we
have one bit now, we know not where to have another,
and we are in nakedness. These things cry to heaven
against those that have superfluity here, that have
wherewithal to relieve others, and are altogether for
themselves and the maintenance of their lusts.
Seventhly, Know this, and this is a main thing,
not only carnal people, but many that do profess
religion, are very guilty herein ; they have many of
them very rigid and cruel hearts ; they think to put
off God with going to hear sermons, praying in their
families, and it may be keeping themselves from the
defilements of thetimes, and they look after ordinances,
and purity of ordinances. In these things they do
well to do so ; but while thou art doing so, for thee
to slight the work of mercy towards those that are
in misery, know that all the.se acts of thy religion
axe thrown by God as filth and dung in thy face.
God cares for none of the acts of rehgion where
there is an unmerciful heart. Be never so forward
in hearing, in praying, in fasting, in an}' ordinances
of God, yet when thy heart is unmerciful, the Lord
despises thy offering, despises all the duties of re-
ligion that thou performest. Take two or three
scriptures for this that are observable. The first is
that in James i. 27, ' Pure religion, and undefiled
before God and the Father is this, to visit the
fatherless and widows in then- affliction, and to keep
himself unspotted from the world.' This is pure
religion, and undefiled before God and the Father, to
visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. If
this text were in the Old Testament we should have
some say that this is a legal thing ; but here you see
the apostle hath it in the New Testament, and tells
you that pure religion consists in this : You that
would be kept from the defilements of the world,
from defilements in worship, and have your religion
more pure than others, look to your religion in this.
Here is purity of religion : ' Pure religion and un-
defiled before God and the Father is this, to visit
the fatherless and widows in their affliction.' I
would we had more puritans of this kind, such
puritans that are pure in this religion, that have
bowels of mercy towards others. And that scripture
that you have likewise in Isa. Iviii. is very remark-
able for this. If you read divers expressions that
you have there, it is exceeding full. Ver. 3, ' Where-
fore have we fasted,' say they, ' and thou seest not,'
&c. ' Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to
smite with the fist of wickedness.' It were well we
had never any such fasts, to fast for strife and debate.
Then in ver. 6, ' Is it such a fast that I have chosen ?
a day for a man to afflict his soul ? is it to bow down
his head like a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and
ashes under him ? wilt thou call this a fast, and an
acceptable day to the Lord?' as if they should say,
Lord, what is the fast that thou hast chosen ? Ver.
6, 7, 'Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose
the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens,
and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break
every yoke ? is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry,
and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy
house ? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover
him ; and that thou hide not thyself from thine
own flesh?' For so we are to account all, even
strangers, as our own flesh : ' Then shall thy light
break forth in the morning.' So that in these times
of fast let us look to this. This is the fast that God
requires. Fasting and alms are to go together. The
more we fast the more merciful we are to be to others,
or otherwise our fasting is nothing. More scriptures
may be named, but these two are prime ones, to shew
where there is not mercifulness all is rejected, even
our prayers are rejected. Zech. vii. 5, ' When ye
Mat. V. 7.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
145
fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month,
even those seventy years did ye at all fast unto me,
even to me ? and when ye did eat, and when ye did
drink, did ye not eat for yourselves, and drink for
yourselves ? should ye not hear the words which the
Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jeru-
salem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities
thereof round about her, when men inhabited the
south and the plain ? ' Yer. 9, ' Thus speaketh the
Lord of hosts, saying. Execute the true judgment,
and shew mercy and compassion every man to Els
brother.' You only minded yourselves, and regarded
yourselves when you were fasting and praying ; and
so we find, in Acts x., of Cornelius, when his prayers
were accepted of God, the text saith that his alms
and prayers came up to God both together.
Eighthly, If thou hast an unmerciful heart, thy
prayers are so far from being accepted and regarded
of God, as they cry against thee, and are witnesses
against thee ; for when thou comest to pray to God for
mercy, and art unmerciful thyself, the Lord will
bring thy prayers to be witnesses against thee. And
whenever thou art crying to God, saith God, ' Here
is a cruel, hard-hearted wretch ; if he get but ad-
vantage over others, he will improve it to the utter-
most, and, let others perish and suffer never so much,
he cares not ; yet he comes to me for mercy. Know
the Lord, in the time of thy prayer, will remember
all thy cruelty, and all the hardness of thy heart
towards others. This is the evil of thine unmerci-
fulness.
Ninthly, Thou mayest expect that God will harden
others against thee.
Tenthly, Know that this sin of cruelty and
hardness of heart towards others, it is worse than a
heathenish sin. Josephus in his ' Antiquities,' book
XV. chap. 12, tells a notable story of Herod, whom
you read of in Scripture, a wicked wretch. It was
Herod Agrippa that was slain with worms. This
Herod, .Josephus tells of him, that in the time of com-
mon dearth and calamity, he melted all his plate that
he had, all the gold and silver that he had in the
court, he melted it all, and put it into money ; and
he spai'ed nothing for the excellency of the fashion
and workmanship. He had many curious pieces of
plate that had excellent workmanship about them ;
but he spared none, but melted all, and bought corn
with it, and gave it out unto the poor for their relief,
and provided work for them too, and gave a great
part to strangers. And because that the dearth was
so great that they had not so much as seed to sow
their fields withal, he did not only provide bread for
them, but provided seed-corn to sow their ground
for another year. Thus even Herod, wicked Herod,
that we cry out so much upon — for he was un-
godly, and a reprobate — yet, for the outward work
of mercy, he was thus merciful to those that were in
misery.
But here it is said, ' That they are blessed that are
merciful.'
It is true, if they be graciously merciful, if they
exercise mercy as a work of faith, and tendered up
in th« name of Christ ; but this was for the outward
part of the work of mercy, and in this he went be-
yond a great many among us that make great jjro-
fession of religion. Unmercifulness is worse than a
heathenish sin.
Eleventhly, The Lord makes it to be the sin of
Sodom and Gomorrah. One gi'eat charge that God
gives against Sodom and Gomorrah, why they were
destroyed with fire from heaven, was their unmerci-
fulness, Ezek. xvi. 49 : there the Lord is charging
of Sodom for their vile and great sins, and saith,
' Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom,
pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness
was in her, and in her daughters, neither did she
strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.' Here
is a sin which was one of the sins for which Sodom
was destroyed with fire and brimstone from heaven ;
and therefoi'e certainly this is a greater evil than we
are aware of. The evil of unmercifulness is worse
than we can imagine ; and therefore look to it, I
beseech you. If I should be speaking of some other
sin, it may be your consciences would fly in your
faces. But you have a great deal of cause to have
your consciences wound you, and to go and be hum-
bled before the Lord for this sin of unmercifulness ;
and who is there that hath any competent estate but
upon examination his conscience will charge him with
this ? Oh Lord, thou knowest that much of my estate
hath been spent upon vanity and my lusts, or upon
my will ; and yet this man for a good use will grudge
to give five shillings, though hundreds of pounds shall
go merely to have his Will and lusts. Be humbled
for this sin ; the Lord looks upon it with another
manner of eye than you do j and this may be the sin
that may cause God in the time of your distress
utterly to leave you.
But the main thing in the point, it is a use of
exhortation. If Christ pronounces him blessed that is
merciful, let us be in love with this grace of mercy.
Oh that we had more merciful men ! This is a time
of crying for mercy; yet it is the worst time for hard-
ness of heart and cruelty as ever was. Certainly
whosoever shall get an estate in these times with
base scraping together, may expect a curse upon that
estate more than ever was upon any man's e.state
that was gotten at another time ; and therefore this
scripture is a seasonable scripture. The Lord fasten
it upon your hearts, that you may go away with this
written upon them, ' Blessed are the merciful : for
they shall obtain mercy.' There were never such
146
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 7.
objects of mercy. "Woeful extremity have many en-
dured, and that in the cause of God ; and others of
the saints of God cry for mercy. We have received
mercy ourselves ; it is a time of God's mercy to us.
AVhat mercy do we hear of every day almost, every
week ; still one mercy comes upon the heels of an-
other. This town surrendered, and this army wholly
routed and spoiled, whereas we were afraid we should
have lain at the mercy of cruel bloody soldiers. The
Lord hath delivered us from them, and hath magnified
his mercy in keeping England alive, in keeping this
city alive, in preserving your families, in preserving
your estates so much as they have been preserved.
-Jt is a time of mercy; the bowels of God's mercies
are so enlarged, so yearning towards us, as calls for
mercy to our brethren. Let lis look round about us,
we see nothing but mercy. There are places that
wherever they look, they see upthing but footsteps
of God's displeasure^of justice, wrath, and misery.
But wherever we look we see mercy ; when we are
here now, we can every one of us look upon one
another as objects of God's mercy. That we have
these liberties thus to exercise ourselves, and to join
thus publicly to call upon God, to pray to God, what
mercy is here ! And since these times hath not God
been merciful to your souls, in revealing his gospel
and the glorious things of eternal life to you ? When
thou goest home, what canst thou see but mercy ?
Look upon thy yoke-fellow, there is mercy ; look
upon thy children, there is mercy; look upon thy
table, there is mercy ; look vipon thy servants, there
is mercy ; look into thy bed, there is mercy ; look
upon everything in thy house, there is mercy ^vl•itten
thereon; look upon thy own body, there is mercy;
take the Bible and read the eternal counsels of God
concerning thy eternal estate, there is mercy ; that a
family can fall down upon their knees, and there be
blessing God for preserving and bringing in all out-
ward comforts that they stand in need of, still there
is nothing but mercy round about us. And what,
shall we in the midst of mercies be unmerciful ? How
do all these mercies call to thee for mercies towards
others.
Again, Set before you the beauty and excellency
of mercy, and consider of it. Chrysostom hath an
expression about mercy, that it is more excellent than
to have the gift to raise from the dead ; if God should
give one ability to raise from the dead, it were not
a greater good than to have a heart to be merciful to
those that are in misery ; we need not go to him but
to the Scripture. There are the most excellent things
spoken of it in Scripture, that would make a man
admire that any man professing godliness should not
have bowels of mercy towards those that are in
misery. There be six notable Scripture expressions
concerning the excellency of this grace.
The first is this. It is called tlie administration of
service, the service of God: 2 Cor. ix. 12, 'The
ministry of this liturgy.' There are many stand for
your old liturgy, and think it is a hard case that that
is taken from them. Here you have a liturgy that
you may keep, and that with the good-will of God
and men too, and be in love with this liturgy — that
is, the works of mercy, it is called God's liturgy.
AVhereas you use to call the liturgy divine service,
here is a divine service that you may tender up to
God. All of you that have estates, you may have
this divine service. You complain thus one to an-
other, Would we had our divine service again. You
may have this every day, and be as acceptable to God
as ever that was certainly, and abundantly more ; and
therefore seeing that is gone, make it up in this minis-
try, in this liturgy, for so is the word in the original.
The second commendation of this grace is this. That
it is a grace doth manifest the professed subjection
of men to the gospel ; and till men come to have mer-
ciful hearts towards others, they do not come to have
a professed subjection to the gospel. You are not
brought under the subjection to the gospel in a pro-
fessive way, till your hearts be brought to be merciful
towards your brethren ; and that you have in the
same scripture, 2 Cor. ix. 13; speaking of the relief
of others, and mercy towards others, he calls it there,
the ' professed subjection to the gospel.' So it is in
your books, the subjection of the profession to the
gospel ; so that, would you come and manifest a pro-
fessive subjection to the gospel — viz., that whereas the
Lord hath revealed in infinite mercy the gospel of his
Son Jesus Christ unto you, and expects that all you
should come and subject yourselves to this gospel,
and make a profession that you do it. This is one
thing wherein you should do it : thus. Lord, here we
declare that the mercy which we have found from
thee in thy glorious gospel, it takes off our hearts
from all things in the world, and enlarges our hearts
towards others that are in misery. In this, Lord, we
manifest our professive subjection to thy gospel. And
you shall find there is nothing doth more take off the
hearts of men from scraping after the world than the
knowledge of the gospel of Christ ; and as soon as
ever we find in Scripture that the gospel had brought
any into subjection to it, they presently were ready
and willing to distribute anything that they had to
the necessity of the saints. That is the second com-
mendation, The professed subjection unto the gospel.
Thirdly, It is called the exceeding grace of God ;
and that you have in the 14th verse of this 2 Cor. ix.
The apostle there calls it the exceeding grace of God,
because the Lord was jileased to melt their hearts
towards others, and enlarge their bowels towards
others. The apostle was so affected with it, that he
saith, it is the exceeding grace of God. This we look
Mat. V. 7.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
147
upon as the exceeding grace of God, more than the
ordinary grace of God.
The fourth commendation is this, It is called ' the
unspealcable gift,' and that you have in the last verse.
The unspeakable gift, saith the apostle, that God
should thus enlarge your hearts in mercy towards
others. Here is a gift of God ; you give to others
that that he gives you. A heartr to be merciful unto
others ; this is the unspeakable gift of God.
The fifth expression from Scripture is this, It is
called a sweet smell, and that in Phil. iv. 18, 'An
odour of a sweet smell.' You that would have your
houses sweet, you may have them perfumed thus ; it
is the best perfume in the world. Great folks will
have their frankincense to perfume their houses ;
and would you have yours smell sweet, perfume them
with the works of mercy. When you do works of
mercy towards otheis, you have perfumed your
houses, you have perfumed your bodies and souls.
Now there is a sweet smell unto God.
The si.xth expression is, It is a sacrifice acceptable
and pleasing to God ; here be three in one. Would
you offer a sacrifice to God ? The work of mercy, it
is a sacrifice, and a sacrifice acceptable, and a sacri-
fice well-pleasing to God, in Phil. iv. 18, ' A sacrifice,
acceptable' or received, and 'well-pleasing to God.'
Would you do a well-pleasing thing to God ? Do
works of mercy; they are well-pleasing to God, and
they are sacrifices. So that those that are in misery,
are, as it were, the altars upon which you do offer
this sacrifice to God. So in Heb. xiii. 16, you have
an expression to the same purpose, that it is a sacri-
fice well-pleasing to God. Consider, therefore, what
comfort it will be to you when you die. Whether do
you think it will be more comfort when you die to
think thus: I have spent so much in a tavern, or I
have relieved the necessities of so many poor people ;
I have spent so much upon my lusts, or upon a whore,
or I have been a means that so many poor distressed
people will bless God for me ? Or thus, it may be
when you die it shall be said that such a man died
worth so much; but is it not a greater glory for so many
families to come and bless the Lord for thee — I have
found such a one a good master, I might have starved
had it not been for such a one, I have cause to bless
God for him. Would not this be a greater good to
you when you die, than to think that you leave so
much ? What if you reckon less ? Certainly a sweet
memorial of the work of mercy were a great deal
better than anything you could leave behind you.
You know that the works of mercy will be a good
testimony unto you in the day of Jesus Christ to
witness for you. Luke xvi. 9, it is a scripture that
hath some difficulty in it ; saith Christ, ' I say unto
you, make unto yourselves friends of the mammon of
unrighteousness ; that when ye fail, they may receive
you into everlasting habitations.' He calls riches
mammon, because men do ordinarily make it their
god ; of unrighteousness, though all riches are not
unrighteousness, but because for the most part they
are got and used unrighteously ; therefore they have
this title from God. Make you friends, that is,
by the works of mercy, ' that when ye fail, they may
receive you into everlasting habitations.' By this
■we are to understand thus much : that, look what
works of mercy any one doth by faith, when he shall
come to fail, as ere long all rich men must fail — that
is, they must leave their estates, or they must leave them
— then their good works may be as testimonies unto
God, whereby they may come to be received into those
everlasting mansions that Christ is gone before to pre-
pare for them ; not through the merit of these, as
papists teach, but these will be a testimony to thee.
Learned Chemnitius upon the place saith" thus,' It
may be when rich men fail, those that have been
merciful, and come to be sick and die, it may be here
comes some minister of God, that when he was a poor
scholar was relieved by him, and he comes to witness
for him, and saith, Lord, I was a poor youth, and
had not this man been pleased in mercy to look upon
me I might have spent all my days in raking in
kennels ; but he was pleased to bring me up in learn-
ing, and through thy mercy thou hast made me an
instrument of good in thy church ; and Lord, he was
a great means of it, through his bounty and mercy.
Here is a witness, and this comes to witness well for
such a man at the great day. And there comes an-
other poor family, and they come and witness. Lord,
had it not been for such a man, we had like to have
perished and starved ; Lord have mercy upon this
man who" thus shewed mercy to us. Thus make
friends by your unrighteous mammon, by those riches
that are ordinarily used in the world as weapons of
unrighteousness, as means to maintain men's lusts;
the more you can come to make such friends, the
Lord will accept of you, and you shall be received
into everlasting habitations. And what an improve-
ment will this be of your estate, when you shall have
such a testimony before God, and come to be reward-
ed with these everlasting habitations ! You think
you must provide for your house, and make it all
brave and handsome ; but here are everlasting habita-
tions that are possible to be obtained. And those that
are merciful in a gracious manner, they have such a
promise as this.
To answer some pretences of men that hinder this
work of mercy.
Say some, I am poor and mean. There is a scrip-
ture to shew that even poor people should be merci-
ful. Though thou canst do but little, do something.
You know the poor widow's mite w-as accepted more
than all the rich men's treasure. 2 Cor. viii. 1, 2,
148
BUKROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 7.
' Moreover, brethren, we do you to "\vit of the grace
of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia ; how
that for a great trial of afflictions the abundance of
their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the
riches of their liberality.' It is as elegant an expres-
sion as we can have in any author about such a busi-
ness ; it is such a high phrase as we cannot imagine
a higher. They were poor, and it was a depth of
poverty, and yet their deep poverty did abound to
the riches of their liberality. Secondly, You will
say, Our estates are very uncertain. We have some-
what now, but it may be all may quickly be gone ;
we had best to reserve somewhat. There is an
excellent scripture for this, that this should be no
hindrance from mercy, Eccles. xi., beginning, ' Cast
thy bread upon the waters : for thou shalt find it after
many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to
eight ; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon
the earth.' Here the Holy Ghost makes that which
thou wilt make an argument against it to be an argu-
ment for it. What saith the Holy Ghost? Is it
like there may come evils upon the earth — is it like
there may come troublesome times — let us spare for
ourselves? Nay; saith the Holy Ghost, Give the
rather ; if thou beest afraid of evU times, give the
rather, and be more abundant in the works of mercy
because of that. ' If the clouds be full of rain, they
empty themselves upon the earth ; ' as if the Holy
Ghost should say. Look, do you see how the clouds
are gathered by many vapours from the earth, and
then are filled with rain ; they do not keep it to them-
selves, but empty themselves upon the earth. So
you that have estates, you have gathered it from
many in your employment, from this providence and
the other ; and now you are full, let it not be for
yourselves — empty yourselves \ipon poor people that
lie even upon the earth. ' And if the tree fall toward
the south, or toward the north, in the place where
the tree falleth, there it shall be,' saith the Holy
Ghost. The meaning is this, whereas some may say,
It may be we may give, and give to some that are
good, and to some that are naught, and we do not
know whether there will come good of what we give.
Saith the Holy Ghost, as where a tree falls when it
is cut down, yet still it is to the advantage and bene-
fit of him that owns it. He finds it when it is fallen
there ; he can make use of it. So you give some-
times to good, and sometimes to bad, yet the fruit
of your mercy shall lie, and you shall find the benefit
of it. Or rather as others, thus : they make the tree
falling to signify the death of men. Be merciful
while you live ; the tree will fall, and look, how it falls
there it lies. You know a tree, when it is cutting
down, it will fall the way that there is most boughs,
and that way it most inclines to whilst it was stand-
ing. So saith the Holy Ghost, the way that your
hearts most incline to, that way you will fall. If
you have the fruits of mercy and good works, that
you are abundant that way, and yo.ur hearts turning
that way, you will fall that way ; and so you will lie
and be found at the great day, according to what the
proportion of your hearts and your works have been.
Again, ' He that observes the wind shall not sow ;
and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.'
Mark the answer to the covetous heart that woukl
be scant in the works of mercy : I have not fit ob-
jects to bestow my mercy upon. He that observes
the wind shall not sow. If a husbandman shall be
looking every day, and see the wind in the clouds,
and thinks it will not be fair weather, and so will not
venture anything, he will never make any work of
his ploughing or sowing ; so, saith the Holy Ghost,
be not too prying and observing of these wants of
mercy, whether the object be a tit object, yea or no.
It may be I may and have bestown a great deal,
but have seen no good come of it. Mark what fol-
lows in the 5th verse : ' As thou knowest not what
is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow
in the womb of her that is with child : even so thou
knowest not the works of God, who maketh all. In
the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening with-
hold not thy hand : for thou knowest not whether
shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they
both shall be alike good.' As if he should say. Go
and do all the work you can ; though you see nothing
come of it, yet know there are secret ways of the
providence of God workmg about his own ends and
your good ; and therefore be not discouraged in doing
all the good you can. For as thou knowest not what
is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow
in the womb, as there is a secret providence in carry-
ing on things in the womb, so there is a secret pro-
vidence in working about good in those ways that
thou art not able to understand ; and therefore be
not discouraged. So in the 6th verse, ' In the morn-
ing sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not
thine hand ; for thou knowest not whether shall pros-
per, this or that,' &c. I have done no great good
with this good action, therefore I am discouraged ;
yet let me try another and another. ' In the morn-
ing sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not
thine hand,' &c. There is likewise a notable scrip-
ture in Heb. xiii. 14, 15, ' For here have we no con-
tinuing city, but we seek one to come.' We have
no continuance in this world ; we go up and down,
and are driven from place to place. Then what fol-
lows in the 15th verse, ' By him thei-efore let us offer
the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the
fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.' That
we will do, we will offer praise. But then what fol-
lows, ver. 16, ' But to do good and to communicate
forget not : for with such sacrifice God is well pleased.'
Mat. V. 7.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
149
We liave no abiding condition, yet let us bless God,
and to do good and to communicate forget not.
Thougb your estate be never so uncertain, yet do
good, and to communicate forget not ; for ■with, such
sacrifice God is well pleased.
But I may want myself if I should give. See Prov.
xxviii. 27, ' He that giveth unto the poor shall not
lack.' Darest thou trust God for thy soul upon his
promise, and not for thy body and outward estate ?
There is no such way to come to want as to be of an
unmerciful disposition towards others ; ' he that giveth
to the poor shall not lack,' saith the text ; ' but he
that hideth his eyes shall liave many a curse.' Thou
art afraid thou shalt want ; why ! wilt thou engage
God to thee that thou shalt not want ? Here is a
scripture that will engage God to thee, ' He that giveth
to the poor, he shall not want.'
But that I do will quickly be forgotten ; let me do
never so many good things, within a while all is for-
gotten ; for this look into Heb. vi. 10. It may be
thou hast done many good things, and thou hast done
them in secret, which is a good sign that thou dost
them in faith, and fearest they will be forgotten. No,
* God is not unrighteous to forget your work and
labour of love, which ye have shewed towards his
name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and
do minister.' Mark how God engages himself; what
need God regard what we do ; can we do anything but
that that we have from God before ? Yet God binds
himself thus ; as if he should say, Art thou a mer-
ciful man or woman ; dost thou do good in the place
where thou livest ? I should be an unrighteous God
if I forget thee. God is not unrighteous to forget
your labour of love, and your work in ministering to
the saints ; minister to the saints, and God will not
forget your labour of love, he is not unrighteous to
do it. As if he were unrighteous, if he should for-
get ; men are unrighteous towards you — they in an
unrighteous manner do forget what you do for them,
but God will not be unrighteous to forget your labour
of love in ministering to the saints.
Very few do anything this "svay, and il do as
much as others. That scripture in Phil. iv. 15, ' Now
ye Philippians, know also that in the beginning of
the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no
church communicated with me, as concerning giving
and receiving, but ye only. Here was the commen-
dations of the Philippians. What a condition was
Paul in, that though he was such an instrument of
God's glory, yet no church did communicate to his
necessities but only the Philippians. This is a high
commendation, if God gives you a merciful heart
rather than others. Do not you account it a great
mercy and blessing if you grow rich more than others?
Certainly to be rich in good works is more than to be
rich in money ; and this wiU add to your great com-
mendations, and will add to your comfortable account
in the day of Christ. Therefore take heed of vain
reasonings of your hearts against the works of mercy ;
and whenever you are called upon for any works of
mercy, take heed of such reasonings in your hearts
against the same, and that for ever your vain reason-
ings may be stopped. In Deut. xv. 7, 8, ' If there
be among you a poor man, one of your brethren
within thy gates, in the land which the Lord thy
God giveth thee ; Thou shalt not harden thine heart,
nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother.' Here
is the charge, ' But thou shalt open thine hand wide
unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his
need, in that which he wanteth.' Then in ver. 9,
' Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked
heart, saying, the seventh year, the year of release is
at hand, and thine eye be evil against thy poor bro-
ther, and thou givest him nought, and he cry unto
the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.' Be-
ware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart,
saying, the year of release is at hand. God would
have his to talce heed, that there be not an evil thought
in their hearts to object against it. There is a work
of mercy propounded, and they have twenty objec-
tions against it ; but beware, saith God, that there be
not an evil thought in thy wicked heart. All objec-
tions against works of mercy they do come from a
wicked heart, from the wickedness of men's hearts.
And so you shaU find the Scripture doth go on still
in giving charge to relieve their poor brother, and to
take heed that no objections do prevail against work
of mercy. Remember, ' Blessed are the merciful, for
they shall obtain mercy.'
150
BUKROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 7.
SERMON XXIV.
MOTIVES TO SHEW MERCY.
' Blessed are the merciful : for they shall obtain merci/.' — Mat. v. 7.
The commendation of this gi'ace of mercy you have
had abundantly. Consider yet further,
That the end why God shews mercy to you more
than others, it is that you might do good to others.
Why would God have some poor, some rich, but
that he might crown patience in one, and mercy in
another ? 2 Cor. i. 4, saith the apostle there, speak-
ing of spiritual mercy, ' Who comforteth us in all
our tribulations ' — why ? ' that we may be able to
comfort them that are in any trouble, by the same
comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of
God.' This is the end why God comforteth us in our
tribulations, that we may comfort those that are in
trouble with the comfort wherewith we ourselves are
comforted of God. This is a great argument to
spiritual mercy, and so by consequent for relieving in
outward afflictions. Hath God bestowed any com-
fort upon your souls at any time, brought you out of
sore distresses, answered very distracting doubts, and
delivered you from dreadful fears ? Now .when you
see others that are under dreadful and grievous
temptations, know the way that God requires is that
you should be merciful to them ; and he hath there-
fore comforted you, delivered you from your spiritual
afflictions, that you might help to deliver them. And
so in bodily distress. Some of you have been poor
heretofore ; the Lord hath helped you, and given
you estates ; whether you have been poor or not,
God hath given you estates plentifully. Certainly it
is not for yourselves only, but that you might com-
fort those that want comfort. It is one part of God's
end in this, in making a difference between one man
and another.
A second motive that I would add, It is a mighty
ease to those that are in affliction to consider. Though
I be in afflictions, in straits, and in the depth of
poverty, yet the Lord hath taken care for me, the
Lord hath given the grace of his Spirit to his saints
to be merciful to those that are in affliction ; and the
Lord lays weight upon them, and gives great charge
to them to exercise the grace of mercy. Surely the
Lord hath a care of me ; though I want, yet the
Lord doth therefore indue his saints with the grace
of mercy, that they might help me in my misery.
And, I beseech you, do not discourage the hearts of
those that are in misery, that they may not make
their moan to God, saying, 0 Lord, hast thou made
such a difterenee between me and others, and is there
no care of me at all ? Hast thou given charge to
none to look upon me, to pity me, to help me ?
When thou shalt look upon the sorrows and miseries
of thy brethren, and art merciful towards them, then
they will acknowledge, if they be gracious, God's
goodness, that the Lord hath been pleased to take
care over them, and secretly to give thee a charge
and a command to pity and help them. Therefore,
be merciful.
Agam, Hereby thou shalt honour God exceeding
much. God accounts it his honour when his ser-
vants do communicate of his goodness ; so it is a
special part of the honour of God to be communi-
cative ; so it is the honour of his saints. In Prov.
xiv. 31, ' He that ojiprcsseth the poor reproacheth
his Maker : but he that honoureth him hath mercy
on the poor.' For men to oppress the poor, they do
but reproach their Slaker ; as if so be that God
would make such distance between man and man,
and have no care of those that are in misery, you
reproach God ; but he that honoureth him, hath
mercy on the poor. This is a great way of honour-
ing God; 1 Pet. iv. 11, 'If any man minister, let
him do it out of the ability which God giveth, that
God in all things may be glorified through Jesus
Christ.' It is spoken first of the work of the minis-
try in dispensing the word ; but likewise applied in
general to all ministering of the gifts and graces of
God, and any good thing that God gives us, that
of all things God may be glorified through Jesus
Cln-ist.
Further, you know those scriptures that tells you
that God accounts it as his own. Christ accounts it
as given to him, what is given to a disciple in the
name of a disciple ; ' and inasmuch as you gave it
to these little ones, you gave it unto me.'
Mat. V. 8.]
btjeeoughs on the beatitudes.
151
AVe find that God stands so muck upon the works
of mere)', that he is wiUing to have his own worship
to stay upon it. If the matter lies thus, that either
I must for the time be without worship, or those in
necessity be without relief, saith God, I will rather
be without worship than they shall be without relief.
That scripture in Hosea vi., quoted divers times by
Christ in the Gospel, ' I will have mercy and not
sacrifice,' is a text that all that are acquainted with
Scripture cannot be ignorant of. God stands much
upon his sacrifice, but he stands more upon mercy.
Saith God, If both be laid in the balance, either a
sacrifice to be offered to me, or a work of mercy unto
this poor brother — if there must but one be done, let
the work of mercy be done rather than sacrifice.
Surely it is that that God prizes highly. The Lord
is content to be without sacrifice for mercy. Be mer-
ciful therefore.
By the work of mercy, you that are in a mean
condition otherwise, may come to have as high a re-
ward as the most eminent saints of God. In Mat. x.
41, saith Christ, ' He that receiveth a prophet in the
name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward ;
and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of
a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's re-
ward.' Be merciful to those that are gracious ; you
may come to have as great a reward as they.
You that are poor men and poor women will say,
We can do Uttle for God ; we can be employed but
little in any service for God — we are weak ; but
here is a way how you may come to have the reward
of the prophets of God, and the most eminent of the
saints, by shewing works of mercy unto them.
And that these things may the rather sink into
your hearts, labour to principle your hearts fully in
this, That 'it is a better thing to give than to re-
ceive ; ' you know they are the words of Christ. It
will be very hard to get this principle into the hearts
of many people, that it is a more blessed tiling to
be merciful to others than to be rich to themselves ;
j'et that is the wisdom of Christ. Christ saith so ;
and did we account of mercies to be better than
our riches, this would be a mighty help to the
works of mercy. There is many people think that
aU they bestow in works of mercy is lost. No ; ' He
that giveth to the poor, lendeth to the Lord ; and he
shall have it again.' It is better a great deal than
anything he doth enjoy ; that that is given, you
should look upon as the best part of your riches.
It is a speech of an ancient, ' How much more
glorious is it to do good to many, than to dwell
sumptuously ! '
Secondly, If you would have these things take
impression ; labour to make the times where you
yourself heretofore have had need of mercy to be as
present to you. When you see an object of mercy,
think. Was I never miserable myself ? was I never
an object of mercy myself ? did I never see need of .
mercy myself.
Again, It may be I am well now, and all well
about me, may not I be an object of mercy ere
long ? What if I were now in that condition, that
all comfort from all creatures left me, were taken
from me, that I had before — what if it were so with
me now ? then I would prize mercy. Is mercy good
then to you, and is it not good now? Oh make
these times real to you. Men that have their health,
and are in peace aud prosperity, they go on in their
bravery and busthng as if there should never be a
change ; but the very thought of thy change, and
the sad condition that thou mayest be soon in, would
mightily work upon your bowels to shew mercy
towards others.
Lastly, Let your eye affect your heart ; do not
turn away your eyes from them, but look upon
them ; Lam. iii. 51, ' Mine eye affecteth mine heart.'
It is a mighty means to affect the heart, to have the
eye look upon those in misery. You that enjoy all
comforts, look upon the lamentable objects that
there are in the world, that there are in the city ;
look into the hospitals among wounded soldiers,
among those that are miserably poor, and let your
eye ati'ect your heart that you may be merciful, for
' blessed are the merciful : they shall obtain mercy.
We now pass by this point of mercifulness, and
shall proceed to the sixth rule of happiness that here
Christ propounds :
Ver. 8. ' Blessed are the pure in heart : for they
shall see God.'
There is a good connexion of these two. Some men
are willing to do good works, and to be very beneficial
to others, having unclean and guilty consciences of
their own, and think thereby to stop the mouths of
their consciences. They are conscious to themselves
of vile, base ways, and they Uve in some secret haunt
of wickedness, and so they think that if they be merci-
ful to others, and do some good works, that will serve
turn to stop their consciences. I am persuaded that
many stop their consciences with such things as those
are. But, saith Christ, do not deceive yourselves in
that : ' Blessed are the merciful, they shall obtain
mercy ; ' but he adds this too, ' Blessed are the pure
in heart.' There must be purity in heart as well as
mercifulness. There may be many works of mercy done
by such as are unclean and base-hearted ; and there-
fore look to that, that your hearts be clean and pure.
' Blessed are the pure in heart.'
This Christ makes the rule of blessedness, in op-
position to the way of the pharisees. They made
blessedness to consist in outward purity, in their
outward washings; but, saith Clirist, never satisfy
yourselves in any ceremonial holiness, but look to
152
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 8.
your hearts. ' Blessed are the pure in heart.' We
shall open this purity of heart:
First, What this purity of heart is, and then shew
you what a blessed thing it is to have a pure heart.
Only premise this, that by heart we are to under-
stand not only the will or affections, but all the fac-
ulties of the soul — the mind, conscience, and thoughts,
all is to be understood by heart. Blessed are those
who have purity in their minds and consciences, in
their thoughts, wills, and affections.
Purity, what is that ? Purity consists in the im-
mixedness of anything inferior — when a thing hath no
mixture of anything inferior to itself. That we ac-
count to be pure metal which hath not anything
baser than itself mixed with it. If a metal hath an-
other metal that is more excellent than itself mixed
witli it, that doth not make it impure ; it may be
pure still. As if silver hath gold mixed with it, the
silver is not made impure by the mixture of gold ;
but if it hath lead or tin mixed with it, it is made
impure. So the soul of man. There is nothing
more excellent but God himself. Now, when the soul
is mixed with the divine nature, then it is made more
excellent — that is the perfection of it ; but if the soul
of man be mixed with anything of the creature not in
order to God, then it is impure — there is a mixture of
something that is worse than itself; when the mind
hath principles that are beneath a right rational
understanding. And so when the thoughts have those
things mixed that are beneath the excellency of such
a faculty as thinking and meditating is ; and so the
will and affections, when they have anything mixed
beneath the excellency of their faculty, then they
come to be impure : and the more the thing is beneath
the soul that they are mixed with, the more impure.
As the sin of adultery and fornication, it is called by
the Holy Ghost uncleanness itself, because it is one
of the meanest and brutishest things for the faculty of
a rational soul to mix itself with ; therefore that
hath the denomination of uncleanness. Thus much
for what purity is in general.
But what is a pure heart ?
You may take, instead of a description, these seven
things to make up the purity of our hearts :
First, The heart must be cleansed from the guilt of
sin through faith, made pure that way, washed with
the blood of Jesus Christ ; no heart is sure else : in
Acts XV. 9j ' And he put no difference between us
and them, purifying their hearts by faith.' This
scripture is ordinarily taken for the work of sanctifi-
cation, that comes into the heart by faith ; but if you
observe the context, 3rou shall rather find it to be that
purity that comes in by faith in justification ; for it is
spoken of the Gentiles, that were accounted an un-
clean people to the Jews. But, saith the apostle
here, God hath taken away their uncleanness ; for he
hath purified their hearts by faith. They by faith
having believed in .Jesus Christ, the Lord accepts of
them as of the children of Abraham. The Lord now
hath taken away their uncleanness ; thi'ough their
believing in Jesus Christ, he hath so purified their
hearts by faith, that through faith they are accounted
as clean before God as any child of Abraham. They
are come into" the covenant with God, and so no more
reckoned among the unclean ones, being purified by
faith. We are all impure naturally; and though we
think that by leaving some gross sins, as some men
that, in the time of their youth, have lived in some
gross sins, they leave them, and live better, and so
think they are cleansed ; yet certainly the great work
of cleansing the soul is the application of the blood of
Jesus Christ unto it, to wash the soul from its former
uncleanness. The lieai-t is never pure till then ; all
thy breaking oft', and leaving thy sinful ways, and
hving better, will never make thy heart pure before
God ; it must be the washing of the blood of Jesus
Christ. And so the very first moment the soul comes
to believe in Jesus Christ, it is \Yashed from the guilt
of sin ; for so the Scripture speaks of taking away the
guilt of sin by that expression of washing with the
blood of Jesus Christ, as in Rev. i. 6, ' Who hath
loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own
blood.' The soul, as soon as it believes in Jesus
Christ, is washed from the guilt of sin, so as it stands
as pure before the Lord as the child that is new born,
and much more ; for there is original corruption ; but
he is cleansed from the guilt of all those filthy and
abominable sinful courses that he hath lived in, and
that the soul is defiled withal — it stands clean before
God through the blood of Christ, being washed. That
must be first, or else all other purity is nothing.
Secondly, A pure heart is a heart acted by pure
principles. The Scripture speaks of men of corrupt
minds, 2 Tim. iii. 8 ; and likewise of pure minds, 2
Pet. iii. L There is much uncleanness in men's
minds, in the upper chamber of the soul, as I may so
call it ; and whereas the soul did act from corrupt
principles, from unworthy apprehensions of God and
the things of God, from base corrupt notions that it
had of things it acted ; now it is cleansed, that is,
those corrupt principles are done away, and it comes
to have pure principles, right apprehensions of God
and of the ways of God, of the covenant of grace and of
the course of a Christian ; and whatever might further
the ways of holiness in him, the soul hath right ap-
prehensions of them, and the soul is filled with gra-
cious and pure principles, and acts from them. We
may easily see by men's ways and courses that they
are of corrupt minds, and from these their hearts are
so filthy and vile.
Thirdly, A pure heart is such a one as hath cast
out the love of every known sin, and mingles not with
Mat. V. S;
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
153
it tliongli never so small. Sucli a heart as hatli
renounced every known way of evil, though there is
remaining some impurity in it, yet it can appeal to
God that there is no known way of sin but it hates
and abominates it ; this is called purity of heart in
all gospel language. If God should reward men
according to the law, it would not be accounted purity;
but in the gospel language, where a heart is sincere in
the renouncing of known sin, and can appeal to God,
Lord, thou that knowest all things, knowest that
though I have many evils in my heart, yet they are
such things that are loathsome to me, that I abomi-
nate and renounce ; and there is nothing disagreeable
to thy will, but Lord thou that knowest all things
knowest my heart is against ; this is a pure heart in
the gospel language, that hath cast out the love of
every sin — let conscience speak whether it be so or
no, for the blessedness is annexed to this ; and cer-
tainly the contrary is that which makes the soul to
be an object of God's curse.
Fourthly, A pure heart is a heart that hath a gra-
cious frame, suitable to God's holiness. Where there is
a suitableness and agreeableness in the heart of a man
or woman unto the holiness of God, to the holy na-
ture of God, and unto the holiness of God's law, this
is purity.
Fifthly, Purity of heart is where there are right
ends and aims ; or thus, where the heart is conse-
crated, devoted, given up to God's service, making
him the highest end of all things, and accordingly
hath right ends and aims for God in all it doth. This
is purity. What is the nature of God's holiness ?
God is a holy God. What is that ? You know holi-
ness it is the consecration of a thing, setting it apart
for such an end ; God's holiness it is a kind of con-
secration of himself, as it were, to himself as the last
end. Himself is the last end, and the excellency of
his nature whereby he works to himself as the last
end, and wills all things in order to it, suitable to his
own infinite excellency; this is God's purity. But if
you will take his purity thus : that perfection of his
will whereby he wills himself, and all things suitable
to his ovra infinite excellency; that is God's purity.
Now a pure heart is one that is thus consecrated to
God as the last end of all, and so works as God works,
and in all things hath right ends and right aims at
God. This purity of heart is in opposition to false-
ness of heart ; and so I find some divines carry
this purity of heart for uprightness. When men's
hearts are not double, they have not by-ends and
squint-eyed aims in what they do, but theii- hearts
are clean in this, that they are open for God, conse-
crated to God; -their ends are for God, as for instance
in the very work of mercy. But a man may be impure
in the works of mercy if he hath base ends, to serve
himself and cover his sin — his heart is very unclean.
A man may do many good things, and yet be very
impure in the doing of things that are materially
good ; but now when a man doth not only do tilings
that are right, but his ends are right, and he aims at
God's glory, he is able to appeal to God, Lord, thou
that searehest and triest the secrets of all hearts, try
this heart of mine ; I am willing my heart should lie
open to all the world in such and such things ; this
is a pure heart.
Sixthly, A pure heart is a heart working to good
ends with plainness and simplicity ; for it is not
enough for a man to have good ends, to say. Well, I
aim at God's ends, but I will have such fetches
about and such mixing of human and cunning de-
vices. Many a man blesses himself that he hath
general aims at God, but he hath a company of
fetches and devices that are the stirrings of his own
corruption, and so he spoils all ; so that this purity
is that which in other scriptures is called the sim-
plicity of the gospel. When a man walks accordino-
to the simpUcity of the gospel in all candour and in-
genuity, in all plainness of spirit, this is purity ;
when having his ends to be good, and then in the
attainment to those ends there is nothing but plain-
ness and the simplicity of the gospel. As for policies
and devices, they may beseem men in the matters of
the world, yet when he comes to the matters of Christ
he carries all on in the plainness and simpheity of
the gospel.
Seventhly, A pure heart is a heart suitable to all
professions and duties that a man doth. When a
man makes profession of God, and of the ways of
God, and then hath a heart that doth come up to
his profession, and when a man doth much service
for God, and his heart comes up to his service, here
is purity and agreement between the profession and
services that a man makes or performs, and the dis-
position of his heart. The impurity and unclean-
ness that is in the hearts of hypocrites consists in
this : their profession is great and glorious, but their
hearts are not suitable. So, then, take all these
together, and you see what a pure heart is — a heart
washed in the blood of Christ from the guilt of sin •
a heart acting by pure principles ; a heart casting
out the love of every known sin ; a heart that hath
a suitableness to the holiness of God and of his law ;
a heart consecrated, devoted to God, that hath right
ends for God in all it doth ; a heart working towards
those good ends in the plainness and simpheity of the
gospel ; a heart that hath an agi-eeableness to what-
soever profession is made or services that are done —
this is a pure heart. Now blessed is the pure in heart.
If this be pure, where will you find this purity of
heart in any '? Prov. xx. 9, ' Who can say he hath
cleansed his heart ?'
To that it is answered that Christ speaks here in
154
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 8.
a gospel way. That may be accepted for purity of
heart that yet hath much uncleaiiuess remaining
in it ; but though there be, yet together with these
dispositions there is added,
First, That there be pains taken to find out what
corruption is remaining in thy heart. Lord, I believe
I have corruption ; oh that I could find it out !
When the heart of a man or woman is willing to
search to find out all the corruptions, yea, the secret
wanderings and turnings of my heart, the Lord knows
that if he would speak from heaven and ask me what
I would have, he knows that this would be one peti-
tion, that I might know my own heart.
Secondly, There is an unfeigned mourning for all
the remainders of that impurity. The heart, when it
hath found out any corruption, it mourns over it ;
it accounts it to be the evil, the distemper of the
heart. And that is observable, that the more peace
there is in the heart through the assurance that it is
cleansed in the blood of Christ, the more doth it
mourn and lament for any uncleanness that ever hath
been, or is in it ; that Scripture is very observable,
in Ezek. xxxvi. 25, ' Then will I sprinkle clean water
upon you, and ye shall be clean : from all your filthi-
ness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A
new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will
I put within you.' And so he goes on ; and then, ' I
will also save you from all your uncleannesses ; and
I will call for the corn,' &o. And then in ver. 31,
' Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and
your doings that were not good, and shall loathe your-
selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for
your abominations.' And God accounts them to be
cleansed that do loathe themselves for their iniquities
and abominations. And no men and women do more
loathe themselves for their iniquities and abominations,
than those that are most cleansed from their iniqui-
ties and abominations. It is a notable scripture for
it, and speaks of the times of the gospel, that shews
the evil of those vain and wanton spirits among us,
that in magnifying of free grace grow foolish and
wanton, and, never sensible of the remaining evils that
are in their hearts, they think they are cleansed by
the blood of Christ, and by the Spirit of Christ ; but
the text promises that wlien the Lord shall cleanse
his people, that then they shall loathe themselves for
all their abominations, and for all their evils.
Though there be evil remaining, yet still one that
hath true purity doth watch over himself, to prevent
the occasions of evil as much as may be.
And fourthly. Such a one loves the strictest rule.
I find much impurity in my heart, but God knows
the strictest rule I aim at ; and those that grow up
most in godliness my heart is most with them.
Fifthly and lastl}'. My soul longs for perfection.
I hope there is a time coming when all my defilement
shall be done away. For the present my soul is
washed, perfected in respect of its justification ; and
I look for a time that it shall be perfect in respect of
sanctification. Oh that that time were come ! Cer-
tainly here is a pure heart ; and therefore do not say,
Where is the pure heart ? and who can make his
heart pure ? and are there any that are pure ?
The next thing is to set out unto you the excellency
that there is in a clean heart.
First, A pure heart. That shews the excellency
of it, that it is the fruit of the blood of Christ and the
work of the Holy Ghost. Those two scriptures you
had, Eev. i. and Ezek. xxxvi. clear this : It is
washed with the blood of Christ, and by the Holy
Ghost it is cleansed. Surely that that is the fruit of
the blood of Christ, that is purity. When the blood
of Christ and the Holy Ghost as water comes to be
poured out upon the soul, surely these must work
most glorious cleanness and purity.
Secondly, This purity of heart is the cause of
soundness of spirit. It is that will help against dis-
tempers. So that, though there be outward occasions
to distemper the heart, yet, where the heart is clean
within, it will not be distempered as others are. As
it is with the body : the body of a man that is foul,
let such a one take but a little cold, presently there
will grow sickness. If there be any external thing
that puts him. out of any orderly course, then he will
see the foulness of his body, and he saith. It was the
cold I took at such a time. The cold thou tookest, it
was the foulness of thy body, and this cold thou hast
is but that hath occasioned the stirring of the humours
of thy body some way or other. A foul body is very
subject to diseases upon any occasion ; but one that
hath a clean body, that is cleansed from such humours
that are in others, let such a one endure cold or heat,
whatsoever outward thing befalls him, yet his body is
kept whole and sound. Why, it is from the clean-
ness that is in the body ; so it is in the heart. The
hearts of men that are impure, when any temptation
comes to evil, it doth mightily distemper them : what
a deal of filth appears in their hearts upon the occa-
sion of any temptation, and they lay it upon the
temptation. Though they had tempted thee never so
much, yet if there had not been much foulness in
thy heart, the temptation would never have prevailed.
Saith Christ, ' The devil comes, and he finds nothing
in me.' In that one thing of passion and anger,
many of you seem to live very fair and plausibly in
your course: let some come and anger you, that you
are put into a passion, what a deal of filthiness and
baseness will appear in you. You will say, It was
such a one that angered me, and he provoked me,
and why did he do thus and thus against me ? So
j'ou are ready to lay all upon the temptation, when
the truth is, it was from the filthiness of your cor-
Mat. V. 8.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
155
ruptions. For all the filthy stuff that appears iu a
passion, it was there before, only there was an occa-
sion to stir it ; but there it lay before, and this
temptation doth but now make appear what was
before in the heart. But now one that is pure in
heart, one that hath those corruptions mortified, that
is cleansed from pride and self-love and the like,
though such a one be wronged, yet he can keep him-
self in a meek and quiet temper ; he can commit his
cause to God, and go and make his moan to God.
' Blessed are the pure in heart,' they are of sound
and hale spirits, and are not easily distempered as
other men are, and hence follows they have sound
hearts, (2 Tim. vii. 1.)
Thirdly, ' Blessed are the pure in heart,' for the}'
have much peace of conscience ; they are able to look
upon the face of God with peace and joy. AVhen
God appears in his great works abroad in the world,
their consciences speak peace unto them, and they
rejoice that they have to deal with such a holy God
as the Lord is ; and all this comes from the cleanness
that there is in their hearts: in Job xi. 14, 15, ' If
iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not
wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.' What then ?
' For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot,
yea, thou shalt be steadfast and shall not fear.' Mark,
here it is spoken concerning the having of clean hands,
and putting iniquity far from us; surely, when we have
not only put iniquity from our hands, but from our
hearts, when wickedness is not only far from our taber-
nacles, but far from our hearts, then shall we be able
to lift up our faces without spot, to be steadfast, and
not to fear whatsoever evil tidings comes; we shall be
able to look upon the face of God, to lift up our coun-
tenances and not to fear. When a man hath guiltiness
in his heart, and he hath an impure conscience, such a
man, though he can Hft up his face when he is among
his impure company, yet when God comes to call him
before himself, and hath to deal with him, so that he
shaU see plainly it is the just, right, and holy God that
now I have to deal withal, that I stand before — an im-
pure conscience, an impure heart will then cause terror
to be in men, and be ready to overwhelm thee with hor-
ror; the presence of God it is very dreadful toan impure
heart. ' Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see
God;' the presence of God shallbe joyful unto them, not
to others. In Ps. li. 7, 8, David there having defiled his
heart, began tolook upon thepresence of God as terrible
to him; and therefore he cries out in ver. 2, 'Wash me
thoroughly from mine iniquities, and cleanse me from
my sin ; ' and then in ver. 6, ' Behold, thou desirest
truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part
thou shalt make me to know wisdom, purge me with
hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be
whiter than snow ; ' then what follows in ver. 8,
' Make me to hear joy and gladness : that the bones
which thou hast broken may rejoice.' Make me to
hear joy and gladness, as if he should say, I have
defiled my soul with this sin of mine, and the voice
of joy and gladness is gone from my heart, and my
very bones are broken with the burden that is upon
me for my sin ; but. Lord, purge me and cleanse me,
and then the voice of joy and gladness will be in my
soul again. Can any of you, whose consciences are
impure, and that tell you of base uncleanness that
are in your hearts and ways — can you rejoice ? have
you gladness in your countenances, Ln your ways ?■
Certainly you know not God, you know him not; for
did you know what a God it is you have to deal withal,
till the Lord had purged you, you could never have
joy in your hearts. It is a sign that the grace of God
is in the heart of a man or woman, when, as they have
defiled themselves with any sin, there is nothing in all
the world that can give joy and gladness to their hearts,
till the Lord hath purged them and cleansed them :
' Blessed, therefore, are the pure in heart.' There are
very many excellencies in this purity of heart.
Fourthly, ' Blessed are the pure in heart,' further,
for these are the men that are fit to serve God's designs
in the ways of the gospel. There be no men fit for the
designs and ways of God in the gospel, but your clean-
hearted men ; God takes no delight to make use of
your cunning crafty men — that are crafty in a sinful
way. It is true the Lord requires us, when we live
among wicked men, to be wise as serpents and inno-
cent as doves. But I speak of cunning and craftiness
when they have to deal with God ; God takes no de-
light to make use of these, hut your plain, upright,
and sincere hearts are tit to serve the designs of God
in the ways of the gospel. As in Ps. xxiv. 3, 4,
' Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? and who
shall stand iu his holy place ? He that hath clean
hands and a pure heart ; who hath not lift up his
soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall re-
ceive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness
from the God of his salvation.' Who is the man that
shall ascend to the hill of God, that God will receive
into his church, that is fit to be made an instrument
of the honour of God in his church ? ' He that hath
clean hands and a pure heart ; that hath not lift up
his soul unto vanity.' That is a special uncleanness
in men's hearts, when they lift up their souls to vanity
— that is, they will mis their own by-ends with any
services that thej' are employed in ; but such a one
as lifts not up his soul to vanity, and looks at God
with a single eye, this is the man that shall ascend
up into God's holy hill, this is the generation of them
that seek the Lord. The blessing of God shall be upon
such as these are.
Fifthly, And then another should have been this, they
are under many gracious and blessed promises : Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they are under many blessed
156
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 8.
promises. In Ps. xviii. 26, ' With the pure thou
wilt shew thyself pure'; and so in Ps. Ixxiii. 1,
' Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of
a clean heart ;' as if he should say, Let the world go
which way it will, yet truly God is good to Israel,
even to such as these are. A clean heart is worth a
world, therefore go on you whose hearts the Lord
hath begun to cleanse, and labour to get them clean
more and more, and keep them clean. You that are
holy be holy still ; account it your riches, account it
more than all the world that you have a clean heart.
There is such a man it may be hath a greater
estate, and is more brave in the world ; but tlie more
men and women have to do with the vanity of the
world, the more their hearts are defiled. The Lord
hath cut me short of those things, but blessed be his
name, my heart in some measure is clean more than
others. There are they that have greater parts than I,
but many times there are very foul liearts that are
joined with excellent parts. But though I cannot do
what they can, yet my conscience testifies this to me,
my heart is clean. Whenever I go to prayer, I can go
into the presence of God with a clean heart. This
should comfort thee against the want of any comforts
whatsoever ; this will keep thee from the defilements
of the times wherein thou livest. In Ps. cxix. 1,
' Blessed are the undefiled in the way : they walk in
the law of the Lord.' It is a blessed thing to be un-
defiled in our way, that is, when we live in the world
and can keep ourselves cleansed from the pollutions
of the world, unspotted in the world, can have our
hearts clean. There be very few of us hath done
so ; but when we look back to the times wherein we
lived before, the times wherein there were so great
temptations to that that was evil, where is the man
or woman but doth see cause to lament the defilements
of their consciences and of their hearts by the pollu-
tions of the times wherein they lived ? We have
sullied ourselves by superstitious vanities heretofore,
and not only in our actions have been defiled, but in
our very consciences, and just it were with the Lord
that we should never come to see the good land that
he is bringing his people unto, because we have so
sullied ourselves by the superstitious vanities of the
times wherein we lived. How happy is the man or
woman that lived in former times wherein there were
so many pollutions, that yet kept themselves undefiled
in their way ! I lost more, it may be, than others did,
yet I kept my heart and conscience clean, and this is
that that is the comfort of my soul. Blessed are such ;
the blessing of God is upon them, and shall certainly
be upon them in a glorious manner.
SERMON XXV.
OE,
WHEREIN A PURE HEART IS BLESSED.
'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.' — Mat. v. 8.
AVe entered upon this sixth rule of blessedness the
last day, and shall now proceed.
' Blessed are the pure in heart.' That spiritual
cleanness of the soul of a man or woman is a very
blessed thing. It is blessed,
Fu-st, If we consider the excellency of a man's soul.
The more excellent a thing is, the more good there is
in the keeping of it clean and pure from defilements;
as now, if you have a piece of coarse cloth, you do
not so much care to keep that clean as you do to keep
fine lawn and cambric ; it is worse for that to have a
stain in it than for a piece of sackcloth to have a
stain in it. Why the excellency of a man's soul is such
as it is beyond all creatures that ever God made, ex-
cept the angels, all the works of nature, and there-
fore the cleanness of a man's soul, to be kept from
stains and from filth, must needs be an excellent
thing.
Secondly, and besides, in the second place. By the
cleanness of a man's heart, a man comes to savour
the word of God, to relish spiritual and heavenly
truths. They are blessed that have clean hearts, for
such, when they hear the word of God that is pure,
when they hear the holy truths of God, oh how do
their hearts rehsh them, and savour them, being
clean ! As the stomach when it is clean, it relishes
and savours wholesome food ; whereas, on the other
side, when men have defiled their hearts, then
Mat. V. 8.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
157
the most wholesome and the most blessed truths of
God are sapless to them, they have no savour nor
relish, and all because of the uncleanness of their
hearts. Some of you may remember a time when
you could relish and savour spiritual things better
than now you can. Oh, examine your hearts ! look
into your hearts ; you will find it is through the de-
filement of your hearts ; you have defiled your con-
sciences in some sin against conscience. You live in
some secret haunt of evil, and no marvel though you
cannot relish and savour the word as you were wont
to do.
Thirdly, A clean heart makes one fit to draw near
to God, to draw nigh to God in all duties of worship,
and it commends all the duties of worship that any
one performs : in James iv. 8, ' Draw nigh to God,
and he will draw nigh to you.' How will you draw
nigh to God? ' Cleanse your hands, ye sinners ; and
purify your hearts, ye double-minded.' Purify your
hearts, you double-minded, and thereby shall you be
able to draw nigh to God. Men that have unclean
hearts they dare not come nigh to God ; or if they
would, conscience cannot draw nigh to God. You
may go into your closets sometimes, conscience put-
ting you upon it; but when you are there you cannot
draw nigh to God, your hearts are foul. But, there-
fore, purify your heai'ts, labour for cleansed hearts,
and then, oh how will your heart spring in God's pre-
sence, and presently get nigh to him ! It commends
all services that we tender up to God. In Mai. iii. 3,
there is a prophecy that Christ when he comes
' will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver : and he
will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold
and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offer-
ing in righteousness.' You come and offer many things
to God, make many prayers to God, and think that
God will save you for your good prayers ; but cer-
tainly there is no offering that ever an impure heart
did tender up to God, but it is defiled and loathsome
before the Lord. But then is the offering of right-
eousness, when the Lord hath purified the heart.
And in Prov. xxi. 8, ' As for the pure,' saith Solo-
mon, ' his work is right.' The way of a man is fro-
ward and strange, but as for the pure his work is
right. When the Lord hatli cleansed the heart, though
it may be there be much weakness, yet the work is
right in God's eyes. 2 Tim. ii. 21, ' If a man there-
fore purge liimself from these, he shall be a vessel
unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master's use,
and prepared unto every good work.' A purged ves-
sel is a vessel sanctified and fit for the Master's use,
and prepared for every good work ; wliereas those
that have unclean spirits are like filthy, unclean ves-
sels, unfit to be brought in to the presence of the
Master. And therefore St Paul, speaking of the ser-
vice that he did to God, it was ' out of a pure con-
science.' 2 Tim. i. 3, ' I thank God, whom I serve
from my forefathers with pure conscience,' saith the
apostle. He was able to say this as in the presence
of God — I endeavour to serve God, and do serve him,
and it is from a pure conscience. ' Oh blessed are the
pure in heart,' for they are fit to draw nigh to God,
they are fit for every work that God shall employ
them in. And it commends all the services that they
do for God.
Fourthly, Again, a man that hath a pure heart, his
life will be convincing before others. There is a great
deal of beauty and excellency in grace, will appear in
the conversation of that man or woman who keeps a
clean heart towards God. There is an excellent
scripture in Prov. xxii. 11, 'He that loveth pureness
of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his
friend.' Oh that God would make good this word of
his ! that God would make the king the friend of
Puritans. We know a time there was, that of all
men in England, those that were called Puritans, and
many of them who sought to worship God in purity,
were looked upon by the eye of the king as the most
odious in the land ; yet there is this promise made,
that ' He that loveth pureness of heart, for the "race
of his lips the king shall be his friend.' God is able
to make the king a friend to Puritans. To those
that love pureness of heart, the pureness of their hearts
will so guide them in their ways as to speak and to
behave themselves in such a manner, that he shall be
convinced in his conscience. These, certainly, are
upright men. And others that have been about me,
they have but flattered me, and deceived me, and led
me into evil ways— into ways that have done abund-
ance of mischief in the kingdom, whereby thousands
have been oppressed, and their blood hath been shed.
But I see these walk uprightly, according to their
principles. I find that in one thing as well as in
another they walk according to rule, and therefore I
will be their friend. Oh let us pray that God would
make good this promise ! Certainly, if there be any-
thing in the world to eonvmce, it is a clean conversa-
tion out of a clean heart. Not that men only pro-
fess purity more than others, but that they walk
answerably, and that they manifest the beauty and
the excellency of a clean heart in their conversations
before men. This will convince any in the world.
Men may speak ill of them, and cry out of them, and
say they are hypocrites. Well, let the world speak
like the world ; let them speak according to their own
skill, as they have in the ways of religion. Do thou
go on in the ways of hohness, still in a constant way,
and let there be an evenness in thy conversation in
one thing as well as another ; manifest the purity of
thy heart, and at length their consciences will tell
them that thy ways are better than theirs. Thou
wilt be honourable in the very consciences of those
158
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 8.
that liave cried out against tliee. It is a mighty con-
vincing thing purity of heart, when it shines forth in
the life and conversation.
Fifthly, Again, Blessed are the pure, for all things
are pure to them: Titus i. 15, 'Unto the pure all
things are pure ; but unto them that are defiled
and unbelieving, is nothing pure ; but even their
mind and conscience is defiled.' Oh, thou hast a
sanctified use of everything ! hath God sanctified thy
heart, and dost thou endeavour to sanctify the name
of God in all thy ways ; know that all things are
sanctified to thee. And this one word it is worth a
kingdom, worth a world, that all things should be
made pure to those that are clean. And this the
Lord saith, that thou hast a pure use, a sanctified use
of everything, who labourest to keep thy heart clean
before the Lord.
Sixthly, Further, Certainly those will hold out ;
They will never prove apostates that have clean hearts.
Indeed, a man may make much profession, and be an
apostate at last ; but a man that hath a clean heart,
and walks in sincerity before God, such a man will
hold out. As it is with gold, gold that is of
pure metal, put it into the fire and it will not con-
sume. Indeed, if there be but only a gilding over,
and the most that is in the thing is but dross — if it
be put into the fire, it will there consume ; but if it
be pure gold, it will hold the fire. And so let the
Lord cast his people into afflictions, into the fiery
furnace ; if indeed they be such as make profession to
be his people, and have but an outside of holiness,
there they will consume. But if they be men and
women of clean hearts, they will hold out in their
afflictions, they will hold out unto the end.
Seventhly, lastly. Purity of heart will make fruitful,
fruitful in the ways of holiness, such who keep their
hearts and consciences clean. Oh how will they grow
up in the ways of holiness ! they mightily thrive and
grow : in John xv. 2, ' My Father purges it, that it
may bring forth more fruit ' — speaking of the vine.
If there be any uncleanness got into thy heart, and
the Lord, either by afflictions or any other way, shall
purge thine heart, oh this is that that will make
thee bring forth much fruit. As it is with childi-en
that are full of ill humours, they do not thrive and
grow ; but if you give them anything to purge out
that ill humour, in a little time how will they thrive
and shoot up and grow exceedingly. So it is with
many of you : you do not thrive in the ways of re-
Hgion ; you do not grow up at all in godliness ; you
do not bring forth fruit to the glory of God. -Oh,
there is much uncleanness and filthiness got into
your liearts ; but if the Lord would please to purge
you, by the renewing of the Spirit, and washing of
the blood of Christ, and the renewing of the work
of repentance, you would grow up in godliness, and
bring forth much fruit to the glory of God. Oh
blessed are the pure in heart !
And therefore, my brethren, this point may comfort
those whose consciences testify to them, that though
there be many weaknesses, yet still their hearts do not
mix with the time's evils. It is one thing for evil to
be there, and to mix there. There may be dross,
but not mixed with the heart ; the heart mingles not
with it. If thy conscience testify this, thou may-
est have abundance of comfort from this point ; and
though some sin remains, yet this purity of heart may
quiet thy spirits, even in the sense of many sins that
are upon thee. In Isa. i. 16, 'Wash ye, make you
clean ; put away the evil of your doings from before
mine eyes ; cease to do evil,' &c. Then in ver. 18,
' Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord :
though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as
snow ; though they be red hke crimson, they shall be
as wool' AVhen they are washed and made clean, they
are then as \vhite as snow, as wool ; and now the
Lord will reason with the soul. Thou mayest go
reason with God, and God will reason with thee, when
thou hast washed thee, and made thyself clean. And
though there hath not only been sins, but like scarlet
and crimson, though there be great sins, yet when thy
heart doth not mix with these sins, when thou canst
renew the act of faith and repentance, and thou canst
appeal to God of thy sincerity and endeavours to walk
with God in what purity thou art able. It is not the
greatness of thy sins that thy conscience tells thee
are through infirmity, that thou dost not give way to,
that thou dost not entertain in thy heart, as that that is
suitable to thee. The Lord will reason the case with
thee, and thou mayest reason then the case with him.
Blessed are the pure in heart. Oh labour to keep
your hearts clean and pure, and therefore be daily
watching over your hearts. Take heed that soil and
filth do not get into your hearts, and be daily cleans-
ing of them by the renewed work of faith and repent-
ance ; for though a Christian may keep his heart from
being spotted with the gross sins of the world, yet
there will dust get into thee every day. Oh labour
to keep your hearts bright ! Some of you love clean-
ness in everything, in all the furniture of your houses,
your stools, tables, linen, in everything ; you will not
be satisfied that there is not a deal of du't upon them,
but if they be but any way sullied, you are not well
pleased. Oh look thus unto your hearts ! the Lord
loves as it were a neat Christian, as I may so call it,
that every day will be cleansing of his heart anew, and
especially if you have been overcome with any sin,
and so brouglit greater defilement upon your hearts,
do not lie in that sin, never be at rest and peace with
your souls till you have got that sin washed away in
the blood of Christ, until you have got peace in your
consciences in respect of that sin. I fear some of you
Mat. V. 8.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
159
may have your consciences tell you that you have lain
in some sins for a long time together. David had
lain a long time in sin. Oh take heed of lying in any
sin, hut cleanse presently.
And lastly, hecause I would come to the promise,
Oh how far are most of us from this cleanness of
heart ! and what infinite cause there is that shame
and confusion of face should be among many of us!
The Lord knows, and our consciences know, that there
is woeful uncleanness and tilthiness in many of our
hearts. Oh, what defiled consciences have many men
and women in this place ! It may be you are neat
in your bodies, neat garments, clean linen ; but oh,
the filthy, nasty souls that you have within ! God
doth look upon your souls as filthy as a carrion that
lies in a ditch. How canst thou come into the pre-
sence of God so as thou dost — so boldly, so pre-
sumptuously, when thou art conscious to thyself of
such filthiness ? Men of corrupt consciences, that
have committed many acts of injustice, that have
defiled their consciences many years together, yet they
lie in it still, and never have made any restitution.
Now, so long as thou hast got anything that is not
thine own, and thou hast not restored it, all this
while thy conscience hath been putrifying, and become
more and more rotten ; as long, I say, as thou con-
tinuest in that sin without making restitution, if God
doth anyway enable thee. And then the consciences
of men are impure, abundance of sin conscience hath
to charge them withal. If God should hut bid con-
science speak, it would say. Lord, this sin was com-
mitted against my counsel and advice, and I shewed
them to the contrary; and yet for all that, this and
the other sin committed. And then the impurity of
our hearts. Oh, what a filthy sty of uncleanness is
the faculty of thinking in many men and women !
In the thoughts of men's minds, there is the most
aboroinable uncleanness, that one would wonder that
an infinite holy God should be able to look upon such
filthy creatures, and not come out against them in
his wrath. The best of us all may find much un-
cleanness in our thoughts. Sometime, when thou
hast been in the presence of God in prayer, how hast
thou defiled thyself with unclean thoughts ! How
hast thou come into God's presence with a soul all-
besmeared with filtliiness, and come out of God's
presence with a soul all-defiled with the abominable
uncleanness of thy thoughts ! And then the unclean-
ness of thy will and affections and desires. What
desires hast thou had to sin, and so defiled thy soul !
Oh, the faculties of men and women's souls are as
filthy as any cf.ge of unclean birds ! And didst thou
hut understand what the infinite purity of God's
nature means, and the infinite purity of God's law
means, and then but understand what thy own heart
is, thou wouldest abhor thyself. Many of you thank
God you have good hearts. Oh, but it is because
God is not known, and the holiness of his law is not
known, and your own hearts are not known. Did
you but know these three things, you would see cause,
I say, to abhor yourselves. I put this to you, some-
times when you have been brought upou sick-beds,
then, when you have come to see that you have had
to deal with God, have you not had misgiving thoughts
then ? When you have been ready to go into the
presence of the infinite holy God, then hath not your
consciences reproved you for your uncleanness ? —
then hath not your consciences told you, how canst
thou stand in the presence of this holy God ? We
read in the prophet Isaiah, though he were a holy
man, a man that had much purity and cleanness in
him, yet, because there was but some remainders of
uncleanness — mark in Isa. vi. — when he had but a
sight of God, the angels did but cry, ' Holy, holy,
holy is the Lord of hosts,' &c. Then, in ver. 5,
' Then said I, Woe is me, for I am undone, because
I am a man of unclean Hps,' (and certainly if of
unclean lips, then he saw some uncleanness in the
heart further.) ' for mine eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of hosts.' The sight of God did cause him
to cry out, Woe to him, he was undone. Now, then,
if so be that God should bring thee to have to deal
immediately with him, oh the terror that thy conscience
would bring upon thee. Those uncleannesses of thy
heart, though they trouble thee not now, they may
trouble thee one day. As we know it is in a chimney
that is very foul, if the fire get into it, then it makes
a flame, and it is hard to quench it ; and so, when
afflictions come upon men and women that have
sooty hearts, filthy, unclean hearts, oh then afflic-
tions are like to burn dreadfully. Ay, I do but appeal
to your consciences in this : Suppose God should
say, Well,»all the congregation and men in the world
shall know what uncleanness there is in every one of
your hearts; they shall know all the unclean thoughts
that ever you had, and all the unclean desires that
ever you had, all the unclean secret workings of your
hearts, it shall be known to the city and to all the
world. Now would it not trouble you to think that
God should turn your inside outward. Why, the
infinite God he knows all ; his piercing eye looks
through and through ; all that uncleanness of your
hearts, they are before him as any actions that ever
you have done. And consider this, especially you
that make profession of holiness and purity, and yet
God and your consciences tell you that you live in
secret haunts of wickedness. Some servants that
perhaps are false to their masters and governors, or
are guilty of secret uncleanness, and that they might
cover their uncleanness, will make great show of much
forwardness in prayer and going to hear the word,
and who would suspect these for falseness, for un-
160
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 8.
cleanness, and so for others. Oh this is a most
abominable thing, to have an unclean heart, and
think to cover it by making a profession of religion !
Thou dost take the name of God in vain in a most
dreadful manner, and know that the wickedness of
thy heart will find thee out. And just it is with God
to leave thee to the wickedness of thy heart, to break
into outward, actual sins. This is the curse of God
upon hypocrites : they do maintain much secret
wickedness in their hearts for a long time together,
and the saints think well of them because of their
profession. But this is the curse of God upon them :
the Lord leaves them to the filthiness of their hearts,
and lets them break out into some scandalous sins,
to be a reproach upon them that shall never be
blotted out. But we have now done with this part
of the text. We come to the other part.
' For they shall see God.'
The world perhaps saith concerning these that are
so pure and strict and nice, and dare not do anything
against their consciences, they are poor, ignorant,
silly people — silly, ignorant women, and the like.
Well, as silly as they are, as ignorant as thou thinkest
them to be in the matters of the world, yet they shall
see God, they shall know God. Perhaps then- know-
ledge is but weak in other things, but this is the
promise, ' They shall see God,' they shall know him.
Such as would walk in purity in the world, and dare
not defile themselves so as others, they are subject to
a great deal of wrongs in the world ; the men of the
world they will be too wise, too cunning for them.
Well, though the men of the world do outgo them in
cunning, because they have simple, plain hearts, yet
this is their comfort, though I have not the cunning
and craftiness to provide for myself in the world,
but men in the world that have unclean hearts, that
are full of cunning and craft, go beyond me, yet this
is the blessing of God upon me, I shall see his face.
' They shall see God.'
See him : ' No man hath ever seen God' — that is,
with bodily eyes. God is invisible ; and you must
not think that God hath any shape or fashion like
man, or any creature : he is a spirit, an infinite simple
being, and therefore cannot be seen with bodily eyes.
But ° they shall see God' — that is, they shall know-
God by the eye of their understanding, and they
shall come to enjoy God ; for so ' seeing' is taken in
Scripture. ' They shall see God,' they shall see him
here in this world ; and the more and more clean
their hearts are, the more sight they shall have of
God. And they shall see him hereafter in glory; for
the more clear a glass is, the more bright will the
beams of the sun be upon it when it shines. Take
your ordinary glasses, as your thick green glass, when
the sun shines upon that, it doth not make such a
reflection as upon a clear crystal glass ; or if there be
dirt upon the glass, the sun w;ill not appear so bright
and glorious ; but take a bright and clear glass, and
the sun will be very glorious indeed. So the heai'ts
of men that are foul, there is no lustre of the glory
of God upon them ; but the hearts of men that are
clean, God shines in his glory upon them, and there
is a reflection of God's glory again upon their hearts.
' They shall see God,' saith Austin ; ' oh most sweet
light of minds that are cleansed !' He calls God the
most sweet hght of cleansed minds. Now before we
come to the main promise of the sight of God, there
is one or two notes that are very useful.
Observe, The first note is this. That according to
the cleanness or uncleanness of men's spirits, so is
their sight in reference unto God and the things of
God. It arises from the connexion, ' Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God.' I say, accord-
ing to the cleanness or uncleanness of men's spirits,
so is their understandings in reference to God and
the things of God — that is, if men have clean spirits,
then they will come to have higher understanding in
spiritual things ; if their hearts be unclean, then
their spirits will not be able to have that right un-
derstanding in spiritual things: in Prov. ix. 10,
' And the knowledge of the holy is understanding.'
Men that have holy hearts, if they come to know,
they have understanding ; and it is an excellent
understanding that a man or woman hath of heaven
and the things of God, that hath a holy heart. The
knowledge of the holy is understanding ; no man's
knowledge is w-orthy the name of understanding,
but the knowledge of the holy ; if his heart be clean
then his sight will be clean. And in Dan. ix. 1.3,
there is a notable scripture that shews how our un--
derstaudiug of the things of God depend upon the
cleanness of our hearts : ' That we might turn,' saith
Daniel, ' from our iniquities, and understand thy
truth ; ' as if he should say. So long as we live in our
iniquities, and defile our souls by our iniquities, we
shall never be able to understand thy truth. But
when we come to turn from our iniquities, then our
understandings will be clear, then we shall know
God, and the things of God, in another manner than
ever we knew them before. And in Dan. xii. 10,
saith the text, ' Many shall be purified, and made
white, and tried ; but the wicked shall do wickedly :
and none of the wicked shall understand; but the
wise shall understand.' When God purifies the
heart, then he makes them to understand his ways ;
but none of the wicked shall understand God's mind;
their hearts being unclean, they cannot come to
understand the mind of God and the things of God.
The understanding of man it hath a dye from the
will and the afl'ections, that, look, as the will and
afl'ections are, so there is, I say, a dye upon man's
understanding, as it is in the body. Look how the
Mat. V. 8.]
BUEEOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
161
stomach, is, and the distemper of divers diseases are,
so there is a tincture upon the eye. The eyes of
men by some kind of diseases are mightily infected
by ill fumes that do arise from the stomach ; so the
eye of the soul is very much infected from the will
and from the affections. As the body, when there
ascends no ill vapours up to the eyes, the eyes are
clear and are able to see ; but now in some diseases
where vapours do ascend up to the eyes, the eye is
distempered and sees according to those vapours ;
so if the heart of man be clean, then it sees the
truths of God plainly and clearly ; but if the heart
of man be unclean, then it is not able to see God-
nor the tilings of God.
Secondly, The Avill of man, it hath a great com-
mand over the understanding. The will of man, it is
able to command the understanding, to work about
such a work or about another, to turn away from
this object or the other object ; so that if the will of
man and the affections are clean, then the will will
put the understanding upon meditating on God and
the things of God, of fastening the eye upon spuitual
things. But now, if the heart be unclean, then it
will turn away the understanding, it will not suffer
the understanding of a man to fix itself upon God,
or the things of God; those are objects unsuitable to
an unclean heart. Or if at any time God himself shall
present himself before a man or woman that hath an
unclean heart, the heart will not suffer the eye of
the understanding to think on God, but turns away
from God to something else that is suitable to that
uncleanness that is in the heart ; therefore no marvel
that they understand not the things of God, when
their unclean spirits will not suffer the understanding
to be acting upon that that should enlighten and
convince them. But, on the other hand, if there be
but any temptation presented that is suitable to the
uncleanness of their hearts, then they presently
fasten upon that, and the corrupt will and affections
cause the understanding to work upon that altogether,
and to tliink upon nothing but what will serve for
the countenance and maintenance of that that is
filthy and evil.
Thirdly, The Lord takes no delight at all to reveal
himself to one that hath an unclean heart — a man or
woman that hath a filthy, defiled conscience or heart,
and so lies wallowing in filthiness. I say the Lord
takes no dehght or pleasure in revealing himself to
such a one ; for the Lord sees that such a one will
reject the truth. Saith God, What ! should I dis-
cover myself to such an unclean heart, that will abuse
every truth that is presented to it ! And therefore,
in just judgment, the Lord will give them up to those
things that shall rather be a means to harden their
hearts in the ways of their uncleanness. There is a
most dreadful scripture for that — for the Lord's not
taking delight to reveal liimself to men of unclean spirits
— in Ezelc. xiv. 4, ' Therefore, saith the Lord, speak
unto them, and say, Thus saith the Lord God ; Every
man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols
in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his
iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet ;
I the Lord will answer him that cometh, according to
the multitude of his idols.' This is a most dreadful
scripture. If any one shall come to you that are my
prophets, and setteth up his idols in his heart — there
are some secret evils that he doth mamtain in his
heart — let be said what will, he vdW have his lusts
in such and such evil ways. I5ut he comes to inquire,
and would know what the mind of God is. I will
answer him, saith he, according to the idols that are
in his heart ; he shall have no other thing from me,
but what shall be to harden him in his sin. He
that will be filthy, he shall be filthy ; and when he
comes to hear the word, he shall hear nothing but
what his corrupt heart shall gather to harden him in
his sins.
And hence, here is the strange difference in men's
apprehensions: when before they lived in unclean-
ness, and afterwards, when God comes to purge them,
a man or woman that lived in unclean ways, why,
they have come a hundred times to hear the word,
and have heard the attributes of God opened to them,
and heard the mysteries of -Jesus Christ preached, and
the glorious things of the kingdom of God ; but they
never saw any excellency in these things at all — never
had any apprehensions of God to strike fear into them ;
it may be thirty, forty, fifty years they have been
hearers, and these things went away as a mere
sound. But now let tliis man, though he hath no
more to improve his understanding than he had be-
fore— let God but come and purge his heart by some
work of his Spirit, I say, then this man comes and
hears the word, hears sermons of the glory of God
opened to him ; why, he sees God now in another
manner than ever he saw him ; he doth not hear any
attribute of God but his heart is possessed with the
fear of the .glory of God, and now he wonders that all
the world doth not fear God. I could before live
many years together in ways of enmity against this
God and never be troubled ; why, now I would not
for a thousand worlds be one hour in that condition
I was in before, because I see it is such a dreadful
thing to be but a moment in ways of enmity to God.
Why, what is the matter with thee ? Thou hearest
the same truths that thou didst before. Ay, but
now thine eyes are opened; when thou hearest of
Jesus Christ, thou hearest and rejoicest at the riches
of that glorious grace of God in Jesus Christ, and
it is no new thing that you hear now. Ay, but now
thine heart is cleansed, and tliine eyes come to be
opened ; and a great deal of difference there is in the
1G2
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 8-
apprehensions of one, -when God hath been pleased to
cleanse the heart, to what there was before. Here
now you may see the ground of the great ignorance
that there is in the world. It is not because the
things of God are so hard to be understood, and that
because they have no means to understand them, but
because of the filthiness of their hearts. No marvel
though men and women live under means, and hear
sermons, but yet have not known what Jesus Christ
hath meant, seeing their hearts are so filthy and un-
clean. In 2 Tim. iii. 7, you find there the apostle
speaks of women that ' were ever learning, and never
were able to come to the knowledge of the truth.'
And so it may be applied to men — to those that are
laden with sin, and led away ^^'ith divers lusts, ' They
are ever learning, and never able to come to the know-
ledge of the truth.' Why do they not come to the
knowledge of the truth ? Why, because they are led
away with lusts, and laden with sins. When men
and women have uncleanness in their hearts, and are
laden with corruptions in their spirits, why, no mar-
vel though they never come to the knowledge of the
truth ; and therefore do not think your ignorance
can excuse you to say. Why, I do according to my
knowledge, and all men cannot attain to the like know-
ledge as other men. Alas ! I am a poor creature, and
am but weak, and not able to understand things
so as others do. Oh, it is not for want of the
.strength "of thy understanding so much, but the
filthiness of thy heart ; those filthy steams that arise
from thy corrupt heart, they darken the hght of the
truth, that it cannot shine into the understandin'^.
SERMON XXVI.
THE UNCLEANNESS OF HEART CAUSE OF EEROR.
' Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.' — Mat. v. 8.
The reason why there are such errors among us about
God and his ways, it comes from the uncleanness of
men's hearts. And mark it, either such men as here-
tofore have been professors of religion and fall ofi', and
grow drossy and sensual and carnal, and give way to
their lusts, they fall to strange opinions ; or otherwise
young ones, that have had very profane and unclean
hearts, and as soon as ever their consciences begin to
stir in them, why, they will make a kind of profession
of religion, but their hearts never emptied of their
lusts, never humbled for their sins ; yea, and the devil
hath got a way now to keep men from that, to tell
them it is but mere legal, and it will rather hinder
them from Jesus Christ than further them, and so
they fall upon profession of religion, and never know
any work of humihation, so that their hearts are as
unclean as ever they were. And no marvel though
these men have such misshapen thoughts of God and
Christ, and the covenant of gi'ace, and the things of
eternal life ; their hearts were never cleansed. Yet
I say, mark it, your erroneous men that fall to so
many vile and damnable errors, they are of one of
those two sorts, either men that have been forward
professors, and beginning to be carnal and sensual
and vain ; or otherwise young ones that take upon
them the profession of religion, yet never knew what
the sight of sin meant. These see not God ; their
hearts are so foul and vile, they cannot see God as
God, nor the things of God in the true beauty and
excellency of them. I will give you a scripture or
two to shew you how errors do follow from the lusts
of men's hearts, rather than from the mistakes of the
head : 2 Tim. iii. 5, 8 — that is, for those that are but
formal professors of religion, they come to fall —
' Having a form of godliness, but denying the power
thereof,' saith the text. But what are they ? ' As
Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these
also resist the truth : men of corrupt minds, reprobate
concerning the faith.' 'Men before described to have
the form of godliness, but denying the power, that
have made some profession of religion, and denied
the power ; saith the apostle, turn away from them ;
there is no meddling with such men. Then he tells
what kind of dispositions they are of : they are those
that resist the truth — men of corrupt minds, and
reprobate concerning the faith. And so others that
are drawn aside by their own lusts: 2 Peter ii. 18,
speaking of false teachers, 'For when they speak
Mat. V. 8.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
163
great swelling words of vanity, they allure through
the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those
that were clean escaped from those who live in error.'
It is a very remarkable scripture, and much concern-
ing our times ; and saith he in ver. 1 9, ' While they
promise them liberty, they themselves are servants of
corruption.' False teachers, that speak great swell-
ing words, you shall have them have no religion but
words, to amuse people withal, that people do not under-
stand ; and people think that there are great matters
in those great words which they have, but they are
but a bladder swelled up with wind; do but prick
them, do but examine them, and there is nothing in
them — they are swelling words of vanity. You may
have some cause of suspecting \yhen you hear them
preaching, or otherwise a great bane-basted words,
as I may so speak — words that seem to have great
things in them, and yet when they come to be
examined, are but mere vanity and emptiness. And
' they allure through the lusts of the flesh.' There is
more strength in the suitableness of what they speak
to men's lusts, than there is of the evidence of truth
in what they say. They allure through the lusts of
the flesh, through much wantonness: 'those that were
clean escaped ;' the word is ' really escaped.' So it is
apparently spoken of men that are drawn aside into
errors. 'While they promise them libei'ty;' they
tell them much of liberty, that they shall be delivered
from such and such bondages, and no more be kejit
in a legal way of bondage : ' They promise them
liberty, but are themselves the servants of corruption.'
Oh, hence the many errors of our times do prevail
from the uncleanness of the hearts of men, and from
thence comes apostasy from the truth. The best way,
then, to keep ourselves from the errors of the times,
it is to keep our hearts clean. Purge your hearts,
walk before God in uprightness, and the Spirit of
God shall guide you then into all truth ; and when
you are required to know God or his mind in any-
thing, oh make it a great part of your work to
cleanse your hearts first, for otherwise you will mis-
take, when you are about asking of counsel, what the
mind of God is ! Oh I would fain know what the
mind of God is ! Be sure you come with a clean
heart to know it, or otherwise I say it is a hundred
to one but you miscarry. How many are there that
seem to desu'e to know the mind of God, and yet in
the
First place. It is not through any willingness, but
they cannot tell how to help it, they must inquire.
And then,
Secondly, Wlien they do inquire, they are loath
that such things should be true ; they are loath that
the mind of God should go such a way that is against
them. And oh they would fain have the mind of
God come to them, rather than to have their hearts
come to the mind of God. Here is uncleanness of
the heart in these two. And,
Thirdly, When they are inquiring concerning the
mind of God there is a principle in their spirits that
doth turn their hearts, and sets them strongly another
way. And hence it is so hard to convince men of the
mind of God, if it be that that is against the bias of
their hearts. And then,
Fourthly, They are uuwilHng upon that to ex-
amine throughly anything that is presented to them.
When a thing is presented to them that they are
afraid will make against them, they will turn away
their thoughts from it, and are loath to examine it,
and are very desirous to have anything they can to
object against it — and all this through the unclean-
ness of their hearts. Now it is just with God that
these should not be blessed ; that they should never
see God, that they should never see his ways. Oh,
take heed of this ! Come with plain, naked hearts.
Whatsoever my thoughts have been, whatsoever my
justification is, whatsoever would be suitable to my
ends, let God reveal his truth ; and here I am ready
to yield to it with a pure and plain heart. But when
God sees men have cunning hearts and devices, and
propounding their ends, and they will have this and
the other thing wrapped in it, I say it is just with
God that they should never see God in any way of
his, but that they should be blinded. The way to
know the mind of God, it is to cleanse your hearts.
Many there are that will say, Well, I desire to know
what is God's mind. Did I but know what were the
mind of God in such a business, God knows I would
do it ; and the Lord knows I would not do anything
that were apparent against God's mind. Well, now,
do you find that in your hearts that you can freely
yield up your own ends, and counsels, and ways,
whatsoever your hearts have been set upon before ?
And shall any evidence of truth be entertained,
though it be never so much cross to your own minds
and thoughts ? Then it is like you shall know God's
mind ; but if you say that you would fain know the
mind of God, and yet have a corrupt heart, which is
so much opposite to God, the mind of God, never
expect to know it. But that is the clean heart that
yields to it, though never so contrary to what it had
in its heart before. Ay, ' Blessed are these, for they
shall see God.' That is the next note.
Observe, That the sight of God depends not upon
the sight of men's natural understanding, but upon
their cleanness of heart.
Poor Christians think, oh, how shall I be able to
know God ! — to know the mysteries of God that are
revealed in his word ; I cannot tell how to reach
unto them. Be of good comfort if thy heart be clean.
Keep but a clean heart from vile lusts, entertain no
lusts within thy heart, and this is a promise made to
164
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. Y. 8.
thee, ' That thou shalt see God.' The sight of God
depends not upon man's natural understanding, but
depends upon tlie cleanness of the heart. "When the
great Eabbis of the workl shall be blinded, when they
shall never see God savingly, God shall reveal himself
to thy soul, having a clean and pure heart ; for the
sight of God depends upon the revelation by .Jesus
Christ, the great prophet of his church, and lie can
instruct one of weak parts as easily as one of the
strongest parts of all; and God delights to make
himself known to such. When one hath a clean and
pure heart, and desires to know truth, what God is,
and what his truth is, when he is ready to embrace
it, and yield up himself to every truth, and will en-
tertain whatsoever God reveals of himself or his ways
— oh, the Lord takes delight and pleasure to make
himself known to such a one. But the main point
that we come now upon — ' Blessed are the j)ure in
heart, for they shall see God,' — is this :
The sight of God is man's blessedness. That is
our point.
By the sight of God, in the opening we shewed
j'ou, it was meant the understanding both God and
his counsels, and ways and will ; and those things
concern our enjoyment of him. The sight of God, I
say, is man's blessedness. I have read of a philo-
sopher, Eudoxius, that was so desirous to have a full
sight of the sun, that he professed if he might but
come near it any little time, and be but enabled to
look upon it, to see th« nature of it, and the mo-
tion of it, he would be willing to be burnt by it
presently.* He thought there was so much ex-
cellency in the knowledge of that one creature. Oh
what excellency is there in the knowledge of God
himself, in the sight of God ! It was a speech of
Philip unto Christ, in John xiv. 8, ' Lord, shew us
the Father, and it sufficeth us,' saith PhiUp. Do but
shew us the Father, let us see God, and it sufficeth
us, we have enough, whatsoever becomes of us ; oh,
may we but see the Father, it is enough. And the
great desire that Moses had in Exod. xxxiii. 1, 18 :
he said, ' I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.' Let
me but see thee, and it is enough for me. Oh the
sight of God, it is a blessed thing ! The sight of the
infinite and glorious first-being of all things — that is,
the fountain of all good — oh, how blessed is it I Men
love to see such as have been great instruments of
good. Oh what flocking would there be to see them!
As in former times, when we heard that great things
were done by such a man as Alexander — if such a
man were alive, who would not but press hard to see
him ; and of late such a one as the king of Sweth-
land ; and now Sir Thomas Fairfax, or those men
that God hath made public instruments of good,
every one would see such a man. Oh then to he ad-
* Plut. Mor. V. 90.
mitted to the sight of the first-being of all things,
that hath been the cause of all the good that ever
hath been, or shall be — to have the sight of that
principal, it must needs be an infinite blessedness.
If a man had never seen his father or mother, but
had lived in another country since his birth to his
man's estate, oh, what a desire would he have to see
the woman out of whose bowels he came, and father
from whose loins he came. But oh the blessed sight
of God, who is the first-bemg of all things, our
Creator ! This is that that only the rational creature
is capable of. The reasonable creature is not satisfied,
as the sensitive creature is, merely to have a sight of
that that pleases the sense for the present ; but the
rational creature inquires presently at the cause of its
being. Here is such an excellency ; from whence is
it ? What is the cause of it ? And when he sees
that, then he inquires after the cause of that, and
then the cause of that ; and if he understands that,
why then he would know the cause of that ; and so
he gets up a link higher. Such is the nature of the
understanding of a rational creature, to look from
the efl'ect to the cause, and then that other's cause ;
and so higher and higher, and never leaves till it
comes to the supreme cause, the highest cause of all
things : now ' they shall see God.' This is man's
blessedness.
They shall see God, and shall see his counsels and
will — all those counsels of God that do concern their
eternal enjoyment of himself. That is the meaning :
shall see God, and know his mind ; and they shall
see God as their God. That must be taken into
these three things :
First, See God, the first-being of all things.
Secondly, Know the mind and the very heart of God;
his will concerning them and their eternal estate.
Thirdly, They shall see God as their God, as having
an interest in God, in all that good and excellency
and glory they see in God ; they shall see it as theu's,
as having a propriety in it. There is a great deal of
difference between a queen's looking upon the king
sitting upon his throne, and a stranger's ; a stranger
comes and sees the king with his crown upon his
head, his scej^tre in his hand, upon his throne, with
all the nobles about him ; and it is a glorious sight
for a stranger to see. But now if the queen, or the
king's eldest son, should look upon her husband, and
he upon his father, as he sits upon the throne with
all his glory about him ; the queen she looks upon
all this glory as her glory, it all reflects upon me, I
have an interest in all this glory : and so the prince
looks upon all this gloiy as his glory, as his inherit-
ance ; this is my father that is in this glory. Why,
so the promise must be understood, ' Thej' shall see
God,' they shall see the excellency, and glory, and
majesty, and greatness of God — that is, the first-being
Mat. V. 8.]
BUREOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
165
of all beings, an J the cause of all things — and know his
mind and heart ; and then thy shall see all this as
then' good. Here is my excellency and my glory,
my happiness it is in this God that I now behold.
This is the promise, ' They shall see God.'
Now God reveals himself and fulfils this promise
many ways. By an immediate revelation of himself
to the soul ; for the soul of man it is cajjable of an
immediate joining with God.
You will say, God's being and essence is infinite,
and man's soul is but finite. Ay, but yet there may
be an immediate conjunction between an infinite and
a iinite thing. As now, the soul of Jesus Christ, that
was God-man, why, his soul was but a finite thing, a
creature ; and yet what a conjunction had the soul of
Christ with the divine nature ; for there was a
hypostatical union between both soul and body of
Christ and the divine nature. Therefore now the
finiteness of the soul of man doth not hinder an im-
mediate touch, as I may so speak, with the infinite
being of God himself, and it is capable of a more im-
mediate revelation of God himself than we are able to
express or conceive ; but that shall be most hereafter,
the immediate revelation of God. Only for the pre-
sent there is somewhat of that glory that there shall
be in heaven — it is begun here in the world ; as now,
the union with God, or the communion with God that
shall be in heaven, there is some degree of it here
in this world. And so the beatifical vision of God,
the very touch and close of the soul with the essence
of God that shall be in heaven, there is some degree
of it even here in this world, in the sight of God, but
we are not able to express it. As the eye of a man,
though it sees other things, yet it cannot see itself;
so the soul of a man, though it act upon God, yet it
cannot tell the way of its acting. They cannot tell
how they see God ; but this they know, that they see
God other ways than ever they did. As that poor
man said, ' This I know, that whereas I was blind,
now I see;' so many poor Christians that are mean,
and women of weaker parts, and others that are of
stronger parts, why, before this purity of heart now,
if you asked them what God was, they would say,
God was a spirit, and he must be worshipped in spirit
and truth. They would tell you God was eternal, and
God was almighty, and God was the creator of heaven
and earth, and God was infinitely wise and infinitely
holy ; and many that had good strong parts, they
could discourse of the attributes of God. But yet,
when their hearts come to be cleansed, and God re-
vealing himself unto them, if you should ask them,
What do you know of God now more than you have
done ? they are not able to express, only this. We
can say. We were blind, but now we see — we do
see God in another manner than ever we have done.
And besides this more immediate revelation of God
to the soul, one that is pure in heart sees God in his
works, in the beholding of the great works of God in
the glass of the creature, in the heavens and earth and
seas ; it beholds God in another way than ever it did
before. Oh, the glory of God that appears, when it
looks upon the rising of the sun, and the moon and
stars, and the vastness of the seas, and the body of
the earth ! Perhaps such days as these, after sermon
is done, many of you vnll be walking up and down
the fields ; bnt what do you see ? Why, you see the
green grass, and other men walkmg up and down,
and you see trees ; but what of God do you see here ?
Now, if you did walk merely to contemplate of God
appearing in his works, then it were another matter.
A spiritual heart, when it looks upon the works of
God, it gets through the work presently to God ; it
looks up to heaven, and sees the God of heaven, and
the God of the earth and plants. And this is my
God ; and the glory of God that appears in all the
creatures, it is the glory of my God. Indeed, when
he goes abroad he may see more land than his own ;
ay, but I cannot see more land than is my Father's.
And though God shines much in his works, yet he
appears more clearly in his word.. And it is a good
argument of one that is spiritual, that can see more
of the glory of God in the word than in all the great
works that ever were done in the world. If the Lord
should carry a man or woman over all the world, and
shew them all the countries in the world ; yea, carry
them up to heaven, and shew them the sun, moon,
and stars, and enable them to understand all the
motions of them, and shew them the seas, and be able
to understand the motion of the seas, the ebbings and
the tlowings, and all the vastness of that creature ;
and so if he were able to understand all the nature of
the plants, as Solomon did, and the mysteries of all
arts and sciences ; yet when he hath done all, coming
to read the word, he shall say, 'Well, I have seen an end
of all perfection, but thy word is exceeding broad,' Ps.
exix. 90 ; I see more in thy word than I do in all the
book of nature. A few lines of thy word doth discover
more unto me than all the book of nature besides. Ay,
this were a good argument of purity of heart. A pure
heart goes and reads in the word, and doth not read it
as other books, but sees the wisdom of God there,
the purity of God there, the authority of God there ;
the word is not a sealed book to such a soul, but it is
open to it. And then it sees God in all his ordinances ;
they are the glasses by which he sees God. Likewise
the ministry of the word and sacraments, and all
other ordinances ; God comes into the soul, and the
soul finds those but as glasses to represent God unto
it. And it sees God again in the saints; in the
saints there is the image of God. There is the picture
of God in the creature; but in the saints there is the
lively image of God, as the image of the father is in
166
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 8.
tlie child. The men of the workl, they see httle of
God m the saints ; but now, when their eyes come to
be opened, and their hearts purilied, they cannot look
upon any godly men or women but they see much of
the glory of God in them : and it is this that makes
them so love the communion of the saints, because
so much of God appears in them. Yea, and they see
God in then- own spirits more than ever before. There
was nothing but darkness in their own spirits before ;
but now, being sanctified, there is the presence of God
within them — they see God within them in their own
hearts. But above all that that is here in this Avorld,
they see God in the face of Jesus Christ ; there they
see the glory of God, those that are of pure hearts or
spu'its. In Heb. i. Christ is said ' to be the character
and engraven form of the image of God, the bright-
ness of his glory.' You have not such an expression
of ail the angels in heaven nor men in the world. It
is true, man was made accordmg to the image of God;
ay, but Christ is said to be the brightness of God's
glory, and the express image of his person, the ex-
press image of the person of God, and therefore Christ
saith that no man can know the Father, but they must
do it by him : John xiv. 6, ' No man cometh unto the
Father but by me. If you had known me, you should
have known the Father also: and from henceforth ye
know him, and have seen him.' There is no know-
ledge of the Father but it is by Jesus Christ, by the
understanding of Jesus Christ : ' No man knows the
Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son
will reveal him,' Col. ii. 3. ' In him are hid all the
treasures oi wisdom and knowledge : ' and ver. 9,
' For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily.' A very strange expression ; it would not have
beseemed the mouth of any man, no, nor beseemed
any angel, to have had such an expression as this,
' In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily ; ' it is in Christ ; the glory of God appears
m Christ. If we may make a comparison of low things
with high : as now, you cannot look upon the sun
in its glory, as in the firmament, but when the sun
shines upon the water, there you may see the lustre
of the sun. So take God as in himself considered,
as infinite creator of all things. As we are here in
this world, our eyes do dazzle to behold God's
es.sence; we cannot behold it, or not able to express it
at least : but in Jesus Christ we come nearest to the
beholding of God ; in Jesus Christ as God-man, there
we may come to behold very much of the glory, yea,
of the face of God ; and therefore you find that in
the gospel we are said to behold God with open face :
2_Cor. iii. 18, ' But we all with open face beholding
as in a glass the glory of the Lord.' He speaks of it
in way of distinction from the law ; we could under-
stand but little of God then. And then, indeed, in
the Old Testament we find such an expression as this.
' No man can see God and live.' But here, in the
New Testament, you find such an expression, that
' we all with open face beholding as in a glass the
glory of the Lord.' With open face ; not needing a
veil, as Moses had, but with open face we behold the
glory of God ; but it is as in a glass. The word is
one glass, the ordinances are another glass, and then
the creatures, which is the tliickest glass. There is
the word, the ordinances, the saints, our own spirits,
but the bright glass of all is Jesus Christ. And
therefore in 2 Cor. iv. 6, it is said, ' That God who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath
shined in our hearts, to give the light of the know-
ledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.'
God who commanded the light to shine out of dark-
ness. All the knowledge of God that man hath be-
fore his conversion, it is but as darkness ; and God,
when he comes to shew himself to the soul, he doth
as great a work as when he made the world — he did
then command hght to shine out of darkness. And
what is the fruits of it ? Hath shined in our hearts ;
not only in our heads, but hearts, and it shines there
to give light, to give the hght of the knowledge of the
glory of God. Mark these gradations : he hath shined
in our hearts to give the knowledge of God ; to give
the light of the knowledge of God ; to give the light of
the knowledge of the glory of God ; and all this in the
face of Jesus Christ. Oh the blessedness of the pure
in heart, that comes to see God in the face of Jesus
Christ I This is a mystery that none can understand,
like the white stone, Eev.ii. 17, but those that have it ;
those that do see God in Christ, they know what it is
to see God in Christ, and they would not for ten thou-
sand worlds lose any one sight that they have of God
in the face of Jesus Christ; but it is impossible for them
to express it to others. Oh blessed are they that do
thus see God ! It is a good thing to see the light,
saith Solomon. Suppose that God had made us that
we had had but four senses, only the hearing and
smeUing, the feeling and tasting, and had left out the
sense of sight. Now I say, if this had been that God
had made only four senses, and afterwards, in our
days, had been pleased to add to the beauty and e.x-
cellency of man's nature a fifth sense — that is, sight —
oh what a glorious thing would it have been to us ! As
now, a man that had lived in a dungeon all the days
of his life and never had seen hght, if this man, after
he is grown up in years, should be let out of this
dungeon and come to see this glorious sun, what a
glorious thing would it be to such a one ! Or further,
the beast, \\'ho have only the sight of the hght, if God
should add unto them understanding, to be able to
conceive of things, why, what a glorious change would
there be there ! But now, when God gives us a spiritual
sight of himself, there is as great a change, and that is
abundantly more glorious, and more blessed it would
Mat. V. 8.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
167
be than tlie adding of seeing to a man that never had
such a sense, or the adding of reason to the beasts.
It is a blessed thing to see God, and that we find in
Scripture set out to us many ways.
As, first, It is made to be the fruit of the covenant
of grace, howsoever men may tliink light of it that
do not know it. As the beasts that know not what
reason is, they are not troubled for the want of it ;
and if we had not known what the sense of sight
meant, we should not have been troubled for the
want of it • so the world is not troubled for the want
of the sight of God, because they know no more
what it means than the beast knows reason, or a
man that had had the four senses could have known
what a fifth had meant. But the Scripture makes it
to be a fruit of the covenant of grace. In Jeremiah,
mark how the Lord expresses himself, chap. xxxi.
34, ' They shall teach no more every man his neigh-
bour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the
Lord ; for they shall all know me, from the least of
them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord ; for I
will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sin
no more.' It is a fruit both of the covenant of grace
and of the pardon of sin, that is the special mercy in
the covenant. The reason why there are so many of
you that know not God, it is because your iniquities
are not forgiven ; but God remembers your sin. You
are not in covenant with God. When God brings
you into covenant with himself, and forgives your
sin, he makes you to know himself.
Secondly, For God to reveal himself ; it is a great
fruit of love, of the love of God to the soul, for God
to manifest himself to it : in John xiv. 21, ' He that
hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is
that loveth me ; and he that loveth me shall be loved
of my Father, and I will love him.' How will that
be manifested? 'and will manifest myself to him.'
Christ's manifesting himself to the soul is a fruit of
his love, and of his Father's love. Yea,
Thirdly, It is the blessedness of the glorious church.
When the Lord shall raise his church to the greatest
height of glory, one of the special blessednesses that
shall be then, shall be the sight of God : in Eev.
xxii. 4, ' And they shall see his face.' There were
many things named to set forth the excellency and
glory of the state of the church, but this is the special,
' And they shall see his face.' The truth is, in com-
parison of what shall be hereafter, we see little or
nothing at all ; we see the back parts of God. But
there is a time for the church to enjoy so much of
God, and it is spoken of a time in this world ; for the
chapter before shews that it is a time when the kings
of the earth shall bring their glory to the church,
they shall not bring it to heaven, and they shall see
the face of God.
Fourthly, The sight of God here is the beginning
of life, yea, the beginning of eternal life. ' This is life
eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom thou bast sent into the world,' John
xvii. 3. Men do not hve till they come to know God.
Men in the world are dead carcases ; but when they
come to know God, they come to live, yea, they be-
gin to live the life of eternity. Oh blessed are they !
Fifthly, It is the glory of heaven for the saints to
see God : 1 John iii. 2, ' Beloved, now are we the
sons of God ; and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be : but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall
be like him ; for we shall see him as he is,' saith the
text. Now, the seeing him as he is, we speak not to
for the present. I only mention this text now to
shew that it is a very blessed thing to see God ; for
it is that whereby the blessedness of the saints in
heaven is expressed by the Holy Ghost. ' We shall
be like him.' Why ? How ? ' We shall see liim as
he is.' That will be the happiness we shall have when
we come to heaven, that we shall see God.
Sixthly, It is the happiness of the angels. Not only
the saints, but the angels, have not a higher happi-
ness in heaven than the sight of the face of God ;
and therefore, in Mat. xviii. 10, where we read of a
description of the happiness of the angels — the words
are, ' In heaven their angels do always behold the face
of my Father which is in heaven.' Christ here doth
forewarn men of taking heed of offending the little
ones; for their angels do always behold his Father's face.
Seventhly, Yea, shall I say further, it is the happi-
ness, as I may so speak, even of Christ himself, to see
the Father : that you have in John x. 15^ ' As the
Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father,'
saith Christ. Christ would set forth his excellency
here. ' Why,' saith he, ' the Father knows me, and I
know the Father.' It is that that Jesus Christ doth
glory in himself, that he knows the Father. Now
he promises this happiness to the pure in heart, that
they lilvewise shall see God.
But whereiu doth it appear to be such a happy
thing? It appears many ways. I will name one or
two now.
First, Oh it is a blessed thing to see God ! It is
the perfection of man's understanding. God hath
given to man an understanding of such large capacity
that it is able to be conversant with everything that
is true, that is, truth in general; and therefore no-
thing can perfect the understanding tUl it come to
have that that is the principal truth discovered to it.
Secondly, And an infinite satisfaction it is to the
understanding ; they two must needs go together ; for
in the perfection of a thing there must needs be the
satisfaction and rest of it. Suppose all the beautiful
things that ever were in the world were put into one
object, that would be a beautiful thing to behold.
Why, now all beauty, all excellency, all glory in all
168
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 8.
creatm-es are all in God. And in the sight of God
the soul sees all things that are excellent, and there-
fore must needs he a kind of infinite satisfaction.
Saith David, in Ps. xvii. 15, 'As for me, I will he-
hold thy face in righteousness : I shall be satisfied,
when I awake, with thy likeness.' It is a psalm that
David made, it is very like, when he was driven from
Saul's court. Now, as if he should have said, Well,
I cannot behold the face of the king ; he hath hard
thoughts of me. Ay, but as for me, I will behold thy
face in righteousness, and I shall be satisfied, when I
awake, with thy likeness. There is an infinite satis-
faction to the mind of man. Many of you seek to
satisfy yourselves in base and brutish lusts. If you
can be fine and gay, and eat and drink, and be un-
clean and filthy, there is your satisfaction. Oh the
difference between tlie satisfaction of a soul in the
sight of an infinite God, and the satisfaction of a soul
in a base, brutish lust ! Blessed are they that do see
God, they shall be satisfied. In Ps. xxxvi. likewise,
saith the psalmist there, speaking but of the sight of
God, even in hjs house, ' How excellent is thy loving-
kindness, 0 God ! therefore the children of men put
their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They
shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy
house ; and thou shalt make them drink of the river
of thy pleasures.' Why so ? ' For with thee is the
fountain of life : in thy light shall we see light.'
Hence comes the satisfaction, hence comes the rivers
of pleasure, hence is the fountain of all good unto them.
' For in thy light shall we see light.' They come to
see God by God, as a man comes to see the sun by the
light of the sun. The sun sends his beams upon tlie
world, and by those beams of light that the sun sends
down upon our eyes we come to see the sun itself.
So in thy light shall we see light. The light of God
shall shine upon the souls of the saints that are pure
in heart, and so they shall come to see that God
which is the fountain of all life. And oh the draw-
ing of the soul to God then.
Thirdly, It is made in Scripture the very spring of
all grace in the soul, being made partaker of the
divine nature, and of the transformmg of the soul
into the very image of God : 2 Pet. i. 2, ' Grace and
peace be multiplied unto you.' How ? ' Through the
knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.' All grace
and peace it comes through the knowledge of God,
and Jesus our Lord : ' According,' saith he, ' as his
divine power hath given unto us all things that per-
tain to life and godliness.' How ? ' Through the know-
ledge of him that hath called us.' Oh, the kno\v'ledge of
God is a fountain of good indeed unto the soul !
' Whereby,' saith he, 'are given unto us exceeding great
and precious promises, that by these you might be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust : ' and all
this still 'through the knowledge of God.' ' Whereby,'
saith he — that is, by the knowledge of God ' we come
to be partakers of the divine nature.' And that fore-
named place in 2 Cor. iii. 18, 'We beholding as in a
glass, with open face, the glory of the Lord.' What
follows ? ' We are changed into the same image, from
glory to glory.' The sight of God doth change the
soul into the very natui'e of God, so far as can be.
What is it that makes the saints in heaven to be so
like God ? it is by the sight of him ; saith the Holy
Ghost there, ' We shall be like him, for we shall see
him as he is.' So that the sight of God in heaven as
he is, doth transform the souls of the saints, so as
they come to be like God. They have the image of
God perfectly in them — they see God perfectly; and
according to the measure that any soul doth see God
in this world, so they come to be transformed into
the image of God. Oh blessed are they that see God
then, for by the sight of him they come to be trans-
formed into the likeness of him. Is it not a blessed
thing for the creature to be raised to that excellency,
as to be made like to God himself '? This comes
through the knowledge of God. Oh that men would
be but in love with this sight of God ; thereby they
would come to know that there is another kind of
excellency for mankind than to wallow in the lusts of
the flesh. Alas ! poor creature, while thou art satisfy-
ing thy flesh, what dost thou see ? Thou seest thy
money, or thy cups, or full dishes. Oh, what is tliis
sight to the sight of God ! thou hast an impure and
unclean heart, and therefore thinkest there is nothing
better than the beholding of these things. ' But
blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see
God.'
Mat. V. 8.]
BURKOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
169
SERMON XXVII.
OR,
WHEREIN THE SIGHT OF GOD APPEARS TO BE SUCH A HAPPY THING.
'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.' — Mat. v. 8.
Fourthly, The sight of God is a blessed thing ; it is
that that draws forth and acts the graces of the
saints. The very setting God before the soul is that,
I say, that draws forth and acts whatsoever grace the
saints have, because God is such a suitable object
unto the soul. As the setting before one that hath
an unclean heart an object suitable unto unclean-
ness, draws forth that corruption ; so the setting be-
fore the soul, a clean soul, the setting before it the
holiness of God, and the glory and excellency of God,
it hath a kind of infinite power to draw all the graces
of the saints to act, to make them lively and quick.
Fifthly, Further, by this the soul comes to worship
God as a God, when it comes to see him. Men and
women that are ignorant of God, they worship they
know not what ; but when the soul comes to have a
sight of God, even here in this world, then, and never
till then, is the name of God sanctified by the soul ;
the soul worships God in a holy manner.
Sixthly, The sight of God darkens all the glory of
the world before the soul, takes off the heart from
creature comforts. Now the soul comes to see the
comforts of the creature, that before were admii'ed, to
be as nothing ; one sight of God presently darkens
all the world. As the light of a candle is darkened
when the sun arises, so when God arises in the heart.
Acts vii. 2, it is said that Abraham saw the God of
glory : the ' God of glory' appeared to Abraham, and
so he came out of his own country. It was that that
took Abraham's heart off from his kindred, from his
father's house, from all things in the world : the
God of glory appeared to him. Let the God of glory
appear to the soul, and it will take off the soul from
anything, whatsoever engagements there are upon the
heart. Many of you, perhaps, have your hearts set
upon some vain thing, some strong lust is in your
heart, and you think it is impossible to have your
hearts taken off. Let me tell you, one sight of God
will do it; if God would but let one beam of his glory
in upon you, it would take off your hearts from the
strongest lust that is, and only himself would be sanc-
tified by you. They are blessed that have seen God.
Seventhly, Yea, it would make all afflictions to be
but little, and carry the soul through all difficulties
whatsoever. You complain how hard it is to suffer,
and that there is this and the other trouble in the
ways of God ; the appearing of God to your souls
would presently strengthen you against all difficulties,
and it would be nothing in your esteem that you suffer
here in the world for his sake. That is a famous
scripture which we have in the 1 1th of the Hebrews —
it is the example of Moses — ver. 27, ' By faith he
forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king.'
Why ? ' For he endured.' How came that to pass ?
' As seeing him who is invisible.' By faith he for-
sook Egypt. It was one of the difficultest works
that ever a man undertook ; for Moses, that had so
much glory in Egypt, the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
and like, as some report, to have been her heir — for
Pharaoh's daughter had no child (so Josephus) and
adopted him — so that it is conceived he might have
inherited the kingdom after Pharaoh. But now,
though he were in all that glory that possibly a man
could be in a kingdom, yet he forsook Egypt ; away
he goes out of Egypt,, not fearing the displeasure of
the king, that the king would pursue him. When
he went out, why, he went out over a great deal of
difficulties ; carrying along with him so many thou-
sands, and not knowing how to provide for them ;
passing through the Red Sea, yet not discouraged
with fears ; yea, he doth not repent him after he is
come into any difficulties. Many men undertake
businesses, but when they meet with difficulties they
begin to repent themselves that they were so far en-
gaged. Moses repents not upon any difficulty ; for
why? the text saith ' he endured,' he went through
all; and all upon this ground, 'for he saw him that
is invisible.' If invisible, how could he see him ? If
he saw him, how was he invisible ? Invisible to the
eye of sense ; yea, and that kind of the glory of God
that IMoses saw was invisible to the eye of reason ; it
was by a principle elevating reason ; by a principle
of faith, that is reason's prospective glass. He saw the
invisible God, and that carried him through all.
170
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 8.
Certainly tliose men and women that are quiclcly
discouraged in the ways of God never had a sight of
God : the sight of God would carry through all diffi-
culties. For God to say, I am he, as it humbled
Saul, and stopped him in his way in which he was
going against God, so it will raise and encourage the
heart of a saint in his way, when it comes to see that
it is the Lord that I have to deal with, a sight of the
invisible God. Oh blessed, therefore, are the pure
in heart, for they shall see God. The sight of God is
a blessed thing ; even the sight of God that we have
here. It is by that we come to have communion with
him ; we cannot have communion with God without
the sight of him. And how many saints are there
that can speak by their own experience, they would
not lose some one sight of God that they have had in
their converse with God, not for a world. Oh they
see it is blessed ; it is blessed here, but much more
hereafter. They shall see God.
This promise seems to refer to what shall be here-
after; the sight of God hereafter. We sometimes
think that God hath revealed much of himself now,
in bis great works, in his word, in his Son. Oh but
there are other manner of things to be known of God
than ever yet we have known. No man can see God
and live. There is that sight of God that cannot
stand with this life. They shall see God in heaven.
There is a manifestation of God beyond what we
have here ; we walk here by faith and not by sight,
but then we shall walk by sight and not by faith,
(2 Cor. V. 7 ;) here it is faith that must help us when
God withdraws himself from us, but there the saints
shall hve by sight, they shall have no need of that
faith that should uphold them in God's absence and
withdrawing himself. In Mat. xviii. 10, ' Take
heed that ye despise not one of these Httle ones ; for
I say unto you. That in heaven their angels do always
behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.'
It is a note of a learned interpreter upon this place :
Observe, saith he, that heaven is named twice here —
' I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always
behold the face of my Father which is in heaven ;'
why was it not enough to say. That in heaven their
angels do always behold the face of my Father. But
Christ repeats it twice — '. In heaven their angels do
always behold the face of my Father which is in
heaven ' — to note that that is the place of the face of
God, and in comparison of that, we have but the
back parts of God— that is, the throne of God, and
then the saints shall see God upon his throne. There
is a great deal of difference between seeing of a prince
in an obscure cottage, and seeing of this prince upon
his throne, with the crown upon his head, and all his
nobles about him, and in all his royal robes. Now
all the sight we have of God here it is but the sight
of the prince in a cottage ; but our sight in heaven is
like the sight of the prince upon his throne in his
glory. Isa. xxxiii. 17, we have there a promise to
the same that here are said to be pure in heart —
namely, to those that are upright. In ver. 15, there
is described those to whom this promise is made,
' He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly,'
<tc., and then the promise is, ' He shall dwell on high;'
and in ver. 17, ' Thine eyes shall see the King in his
beauty.' It is more to see the King in his beauty
than to see the Kiug another way. Now this is pro-
mised to the upright, to the pure in heart, to see
God in his beauty. I make little question but God
will appear with .more beauty in the world than yet
he hath done, even in this world. There is a pro-
mise in Fs. cii. 16, 'When the Lord shall build up
Sion, he shall appear in his glory :' he shall put on
his glorious robes. As in the time when noblemen
and princes marry they put on their best attire, so
when God shall build up Sion, which is the rejoicing
of his soul, he shall appear in his glory. And blessed
are those that shall see God then in that glory of his.
But when they shall see him in his beauty and glory
in heaven, upon his throne, they will be much more
blessed. Then they shall see indeed all the counsels
of God concerning themselves from all eternity, yea,
and concerning all creatures, and the nature of all
creatures. They shall see all things in God when
they come to see him there. For so it must needs
be, otherwise man could not be perfectly blessed ex-
cept he came to understand all creatures. Man in
his first creation did understand all creatures : now
this l^nowledge must be restored again, or else man
by Christ should not come to be as happy as he was
in the first Adam. But certainly the happiness of
man is more in the second Adam than in the first ;
therefore the knowledge shall be higher than this,
and this must be in the sight of God that he shall
have.
The sight of God that he shall have in heaven shall
bo more immediate than it is now. It shall not only
be the sight of him by such and such ways and irra-
diations as now we have from him, by any interven-
ing thing, but by an immediate union with the very
being and essence of God, and so a sight of his es-
sence. And that it must needs be, that this sight of
God must be of his very being and essence is clear,
not only from many scriptures that we might' name,
as that in 1 Cor. xiii., latter end, ' Now we see
through a glass darkly, but then face to face ; now I
know in part, but then shall I know even as I am
known.' We see through a glass, that is, through a
medium ; we see by seeing something else ; first we
see something else, and then we come to see God.
But then we shall see him face to face ; then shall I
know even as I am known. Now God knows us with-
out anything intervening, so we shall know as we
Mat. V. 8.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
171
are known ; it is a great mystery. And that place
in 1 John iii. 2, ' We shall see him as he is ' — as he
is in himself. The reason is this, because if we saw
anything but God's being, that would be but a crea-
ture ; whatsoever irradiation, whatsoever glory should
flow from God, conceive it to be the most glorious
thing that can be, that God should represent the
most glorious sight that can be imagined ; yet if it be
not God's being and essence, it is but a creature, and
if a creature, then it cannot be the object of man's
happiness. It is impossible for a man to be happy
by the sight of that that is not God. Now if there
be anything intervening, so as we see that that God
doth, but more out of himself, and not himself, I say
we cannot be happy, for it would follow then that
man's happiness consisted in a creature. No ; there-
fore we shall see him as he is. Christ saith ' That
he knows the Father, as the Father knows him ; ' he
doth not speak of himself as he is second person in
Trinity, but as he is God-man — so he knows the Father
as the Father knows him ; so that by that you may
see that even a finite creature is capable of such a
knowledge, of the knowledge of the very being of
God. You cannot comprehend it, because it is in-
finite ; and if it had not been revealed to us in the
Scriptures it had been impossible for us to have
conceived that a finite creature could be hypostati-
cally united to an infinite ; but when the Scripture
makes that out to us, that that which is finite, as the
Boul and body of Christ is, can be so united to an
infinite, this clearly holds forth thus much to us,
that the nature of man is capable of another manner
of revelation of God, and union with God, than pos-
sibly by reason can be understood. The saints in
heaven shall be filled with God's presence, shall see
God in themselves. As the fulness of the Godhead
did dwell bodily in Christ, so it shall dwell sphitually
in the saints : Col. ii. 9, ' The fulness of the Godhead
dwelt bodily in him.' Now, spiritually, the fulness
of the Godhead shall be in the saints ; and certainly
Christ doth see God, the very being of God, the ful-
ness of the Godhead, being bodily in him ; why, then,
the saints that shall have the fulness of the Godhead
spiritually in them shall see him, see him imme-
diately— not as we see a colour, but as we see the
light. The light is first in our eyes, and hj that the
colour ; so then God's very being shall be first in the
eye of the soul. We see God here in this world by
his effects; we see the glory of God from the effects of
God's wisdom, and liis power, and his goodness.
What dost thou see of God, oh thou soul in this
world, who art contemplating of God in the most
serious manner ? Why, the soul will say, Lord, I see
glorious beams of thy wisdom, and thy power, and
thy goodness in the creature, the great works that
thou hast made. Tliis is but to see God in the
eft'ects of what he hath done ; but we shall see him
face to face. You see a workman in some piece of
work that he hath done, and oh, you long to see
the face of that man. Now God hath wrought this
world — it is the work of his fingers ; but you shall
not see God then by effects so much as immediately.
We come here to know rather what God is not than
what he is ; as thus, when we say God is infinite,
what do we mean by that but that there is no bounds
of his being ? When we say that God is incompre-
hensible, what is that but that God cannot be com-
prehended in any place ? When we say that God is
eternal, that he hath no beginning, no end, no sue- '
cession of time ; when we say God is immutable, still
it speaks rather what God is not than what he is —
that is, he doth not change. "UTien we come to say
that he is a spirit, that seems to be an affirmation.
What do we mean by that ? It is but to take off
from any conceit of bodily substance, that God is
not corporeal ; for if we should speak properly, God
is not a spirit, not of the same nature that angels
and men's souls are of, for they are but creatures.
And God cannot be said jn-operly to be the same
thing that a creature is ; but because he would take
away all conceit from him of being bodily, therefore
we say he is a spirit. When we say God is holy,
what do we do when we come to describe his holi-
ness but this — he is that whereby he hath not the
least spot and stain of sin, and such kind of things ;
so that the truth is, the most of our knowledge of
God here it is but by negations rather than any
other way. But then we shall see him as he is, not
only what his being is not, but what it is.
And we shall see God likewise in the unity of his
nature. Here we see God in several parts ; we can-
not understand the excellency of God to be all one
here. As thus, when we would know God, how come
we to know and see him here? Why, by those several
shines of his attributes, as by the power, and wisdom,
and holiness, and goodness, and faithfulness, and
eternity, and simplicity, and infiniteness of God.
These now are several things; but certainly there
are not many things in God. All these attributes
are but that one infinite excellency of God ; only
they are diverse according to the several ways of the
manifestation of that one excellency of God. As
sometimes I have told you of the shine of the sun
through several glasses of several colours ; the same
beam of the sun through a blue glass gives a blue
reflection, and through a green a green, and through
a red a red, but there is no such change of the sun ;
so the same excellency of God, working several ways,
appears diversely to us ; and so we see God as if he
were one great excellency, made up of many excel-
lencies. But certainly this is not so; God is not such
a glorious excellency as made up of many, for he is
172
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 8.
but one. Blessed are the pure in heart : for they
shall see God in the unity of his being.
And come to see the great mystery of the Trinity —
how three persons but one God ; what the work of the
Father is in begetting, and what the Son is in being
begotten, and the Holy Ghost is in proceeding ; we
see these things by faith now, but then by sight.
And we shall see God in his eminency, and infinite
above all creatures whatsoever, and see him in heaven
as he is, and see whatever he shall do, whatever he
shall be working to all eternity. The saints shall see
God, (besides the being of God,) I say, see him in
all his workings that shall be to eternity. The Lord,
in less than these six thousand years, how glorious
hath he been in his workings ! And would it not be a
blessed thing if any one of you had been admitted to
have been with God, and have seen what God hath
done from the beginning of the world to this day.
Ay, but now surely, God being eternal, after this
world should be at an end, as it will within a little
time, why, God remains everlasting, and the saints
shall remain everlasting, and they shall be with God
for ever ; why, then, they shall be there where they
shall see what God will do for ever. Why, God he will
be working for ever ; after this six thousand years will
be at an end God will still be working, and it is like
that the meanest of his works are laid first, and he
will be working still higher and higher, and more and
more glorious things to all eternity. Now, for a
creature to be admitted to live with God, and not
only to see what himself is, and to see mdeed his
heart, and counsels, and will, and ways, but to see
what God shall be doing to all eternity ; this must
needs be a blessed sight.
And this sight of God shall be without any kind
of discourse from one thing to another, as we have
now ; but we shall see all at once, without any labour
and without any pains. As now, we are fain to
take a great deal of pains from one thing to another ;
but then intuitive — that is, it shall be with the un-
derstanding as with the eye ; the darting of the eye
presently takes in the object, and so the object shall
be taken in without any wearisomeness. We shall
see him then fully — that is, the understanding of
man shall be so elevated as it shall be able to look
upon the face of God fully, without any kind of
weariness at all. Now, the eye of man is not able to
look upon the sun, for it would destroy the sight if
we should look upon it long ; it is too eminent an
object. And so we cannot steadily behold the face of
God now ; but then there shall be the elevation of
the soul — the soul shall be raised to that strength as
it shall be able to stand and gaze upon the face of
God for ever, upon the fulness of his glory ; the eye
of the body shall be able to see the glory of God
that doth irradiate from him, which shall be a
thousand times more glorious than the sun. As the
Scripture tells us that the body of man shall be
raised to that height, as it shall shine like the sun in
the firmament. Now, if this lump of clay shall have
such a glory put ujDon it, then what glory shall be
put upon the soul of man, and how shall that be
raised ; and, indeed, if man's eye were not raised to
be able to look steadily upon a more glorious object
than the sun, it would be a misery for the body to
be in heaven. For the light of heaven will be
abundantly more glorious than the sun in the firma-
ment, the lustre of it, and the saints shall not be
wearied with it ; but the glory of heaven shall per-
fect the eye of the saints, and then the glory of
God shall perfect their souls ; they shall be able
fully to look upon God, and they shall so see him
as never to lose the sight of him. Here in this
world the saints many times have some glimmerings
of God, some little sight of it ; oh but they lose it —
and oh how sweet were it, if it were not so little and
quickly gone ; but then they shall ever see his
face. What would many a godly man or woman
give that they might have but those beams of God's
glory in a constant way shining upon them that
sometimes they have had ; but then you shall have
them ahvays shining upon you. ' 0 blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God.' And the reason
that some give why Christ doth annex the sight of
God to purity of heart, is this among others, because
that the Scripture tells us that by faith the heart is
purified. Now when the soul believes, and comes to
be purified by faith, it is willing to give up its reason,
to have its reason swallowed up. Now, because it
doth here believe that which it cannot see, it shall
hereafter see whatsoever it doth believe, — that is (as
Austin calls it) the reAvard of faith. That because
faith doth believe what the soul cannot see, that is,
faith goes beyond reason, therefore the Lord will
gi-ant this reward unto it, that it shall hereafter
see whatsoever it doth believe. Thou now hast the
glorious revelation of God, and of the mysteries of
salvation. Well, they are above thy reason, thou
canst not understand them now, yet by faith thou
dost believe them though thou canst not understand
them. Why now wilt thou glorify God by believ-
ing when thou canst not see ? God hereafter will
make thee see what thou hast believed. Thou shalt
see it fully, thou shalt see into all the reasons of the
mystery of the gospel, and the things of God, that
now thou dost take in by faith. Oh it is good
for us now to be willing to have our reason to
be swallowed up in faith ; for hereafter God will by
sight make known all tilings to us, that any way a
rational soul shall be capable of. ' They shall see God.'
And tliis shall be one further circumstance that will
much set out the blessedness of the sight of God,
Mat. V. 8.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
173
They shall then see him when God shall be letting out
himself fully to them, and so God shall he the more
amiable and satisfying object to them. As thus, now
you see a beauty in some creature, suppose a tulip ;
but now, if this tulip had the sweetness of a violet, had
as much sweetness as all sweets together in the world,
it would be a more dehghtful thing to behold. So it
shall be here — the saints shall see God, and it shall
be wonderful delight to them ; for, together with all
the glorious excellency that they shall see iu God,
there shall be fragrancy come from God — God's let-
ting out himself to their souls, in whom they shall be
blessed for ever. !Many things might be said about
this argument, and there is as much written and
curious notions about it as anything ; but I conceive
that it will not be fit or profitable to enter further
into the explication of this, or endeavour to acquaint
you with such kind of notions as many men have had
about this in their writings. I shall only make some
application of this excellent point.
' Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see
God.'
First, If it be such a blessedness to see God, and
this promised to the pure in heart, oh, do you con-
sider, you that hve in uncleanness and filthiness, what
ymi lose by your sin, and what you are like to lose !
This is promised to the pure in heart : but do not
your consciences, many of you, misgive you, and tell
you that there is woeful impurity in your hearts, base
uncleanness, and so in your lives and conversations ?
Why, now, what dost thou lose in this ? Thou losest
this glorious sight of God, thou livest here in the
world without the sight of God, and so shall never
come to see the face of God for good unto thee ; cer-
tainly thy lusts will cost thee dear. If a man were
set upon his lusts, so as he must certainly lose the
sight of his eyes if he would have his lusts, as I re-
member Ambrose tells of PhUotimus, that had such
a disease upon him through drinking and unclean-
ness, that the physicians told him that if he did not
reform, he would certainly lose his eyes for it. When
he heard this, his heart was so set upon his lusts,
Well, saith he, desperately, vale lumen amicum, fare-
well sight, then ; as if he should say, Eather than I
will lose my lusts, I will lose my sight. 0 Lord, how
many such desperate wretches are there amongst us ?
Are there none this day here before the Lord ? If
there be any, the Lord of heaven rebuke them, and
speak unto their hearts. This is thy condition, thou
art set upon thy lusts. What thinkest thou now
about this little glimpse of heaven's excellency ? of
the "sight of God, what thinkest thou ? Either part
with thy lusts or lose thy sight. What will thy
answer be before God this day, if thou shalt after this,
when thou hearest that the sight of God is so annexed
to purity of heart ? And as the apostle in that known
place of the Hebrews, chap. xii. 14, 'Without holi-
ness no man shall see God ' — I say, if thou dost yet
continue in any known sinful way, that thy heart is
set upon any such beloved lust, and that for all this
thy heart cannot be taken off from it, this, then, is
thy desperate resolution. Farewell, pleasant sight, fare-
well the sight of God himself — I will venture it; I
will rather please the sight of my eyes and the lusts
of mine heart than I will be partaker of that blessed
and glorious sight of God. Oh, thy lusts will cost
thee dear ; look to it therefore here in this world.
How do men live without God in the world ? They
have no sight of God. You may speak of God, but
certainly there is a sight of God that cannot stand
with the love of any sin ; and therefore, though we
cannot tell how to express the difference between the
sight of God that one hath in this hfe and another,
yet the Scripture is clear, that whosoever walks on in
the way of sin, he knows not God : 1 John ii. 4,
' He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.'
As if the Holy Ghost should say here, There is so
much in the sight of God, as that it is impossible it
can stand with the ways of sin.
Secondly, If it be such a blessedness to see God,
then how vile are they that take no delight at all in
seeing of him, and would rather not see him than see
him. This is the cursed disposition of the hearts of
many men, yea, generally of all that have guilty con-
sciences. I say, all men and women that have guilty
consciences are brought to this thi'ough the guilt of
their consciences, that they had rather not see God
than see him. Oh, what a pass art thou in ! what
hast thou brought thyself to ? Oh, miserable crea-
ture, what is there in thy lusts that can so counter-
vail this, the loss of the sight of God, and bring thee
to such a condition as thou dost desire, never to see
the face of God ? Thou accountest it not a misery
not to see God, but thy happiness. Oh, cursed dis-
position indeed ! You would say a child were very
desperately wicked if he should say to his father that
begat him, or the mother that bare him, I would I
might never see your face ; but this doth every un-
godly man say. Oh, that I might never see thy face !
You will say, is there any so vile as to say so?
Certainly, it is the language of your actions ; and we
read in Job xxi. 14, concerning the description of the
wicked man, thus : ' Therefore they say unto God,
Depart from us ; for we desire not the knowledge of
thy ways.' Why, we cannot hear men in their lan-
guage say so, and I do not think that Job did hear
men say so ; but this was the language of their
actions : ' They say unto God, Depart from us ; we
desire not the knowledge of thy ways.' For indeed
the sight of God engages the soul to duty ; and the
truth is, for a man to have a sight of God, and yet to
174
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 8.
resolve to continue in his sin, these two things are
incompatible one with another ; and therefore wicked
men, rather tlian they would lose their lusts, away
with holiness, they care not to see God.
Thirdly, What a misery are those in, that shall have
the sight of God to be their greatest misery, and to
be a curse unto them, to be dreadful to them ; cer-
tainly their sin hath Ijrought them to an evil condi-
tion indeed. Yet this is the state of impure hearts and
consciences ; of all sights in the world, the sight of
God will trouble it, and be the most dreadful to it.
They shall see God too, but see him to be the terror
of their souls ; their sight of God will be their curse
and their misery. ' They shall see God,' but see him
as an enemy ; see that infinite holy face of God, and
by that see how infinitely God hates them. When
thou comest to see how God is holy, thou shalt see
how infinitely he doth hate thee, and what an enemy
he is to thee, and will be to thee to all eternity. We
read in Rev. vi., latter end, that the kings and the
mighty men of the earth cry out to the mountains
and rocks to fall upon them, and to cover them.
Why ? ' That they might be hid from the sight of the
Lamb.' And so certainly at the day of judgment,
when God shall appear in his glory, that they shall
see what an infinite God they have to do with, what
an infinite power there will be stretched out for their
misery, what an infinite justice will lie upon them,
and the strolces of it be upon them for ever ; this will
be so dreadful, as they would rather have hills and
mountains to fall upon them, than to have the sight
of God. Oh, poor creature, what misery art thou
brought into, whenas at that day, when the saints
shall look upon the face of God, when God comes in all
his glory and shall say. Oh this God is our God, this
infinite all-sufficiency is ours, this infinite wisdom is
ours, this infinite power shall work for good to us —
and infinite mercy is ours, and so rejoice in that God.
' Oh, lo, this is our God, we have waited for him ; ' this
is the God of our salvation, and their hearts leap
within them to go and meet this God that appears in
his glory ; then for thee to stand shaking and trembling
before this great God, Oh, this is the infinite God that
I have sinned against, tliat I have rebelled against,
that infinite God that comes against me in all this
glory, to be avenged upon me to all eternity. This
will be thy condition that hast an unclean heart; it is
the pure in heart that shall see God with coiyic-ii
And if I would say but any one thing for to ient an
the evil of an unclean heart, and to cause yo^ce of
restless until you get your hearts cleansed in the bX of
of Christ, and purified by his Spirit, I would say tliig
one thing, your uncleanness will make God's presence^
dreadful to you. Now you can defile yourselves with
unclean thoughts, with covetous thoughts : now
secretly you defile your hearts, you defile yourselves
with injustice by false gain, and think to get to your-
selves that way, and so your souls are defiled. Well,
this defilement of your souls will make God dreadful
to you one day ; therefore, go away with this as your
portion, all you that have defiled your consciences
with unjust gain, and with the lusts of the flesh, go
away with this from God darted upon you. Well,
this will make the sight of God the most scaring that
ever can be, when God shall appear. Oh then, learn
we to purify our hearts what we can. You whose
consciences tell you there is much uncleanness in
you, rest not until you come to find your consciences
cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, sanctified by his
Spirit ; fall down before the Lord — 0 Lord, I am an
unclean wretch, and by that that I have heard this
day, there is that truth presented to me that strikes
upon my conscience, that this secret uncleanness that
no eye in the world ever saw, yet thy eyes having
seen, it is that that will make thy presence terrible to
me. Lord, cleanse me, wash me, and purge me with
hyssop. We read in Jer. xxxiv. 3, ' And thou shalt
not escape out of his hand ; but shalt surely be taken,
and delivered into his hand ; and thine eyes shall
behold the king of Babylon, and he shall speak to
thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.'
Here is a threatening to Zedekiah that his eyes
should behold the eyes of the king of Babylon ; that
is thus : Zedekiah had dealt treacherously with the
king of Babylon, and thought to shift and provide for
himself, and thought he was far enough from the king
of Babylon. Well, saith God in a way of threatening.
Thou thinkest to shift and provide for thyself thus,
but thine eyes shall see the king of Babylon. So I
say to all you who deal treacherously with God, who
live in any unclean lusts, and yet make shew as if
you would serve God, and make profession of his
name. Oh you hypocrites, that make profession of
religiog, Ond yet deal treacherously with God, this
I say <^. JJU this day, Your eyes shall see him,
but it// 9^ %!^® ^ most dreadful thing to you.
Labovi) ^, T^ ■'cleanse your hearts; take heed of
uncle ■\^''/'^o •'fe^.lfibour for pure hearts. And
if yo% P, ^ "^"^^ j-e in your hearts, be pure in
your^o <%. '°>, ^•'^ .■'?^y- 19, 20. Out of the heart
correal ^ji'^.j '^-o"' ^^^^ ''° defile the man. And the
fii ;^ <A, %°c'e unclean thoughts. ' Out of the heart
'^/ ?^ Aee i thoughts, murders, adulteries,' &c. Take
see it fully tig your hearts with unclean thoughts, if
mystery of tie God with comfort ; and take heed of
now thou dosU'selves in any business any further
for us now to God go before you. If a man once
v^b swallowed up iifs, oh, if things do not go accord-
^\ ght make known il ^vill he shift up and down, and
ational soul shall be capaCfe of by-ways he will have
tSs^nd tliis shall be one furtl ake heed of that ! And
tak* set out the blessed^/x Labour to live above
.^«'
,o*>^:>"
Mat. V. 8.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
175
sense. When men and women have sensual lives,
are earthly, and they must have creature comforts
here, oh, they defile themselves every day exceedingly.
No marvel though worldlings and unclean wretches
know so little of God, and have such poor, low
thoughts of God. Oh, they do defile their souls, so
as they cannot see God ! Labour to keep yourselves
clean. And you that have, through the mercy of
God, had your consciences and souls purified, keep
your souls still pure, and labour for more and more
purity, upon this ground, because you may more and
more see God. Is it not comfortable to see the face
of God ! ' Light is comfortable,' Eccles. xi. 7. Oh
how comfortable is it to see God ! therefore cleanse
your souls more and more, and improve this privi-
lege of your eyesight ; improve it. What doth Jesus
Christ promise ? that you shall see God. And is
this the blessing promised to you ? Why, then, im-
prove it, make use of it, and set your eyes upon God
while you live in this world, and make it your work
to contemplate upon God. Many, even Christians,
they live as if there were no blessing in seeing God ;
but if there be such a blessing, then why are not
your thoughts more upon God than they are? Every
time you see God in his creatures, you should even
gaze upon the glory of God. Oh this is my God !
And when you look into his word, and come to his
ordinances and worship him, why do not you fix
your hearts and eyes upon him ? A Christian that
fixes his eye upon God, oh, he will come to be a
glorious Christian indeed. If we would converse
with God, and fix our eyes upon him, we might grow
up in holiness exceedingly. As purity of heart doth
make us fit to see God, so the .sight of God will make
us more clean and more pure in heart daily, so as
every night thou canst appeal to God, Lord, through
thy mercy I have kept my conscience clear. Though
there be many frailties and infirmities in my ways,
yet, Lord, there is nothing that I have deliberately
gone about this day, but I bless thee for it. Oh,
then, when you lie down and close your eyes, you
may have a sight of God ; and when you open your
eyes again in the morning, you may have a sight of
God, to fill your hearts with joy. Oh, thou mayest
live comfortably! Let become of the world what
will, thou mayest live above the world, if thou keepest
thyself in the sight of God. Set the Lord before
your eyes continually. God sets you before his eyes;
set you God, then, before yours. And by this you
shall come to die comfortably. No man can see God
and live, it is true ; while we live here in the flesh,
we cannot have the full sight of God. Ay, but a
Christian, when he is to die, he may die comfortably.
Well, let me close my eyes with death. I shall go
out of this world, but I shall see God in another
world. Thou hearest many things of God now that
are great mysteries to thee. Be of good comfort,
when thou art to die, thou mayest think thus : I go
to the place where I shall come to know as I am
known, to know God perfectly, to know all the mys-
teries of the gospel perfectly. This will make death
to be comfortable to the saints in their departing
here. And therefore rejoice in this blessing of Christ,
and exercise now thy faith upon it, and let it run in
thy thoughts : ' Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they shall see God.'
176
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 9
SERMON XXVIII.
THE OEDER OF THIS BEATITUDE.
■ Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall he called the children of God.' — Mat. v. 9.
We finished, you may remember, the last day, the
sLxth beatitude — the promise to the pure in heart
that they shall see God. We come to this seventh
beatitude, ' Blessed are the peacemakers : for they
shall be called the children of God.'
This blessedness, for the order, it is in the seventh
place. As we read in Prov. vi. the contrary unto this,
that God saith he hates, it is the seventh thing which
is there revealed as an object of God's hatred: ver. 16,
' These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are
an abomination unto him.' Then the Holy Ghost
having named the six, the seventh thing that is
named it is, ' Him that soweth discord among breth-
ren :' that is the seventh thing that God hates. And
here the seventh thing that God promises blessedness
unto is the peace-makers, ' Blessed are the peace-
makers, for they shall be called the children of God.'
And it well follows the former, ' Blessed are the
pure in heart'— and then 'Blessed are the peace-
makers ;' for it is from the impurity of men's spirits
that there is so much discord in the world. TChere
would be more peace if there were more holiness.
'Follow peace and holiness, without which no man
can see God.' They cannot see God without peace
and holiness. Those two are joined together in the
Epistle to the Hebrews. And purity of heart and
peacemaking are joined together here. A pure head
and a pure heart will make peace. In James iii. 17,
mark there what the scripture speaks of the head :
' The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable.' The wisdom that is from above is pure —
that is, not defiled ; there is no by and base ends and
tricks and devices, and cunning, crafty ways, in the
wisdom that is from above, that is first pure, then
peaceable. And here the heart is first pure, then
peaceable. The pure in heart, and then the peace-
makers. There is nothing makes more disturbance
than men's corruptions: James iv. 1, ' From whence
come wars and fightings among you ? come they not
hence, even of your lusts, that war in your members.'
Here is a question, ' From whence come wars and
fightings among you?' If so be that this question
were asked among us, From whence are wars and
fightings ? from whence are jars and divisions among
us ? One would say. It is from such a party that
would have such a thing ; and the other would say,
It is from such a party that would have such a thing;
but few would answer it as the apostle doth here. Oh
it is from the lusts that are in our hearts ; wars and
fightings between nations and in commonwealths are
from the lusts of men's hearts. And wars in the
church, and divisions there, are from the lusts in
men's hearts ; wars and divisions in cities, divisions
in families, and contentions in men's own spirits, they
are all from the lusts of our hearts. Saul, before he had
defiled himself so grossly, as after he did, was of a
very quiet and peaceable disposition ; but when he
came to be corrupt, and had a defiled conscience and
heart, oh then he was of a cruel, rugged, and very
perverse spirit. Those that keep themselves pure,
whose consciences and hearts are clean, they are
peaceable, and fit to make peace with others ; but
corrupt hearts, they make all the stir among us, and
therefore so much division, so much corruption, so
much impurity in a family, in a particular person.
So far as thou art contentious and troublesome in the
place where thou art, there is so much impurity in
thy spirit. Wicked men, that are full of sin, cannot
but be full of trouble. In Isa. Ivii. 20, 21, ' But the
wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest,
whose waters cast up mu'e and dirt. There is no
peace, saith my God, to the wicked.' The wicked are
troublesome ; they are troublesome wheresoever they
live. In Gal. v. 20, you find what the fruits of the
flesh are, ' Now the works of the flesh are manifest;'
first he speaks of uncleanness, then in ver. 20,
' Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations,
wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders,
drunkenness, revellings, and such like.' These are the
fruits of the flesh. Mark how many words there are
that tend almost to the same thing : ' hatred, variance,
emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings,
murders.' AU comes from thefruitoftheflesh. Blessed,
then, are the pure in heart, for then, as they shall see
Mat. V. 9.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
177
God, so they will be peacemakers. Although ordinarily
men lay all the trouble upon such as desire to walk
most conscionably, that desire to keep their hearts and
ways most clean. Indeed, men who can yield to any-
thing this way or that way, they are accounted quiet
men ; but men that must walk according to the rule
that God hath appointed, so far as they can see light
for, and whatsoever becomes of their private interests
or private peace, dare not go contrary to the rule, dare
not go one step in the dark, these are accounted the
troublers of Israel. And who were they in former
times that were accounted the troublers of the state,
but those that were called Puritans ? but Christ
accounts them the best for making peace. The pure
in heart first, and then peacemakers. Yea, it was
Jeremiah's lot, chap. xv. 10, to be accounted a
troublesome man : ' Woe is me, my mother, that thou
hast borne me a man of strife, and a man of conten-
tion to the whole earth.' Jeremiah a man of strife
and contention to the whole earth ! And yet he
pleads his innocency, he walked with a pure con-
science before them all; and yet they all did account
of Jeremiah as a man of strife and contention to the
whole world. This is the perverse judgment of wicked
men. It was just so in the primitive times, they were
accounted the great troublers of states. Paul, you
know, was cried out of 'as a man that turned the
world upside down.' And whatsoever trouble they
had, presently they cried out of the Christians, that
they were the cause of it. And what kind of men
now are cried out of, as causes of trouble and disturb-
ance ? You know, and God knows, that the Lord
will clear those men one day for walkuig according to
the rule that Christ would have them, and keeping
themselves from uncleanness and impurity. They are
they who bear up the world ; and let the world think
what they will of those that walk most closely and
strictly with God, according to the rule of his word,
yet these are the peacemakers and the sons of God.
But thus much for the order of this beatitude,
' Blessed are the peacemakers.' We come to the
beatitude itself, to the subjects who are blessed, and
to the blessedness, what it is that is here promised to
them.
' The peacemakers.'
The word that is translated ' peacemakers,' I find
it generally understood by interpreters, those that
either keep peace or make peace; any that are further-
ances of peace any way, for the preserving of it where
it is, or the procuring of it where it is not. It is a
blessed thing to have a peaceable heart one's-self, to
keep peace within one's own soul, that is blessed. It
is blessed to be of a peaceable disposition towards all
with whom we live. A froward, a perverse disposi-
tion, it is a cursed disposition ; but a peaceable,
quiet, and gentle disposition, it is a blessed disposition.
But further, it is more blessed for to be a means to
procure peace in the places where we live, among
those with whom we converse ; and if ever we had
cause to account it a blessed thing to be a peacemaker,
then at this day : ' Blessed are the peacemakers.'
First, Those that labour to make peace between
man and God.
And, secondly. Those that do labour to make peace
between man and man.
Blessed are those that labour to make peace be-
tween man and God. They are the words of Christ,
and therefore we must understand them in the most
spiritual sense ; we must not exclude that, however.
Blessed are those who, having found the blessedness
of peace themselves, and so having peace with God,
they are very desirous to make peace between other
men and God too; they finding the sweetness in
their own hearts of their peace with God, their ear-
nest desires are. Oh that they could bring others to be
at peace with God too. When the husband hath had
the work of God in purifying his heart by faith, and
hath found the sweetness of peace with God ; Oh that
I could be a means to make peace between the soul
of my wife and God too ; and so tlie wife that hath
made her peace with God, having her heart purified
by faith, and feels the sweetness of it ; Oh, now that
I could do anything in the world, any way, with
prayers and tears, and walking convincingly before
my husband, to work his heart to God, that there
may be peace between God and his soul likewise ; so
one brother having his heart purified by faith, and
having the sweetness of peace with God ; Oh that I
could but do anything before I die to further this
great work of peace between the soul of my brother
and God. Oh the grace of God to my soul, in bring-
ing it to be at peace with him ; and oh that I could be
any way instrumental for the furtherance of the work
of the grace of God on the soul of my brother ; and
so one kinsman to another, and one neighbour to an-
other. Certainly those that ever knew what the
peace of God meant, will endeavour what possibly
they can to make peace between their brethren and
God, by telling of them what their condition was.
There was a time that I went on in a wretched way,
as you are now going on in. I was an enemy to
God; there was nothing in my heart but enmity
against God. Oh, I would not for ten thousand
worlds be one hour in that condition that I was
once in, for fear I should die in it, and so be eternally
an enemy to God. Oh that you would consider yoar
ways ! The way that you go on in, it is certainly a
way of enmity against the blessed and eternal God.
Oh, consider what God hath revealed in his word
concerning the glorious work of reconciliation of sin-
ners to himself. Thus we should be pleading one
with another, and praying one for another, and la-
178
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 9.
bouring to instruct one another to be at peace witli
God. Oh, blessed is that man or woman that hath in
a gracious way laboured to draw any to be at peace
with God, and whom God hath blessed in these endea-
vours. Hath God brought thy heart to be at peace
with him, and to desire tliat others might be brought
in to love the ways of God ? Oh blessed, that ever
thou wert born to be an instrument of so great a
good, if it be but to bring in one soul to be at peace
with God, so that God hath one enemy in the world
less through thy means and endeavours. Thou mayest
bless God, I say, that ever thou hadst a being, that
canst have this comfort to thy soul : though I
am a poor \wetch myself, and was a long time an
enemy to God, yet the Lord did not only bring my
soul to be at peace with him, but made me an instru-
ment to bring others to be at peace with him like-
wise, so that the Lord hath one enemy less in the
world through my endeavours. Oh, it is that that
would rejoice thy soul ! Blessed art thou that hast a
hand in this work, for it is the greatest work that
ever took up the heart of God from all eternity. Of
all the works that ever were in the heart of God from
eternity, the work of reconciling souls to himself was
the greatest work of all ; and of all the things that
God expects glory from unto all eternity, the work of
reconciling souls to himself is the thing that God
makes account to have the greatest glory from, that
ever he shall have to all eternity. Now then, if God
shall employ thee to be instrumental in so great a
work as this is, blessed art thou that ever thou didst
live in the world. That man is not blessed that
is great in the world, or hath tine clothes, but that is
the man that is a blessed man, that the Lord makes
instrumental for the furtherance of that work; for
that, above all things, his heart is most in. Besides,
we might speak of the great evils that thou deliverest
the soul of thy brother from, and the great good that
thou bringest to the soul of thy brother, and the
great blessing that thy brother's soul does bless thee
withal, if thou beest an instrument to make peace be-
tween him and God. Oh, those that are instrumental
this way have the blessing of such as they have been
instrumental of good unto. They bless God that
ever they saw such a one's face. Oh, the blessing of
God be upon such a man or woman ! I was going
on in the ways of eternal death, and partly through
the holy carriage of such a one I was convinced, and
partly through their holy persuasions I was brought
to the word, and there I met with those things that
wrought upon my heart, that I would not have been
without for ten thousand worlds. Oh, the blessing
of God be upon the soul of such a man — of such a
woman ! Why, when such a one shall lie a-dying,
going the way of all flesh, launching into the infinite
ocean of eternity, he shall lie blessing God that ever
he knew thee ; yea, and when he shall come to heaven,
shall be there blessing God that ever he knew you.
Is it not a blessed thing to labour to draw others to
be at peace with (jod?
What a blessed work is the work of the ministry
then 1 and the calling is a blessed calling. ' Oh, how
beautiful are the feet of those that bring the glad
tidings of peace ! ' So people should account it.
And the first work that a minister hath to do
when he comes to a place, is to say. Peace to that
place. ' To us,' saith Paul, ' is committed the w'ord
of reconciliation ; ' that is our great embassage ; tliis
is the work that the Lord hath designed some men
to. God may bless the endeavours of some private
men to bo peacemakers in this sense ; but the work
of the ministry is appointed by God. God hath set
them apart to be his great ordinance for the recon-
ciling the world to himself. Saith the Lord, There
are a company of poor wretches that are now in
ways of enmity against me, yet I have thoughts of
peace towards them, and I send you among them for
to carry the embassage of peace unto them, and I re-
quire and command you that you open the glad
tidings of peace to them, and that you tell them
how my heart is towards peace with them, and
that you shew them the way how they may come
to be reconciled to me, and that you do woe and
labour with them with all your might, though it be
to spend your lives with them. Yet if you can but
labour to bring them to be at peace with me, it would
be worth your lives, had you a thousand. This is the
work that I require of you. Oh, it is a blessed and
honovirable woric, and look upon it so ! Look upon
it as the great ordinance of God, appointed b}' God
to make peace between God and souls that are in a
way of enmity against him. And then indeed hath
the word had its proper work upon a people, when it
hath made peace. And oh how careful should
minsters be in this, in this their work. What a cursed
thing is it for ministers to be neghgent in such a
work as this is, when they have such a glorious end
appointed by God. And if any of you have been
brought in by the ministry of the word, and peace
made between God and your souls through it, you are
not only to bless God, but to bless the instruments
of it. This is that the ministers of God may require
as what is due to them ; for it is promised here,
' Blessed are the peacemakers.' All those whom the
Lord hath pleased to work this good upon by their
ministry, they should bless them. When you are
alone in your closets, blessing God for peace made
between God and you, you are bound in conscience to
bless the instruments of this, to bless those ministers
of God, and to pray for a blessing upon them ; be-
cause the Lord made them instruments of so great a
good unto you. And this certainly must needs be
Mat. V. 9.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
179
an encouragement to any minister to be faithful and
laborious, to spend their lives in labouring to reveal
Christ to men's souls, when they know that if they
do but gain any man's soul to be at peace with God,
that soul will bless them, and bless them for ever,
and even in the day of Jesus Christ they shall find
the blessing. ' Blessed are the peacemakers ' in that
sense.
And if so, oh how blessed is that great peacemaker
Jesus Christ, who is designed by the Father to make
up peace between man and him. All the children
of men being fallen from God in Adam, they are all
in an estate of enmity against God; that is certain.
And all the angels in heaven and men upon earth,
all the creatures in heaven and earth, could not make
peace between God and one sinful soul ; it was too
great a work for any creature. But now Jesus
Christ, the wisdom of the Father, the second person,
he looks upon the wretched, miserable estate of the
children of men, and saw that if they were left to
themselves they were all undone, and would be
eternal enemies to God, and God an eternal enemy to
them. He now steps in between, and, through the
appointment of the Father, he mediates between
wretched man and God to make up peace. He
stands, I say, as the great mediator of the second
covenant. And his heart was so much in the work
of making peace between man and God, as he was
content to lay down his life to the end he might
make peace : Col. i. 20, ' And, having made peace
through the blood of his cross.' Mai'k, Jesus Christ's
heart was so much iu being a peacemaker between
the world and God, as, though he knew it would cost
him his dearest heart blood, saith Christ, It shall go.
Yea, the Scripture tells us he was content to be a
curse for man. Oh, do but consider, you children of
men, what a distance there was between God and
you, that Christ, God and man, must come to make
peace between God and you ; and he must shed his
blood, he must be made a curse for the accomplish-
ing of this great work of God. This, my brethren,
is the great mystery of godliness ; this is that that
we should spend all our days in admiring in, in
standing and wondering, and blessing our Saviour,
the great peacemtiker. Had it not been for him, we
had all been eternally enemies to God. Oh, let our
souls bless Jesus Christ ; and the greater the curae
was upon Christ in this work, the more let our souls
bless Christ. It is the work that the angels and the
saints shall be exercised in to all eternity, in saying,
' Blessing, and honour, and praise, and worship, and
service be to him that sitteth upon the throne, and
to the Lamb for evermore ; ' for he hath redeemed
us by his blood, as in Kev. v. Those that ever knew
what the blessing of peace with God means, they
know how to bless God for Jesus Christ. And any
of you that sometimes will be blessing of God for
outward peace, for plenty and comfort that you have
in this world, I appeal to your consciences in this
question, demanding of you, in the name of God,
AVhen did you spend time above in your closets in
admiring at the glory of God in that great work of
the mediation of Jesus Christ, in making peace be-
tween God and your souls ? When was ever your
hearts taken with that great work above all things
in the world, and your spirits raised in admiring and
worshipping of God and of Jesus Christ, that great
peacemaker, blessing and magnifying and praising
the name of God, and blessing Christ his Son, who
was God blessed for ever, for this great work of his
in making peace between your souls and God ? It
would be one good argument that Christ hath been
a peacemaker for your souls, if you have had your
hearts so affected. But if there be nothing in this
work of Christ in making peace between man and
God, but you only give it the hearing, and let the
great mystery of godliness iu the gospel pass lightly
away; when you hear it, and your hearts never taken
with it, it is much to be feared, nay, it may be con-
cluded as a certain truth, that to this day yet peace
is not made between your souls and God. What his
blood may do, what the effects of it afterwards may
be, we know not, but yet it hath not this gracious
efl'ect upon you. But now we come unto the second
thing :
' Blessed are the peacemakers.'
Peacemakers between man and man, they are
blessed. As for this point I confess I intended to
speak but very little of it at this time, nor out of
this Scripture ; for in another place many sermons I
have preached about the point of heart-divisions ;
and almost every head that is needful about this
point there I handled — namely, the evil of divisions,
the causes of them, and the means how to heal them ;
and therefore thought to have passed very briefly over
this. But yet because many there are that either have
not heard, or have not use of those things for the pre-
sent, and because of the necessity of the point, I shall
speak a little about peacemaking between man and
man.
This work is a very delightful work to meddle in,
in these times especially. To meddle with the point
of peace between man and man, it is one of the diffi-
ciiltest arguments that any minister can speak of in
such times as these ; and there is scarce any one
thing wherein a minister is more put to it, to shew
the wisdom and the meekness and the spirit of Christ,
than when he meddles with this argument at such a
time as this is. Very difficult it is, because men's
hearts are so impure, such filth and uncleanness is
upon the spirits of men ; and to make peace with
them, how should one go about it ? Difficult it is,
ISO
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 9.
because there is no man almost in the world can he
brought to judge himself as any cause of want of
peace among others. If all the people in England
were together, and you should go from one to another,
and ask, What! are you any cause of the divisions
that are in England ? he would profess against it.
Ask every man, and he would disavow it : God for-
bid that I should have any hand in breaches and
divisions. One party casts it upon another, and the
other casts it upon them again. All cry for peace,
and many times even those that cry much for it are
the great hindrances of it ; yea, cry after it in such a
manner as do very much hinder it when they are
speaking about it. It is very difficult to meddle with
this, because a man cannot tell how to come to the
practice part of this ; but he must intrench upon one
side or other — he must bring some to yield some-
thing. It is impossible there should be any peace
between any two that are fallen out, if there be no
yielding on either side. The Spaniards have a pro-
verb, that stone and mortar makes a wall, because
one yields ; but two hard things will not. Now, be-
cause it is so hard for any to yield to another, there-
fore it is hard for any to meddle with the point of
peace ; yea, it is more difficult now than ever, because
we find all sorts of men that are the greatest means
of division and contention, yet they will all plead the
National Covenant, that was a covenant for union —
they will all plead it for their parties, and for the
fomenting and maintaining of disunion. It is just
here as it falls out in the point of the sacrament, that
is appointed by God to be the means of union in the
churches, it is therefore called the communion. It
is an ordinance for the union of the churches, and
through man's corruption there is nothing that ever
hath been occasion of so much disunion as the sacra-
ment hath been. And so even our covenant, though
certainly intended for union, yet through man's cor-
ruption, if heed be not taken, as it hath been made
use of, so may be further, for as great breaches as can
be. Now, to come as it were between parties that are
at variance and division, oh, how should a man
behave himself ! Truly, thinking of it at first, I was
almost discouraged to speak any word about it, be-
cause of the indisposition of men's hearts at this time
for peace. The prophet Hosea saith, chap. vii. 7,
that the people were hot as an oven. The meaning
is this, that the people had their hearts so set upon
that way and course which they were in, that what-
ever the prophet spake to them it was in vain ; as if
a man should throw a few sticks into an oven when
it was red hot, they are devoured presently and con-
sumed into ashes. As if the prophet should say. All
my speech to tliem hath no more effect, and there
appears no more of what I say to them, than there
will appear of a little straw that is cast into a hot
oven. And truly, my brethren, are not men's hearts
heated in their way of divisions, some in one way and
some in another, and seem to be resolute, and even
set on fire almost at this time, that what is said to
them is as presently devoured and comes to nothing,
as, I say, a little straw or stubble in a hot oven,
and therefore like to be as unprofitable at such a time
as this as anything, though nothing more needful ?
But though it ma}' be so unprofitable, yet because
there is so much blessedness in it, I shall address my-
self to speak a little. It is a blessed thing to be a peace-
maker. Now, certainly, those that can carry it well
shew that they have a gracious temper of heart, and
therefore are blessed. It doth argue a very gracious
and holy spiritual temper of heart to be a peacemaker
between man and man, if it be done in a spiritual
way, for spiritual ends. That man that would meddle
in point of peace with others, he had need have all
well between God and his own soul first, and had need
be of a very peaceable disposition himself; for any one
that is of a froward or turbulent disposition himself,
if he should come to talk of peace and cry out of
divisions, every one would be ready to fly in his face.
He need have much self-denial, not at aU to look at
himself, at his own party any way in respect to him-
self, but to have pure aims ; he need come with a pure
heart, to have pure aims at God and his glory, and at
public good; and then, I say, it is an evidence of
much grace in the heart, and therefore he is blessed.
He is a blessed man that carries this wisely and pru-
dently and graciously.
And then blessed, because by this means he shall
prevent abundance of evil. Oh the woeful evils_that
do proceed from jars and divisions, from national
divisions, from sea divisions, church divisions, family
divisions, personal divisions, divisions between neigh-
bour and neighbour, and the like ! I had thought to
have spoken a few words to all of them. Oh the
abundance of sin that is committed in the time of
division ! There were many great sins committed
among the people of God in former times, but I am
verily persuaded there was never, in any thirty years
since the gospel was known in England, so much
sins among godly people as there hath been these
last three years ; the people of God have more defiled
themselves by sinful distempers in these last three
years than ever they Avere defiled in any thirty since
the gospel was known in England. As in a family,
sometimes there is more sin committed in one hour,
where there are brawls and contentions and strife,
than in another family in a whole twelvemonth ; yea,
I verily believe sometimes in some persons, some one
man put into a passionate fit, into a way of contend-
ing with others, doth sometimes commit more sin in
one hour, when he is in a passionate fit, than at
another time in a whole quarter of a year ; he may
Mat. V. 9.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
181
reckon that hour an hour that contracts more guilti-
ness than, I say, all the sins that he commits some-
times in a quarter of a year besides. I fear that many
of you may find this by experience, as we read of
Moses, when he came down from the mount he
brake the two tables, when he was in a fit of anger;
but that was holy anger, it was for God. Truly so
it is; many men and women, 'in the fit of a sinful
anger, breaks both the tables, all the ten command-
ments, in one fit. Oh there is abundance of evil, of
sin, that is committed by divisions. The apostle
James saith, that where there is strife and anger
and debates ' there is every evil work,' James iii. 16.
Oh, my brethren, this it is that makes the devil so
foment our divisions, because he sees that there is so
much sin committed. What railing and reviling, what
hatred, what brawling, what sins in thought, plotting,
contriving, counselling, and what sins in word, what
sins in actions, are where there is strife and envy! no-
thing but labouring to mischief one another what
possibly they can. The devil looks at the sin and
aims at that. It is not so much the division that the
devil so much cares for, as the sin that is committed by
it. As sometimes I have made use of a similitude that
Austin hath; saith he, ' When a fowler goes to catch
fowl, he sets his net on the other side of the hedge,
and then he takes stones and flings into the hedge.'
Why, he doth not expect to kill the bird by his stones,
but to make a disturbance, and to cause the bird to
fly out, and hopes that he shall catch the bird in the
net, that is on the other side of the hedge : that is
that which he aims at. So, saith he, it is when the
devil would make divisions and stirs, he tempts men,
as it were, to throw stones one at another, and stirs
\\p strife one against another, and makes a great deal
of stir ; but that the devil aims at is the net on the
other side of the hedge — he sees that this will be the
occasion of abundance of sin, there will be bitterness
of spirit and wrath, and there will be wicked words
and actions, and so he shall catch poor souls. When
you are tempted to a fit of passion, know then the
devil expects a great deal of sin that will follow.
Now blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the
means to prevent abundance of sin ; and that is a most
blessed thing. What blessed work can a man be more
blessed in than to be a means to prevent sin ; it is a
blessed thing to prevent any one sin, but to be an in-
strument to prevent so much sin, that must needs be
blessed.
'. ' Blessed are the peacemakers,' for they are instru-
ments of abundance of good likewise. All things
flourish where there is peace; spiritual things flourish
where there is peace ; little things grow to a great
height where there is peace. ' O blessed are the peace-
makers,'theyare the causeof much good. To shew both
the evil of the want of it, and the good that is in peace,
either of these would be a large point; and I having
done it elsewhere, .shall not mention particulars now.
' Blessed are the peacemakers,' for they are in-
strumental for God in the work that God takes much
delight in. Bead but the Scripture ; you will find
there is no duty in all the book of God more urged,
more backed with arguments and motives and per-
suasions— no duty hath stronger exhortations to it
than peace. Bead but the Epistles to the Philip-
pians, Ephesians, Colossians, Eomans, Corinthians ;
when you read them you shall find continually peace
is the thing that the Holy Ghost doth most persuade
men to. And Christ himself, who is the great peace-
maker, he is tender of peace, not only between God
and us, but between man and man. He glories in
this title. Other great captains did use to glory in
the places where they had wars, as Scipio Africanus,
but Christ he takes his denomination from peace ;
he was typed out by Solomon, who was the prince of
peace ; and he came into the world in the time of
peace. And the angels they sung a song of peace,
'Glory to God on high, peace on earth;' and his
ministers were appointed to go and preach peace ; and
his kingdom it consists in righteousness and peace;
and his blessing is a blessing of peace. And when
he rose again he Spake peace; and his legacy is a
legacy of peace, ' My peace I leave with you.' And
an apostolical benediction, it is 'grace and peace'
still. So that by these things we may easily con-
clude that there is no one thing that God's heart is
more upon than to see peace. Blessed then are
the peacemakers in being so instrumental in such
a thing, in which the Lord hath so much glory
in.
Certainly they shall have the blessing likewise of
many upon them. As when David ha<l an unpeace-
able disposition in his spirit towards Nabal, and he
would do this and that against Nabal ; when Abi-
gail came, and through her wisdom, and the peace-
ableness of her spirit, did allay the heat of David's
anger, and so brought David into a more quiet and
peaceable disposition ; why, presently David blessed
God for Abigail, and blessed Abigail; 'Blessed be
thou, and blessed be thy counsel,' saith David to her,
1 Sam. XXV. 33 ; for I intended to do thus and thus.
And so if men have not very wicked and vile hearts,
though when their corruption is stirred, then they
will do thus and thus, and they will have their minds,
and make men thus to yield thus unto them ; and they
have most bitter thoughts and desperate resolutions ;
but if it jjleases God to send a son of peace to them,
some that shall come with a quiet and peaceable
spirit, and by persuasion, by laying scripture to them,
shall be a means to ap]5ease their boiling spirits, to
cool that boiling passionate heart of theirs, and so to
allay those desperate resolutions of theirs, I say, if
182
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 9.
tliey be not desperately wicked, they will see cause
to bless God for this : well, blessed be God that sent
such a man to me to prevent me, for I see I should
have done that that I should have repented of.
' Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall be called
the children of God.'
SERMON XXIX.
OR,
BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MAKE PEACE BETWEEN MAN AND MAN.
'Blessed are (he peacemtd-ers : for they shall he called the children of God.' — Mat. v. 9.
It is a blessed thing to be an instrument of peace
between man and man. I find the story of Moses,
in Exod. ii. 30, wherein he doth engage himself in a
quarrelsome business, but to the end that he might
make peace, to be recorded by the Holy Ghost after-
wards in the New Testament as a high and great
commendation of Moses. ' And when he went out
the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews
strove together ; and he said unto him that did the
wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?' Why,
now Moses he might have lived at the court, and had
all the delights that possibly might be, why would
he meddle with the Hebrews that were striving to-
gether ? In Acts vii., we find there among the great
commendations of Moses, this set forth ; ver. 26,
' And the next day he shewed himself unto them as
they strove, and would have set them at one again,
saying, Sirs, ye are brethren ; why do ye wrong one
to another?' He would have set them at one again.
The Holy Ghost forgets not this, that Moses would
not content himself to live at the court, and have all
kind of pleasure and delight there, but he would
interest himself in the fallings-out of his brethren,
so as if possibly he could to set them at one again.
The Holy Ghost remembers this in after ages. Then
somewhat is to be said about this of making and
keeping peace between men and men. It is not,
blessed are those that are at peace with sin, or seek
to make peace with men's sins and corruptions, but
peacemakers that make peace between brethren and
brethren, neighbour and neighbour ; for though we
should labour to be at peace with all men as much as
possibly we can, yet we must not so much as endea-
vour nor desire to be at peace with any sin. Though
God were infinitely willing and desirous to reconcile
the world to himself, yet he would never reconcile
sin ; God and sin can never be reconciled — God and
the least sin cannot. All the angels in heaven and
men upon earth can never reconcile God and sin ;
yea, whatever Christ did, as it was not intended by
him, so it could never reconcile God and sin together ;
but God would remain to be an eternal enemy to sin,
and that is the glory of God. So when we are en-
deavouring to make peace, we must not think to
make peace with men's corruptions, with men's sins ;
we must not so love peace as to swallow it wrapt up
with the dirt of guiltiness and of sin, not so as to
soothe and humour men's corruptions. Certainly
there is no blessedness here, but a curse. But yet
thus far, though we ought never to be at peace with
men's sins, yet we may forbear men though sinful —
we may forbear sinners ; yea, and when we come to
oppose their sins, we must oppose them only with
those weapons that God hath appointed. The magis-
trate in his place, and the church in its place, must
oppose siu. There may be a great deal of turbulency
ot spirit, more than God allows in men, in opposing
men's distempers and corruptions ; but that that we
are now speaking of is peace between man and man.
I shall therefore first labour to propound some general
rules of peace between man and man. Secondly,
Some more special rules in reference unto family
peace. Thuxlly, Some rules in reference unto neigh-
bourly peace. And I confess I had some thoughts
of rules about church peace, and commonwealth
peace ; but I shall tell you after why we shall not
speak to that now.
First, then. Some rules in general for peace between
man and man.
That is the first : That we should never use any vio-
lence to any man, but where there is a necessity. If
what we would do may be done by any means but by
violence, we should rather try it. When we see such
and such walk disordei'l}', otherwise than we would,
they do wrong. First, We should study whether there
may be any means to recall them before any violence
be used ; use that always as the last help. It is quite
otherwise with most men and women. When any-
Mat. V. 9.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
183
thing displeases them in another, they fly upon their
faces presently, and the first way which they take for
help to reduce men, it is in a violent way. Now this
is not to be the child of God. ' Blessed are the peace-
makers : they shall be called the children of God ; '
that is, as I shall shew afterwards, they shall be like
God. Now the Lord himself doth not love to 'grieve
the children of men.' So the Scripture saith, ' He
delights not in the death of a sinner ; he doth not
willingly punish.' Why, we should be like our Father.
If there can be any means that can be used besides
violence, let that be first tried ; let us first engage our-
selves there.
Secondly, If violence must needs be used, let there
not be an extent of this violence any further than
needs must. By the extent of it, I mean either in
regard of the subject against whom, or in regard of
the violeuce itself. Let it not be extended to a further
degree than needs, but mix it what possibly you can
with gentleness and love, if there be any hope of good
that way ; and extend -it not further than needs
must in respect of the subject that you do oppose.
By that I mean this, that when any do displease you,
and you must act in opposition to them ; fly not out
against all others that have any kind of likeness to
them in anything else. Indeed, you may oppose all
others that do that very unjust thing that £uch a one
doth ; but this is the frowardness and the turbulency of
men's spirits, that if any one do displease them, they
do not satisfy themselves in opposing the person that
doth it, or the thmg that is unjust, but they will fly
out against all men that have but any kind of corre-
spondency with such that are of the way that they
are of, and will not only oppose them that do displease
them in the thing wherein they are displeased, but in
all things else. Oh, this is an unpeaceable spirit! As
we read of Haman, when IMordecai had displeased
him, he did not think it enough to proceed against
Mordecai's person, but against all the people of the
Jews; his heart was against them all. And thus it is
with many; if they be but angered with any one that
is in such a way different from others, they will pre-
sently fall upon all that are of that way. It was just
the prelaticai way in former times ; if any that were
called a Puritan did but anger them, they would fall
upon all that went on in that way, and cry out of
them all ; and if they were displeased in one thing,
they would seek to revenge themselves all the ways
they could, in opposing of them in all other things.
Now this is a way of turbulency, and not the way of
peace. That is the second rule : When violence is
to be used, yet let it extend no further (either in re-
gard of the measure or the subject) than needs must.
Such a one hath done amiss ; why, I will deal with
him in his person, and deal with him about that par-
ticular thing wherein he hath done amiss. It is a
very usual thing in neighbours, if one be but angry
with one in a family, they are presently angry with
all in the family; and this causes a great deal of divi-
sion. So likewise in a town, a church, or common-
wealth. But these rules are in general.
Thirdly, If you would have peace in the world, you
must resolve beforehand to be willing that it should
cost you something. Every man would fain have
peace. When we speak of peace, saith Austin, in
his Comment upon the Psalms, all mankind desires
it presently. When you speak of peace, with one
mouth — Oh I desire it, I would wish it, I would
have it, I love it. Every one would fain have peace ;
but men and women are loath that it should cost them
anything. What is the meaning of that ? Oh they
would fain have peace, but they would fain have
everybody to be all of their mind ; they would fain
that they might do everything whatsoever they pleased,
and nobody speak against it. But now, when the
heart is set upon peace, and is used by Christ to be
a peacemaker, such a one is set upon peace, so as to be
willing to purchase it at a dear rate, yea, to purchase
it at any rate but sin. The truth is, peace is never
bought too dear but by sin. And as we say, we may
buy gold too dear ; so we may buy peace too dear, if
we betray our consciences for peace sake, or the truth
for peace sake. But let us be willing to sacrifice
what is our own and not God's, especially when it is
public peace. If every man or woman had this reso-
lution strongly set — Well, I am resolved so long as I
live, wheresoever God casts me, I will make it my
endeavour that there may be peace where I live, and
I will be at any cost that so I may procure it. Yea,
whatsoever shall be proposed as a way of peace be-
sides sin, I am resolved that that way I will take
where I see that God may have glory, and the public
good may go on. Yea, where I see the good of my
brother's soul doth depend upon it — for where there
are jars and contentions, I have heard that there 13
abundance of sin, and I find it so by experience. Now,
where I may prevent sin, and do good, I am resolved,
though it cost me dear, I will not be wanting for the
furtherance of this. This resolution must be in every
man, to be willing that it must cost him dear ; for
peace is a precious commodity, and it comes not by
wishing. Oh I would have peace ! and it comes not
by crying out one upon another, but be willing that
it should cost me something. You that cry out so
much for peace, I appeal to you, what doth it cost you?
And then the fourth rule for the furtherance of
peace is, That every man or woman should account
it the mo.st honourable thing to yield first. That
cursed principle that there is in men's hearts, that it
is a disgrace to begin to yield, if is that that makes
disturbance in the world, in all societies. But if men
were principled in this, that where there are any
184
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 9.
breaches, that man or woman begins first to yield is
the most honourable, this would be a mighty further-
ance to peace. Believe it, it is so. It is a great part
of the honour of God to begin to be reconciled to us;
so saith the Scripture : ' God was in Christ, reconcil-
ing the world unto himself.' He was in Christ — yea,
he was from all eternity in Christ. Alas! if God had
not begun with us, we should have stood out with
him to all eternity. Mankind would have been an
enemy to God eternally, if God had not begun with
him to be reconciled first. Now, is it the honour of
God to begin with us poor creatures, and is it not
the honour of his creature to begin with his fellow-
creature? Thou sayest. Let him come to me and yield
to me — I am his better; or, he hath done me the wrong,
and the inferior ought to yield. If God had stood
out with you upon these terras, and had said. Let the
creature yield which is the inferior, and any creature
that liath been unjust and done me wrong ; and what
would become of you? Well, would you be called
the child of God? then be such a peacemaker as God
is — begin the work of reconciliation first. If another
doth begin, you have lost the honour of it,- and lost a
great part of the reward of it. It is no thanks, when
another begins to be at peace, that then you come in ;
any base spirit can be brought to that. But if you for
peace sake can yield to an inferior, and seek it first,
oh, this is honourable in the eyes of God and in the
eyes of man I That is a fourth rule.
Fifthly, Look to breaches betimes. When there is
any breach between you and another — it is a gene-
ral rule that concerns states, churches, neighbours,
families — where there is any breach, begin to stop
the breach betimes ; let it not go far before you come
in with help against it. Contention and strife is
compared in Scripture to the breach of waters ; and
where there is a breach of waters, it is not to stand
and look upon it, and say. Hereafter I will stop it ;
but it concerns thee to stop it presently ; you know
not what the end of it may be. Very great breaches
do come often with very little beginnings, and a little
at the first would be a means to help very great evils
that afterwards great means will not help : that is a
further rule of peace.
Sixthly, If you find peace be hard to make, pursue
it. Pursue peace, and try one means after another ;
let it not be sufficient for you to say, Well, God
knows, I would fain be at peace, and I have used
means to be at peace ; I have made fair offers. Well,
but hath not that done the work that you desire ?
Fall to it again and again ; try more conclusions.
Whatsoever the heart of a man is in, and set upon,
he will try all the conclusions that he can for the
effecting of it. If your hearts be set upon peace,
though you have a repulse the first and second time,
you will on again. The Scripture bids us ' pursue
peace, and follow peace :' and mark my text, ' Blessed
are the peacemakers ;' he doth not say. Blessed are
the peace-wishers. Some men have good affections,
and say, I would there were peace ; and it may be
they use some slight endeavours : As for my part
I have done something for peace. Ay, but is the
thing effected, hast thou made peace ? Thou shouldest
never be at rest till thou hast made it. If there be
any means in the world untried, try what that means
will do.
Seventhly, Further, if after all the means used that
you can, you do not find it come, but still men will
be of contentious spirits, then observe this rule. How-
ever, for thine own part, resolve to walk before such in a
convincing way. They are of troublesome spirits, and
wrest every word you speak. You cannot meddle but
you foul your fingers ; yet, for all this, break off with
this resolution, I say : I will do what I can to con-
vince them in a constant way of good, of holiness,
and justice, and righteousness; if it may be, I will
heap ' coals of fire upon their head,' and melt their
hearts that way. I am resolved, whatsoever evil they
do to me, I will do good to them. As Calvin said
concerning Luther — Luther was of a violent, hot
spirit. Well, saith Calvin, let Luther call me a
devil, let him call me what he will, I will acknow-
ledge Luther to be a precious servant of God, whom
God doth use as an instrument of great good. Here
is a peaceable spirit. This is the way to make peace,
When the means have been tried, and yet it cannot
be done, men's spirits will not be quieted, yet walk
convincingly before them ; and a convincing conver-
sation, in a few months it may be — but what if it be
years? — will prevail with their hearts more than all
other means that you did use to make peace between
you and them. And truly now, in these days, the
people of God are put to as much trial in this as in
any age. I would to God he would but fasten this
one thing I am speaking of upon their hearts ! Such
clamours and outcries and reports there are among
us, that one would wonder how so much dust should
come to be raised. How men that heretofore seemed
to be godly and religious, their spirits are so embit-
tered, and even mad again, one would wonder at it.
But the best way is this, wait on the Lord and keep
his way; walk strictl}', inoffensively, commit thy cause
to God, and in time all these clamours and stirs will
wash away, will come to nothing, and thy light will
break forth as the noon-day, and God will incline
the hearts of others to thee, and they shall be con-
vinced, and say, Verily, here is a son of God, observe
his way and course ; there is nothing but the Spirit
of God appears in him. This is our way, to walk in
a convincing conversation, in a constant way; when
we cannot quiet men other ways, this will do it.
Eighthly, And then, in the last place, use much
Mat. V. 9.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
185
prayer. ' Pray for tlie peace of Jerusalem,' pray for
the peace of kingdoms, cities, churches, neighbours,
towns, families ; be much in prayer for it. This is a
good spiritual help. I might shew you Scripture for
everything ; but the point is so large, and I have
spoken heretofore about it, so that I shall but only
name the very heads of things. There is many of
you cry out of the troubles of the times, and of the
contentions that there are among men, and bitter-
ness of men's spirits ; you cry out of this, but I ap-
peal this day, in the name of God, to your con-
sciences, what time have you spent in secret to make
your moan to God, to complain to God in secret be-
tween God and your souls ? Perhaps some men, in
prayer with others, will speak of the contentions,
and it is with a spirit of contention ; but when you
have been in secret, have you poured out your hearts
with earnest prayer that God would find out means of
reconciliation ? 0 Lord, we cannot see how men
can be reconciled, men's hearts are at such a dis-
tance ; but, Lord, thou that knowest how to recon-
cile heaven and earth together, thou knowest how to
reconcile men and men ! Pray much fcr this, and
know that thy prayers at last shall return into thine
own bosom. This now in the general.
Now for the particulars. For peace in families
ohserve these rules: —
First, thus, Observe men's tempers in your family.
The husband observe the temper of the wife, and con-
sider then what she is to be indulged in in regard of
her temper; so the wife the temper of her husband,
the parent of the child, the master of the servant, and
servants to their masters; every one observe the
tempers one of another, one fellow-servant observe
the temper of the other, and it will help much to
peace in the family.
Secondly, Observe the fittest times and seasons to
debate things in a family. You have the opportunity
of any time. Be not rash in contesting one with an-
other. The husband is not to fall a-debating things
when he sees the wife in a distemper, and so the wife.
No, rather forbear. A wife would live at peace.
She complains of such and such evil carriages in her
husband ; but I appeal to you, what do you do when
there is any evil miscarriage in a husband ? Why,
you presently fly out in words against him, and then
you will debate the business when he is in a passion ;
whereas you should observe the fittest time, when
you see him to be in the most loving disposition, then
in a loving way debate what hath been unjust and
amiss in him, then set it before him, and then tell
him of it when he is in the fittest condition to hear ;
and so the husband should do accordingly to the wife.
Something, I observe, hath been done amiss ; watch
now for the time when it may be most like an admoni-
tion will take, and this would much conduce to peace.
Thirdly, If any be angry with one another for
some one thing, let them take heed that they be not
angry w^ith them for all things because there is one
thing amiss. That now you find ordinarily, if there
be anything amiss in a family, there is nothing will
please a contentious spirit, but they are angry with
everything in the family. Now wisdom would teach
you thus : there is such a thing displeases me ; ay,
but because that displeases me, what doth the other
displease me ? The other is as well done as it was
done when I was most pleased. I am now displeased
with this one thing. Let me keep the expression of
my displeasure within bounds to the thing that hath
displeased me ; let not me have my gall to run over.
That is a great disease that physicians observe in the
body, when the gall runs over, and doth not keep in
its proper place. So when anything displeases me,
for me to have a heart angry and bitter against all
things, this is a great make-bate in a family.
Fourthly, Let superiors desire obedience out of
love rather than out of fear; and let inferiors obey
rather from love than from fear, or from necessity.
What is the cause of the disturbance in families but
this, the servants they will never care for obedience,
nor children, but merely out of fear, when they must
needs, or out of necessity they must do it, and there-
fore they do it ; and governors they carry themselves
towards their children and servants as if they did not
regard their love at all, but they regard to have their
will. Let my servant do my work and will, and
there is all that I care for. Now, if you will be car-
ried by such principles as these are in a family, cer-
tainly there will be a great deal of disturbance there ;
but now when in a family the master or mistress
would have them obey, and their care is, oh that I
might have obedience from love, that what they do
they may do for me out of love; and so the husband
not only care to have his wife to be under him, but
to do all she doth out of love, and not out of neces-
sity. Now it is not a little will breed disturbance in
that family, but there is abundance of peace there,
where the superiors do desire and endeavour obedi-
ence out of love rather than fear, and where the
inferiors do obey and serve rather from love to
their superiors than from necessity that they must
doit.
Fifthly, Observe that when at any time there is
most cause to oppose others in the family for any
evil, be sure to labour at that time to shew most love;
then, above all times, manifest your greatest love
unto them, that they may be persuaded that you do
intend their good. Let a man love me and beat me,
as the proverb is. If you have occasion to manifest
displeasure in your family, then your care should be
to manifest love, that those that you manifest dis-
pleasure against may be convinced that even at that
186
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 9.
time you love them. Certainly this -svill mightily
allay the bitterness of spirit ; for otherwise, if you
oppose them out of bitterness, though the cause be just
why they should be opposed, yet if it be out of bitter-
uess, bitterness will raise bitterness. And so, though
the other be the guilty person, yet instead of subdu-
ing his corruption, you will but only stir up his cor-
ruption ; but now, if you shall so oppose him in his
way as to reprove him, or if there be cause punish
him, yet so as to carry yourselves towards him so as
he cannot but be convinced you intend good, and no
hurt to him, this will mightily overcome his spirit,
and so will be much peace in the family. It is the
promise made to Jerusalem, in the prophecy of
Isaiah, ' That it shall be a quiet habitation.' Oh, it
is a great blessing upon a family if it may be said,
this is a quiet habitation ! Come from morning to
night, from the beginning of the week to the end,
yea, from the beginning of the year to the end, you
shall see nothing but quietness here. It is the bless-
ing upon Jerusalem, and so upon your families. Oh
these are the children of God ! Here is nothing but
peace and quiet here. Every one knows how to do
his duty — the governors theirs, children and servants
theirs ; and so it is a quiet habitation.
Now then for neighbours. Whosoever will meddle
in that had need be much self-denying, and very wise,
and very loving, and very meek in dealing with them.
And these rules are to be observed for peace between
neighbour and neighbour : —
First, Entertain nothing against a neighbour merely
upon hearsay. Take heed of that. A great deal of
fire is kindled, and stir there is between one neighbour
and another. Why, what is the matter ? When it
comes to be examined, it is nothing at all ; it was a
mere fancy — as sometimes soldiers have a false alarm —
and there is no truth in anything ; but as soon as
they come to confer one with another, they shake
hands and are friends together. Oh, take heed of
entertaining anything merely by hearsay. Consider
this peace between me and my neighbour ; it is pre-
cious, and I am loath to lose the benefit, the sweet-
ness| of it, for nothing. Therefore I will inquire
whether it be true or no, and if need be I will rather
go to him himself to know it, than I will entertain
grudges, and that that may breed contention between
us. That is the first rule.
Secondly, Take heed of being peremptory in thy
judgment in thine own cause, but be willing to hear
those that are not interested in the cause ; and,
above all times, take heed of your judgment in time
of passion. Though men are never so resolute as
they are in time of passion, yet the truth is, men are
never so unable to judge as they are when they are
angry. Of all times, do not believe your own judg-
ment, if anger be once got up. When once the thing
is got into the affections, the judgment then vanishes; ^
men have the weakest judgments in their passion,
and yet they will be the most peremptory in their
judgments then. That is the second rule : If you
would have peace among neighbours, be not too
peremptory in your judgments in your own cause,
and especially believe not your judgments in your
time of passion, but rather go and think of it — pray
over it.
Thirdly, (that may be a distinct one,) Do not fall
out with any neighbour till you have been before at
prayer, that God would direct you in this business.
Oh, here is a business falls out that is like to bring a
great deal of disturbance. Lord direct me ; Lord
help me. Guide me in this, that I may do nothing
dishonourable to thy great name — nothing disagree-
able to thy will. I appeal to your consciences in
this, you that have had to deal with neighbours, I
appeal but to your consciences in this thing ; can
you say thus : There was never any falling out be-
tween me and any neighbour, but I went first to God
to direct me in the business, and to teach me how I
should behave myself about it, with a resolution to
walk according to what directions God should grant
to me by his word and by his Spirit ? Certainly your
contentious men, and unpeaceable men, they seldom
pray — they seldom commend the cause to God ; and
therefore God leaves them to themselves, to ^hring
such a deal of trouble, both to themselves and unto
others.
Fourthly, Let nothing be brought into public view
before private means have^been used. Whatsoever of-
fence there is between one neighbour and another,
yet observe this rule — it is a rule that Christ tells iis —
If thy brother offend thee, tell him his fault between
him and thee alone ; and if yet he continues in his
evil, then take two or three privately. Afterwards
bring it to the church. So that this concerns Chris-
tians, that whatsoever offences fall out, first private
means is to be used, and we are not to make any in-
firmities, any faults of any of our brethren known
in public, until we have tried private means. In-
deed, if the fault be public, then there may be public
means used without any more ado ; but if the thing
that is done be private, do not you bring it into
public before you have used private means to help.
A fifth means of peace is this : Oh, labour to en-
gage one another in duties of love ; make account
that it is a great benefit to you, if God oflfers you an
opportunity to engage a neighbour to yourself We
should study peace. When men or women are en-
gaged one to another, then they will not easily break
peace. But when they live as strangers one towards
another, then every little thing makes them break the
peace.
' Peril omiie judicium cum res transit in affectum.
Mat. V. 9]
BUEROUGHS ON THE' BEATITUDES.
187
Sixtlily, Another rule is this : If my good crosses
my neighbour's commodity or conveniency, if any-
thing tliat I would have do cross the mind of my
brother, let me account it an affliction to me.
Though, it is true, I may lawfully desire my right ;
yet if I find I cannot have my right without conten-
tion with my brother, I should make account of it as
a great affliction to myself. Indeed, God doth not
deny men to seek their right ; but if they see they
cannot have it without their brother's affliction, they
should account it an affliction to themselves.
Seventhly, Farther, delight thou in doing good
thyself, and rejoice to see others do good ; that is the
way of peace. If once a spirit of envy doth prevail
in the hearts of men, there is nothing will keep them
at peace. One man envies at another ; he sees such
a man gets more than he. Such a man gets the
credit and honour of such a thing more than I. Now
when a spirit of envy prevails, there will come a
sijirit of contention. But when men labour to do
what good they can in the places that God hath set
them, and they can rejoice in what good they see
God makes others to be an instrument of, they can
appeal to God : Lord, thou knowest what a joy it is
to my heart to hear or see that thou makest others
to be an instrument of good as well as I. This is
acceptable to God.
Eighthly, And then the last thing that I would
propound is this, That there should be often neigh-
bourly meetings for the keeping of peace, and the
' making peace where there is any breach of it, and
specially those that are of the chief in places and
towns. And these meetings should be in their own
houses; it is most honourable, and safe, and comely,
and like to be most profitable, for men in parishes
and towns to meet together at their own houses,
and not to make the place of their meetings to be in
taverns. For tliough, it is true, it is not simply un-
lawful in itself for friends to meet there ; but though
it be not in itself simply unlawful, yet certainly it is
more honourable for those that are chief in towns
that they can meet together in their own habita-
tions. And there is more love in meeting together at
their own houses than at the tavern ; and there is
not so much danger there; though they intend no
hurt when they go, yet there is a greater tempta-
tion there ; although sometimes it is but little that
is either eat or drunk, yet at some other times there
may be excess. And so the business of peace and
love may run into the business of excess in eating
and drinking, and pleasing the flesh, and so no good
at all done, but rather before they part one from
another, fall out one with another, when they have
taken somewhat too liberal of the use of the creature.
And therefore, though the thing be not in its own
nature evil, yet you know what the rule of the
apostle is, Phil. iv. 8, ' Whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things
are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think
on these things.' Certainly, those that shall be
instruments of this are instruments of great good;
they are blessings to the places where they live, and
many will bless God for them. What abundance of
good may but half-a-dozen chief men in a parish or
town do this way, if they would set themselves about
it, and not say, Well, I have business of my own,
and what have I to do with them ? This, I had
almost said, is the language of Gain, when as God
inquired about his brother Abel, ' Am I my brother's
kee])er ? ' saith he. Let no man say, Am I my
brother's keeper ? I must look to business of mine
own. Know it is thy business, if thou wilt approve
thyself to be a child of God. As God hath made it
to be the greatest work that ever took up his heart
to reconcile the world to himself, so you that are
eminent in places should account it your own work
to reconcile differences in parishes, and not let things
break out to bitterness, and violence, and rage. What
good is there done then ? llany times when you
have meetings, perhaps you are in a fair way of com-
posing things, and carrying all things with a joint
consent for the furtherance of the gospel, and the
good of the place that God hath set you in. Why,
one froward word puts them, all into a fire pre-
sently, and there is the loss of an opportunity of
abundance of glory that might have come to God.
What ! dost thou regard more thy passion and
humour, and to stand upon thy terms and honour —
dost thou regard this more than public service for
God, or church, or commonwealth ? Thou art not
one of God's. A child of God would regard the
cause of God more than his private cause. And
therefore blessed are the peacemakers, either in
families or parishes. Oh then blessed are the peace-
makers in church and commonwealth. I confess
many things I had in my thoughts to have spoken
concerning these two ; but times are so for the pre-
sent, and the spirits of men are in such a fit, that I
could not satisfy my conscience in this, to think it a
seasonable time to meddle with anything. For I
could not meddle with making peace, but I must
shew you something about our ditferences, and what
one side would have and the other. Now, were
men's spirits in any quiet frame, fitting to hear it, it
would be an acceptable work ; but for the present,
seeing men's spirits are in such a fit, I am verily
persuaded that whatsoever is said would be as
stubble to an oven. And therefore I rather desire
to forbear, and commit the cause to God, desiring
him to make peace among us.
188
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 9.
SERMON XXX.
OR,
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDEPENDENCY AND PRESBYTERY.
' Blessed are the peacemakers : for they sludl be called the children of God.' — Mat. v. 9.
You know I have not as yet meddled with any
matters of controversy among you, but give rne
leave in a few words plainly to speak a little to that
great controversy that they call independency and
presbytery. I will but shew you, first, where lies
the principal difference there; for a great many
there are whose spirits are mighty hot and violent
one against another. But come to demand of these
men. Do you know the controversy ? do you know
what it is? They are not able to give you an
account where doth the main thing he. Some will
tell you that Independents would have no kind of
government at all, and a general toleration for all
things ; this, they think, is the difference. And upon
this they are misled to those things that, were they
rightly informed, they could not be misled unto ; for
I make no question, but many whose spirits are very
hot this way, yet are very godly, holy, gracious men,
and go according to their conscience, and think they
do God good service in a very strong opposition of
them, and were it not for that they would not do as
they do. Therefore, but in a word, to give you the
main thing that is called independency, and that
that is called presbytery, that hinders so much the
peace among us.
■ The great thing is this, those that they call Inde-
pendents, they are persuaded, first, that there can be
no kind of power and authority in the church, but
that that is set in it by Christ, no officers at all but
them that are set in it by Christ — some of the other
judgments go thus far; but here it may be it may weigh
a little further, that as every office in the church and
officer must be appointed by Christ, so the extent of
that office, how far it should go, must be appointed
by Christ. For as it is in the commonwealth — though
this prove not, yet it may illustrate — as there can be
no court and judicature in a commonwealth but by
the authority of the supreme judicature, so no juris-
diction in the cViurch but by the authority of the
supreme, Jesus Christ ; and as it appoints the office,
so it appoints the extent of the office, how far it should
go. But this to make way.
Now for the controversy. Say those they call
Independents, For our part we think this, that the
ruling power of ministers, that Christ hath appointed
to feed people by word and sacraments, extends no
further than where Christ hath appointed them, for
to feed, by word and sacraments, in their .pastoral
power. Look, how far Christ hath given them power
and authority to feed a people by word and sacra-
ments, to take charge of the souls of a people ; so far
Christ hath given them power to rule over them in
his name, and no further.
Now those that they call presbyters, they think
they may go further, that though such and such
ministers have only a pastoral charge but in one con-
gregation, he cannot challenge in any pastoral rela-
tion to come and preach and administer sacraments
but in this congregation ; yet they think that by
joining with others, his ruling power shall have an
extent to a hundred or a thousand congregations that
his face never saw, whenas the pastoral charge of his
for word and sacraments doth extend in an ordinary
way but to one. Now for my part, whoever thinks
there is a greater controversy in these two, but this
I am speaking of, he sees further than I can do in it.
Here the controversy mainly lies, whether the ruling
power of any minister extends further than his pastoral
power for word and sacraments — whether he hath the
charge of others to rule them together with others, and
not the charge of them in an equal way to feed them
in word and sacraments. Now I do not come to plead
this way or that way for either side, but only so far
as may be for peace.
If the controversy lies here, I appeal to your con-
sciences, Are you so certain, so sure of one side, that
you can joiu in a violent opposition of the other ? Is
one so clear and evident to you, as you can take upon
you, as )'ou would answer it before Christ, to use all
the power of civil magistracy for to force one or the
other side ? For so I speak of either ; for I would
account it a very great evil for those that profess in-
dependency to force such as profess presbytery to
be of their minds or practice. And so I think it will
Mat. V. 9.]
BUEROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
189
not be acceptable to Jesus Christ for the one by a civil
way to force the other, and it will never prove to be
the way of peace.
But now if you will say, We wOl force them to do
so ; it is true you may by an iron chain tie men
close together that they shall not be able to go at
such a distance ; but will that make peace here in the
church of Christ in respect of men's hearts ?
There is one thing more that I have observed hath
been a cause of the breaking of peace exceedingly, and
that is, the mistake of the point of schism ; for that
because we have that word in the covenant, men think
in conscience that what is indeed truly schism they
are bound to oppose with all their might, let become
of peace what will ; for that that the Scripture accounts
schism, certainly we are bound by all lawful means,
according to the covenant, to oppose.
But I beseech you consider this first, whether if
any man that is a member of a church — for this is
cried out of — that whosoever shall depart from the
church that is acknowledged by himself a true church,
and especially shall join with others, this man is a
schismatic.
For to understand this aright, that there may not
be the breaking of more peace than need, suppose that
there be some men truly godly and conscientious that
are in a church, but there is some tiling done in the church
that they cannot believe to be the mind of Christ ;
nay, after all examination, after prayer, after seeking
to God, yet they cannot see it to be the mind of
Christ, but they should sin if they should join with
them. They can testify to God, their own consciences
witnessing for them, that they would gladly join with
such a church in all the ways of God's worship, but
La such and such ways they cannot without sin to
their own consciences. They labour to inform them-
selves, they go to the elders, go to others in all
humility to shew their doubts in this thing ; and
after the receiving of reasons from them, they depart,
and they do in conscience to God examine them
between God and their souls, and pray over them, that
God would reveal these things unto them if they be
his mind. Now after all this is done, yet if they
cannot see, what would you have these men do ?
Suppose there be a hundred of them ; they cannot
communicate, yet they are not presently to rend
from the congregation, but to wait a while to see
whether God will convince them. Now after all
means used, and they cannot be convinced, shall
these men live without the ordinances of the sacra-
ment all the days of their lives ? Hath Christ so
tied a member of a congregation, that if he cannot
without sin to him join with the church, that he must
never join with any other ? Truly there had need be
clear warrant for this if any one shall affirm it. But
now suppose these should in all humility desire that
they might have liberty together to join hi the ordi-
nances of Christ. They hold all the foundations of
this church, yea, they account them brethren, they
look upon them as godly, and in those ordinances
wherein they can, they will join with them ; but they
cannot in such and such, and they must either join
in some other fellowship, or they must be without
those ordinances all their days. Now if these men
shall in their lives appear godl}', and walk peaceably
towards others, so far as they can see the mind of
God, do you think in your consciences that this is the
schism that is spoken against in Scripture, that we
are to oppose, and that that men so oppose now, which
they call schism ? I would put the case thus : In the
bishops' time there were a company, you know, that
were accounted non-conformists, which were very godly
men ; they could not conform to kneeling, suppose,
or in any other ceremony, either in baptism or the
supper of the Lord, and so they could not join with
the congregations in the supper of the Lord. Upon
this the bishops called them schismatics; and it was
upon no other ground, they said. Now there are
many of our brethren at this day, yea, I believe most
of the godly ministers in England within a few years,
did account those men that could not join at sacra-
ments, because of kneeling and the cross, to be in an
error ; I say, the most godly men in the kingdom did
believe it, and I beheve many do so still.
But you will say. Though withdrawing from a con-
gregation indeed which they could not join withal
without sin, that was not schism ; yet if they had
gathered into another congregation, that had been
schism. Then this satisfies,
First, In the point of negative schism ; but for
positive schism, to that I put this consideration to
you, only that we might a little mollify men's spirits :
Suppose these men might have had leave from the
state — as suppose this law had been made that all
men whose consciences cannot be brought to submit
to kneeling at sacrament, and the cross in baptism,
and cannot acknowledge the authority of prelates,
that they shall have in such places in the city such
meetings and such congregations where they shall
enjoy the sacrament without those ceremonies, and
without the acknowledgment of the authority of
bishops — I say, suppose the state had allowed this,
had these men been schismatics ? As suppose all our
brethren of Scotland that were in England in former
times, why, abundance of them that lived in parishes
they could not kne?l at sacrament; now if this Uberty
had been given them, that all of the kingdom of Scot-
land that hved in the city of London, that they should
have some particular place in the city, and should
enjoy what they would there.
Ay, you will say, if the state had allowed them,
then they were not.
190
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. Y. 9.
But now consider of this, Scliism is a churcli sin ;
and if anything be schism before the state allow it, it
is after the state allows it. When it comes to break
any order in the state, then it is a sin of another
nature ; but when we speak of schism properly so
called, it is only a sin of the church. Now, if it be
a schism before the state allows it, it will be a sin
■when the state allows it, that is certain ; the allow-
ance or not allowance of the state doth not change
the nature of the thing. And I am confident that
there is scarce any of you that are godly but would
have thought it in former times a great mercy if those
that were Non -conformists had had so much favour
from the state as to have liberty to have joined to-
gether in such and such places appointed for them ;
that so long as they are orthodox in their opinions, so
long as they lived godly and peaceable, they should
have had liberty. If this had been, I believe not one
of you would have accounted them schismatics. Now,
if there be other godly men in the kingdom whose
consciences cannot be satisfied in some other things,
and yet you know their lives are godly — you know
they are orthodox in all fundamentals of religion,
they join with you, they desire to communicate with
you in hearing the word and prayer, and all ways
wherein they can ; now if they should have a desire
to enjoy the ordinances of Christ in that way wherein
they may do it with peace of conscience, why, they
are cried out of as schismatics ; it is against the cove-
nant, and must not be suflered. Here lies a mistake^
and were there a right understanding of things, there
might be ways for brethren to live together in unity,
and enjoy their consciences in the fear of God, and
walking peaceably one with another. But this shall
suffice for this thing. Blessed are they that are peace-
makers in such times as these. For my part, so far,
through God's mercy, God hath made me sensible of
the evil of breaches of peace, that should my life go
for the procuring of it, I should account it as great a
mercy, next the revealing Christ to me, as ever I had
in my life. If, I say, my life might go for the making
peace between these two sorts of men, and so it should
be all your resolutions not to go violently on in any
way, but to study what ways there may be for peace
between brethren and brethren. Now I shall say no
more about this, and it is like you may never hear
me further to speak about such things as these are,
except there should be very great occasion for it.
We therefore proceed to the promise :
' Ble.5sed are the peacemakers : for they shall be
called the children of God.'
Here is a most excellent promise to peacemaking.
One would think it would encourage any Uving to la-
bour for peace what they could, when from the mouth
of Christ it is said, ' They shall be called the children
of God' — the sons of God, so you may read the word.
First, Why are peacemakers called the children
of God ? And
Why is this promise here annexed to peacemaldng
rather than to what went before ?
They shall be called so, saith Christ, because in
this work of peacemaking they are like to God ;
they do work in the work that the heart of God is
as much in as in any work whatsoever. There is
no work, as I have told you before, that ever the
heart of God was more in from all eternity, no work
ab extra more than in reconciling the world to him-
self ; and so those that are peacemakers, their hearts
r^re in that work wherein God's heart is in so much ;
therefore they shall be called the children of God, for
they are so like God. God is of a peaceable spirit,
of a loving spirit, of a spirit of kindness. Now
peacemakers they shew themselves to be of the
same ' spirit that God is of ; and so, being so like
God, are said to be the children of God. As those
that are like the devil are said to be the children of
the devil, so those that are like God the children of
God,
And further. As by their peacemaking they shew
themselves like to God, so by being the sons of God
they come to make peace. As thus, they look upon
their Father, that is a God of peace, and this moves
them to peace, and the sweet satisfaction that their
souls have in the fatherly love of God, in those pri-
vileges they enjoy as the children of God — I say, that
sweet satisfaction that they have in this, it makes
them to be of peaceable dispositions ; there is nothing
makes a man or woman to be of a peaceable disposi-
tion more than when they find satisfaction within
their own hearts. As now, for instance, suppose a
merchant that hears of a rich ship that is come home
from the Indies, wherein he hath a great venture ; ay,
but now when he comes home perhaps his children be
imtoward, and his wife not in any good temper, yet he
hath so much satisfaction within, in his own spirit,
that you will not have him readily angry then, be-
cause he is so comforted with what news he hath
heard concerning his estate, he will bear with a hun-
dred things in that family at that time. But let the
same man at another time go abroad and meet with
crosses, and hear of ill news abroad, he comes dis-
contented home, and he is froward with everybody
then, and ready to fly upon servants and children ;
and the ground is for want of satisfaction with-
in, in his own spirit. Certainly this is the cause
of much wrangling and contention in men's spirits ;
they have some guiltiness within, and have not
satisfaction within in their hearts. But now those
that are the children of God, that know God to be
their Father, and enjoy those sweet and blessed pri-
vileges of God's children, they find so much satisfac-
tion within in their own hearts, as, let the world do
Mat. V. 9.]
BUKROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
191
what they ^vill — for the -world must be the world, and
wicked men must be wicked men — let them go on in
their way, let me indeed pray for them, and mourn
for them, but let not them disturb my peace. ' Oh
my soul, return unto thy rest.' I tind that that
satisfies me ; and so these will be very peaceable to-
wards others, and therefore this is joined to the
peacemakers, 'they shall be called the children of
God ; ' that is, they shall be so, and so accounted.
And they shall be so accounted ; that is a higher
degree. It is a great blessing to be a child of God,
that you will all say, though the world should think
you the child of the devil, and call you devil ; though
they should deal with you as they did with John
Huss — they pictured devils upon his coat when he
went to martyrdom, as if he were come out of hell.
Ay, but he was the sou of God for all that. Christ
himself he was not always called the child of God,
but he was called Beelzebub and the prince of devils.
But it is some addition to this blessedness here that
they are called so ; that is, that they have such a
promise from Christ as not only to be the children
of God, but they shall be so in the very hearts and
consciences of the men among whom they live.
Peacemaking is so convincing, there is so much
beauty and excellency in it, as will convince almost
any man. Peacemaking hath such a convincing
power, as tliat men that are wicked themselves, yet
they shall be forced in their consciences to believe ;
surely these people, these men and women, are no
other than the children of God — it is the Spirit of
God that acts them and guides them. You may
plainly see that peacemaking is very convincing,
because no man or w'oman will own to have any hand
in breaking of peace ; as I remember I told you that
if we should go and ask all the men and women in
England from one to another. What ! do you hinder
our peace ? there is never a man or vi'oman would
own it, and yet there are many guilty certainly.
Well, as that is so foul to break peace that none
will own it, so to make peace is so excellent that
everybody is in love withal. Though men and women
that have perverse and crooked spiiits of their own,
so that they cannot bring their hearts to be peace-
able with others, yet they can love it where they see
it in others, and especially when they see men to be
of peaceable dispositions in things that do not much
concern themselves ; yea, they are at peace so as they
are willing to suffer much in their own private cause,
so be it that they may make peace, that there may not
be sin committed ; but that the glory of God may go
on, that this peace may be furthered, they are willing
themselves to suffer. Now when others that are of
froward and selfish dispositions, when they see this
in such a man or woman, it causes other manner of
thoughts. Indeed my conscience tells me that if
any anger me I will be even with them, I cannot bear
it ; ay, but I see others bear it. My conscience tfeUs
me that if one, especially my inferior, doth wrong
me, I will make him come and submit to me, and he
shall begin first. Ay, but I see others, though they
be wronged, they will be willing to sufl'er, and all out
of love to peace ; for they get nothing by it but merely
to make peace between neighbour and neighbour, or
man and man. Why, certainly this is no other than
the child of peace. Methinks every time I see these
I am put in mind of God, the God of peace ; I am
put in mind of Jesus Christ, the prince of peace ; I
am put in mind of the Holy Ghost, that dove-like
Spirit ; certainly these are the children of God. By
this men shall come to be convinced that they are
the children of God. That is the meaning of this
promise.
Now then for the thing itself : ' They shall be
called the children of God.' There are these two
points :
Doct. 1. That it is a blessed thing to be a child of
God.
Doct. 2. It is a great mercy and blessing likewise
not only to be so, but so to give and so to walk be-
fore others, as to convince the consciences of others,
so as they cannot but account us to be so. These
are the two points.
For the opening now of this blessedness of being
the child of God. The point you cannot but think it
should be large, if we should handle it in common
plain ways ; but that I shall not do. I need not
name scriptures to you : ' Behold what manner of
love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God.' Oh this is the love
of God indeed, that we should be called the sons of
God ; and it is the fruit of election : in Eph. i. 5,
' Having predestinated us unto the adoption of chil-
dren by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the
good pleasure of his will.' ' Hath predestinated us.'
To what ? ' Unto the adoption of children.' That is
the special thing that God aims at in predestination ;
that is the blessing. When God was looking upon
the lump of the children of men, Well, saith he,
there are some that I mean to pass by and leave to
the course of justice. Oh, but there are others that
are good in mine eyes — that is, I make them so ;
and I will set them apart to the adoption of sous ;
they shall be my children ; and I will be a Father
to them for ever. Now that that I thought to have
spoken of in this point should have been first the
opening of this blessedness, in being the child of
God.
First, What is the mystery of godliness in tliis
point ? And then,
Second, AVhat are the great privileges those that
are the children of God do come to enjoy by it ?
192
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 9.
First, the great mystery of godliness tliat there is
in this point. God -ivorks very wonderful in this, in
bringing sons to himself.
As, Brst, We must understand it as a mystery
of godliness ; because those that were before chil-
dren of wrath, children of disobedience, are now
made the children of God. There is no child of God
that God hath, but only that only Son Jesus Christ,
but was a child of wrath before he was a child of God
actually made. Every man or woman that is a child
of God now, certainly was a child of wrath before.
And for God to make of children of wrath to be his
children, this is a mystery revealed in the Scripture
only, that we would not have come to have known by
the light of nature. And it shews the blessedness of
man, too, to be the children of God, when we were
the childi-en of wrath and of disobedience, and enemies
to God.
Secondly, The mystery of godliness consists in this,
that though they be adopted children, yet they are h>y
regeneration too ; this is a mystery of the gospel. We
are said to be adopted children in Scripture. Now,
among men, the same man cannot be adopted and
begotten both, a child by adoption and a child by
generation, of the same man. But it is so here; all the
children of God are the children of God by adoption,
and yet the children of God by generation, not in
that way of generation as the second person in Trinity
is the Son of the Father, nor as he is God-man, con-
ceived by the Holy Ghost ; but by another work of
the Holy Ghost, which is next unto that. The next
most glorious work of the Holy Ghost is for to re-
generate children unto God by an immortal seed of
the word, to beget them unto God ; and yet for all
this they are children by adoption. Now adoption
is that whereby a man, when he hath no child of his
own, doth take up and own another to be his child
or heir. So we, that \vere not children ourselves by
nature, God now, by his unspeakable grace, doth
adopt us. But in that he doth adopt us and re-
generate us both, this is a great mystery of the gospel
that is in this point.
Thirdly, The great mystery is in this, that they
are the children of God by their union with Jesus
Christ the only Son of God ; they come to their sou-
ship by their union with Jesus Christ the eternal
Son of God ; they come to be children of God in a
higher way than could be by creation ; in a higher
way than the angels are children of God. The
Scripture, indeed, calls the angels tlie sons of God.
Ay, but the saints are sons of God in a higher way
than the angels are. The angels are not the sons of
God by their union with the eternal Son of God, and
being made one with him ; and from the rays, as I
may say, and glorious beams of his sonship, they are
not made so. So that every believer, every peace-
maker that is godly, is a child of God by virtue of his
union with the eternal Son of God, and he hath the
rays and the glory of that sonship of his to shine
upon him. Now this sonship is a higher degree of
sonship than by nature. Adam was a son of God
so, and the angels ; but this is higher. By faith we
are made the sons of God.
Fourthly, There is this mystery in it, that all the
children of God are heirs, every one of them. It is
not so with men. Men that have many children,
yet but one is an heir. But all the children of God
are heirs ; every one, sons and daughters too, they are
all heirs. This is the glory of the saints ; for so the
scripture saith, ' If sons, then heirs.' He doth not
say, if we be eldest sons ; but if we are sons, we are
heirs. So in Rom. viii. 17.
Fifthly, But then there is a fifth mystery that is
higher than this. Not only every one of them heirs,
but they are joined co-heirs with Jesus Christ. To
be co-heirs one with another is a great blessedness ;
but for every one of them to be co-lieirs with Jesus
Chi-ist, that is a high blessedness indeed. As thus,
look what inheritance Jesus Christ the eteinal Son
of God hath, that inheritance, so far as any believer
is capable of the enjoyment of the good of it, he hath
and shall have together vvfith Jesus Christ. It is in
the same place, Rom. viii., 'And if children, then
heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chiist.'
Perhaps before they come to inherit, here among
men they have not a foot of land ; but they are the
heirs of God. Though not heirs of a nobleman or
prince, or have not, I say, a foot of land in the world,
yet they are the heirs of God — yea, and they are joint
heirs with Christ. There are these two things in that :
First, They have an interest in all Christ's inherit-
ance. Surely thou art rich and glorious however thou
art in the world — the poorest youth, or man, or
woman, or maid that God brings to himself to be re-
conciled. I say, whatsoever thou art in the world,
Jesus Christ is not an heir to more than thou hast
an interest in. Thou hast an interest in all that
glory and blessedness and excellency there is in Jesus
Christ, in all that ever God the Father will do for
Jesus Christ ; and therefore, in John xvii. 23, saith
Christ there, speaking to his Father, ' And hast loved
them, as thou hast loved me.' Surely there is blessed-
ness enough then, if thou shalt come to have the same
love from God the Father that Jesus Christ hath from
God the Father. AVhy, so it is; thou art a co-heir
with Christ. That is the first thing.
But then, secondly. Thou art as certain of thy sal-
vation and glory as it is certain that Jesus Christ shall
be hajipy for ever ; because thou art a co-heir with
Jesus Christ. You know, when men are co-heirs, the
title of one is as certain as the other. If you be but
a co-purchaser with another, then you have as true a
Mat. V. 9.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
193
right in such a land or house as they have. Now
Jesus Christ, though he be our elder brother, yet he
is called an everlasting Father. Now, we are joint
co-purchasers ; ay, but it is more to be a co-heir than
a co-purchaser : the right of inheritance is better and
a more noble right than the right of purchase, and
in some case it may be more certain. Now this is
the right of the saints to all the good that Jesus Christ
hath, they may be as certain of it as Christ himself.
Christ himself shall be disinherited as soon as a be-
liever, because a believer is a co-heir with Jesus Christ.
Oh, blessed then are the peacemakers, for they are
the children of God, and the children of God in a
glorious mystical way. Such children, as they are
co-heirs with Jesus Christ, have interest in his glory,
and can be no more disinherited than Jesus Christ
himself can. And I will give you one scripture as a
most excellent comfort to the saints, that Christ here
doth join himself and them together in the relation
that he and they have to his Father : in John xx.,
the latter end of ver. 17, ' I ascend unto my Father,
and your Father ; and to my God, and your God,'
saith Christ. It is as comfortable a scripture almost
as I know any in the book of God. I ascend to my
Father ; ay, and your Father too. He that is my
Father, is your Father; you have interest in my
Father as well as I : 'I ascend to my Father, and
your Father ; to my God, and your God.' Oh, who
can utter the soul-satisfying, soul-ravishing consola-
tion there is in this, that the same God that is the
God of Jesus Christ is my God, and the same Father
that is the Father of Jesus Christ is my Father ! Oh
' blessed are the peacemakers : they shall be called the
children of God ! '
SERMON XXXL
OR,
WHAT THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS IS IN ADOPTION.
' Blessed are the peacemal'ers : for they shall be called the children of God.' — Mat. v.
9.
Yea, they are heirs of all, of all the inheritance — the
whole inheritance is every one's. Among men, the
more one hath, the less the other hath. A father,
though he be rich, if he gives one child a great por-
tion, if the elder doth inherit, the younger hath the
less ; or if he would divide his inheritance, if one hath
a gi'eat deal, the other hath but little. But it is not
so in the children of God's inheritance. There is no
one child of God hath less because the other hath
more, but every one inherits all there is in God, all
there is in Christ, all there is in heaven ; it is the
inheritance of every child of God one way or other,
for the good of every one.
Sixthly, Another particular is this, that now in
Christ there is a great deal more privilege than there
was in former times to the child of God. That is one
of the mysteries of the gospel. Oh, it is true ; Is not
Ephraim my dear son ? The saints in former times
were God's children, but in the times of the gospel
they have far higher privilege and prerogative than
before ; this is a part of the mystery of the gos-
pel. Formerly God had children in nonage, under
tutorage : all the saints, the most eminent of them.
were as children in their nonage, and came not to
their inheritance ; but we are as children, in compari-
son of them, that are of years. That is made out clearly
to us in Gal. iv. : ' Now I say. That the heir, as long
as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant,
though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and
governors until the time appointed of the lather.
Even so we, when we were children, were in bon-
dage under the elements of this world : but when the
fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son,
made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law, that we might receive
the adoption of sons.' So that it seems, till Christ
came, there was no receiving the adoptions of sons.
Why, were not the saints children before Christ came ?
Truly, in regard of God's usage of them, they were
not as children, they were not sons — that is, they were
not sons of age, to come to enjoy their inheritance,
but they were sons ; as kings' sons, when they are
little children, have their tutors and governors, that
use them as other children of meaner men, so were
they used, and God revealed little to them of the
excellency of their inheritance then. But as noble-
194
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 9.
men and princes, tliey are fain to please their children
with plums, and rattles, and baubles, as other men
please theirs — they cannot tell them of their inherit-
ance and possession that they shall have while they are
little chikh'en ; but when a child comes of age, then
he comes to understand his dignity, his possession,
and it is that that pleases him then, and not those
baubles that he had before. And the truth is, in
comparison of the ordinances of the gospel and the
privileges of the gospel, what the people had under
the law were but as rattles, and plums, and baubles
that we please childi-en withal; and therefore the
Holy Ghost calls even those ordinances that then
they had to be as beggarly rudiments. But now by
Christ we are redeemed, that we might receive the
adoption of sons, and come to enjoy a great part of
our inheritance ; and it is a special part of the in-
heritance of children to have the gospel clearly revealed
to them, and to have the blessing and the privileges
of the gospel; but that we shall speak to more by
and by. Thus you have the mystery of godliness in
our adoption.
And the benefit of children, or the privileges that
we have by being children, are very great and many. I
remember Luther in his Comment upon this Gal. iv. 7,
saith he, If we did but know what this privilege were,
all the riches of all the kingdoms in the world would
be but as lilthy dung to us ; that is his expression.
And the greater the pomp and the glory of the world
is, the more would we have it whatsoever it be ; if we
know but the excellency of this prerogative of bemg
children, there are great privileges in it. In John i.
12, ' To as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God.' To them gave he
power, he gave an authoritative power, to become the
sons of God, that they may claim it and challenge it ;
they have a kind of authority and privilege in be-
coming the sons of God.
Now the first privilege of a child of God is this, great
honour is put upon him. According to the dignity
of the father, so is the honour and dignity of the child.
If the father is a yeoman, so is the child looked upon ;
if the father is a gentleman, so is the child ; or a duke,
or a prince, or monarch, the child hath honour ac-
cording to the honour of his father. Now, to be a
child of God must needs be honourable. The children
of great men of the earth are honourable ; but the
children of the infinite God must needs have honour
above them by their birthright, the reflection of the
honour of their Father is upon them. It is a speech of
David in 1 Sam. xviii. 22; some came and communed
with him about marrying of Saul's daughter, what
saith David ? ' Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a
king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and
lightly esteemed ?' Now this Saul was a wicked man,
and it was to be but his son-in-law ; and if that were
accounted so great an honour and privilege, much
more this.
Secondly, The second privilege of the children of
God it is, that they are freed from all kind of bond-
age, from a spirit of bondage, and from all bondage
whatsoever ; they are no more bond-slaves, as every
man naturally is. You know what Christ saith, ' Do
the children pay tribute, or strangers ?' The children
of the kingdom they are free, they are not in that
servility as others are ; they are not so much as ser-
vants, they are in a higher degree than servants ; and
yet to be a servant of God it is a very great privilege,
but they are beyond : in Gal. iv. 7, ' Wherefore thou
art no more a servant but a son.' They are beyond
the degree of a servant in the house of God. It was
a great honour to Moses that he had this title, ' Moses
my servant ; ' but the meanest believer in the times of •
the gospel hath a greater privilege than IMoses had,
be is a son. There is not that spirit of servility now,
but a more free spLi-it in the child of God. Therefore,
in Rom. viii. 1-1, 15, 'As many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear ; but
ye have received the spirit of adojition, whereby we
cry, Abba, Father.' The spirit of adoption, I shall
speak of that presently. But now I only shew their
privilege in respect of being delivered from the spirit
of bondage. They do not serve God now in that mer-
cenary way as formerly, nor out of that slavery of sjiirit
from fear. The people of the Jews, even the godly
people, — the Holy Ghost .saith in Heb. ii., — ' were all
their lifetime subject to bondage through the fear of
death.' There was a spirit of bondage and fear upon
the hearts of the people of God in former times. Now
God expects his children should serve him out of an-
other principle, out of a principle of love, as it beseems
children; which we shall shew more when we come to
the duties of children, as they are the chikben of God.
Yea, and likewise they were under the bondage of a
more tedious way of worship — the bondage of the law.
Now the children of God are freed from that ; from
the bondage of sm, and from the bondage of the law
they are wholly free. That is the second 23i'ivilege ;
free from bondage.
Thirdly, The third privilege, the entire fatherly
love that they are embraced withal. God, who is
the infinite glorious first-being, embraces them with
an entire fatherly love. All the love that ever was in
any parents towards children, is but as one droj) of
the infinite ocean of fatherly love that there is in God
unto his people. You that are fathers or mothers,
you know what the love of a parent to children means.
Now, when you find that natural afi'ection of love to
children, you should help your faith by this, if you be
godly : And is it so that I that am a parent have
such affections and love towards my chiklreu, that
Mat. V. 9.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
195
come from my body ? Oh the affections then and
love of God, a Father to his chikh-en ! Why is it that
God hath taken upon him this title of a Father, but
to the end that it might be a ground of the faith of
his people to look up unto him, and to see his love
as entire as ever the love of a parent, the love of all
parents in the world put together, is towards children.
Put all the natural affections of all the most loving,
tender-hearted parents that ever were in the world into
one parent, you will say that father surely is a loving
father, that hath all the love that all the fathers had in
the world since the beginning, he hath it all in his heart ;
yet I say of this father, he were a hard-hearted, carnal
father in comparison of God, of the love of God, that
is a Father unto his saints. That is the third privilege.
Fourthly, The fourth privilege of the children of
God, it is the right that they have unto the creatures,
that is restored unto them by being children. Why,
the Jews they were deprived of a great part of the
comfort of the creature ; but now the children of
God have their right restored, renewed, strengthened,
increased, their right to all comforts in all creatures.
It is true, Adam he had a right unto the creature at
first, and by sin he lost it ; so that all mankind have
lost their right unto the creatures.
You will say, What! are wicked men usurpers
then when they make use of the creature ? have
they no right ?
I confess this sometimes hath been taught, that
though they have a right before men, yet they have
no right before God, but they are usurpers. But
there might be a mistake in that ; for though it is
true all our right is lost, that must be granted. But
yet if God by a free donation shall give them right,
shall give the creature again to wicked men, ' give
the earth to the children of men,' we cannot say that
they are usurpers, if they have it by a free gift from
God, in the time of his bounty and patience towards
the wicked. But still they have not that right that
the children of God have ; their right is merely by
donation. But the right that the child of God hath, it
is partly by purchase and partly by inheritance ; they
have a challenging right, that they can in a bold and
holy way even challenge from God all good things
from all creatures that they have need of as their
own. A wicked man may have many comfortable
things in the world for his present subsistence, and
I dare not say that he is a usurper if be get them
lawfully ; for God in his bounty and patience doth
give wicked men these things, and we say, what freer
than gift ? Ay, but there is no wicked man in the
world that can challenge these, and say, Lord, these
are mine own, it is mine inheritance, it is my pur-
chase ; this is the privilege of the children of God. If
a malefactor by his offence hath forfeited his estate,
hath forfeited all the right that he hath to the good
things in a kingdom, but yet if those that have
supreme power to condemn him, shall out of their
bounty grant unto him some provision for his supper
the night before he is to be executed, you cannot say
that he doth usurp it; he hath a right to it — that is, it
is given him, though he hath forfeited all ; and truly
this is the right that wicked men have. Is there not
a great deal of difference now between the right that a
child hath at his father's table, and the right that a ma-
lefactor hath the night before he goes to the gallows ?
This now is the difference between the right of the
one and the other, even before the Lord. Therefore
when you look upon your estates, and see your houses
furnished with good furniture, and look upon your
tables and see them furnished with full dishes, con-
sider what right you have to all these in reference
unto God, whether it be merely the right of donation,
as a malefactor may have to preserve him to the exe-
cution, or whether it be the right of children. But
now if you be the children of God, you come to your
tables, as to your Father's table ; it is the provision
that your Father doth make for you, and so you may
look upon it. And this is the privilege of the children
of God. Oh what a blessed thing is it to be a child of
God then !
And then the fifth privilege of a child of God is
this, he hath free access to his Father's presence ; he
may come at any time into his Father's presence, and
so long as he is owned to be a child, he may come
with comfort into his Father's presence. God hath
no children that he serves as David served Absolom,
' Let him not see my face ;' he acknowledged him to
be his child, and yet he would not have him to see
his face. No ; but God loves to have his children be
in his presence, and it is a part of the purchase of
Jesus Christ that W'e should come into the presence
of God by him. We have access by Jesus Christ,
and we may always come and stand before our Father,
which is a great privilege that those which are the
children of God account of.
Sixthly, By being the children of God they come
to have the image of God renewed in them. A father
communicates somewhat of his nature to his child ;
but a father cannot communicate all the good that he
pleases to his child. A father that hath wisdom can-
not communicate his wisdom to his child; a father
that hath holiness cannot communicate his holiness to
his child. But now God he communicates what he
jileases to his children ; communicates of his image
to them, communicates that Avherein his very glory
doth consist. The reason why a father cannot com-
municate wisdom and holiness to his child, it is be-
cause he begets the child as a man, but not as a man
so qualified. But now when God begets a child, if
he begets a child to himself, he must beget him like
unto himself some way or other. Now God himself
196
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 9.
is lioly, and infinitely wise ; it is not accidental to
God to be lioly and wise, and to be void and free of
all kind of sin. Therefore all that are the children
of God, they having on God's image, are like to God
in that which is the excellency of God himself ; in
his holiness and in his wisdom they are made par-
takers of the life of God. There is no parent that
begets a child but the parent makes the child par-
taker of his life. Now the very hfe of God doth
consist especially in his holiness, in the acting to
himself as the highest end of all things.
Seventhly, A child of God hath the Spirit of God
communicated to him. That you have in those for-
mer scriptures, Eom. viii. 14—16, ' We are led by the
Spirit, bemg sons ; ' and therefore ' we have received
the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.'
And in that forenamed place, Gal. iv. 6, ' Because
ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his
Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.' It
is the observation of a learned man upon this place ;
saith he. He doth not say God hath sent forth
the Spirit of his Son into your minds, to give you
knowledge and understanding, but into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father. The Spirit of his Son, that
now rules in the heart, God hath sent that into it ;
and this is a great blessing of God, that he gives his
Spirit. This Spirit is an enlightening Spirit in the
mind, and it is a Spirit that doth sanctify the heart,
a Sjsirit that makes known the great and deep coun-
sels of God to the soul, and a Spirit that guides the
soul in the way of eternal life. That is the privilege
of all sons : they are partakers of the Holy Ghost.
I remember in one of the Gospels Christ saith, ' How
much more shall your heavenly Father give good
things to them that ask him?' Mat. vii. 11. The
othtr hath it, ' How much more shall your heavenly
Father give the Spirit to them that ask it?' Luke
xi. 13, as noting the Spirit of God hath all good
things in it. Oh blessed are they that are partakers
of the Spirit of God — that ai-e not acted and carried
on by their own spirits, but by the Spirit of God !
Eighthly, The privilege of God's children is, that they
have protection from God; God as their Father doth
provide for them, and protect them. If any of your
children be in any danger, what do they do but run
to their father or mother, and complain to their father?
and the father, according to his power, he will pro-
tect his children ; and so there is a natural instinct
in the children of God to run to their Father for pro-
tection. Indeed, a carnal heart, if he be wronged, all
the way he hath to lielp himself, it is to rage, and fret,
and vex, and seek to revenge himself. But a child
of God, the way that he hath, it is to go and make
hi.s moan to his Father, to make his moan to God,
and to tell God of all the wrongs that he hath, of all
the calumnies that are cast upon him, and of all his
accusations. He goes presently to his Father, and
makes his moan there. There is a notable scripture
in Ps. cix. 4 ; saith David there, ' For my love they
are my adversaries.' What then ? They are mine
adversaries ; and God knows I intend nothing but
good unto them. There is no spii-it of bitterness
and rage in me ; but yet they are carried on by a
wicked spirit. What then ? But I pray — you have
it in your books — ' but I give myself unto prayer.'
But give myself is in another character, and so notes
that the interpreters put it in to make up the sense,
They are my adversaries ; but I, am I an adversary
to them again ? No ; but I pray. They are mine
adversaries for my love ; but I know what to do.
Why, what will you do ? I know what I will do ;
as if David should say, I will go to God, and tell my
Father of all this. I will go to prayer ; that shall
be my help and refuge. That is the privilege of God's
children, that they have the protection of their Fa-
ther. He w'ill pirotect them in all their wrongs and
injuries that are done unto them.
Ninthly, lastly, They shall have a kingdom. We
are made kings and priests unto the Fatlier by Jesus
Christ. Why now, my brethren, we may say con-
cerning this point of children of adoption, as the
apostle in Eom. viii., having spoken concerning the
benefit both of justification and adoption together,
then he concludes, after he had said this. Why, then,
what shall we say unto these things ? What shall
we say after all this ? So that these things have a
reality in them, they be certain truths. What shall
we say to these things — these high prerogatives and
privileges of the children of God ? Oh who would
not be a peacemaker, when he shall have such a
blessing as this is ! But there is faith requii'ed to
make these things real to the soul.
Tenthly, That is one thing that passed from me in
his privileges. The privilege of a child of God is,
his compassions towards him as a Father. God doth
compassionate him both in his sins and afflictions :
in Ps. ciii., ' As a father pities his child, so the Lord
pities them that fear him.' And that known place
in Mai. iii., ' And they shall be mine, saith the Lord
of hosts, in the day when I make up my jewels ; I
will spare them, as a man spares his only son that
serveth him.' If you have a servant that displeases
you, you can turn him out of doors ; but you will
not so presently turn a child out of doors, or, at
least, you will not be so ready to disinherit him.
Nay, a man that hath a father's aft'ections will never
disinherit his child, if he return to him, whatsoever
his fault be. Now this is the state of God's children.
If they were in any other relation, indeed, to God,
they might be cast off. As now a wife may be cast
off from her husband, so as she never be entertained
again, though she should be never so so^ro^\•ful, if she
Mat. V. 9.]
BURROUOnS ON THE BEATITUDES.
197
commit adultery or uucleanness. Jer. iii. 1, 'They say,
If a man put away his wife, and she go from him,
and become another man's, shall he return unto her
again? shall not that land be greatly polluted?'
She can never return to him again ; but it is not so
with a child. A child can never be in such a disposi-
tion that he shall be made incapable of his father's love.
There is no relation else whatsoever, but there may be
such a change of it as that they may wholly lose the
benefit of that relation ; but a child can never while he
lives. Though he be a disobedient child, yet he cannot
lose altogether the benefit of that relation of a child ;
for, notwithstanding his disobedience, yet upon his
coming in to his father, though he be never such a pro-
digal son, some kind of fatherly affection will work.
There is no kind of father in the world, that hath but
nature in him, but though the child hath been never so
disobedient, yet if he were sure that tlie heart of the
child were now changed, his bowels would yearn towai'ds
him. This is the relation of a cliild. I say it can
never be wholly lost ; but there will remain a capa-
city of receiving some fatherly love. A servant may
be cast out from service, so as there can be no capa-
city of receiving him again ; and so a wife. But it is
not so with the child ; for this is his privilege.
But now, if you ask me, what shall I say to these
things ? Why, I am to say these particulars unto
those privileges. I have named ten privileges, and I
may name nine or ten duties that follow upon our
being childi'en.
As, first. Let us learn to behave ourselves as it be-
comes the children of the Most High. They should
shew themselves to be of noble breed, not to be of a
base, vile, and sordid spirit. It is said in Acts xvii.
11 of the Bereans, that they ' were more noble than
those of Thessalonica.' The word is, they were men
of a better breed — more noble. Oh, let all those that
are children of God shew their breed by their holi-
ness, by their gracious carriage before men ! It doth
not beseem the children of princes to be raking in
kennels, to behave themselves in a sordid way ; but
it beseems the children of princes to carry themselves
according to the slate of their father — to the state of
princes they are to carry themselves. And so the
children of the living God, they must carry them-
selves according to the estate of the children of
God — that is, above the world — above these vani-
ties of the world — look upon them as too mean and
too low things for them. Oh, it is exceedingly un-
beseeming a child of God for to have his heart de-
jected for the want of the comforts of this world — be-
cause he hath not some few things that others have ;
for him to be dejected as if he were undone. Oh no.
But see thou live according to this rate. Look
upon your father as the Lord of heaven and earth,
and know that all the power, and all the goodness,
and excellency, and treasure that he hath, thou hast
some way or other right unto. And therefore when
any affliction doth befall thee, do not thou presently
let thy heart sink, as if thou wert undone. Eemem-
ber thy relation ; thou art a child, and God protects
thee, and is to provide for thee, and do thee good.
It was a notable speech, in 2 Sam. xiii. 3, of one
Jonadab : ' Amnon had a friend, whose name was
Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother ; and
Jonadab was a very subtle man. And he said unto
him. Why art thou, being the king's son, lean from
day to day ? wilt thou not tell me ? ' He perceived
the countenance of Amnon much dejected, and
looked sickly upon sorrow of heart ; and saith he.
Why art thou thus, being a king's son ? It is
strange, being a king's son, that thou shouldest be so
dejected in thy spirits. Hast not thou enough that
belongs to thee to comfort thy heart, when thou art
a king's son ? Oh, so it should be with the sons of
the living God. Dost thou believe that thou art a
cliild of God ? — that God hath adopted thee, and set
his heart upon thee as a child ? Oh, why doth the
want of some few outward comforts deject thee ?
You will say. If I were the child of God, God
would not let me want these things.
Ob, thou art mistaken in this. God hath other
manner of blessings, to let forth his fatherly love
to thee in, than these outward things. A child that
is sick and weak might say as well. If my father
loved me, why will he not give me such and such
meat? Why, the child hath need of physic. Now
dost not thou love thy child when thou givest him
physic, and not what he cries for ? If God be thy
Father, and thou his child, wilt thou not give God
leave to nurture thee, his child, as he gives thee leave
to nurture thine own child ? Yea, let me say more
to thee than this. Thou mayest, notwithstanding
thy being without outward comforts, thou mayest
have the same fatherly love that Jesus Christ his
Sou had ; and will not that serve thy turn ? You
will say, That will serve indeed. JIark, in John
xvii. 26, ' And I have declared unto them thy
name, and will declare it, that the love Avherewith
thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.'
Now mark, how did the love of God work to-
wards Jesus Christ his Son ? Did he not let him be
without many outward comforts in this world ?
There was a time that he was in hunger, and
wanted bread, and then the devil would have haa
him distrust in his Father. Oh no. ' Though the
foxes had holes, and the birds of the air had nests,
yet he had not a hole to hide his head in.' Thou
hast as good a cottage to dwell in as Christ had.
Christ he was thirsty, and he was fain to beg a little
water of a woman to drink. There are very few
of you that are put to more straits for outward
198
BURROUGUS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 9.
things than Christ was, and yet do not you think that
God the Father loved liis Son ? and will not then that
love serve thy turn that Jesus Christ the Son of God
had? Though thou beest a son, yet thou art not
dearer to God tban Jesus Christ the Sou of God was
to the Father. Oh then raise up thy spirits, in the
want of all outwnrd comforts in this world, for thou
art a son, and hast an inheritance to come hereafter.
Secondly, And then let there be reverence. ' If I
be a father, where is mine honour ? ' ilal. i. 6, saith
God. ' And if you call on the Father, who, without
respect of persons, judgeth every man according to
his work, pass the thne of your sojourning here in
fear,' 1 Pet. i. 17. It is true, we are chikh-en, and
so delivered from the bondage of the law, but yet we
must have the reverence of the Father — walking be-
fore our Father with a filial reverence.
Thirdly, If God be a Father, then let there be love
to him ; do all you do out of love, be not mercenary.
A servant doth not care to do anything any further
than he may be paid for it : but a child doth not so ;
he doth what he doth out of love. Oh that we could
bring all our obedience to be out of love to God, so
that we need not stand to argue thus, 3\Iust we of
necessity do this or go to hell ? Shall no man be
saved unless he do so strictly ? This is a base spirit
to argue thus. No ; this is enough to a child. This
would please your Father. Let any minister of God
but open any point, and shew one that hath a child-
like disposition, and tell him that it will but please
God, and make but that out to him that it will be
but pleasing to God. Oh a child will seek the ac-
ceptable and pleasing will of God ; he doth not his
duty merely for wages. Now most people do their
service merely for wages ; otherwise, what is the rea-
son why, in the time of your greatest prosperity, you
are not as serviceable to God as in the time when
you lie upon your sick-bed and death-bod ? Why
do men upon their sick and death-beds cry. Oh that
I might but live, then I would serve God better ; I
would not live in sin as heretofore I have done.
Why ? because then they are afraid they should go
to hell. But now, if it were out of love, when I have
the greatest prosperity of all, this shall gain my heart
so much the more. Oh then you will be abundant
in service, when you serve out of love.
Fourthly, And further, you must be obedient to
God; the principle must be love. And look that in
all your ways you be as obedient children : in Eph.
v. 'As obedient children,' a command of God should
be more to you than all the world besides. I will
give you one instance that the Holy Gho.st makes use
of for the obedience of children to their parents, and
that is, the obedience of the sons of the Rechabites.
That the Holy Ghost doth record for their honour:
Jer. XXXV. 5, 0, ' And I set before the sous of the
house of the Eechabites pots full of wine, and cups ;
and I said unto them. Drink ye wine.' Mark their
answer. ' But they said. We will drink no wine: for
Jonadab the sou of Eechab, our father, commanded us,
saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your
sons, for ever.' That was argument enough. This was
a long time after the command ; and though it was such
a command that Jonadab had no power to enjoin upon
his sons, but that was the obedience that they professed
to owe to their father, that because their father com-
manded them, they would neverdrink wine though they
might. Now, how many will call God Father, and say.
Our Father which art in heaven, and the like, yet yield
no obedience to him. Now though God their Father
doth but command them that they should not be ex-
cessively in it, and if they be prone to wine or strong
drink, that they should avoid the occasions of coming
where wine and strong drink is, they regard it not.
Ay, but remember it is thy Father that commands
thee. The Recluabites would drink no wine at all if
their father commanded them. Oh, the command of
a Father should be strong unto us, if we profess our-
selves to be children.
Fifthly, Another duty is to trust in our Father,
and to rely upon him. If the father doth but pro-
mise anything, the child relies upon him. A child
relies upon his father for provisions and all things
needful. A child, wlien he comes to desire anything
of his father, he doth not study arguments to per-
suade his father ; it is enough to call him but father.
Tlie word father hath enough argument in it to
persuade out all arguments whatsoever. If a stranger
come to desu-e a thing, he must bring arguments to
obtain it ; but a child need not, because he is his
father. And a sti'anger, if he lives upon another,
though he liatli a great many reasons to think why
the other should maintain him, yet he will be afraid
lest he should become burdensome unto him ; but
now a child doth not think so. Yea, if a child hath
provoked his father, and he is angry with him, yet
a child will trust to his father for all that ; he is my
father, and he will trust and rely yet upon his
fatherly love ; and there is no such way to obtain
anything of his father as to cast himself upon his
fatherly love. There is a great deal of difference
between the confidence of a stranger and the confi-
dence of a child; and a great deal of difference
between the confidence of one that is begotten again
by the Sjsirit of God — the confidence of a child and a
stranger. I will giVe you that scripture for the con-
fidence of the children of God trusting upon their
Father, and relying upon his grace and mercy not-
withstanding their offences : in Isa. Ixiv. 6, 7, ' But
we all are as an unclean thing, and all our righteous-
nesses are as filthy rags ; and we all do fade as a
leaf; and our inicpities, like the wind, have taken
Mat. Y. 9.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
199
us away. And tliere is none that calletli upon thy
name, that stirs up himself to take hold on thee :
for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast con-
sumed us, because of our iniquities ; ' then in ver. 8,
' But now, 0 Lord, thou art our Father ; ' for all
this, though we are all as an unclean thing, and all
our righteousnesses are as iilthy rags, and we all do
fade away as a leaf, and there is none that calletli
upon thy name. We are all wicked and vile, and
thou hast even consumed us ; but now, 0 Lord, thou
art our Father.' This is that that answers all, ' thou
art our Father ; ' still she relies upon God as a
father. Oh this title of Father, it is a mighty rock of
faith, a mighty foundation of faith unto all the saints,
that God is their Father. Oh trust then in him, rely
upon him for supply, for help ! Were it not a great
dishonour to any father that his children should go
to all his neighbours to beg bread, and say, My
father will not give it me, and I shall be starved for
all my father. This would be accounted a great dis-
honour. Parents would have their children look to
their duty, and let them alone for providing for them.
So if thou callest God Father, let God alone for pro-
viding for thee, and rely upon him, as the heart of
a child doth rely upon the parents for whatsoever it
stands in need of. And therefore if you should come
into any great sufferings, yet still exercise faith upon
God as a Father. There is that promise for the
helping of the faith of a child: in 2 Cor. vi. 18, 'I
will be a Father to you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.' ]\Iark, it is an
exhortation to come out from false worship : ' Come
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the
Lord, touch no unclean thing ; and I will receive
you, and will be a Father to you, and ye shall be
my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.'
If we seek to worship God as a Father, and come out
from all false worship, then it may be we shall suft'er
much, and men will oppose and hate us, and we are
like to meet with hard things in the world. Well,
saith God, though others should cast you out of all,
though your very parents should be against you,
' yet I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my
sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.' I
am the Lord Almighty, and able to do you good,
able to help you and supply all your wants ; and
therefore, ' be not afraid,' rely and trust in me, ' for
1 am your Father, saith the Lord Almighty.'
Again, If you be children, then delight in the
presence of your Father. Make use of the Spirit of
adoption ; come often before your Father. When
you go to prayer, do not go to prayer merely as a
duty, but go to prayer as children use to go to their
father. Oh, God takes much delight in the spirit of
adoption ! I remember, it is an expression that
Luther hath about it ; saith he, The word father hath
more elegancy before God, than Demosthenes or
Cicero had in all their elegant orations ; and it
pierces the heavens, and fills the heavens with the
noise of it. Oh make use of the spirit of adoption !
oh love to be in the presence of thy Father ! though
God thy Father may seem to be angry with thee,
yet do not go out of his presence. A child, if he
hath a childish disposition, and not a base, sordid
disposition, he will not be cast out of the presence of
the father. You may read in Ps. li. 11, though it
was a time when God was angry with David, yet
'Lord, cast me not out of thy presence ; ' as if he
should say. Let me be in thy presence, though it be
thy frowning countenance. Oh prize duty as thy
privilege, to be often in prayer to thy Father. You
that pray merely as a task, and do not know what
the meaning of the spirit of adoption is, do not
know what it is for your hearts to spring within
you when you go to God in prayer, surely there is
a great deal of cause that you should fear that you
are not yet among the number of children.
Seventhly, And then, if you be God's children, be
zealous for him. A child would be zealous for tlie
honour of his father, yea, a child would fight for his
father though his father be angry with him ; a ser-
vant will not do so for his master. I remember
Croesus his son upon a time seeing his father in dan-
ger ; the story saith he was born dumb, but when he
saw a soldier ready to kill his father, presently the
natural affection that he had did break the bars of
his speech, and made him cry out, Oh, spare Crcesus !
He never spake word before, yet when he came to
see his father in danger, that brake open his lips, and
made him cry, Oh, kill not Croesus. So it should be
with you ; though you never .spake word in all your
lives, yet when you see your Father dishonoured, oh
cry out. Oh spare the honour of God, do nothing
against the honour of God. You that are of the
meekest, quietest spirits, that you can put up any-
thing concerning yourselves, yet when you see your
Father struck at, that should make your spirits boil
within you. If you were children you would do so.
Eighthly, And you would imitate your father :
' Be ye holy, as your heavenly father is holy ; and
shew forth the image of your father.' It is the
honour of a child to be like his father ; a father loves
his child so much the more. I remember it was said
of Theodosius' son, that good emperor, he would
never die so long as his son lived ; and we say of some
that such a man will never be dead so long as this
child is alive. Thus it should be with all the children
of God : ' They should labour to hold forth the vir-
tues of him that hatli called them out of darkness into
his marvellous light,' 1 Pet. ii. 9. They should so
walk as every one that converses with them they
should put them in mind of God. There should be
200
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 9.
the image of God in the child, that every time he he
looked upon men may be put in mind of God. I
have heard out of the word what a holy God God is,
and Jesus Christ was of a meek and quiet spirit.
I have heard much of God in his word ; and every
time I see the holy carriage of such a one, I am put
in mind of God, for certainly they are led by the
Spirit of God. That is the evidence of a child in
Eom. viii., ' If we be led by the Spirit of God, we are
the sons of God.' And among other things, in the
point of peaceableness be like your Father there. If
you would have evidence that you are begotten from
above, I say shew forth the gracious Spirit of God in
you, in the loving of peace, that so you may not only
be the children of God, and have comfort to your
own souls, that you are the children of God, but that
you may be called the children of God.
And that is the next point, that this is a great bless-
ing, not only to be the children of God, but to be called
he children of God; and this is the duty of all such as
are the children of God, to walk so before men, as
they may be called God's children, that the thoughts
of men may be convinced of them so as to say.
Verily, these are the children of the living God.
Ninthly, And let the childi-en of God walk one
towards another as children of the same Father.
Though it is true the children of vile persons that
have no education at all, but are rude, they will be
fighting one with another, and their parents perhaps
look on, because they are rude and have no breeding ;
but if men of any rank and quality in the world, that
have breeding themselves, and bestow breeding upon
their children, should see them wrangle and tight
one with another before their face, oh how grievous
would it be to them. It is enough that the children
of the world wrangle one with another and fight ; let
not those that profess God to be their Father, oh let
them not in the presence of their Father wrangle and
fight one with another, for certainly the Spirit of
God cannot bear it. But we pass to that remains.
They shall be called the children of God.
They shall not only be so, but be accounted so in
the world before men. That is then the point.
Doct. That it is a great blessing not only to be
God's children, but to walk so as to convince all with
whom we live that we are the children of God, so as
in their consciences they shall own us to be God's
children — they shall call us so. It was a great part
of the glory of Christ himself, not only to be the Son
of God, but to be declared the Son of God : Eom. i.
4, ' And declared to be the Son of God with power,
according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrec-
tion from the dead.' He was the Son of God, that
was glory ; and he was declared to be the Son of
God, that was a special part of his glory likewise ;
and so it is a great addition of glory to be one that I
shall be called the son of God. Christ did lay'much
upon that, that the world might know that God had
sent him. Often he speaks of that. Why, was it
not enough, oh blessed Saviour, that thou thyself
didst know that the Father sent thee, and the Father
knew he sent thee ? No ; he would have the world
to know that the Father sent him ; and it is that
that the saints should prize as a great blessing of
God, that even the world should know the relation
that they have to God — that they are ' the children
of God.' They shall be called so, for by walking so
as that men shall be forced to acknowledge them to
be God's children. Hereby,
First, There comes a great deal of gloiyto themselves.
They are honoured in the very consciences of men.
Yea, secondly. Hereby their Father is glorified,
when their lives shall hold forth whose they are.
Yea, by this their profession is glorified, and the
mouths of wicked men are stopped by this means ;
men's consciences are convinced ; there is much good
done by this. Such as have not only grace, but
manifest it to the conviction of others, they are of
great use in the places where they live. Na}', you
shall have the wickedest and vilest say, Were they
all but like those, then I could have good thoughts
of them ; then we could not tell what to say against
them. Oh, they would be ready to hearken to any-
thing that is said whenas there is a conversation so
as is convincing before them. It will be a means to
restrain their malice against others, when they see
that some at least walk so as to manifest nothing but
the image of God. Oh, it is a great blessing to be
such a one as shall force even wicked men to call
them God's children. Wherefore, let us,
First, Know it is not enough, then, to have grace
in the lieart — to say, AVhat do I care for men, so
long as I have a good conscience. No ; it is the
duty of all to walk so as they may be ' called the
children of God.' Therefore, it is not enough to
have grace in the heart, but it must appear.
Secondly, How vile are those, then, that make
profession of a near relation unto God, and yet walk
so as there is nothing of God appears in them ; so as
by their scandalous, wicked lives they make men to
think they do God good service to persecute them,
and all in that way. If ever there were times wherein
God's children should walk as children — should make
conscience to walk so as to convince the world, then
now it is ; and woe to those that now are ofleusive.
Woe to those that are scandals in such times as these,
that do open the mouths of \\icked men, not only
against themselves, but against all that are in their
way. The world is set upon offences, and glad of
offences, and therefore should God's children labour
to walk the more inoffensive. But either of these we
shall come to speak to more fully, and of the point
Mat. V. 9.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
.201
too, if we shall ever come to ver. 16, ' Let your light
so shine before men that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.'
And therefore I only speak to this now in refer-
ence to that in the text, to peacemaking, ' Blessed
are the peacemakers : for they shall be called the
children of God.' Peacemaking is a very convincing
thing ; and therefore such as hope they are God's
childi'en, they should manifest it in this, in being of
peaceable dispositions. There are some that we hope
do belong to God ; and yet they are of such rugged
dispositions, of such harsh natures, of such froward
dispositions, that there is little of the Spirit of God
appears in them. They are as furious and froward
and peevish in their ways, as if they had nothing
of God in their hearts. They manifest nothing but
an evil and a proud and a perverse and a froward
spirit in their families, and wherever they converse
with any. Oh, this is vile ! But now all such as
profess themselves to be of God should manifest
themselves to be God's children in this particular, in
being of peaceable, of meek, of gentle, and of loving
dispositions. Make conscience of this, all you pro-
fessors of religion. It is that that is cast upon many
professors of religion, that they are as proud and
froward, if they be but crossed, as any. There is no
quietness, humility, gentleness, meekness, patience,
nor love appears in them. Oh, learn from the con-
nexion of these two, to take out this lesson this day,
that, as in many other things, you should manifest
yourselves to be God's children, so in a special
manner in manifesting a gentle, meek, patient,
loving spirit, both in your families and the places
where God hath set you in.
And further, Not only to be of peaceable spirits,
but to be so peaceable as to manifest the Spirit of God
in you — to be peaceable as a chikl of God ; for a man
or woman may naturally have a peaceable spirit.
Some men cannot endure to be troubled, nor they
will trouble nobody else. They live quietly among
their neighbours, and they love no trouble. This
doth not always come from a gracious disposition,
but from a dull and sluggish spirit.
Quest. But you will say then, When is a man of
such a peaceable disposition as he manifests himself
to be a child of God in that peaceableness of his ?
A lis. First, When our peaceableness doth not hinder
our duty ; when a man, though he love peace, yet he
loves to perform his duty too. He can be peaceable
among men, and yet be active in the performance of
his duty to God. He can stir in the cause of God
and public good, and yet can carry it on in a peace-
able way too. Some men think there is no way to
be peaceable but to do nothing. Let all things go
which way they will, for their parts they love not to
put their finger into the fire ; and these are commended
for quiet and peaceable neighbours. Ay, thou mayest
be commended for this before some men; but certainly
God will never own thee for his child in this kind of
peaceableness. But here is the peaceableness of a child
of God : when a man living in the place where God hath
set him shall consider. What is the duty that God
requires at my hand in my relations as a husband, a
master, as a chief man in the parish ? What is the
duty that God would have me to do ? What service
can I do for God ? How far may I promote the glory
of God in the place where he hath set me ? What-
soever becomes of mine own peace and quiet, I will
venture to appear in the cause of God ; and in the
place where God hath set me, I will be as active as
possibly I can, yet so as I hope, through God's grace,
there shall appear nothing but a peaceable, quiet
spirit. Oh it is an excellent temper ! There is the
Spirit of God in this, when men can tell how to come
in between these two — that is, between a dead, sluggish
spirit, and between a violent, furious spirit. There is
a middle between these. Some men, because they see
others to be of violent and furious spirits, they think
it is best for them to do nothing. And then other
men, because they would avoid sluggishness and
slothfulness, they carry it on in a furious and violent
way ; and so they manifest nothing of God's Spirit
on the other side. But now one that is led by the
Spirit of God, he knows how to be active and stirring
in doing his duty, and yet he can tell how to carry
on the work with meekness, quietness, and peace-
ableness notwithstanding. Here is a child of God
indeed.
Secondly, When a man is of a peaceable disposition,
and he doth aim at God in it more than at his own
quiet. Some men they are of peaceable dispositions.
But why ? It is merely because they are loath to
have any trouble, therefore they will be at peace.
But now when a man or woman shall consider this,
by disturbance and disquiet and discontentedness, oh
what abundance of dishonour comes to God ! and
what abundance of sin is caused between brethren,
many times between those that are good, between
such as Uve in a family, and neighbour and neigh-
bour. Now, then, to the end that I might avoid so
great sin, and to the end that I may honour God, so
as I know God may be honoured by a peaceable,
quiet, humble, and meek disposition, therefore it is
I will deny myself rather in that that would be suit-
able to the flesh. I find that my flesh is prone enough
to seek revenge, and to make others that have wronged
me to know that they have wronged me. But that I
might prevent sin, and bring honour to the name of
God, mine own ends shall lie by, and I will rather
put up wrongs, and walk peaceably with men, and
seek to endeavour it with others too. This is such a
peaceable spirit that argues him to be a child of God,
202
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 10.
that caitns at God, and denies himself. Some men
woixkl be peaceable when it may serve for their own
ends ; but now to be peaceable one's-self, and to make
peace with others, and I shall get nothing by it, but
I account my good to be inwrapped in the glory of
God ; and so I make peace, because I would not have
the name of God to suffer. Here is a peacemaker,
that shall be called a child of God.
Thirdly, And then further, such a kind of peace-
maker as God himself ; as we find recorded in Scrip-
ture is attributed to God — to make peace as God doth.
As thus, first, God he is willing to be at peace with
those that are unworthy.
Yea, secondly, To those that have wronged him. It
is not enough to say. They have wronged me, and they
are unworthy, yet you should labour for peace with
them, for God causes his sun to shine upon the un-
just as well as upon the just; and we are commanded
to love our enemies, that thereby we may be declared
to be the sons of God.
Thirdly, God he begins the work of peace. If God
should not have begun the work of reconcihation be-
tween man and himself, what had become of us all ?
Now those that woukl be such peacemakers as to evi-
dence that they are the children of God, they should
not stand thus and say. He hath wronged me, let him
yield first. No ; if God had said so, what had become
of us ? but God yields first. Oh now be you a child
of God in this, to labour for peace as God doth;
and begin first with them. If they will not begin
with you, according to their duty, yet do you begin
with them, as a child of God ought to do, who would
be Uke unto his Father.
And then lastly, Be such a peacemaker as to love
the peace, and that only, that God loves and delights
in. Your Father loves truth, but he loves truth and
peace and holiness together ; let there not be any-
thing against holiness in the maintenance of peace.
God would not have any of his children commit any sin
for peace, to save themselves from trouble, or to save
others from trouble ; that they may purchase their
own peace, he would not have them purchase it with
sin. It is true, a man cannot buy peace too dear,
except it be by sin ; but any one sin committed for
the gaining of your own peace, or the peace of others,
I say in that you buy gold too dear. This is not the
peacemaking that becomes the child of God ; but
'blessed are they that are peacemakers: for they shall
be called the children of God.' And thus much con-
cerning ver. 9. But we proceed to ver. 10.
'Blessed are iliey which are jierseciited for righteunsness
sake : for theirs is the kinqdom of heaeen.' — M.\T.
v. 10.
It is a strange kind of blessing this too, as the
other were. Some of the other blessednesses seem
to be strange, as the first — blessed are the poor, and
they that mom-n, that they should be blessed ; and
now they that are persecuted, is it not as strange that
they should be the blessed men in the world ? Christ
begins with the poor, and ends with the persecuted,
when he would shew who are the most blessed men
in the world. My brethren, see whether the wisdom
of Christ be like the wisdom of the world, yea or no.
When you would describe a blessed man, would you
begin with the poor and end with the persecuted ?
Oh the wisdom of Christ, it is not according to the
wisdom of the world ! the thoughts of Christ con-
cerning blessedness are not according to the thoughts
of the world.
And then, secondly. This is to be wondered at,
that Christ should have need to speak of the blessed-
ness of those that are persecuted, after he had men-
tioned the blessedness of the former. What ! blessed
are the peacemakers, and blessed are the persecuted ;
what agreement is there between these two, or what
connexion can there be ? For if a man be of a peace-
able disposition, who will harm him ? Why, surely
they will escaj^e persecution of all men. It may be
there are some, though godly, yet are of a turbulent
disposition, and are furious and hot ; they perhaps
may be persecuted, but will the peacemakers be per-
secuted ? Will those that in the places where they
live are no occasion of evil to any that they live among,
but labour to do all the good that j^ossibly they can,
and yet shall these be persecuted? Yes, truly; even
these if they be godly, these if they be righteous,
these must not think to escape. None that are truly
godly and righteous, though they be of the most quiet
and peaceable dispositions in the world, they must
not think to escape ; and therefore these two are
joined together. Yea, this blessedness that follows
upon persecution is added to all the former, to note
that a man may be all the former, and yet a perse-
cuted man. As thus : a man may be of a very poor
and humble spirit, and yet persecuted ; a man may
be of a mournful spirit, mourn for his own sins, and
for the sins of others, and yet persecuted ; a man may
be of a meek sphit, and yet persecuted ; a man may
be hungering and thirsting after righteousness ; a man
may be a merciful man, and yet persecuted ; a man
pure in heart, not having any base ends of his own,
and yet persecuted; yea, a man may be a peacemaker,
and yet persecuted. Such is the wickedness of the
world, the vileness of the nature of man, that there
is nothing in the world can keep him from persecu-
ting of the saints, though they be of never such
poor, and mourning, and meek, and pure, and
merciful, and peaceable hearts. This for the con-
nexion.
Blessed are the}- that are joersecuted. Aidioiy/iitoi,
the word translated jiersecuted, coming of oiiixu, it
Mat. V. 10.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
203
signifies the following of a thing hard, a hard follow-
ing of a thing ; it is taken sometimes of a good sense.
The same word that is here, and in divers other scrip-
tures, is taken in an ill sense ; it is often taken in a
good. 1 Thes. v. 1.5, ' Follow that that is good,' saith
tlie text there; to ayafov diuxin, persecute that whichis
good. And in Heb. xii. 14, ' FoUow peace,' there
is the same word ; 1 Cor. xiv. 1, 'Follow after charity,'
there is the same word there too. It signifies, there-
fore, so to follow a thing, as not to leave it till we have
gotten what we would have. So the apostle uses it
in Phil. iii. 14, 'I press towards the mark;' I perse-
cute the marlf, as it were — that is, look with what
eagerness I did ever follow the samts in the persecu-
tion of them, I do now with the same eagerness press
towards the mark. A man that hath an eager spirit
doth press towards a thing. Now, as it is applied in
an ill sense, taking the meaning of it, to follow 'the
thing thi'oughly. Now if you would know what
persecution is, it is nothing but this :
A pertinacious following of one to do him hurt,
tending to his destruction. When men do follow
eagerly a business that is evil, and follow a man or
woman in a thing to do hurt to them, and follow
them eagerly, and resolve never to leave till they have
got their wills of them, they may be said to persecute
these men ; for persecution is not merely to do a man
hurt. There is a difference between wronging a man
and persecuting a man. They ma)' do them wrong in
some one act; they may do them wrong accidentally.
But now persecution is when, intending to follow a
man or woman in a constant way, and resolve never
to leave them until they have had their wills of them.
Oh, blessed are they that are persecuted, that are fol-
lowed by the world — those that the persecutors of the
world are set upon, and are eager to do hurt unto. This
is for righteousness. It is not the punishment, but the
cause that makes the martyr. Those are not blessed
that are followed hard for their sin, for their wicked-
ness— that suffer for wickedness, that sutler for evil
doers, for God would not have them suffer so. No ;
that is a part of the curse of God upon them — that
as they do evil, so they should suffer evil. Now the
saints that are blessed, they labour to be so far from
suffering for evil-doing, that they would rather suffer
all the evil in the world than do the least. There is a
great deal of difference between these two.
' Blessed are they which are persecuted for right-
eousness sake, for theu's is the kingdom of heaven.'
If you observe it, here is the same promise made
to them that suffer persecution, as to those that are
poor in spirit. Ambrose upon the place saith this :
One is a promise of the soul's blessing. The poor in
spirit, they shall have their souls blessed for ever in
the kingdom of heaven. And the other is a promise
of blessing to the body for bodily afflictions. Blessed
are those that are persecuted, for even their bodies
shall go to heaven. But I think that doth not attain
to the meaning of the Holy Ghost here. But I should
rather take it thus, that those that are poor in spirit
they think themselves unworthy of anything ; they
seem to be of the lowest form of all the saints of God,
the poor in spirit are dejected in the sight and sense
of their own poverty. And such as suffer persecu-
tion, they are of the highest form : the martyrs that
suffer for .Jesus Christ, oh they are glorious creatures.
Saith one that is dejected in the sight and sense of
his own poverty : I am a poor-spirited man or woman,
I am not able to get through my difficulty. I am
unworthy that ever God should look at me. Indeed,
there are others that are of excellent spuits, and
whatsoever opposition they meet withal, they can
suffer the spoiling of theu' goods, imprisonment — they
can suffer reproach, they can resist unto blood, can
suffer torments for Jesus Christ — yea, they are happy
men. Now mark, the same promise is both to the
poor in spirit that is dejected, and thinks he is un-
worthy of anything — he hath the same promise with
them that suffer martyrdom for Jesus Christ. A
poor weak Christian may come to have the same glory
that the most glorious martyr ever had. Therefore
this self-same promise is annexed to both these.
Further, This is annexed to those that are perse-
cuted, because such as are persecuted here in this
world, their name is cast out as filth and vile; they
are accounted to be wicked and ungodly men. Here
the laws of kingdoms are against them, and the spirits
of men that bear rule are ordinarily against them.
"Well, saith Christ to his disciples, be not troubled
though here in the kingdoms of the world you suffer
wrong, and are condemned as evil doers, you are
followed as if you were the disturbers of the places
where you live ; be not troubled, yours is the king-
dom of heaven. As I remember, Luther said in an-
other case, when he heard of the determinations
against him at Nurenberg : It is otherwise concluded
in heaven than in Nurenberg. So may such as are
persecuted comfort themselves in this, though the
kingdoms of the world set themselves against us, yet
ours is the kingdom of heaven. There is another
court where all things shall be examined over again,
and there the enemy shall be cast.
And then, secondly. Theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. That is, whereas by persecution here you
suffer the loss of your names, the loss of your liberties,
tlie loss of your estates, the loss it may be of your
lives ; be not discouraged, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. It is the way to that kingdom which Avill
requite all. You shall have as much glory as ever
you did endure affliction in suffering. There shall
be a proportion of glory to your suffering. As I
remember it is said of Caligula the emperor, Agrijjpa
204
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[JIat. Y. 10.
having suffered before he was emperor in speaking
for him in his cause, so as he was cast into prison,
and had an iron chain laid upon him ; as soon as
ever he came to the empire, one of the first things
was to release Agrippa, and he gave him presently a
chain of gold, that did weigh as much as the chain of
iron did weigh when he was in prison. So saith
Christ, 'Yours is the kingdom of heaven;' look,
according to what you suffer here in this world, so
you shall have your reward in the kingdom of heaven.
And thus you have the meaning of this blessedness
opened to you.
Now then, there are these three points that are the
principal points in this verse : —
First, That all the disciples of Christ, live they
never so inoffensively in the world, yet they must
expect to suffer persecution, and that for righteous-
ness.
Secondly, That though they he brought to suffer
persecution, yet they are and shall be blessed in this
their suffering. They should not at all be discouraged
and troubled at their sufferings ; for in the midst of
them all they are blessed, and shall be so.
Thirdly, That this is the great blessedness of the
saints, and in a more special manner, the blessedness
of such as suffer persecution, that theirs is the king-
dom of heaven. They shall have the kingdom of hea-
ven for their reward.
I had thought to have spoken of the first point,
but I see I cannot go on in it. I will only open
that text in Timothy, ' All that wdl live godly in
Christ Jesus must suffer persecution.' Mark, here it
is all that will live godly.
Why, they may be godly, you will say, and yet they
are very indiscreet in their way, and have not wisdom
to carry themselves, and so they may bring sufferings
upon themselves. No, all that will live godly.
And then, all that will live godly — that is, if the
heart of a man or woman be set upon the ways of
godliness, that he is resolved upon it that he will live
godly whatsoever comes of it — he must make account
to suffer. Indeed, there is many a one in a family
begins to think, my ways are not good, and these
w'ays in the family are not good, and I would I did
better. Oh, but then my master or mistress will hate
me, my friends will hate me ; therefore let me false
heed what I do. And so the wife perhaps is afraid
of the hard usage of her husband, though she hath
some conviction of conscience. Ay, but all that will
live godly ; though I desire I might have the love of
master, and mistress, and friends, but whatever I
suffer, this I see to be the way of God, and I am re-
solved upon it, I will set upon this course.
And then, all that will live godly. The English
word that we have for godliness is as significant as
any to set out the natm'e and work of grace in the
heart ; for it is to live from a principle of God, unto
the glory of God, that is, to live godly. AVhen men
are resolved that the principle that shall guide them
in their lives shall not be any carnal principle, princi-
ples of fleshly wisdom, but they shall be the principles of
godliness, which they shall receive from God, and that
that I shall aim at, it shall be that I may live to the
praise and honour of God. I am resolved that though
I have lived heretofore to myself, to provide for mine
own ease, and all that time I lived quietly, but now
I am resolved not to live any further to myself, but
to God. All that will live godly.
And all that live godly. If men or women con-
tent themselves in bare wishes : Why, we may
have a good heart to God ; what need I trouble my-
self and make such shows in the world, so long as I
keep a good heart to God ? These may avoid piersecu-
tion, but if they will live godly, tliat is, manifest it
in their lives and conversations, they must suffer.
And then, lastly, All that will live godly in Christ
Jesus. There is a kind of profession of religion that
men have without any suffering — that is, for them to
keep from gross and notorious sins in the world, may,
but all that will live godly in Christ Jesus — that is, all
that will live godly in the power of Christ Jesus, in the
Spirit of Christ Jesus — all that shall manifest the
power, and Spirit, and life of Jesus Christ in their
carriages — all that will live godly in Jesus Christ : so
that it seems there is a kind of godliness, which the
world takes for godliness, that is not in Christ Jesus,
there is no manifestation of the power and life and
efficacy of the Spirit of Christ Jesus in it. But now,
those that will live so godl}', they must make account to
suffer persecution, and the more eminent and forward
they are, they must make account to suffer the more.
Men that go on in a fair kind of way, as in former
times, men that were so discreet in their way as that
they were shy of suffering, and whatsoever came of it
they would be sure to take heed of that ; and they
did not love these zealous men, and so they avoided
persecution. But now, had their hearts been forward
in the way of godliness, and their hearts zealous in
the spirit of Christ, then they could not have avoided
persecution. Those that will live godly in Christ
Je.sus must suffer persecution — all of them. This
lesson Paul learned even from Christ himself ; though
he lived not in Christ's time, yet it was taught him
by Christ. Christ appeared to him, and he had the
Spirit of Chi-ist, and no question knew of this sermon
of Christ, that all the disciples of Christ were fore-
warned that they must make account of persecutions.
And you shall find it, that as soon as ever Paul was
converted, the first thing that was told him was, that
he must sufl'er great things. Actsix. 17, ' For I will
shew him how great things he must sufl'er for my
name's sake.' Why, Paul, a young convert, yet when
Mat. V. 10.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
205
lie was first converted, the very first time lie gave in
liis name to Jesus Christ, the first thing that he must
be told was this, what great things he must suffer for
Jesus Christ. The Lord Christ will train up converts
at the very first in this point. This is, therefore, a
very useful point for young professors of religion to
consider of : that all that will hve godly in Christ
Jesus must suffer affliction.
SERMON XXXII.
OR,
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST MUST EXPECT PERSECUTION.
'Blessed are they which are j^ft'secuted for rif/hieottsness saJce : for theirs is the Mnf/dom of heaven.' — Mat. v. 10.
We made a little entrance into the first point ; and it
was towards the close of the exercise, so that we went
hut a little way.
That all the disciples of Christ must expect perse-
cution. This is the first lesson that Christ teaches
any that come to him, ' If any will be my disciple, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow
me;' and in Acts ix. 16; as soon as ever Saul was
converted, presently it was declared to him what
things he must suffer for Christ's sake; and in 2 Tim.
iii. 12, the apostle pronounces that all that will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. We
spent a little time in the opening of that text, shewing
what an emphasis there is almost in every word. But
I shall proceed for the farther opening of the point
by Scripture, examples, and reason, and so apply it.
We read in the book of Joshua of the Jebusites,
as soon as ever they had entered into covenant with
Joshua and the people of God, the kings round
about them rose up against them. They were quiet
enough with their neighbours before, but when they
had entered into covenant with Joshua, then they rose
up against them. Though men may be quiet enough
living in the world, before God works upon their
spirits, but if they will give up their names to Jesus
Christ to come into the covenant with him, then they
must expect to suffer persecution, that all the world
will be against them. In Gen. xv. 12, 17, see what
the Lord tells Abraham concerning his posterity :
' When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell
upon Abram : and, lo, an horror of great darkness
fell upon him.' (It was presently upon the covenant
that God had made with him and his seed.) Ye
shall find, in the beginning of the chapter, God ap-
peared to him, and told him he was his shield, and
his exceeding great reward ; and in ver. 5 he makes
him a promise of his seed likewise : Look towards
heaven, ' and tell the stars, if thou be able to number
them ; so shall thy seed be,' and he believed in the
Lord, arid he counted it to him for righteousness. It
was therefore a covenant of grace that God made
with Abraham, couched under some dark expressions.
Yet Abraham knew it to be a covenant of grace, and-
therefore his faith was justifying faith, it was accounted
for righteousness. Now as soon as he had made this
promise, in ver. 12, God caused him to fall into this
deep sleep, and a horror of great darkness fell upon
him. To what end was that? It was to shew him,
that though he had brought his seed into covenant
with him, yet they must suffer great afflictions in
Egypt. And ver. 1 7, ' It came to pass that when the
sun went down and it was dark, behold a smoking
furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between
those pieces.' That was presented to him to declare
to him the sufferings of his seed in Eg3'pt, which was
a type of the sufferings of all believers to the end of
the world. That text likewise from the New Testa-
ment may be instead of all : Acts xiv. 22, ' Exhort-
ing them to continue in the faith, and that we must
through much tribulation enter into the kino-dom of
God.' You must expect tribulation in the entering
into the kingdom of God : that is the godly man's
text. The worldly man's text is in Job xxi. 13.
There is a text that a worldly heart will close with :
' They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment
go down to the grave.' That concerns a worldly
man ; here he shall spend his days in wealth, though
in a moment he goes down to the grave ; but the
godly, he must through many tribulations enter into
the kingdom of heaven. You find that Peter dared
not pray against all persecutions for the saints. 1
Pet. v. 10 : 'But,' saith he, 'the God of all grace,
206
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 10.
wlio hath called us into liis eternal glory by Christ
Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make ye
perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.' The God of
all grace. Though he had in his prayer to deal with
the God of all grace, yet he would not pray so much
as that they should be presently established, but after
they had suffered a while, then to make them perfect.
As if Peter should say, I know the mind of Christ,
and God's counsels concerning all those that will
profess the truth : that while they are going on to-
wards perfection they must suffer hard things ; and
therefore, though God be the God of all grace, I dare
not so much as pray that they should be made per-
fect without any sufferings at all. But after ye have
suffered a while, then to make you perfect. It is
very observable, if you read the story of the seven
churches in the book of the lievelation, which you
have in the 2d and 3d chapters of that book. You
shall find that there were but two of all those seven
churches of which there is but little spoken concern-
in" their sufferings ; but of the other live there is
much said. And which are those two that there is
so little spoken of then- suffering? If you examine
the Scripture, you shall find, first, the church of
Sardis, and then the church of Laodicea. The church
of Sardis ; read what is said of that. It was a church
that the Holy Ghost saith, ' I know thy works, thou
hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.' And
the church of Laodicea ; it was a lukewarm church :
chap. iii. 16, 'So then, because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot, 1 will spew thee out of my
mouth.' Those two churches they were the worst of
all the seven ; and yet those two, you read, had less
sufferings than the other : ay, they would escape better
than the rest. Those that had a name to live and
•were dead, and those that were lukewarm, they would
escape suffering of persecution. The worse men are
that profess religion, for the most part they escape suf-
ferings more; and the more power and life of godhness,
the more they are like to suffer. Christians they
must expect persecutions. Christ here was preaching
to his disciples, and they found the use (or the reaUty)
of this sermon of Christ in this part of it ; for partly
the Scripture and partly ecclesiastical stories do tell
us of every one of the apostles that suffered a violent
death, except only John ; and yet the Scripture tells
us that he suffered banishment. And some stories
tells us that he was cast into a cauldron of hot, scald-
ing lead, though God miraculously delivered him ;
but that he suffered banishment is clear, in Eev. i.
He was banished into the isle.of Patmos for the word
of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ ; and
we have ecclesiastical stories, which none yet that I
know do question the truth of, that doth declare
the violent death of all the other apostles — not only
suffering some troubles, but sufferhig unto blood.
Though, it is true, some differ in the manner of their
death, but yet all agree in this, in their violent death.
If you read where they are all twelve named, you
shall find, first, concerning Peter, that stories tells us
he was crucified ; but he would not be crucified as
Christ, but with his heels ujiward, as Christ was
with his head upwards ; and Andrew, he was Uke-
wise crucified by Egeus, king of Edessa ; and James
the son of Zebedee, he was slain by Herod with the
sword ; and then John, he was banished, as before,
though we do not certainly read of his death ; and
Philip, he was crucified at Hierapolis, in Asia ; and
Bartholomew, while he was preaching the truth, mid-
titudes fell upon him, and beat him down with staves ;
and Thomas, he was slain with a dart ; and ilatthew,
he was slain with a spear, or, as some say, run tlu'ough
with a sword ; and James the son of Alpheus, who
was called the just, was thrown down from oft" a pin-
nacle of the temple, and having some life left in him,
he was brained with a fuller's club ; Lebbeus was
slain by Agbarus, king of Edessa ; Paul, the apostle,
was beheaded at Rome, under Nero ; and Simon, the
Canaanite, he and Jude was slain in a tumult ; and
Matthias, he was stoned to death. Thus the apostles
they found what Christ had said, that they should
suffer persecutions. Christ armed them beforehand
with this scripture, preaching unto them ; for so it
was specially to his disciples and apostles that were
nearest to him; and by this armed them for persecu-
tion, which every one of them afterwards suffered,
even unto death, save only one.
Now if you should ask me, first, How it comes to
pass that they suffer persecution ?
First, From the devil. Secondly, From the nature
of wicked men. Thhdly, From the holy ends that
God hath in the sufferings of his people.
First, From the devil. He is the old serpent, the
scorpion, the old dragon — Satan, that signifies an
adversary, a roaring lion, that seeks whom he may
devour. The devil doth infinitely hate God ; and
hating God, he must needs hate all that belongs to
him, or anything so far as it hath anything of God
in it. The devil's sin it is a sin of malice, and there-
fore of the same nature with the sin against the Holy
Ghost. Now this is the nature of the sin against
the Holy Ghost, that it makes any one that hath
committed it to hate God, and to hate anything of
God that they see anywhere, and therefore to wish all
hurt unto others. As I remember I have heard a story
of a man that was thought to sin against the Holy
Ghost, and they asked him, though he had no thoughts
to be saved himself, yet whether he would not have
his wife and children to be saved. This was the an-
swer he gave : There was a time, indeed, that I would
have been glad to have had my wife and children
saved; but now I wish that both they and all the
Mat. V. 10.]
BUEEOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
207
world were damned — and merely from hence, xipon
his hatred to God ; it was not so much in hatred to
his wife and children, or to the world, but because
he hated God, and would have all to be enemies to
God, as himself was. This is the nature of the sin
against the Holy Ghost, though I do not think but
it may be committed where this is not expressed, but
there is this kind of maUce. Now the devils having
committed the sin of the same nature, because of their
hatred to God, they hate the image of God, and hate
all things that have any tendency unto God ; and
therefore, if possibly they can, they would have none
to be saved ; but if they cannot hinder but that some
shall be saved, they resolve that they shall be saved
with as much difficulty as they can help, and now
the devil is called the prince of this world, and he
prevails in this world much. The world it is in cap-
tivity to him. He rules, and he is called the god of
this world. Now he, hating God and his saints so
much, surely, while he hath so much to do in the
world as he hath, all the saints of God must needs
expect hard things.
Secondly, This poison of the old serpent, it is
sucked up by wicked and ungodly men : Gen. iii. 15,
' I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
between thy seed and her seed.' There is a natural
enmity between the godly and the wicked, a secret
antipathy ; now antipathy is the greatest opposition,
the strongest, the most secret and deadliest opposi-
tion, and constant opposition, and such an antipa-
thy there is between the saints, and wicked and
ungodly men. I read of tigers, that they are put
into a rage by the smell of spices ; and the savour of
the graces of God in the saints wiU put the tigers of
the world into a rage. There is in the hearts of men
an opposition to godUness that is beyond all kind of
reason ; for it is an antipathy. Now an antipathy,
you know, is an opposition of one creature against
another, that there can be no reason given of it ; as
that a lion should be such a terrible creature, not
fearing the neighing of horses, nor the beating of
drums, nor rattling of spears, and yet that the crow-
ing of a cock should scare him, and so between the
elephant and the mouse, that no reason can be given
for. So it is in the opposition between the wicked
and the saints ; let godly men walk never so in-
offensively, yet there will be an opposition, though
there can be no reason given. Some men, if such a
dish come to a table, they are ready to faint ; but
they can give no reason of it. And so it is between
the wicked and the godly ; and therefore the apostle
Paul, after his conversion, he could say and acknow-
ledge in his persecuting of the saints he was a mad-
man : Acts xxvi. 1 1, ' And being exceedingly mad
against them.' Why, Paul, there was a time thou
thoughtest it to be reason what thou didst. Ay,
but now Paul looks upon it as madness. There is
an antipathy between the hearts of the wicked and
godly men, and antipathies can never be cured with-
out the death of one ; and certainly this opposition
between wicked and godly men can never be cured
in this world till God doth take away the saints from
them, or them from the saints; as there is a natural op-
position between the fire and the water, even so the
godly and the wicked, there will be an opposition
between them. Eead Prov. xxix. 27 ; there you
shall see that the righteous is an abomination to the
wicked, and the wicked an abomination to the
righteous.
Ay, but you will say. Though the devil and wicked
men be of such vile natures as they will hate the
saints, yet doth not God rule over all ? doth not the
Lord reign in the world ?
Ay, he doth so, and there is cause of rejoicing ;
for were it not that God did reign by his almighty
power, wicked men would never suffer a saint to
be alive in the world. As soon as ever any godliness
were but appearing, the father would not suffer it in
his child, nor one neighbour in another ; but it is
God that keeps in the rage of the devil, and the
rage of wicked men. But yet God suffers his saints
to be under persecution, and he hath many holy ends
in the suffering of it.
As, first. To shew forth that great power of his, in
carrying forth poor weak creatures through all the
sufferings that they meet withal. I remember a
heathen, looking upon the Christians in the primi-
tive times, suffering with so much courage such great
tortures and torments, he cries out, ' Of a truth the
God of the Christians is a great God,' — a great God,
that doth enable those that are his worshippers to
go through such great sufferings with so much
courage and cheerfuhiess. God's great power is seen
in kee]3ing the graces of the Spirit alive in the hearts
of the saints in the midst of persecutions.
And then, as much of the power of God is seen,
so there is much of the exercise of grace that God
aims at ; therefore, in his holy will and counsel he
suffers his saints to be under persecution, that their
graces may be exercised, that their love to himself
may be exercised. It was a boasting of Scipio, a
Ptomau, that he had so many soldiers, that if he
should bid them go up upon the top of such a tower
and throw themselves down, they would all be
willing to lose their lives, merely in respect to me,
saitli he. The Lord Clu'ist may say so : he hath
thousand thousands of his saints, that if it be his will
that they shall go through fire and water, and suffer
the loss of their goods, liberties, lives, they will do it.
Now the Lord takes a great deal of delight in the
exercise of the grace of love and faith and patience
and humility. Never was the church more fruitful
208
BUEROUGnS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 10.
than when it was watered with its own blood ; when
the church was as a vine watered with her own blood,
then it grew more fruitfully. The rose is never so
sweet upon the stalk as when it is cast into the still ;
then it smells more sweet than it doth when it grows
in all its beauty upon the bush. The exercise of
grace it is a greater good than the enjoyment of any
comfort in this world. Oh that we were rightly
principled in this one great mystery of godliness!
Whether do you account the exercise of a grace to be
a greater good unto you than the enjoyment of a
world, or of any comforts in this world? Oh if we
did, we would not think our condition to be so hard
when we are under afflictions and troubles. Thou
thinkest it a fine and brave thing to live at ease, to
have thy house and shop, and comings in, and clothes,
and provisions for thy family and for thy children,
and leaving great portions, and rich matches, and
these things are brave things to the eye of flesh ; but
now canst thou account the exercise of the grace of
humility, the exercise of the grace of faith, of the
grace of patience, to be a greater happiness to thee
than the enjoyment of all theSe good things ? Cer-
tainly this were an argument indeed of a spiritual
lieart, of a heart that is acquainted with the ways of
God, that is instructed from heaven. The Lord takes
from me these outward comforts, respect and honour
and esteem in the world, and my estate and liberty,
and, it may be, lays heavy things upon my body too ;
but I bless his name I find I have more exercise of
grace than ever I had. I never knew what the exer-
cise of grace was, so as methinks I find it now. I
never knew what the exercise of patience and humi-
lity was. Surely if I had not been brought into this
low estate I should never have had the exercise of
these graces ; and I bless God I see more excellency
in the exercise of these graces than there is in the
enjoyment of all the comforts that I had before in
the workl. If thou canst say so, blessed art thou ;
flesh and blood hath not revealed these things unto
thee. Thy heart is according to the very heart of
God, who art taught in such a thing as this is ; and
therefore, when thou shalt suffer from the hands of
God himself, yet if it be to exercise grace, thou art
no loser ; and if thou shalt suffer never such sore and
grievous afflictions from the bands of men, yet if
thou findest this efl'ect of all thy suti'erings, that God
doth thereby draw forth the exercise of thy graces,
certainly thou art blessed in this, and this is God's
end that he doth aim at in permitting his people to
be under persecutions.
And then a third end, and that is of very great
use to consider of : It is for discovery of the hearts
of men. If there were no suft'ering for his name
sake, there would be little discovery between the
hypocrite and between the sound professor. I re-
member I have read of Pamettrius, a heathen : saith
he to the Bishop of Rome, Let me be made a bishop,
and I will be a Christian — seeing the honour of the
bishop ; let me but have that, and I will be a Christian
as well as any. If there were nothing but prosperity
in the profession of Christ's kingdom, how would the
truth and sincerity of men's hearts appear, and how
would the hypocrisy of others appear ? Fiery trials
makes great separation ; and indeed it is to make a
discovery of our own hearts to ourselves. Before the
time of suffering we do not know our own hearts,
what drossiness there is in them : but when suft'ering
comes, we may discover much drossiness of our own
hearts — and to discover us tu others too. In Luke ii.
35, speaking of the sufferings that should follow upon
the profession of the gospel, he tells the Virgin Mary,
' That a sword should pierce through her soul, that
the thoughts of many hearts may be discovered.'
Whenas there is such hard things following upon
the profession of the gospel as if a sword did pierce
through the soul, then the thoughts of many hearts
shall be discovered. God intends to discover the
thoughts of men's hearts by persecution. Formal
professors are as withered leaves upon a tree. Now
the storm will discover what leaves are withered, and
what leaves have sap and juice from the root of the
tree. Hang heavy things upon a rotten bough, and
it will bow and break ; but it will be discovered
whether the bough be sound or no if it will bear a
great weight wheu it is hung upon. So, when per-
secution comes, there is a discovery of who are sound
and who are not. When godliness and men's own
ends do part one from another, then you may dis-
cover what men did aim at in godliness. As thus,
when a serving-man follows two gentlemen in the
street, you cannot tell which man's servant this is ;
but now, do but stay till these come at a parting
way, and then you shall find that the serving-man
leaves one and follows the other, that is his master.
So there are some that seem to follow Christ, but
they follow their own ends too. Now, so long as
Christ and their own ends go together, so long
nobody can tell whether it be Christ they follow or
their own ends. But when Christ and their own
ends part one from another, then you will know
whose servant this is ; then you will know what the
affections of their hearts are. Now the Lord doth
take a great deal of delight in discovering the hearts
of men here in this world.
Fourthly, That the Lord aims at is to make the
saints conformable to his Son, to .Jesus Christ. The
apostle Paul, in Phil, iii., professeth that he accounted
all things as dung and dross, not only for the excel-
lency of the knowledge of Christ, that he might be
found in him, having on his righteousness, but that
he might be made conformable to his death. Who
Mat. V. 10.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
209
would not be conformable to the glory of Christ in
heaven ? But to be conformable to his death. It
is said of Christ, Ought he not to suffer these things,
and so to enter into his glory ? Now the Lord would
have all his people conformable to his Son, as, my
brethren, God hath chosen us before the foundation
of the world to be conformable to the image of his
Son ; that is, to be holy, as his Son is holy. It is
that that God aimed at in the eternal election of men.
I will have such and such men from the common
lump of the world, and I will have them to be con-
formable to my Son. And he would have all the
members of his Son to be conformable to him in his
sufferings.
Fifthly and lastly. The Lord suffers his people to
be under persecutions in a way of righteous judg-
ment against the wicked and ungodly of this world,
that they should be left to their own base corrup-
tions, and stumble at this stumbling-stone, and so to
perish for ever. I verily believe tliat it hath been
an occasion of the eternal destruction of thousand
thousands, the sufferings of godly people. Many
other holy ends we might speak of that God doth
aim at in suffering of the saints to be under persecu-
tion ; but this is not the point I would enlarge my-
self in.
Now by way of use briefly.
Let none that begins to take up any profession of
religion ever make account of any rest in this world ;
never think of it. Thou art infinitely mistaken in
the matter of the profession of Christian religion. In
Micah ii. it is said, ' Depart, here is not your rest.'
Never bless yourselves in the enjoyment of habita-
tions, of comings in, of repute and esteem, of liberty
in the world, of crecht and honour. Depart, let your
hearts begone from these things, for certainly here is
not your rest. No, you are appointed to persecu-
tion, as Paul said when they would not have him go
up to Jerusalem for fear of suffering ; saith he, I
know not what I shall meet withal at Jerusalem, but
I know that wheresoever I am, ' persecution, and
bonds, and afflictions do attend me.' I have taken
up this for a granted and sure principle, that where-
soever I am, bonds and afflictions do attend me.
And therefore that is the special use that concerns
us all, to prepare beforehand, and to lay up before-
hand for such times. Let us never think, why, now
we hope we shall have days of peace and prosperity,
and the like.
Ay, but is this a point that doth concern us now?
I confess I would hardly have chosen such a text
as this on purpose, but only that it falls in my way ;
therefore, seeing that providence brings this text to
me, let me say thus much, that there may be much
'evil in men's hearts that they do not know of. It is
true what the prophet told Hazael what he should
do, that he should be thus and thus cruel to many.
Why, saith Hazael to the prophet, is thy servant a
dead dog, that I should do these things ? So do but
tell men before they come to have power in their
hands, that they will make the dear servants of God
to cry to heaven for the burdens that they will lay
upon them ; why, they would think it the most
uncharitable thing, yea, they would think in their
own hearts that they were but as dead dogs, if they
should do these things. Truly we cannot deny, but
must say that men do such things already, such as
heretofore they themselves would have thought they
should never have done. How many heretofore were
of dear and intimate acquamtance one with another,
that did use to unbosom themselves each to other,
that did use to pray and fast together, and shed tears
together, groaning under the persecution that was
before, and yet I will not say that they are come to
such a height as to have the denomination of perse-
cutors ; but do not some begin very fair to be very
harsh and very hard even towards such brethren as
were as dear as their own souls, and such as are not
fallen off to be worse than they were ; but their con-
sciences will tell them that they keep as close to God
as ever, and yet there is a mighty alteration in their
spirits ; and therefore, because we do not know what
the depths of evil is in the hearts of men, therefore
we have cause in all times to prepare for this perse-
cution ; there is no time that is so peaceable and so
serene but we have cause to lay in and to prepare
for sufferings. Therefore set down and reckon upon
it, when thou beginnest the profession of religion,
that persecutions will attend thee. In Acts xxii. you
may see how Paul reckoned upon sufferings where-
soever he came. And therefore, that you may pre-
pare, I will not enter largely into the commonplace
of preparing for sufferings, and carrying of ourselves
under suffering. But only in a few words, that* you
may prepare.
First of all. You that profess religion, do not take
profession of religion upon mere hearsay, or upon any
by-ends, or to give content to your friends. No ; but
when you enter upon the profession of religion, be
sure you lay a good foundation, know what you build
upon, and let it not be enough that the word hath a
httle affected your hearts, and you have gone away
with joy. You know the stony ground did so ; but
when troubles did arise, bj' and by they were offended,
the Scripture saith. Therefore when you hear the
word, and are a little affected, do not think that the
work is done presently ; oh, but labour to get the
foundation to be laid deep, the main foundation. It
is for thee to understand aright the way of the cove-
nant of grace ; be throughly informed in it, and like-
wise let your hearts be throughly humbled before
God, that so, through the work of humiliation, there
210
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 10.
may be a softening of tlie heart for the seed to soak
in, and so to take root. That man or woman that
ever hath been made sensible of the dreadful breach
that sin hath made between God and their souls will
not much regard persecutions. I remember Luther
speaks of himself divers times, that though he was a
man tliat was threatened with persecutions as much
as any man, yet he was so acquainted with trouble of
spirit and humiliation for sin, yet he was not afraid
of all the bulls of the pope. We read of Paul, that
saith that all must suffer persecutions ; and it was
told him as soon as he was converted what he must
suffer for Christ's sake. But how did the Lord pre-
pare the heart of Paul ? He knew that, as he was to
be a chosen vessel to bear the name of Christ, so he
must suffer hard things. How did God humble him ?
He strikes him down off his horse, makes him cry out,
' Lord, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? ' Ay,
this man was fitted to suffer anything for Christ after-
wards ; so those that ever knew what sin meant, they
will not think much of suffering. The reason why
sufferings are so heavy to us, it is because sin is so
light unto us. Labour, therefore, at first to be deeply
rooted and grounded upon Jesus Christ, and sensible
of the evil of sm ; and learn that great lesson that
prepares, in Mat. xvi. 24, ' Then said Jesus, If any
man will be my disciple, let liim deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow me.' That man or
woman that hath learned the lesson of self-denial, will
learn to take up the cross ; denying our self-excel-
lency, our self-esteem, our self-will, and our self-lusts.
There are a great many selfs in one man's self. I
say, there is self-excellency, and self-esteem, and self-
opinion, and self-will, and self-lusts ; we must learn to
deny ourselves, and to be as nothing in ourselves.
Wliat is it for us to be willing to suffer anything, that
are wretched, cursed creatures in ourselves, wheuas any
man or woman can come to see themselves as vile as
nothing, worse than nothing, as a firebrand of hell ?
I might have suffered the eternal torments of hell,
I might have been fuel for the anger of God to burn
upon to all eternity ; and what is it for me to be
called upon to suffer for his name's sake ? This one
meditation hath as much power as any one I know,
both to prepare men for suffering, and to help them
in their sufferings, when they can but think thus :
Lord, what evils can men inflict upon me that shall
any way be like to those evils that I might have suf-
fered from the wrath of God for my sin ? I might
have been a firebrand of hell, and been under those
eternal torments, in those everlasting flames of hell,
roaring and crying with devils and damned spirits to
all eternity. What is it to suffer a nickname, to suffer
a prison and the loss of my estate, or to be frowned
upon by great men ? Oh let us labour to be emptied
of ourselves, and let us conclude thus, that it ia better
to lose for God than to enjoy for ourselves. Principle
yourselves in that principle. Abundance of other
such means might be named, but I would gladly have
made some entrance into the other point : Blessed are
they that suffer persecution for righteousness' sake.
Why, if men suffer persecution for their wickedness,
then they are cursed ; but when they sufl'er persecu-
tion for righteousness, then they are blessed.
You will say, for righteousness- how many men
suffer persecution for righteousness ?
I, in the opening of the point, the last day shewed
you something about it. But,
First, I shall shew you that all sufferings of men
for matters of religion is not suffering persecution.
But then, secondly. That many men may be perse-
cuted of others for righteousness' sake, and yet little ~
think of it themselves. These two things I especially
intended in the opening of this point.
For the first, you will say. How far may men suffer
in matters of religion ? when should there be any
sufferings of men for matters of religion ?
Men may suffer in some cases for matters of reli-
gion, and suffer righteously ; and it is righteous in
those that make them suffer.
First, If men sin in matters of religion against that
that is against the light of nature, that by the light
of nature men might, if they would, bo convinced of
to be a sin ; in this they may suffer, and that justly.
I will give you one scripture for this ; it is in the case
of idolatry, and in that men may justly suffer : Job
xxxi. 26, ' If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the
moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath been
secretly enticed, or my mouth liath kissed my hand,
this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge.'
Now this scripture cannot be so answered as some
may that you have out of the Old Testament of the
kings of Judah. I confess I think that the strength
of what men suffered in the time of the law, of the
kings of Judah, is not so strong as many others are ;
for there is a great deal of difference between them
and governors now. I have shewn some difl'erence
between the people that were under the pedagogy of
the law, and the power of the kings of Judah, and
governors now. But now, as for Job, he was not
under the pedagogy of the law. The kings of Judah
are said to be types of Christ, and their government was
typical. But now this that is spoken of here in Job
doth not at all concern any type, but that that was
agreeable to the light of nature, and approved of by
God. Therefore ' if I beheld the sun when it shined,
or the moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath
been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my
hand, this were an iniquity to be punished by the
judge.' That is idolatry that' a man may be con-
vinced of by the light of nature if he will ; as the
worshipping of the sun and moon, it is an iniquity to
Mat. V. 10.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
211
be punislied by the judge. So that there is some
evil in matters of religion that may be punished by
men ; idolatry which is so clear that men by the light
of nature may be convinced of it, magistrates should
not sutler that idolatry.
But may we go no further ?
Yes, surely. In other things that are of an in-
ferior nature, tliough it is not the light of nature that
will convince men, yet such things as are against the
common light of Christianity, that are so clearly re-
vealed that even those that are in place and power,
and the community of the people, may take it upon
them that these men, if they be ignorant, are wil-
fully ignorant. Such things likewise are not to be
suftered ; for there is the same reason wliy they
should be punished by Christians, as why those that
have only the light of nature should punish those
things that are against the light of nature.
Yea, so far a magistrate may go, that through the
evil carriage of men in their turbulency, in their
pride, manifesting apparently a stubborn spirit — if
either through the nature of the thing, or through
their wicked carriage, they may take upon them, as
they would answer it to Jesus Christ at the last
day, that they do evidently see mere wantonness
and stubbornness, and not weakness and infirmity —
so far as may be suitable to help against wantonness
and stubbornness, the Lord bath appointed outward
means, even outward punishment to be an ordinance
of his ; for it hath an efficacy put into it by nature.
External things have by the God of nature an efficacy
put into them to help against that that doth appear
outwardly to be stubbornness, wantonness, or stout-
ness. Thus far there may be suffering in matters of
religion ; and those that will go farther than this, they
had need make it very clear. Such as would have
every kind of error as they think in matters con-
troversial ; though men should behave themselves
never so meekly and humbly before others, yet if
they think that God hath appointed the civil sword
to jjut an end to the controversies in religion — I
say, if they take not heed, when they think to do
God good service, they will run upon the danger
of being guilty of bringing the people of God under
persecution.
But the other t^vo that I have spoken of are enough
to clear many from that great error that is cried out
of amongst us — that men would have no kind of go-
vernment, but would have all kind of things to be
suffered. But now the lord judge in this case, in
this ^vl■ong unto such men, that because they only
plead for no further suffering a toleration but in this
case where men can no way, either by the horrible-
ness in the fact, in their opinions, or by the tur-
bulency and pride and insolency of their carriage, be
convinced to err through wantonness and stubborn-
ness ; there they say that there should be a forliear-
ance. But now to think that all kind of things
should be tolerated, all kind of blasphemy tolerated !
This is a most infinite wrong; and whosoever hath been
guilty of this, to charge it upon them, surely there is
much guilt upon such for this; and if God gives
them not hearts to repent of it, it will be required of
them another day. But now this is all that is pleaded
for — that all those men that agree with us both in
doctrine and worship that is fundamental, and all
those that carry themselves in a peaceable, humble,
and meek way, that these should have forbearance
from their brethren. Now, what peace will this hinder
among us? Why may not we live and enjoy one
another, and never have such terms one against an-
other, either that one would have all things suffered,
or that others are persecutors, because they will not
suffer all things ? Thus you see that a man may
suffer in matters of religion, and may suifer justly and
righteously. But now this is to be limited according
to the cautions that I spake to before. Now, on the
other side, to convince men that they may, before
they are aware, bring men in to suft'er for righteous-
ness' sake. You will say. Who will make any man
suffer for righteousness' sake ? Surely there is scarce
any so vile.
To that I answer. The devil himself would never
cause any of the people of God to sutler under the
name of suffering for righteousness. If the devil did
raise any persecutions against the saints, he would
have some pretence or other for their sufierings. You
never read of that, that the devil did cry out of men
merely for their righteousness ; but it is under some
other name that always he hath to bring sufferings
upon the professors of religion. When the devil
would bring the people of the Jews to suffer, Haman
comes and tells the king ' That it is not for the
king's profit to suffer such men;' and it is a re-
bellious city, and always against government. Ha-
man did stir up the king against the people of the
Jews, that were the only church of God then, and
upon this ground, that they were against government.
Not merely because they were the people of God —
he did not own them so ; but they were against go-
vernment. And so you shall find it all along. Wheu-
as the apostle Paul suffered, it was not for right-
eousness, but he was a pestilent fellow, a mover of
sedition ; and these did turn the world upside down,
and they made a great deal of stir in the world.
And in the primitive times, why, all the troubles that
were abroad in the countries were ever charged upon
the Christians ; and under that name they suffered,
as being the cause of all then- troubles. And many
do in this case like the heathens, when they would
set the dogs upon the Christians; they would put
them into wild beasts' skins, and then they ;vouId
212
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 10.
set the dogs upon them to tear them. And this hard
usage the people of God have met withal from time
to time. They indeed desire to walk righteously
before the Lord. Now there is so much beauty and
excellency in the ways of righteousness, that men
dare not persecute under that name. Therefore they
will put some other name upon it, and raise some
nickname and slander upon this people ; and under
that they fall upon them, and there they suffer. So
that the saints may suffer for righteousness' sake by
evil men, and yet they are not aware of it. Now
something I had thought to have spoken by way of
conviction, to convince many men whose hearts are
against the people of God for righteousness' sake,
and yet they do not think so. And though they
plead that it is for this reason and the other that
they are thus and thus, yet it is for righteousness ;
that lies at the bottom. And it would he a good
means to restrain some men, if not a means to turn
them back, and to cause them to begin to bethink
themselves, were they but convinced that it were for
righteousness. But this would require more time
than we have for the present ; and therefore we shall
let it pass.
SERMON XXXIIL
OR,
EEASONS WHY RIGHTEOUSNESS MUST EXPECT TO SUFFER.
'Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' salie : for theirs is the Mngdom of heaven.' — Mat. v. 10.
John preached in a way of terror : ' Now is the axe laid
to the root of the tree.' Christ's preaching is to con-
vey his doctrine by shewing them to be blessed that
do embrace it. In this long sermon of Christ, he
begins with blessedness ; his blessing is such as is
above the apprehension of reason, even in every par-
ticular. He begins with the poor, and ends with the
persecuted ; blessed are the poor in spirit, and bles-
sed are they that are persecuted.
Righteousness is enough to stir uj) the hearts of
men to oppose it, and to cause them to persecute it.
For that you have scripture plentiful : 1 John iii. 12,
' Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew
his brother. And wherefore slew he him ?' Surely
he did him some wrong — he did not behave himself
like a brother. Cain was the elder brother, and Abel
the younger, and he did not know his distance. No,
that was not the matter. ' Wherefore slew he him ?
Because his own works were evil, and his brother's
righteous.' There was no other reason why Cain fell
upon his brother, but because his works were evil, and
his brother's righteous. It was for righteousness' sake,
and there is the iirst persecution that we read of in
the world. I will name but another scripture : 1
Peter ii. 1 9, ' For this is thankworthy, if a man for
conscience towards God endure grief, suffering wrong-
fully.' There is a suffering merely for conscience
towards God. I shall need name no more.
The reasons are these :
First, Because that righteousness itself, it is that that
doth oppose the corruption of men's hearts, it is that
that crosses men in the ways of their corruption,
and men can endure much in anything but only
against their corruptions, against some sinful dis-
tempers of their hearts. Righteousness in one kind
opposes one man's corruptions one way, and another's
another way, but all men's corruptions are opposed
by righteousness. As a godly man can bear any-
thing, but only when it is against rigliteousness, so
wicked men can bear anything, for some are of patient
and quiet spirits, but only in that that opposes their
corruptions, and that they cannot bear.
Secondly, Again, righteousness is such a thing that
carnal hearts see no reason for. They see men to be
forward in a way of profession of righteousness, but
they cannot understand it ; it is a hidden thing to
them. So that in 1 Peter iv. 4, ' They think it
strange that you should not run with them to the
same excess of riot ; ' that you will not do as they do.
Thirdly, Righteousness condemns the world ; as
it is said of Noah, that he condemned the world.
Were it not for some men whose righteousness is
raised up to a higher pitch than others, other men
would be accounted good honest men ; but when there
are some that are raised in a profession higher than
they, upon this they are condemned ; even in their
Mat. V. 10.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
213
own consciences they are condemned in part ; and
condemned by others that do behold them for com-
ing short of that righteousness that others do attain
to. And this they cannot bear, but their hearts
fret against.
Fourthly, Righteousness causes men to hold to their
principles in a constant settled way, however times alter.
Let times alter this way or that way, righteousness, if it
be engrafted in the hearts of men and women, it will
make them hold to their principles, and go on in their
way, let heaven and earth meet together. And the
truth is, there is no way to keep from sufferings, but to
have such principles as may bend this way or that, ac-
cording to the times. Those men, I will warrant you,
will keep from sufferings. You have men that are
very witty to find out distinctions, so as they can suit
themselves to all times. If the times go this way,
they can have a distinction to suit that ; and if the
times turn, they have a distinction to suit that ; and
if they turn a third time, they have a distinction to
help them there. But now, if righteousness prevail
in the heart, they keep on in their way ; and because
the times do change up and down, they must meet
with opposition. The wind doth not oppose weather-
cocks, but turns them according to it ; but now, if you
set up a thing that will not turn, the wind blusters
against that if it turn not with it. Now, righteous-
ness keeps the heart in a sweet way toward.s God, let
the wind turn which way it will ; and therefore must
needs have the wind come blustering against them ;
they keep close to their principles. And the men of
the world, they think it is nothing but stoutness of
then- hearts ; whereas indeed God knows, and their
own consciences know, that it is those principles of
righteousness that they have in them that keep their
hearts steady with God. Therefore they must suffer.
Fifthly, Righteousness, it holds forth a special
claim of interest that some men have in God more
than others, and the world cannot bear that. But
now, when men walk in ways of righteousness beyond
others, this holds forth unto the world that those men
do claim a special mterest in God more than others.
And this makes the world storm at it, and therefore
righteousness must expect to suffer.
By way of application.
First, Here we may see the wickedness of the
■world, that would oppose righteousness. Righteous-
ness ! That that should make .all the world in love
with it, and enamoured at the beauty of it ! And
yet so it is, that when righteousness comes abroad in
the world, it is that that is the very mark that un-
godly men shoot at. Righteous men should be ac-
counted the greatest blessings in the world. In-
deed they are ; and if the world did but know it, they
would account righteous men, that should hold forth
the image of God before others — they would account
them to be as great blessings to the world as the sun,
moon, and stars are, and a great deal more. But
now, such is the wickedness of the world, that these
they make the object of their wrath and hatred, to
persecute them.
Secondly, Is it righteousness that is persecuted in
the world ? Do not, then, judge any cause unjust,
unrighteous, because it is persecuted. Do not think
that therefore the cause is not righteousness, or those
persons are not righteous, because they are perse-
cuted in the world ; nay, rather it is an argument
of righteousness. If we should make that to be the
argument to sway our judgments, certainly Christ
himself and his apostles should not be accounted
righteous, nor their cause a righteous cause. Those
men that lived in Christ's time, if they should have
gone by this rule, that such as are opposed and per-
secuted, they are the worst people, surely their cause
is not good ; then Christ must be accounted un-
righteous, and his cause so. Oh, never judge so ;
this is an unrighteous judgment.
■ Thu'dly, Let men take heed that they do not rest
themselves too much in a righteous cause, as to think
that that shall be enough to free them from suffer-
ing. No ; you are deceived in this. Many people
think, Well, what care I ? my Ctiuse is good. What
then ? Do you think that that shall keep you from
suffering ? Oh no. Your cause may be good, and
your persons good, and you may manage your cause
well, and yet suffer for all that. And therefore pre-
pare for sufferings.
Fourthly, and then lastly. If righteousness must be
persecuted, let those that profess righteousness take
heed they give no other occasion of persecution but
their righteousness. The world will persecute you,
do you what you can ; be you never so righteous, you
must meet with troubles. Therefore, seeing you must
meet with opposition in the world, talce heed you do
not suffer as evil-doers ; let not your sufferings be
for such things as your consciences shall tell you you
have not done well in. Oh, the people of God had
need walk very exactly in the midst of the world, for
there is something they must suffer. Oh, let them
not add to their sufferings. I have often thought
this, that when such as are professors of religion live
among men that are carnal and wicked, because they
must keep constant unto the principles of religion,
and resolve to sutler for them, therefore they had
need, of all other things, walk the most inoffensively
of any, and be willing to be the servants of all men,
so far as they can with a good conscience, that
thereby they may declare that when they do any-
thing in way of opposition unto those that they live
among, it is nothing but merely conscience puts
them upon it ; whereas now, if men that profess reli-
gion have a sour, stubborn spirit in tilings that they
214
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 10.
may yield to, then when they out of conscience are
put upon the standing out against those that they
live withal, and cannot yield, yet such ais they live
among will judge that the reason why they do not
yield it is not out of conscience, but stubborn-
ness ; and therefore that they may convince the
world that when they do stand to anything that
is against them, that it is not out of stubbornness,
but merely out of conscience. And it concerns all the
professors of religion, in whatever they are able, to
yield to others — to be willing even to be servants to
them, and to be as pliable to them to do any good
nnto them, and thereby to convince them that if there
be anything wherein they do not yield, it is because
they cannot, not because they will not.
But to come to that which is the main —
Persecuted for righteousness.
You wiU say. How can that be? Is there any
that will oppose men for doing well ? Surely there
is somewhat else in it. Suetonius reports of Tibe-
rius that, having a mind to have a virgin to be
strangled, some come to him and tell him that it
is against the law of the Romans that any virgin
should be so used. Upon that he gave order to have
the virgin deflowered, and then she might be put to
death. So do the men of the world do with such as
are righteous, and righteous causes. It is true, they
have something in their consciences that tells them
they must not oppose that that is righteous ; there-
fore they will dedower it, and labour to put misappre-
hensions upon it, that then they may oppose it with
the more freedom.
But certainly men may persecute righteousness
that are not aware of it themselves. Many men
that, if they were certainly and fully convinced
that this is righteousness, and a righteous cause,
they would not oppose it, yet they may oppose
righteousness. There may be that colour put upon
things whereby they may think themselves free,
and yet God sees their hearts are against righteous-
ness.
As, first, Certainly all men in the world naturally
have their hearts opposite to righteousness ; therefore
where there is not a new nature there is an opposition
to righteousness. Now most men are still natural,
therefore they do oppose righteousness. If we should
come into the vilest place that is, and speak with every
man : What ! do you hate righteousness ? why, they
would defy you. I believe there is not one in all this
city, from one end to the other, but if you ask them
the question. Do you hate righteousness ? they would
abhor you : yet this is a certain truth, that all men
naturally are enemies to righteousness, therefore surely
there are some that are against righteousness, that
know not of it themselves.
Secondly, Men of great parts, that are able to un-
derstand things very far, yet they may be opposers of
righteousness. Say many poor people. What ! schol-
ars, learned men, they know whether it be good or
no ; and if they knew that it were good they would
never oppose it. Oh you are much mistaken ; for
some men may go against their very consciences.
But ahvays men of the greatest parts do not under-
stand most of the mind of Christ ; the scribes and
pharisees were the most knowing men in the time
of Christ, and yet the greatest opposites to Jesus
Christ.
Yea, thirdly. Men very civilly righteous, yet may
oppose righteousness ; as now, the scribes and pha-
risees, they were civilly righteous. So it is said con-
cerning Paul, that he persecuted the church, and
was mad against them. What was this Paul when he
was such a persecutor ? he was no drunkard, he was
no whoi'emaster, he was no blasphemer, according to
the apprehension of the times then ; but he saith of
himself in Phil. iii. 6, 7, that ' concerning the law
he was blameless.' Paul, before his conversion, walked
in such a civil way as no man could accuse him of
any way of evil ; he walked blameless, and yet a mad
persecutor of righteousness. And it is said of Trajan,
which caused the third of the ten primitive persecu-
tions— Trajan, of all the emperors, he was one that
was the most civil, just, and righteous of any. And I
remember these two or three things are said of him :
that when he was an emperor he did behave himself
towards his subjects, as, if he had been a subject, he
would have had his prince behave himself towards
him ; that is the first thing is said of him. Secondly,
That being emperor, when he gave the sword into
the hand of an officer, he had this speech — ' When,'
saith he, ' that I do justice, use this sword for me ; if
you see that I do injustice, use it against me,' to his
own officer. And then a third thing is this. That
when an emperor was made, they did use to wish
the hajjpiness of Augustus to him, the uprightness
of Trajan. And yet this man a most deadly enemy
to the Christians, and a most abominable persecutor ;
such a man as this, yet so civil, morally just and
honest.
Ay, but you will say, he was of a hard nature,
though he were so civil, just, &c.
Therefore I add, in the fourth place, That a man
may be of a very sweet nature, and yet be a great perse-
cutor. Though of a very loving, sweet nature other-
wise, yet when he comes to oppose righteousness, he
may be very fierce and furious. It is said of Titus
Vespasian that he was the very delight of human
kind, Delicice generis humeini, and yet a very great
enemy to the people of God.
Ay, but he was of another religion, though he were
of a sweet nature.
Fifthly, But further, then, a man or woman may
Mat. V. 10.]
BUEROUOnS ON THE BEATITUDES.
215
be very devout in the profession of religion, and yet
a great persecutor — and sometimes the greatest. Those
that are very devout in their own way, if any ^o an-
other way that they do not apprehend, they will per-
secute them most, and for that you have a text in
Acts xiii. 50. Paul he preached, and was much op-
posed, but by whom ? How did the people come to
oppose Paul? 'But the Jews,' saith the text, ' stirred
up devout and honourable women, and the chief men
of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and
Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.'
Ay, but can you tell us any one example that ever
any godly man persecuted another ?
I confess if you ask me the question whether ever
you find any godly man, that had true godliness, to
persecute others that were godly, you put me to a
great stand ; I had need search from Genesis to
the Revelation to find an example. And I think I
can tell you of one, that in one passionate act did it,
and that was King Asa; when the prophet came to
him and told him the mind of God, his heart was en-
raged against him, and struck him, and put him into
prison. I confess I remember not any other example
laut him ; and the Scripture speaks of him to be a
godly man ; therefore this is more dangerous for those
that do persecute.
Secondly, It is more gi-ievous to those that are per-
secuted, because their persecution is such as hath
no former example. Indeed, when I come to the next
verse, I shall shew you how it hath been the condition
of the people of God to be persecuted ; but I cannot
she^v you that it ever was their lot to be persecuted
by godly men. Therefore if ever we fall into an age
wherein godly men suffer by godly men, it is a time
unparalleled, that never was in the world before that
we read of. We never read in all the book of God
that godly men suffered in a constant way, but only
that particular act, and therefore that persecution is
the sorest.
If you will say, How may we discover men that
they do oppose righteousness, though they do not
know it themselves ? First, I will tell you that the
Scripture is plain that men may oppose righteousness,
and godly men, and yet they may think that they do
God good service. In John xvi. 2 Christ foretells
concerning his disciples, they must make account to
suffer such things from men, that ' shall think that
they do God good service that kills them.' But you
will say, How may it be discovered?
I would discover it first by this, when men shall
oppose that that comes under the name of righteous-
ness before they have examined it, and come to un-
derstand it. There is a kind of show of righteousness
in it, and as soon as ever there appears a show of it,
before they have examined the thing whether it be
real or no, they fly out upon it, and against it. Truly
here is a dangerous sign that the heart is against
righteousness. As I would instance in this similitude :
suppose a man sees the broad seal, and without any
more ado, before he hath examined whether it be it,
yea or no, he takes and stamps it under his feet, will
not this man be charged for felony, if not treason ?
It may be he will say, I knew not what it was. Ay,
but it will be answered. You should have examined
whether it was it or no. And so certainly when any-
thing comes under the name of righteousness, and
hath a show of religion in it, it is true it may be it is
not right ; but however, stay till you examine it ; for
the thing that a man opposes, that hath but a pre-
tence of righteousness in it, a man had need be very
sure that it is but a pretence, and that it is not right-
eousness. A man must take heed, when he is to do
a thing, that he knows what he doth. If I were to do
an action, if it had any kind of doubtfulness in it, I
am bound in conscience to examine strictly before I
do it ; but if I come to make another man suffer for
not doing such a thing, or for doing it, I had need be
very sure then indeed. Observe this rule in all things
wherein you oppose others, I mean in religion, or join
with them that do oppose : Go upon sure ground,
examine things throughly, be able to give an account
of it ; be able to say. Well, I do oppose this, for I have
tliis ground and this reason for it, I have examined it,
and I find it to be against the mind of God, and there-
fore I do oppose it.
Secondly, When the more loose any man grows in
his life, the more opposite he is against such a way ;
and if at any time he be better and more restrained,
then he comes to have better thoughts of such a way.
Surely this is very suspicious, that what he doth
oppose, it is righteousness that he doth oppose. As
now, that you may plainly know what I mean : sometimes
men are a great deal better than at other times. Some
men, though they have very profane principles, and
are very wicked men, yet at some times they are more
strict. Perhaps they have some stirrings of conscience,
and have some restraint upon their spirits, and have
some common gifts that keep them in ; but now at
other times this restraint that is upon their spirits
will not hold, but their corruptions do grow too strong
for this restraint, and they break the cords, and go
against their consciences. Now, then, let me examine
their hearts in this. How are your hearts affected to
such a cause or person when you are in your best con-
dition ? It may be you begin to have good thoughts
then of such men and of such causes, that at such a
time, when your lusts are most hot and strong and
violent, you are hottest and violentest against. Here
is a very suspicious thing. It is righteousness that
you do oppose, for certainly things argue thus. If it
were anything but righteousness, then it is evil that
you do oppose ; and then the better you are, the more
216
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 10
you would oppose it. I say, if the thing that you
oppose be evil and not good, then the better you are
at any time, the more you would oppose it ; but inas-
much as the worse you are at any time, the more you
do oppose it, that is a sign it is rather good you do
oppose than evil. For surely if a man, the worse he
grows the more he doth oppose a thing, then we may
gather an argument that the thing is rather good than
evil that he doth oppose. Nay, consider in your mind
thus, it may be when you are in your health and
strength and lusty, and have all about you, and are in
a tavern and heat with wine, then you scorn, deride,
and speak against such and such men ; but suppose
the hand of God be upon you, suppose you upon your
sickbeds, and you apprehend yourselves going the
way of all flesh to receive the sentence of your eternal
doom from God, are you of the same mind now? Are
these men as hateful to you now as they were at such
a time when you were in a tavei-n and spake so against
them ? Why, surely if you did speak against those
men because they were naught, then the nearer you
are to answer before God, the more would your
hearts be against those men ; or if any way were
opposed because it was naught, then the nearer you
come to be judged before God, the more your hearts
would be against that way. But now we find it other-
wise, that many men that would not be accounted
persecutors of righteousness, yet that that they speak
most against, they do it more when their lusts are
heat by wine, by meat and drink, or otherwise, in the
ruff of their pride, in their strength and health ; they
do it more then than they would do it upon their sick-
beds, when they are going before the Lord to answer.
And that is another discovery that, whatever the pre-
tence was, yet it is righteousness that they persecuted.
Thirdly, When men oppose others under pretence
of faults that they were more guilty of a gi'eat deal
before they made the profession of religion and right-
eousness than now they are, and yet they could bear
with them then, but now tliey cannot.
As, for instance, suppose one should come to make
profession of religion more than before. Now your
hearts are against them, but how ? You will make
some pretence that they did some fault, and therefore
you oppose them. But I appeal to your consciences,
were they not more faulty before they made such
profession of religion, and yet you could bear with
their faults then ? Your consciences tell you that
your servants, your children, your wife, was more dis-
obedient then ; and yet you could better bear with
their faults before their profession than after. There-
fore surely it is righteousness that is opposed rather
than anythmg else.
Fourthly, A fourth discovery is this, when men are
partial in theu' opposition, they can stand to it, and
will plead for, and not be so severe against others,
though guilty of as great and greater faults. Surely,
then, it is righteousness that is opposed, rather than
those faults that are pretended.
Fifthly, When men hearing any faults in those that
profess religion are glad of them, they are glad that
they have that pretence; yea, they do rejoice in it,
that they liave that pretence against them. Oh, this
is an argument that it is righteousness that is hated ;
for certainly if it were evil that were hated, then if a
man that did profess religion should prove to be
scandalous, and commit an evil, your hearts would
mourn for this ; Oh! religion hath got a wound ! But
now, when you are glad when you hear of such an
evil that such a one hath fallen into, that professes
religion more than others, your hearts can be merry,
this is a sign that it is righteousness that your hearts
are against. But if you say you are troubled in the
discovery of such a man that hath discovered him-
self at such a time to be false ; if that were so, and
your spu'its right, then you would mourn and lament
for the sin that is committed.
Sixthly, Yea, further, it would be your care to
make up the breach that is made in the profession of
religion. Oh, such a man hath discovered a false-
ness 1 He was very forward in his profession, but
he grew scandalous, and so discovered himself false.
Oh, what a blow hath religion got by him ! therefore
let me labour to make it up, by being the more godly
myself. But this is not so in men ; and therefore it
is righteousness that your hearts are most against,
rather than anything else.
Seventhly, And then, when men in their opposition
of that that is good shall find that their greatest
strength it is from the worst sort of men — that the
rout and the refuse of people they will join with
them ; and were it not for their hopes of having a
rout of people to join with them, they would never
venture in such a way ; — surely in this you had need
look to yourselves, for it is righteousness you do
oppose.
Eighthly, When men's consciences may tell them
that they have by-ends in their opposition ; that, if
they will examine things according to conscience, their
conscience will tell them that their ends are by-ends
that they do oppose upon. They say they oppose
such and such tilings, and will not be known that
they oppose righteousness. But what are your ends ?
is it not from some self-respect ? Do not you see the
times go such a way, and it is that moves you, and
you shall get into countenance by this means '? Cer-
tainly, if false ends do act us, it is not righteousness
that is acted by us : ' The wrath of man will not
accompUsh the righteousness of God;' neither will
men's corruptions, nor the false ends of men to pro-
vide for themselves — it will not accomplish the right-
eousness of God.
Mat. V. 10.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
217
There are divers other evidences that might be
given ; but I would fain have concluded in a vpord
of exhortation to men to take heed what they do.
Many things I had thought to have spoken in a way
of exhortation, that men should beware of what they
oppose. E.xamine things throughly now ; for, my
brethren, these are the times wherein Christ is oppos-
ing antichrist more than before ; and therefore,
though Christ was patient towards persecutors in
former times, they must not expect that he will be
so patient now ; for it is a time of pulling down the
man of sin. Now Christ is more stkring than he
was ; we see Christ more acting and stirring.
Christ is risen, and if Christ be risen, his enemies
must be scattered ; and therefore, though in the
times that were before much was winked at, but
now Christ is risen, and is stirring, and therefore
take heed of opposing of that that is good. And
further, in these times there is more light and dis-
coveries than before ; and there are more professors
of religion now than heretofore, and therefore there
is more danger of opposing of the saints now than
before. And, besides, we are about discovering and
searching out of the way of God we did not know
befoi'e ; and what now, in a time of searching after
things, and when we come tp profess many things
that heretofore we did not profess but were against,
why, can we rise to the top presently, so as to fall
opposing those that do not the same things that we
do ? And further, let us consider that England hath
been guilty of this sin of persecution of righteous-
ness, truly I think I may say, more than any other
kingdom. And we should take heed to ourselves of
this, because we have been under persecution our-
selves. Yea, we ourselves have made much profes-
sion of late more than before, and we have engaged
ourselves to the way ; and when we have joined our-
selves with the saints, and engaged ourselves with
them, we had need take heed of persecution. And
then, lastly, In these times it is a vain thing to per-
secute. Why ? Because there is so much light dis-
covered, and people, many of them, have not only
made profession, but have a work of God upon them,
that it is not persecution will prevail now : in Rev.
xiv. 13, ' Blessed are they that die in the Lord,' or
they that die for the Lord. Write it, from hence-
forth, saith the Spuit ; mark it. Why, flesh and
blood would not reason thus, that those that suffer
for the Lord are blessed ; but ' blessed are they that
die in,' or for, the Lord. ' Yea, saith the Spirit.' The
judgment of the Spirit is difl:erent from the judgment
of the world.
218
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 10.
SEHMON XXXIV.
PRINCIPLES FOR SUFFERING.
'Blessed are they which are pevsecxded for righteousness' sake ; for theirs is the hingdom of heaven.' — Mat. v. 10.
I SHALL not look back to anything ; there are these
things further in the text. First, I shall endeavour
to give unto you some principles for suffering — that
is, some considerations that may help the people of
God to be willing and able to sutler for righteous-
ness' sake. Second, We shall open the blessedness
of this — what a blessed thing it is to suffer for right-
eousness' sake. Thirdly, Conclude the verse with
some application.
For the first, then : To lay down some suffering
principles — that is, some considerations whereby the
people of God may be fitted and prepared for sufferings;
for we know not what God may call us to, and there
is none but in some degree or other are some time or
other called to sufferings, (I mean, that are godly.)
Wherefore the first principle to enable Christians
to suffer for righteousness is, that we should look on
ourselves as sent into the world for this end, espe-
cially to bear witness to the truth. That is the first
principle ; as a great end for which we were born,
for which we live, that we might be witnesses of God
to his truth. Surely, if it were Christ's end, he ac-
counted it the end for which he was sent into the
world, we have cause to account it ours too. That
scripture in John xviii. 37 plainly shews it, ' To this
end was I born, and for this cause came I into the
world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.'
It is a notable scripture, and certainly all those that
profess themselves to be the disciples of Christ should
make much use of this scripture, ' For this end came
I into the world, that I should bear witness to the
truth.' Bear witness any way. Christ did not bear
witness in an active way only, but in a passive also ;
and he speaks of this when he was called to suffer
before Pilate. Oh that Christians were well prin-
cipled in this, that every one that professes himself a
Christian would think thus : Wherefore was I born,
wherefore came I into the world ? Surely not that
I should eat and drink and live bravely in the world;
that was not the end for which I was born ; I was born
for a higher, a more noble end, that I should be a wit-
ness of God to bear vritness to his truth. And if this
were the end for which I was born, then it is fit that
God should call me to witness anyway whatsoever, by
doing or suffering; that I should be willing to do it, for
I attain my end for which I was born in it, and,
above all, witness for the truth. The witness by way
of suffering is the most glorious witness. Saith
Cyprian, concerning the martyrs that were persecuted,
' They confessed with a glorious voice.' AVhen men
confess the truth by words, from the truth in their
hearts, God accepts it ; but when they come to wit-
ness to the truth by sufferings, this is a glorious pro-
fession of the truth, and unto it ; and herein doth a
Christian attain the end for which he was born.
That is the first suffering principle.
The second suffering principle is this. It is better
to lose for God than to enjoy for ourselves. Let
Christians but throughly principle themselves in
these things, and you will find it an easy matter to
suffer anything for Christ. It is better for a man
that hath an estate to lose it for God than to enjoy it
for himself ; better to lose our liberties for God than
to enjoy them for ourselves ; better to lose our credit,
our honour, for God than to enjoy them for ourselves ;
our pleasures and delights for God than to enjoy
them for ourselves. Yea, I remember that Pliny, in
his Epistle Dedicatory to Vespasian, he speaks of a
heathen, Cato, that did profess he did more rejoice
in the estate that he parted withal for justice, that
he would not receive in way of bribes, than he
did in what estate he did enjoy himself. Shall a
heathen profess to rejoice more in what he parts
withal for the maintenance of justice than in what he
enjoyed, and shall not Christians account it better to
part with anything in way of honouring of God, and
doing service for him, than in enjoying of it to them-
selves ? When any are called to suffer, for them to
look upon what they are like to part with — Why, I
have an estate, I may live comfortably, and shall I,
lose this now in this way? Why, friend, do not ac-
count it loss if thou dost part with it for God ; it is
the best part of thy estate. If a man loses but a
limb for his country, why, that man is accounted
Mat. V. 10.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
219
more beautiful in that part of his body than else-
where. I remember ecclesiastical histories tells us
of Constantine, when he came in the council, and
saw one that had lost his eye for the profession of
religion, he presently falls upon him, and kisses that
place, as accounting that to be the most beautiful
place of his face ; and so certainly Christians should
account it so, and never bless God more that they
have an estate or credit and esteem and liberty, or a
life, than when they are called to part with these
things for God. I am now a happier man in the
loss of these things for God than ever I was in my
life in the enjoyment of them. But this, I confess,
is a mystery and a riddle to carnal hearts. Only
those that are truly gracious and godly, they know
what this principle means.
Thirdly, Whosoever sufters anything for God, in the
midst of all their suflerings they are in a better case
than their persecutors. As now, when you read of
any of the martyrs that were called before their per-
secutors, they came in all their bravery, and sat upon
the bench, and glistered in their silks and satins, and
spake what they hst, and enjoyed themselves to the
full, and had reverence and respect of all the people
— they seemed to be brave ; but a company of poor
Christians come before them out of the prison, tat-
tered and ragged, and stand at the bar, and answer
for their lives. Now you shall have many poor
people, they think these poor creatures that stand
in such a miserable condition to the eye of flesh, that
they are in the worst condition, but the others are
happy. Oh but a Christian's eye sees quite otherwise,
that looks upon the persecutors as the most miserable,
wretched, forlorn, undone creatures, and look upon
the saints as the most glorious creatures. It is a
notable scripture that you have in Heb. xi., latter part,
' Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings ;
yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment : they were
stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were
slain with the sword : they wandered about in sheep-
skins ; being destitute, afflicted, tormented.' Were
not these miserable creatures ? Though flesh and
blood would count them miserable creatures, yet
mark what the Holy Ghost's judgment is of them :
ver 38, ' Of whom the world was not worthy.' They
were so happy when they wandered up and do\^Ti in
sheep-skins and goat-skms that the world was not
worthy of them. It is not so of their persecutors.
They were vile ; as I remember it is said of Antiochus
Epiphanes, ' And in his estate shall stand up a vile
person.' Though he was a mighty prince, yet, being a
persecutor of the saints, he is called a vile person ; and
these who are thus persecuted are said, by the Spirit
of God, to be such as the world was not worthy of them.
Fourthly, That it is a great deal better to suffer for
Christ than to suffer for sin. Why, now, this consi-
deration hath a gi'eat deal of power in it ; for when
thou art called to suffer anything in the cause of
Christ, thou mayest think thus : Why, the Lord might
have left me to myself, that I might have suffered as
much for my sin, for my wickedness, as now I am
called to suffer for Jesus Christ. I am called, it may
be, to suffer the loss of some part of my estate : why,
I might have been convented for my sin, and by the
band of justice I might have had my estate taken
from me. I am in prison ; I might have been in
prison for my wickedness. I am in danger of my
life ; God might have given me up to such a sin as I
might, by the hand of justice, have had mj' life taken
from me. Now, how much better is this, when I do
stand here to lose for Christ, that might have lost for
my sin. I that am in danger of my life that I may
testify my respect to Christ, I might have been in
danger by my sin. Oh what a blessed thing is this
rather than the other : this consideration hath a
mighty deal of power in it.
Fifthly, That God may make me suffer in spite of
my heart. If I find a relucfancy in me to come off' to
suffer for Christ, I may be forced in spite of my
heart to do it ; and what comfort shall I then have
in it ? How much better is it to suffer freely and
wilhngly for Jesus Christ than to be forced to suffer?
and then there will be no exercise of gi-ace in it, but
I shall be merely passive. As I remember, the ' Book
of ilartyrs' hath such a story of one that was a smith,
that was a means, in King Edward's time, to convert
and turn another to the truth. Now, in Queen Mary's
time the persecutors did seize upon him that was con-
verted by him, and he was cast into prison, and stood
out in his sufferings in witnessing for Christ. Now
this man sends for him that was the means of his
conversion, and wondered how he escaped all the
while ; for you, saith he, was the man that told me
these things. Now this man sends word back to him
again : I confess those things that I told you are
truth, but I cannot burn, saith he. But yet this
man, though he would not burn for Christ, after-
wards his house was set on fire by some accident, and
he was burned in his own house ; and so Christ made
him burn whether he would or no. Now, how much
better had it been for this man to have burned for
Christ. If you will not suffer any loss of your estate
for Christ, Cluist can make you suffer ; he can set
fire on your houses, and talce away your estates by
some providence or other. Christ can lay afflictions
upon you, and diseases upon you. You are loath to
venture yourselves for him ; he can lay those things
upon you that will be greater evils than those things
that he called you to suffer for his name sake. Con-
sider of this, that God can make you suffer whether
you will or no. Oh it is better, therefore, freely and
readily to give up ourselves to sufl'er for Jesus Christ !
220
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 10.
Sixthly, No creature hath any good in it any fur-
ther than it is enjoyed in God, and improved for
God. That is a sixth suffering principle. When
God gives me the use of a creature, and I enjoy it in
God, in the love and favour of God, then there is
some good in it ; or if I can any way make use of it
to improve it for the honour and praise of God, then
there is comfort in it indeed. But now take away
these two things in any creature that any man in the
world enjoys, and there is no good at all in it — it is
hut a mere empty shell. As thus : thou hast such
and such comforts in the creature, but dost thou
enjoy anything of God in them, or dost thou enjoy
them for God ? Then they are good ; but without
this they are nothing but emptiness — there is nothing
but wind in them. Now, then, if I be called to suffer
in the cause of Christ, this is, as it were, to me a
loud voice from heaven. This creature that now you
are called to part withal in witness to my truth, you
can enjoy me no further in it, nor you can improve
it no further in the enjoyment of it, but in the part-
ing with it. Now that that had a goodness in it be-
fore in the enjoyment of it, hath now the goodness
in it in parting from it. That is a sixth principle ;
and were we principled aright in this, how easy were
it to part with any creature-comfort in the cause of
Christ.
Seventhly, The seventh suffering principle is this.
There is no sufferings of any of the saints that they
are called unto at any time, but they are ordered by
God, for the time of the suffering, for the kind of the
suffering, the continuance of the suffering, the instru-
ments of the suffering. Everything in every suffering,
it is ordered by God beforehand, determined by him
how it shall be ; that at such a time such a man shall
suffer, and not such a man, and by such means and
not other means, and in such a kind, and so long to
continue, and no longer. You know that in the
Eevelation, Satan shall cast some of you into prison
for ten days. He shall cast but some of you, not
all ; and he shall but cast you into prison, and not
take away your hves ; and this shall be but ten
days neither. Now this consideration is a mighty
strengthening consideration to the sufferings of the
saints, as it was to Christ, that all his sufferings
were determined beforehand. It was a strengthen-
ing to him ; so certainly it is to the saints, to con-
sider that all their sufferings are determined before-
hand and ordered by God. Therefore you know
what Christ saith, ' Shall I not drink the cup that
my Father hath given me to drink ? ' He spake it
of his sufferings ; and so should every one that is
called to suffer for the truth reason thus with them-
selves, and beat down any risings of their spirits
against those sufferings. ' Shall I not drink the cup
that my Father hath given me to drink ? ' It is a
bitter cup indeed that my friends should hate me,
that I should prejudice my estate, and prejudice my
liberty, and all these outward comforts, and live a
miserable life for outwards in this world. Ay, but
' shall I not drink the cup that my Father hath
given me to drink ? ' That is the seventh principle.
Eighthly, That whenever we suffer for Christ,
Christ suffers with us ; we are partakers of his suffer-
ings, and he is partaker of our sufferings : in Isa.
Ixiii. 9, ' In all their afflictions he was afflicted.'
Why, it is a great support and comfort to one to
think, Why, my friends do sympathise with me, and
are affected with my sufferings. Know now that
Jesus Christ doth sympathise with you in your
sufferings ; yea, he suffers as much as you, ay, and
more than you, in all your sufferings ; and therefore
it is said of Moses, ' that he accounted the reproach
of Christ greater riches.' The consideration now
that they are Christ's sufferings, is many ways useful
to help the soul in sufferings ; for not only that
Christ will pity them, and compassionate them, but
certainly Christ suffering with them, he will help
them to bear them too. Why ? because they are
his own sufferings, and therefore he will order thy
sufferings, and moderate them. Thou canst never
suffer in the cause of Christ, but Christ doth bear the
weightiest end of the staff'; this now is a mighty help
against sufferings, and support in it.
Ninthly, There is more evil in sufferings before
they come, in imagination, than when they are come.
How maisy that have been imprisoned for a good
cause, have professed they never thought imprison-
ment was so easy to bear as now they find it ; and
so loss of estate and loss of friends, they are indeed
terrible before they come, but usually when they
are upon the saints they find them not so hard and
grievous to them.
Tenthly, That there is more evil in the least sin
than in the greatest afflictions. It is an ill choice to
choose the least sin rather than the greatest afflic-
tion. If sufferings be presented to thee, and thou
art afraid of them, thou thinkest them terrible,
why, the least vain thought of thy mind is a greater
evil than all the torments that all the persecutors in
the world can inflict upon you. You will say, this
is hard. This is a riddle indeed to carnal hearts.
A riddle ! why, my text itself is a riddle ; and
therefore no marvel though we speak things that
carnal hearts cannot understand. But certainly
those to whom God hath ever made known the
dreadful evil that there is in sin, they cannot but
be, and are in some measure sensible of it, that there
is more evil in any one sin than in any afflictions
whatsoever ; and therefore they had rather to endure
the greatest sufferings, than willingly to commit the
least known sin. It may be some of you account
Mat. V. 10.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
221
light of sin, and can upon every Kttle temptation be
drawn to the commission of it. Well, but how
lightly soever you make of sin, those that are the
saints of God, that know what sin means, they had
rather endure all the torments that can be devised in
the world than to commit any one known sin wil-
fully. Certainly there is a great deal of difl'ereuce
between thy apprehension and theirs. I beseech you,
brethren, lay up this tenth sufl'ering principle, (for
so I call them ;) lay up as many as you can remem-
ber, and desire those that do remember or take
them to help you with them, that you may lay them
to your hearts, and lay them up by you against the
time that God may call you to suffer for his truths.
But that in the text hath much in it : ' Blessed are
they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake.' There
is a great blessing in suffering : that we may add as
an eleventh. That suffering for Christ is a great bless-
ing ; and that is the point in the text — it is a gift of
God; 'it is given to you, not only to believe, but to
suffer.' It is a greater gift to be enabled to sutler for
Christ, than to be enabled to do anything in the world
for him. If Christ should enable you to work miracles,
it were not so great a gift, if you were enabled to raise
the dead out of their graves, as for Christ to give you
a suffering heart. Whosoever Christ gives a suffering
heart to, let such a one know he hath received a great
gift from Jesus Christ. You think it an excellency
to be able to pray ; to be able to suffer is more. I
remember we read of one of the martyrs, that when
he was called to argue for the truth, I cannot dispute
for it, saith he, but I can die for it, that is more. It
is more to be able to suffer for the truth than to preach
of it ; yea, to practise the truth, it is a blessed thing.
Now the Scripture is very plentiful in this argument,
to shew the blessedness that there is in suffering. In
Acts V. 41, ' They went away rejoicing that they were
accounted worthy to suffer shame for his name.' Read
Luke vi. 22, 23 : Christ would have his disciples re-
joice and leap for joy when they came to suffer any-
thing. Read 2 Cor. xi. 23 : when the apostle would
glory in that that he accounted his excellency, observe
what it is he glories in. Saith he, ' Are they ministers
of Christ ? I speak as a fool ; I am more.' He falls
a-glorymg because he was disparaged by the false
teachers. More, how ? ' In labours more abundant, in
stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in
deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty
stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once
was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and
a day I have been in the deep. In journeying often,
in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils by
mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in
perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils
in the sea, in perils among false brethren,' &c. Now
the scope of the apostle was to shew his glory. He
did not glory in this so much, I have parts more than
they, or I have learning more than they, or I have
honours. No ; but I suffer more for Christ than they.
Oh, it is a blessed thing to suffer for Christ ; and so
in chap. xii. 10, 'Therefore I take pleasure in infir-
mities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in
distresses for Christ's sake.' I take pleasure ; it is a
delightful, a pleasant thing to me. Oh, I account it
a most blessed thing in suffering anything for Christ's
sake. Saith Tertullian, in the primitive times, ' Your
cruelty is our glory, our blessedness, our happiness.'
' I desire to know nothing,' saith Paul, ' but Christ ' —
ay, there is a great deal of excellency in him — ' but
Cliri-st and him crucified.' Christ and his cross ; I
glory in that above all — that I know Christ, and that
I know him practically.
Now for the blessedness that there is in suffering,
many things might be said, but I shall but present
before you some short view of what blessedness there
is in suffering persecution.
Fhst, If God gives thee a heart to suffer for him,
thou hast in this a full evidence of the truth of thy
graces, yea, and of the strength and the eminency of
Dhy graces. Thou givest witness to all the world that
thou art one that lovest Christ in sincerity, and that
thy graces are strong and powerful ; that thou art not
as an hypocrite that will fall off' in the time of trial ;
that thou art not as a rotten bough of a tree, that
when it hath a weight upon it breaks presently. No ;
but that thou hast the Spirit of Christ and the
strength of Christ with thee, that thy graces are of
the right stamp. This thou dost declare to all the
world ; and it is a blessed thing to give evidence be-
fore men and angels, before the world, and before
thine own conscience, that indeed thy heart is upright
with Christ, and that thy graces are stronger than
thou thoughtest thyself, it may be, they were. Many
that are afraid of sufferings before they are called,
yet when they are called to it, they find ability to go
through more than ever they did imagine ; and this
is a blessed thing.
Secondly, There is a great deal of honour in suf-
fering. It is a speech of Ignatius, ' I had rather be
a martyr than a monarch ; ' and so you know Moses
chose ' rather to suffer with the people of God, than
to enjoy all the pleasures and riches of Egypt.'
But above others, this is very remarkable. Chry-
sostom, speaking of the commendations of Paul, and in
the setting out of his praises, he doth especially insist
upon his sufferings, and professes if it were given to
him either to hear him speak out of heaven or the
prison, he had rather hear him speaking out of the
prison than out of heaven. And in another place,
saith he, Paul was lift up to the highest heavens, and
there he heard words that were unutterable. Ay, but
Paul in the prison, saith he, was a great deal more
222
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 10.
glorious than wlien lie was lift up to tlie liigtest
heavens. When he was cast into prison, there he
was more glorious than when he heard those words
that were unutterable, and such kind of expressions
he hath further about him. I remember, in the primi-
tive times, reading of Tertulhan, when he was to speak
to those that suffered for Chi'ist, It is not for me— I
am not great enough to be able to speak to such glori-
ous creatures as you are. Yea, and they were bound,
in honour to the martyrs, to go creeping to their very
chains, and kiss them in honour to them. "When
Chrysostom was speaking of Tabelus, a martyr, he
speaks. If it be lawful to call him a man ; so far they
did honour those that suffered for Christ. Oh, it is
honourable before men and angels, before God him-
self, before the churches, before all the saints. Saith
Basil, speaking in his oration about the forty martyrs,
' Blessed are those tongues that shall confess Christ.
They do, as it were, sanctify the air while they are
speaking in the confession of Cln-ist in their sufferings.'
Thirdly, It is a blessed thing to suffer for righteous-
ness' sake, for it is the highest and greatest improve-
ment of men's abilities, graces, comforts, whatsoever
they enjoy. It is the highest improvement that can
be for them to suffer. Never are men's graces so
improved as in times of suffering. ' The people_ of
God were never so eminent in grace as in persecuting
times.' The church of God smelt sweeter when they
were, as it were, roses cast into the still, and had the
lire of persecution put under them, than when they
grew flourishing upon the stalk. As the spices have a
more fragrant smell when they are beaten to powder
than when they are whole ; and so the saints' graces
are more fragrant in the nostrils of God, and do grow
up more in the time of suffering than ever. Oh what
breathings of holiness was there, and heaven upon
earth, that the saints enjoyed in the times of suffering,
through the eminency of grace in the primitive times.
Certainly the church was never more fruitful than
when it was watered with her own blood ; then it
brought forth more fruit to Jesus Christ. It is the
highest improvement of the graces of the Spirit of
God and of all your comforts — then you improve
them to purpose whenas you make use of them to
suffer for Christ.
Fourthly, It is blessed, for those that suffer are
under many blessed promises. Why, ' If you suffer
with him, you shall be glorified with him.' Eead 2
Tim. ii. 12, and m Rom. viii., there you have divers
excellent expressions wherein there are most excellent
promises to such as suffer in the cause of Christ.
Mat. xix. 29, 'Every one that hath forsaken houses,
or brethi-en, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife,
or children, or lands for my name's sake, shaU receive
a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting hfe. In
James i. 12, ' Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation ; for when he is tried he shall receive the
crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them
that love him.' It were easy to spend hours in the
recollecting the many promises that are made to suf-
fering Christians, and there are blessed comforts which
they have that suffer. One James Bainam, a martyr,
when they kindled the fire at his feet, ' Methinks they
strew roses at my feet,' saith he. And Mr Sanders
professed that he found abundance of joy flowing to
his heart from all the parts of his body, that he never
felt before in all his hfe. But above all, for the joy
that there is in suffering, that place in 1 Pet. iv. 14,
and which is one of the most excellent promises,
saith he, 'Eejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of
Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be re-
vealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.' But
what for the present ? Why, ' If ye be reproached
for the name of Christ, happy are ye : for the Spult
of glory and of God resteth upon you ;' that is, the
glorious Spirit of God. All the saints have the Sphit
of God; but every believer hath not the Sphit of God
and of glory — that is, hath not the Spirit of God in
that glorious manner as those that suffer for Chi'ist
have. And rest upon them — that is, to comfort you,
to quicken you, to do good unto you, to enlighten
you, ' The Spirit of God and of glory.' Would you
have a glorious Spirit rest and abide upon you, not to
have some flashes of it ? Sometimes the saints have
some flashes of the Holy Ghost, and they apprehend
glory. Oh but when they come to sufl'er, they have
the Spirit of God and of glory resting upon them !
Fifthly, And then that you have in the text, ' For
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'
That is, first. The blessing of the gospel that is
upon them here, and the kingdom of glory in heaven
is theirs. This kingdom hath these three things
in it : —
First, The blessing of the gospel is theirs in an
eminent special manner ; for that is called the king-
dom of heaven. But that I opened at large unto you
in the first beatitude : ' Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for theu-s is the kingdom of heaven.' Now,
as that is promised to the poor in spirit, so here to
those that suffer persecution ; they shall have the
righteousness of that kingdom, ' The kingdom of God
is righteousness, and peace, and joy.' All the good
and blessing of the gospel, in all the administrations
of Jesus Christ in the gospel, they shall be partakers
of it in a most eminent manner. That is the first.
But then, secondly. The kingdom of heaven — that
is, what part of the kingdom that Christ shall have
before tlie time when he gives up the kingdom to the
Father ; they shall be sure to have an eminent share
in that blessing. Now to me there is nothing more
clear in Scripture than this, that there is a kingdom
that Christ is to have before his giving up the king-
Mat. V. 10.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
223
clom to the Father. For, so speaking of the last day,
1 Cor. XV., it is said that then ' Christ shall give up
the kingdom unto the Father, and God shall be all
in all.' But now the Scripture speaks of the kingdom
of Christ, as it shall be here, as a promise unto the
saints before that of the kingdom of the Father.
Rev. iii. 21, ' To him that overcometh' — that is, not-
withstanding all his sufferings — ' will I grant to sit
with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and
am set down with my Father in his throne.' Observe
this scripture. This plainly shews that at that time
there was a throne of Christ that the saints should
sit on after their overcoming. Now for the throne
of Christ, as he rules all the world, and in his church
by the sceptre of his word and Spirit, certainly that
throne of Christ they were in at that time when Christ
spake to them. But now he speaks of another time
as a reward of all their sufferings and overcoming; in
that time they should sit upon his throne, as he sits
upon his Father's throne. You will say, That shall
be in heaven. Nay, there it is plain that he gives
up the kingdom to the Father, and God shall be all
in all But now there is another kingdom of Christ
that is promised to those that overcome, and that
such as suffer shall have a special share and part in,
as in the Revelation, for that book is written for the
encouragement of the saints in sufferings in the anti-
ohristian times. There you shall find that Christ
promises that they should reign on the earth. And
if you read chaji. xx., where Christ speaks of a king-
dom that he shall have for a long time ; and especi-
ally it is said in ver. 4, of those that were beheaded,
and that did not worship the beast, nor receive his
mark upon their foreheads nor hands, either openly
or secretly, they were the people that Christ especially
aimed at when he came to his kingdom. And in the
Gospel by St Luke, Christ, encouraging his chsciples
in the way of suffermg for him, saith he, ' Ye are
they which have continued with me in my tempta-
tion.' What then ? ' And I appoint unto you a
kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me.'
And that fore-named place in 1 Peter iv. 13, 'Re-
joice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's suffer-
ings ; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may
be glad also with exceeding joy.' Now you are sor-
rowful, contemned, despised, and trodden as dirt
under feet ; but when Christ shall appear in his
glory to take the kingdom to himself — for it is appa-
rent that there is a time that Christ shall reign
otherwise than now he doth ; for, saith the voice from
heaven in Rev. xi., 'The kingdoms of this world are
become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ,
and he shall reign for evermore.' So that, I say, the
Scripture is clear that there is a time for Jesus Christ
to have honom- and glory in the kingdoms of this
world ; and these may well be called the kingdom of
heaven, though it be here in the world. As the
ministry of the gospel is called the kingdom, so the
rule of Christ in this extraordinary way ; and when
Christ shall come to take this kingdom to himself,
oh, how will he own those that have suffered for him !
That shall be his first w'ork, to own and honour them
in the eyes of all the world. You suffered hard things
indeed in the kingdom of the world ; ay, but there
is another kingdom, in which you shall be honoured.
In Rev. vii. 14, 'And I said unto him, Su", thou
knowest. And he said unto me. These are they
which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
then' robes, and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb.' ' These they are ; ' there shall be a glorying
in them. As I remember I have read of Carus the
emperor, that, hearing Agrippa suffered in his cause
before he came to be emperor, the first thing that he
did it was this : he called for the chain that Agrippa
was chained withal for spealving in his behalf, and
gave him a chain of gold that weighed just as much
as that chain did. And so certainly the first work
that Christ wdll do when he comes to take his king-
dom shall be to call for all that hath suffered for his
sake, and to proportion out a proportionable measure
of glory. Saith Tertullian, The greatest reward fol-
lows the gi'eatest contest, strife, and suffering for Jesus
Christ. Therefore I remember I have read of Gor-
dius, a martyr, that when he was to suffer, he told
his persecutors that if they did but abate any suffer-
ing that they intended towards him, he should be a
loser. When, therefore, the general judgment shall
be, oh, the embracements then of Jesus Christ em-
bracing those that have suffered for him ! and then
he shall set them, with white robes, upon his throne,
and they shall be judges of their judges. They shall
judge the twelve tribes of Israel — not only the
apostles, but all the saints. They now stand be-
fore the wicked, and are judged by them. They
shall sit with Christ, and judge the wicked and un-
godly at that day, and so ascend with Christ in glory,
and there enjoy the fruit of their sufferings. ' Blessed
are those that die in the Lord,' (it may be as well
read. Blessed are those that die for the Lord,) 'for
they rest from their labours, and their works follow
them.' Now this the apostles and others, they saw
clearly : 2 Cor. iv., latter end, ' For our light afflic-
tion, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' It is
one of the most elegant expressions that ever was in
any author in the world. The exceeding, excessive,
eternal weight of glory ; and but our ' light afflic-
tions' that are but for a 'moment.'
But you will say. Is not tliis a legal way, to be en-
couraged, either in duty or suffering, in hope of
heaven ?
Truly those men that will think they have risen to
224
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 10.
such a height of grace as they can do all out of mere
love to God, so as not to have any respect to their
own good in heaven, they have attained to that grace,
that for my part I do not know the Scripture holds
forth unto tliem. But the Scripture would have such
as are the most eminent in grace yet to encourage
themselves in hope of heaven in what they do or
suffer for Jesus Christ.
You will say, It is true, we may lawfiilly do it ;
but were it not better that we might do it without
such an encouragement ?
Truly no ; for I find Christ himself was encouraged
in this ; and there was no grace better than Christ's.
See what is said concerning Christ himself. He is
set before you as a pattern that you shorild make use
of : ' For consider him that endured such contradic-
tions of sinners against himself, lest you he wearied
and faint in your minds,' Heb. xii. 3. But now in
the verse before saith he, ' Looking unto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith ; who for the joy
that was set before him ' — mark it — ' endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the
right hand of the throne of God.' Christ endured
the cross, and despised the shame. What did help
Christ to do this, and encourage him ? Why, the
joy that was set before him. Christ he had the joy
of sitting at the right hand of the Father set before
him. And it is made one fruit of the sufferings of
Christ, that he is set at the right hand of the throne
of God. And Christ in the midst of his sufferings
saw this : I shall after my enduring some sufferings
here, within a while sit at the right hand of the
throne of my Father ; and it is this that helps me to
carry me thnough my sufferings. And now if Christ
will make use of this, surely it is a vanity and pride
of men's spirits, to think that they have no need
of it!
But now having opened these things, I had thought
to have spoken but very little in way of application
to you.
Only you may see, by what hath been said, how
the stumbling-block of the cross is taken away. Oh,
lay up these things that are presented to you, that
are spoken to you this day in the name of Christ.
You know not what use you may have of them. Lay
them up in your hearts against the time of suffering,
that you may have them ready. As men that are
subject to fainting fits, they have their aqua viite
bottles, and such kind of things, to help them against
their fainting fits. Oh, so lay up these truths, that
may help you against all fainting fits — that it may
be indifferent to you whether you enjoy times of
prosperity or times of persecution — that, let the world
go which way it will, a Christian should go on in his
way, and make all his care to do his duty, and let
become of him what will. The worst that can come
is this, for to be persecuted ; hut that will add to
your glory, and help to further you.r future happiness.
' Blessed are they which are jiersecuted for righteous-
ness' sake.'
I
Mat. V. 10.]
BUEEOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
SERMON XXXV.
SOME HEADS FROM WHAT HATH BEEN SAID ABOUT THE BLESSEDNESS OF
PERSECUTION.
'Blessed are they ichich are persecuted for rhjliteousness sahe : for theirs is the Iciugdom of heaven.' — Mat. v. 10.
We have already preached, you know, divers sermons
about the point of persecution, shewing you what
it is, and when men are persecuted for righteousness'
sake ; and how men may be guilty of persecuting
others for righteousness' sake, and not think of it
themselves. The last day we opened the blessedness
that there is in suffering persecution ; but I shall not
look back, but shall proceed, only for this ver. 10, to
give you a few heads, by way of application, from
what hath been said about the blessedness of suffer-
ing persecution. It is a blessed thing to suffer per-
secution ; not only that blessedness and persecution
may consist together, that a man may be a blessed
man though he be a persecuted man. No ; but a man
is a blessed man because he is a persecuted man.
The world can hardly tell how blessedness and per-
secution can both consist ; but of all the saints in
the world those saints that are most persecuted are
most blessed. This is a great paradox to the world,
but comes out of the mouth of Christ ; and by what
we said the last day, we made it good.
Then by way of use.
Hence we see the excellency of a Christian's state.
Look upon him in his worst condition, he is blessed ;
yea, and the worst condition that he can be put into
makes him blessed. Surely liis estate is excellent ; he
gets by his sufterings. The philosopher's stone is
commended for turning aU things to gold. Why,
grace in a Christian hath the virtue to turn all their
losses, all their sufferings, and the dirt and dross
that is cast upon them, to turn it into blessedness,
and therefore excellent. Surely, then, godly people
are not fools, that are willing to suffer so much in the
cause of God. They know what they do ; for they
know how it furthers their blessedness.
Secondly, It is a vain thing for the men of the
world to think to take off the saints from any way of
Christ by persecution. It may be you are engaged
against servants, friends, kindred, neighbours, wife,
or others, and you think with yourselves you will
make them do otherwise than they do. Why, what
will you do ? You will make them to suffer loss in
such and such things that they might have. You
will put them to hard usage, and you think that will
do. There is a great mistake in that : persecution
rather raises the spu-its of the saints than any way
takes them off from God. It improves their graces ;
it heightens theu' graces; they are above you in your
persecution. I remember one told Modestus, that
was the emperor's officer, when he had to deal with
Basil, ' Let him alone ; for Basil is above you,' said
he. Those men that are carnal and wicked, they
think with themselves. It would discourage us in any
way of religion if we should suffer by it, and tkere-
fore they think that they can discourage others by
making them suffer by it. It is true, if others went
upon no better principles than thou dost, they would
be discouraged by persecution ; but because thou art
conscious to thyself of the base principles thou goest
upon, and knowest that thou wouldest be discouraged,
thou tliinkest that others go upon the same prin-
ciples. Thou art mistaken ; their principles are
higher and more noble ; and therefore, though perse-
cutions would discourage thee, it will not discourage
them. In Jer. xxiii. 27, saith the prophet there,
' Which think to cause my people to forget my name,
by their dreams which they tell every man to his
neighbour.' He speaks here of the false prophets,
and that that is said of them may well be applied to
this case, to persecution : they think to cause my
people to forget my name. Oh no, they are mis-
taken ; for their dreams could not make those that
were true saints to forget God's name : so no suffer-
ings of persecution can make the faithful to decline
from the ways of God ; no, they see a blessedness iu
them. Can you delude them from any way by mak-
ing them blessed ? Why, the more you rage against
them the more blessed they are.
Thirdly, If it be such a blessed thing to suffer
persecution, oh, how base and vile are those hypo-
crites and ajjostates that do decline from God for fear
of persecution ! How beneath are they those that
226
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 10.
are true Christians ! One rejoices at it, blesses God
for it, accounts it an addition to his glory ; he is
strengthened, encouraged in the ways of God. And
on the other side, thou lookest upon it as so great an
evil, as thou wilt leave God, Christ, thy conscience,
the truth, thy possession, saints, and all, rather than
suffer in thy estate, in thy liberty, in thy name, but
especially if the danger be greater. Oh, thou hast
a drossy and vile spirit ! thou knowest not the things
of God, that art so shy of persecution, as rather will
lose the greatest riches than to be willing to venture
upon God, in that that God himself saitli to be riches.
Thou mightest be blessed by it ; and thou wilt rather
venture the loss of thy portion in God, and thine in-
heritance in the Almighty ; thou wilt rather venture
thine own conscience, and putting thyself under the
wrath of the eternal God, than thou wilt venture upon
the wrath of man. Such a one is enraged against
thee; why, to avoid his provocation and his raging,
thou wilt hazard thy soul and body to be under the
wrath of the eternal God for ever. Oh, thou art a
besotted fool by thy lusts, that wilt forsake Christ and
his cause for fear of persecution, whenas Christ him--
self saith, ' Those are blessed that suffer persecution ! '
Fourthly, Christians should labour to establish
themselves in this truth for the preparing of them--
selves for persecution. Look up to Christ, and see
him pronouncing this blessedness. Consider of the
several particulars that have been spoken, but espe-
cially the glory of the kingdom of heaven, that will
strengthen thee against persecution ; for the very sight
of that glory, if thou canst make it real to thy soul,
it will put a magnanimity upon thy sjjirit, it will
raise thy spirit above the world, it will make thee
look upon all things as under thee, despising and
contemning them. As it is said of Christ, when he
looked to the joy that was set before him, he despised
the shame, he looked upon it as a contemptible thing.
There is nothing will make the heart of a man truly
magnanimous so as the real sight of the glorious
things in the kingdom of heaven ; this will darken
all the glory of the world in thine eyes. If once thou
hast had but a glimmering of the glory of the things
in the kingdom of heaven, and looked upon them as
certain and real, how easy would it be for thee to
suffer anything in the world. That scripture, Heb.
X. 32-34, is remarkable for this : ' But call to re-
membrance the former days, in which, after ye were
illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions ;
partly, whilst ye were made a gazing-stock both by
reproaches and afflictions ; and partly, whilst ye be-
came companions of them that were so used. For ye
had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully
the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves
that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring sub-
stance.' How came they to be strengthened to take
joyfully the spoiling of their goods ? Mark the text,
' Knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a
better and enduring substance.' Observe the phrase.
He doth not say that you have heard say so, but know-
ing in yourselves ; there was a revelation of it by the
Holy Ghost unto their souls to assure them of it, to
settle their hearts in it : ' Knowing in themselves that
they had in heaven a better and enduring substance.'
I confess, after all that I have preached to you about
this, if you know it only by what I have said, or
what you hear from others, that will never enable
you to suffer with joy the spoiling of your goods ;
but when you know it in yourselves, when you have
a certain sure knowledge of it by the Spirit of God
revealing it to your souls, this will make you to suffer
with joyfulness the spoiling of your goods. As I
remember Joseph said when he sent to Jacob, ' Ee-
gard not the stuff, for the riches of Egypt are yours ;'
so a gracious heart, when it comes to see the riches
of heaven, the joys of eternity, he looks upon these
things as stuff' and lumber, he is fit to suffer any loss
whatsoever, and endure any evils that can be inflicted.
Fifthly, If it be such a blessed thing to suffer with
Christ, how blessed is it to reign with Christ ! Take
a Christian at the lowest, cast him into prison, put
fetters and bonds upon him, yet he is a blessed man ;
take away food and raiment, let the malice and rage
of all the devils in hell and men in the world inflict
what evils they possibly can upon him, he is a blessed
man. If he be blessed now, oh how blessed will he
be when he shall reign with Christ, when he shall
have the crown upon his head, and stand with glorious
robes before the Father, and Jesus Christ, and angels,
and sit with Jesus Christ to judge the world, and reign
for ever with them ! Oh how blessed will he be then !
Sixthly, Let us not have too low and mean esteem
of sufferers ; let us look upon them as honourable, as
those that are blessed ; let us not be shy of them. It
is usual in the world, that when any come to suffer
in a good cause, they leave them, they are shy of
them, and let them shift for themselves. Oh, it is a
wicked thing so to be. Like as it is in a herd of deer,
they go together till the huntsman comes and shoots
one of thenij and when the rest of the deer see the
blood come, they will push him out of their compan)',
and \Yill go no longer with him ; and so it is many
times in this vile world. Those that profess religion,
if they prosper in the world, they will be content then
to join with them, and make much of them, and keep
company with them ; but if the providence of God
calls out any particular one to suffer more than
other, you shall have all the other, that were wont to
be inward and intimate with them, withdraw from
them, and will scarce own them. Oh this is a wicked
and cursed thing. Why wilt thou not own them
now ? What ! dost thou look upon them in a worse
Mat. V. 11.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
227
condition tlian they were ? Why, now they are made
blessed. As I remember Ignatius said when he felt
his bones crashing by the mouths of the wild beasts,
' Now I begin to be a Christian.' So he begins to be a
Christian ; and it is a sign that God looks upon him as
more eminent than thou, because he is called to sutfer.
Oh therefore be not thou ashamed of those that Christ
glories in, and saith that they are blessed. It is very
remarkable that we read of John, in Eev. i. 9. John
speaks of himself there, and mark what he glories in :
' I John, who also am your brother, and companion in
tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus
Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the
word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.'
John doth glory in this, that he is the companion of
the saints in tribulation. John doth not glory in
this, Why, I Jolm, that am an apostle, that am the
beloved disciple of Christ, I John, that lay in the
bosom of Christ. No ; but I John, that am your com-
panion in tribulation, and John that was banished to
the isle of Patmos for the word of God, and the
testimony of Christ. John glories in this, to be the
companion of others that suffer in the cause of Christ,
and so that foreuamed scripture in Heb. x., saith he,
' Partly whilst 5'e became companions of them that
were so used.' And this is a useful note that we are
to lay up against such a day that the saints suffer,
be willing to OAvn them, and be not at all ashamed
of them. That one scripture I shall name about
glory in suffering ; Christ himself he glories in suffer^
ing, and when he would shew forth his glory to Paul,
in Acts ix., to bring him down, mark what he saith
there, ' I heard a voice saying, Saul, Saul, why per-
secutest thou me ? And the Lord said, I am Jesus
whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick
against the pricks.' Thou kickest against the pricks
in persecuting me. Thou persecutest me ; it is not
my saints but myself that thou persecutest ; I own
them, they are mine. And I remember there is another
scripture that saith, when Jesus speaks of himself,
he saith, 'Jesus of Nazareth.' Now Nazareth was the
place that he was scorned in, and he was scorned be-
cause he came out of Nazareth, and yet Christ glories
in that title, Jesus of Nazareth.
Seventhly and lastly, If those be blessed that suffer
persecution, then it becomes the saints in all their
sufferings to suffer with meekness, to suffer with
gentleness, not to manifest any passion in their suffer-
ings. Why ? because you are blessed in suffering.
Let those have their hearts enraged that are cursed
in their sufferings, but for those that are blessed in
their sufferings, let their hearts be quieted and still,
and be not troubled at your sufferings ; carry your-
selves so as to be more quiet than your persecutors.
I remember I have read of Socrates, speaking to men
how they should carry themselves meekly towards
those that they suffer by, saith he, If you meet one
in the street that hath a body more diseased than
yours, will you be angry with them because of their
bodies ? And so, if you meet with those that wrong
you, it is the disease of their souls, and therefore let
not our spirits rise against them, but rather pity them.
And this was the commendation of the martyrs, to
pity them, and to pray for them as Stephen did ; and
this indeed is true Christian like. But I am not
willing to proceed' further in this point, but we shall
go on to the next verse.
' Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and jyersecute
you, and shall say all manner of evil against you
falsely, for my sake.' — Mat. v. IL
Christ having spoken of persecution in general, here
he comes to instance in a particular persecution, and
that is the persecution of the tongue. ' Blessed are
ye,' saith he, ' when men shall revile you,' — that is, per-
secute you in reviling you, — ' and shall say all manner
of evil against you falsely for my sake.' The argu-
ment that this verse holds forth unto us it is, the per-
secution of the tongue for the sake of Jesus Christ.
' Blessed are you when men shall revile you.'
Revile you. The word it signifies to reproach with
detestation and with chiding; to object evil against men,
and so to chide and fall out with men, and give them evil
language, that is the propriety of the word. The Eng-
lish word revile you, it comes from the Latin that signi-
fies vileness, to use one as if they were base and con-
temptible, not worthy to be regarded, to speak so of
any as vile, to seek to render a man vile and contemp-
tible by our words. 1 Peter ii. 23, you have the same
word in your books of Christ, ' that when he was
reviled he reviled not again.' But it is not the same
word in the Greek, but yet to the same purpose.
Now there are divers points here, but the main it is ; —
Observe, That the saints must expect this ill-usage
from wicked men while they live here, to be reviled
in the cause of Christ.
Secondly, So long as it be for Christ, and falsely,
(lying,) so the word is ; here it is translated, when
they shall say all manner of evil falsely, when they
speak all manner of evil (lying) whUe it is for Christ,
and false, the saints are blessed in their sufferings, in
this reviling that they must exp^t. Reviling and
speaking all manner of evil, every evil thing, so is the
word, they must expect ; whatever hell or wicked men
can invent against them, that they must expect to
be cast upon them. The time would quickly be gone
if we should look over scriptures to see how the saints
have been reviled in all times ; that it is no new
thing, but that I shall rather omit till I come to the
next thing, where it is said, ' for so did they use the
prophets.' There we shall see how the saints in all
228
BUKROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 11
times have been reviled, and therefore we shall spare
the mentioning of scriptures in this place, referring
it to that they must expect reviling from wicked
men, because wicked men hate them, and malice is
very inventive to find out false accusations. Where
there is hatred, if they cannot reach them with the
hand, they will reach them by the tongue ; those
that can they will reach by the hand and tongue
both, but there are not many that can do so, but
there is no wicked man but can reach another by the
tongue. Every wicked man hates those that are
godly, and therefore will be ready to reach them by
the tongue ; so that it is impossible for any to live
godly, but he must sufler from the tongues of men.
It is possible for a man to live so as to be deUvered
from the hands of wicked men, but never from their
tongues, because every wicked man can reach them
that way, and their hearts hate them. In Pi-ov. xvi.
27, ' An ungodly man diggeth up evil, and in his lips
there is a burning fire.' If he can see no evil in
those that are godly, he will dig for it, he will labour
to find it out, na}', he will fi-ame it and conceive it ;
if he cannot get any real evil he digs for it. And in
his lips there is a burning fire, in speaking evil, and
provokingly. And the ungodly they look upon the
■ways of God as irrational ways ; they can see no
reason for them, and hence it is that they revile the
saints. They do not understand their principles in
their ways,, and therefore they think they are but
hypocrites ; for indeed if a wicked man should do
the same thing that the saints do, he would be a
hypocrite, because he hath not principles to carry
him through. Now they do not know their principles
to carry them through, therefore they say they are
hypocrites and false, and revile them with ill names.
Yea, they see the godly in their ways to condemn them,
and that enrages them. The godly challenge a more in-
terest in God than they have, and that they cannot bear;
therefore they will invent all the ways in the world they
can to cast contempt upon them. For if they should
not, their godliness would make them honourable in
the eyes of the world, and they do envy the honour
that they have, because they are dishonoured and dis-
graced by it. You read of Sanballat and Tobiah, that
did labour to cast reproach upon them, and what
was the reason of it ? This is the rc-ason that is
given by interpreters. This same Sanballat and
Tobiah had their temple at Samaria. There was a
temple built there in contestation about the temple
in Jerusalem. Now when the temple came to be
built at Jerusalem, they thought, surely now our
temj)le at Samaria will be disgraced. Everybody
would be ready to go from them to the temple at
Jerusalem. When indeed the temple of Jerusalem
was down, then the temple of Samaria they thought
might be honoured ; but if the temple afe Jerusalem
were built, the temple at Samaria would be accounted
nothing ; therefore they raise all the accusations that
possibly they can against Nehemiah, that .so the
honour and the credit of their temple might not go
down. This is for all the world the guise and way
of men that are in any way of wickedness ; that is,
not according to God. If any shall come to set up
a way that hath any kind of seemingness of more
strictness in it, oh then their hearts are imbittered,
and then they seek, by calumnies and reproaches, and
all the ways they can, to beat down the esteem of
those men. For, say they, if those go up, then ours
goes down ; and those that are godly Avill go to the
temple that is built there, for it doth seem to have
the more appearance out of Scripture to be the better,
and therefore it is time for them to be stirring. This
is the reason of the reproaches that were cast upon
Nehemiah by Sanballat and Tobiah ; ever such as are
most forward in ways of reformation must expect
reviling. We read in Zech. iii. 2, 3, ' He shewed me
Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of
the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to
resist him,' &c. ' Now Joshua was clothed with filthy
garments, and stood before the angel.' Mark, Joshua
here was the great instrument of good in the work of
reformation ; now Satan stands at his right hand to
hinder him in his work, by which means he doth
seem to cast filth upon Joshua. Joshua stands
clothed with filthy garments, with reproachings and
revilings, and this was the way that Satan thought
to hinder. And those that are forward in the work
of reformation Satan seeks to hinder by reproachings
and revilings. And he seeks to do it, because that
indeed there is nothing more grievous to an ingenuous
spirit than reviling and reproaching. It was very
grievous to Christ ; Christ cried out when they
nodded the head at liim. And we never read of the
saints making their moans and complaints to God in
a more lamentable manner than when reproaches
were cast upon them. It is more grievous to a spirit
of ingenuity than imprisonment is, than loss of goods,
than pain in their bodies, yea, many times than death.
Some men have been able to withstand imprisonment,
loss of their estates, danger of death, that have not
been able to withstand reviling and reproaching.
The devil hath prevailed by that way, when he could
not prevail by any other opposition of the saints.
Now, then, the devil seeing that this is so grievous
to an ingenuous spirit, therefore he labours by this
means ; if he cannot prevail with the other, he hopes
he shall prevail with this, and therefore the saints
must expect revilings and reproaches.
Yea, God many times hath some hand in it, in suf-
fering them to be reviled and reproached ; God some-
times doth chastise his people by the revilings of un-
godly men, though it turns to theii' blessing at length.
Mat. V. 11.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
229
They are humbled by that means ; but that we are not
to speak of in this place, for we are to speak only of
their revihng for the name of Christ. Wherefore
then by way of use ;^
Hence then, when any of you enter upon the pro-
fession of religion at first, make account of this be-
forehand, make account that your dearest friends will
be ready to revile you, make account in the family
to have those that wUl revile you. And if you meet
with revilings in the ways of God, do not account it
a strange thing presently ; upon your profession of
religion you must expect reproaches and contempt to
be cast upon you. Lay in for that you, young pro-
fessors that begin in the ways of godliness, that you
may not be turned out of the way whensoever you
meet with them.
Secondly, Let the saints labour to walk more ex-
actly because of this ; ' Blessed are you if you be
reviled for my sake falsely.' You see the world is
set upon reviling ; take heed that you give no occa-
sion to revile you ; but if they do revile you, that they
revile you for nothing but for Christ's sake. Oh
that is an excellent thing when Christians can so
walk, as when their enemies seek to find out anything,
5'et they have no reproach to cast upon them, but
merely their forwardness in the ways of God ; and if
they will revile them for anything else, it must be
either by hearsay from others, or from devices of tlieir
own. Do not suffer like fools. Oh let not Christians
suffer as evil-doers ; wliy, they are like to suffer for
Christ's sake.
Thirdly, Must the saints expect revilings from
wicked men ? Oh, then, let not saints revile saints ;
it is enough that the saints are reviled by the ungodly;
let not those that are professors of religion add to
them. Do not you bind me, as Samson said ; so let
not such as are reputed godly revile me. Oh let not
the godly make the lives of other godly men to be
gi'ievous unto them any way ; though Christ will turn
it to a blessing, yet it is very hard for the saints to
endure revilings, especially from those that are godly
too. David saith in one of the Psalms that he was
reviled by his neighbours ; it was he that ate bread
with me at my table, it was my friend and intimate
acquaintance ; and in that David was a type of Christ,
that was betrayed by Judas, that was his intimate
friend. You that are the people of God, you should
be very careful of one another's names, for certainly
the devil laughs'much at it ; there is no greater matter
of joy in hell than when one godly man reviles an-
other. Oh you make sport even for the devils them-
selves, and certainly there was never the like of that
as within these few j'ears. Those that are the people
of God should not revile the vile wicked ones, much
less the saints. I remember I have read of Darius
his general, one Memnon, that having soldiers in his
presence which did revile Alexander, against whom he
fought, smote him with bis lance on the head, and
said, ' Sirrah, I pay thee thy wages to fight against
Alexander, and not to revile and miscall him.' Oh,
where you see any work of grace, take heed of
reviling !
Wemight bring nowthat question in here, Whymay
we not speak evil of men that are evil ? It will either
belong to this place, or when we come in way of ap-
plication to the second, that those are blessed that
are reviled ; wherein we should shew how the saints
should behave themselves, that though they be reviled
should not revile again. Those that suffer reviling
are blessed ; they are blessed many ways. Not to
name the many scriptures which we might, 2 Cor.
xii. 10; Heb. xi. 26. But to shew wherein they are
blessed when they suffer reviling ; —
First, Hereby they see a great difference that God hath
made between them and others : they may think thus
with themselves, I might have been among the num-
ber of revilers ; but behold I am reviled i'or Christ's
sake. Oh what a blessed thing is that : I that have
as wTetched a heart as any, I that might have been
left to myself to have been among the rout of revilers
of the saints, yet that I should rather be reviled than
be among the revilers, the difference is great !
But, secondly, Blessed are they that are reviled, for by
this means they come to increase in grace, rather than
any way to be hindered. It is said of Luther that he was
fed with reproaches that wicked men cast upon him.
And indeed God doth suffer the revilings of wicked
men to make tlie saints more fruitful, as the casting
of dung upon the earth maketh it more fruitful.
Blessed are they therefore — they never grow more than
when they are most reviled.
Thirdly, but then further. Blessed are they for all
the reproaches that are cast upon them, Christ doth
own ; I account them as mine, saith Christ, and
Christ takes care of their names. And Christ will
honour them, Christ will reward them for every
reproach, for every nickname that is cast upon them
shall have a great reward in heaven; therefore they
are blessed.
Now, then, if it be so, though there be divers par-
ticulars for apphcation, yet this is the main thing
that I shall now insist upon, that if it be a blessed
thing to be reviled for Christ, then those that are
reviled should not seek to help themselves by reviling
agam. Why wilt thou in a rage revile back again?
Why, I am reviled ; who can bear it ? Why, what
hurt canst thou get by it? Christ saith thou art
blessed in it, therefore thou mayest be the better
patient under it ; yea, the more patient thou art in
it, the more will Christ own thee. I's. xxxviii. 12, 15,
David he had been reviled and reproached, ' They also
that seek after my life lay snares for me ; and they that
'230
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 11.
seek my hurt, speak mischievous things, and imagine
deceits all the day long.' What then ? ' But I as a
deaf man heard not, and I was as a dumb man that
opened not his mouth ; thus I was as a man that
heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.'
Mark now, ' For in thee, 0 Lord, do I hope ; thou
wilt hear, 0 Lord my God.' The less we hear in our
revilings, the more will God hear ; and if we hear too
much, God's ears will be the more stopped. God's
people know ways how to help themselves rather than
by returning reviling again. Indeed, you have many
people who are scolding in the streets, and if one
should cast dirt at them, they will cast dirt at them
again ; that is all the weapons that scolds have, to
cast dirt upon one another. Now those that have
manhood in them, they will not run to the kennels
to help themselves, but to their other weapons. But
you will say this. Do not we find in Scripture that
when men are wicked and vile, that the Scripture
doth give them their own ; the Scripture doth speak
of them as vile, and casts contemptible names upon
them. And may not we do so with those that do deal
wickedly and sinfully ; may not we open their folly,
and deal with them according to their folly, and shew
their shame unto the world, and seek thereby for to
humble them by aggrtivating their evil upon them — ■
will you call this a reviling again ?
Indeed, we read of Christ, in 1 Peter ii. 23, his
e.xample is set before us, ' Who when he was reviled,
reviled not again ; but committed to him that judgeth
righteously.' But now, I beseech you, observe first.
What the Scripture doth in some cases ; secondly.
Observe the rules that should be observed to make
them to be different from reviling.
Certainly the saints must not revile again, that must
be laid as a ground and jjrinciple, yet they may rebuke
others sharply. In Titus i. the apostle there speaks
of the Cretans, that were liars, and mark what words
the apostle uses; ver. 10, saith he, ' There are many
unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially they
of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped.'
And then again, ' One of themselves said, The Cretans
are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies ; this witness
is true, wherefore rebuke them sharply' — rebuke
them cuttingly, rebuke them so as even to cut. And
you know John, who was of so loving a spirit,
having to deal with Diotrephes, saith he, ' If I come,
I will remember his deeds which he doth, prating
against us with malicious words.' And Paul, when
he had to deal with Elymas, he looks upon him, and
saith, ' 0 thou child of the devil,' &c. And Christ,
when he had to deal with the pharisees, ' 0 genera-
tion of vipers.' Now here lies the skill of a Christian,
to know how to deal, and that according to the nature
of the thing, sharply, and not t obe guilty of the nature
of reviling. All that I would do now for the close o
this exercise, is but to help you to deal with such as
are evil, either wicked men or professors of religion —
to deal with them plainly, and yet not to revile; there-
fore these rules are to be observed : —
First, If so be that a man should be guilty of what
is charged upon him by another, then I confess, though
the other be never so wicked and sinful in his charge,
yet he is to put it up patiently, and not to rebuke
him that is passionate with him, if himself be guilty,
for that time. As Shimei comes to David, 0 thou
bloody man, and reviles him, yet David he was under
guiltiness at that time, and his conscience accused
him ; though Shimei did revile him in saying so,
having a wicked intention in it, yet David would not
speak one word; he would not say to Shimei, Why
dost thou say thus ? No ; he was guilty himself, and
therefore he dared not speak a word, but was humbled
under the hand of God. If your conscience tells you
you are guilty, take heed ; though others should have
an ill spirit in speaking evil of you, yet, I say, take
heed of turning upon him again.
Secondly, Yon must not do it presently. Suppose
that any have done anything against you, and done it
wilfully, and you are not guilty — first, If you be guilty,
then you are to say nothing, but put it up, and be
humbled before God; — but if you be not guilty, then
it is not fit presently to fall upon him that hath un-
justly accused you — you had need consider of it, pray
over it, examine your hearts. Those that as soon as
ever they hear of any one that accuses them for any
evil, presently have foul language against them,
these are they that are subject to fall into the sin of
reviling, instead of a just defence or reprehension of
that that is evil in others.
Thirdly, You may reprove others for their sin,
reprove them sharply ; but it must not be for their
sin of weakness, but there must be some wilfulness
in the sin before you do reprove them sharply. You
should consider, such a one is sinful, but is it of weak-
ness or of wilfulness ? If it be a sin of weakness, I
must pity them ; I may not give them any harsh
language at all, as Christ did to Peter, ' Avoid, Satan.'
Certainly it was a sin of weakness in Peter, when, as
Peter prayed him, ' Master, favour thyself,' he re-
buked him with that cutting term, and called him
Satan. Not that Peter was malicious in it, but be-
cause the nature of the thing that he spake had so
great evil in it ; therefore Christ was the more sharp.
But when the thing is of weakness, and there is no
such great consequence in the nature of the offence,
then you must deal tenderly. But if there be any
word now that hath mispleased you, and presently
you go and speak sharply, you will turn to be a
reviler.
Fourthly, If the offence be repented of, then, though
it were a great offence, we must not deal sharply with
Mat. V. 11.]
BUKROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
231
any. "WTiereas ordinarily it is in men that do revile
the saints, they will revile them for the least weak-
ness ; yea, and will revile them for the sins that they
have repented of ; they will bring up all old things
that were in the time of then- ignorance, when they
knew not God, to make them odious. But if it be an
offence that hath been repented of, as the Lord buries
it, so must we.
Fifthly, If the sin be a secret shi, then we must
not reprove it before others, not to give any hard
language before others ; if God hath kept it secret, do
not you in the presence of others reveal it. Whereas
those that are of reviling spirits, if they can find out
anything, though never so secret, they will blaze it
presently, only that they might cast a reproach upon
such as they have a love to revile.
Sixthly, You must not be partial in your hard
language. You shall have many that are carnal and
wicked men, that if a professor of religion do any-
thing amiss, oh what hard and bitter language will
they give against him. But let one of their com^
panions do that which is worse, they will give no re-
viling speeches to him ; but a professor of religion,
they will be sure to lay load upon him. Now that
is a sign that thou dost not reprove according to the
way of Christ, when thou art partial in thy reproofs.
Seventhly, You must be sure not to give harder
language than the matter will bear ; that is a reviling,
and not to observe the rules that before we set.
Eighthly, The manner of our spirits must be ob-
served. It must not be passionate, that is, manifest
that we are in a heat ; but when we speak of the evil
of others, we 'had need have as quiet a spirit as at
any time in the world. Now, we know whence comes
reviling ; when men and women are put into a heat,
they care not what they say. But if you come to
examine, you spake such and such things, and you
say they do deserve so and so, and they are guilty,
what then ? Why, it is not for you passionately to re-
prove them ; but your spirits must be quiet at that
time, and you must labour to still all passion when
you are about the reprehension of your brethren.
Ninthly, You must not do it revengefully. It is
not enough to say that they do deserve it, but you
may revenge yourselves in speaking that that is but
right. Perhaps they are gviilty of such things ; ay,
but you may charge them with it, not out of a hatred
to their sin, or doing them good, but out of a spirit
of revenge to thyself. Shimei, whom we named be-
fore, he did revile, though the thing were true he
said. Why ? because he did it out of a spirit of re-
venge. But certainly some there are that sharp
speeches does tend more to do them good ; those that
are Cretans, that the Scripture speaks of. The cut-
ting speech to a Cretan is more suitable, and tends
to his good rather than another speech.
Tenthly, We should observe whether they be of
such natures that soft ways will do them good rather
than harsh ways ; and if they be of such natures that
we find by anything else that any soft and gentle
ways will do them good, certainly we should use them
rather than sharp ways.
Eleventhly, The more sharp we are at any time in
our dealing with others, the more prayers we should
use. I would appeal to those, both from the former
rule and this, when you deal with men that you are
exasperated against, do not your consciences tell you
that if they should be guilty of such a thing, that a fair
reasoning the case with them would more convince
them than if you should be sharp ; there I say we
should look to ourselves that we do convince them
that way. We should use much prayer : never pray
more for a man or woman than when you are most
sharp towards them. Let your consciences testify
this to you, and then you will have peace : that you
can appeal to God in this, that though they may
think you deal sharply with them, yet then I can
carry them before the throne of grace, and pray
heartily for them ; and if they be wicked and ungodly,
thou mayest pray against them, as Paul did agamst
Alexander the coppersmith.
Twelfthly, Another rule may be this. Be ready
upon the acknowledgment of the evil to close with
them again. You should never so sharply reprove
any, but if they shall be ready to acknowledge the
evil, you should be ready to close with them, and
bless God for them. But you do revile others if
they shall come and acknowledge the evU that you
say, and yield to you in that thing you speak against
them for — nay, you are the more against them ; that
is a sign thou art a reviler. But if thou didst carry
thyself graciously, and the other comes to acknow-
ledge it, oh you would join with them, and bless God
for them, and be more united to them than ever.
Thirteenthly, Another rule is this, That is a
reviler that speaks evil of another, and is glad that
he hath such an evil to speak of him. This is not
one that reproves sharjily according to the mind of
God ; but such a one, I have an advantage against
him in such a sin he hath committed, and I am glad
of it. Oh this is a wicked thing ! That is as much as
to say, I prize more my particular advantage than I
do the honour of God. When thou hast to deal
with an adversary, if there be anything that is evil
that thou hast to say against him, I say, thou
shouldst charge him according to the nature of the
oflence, and withal be sorry that God hath left him
to such a sin ; and mourn for it — appeal to God.
Do you do so that do revile others — I mean, that
speak evil of others ? for no man will acknowledge
himself to be a reviler. No ; they say they have
just cause to speak of it. But grant it that you
232
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 11.
have just cause ; but are you sorry from your souls
that there is just cause? how doth it grieve your
souls that this man is left to so much evil, that you
have so much advantage against him ? Certainly, if
it be so, there is no fear of reviling.
Fourteenthly, lastly, When men shall come and
speak evil of others before they are called to it, there
certainly it doth argue a guiltiness. Herein this
man or woman is in danger to be guilty of the sin
of reviling ; so that now observe but these rules, (for
the heart of man is very unruly,) and then you may
come to know how to carry yourselves in a Christian
way when you have to deal with others that do
deserve sharp reprehension ; you may reprehend them
sharply, and not at all revile them ; for he is a
blessed man that is reviled falsely for Christ's sake.
SERMON XXXVI.
OR,
A WOED OF USE TO THOSE WHO AEE REVILED.
'Blessed are ye, token men shall revile yon, and jiersecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you
falsely, for my sake.' — Mat. v. 11.
This last rule of our Saviour's for blessedness is the
most strange to flesh and blood of all the other, for
them to be blessed that are persecuted, reviled ; yea,
the rather blessed, because persecuted and reviled.
This is a riddle to flesh and blood, therefore Christ
is the more large in it. There is but one short
verse for any of the other, and three large verses for
this. For the point of persecution, we have opened
what it is, and the contUtion of the saints, what that is,
wherein the blessedness of that consists, because few
will acknowledge that they persecute for righteous-
ness. We gave some convictions for men, whereby
they may come to know that in their persecution of
goclly men, that it is righteousness that they may
persecute. And what is contained in that promise,
' theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'
We came the last day to speak of tliis particular
perseciition, the persecution of the tongue, reviling —
' Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you.' The
word for reviling, signifies to reprove one, to cast in
their teeth any evil with detestation. Now the con-
dition of the saints is such that they must expect to
be reviled in the world, and to be reviled and re-
proached, and that we shewed you from Scripture ;
and for example, we shall refer to the latter end of
it, — ' For so persecuted they the prophets.' The
use" of reviling I gave the last day, the hatred and
malice that there is m the hearts of men. All ungodly
men hate the saints; but yet all cannot persecute
them, but every one may revile them. They have the
* Query, ' rise '? or ' cause '? — Ed.
liberty of the tongue to speak of them as they will,
though not to persecute them ; and the devil knows
that reviling it is a powerful way to prevail, to
weary them in their profession. Your spirits cannot
bear reviling ; it is a sore and heavy affliction unto
many, and hard to bear, and he seeth that many
times when he cannot prevail by persecution that ho
doth prevail by revihng. Reviling is a sore evil, and
doth go very deep into the spirits of men. Many
uses were made of the point in general, as when
men take up their profession of religion at first, let
them make account of reviling, account of all ill
language ; it may be parents, kindred, friends, ac-
quaintance, masters, and all will revile you, and will
have names to revile you by — and make account of
this before. And then, secondly. Labour to be care-
ful in your conversation ; men will revile you, do
what you can, but let them not find anything in
you whereby they may revile you. Thu'dly, Let not
saints revile one another, for it is very sad so to do ;
it is that that the psalmist complained of in Ps.
xxxi. 11, ' I was a reproach among all mine enemies ;
but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to
mine acquaintance ; they that did see me without
fled from me.' He makes a complaint of the re-
proach of his enemies, but especially amongst his
neighbours; that was sore to him; it was not so much
for the saints to sufi'er reviling languages by prelates,
as to sufter one from another ; this is exceeding sad.
' Do you not bind me,' saith Samson ; so the godly
will say of their fellow-brethren, ' Do not you bind
Mat. V. 11.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
233
us.' There is a great blessing in suffering of revil-
ing. The husbandman makes his ground fruitful by
casting dung on it ; so doth God make his saints
fruitful by the casting revUings on them by wicked
men. Why is it such a blessedness ? Thou ai't to
look on it as a blessed thing, that when thou art re-
viled for Christ, thou mightest have been reviled for
thine own wickedness. And blessed are ye, for there
is a great reward; 'great is your reward in heaven.'
The Lord takes care of your names while you are so
reviled. The use that we stood upon the last day is
this, that if it be such a blessed thing to be reviled,
to suffer for Christ, then it should teach the saints
that when they are reviled not to revile again ;
for what need they ? it is that that is turned into a
blessing.
Again, "We must not revile others. What ! may we
not charge others of the evil that they are guilty of?
We spent a great deal of time the last day to shew
you how you may charge others of what evil they
are guilty of, and charge them deeply too, and not be
guilty of reviling, because it was a hard work to have
to do with other men's sins, and not to be guilty of
revihng. Titus i. 10, 13, ' For there are many unruly
and vahi talkers and deceivers, especially they of the
circumcision.' The word translated sharj}li/ is cut-
iinfjly* and if any people of the world may be re-
buked, they are the Cretans, that are liars. They
may call them to the rule of the apostle. It is not
safe, when any have provoked you, to fall presently
a-rebuking. When the business concerns ourselves
we may avoid the turning of reprehensions into revil-
ings by deliberating of it ; and if the sin be secret,
then we must not in a public way speak evil of men ;
for then it is an argument that a man loves reviling,
when be seeks to rake up secret things, and declares
and pubhshes them in evil language to the world. If
God keep them secret, then you should not reveal
them ; and you must not be glad of offences neither.
Oh take heed of that ! oh mourn for them, and be
sure what language you give have a just foundation
in the evil that is committed by those men that you
speak against, and that you do not do it passionately
and revengefully, but do it out of a meek ajid quiet
spirit, and out of love to the truth. The more you
speak against any, and charge any evil on them, you
ought to pray the more from them ; and specially,
if you think there be anything of God in them, and
if they have anything of God in them, do not speak
anytliing against them but in prayer. Were these
rules but observed, that as often as they prayed
for them, they prayed for them as with a bitter
spirit they spoke against them,t then thou wouldest
* d7roT6/nws signifies cuttingly or precisely, or to the quick.
So Estius.
t Probably the text should be something to this effect, ' that
be clear in tby conscience of reviling. But not to pro-
ceed further in that which we spoke of the last day ; a
word or two more about this point in general.
If they be blessed that be reviled, let not the saints
by reviling be put out of their way. Whenas Christ
tells thee thou art blessed, what great hurt bast thou
when such call thee such names, and speak such evil
of thee, and thou canst bear it ? Such as know what
Christian religion means, indeed, they should not at
all be turned out of their way because of reviling, nor
dislike thereof. Do not sit down with this : Since
I came to profess the Christian religion, what names
have been cast on me, scorns, reproaches, and revil-
ings ! I remember a learned man hath this simili-
tude. What a dishonour were it for a soldier with a
puff of wind to be cast off his borse ! Would not
every one laugh at it '? Such a dishonour is it for
any one that is in a good way, or in a good cause, to
be taken off by the reproaches of wicked men, which
are but puffs of wind. IMen are willing to suffer re-
proaches for their sin, shame, and any name for to
have their lust ; and wilt not thou be willing to suffer
nicknames for the cause of Christ? Remember
that Christ bath delivered thee from an eternal re-
proach : Dan. xii. 2, ' And many of them that sleep
in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to ever-
lasting life, and some to shame and everlasting con-
tempt.' Yea, remember that Christ takes care of
thy name, and thou art under a great many of pro-
mises for clearing thy righteousness as the noonday,
and it is not to sit down and think to go out of the
way by reason of revihng, but pray to the Lord.
Take two or three scriptures for directions to the
godly when they are reviled. The one is in Ps. cix.
1, 2, ' Hold not thy peace, 0 God of my praise ; for
the mouth of the wicked and tlie mouth of the deceit-
ful are opened against me : they have spoken against
me with a lying tongue.' David was a type of the
church, and he suffered exceeding much all kind
of suffering and revUing as much as any. Their
mouths was opened. What, then, in ver. 3 ? ' They
compassed me about also with words of hatred ; and
fought against me without a cause.' Ver. 4, What
then ? What do I do, ' but I give myself to prayer.'
The original, 1173/1 ''JN1, is this, but I pray ; that is
my refuge ; prayer is my help. So in Job xvi. 20,
' My friends scorn me, but mine eye poureth out
tears unto God.' Ps. Ivii. 2, 3, 'I will cry unto God
most high ; unto God that performeth all things for
me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from
the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Se-
lah.' Grod shall send forth his mercy and his truth,
and other Kke expressions of David. I have help in
as often as they reviled you, you prayed for them ; and prayed
for them with as loving a spirit as with a bitter spirit they
spoke against you.' — Ed.
234
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 11.
heaven, and therefore I need not revile again, and be
discouraged in my way. Nehemiah was reproached
when he was in his work, and did he cease his work ?
No.
In the last place. If those be blessed that are re-
viled, then certainly those that are revilers are cursed.
It is a blessed thing when men, being godly, are
reviled for Christ. Then what dost thou think, that
instead of suffering for reviling, that art a reviler ?
Those that were reviled, and being weary of it, art
turned revilers. Oh take heed of them ! there are no
more bitter revilers of religion in the world than such
as are apostatising professors. When you see any
man that hath been a forward professor, and fallen
off, and turned out, remember Eabshakeh's apostasy,
that was the worst reviler of all. Surely revilers of
those that are godly are in a very cursed condition,
for men may pray against them : Neh. iv. 3-5, ' Now
Tobiah the Ammonite was by him ; and he said.
Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall
even break down their stone wall. Hear, O our God ;
for we are despised : and turn their reproach upon
their own head, and give them for a prey in the land
of captivity. And cover not their iniquity, and let
not their sin be blotted out from before thee : for they
have provoked thee to anger before the builders.' See
for ignorant ones in that place of 2 Kings ii. 23, 24,
' And he went up from thence unto Bethel : and as he
was going up by the way, there came forth little chil-
dren out of the city and mocked him, saying. Go up,
thou bald-head; go up, thou bald-head. And he
turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them
in the name of the Lord : and there came forth two
she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty-two children
of them.' Oh take heed of reviling. Though you do
it ignorantly, take heed of it ; it is a most dangerous
thin". You will say you do not revile them for their
goodness, but because they are hypocrites. For that
I will give you that scripture ; you may think it may
be an excuse, but it may prove to be an aggravation :
Mark iii. 22, ' And the scribes which came down from
Jerusalem said. He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince
of the devils casteth he out devils.' They would not
revile them, and say. We do not speak those evils of
them because they have the Spirit of God, but it is
by Beelzebub. Therefore from thence note this, that
it is a dangerous thing to charge that on hypocrisy or
any wickedness, and God knows it comes from his
own Spirit. I might shew you divers scriptures — ■
read the 59th and 57th Psalms, but especially the
59th Psalm — that they go up and down grieving
through the city. You speak contemptible of the
saints, and the Holy Ghost speaks very contemptible
of you. God keeps their hands short, or else they
would do more ; for they go grieving up and down
the streets. But to go on in the text, ' Blessed are
you when men revile you, and persecute you.' Here
comes in persecution again.
Fu'st, From the doubhng of this — for there is no-
thing in Scripture that is in vain ; though there be
repetitions, yet there is some reason — you are blessed,
and your posterity is blessed. Christ pronounceth
blessedness on such as suffer for his name's sake, that
suffer persecution ; and it may be a great comfort to
any that have had their forefathers suffered, and
Christ will own them the rather, Christ will own
their posterity the rather. Suppose you should have
one come to you in poor tattered rags, and beg at
your door, and one should come and tell you this
man's father lost all that he had for your sake — his
grandfather lost his life in your cause ; would not
any man reward this child, when he knows this was
the child of the father, or the grandchild of the grand-
father that suffered for you ? It may be you suffer
persecution now, and ye be pronounced blessed, and
ye find no blessedness comes ; but you have a double
blessing provided for you hereafter. Those men that
now have reviling spirits, if God gives power mto
their hands, they will have persecutuig spirits. Oh
let us pray that the Lord would keep them short, for
they would be in danger of being persecutors.
Secondly, And further, this is added, j^^rsecuied,
because there are some that can bear ill language that
cannot bear persecution. Some men care not what
they say of them in words. Words break no bones ;
but if they come to suffer the loss of anything — of
estate, imprisonment — then they are ready to fly off.
Be not only wUUng to bear evil words, but to bear evil
actions, then when they speak all manner of evil, they
speak all speeches, all kind of evil. It is a strange
thing that this should be said of the disciples, those
that should be sent out, that they should have all
manner of evil spoken against them, that they should
be thought to be a little too strict, but not for all man-
ner of evil to be spoken of them. But St Paul saith,
'We are the offscouring of the world,' 1 Cor. iv. 13.
The word is taken, according to some interpreters,
from the dung-carts ; every one brings his dirt and
casts into their carts, so saith Paul, ' We are the off-
scouring of the world,' and we are the dung-carts, and
there is no man but hath some dht or other to cast
upon us.'" The apostle alludes to the expiation in
use among the heathens, (saith Budanis.) When cer-
tain condemned persons were brought forth, with
garlands on their heads, to be put to death as an
offering to Neptune, they used to say, Sis ]}fo nobis
2xrij'sema, Be thou a propitiation for us; so as if the
ajjostle had said, we are as hateful in the sight of the
* vepiKaBapfiara, purr/amentum. The word signifies properly
filth and dirt, and a dung-cart that goes through the city,
wherein all filth is cast. And so Tepl\j/riij.a, sordes, filth. Both
words signify the satue.
Mat. V. 11.]
BUKROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
23£
people as those condemned persons that was offered
up by way of expiation. And now we are loaded
with cursings and revilings as those persons were.
'Blessed are ye when they speak all manner of evil.'
There are some that can bear some reproaches, but not
all reproaches ; we must be willing to submit to all
that God shall call us to — aU manner of evil. It may
be there is in some, some cause of suspicion, but they
must not reprove men on suspicion ; but if we went
no further but only to speak evil because there is
some ground of suspicion.* But the people of God
must expect (if on no ground at all) evil men will
revile them.
Secondly, Such kind of evil as is most contrary to
them ; as those that ai'e the most sober and most
temperate, they must be content to be reviled by the
name of drunkards, and those that are the most
chaste, they must be content to be reviled by the
name of unchaste. Those that desire above all things
in the world peace, and would not be causes of trouble,
only so far as their duty calls them to, yet they must
be accounted to be the troublers of the state and
church. That evil which thej' do abhor they must be
content to suffer; yea, whatsoever evil that any wicked
men are guilty of, yet godly men are charged with it.
When Nero would fire Rome, the Christians were the
cause of it. They lay to their charge all kind of evil ;
why should they speak of all manner of evil ? for if
they be not guilty of it then it would be washed away,
and to the shame of those that do cast it on them.
But they will divulge the evil abroad, and abundance
will come to hear of the reproach that cannot come
to hear of the justification of the reproach, and of the
answer to the reproach, and therefore boldly and
strongly will they speak all manner of evil, though it
be things that are as far distant from them as the
east from the west. Yet they will seek to cause it to
stick by casting it on them, take off who can, by
speaking all manner of evil. From this let us learn
not to judge of the saints by what we hear of them.
What an infinite wrong will it be for us to think men
to be guilty by whatever is cast upon them ! we shall
wrong the generation of the righteous, that if we
should have the least thought of guiltiness by the
reproaches that are abroad. And then let the godly
labour to confute all evil that is said of them : 1 Pet.
i. 15, ' But as he which hath called you is holy, so
be ye holy in all manner of conversation.' It seems
that the wicked they labour to revile with all manner
of evil to cast on you, and do you labour in all your
conversation to manifest all holiness, and that is the
way to answer all manner of reviling.
* The meaning evidently is, — if they (evil men) went no
further but only to speak evil because there is some ground
of suspicion, it were not so bad ; but the people of God, &c.
—Ed.
Thirdly, further, ' Blessed are ye, when they revile
you and persecute you, and speak all manner of evil
falsely,' lyingly. It is a strange speech that some
have : If so be that I were guilty it would nothing so
much trouble me ; but for them to charge "me when
I never thought on it, it must needs trouble me. If
you were guilty, when they speak evil of you truly,
then you had cause to roar and cry out in the anguish
of your heart. Brethren, the best of all the saints
they have some evil in them ; therefore we should
labour to walk that men, if they will revile us, we
should be sure that they should not hit right; we are
conscious of some evil to ourselves, but we should
keep it from the eye of the world. But now, how-
shameful is it for those that profess godliness to give
just occasion to be reviled ! If men's mouths shall
be opened, and it prove to be true that you are pro-
fessors of religion, you by your sin put yourselves
from under the blessedness. When men shall say
you are thus and thus, and your own conscience tells
you that you are worse than they do accuse you of,
thou art in a sad condition when thou hast in thy
bosom a reproving conscience. You talk of men's
revihngs, but what doth thy conscience ? Men speak
some evil of thee, but thy conscience speaks more
evil of thee. Secondly, consider this, That if it prove
true and not false that men reprove you for, it is the
hand of God justly against thee. God doth spit in
thy face, and cast shame on thee, by the reviling of
other men.
Fourthly, Further, you are those that do hurt unto
religion, you that give just occasion of men's reviling
of them. Professors that walk scandalously, that
make great show of religion, you are the men, and
do the greatest mischief of any men on the earth.
God will require all the sufferings of all his other
saints at your hands. You do more hurt to religion
than all the persecutors of the world ; that Christian
that makes profession of religion, and gives just occa-
sion of reviling, he doth more hurt to religion than
all the revilers of the world. And there is this reason
for it : persecutors do but make men afraid to profess
religion ; they do not make them to be out of love
with religion ; but those that walk scandalously, they
prevail upon men's consciences, so as to make men
hate religion. Now, is not this a greater mischief
for to make men hate it, than to make men afraid to
profess it ? Therefore look to yourselves, that if men
speak any evil of you that they may speak it falsely;
but if they speak it on just occasion, then you cannot
make your moan to God, you are cut off from that
privilege; but, being reviled falsely, then you can
enjoy that privilege, as you may read in the 16th chap,
of Jeremiah. It is the privilege of the sfiints, that
when any men speak evil of them, and their con-
science tells them that it is falsely, they can then go
236
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 11.
to God. ' Then when they speak evil of you falsely
for my sake,' be not offensive unto others in any mat-
ters that concern man and man. If you suffer, do
not suffer as evil-doers, but sufi'er for the sake of
Christ, suffer in the matter of God. As it is said in
Dan. vi. 5, ' Then said these men, We shall not find
any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it
against him concerning the law of his God.' Their
consciences were convinced, that in all matters be-
tween man and man, there was nothing to do with
him ; but let us watch him between the matters of
the Lord his God. The Lord deliver us from such
kind of spirits ! So long as Christians walk so that
let the world pry, and in all their converse between
man and man, they can find no fault — only in the
matters of the Lord their God, only for Christ's cause,
and the matters of the gospel. You shall have many
say of their neighbour, The neighbour that lives by
me he is an honest neighbour as any can live by me ;
but he is thus and thus, and hath taken up such an
opinion, and is strict in the matters of God. And so
of servants and wife. Blessed are ye when aU that
pry into your ways and lives, have nothing else in it.
All that you suffer it is for the sake of the Lord your
God. Certainly, if so be you shall suffer only for his
sake, then it must be set on his score, and he will
own it in that day of his. ' In all your afflictions he
is afflicted,' Isa. Ixiii. 9. ' In all their affliction he
was afflicted ; and the angel of his presence saved
them ; m his love and in his pity he redeemed them,
and he bare them, and carried them all the days of
old,' Ps. Ixxix. 4, 12. ' We are become a reproach to
our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that
are round about us. And render unto our neigh-
bours sevenfold into their bosom the reproach where-
with they have reproached thee, 0 Lord.' If any
man suffer for your sake, you account yourself bound
to vindicate him ; so the apostle, Horn. viii. 26,
' Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for
we know not what we should pray for as we ought :
but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot ^be uttered.' It is a comfort
for the Lord to take notice of your sufferings, when
thou sufferest for Christ's sake. Christ loves thee,
he hath promised to help thee hereafter ; he hath
helped thee, and is engaged to help thee ; for it is for
his sake that thou sufferest. Therefore go on, and
account thyself blessed for his sake. Certainly, if
we be willing to suffer for his sake, certainly he will
be willing to suffer for our sakes ; when thou sufferest
anything for Christ, he is infinitely worthy — he is
worthy of all that thou hast. What hath he done
for thee ? Hath he not done more for thee than thou
hast done for him, or canst do for Mm ?
Sixthly, Further, a very great use, ' Blessed are
those that have all manner of evil spoken falsely for
my name sake.' When you are reproached for
Christ's sake you are blessed ; but when Christ
is reproached for your sake, Christ now is not in
a way of merit. He hath finished the work ; 'and
yet, for all that, Christ may have some suffering,
may have shame cast on him, even for thy sake,
through thy wicked and ungodly life. Why, this
is a cursed cursed thing, this is even to pull Christ
down from heaven to suffer again. Why, did not
Christ suffer enough, and wilt thou have him to
suffer for thy sake more ? Do not thou add to his
suffering, but suffer as much for his sake as he hath-
done for thy sake. Rom. ii. 24r, ' For the name of
God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you,
as it is written.' See how God is reviled ! The
name of God is blasphemed for your sakes. When
you walk scandalously, the name of God is reproached.
If a professor of religion hath any temptation to sin,
consider, if thou givest any permission to that sin,
thou tramplest on the name of CMist. You trample
on me, saith Christ. Wilt thou go on yet to the com-
mission of sin, though the name of God lies before
thee ? Oh, hard-hearted wretch ! that knowest the
name of God lies there, and thou wilt trample on it.
It follows in ver. 12 — that is, 'Eejoice, and be ex-
ceeding glad ; ' do not only account yourselves blessed,
but rejoice and be exceeding glad. Luke vi. 23, ' Re-
joice ye in that day, and leap for joy ; for, behold,
your reward is great in heaven : for in the like
manner did the fathers unto their prophets.' Leap
for joy ; skip and leap for joy whenas you are re-
viled for Christ, that it is not enough for Christians
to be patient under suffering, but they must be joyful
under suffering. It doth not become true Cliristians
to manifest any kind of sorrow under any suffering
for Christ, that when at any time we suffer in his
cause, — whatever we do when we suffer for our sin,
there we may manifest the work of sorrow. — But
when we suffer jjersecution for Christ's sake, Christ
would not have our hearts to be sorrowful at that
time, but calls for rejoicing ; and here is the difference
between suffering for sin and suffering for the sake of
Christ. There the Lord calls for mourning and weep-
ing when affliction is on you for your sin ; but when
you suffer for Christ's sake, there the Scripture doth
not call for any mourning or weeping, or any humilia-
tion, but for rejoicing and blessing God that they are
accounted worthy for to suffer for him.
Mat. V. 12.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
237
SERMON XXXVII.
SAINTS SHOULD TAKE HEED THEY SUFFEE NOT FOE EVIL TEULY.
' Rejoice, and he exceeding glad; for great is yonr reward in heaven ; for so j^ersecuted they the prophets
which were before you.' — Mat. v. 12.
The last of these rules of blessedness. It is the suf-
fering of persecution — of reviling for the sake of
Christ, for blessed are they. "We have spoken of
persecution in general, and of reviling more particu-
larly, and the blessedness that there is in suffering
either persecution or reviling, -when they shall speak
all manner of evil — evil that is most unlikely — that
hath no Idnd of show in it ; yet they venture to
fasten all manner of evil on us, but yet falsely. Let
the saints take heed that there be no evil said of
them truly, for that is a grievous thing; they are not
blessed in that ; but when it is spoken of them falsely,
and for my name's sake — not for your own wills' sake,
for your own lusts' sake, but for the Lord's sake,
and then Christ will own you. So certainly Clu'ist
hath a special regard to those who suffer anything in
his cause, as to have their names anyways wounded ;
why, he will bind up this wound. In Jer. xv. 15,
' 0 Lord, thou knowest : remember me, and visit me,
and revenge me of my persecutors ; take me not
away in thy long-suffering : know that for thy sake
I have suffered rebuke.' When you suffer for your
lusts' sake — for your own passion, you suffer these
things for your own wickedness ; but when it is for
the Lord's sake, then you can go with comfort to
prayer. Take heed that Christ do not suffer for your
sakes in that sense — namely, for your sin and wicked-
ness. Is it not enough that Christ hath suffered for
your sakes in a meritorious way ? Suffer for Clu-ist's
sake, but let not Christ suffer for yours.
To proceed to ver. 12, 'Eejoice, and be exceeding
glad ; ' rejoice, and leap, and skip for joy. In Luke
vi. 23, ' Eejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy ; for,
behold, your reward is great in heaven : for in the
like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.' A
matter of great joy should be to the saints when they
are reviled and persecuted for Christ's sake, — great
joy, because it is suCh a clear evidence that they are
in Christ's way, that they are Christ's, and that they
are entered far into that way, that they are come to
be sufferers for him; rejoice in that. Those good
things you do, it is good to you ; but not so much
as in suffering, the Spirit of God and glory rests on
you when you are reviled. 1 Peter iv. 14, 'If ye be
reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye ; for
the spirit of glory and of God resteth on you : on
then- part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is
glorified.' That for the people of God it is not enough
for them to be patient in suffering, but to be reproached.
Moses accounted the reproaches for Christ greater
riches than the treasures of Egypt. Persecutions
for Clu-ist to a true gracious heart, they are riches
to him ; therefore rejoice.
First, How shall I rejoice, for it is an affliction.
' If any be afflicted let him pray.' I confess when our
affliction comes as chastisement for sin, then mourning
is called for, but I nev-er find that the Scripture doth
call for mourning from the saints that suffer in the
cause of Christ, though it is a great evil in itself, yet
never calls for mourning. What other afflictions God
may send for the sin of his people, yet we do not find
that God chargeth this on his people, that they shall
suffer for his cause and affliction for their sin ; but
when we come to suffer for the cause of Christ, God
hath a further end in it than to afflict you so as to call
for mourning. Eejoice and leap for joy. Why : ' for
great is your reward in heaven.' You shall be re-
warded for your suffering, every spot of dirt that is
cast on you shall be turned mto a pearl, shall make
your reward more glorious. Your happiness, that
happiness that the saints shall have, is called a re-
ward, not a reward of merit, but a reward of free
grace. As a father, though he intends an inherit-
ance to his child, yet to encourage him to go to school,
he promiseth him such and such a reward, but not
out of merit, but out of his free love toward the child.
The Lord is jileased to call all the glory in heaven a
reward of that we suffer for his name's sake, thourdi
mingled with sin, and this is to encourage us, poor
creatures, that are led now in hope of a reward, and
great is your reward, it is much, a great reward. There
is surely a difference in the glory of heaven, if they that
238
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 12.
suffer most shall have the greatest reward ; they shall
have a great reward, because they suffer so much, and
this for encouraging in suffering. Surely there is some
difference in rewarding for suffering — they shall have
a great reward. This is observable, that Christ doth
not tell them what reward they shall have, he doth not
nstance in particular rewards, no, because it is so
great as it is not to be limited, as not to be expressed ;
as yfe are not able to understand it, therefore Christ
names no particular reward ; but it is a great re-
ward. Surely our hearts are too narrow when we
conceive any limits of God's mercy ; when we think
thus, If God be merciful to us, thus and thus,
then we shall be happy ; thou hast too narrow a
spirit to put any thus and thus on the mercy of
God. The mercy of God, it is a deep expression,
there is no carnal heart in the world, but as he limits
his obedience, so he liniits God's mercy, but he doth
frame some final contentment that he hopes to have,
and if he could have but some things he could be
satisfied. A gracious heart is so large, that nothing
particularly can satisfy him, and this is the ground
why a gracious heart will never limit himself in any
duty, but he must put itself into an infinite ocean of
service for God ; the expectation which such a soul
hath from God, it is beyond all finite good whatsoever.
Therefore, saith Christ, great is your reward. He
doth not name any particular reward.
Again, ' Great is your reward in heaven.' It may
be you shall meet with no reward here on earth. As
long as you live on the earth you shall be reviled and
persecuted ; here will never be an end of this ; it may
be all your lifetime will be spent, and therefore look
for your reward higher. If I were persecuted by some,
and honoured by others, I did not much care ; but it
may be you shall be reviled by the wicked, and dis-
countenanced by the godly, so that you shall have no
reward at all here on earth, but you are to expect it
hereafter. I confess the Lord sometimes is pleased to
reward them here on earth, that is b}- honouring of
them in the consciences of those that did revile them.
Well, but if it should not be so, if you should have
nothing here you must wait for it till you come to
heaven, there to have that full reward ; and the saints
are willing so to do, they are willing to stay for all
their reward till they come to heaven. We see such
a reality, and certainty, and glory in the things of
heaven, that we are willing to stay, and that will make
amends for all when it comes. There is no carnal
heart willing to stay, but they must have somewhat
for the present in hand, but for the staying for that
afterward they cannot do it, they have not eyes to
pierce the heaven to see beyond the vail. What is
this ? It is said in 2 Peter i. 9, ' But he that lack-
eth these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and
hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.'
Wicked men are purblind, they can see things that
are just before them, but they cannot see afar off, but
they cannot see heaven, but they look on the things of
the earth as realities ; but the saints look on the things
of the earth as vain things, and empty things, and
they look on the things of heaven as reality. The men
of the world they trade with God for small things
as it were ; they must have contentment of the flesh
for the present for to stay their carnal hearts, neither do
they know what they are ; for they trade but for Uttle
with God. But now the saints they trade with God
for eternity, for glory, for a kingdom, and for a
crown ; and they are willing to stay till afterward.
They care not what becomes of them here, so they
have the kingdom of heaven hereafter. There is
difference between the service that God hath in the,
world from men. The Lord hath some that do him
service, and they must have present pay. Saith God,
You shall have it, and that is your portion. When
he hath given thee some outward contentment in the
world, that is all you are like to have for ever. But
the saints of God, they do not stand for what they
shall have ; but they do any service for him ; he shall
have all that they can do ; they are resolved to serve
him, whatever comes of it. Though they have not
that present pay that others have in the world, yet
great is their reward in heaven. The reward in
heaven is great — a great reward : Ps. Ivii. 2, Power
from on high — that is, a glorious power, a great
power. Jer. xxv. 3, ' Surely there is a reward for
the righteous : ' whatever they meet with here, surely
there is a reward in heaven. Ps cxix. 8'), ' For ever,
0 Lord, thy word is settled iu heaven : ' there is
certainly a reward for the saints. One evidence that
there must be a great reward is this, that from the
beginning of the world to this day they have suffered
so much on earth, that he must have some time to
communicate his infinite treasures, and that visibly
too. Certainly the power of God wiU be in a kind
answering to his grace and mercy, to work mightily,
to manifest the infinite riches of his grace in reward-
ing. Therefore there is a reward for the saints, and,
above all, for the suffering saints.
Secondly, There must needs be a great reward in
heaven for them ; because the Lord gives the greatest
portion of the earth to the wicked, even to the dogs.
There are higher things for the saints. If the earth
be so excellent that he gives to his enemies, what
hath he for his own saints, those that are dear to him,
his children that suffer for him ? When we look on
this world, when we see what a canopy it hath, and
bespangled with stars, and see the glory of the earth,
and the riches thereof, and consider whose portion
this is, even the portion of the enemies of God, a
portion of those that God hates: 'The whole Turkish
empire is but a crumb, that the master of the family
Mat. V. 12.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
239
casts to his dog.'* Surely, then, what shall the saints
have ! Therefore when you see the wicked prosper,
reason after this manner. Is it so indeed, that wicked
men have so much here ? then what shall saints have,
those that suffer for him ?
Thirdly, A third demonstration is this : The hopes
the saints here are raised unto, and that by the
Holy Ghost. Their hopes for great things must not
vanish, because they are raised by the power of the
Holy Ghost: Rom. xv. 13, 'Now the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye
may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy
Ghost.' The hopes of the saints are raised, by
whom ? By God, and by the power of the Holy
Ghost. If God will set himself on work, to raise
hopes, and the Holy Ghost will set himself to raise
up their hopes, surely then they must not be light
hojies ; surely the object of their hopes is very great,
because it is the glory of God, and the glory of the
Holy Ghost that raiseth up their hopes ; surely they
axe glorious hopes. Your great men, captains and
princes, if they will talce a style, a title for them-
selves from anything, they have some high esteem of
it. The hopes of the saints are such things as God
takes a title from them. He is the God of tlieir
hopes ; surely their reward must be a glorious reward,
that they do thus hope for.
Fourthly, The fourth demonstration is this : It
must needs be a great reward ; because it was that
that was prepared for them before the foundation of
the world was laid. God from all eternity hath been
preparing glory for his people ; surely that work of
God that he hath been preparing from all eternity
will be very glorious.
Fifthly, A fifth demonstration is this, That it is a
great reward you have ; because whenever it comes,
it comes unto the saints to that end, that God may
declare unto men and angels what his infinite power
is able to raise a creature to, and what his infinite
mercy- is able to bestow upon a creature. We are
chosen to the praise of his rich and glorious grace.
If this be God's end in choosing us, that he might
manifest what the power of his grace is, and what
the power of his grace means, here is that rew-ard for
you. To what a height an infinite God is able to raise
poor creatures to ! ' Great is your reward in heaven.'
Sixthly, It must be a great reward, because it is
that likewise that is the fruit of the purchase of the
blood of Christ, that cost so dear, that must be of as
great value and worth that the blood of Christ de-
served. As sin is to all eternity crying for more and
more wrath to God, because sin deserves more, so the
merit of Christ, if thou hast not to the utmost capa-
city that such a creature is capable of, the merit of
Christ will cry for thee ; and is not here enough to
* Luther
encourage us in suffering ? It is such a reward as
Christ is gone before to prepare, John xiv. It is one
end of his ascension into heaven, there to make all
things fit for his saints and disciples against they
come. If you ask me what it is, what ! should I tell
you of the blessed vision of God, the enjoyment of
God, communion with , God, communion with the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Scripture tells
but little of the glory of the soul, because it would
have us to argue ourselves from that which is more
sensible ; for if the Scripture tells us that the body
shall shine as the sun in the firmament, then what
shall the soul do ? The soul is capable of commu-
nion with God, to put you in mind of this, that every
time when you suffer anything you act your faith on
that glorious reward : ' Blessed are ye when ye suffer
for righteousness' sake, and when men revile you ; for
great is your reward.' In ver. 10, ' Blessed are they
which are persecuted for righteousness' sake ;' and in
ver. 11 the person is changed. What is the reason
the person is changed ? First, ' Blessed are they,'
and then ' blessed are ye ; ' the reason is because
Christ would seem to direct himself unto those dis-
ciples that he sent abroad to preach the gospel. As
he had spoke to all those that should profess the
gospel, ' Blessed are they that suffer for righteousness,'
so blessed are ye.
Observe hence —
That the ministers of the gospel are to expect a
share of suffering from the evil and wicked world.
' I send you,' saith he, ' as sheep among wolves.'
The ministers of the gospel do more immediately fight
against the kingdom of Satan than any people of the
world. It is a very strange expression that we htive
in John xvii. 14, 'And have given them thy word,
and the world hath hated them, because they are not
of the world, even as I am not of the world.' Pre-
sently after the giving of the word the world hates
them ; the more they have of the word of truth, the
more the world hates them. You know what Christ
saith concerning Paul in his conversion, Acts ix. 15,
1 6, ' But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way ; for
he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name
before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children
of Israel ; for I will shew him how great things he
must suffer for my name's sake.' If he goes to
bear the name of Christ, then he must suffer great
things.
Secondly, The ministers of the gospel, in regard of
their place, they are more in view and in men's eyes
than other men are : let them look to themselves, they
are in the eyes of every man ; they are the white that
all men shoot at.
Thirdly, The ministers of the gospel have no wea-
pons to defend themselves withal but spiritual. A
magistrate can defend himself, for he hath the sword ;
240
BUUKOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 12.
but a minister cannot. And tlie ministers of the
gospel, they set themselves against men's lusts, against
their beloved lusts. Let a minister come and preach
to them in some general way, and never come to
strike home to then- lust, then all is well ; but if they
strike it home to their lust, they cannot bear that,
then they must revile him.
Fourthly, The devil knows that he can do no- more
mischief than to keep the name of ministers down,
and to take their esteem off from the people. Indeed
for such and such particulars, he shall not so prevail
in a great while, so much as he can any way make
the ministers vile, to speak anything evil of them.
Now let us take notice of this evil world, when even
the ministers of God, that are the greatest blessings
in the world, in that they come in the name of Christ
to open the treasure and riches of the grace of God
in that blessed covenant, and should be accepted as
angels of the deity in respect of their message, yet
this wicked world their hearts are against uo people
so much as against them. It should be a rule to min-
isters to walk cii-cumspectly, that there be no matter
found in them of objection against them.
Lastly, Labour to uphold that true honour that
Christ hath sent you to do in the ministry of the
gospel ; you know how careful and tender Jesus Christ
is of the honour and esteem of his ministers, therefore
that you must not receive an accusation against an
elder without two or three witnesses. You must be
so far from thinking it to be true, not so much as
telling it up and down, unless you have two or three
witnesses, and so all that are godly should set them-
selves what possibly they can to uphold the honour
of faithful ministers, to have a tender care and esteem
of their credit, and beat down all things that may
prejudice them.
' For so persecuted they the prophets.'
It is no strange thing that you meet withal, neither
is it a new thing that you meet withal ; you meet
with persecution and reviling, why, account it no
strange thing, as Peter speaks about the fiery trial.
Here consider three particulars : —
First, The history how all the prophets, from time
to time, have met with persecution, especially the
ministers of God; he doth not say, so did they to the
saints, but to the prophets.
The second thing should have been to shew you
wherein lies the power of the argument, ' That you
should rejoice and be glad,' because the prophets were
so persecuted.
And Thirdly, "What use it is that we should make
in that the projihets suffered so much.
First, How the prophets from time to time did
suffer so much hardship. If we begin with Abraham
you know what he suffered, and afterward Isaac what
he suflfered, and Moses what reproach he suffered,
in Heb. xi., and of David, if you read Ps. xxxv. 15,
' But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered
themselves together : yea, the abjects' (or as it is in
the Hebrew, Q^DJ, — a XJJ, he smote — the smiters)
'gathered themselves together against me, and I knew
it not, they did tear me, and ceased not.' And of
the church, in Ps. Ixxix. 4, ' We are become a reproach
to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that
are round about us.' You may read of Job, how he
was called by the basest of people. In Job xvi. 0,
10, ' He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me ; he
gnasheth upon me with his teeth ; mine enemy sharp-
eneth his eyes uj^on me. They have gaped upon me
with theii- mouth ; they have smitten me upon the
cheek reproachfully ; they have gathered themselves
together against me.' And Nehemiah, ii. 19, 'But
when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant,
the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it,
they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said,
What is this thing that ye do ? will ye rebel against
the king ?' And of the prophet Isaiah, xxviii. 13, 'But
the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon
precept, precept upon precept ; line upon line, lino
upon line ; here a little, and there a little ; that they
mightgo, and fall backward, andbe broken, andsuared,
and taken.' There is the scorn that the prophet
suffered even in regard of his ministry. It is said
that he was sawn asunder, and for his ministry he
suffered scorn ; the Hebrew words in the sound of
them shew a kind of scorn that they did use unto
the prophets ; here in speaking to them, they scorned
him though he was a high prophet ; you may read
of Ezekiel and Jeremiah how they suffered. The
same thing that Christ said of the prophets in all
ages, may be said of the ajiostles and martyrs, and
cliief reformers in former times, they suffered ; those
that have been most eminent in work of reformation,
they have suffered scorn, contempt, and reviUng.
TurtulUan tells of the Christians in his time, that they
were called the public enemies to the state, that they
met together in the night, and blew out candles, and
committed all uncleaunesses, and worshipjied an ass's
head, scorning at the Christians for a company of
foolish people ; and Chrysostom was banished by the
empress, and much scorn was cast on him. Austine,
what revilings was cast on him in his time. When I
spoke of the point of persecution of the disciples, I
shewed what their sulferings was in particular, but I
referred this till now, what hath been cast on most
eminent Christians that are the most reformers of reli-
gion. Now Calvin, that was the famous instrument
of good for the church of God, some say of him that
he was eaten up with worms, and some say he called
on the devil, though he was a sweet man, and had a
gracious and comfortable death. And for Beza, they
object against him that he desired lordshii) ; and they
Mat. V. 12.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
241
accuse him to be a froward man and of an implacable
spirit, and Jierein they do verify that they do speak
all manner of evil. It is reported that Beza did live
without any gall, because he was so quiet that they
could never see him provoked ; although the enemies
would provoke him with a most violent spirit, yet he
was as quiet as if he had been a man without a gall.
To shew you how it hath been the way of evil men to
strive with those that any way have been instruments
of good and reformation, and did seek it with the
most earnestness and zeal in Queen Elizabeth's days,
I mean those that set themselves against prelacy.
it is known how the bishops used them ; therefore
do not think your names more precious than their
names. And why should you think to go easier to
heaven than they ? why should you think that God
should rather favour you than them ? and look back
and remember that there is the same spirit of dark-
ness still prevailing as ever did ; therefore keep your
hearts close to God and Christ, and be sure you sutler
nothing but for Christ's sake, for then rejoice and be
exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven,
for so persecuted they the prophets which were be-
fore you.
SERMON XXXVIII.
ou,
SOME AEGUMENTS FOR THE HELPING OF SAINTS TO SUFFER
'For so persecuted they the pro})hets which were heforc you. Ye are the salt of the earth : but if the salt have
lost his savour, ivherewith shall it he salted ? it is thenceforth good for nothing, hut to he cast out, and to be
trodden underfoot of men. Te are the light of the world.' — Mat. v. 12-14.
Our Saviour, in the strengthening of his disciples
against persecution and reviling, and in helping them
in their suffering, amongst other things tells them that
they fare no worse than the prophets that went be-
fore them — ' For so persecuted they the prophets which
were before them ; ' from whence the point was, That
the consideration of what the servants of God suffered
heretofore should be a means to encourage us in
suffering.
First, To shew the history how all the prophets,
disciples, and the saints that have gone before, have
suffered great and hard things.
SecondJy, Wherein the argument lies of rejoicing
under persecution.
Thirdly, What use we are to make of the persecu-
tion of the prophets. I could handle but the first.
To proceed to the second : wherein lies the power of
this argument ? There is a fivefold strength in this
argument, or rather five arguments in it.
Fii'st, The same spirit of wickedness that opposed
them doth still prevail, and it is the same spirit of
truth that is opposed. You see you are opposed :
why, it is but the old spirit of Satan, that spirit of
wickedness that hath appeared heretofore ; it is that
that appears against you.
Secondly, Hence you may see that those that are
dear and precious to God, that they may suffer hard
things. You will not say but that the prophets were
beloved of God, and yet they suffered as much as
you, [were] contemned as much as you, reviled as
much as you ; therefore be not troubled at it, but
rejoice and be glad.
Thirdly, If so be God should deal with you other-
wise than he did formerly with others, then it might
discourage you ; but they are no other things than
his servants heretofore have suffered. God will lead
you to heaven in the same path that he hath led his
servants heretofore.
Fourthly, It is the way that God hath brought all
his servants into heaven by. Why should you think
that God will bring you in a better way than he did
others ? For so suffered the prophets ; the very pro-
phets suffered such tilings, and then what is your
flesh better than theirs ? What are your names
better than theirs? It is a most intolerable thing
that we that are so vile and mean, and do so little
service, that we should think it much to do anything
in God's cause ; that those that have been better than
we, have sufi'ered more than ever we did.
The fifth argument is this. That though the pro-
phets have suffered such things, yet the truth of God
prevails. We say, if they be imprisoned and perse-
24-:
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 13.
ciited, what will become of God's truth? Do not
take so much care for that, for all the prophets suf-
fered, and did not God preserve his truth ? were not
they made instruments of good for all their suffering ?
they were made instruments of the greatest good.
Put these five considerations together, and you see
the force of the argument.
What uses we are to make of those that went be-
fore us.
First, If so be that those that were the most emi-
nent servants of God have suffered such hard things,
then, if we be in a prosperous estate and called to
suffer but little, we are to examine whether our pros-
perity be with the love of God or no. Doth God send
us prosperity in love ? They that were most beloved
of him, they did not enjoy their ease and contentment
as we do ; therefore we had need examine ourselves
to see whether that we do enjoy be with God's love
or no. Many think that God loves them most be-
cause they have most. Oh no ; if so be God deals
not with you as he hath done with other saints, you
had need examine how you do enjoy that. Methinks
any man that lives in a high estate, and hath all ease
unto his flesh, either when he reads of other of the
precious saints of God, and he is convinced in his
conscience that they have done more service for God
in one week than he hath done in a whole year, doth
God love me more than them ? It may be this is
my portion, this is all that I am like to have.
The second use we should make of this is, Were
the prophets called to suffer in former time ? The
less we are called to passive obedience, let us be more
in active obedience. The very hearing of what the
prophets have suffered in former time, it would make
your heart to ache ; if you read the Book of Martyrs,
it would be very useful. I shall only labour to make
this use of it. When you hear of their suffering,
think thus with yourselves : God called them to suf-
fer in a passive way ; hence they suffered what rage
and tortures wicked men could devise. God doth not
call me to suffer in a way of such fearful evil ; surely
God must have the glory of my strength. Then let
me spend it in praying, honouring, and worshipping
God, as others did in suffering torments from wicked
men. And seeing we owe unto God the glory of our
names, the glory of our estates, the glory of our lives
• — that if God will not take it in a way of suffering,
then we should give it to him freely in ways of ser-
vice. They lay on the cold earth in prison. Think
thus with yourselves when you are about any service,
in prayei-, reading, and hearing, and it begins to be
painful to the flesh : Why, shall I then leave off the
service of God because my flesh is pained? What
did the martyrs sufi'er in the flesh ! It is a shame
unto you for to leave oft" the service of God because it
is painful to the flesh.
Thirdly, When we consider of the sufferings of
those that went before us, it should be a means to
make us abate a little of the contentment of satisfy-
ing the flesh. Though we have abundance whereby to
satisfy the flesh, why, let us abate a Uttle of it. We
read that many times the prophets and martyrs they
wanted bread and necessary things, and shall I abuse
the creatures of God to excess ? And the prophets
in Ahab's time were content with bread and water,
and shall I be excessive in meat and drink ? You
that spend whole nights in chambering and wanton-
ness, drunkenness, gluttony, surfeiting, and wasting
the creatures, and all your delight is for the flesh,
and all your care is to give contentment to the flesh
in satisfying your lusts, oh, check your hearts in
these ways !
The fourth is this : It is to prepare for suffering.
We are not now for the present called to suffer, but
let us not be secure ; let us not conclude that we shall
always enjoy that peace we now enjoy. The prophets
suffered hard tilings, and let us think to meet with
the same.
The fifth and last use is this : Surely God hath
been little beholden to the world from all ages for
any maintenance of his truth ; for the world hath
shewn itself a wicked world in persecuting atid tor-
menting his saints and prophets, and therefore the
Lord is little beholden to this world ; and the world
hath set itself against God, and therefore it will not be
long before the Lord breaks this sinful world in pieces.
Thus we have done with that part of Christ's ser-
mon, the Beatitudes — the several blessings that Clu-ist
lays down upon the saints doing their duties.
Ver. 13. 'Ye are the salt of the earth.'
Here begins plainly a new matter. Fii-st he tells
his disciples of blessedness ; they shall come to see
their own blessedness. And having shewn them
their blessedness, that, whatever the world thought
of them, yet in the eyes of God they are blessed
creatures. And now he tells them what service
they must do in the world, Avhich, indeed, is a great
part of blessedness too. From the coherence, note,
that those men that God shall put into an estate of
blessedness, they are fit men, and may be very instru-
mental to do gi-eat service for his name's sake. When
once the soul is satisfied in this, the Lord hath been
merciful to me, and God hath cast a favourable look
upon me — the Lord hath put me into a frame and
condition of blessedness ; let the world do what they
can do to me, they cannot take blessedness away
from me. Oh, how fit this man is to do the service
of God ! And in the words following, you have the
greatest service that the apostles were called to in the
world.
Secondly, ' Ye are the light of the ivorld.' It fol-
lows, more especially from what Christ told them of
Mat. V. 13.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
243
persecution — you shall suffer so much, ay, and be will-
ing to suffer. Why? for you are called to the greatest
works that ever God called any men to. Let men
speak what they will, revile what they will, certainly
God will reward you. Ye are the salt of the earth,
and the light of the world ; and if you should start
aside for fear of suffering, what will become of things
then ? And, indeed, the consideration of men's em-
ployment in the world is a great and a strong argument
to carry men through what difficulty soever. Let me
go on in the work. As if a general should come to
some officers in the army, and tell them the battle
comes sore on them ; therefore keep your standing,
for the welfare of the whole army depends on you,
nay, the welfare of the whole kingdom depends on
you. This will put courage into any man of the
world, when he knoweth the great things which de^
pend on him. Now, saith Christ, what if you be
persecuted ? go on in your ways ; for ye are the salt
of the earth ; ye are the light of the world ; therefore
go on. ' Ye are the salt of the earth.' I confess
that almost all interpreters do carry these words, as
to the disciples, to the apostles, those that were sent
to preach unto others, ' Ye are the salt of the earth ;'
but all do not go that way. One learned interpreter
saith, I do not see sufficient cause to restrain these
things merely to the apostles ; and he gives two rea-
sons for it, why it doth belong to Christians as well as
to the apostles.
First, saith he, All the former words belong gene-
rally to all Christians, as poor in spirit, they that
mourn, the meek, they which do hunger and thirst
after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart,
the peacemakers, and they which are persecuted
and reviled. All these belong not only to the
apostles, but to all Christians ; and why not this as
well as the former ?
Secondly, The second reason is this, That that
follows in ver. 16 belongs to Christians, as appears
from Phil. ii. 15, 'That ye may be blameless and
harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the
midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom
ye shine as lights in the world.' You are those that
are the lights, that are shining in the world.
Thirdly, And a third reason is in the latter part
of ver. 13, ' But if the salt have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be salted ? it is thenceforth good
for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden
under foot of men.' Christ apparently speaks to
the multitude. In Luke xiv. 25, 34, (compare them
together :) ' And there went great multitudes with
him, and he turned and said unto them: Salt is
good ; but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith •
shall it be seasoned?' Therefore, saith this learned
interpreter, both former and latter belongs to Chris-
tians ; ye are then the salt of the earth.
First, All Christians who have the truth of the
gospel, who by their lives and in their ways do
shew forth the truth of the gospel, they are the salt
of the earth.
In an eminent degree, those that do carry the
truths of the gospel abroad into the world, they are
the salt of the earth. "What is the meaning of that ?
It is a plain similitude that Christ useth, because that
country delighted much in similitudes. You will
find a great deal of excellency in this expression of
the mind of God therein.
First, We find that in Scripture salt is taken for
wisdom : ' Col. iv. 6, ' Let your speech be alway
with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know
how ye ought to answer every man.' When you
speak, let not your speeches be with any corrupt
communication that hath no wisdom in it; but in all
your speeches let there be wisdom. And in Mark
ix. 50, ' Salt is good : but if the salt have lost his
saltness, wherewith will ye season it ? Have salt in
yourselves, and have peace one with another.' Order
all your ways wisely; and this was the common
acception of the ordinary language. Salt hath been
taken almost by all kind of people to signify under-
standing, wisdom. One saith that the Grecians
were the salt of the nations; and the reason was
because that Greece had almost all learnings, and
that was the salt of the nations. They were wont
ordinarily to express the works of man's understand-
ing by it. I have read that in Italy, if any one
doth cast salt to another, they take it for a disgrace
and mockery, as if such a man wanted wit. And so
the Latins saith, ' One that is foolish wanteth salt.'
And the Scripture calls that that is unsavoury by
want of salt, -it calls it folly. ' In all this Job sinned
not, nor charged God fooUshly,' Job i. 22. Ao-ain,
in chap. vi. 6, ' Can that which is unsavoury be
eaten without salt ; or is there any taste in the white
of an egg.' So that by Scripture, and common
acception of people in former times, and now, by
salt is meant understanding and wisdom, — ' Ye are
the salt of the earth.' The meaning is this, in the
first place, you are those that be holding forth the
gospel ; you are they that are the ministers of the
gospel, that are to bring wisdom to the world;
you are they that are to declare that that will
make them wise to salvation ; and without the
doctrine of the gospel there is nothing that will
make them wise in the world. While t they come to
know Christ and the gospel, their foolish hearts are
darkened ; but now you are sent to declare unto them
the counsels of God's will about man's eternal estate,
* Sal optimum et utilissimum est ciborum condimentum, si
moderate adhibeatur ; trausfertur autem ad sapientiam sig-
nificandam utpote qua nihil est hominibus utilius in vita.
—Estius. t That is, 'till.'— Ed.
244
BURROUGHS OX THE BEATITUDE?
[Mat. v. 13.
so that they may come to attain wisdom for eternity.
Ye are the salt of the earth. The whole world goeth
on in ways of folly till the gospel comes amongst
them. The generahty of men that have not the
preaching of the word, what ends do they propound
to themselves of their lives ? or if they do propound
any ends, it is not the right ends they ought to pro-
pound. They are far from propounding these ends
for enjoying God in his Son Jesus Christ ; they are
far from using the right means to attain this end.
The world is led on in a passion, they hurry it on to
what lust their corruptions carry them to ; there-
fore, they have no wisdom to carry it on for what
they shall do for eternity. But now ye are the salt
of the earth, that shall make men bethink themselves,
and to know what they were horn for, and what
they came into the world to do ; they shall come to
know what is their last end, they shall begin to
muse, and weigh, and ponder things. Now, when
your doctrine shall begin to prevail in their hearts,
they shall then begin to have wisdom, where before
there was nothing but folly in them. And so, when
men converse with the saints they shall learn wisdom ;
then they begin to have salt, and to confer of things,
and to have their hearts seasoned with wisdom. All
human learning in the world makes not men wise to
salvation. The rules of philosophy may shew
them wisdom ; but the Scripture tells, that the world
by wisdom knew not God. That is the first ;
the gospel, it brings wisdom wherever it comes,
it teacheth the world to be truly wise for salva-
tion.
Secondly, Salt, it makes things savoury. That is
the second thing to be considered in salt. Salt, it
hath such a property to dry up tlie evil moisture that
took away the relish of the savour of the thing. It
is salt that savoureth everything almost that we have
use for. As if Christ should say, Men's hearts natu-
rally are very unsavoury ; though they have excellent
parts, yet how unsavoury are their speeches and
actions. So that, come to places where there was
never any preaching of the gospel heard of, how un-
savoury will you find the spirits of people that know
little of God ! A gracious man cannot endure to
tarry long amongst them ; and the unsavouriness of
their hearts doth make all their duties to be un-
savoury. Whatever duties they perform to God,
there is nothing but unsavouriness in them. It is as
unsavoury meat to you, that all people that live with-
out the gospel, that have not the gospel prevailing on
their hearts, all the duties that they perform are as
unsavoury to God as unsavoury meat is to you. Now,
Eiiith Christ, you shall go and preach the gospel to
make their hearts savoury, and then they shall be
acceptable to God. The duties they perform shall be
savoury unto God; their company shall be savoury to
the saints. Whereas, now a man or woman that had
not the gospel prevailing on their hearts, when he
came into the company of the saints, then he could
not savour them ; but now, when the gospel comes to
him, then he can savour their discourse, he can pray
savourily, and do other duties with savour. Mat. xvi.
23, ' But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee
behind me, Satan ; thou art an offence unto me ; for
thou savourest not the things that be of God, but
those that be of men.' Come and propound the most
excellent and glorious truths of God in the gospel,
yet they do not savour them ; their hearts being un-
savoury, they cannot savour the things of God. Eom.
viii., about the beginning, ' For they that are after the
flesh do mind the things of the flesh.' Men before
the gospel comes have unsavoury sjjLrits ; but when
the ministry of the gospel comes amongst them, then
they shall savour things in another manner than ever
they have done.
■Thirdly, Ye are the salt of the earth. Salt, it keeps
from putrefaction, and preserves. And that is the
reason of that expression we have in Num. sviii. 19,
' All the heave-ofl'erings of the holy things, which the
children of Israel ofter unto the Lord, have I given
thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a
statute for ever; it is a covenant of salt for ever before
the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee ; ' (2
Chron. xiii. 5.) A covenant that shall not lose the
vigour, vh-tue, and strength of it by long continuance,
therefore a covenant of salt; as now meat, if it be not
salted, it putrefies and loseth that nurture it had be-
fore, and grows worse and worse till it comes to have
no kind of virtue to comfort the body at all. Thus,
when we make covenants with God, it may be when
we make them at first, they seem to be full of vigour
and strength ; but after the covenant hath continued
a few days it is like flesh or fish — after it hath con-
tinued a little while it loseth the temperature of it,
and is more unfit for nutriment than others ; but if
you put salt to them then they will be fit for nurture.
And so it is with our covenants ; at first they are full
of vigour and strength, but let them continue a little
while, then the covenarrt hath no jiower at all. Oh,
it was not a covenant of salt ! I fear our covenants
that we have made jjrivately and publicly, that they
are not covenants of salt. But the Lord, when he
makes covenants of salt, he remembers his covenant,
and there is as much strength and vigour in it a
thousand years after it is made as there was the first
day it was made. Many men and women make little
use of their souls, but only to keep their bodies from
putrefying. ' Ye are the salt of the earth.' The
meaning is this, Whereas all the world grows to pu-
trefaction ; they have such evils in their hearts, as being
let alone they grow worse and worse, and perish for
ever. 1 John i. 5, ' This then is the message which
Mat. V. 13.]
EUEEOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
245
we have heard of him and declare unto you, that God
is light, and in him is no darkness at all.' God doth
expel darkness and ignorance and infidelity by the
true knowledge of himself. And here is the great
use of the ministry of the \Yord, to keep all the
world from perishing by putrefaction ; and all the
hearts of men and women in the world that have
not the doctrine of the gospel prevailing in them,
they are unto God stinking, filthy, loathsome meat,
that rots and putrefies, and will certainly perish.
This is the condition of the whole world. Now when
the doctrine comes, it keeps the hearts from putrefy-
ing, from rotting. It is called the wholesome word,
because it keeps their hearts wholesome. Ye are the
salt of the earth, to keep from putrefaction, that ye
shall not be unw-holsome in your lives ; and so to
preserve your souls that you shall not be unsweet
and unsavoury for the Lord. And put these three
together, then you may come to understand the
meaning of that scripture, where you shall find that
there is a rule given that every sacrifice that was
ollered up to God it was salted: Lev. ii. 13, 'And
every oblation of thy meat-oft'ering shaft thou season
with salt ; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the
covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat-
offering ; with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.'
You think there is little in this expression. Again and
again there is argued that salt must be offered in
every sacrifice ; all must have salt, let the offering be
what it will, of meat-offerings, oil-oiFerings, offerings
of flour ; every sacrifice must have salt. Mark ix.,
latter end of it, ' Have salt in yourselves, and have
peace one with another.' That every sacrifice must
be salted with salt, the meaning is this : whatever
sacrifice you will offer to God, be it yourselves — Eom.
xii. 1, ' I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable sacrifice' — there must be salt in it, spiri-
tual things in the soul. There must be a savoury
spirit — that is, savoury unto God, and doth savour
the things of God ; and then there must be a spirit
that is not corrupt or putrefied. Such a one, when
he offers up himself to God, is an acceptable sacrifice
to him. And in your duties to God there must be a
savouriness in them, and no mixture of your own
corruptions in your duties ; but then because this
scripture, having named it, seems hard, I desire to
open it to you. From whence is it that Christ here
saith that every one should be salted with fire ?
Before you find that Clu-ist is preaching the doctrine
of mortification, mortifying our dearest lusts, what
dependence is here ? It is better for you that you go
to heaven wdth one eye, than having two eyes to be
cast into hell fire, where their worm dieth not, and
the fire is not quenched. The meaning is this, as if
he should" say, Though your lusts be never so dear
unto you, as dear as your right eye, or as dear as
your hand, yet you must be willing to mortify your
corruptions and lusts; for, saith he, look to your-
selves, God would have every sacrifice salted with salt.
If you would be a sacrifice unto God, unto his grace
and mercy, you must offer a sacrifice salted with salt,
or else you ^Yill offer a sacrifice to his justice. You
must be salted with fire, with that fire that is un-
quenchable. . Thus you see somewhat is the meaning
of that which Christ saith, ' Ye are the salt of the
earth.' The preaching of the gospel, when it comes
first to corrupt hearts, it puts to a gi-eat deal of pain,
till their corruptions be subdued by it, till the gospel
hath overcome your corruptions. Read that scripture
in Mark ix., the latter end ; compare those few verses,
with any place of all the Old Testament, and in the
time of the law, you never find such a terrible expres-
sion of God's wrath against sinners that will not
mortify their corruptions as there is in that chapter
of Mark. That place of the Old Testament, ' Cursed is
every one that abideth not in everything,' hath not
such a terror in it as this, that ' the worm that never
dieth, nor the fire that never goeth out,' " and other
texts. For this cause comes the wrath of God on
you, and you are the children of wi'ath. The wrath
of God is against all unrighteousness. If a man
would preach but one sermon in all his lifetime to
make sin odious to men, he should rather choose it
out of the gospel than out of the law. The gospel it
is that wUl discover what men are in themselves out
of Jesus Christ, what a price is paid for their souls ;
and, besides, the gospel it argueth mortification of our
lusts more than the law. In this sermon of Christ,
' If a man looketh but after a woman to lust after
her, he hath committed adultery with her in his
heart.' The minister of the gospel hath such a jrower,
that where it comes it prevails over all these ; there-
fore it is called the salt of the earth. Wherefore salt
is used in way of physic, in way of medicine :
2 Kings ii. 21, 22, 'And he went forth unto the
springs of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and
said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters ;
there shall not be from thence any more dearth or
barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day,
according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.'
Salt it is a great blessing of nature ; it is called the
very balsam of nature.
'rhe first use from hence is. You see what a great
excellency the ministry of the gospel is. It is the
salt of the world — that is, the very balsam of nature ;
* By which words metaphorically may be noted the twofold
punishments in hell — the one of the soul, and the other of the
body, saith Polycarpus Lyserus; but rather the punishment of
sense, and the punishment of loss, called ^ia'jta saisits, j)aii«
damn i.
246
BUKEOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 13.
therefore we should prize that, without which all the
world would be unsavoury to God. Do but go to such
streets where they do not come to the preaching of
the gospel, and what rotten putrefaction is there !
If the gospel doth not convert their souls, yet it will
take away some gross corruptions — it will civilise
them. Give me any place where there hath been a
ministry of salt in it, you shall find that amongst
the greatest part of them that there is not so much
wickedness amongst them; but those, that oppose
them, they grow worse against them. Oh, prize the
gospel! I remember, in Isa. Ix., the Holy Ghost
speaks there of the saints that should flock to the
preaching of the word — to the ministry ; they are
called the doves. The doves should come ; and in ver.
8, 'Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the
doves to their windows ? ' The property of doves is,
they are mightily incited to a salt stone, and are in
love with salt stones much. The salt stone of the
gospel is that that will entice, not birds of prey, as
rooks, ravens, and the like, but it will entice all of
dove-like spirits. They find that the gospel doth
them good ; it is the gospel that makes all things
savoury to them. Oh, they can say that before I
heard the gospel, my heart was unsavoury, and I
never had the savour of things so as since the
gospel hath come unto me. A foolish speech that
is used amongst some, that if the salt falls, there is a
sign of ill-luck ; but certainly if there be an overthrow
of the gospel, that is a sign of ill indeed. This is
a great deal of evil to the Christian world, as in over-
throwing the salt. All men cannot bear the gospel ;
they would have nothing but sugared things, though
they rot by it. Is it not better to be preserved with
brine than rotted with sugar ? The ministers of the
gospel must apply salt, and sometimes it must be
rubbed into them. And so some men's hearts get no
good by the word ; their hearts are very unsavoury,
and they will not take the word into their hearts.
The ministers of the gospel had need rub it in by
application. The preaching of the word, if only laid
before the people, it doth little good, but it must be
rubbed in by application.
Secondly, It serves for exhortation. Is the ministry
of the gospel of this excellent use ? Then take heed
you do not refuse it. The preaching of the gospel,
when first it comes into a place, if it be received in,
it groweth to abundance of good in the soul ; but if
men let their lusts prevail in them, it doth little
good to them ; the Lord suffers them to perish eter-
nally. This hath a power to restore those that stink
— to restore them, but not usually. Look to it, ye
young ones; you are not yet so corrupted but the
applying of the salt may heal your souls. When
men are intemperate— drunkards, that give liberty to
themselves in their sensual lusts, to fulfill the wills of
them — their hearts will not receive the salt of the
word. When poor -men in the country go to the
market, they will be sure to bring home salt for the
benefit of their family. Do you do so. The doc-
trine is the salt ; carry it home. You have a great
deal of unsavoury words in your family. When you
come to hear the word, carry home some salt, and
apply it, the husband to the wife, the wife to the hus-
band, the parents to the children ; and let the ser-
vants all say one to another. Are not these doctrines
preached this day against these evil ways that we
walk in ? Surely it will be a means to restrain you
from your wicked courses. So if — as soon as a sin is
committed, if you would but apply the salt to your
heart presently, it would keep it from staining. If
God hath applied it once, we must apply it again and
again. Every day we must apply it, or else we shall
have unsavoury hearts ; and remember it, that when
flesh comes to be salted, if there be a hollow part of
the flesh that begins to be corrupted more than the
rest, you will rub more salt there than in another
place. And you should observe what are your pre-
cious corruptions ; and you should think thus : I
have some lusts and some sins that are more danger-
ous than others. There is lust that is like to over-
come me ; I will apply the word there. I will get
some scripture that shall speak most against that sin,
and I will be sure to lay that to my heart. As to in-
stance : Suppose some have inordinate affection to
satisfy the lust of the flesh. Here is a place in your
heart that is like to putrefy ; apply some salt to it.
I will give you some few grains of salt to apply to
that place that is like to be corrupted. Job xxxi.
1, 2, 'I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then
should I think upon a maid ? For what portion of
God is there from above ? and what inheritance of
the Almighty from on high ? ' As if he should say,
Lord, if I should not make a covenant with mine
eyes ; if I should let mine eyes wander up and down
for satisfying of my flesh, I should have no portion
in the Almighty. At any time when I give way to
mine eyes to satisfy the lust of the flesh, I will ven-
ture to apply salt to that however. And for that sin
of uncleanness I will give you another scripture to
apply : Prov. xxii. 14, ' The mouth of a strange
woman is a deep pit : he that is abhorred of the
Lord shall fall therein.' That man that is abhorred
of God shall fall into the deep pit. I might have
given you many scriptures in the New Testament
for it. 2 Peter u. 9, ' The Lord knoweth how to
deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve
the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished :
but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust
of uncleanness. Those that walk after the lust of un-
cleanness, rub this salt on your hearts, and it will be
a means to take away uncleanness in that place. To
Ma£. V. 13, 14.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
247
those that give themselves liberty to satisfy the lust
of the flesh: Eom. viii. 13, 'For if ye live after the
flesh, ye shall die ; but if ye through the Spirit do
mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.' That
is, if there be any man or woman, he or she that
give themselves liberty to satisfy the lusts of the
flesh, and make that to be the chief contentment
to satisfy the flesh, that man or woman shall perish
for ever ; they shall die. These scriptures have
great matter in them to get out the corruptions of
men's hearts. You that will attend on the ministry
of the gospel, you will find at one time or another,
but that the word will find out your particular sins.
and then go home and rub it with salt. L:ibour to
kill and mortify your sins ; the ministers of God
cannot so well do it as you. Eemember this : Christ
speaks here by similitudes, because he would have
it to be remembered by you ; you have occasion when
you have salt on your tables, and when )'ou go to salt
your meat. If I did not salt my meat, it would be
putrefied and unsavoury, and so is my heart. What-
ever God lets me have in the world, I cannot relish
it or savour it without the gospel, and without salt I
cannot ofl'er any sacritice savoury to God. The doc-
trine of the ministry of the word is as salt to the
benefit of nature.
SERMON XXXIX.
HOW PROFESSORS ARE SAID TO BE UNSAVOURY.
' Te are tJie salt of the earth : hut if the salt have lost its savour, ivlurewith shall it he salted 1 it is thenceforth
good for nothing, hut to he cast out, and to be trodden down under foot of men. Ye are the light of the
world.' — Mat. v. 13, 14.
We read in Scripture that sometime salt makes bar-
ren where it is sown : Judges i.x. 45, ' And Abimelech
fought against the city all that day ; and he took the
city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat
down the city, and sowed it with salt.' Much salt
on the earth will make the earth barren ; so it is
with many of our hearts. We have so much of the
salt of the word sown continually, and there is no
fruit at all, but rather our hearts grow barren by it.
Certainly there is a curse on that ground that hath
salt thus sown on it, and there is a curse on this
heart that lives under the ministry of the word, and
have these blessed truths preached to them, and yet
be barren. Now it follows,
If Salt hath lost his savour, wherewith shall it be
seasoned 1
Now this is applicable either to professors of reli-
gion, that do in their degree carry about with them
the truths of the gospel, Luke xiv. 25, compared with
ver. 36, or to ministers. If they have lost their
savour, wherewith shall it be salted ?
To speak briefly of the words in reference to pro-
fessors of religion, who have understanding of many
truths of the gospel, and for a time do hold them
forth and embrace them, and have been of very good
use in former time in the towns, parishes, and in
families where they have lived. They have been as
salt. Many have received great benefit from them
by that knowledge that they have, and by the excel-
lent gifts that they had through the gospel ; but yet
some of them lose their savour. Where there is true
grace in the heart, that will never be lost ; but where
many truths and gifts come by the gospel, they may
be lost ; and many that have been professors of reli-
gion have lost their savour — that is, they were very
full of ferventness and zeal and heat in their duties
and performances ; none could come amongst them
but found their hearts bettered by them than they
were before; but now they have lost their savour,
now there is no such vigour and liveliness, but
now" they are grown flat and cold, flat in their
duties, formal in their ways. There is little good to
be gotten by them, or expected from them. When
you do converse with them, many of them are grown
unsavoury. They have mingled base lusts with their
profession and zeal, and have lost the power of it.
They are giown earthly; their corruptions have
prevailed over the salt. Though they for a while
seemed to be kept down, yet afterward they had got
power over those truths that they had in their under-
248
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 13, 14.
standings, and that tliey had openly professed. Their
corruption now has got the power, and so they have
lost all their savour and vigour, and are grown formal
in their duties, and all their savour is gone. This is
said of such as have made profession of religion,
that have lost their savour. Some do say, how are
these changed or they were ? If salt have lost his
savour, wherewith shall it be salted ?* How shall this
be recovered again ? So the meaning is. It is not
impossible, but it is a rare thing for any one that
hath been a forward professor of religion, and hath
had vigour and strength, and now is grown flat
and cold — it is an impossible thing almost that such
a one should be recovered, it is a rare thing if such
be recovered.! Heb. vi. 4, ' For it is impossible for
those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of
the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the
Holy Ghost,' ifec. It is a most dreadful place ; yet the
scripture doth not mention in words the sin, against
the Holy Ghost, but lays it dovi'n in a more general
way, to leave them to a most dreadful fear, to take
heed that they never, never fall away. Let such
take heed how they nourish any corruption. Where
almost have you any recovered — any that return after
that they are fallen from profession of religion ?
And why ? It is so because that when they have
had the experience of truth, the truths of God that
work on other men'.s hearts, do no good to them at all.
They knew what these truths meant many years ago,
but to many it awakens their consciences, and stirs
their hearts. It humbles their spirits and casts them
down, and causeth them to see the dreadfulness of
their natural estate ; but let a formal professor that
is fallen off from the truth of God, let him know
such things, he hath got power over his conscience.
There is little efficacy to prevail over it. Wherewith
shall it be salted when the salt hath lost his savour ?
It follows of them. It is henceforth good for nothing,
but to be cast out ; that is, an apostatising professor
of religion is an unuseful member in the church of
God or commonwealth. He is almost good for no-
thing. One that is a forward professor of religion, if
he be not fruitful, he is not good for anything. Salt,
when it hath lost its savour, there is no more use at all
for it, as there can be of other things : as money, if it
be broken, if it cannot go for coin, yet it is good for
the goldsmith; but salt is good for nothing at all; and
so professors that are apostatising from the truth.
There is not a more miserable creature than an apos-
tatising Christian ; they are good for nothing, for
now neither God nor man will trust them. They
have been forward in religion, and they are now fallen
off, and God will not trust them any more, nor will
man trust them any more, because of their unfaith-
fulness to God. They that are not useful, they are
* See Perkins on the place. t See Diekson on Heb. vi. 4.
cast out of men's hearts. There was a time that it
may be you rejoiced to he in their company, and
lookedst upon it as a privilege, but now you look on
them as contemptible. They go up and down as
poor wretches, forsaken of God and men, because they
are of no use at all to the world, of no note or account
in the church, but do hurt wherever they are. God
ordinarily takes their gifts away from them. When
they professed religion they had gifts, and God hath
taken them away. Now they cannot pray as they
could formerly do ; and there is a secret curse of God
that goeth along with them in all that they do. That
in the time of their youth, and at first when they
began to make profession of truth, there was some
gifts of God in them and upon them for the edifica-
tion of others ; but now God is gone from them, and
their gifts they are gone, and they themselves are
departed from God — what change is in them! — and
they go up and down as burdens to the towns and
families, and they are trodden under foot. No men
in the world do more mischief or hurt than those that
are forward in profession of religion, and yet fall oE
afterwards : they then look on the name of God as
vile and contemptible. God will look on you as
vile and contemptible ; and you are the stumbling-
blocks and discouragements to young beginners in
the ways of God, when God begins to work on their
hearts. You harden the hearts of wicked men, when
once you were forward, hot, and zealous, and are
fallen off. They that are wicked think that religion
is but a fancy, and it is but a mere humour that men
are possessed withal ; and so you are discouragements
to poor weak ones. They thinlc, Lord, what shall
become of me, that those that were sucli great ones in
the church of God as they were, and they fall off that
were so eminent in profession ? 0 Lord, how shall I
hold out if they fall off? You are discouragements to
others, those that made profession afore, and may be
not grown profane in their profession neither; but they
grow sluggish, and they are vexed to see young ones
come up more forward than they. And the truth is
this, they should lay their hands on their hearts and
say. Have not I lost my savour ? and am not I more
sluggish? and is it not just with God to take my
esteem and repute away from the church of God?
They should be willing to cry out, having apostatised
from the truth, as he did : Tread upon me, tread
upon me, unsavoury salt ; let all tread upon me. It
is just vv'ith God that all his servants should tread
upon me. And I beseech you, consider of this, you
that now begin to make profession of religion, and
have some work of God in your hearts. Many of you
that are young, there is some relish of savoury things
among you. When temptation comes in, then consider
of the dreadful condition of one that apostatiseth from
the profession of religion ; for when you are young, you
Mat. V. 13, 14.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
249
tliink, surely you shall hold out these truths of God
that now you have ; here you are persuaded that they
shall never get out of your hearts again. You do
not know, you do not know your own hearts.
I come now to the words as they respect the min-
isters. The general stream almost of all interpreters
is that way ; they are the salt of the earth, and if
they have lost their savour, &c., that is thus : when
any begin to preach at the first, their preaching is
full of strength — they are mighty zealous, mighty
forward ; but afterwards the temptations of the
world, when they come and they get livings to feather
their nests well, and are settled in the world, then
they begin to grow more slack, loose, and empty in
the world.'' Their preaching is more flat than it was ;
there is not the savouriness in it as formerly there
was ; they do not speak to the hearts of men as for-
merly ; yea, it may be, now having met with tempta-
tions, they are grown very frothy, begin to mix other
things of their own invention with it, and are loath
to speak those truths that should go to their hearts
and consciences, and will rather preach those truths
that are easy, general truths, that shall not come near
any man's conscience. Then there is not salt in their
teaching, but rather a flattering and slight kind of
way they minister the truths of God, and they come
to mingle their preaching with superstitiousness, and
their preaching is only to lift up external things, to
preach for superstitious vanities. A child of God,
one that hath grace in his heart, how unsavoury is
this preaching to him [ Many that have been slow
in preaching, when they come to speak against those
that preach the true word of God, they are mighty
hot and fierce against them : these preachers are such
as Christ calls unsavoury preachers. If so bo that
ministers have lost their savour, and now come to be
slothful in their ways and sluggish in their ministry,
then they have lost their savour : wherewith shall it
be salted ? It is almost an impossible thing ever to
recover a minister that hath fallen off from the truth
of the gospel. Take any minister that heretofore hath
been anything forward, and now is fallen off from
the truth of the gospel, it is rare if ever he be recovered
— I will not say none at aU, but it is a rare thing.
First, In regard of the pride of thek hearts. They
scorn to be taught of others, or to be known that
they have gone in erroneous ways ; yea, though
sometimes their consciences condemn them, yet the
pride of their hearts wiU not let them acknowledge
the error of their ways.
Secondly, The strength of their natural parts being
corrupted by their sin, is now employed to keep off
the truths of God that should do them good. Just
as it is with a man that hath a sore in his body,
the nourishment of his body will run to the feeding
* Query, 'word'? — Ed.
of that sore ; and so with man's wickedness. And
there is a curse of God upon them ; and it is very
rare that ever they shall come to recover again. How
few ministers that were malignants and wicked, that
did return only at such times when they were abso-
lutely necessitated thereunto ! And therefore, by the
way, it should take off the offence that men stumble
at when they see learned men do thus and thus.
When learned men have lost their savour, do not be
offended at that, and make use of it thus : I see it is
a dreadful thing for a man to sin against light.
Were I in such an auditory that were full of young
ministers, who are full of quickening vigour for the
present, I would have these things to be caveats for
them, that those that know them savoury now, may
know them savoury at the last. Their natural parts
may decay, yet you may see a light, and quiclvness of
spirit, and love for God — to all that come to them
such savoury and wholesome counsels to them, from
what experience they have had ; blessed are these ; but
it is most miserable for such as have been forward
when they were young ministers to gi'ow unsavoury,
and not to be recovered. Henceforth good for no-
thing. What should we do with them, if they be good
for nothing ? If you send them to congregations
where tliere are good people, it will -but dead the
hearts of that people. It will grieve their hearts if
you send them to such congregations where the people
are naught ; it will make them worse. And besides,
ordinarily there is a curse of God on their parts and
gifts, and they will hardly be trusted, because of their
unfaithfulness to God. I remember a papist, in his
comment on Mai. ii. 3, saith, They are good for no-
thing, they shall be cast out and trodden under foot.
' Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung
upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts;
and one shall take you away with it.' What shall
become of them ? To beg they are ashamed, and to
dig they cannot. What shall become of them that
are unsavoury ? It may be some would pity them ;
but it is the just judgment of God that they shall be
trodden under foot; yea, such ministers, Jt maybe,
that people have flocked to them heretofore, now
there is no use for them in the church; and those
that are the most understanding, they do reject them,
they are cast out of their hearts. There may be a
great deal of evil in men's hearts in withdrawing
themselves from them that do preach savoury truths,
that is a rarity in them ; but now I speak in
general, that all saints generally do cast them out,
and not esteem them. Yet they may preach good
things ; and if they do preach good things, yet they
will but little regard them. So they are of no use at
all, they shall be cast out ; the Lord would have men
to cast them out, and tread them under foot, to
despise them. There is no people in the world that
250
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 13, 14.
are more justly under contempt than ministers whose
ministry hath turned from savouriness to unsavouri-
ness, and that from God himself, through the just judg-
ment of God on them. I will give you some scrip-
ture for it, because it is seasonable at this time :
1 Sam. ii. -30, ' Wherefore the Lord God of Israel
saith, I said indeed that thy house and the house of
thy father should walk before me for ever : but now
the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that
honour me I will honour, and they that despise me
shall be lightly esteemed.' They regarded themselves
in their office more than God's honour. No men in
the world are set more on their honour than ministers
are that have corrupt hearts., Saith God, They will
set up themselves above me ; they will set up their
own trash and invention above that savoury word of
mine. They shall be lightly esteemed, they shall be
trod under foot, they shall "be cast out. So in ver.
36, ' And it shall to come pass, that every one that is
left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a
piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say.
Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices,
that I may eat a piece of bread.' There is the threat
of God on the priests, that they shall come and
crouch for a morsel of bread, come and crouch to
others, that afore they did scorn and contemn. This
is the curse of God on them. And in the other text —
it is in the prophecy of Jeremiah, chap, xxiii. 40, —
' And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you,
and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.
I will bring an everlasting reproach, contempt, and
shame on them.' That which is most remarkable of
treading under foot, and casting out, in the prophecy
of Ezekiel, chap. xliv. 10-13, 'And the Levites that
are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray,
which went astray away from me after their idols,
they shall even bear their iniquity. Yet they shall
be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the
gates of the house, and ministering to the house :
they shall slay the burnt-offering and the sacrifice
for the people, and they shall stand before them to
minister unto them. Because they ministered unto
them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel
to fall into iniquity ; therefore have I lifted up mine
hand against them, saith the Lord God, and they
shall bear their iniquity. And they shall not come
near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me,
nor come near to any of my holy things, in the most
holy place ; but they shall bear their shame, and their
abominations which they have committed.' They
shall have some low place, but he saith they shall
never come into their places again ; that is, there was
a time of trial of men. The generality of men went
such ways ; some for superstitious ways, they set
themselves against the saints, and the ways of godli-
ness, and truths of God ; and the Levites they would
go that way they saw which way the stream went,
and they went that way too for honour and prefer-
ment. And let them get their bread how they can,
they shall never come to their places again, because
they departed from me ; they should have taught the
people, they should have resisted them, and stood for
my cause. Here is the judgment of God on them. And
in the prophecy of Hosea, chap. iv. 6, ' My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge : because thou hast
rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou
shalt be no priest to me : seeing thou hast forgotten
the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.'
Tremellius uoteth on this scripture, that there is one
letter more than usual in that word, ' I will reject
thee ; ' and it is only, saith he, to shew the strength
that God speaks with ; as if he should say, it is not
an ordinary rejection, but a strong rejection. Another
remarkable place in Mai. ii. 7-9, ' For the priest's
lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the
law at his mouth : for he is the messenger of the Lord
of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way ; ye
have caused many to stumble at the law ; ye have
corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base
before all the people, according as ye have not kept
my ways, but have been partial in the law.' You took
upon you to be the priests of God, and the law should
be in your mouths, and knowledge should be pre-
served in your lips ; but you have corrupted the cove-
nant, and been partial in the law. And you have
sought to maintain your own superstitious vanities
by my word ; you have abused my word. What then?
therefore saith God, ' I made you base and contempt-
ible.' Saith one in his comment on this scripture,
this is not so much to be expounded as waived : What
is a more despicable thing than the priests ? Oh how
the Lord hath fulfilled this scripture ! Who more in
triumph about seven years ago than the prelatical
priests? what stuff did they preach? whatunsavouriness
was in them, and proceeded from them ? And now
hath the Lord scattered them, and cast them down ; as
it is in Rev. iii. 21, 22, 'To him that overcometh will
I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also over-
came, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches.' Let us all say. The Lord is
righteous, and acknowledge the hand of God in this,
and acknowledge the Lord's goodness that hath stirred
up our governors to cast out unsavoury salt. It is a
sign of much unsavouriness of men's spirits that they
yet could savour such ministi'y — they thought it
better than the ministry now. This disposition of
men's spirits puts me in mind here of that scripture
in 2 Cor. xi. 20, ' For ye suffer, if a man bring you
into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of
you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the
t
Mat. V. 14.]
BUKEOUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
251
face.' That people when they were under them that
their omti consciences told them that their ministry
was unsavoury, and they got no good by it, and that
they mixed a great deal of superstitious trash ; and
these men, though they did tyrannise over them, yea,
though they did make spoil of their goods ; and that
could not have a child buried but at a mighty rate,
and yet notwithstanding all that they suffered under
them, yet their hearts could close with them still
rather than those that come to preach the truths of
the gospel to them for the salvation of their souls. I
wondering at this disposition of men's spirits, it
brought me to think of that scripture in 2 Cor. xi.
20 ; the meaning is this, saith the apostle St Paul,
when I come to preach the savoury truths of the
gospel, your hearts are smitten ; but if a man comes
and teacheth false truths, you will bear with him.
Is not this scripture fulfilled amongst many at this
day ? they would be content to bear anything from
those that were unsavoury, they could bear their min-
istry amongst them, but for the faithful ministers of
God, every word that proceedeth from them ofTendeth
them ; this is an argument of unsavoury spirits.
Lastly, Had I to speak to such as are young min-
isters, I should give a rule of direction to them to
take a wise course to keep up their honour. There is
no such way to keep up theii- honour in that way
that God hath set them in, as in a savouriness in his
ministry and in his life. Let wicked men in taverns
scorn at you, and say what they will of you, yet on
their sick-beds they will be forced in their conscience
to say otherwise of you. Let not ministers fret and
vex when they lose repute; let them consider whether
they have not lost some of their savour, and labour
to be savoury, and then they need not stand for hon-
our, for God will honour them. Certainly Austin
speaks of this very excellently. A man cannot be
trod upon except he be inferior, except he be under
another ; he is not under that doth suffer in his body —
if so be that his heart be fixed in heaven, he is not
under any man. This is to be thus applied, that is,
let a man come and basely submit himself to the
lust of any man ; but let a man in his doctrine keep
above the contentment of the lust of the flesh, and
let his doctrine be evangelical, his life heavenly and
holy, he cannot be trodden upon, his name will be
above them all, above all that can be cast upon him.
How savoury is the very memory of those that have
been precious in former times, nay, lately ; they lived
above the content of men, therefore they could not be
trodden upon, God hath preserved their names from
generation to generation ; therefore let ministers and
let Christians labour to keep their savour, if they
would not be trodden under foot of men.
SERMON XL.
OR,
TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS A GREAT HONOUR.
Ye are the light of the tvorld. A citi/ that is set on a hill cannot be hid.' — M.\T. v. 14.
The salt of the earth, and the light of the world, is a
great honour that God puts on his ministers eminently,
and on his saints in their degree. Christ having told
his disciples what suffering they were like to meet
with, for their encouragement he tells them what
service the Lord will employ them in however. As
if he should say, I\len may revile, persecute, and
speak all manner of evil on you, yet go on your ways,
be not discouraged : ' Ye are the salt of the earth, ye
are the light of the world.' Those who are qualified
according to what went before, they indeed only are
fit to have such honour put upon them, as the poor
in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the hungerers and
thirsters after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in
heart, the peacemakers, and they which are persecuted;
these are the men that are the salt of the earth and
the light of the world. In the 13th verse, which we
last finished, there we opened how the ministers of
the gospel are the salt of the earth ; and those who
are in their ministry like salt, had need be in their
ministry like light. The more provoking a minister
speaks to a people, the more convincing he had need
252
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 14.
speak. If lie be salt, he had need be light : ' Ye are
the light of the world,' It is as high an excellency
this with the other almost as could be said of crea-
tures— for a few poor fishermen to be the salt of the
earth, to keep it from putrefying, and to be the Ught
of the world. What honour could be said of men
more than here is ? Luther speaks of this place :* It
is an excellent employment, an honour greater than
all honour, to be the salt of the earth and the light of
the world. Light it is an excellent creature ; we know
but little of it, and herein is discovered man's igno-
rance. What a poor creature man is ! he hath little
cause to be proud. There are two things that are
most necessary, that we scarce know what to say of
them, light and life. They are two things that have
much of God in them. I5y some effects and fruits,
we can see some workings of them ; but what they
are we know not. We find that the most excellent
tilings are called by the name of light. God himself
is light, saith the Scripture ; and the uttermost of
God's glory is light. And Christ he is hght ; he is
called light, the light of the \vorld. The angels they
are Ught; the word, that is called light. Grace in
Scripture is called light, the saints they are called
light, comfort that is light, God's favour the Hght of
his countenance, prosperity is caUed light, deliverance
from evil is called light, and heaven itself. But here
this light that is here spoken of, ' Ye are the light of
the world,' it is in reference to the gospel and the
ministry of it ; and then in their kind and degree
even the saints they are the light of the world ; but
the gospel, and the ministers of it, ye are the light of
the world. As if he should say, Ye are now going
into the world, and there to be dispensers of the
glorious gospel ; and this gospel that you are going
to carry to the world, it is that light to the world.
Ye are those luminaries that are in heaven, that
scatter up and down light on the earth ; so that first
there is implied,
Ohs. 1. 'That all the world is darkness till the gospel
comes amongst them ; all kingdoms, countries, towns,
families, persons, souls, all in darkness till the gospel
comes.
First, The world is in darkness. The Scripture sets
out man's natural estate by darkness itself ; before the
gospel comes to any place in the ministry of it, they
know not God: 1 Cor. i. 21, 'For after that in the
wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God,
it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe.' Men of 'the greatest parts and
abilities, they know not God. Learned men are in
darkness till the gospel comes. Oh the poor, the low,
the base, mean thoughts that men have of God
naturally ! what strange conceits have they of the
infinite, glorious first being of all beings ! The
• On Mat. V. 14.
foolish hearts of men are darkened ; they know not
the way of light, the rule of light ; they know not
the way of the right worship of God before the gospel
comes ; they know not now to worship God aright,
but worship God after their own imaginations and in-
ventions. In vain do they worship ; they know not
the end of man's life — what is the end that God made
man for, that happiness and glory that man's nature
is capable of, this is not known but when the gospel
comes. They understand not what man's estate is
naturally ; know little of sin, of original corruption,
of any breach that is between God and us. They
know not what the way is that God hath appointed
for reconciling the world to himself. This is a hidden
mystery, that the princes of the world have never
known ; but by the light of the gospel they know
nothing of that great work of mediation ; they know'
nothing of the covenant of grace, that second cove-
nant that God hath made with mankind ; they know
nothing of the excellency of grace. Thus man natu-
rally is in darkness till the gospel comes ; hence he
doth hold little or nothing of God. He lets the great
and glorious things of God pass from him without
holding of them ; he goeth he knoweth not whither :
1 John ii. 11, 'But he that hateth his brother is in
darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not
whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded
his eyes.' He walks in the ways of darkness, and his
works are the works of darkness, and he stumbles at
everything. He stumbles at the ways of God ; every
scandal that falls it makes him disUke the ways of
God ; and every reproach that is cast out, it makes
him to judge evil of God's ways. !Man naturally is
in a dismal condition; he may think he hath comfort,
but certainly he hath none ; he may think he hath
light, but he is far from it. He hath no more than a
child that is in the bottom of a dungeon, and was born
there. So is wicked man in a natural state ; he may think
that he sees spiritually, but his eyes are carnal. And
again their ways are dangerous ; they do not know
what shall become of them the next step they go, but
that they may fall into perdition.
Further, They are ruled by the spirit of darkness,
by reason of the darkness that there is in their own
spuits. Hence the spirit of darkness and their spuits
come to suit one with another more ; whether the
devil would so much as tempt any other way but by
propounding of outward objects, were it not for the
sinfulness of our hearts, were very questionable. When
he came to tempt Adam when he was in innoeency,
we only read he came by serpents, and such like sug-
gestions. When he came to tempt our Saviour Christ,
he came not to tempt him spiritually but outwardly,
taking him up to the top of the mountain, and such
like temptations. Therefore, where there is no sin,
the devil, that is, the spirit of darkness, cannot suit
Mat. V. 14.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES
253
himself to the spirit, hut only by outward things can
present that which is evil. But those that are in
darkness, and have their spirits full of darkness, they
can be suited to the prince of darkness, that he doth
not only propound outward objects to wicked men,
but he doth as it were mingle vriih their spirits, and
this is the misery that natural men are in.
Lastly, All the world are so in darkness, that if
they be left to themselves they will have their portion
in everlastmg darkness. It may be many may think
that they are not in darkness ; but as Christ saith,
' Jesus said unto them. If ye were blind, ye shall have
no sin : but now ye say, We see ; therefore your sin
remaineth,' John ix. 41. The more conceited men
are that they are in the light, their sin remaineth so
much the rather, or is the more exceeding sinful now
than before it was. Xo man can naturally judge of
his natural estate, because he is in darkness ; much
less judge of spiritual things. Let us never take the
judgment of men, because they have great and strong
parts of nature, in spiritual things, because their fool-
ish parts are darkened. In dark vaults there are
toads and noisome things, and so there are in dark
hearts. Ps. Ixsiv. 20, ' Have respect unto the cove-
nant, for the dark places of the earth are fuU of the
habitation of cruelty.' It is no marvel though men
be so fierce and froward, because in the dark places
of their hearts there are the habitations of cruelty.
Men are in darkness before the gospel comes ; where
the light of the gospel comes not, the devO, the prince
of darkness, doth rule in a kind of outward way, as
■well as in a kind of inward way. In some places
where they have not heard of the gospel, the people
worship the devil in a visible shape. This darkness
that men are in naturally, it is that that is opposite to
God himself, for God is hght ; it is that that is hateful
to God. Yea, the darkness of men's spirit is not oaly
privative but positive — that is, there is in their hearts
an opposition to hght, a hatred to hght. All the dark-
ness in the world cannot oppose the shining of the Hght
of the least candle. The hght of the least candle will
prevail against all the darkness of the world ; but the
darkness that there is in man's heart, there is not the
want of the hght of things, but there is an opposi-
tion in his heart that keeps the light out, that hates
the hght — their darkness is the shadow of death ;
heUish darkness, not only that that tends to hellish
darkness, but it is the beginning of hell that is in
their hearts. No marvel though men do rest on such
vain hopes and props of their eternal salvation. Ye
are the hght of the world ; hence the whole world is
in darkness. This being the state of man by nature
to be thus in darkness, that that brings hght into the
world it is the gospel, the gospel in the ministry of it,
ye are the hght. First, Christ he is the hght emi-
nently. As that light that was made at first was scat-
tered up and down, at last was brought into the body
of the sun ; and whereby men come to be hghtened it
is all in Christ, and so Christ he scattereth up and
down in the world by the ministry of the gospeL
John i. 8, 9, ' He was not that hght, but was sent to
bear witness of that light. That was the true hght,
which hghteth every man that cometh into the world.
Every man that comes into the world that hath any
light, he hath it from Christ, that is the true hght.
It is said of John that he was not that hght, but was
sent to bear witness of that hght ; and that is the
work of the ministry, to bear Avitness of that hght.
But Christ is that true hght : John viu. 12, ' Then
spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light
of the world : he that followeth me shaU not walk in
darkness, but shall have the hght of hfe.' ' I am the
hght of the world.' Christ is the hght, Christ is the
gospel ; the gospel is nothing but the doctrine of Christ,
the good tidings that come into the world about Jesus
Christ ; that is the gospel now that is the hght of the
world, that gives hght unto the world — it gives light.
First, Light you know it is a most lovely thing : Eccles.
xi. 7, ' Truly the hght is sweet, and a pleasant thing
is it for the eyes to behold the sun.' There is no
object so amiable to love, so delightful as the beholding
of that glory of God that shines in the gospel. There
are sweet things to behold there ; it is a pleasant thing
for the eyes to behold that light. A poor sinner that
hath hved in darkness all his days before, when he
comes to have his eyes opened to see the light of the
gospel, he stands admiring and wondering, and is
amazed at the things that he seetL The conversion
of a sinner is hke bringing a poor man out of a dun-
geon that was born there, which doth come suddenly
and seeth the glorious creatures ; he seeth the earth,
the stars, and men, he cannot but stand amazed at it.
Just so is the conversion of a sinner; examine whether
you have found the hght to be amiable and lovely,
that your hearts have been fihed with wonder, with
seeing those things that you did never see before.
The hght, as it is pleasant to behold, so the nature of
it is to discover things ; that that makes manifest is
hght: Eph. V. 13, ' But all things that are reproved
are made manifest by the hght : for whatsoever doth
make manifest is hght.' That- gospel that you bring
into the world is that that discovers great things to
the world. What doth it make manifest ? It makes
God himself manifest. Men that hved without a God
in the world before, men that had vain and unworthy
thoughts of God, now by the preaching of the gos-
pel they come to see God as a God, they behold God
in the face of Jesus Christ ; then the light of the glory
of God appears indeed unto them. So the apostle in
the second to the Corintliians, speaking of the hght
that shines unto the heart of those that God doth
work upon. In 2 Cor. iv. 6, 7, ' For God, who com-
254
BURROUOnS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 14.
manded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined
in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But
we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the ex-
cellency of the power may be of God, and not by us.'
There may be some glimmering sight of God from the
beholding the works of creation and providence, but
the soul eloth never see the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God till he seeth it in the face of Christ.
Ye have the glory of God, the knowledge of the glory
of God, and the light of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ. The gospel discovers
God to the soul ; those that come to understand the
gospel aright, they can say they could never understand
the t^ospel afore. Again, it discovers men's estates.
They never knew the breach that was between God
and their souls till now ; this is made manifest now to
their souls. The foulness of sin can never be known
by all the preaching of the law, so as it is known by
the preaching of the gospel, when they come to see
what the fruit of sin was. Then the happiness of
man's nature, the gospel makes that manifest too.
Who could ever have thought that the nature of
man had been capable of union with the second
person, with the Son of God? Before the gospel
comes it doth nothing but to satisfy the flesh ; but
when it comes to hear that man's nature is come to be
joined with the second person in the Trinity, surely God
hath high things in it. It is the gospel that brings
to life and immortality, saith the apostle : 2_Tim. i. 10,
' But is now made manifest by the appearing of our
Saviour, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and
hath brought life and immortality to light through
the gospel' It is the gospel that brings life and im-
mortality to light. So people that have not been
accounted* with the gospel, what know they of the
glorious things of heaven, and of eternal life ? It is
the gospel that brings life and immortality, the main
and principal thing of the gospel that it makes mani-
fest : it is the way of mediation, a mediator between
God and man, how God hath reconciled the world to
himself. There are glorious mysteries for the soul to
behold— that great way of making God and man one,
Christ building up the vast breach that before was
made between God and man. It is all in Christ that
all our good comes by a mediator. Who could ever
have known this but by the ministry of the gospel
revealed ? Yea, that God hath filled Jesus Christ,
God-man, with all good, and he resolves that not one
drop of his infinite goodness, in order to eternal life,
shall be given to any of the children of men but
through Christ. Here is that interest manifested
that the world could never have known ; but this the
gospel doth discover — yea, it doth discover the right
way to worship God. If we be left to our o^Vl
* Query, 'acquainted' ? — Ed.
thoughts, we wander infinitely out of the way. The
greater light God made to rule the day, and the lesser
to rule the night ; the gospel, that is the greater light
to discover spiritual things and the things of God's
worship. Now, human nature may rule the light of
the night. Had not you lived under the preiching
of the gospel, what would you have known of the
second covenant that God hath made with mankind ?
And this light of the gospel is that that brings in
comfort to the heart; the heart never knew what true
comfort meant till thegospel came: John viii. 12, ' Then
spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light
of the world ; he that followeth me shall not walk in
darkness, but shall have the light of life.' It is light
that hath a quickening power that goeth along with
it. Human learning it is like the lighting up of-
candles and torches ; there is a light, but not the
light of life. But the gospel is the light of life ; it
brings life to the soul, it is a light that enlightens the
blind eyes. If a man be blind, and the sun shines on
his eyes, it can never take away the blindness of his
eyes ; but the gospel, when it shines on those that be
blind, it takes away their blindness that is on them.
There is the power in this light that takes away their
blindness, and this is a light that goeth beyond the
eye and shines in the heart : 2 Cor. iv. 6, ' For God,
who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.' It goeth beyond the eyes, it goeth beyond
the head, it goeth into the heart ; it is a transforming
light, it transforms them into the same image ; it is a
light that makes those that were darkness to be light
itself, ' Ye were once darkness, but now ye are light ;'
it is an increasing light; it increaseth according to the
times and ages of the gospel. All is not let out at
once, but by degress — and so increaseth in the soul
where it comes ; and it is an everlasting light. It is
the very beginning of the light of glory; it is impos-
sible that you can conceive it till you see it. If one
should speak to blind men, and make to them orations
about light, is it possible for a man that never saw
the light to know what the light means ? He cannot
conceive of the excellency of it until he sees it. So
we may tell you of the gospel what light it is, but till
you come to see it yourselves you are never able to
understand it, nor to know the excellency of it. This
light of the gospel, it is the way of God not to convey
it but by the ministers of the gospel. Ministers are
the light of the world, so that here is the work of the
ministers of the gospel, saith Christ. All the glorious
counsels of my Father are made known to me and hid
in me, Saith he, I send you abroad to go and preach
these things to the world, that they may come to
know them ; this is the work of the ministry of the
gospel. Though John was that primitive light, John
Mat. V. 14.]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
255
V. 35, ' He was' a burning and a shining light : and
5'e were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.'
The ministers of the gospel, if they be as they ought
to be, they are shining and burning lights, or as the
Greek signities, that lamp* burning and shining.
Wherever they come, they should shine in their doc-
trine, and be burning in their conversations. By
doctrine and life they should hold forth the light of
the gospel wherever they come: Acts xxvi. 18, 'To
open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light,
and from tlie power of Satan unto God, that they
may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance
among them which are sanctified by faith that is in
me.' Here is the end of the ministry, to open men's
eyes, to turn them from darkness to light. That
which is called darkness in the first, is called the
power of Satan in the second clause ; for the devil,
having and holding a man in ignorance, holds him in
his power. It is the gospel that brings in the day of
grace and salvation in the ministry of it. According
to what degree the preaching of the gospel comes to
any place, so the day of grace and salvation comes to
that place ; and as God takes that away, so he takes
away the days of grace and salvation : 2 Cor. vi. 2,
' He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and
in the day of salvation have I succoured thee ; behold,
now is the accepted time ; behold, now is the day of
salvation.' The meaning of the apostle is this, that
now you come to have and enjoy the ministry of
reconciliation, now is the accepting time, the day of
salvation, ver. 19 of the former chapter — 'to wit, that
God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath
committed unto us the word of reconciliation.' Now
doth the sun rise — the night is past, and the day is
come. When God sends a faithful minister to any
place, there God sends light to that place. Then the
light of the gpspel breaks forth there ; now is the day of
grace and salvation come. As long as God continues
the light of the ministry of the gospel, so long doth the
day of grace and salvation continue ; but when that
is taken away, then the sun is set. You are the
light of the world. We have this light in earthen
pitchers, but there is the lamp of the light of the
knowledge of God that shines in them.
The application might be very rare if I had to
speak to an auditory of ministers. I should tell them
how it doth concern them to be full of light them-
selves, full of knowledge in the mystery of salvation,
that so when he comes to preach he may come with
the lustre of the gospel, it may shine on them. He
may come to them as Moses came to the mount, with
his face shining ; so he should come with his light
shining, and scatter the beams to the souls wher-
* 6 Xi'^x^os. Lucerna scilicet eximie et singularis. — Cornel.
A Lap.
ever he comes, that some souls may bless God for
that light that is darted into such a soul ; and his
work should be to communicate light to his people,
the whole counsel of God, and not to restrain any-
thing that may give light to others. John was a
burning light, and yet he consumed himself; so
ministers should spend themselves, and should lay
out themselves to give light to others. He should
pity poor souls that sit in darkness and in the shadow
of death ; he should consider what a great work he is
sent for to do, that be should carry light to those
poor souls that sit in darkness. The ministers of God
should have their ministry full of light; let them
take heed then of mixing anything of their own
human invention and the like. Some men wlien they
come to preach, they will have fine mixture of their
own human invention ; the more of human invention
is mixed with preaching, it makes it give the less
light. The simplicity of the gospel and the purity of
the gospel it is that lets in light to the soul ; a min-
ister should take heed that he doth not vent his own
passion.
Again, further, hence is the special providence of
God over them if they be faithful. If they be so they
may expect a special providence of God over them to
preserve their lives, and to preserve them in their
ways, because they are light : Eev. i. 16, ' And he had
in his right hand seven stars : and out of his mouth
went a sharp two-edged sword : and his countenance
was as the sun shineth in his strength.' They can-
not be plucked out nor fall, for Christ holds them in
his right hand ; so long as Christ would have light to
shine in any place, he doth let out some star or other
to them to give light; and others they shine to people
but as the snuff of a candle in the socket of a candle-
stick. They had light in their youth, but now they
have drowned those excellent parts that formerly they
had : they have drowned them in sensual lusts and
delights of the flesh.
Further, they should rejoice in the knowledge that
the people get. God forbid that ministers should vex
at the people that they have found knowledge. So
ministers should be like light ; light shines on dung-
hills and doth not defile itself, so ministers in places
should labour to do good to all, and to the worst of
all, and to suit himself with them, but not so far as
to defile himself. If a minister converseth with any it
is to shine on them ; take heed therefore of being de-
filed with their conversation.
Learn to prize the ministry of the gospel, because
it is that that is the light of the world, and they
bring the light of God unto you. Bless God that ever
the gospel hath come amongst you, that ever God was
pleased in mercy to look on you in your generation ;
as if he should say, Though I have left many genera-
tions to perish for want of the light of the gospel, yet
256
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 14.
this generation shall have the light of the gospel.
Though there are many that seek to blow out the
lights, yet, saith God, I -wdU keep these lights in my
right hand, for why, I have the number of mine elect
ones. So long as God keeps the light of the gospel
shining amongst them, it is a sign that God hath
good for them ; be willing to maintain the charge.
The light ! is there any man in the world that kuow-
eth what it is to see the light ? He would rather give
ten thousand pound than to be without the light.
In Chrysostom's time, the good people that lived in
them were so affected with the light of the gospel that
Chrysostom preached to them, that they professed it
were better for the sun to withdraw her beams than the
mouth of John Chrysostom to be stopped. John was a
burning and shining light, therefore precious ; and
therefore Herod needed not have stood so upon his oath.
He might have saved John's head, for his oath was that
he would give to the half of his kingdom ; but when
she asked the head of John the Baptist he was sad, he
would not reject her for his oath's sake. We should
account the light a mighty blessing. Now suppose
we that live in these pai'ts of the world, that never
had seen the light of the sun in aU our days, if so be
that the time that God appointed the sun to come
should have been at its time, and we should have seen
the sun rising in its glory and beauty, how should we
have been amazed at it ! But we, seeing the sun every
day, therefore we prize it not, and so we prize not
the ministry, because it is so ordinary amongst us,
and so common ; but if it were not so common
amongst us, we should prize it more. The light of
the gospel, we should rejoice at it. What an altera-
tion would it make in our hearts if we prized it as
we ought to do ! The enjoyment of the gospel it re-
compeuseth any affliction whatsoever. I will give
you an excellent scripture for that instead of aU, in
Isa. XXX. ^0, 21, 'And though the Lord give you
the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction,
yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner
any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers : and
thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This
is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right
hand, and when ye turn to the left.' Although, saith
he, the Lord shall give you the bread of affliction,
and the water of affliction, is there anything can re-
compense this ? Yes, there is somewhat that can
recompense this. Although he gives this, yet your
teachers shall be removed into the corners no more.
You shall have them that shall convey the ministry
of the gospel unto you. Now the putting out of our
lights is not so much in the power of proud men as
heretofore ; but the Lord hath delivered us from them.
This is a mercy to be prized, and we should be will-
ing to endure some trouble, that we might have hght.
We love lightsome houses ; we are loath to hve
in dungeons and dark houses. If you would have
light, you must endure some trouble, by breaking
the- walls for a window for to let in some light ; but
he is loath to endure trouble, and so sits in darkness —
you would account this man to be foolish. If a chOd
seeth his father breaking a place in the wall, the
child wondereth what his father doth ; but the father
is willing to endure trouble for to have light thereby.
There hath been a great deal of trouble and disquiet
in our kingdom, as if it had been a-breaking in pieces ;
but we hope it is but for the letting in of light ; nay,
there is now a great deal of error prevails more than
ever, for the devil envies at the light of the gospel,
and he raiseth out of the bottom of the pit fumes
and fogs and mists. He labours to raise them for to
put out the lights. Though you see a great deal of
smother and smoke come out of chimneys, which
seems to darken the sun a little while, but it cannot
put out the sun ; stay but a wliile, and you shall see
the sun shine bright. Be patient and quiet. Not-
withstanding the smother and smoke that many errors
and heresies that abound do make, yet the light of
the gospel doth shine, and wiU prevail more and
more, even to the day of Jesus Clu-ist. The fire,
when it is first kindled, makes a great smoke ; but
when the fire is well kindled, then the smoke is gone.
The Lord is kindling a gi-eat light, and there is a
smoke for the present; but let not that so offend
you as not to prize that glorious light of the gospel
as now you have and do enjoy. When any faithful
minister is taken away from a place, that place is
darkened, if the Lord doth not supply that place.
Mat. V. 14, 15.]
BUEROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
257
SERMON XL I.
OE,
USES WE AKE TO MAKE OF THE MINISTRY OF THE GOSPEL.
' Ve are the light of the loorld. A city that is set on a hill cannot he hid. Neither do men light a candle, and
put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light to all that are in the house.' — Mat. v. 14, 15.
Ix the next place, if the ministry of the gospel be
light, let us open our hearts to receive in the light.
In a morning we open our windows to take in the
hght ; let us open our he^-ts to receive in the light :
2 Sam. xxiii. 4, ' And he shall be as the light of the
morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning with-
out clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the
earth by clear shining after rain.' Lay aside all our
former conceits, and embrace in the light of the truth.
' In thy light we shall see light.' Let not the earth
be between this light and our eyes. Let us never be
satisfied till we come to have the glorious light of the
gospel shining on our hearts. Lord, thou hast said
that thy gospel is light, when shall that light shine
into my heart '? And further, walk in the light when
you have it. John viii. 33, ' They answered him.
We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to
any man : how sayest thou. Ye shall be made free ?'
Let us all encourage one another to go to the house
of the Lord, and resolve to walk in the light of the
Lord. Isa. ii. 5, ' 0 house of Jacob, come ye, and
let us walk in the hght of the Lord.' Whenever you
come to hear the ministry of the gospel preached, re-
solve thus with thyself : Lord, I come to receive light
into my soul, and I am resolved to walk in that light
that thou shalt let forth to my soul ; it is time to
arise while the light of the gospel shines on us. Isa.
Ix. 1-3, ' Arise, shine ; for thy light is come, and the
glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold,
the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross dark-
ness the people : but the Lord shall arise upon thee,
and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the
Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the
brightness of thy rising.' Now, thou hast not this
light allotted thee that thou mayest play by, but
merely to work by, and to work for thy soul too ;
and know that the work we have all here to do in
this world, it is of infinite consequence and infinite
concernment and value. Therefore we had need
make use of the light while we have it. It were
better ten thousand times that thou never hadst been
born, than that the light should be gone and thy work
not done. Let us prize our light, and walk in it ;
and know that the work that God setteth us about
here in the world it is an exact work, a work that
must be exactly done, of that great work of making
our peace with God for eternity. A man by twilight
may be able to do some muzzhng work that he need
not be exact in ; but jf it be a work that we must be
exact in, then we need great hght to do it in. Now,
the work that we have to do in reference to God
concerning our eternal estates it is an exact work ;
therefore we have need of great light ; therefore walk
in the light. And there be many dangers in our
way, many byways that we are like to be drawn
into, therefore walk by light. And our time is but
little that we have for our work ; the time we have
to provide for eternity it is but little, uncertain, and
short, therefore we had need make use of the light.
Again, Every step that we go in darkness it is out
of the way ; every step that thou hast gone in thy
way towards heaven before the light of the gospel
comes unto thee, thou hast bewildered thyself, thou
hast gone amiss, and gone so much out of the way.
There will be no such comfort to thee on thy sick-
bed as to those who have walked in the light, and
made use of the light to do their Avork by. There-
fore those are rebuked from hence that are so far
from walking in it that they are opposite to it.
Though the light be never such a sweet thing, yet it
is not good to sore eyes. Those adulterous guilty
jjersons, those that love the work of darkness, the
ways of sin, they care not for the light, because the
light will discover them, and make known both them
and their baseness ; therefore it is that they love
darkness, the light scorcheth them. Some people, at
the rising of the sun, it scorcheth them, and then
they shoot darts at it, and curse the sun ; so this
light, it wiU bring scorching to the consciences of
many men. Men that are distracted do not love the
light ; feeble men in their sickness they must have
the light kept off from them ; so it is a sign of a
K
2SS
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. V. 14, 15.
feeble spirit in men that cannot endure light. So it
is -with men that love to satisfy the lust of the flesh,
or rather the wiles of the flesh : they would go on in
a secure way, and would fain have the light put out ;
it is a dangerous thing for men to sin against the
light. As it is said in the book of Job, chap. x. 21, 22,
' Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the
land of darkness, and the shadow of death ; a land of
darkness, as darkness itself: and of the shadow of
death, without any order, and where the light is as
darkness.' The light is as darkness unto them.
There are many that do shut their eyes against the
light, though it dazzles on them. The Lord causeth
his truths to dazzle on their spirits, and they shut their
eyes against it, and turn from it. There yon shut your
eyes against it. Job xxiv. 13, ' They are of those that
rebel against the light ; they know not the w-ays
thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.' These are
of them that rebel against the light. That this scrip-
ture may not be verified of many of you, take heed
that tby conscience be not forced to take this scrip-
ture and make it thine own ; this is the man, this is
the woman, that rebelleth against the light. The
Lord hath caused them to come and live in the
places where the light of the gospel is made known
in a glorious manner, and they do not only turn
from it, but the light follows them, and they run
away from it. When you rebel against light, you
rebel against God ; for God is light, and in thy
hearts rising against any light, it riseth so much
against God. And further, know, in thy rebelling
against the light, thou aggravatest all thy former
sius. In the time of ignorance God winked at it ;
but now, if thou dost not repent, the axe is laid to
the root of the tree. It makes thy sin to be greater
than the sin of the heathen ; there is none of all
the heathen that liave such an aggravation of their
sin as thou hast, because thou livest under the light
of the gospel : John iii. 19, 'This is the condemna-
tion, that light is come into the world, and men
love darkness rather than light.' This is the con-
demnation, above all other condemnation. There is
no greater condemnation amongst any other people
of the earth than this, than to rebel against the
light, seeing you do make yourselves wilfully blind.
Shall a base lust be chosen before all that glorious
blessed God that shines in the gospel ? The Lord is
pleased to let out himself in the gospel, and there
the beauty and excellency of God appears in the
gospel ; and when it comes to shine on thee so to
dazzle thine eyes, yet thou preferrest a base lust
before all that shining ; thou shalt be condemned
with a witness, thy sins shall aggravate thy con-
demnation. As if he should say. You that live as
without a God in the world, though you were never
so profane and ungodly, yet had you but embraced
the light when God sent it amongst you, then your
souls might have been saved for ever ; but this is
that that will make your torments out of measure
terrible, in that light is come into the world, and
you sin against that light, and you rather choose
darkness than light. You will say, I can do nothing
of myself. Yea, thou dost choose darkness rather
than light. You that do rebel against light, you
that do sin against light, it is just with God to take
it away from you, it is just with God to take the
gospel away from you. There is a threat pronounced
against you in Micah iii. 6, ' Therefore night shall be
unto you, that ye shall not have a vision ; and it
shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine ; and
the sun shall go down over your prophets, and the
day shall be dark over them.' It would be the dread-
fullest judgment in the world against any nation, for
God to take away the light after he hath been pleased
to try them with it ; it would be a curse to the gene-
ration to come.
And, further, know that if so be you live under
the light of the gospel, and you choose darkness
rather than light — that is, if there be any one way
of sin that thy soul closeth withal, and thou rejectest
the light because it is against that sin of thine — there
is a most terrible scripture that we have in 2 Cor.
iv. 3, ' But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that
are lost.' Oh that you would lay this scripture on
your hearts, and that it might be as a dart on our
spirits ! Lord, how long have I lived under the
voice of the gospel, and what do I know of it ? Is
it not hid from me ? If the gospel prevail for salva-
tion, and doth it not prevail for illumination ? That
is a sad judgment, when God shall give a people up
to blindness of mind, under the light of the gospel.
There are some that have had the light of the beams
of the gospel shining on them, and their hearts have
been taken off from some base lusts that formerly
they have had ; but I come, and the Lord knows
they are hidden from me. ' If our gospel be hidden,
it is hidden to them that are lost.' And, further,
know that thy end shall be in eternal darkness.
Thou lovest darkness, and that darkness shall be
thy end ; therefore look on this as a most dreadful
thing, the rebelling and sinning against knowledge,
that that thou sinnest against now will be a terror
to thee hereafter. The Holy Ghost makes it to be a
special argument of sincerity to look on the light.
Those who are able to behold the light — those whose
ways are such as they can appeal to God that there
is no truth of God that God doth set to them but
they walk in it ; here is one that is able to behold the
light, and cursed is that content that cannot stand
with the light.
Learn we from what Christ saith, that the minis-
ters are the light of the world. Learn we, then, to
Mat. V. 14,15. ]
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
259
lighten our caudle at this light. The Scripture calls
the conscience of a man his candle : Prov. xx. 27,
' The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, search-
ing all the inward parts of his belly.' The spirit of
man is the candle of the Lord. ' The spirit of man
is able to sustain his burden : but a wounded spirit,
who can bear ? ' The spirit of man is tlie candle of
the Lord. God hath put in every man and woman
a conscience, and that conscience is a candle ; it hath
some light in it. If you will have so much light as
to search out what the condition of thy soul is, thou
must light thy candle at the word, and so carry
those truths. That light you have met withal there,
carry it home iu your conscience, and be searching
into the corners of your heart — into all your ways.
Be not afraid to take the light to search into all your
ways. When the minister darts some lights into the
consciences of men — yet he cannot dart into every
secret sin — the souls of men have the light of the
truth shining on them ; but there are some corners of
the heart that the light doth not shine into ; but if a
man takes a candle he can go to every corner of the
house, and look into every chink. You have been
hearing the word, and the word hath convinced you ;
yet there are many secret sins that the word hath not
met withal ; therefore you should light your candle,
and search every corner of your heart, and cast
out all your sins there. ' Ye are the light of the
world.' They are light in their doctrine and conver-
sations too. The doctrine of a minister is one wit-
ness, and conscience another, and if they both agree,
they must both be light. And so Christians in their
ways may be said to be the light of the world. Phil.
ii. 15, 'That ye may be blameless and harmless, the
sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a per-
verse and crooked nation, among whom ye shine as
lights in the world.' Prov. iv. 18, 'But the path of
the just is as the sliining light, that shineth more
and more unto the perfect day.'
Every family where there is a godly man or a
godly woman, that godliness and holiness in that
family, it is a light — that light that vexeth many a
man. The light that there is in a gracious son, it
may convince the parents ; and so of a gracious ser-
vant. Every one should labour so to shine in the place
where God hath set them in, to hold forth this light.
Your hearts should be taken oti' from all other things ;
and make account that this is that that you live for,
for to hold forth the beauty and excellency of the
name of God in the places where you live. ' Ye are
the light of the world ; ' and it followeth —
' A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.'
This expression, with the other of 'a candle set
on a candlestick,' it aims at the same thing, and
makes way to that useful exhortation, ' Let your
light so shine before men that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven.'
' A city that is set on a hill.'
Some interpreters do carry these words to the
church of God — not only to the apostles, but saints
in a spiritual corporation ; and indeed the Holy
Ghost calls the church by the name of a city.'"' Ps.
xlvi. 4, ' There is a river, the streams thereof shall
make glad the city of God, the holy place of the
tabernacles of the most High.' Ps. xlviii. 8, 'As we
have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord
of hosts, in the city of our God. God will establish
it for ever.' Ps. Ixxxvii. 3, ' Glorious things are
spoken of thee, 0 city of God.' Ezek. xl. 2, ' In the
visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel,
and set me upon a very high mountain, by which
was as the frame of a city on the south.' This is the
law of the house upon the top of the mountain ; the
whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy.
Behold, this is the law of the house. And so the
church is set on a hill. There should be that union
as in the city for coming together. But I cannot
think that this is the scop)e of Christ to set forth
this, but to set forth the eminency of the gospel.
You are sent into the world to preach and adminis-
ter the ordinances of the gospel, and go forth in
a public way, and the eyes of all men Avill behold
you. You liad need look to your ways, for the eyes of
all men will be upon you. As a city that is set on a
hill cannot be hid, and if there be any time of danger,
that city is presently discovered ; and you must go
and preach in the world, and you must not think to
lie hid, as some there are that have a sordid spirit,
and had rather lie hid, and be of no use, than to ap-
pear publicly, and to be of use for Christ. No, saith
Christ, you must not think to lie hid and be in safety,
but you must be content to be the object of all the
world. Luther on this place,! saith. Therefore
you must not conceal anything of the truths of God.
You must go and preach, and preach the truths of
God plainly, and not have any respect unto the re-
proach or shame in the world, not have any resiject
unto poverty, unto riches, unto hatred, unto favour,
unto life, or unto death, because the apostles, and so
the Christians, did make profession of those truths
that the world saw no reason for. It is to draw the
eyes of the world upon them ; and because that they
did seek to hold forth a higher way of religion and
godliness than other men held forth, it drew the
eyes of men upon them. Upon which Tertullian|
saith on this place, How comes it to jiass that our
Lord compares us to a city on a high hill ? Know
that we are awakened in our lusts, all the ministers
* This may be understood of peoples. So the Chaldee Para-
phrase takes it. See Ainsw.
t On Mat. V. 14. % On Mat. t. 14.
260
BURROUGHS ON THE BEATITUDES.
[Mat. v. 14, 15.
of God and Christ. God hath put them in a place
of eminency ; therefore it should be their care to
walk inoffensive, because the eyes of men are upon
them. Oui' Saviour Christ makes this an argument
that they should walk exactly in their ways, and let
their ways shine before men, because the eyes of men
are upon them. It concerns all ministers and Chris-
tians to walk inoffensive, because the eyes of men are
upon them, and therefore walk inoffensive. Take
heed, when they look upon you, that they do not spy
out some base and evil way, that they do not spy
some filthiness and impurity in your conversations.
This will be to the dishonour of Chi-ist, and to your
own dishonour.
And further, that Christ saith that ministers and
Christians are in the view of all others. It should
teach those that are godly to maintain the honour of
the ministers of the gospel. But further, this is the
main thing that our Saviour aims at, a city on a hill :
I send you to preach ; do not you regard your own
ease, but do you hold forth my truths and mine
ordinances publicly.
Note. — It is the duty of all ministers and Chris-
tians to hold forth all duties, all ordinances, to the
uttermost tliey are able, to the view of all the world.
Therefore whosoever shall in any private way exer-
cise any ordinance, as the preaching of the word, if
they might do it publicly, there is no man that is
faithful, that loves Jesus Christ, but he would rather
do it in a public way a great deal. But if any doth it
in a private way, and might do it publicly, certainly
he doth offend against this scripture. Yet I would
not have you to be hinderers of men in public, and
afterward to cry out of them in private. The apostles
Ihey preached publicly. They came and preached in
the temple ; but they could not break bread there,
they could not be suffered there ; but as much pub-
licly as they could do they did.
'As a city set on a hilt, that cannot be hid. Neither
do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but
on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in
the house.'
You have received some light, but your light is as
the light of the candle. If a man hath a candle, the
way to preserve it is to put it under a bushel, then it
will not burn out so fast as to stand on a candlestick.
It is true, saith Chi'ist, though there is this vile
spirit in some of you, that you think to hold forth
what you think may cause envy or opposition, and
put you to a great deal of labour and trouble ; there-
fore you had rather hide your gifts and your talents
under a bushel, partly through pride, that you are
loath that others should know that which you know.
Saith our Saviour, If so be that you have any gifts,
any parts, any light, any knowledge in you, improve
them to the highest, to the uttermost, although you
spend yourselves the sooner. This is the exhortation
to ministers, to all people. There is no man that hath
any light, but doth hinder much if he will keep it in.
It is a great deal of ease for a man that hath parts
and gifts to lie still and be idle, and hath means com-
ing in. But saith Christ, Where was it that you
lighted your candle ? hath God given you mo"re light
than others, and do you think that you must have
more ease than another? Have you any parts for to fit
you for any service for God ? draw them all forth, and
be of public good in the place that God hath set you
in. It concerns not only all ministers, but all people
also. All the gifts that thou hast are but as the talents
of God, and thou must be accountable for all of them.
And know, that all the sins of omission are as account-
able before the Lord as the sin of commission. Oh
that men would look to this, if there be anything that
is evil in the place where I live, if I by any means that
God hath given me could prevent this evil, and I do
not do it, I am guilty of the evil done. If God
hath blessed many in their trade, and they have got-
ten an estate, and live a brave life, and leave their
trade, indeed it is an idle life, and little useful to the
families where they are. They have enough coming
in every year, what need they trouble themselves to
exercise themselves in that which may be to the public
good ? It may be you may please youi'selves in such
thoughts as these are, but certainly they are very
sinful before the Lord. If you have any talents for
to bestow for the Lord, do not hide them under a
bushel, but set them forth in the places where you are,
that others may have the benefit of them, and the
good of them. Sometimes a servant may be good to
hold forth light to the family. But above all, the
governors of the family, masters of families, if the
Lord hath given you such talents, do not you keep
them in, but hold them forth to the uttermost, that
they may be improved for the good of all people.
AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE,
DIRECTING TO THE CHIEF THINGS IN THE PRECEDENT BOOK.
A.
Attention required in hearing,
Auditors of Christ's sermon, who they were, and what
meant by multitude, . . . .
Affliction, why God lets his saints be afflicted and per-
secuted, ......
A time is coming when God's people shall be delivered
from tlieir sorrows, . , . . .
Anger, the ground of it, and effects of it,
Adoption, the mystery of godliness, that is, in it God
works wonderfully, . . . . .
Adoption, its privileges, . , . .
Duties, that follow these privileges, from the children
of God to God, . . . . .
God may deny his children outward mercies,
It is a great blessing not only to be God's children,
but so to walk as to convince others that we are
the children of God, . .
Apostatising professors, very difficult to recover,
They are very useless and unprofitable,
Blessedness, difference between God's judgment and
the world's about it, ....
Ceremonies, whether example do not Justify conform-
ing to them, .....
Christ's opening his mouth and speaking, what meant
by it, .
Christ only teaches wherein true blessedness doth
consist, ......
Christ the eminent light, ....
D.
The devil through malice raises persecution against
the people of God, .....
Darkness, the world is in darkness till the gospel
comes amongst them, ....
Wicked men ruled by the spirit of darkness, .
E.
Evangelists compared that records Christ's sermon in
the Mount, ......
Ends of God in suffering his saints to be persecuted, .
A cause not to be judged unjust because persecuted.
192
194
197
ib.
200
247
ib.
10
252
206
252
ib.
2
207
213
We are not to think that a righteous cause shall
always free us from suffering in the world, .
Excellency of a Christian's state, in the worst con-
dition he is blessed, .....
F.
Family peace, rules to obtain it, . . .
G.
Grace, comforting considerations to those that are but
mean in, ..... _
Gospel, what it makes manifest,
God, ways wherein God reveals himself to the
soul, .......
H.
Hunger, what meant by hungering and thirsting after
righteousness, • • • . .
Why they that do hunger after righteous dealing in
the world are blessed.
They shall be filled, ....'.
Some texts propounded for the satisfying of the
righteous, .....
Cursed are those that hunger after unrighteousness,
Encouragement unto the servants of God to go on in
ways of righteousness.
Second interpretation of the word righteousness, viz,
the righteousness of Jesus, .
A description of Christ's righteousness.
What the hungering of the soul after this righteous'
ness is, .... .
Four springs from whence it ariseth, .
How the soul puts itself forth in hungering, .
What there is in Christ's righteousness that makes the
saints hunger after it, . . .
Why those that do hunger and thirst are blessed.
Rebuke to those that never regarded this righteous
ness, ......
Three things to quicken our appetite after this right
eousness, • • . . .
Comforts to those that do hunger and thirst.
Cautions to them that do hunger.
Righteousness of sanctiflcation described.
What the hunger of the soul after this righteousni
PAGE
213
225
185
33
253
101
103
lb.
106
107
lOS
262
ALPHABETICAL TABLE.
The desirableness of this righteousness opened, 112
Comforts to those that see a desirableness in it, . IIB
Why they are blessed that hunger after it, . . 117
How they shall be satisfied, . . . .120
Comforts to those that do hunger after this righteous-
ness, ....... lb'
Considerations to quicken appetites after these desires
of righteousness, . . . . .122
Rules for souls that hunger after this righteousness,
and yet caunot find it, . . . . 124
What may support the heart of them that hunger
after righteousness, yet do not find that they grow
in righteousness, ..... 128
Reproof for those that do not hunger, . . 132
What a^e false desires, .... ib.
And how discoTered, ..... iJ.
Heart-purity — what meant by heart, . . .152
AVhat meant by purity, .... ib.
Seven things that make up purity of heart, . . ib.
Heart purity, to be understood in a gospel way, con-
sisting in five things, . . . .154
The excellency and blessedness that is in having a
clean heart, ...... ib.
Comfort to those whose conscience tells them they
have pure hearts, . . . . .158
Most of men are far from purity of heart, . . 159
How those that are pure in heart are said to see God, ](J0
According to the cleanness or uncleauness of men's
hearts, such is their sight in reference unto God, or
the things of God, ..... it.
God takes no delight to reveal himself to one that
hath an unclean heart, .... 161
Uncleanness of heart the ground of great ignorance
and error, .162
Best way to keep ourselves from the errors of the times
is to get clean hearts, .... 163
The pure in heart shall have a clear sight of God here-
after, . . . . . . . 170
What they shall lose who live in sin, and so hinder
themselves from the sight of God, . , .173
I.
Independency, difference between, and Tresbytery, . IBS
K.
What meant by kingdom of heaven, . . _ . 23
Why it is called the kingdom of heaven, answered in
five particulars, ..... 2j
What comforts to Christ's poor ariseth to them from
the consideration of his poverty, ... 29
Other comforts to them, . . . . 30
If poor in spirit, there is ground of comfort, though
poor and mean in grace, .... 33
Knowledge, what, of God it is that most desire, . 163
L.
Light, excellent things called by the name of, . 252
What is light, . . . . . .254
The necessity of gospel light, .... 258
Rebellion against light a provoking sin, . . ib.
M.
Meek, what meant by the word, ... 70
How true meekness differs from natural meekness, . 71
Wherein true meekness consists, . . . ib.
Meekness urged from God's example, ... 73
Why the meek are blessed, .... 74
How the meek are said to inherit the earth, . . 76
Why they shall do so, . . . . . ib.
Reprehension to professors that are not meek.
Want of meekness cause of suspicion of the truth of
grace, .....
Sixteen exhortations to meekness, and helps to it,
Mercy, the several workings of mercy in the heart.
Motives to shewing mercy,
The object of mercy, ....
The qualifications of shewing of mercy,
How he is a blessed man that shews mercy.
Comforts to those that are of merciful dispositions.
Reprehension to unmerciful men.
An unmerciful heart is a vile heart,
He knows not God, ....
The sin and misery of unmerciful men.
The beauty and excellency of mercy, .
Answer to some pretences against shewing of mercy.
Motives to the shewing of mercy.
Ministers' work a great work, .
Ministers not to be too nice of their bodies.
Ministers must pray more and they will preach better.
The end of the ministry to shew people how to come
to blessedness, .....
Ministers must suit their sermons to the condition of
their people, .....
Work of the ministry a blessed work, .
Ministers must expect to suffer.
History of the prophets' suffering,
Ministry of the gospel to be prized,
Exhortation to receive the ministry of the gospel,
Huw ministers are said to be unsavoury,
Why so difficult to recover ministers that are fallen
back, ......
Savoury ministers are honoured by God,
Ministers should labour to be full of light.
Faithful ministers have the providence of God over
them, .....
The ministry of the gospel to be prized,
Ministers are light in doctrine and life.
Ministers' duty it is to hold forth all ordinances.
Ministers should labour to improve their gifts.
How we should mourn for the afflictions of the saints.
What duties God calls for from the consideration of
the afflictions of the saints, ....
Why we should, by meditation, put ourselves in the
condition of mourning saints, or saints in trouble.
And what use there should be of -it.
Unsavoury ministers unuseful,
What mountain it was Christ preached on.
Why Christ preached on the mountain.
Preaching may be in any place justified against a
double vanity and conceit of people.
Mirth and joviality rebuked, .
Spiritual mourning opened.
Sixfold mourning not blessed, .
When doth one mourn in a gracious manner, answered
in four things, ....
Comfort ariseth from mourning itself, .
When the mourner shall be comforted,
What kind of comfort the mourners sliall have,
AVhy the mourners must be comforted.
Difference between the comforts of carnal hearts and
the saints, .....
Comforting considerations to those that are tru
mourners,
Supports for the soul under mourning, and God't
delay of comfort, ....
How we may order our mourning that it may com
fort us, that the promise doth belong to us, an
swered, .....
ALPHABETICAL TABLE.
263
ATTiat true mourning for sin is,
Why mourners for sin are blessed,
"Why it is a blessed thing to mourn for sin,
That man cursed that doth rejoice in sin,
Mourning for sin not melancholy.
Cordial comforts to those that are true mourners for
sin, .......
Eules for mourners to observe in seeking for comfort.
Notes to know whether the comforts obtained be the
comfort of Jesus Christ or no,
Something spoken to them that never were true
mourners, ......
Four directions for such to make use of,
Exhortation to true mourners to mourn for other
men's sins, .......
Reasons of it, .
What the national sins are that we must mourn for.
Those are blessed that can mourn for the afflictions
of the church, and why, ....
0.
The order observed in the seventh beatitude. Blessed
are the peacemakers, ....
P.
Prayer, long, justified upon extraordinary occasion, .
Preaching, three things recorded in the manner of
Christ's —
Sitting, ....
Opening of his mouth,
Setting his eyes, .
What mt?ant by each,
What meant by poor in spirit.
Comforts to them that are poor in the world, if poor
in spirit, .....
What poverty of spirit makes a man blessed, .
What spiritual poverty that is that the soul is sensible
of
Those that have grace, they are still spiritually poor,
shewed in seven things,
How they are said to be blessed that are apprehensive
of their poverty, shewed in eleven particulars.
Why God hath such regard to those that are poor in
spirit, ....
Promises to those that are God's poor.
Four observations from the first beatitude of poverty
" of spirit, ....
Peacemaker, the word opened,
Blessed are those that labour to make peace between
man and God, ....
Peacemakers between man and man are blessed.
Rules fur making peace between man and man.
Rules for making and keeping peace in families.
Rules for peace among neighbours,
Why peacemakers are called the children of God,
It is a blessed thing to be a child of God,
When a man is of that peaceable disposition as that
he manifests^himself to be a child of God,
Persecution, condition of peacemaking and.
The word persecuted opened, .
What persecution is, .
Wh.at meant by the promise, ' theirs is the kingdom
of heaven,' ....
And why it is annexed to the persecuted.
Three doctrines in the words, .
All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer per^
secution opened, ....
All the disciples of Christ must expect persecution.
How it comes to pass that they suffer, answered.
PAGE
49
50
ib.
52
ib.
53
55
7
8
9
ib.
15
16
ib.
ib.
17
18
21
22
ib.
177
ib.
179
182
185
186
190
191
201
202
203
ib.
ib.
204
ib.
205
206
Men may persecute righteousness that are not aware
of it themselves, ....
Whether one godly man may persecute another.
Principles or considerations that may enable the people
of God to suffer, ....
What a blessed thing it is to suffer for righteousness'
sake, .....
Seven uses of the doctrine of persecution,
Profession of religion must not be taken up without
reckoning upon suffering,
Profession of religion must not be taken up on mere
hearsay or by-ends, ....
How professors are said to lose their savour, .
The less we are in passive obedience, the more let u
be in active, .....
R.
Religion and godliness, its excellency.
Discoveries of men that oppose righteousness, and
though they do not know it themselves.
Exhortation to men to take heed what they oppose,
lest it be righteousness.
Reviling, what the word signifies.
Saints must expect to be reviled,
Make account of reviling.
Walk more exactly, because wicked men will revile
you, • . • . :
Let not saints revile saints,
Those are blessed that are reviled.
Saints should not answer reviling for reviling.
Plea for returning reviling answered, .
Rules to be observed, to deal plainly with men, yet
not to revile them, .....
Let not the saints by reviling be put out of the way
of Christ, .....
Directions how to behave ourselves under reproaches,
Eevilers are cursed, ....
Some can bear reproach, but not persecution.
Others can bear some reproaches, but not all
reproaches, .....
Scope of Christ's sermon.
Sight of God depends not upon the sight of men':
natural understanding, but upon cleanness of heart.
Sight of God is man's blessedness.
What meant by seeing of God,
Soul, several ways wherein God reveals himself to the,
viz., by his works, ....
Especially by his word and ordinances,
Above all in the face of Jesus Christ, .
That it is a blessed thing to see God set out in Scrip-
ture many ways, ....
Wherein it appears to be such a happy thing to see
God, ......
Sin hinders the sight of God, .
Miserable are they that delight not in the sight of
God, ......
Miserable are those to whom the sight of God shall be
a curse, .....
Schism, mistakes about it, .
Scandalous professors hurt religion,
A common speech of many professors censured.
Saints should rejoice in persecution, .
Great is their reward in heaven.
Evidences of the saints' great reward in heaven.
All sufferings of men for matters of religion is not
suffering persecution.
Preparation for suffering.
2G4
ALPHABETICAL TABLE.
Who will make a man suffer for righteousuess' sake,
answered, . . • • . .211
Why rigbteousuefss is attended with suffering, . 212
Saints suffering heretofore should encourage us now
to suffer, ...... 242
Ye are the salt of the earth, opened, . . . ih.
Why this verse belongs to Christians as well as apostles, 243
Christians who have the truth of the gospel in them
are the salt of the earth, . . . . ih.
The allusion to salt opened, .... ib.
Vain it is for the men of the world to think to take
off the saints from any way of Christ by persecution,
W.
Will of man hath great command over the under-
standing, ......
Whether wicked men have right to the creature.
Wicked men have a natural enmity against the godly.
Wickedness of the world in opposing righteousness, .
161
195
2f)7
213
A STRANGE VINEYARD
IN PALES TINA:
IN AN EXPOSITION OF ISAIAH'S PARABOLICAL SONG
OF THE BELOVED DISCOVERED:
TO WHICH GOD'S VINEYARD IX THIS OUR LAND IS PARALLELED.
NEHEMIAH ROGERS,
MASTER IS ARTS, AND PASTOR OF THE CONGREGATION AT MESSING I>
'Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, ivliolly a right seed: how then art thou turned into tlie degenerate plant
of a strange vine unto me ?' — Jer. ii. 21.
EDINBURGH: JAMES NICHOL.
LONDON: JAMES NISBET & CO. DUBLIN: G. HERBERT.
M.DCCC.LXVII.
NEHEMIAH ROGERS, RD.
FOR almost all the knowledge that we possess of the history of Nehemiah Eogees, we are indebted
to the research of an American, Mr Joseph Lemuel Chester. This gentleman, believing himself
to be a descendant of John Rogers, the noble proto-martyr of the English Reformation, came to Eng-
land to trace the genealogical tree, and expended immense energy in investigating the family history
of the martyr, both upwards and downwards. The results of his researches he has given to the
world in an interesting volume,* in which, with singular ingenuousness, he confesses that the branch
of the Rogerses from which he liimself springs, is not that which bore the noble martyr. From this
A'olimie we shall take the liberty to quote at length the accounts which it contains of Nehemiah, and
shall add to it a few notes of our own.
' Rev. Nehemiah Sogers, B.D. 1594-1660. — He was the second son and third child
of Rev. Vincent Rogers, of Stratford Bow, Middlesex, and supposed great-grandson of the
martyr. He was baptized in that parish, October 20th, 1594. Very little has been preserved
of his history, although he seems to have been, in his times, a man of considerable eminence.
Of his earlier life, it is only known that he was for some time Fellow of Jesus College,
Cambridge. His first preferment, of which there is any account, was to the vicarage of Mess-
ing, in Essex, May 13th, 1620; for some time lorevious to which he had been acting as curate
or assistant of St Margaret's, Fish Street Hill, in London. On the 25th of May 1632, he was
ajDpointed to the sinecure rectory of Tay Magna, in Essex. Late in 1635, or early in 1636, he
presented, as a free gift, to the j^resident and Fellows of St John's College, Oxford, the perpetual
advowson of the rectory of G-atton, in Surrey, which had previously lapsed to tlie Crown, and which
he had evidently received from Charles I. The living was then worth more than £100 per annum; and
a letter from Archbishop Laud is jireserved, in which his liberality is recorded in the warmest terms.
On the 1st of May 1636, he was presented by the king to a prebend in the cathedral church of Ely, and
became possessor of the sixth stall. In the cathedral records he is styled S. T. B. On the 26th of
March 1642, he resigned the rectorship of Tay Magna, and was collated to the rectory of St Botolph's,
Bishopsgate, in London, probably resigning also his vicarage of Messing shortly after, as his successor
was ajjpointed on the following 3d of May. These seem to be all the livings which he ever possessed,
* John Rogers: the Comjnler of the first Authorised English Bible, the Pioneer of the English Reformation, and its first
Martyr. Embracing a Genealogical Account of hia Family, Biographical Sketches of some of his Principal Descendants, his
own Writings, &c. &e. &c. Bv Joseph Lemuel Chester. London : 1861.
e2
IV MEMOIR OF NEHEMIAH ROGERS.
although that of Finchley has been assigned to him, as it appears, erroneously. Soon afterwards,
probably in 1643, being an uncompromising royalist, he was sequestered of both his rectory and his
prebend, though he seems to have retained both nominally until his death, as his successor was not
appointed in either case until after that event. As late as February 23d, 1653, the vestry of St
Botolph's petitioned the Lord Protector that the inhabitants of that parish might have liberty to
make choice of a minister, and he was the rector named whose place was to have been usurped by this
election. No new rector was appointed, however, until August 10th, 1660 — " per mort. Rogers,"
according to Newcourt. He appears to have continued to preach after his deprivation, at least
during several years immediately preceding his deatli, and to have been still in connection with the
Established Church ; for, in the preface to one of his books, published in 1659, he refers to his
ministry for three years at Little Braxsted, and his subsequent " nomination and free presentation,"
to the church at Doddinghurst, both in Essex. He died at the latter place early in May 1660.
While passing through the churchyard, after Sunday morning service, without any previous warning
or complaint, he fell suddenly to the ground, speechless and motionless, and was a corpse before the
hour for afternoon service. He was buried at Doddinghurst, on the 9th of that mouth.
' His published works are still extant, and comjn-ise some eight or ten volumes. They are
chiefly expositions of the most interesting parables, and the subjects are handled with much skill.
The titles of some of them are as follows : — " The AVild Vine ; or, An Exposition on Isaiah's
Parabohcal Song of the Beloved" — " The Indulgent Father" (the Prodigal Son) — " The Watchful
Shepherd" (the Lost Sheep) — ■'"The Good Housewife, with her Broom and Candle" (the Lost
Q-roat) — " The Fast Friend ; or, A Friend at Midnight " — and " The Figless Fig-tree." Besides
these, several other works of a similar character are announced in the publishers' advertisements.
He also published, in 1631-2, a sermon, preached at the second triennial visitation of the Bishop of
London, held at Kelvedon in Essex, which evinces his scholarship and high intellectual abilities. It
is probable that some of his works were translated abroad, or, at least, that his eminence as a scholar
or a theologian were recognised on the Continent, as the writer has seen a single copy of a fine engraved
portrait of him, by Bernigeroth of Leipsic, witli a German inscription, and evidently from some
German work which he has not yet been able to discover.
' The name of his wife has not been preserved. A daughter, Mary, died in 1642. His eldest
son, Nehemiah, was a civilian, and held a responsible post in the customs. He married Mary,
daughter of Edmund Porter, D.D., and sister of Sir Charles Porter, Kt., Lord Chancellor of Ireland,
and their son, Edmund, was living in London in 1701. His second son, and probably his only other
child, was John, the immediate ancestor of the present Blachford familj', and father of its first
baronet, an account of whom will be found hereafter.' *
Such is Mr Chester's account of our author ; we now append to it a few notes.
1. There are two questions relating to Nehemiah's descent from John ; whether he was descended
from him at all ; and if so, in what relation he stood to him. Now there is a family of baronets who
are unquestionably descended from our Nehemiah, — the first baronet having been his grandson, — and
they trace then- pedigree to John, asserting that Vincent, the father of Nehemiah, was one of
the sons of John. But then we have a list of the eleven children of John, of wliicli we have
no reason to doubt the accuracy, and the name of Vincent does not appear in it.
* ' Parisli Register, Stratford Bow. Rennet's Register and Clironicle. Walker's Sufferings of the Clerg}'. 'Willis' Survey
of Cathedrals. Bentham's Historj' of Ely Cathedral. Malcolm's Londinium Kedivivum. JS'ewcourt's Repertorium. Laud's
Words, Oxford, 1860, vol. vii. p. 242.
MEMOIR OF NEHEMIAH KOGERS. V
Yet we have good reason for believing that Nehejniah was descended from John ; for Nehemiah's
Fon John, the father of the first baronet, in the preface to one of his books, speaks of the martyr as
his ' predecessor.' Now he was not his predecessor in any office ; and therefore we suppose that he
uses the word p7-edecesso7' in the sense of ancestor, a sense which it bore commonly enough at
the time. Mr Chester cuts the knot by supposing that Vincent was not a son, but a grandson of
John, and consequently that Nehemiah was a great-gi'andson of the proto-martyr. This supposition,
however, is not without difficulty. Vincent married in 1586, being the minister of Stratford Bow,
Middlesex. Now it is not at all likely that he was under thirty years of age at the time of his mar-
riage ; but suppose him to have been only tv\'enty-five ; this would give 1561 as the year of his birth.
Now Daniel, the eldest son of the martyr, who became one of the most noted diplomatists of his
time, was born about 1538. In 1561 therefore he was only twenty-three years old, and in that very
year he graduated at Oxford. He was certainly unmarried at that time, and indeed it is jn'obable
that he did not marry till long afterwards. It seems certain, therefore, that Vincent could not
be his son. John, the martyr's second son, took his degree at Cambridge in 1562-3, and was soon
after elected to a fellowship. He must therefore have been unmarried in 1561, and could not be
Vincent's father. Suppose that the third child of the martyr was also a son, he could not have been
born earlier than 1541, and in 1561 could not be above twenty years old; it is therefore extremely
improbable that either he, or any one of his younger brothers, was Vincent's father. In this very
unsatisfactory state we must leave this interesting question.
2. In his notice of Timothy Rogers, the elder brother of Nehemiah, Mr Chester states that, ' in
1623, according to Morant, he became vicar of Great Tay in Essex, and appears to have continued
such until 1650, in which year his successor is first named ;' while in the notice of Nehemiah,
as quoted above, he states that ' on the 25th of May 1632 he was appointed to the sinecure Eectory of
Tay Magna in Essex ;' and again that 'on the 26th of March 1642, he resigned the Rectorship of
Tay Magna.' Now we do not suppose that there was both a vicarate of Great Tay, and a Rectory
of Tay Magna; and therefore we presume that Timothy, appointed in 1623, resigned in 1632 in
favour of his brother, who held the hving till 1642.
3. The account which Walker, in his Sufterings of the Clergy, gives of the livings from which
Rogers was removed by sequestration, differs from that given by Mr Chester, inasmuch as the former
represents him as ha\'ing been deprived of the vicarate of Messing, while the latter represents him
as having resigned it shortly after his removal to St Botolph's. Although Walker knew little
of Rogers, yet it is probable that he took the account of his sequestration from Messing from an
official record, and that it is correct. It may be as well to present Walker's account of him entire.
' Nehemiah Rogers, B.D., prebendary of the 6th stall in Ely, vicar of Messing in Essex. [I take it
to be one and the same person who lost all these.] I find him in possession of this prebend in the
year 1642, and presume he died before the Restoration ; because in 1660 Dr Laurence Womock,
afterwards bishop of St David's, was possessed of it. Not knowing the precise time of Mr Rogers'
death, the same qucere must be made of him as of Mr Wigmore and Dr Hall before. As to the
living of St Botolph, he was admitted to it March 26, 1642, and dispossessed of it about May 1643.
Lloyd seems to make him sequestered also from the Rectory of Finchley in Middlesex ; but this
is certainly a mistake ; for no such name occurs in Mr Newcourt's list of the rectors of that church.
But I find by Mr Newcourt that he had some time the living of Tay Magna in Essex. Whether he
suffered anything there, qucere.'
4. The fact that Rogers, stanch royalist and episcopalian though he was, continued to officiate in
MEMOIR OF NEHEMIAH ROGERS.
St Botolpli's after his deprivation, and that in 1653 the Protector refused to the parishioners to
supersede him by granting them liberty to choose a successor to him, ought to_be noted as a proof of
the moderation of Cromwell and his maligned ' expurgators.'
5. Tlie works of Nehemiah Rogers are exceedingly scarce, and that which is now reprinted
has been hitherto apparently the rarest of all, its name having been unknown to Watts and
Darling. It will be noticed that Mr Chester gives it a different title from that by wliich it is
here designated. This would seem to indicate that more editions of it than one had been pub-
lished. This, however, we do not suppose to have been the case. The edition from which we
reprint, published in 1623 was certainly the first, and we have no doubt that the present, issued
after an interval of 244 years, is the second. To us it appears not doubtful that this small work
will be regarded as an interesting specimen of the expositions of the ' doctrinal puritans.' Clear
throuHiout and occasionally eloquent ; at once evangelical and faithfully practical, it is worthy of
attentive perusal, which the liveliness of the author's style will render a pleasant task.
T. S.
TO THE RIGHT HOXOUEABLE AND
TRULY NOBLE LORD,
ROBERT, EARL OF WARWICK,
LORD RICH, BARON OF LEEZE, &c.,
TO THE RIGHT VIRTUOUS AND TRULY
ZEALOUS LADY,
FRANCES, COUNTESS OF WARWICK,
ASD WIFE TO THE RIGHT HON'OURABLE LORD,
[ ROBERT, EARL OF AYARWICK, &c.,
INCREASE OF HOXOUR HERE, AND EVERLASTIXG GLORY HEREAFTER.
RIGHT Honourable Lord, — May it please you
to take in good worth this my hold attempt, in
that, upon so little knowledge and far less deserts, I
have adventured so far as to grace these my weak
labours with your noble name.
Besides some personal and particular respects, which
I here let pass, I have had some general inducements
hereunto ; and this above the rest, your Honour's love
unto the truth, and great regard of the ministry
thereof, which your more than ordinary painstaking
to hear holy instructions, together with the great
respect your Honour gives to such as bring glad tid-
ings of peace, (whose feet — and much more their face
— are esteemed by you as beautiful, Rom.x. 15,) are
sufficient arguments to evince. By which and other
fruits of piety you still merit renown to your noble
name, and are zealously honoured of all that know
you and love goodness ; into which number, I hope-
fully presuming, have thrust myself, as being loath
to be hindmost in that acknowledgment which is so
nobly deserved, and joyfully rendered of all ; desir-
ing, as far as in me lieth, to make known unto the
world that grace which lies lodged in your noble
breast, which being united to your greatness, maketh
so happy a composition, as that they who had no more
than Nature's light, esteemed it only for true nobility.
' Nobilitaa sola est atque unica virtus.' — Juven.
For whereas greatness makes some men scornful
and imperious, yet what Phnius reports of Vespasian,
RIGHT Noble Lady, — J/y attempt may seem a
wonder, hut ivhere judgment searcluth out the cause,
and 2^^1'dence guideth wisdom to toeigk the ciraim-
stance, the conceit of ivonderment ceaseth. What hath
induced me to join yon with your honourable lo?'d, needs
no long relation. God hath cemented and combined
you together with the nearest and strongest bands, and
therefore I, in my due honouring of both, presume to
conjoin you both in this one dedication.
What is conceived and reported of your Honour's
U'orth through all our country, I must jjass over in
silence; for well I hiow your excellent modesty wUl
not suffer such, though deserved, a relation, your Honour
rather affecting to do things deserving fame than fame
itself; and, like the fixed stars, the higher God hath set
you, the less you desire to seem.
I confess I am, as yet, hut a stranger in these parts,
yet must he he more strange that mteteth -not with the
report of your Honour's virtues; whose diligent pains
in gaining knowledge of lioly things, and conscion-
able piractice of what you know; whose humble, sober,
wise, courteous, and modest carriage, {rare virtues to he
found in ladies of so high a place and rank,) are so
many tongues, and mouths, and pens, without mine, to
publish your due praises.
And though through the corruption of these times this
age is grown so base, as that one cannot think any
to he the better or the worse for the report that flies of
them, unless they be eye-witnesses either of their guod or
ill ; yet where the sound is all so honourable, I dare
2
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
may be truly said of you, 'Nee quicquam in te mu-
tavit fortunoe amplitudo, nisi ut prodesse tantundem
2}osses ei velles,' (Plin. Epist. ad Vespas.) It had changed
nothing in you but this, that your power to do good
should be answerable to your will.
Yea, it may be justly thought that your Honour
would teach men to take the measure of your greatness
by your goodness, of so even a length and equal pace
are they. And, indeed, so it must be ; for should
honour outrun honesty, it would hardly be overtaken.
But I must remember to whom I speak ; even to
such a one as careth not for long salutations in the
markets. I have done, when I have once again craved
pardon for my boldness, and humbly requested at
your Honour's hands (whose goodness hath not wont
to magnify itself more in giving than in receiving
such like holy presents) acceptation and countenance
to what is here ofl'ered by a thankful heart.
As for the matter herein handled, I will not fear
to say it deserves it, and for the manner I must say
it needs it ; whatsoever it be, be it not as it should
be, yet my will wisheth it to be well, but as it is
I humbly betake it to your Honours' favourable protection ; and so your Honours to the protection of
the Highest.
Your Honours' humbly and officiously devoted in all duty,
NEHEMIAH KOGERS.
he confident of a holy inclination and gracious disposi-
tion, which hath given me such enco^iragement as that I
have little need to misdouht either your Honour s accepta-
tion of this Treatise, or to advise your use, for I per-
suade myself that you, will not only view the title and
epistle {as the fashion of most patrons is) but the tvhole
book also, in some of those hours which your Honour re-
deems, J daresay, for soul employments, from those idle
and excessive custoins lolierein ladies please themselves
and none else.
But I know that your Honour will be better pleased
if I turn praises into prayers, therefore I will endeavour
to supply that loant this way ; beseeching the God of
majesty and mercy to sanctify your heart yet more and
more, who ivith the Neiu- Year give you neiu su2Jplies of the
graces of his Spirit, and graciously to increase in you
the ground of all true honour, goodness.
Let me not offend in offering so mean a work to so
worthy a jjersonage ; the weaker it is the more need
hath it of a worthy jxttron.
I
TO THE READER.
HE that feasts high estates must seek out for foreign
cookeries and fantastical dishes to please their
palates; but he that, in true charity, invites home his
plain honest neighbours, doth well enough if he provide
such homely fare as shall be competent and befitting
men of meaner quality. It is the plain country-
man I feast, commonly called the goodman ; and
therefore for thee, reader, to expect any curious
division, rare invention, or rhetorical composition in
this treatise, would be as vain and idle as to hope to
meet with puffed paste at a ploughman's table;
As for those who drive their flocks upon the moun-
tain-tops, for every spear of grass they there spy
growing, I neither envy them nor dare follow them ;
for I confess ingenuously my ability and gdfts will
not suffer me : — •
' Qui sua metitur
Pondera ferre potest.' — Martial.
Or if they would, yet I would forbear, and rather
choose to feed my sheep in the valleys, where is grass
enough, handling the doctrine of faith and good life, |
than to travel in the controverted points of predesti-
nation, free-will, church governments, &c. For he
is blind who sees not that meu's brains are full, but
their hearts are empty. Our tongues run over ; but
for twenty good words we have not one good work,
which is our shame.
If, then, thou lovest not plainness, lay this book
by for such as love it ; for though such diet be not
for thy tooth, yet there are thousands of good souls
who like better with such pulse than with daintier
fare, growing faster in knowledge, and stronger in
the faith, with such plain instructions than by more
learned treatises. But if thou be such a one as
desirest rather to have thy conscience than thy curi-
osity satisfied ; thy heart seasoned and soul profited
than thy ears tickled with pleasingness of words, thou
art he for ■s'diom this was penned ; and thou art wel-
come. I have said ; do thou read. God bless thy
reading ; and do thou remain mine, as I am
Thine in Christ,
N. EGGERS.
A STEANGE VINEYAED IN PALESTINA.
' Nolo U'ill I sing to my well-heloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard.' — ISA. v. 1 .
IT was a practice usual* with the prophets in former
times, after that they had prophesied to the people,
to gather a compendious sum of what they had taught,
and affix it to the gate of the temple, that the pro-
phecy might be the better viewed and learned of all ; t
and after it had there remained for certain days, it
was then taken down and put into the treasury of the
temple, that the memory thereof might continue for
ever. And thus, by God's special providence, it came
to pass, that if not all, yet most of the books of the
prophets were gathered and preserved, and now, as
rich treasures, are enjoyed by us ; wherein we have
the sermons of the holy prophets, not so largely
penned as they were preached, but only such general
heads collected as were by them delivered. | Now,
as before in the former chapters, so here in this, we
have some such sermon notes, preached by an ex-
cellent and incomparable prophet, by name Isaiah, a
man of noble birth, and of as noble a spirit. Trace
him, and you shall still find him like his noble self,
pithy, powerful, and, as St Paul witnesseth, Eom. x.
20, very bold in delivering of his message, fearing no
cruelty nor danger, albeit for his boldness he lost
his life, being by the commandment of Manasses sawn
asunder with a wooden saw, if history speaks true.§
He was a courtier and a master of speech, being,
saith one of the ancient. || the eloquentest prophet
for Hebrew in the Old Testament, as St Paul was
the elegantest apostle for Greek in the New ; to
whose elegancies the rollings of Demosthenes do no
* Calv. in pr^fat. ad hnuc lib.
+ Isa. viii. 1, 2, and sxx. 8 ; Hab. ii. 2.
J Muscul. in Isaiam.
§ Hieron., lib. xv. in Isaiam in fine.
II Hieron., Epist. ad Paulinum.
I more answer than that confused noise of waters doth
to that sweet noise of harps spoken of in St John's
Revelation, chap. xiv. 2. In all his writings he
rather seemeth to he an evangelist than a prophet,
most lively describing and setting forth the nativity,
preaching, persecution, apprehension, death, resurrec-
tion, ascension, yea, and latter coming to judgment
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ; so that no
evangelist seems to go beyond him. His auditory
was Judah and Jerusalem, a stubborn and disobe-
dient people, more brutish than the ox and ass, Isa.
i. 18, whose sins were crimson, receiving a double
dye, or admitting a twofold aggravation, one from
God's unutterable kindness unto them, in nourish-
ing, bringing of them up, and choosing them for
his ; the other, from the quality and multitude of
their transgressions against him, whose sins were for
number many, for nature heavy.
To these is Isaiah, God's health, sent, that he might
heal their sickness. With these he deals, and first
discovers their disease, and then labours for their
recovery. He proves that they are ' a sinful nation,
a people full of iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, corrupt
children, whose whole head was sick, and whole
heart heavy ; so that from the sole of the foot to the
crown of the head there was no soundness ; but
wounds and bruises, and putrifying sores,' &c., Isa.
i. 4-6. And that of ' a faithful city it was now be-
come p, harlot, whose silver was become dross, and
wine mixed with water,' &c. For all which God's
anger was conceived against them ; and yet withal he
signifies his mercy, if it were received by them ;
using his best oratory in inviting those that did rebel,
inciting those that did neglect, hastening those that
did linger, and recalling those that did wander, to
6
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
sue out their pardons, and make peace with their
malver. And thus he spends the four foregoing
chapters. All which to have heard this orator him-
self press in his own words, and with his own affec-
tions, whose howels would not have yearned and
heart melted within their breasts ? And yet, ah
Lord ! what hear I ? Israel is not gathered, thy ser-
vant's report is not believed, Isa, liii. 1, even Isaiah
himself labours in vain, and spends his strength for
nought, chap. xlix. 4. No better fared it with him
in his ministry, than it far^th with us, the ministers
of thy gospel. Scarce a tenth is gathered. And yet
we cannot wonder that it fareth so with us ; for
can we, who are but rude in speech, and of a slow
tongue, hope for that which so rare a rhetorician
found not ? Little or no fruit could he see of all his
travails; and yet he doth not faint, but, with an
invincible constancy, goes on in performing his pro-
phetical function.
Oh, how sorts the humour of many with this his
practice ! Such is the impatiency of our hearts, that
except we see present reformation in those we have
to deal withal, we are ready with Jeremiah to resolve
to speak no more in the name of God, Jer. xx. 9.
It is noted as his blemish, and the word of God gives
him no rest until he had altered his resolution.
But what course wilt thou now take, 0 thou man
of God, with this obdurate people 1 Their hearts are
fully set in them to do evil ; they will not obey ; nay,
which is worse, they will not hear thee. Would they
listen to thy sermons, there were some hope they
might be wrought upon ; but, turning away the ear,
what hope is left ? Tell us then, 0 noble prophet,
what wilt thou do ? Let us be so bold with thee
as to ask the question, and be so favourable as to
acquaint us with thy purpose.
' Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of m>/
beloved, toucldng his vineyard,' &c. — q. d., I see in-
deed they lightly set by my ordinary sermons, and
therefore I purpose to leave my accustomed manner
of prophesying, and fall to singing, being unto them
rather as a poet than as a prophet, Ezek. xxxiii. 32,
that so by their own delights they may be allured.
Thus God seeks to draw us to himself with those
baits which are somewhat agreeable to our palate :
he doth compose himself to oui- disposition ; and even
as face answereth face in a glass, so doth he apply
himself to fit the humours of mortal men. Do the
sages love stars and dreams ? a bright shining star and
a dream shall instruct them in the truth of God, and
direct them unto Christ, Mat. ii. Doth St Peter love
fishing ? he shall be won by a great draught of fishes,
Luke v. Doth Augustine love eloquence ? Ambrose
by his eloquence shall catch him at a sermon. What
is it that can win us ? Which way soever our desires
stand, that is not sinful, God doth in his word allure
us ; the best things in earth and heaven are made
our bait. Let us yield ourselves therefore to be
caught, for with these doth the Lord seek us, not for
any need that he hath of us, but for our own salva-
tion.
In which song we have a parable proposed of a
fruitless vineyard, which, after great care and cost of
the painful husbandman bestowed on it, is left deso-
late and forsaken for its barrenness.
The argument of it seemeth not to differ from that
of the foregoing chapters, here being nothing said that
for substance was not before taught ; the difference
that is, is only in circumstance, the style and method
only being altered and changed.
The scope and drift of the prophet is first to get
audience and attention ; and therefore he chooseth to
deliver his message in the sweetness of verse rather
than in prose^ that so the ear, having that which de-
lighted it, might without tediousness listen to that
which was taught, which, being listened unto, might
the better and more kindlier work upon them. And
questionless by this course he got him hearers ; for
many would flock to hear him sing, who would not
step over the threshold to hear hiiji in his wonted
yein.
Secondly, That they might the sooner learn and
better retain what he did teach them ; for verse, being
composed of certain musical proportions, both in the
number and measure of feet and syllables, are sooner
and with greater delight learned; and once being
learned, are longer retained. As by experience we
find that our common people have many unwritten
songs, which are older than their great-grandfather's
father, those they learned being children, and never
forgpt again until their death. Yea, by this means
the remembrance of some things have been kept from
many ages past, which both history and tradition had
else for ever left neglected and forgotten.
Thirdly, That he might bring them to a sight of
their ingratitude, and draw from them an impartial
sentence against themselves. For look, as it is with
the eye, which both seeth and correcteth all other
things save itself ; so is it with the sinner, when his
own case is pi-oposed to him, not as his own, but in
the person of another. He wiU soon see the fault,
and pass a just sentence on it, but else it cannot
be espied. Whilst wise Nathan, 2 Sam. xii., was
querulously discoursing of the cruel rich man that
had forcibly taken away the only lamb of his poor
neighbour, how willingly doth David listen to the
story, and how .sharply, even above law, doth he cen-
sure the fact : ver. 5, ' As the Lord liveth, the man
that hath done this thing shall surely die.' See how
severe justicers we can be to our very own crimes in
others' persons. Had he known on wliom the sen-
tence would have light, it should not have been so
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. i-^
heavy ; but now lie is self-condemned. The like was
our Saviour's practice with the scribes and pharisees,
in propounding that parable of perfidious husband-
men, Mat. xxi., who beat the servants that were sent
to receive the fruits of the vineyard, and slew the
heir ; and not without the like success ; for being
asked what the Lord of the vineyard would do to
such, they answer, ' He will cruelly destroy them,
and let out the vineyard to others.' Then Christ
infers, ' Therefore I say unto you, the kingdom of
God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation
that will bring forth the fruits thereof.' And this is
the reason why our prophet doth not only sing, but
sings a parabolical song, propounding the truth in
such an obscure manner, under a continued similitude
or allegory, like some expert physician, who so cun-
ningly wraps up bis pills and conveys his dose, that
it begins to work ere it be tasted.
And surely there is no one thing wherein is more use
of wisdom than in the due contriving of a reprehen-
sion, which in a discreet delivery heljjs the disease,
in an unwise, destroys nature.
In which song consider we, first, the proem or pre-
face to it, ver. 1.
Secondly, The poem itself, or body of it, ver. 1-8.
The proem in these words, ' Kow will I sing to mi/
well-beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard; '
wherein these particulars are observable :
First, The inditer or author instrumental, intimated
in this particle /.
Secondly, The kind of treatise indited, a song.
Thirdly, The manner of the prophet's publishing
and delivering it, ivill sing.
Fourthly, The dedication of it, to his well-beloved.
Fifthly, The warrant and authority for the publish-
ing of it, of my well-beloved.
Sixthly, The subject-matter thereof, touching his
vineyard.
These in the proem. As for the poem, we will
then limb and branch it forth when we come to the
handling of it. Let us now go to the shekel of the
sanctuary, and there weigh those words which we
have already numbered.
A^oiv. Some read it Go to, or Go to yet. As if the
prophet should stir up himself to sing ; and, like the
watchful cock, first clap his wings to awake himself,
before he crows to awaken others. Others read it as
we have it, A^ou', or A^oro T /yray, hereby stirring up his
people to attention ; which reading is the best, for the
Hebrew particle na noteth the motion of the mind to
persuade or entreat.
Will I sing — i.e., I will lift up my voice and make
a melodious sound, modulating and singing the song I
have composed.
To my loell-beloved — i.e., To the grace or praise of
his well-beloved ; or, as some, in his defence.
Well-beloved. Some* there are who would have
God's Israel to be meant hereby ; he so terming them
in regard of the great love he bare towards them, and
great care he had over them, they being dearly beloved
of him. But the prophet explaineth his own mean-
ing when he saith, ' My well-beloved hath a vineyard.'
Now ' the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house
of Israel,' ver. 7. By tvell-heloved then he under-
standeth, not the people of God, but God himself;
and he calls him so in a twofold respect.
1. More generally ; as he himself was a member of
the church, and in the behalf of it, and thus said
Solomon, ' My well-beloved is mine, and I am his,'
Cant. ii. 16, vi. 3, and vii. 10.
2. Or more specially ; as he was a prophet, and so
one of the bridgroom's friends, to whom the charge of
the church was committed, according to that of St
John, 'He that hath the bride is the bridegi'oom;
but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and
heareth him, rejoiceth greatly, because of the bride-
groom's voice,' John iii. 29.
A song. Three kinds of songs were in use espe-
ciaUy amongst the Jews. Some they called mizmor,
psalms; other some tehillah, hymns ; and another sort
they had which they called shir, songs or odes. All
which kinds St Paul mentioneth, Eph. v. 19; Col.
iii. 16, when he willeth us to speak to ourselves with
' psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs.' The first
of these were such as were artificially framed in a cer-
tain full number of words and measure, as the original
word noteth; it coming of a word, zamar, which signi-
fieth to prune or cut off superfluous twigs, and con-
taineth in it holy matter of what arguments soever,
whether precatory, prayers for benefits to be received ;
or deprecator}', petitions against adversities ; or con-
solatory, matter of comfort and consolation. These
were wont to be sung both with instrument and
voice.
The second sort were special songs of praise qnd
thanksgiving, and come of a word, halal, which sig-
nifieth the lifting up or exaltation of the voice, in
extolling and magnifiyiug either the worthy person or
his noble action. And these are properly those that
set forth the Almighty's praise ; therefore saith
Chrysostom, Ilymnus 2^salmo sanctior,] A hymn is
more divine than a psalm. These were wont to be
sung either with the instrument or without.
The third kind contained in them doctrine of the
chief good, or man's eternal felicity, with other such
like spiritual matter, and were artificially made, and
after a! more majestical form than ordinary. These
were sung only with the voice, without any instrument.
A learned writer | sheweth divers other differences
* Calr. et Ursin., in loc.
+ Clirys. in Col. iv., bom, 9.
J Zanch. in Col. iii. 16.
EOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
and distinctions given of these by divers of the
ancients, but that I have named is the most received.
Let this SLifiice, there were and are variety, and all
allowable by the Lord.
As for this song of our prophet, it is of this latter
kind," and was most artificially composed, and set out
with the most exquisite skill that might be. It is of
the like nature and kind with that of Solomon's, which
is called the Song of Songs ;t for here the great love
of God towards his church, with the fruit of that his
love, is set forth nnto us. In this indeed they differ,
as some have well observed, that is comical, but this
is tragical ; for though our prophet beginneth merrily,
yet he endeth heavily.
Of mij beloved. Here the prophet nseth the same
word, dodho, that he did before, though with some
little alteration ; and somej translate it uncle, others
cousin — for so it signiKeth, as well as friend or be-
loved ; and would by it note out the Messiah and his
humanity in a special manner ; for Isaiah descended
from David, and so was of Christ's kindred, in which
regard, say they, he calleth him his uncle or his cousin.
But this exposition is rejected by other of the learned §
as constrained; and they take the word here used to
be the same in signification with the former, holding
the addition to be but a garnishing of the prophet's
speech, which liberty poets have above other writers,
to the end that by the rhyme and running of the
verse the memory might be the better helped and the
understanding quickened.
Now, in that he saith it was of his beloved, he
hereby noteth out his warrant and authority. It
was the song which his beloved put into his mouth,
and which he had in charge from him to publish. It
was (if \i\n\ axiAfrom him, as well as/orhira.
2'ouchintf hisvinei/ard ; some read it to his vineyard,
others for his vineyard. The word may be read both
ways, both in the genitive and dative case, as one||
observes. By this vineyard we are to understand the
church, as appeareth, ver. 7. The reasons why it is
compared to a vineyard we shall hereafter see ; and
thus much for explanation. Come we now to matter
of observation.
And first, in general, from tlie prophet's method
and manner of proceeding — which, we see, was not as
usually it was — note we,
Loct. WImI wisdom is requisite for God's ministers,
that they may be able to apply thennelves to the several
affections, if not sinful, of their hearers, becoming all
things to all men, seeking by all possible means to
win or gain any unto Christ.
' To the -Jews,' saith St Paul, 1 Cor. ix. 20, 22, ' I
became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews ; to
Calv., in loc.
MoUcr. aud Hector. Pint, in luc.
Muse 111.
H- CEcoIamp.
§ Calvin, Ursin.
them that are under the law, as under the law, that
I might gain them that are under the law. To the
weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak :
I am made all things to all men, that I might by all
means save some.' Then follows that general exhorta-
tion, ver. 24, ' So run that you may obtain.' Thi
course likewise took our blessed Saviour. Sometimes
he taught by explication, other whiles by application ;
sometimes propounding doctrines, other times ex-
pounding them ; sometimes he delivereth plain prin-
ciples, at other times ])ai'ables and dark sentences ;
and not seldom by exemplary similitudes. The rich
man he teacheth by the rich man's care and greedy
gathering ; the vine-dresser by the vinitor's digging
and hedging ; the labourer by the labourer's hire and
working ; the builder by the builder's laying of a good
foundation ; the husbandman by the husbandman's
sowing and reaping ; the fisherman by the fisherman's
casting in nets and drawing.'* By all which the
ministers of the gospel are admonished to become all
imto all, that they may win the more, according to
our propounded point.
Use 1. Let us not, then, be discouraged, though we
have to deal with a stubborn and refractory people,
so as to surcease our pains. The physician omits no
point of his art, though the recovery of his patient
seem desperate ; he will use his best skill before he
gives him over. What is this divine trade of ours
but a spiritual piscation ? Now, how much skill and
toil and patience is requisite in this art, who knows
not ? The world is the sea ; souls, like fishes, swim
at liberty in this deejj, ranging up and down after
their own disposition, uncaught. Ministers are the
fishers in this sea, who must be ever busied, some-
times in preparing, sometimes in mending, sometimes
in casting abroad, sometimes in drawing in their nets.
The net to take men with is the preaching of the
gospel ; which net is oftentimes let down, and many a
draught made by the poor fisherman, yet nothing
taken ; for some are crafty, and will not, as the
worldling, who is so wise, at least in his generation,
(Luke xvi.,) that he no sooner spies the net laid, but
he shuns it. Some are slippery, and cannot ; as the
hypocrite, who, like an eel, slips through when he is
inclosed. Qui ccqnt anguillam per caudam 7ion capjit
illam. Some are great, and may not. ' Prophesy
not at Bethel : for it is the king's chapel, and it is
the king's court,' (Amos vii. 13.) So sheweth Jere-
miah, chap. V. 5, when he saith, ' I will get me to the
great men, and speak to them ; but these have broken
the yoke, and burst the bonds.' And therefore Paul,
though he had caught many a soul in his nets, yet
he could catch but a piece of king Agrippa. So
sheweth the text. Acts xxvi. 28, ' Almost thou
persuadest me to become a Christian.' And lastly,
* Muscul. in Mat. iv.
EOGEES ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
some are little, and dare not. Our Peter-like pro-
fessors, \vhom the voice of a silly damsel, crying,
' Thou art a Galilean,' terriKes. So that the sum
of the pains of many is, Luke v. 5, ' We have la-
boured all night and taken nothing.' Thus it pleaseth
God to exercise the patience of his servants. But
howsoever some iishes are too great, and some too
little, some too silly and some too subtle, yet let us
launch out into the deep, and once again let slip our
new-washen nets at our master's bidding. What
though there be no likelihood of success ? yet the last
throw may draw up some to grace and glory. Say
then with Simon, ' Master, though we have travailed
all night and taken nothing, yet at thy word we will
let down the net,' and make one cast more. In so
doing, certainly we atlast shall find that our humble and
penitent obedience shall come home laden with bless-
ings, as theirs did; for when they had so done, saith the
text, ver. 6, ' they inclosed a great multitude of fishes,
so that their nets brake ; and they filled their ships,
so that they began to sink.' Oh happy complaint, of
too large a capture ! Who would not obey thee, 0
Christ, since thou so bountifully requitest man's
weakest services? Their nets break, their ships sink
with the burden of that which they have taken. 0
blessed Saviour, if those apostolical vessels of thy first
rigging were thus overlade, ours float and totter with
an unballast lightness. Thou who art no less present
in these bottoms of ours, lade them with an equal
freight of converted souls; give us ability to take;
give men will and grace to be taken, and let us praise
thee for thus sinking. However, let thy work be
followed, and thy leisure waited for. Assure us of
this, that that pains cannot be lost which we resolve
to lose for thee. For ' though Israel be not gathered,
yet shall we be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and
our God shall be our strength,' Isa. xlix. 5. Though
our preaching be not a sweet savour to them that
hear us ; yet even in them we shall be a sweet savour
unto the Lord, 2 Cor. ii. 15. If, then, we preach,
and men repent not, let it never repent us of our
preaching ; for they are t;he losers, and not we : ' Be
ye strong, therefore, and let not your hands be weak,
for your works shall be rewarded,' 2 Chron. xv. 7.
Use 2. Let hearers hence likewise be admonished
not rashly to condemn their teachers for their some-
times using a differing method from that they were
wont to use. It is the wisdom of a minister, as we
see, sometimes to change his note, as occasion shall
require. While he hath to deal with a people of a
tractable disposition, he comes in a still small voice,
as God appeared to Elijah, 1 Isjngs xix. 12, and is a
Barnabas, the son of consolation. When with the
stubborn and refractory, then he lifts up his voice a
strain higher, he 'cries aloud and spares not,' Isa.
Iviii. 1, being a Boanerges, the son of thunder. Blame
him not for this : for some men's hearts are like
nettles — touch them but gently and they will sting,
when rough handling is without prejudice. And
others are like briars, that wound the grasping hand
of reproof, but yield willingly to them that softly
touch them with that lady-like hand of exhortation.
Aaron's bells must be wisely rung. Sometimes the
treble of mercy sounds well, at other times the tenor
of judgment, or counter-tenor of reproof, sounds better :
and it often happens that the mean of exhortation
sounds best of all. It is his wisdom to observe cir-
cumstances, and know how to curse as well as bless,
chide as well as comfort, and speak war to a rebel as
well as peace to a friend. And herein, indeed, hes
the wisdom and faithfulness of a teacher. Then and
only then shall he prove himself sincere and unpartial,
when he holds this course.
Again, when he hath to deal with a people of a
shallow capacity and understanding, so he speaks,
both for matter and manner of delivery, as they are
best able to receive it. Should he use the Latin or
Greek tongues to such as can only understand the
English ; or such a Roman-English, or soaring sub-
limity of phrase, as plain Englishmen know not what
to make of ; he knoweth full well he should be as a
barbarian to those which hear him. Or should he
tell the vulgar of fathers and historian.? — of Ambrose,
Austin, Gregory, Cyprian, Chrysostom, with the rest ;
and of their homilies, it would little else than amaze
his auditors. Wherefore here he useth a plainer
method and more familiar style, stooping to the un-
derstanding of the simplest, daily beating upon those
highway jjoints of faith and repentance, for which
his plainness let him not be despised ; but reverently
and devoutly see that his doctrine be received, that
obscure things may afterwards be more profitably
opened." At another time it so falls out that he is
to speak to a more learned and intelligent auditor}',
and then he takes more scope, to use the liberty of
his liberal education, in quoting the fathers and alleging
human testimonies. Sometimes in case of grammar,
that the true sense and meaning of a word or sentence
may be the clearer : sometimes in case of controversy,
by shewing the consent of the ancient church, that
he may free the truth from novelty, (especially dealing
with an adversary that would claim all antiquity
from him.) Or sometimes for conviction of atheists,
heathens, and the like, who care not for the authority
of scriptures.
And thus did St Paul himself, when he had to
deal with the Athenians, Epicures, and Cretans,
allege the sayings of Menander, Acts xvii. 28, Aratas,
Titus i. 12, and Epimenides, James i. 17, whereby he
* Tene et deuot^ accipe aperta, ut tibi pandantur obsciira.
Quomodo eris penetrator obscurorum, contemptor manifes-
torum ? — A ug. Horn, de Pastor.
10
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
did convinpe their wickedness. And this is an excel-
lent way to stop the mouths of adversaries, which
Julian, a wise, but wicked emperor saw. Behold,
saith he,* we are wounded with our own quills ; out
of our books they take armour which in light they
use against us. And therefore he made a law that
the children of the Galileans should not read philoso-
phers nor poets. In these and such like cases, and
upon these and such like occasions, for a minister
wisely and soberly, having respect to times and places,
to allege the sayings of ancient writers in their own
terms and language, (not seeking themselves, nor
affecting their own glory therein,) let it not be thought
unlawful nor unfitting.
Such also may be here lessoned, who would have all
ministers use one method in their teaching, and that
Buch as they best like of. This man's method is ex-
cellent, saith one ; I like this kind of teaching well.
Such a one I like better, saith a second, and it is more
profitable. Would all had this man's vein in preach-
ing, saith a third. He goes for my money ; of all
that ever I heard I like him best. And thus like
foolish frampole children, we care not for the meat,
except we choose the spoon. Or like those Germans,
who, meeting together at a tavern, fell into discourse
of their profession and religion. One protested him-
self to be of Dr Martin's religion ; and the other vowed
he was of Dr Luther's profession, whereas Martin
Luther was one and the same man. Such is the folly
of many of our followers, who hold with this preacher,
and with that ; whenas, though we have ' diversity of
gifts, yet but one and the same spirit,' 2 Cor. xii.
St Paul spends well near a whole chapter about this
argument, in the first of those epistles which he wrote
to the Corinthians, who, as it seems, were troubled
with this disease ; for having three famous preachers,
Paul, Cephas, and Apollos, some professed themselves
the followers only of Paul, despising Cephas and
Apollos ; and others of Cephas, despising Paul and
Apollos ; and lastly, others held themselves to Apollos,
despising Paul and Cephas. This itch of men's wits
and ears is fatal to these times, and, in the judg-
ment of a great physician, almost incurablet ; for he
avoucheth that there is no scab nor itch more danger-
ous than the ambition of sects and new opinions.
Oh that we could see the richness of God's mercy to-
wards his church in this particular, who hath given
such diversity of gifts to divers men. To one is given
the word of wisdom, to another the words of know-
ledge, to another the gifts of healing, to another
diversity of tongues. Some have a more excellent gift
of conference, some of prayer, some in opening of a
text, some in application of his text, &c. And all,
* Propriis pennis configimur. — Theodor. iii. 8.
t Fatalis hsec ingeniorum scabies. — Lips. Civ. Doct., lib.
iv. cap. 3; Galen. cU. a Lipdio. lib. advers. Dialog., cap. 3.
not for the making of a rent in the church, or breed-
ing of a schism, but ' for the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ,' Eph. iv. II, 12. This is that same
'noXvaoixiXoi Bopa, ' manifold wisdom of God,' that
liking not one we might like another; and that the
variety of men's affections might be satisfied with the
variety of his gifts. Let us then make the true use
of this mercy, and by some one's gift or other, be
brought nearer to the Lord. Not being like the Jews,
of whom Christ thus complains : Mat. xi. 16, ' Where-
unto shall I liken this generation ? It is like unto
children sitting in the markets, singing unto their
fellows, and saying. We have piped unto you, and you
have not danced ; we have mourned unto you, and
you have not lamented. For John came neither eat-
ing nor drinking, and they say. He hath a devil. The
Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say,
Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend
of publicans and sinners.' Thus John came in one
sort, Christ came in another, yet neither Jolni's vein,
nor Christ's vein could like them. If it be so with us,
oh then, how inexcusable are we ! Art thou a daily
hearer, and hearest thou divers men, and yet doth
no man's gift like thee ? Can none of them so far
prevail with thee, as to make thee leave thy lying,
deceit, cozenage, drunkenness, profaneness, &c.? Alas
for thee ! Woe worth the time that ever thou wert
born. Thy damnation is just.
This in general — the particulars follow. And first
of the inditer, or author instrumental, Isaiah.
Who this Isaiah w^as, we find in the beginning of
this prophecy, where we have him described by his
parentage, ' Isaiah the son of Amoz,' chap. i. 1. Not
of that Amos who is numbered amongst the smaller
prophets, as some* have thought ; for besides the great
difl'erence that is found in the original, both in the
writing and signification of their names, the prophet's
name beginning with gnajin, and ending with samech,
and is by interpretation, Onustus, vel Avulsiis, A man
hurdened and toaden; or one that is sqxmded from
others. But Isaiah his father's name beginneth with
alejjh, and endeth with tzaddi, and signifieth FortU
et ruhttstus, stout or valiant. There is great difference
also in their race and descents. For that Amoz, who
was father to this our prophet, was of the race royal,
being brother of Amaziah, king of Judah, as most of
the ancients hold, and the Jewish Eabbins report ;
whenas that other Amos was of mean parentage, and,
as himself confesseth, Amos vii. 14, 'Neither a pro-
phet, nor the son of a prophet,' until it pleased God
extraordinarily to call him to that ofiice, ' but a
herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit,' keeping
amongst the hordmen of Tekoa, chap), i. 1.
* Epiphan. et Daneus in propli. mia. prelud. et Greci
plerique.
ROGEKS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
11
Thus it appearetli that this our prophet ^Yas of the
race royal, and being so, we thence infer,
Doct. It is no disparagement to greatness to be the
Lord's prophet. Though Isaiah was of the blood royal,
yet he counted it no impeachment to his birth or
breeding, nothing derogatory to his reputation, to be
employed in the meanest piece of service, though it
be in composing songs or poems, for the setting forth
God's praise and the public good of his churcli.
It was St John's honour to be called ' a prophet
of the most High,' Luke i. 7G, and therefore it cannot
be a disparagement to any to serve the same master.
The blessed apostles St Paul, St Peter, St James,
St Jude, &c., amongst all their titles count this to be
the most honourable, that they are the ' servants of
Jesus Christ,' and therefore the two former set that
first, and then apostles after, Eom. i. 1 ; 2 Peter i. 1 ;
James i. 1 ; Jude 1.
What shall we say to Noah ? He was a prince of
the world, and yet ' a preacher of righteousness,' 2
Peter ii. 5. To Melchisedec, who was king of Salem,
and yet a priest unto the Lord, Heb, vii. 1. To
Samuel a judge, to David a king, and yet prophets
both, 1 Sam. iii. 20, and vii. 15 ; 1 Kings iii. 12. And
to wise Solomon his son, (before whom there was none
like him, neither after him shall ever any rise like nnto
him,) who, amongst all his titles, and that in his
wisest and best days, did count this to be the most
honourable, to be called ' a preacher,' Eccles. i, 1.
And to the glorious angels of heaven, who have not
refused to be publishers of the glad tidings of peace,
Luke ii. 9, 10. And to Christ himself, who (though
' equal in glory with the Father,' Phil. ii. 6) disdained
not the title of a minister, Eom. xv. 8. How then
can it be thought a thing not beseeming the worth of
any to be the Lord's prophet ? Besides these examples,
weigh the reasons.
Keas. 1. Such serve the King of kings and Lord of
lords, who is higher than tlie highest, greater than
the greatest, richer than the richest, nobler than the
noblest; and can it be any disgrace to serve such a
master ? If it were sucli a noble privilege to be a
subject unto Caesar, Acts xxii. 25, 28, and so happy a
thing to be a servant unto Solomon, 1 Kings x. 8, liow
much greater is their privilege, and how much happier
are those servants who serve such a Lord as doth at
his pleasure pull dow-n one and set up another upon
the throne, Ps. cvii. 40.
Reus. 2. Such are employed about tliat work which
is the highest, holiest, the heavenliest and greatest of
all other works — viz., the salvation of men's souls.
By ministers God worketh faith ; by tliem he con-
verts ; by them he comforteth, sanctifieth, saveth ; liy
them he declareth to men their righteousness, Eom.
X. 14; 1 Cor. iii. 5; 1 Tim. iv. 16; preacheth re-
pentance, free forgiveness, and perfect salvation to
all that truly believe in Jesus Christ. In which
respect saith Job, ' A good minister is one of a
thousand,' Job xxxiii. 23. A good lawyer may be
one of ten ; a good physician one of twenty ; a good
man one of a hundred. But, saith a reverend divine,"
a good minister exceeds all, for he is one of a thousand.
A good lawyer may declare unto thee the true state
of thy cause ; a good physician may declare unto thee
the true state of tliy body ; but no man can declare
unto thee thy righteousness but a true and faithful
minister. The lawyer then in caring for thy cause,
and the physician in caring for thy body, are both
inferior to the minister, who careth for thy soul's sal-
vation. No marvel then if the apostle requires that
they should be ' esteemed highly even for their work's
sake,' 1 Thes. v. 13.
Reus. 3. Such shall have the gi'eatest wages of
any other, for ' they that be wise shall shine as
the brightness of the firmament ; but they that turn
many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever,'
Dan. xii. 3. All good men shall have glory, yea,
great glory ; they shall shine as the firmament.
But such as labour in the word and doctrine shall
shine, and that with no ordinary glory, but as the
stars, which have a brighter glory than the firma-
ment. Seeing then the master which they serve is
the highest, the work which tliey do is the holiest,
tire wages which they have is the greatest, it may
beseem the worth of any to be the Lord's prophet.
Use 1. How guilty then are such as think basely
of so honourable an office and function as the minis-
try is ! Oh, cursed limes ! wherein profane livers
do account no men's persons, no men's callings, so
base and vile as ours. The name itself of priest and
minister, by such is cast in our faces as terms of in-
famy and reproach, and used no otherwise amongst us
than the name of Christian is amongst the barbarians
in Eussia, by way of disgrace. And the very weed
and garment of a minister is enough to procure con-
tempt, though otherwise he himself be free enough
from all contempt. This is one of the blots of this
our nation, that a minister is seldom spoken of but
with diminution ; and the simplest in a multitude,
though he be not able to give the meaning of one
petition in the Lord's prayer, yet hatli eloquence
enough to disgrace their persons and their callings.
A horrible confusion it was, that was foretold by this
our prophet, which should come on Israel, ' The child
should behave himself proudly against the ancient,
and the base against the honourable,' Isa. iii. 5. Who
sees not that this confusion is befallen this generation ?
Who almost so vile but thinks himself a better man
tlian the ablest minister ? What gentleman so mean
but thinks his child too good for this priestly trade !
Yea, his whole house disgraced, his blood and family
* Perk., Duty and Dignity of Ministers.
12
nOGERS ox ISAIAH V. 1-7.
disparaged, if eitlier liis daughter be matched with a
preacher, or his son entered into that calling ! But
be it known unto thee who thus basely judgest, that
God hath honoured the poorest minister far above thy-
self, and taken him to serve at his own table when
he hath rejected thee and thy father's house. Be not
then any more so much deceived as to think the call-
ino- of the ministry to be base and beggarly, and not
meet for any but the poor to live by ; lit only for the
lame and such as are disfigured ; for younger brothers,
blunt-headed scholars, and such as are good for no
trade else ; when princes, peers, and nobles, and such
as have been of the royal blood, have held it as an
honour to be employed in the service of the Lord.
Nebuchadnezzar would have only such to wait upon
him as were of the king's stock, and comely, witty,
and every way well qualified, both for lineaments of
body and ornaments of mind; none of the refuse
must come into his presence, Dan. i. 3. And shall
they that come before the Lord to administer in his
presence be the scum and offscouring of the people?
What is this but to serve the Lord with the ' blind
and lame,' which he abhors, Mai. i. 8. Certainly
this dishonour of the ministry threatened the depart-
ure of the word, and therefore let us pray hard that
this sin of contempt and base esteem of God's
ministers and their callings may not be laid unto our
charge.
Use 2. And so, to fall from reproving to persuad-
ing and exhorting, let every one beware how they
refuse or reject the ministry, as thinking themselves,
their friends, or children too high for it, and it too
low for them. No man may be thought to be too
good to serve God at his altar, and to administer at
his table. If any so think, he deceiveth himself, and
overvalueth his own condition. Amongst the Jews
the priests were sometimes matched into the blood
royal. Numa Pompilius would be a priest amongst
the Romans; and the Egyptians chose their kings
from amongst their priests ;'"' and shall we then think
basely of them ? Our forefathers counted it an hon-
our to have one of their children an abbot or a bishop,
in which callings then they lived like epicures, having
nothing of a good Christian, save the title only. Yea,
princes of this land have renounced their crowns and
kingdoms, and entered into monasteries, and have
put their sons and daughters into cloisters. , Shall
not these condemn us '? Nay, will not the.very heathen
rise up one day in judgment against u.s, who have
given their sons for sacrifice unto their idols, and
caused them to pass through the fire, 2 Chron.
xxxiii. 6, thinking them not too dear to be offered to
their gods ? L^t us look on these and be ashamed
of ourselves ; for certainly the best and noblest
• Joseph., Antiq., 11; Hist. Triparl., lib. ix.; Euseb.IIist. 10;
Alex, ab Alex., lib. ii. cap. 8.
amongst the sons of men are a thousandfold more
unfit for that high place than that calling is or can
be thought unworthy of them.
And as for such as are already called to this high
place, let all beware of desjiising of them. It is the
apostle's rule, that they wluch rule should have
' double honour,' 1 Tim. v. 17; first, honour of coun-
tenance, and then of maintenance. One of these
is not enough without the other ; for it must be
double. ' Beautiful are the feet,' saith this our prophet
Isaiah, ' of them that bring good tidings, that pub-
lish salvation,' &c., Isa. lii. 7. If their feet be beau-
tiful, how beautiful should their face be? Who
should be so welcome to us as these ? who more
esteemed or reverenced ? Remember how the Lord
hath every way endeavoured to make them so, as by
giving them titles of highest respect, as ambassadors
for Christ, 2 Cor. v. 20, and messengers for the Lord
of hosts, Mai. ii. 7, fathers, 2 lungs xiii. 14, — the first
title of honour that was in the world, — angels, which
are the noblest of the creatures. Rev. i. 20. Besides,
he hath given them wonderful authority. He hath
put the keys of the kingdom of heaven into their
hands, to open and to shut. Mat. xvi. 19. Power
to remit and retain sins, John xx. 23. Thus the
Lord is pleased to ratify their regular proceedings in
the court of heaven. Likewise he hath given them
extraordinary gifts above the common rate, as know-
ledge, experience, comfort, and the like, Eph. iv.
8-11. Is it safe despising these whom God hath
thus highly dignified ?
Use 3. A last use may be for comfort unto us who
wait at God's altar. Let us count it our honour to
be called hereunto, and prefer it before all other call-
ings whatsoever, not giving way to any thoughts of
discontentment in respect of the many ignominies or
persecutions that we daily do or are like to undergo, so
as to be grieved at the Lord's leading of us to so toil-
some and, in man's judgment, disgraceful a vocation,
or to be moved to leave and give over our function
in that respect. As sometimes that Cardinal of Lor-
raine did, who, after he had preached once unto the
people, and was therefore derided by the prelates of
his order, left off utterly the office of preaching, as a
calling too base for his cardinal's hatship. Let this
be far from us. If we do our duty, the world will
hate us. True ; but if we do it not, God will curse
us. By the first we are in danger to lose our goods,
our names, our lives ; by the second, our soul, our
heaven, our God. Now, whether it be better to please
God or man, judge ye.
Let every minister, therefore, do his duty ; and
albeit most in the world contemn us, yet we shall
find some in the world, who are not of the world,
that will reverence and respect us. So long as the
widow of Sarepta hath any oil we shall not want,
EOGEKS ON ISAUH V. 1-7.
13
1 Kings xvii. 9. However, though here we have
troubles to weaiy us, yet in the end we shall have
heaven's joy to refresh and comfort us. It is enough
we have deserved. Our works shall have a reward.
And thus much for the first particular to be con-
sidered in this preface. The second follows, and that
is the nature and kind of the treatise indited; and
it is
A song or poem. And here occasion is offered to
speak somewhat in the defence of poetry and verse.
The position is —
Doct. Foesy and poetry is an aH and exercise ancient,
lawfid, and praiseworthy.
The practices of the servants of God make this
good. Moses, that man of God, was excellent herein,
as appeareth by that same canticle which he made in
commemoration of God's goodness for his people's de-
liverance out of Egypt, and for the destruction of
their enemies,' Exod. xv. 1, which song is held to be
the most ancient song that ever was,-' (I am sure it
is that we read of in Scripture,) and is thought to be
first composed in hexameter verse, though it is not
certain ; for it is no easy matter to find out the scan-
sion of verse used amongst the Hebrews, such was the
variety of their measures ; as also by that which he
made a little before his death, which he commanded
should be taught the children of Israel, Deut. xxxii. ;
yea, the text saith he himself WTote it and taught it
them, chap. xxxi. 19, 22. Thus Deborah and Barak
also composed a song, and sang it to the Lord, .ludges
V. 1. So David, that same sweet singer of Israel,
2 Sam. xxiii. 1, had an excellent gift this way, as is
evident by that same funeral song or epitaph which
he made for Saul and Jonathan after their deaths,
2 Sam. i. 17, besides divers odes and hymns which
he composed to the honour of God, in various kinds
of verse.t This, likewise, was the practice of Chris-
tians in the primitive church, as Eusebius reporteth
out of Philo Judseus, Eccles. Hist., lib. ii. cap. 16.
' They contemplate,' saith he, ' not only divine things,
but they make grave canticles and hymns unto God
in a more sacred rhyme, of every kind of metre and
verse.' If any doubt remain, notwithstanding what
hath been shewed, of the truth of our propounded
point, let, then, this be considered of : how verse is
the form of speech which it hath pleased that wise
and all-knowing Spirit to choose to reveal a great
part of his revealed will in, for, besides those special
psalms and canticles before mentioned, there are
sundry parts and books of Holy Scripture poetically
penned, as the book of Job, the be ok of the Psalrns,
the book of the Proverbs, with Solomon's Ecclesiastes
and Canticles, as the most learned fathers of the
church have testified ; and many other parcels of
* Josephus de Antiq., lib. vii.
+ Josephus de Antiq., lib. vii. cap. 10.
Holy Scripture, which we have merely translated
into prose, are verse in the original. This, methinks,
should put all out of doubt, (for who can be so irre-
ligious as to think or imagine that the Holy Ghost
would ever have used any indecent or unlawful
manner of expression of his holy mysteries ?) and
cause us to give credence to this truth — viz.. Poetry
and poesy is an art and exercise lawful and praise-
worthy.
Reason, The commendable properties of which art
appear in these two ancient verses —
'Metra parant animos : comprendunt plurima paucis ;
Aures delectant : pristiua commemorant.'
Which I find by one" thus Englished to my hand —
' Verse doth the soul prepare, and much in brief aflfordB;
It ravisheth the ear, and things long past records.'
There is rhyme and reason, or reason for rhyme.
1 . It prepares and fits the soul for holy duties, and
therefore we use jisalms before our sermons. 2. It
comprehends much in a little, as we see in the
psalms ; for what are they but a compendium of
both Testaments ? 3. It delighteth the ear, and
causeth it to hearken more attentively, as we have
before seen in the beginning. 4. and lastly, It is
a great help to memory, and causeth things, once
learned, long to be retained, as we find by experience
in children and others. What they learn in rhyme
they never forget again to their dying day. Now to
apply the point : —
Use 1. This may serve first to inform our judo--
ments concerning the lawfulness hereof, that so this
exercise and art, which is by some wrongfully held
in contempt, may be brought into a more reverent
esteem ; for what is the main cause so maay speak
against poetry, but an ignorant misconceit they have
thereof ? imagining it to be but a vain invention of
man, and an unfitting language for to express holy
and sacred matters and mysteries by. * But that
which hath been said before serves for the discovery
— and, I trust, shall also for the recovery — of this
error. God hath used verse to express a great part
of his revealed will unto us, and hath mingled many
of his heavenly precepts with the sweet and pleasing
strains of poesy and numbers. And therefore let it
neither be thought a vain and unnecessary curiosity,
nor yet, as some others do, a horrible and damnable
impiety. True it is, in these wretched days, for the
most part we shall find that the subject of poesy is
wantonness and lasciviousness, wherewith the minds
of youth are wonderfully bewitched'. But yet, as
one t said of music, we may say of it : The proper
and principal subject of it is the Almighty's praise.
Shall we, then, condemn the lawful use with the
* Withers' Preparation to the Psalter, p. 64.
t Plut. de Jlusic.
14
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
unlawful abuse? That may not be. Let us cast
away the fashion, but keep still the stuff. Let not
the exercise itself be abhori'ed, nor the use thereof
condemned, but the corruption thereof. For, cer-
tainly, there is no art that doth set forth the glory of
God, which is the chief end of man's creation, with
so much excitation and expression as this art doth.
And therefore by some* it is preferred to all arts and
sciences. To conclude this use, if every art be the gift of
God, and if it be of him to invent and find out curious
works, to work in gold, and silver, and in brass, &c.,
Exod. xxxi. 3-G, then must it likewise be of him to
guide the pen, and give the tongue for speaking such
excellent things, and after so elegant a manner. The
like might be said for her sister music.
Use 2. This may likewise serve for a reprehension
of such as abuse this art, which in itself is so lawful
and commendable, and by their wantonness cause it
to grow contemptible.
And thus do vainer poets, who by their lascivious
rhymes, lustful sonnets, plays, and interludes, bring
shame unto the art, disgrace to poesy, and dishonour
to the giver. The like is the practice of wicked fid-
dlers and ballad-mongers, who make it their profes-
sion, and get their living by poisoning many a soul,
in aUuring their minds unto vanity with their bewitch-
ing harmony, and tempting charms of lascivious
music.
A shame it is that such vermin should be suffered
in so well a governed commonwealth as this is ; and
the greater is our shame in that our magistrates have
no more care for the putting such good laws in exe-
cution as are already enacted for the punishment of
these.
Come we now to the third circumstance pro-
pounded in this preface to our consideration, and
that is the manner of the prophet's publishing this
poem which he did indite.
I loill sing. As the former particular gave occasion
to speak of the lawfulness of poesy and versifying,
so doth this for the authority and lawfulness of voice-
melody and singing. Let the point be this : —
Doct. Songs and 2)oems, artificially modulated, may
lawfully be sung for the setting forth of God's praise.
This I will make good, both by precept and prac-
tice, out of the Old and New Testament. Out of the
Old : ' Come let us sing unto the Lord ; let us make
a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us
come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make
a joyful noise unto him with psalms,' Ps. xcv. 1, 2.
And, again, ' Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye
lands : sing forth the honour of his name.' ' Praise
the Lord, for he is good ; sing praises unto his name,
for it is pleasant,' Ps. Ixvi. 1, 2, and cxxxv. 3. As
in these and many other places it is commanded ; so,
* Spondanus.
by many of God's faithful servants we may find it hatli
been practised. For, Num. xxi. 17, 'Israel sang this
song : Spring up, 0 well ; sing you unto it ;' David
and Solomon did likewise use it, and gave appoint-
ment how the Jews should sing psalms in their temple,
1 Chron. xv.; 2 Chron. v. So did Moses, Exod. xv. 1,
Deborah, and Barak, Judges v. 1, with others more,
as in the proof of the former doctrine appeared. In
the New 'Testament it is commanded in these express
words : ' Speak to yourselves in psalms, and hymns,
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in
your hearts unto the Lord,' Eph. v. 19 ; Col. iii. 16.
And, again, ' Is any amongst you afflicted ? let him
pray. Is any merry ? let him sing psalms,' James v.
13. And there also we find it used by Paul and
Silas, who at midnight prayed and sang praises to the
Lord, Acts xvi. 25 ; and by Christ and his apostles —
whose example is without exception — who sang a
psalm together, as at other times, so that night in
which our Saviour was betrayed, Mat. xxvi. 30. Thus
out of holy writ we have proved the point. Much
might be brought likewise for the further confirming
of it out of ecclesiastical history'' — if it were as need-
ful as easy so to do — of the practice of Christians
since Christ's time ; but of that much I will allege
only at this time that testimony which Plinius Secun-
dus, a heathen "who lived about two hundred years
after Christ, gave unto the emperor Trajan in the
behalf of Christians ' They use,' saith he, ' to rise
before day, to celebrate Christ in psalms as God ; f
and, as Socrates reports, J neither Constantine nor
Theodosius ever began a battle but first they and
their soldiers sung psalms and made supplications to
the Lord. Let us now come to some profitable use.
Use 1. And, first, it serveth soundly to lesson such
as condemn this exercise, or deride such as use it
either in public or in private. Such mockers are
everywhere to be found, who, as they deride all other
parts of God's service, 'so, amongst the rest, this. But
if it be a work of God's Spiiit to sing, and if God's
children sing with the spirit, as St Paul announceth,
1 Cor. xiv. 16, then against whom do these open their
mouths ? whom do they blaspheme ? A lamentable
thing it is, that in a land professing the gospel, and
after the continuance of the public preaching thereof
so many years, such an ancient, laudable, and holy
exercise should be made a matter of scorn in the
seeming of any. The Lord lay not this sin unto our
charge !
Use 2. Secondly, Let us be stirred up on all sides
to a conscionable performance of this Christian duty.
* Vide Eccles. Hist. Theod., lib. ii. cap. 14, and Clem. Alex.,
lib. ii. ; Psedagog. cap. 4 ; Euseb. Eccles. Hist., lib. ii. cap.
17, &e.
t Lib. iii. cap. 33, and lib. viii. cap. 9, and lib. x. cap. 4.
J Socrat. Schol. Eccles. Hist., lib. vii. cap. 22.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
15
We have seen it commended to us by the practice of
God's saints, and by Christ himself ; and not only so,
but commanded likewise in express terms ; so that we
may not think it as a thing indifferent whether we
sing or no ; but every man to whom God hath given
the faculty of singing, ought, as well this way as any
other, to set forth his maker's praise. Now, the
better to stir us up to the performance hereof — for we
shall find our flesh backward enough as well in this
as in any other good exercise — I might use many
motives. One taken from the admirable effects and
virtues of the Psalms, there being in them a precious
balm for every present sore — so as that there is no
temptation nor atHiction which can befall a Christian,
but in the Psalms he may find both the forms of ex-
pressing them and their means of remedy. Another
might be drawn from the practice of the dumb crea-
tures : as the lark and other birds, which shut up the
light with a sweet ditty, and again saluteth the sun
when it begins to peep the next morning with such
sweet strains as God hath naturaUy given to it. This
one of the ancients ' useth as a motive to draw us to
the exercise of singing. For how can men but blush,
saith he, to remember that they have begun or ended
a day without a psalm, when they see the birds, those
wild choristers of the wood, constant in their devo-
tions, beginning and ending the day with variety of
song ? But I love not to be tedious : remember only
what David saith, Ps. cxlvii. 1, ' It is a good thing
to sing praises to our God : it is pleasant, and praise
is comely.' There are some things good but not
pleasant, as afflictions ; some things are pleasant
but not good, as sin ; and some things may be
both good and pleasant, yet not comely._ But
this is all. It is good, because commanded of God,
and agreeable to his will, as before hath been
proved. It is pleasant, as the children of God ex-
perimentally have witnessed, who in time of tribu-
lation have used them as a great means of consola-
tion, and as a sweetening to their tortures. So did
Theodorus, a man young in years, though not in
grace, of whom we read,+ that being cruelly tortured
with unheard-of torments, from the break of the day
until the tenth hour without intermission, and then
set on horseback, and on both sides tortured by the
executioners, sang with a cheerful countenance the
96th Psalm; which undaunted constancy the officer
perceiving, sent him back again to prison, reporting to
the emperor what was done, and withal told him, that
unless he forbare to exercise such cruelty, it would
redound to their glory and his shame. It is comely ;
for it is the exercise of the angels in heaven to sing
praises and hallelujahs to the Lord. "Wouldst thou
* Ambros. Hexa., lib. v. cap. 12.
t August. De Civ. Dei, lib. xviii. cap. 52 ; and RufEn,, lib. i.
cap. 35.
then exercise thyself in that which is both good,
pleasant, and comely ? then sing psalms, for all these
are met in that one duty.
Use 3. Now, forasmuch as many a good duty is
marred in the making, and spoiled in the performance,
let me add a thhd use for our direction ; and therein
shew what is required of us in our singing, that God
may have the glory. The rules that concern this
exercise are summarily comprehended in these words
of the apostle to the Colossians, ' Teaching and ad-
monishing yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts
unto the Lord,' Col. iii. 16. Here we have directions
both for matter, manner, and end.
1. Concerning the matter of oiir songs. It must
be, first, good and wholesome, spiritual and heavenly;
such songs we must sing as are either already in the
word, or else composed according to the word. 2. It
must be fitting, that it may edify. It must teach and
admonish ; and therefore wisdom is required even in
choosing of a psalm, that it may be fitting the occa-
sion.
2. Concerning the manner of our singing, these are
the things required : First, It must be with the heart.
Now, to sing with the heart is to sing wdth under-
standing and with feeling ; for he that singeth, and
understandeth not what he singeth, what is he better
than a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal ? And
therefore, saith the apostle, ' I will sing, but I will
sing with the understanding,' 1 Cor. xiv. 15. Our
hearts must go with our voices — the one must be lift
up as well as the other ; for God is a spirit, and will
be worshipped with the spirit. Look then to pre-
pare thy heart before thou singest, and awake tby
tongue wifh David before thou speakest,' Ps. Ivii. 7,
8 ; for when the mouth singeth man hath music,
but when the heart sings he makes God melody.*
That is the best organ ; tune that, and all is well.
God hears not words without it.
' Kon vox sed votum, non chordula musica sed cor ;
Kon can tans sed amaus, cantat in aure Dei.'
' Not voice but will he brings; no harp but heart prepares;
No songs but love he sings, whom the Almighty hears.'
As it must be with the heart, so, secondly, with
grace in the heart — i.e., we must exercise the graces
of God's holy Spitit in singing, as well as in prayinc,
or in performing any other of God's ordinances. The
disposition of the heart must be suited to the nature
and quahty of the song. If it be a psalm of praise,
then are our aflections to be suitable ; our spirits must
be cheerful. If of promises, then must we stir up our
faith, and trust in God's mercies. If of threatenings,
then must our hearts be struck With an awe and fear
of God's greatness. If of petition, then must our
* Plus valet consonantia voluntatum quam vocum. — Bernard.
IG
EOGEES OX ISAIAH V. 1-7.
affections be fervent. If of confession, then the soul
must be humbled. And this doth the apostle mean
by grace in the heart. Thus for the manner.
3. The f«'/ is now to be considered; which is, 1.
God's glory ; 2. The edification of ourselves and others.
First, We must direct our songs to God ; for singing
psalms is a part of his worship, and his glory he will
not give unto another. The papists then are much
to blame, who rob God of this his right, and give it to
the Virgin Mary, in singing songs of praise to her.
And as much to blame are they who sing to their own
glory, delighting most in sweet voice, clear throat,
&c. This is singing to our own selves and senses, not
to our Maker's praise.
Secondly, In our singing, our own and others' edifi-
cation and profit is to be respected. ' All scripture
is profitable for our instruction,' 2 Tim. iii. 16 ; and
whatsoever is written, is written for our learning ;
the book of Psalms then must needs be profitable for
this purpose. Thus edify thyself by applying the
matter sung to thy own heart, and examine thyself
after the psalm is ended, what thou hast thereby pro-
fited, as well as after thy hearing of the word preached.
Here likewise that manner of singing used amongst
the papists in a strange and unknown tongue ; as
also that kind of singing psalms, wherein the words
and sentences are broken and divided, which hinders
the edification of the hearers, is not justifiable.
Thus we have seen the rules propounded to us.
What now remains but that a watchful care be had
that they be put in practice by us; and the rather
for that amongst all the exercises belonging to a
Christian, God is most dishonoured by this ; for few
sing, but, as it may well be feared, take God's name
in vain in singing, because they do not so perform it
as God's \vord enjoins. The more subject then this
duty is to be performed amiss, the more cause have
we of care for the right performance of it, whenever
we set upon this holy exercise.
To mi/ well-bdoved. Here is the dedication of the
prophet's poem ; from whose practice learn we our
duty, viz. : —
Doct. To consecrate all our lahours unto God. Thus
Moses and the children of Israel write a song and
sing it 'unto the Lord,' Exod. xv. 1. And in that
sweet swan-like song, which that man of God sang a
little before his death, -he will ' publish the name of
the Lord,' Deut. xxxii. 3. So David spake unto the
Lord in that same psalm of thanksgiving, which he
made for God's powerful deliverance of him out of the
hands of all his enemies, 2 Sam. xxii. 1. The like
did Solomon, Hannah, Hezekiah, Mary, Zachary,
Simeon, with other of God's saints, dedicate their
labours in this kind to God's eternal praise. And so
the apostles, as evidently appears by that doxology,
or form of praise which they continually use in their
epistles, ' To God only wise be glory,' &c. ; ' Unto
him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus ; ' ' Unto
the king immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be
honour and glory ;' 'To God only wise our Saviour
be all glory,' &c., Rom. xvi. 27; Eph. iii. 21; 1
Tim. i. 17, and vi. 16 ; Jude 25. And hereunto tend
those general exhortations, 'Whether you eat or drink,
or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God,' 1
Cor. X. 31. And again, ' Whatsoever you do in word
or deed, do all in the name "oi the Lord Jesus,' Col.
iii. 17. And thus this truth is strengthened.
lieason. Besides, there is good reason for it. For
the first thing in God's intention should be the first
in ours. But this is the first in his, ' He predestinated
us,' saith the apostle, ' to the praise of the glory of
his grace,' Eph. i. 5, 6 ; ' He hath made all things for
himself,' saith the wise man, ' yea, even the wicked for
the day of judgment,' Prov. xvi. 4 ; ' Bring my sons
from far, and my daughters from the ends of the
earth ; even every one that is called by my name ; for
I have created him for my glory,' Isa. xliii. 6, 7. And
again we read, ' All things were created by him and
for him,' Col. i. 16. Seeing then God himself pro-
poseth his own glory to himself, for the end of all his
works, man should make the glory of God the end of
all he doth.
Use 1. But ah ! Lord God, how little is thy glory
thought upon ! how few make it the supreme end of
all their labours ! Shouldest thou ' look down from
heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there were any
that would understand and seek after thee,' to hon-
our thee, Ps. xiv. 2 ; wouldest thou find one amongst
a thousand that did truly do it ? We all can say with
Saul, ' Honour me, I pray thee, before the elders of
my people,' 1 Sam. xv. 30 ; when notwithstanding
we turn thy glory into shame, loving vanity, seeking
after lies, Ps. iv.
Use 2. Oh that we could once be brought to learn
this lesson ! that we would not suffer any part of the
repute or honour of any of our acts or labours to rest
upon our own heads, but repel it forcibly from our-
selves, and reflect it carefully upon our Lord and
Master. It is the first grace which Christ teacheth
us to beg of God, Mat. vi. 9, and it ought to be the
chiefest aim of our whole lives ; yea, we should pre-
fer it before our lives, or the salvation of our souls ;
wherefore it is made the first petition, and set before
the desire of daily bread, and the petition that is
made for remission of our sins. Now at length then
learn to prefer it before all the world, and promote it
by our best means. Consider we for this end,
1. All creatures in their kind glorify their maker,
and employ themselves in the setting forth of his
praise : ' The heavens declare the glory of God, and
the firmament sheweth his handywork,' Ps. xix. 1 ;
by their admii'able structure, motions, and influence,
KOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
17
they preach his praise ; and that, (1.) All the night,
and all the day, without intermission ; for ' one day
telleth another, and one night certifieth another,'
ver. 2 ; (2.) In every kind of language, for 'there is no
speech nor language where their voice is not heard,'
ver. 3 ; and (3.) In every part of the world, in every
country, city, town, village, parish ; for ' their sound
is gone out through all the earth, and their words to
the end of the world,' ver. 4. Thus, saith one,'' they
be diligent pastors, preaching at all times ; and
learned pastors, as preaching in all tongues ; and
catholic pastors, preaching in all towns. And the
subject of all their preaching is no other than the
glory of God. And as the heavens, so do the fowls
of the heavens, as the stork, crane, turtle, swallow,
Jer. viii. 7 ; and so also the beasts of the field ; for
' the ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's
crib,' as Isaiah sheweth, chap. i. 3.
2. Eemember, again, how little glory God getteth at
the hands of most in the world ; which I thus make
evident. Put case, the whole world should be
divided into four parts ; three of the four we shall
find to be overspread with Turkism, paganism, &c.,
they not so much as professing the true God in
Christ ; and therefore amongst them God can get no
glory, but is continually dishonoured by their lives
and actions. So that there is but a fourth part of
the world, if that, which doth profess him in his
Son ; and amongst those, though all profess him in
word, how many are there which deny him by their
works ! Should we make a subdivision, and again
divide that fourth and least part into four parts
more, we shall find the least part truly to seek his
honour. One part we shall find are heretics, who
rob him of his glory by their superstition and
idolatry ; a second part are atheists and notorious
evil livers, who are so far from honouring him, as
that they daily belch out blasphemies against him ;
a third part are hypocrites and carnal protestants,
backsliders and lukewarm Christians, who ' honour
him with their lips, but have their hearts far from
him,' Isa. xxix. 13. Now there is but a fourth part,
and hardly that, who are sincere and faithful ; and
if they should not bend themselves with all their
might to maintain and advance God's glory, it would
be trodden tmder foot of aU. Should not this con-
sideration be a spur in our sides to make us forward
in this duty !
3. Call to mind the practices of God's saints.
Moses, that man of God, preferred it before liis own
salvation, Exod. xxxii. 32. No marvel then if he
preferred it before the honours and treasures of
Egypt, Heb. xi. 24. The like did blessed Paul, who
professeth that for God's glory in the salvation of
the Jews, he could wish himself accursed or sepa-
* Bellarm. in Ps. six.
rated from Christ, Eom. ix. 2. Eemarkable also is
the apostles' care in the cure of the cripple. Acts
xxiv. 11, that the least part of God's praise might
not cleave to their fingers, but all might be ascribed
to the Lord. The four and twenty elders cast their
crowns before the throne. Rev. iv. 10 ; they empty
themselves of all glory, merit, and worthiness what-
soever, that they may give all praise unto the Lord.
And lastly, have we not our Saviour's own example
for our imitation, who both by prayer and 'practice
sought his Father's glory, and only it — ' Father,'
saith he, ' glorify thy name,' John xii. 28 ; and
again, ' I honour my Father, and seek not my own
glory,' chap. xlix. 50. And in that sweet prayer of
his, ' I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished
the work which thou gavest me to do,' chap. xvii. 4.
Wherefore, seeing we are compassed about with so
great a cloud of witnesses, and have so many ex-
amples before us for our encouragement, let its lay
aside all pride of heart, self-love, vainglory, and every
such like weight and sin which doth so easily beset us,
and iu simplicity of heart aim at our Master's praise
in all we undertake. Every dull jade will follow,
though he will not lead the way ; we are but jades
in Christianity and godliness if we continue careless,
when so many have gone before us in this duty.
4. Remember, further, how we pray. Do we not
desire daily the hallowing of God's name ? Now, to
say it with our mouths, and not seek it in our lives, is
damnable hypocrisy — a sin that God abhors. Do we
not likewise pray that God's will may be done in
earth as it is in heaven ? Now tell me, how do the
angels spend their time ? Do not they cry continu-
ally one unto another, ' Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord
God of hosts : the whole earth is full of his glory ' ?
Isa. vi. 3. Oh take heed lest thou multipliest lies as
thou multipliest prayers, see that thy heart and
tongue be not at variance. What thou prayest for
with thy hps, see thou practisest in thy life. Let
not your works give your tongues the lie.
5. Again, for our further encouragement hereto,
consider we the benefit that comes hereby; for by glo-
rifying God we bring glory to ourselves — the greatest
fruit thereof redounds to us. His glory is as himself,
eternal, infinite, and so abides in itself, not capable
of our addition to it or detraction from it. As the
sun, which would shine in its own brightness and
glory though all the world were blind, and did wil-
fully shut their eyes against it, so God will ever be
most glorious, let men be never so obstinate or
rebellious. Yea, God will have glory by repi-obates,
though it be nothing to their ease ; and though he
be not glorified of them, yet he will glorify himself
in them. Yet, notwithstanding this, he will try
how we prize his glory, and how industrious we are
to magnify and exalt it ; wherein, if he find us pain-
18
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
ful, he will plentifully reward it, and return glory for
glory, according to liis promise, ' Them that honour
me will I honour,' 1 Sam. ii. 30.
6. Lastly, If all that hath heen said work not
upon us, yet let the danger that follows upon the
neglect of this duty move us. How many examples
are recorded in Scripture of God's judgments upon
such as did either derogate from God, or arrogate to
themselves any part of that praise which was due
unto his name ! Moses and Aaron, yet his own dear
servants, were debarred out of the land of promise,
because they glorified him not at the waters of strife.
Num. XX. 12. The high priesthood was removed
from the house of Eli, and the wrath of God was
kindled against him, fur the iniquity of his sons
which he saw in them, and stayed them not, and so
honoured them above the Lord, 1 Sam. ii. 29, 31,
and iii. 13. When Nebuchadnezzar vaunted vain-
gloriously of that great Babel which he had built
by the might of his power, and to the honour of
his majesty, how was he debased ! His kingdom was
taken from him, he was driven from amongst men,
and sent to grass with the beasts of the held for
seven years' space, until he was made to know that
the most high God ruleth in the kingdom of men,
Dan. iv. 30, 31. And lastly, remember God's
hand on Herod, Acts xii.. 22, 23, who, taking to
himself the glory which was due unto the Lord,
when the people applauded his eloquent oration,
was immediately smitten by the angel of God, and
w-as eaten up of worms, and so gave up the ghost.
' Now all these things happened unto them for
ensamples unto us ; and they are written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are
come,' 1 Cor. x. 11, to the intent that we should not
do as they have done, lest, despising him, we be
despised as they were, 1 Sam. ii. 30.
Let these things be llaid to heart, and kindly work
upon us ; so as that, whatsoever we are, we may be
it ' in him, through him, and for him,' Kom. xi. 36.
Begin all your works in God, ■' and end in God ; yea,
dedicate yourselves unto him. No trade-man can
endure to have any of his chief tools, which he hath
made or wherewith he worketh, used to a wrong end.
Man is one of God's chief instruments, whom he hath
made for his own honour, and therefore cannot endure
that he or any of his members should be instruments
of wickedness to his dishonour ; a«d let all good Chris-
tians take heed lest they do anythin;^ which may cause
God or his gospel to be blasphemed. >.
The lewd life of one professor doth 'more harm, and
tends more to God's dishonour, than the lewd life of
a hundred atheists, as daily experience iiial<eth good.
Let a profane wretch, that neither feareth God nor
reverenceth man, live in the grossest sins that can be
* A Jove principium. — ytrg-, Eclocj. Z.\
thought of, there is hardly one word of reproof or
dislike uttered. Let another that professeth religion
be overtaken through infirmity, and that but once in
all his life, then are the mouths of all the profane
multitude opened against the very truth and pro-
fession itself. These are your Bible-bearers, your
professors, your men of the holy house ; see their
fruits ! Thus every little aberration in a professor
is noted, when outrageous wiclvednesses of profane
wretches is nothing at all regarded. When the lesser
stars be eclipsed, none takes knowledge of it; but if
the sun be once, then every one observes it. What
cause, therefore, have all such to be careful of their
carriage 1 Look to thyself, therefore, thou that art
a professor of the gospel ; thou dippest in the same
dish with Christ, and therefore thou of all other
shouldst be farthest off from dishonouring his name.
David took it more to heart that those who did eat
bread at his table did despise him, than that others
did ; that Absalom should seek his life, than that
Shimei should rail upon him. And thou my son
Brutus — Koi ail, reKvoVy <rv — art thou one of them ?
said Julius Ca?sar to his son, when he saw him to be
amongst them that murdered him : this pierced deeper
into his soul than the swords of all his enemies did
or could. iSo the sins of such as eome near unto the
Lord in a holy profession, of whom he looketh to be
sanctified, is more grievous to him than the grosser
sins of other men. To such he will one day say, as
Cffisar to his son, ' Art thou one of them ?' What !
in the habit of a professor, and live like a beast?
One in show that loves me, and yet a worldling, a
drunkard,, or the like? Oh how wilt thou answer
it ? Thou that gloriest in the name of a professor,
and yet livest like a pagan, can God endure it ?
Surely no. See, then, thou so livest as that none
may speak evil of thee, but that all the world may
see he lieth.'* Yet, further, this would be pressed to
all callings and conditions. Let magistrates mind
this, and do what lies in them to establish the church's
peace, and continuance of the gospel ; let godliness be
countenanced, sin punished, and the faithful be by
them encouraged. ' It shall be their wisdom and
glory in the sight of the people' thus to do, Deut.
iv. 6. Let ministers be careful in a special manner
of this. Oh how difficult a thing is it for us not to
lurch away some part of our Master's praise ! A
glorious and comfortable thing it is indeed for a
minister to be able to say that he hath been God's
instrument to bring one soul to the obedience of
Christ ; yet for him to aim at his own vainglory,
even in gaining of souls to God's kingdom, suits not
with that sincere affection which ought to be in him,
to promote not his own, but the praise and glory of
* Ut nemo dc nobis male loqui absque mendacio possit. —
Ilier.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
19
bim that sent him. Let us, then, not suffer any part
of the repute or honour of any of our labours to rest
upon our own heads, but repel it forcibly from our-
Belves, and reflect it carefully upon the Lord Jesus,
Baying, with St Paul, ' Not I, not I, but the grace of
God in me.' Yea, let every one, of what calling or
condition soever, so carry his course of life as that
God may be honoured in all things. And here let me
bring to mind Joab's commendable carriage in taking
of the city Eabbah — with which I will conclude the
point : for when he had fought against it, and took
the city of waters — that is, the waters of the city,
BO called by a figure — and cut off the conduits,''
by which his policy he brought the people into such
distress as that they could no way escape, he sends
this message unto David, ' Gather the rest of the
people together, and encamp against the city, and
take it, lest I take the city, and it be called by my
name,' 2 Sam. xii. 28 — i.e., lest it redound to my
honour, and that victory be ascribed unto me. Doubt-
less this was his great praise, so to order the battle as
that his lord and king might have the glory of the
day, and not himself. Should not we do thus ? Are
not we more bound to God than Joab was to David?
Ought not we more to respect our God than he his
king? What good thing, therefore, soever we do or
have, give him the glory of it, saying, with the
psalmist, ' Not unto us, 0 Lord, not unto us, but
unto thy name be the praise,' Ps. cxv. 1.
Well-heloved. "We have before seen whom the pro-
phet meaneth by his well-beloved, together with the
reasons. By well-beloved, God is meant. One reason
for that appellation was because he is the church's
well-beloved ; she being his spouse, and he her hus-
band. In which respect, as he was a member of the
church, and in the behalf of the church, he so termeth
him, for he did love him well. So then,
Boct. The church, and every true member of the
chvrch, doth, and so ought, to love the Lord entirely.
This w-e find commanded : ' Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul,
and with all thy might,' Deut. vi. 5, and x. 12. ' Love
ye the Lord, all his saints : for the Lord preserveth
the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud
doer,' Ps. xxxi. 13. ' If any man love not the Lord
Jesus, let him be Anathema Maran-atha,' had in
execration, or excommunicated to death, 1 Cor. xvi.
22. This we shall likewise find practised by God's
saints : ' I will love thee, O Lord, my strength,'
saith David, Ps. xviii. 1. And again, 'I love the
Lord, because he hath heard my voice,' Ps. cxvi. 1.
Thus St Peter, ' Lord, thou knowest that I love
thee,' John xxi. 25. And Mary had many sins for-
given her, for ' she loved much,' Luke vii. 47. The
church in the Canticles likewise plentifully : ' Tell
* Praecisis aquce ductibus. — Joseph.
me, O thou whom my soul loveth,' saith she to
Christ, chap. i. 7. And again, ' By night on my
bed I sought him whom my soul loveth,' chap. ii. 1.
And what word more common in that song than
love and well-beloved? I must bring Ignatius also
to be of the quorum. ' My love Christ,' saith he,
'was crucified.'* And thus hath this truth been
proved, that the church, and every true member
thereof, both doth and ought to love the Lord
entirely.
Jieason. And reason good : for, first, he loved us
not existing — yea, resisting.f For while we were yet
sinners, he loved us, Eom. v. 8. This reason is
given by St John, ' We love him because he loved us
first,' 1 John iv. 19. And surely if-God prevent us
with love, we can do no less than answer him in the
same nature, though not, for that is impossible, in
the same measure, ' Do not publicans love those that
love them ? Sinners do the same,' Mat. v. 46 ; Luke
vi. 32. Though, then, we have not been forward to
love first, yet let us not be backward to return love
at last. Si tardi sumus ad amandum, non tardi
simus ad redamandum.
Eeason 2. Again, we are tied to him by all the
bonds of love and duty. We are his creatures, he
our Maker, Ps. c. 3 ; we his servants, he our Lord,
Mai. i. 6 ; we his children, he our Father, 2 Cor. vi.
18; we his spouse, he our Husband, Hosea ii. 19;
yea, so strait is the union betwixt him and us, as
that he is said to be the foundation, we the building,
Eph. ii. 20 ; he the root, we the branches, .John
XV. 1 ; he the head, we the body, &c., Eph. v. 23.
Being bound by so many and so near bonds, how
can we but acknowledge it is our duty entirely to
love him ?
Reason 3. Besides, he only is love-worthy, being 'the
chiefest amongst ten thousands,' Cant. v. 10. What
is there to be compared with him ? The most ex-
cellentest creatures are but as the beams of his beauty.
That glory or goodness which is in any of them is
but as a shadow, in respect of that infinite good wrhich
is in him who is the maker of them.:|; Thus this
threefold cord may hold us; it will not easily be
broken, as speaks wise king Solomon, Eocles. iv. 12.
And now. Triplex ex arbore fructus, A threefold use
this point affords.
Use 1. For trial. And, indeed, what better use
can we make of it ? There was never any Senna-
cherib nor Jezebel but said they loved God; and
who boasts more they love him, than the profanest
wretch that daily doth contemn him ? It is a thing
counted both common and easy to perform this duty,
* Epist. xii., quee est ad Romanos.
t Dilexit enim nou existentes, imo resi&tentcs. — Bernard.
J Splendor summi iliius boni ; pulchrum coelum, pulchra
terra, sed pulchrior qui fecit ilia.
20
KOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
and no man doubts lie is herein to seek ; wlien, not-
withstanding this is as true as God is true, who is
truth itself, that no more do truly love God than are
from all eternity elected by God to salvation. And
we know, or may know, for Scripture says it, that
the number of them is small, Isa. i. 9 ; Luke xii. 32
— yea, very small, comparatively considered; their
account wUl soon be made, it is but a short work,
into a short sum shall they be gathered, Eom.
ix. 28.
Seeing, then, it is as narrow as God's election, and
that is very narrow, let each one search narrowly his
bosom for this grace. A rule of three, (1.) Our
affections; (2.) Our words; (3.) Our actions, will
sufficiently discover it.
(1.) By our affections will it soon be seen what love
we bear to God ; for love, as the greatest wheel, sets
all the rest a-work. It is the strongest affection, and
to it do all the rest give place. Where that goes
before, desire follows after ; what I love I desire to
enjoy, and it is not where it begets not a desire of
society. Amnon was very sick through love ; his
flesh did pine and waste away, because he could not
enjoy his sister Tamar, 2 Sam. xiii. 2. David and
Jonathan did love entirely, and as the text saith,
' their souls were knit together,' 1 Sam. xviii. 1 ;
whence it was that they took such pleasure and con-
tentment each in other. The story shews what shifts
they made to meet, what weeping and heart-sorrow
there was when they were to part, and all because
they loved, chap. xx. 18, 19, 41, 42. Thus he that
loves the Lord must needs desire to have society with
the Lord. A joy it is to his soul to meet him, and
nothing doth he desire so much as to enjoy him.
And so David was affected, as appears by those many
pathetical desires of his : ' Whom have I in heaven
but thee? and there is none upon the earth that I
desire besides thee,' Ps. Ixxiii. 25 ; ' As the hart
panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul
after thee, 0 God,' Ps. xlii. 1 ; ' My soul thirsteth
after thee as a thirsty land,' Ps. cxlvi. 6 ; ' My soul
waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for
the morning : I say, more than they that watch for
the morning,' Ps. cxxx. 6. These and many other
such like sayings shew the affection of his soul. And
whereas in some places God is pleased graciously to
manifest his presence after a special manner, and in
some exercises there is an especial kind of fellowship
had with him, we shall find what a great desire the
godly have had to such places, and what great love
they have borne to those duties. ' I have loved,'
saith David, ' the habitation of thy house, and the
place where thine honour dwelleth,' Ps. xxvi. 8.
And elsewhere thus : ' One thing have I desired of
the Lord, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in
the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to
behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his
temple,' Ps. xxvii. 4. And again, ' How amiable are
thy tabernacles, 0 Lord of hosts ! my soul longeth,
yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. Blessed
are they that dwell in thy house. A day in thy courts
is better than a thousand : I had rather be a door-
keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the
tents of wickedness,' Ps. Ixxxiv. 1-10. The like is
his desire after the means and exercises of religion :
' Oh how love I thy law ! it is my meditation all the
day,' Ps. cxix. 97 ; 'I love thy commandments above
gold, yea, above fine gold,' ver. 127; 'Evening, and
moruing, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud,'
Ps. Iv. 17 ; yea, 'seven times a day do I praise thee,
because of thy righteous judgments,' Ps. cxix. 164.
This hath been the desire of such, whose hearts have
been inflamed with the love of God, after his presence
of grace here ; and as desirous have they been after
God's presence of glory hereafter, with Paul desiring
to be loosed that he might be with Christ, which they
count best of all, Phil. i. 25 ; and with the Bride and
Spirit in the Eevelation say, ' Come ; amen, even so
come, Lord Jesus,' Kev. xxii. 17, 20.
Again, our joy will make known our love ; for
where love is, there joy will shew itself: 1. In the
presence or enjoyment of the party beloved ; 2. In
his image or picture ; 3. In such things as tend to
the setting forth of his honour. As love causeth us
to desire society with the beloved party, so it maketh
us to rejoice in it greatly, when it is obtained and had,
even as a loving wife rejoiceth in the company of her
husband above the company of any other whatsoever.
So saith the church, ' I will greatly rejoice in the Lord ;
my sovil shall be joyful in my God,' Isa. Ixi. 10. The
apostle Paul calleth Christ his rejoicing : ' By our re-
joicing, which I have in Christ Jesus,' 1 Cor. xv. 31.
Thus do God's children rejoice in God's presence ;
yea, ' their joy before him is according to the joy in
harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the
spoil,' Isa. ix. 3.
As they joy in his presence, so do they rejoice in
his image. The very picture of a friend whom ■we
entirely love we esteem highly of, and often solace
ourselves in the behokUng it ; so ' if we love him that
begat, we love him also that is begotten,' 1 John v. 1 .
If we love God, it cannot be but we must needs rejoice
in the image of God, which appears in his children,
consisting in ' righteousness and true holiness,' Eph.
iv. 24. And thus did David, ' My goodness extendeth
not to thee, but to the saints that are in the earth ;
and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight,' Ps.
xvi. 2, 3. Where mark, 1. His delight was -in the
saints; 2. In <ill the saints; 3. All his delight was in
them. The mother of Darius, as I have read, salut-
ing Hephoestion instead of Alexander, who was but
Alexander's favourite, blushed, and was much ashamed
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
21
upon notice of her mistake; which Alexander per-
ceiving, bid her not be troubled, For, said he, he is
also Alexander. Dost thou rejoice in Christ ? thou
must then rejoice in the godly, for they also are
Christ, 1 Cor. xii. 12.
And as in the image, so love causeth us to rejoice
in everything that serveth to the praise or profit of
the beloved party. So here. As, 1. Generally; in
the church's welfare. Jerusalem shall be ' preferred
to our chiefest joy,' Ps. cxxxvii. G. Thus the godly
in Isaiah's days, ' Eejoice ye with Jerusalem, aud be
glad with her, all ye that love her : rejoice for joy
with her, all ye that mourn for her,' Isa. Ixvi. 10.
2. More particularly ; the readiness of the people to
do God service will stir up joy. As in David's time,
' The people rejoiced for that they offered willingly,'
1 Chron. xxix. 9. And in Asa's time, ' All Judah
rejoiced at the oath of the covenant which they had
made unto the Lord ; for they had sworn,' saith the
text, ' with all their heart,' 2 Chron. xv. 15. So Hke-
wise will the conversion of sinners. Thus, when the
Jews heard of the conversion of the Gentiles, and that
the Holy Ghost was fallen upon them, as upon them-
selves at the beginning, ' they glorified God, saying.
Then hath God also unto the Gentiles granted repent-
ance unto life,' Acts xi. 18. It maketh us likewise
to rejoice at our own well-doing, because honour there-
by redounds to the name of God. So saith Solomon,
' It is joy to the just to do judgment,' Prov. xxi. 15.
And lastly, In our own salvation, ' That our names
are written in the book of life,' Luke x. 20. Thus
in these, and in all things else, which tend, aud so
far forth as they tend, to the setting forth of the
Almighty's praise, doth love cause us to rejoice.
Further, Our love, if sound, will be discerned by
our fear. How afraid are we to offend, or any way
displease, those whom we entirely affect ! And there-
fore these two are joined together by Moses as sisters,
for where one is, there is the other, Deut. x. 20.
True it is, that ' perfect love casteth out fear,' as St
John speaketh, 1 John iv. 18 ; but that is meant of a
slavish and servile fear, not of this sonlike and filial
fear, for it doth establish it. Moses, in one verse,
sheweth both these kinds of fears : ' Fear not,' saith
he to Israel, ' for God is come to prove you, aud that
his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not,'
Exod. sx. 20. He bids them not to fear, viz., with
that slavish fear; and yet chargeth them to fear, viz.,
with this godly and child-like fear. By this latter
fear, then, we need not fear to try our love ; for,
without question, he that truly loves God is afraid
to displease God by committing of the least sin, for
fear lest it should make a divorce between him and
his God, whom his soul loveth.
Moreover, love causeth sorrow and grief : 1. For our
beloved's absence; 2. For any wrong or injury offtred
unto him. Do we not see what discontentment
beasts, which, out of natural instinct, love their young,
do shew when they have lost them? And how griev-
ously do parents take the death or absence of their
children ? In human love amongst friends it faretli
after the same manner as it doth in natural. AVhat
a heavy parting was there between Jonathan and
David ! 1 Sam. xx. 41. And is not this the nature
of religious love ? The spouse having lost her well-
beloved, inquires through the streets, as undone
without him, ' Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?'
Cant. V. 6, and iii. 2, 3. And so doth every faitliful
soul, when through their misbehaviour they cause the
Lord for a while to leave them, and withdraw his
favourable presence from them.
In the case of wrong ; we have an excellent ex-
ample in Jonathan. How grievously did he take it,
that his beloved friend David should be injured,
though it were his own father who offered it ! For
so saith the text, 1 Sam. xx. 34, ' He was grieved
for David, because his father had done him shame.'
So love to God causeth a man to take to heart things
done against his name and honour, be it done either
by himself or other. If by himself, he goeth out
with Peter, and weepeth bitterly, Mat. xxvi. 75 ; and,
as it is said of the people of God in the day of their
repentance, draws water, to pour it out before the
Lord, 1 Sam. vii. G. And so was David affected, as
appears in that penitential psalm, which he made
upon occasion of his foul fall into adultery and mur-
der, Ps. li. If by others, he laments it heartily
with Lot, who, ' dwelling amongst the wicked, in
seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from
day to day with their unlawful deeds,' 2 Pet. ii. 8.
And thus did David, ' I beheld the transgressors,
and was grieved, because they kept not thy word,'
Ps. cxix. 158. ' Elvers of tears run down mine eyes,
because they keep not thy law,' ver. 136. So Ezra,
who, when he heard how the people had sinned, and
dishonoured God by taking strange wives unto them,
' he rent his garment and his mantle, and plucked
the hair from off his head and beard, and sat down
astonied,' Ezra ix. 3. Jeremiah, likewise, when he
saw the people would not give glory to the Lord,
neither would hear, he telleth them, ' his soul should
weep in secret for their pride ; and his eye should
weep sore, and run down with tears for their disobe-.
dience,' Jer. xiii. 17. And thus did those mourners,
marked with God's own mark for his, ' mourn for
the abominations committed in Jerusalem,' Ezek.
ix. 4, whereby they testified the soundness of this
grace of love.
As grief, so patience in suffering, and uiKlergoing
of trouble, labour, pain, will manifest how great our
love is which we bear to God. What infinite pains
will men that love the world take for a handful of it !
22
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
Hunters, hawkers, how do they toil and moil, yet
never complain ! And why ? They love the sport.
Hard things love makes easy, great pains to it seems
pleasure; no task so hard which love refuses to gratify
the beloved party. For the love that Jacob did bear
to Eachel, he was content to undergo seven years'
hard service, and they seemed unto him but as a few
days : the reason is given in the text, ' For the love
he had to her,' Gen xxix. 20. If Shechem will marry
Dinah, it must be on condition of circumcision ; he
must first suffer the cutting of his tender flesh, though
it be, as questionless it would be, very painful. ' Now
the young man deferred not to do the thing, because
he had delight in Jacob's daughter,' Gen. xxxiv. 10.
The like patience will be found in undergoing any
pain or trouble for God's cause, if we truly love him.
The apostles depart from the presence of the council,
'rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for the name of Christ,' Acts v. 40. Ignatius,
that blessed martyr of Christ Jesus, thus testified his
love, as appeareth by his epistle, which he wrote unto
the church of Rome, where he professeth that the more
he was exercised with the injuries of his oppressors,
the more he was instructed, and that he weighed
neither visible nor invisible things for the love of
Christ. And addeth further, ' Come fire, cross, wild
beasts, slaughter, tearing of bones, dismembering of
the parts of my body; yea, let all the torments of
the devil rush upon me, so I may enjoy Christ.
Better for me to be a martyr than a monarch ; my
love is crucified,' &c. And so John Huss, who, being
led forth to the place of execution, after he was con-
demned in the Council of Constance to be burned,
liaving a cap of paper set upon his head, in which
were painted three devils of an ugly shape, and this
inscrii)tion added. This is cm arck-h(i-eiic^wheu he
beheld it, said very mildly. My Lord Jesus Christ,
who was innocent, vouchsafed to wear a sharp crown
of thorns for me, wretched sinner ; and therefore I
will bear this, though imposed as a scorn, for his
name's sake.'"' And in that truly named Golden
Legend, Heb. xi. 36, of how many do we read who
were 'tried by mockings, scourgings, bonds, imprison-
ments ; who were stoned, sawn asunder, tempted,
slain with the sword ; who wandered about in sheep-
skins and goat-skins ; being destitute, afflicted, tor-
mented,' &c. Thus God's servants, whose hearts
have been inflamed with a love unto him, have
rejoiced in their sufferings, and patiently underwent
the heaviest trials, especially when it hath been for
their Saviour's sake, taking greater pleasure in their
iron fetters than the proudest courtier doth of his
golden chain. It was Harding's invective against our
leverend and precious Jewel, that we protestants
* Ex narratioue liistorica de coudemnationc Job. Hussi in
Concil. Const.
were worse than the very devils ; for whereas bread
and water and the cross could scare them away,
princes could be rid of us by no means but fire. 'To
whom that excellent bishop answered, that though
it pleased his malicious humour to make but a jest
of the blood of God's saints, yet it was no more igoio-
miny for lambs to suffer what Christ suffered, than it
was praise and credit for wolves to betray them, as
Judas did.
By our zeal, lastly, may our love be tried. For
whether it be an intension of love, as some would
have it, or a compound of love and anger, as others
describe it — certainly it is a spiritual heat wrought in
the heart of man by the Holy Ghost improving this
good affection of love, as one of late hath well defined
it. By this Moses discovered his love, for though he
were the meekest man upon the earth, yet he was not
only grieved, but wonderfully angry when he saw
God to be dishonoured, E.icod. xxxii. 19. So Elijah,
Phinehas, Samuel, David, Nehemiah, and many others
did the like, as largely appeareth in their stories.
And surely, if we loved the Lord, it could not be
but we would be zealous for the Lord. It is a cold
love that is not heated with this fire. When men
can digest oaths and blasphemies as easy as the
ostrich iron, and see God to be dishonoured without
indignation, let them conclude love is wanting. That
same Spirit, that descended first upon the Lord Jesus,
in the similitude of a dove. Mat. iii. 16, descended
afterwards upon his apostles in the similitude of fire,
Acts ii. 3. As in some things we should be meek
and patient, so in other things hot and earnest.
Meekness in our own causes, but in God's zeal and
fervency, doth well. And thus we have seen the first
rule of trial, wherein I have been somewhat large,
though I hope not over-large — forgive all good faults ;
brevity in the next shall make amends.
(2.) The second way for the discovery of our love is
by our speeches; for ' out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh,' Mat. xii. 34. Experience makes
this good. The niggard will be talking of his nig-
gardness ; the worldling of his wealth ; the voluptu-
ous of his pleasures ; the ambitious one of his hon-
ours and preferments, Isa. xxxii. 6 ; and whatsoever
a man loveth most, that will he take his greatest joy
in talking of. "What commendation shall you hear
the huntsman give of his dog, the falconer of his
hawk ! How large are these in praising of their
sport !
' Navita de ventis, de tauris narrat arator,' &c.
Thus is the tongue the interpreter of the mind, Lingua
est animi Mercurius, and by its language you may
easily guess at the heart's meaning. If the love of God
be there, thy tongue will be the tell-tale, and bewray it,
either in speaking o/the Lord, ox for the Lord. Of him,
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
23
in commending or admiring Iiim. It was tlie love of
God in David's heart that tilled his mouth with often
praises, Ps. cxix. 164. The spouse in the Canticles,
she loved much and praised much : ' My well-beloved
is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand. His
head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy
and black as a raven. His eyes are as the eyes of
doves,' &c., Cant. v. 10. So she goes on, her ' tongue
being as tlie pen of a ready writer,' Ps. xlv. 1, hav-
ing words at will to praise and admire everything
that was in him. So, likewise, for him the tongue
will be employed, if love be in the heart. David
will speak for God and for his truth, ' even before
kings, and will not be ashamed,' Ps. cxix. 46. To
hear God to be dishonoured, his word blasphemed,
his gospel scorned, his children reviled, love cannot
brook ; it will work within us as nature wrought in
the son of Croesus, of whom it is recorded,"'* that
though he had been always dumb, yet, seeing one
come to kill his father, the impediments and strings
of his tongue were violently broken, through the
force of natural affection, so that he cried out, ' 0
man, kill not Crcesus!' And surely we may, in this
case say, as that heroical Luther said in the like,
Maledidum silentiitm quod kic connivet : Cursed
be that silence that here forbeareth. Thus may we
make our tongues the touchstone of our hearts : for,
as the door-keeper said to Peter, Mat. xxvi. 73, so
say I, ' Thy speech bewrayeth thee.'
(3.) The third and last way is, by our works and
actions. Love is full of operation ; so shews St Paul,
1 Cor. xiii., and hardly can it deny any work which
the party beloved doth enjoin. Hence said Delilah
to Samson, Judges xvi. 15, 'How canst thou say I
love thee, when thy heart is not with me ? Thou
hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told
me wherein thy great strength lieth.' Our blessed
Saviour makes this a rule of trial : ' If ye love me,'
saith he, 'keep my commandments,' John xiv. 15.
And again, thus : ' He that hath my commandments
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me,' ver. 21.
And elsewhere thus : ' You are my friends, if you do
whatsoever I command you,' chap. xv. 14. Thus
Abraham made good his love by bis ready obedience
to God's command in ofl'ering up his son, and in
leaving his own country to go to that place whither
God should send him, Gen. xii. and xxii.
And as love maketh us thus obedient and dutiful,
so it causeth us to be bountiful and liberal, as the
apostle speaketh, 1 Cor. xiii. 4 ; for, where the heart
is enlarged, the hand cannot be straitened ; where
the bowels are open, the purse is never shut. So
that Herod may have his pleasure which he affects,
what cares he though he part with half liis kingdom?
Mark vi. 23. What will a man spare from his
* Herodotus.
special friend that may be for his good ? All I havo
is at his command to whom I have given myself. So
said Jehoshaphat to Ahab : ' I am as thou art, and my
people are as thy people,' 2 Chron. xviii. 3. Jona-
than loves David as his soul, and he will shew it by
stripping himself, even to his sword and to his bow,
for the supporting and helping of his dearest David,
1 Sam. xviii. 3, 4. Of so frank a disposition is love,
that it will be prodigal of its nearest and dearest
things. If Mary's tears will wash her Saviour's feet,
she will pour them out, and not think her hair too
good to be the towel, Luke vii. 38. No spikenard
shall be too costly for his head whom her soul affects,
John xii. 3. What though that unguent might have
been sold for some great sum of money, wherewith she
might have done herself much good ? Yet she had
rather bestow it on her Saviour than on herself, be-
cause she loved her Saviour more than herself. Thus
love win be content to be at cost for Christ, and thinks
nothing too much that is done to him or for him.
As that renowned Master Fox, of whom it is re-
ported that he would never deny beggar that asked
in God's name. Thus by our obeying of him, and
cost for him, our love may soon be seen ; our works,
indeed, do not justify, yet they testify. As in a clock,
though the finger of the dial makes not the clock to
go, but the clock it, yet the finger without shews how
the clock within doth stir ; so here. And therefore
what St James speaks of faith, ' Shew me thy faith
by thy works, for that faith that is without works is
dead,' chap. ii. 18; so say I by love. ' Shew me
thy love by thy works, for that love that is without
works is dead.' Ye love your backs, and spare not
to clothe them ; you love your children, and therefore
do much for them ; you love 3'our beasts, and there-
fore bestow largely on them ; and can you say you
love the Lord, and deal so pinchingly and illiberally
with him ? It cannot be : for look, as the love of
God is the fountain of all his benefits extended unto
man, so is love in man the cause of his obedience
and service to his God. God hath loved us first to
do us good, and we love him next that we may do
him service.
And thus we have done with the marks of trial,
whereby, if we take any tolerable pains in the exami-
nation of ourselves, it would soon be seen what love
to God we bear ; and, as I fear, it would appear that,
albeit the greatest number profess they love the Lord,
yet the fewest number would be found to love him
in sincerity. And, Lord, thou seest and knowest it.
For how little art thou desired or sought for ! How
small is that joy which men take in thee or thine !
Who sets thy fear before their eyes, and when thou
hidest thy face, what man is troubled '? Where is
our patience in suffering for thy sake, when one hour
in thy house of praise cannot be endured without au
24
EOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
ache in our bones ? and of what are we so soon
weary as of well-doiug ? As for our zeal, where is it,
while we sit still and see thee dishonoured, having no
courage for thy truth ? And do not our tongues
condemn us, while they are for all purposes except
thy glory ? If they should justify us, would not our
works and actions testify against us ? We call thee
Lord, but where is thine honour ? The title only,
and no more, thou gettest of us ; or, it thou dost,
it is but the dregs and offal, the very worst of all,
and yet we grudge when we have not the best from
thee. 0 blessed Saviour, shed abroad thy love in our
hearts, that we may love thee better !
Use 2. And this is the first use which I would have
made of this ; let our second be for exhortation,
that we would love the Lord, yea, prefer him in our
love above all other well-beloveds. Let our affections
be set upon him, and be inflamed towards him. Let
our tongues be mute to all vanities, and eloquent
only unto him and for him, who gave man his tongue
and speech ; and whilst oiher men's discourses are
taken up about trifles, let ours be spent in setting
forth his praises. Let our actions be such as may be
pleasing to him, and let us not dare to venture upon
anything that may oflend him. And however we
cannot perfectly, yet let us all pray for grace that we
may love him yet more fervently, and less feignedly,
only for himself and his mero}"-. For this end use
these helps : —
(L) Get a true knowledge of him and of his name,
Ps. ix. 16. For they that know him love him, and as
our knowledge is, such is our love. The heathen
man observed that unknown things were not desired,
though in themselves they were never so excellent or
desirable, Ignoti nulla cupido. And what a help this
is fur the attainment of this grace appears by that
speech of the church unto her spouse, ' Thy name is
as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins
love thee,' Cant. i. 2. His name, fame, glory, and
renown, was by many means made known, especially
by his word, unto the world, and hence it was the
church did carry such an inward affection and hearty
desire to him, which she testified by an outward
approving and liking of him. Thou then that de-
sirest to love God, see thou get the true and sound
knowledge of God ; labour first for that, by using
all good means tending thereunto, especially diligent
reading and conscionable attending to the preach-
ing of the word. ' Search the scriptures,' saith our
Saviour; 'for in them ye think to have eternal life:
and they are they which testify of me,' John v. 39.
(2.) Seriously meditate of God's love to thee in
Christ, before all worlds were, and of his rich mercy
which he offers thee through Christ. Consider what
a difference he hath made between thee and many
other that are reprobates, which only came from the
riches of his love ; for by nature thou wert as vile as
they, as miserable as they, a child of wrath as well as
any of them, not a hair to choose between them and
thee. Consider of it likewise in other particulars, as
thou shalt have occasion, and it will work thy heart
to love him. Love is love's loadstone ; so sheweth
the apostle, ' The love of Christ constraineth us,' 2
Cor. V. 14. Labour then to love God a little, who
hath loved us exceeding much ; and, indeed, as
Bernard *' speaketh, we cannot answer God well in
anything but in love ; for if he be angry with us, we
may not answer him again in anger ; if he judge us,
we may not again judge him ; if he chide us, we
must be patient ; if he command, we must obey. But
in that he loveth, we may, yea, must, return love
for love, for he loveth to be loved.
(.3.) Remember often his holy presence, and do not
dare to go whole weeks, nor days, nor hours without
thinking of him, for that will estrange our affections
more and more from him. We see how it often
happens with new married couples, who though
at first they seem somewhat strange, and hardly
can afl'ect each one the other, yet through daily
familiarity and communion they come at length en-
tirely to love.
(4.) Withdraw your hearts from the love of the
world if you would love the Lord, for the love of God
and it cannot stand together ; so witnesseth St John,
' If any man love the world, the love of the Father is
not in him,' 1 John ii. 15. And so St James, ' The
friendship of the world is enmity with God ; whoso-
ever therefore will be the friend of the world is the
enemy of God,' James iv. 4. And thus our blessed
Saviour, ' Ye cannot serve God and mammon,' Mat.
vi. 24. We must therefore either renounce the world
or our part in Christ, for worldliuess and Christianity,
as we see, are two such ends as will never meet.
Thy love to the world must abate, if thou wouldest
have thy love to Christ increase.
(5.) See thou frequent the company of the godly.
Thou must ' walk in the steps of the flock, and feed
thy kids near the tents of the shepherds,' Cant. i. 8.
Thou must converse with holy Christians who are
' sick of love,' and abound in holy affections, chap. ii.
5. When those daughters of Jerusalem, who at first
despised Christ, and wondered why tlie church should
make so much ado for him, had a while conversed
with the church about him, and heard her speak with
such affection, admiring and extolling him, then
they also fall in love with that beloved, and offer their
service to the church in joining with her to seek him
out. ' Whither is thy beloved gone,' say they, ' O
thou fairest amongst women, whither is thy beloved
turned aside, that we may seek him with thee?'
Cant. vi. 1. Thus holy conference with such as love
' Ser. S3 in Cant.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
25
Christ is an excellent means to inflame our hearts
also with a love to him.
(6.) The last help is prayer, for ' every good and
perfect gift cometh from above,' James i. 17. Ask it
therefore at God's liands, for ' He giveth liberally to
all men, and upbraideth no man,' ver. 5. These are
some helps for the attainment of this grace, which, if
we conscionably practise, I doubt not but we shall
soon find kindled in our bosoms, to our endless
comfort. And that is our second use.
Use 3. A tliird we now infer, but briefly, and that
for consolation of such as love the Lord, esteeming
him as their best beloved, setting their whole hearts
and souls upon him. In so doing they have per-
formed a worthy work, and such a work as in the
end brings peace. Oh, the privileges, the super-
excellent privileges that belong to such a one ! ' He
that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and
I will love him, and manifest myself unto him,' saith
our Saviour, John xiv. 21. So that, we see, here is
no love lost. Christ will respect them most graciously
for evermore, and always do them good. Yea, every-
thing shall further their good and welfare ; and so
saith the apostle, ' All things work together for good
to them that love God,' Rom. viii. 28. Everything,
the least ens and being, anything that can be named
or conceived, shall work thy good, thy good of grace
here and glory hereafter ; so that the devil in the end
shall get nothing by tempting thee to sin, but the
greater overthrow of his own kingdom, and thou
thereby shalt grow the better ; it shall make thee more
humble, lowly, watchful, careful, &c. Thus, blow
what wind can blow, the illest wind shall blow tliee
good ; hap what happen may, it cannot make thee
miserable. Thou standest in a centre, the circum-
fei-ence is mercy. Whatsoever cometh to thee, be it
loss, cross, pain, sickness, death, it must first come
through the circumference of mercy ; and so taste and
relish of mercy before it come at thee or touch thee.
Oh, what a privilege is this, how excellent, how ad-
mirable ! This is thy privilege who lovest God, for
to thee it is made, and to none else besides.
Can we marvel now at the apostle's words, ' Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered
into the heart of man the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him'? 1 Cor. ii. 9. Many
excellent and beautiful objects hath the eye beheld,
and the ear hath heard relation made of things far
,^ surpassing those which the eye hath seen, but the
\ heart is able to conceive of things more excellent than
V either eye hath seen or ear hath heard : yet neither
\ye hath seen nor ear heard, nor yet can the heart
c\nceive, saith he, the things that God hath pre-
paM for such as are lovers of him. He hath
promised, saith St James, a kingdom unto such,
James ii. 5, and a crown of life, chap. i. 12, which
they shall receive. Let then the love-sick hearts of the
godly be cheered up, for God doth not forget their
labour and love, but he will recompense it with an
everlasting love. Let it serve likewise to enkindle
our love, so that where it is now but in the spark, it
may break out into the flame ; loving him with all our
soul, strength, and might, desiring nothing above him,
equally with him, or without him, loving him for
himself, and all things else for him. And so, to end
the point and use with that sweet meditation of
Austine,-' ' Blessed is he, 0 Lord, who thus loveth thee,
and his friend in thee, and his enemy for thee ; for
only that man cannot lose anything which he loveth,
who loveth nothing but in thee, who cannot be lost.'
And thus much for the first reason that is given
for this title or appellation ; come we now to the
second, and see whether we can be briefer there.
In a more particular respect also might the prophet
call the Lord his well-beloved — viz., in respect of his
office and calhng, as he was a prophet, to whom the
charge of Clu-ist's queen, the church, was committed.
And in regard of this ministers are called Christ's
friends, according to that saying of St John, ' He that
hath the bride is the bridegroom : but the friend of the
bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth
greatly because of the bridegroom's voice,' John iii.
29; where hj friend he understands himself, and in
himself all other ministers, both ])rophets and apostles;
and that both because they labour to make the mar-
riage between the church and Christ, as also endeavour
to hold fast the church unto Christ, being jealous over
her for his sake, lest she should be seduced. Taking
this as a reason, which indeed is the usual reason
rendered by our expositors! for this appellation, by
good consequence it will follow that,
Boct. Ministers are C/irist's paranymphs. In a spe-
cial manner they are his friends, to woo the church
and win the church unto himself, to fit it and pre-
pare it for himself.
So witnesseth the apostle when he saith, ' We warn
every man, and teach every man in all wisdom, that
we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus,
whereunto,' saith he, ' I also labour,' Col. i. 28, 29.
And writing to the Corinthians he thus speaketh, ' I
am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I have
espoused you to one husband, that I may present you
as a chaste virgin unto Christ,' 2 Cor. xi. 2, 3 ; by
whose practice we see the minister's duty, dignity,
and office, both to fit and prepare the church for
Christ ; as also to hold fast the church unto Christ,
that she break not her marriage covenant with him.
I hasten to the uses, for in this I have promised
brevity.
Use 1. Let us ministers hence learn our duties.
* August, iv. Confess.
t Calv., IJrsia., Moller., Trem., aud Jun.
2G
KOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-
And seeing we have the churcli committed to our
care, and are so far lionoured as to be betrusted with
Christ's queen, let us use all possible means that we
may deliver unto the bridegroom a pure and chaste
virgin. When Abraham sent his servant to fetch a wife
for his son Isaac, he brought him godly and beauti-
ful Rebekah, Gen. xxiv. We are the Lord's servants,
Bent to fetch a wife for Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Oh let us be as faithful to God the Father and to
Jesus Christ his Son, as that good servant was to
Abraham and Isaac. Let us do our message with
diligence, and execute our charge with faithfulness
and prayer ; let us speak of Christ, and only of Christ,
making him the scope and subject of all our preach-
ing ; and, as is the old emblem of St Christopher,
under which our ancient mythologists liave described
the good pastor, wade through the sea of this world,
staying on the staff of faith, and lifting up Christ
aloft to be seen of men, as the brazen serpent was on
a pole, to be seen of the Israelites who were stung,
John iii. 14. Let us so speak of him as that the
daughters of Jerusalem may fall irt love with him,
working first upon the understanding of our people,
bringing them to a thorough knowledge of this Christ,
whom we tender unto them as a husband, for this is
requisite in marriage ; error personce makes a nullity.
And then, secondly, upon their affections, that they
may take liking of him. To further which, we must
speak earnestly and seriously, not coldly, carelessly ;
using the best of our skill, with arguments and motives
to win them to his love. What a shame then is it
for a minister either to be ignorant of this Christ,
whom he should commend as a husband to the
church ; for what wise man will speak for a stranger,
of whom he hath no knoAvledge — or knowing him,
yet be dumb or silent, never speaking tothe church
in his praise and commendations; or if he doth, yet
then to speak either idly and foolishly, as, alas ! too
many do, whereby many are discouraged and driven
further off from Christ ; or else unfaithfully, speaking
two words for themselves and one for him, desiring
to draw disciples rather after them. Acts xx. 30, than
win souls to God. Oh let not these things, my bre-
thren, be found in any of us, but seeing we are called
to such honour, let us be instant in preaching, holy
in living, earnest in persuading, careful in admonish-
ing, giving to God's people the golden bracelets of
God's truth, that so as Jacob returned with many
more souls out of Syria into Canaan than he brought.
Gen. xxxii. 10, so we may go out of this world, with
many souls converted and won by us to Christ's love,
into the world to come.
Use 2. Let hearers hence also be exhorted. For
seeing ministers are' Christ's servants to offer and
persuade marriage betwixt the church and him, let
them be bid welcome and hearkened unto. What
maid will not mark and give good attention when
matter of marriage is broken to her, especially if
the offer be of some great heir, nobly born, well
descended, &c., and she herself but mean and of
low degree ? Should she turn away her ear from
hearkening to such a motion, and say nay to such a
personage seeking and suing to her, would she not
be judged, and that justly, to be a foolish woman ?
And yet thus it is with lis ; the Son and heir of the
great King of heaven sends his ambassadors to treat
with us poor beggars, yea, worse than beggars, con-
cerning marriage. And yet, good Lord, how coy
are we ; we cannot be spoken withal, forsooth — we
be not at leisure. And when our leisure serves us,
what a deal of wooing needs there ! A man, indeed,
would think it would be but an easy suit, and that
God's ministers should not need to spend much
breath before they have obtained ; and yet they,
with all their persuasions and entreaties, cannot so far
prevail with us as to make us hearken to it. Every
suitor shall have hearing, yea, and speeding too,
before Christ Jesus. The devil, though he comes
ever masked, and never dares shew his face, as
well knowing, if he did appear in his own colours, no
soul could then affect him ; yet — because his pro-
mises are great and large, as they were to our blessed
Saviour when he offered to jointure him in many
kingdoms if he would love him and fall down and
worship him. Mat. iv. 9 — is soon heard and answered.
The world, though it be a warped, aged, and decrepit
suitor, exceeding old, blind, and lame, having sore
eyes, blear and raw with cares, swollen legs diseased
with surfeits, and but a few minutes more to live,
all as bad qualities in a suitor as may be, yet pro-
mising large jointure, good maintenance, wealth at
will, honours and prelerments, Avith the lilie ; this
old dotard speeds. And for the flesh, though, as
St Jude speaketh, ver. 23, it be spotted all over like
an- unclean leper or ulcerous Moor ; yet, because it
is, as it were, a home-bred child, and pleads more
than familiarity with us, promising all pleasure and
content unto us, as soon speeds as either of the
former. But as for Christ, who is best worthy, he
hath but a cold suit of it. But, beloved, be more
wise ; give not, oh give not thy consent to any other
save Christ alone ; if thou dost, thou art undone for
ever. The devil, he is large in promises, his words
drop nectar; but he is a liar and a murderer, John viii.,
and so thou wilt find him in the end, if thou dost trust
him. And for the world, it hath but a weak tenure
of all that it possesseth, and can assure thee of no
other dowry than vanity and vexation, as Solomon
witnesseth, Eccles. i., who proved it. If, then, thou
bestowest thyself on it, be thou assured that in the
end thou must be left without being satisfied. As
for that other suitor, the flesh, he is least worthy the
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
27
hearkening to of any. Remember he is an ill wooer
tliat wanteth words ; they are the cheapest chaffer a
man can part withal ; and therefore no wonder if he
doth seek to insinuate himself by promises. But
pass not for them, nay, stop your ears against
them, and in this j^oint be like the adder, ' which
will not hear the charmer, charm he never so
sweetly,' Ps. Iviii. 4, 5. For he you well assured, if
you make him your head and lord of all, he will soon
consume all to your final undoing. Give entertain-
ment, therefore, I beseech you, to the Lord of glory.
For him I am a deputed wooer at this time ; my
suit unto you is for your loves for Christ my Master,
for, ' as though God did beseech you through us,
we pray you in Christ's stead, that ye be recon-
ciled unto God,' 2 Cor. v. 20. Were he evil favoured
or deformed, then you might have some cause to
refuse to love him ; but he is not. ' He is white
and ruddy, the chiefest amongst ten thousand,' Cant.
V. 10, infinitely fairer than all the sons of men, being
' the brightness of the glory of his Father, and the
express image of his person,' Heb. i. 3. Or wei-e he
poor, like Lazarus, you might have some reason to
disatTect him ; but he is not, for he is rich and
wealthy, being the greatest heir that ever was, even
' heir of all things,' Heb. i. 2. Or could you allege
that his stock is mean, his birth ignoble, it were
somewhat : but that you cannot, for he is ' King of
kings and Lord of lords,' Rev. xix. 16, and xvii. 14,
which dignity is his b}' birth. Or could you object
against his wisdom, it might be some excuse for your
refusal ; but neither can you here except, for ' in him
are hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge,'
Col. ii. 3. Seeing then he is the fairest, wealthiest,
noblest, and wisest of any other whatsoever, set
thy heart upon him, and love him until thou be
sick of love for him. We see how many in this
world marry ; some only for beauty's sake ; many
again for riches' sake ; other some for nobility and
gentry's sake, and not a few for wisdom's sake ; but
where all these meet, it is judged a match unmatchable.
Why, see, all these are abundantly in him; and there-
fore seek no further, for thou wilt assuredly speed
worse. Standest thou upon dowry ? Alas ! thou
hast little cause ; for what bringest thou but sin and
beggary ? And yet he will instate thee into a
kingdom of incomprehensible glory. Ahasuerus
promises Esther half his kingdom ; but Christ's
performances outstrip his promises — he gives his a
whole one : ' With joy and gladness shall they be
brought : they shall enter into the king's palace,'
saith the psalmist, Ps. xlv. 15, speaking of the
church, Christ's spouse. He hath a glorious house,
a city of gold to entertain thee ; the foundations of
whose wall are garnished with precious stones. St
John, in his Revelation, sets down a full description
of it, chap. xxi. Whoso will, let him read it and re-
gard it, though it passeth the measures of geometry
to measure it, the skill of logic to define it, and the
eloquence of rhetoric to express it. But thus con-
ceive : If the house of this world be so excellent, as
that it deserves to be so esteemed by us, wherein God
lets his enemies dwell ; and if the lowest pavement of
that heavenly mansion be so gloriously bespangled
with the sun, moon, and twinkling stars, as we see it
is, what, then, is the mansion itself? How glorious
must the sides and ceiling of that eternal tabernacle
be, which God hath sequestered for himself and
spouse ! These things being well considered, I hope
thou wilt forbear to set thy love upon any other
suitot, and now at length sutler thyself to be wrought
upon by our ministry, not to gainsay, that we with
all speed and haste, as Abraham's servant did, may
return again to him that sent us. And thus much
for the appellation, which I could not pass over
without some useful observation. His warrant is
next to be considered, which he brings for the
publishing of this his song, and is imj)lied in these
words : —
Of mi/ beloved — i.e., tlie song which his beloved
put into his mouth, and which he had in charge
from him to publish ; for albeit Isaiah was the
author instrumental and penman of it, yet God was
the author principal. We see, then, he set it forth,
Guvi gixitia et privUegio regice majestatis.
Doct. And hence let ministers learn to deliver no-
thing for doctrine, but what they are able to shew
warrant and commission for the delivery of. Good
warrant we must have for what we teach our people,
whether it tend to the informing of their judgments,
or rectifying of their affections, and be able to shew
that we deliver nothing but what we have received in
charge from God to deliver.
It was the usual manner of the prophets, preach-
ing unto the people, to prefix before their message
these and such like prefaces, ' Thus saith the Lord;'
' Hear the word of the Lord ; ' ' The word of the
Lord which came,' &c., Ezek. ii. 4 ; Hosea iv. 1 ;
Joel i. 1, et alibi ; whereby they shewed they had
authority from God. And thus doth St Paul ground
his doctrine as upon a sure and certain foundation.
' I have received of the Lord,' saith he, ' that which
I also have delivered unto you,' 1 Cor. xi. 23. And
again elsewhere thus : ' First of all I delivered unto
you that which I received,' &c., 1 Cor. xv. 3. This
the Lord himself enjoins his servants : ' Thou shalt
go to all that I will send thee, and whatsoever I
command thee thou shalt speak,' said the Lord to
Jeremiah, chap. i. 7. And to Ezekiel was this charge
given : ' Thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and
give them warning from me,' chap. iii. 17. So like-
wise when our Saviour sent out his apostles into the
28
KOGEES ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
world to teacli all nations, lie willetli that they should
' Teach them to observe all things, whatsoever,' saith
he, ' I have commanded j'ou," Mat. xxviii. 20. Yea,
our blessed Saviour himself professeth, ' My doctrine
is not mine, but his that sent me,' John vii. 16.
And a^ain, ' The things that I have heard of him,
those speak I to the world,' chap. viii. 28.
Reason. And the reason of this is good — viz., that
the faith of our hearers should not be in the wisdom
of men, but in the power of God : which reason the
apostle himself renders why he came not with ex-
cellency of speech, nor enticing words of man's
wisdom, but in demonstration of spirit and power,
1 Cor. ii. 4, 5.
Use. 1. 'The use is twofold. First, It concerns us
ministers, that we be careful of our doctrine, and see
that it be warrantable, sound, and good ; not ours
but God's. The lawyer, saith one, begins with reason,
and so descends to common experience and authority.
The physician he begins with experience, and so
comes to reason and authority. But we divines must
begin with authority, and so proceed to reason and
experience. We are Christ's ambassadors, and in
his stead, saith the apostle, 2 Cor. v. 20. Now, we
know an ambassador is to speak nothing but what is
given him in commission. He may not add nor
alter, chop and change, invent or devise anything of
his own. No way is he to depart from what is given
in charge, but he must be found faithful in the
execution of his office ; and so see we be. Beware we,
oh beware we of propounding any such doctrine as
tendeth either to the infecting of the judgment with
error, or tainting the life with uncleanness. Take
heed how we dare to broach any new conceit or un-
necessary quiddit, fitter to breed jangling than godly
edifying; still remembering that it is the conviction
of the conscience, the information of the understand-
ing, the resolution of the judgment, the gaining of
the aft'ections, the redress of the life, that should be
our aim in dispensing of the word. Now as for tricks
and cranks, grammatical and rhetorical descant,
ends of gold and silver, what help they to this busi-
ness ? Aaron's bells must be golden bells ; not brass
nor copper, nor any such like metal, but pure gold.
Doctrines proceeding from our own brain, coined on
the anvil of our own inventions, are not cum gratia
et privilegio. God's pure truth must be dispensed,
and all the truth, and nothing but the truth. So
help us God !
Secondly, This nearly concerns all hearers, that
they receive nothing into their heads and hearts but
what they find seen, and allowed, and published by
authority. ' To the law and to the testimony,' said
the oracle of God of old ; ' if they speak not according
to this word, it is because there is no light in them,'
Isa. viii. 20. This is the touch by which ail doctrine
must be tried. If we have authority of Scripture for
our propounded points, it being rightly understood,
then we have authority from God himself for the de-
livery of it, else not. Too [much] to blame then are
our over-credulous multitude, who hand over head
admit and receive for orthodox whatsoever is pro-
pounded unto them by their teachers ; and think this
is a sufficient warrant for any point they hold. Our
minister said it, or. Such a pre.acher delivered it in a
pulpit ; as if there were not some who run before
they are sent, Jer. xxiii. 16, and pubUsh the visions
of their own brain, prophesying that which God never
spake. In matters civil we are more cautious and
wary ; no gold, almost, we take before we have tried
it by the touch, or weighed it in the balance ; and
what is the reason ? Because there is much of it
light and naught ; yea, hardly we will take a groat
without bowing, bending, rubbing it, and the like,
being therein oftentimes over -curious ; but in re-
ligious matters, which concern our faith and souls'
salvation, we are over -careless, albeit we are fore-
warned of many false prophets that are gone into the
world, 1 John iv. 1, and therefore willed not to be-
lieve every spirit, but to try the spirits whether they
be of God. This is a great yet common fault amongst
us. Were he an angel from heaven that preacheth
to thee, yet art thou bound to look into his doctrine
and examine it, and not to take it upon credit with-
out he bring sufhcieut proof and warrant for it. Gal.
i. 8. By virtue of our place we challenge audience.
Hearken to a matter you must because we say it ;
but we cannot by and by challenge credence, for you
may not believe it until you know upon what ground
we speak it. And, therefore, like good Bereans, see
you search the Scriptures whether these things be so,
Acts xvii. 11.
The matter subject of this song is the last thing to
be considered in the proem ; the text saith it is,
Touchimj his vineyard. Of which vineyard we shall
hereafter speak more largely. In the meantime this
observe we :
Docf. Tlie good of God's church is the subject of a
preacher s labours ; that is it whereupon he must
especially attend, as did our prophet, whose art, wit,
learning, time, and pains was especially spent about that
which might make for the welfare of God's vineyard.
Hereunto tends that exhortation of the apostle,
' Let us wait on our ministering ; he that teacheth,
on teaching ; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation,'
Eom. xii. 7, 8. With which duty he straitly chargeth
Timothy, and us in him, ' Give attendance to I'eading,
to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that
is in thee. ^leditate upon these things : give thyself
wholly to them. Preach the word ; be instant in
season and out of season,' &c., 1 Tim. iv. 13-15.
And according to this doctrine was his and the other
EOGEES ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
29
apostles' practice, wlio would not admit any other
charge to be joined to their ministry, no, not the office
of deacons, but laid the charge of providing for the
poor on others — thinking it not fit to leave the word
of God to serve tables, Acts vi. 2.
Heas. And did we but consider the weightiness of
the calling, we would soon confess a minister had little
need to employ himself in any by-afFairs. For as it is
an honour, so it is a burden, and such a burden as is
too much for half a man, it requires the whole man,
yea, the strength and ability of angels to stand under
it, Humeris angeloi-um foi midandum ; and therefore,
saith the apostle, ' "Who is sufficient for these tilings ?'
2 Cor. ii. 16.
Object. But St Paul exercised a manual occupation
and became a tent-maker, labouring with his hands,
and that after he was called to his apostleship. And
so St Peter and others were fishers, and followed
fishing.
Ans. I grant the apostles did so, but it was only in
case of necessity, in time of the church's wants and
poverty, to the end they might support the need and
necessity of it, as also that they might cut away all
occasion from them who watched for an occasion,
whereby they might disgrace them and win credit to
themselves. And thus for a minister to join anotlier
calling to his calling, when he is not able to maintain
his charge, and in the general want and poverty of
the church, it not being able to maintain him and
his, cannot be thought unlawful. But where there is
a church well established and reformed, this cannot
be allowable.
Use 1. This doctrine Hkewise, like Rebekah's womb,
doth twin. It affords a double use : one to us who
are the Lord's warriors, that we ' entangle not our-
selves with the things of this life,' 2 Tim. ii. 4. The
Lord hath laid a heavy burden upon thy shoulders ;
couch not do^^^l with Issachar's ass to receive any
other load. What a shame is it for to see a minister
to turn farmer, grazier, physician, or the like, and all for
a little pelf ! so loading his mind with the burden of
cares and covetousness, as if he were exonerated of
the burden of the gospel ! May we not well wonder
with Synesius* how he comes to gain so much leisure
as to serve two masters — God in choro, and mammon
in/oro? I know there is a care of secular afl'airs
belonging to us ; for a bishop must be able to rule
his own house honestly, 1 Tim. iii. 4, 5. And again,
' if there be any' — without exception — ' that provideth
not for his family, he denieth the faith, and is worse
than an infidel,' 1 Tim. v. 8. But these things must
not hinder our constant care for the welfare of God's
vineyard. Neither do I think it a thing unlawful for
a minister to study physic, or have to do with some
other calling ; for, besides in the forenamed cases, so
* Epist. 57.
it be at spare hours, horis suhsecivis, and used rather
as a recreation than occupation, it is allowable ; yet
still divinity must be our most and mainest study,
that we may save and win souls to God, Major pars
vita atque ingenii hue stet. Let us, then, that are
ministers of God's word, neither be idle nor ill occu-
pied ; and when we are about anything which belongs
not to our calling, then remember we the check that
Christ gave to Peter, 'What is that to thee?' John
xxi. 2L The church is thy proper element, and the
pulpit thy right uhi; the temple should be the centre of
all thy cu'cumference. Do that which belongs unto thy
office ; as Valentinian said to Ambrose, Thou art a
minister, mind thou that : Clericus in opjndo, piscis in
arido: age quod tui muneris est: verbi es minister, hoc
age.
Use 2. And now for our people, this use coucerneth
them. I doubt not but you will subscribe to what
hath now been taught, and say. Thou hast well said
in all that thou hast spoken. But now mark your
duties ; for if this be so, then ought you so to provide
for your ministers and their families, as that they
may have no cause to divert their studies. A neces-
sary living, saith Chrysostom,* ought plentifully to
be ministered unto your teachers, lest they should be
discomfited, and that they might not deprive them-
selves and you of great things, while they be busied
about the smallest. And surely this is one of the
blemishes of our church, that many well-deservinc
ministers are of necessity compelled to leave studying
of sermons, and study for bread to put in their own
and children's mouths. What vocation is there in
this land, honest in itself, and industriously followed
by the professors of it, wherein a man may not live
and leave well behind him for the maintenance of such
as shall come after, except only in the ministry ?
Physic and law bring wealth and honour — Dai
Galenus opes, dat Justinimnis Jionores — but learnin"-
follows Homer with a stafi' and wallet. The study o1
chvinity brmgs contempt and beggary. Look, how it
was with the Jews under the tyranny of E^ypt
Exod. v., so is it now with us; when we should
make brick, work in our profession, we are enforced
to gather straw, seek out for sustenance ; and yet if
our tale of brick be not made up, we are cried out
upon for being idle. But God hears our cries, and
will one day plead our cause. In the meantime, let
such places and parishes as would have their ministers
thus to follow close their callings, see that they so
provide for their certain maintenance, as that they
may without distraction follow it.
'SVe have done with the proem, now we come to
the poem or song itself.
J/y well-heloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful
hid, &c. Wherein is set forth God's great love "to-
* In 1 ad Tim.
30
EOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
wards his people Israel and Judah ; and their horrible
ingratitude and disobedience towards him, together
with their fearful and final ruin for that their dis-
obedience. All which is darkly and obscurely pro-
pounded under a continued similitude or allegory of
an unprofitable vineyard, which did not answer the
cost and expectation of the vinitor by bringing forth
of fruit meet for him that dressed it, Heb. vi. 7.
In opening whereof we need not doubt of finding
out the true and proper sense and meaning in the
general, as who this vinitor is, and who the vine-
yard, and what the fruit, these being explained and
expounded by our prophet, ver. 7. But in the par-
ticulars there is question as what is meant by kill,
fence, stones, plant, touvr, winepress ; forasmuch as
these parts are not followed by him, and are diversely
interpreted by expositors. By hill some understand-
ing the field of tliis world; others the city of Jeru-
salem, which was higher than all other cities, and the
country thereabouts ; and others the land of Canaan,
a land flowing with milk and honey.
'Rj fence ov hedge some understand the law which
was given by Moses, whereby the people of Israel
were fenced in and kept within compass ; others the
covenant which God made with his people the Jews,
wherewith he did hedge them in unto himself to be his
peculiar people ; and others understand thereby the
divine protection, by which, as by a hedge, the Lord
did continually protect his people.
By stones, some understand their wicked kings
— Saul, Ahab, and the rest — who, by their wicked
practices, did hinder the growth of God's church.
Others — the Gentiles and heathen people — the Ca-
naanites and Hittites with the rest, whom the Lord
cast out before the people of Israel. Others under-
stand thereby all kind of idolatry, errors, abomina-
tions, which the Lord purged his people from ; and
there are some others, who by stones understand the
wall wherewith the Lord did make the fence or
hedge, and that because the word here used (sakal,
in Piel.) signifieth as well, to build with stones, and
gather them together for that end, as to remove stones.
By the choice 7;fa«?, some would have the Lord
Jesus to be meant, and that because the prophet
speaketh in the singular number, both in the parable
and in the exposition of it. He saith not vines or
plants, but a vine or 2^fetnt ; and the man of Judah,
not the men of Judah. Others understand thereby
the best and choicest persons amongst that people,
especially them of the house of Judah — as David,
Solomon, and the rest — whom God had chosen and
endued with an excellent measure of his Spirit, for
rule and government; and others understand it more
largely for the whole body of that people, the stems
and branches of Abraham, Isaac, Jacols, those hon-
ourable plants.
By toiver, some understand their prophets, priests,
and princes, whom the Lord gave unto them, to
watch — as out of a tower — over them for their good.
Others would have us understand thereby Jerusalem,
that great metropolitan city of the Jews ; and others,
the temple which was built therein.
By winepress that was therein, some do under-
stand the doctrine of the prophets — their exhorta-
tions and reprehensions, whereby they did labour
to bring the people to repentance ; others, passions
and afflictions, which the Lord laid upon them for
their sins. And others understand thereby the
altar in the temple, upon which they did ofler up
their sacrifices and oblations. Thus we see the
diversity of opinions concerning these particulars,
and the variety of paths wherein our interpreters
walk, so that it is bo easy matter to take the right ;
yet, amongst all, I had rather follow them who, by this
fruitful hill, understand the land of Canaan, for of it the
Scripture thus speaketh : ' The land, whither you go to
possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh
water of the rain of heaven : a land which the Lord
thy God careth for': the eyes of the Lord thy God
are always upon it, from the beginning of the year
even unto the end of the year. A good land and
large, flowing with milk and honey,' Deut xi. 9,
11, 12.
Hy fhice, or hedge, his mighty protection, whereby
he defended and preserved his people from all their
enemies. This was that hedge which the Lord made
about Job, and about his house, and about all that
he had on every side, Job i. 9 ; and this hedge did
the Lord promise to make about Jerusalem, so that
none 'should hurt it, Zech. ii. 5. Of which fence
read at large, Ps. xc.
By stones, the Canaanites and Hittites, of whom
David thus speaketh : ' Thou didst drive out the
heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; thou
didst afflict the people, and cast them out,' Ps. xliv.
2 ; of which stones, say some,'' John Baptist speaketh
when he telleth the Jews — bragging they had Abra-
ham to their father — that ' God is able of these stones
to raise np children unto Abraham,' Mat. iii. 9. But
that I deliver not for doctrine.
By choice 2^lant, the seed of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
the men of Israel and Judah, as appears ver. 7 ; one
number there being put for another, the singular for
the plural, a thing usual in Scripture. And thus we
read: Ps. Ixxx. 8-12, 'Thou hast brought a vine
out of Egypt ; thou hast cast out the heathen, and
planted it. Thou preparedst room before it, and
didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the
land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it,
and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.
She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her
* Alplions. Salai. in parab. vinese, Mat. xxi.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH Y. 1-7.
branches unto tlie river.' And elsewhere thus : ' I
had planted thee a noble vme, wholly a right seed :
how. then, art thou turned into the degenerate plant
of a -strange vine unto me?' Jer. ii. 21; in both
which places the people of Israel are meant.
By toivcr, the glorious temple that was in Jerusa-
lem, that stately edifice or building. According to
that of the prophet, ' He built his sanctuary like
high palaces, like the earth which he hath estab-
lished for ever,' Ps. Ixxviii. 69. And so it is termed
elsewhere, ' a tower of the tlock, the stronghold of
the daughter of Zion,' Jlicah iv. 8.
By ivinepress, the ministry of the prophets, and
the discipline of the church, whereby the fruits of
true repentance were pi'essed forth ; and they caused
to bring fruits of new obedience to the glory of God,
and their own souls' good.
And this is the sense, amongst all the former, I
approve and fasten on, as judging it to be the best
and least dangerous, it being consonant to other
scriptures, as I have before shewed. However, I
intend not to dwell on it, nor largely to insist on
every one of these particulars, but will content my-
self with pointing at some general observations, aris-
ing most naturally and clearly, when I come to the
handling of them. Now for the parts.
In this song or poem there is considerable : first,
A parable, ver. 1-7 ; -secondly, The application of it,
ver. 7.
The parable is briefly propounded, ver. 1, and then
more largely prosecuted from the second verse unto
the seventh.
In the proposition of it, we have — 1. The vinitor ;
2. And his vineyard, generally to speak of.
J/y well-beloved liath a vineyard. By wdl-heloved
he meaneth God himself, as before we have seen ;
and by rineyard he meaneth the church visible, as in
the application, ver. 7, we may see. By which simili-
tude the nature and condition of the church is usually
set forth in Scripture, and by none more, Ps. Ixxx.
8; Jer. ii. 21 ; Mat. xxi. ; John xv. 1. For indeed
there is no earthly thing that doth better resemble it
than a vineyard doth, as will appear if we compare
the one with the other, either in general or more
special respects. And first, more generally,
1. A vineyard, we know, is a plane severed and
liedged in from the open champaign or common. It
doth not of itself spring up or naturally grow, but it
is planted by hand and art, and so it is made a vine-
yard. And thus the church is called and separated
from the rest of the world both in life and conversa-
tion, and is gathered by the word. ' Thou art an
holy people unto the Lord thy God,' saith Moses ;
' and he hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people
unto himself above all nations that are upon the
earth,' Deut. xiv. 2. And again, ' I am the Lord
your God, which have separated you from other
people,' Lev. xx. 24-26. This is that Solomon
saith, ' A garden enclosed is my sister,' whereby he
understands the church, ' my spouse : a spring
shut up, a fountain sealed,' Cant. iv. 12. And this
our Saviour telleth his disciples, ' Ye are not of the
world : I have chosen you out of the world,' John
XV. 19. Thus we see God hath taken it in out of
the vast wilderness of this wretched world, and hath
imparked it with the pales of his mercy, and sepa-
rated it from all other grounds whatsoever, to be a
vineyard for himself.
2. Secondly, A vineyard requires great pains and
diligence after it is once planted, and stands in need
of daily husbanding and dressing ; no field more.
And thus the church of God requires daily looking
to ; there must be pruning, propping, weeding, ston-
ing, and continual watering by the preaching of the
word, else all will run to ruin. And therefore, when
our blessed Saviour ascended up on high, ' he gave
some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and
some evangelists, and some pastors, and others teach-
er.s,' Eph. iv. 11, 12; and all was to husband his
church, that it might be brought unto perfeation, to
which it cannot very suddenly be brought. The hard-
ness of our hearts, the flintiness of our affections, and
the stinking weeds of wickedness, are not at one in-
stant, but by degrees removed. Should, then, the
husbanding of it be neglected, it would soon decay,
and the estate of the church would prove worse than
the estate of a no-church.
3. A vineyard, of any other field, is most subject
to be wasted by wild beasts, and lieth open to the
prey of many kinds of spoils, and that in regard of
its pleasant shadow and sweet fruit. So the church
of God, of all other places and societies, is exposed to
greatest dangers. The old fox and his young cubs
study to destroy the vines, and lay this vineyard
waste, Cant. ii. 15. It is like ' a lily amongst
thorns,' chap. ii. 2, assaulted on the one side by un-
believers, and on the other side by misbelievers ; on
the right hand by the contentious oppositions of
sehismatics, and on the left hand by the blasphemous
propositions of heretics ; openly wronged by cruel
tyrants, secretly wronged by backbiting hypocrites.
These ' break in pieces thy people, 0 Lord, and afflict
thine heritage,' Ps. xciv. 5. Would any man take
the church's picture ? Then let him, saith Luther,"
paint a silly poor maid, .sitting in a wood or wilder-
ness, compassed about on every side with hungry
lions, wolves, boars, and bears, and with all manner
of cruel and hurtful beasts, and in the midst of a
great many furious men, assaulting her every moment
and minute : for this is her condition in the world.
And what is the cause of this her trouble and mo-
* Loc. com. tit. de persec. verre eccl.
32
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
lestation? ' ^Tiat hatli the righteous done?' Ps.
xi. 3. Surely godliness and grace is that which
breeds the quarrel. Aristides must be banished out
of Athens because he is just, and Christians must be
thrown to tlie lions because they are Christians.
Justus quia Justus, Christianus quia Christianus.
' The dragon is wroth with the woman, and makes
war with^the remnant of her seed;' mark now the
reason, 'because they kept the commandments, of
God, and had the testimony of Jesus Christ,' Rev.
xii. 17.
4. A vineyard, of any other possession, is most
dear to him that holds it, that he will not part withal
on any terms. ' The Lord forbid it me,' said Naboth
to Ahab, ' that I should give the inheritance of my
fathers unto thee,' 1 Kings xxi. 3. Thus is the
church more dear and precious to the Lord than all
other societies in the world. ' He loveth the gates
of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob,' Ps.
Ixxxvii. 2. ' It is precious in his sight. He will
give men and people tor her life,' Isa. xliii. 4. It is
' a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a
royal diadem in the hand of her God,' Isa. Ixii. 3.
Hence it is called ' the beauty of the earth,' the
' standard of the nations,' ' the holy city,' ' a city
whose walls and gates are of precious stones, and the
streets of gold,' ' the rose of the field,' ' the lily of
the valleys,' ' the fairest amongst women,' ' an or-
chard of pomegranates,' 'a' fountain of gardens,'_ 'a
well of springing waters,' Isa. xlii. 22 ; Mat. iv. ;
Eev. xxi. 2, 19; Cant. ii. 1, and iv. 13, 15. And
being compared with other societies, 'as a lily amongst
thorns,' and ' like the apple-tree amongst the trees of
the forest,' chap. ii. 2, 3. So then, by all these com-
parisons, it is evident that there is no society in the
world so excellent, none so worthy, none so amiable,
none so lovely, none so dear, none so precious unto
the Lord, as is his church.
And thus, in general, we have seen what excellent
proportion and cougruity there is between them, and
how lively by a vineyard the nature and condition
of the church visible is set forth. Now, more par-
ticularly, if we compare the church and the vine itself
together, we shall find the resemblances manifold,
either in respect of the root, or of the branches, or of
the bark, or of the wood, or of the leaves, or of the
fruit, there being no property in the one which is not,
in a sort, answered in the other.
1. For the root. That we know sendeth sap to
every stem and branch, whereby they flourish and
bring forth fruit ; and unless they continue in the
root they can never thrive nor prosper, for thence it
is whence they have their moisture —
' Qui Tiret in foliis Tenit "b, radicibus humor.'
Thus the church, and every true member of it, re-
ceiveth the life and sap of grace from Jesus Christ,
who is the root, and into whom the multitude of true
believers are engrafted, whereby they grow and bring
forth fruit to God. So that unless they continue in
him, they cannot prosper, but must needs fade and
wither, according to our Saviour's speech : ' As the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in
the vine ; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I
am the vine, ye are the branches : he that abideth
in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much
fruit : for without me ye can do nothing. If a man
abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered ; and men gathfer them up, and cast them
into the fire, and they are burned,' John xv. 4—6.
2. In the branches there is great resemblance
divers ways.
(1.) There are many branches in the root, yet all
make but one vine ; so all the faithful in the con-
gregation, and all the congregations of the faithful in
the whole world, make but one only church. And
albeit there are ' threescore queens, and fourscore con-
cubines, and virgins without number,' Cant. vi. 8, 9,
yet, saith Solomon, speaking in the person of Christ,
' my dove, my undefiled, is but one.' And so wit-
nesseth St Paul, ' Now are they many members, yet
but one body,' 1 Cor. xii. 20. One, as sucking sap
from one and the same root, living by one and the
same Spirit, Eph. iv. 4, and ruled by one and the
same head, Clirist, blessed for ever. But of this
more hereafter.
(2.) All the branches of a vine, though they seem
to stand alike in the stock, are not alike fruitful,
neither do they all draw sap and moisture from the
root ; for as some are fruitful and flourish, so some
again are barren and wither, which are cut off, and
cast into the fire. Thus is it in the church visible ;
all the members thereof are not alike incorporated
into the root through the invisible bonds of the Spirit,
neither do they bring forth fruit in him, John xv.
Some there are who are only externally engrafted ;
others there are who are also internally. The former
sort are such members of the church visible who by
external baptism have given their names to Christ,
and so entered into the profession, yet indeed are
not Christ's, because they have not the Spirit of
Christ ; for though they are baptized with water, yet
they are not with the Holy Ghost. They have John's
baptism, but not Christ's baptism. This kind of
sacramental engrafting will sufl'er a cutting off, John
XV. 2, because they have not the sap of grace minis-
tered unto them from the stock of life, but are as
dead trees and branches. The other sort are they
who, besides the outward engrafting, are also in-
wardly engrafted by the Holy Ghost into the stock,
Christ Jesus, and do live in him, and grow in him,
and bring forth fruit to the praise of his name.
1
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
33
Notwithstanding both these sorts, as they communi-
cate together in the outward bonds of one profession,
as they visibly continue together like one visible body
upon that one root, Christ Jesus, on whom they all
outwardly profess that they depend, as on the foun-
tain of their sap and life, so they both together make
this visible vineyard and church on earth.
(3.) There is no branch of any tree that exceedeth
it in growing and spreading forth itself ; in one
week, yea, night, how exceedingly is it shot ! * So
the true members of the church exceed all others in
growth, in grace ; they are still spreading forth their
branches, growing from one degree of grace unto
another. They are all for addition and multiplication,
nothing for division or subtraction, except in evil.
They sing the song of degrees, f ' adding to faith,
virtue ; and to virtue, knowledge ; and to knowledge,
temperance ; and to temperance, patience ; and to
patience, godliness ; and to godliness, brotherly kind-
ness ; and to brotherly kindness, charity,' 2 Pet. i. 5.
They be not like the old moon in the wane, but like
the new, ever in her increasings.
(4.) The branches of the vine grow the better for
their pruning, and not the worse ; bringing forth,
after it is cut, more and better grapes, not worse nor
fewer. Thus the church, and true members of the
church, the more they be afflicted the more they
flourish ; as the people of Israel under Pharaoh's
tyranny, the more they were oppressed, the more they
multiplied and grew, Exod. i. 2. Thus the church of
God ever riseth in its ruin, prospereth in its persecu-
tion. The blood of martyrs is but the seed of it. Sanguis
maiiyrum est semen ecclesice, and the chopping oft' their
heads but as the pruning of this vine. And as .Joseph
said, so may every true Christian say, ' The Lord
hath made me fruitful in the land of my aftliction.'
Their ' tribulation worketh patience ; and patience,
experience ; and experience, hope : and that maketh
not ashamed,' Eom. v. 4, 5. And thus for the resem-
blance in the branches.
3. Now in the bark or rind let us compare them.
We see that the bark of the vine seemeth more
withered and dry than the rind or bark of any other
tree whatever ; yet it hath plenty of sap and abun-
dance of moisture under it. Thus the church of
God seems black and deformed outwardly to the
world's eye, which only beholdeth and judgeth the
rind, by reason of the scorching heat of persecution ;
yet she is inwardly glorious and beautiful, for there
the invisible graces of faith, fear, hope, love, patience,
holiness, are hid. This shews the psalmist, ' The
king's daughter is all glorious within,' Ps. xlv. 13 ;
and the church maketh this confession of herself, ' I
am black, but comely, 0 ye daughters of Jerusalem,
* Sine modo crescunt. — Pliny.
t Virtutes Christianse sunt copulativae.
as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon,'
Cant. i. 5, 6. And this is the cause that her
mother's children look upon her, and are angry with
her.
4. In the wood, let us see what likeness we can
find.
(1.) That we know is the weakest and feeblest
wood of any other. The trees of the forest are strong
and tali, but the vine so weak that it cannot bear up
itself without a stay or prop. Thus the church, of
any society, is least able to help itself, it cannot stand
against a storm without the prop of God's protection,
by reason of her natural weakness. It is a weak
tent in itself, not fortified with any walls, Isa. xxxiii.
A small flock of sheep very impotent and feeble,
Zeph. iii. 12. A humble and poor people, yea, a
very worm, for so the Lord calleth her ; ' Fear not,
thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel : I will help
thee, saith the Lord,' Isa. xli. 14 : ver. 10, ' Fear thou
not ; for I am with thee : be not dismayed ; for I am
thy God : I will strengthen thee ; yea, I will help
thee ; yea, I will uphold thee,' &c. Thus God's
strength is made perfect in the church's weakness, 2
Cor. xii. 9 ; by his power is it sustained, on her be-
loved she is fain to lean, coming out of the wilder-
ness of this worid, Cant. viii. 6. The altar of the
sanctuary, which at the base had lions of brass for
supporters of it, we may well think was a type of this.
(2.) Secondly, Unless it bear grapes it is the unpro-
fitablest wood of any ; ' Son of man,' saith God to
Ezekiel, ' what is the vine-tree more than any tree, or
than a branch which is amongst the trees of the
forest ? Shall wood be taken thereof to do any
work ? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel
thereon ? Behold, when it was whole, it was meet
for no work,' &o., Ezek. xv. 2, 3. Thus the wood of
this plant is meet for no use; being cut down or taken
from the root, it is only fit fuel for the fire. This is
the condition likewise of all barren and fruitless pro-
fessors, they are good for nothing but to be fuel of
God's wrath. But of this hereafter.
5. In the leaves likewise the resemblance is ex-
cellent.
(1.) The leaves of the vine are good for shadow,
Hosea iv. 13 ; everything delights in the heat of sum-
mer to harbour under their shade. And thus, how-
ever the church and members of the church are
persecuted and afflicted by the wicked, and well
cudgelled, as fruit trees are in summer, yet in the
day of trouble their shadow is good ; tlien can the
wicked run to them for shelter. Thus Pharaoh and
his courtiers in the evil day can send for Moses and
Aaron, and desire them to pray unto the Lord that
there be no more mighty thunders and hail, &c.,
Exod. ix. 27. So Saul, in foul weather, runs to
David, 1 Sam. xxiv. 21 ; and Jeroboam to the man
34
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
of God, 1 Kings xiii. 6 ; Belshazzar to Daniel, chap.
V. 12, 13; Zedekiah to Jeremiah, chap, xxxvii. 3;
the fooHsh virgins to the wise, Mat. xxv. 8. These,
besides many more that might be reclvoned, have
found the best harbouring to be under their shade,
and that no leaves could so well keep off a storm of
vengeance as these leaves could. Themistocles, though
he were banished in peace, yet he was sent for home
in war. And so the godly, though they be passed
over in the days of pride, yet when the showers of
God's wrath shall fall, then they and their shadow shall
be more regarded.
(2.) The leaves of the vine are good for medicine ;
they are very profitable and of excellent use for heal-
ing wounds, cleansing sores, if they be taken and
applied. ' The fruit thereof shall be for meat,' saith
Ezekiel, speaking of the church, ' and the leaf thereof
for medicine,' Ezek. xlvii. 12. Thus the very outward
profession of a Christian, the very leaves and outward
carriage of the godly, is for medicinal use ; hereby
many have been healed, thousands have been won to
a love and liking of the truth, 1 Pet. ii. 12. Thus
Lucianus, an ancient martyr, persuaded many Gen-
tiles unto the faith by his grave countenance and
modest disposition, insomuch that, as it is recorded,
Maximinus, that persecuting emperor, durst not look
him in the face for fear he should turn Christian.
And so mention is made by Beda* of one Albane,
who, receiving a poor persecuted Christian into his
house, and seeing his holy devotion and sweet car-
riage, was so much affected with the same, as that he
became an earnest professor of the faith, and in the
end a glorious martyr for the faith. And so their
words, they have a healing quality with them if tliey
were applied— they tend to the ' edification' and
' feeding of many,' and ' minister grace unto the
hearers,' as the apostle speaketh, Eph. iv. 29 ; Prov.
X. 21 ; Col. iv. 6. ' The mouth of the righteous will
speak of wisdom,' saith David, Ps. xxxvii. 30, and
his tongue talketli of judgment. They are sometimes
persuading, sometimes instructing, sometimes admon-
ishing, sometimes comforting, other whiles praying,
all tending to the healing of wounded and distressed
consciences. And thus in this we see a good agree-
ment.
6. Now, lastly, for their fruits. And first for the
quantity, then for the quality of it. (1.) The vine,
we know, beareth first plenty of fruit ; it beareth in
bunches and clusters many grapes together. So the
church ' aboundeth in good works,' 1 Cor. xv. 58 ;
being ' filled with the fruits of righteousness,' as the
apostle speaketh to the Philippians, chap. i. 11;
' bringing forth much fruit,' as our Saviour testifieth
of his disciples, John xv. 5 ; ' Full of mercy and
good works, without partiality and without hypocrisy,'
* Eng. Hist., lib. i. c.-^p. 7.
as St James saitli, James iii. 17, 18, which fruit of
righteousness, as he further speaketh, ' is sown in
peace of them that make peace.' Thus they bring
forth grapes in clusters, united in the bond of peace
and love.
(2.) The vine beareth pleasant fruit. No fruit
more delectable to the taste than is the grape, nor
more comfortable to the heart than is the wine made
of the grape. ' Should I leave my wine, which cheer-
etli God and man?' saith the vine to other trees in
the parable, Judges ix. 13. And so the fruit of
Christians. How do their works of love and mercy
refresh the bowels of the saints distressed, brethren
afflicted ! How do their fruits of justice and equity
ease and reheve the oppressed soul ! How is God
glorified, .John xv. 8, angels and men rejoiced, by the
fruitfulness of these trees of righteousness ! whenas
the fruit of other trees and plants is but bitter fruit,
fruit unto death, as the apostle speaketh, Eom. vii. 21.
In divers other particulars the comparison might
be followed ; but I desire not to be more curious than
profitable. By this tliat hath been said we cannot
but see the aptness of the similitude. Now to some
profitable ob.servations. And first, something may
be noted in general, in that the prophet vrseth a par-
able or similitude, and that from a vine or vineyard,
a thing earthly and temporal, whereby he doth set
out the estate and nature of the church, together
witli God's care and cost for the welfare of the church,
things heavenly and spiritual.
Doct. As, first. It is lawful to malce reiemhlances
and likenesses between corporal and spiritual, earthly
and heavenly things, for our better instntction.
The prophets and apostles, and Christ himself, that
chief shepherd of the sheep, have used thus to teach.
For proof read these places, amongst multitudes that
might be brought, Ps. xcii. 12 ; Mat. xiii. 3, 24, 31,
33,' 44, 45, 47; Luke xiii. 6, 15, 18.
Use. Let ministers wisely and soberly use this their
liberty in teaching, for the edification of their hearers,
whom, if they be of the weaker sort, let them not
trouble with profound matters which they are not
able to understand, but let us be content to use plain
similitudes and home-bred comparisons, fetched from
leaven, from the meal tub, or other domestical busi-
ness ; knowing therein we do no other than Jesus
Christ, our great doctor and master, himself did. "We
are called nurses, 1 Thes. Li. Now, nurses are not
ashamed, nay, they rather delight in it, to condescend
to the balbutient infancy of their nurselings. And
so let us; becoming, in this sense, barbarians unto
barbarians. Thus learned Austin, as himself speaketh,
chose rather to speak barbarously than finely, and to
use the barbarous word ossitm in his exposition, rather
than the word os, though he allow it in the text, and
so reads it, because, though it were not so grammati-
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
35
cal, yet it was the more intelligible word, and lie
desired liis people's profit above his own credit;*
holding it better that the learned should reprove him,
than that the ignorant should not understand him.
So, then, let us preach, not as we are able to speak,
but as our people are able to hear, Mark iv. 33 ; John
xvi. 12, and as they can bear ; remembering still that
we must rather seek to make our people scholars,
than to shew ourselves scholars unto our people.
Now in using of parables, similitudes, allegories,
&c., these rules, as I have elsewhere t shewed, are to
be followed :
1. That they be not far-fetched, but fitting for the
matter in hand.
2. That they be borrowed from things well known
and easy to be conceived.
3. That we still have a care of the majesty of
Scripture, avoifUng all ridiculous and base stuff.
4. That we use them rather for instructing of life
than for proving any point of faith.
6. That we turn not all into allegories, to the de-
stroying of the letter, which was Origen's fault.
6. That they be quickly despatched, and not too
much insisted on.
Use 2. Let hearers learn not to despise their minis-
ters for their plainness, but, if any, themselves for their
childishness, who must be tlius lisped to. Seek not
so much to have thy ear tickled as thy understanding
enlightened. The painful bee passeth by roses and
violets, and sits upon thyme; so shouldest thou rather
choose to feed on plain and wholesome doctrine, though
hot and biting, than on the quu-ks and flowers of
man's invention. In a word, learn evermore to judge
that sermon best, though plain, whereby thou under-
standest most. And so much for this first point. Now
hear a second :
Doct. There is no earthly thing which may not he
applied to some special use for our edification in grace.
Things earthly may put us in mind of things heavenly,
things natural of spiritual.
What is there in this world that hath any being
but may read to man a divinity lecture? From the
highest angel to the lowest worm, all teach us some-
what. Tlie sun, moon, stars, are good schoolmasters :
' When I behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained ;
what is man,' say I then, ' that thou art mindful of
him, or the son of man that thou so visitest him ?' Ps.
viii. 3, 4. Thus ' The heavens preach the glory of
God, and the firmament sheweth his handiwork,' Ps.
xix. 1 : So the fowls of the heavens, ' The stork
knoweth her ajipointed times, and the turtle, and the
* Habeo in abscontfito quoddam ossum. Sic enim potius
loquamur. Melius est ut reprehendant nos grammatici, quam
non intelligant populi. — Aug. in Ps. cxxxviii.
tSee my Exposition on tlieParahleoftlie Prodigal, pp. 13,14.
crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their
coming,' Jer. viii. 7. These may teach us to know
the day of our visitation and the judgment of the
Lord. The beasts of the field likewise may instruct
us : ' The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his
master's crib,' Isa. i. 2. By them may Israel
be schooled and learn obedience. Yea, of the little
ant or emmet may man be taught providence : ' Go
to the ant, thou sluggard ; consider her ways, and be
wise : which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, pro-
videth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food
in the harvest,' Prov. vi. 6. And as the creatures, so may
every action and ordinary occasion be applied to good
purpose. The husbandman breaking up his ground
teacheth us the necessity of repentance, and calleth
upon us for the ' breaking up of the fallow ground
of our hearts,' Jer. xiv. 4. His ' casting in his seed,'
and sowing of his field, sheweth us the nature of the
word, the necessity and utility of the same, Mat. xiii.
3. The corn dying and fructifying preacheth to us
that article of our faith, the resurrection of the body,
1 Cor. XV. 37. The beholding of tares and weeds in
the field, may instruct us of the state and condition
of the church militant. Mat. xiii. 25. The merchant
searching for pearls, and paying dearly for that of
price, should remember us of a far more precious
pearl, ver. 45 : the gospel of the kingdom, which we
should highly rate, and sell all to buy. Children's
asking for bread or meat at their father's hands, and
the father's readiness to give them what they ask,
may teach us our duties towards God, and set forth
the readiness of God's love to us. Mat. vii. 9, 10.
Servants waiting upon their masters, and maids at-
tending upon their mistresses, should teach us to wait
upon the Lord our God until he have mercy on us,
Ps. cxxiii. 2. Thus God's wisdom is in this kind
remarkable ; directing us, by all things that may run
into our senses, to raise us furtherances in spiritual
things. Yea, not only things lawful, but we shall
find likewise that things sinful and unlawful afford re-
semblances to admonish of duty. The employment of
our gifts to the glory of the bestower we have pressed
by resemblance of the usurer's cursed courses, Mat.
XXV. 27. Wisdom to provide for everlasting taber-
nacles, by liberality to the poor saints, is taught us by
the unjust policy of the deceitful steward, Luke xvi. 8, 9.
Watchfulness for the sudden coming of Christ, by the
unexpected coming of a thief to his prey. Mat. xxiv. 43.
In a word, there was nothing which our Saviour could
hear, or see, or do, but he made spiritual use of it, and
took occasion thereby to administer heavenly instruc-
tions unto his followers. Thus we have seen this
truth proved, now let us hear it further applied.
Use 1. This may serve for our humiliation, seeing
that by our sin and apostasy we are degraded beneath
the beasts and become their scholars. Our father
36
EOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
Adam was made lord of the creatures, and by the
knowledge wlierewitli God endued him he knew the
Lord and the creature also. At one court he imposed
names to them all according to their kinds, as know-
ing them better, in their nature and virtue, than they
did themselves, Gen. ii. 19, 20. The knowledge
which he had of God led him to this knowledge of
the creature, and it was not by the creature that he
learned the knowledge of the Creator. But by sin,
man falling away from God, he hath so far de-
generated from his own kind as that he is now be-
come inferior unto them, and they, as Balaam's ass,
Num. xxii. 28, can teach theu' master. To the school
of the creature is man now sent, and put back, like an
idle truant, to his A B C, to learn the glory, good-
ness, and providence of the Creator, by looking upon
it ; neither are we able to learn so much as the crea-
ture can teach us when we ply our lesson hardest.
Consider we how far the creature doth excel man ;
and that not only in natural faculties, as the ape in
tasting, the spider in touching, the lynx in seeing,
the boar in hearing, the vulture in smelling," &o.,
wherein we come not nigh them ; nor yet only in
natural gifts and qualities of the body, as the horse
in strength, the roe in swiftness, the lion in courage,
&c., wherein we are not able to compare with them ;
but also they far excel us in many virtues, as the
dove in simplicity, the stork in kindness, the dog in
fidelity, the ox and the ass iu thankfulness and obe-
dience ; in all which we come far short, and wherein
they may become our tutors. Not to speak of the
spider, which, say some, taught man first to weave ;
nor of the eagle, which, say others, taught man first
to build ; nor of that same Egyptian bird ibis, which,
as others hold, gave knowledge to physicians how to
use the glister, for these are but conjectures. We
have seen enougli to humble us, yea, even the proudest
of us, seeing in many good things tliey now excel us,
though, indeed, in vice and evil Ave excel them all,
being by our sin become more cruel than the wolf,
more crafty than the fox, more envious than the ser-
pent, more venomous than the adder, more proud
than the peacock ; yea, all vices which are but several
in beasts, are mustered and trooped together in us.
And this is our natural condition.
Use 2. It may serve likewise for reprehension, in
that we have such empty hearts and heads, when in
every corner we have so many teachers to inform us
and instruct us. The jilea of ignorance is a common
plea, and goeth for current : Alas! sir, we are ignorant
and not book-learned, we want teachers, &c. ; and
this is the strongest pillar and prop that many have.
But how is this possible ? Doth not the great book
of the creatures, termed aptly by some the Shepherd's
* Nos aper auditu praicellit, aranea tnctu, Yiiltiii- odoratu,
lynx visu simia gnstu.
Kalendar and Ploughman's AljAabet, lie open, iti
which even the most ignorant may run and read.*
Do not the heavens, and those celestial orbs that are
placed therein, plainly catechise thee in the first ele-
ments of religion, and teach thee that there is a God,
and that this God is but one ; and that this one God
excelleth all other things both in might and majesty,
and that he will be worshipped, &c., Rom. i. 20.
And, indeed, the whole world is nothing else but
God expressed.! Can men, then, plead ignorance ?
' Ask now the beasts,' saith Job, chap. xii. 7, 8, ' and
they shall teach thee ; and the fowls of the air, and
they shall tell thee : or speak to the earth, and it
shall teach thee, and the fishes of the sea shall de-
clare unto thee.' Look above thy head, below thy
feet, on thy right hand, and on thy left hand ; all
thou seest would enforce thee, if thou hadst a heart
to learn. The rudest rustic hath his horse and
plough, his earth and seed, to instruct him in his
duty. All which leave not God without witness,
Rom. i. 20-28, leave men without excuse, as they
did the Gentiles, who, because they knew not God
according to those means, neither honoured they him
according to that natural knowledge gotten by those
means, were given up to vile sms and grievous pun-
ishments. Oh, then, that we were as ready to learn
good lessons as these kind of tutors are to teach us
them, how much better should we be than now we
are ! They will learn when they are corrected, but
man waxeth worse and worse when he is reproved,
Isa. i. 5. We lay load upon an ass, saith Bernard,
and he careth not, because he is an ass ; but if you
offer to thrust him down some steep hill, or to drive
him into the fire, he holdeth back, and shuns it all
he can, because he loveth life and feareth death : I
whereas wretched man, more blockish and senseless
than the very ass, more brutish than the brutishest
of beasts, bath no fear nor dread of that which will
be his eternal bane, and bring everlasting damnation
upon him. And if such as do not further then- sal-
vation by the creatures are justly to be taxed, then
much more cause have we to condemn such as hasten
their perdition by them, using, or rather abusing, them
to excess and riot, eating to gluttony, drinking to
drunkenness, spending their wealth to the mainten-
ance of pride and wantonness. Surely the damna-
tion of such sleeps not.
Use 3. A third use is for instruction, that we so
use and behold things earthly, as that thereout we
draw some heavenly lesson : for there is a double use
* Du Bartas, 1 day, 1 week. Hab. ii. 2.
t Universus mundus nihil aliud est quam Deus explicatus.
— Cusan.
X Oneramus asinum, et non curat, quia asinus est. At si
in ignem impellere, si in foveam praecipitare velis, cavet quan-
tum potest, quia vitam amat et mortem timet. — Bern, de
I divas., 12.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
37
of every creature ; tlie one is natural, tlie other spiri-
tual. If we content ourselves with the natural use
without the spiritual, we do not take the one-half of
that comfort in the creature which God gave it for.
And indeed what do we more than the brute beast,
which hath a carnal and natural use of the creature
as well as we ? Let us, then, no longer be Uke chil-
dren, who look upon the pictures and babies in
their books, and gaze upon the gilded leaves and
cover, never looking to their lesson which they should
learn therein ; but let us do as travellers in a foreign
country, make everything we see a good instruction,
and every action a stirrup to heavenly meditation,
translating the book of nature into the use of grace;
■\vhich, unless we do, how can we comfortably thank
God for the use of his creatures ? they being by us but
abused when they are half lost : yea, God is wronged,
and our own souls most of all injured, when the crea-
tures are so neglected. And therefore now at length,
for better late than never, learn to pick your bones
cleaner, and suck more sweetness out of the creatures
than heretofore you have done.
My v;e(lheloved. We see, then, who was the vinitor
or husbandman, and he was no other than this well-
beloved, God himself. So, then, the point is evident.
Doct. God is the husbandman of his church ; he it
is that husbands it, — ' I the Lord do keep it, I will
water it every moment,' saith God, ' lest any hurt it ;
I will keep it night and day,' Is. xxvii. 3. And so
St Paul calleth the church of Corinth, that they were
' God's tillage or husbandry,' 1 Cor. iii. 9. This our
blessed Saviour doth there intimate when he saith,
' Every plant that my Father hath not planted shall
be rooted up,' Mat. xv. 3 ; and elsewhere, in plain
terms, avouch, ' I am the true vine, and my Father
is the husbandman,' John xv. 1. Thus the point is
proved ; and yet, that it may be further cleared, a
question would be answered, for some may demand
whether God's ministers are not husbandmen ; are
not they to set, sow, plant, pluck up, and to dress
this vineyard? Jer. i. 10 ; Luke xiii. 7. How then
can God be said to be the husbandman thereof ?
I answer, God is the principal, they are but subor-
dinate and inferior, being called of him and set a-work
by him ; they are not ' lords of the heritage of God,'
1 Pet. V. 3, but servants and under-workmen, being
taken in as ' labourers,' 1 Cor. iii. 9, who, when the
even is come, shall from this lord of the vineyard
receive then- hire. Mat. xx. 8. God is the chief Lord
and owner ; he directs and rules the other, and pros-
pers their work as it pleaseth him ; so then the for-
mer point still remains good, God is the husband-
man of his church.
Use 1. Now here methinks I have a good occasion
to speak something in commendation of this vocation
of husbandry, seeuig God singleth out this calling to
set forth his own care and pains by ; what exception
can be taken against it when God himself so highly
honours it ? Mercers, goldsmiths, jewellers, and others
of the like rank, are not so often mentioned in scrip-
tures as these are, neither doth God so much credit
them, in so often resembling himself unto them. And
yet, alas ! how is this profession disdained ! and how
are such contemned as hinds and clowns, &c., who
are professors of it ! And what man almost so mean
but he scorns to be of it, or put his child unto it !
And yet God himself assigned it to Adam, Gen. ii. 8 ;
and Adam made a choice of it for his eldest son, Gen.
iv. 2. Surely it is righteous with God, as one* saith
well, that tillage is so much decayed when it is no
more regarded, and that there should be so much
daily detracted from the employment of men, because
there are so few men that are willing to be employed
in it. But I am loath to step too far out of my way
to salute a friend.
Use 2. This point sets forth unto us the excellent
privilege and prerogative of the church ; forasmuch
as it hath such a keeper and dresser as the Lord him-
self is, to watch over it and husband it ; this is the
church's royalty, and who can compare with her
herein ? Neither is this prerogative merely titular,
but very commodious and profitable ; for he is not
non-resident upon his garden, but he dwelleth in it
to preserve and guard it by his power, Cant viii. 13.
Great was God's care for Israel's safety, as !Moses
sheweth, Deut. xxxiL 10-12; for he 'led him about, he
instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
As an eagle stirreth up the nest, tluttereth over her
young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them,
beareth them on her wings ; so the Lord alone did
lead him.' But the ground of all was, ' The Lords
portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheri-
tance.' How blessed a thing then is it to be within
the hedge and pale of God's church ! For then we
see God becomes our husbandman ; he protects us
and defends us from all evils and dangers, and pro-
vides for us whatsoever shall be needful, as hereafter
we shall see more largely and particularly.
Use 3. And secondly, hence we may have a ground
of trial whether we be true members of the church
of God or no. We may thus know it ; if God's hus-
bandry appeareth in our souls. And for this pur-
pose hear a parable, Prov. xxiv. 30, 31, ' I went by the
field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man
void of understanding: and, lo, it was all grown over
with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof,
and the stone wall thereof was broken down.' Thy
heart is this field ; examine now what grows in it :
' Do thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle in-
stead of barley ?' as Job speaketh, chap. xxxi. 40. Do
the thorns and nettles of hard-heartechiess and hypo-
* Dod on Prov. xii. 11.
3S
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
crisy, pride and blasphemy, profaueness and impiety;
doth beastly drunkenness, filthy whoring and unclean-
ness, chambering and wantonness, or the hke to these,
cover the face thereof ? why then be thou assured
an ill husbandman owns this ground ; it is the envious
man, the devil, that sows these seeds, and husbands
such plats as these. But, on the contrary, is the fal-
low ground of thy heart turned up, and is the stoni-
ness thereof taken away ? Are those brambles and
briars, noisome lusts and strong corruptions, which
formerly grew therein, now vi'eeded up and cast out ?
and art thou fenced in with good purposes and reso-
lutions for time to come ? and doth this wall stand
firm and sure ? Why then assure thyself thou art one
of God's chosen closes ; a true member of that church
whereof he is the husbandman, for he husbands it,
and only it ; and in that his tillage and husbandry is
so effectual in thee, questionless thou art not only in it,
as many are, but of it, as few are. Stick this as a
nosegay in thy bosom.
Use 3. Thirdly, This may admonish every one that
lives in the church, and profess themselves to be
members of the church, patiently to suffer themselves
to be husbanded by the Lord, enduring all things with
much meekness and quietness, which he in his wisdom
hath ordained to break us up withal, and to make ns
fair and fruitful. The earth we see is cut and wounded
with shares and coulters, and therefore called earth*
yet is patient to sufi'er it, and returns fruit to
those that ploughed it. Let earth teach earth ;
Terra quani terimiis, the earth we tear, may instruct
terrain quam gerimus, the earth we bear, this lesson of
contentedness. And let none think it is better to
have their hearts lie waste than to be thus broken up,
for a barren waste is a woeful and cursed estate, and
there can be no comfort in it. Doth God then come
unto thee himself with his pruning-hook in his hand,
and cut thee near, yea, so near that in thy sense and
judgment there is no hope of ever after flourishing?
Well, yet be content ; for thus deals the vinitor with
the most generous plant. He oftentimes prunes it so
close, as that in sense and reason it were utterly dead
and clean killed ; yet it revives again, and after this
is more richly laden than ever it was before. And so
albeit 'no chastisement seemeth joyous for the present
but grievous ; yet it afterwards bringeth with it the
pleasant fruit of righteousness,' Heb. xii. IL Or
doth he send his deputies the propliets to thee with
the plough and harrow of the law, to break up that
heathy ground of thy heart, and turn up the weeds
of sin by the very roots, that they may never more
revive ? Why, then, subject yourselves to be directed
by their care and pains without repining, remembering
still your hearts as of themselves will never yield any
other fruit than weeds, or grass at the best ; needs,
* Terra quia tcritur.
then, must they be accursed, if you refuse to have
them by these husbanded that they may grow fruitful.
Use 4. Lastly, This may serve for a direction to us,
to whom to go and make complaint when the vineyard
is wasted, or in any way annoyed by the boar of the
forest, or wild beasts of the field. Make God ac-
quainted with it, and tell the vine-dressers, God's
ministers, thereof, and will them tell their Master,
that he may take some order for his vineyard's
safety. Yea, dost thou or any other member of the
church need husbanding ? Then go to God and tell
him of the barrenness of thy heart, and with a holy
boldness urge him with his care and pains. Say thus,
or in this manner, to him : Ah, Lord, how barren is
my soul of what is good ! How fruitful it is in what
is bad and naught ! What ignorance, pride, sense-
lessness, security, grows there, where knowledge,
humility, zeal, patience, and other such like graces
ought to grow ! Now since thou hast taken the
charge upon thee to be the husbandman of thy church
and people, husband thou this heart of mine, and be
mmdful of me, 0 my God. Let it not be thought an
ill husband owes it, or one that is negligent and sloth-
ful in his business ; but let thy care appear in dress-
ing of it, that the fruits of all heavenly graces may
abundantly spring forth and grow, to the praise and
glory of thy name.
And so much of the husbandman; a word or two of
his possession.
Hath a vineyard. This vineyard is the church, as
we have seen before, together with the reasons of the
similitude. The observation is,
Doct. The church is God's heritage. For the further
proof thus we read, ' Destroy not thy people and thine
inheritance which thou hast redeemed. Yet they are
thy people and thine inheritance which thou broughtest
out,' Dent. ix. 2G, 20 ; ' The Lord's portion is his
people ; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance,' Deut.
xxxii. 9 ; ' The Lord hath anointed thee to be captain
of his inheritance,' said Samuel to Saul, 1 Sam. x. 1 ;
' They have driven me this day from abiding in the
inheritance of the Lord,' saith David, 1 Sam. xxvi.
19;' Why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of
the Lord?' said that same wise woman unto Joab
when he battered the walls of Abel, 2 Sam. xx. 19 ;
' Remember thy congregation which thou hast pur-
chased of old, the rod of thine inheritance, this mount
Sion wherein thou hast dwelt,' saith the psalmist, Ps.
Ixxiv. 2 ; and again, ' Save thy people, and bless
thine inheritance ; feed them also, and lift them up
for ever,' Ps. xxviii. 9. ' Yea, the Lord of hosts shall
bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Israel
my inheritance,' Isa. xix. 25.*
* Eead Ps. xxxiii. 12, Ixxviii. 70, Ixxix. 1, 13, xciv. 5,
and cvi. 5, 40 ; Isa. xlvii. 6 ; Jcr. ii. 7, iii. 19, aad xii. 7 ;
1 Peter v. a.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
39
Use 1. Now for use. Let us hence take notice
whence it is that the devil doth so molest the church,
and see the reason why the wicked do so afflict her.
It is not so properly for their own sake as for the
owner's. They malign and spite it because God doth
countenance and grace it, as being the lord and pos-
sessor of it. An envious man we know will mischief
the brute beast of him he bears a spleen unto, and
will not stick to wrong his very dog, and all to
despite the owner. Dost thou then persecute the
church, or any member of the church? The more
wretch thou ; for, let me tell thee, thy hate is not
originally and properly to thera — pretend what thou
wilt pretend — but to God himself, whose inheritance
they are.
Use 2. And, secondly, seeing the church is God's
inheritance and peculiar possession, let none that
profess themselves to be of the church give them-
selves from him to any other ; but let us live to him
and die to him, for whose use we are enclosed. ' Ye
are not your own, therefore glorify God in your souls_
and bodies,' saitli the apostle, 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20, 'for
they are his.' If bis, then not the world's, nor the
flesh's, nor the devil's. Why, then, do we suffer
these, or any of these, to sow tares and corrupt seed
in God's closures ? Why do we endure the plants of
vrickeduess to be set in his field ? And why do we
bring forth fruit unto ourselves or any other, rather
than unto him ? Eemember whose thou art, or at
leastwise dost profess thyself to be, and be no longer
for the weeds of sin, nor for voluptuous pleasures to
feed on, as bullocks do on pasture land ; but be thou
God's garden of sweet flowers, his vineyard of fruitful
grapes, and bring all unto him for first-fruits and
tenths, that thou mayest be his blessed land and pos-
session for evermore.
Use 3. Lastly, This may assure us for our comfort,
that, seeing we are his heritage, he will not easily
leave us nor forsake us, if we bring forth fruit unto
him. Naboth could not be drawn to part with the
inheritance of his fathers, though Ahab made him
never so large proff'ers for it, 1 Kings xxi. 2, 3 ; and
much less will God, who gave it for a law and ordi-
nance that none should sell away their inheritance
for ever, Lev. xxv. 25 ; but if, in case that any of
his people had sold away any part thereof, then he or
his kin should redeem it again, if they were able ;
and in case of inability, that which was sold should
remain in the hand of him that bought it until the
year of jubilee, in which year it should go out, and
then every man should return again unto his own
possession. Surely he that made this law will be
mindful of it, and will not easily be driven to give
over his own inheritance which he hath chosen. And
if in case, for the barrenness thereof, he should for-
sake it for a time, as he did this people Israel, yet it
would be but for a time, and not perpetual : in the
end he will return again unto his own. And thus
much briefly for this point.
Now further, in that the propliet speaketh in the
present tense, 'My beloved hath a vineyard.' Albeit
the whole church of Israel and Judah was at this
time so generally corrupted, as that from the crown
of the head to the sole of the foot there was nothing
found but wounds, swellings, and sores full of cor-
ruption, as he had before testified, chap. i. 5, we do
observe that —
Boct. Albeit a church be corni2}ted with error and
idolatri/, i/et it is still to be accounted God's church till
he hath divorced and forsaken her.
Thus, in the days of Eli, Israel was called God's
people, 1 Sam. ii. 24, 29 ; and so his church, albeit
they were not then separated from all false ways, and
Eh's sons, sons of Belial, saith the text, who knew
not the Lord, remained amongst them. So Moses
calleth Israel God's people, when he was upon the
mount ; and yet at that time they were in the very
act of their idolatry, which was not unknown to
Moses ; for God himself informed him thereof, Exod.
xxxii. IL So in this our prophet's time, albeit this
people were sunk deep in rebellion and idolatry, yet
for all that God himself doth call them his people :
' Israel doth not know,' — ' My people doth not con-
sider,' Isa. i. 21, 22, 29, ii. 6, 8, and Ixv. 11, i. 3. Turn
we our eyes from the estate of the church in these
times to after-times, as it was under the' gospel, and
we shall see the truth of the point propounded.
Look upon Jerusalem in our Saviour Christ's time.
Mat. xxiii. 37, and we shall see the eleven tribes Avere
become apostates, and the church amongst them was
wonderfully corrupted both in doctrine and manners,
as appeareth by our Saviour Christ's severe reproof
of both. Mat. v. 21 ; yea, the temple itself was almost
become a den of thieves, full of buyers and sellers,
.John ii. 14 : yet at this time it was the true church
of God, else the evangelist would never have called it
'the holy city,' Mat. iv. 5, and xxvii. 53. In St
Paul's time, the Corinthians were called the church
of God, 1 Cor. i. 1, 2, and yet at that very instant
some of them were in a heresy, others in incest, and
other some that had not repented of their filthiness,
chap. V. 1 ; 2 Cor. xii. 20, 21. Such was the estate
of the churches of Asia, Eev. ii. and iii., yet the
title of true churches were given to them.
Use 1. Those, therefore, that condemn the Churc'i
of England for a no-church, and make a separation
from it in regard of the errors and corruptions that
are in it, are far from the spirit of Christ, and the
prophets and apostles, who never made any schisma-
tical and bodily separation from any true church for
the corruptions, though gross, that were therein
found. I deny not but blemishes are in every church
40
ROGERS OX ISAIAH V. 1-7.
— for what church ever hreathed in so pure an air as
that it might not justly complain of some thick and
unwholesome evaporations of error and sin ? — but
because our mother wants some beauty, hath she lost
her face ? Because she is black, hath she no comeli-
ness at all ? What is it they charge us with but
with corruptions?*— for fundamental error they can
discover none. Now, do corruptions in a man make
a false man, or a corrupt man ? So that, though
they make the worst they can of our church, they
can make it but a corrupt church, and not a false
church. We have the true word of God preached,
the true sacraments of Christ Jesus administered,
which all divines f in all the reformed churches in
Clu'istendom, which now are or have been, do hold to
be the infallible tokens of a true church, and are reci-
procally converted with the true church. We main-
tain every point of the most ancient creeds, we over-
throw not the foundation by any consequence, and
as yet we have not received a bill of divorcement.
As for discipline, the want whereof they charge us
with, our church is not destitute of it altogether.
I would we had the execution of so much as our
church alloweth. Neither do we deny but therein
there may be some defects and wants, as appears
by those words in the Book of Common Prayer,!
' until the said discipline may be restored.' But
doth it follow hereupon, that because discipline is
wanting the church is fading, and that the infirmity
of the one maketh a nullity of the other? That
this is necessarj' for the well-being of a church I
grant ; that it is necessary to the essence and being
of a church I utterly deny ; neither will they ever
be able to prove it by evidence of God's word.
The church of the Jews thus saith of the church
of the Gentiles, — ' If she be a wall, we will build
upon her a palace of silver ; and if she be a door,
we will enclose her with boards of cedar,' Cant. viii.
9. She calleth her a sister, because she had a wall,
though not of silver, and a door, though not of
cedar. So is our church a sister to all reformed
churches, though she may have some spots in ex-
ternal matters. And our hope is, that her wall
shall be made more costly and silver-like, and her
door of cedar, in God's good time. In the interim,
' Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together,
as the manner of some is ; but exhort one another,
and so much the more, as you see the day approach-
ing,' Heb. x. 25. Whom thou canst, amend ; whom
thou canst not, tolerate ; in any case, beware of
offering thy mother so great an injury as to fly from
* Sec a little book set forth by the Separatists of the con-
fession of their faith.
+ Bueer, Martyr, Fagius, Calvin, Beza, BuUinger, Zanchius,
Junius, Kollocli.
:J. In the Comminalior.
her. Say she were poor, ragged, w-eak ; say she were
deformed, yet she is not infectious. Or if she were,
yet she is thine, which should be motive enough for
thee to pity her, to pray for her, to labour for her
redress, not to avoid her.
Quest. Before "I end this point, some haply may
demand, what may be thought of the Church of
Rome ? whether is it to be accounted God's church,
it being so corrupted with idolatry as it is ?
Ans. For answer whereto, a distinction must be
made. Errors and corruptions in a church are of
two sorts, either such as concern manners, or such as
concern doctrine. As for corruption in manners,
the}' make not no church, but a bad church ; and,
therefore, in respect of them, they are not to be for-
saken by us, neither to be accounted of, as no church
of God. For corruptions in doctrines, they are either
such as are citra fioidamentum, besides the founda-
tion, and these trouble — or circa futidamentum, about
the foundation — and these shake; or contra fundanun-
tum, against the foundation — and these overturn all.
The two former are weakening errors, and do not
debar them from being the true church of God,
being but the building of hay and stubble on the
foundation, 1 Cor. iii. 12 ; the stubble burnt, (I meait
not in their fire of purgatory,) their souls may be
saved. The latter are destroying errors, and in these
consideration must be had, whether a church erreth
of weakness or of malice. If it be of weakness,
then are we not peremptorily to conclude against
such a church ; for St Paul writes to the Galatians
as a church of God, though they were perverted to
another doctrine, embracing a fundamental error of
justification by works. Gal. i. 2. But if it be of
malice or affected ignorance, like ' Jannes and Jam-
bres that withstood Moses, resisting the truth,' 2
Tim. iii. 8, then doth such a church cease to be a
church ; neither is it any longer to be reputed as a
church. Thus the Church of Eome doth wilfully
and obstinately destroy the foundation itself, and
therefore may be concluded for no church of God.
And so much briefly for the answer to the question,
with which answer we end this point, and come unto
another.
The prophet doth not only speak in the present
tense, liath, but he also speaketh in the singular
number, vineyard, not vineyards; and thence we
note, —
Doct. The church and vineyard of God is hut one.
There are, indeed, ' threescore queens, and fourscore
concubines, and virgins without number : ' but ' my
dove, my undefiled is but one : she is the only one
of her mother,' Cant. vi. 8. Thus testifleth St Paul,
' As the body is one, and hath many members, and
all the memlsers of that one body, being many, are
one body ; so also is Chri.«t,' that is, the church, 1
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
41
Cor. xii. 12. Hitherto, likewise, tends that saying of
our blessed Saviour, ' Other sheep I have, which are
TiOt of this fold : them also must I bring, and they
shall hear my voice ; and there shall be one fold, and
one shepherd,' John x. 16.
True it is, this one church may have many parts ;
as the ocean sea is but one, yet distinguished accord-
ing to the regions upon which it lies. And so there
is the German Ocean, the Spanish Ocean, the
English Ocean, the Irish Ocean, and the like. And
thus there is a church in Geneva, a church in
France, a church in Scotland, a church in England,
and yet but one mUitant church upon the earth.
Reason. For as a kingdom divided into many
shires, and more towns and villages, is called one-,
because it hath one and the same king, one and
the same law, so the church is one, because it liveth
by one and the same Spirit, and is ruled by one and
the same Lord, and jjrofesseth one and the same
faith ; hath one and the same hope, and hath been
baptized with one and the same baptism, as St Paul,
writing to the Ephesians, declareth, chap. iv. 4, 5 ;
and not one as tied to any one place, much less to
any one person, as the popish antichristian crew,
who, though they have nothing in their mouths
so much as, Tlie church, the church — and therein,
like oyster wives, do outcry us — yet exceedingly
infringe the liberties of the church, for all of
tliem have made the catholic church to be nothing
else but the Eoman church, and some* of them
have made the Eoman church to be notliing else
but the pope : and this is their oiig. But now for
use.
Use. This unity or oneness of God's vineyard should
teach us all unity and concord that profess ourselves
to be of this viue3'ard ; and as in the natural body
there is a perpetual sympathy between all the parts,
so ought there to be in this body mystical. ' If
one member suffer, all should suffer with it ; if one
member be had in honour, all should rejoice thereat,'
1 Cor. xii. 26. ' The eye must not say to the hand,
I have no need of thee ; nor the head, again, unto
the feet, I have no need of you ; ' but every member
ought to be helpful to its fellow-members, and wil-
lingly yield to every one that which belougeth to
them; and, according to that of St Peter, 'As every
man hath received the gift, even so minister the same
one unto another, as good stewards of the manifold
grace of God,' 1 Peter iv. 10. For as the incolumity
of the body depends upon the concord of the parts
in the mutual performance of their duties, so the
welfare of the church, when we thus shew ourselves
to be members one of another ; and therefore, as
God hath called us, so let us walk, whether we
* HarvEeus de Potest. Papse, cap. 23. See B. Jewel's
Defence of Apolog., fol. 610.
be magistrates, ministers, or others. Art thou a
magistrate ? Then thou, as the head, shouldest rule
and govern wisely. Woe be to the body when the
head is frenzy, drunken, idle, or the like. See
thou be not so ; but, as the head doth hear and see,
taste and smell, for the good of tlie inferior members,
so shouldest thou in that place wherein God hath set
thee. Art thou a minister? Then, as the heart,
thou shouldest be the fountain of life and vital
spirits. Doctri^ie, like dew, should distil from thy
lips. Little joy have the other members when the
heart is sick or heavy. Art thou in meaner place ?
— a tradesman, husbandman, or the Uke. Then as
the foot, see thou be sound and serviceable, beinc
ready to go or run for the least good that may betide
the body. And that unity and love may the better
be continued and maintained, let these evils be
avoided :
_ First, Envy or repining at the gifts of others— a
sin too common, and yet unnatural; for doth the
foot envy at the head because it is preferred before
it, as more honourable ? Or is it discontented be-
cause it is clad in leather, when, it may be, there is a
chain of gold about the neck, or a precious stone
upon the finger? Each member is apparelled and
decked with such ornaments and vestures as are
most seemly for it. A garter is unseemly about
the neck, and so is a chain about the leg. A foul
fault, then, it must needs be to envy any in higher
place for that credit, honour, and respect which they
have above us.
Secondly, Arrogancy and highmindedness for any
gift that is in us above our brethren. The eye is
honoured with that necessary and noble sense of
seeing, and so is the ear with that worthy and need-
ful sense of hearing ; and the nose is preferred before
them both, in that profitable and useful sense of
smelling. Thus he that taketh place before all in
some things must be content to give place and come
behind others in some things else. Let tliis cause
thee to contemn none that are inferior to thyself
in show.
Thirdhj, Curiosity, or busy meddhng with things
belonging not unto us. The eye meddles not with
hearing, nor the ear with seeing, nor the foot with
either of them both ; but each member knows its
own office, and that it looks to. So arrogate not to
thyself anything out of thy own calling, but contain
thyself within thy own bounds and hmits. If a mote
should fall into the eye, were the foot a fit member
to be thrust into the eye to pluck it out ? No ; for,
though the foot be sensible of the trouble, yet it leaves
the helping of it to the hand. It is neither fit nor
comely for the people to meddle with the office of
magistrates, chrecting them how to govern, nor with
the calling of mmisters, teaching them how to preach.
42
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
And therefore let all take the apostle's counsel, and
' study to he quiet, meddling with our own business,'
leaving other things to whom they do concern, 1
Thes.lv. 11.
Use 2. For a second use, Is the church but one ?
Then woe to such as are authors or favourers of any
division or separation, and so break the unity of the
church. Such sin grievously, as St Paul sheweth,
writing to the Corinthians, and avoucheth that such
are carnal, and walk as men, 1 Cor. iii. 3. What
answer will Brownists and Separatists make to God
at the last day ? Oh they were wicked magistrates,
ungodly ministers ! &c. But if the head ache, doth
the foot refuse to bear it ? or if the eye be blemished,
doth the rest of the members disdain it or contemn
it, or whilst it remaineth in the body, refuse to have
fellowship with it, and renounce their own part in
the body because of it ? Methinks this being well
considered must needs convince them. But of these
before.
Hitherto I have been in the proposition of the
parable. The prosecution, explication, or narration
of it followeth now to be handled, which beginneth
at the latter end of the first verse, and continueth to
the end of the sixth.
Wherein we have laid down to be considered — first.
The vineyard's plantation, in the latter part of the
first and in the second verses ; secondly, The sup-
plantation thereof, in the four next.
In the first of these we have two things to entreat
of; as, first, Of the vinitor's great pains and cost
which he bestowed upon it ; and, secondly. Of his
just expectation which he made to receive fruit from
it.
His pains, cost, and care for this his vineyard's
good, appears in six sundry particulars : —
First, In the situation of it ; for it grew, 1. Upon a
hill; 2. Upon a very fruitful hill, ' In an horn of the sou
of oil,' for so the words are, by which Hebraism is set
forth the fatness and fruitfulness of the place ; for by
a horn is noted strength, power, and height usually
in Scripture, 2 Sam. xxii. 3 ; Ps. Ixxv. 4, 5 ; Luke i.
69 ; and by oil, fatness and plenty, Job xxix. 6 ; and
by the son of oil is meant that which cometh of
the oil, and is of it, a phrase usual amongst the
Hebrews. And so we read of the ' son of days ; ' of
the ' son of death ; ' of the ' son of plenty,' and the
like. By this phrase then is noted thus much, that
they were excellently seated, both for pleasure and
profit ; * and in so fruitful a place, as if it had been
the son of oil, and born of it. -
Secondly, In the protection of it ; for he fenced and
enclosed it in strongly, that it might not be wasted
nor any way annoyed.
Thirdly, In the elapidation or cleansing of it ; cast-
* Muscul., in loc.
ing out the stones, and preparing of the soil by purg-
ing it from all noisome things.
Fourthly, In the election or choosing of choice and
noblest plants, such as were of the best kinds to set
it Avith.
Fifthly, In the fortification and further strengthen-
ing it : for he built a tower in the midst thereof for
the preservation of it.
Sixthly and lastly, In the erection and setting up a
winepress in it, as being desirous to supply all things
that might be useful for it, so that by all these he
testified that his care for its good was very great.
Before I come to speak of these particulars in general,
observe we —
Doct. God is no ivay loanting or defective in any one
point of good husbandry towards his church and vine-
yard.
Is anything wanting in it ? that he supplies. Is
anything hurtful in it ? that he removes. Is any
violence offered to it ? that he withstands. No
husbandman shall so labour his ground as God will
do it.
And thus doth God speak of himself, professing
his provident care for the good of it : ' In that day
sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. I the
Lord do keep it ; I will water it every moment : lest
any hurt it, I will keep it night and day,' Isa. xxvii.
2, 3.* Where, by watering of it, he comprehends
whatsoever belongs to the dressing and manuring
of it ; so that no duty shall be left unperformed
whereby the good thereof might be procured. And
unto this he addeth vigilancy ; for what would it
avail to husband a vine with great pains and labour,
if afterwards it should be left open for thieves and
beasts to enter in and waste it at their pleasures ?
Therefore he promiseth withal that he will keep it so
that no hurt shall be done unto it, but the fruits
shall have time to ri]ien, so that afterwards they may
be reaped in their season. So our Saviour, having
compared his Father to a husbandman, sets out his
great care in trimming and dressing of his vine, by
taking away those branches which were barren, and
purging those which were fruitful, so that they might
become more fruitful, omitting no part of his skill,
neither to the one or other, John xv. 2. The like
care is shewed in that parable propounded by our
Saviour of the fruitless fig-tree, Luke xiii. 8 ; and in
that which the apostle propounds of the good and
bad soil, in both which the great and constant pains
of this husbandman is declared, Heb. vi. 7.
lieas. 1. And no wonder; for, first, God loves his
vineyard dearly, as hath been before shewed. Now
we see that field which a man takes most pleasure
in, he takes most pains about. No man will bestow
such cost and labour upon a tenement he holds but
* Calv. and Muse., in loc.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
43
from year to year, as lie will upon his o^vn inherit-
ance. This may be one reason why he so husbands
it, to make it pleasant and fruitful, because his love
is set upon it, and his delight is in it.
Seas. 2. Secondly, The church's fructifying is
God's glorifying, as our Saviour telleth his disciples,
' Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much
fruit,' John xv. 8; Mat. v. 16. For look, as it tends
to that husbandman's praise, whose fields exceed the
fields of other men in fruitful crops ; so we, being
God's vineyard, set and planted by his right hand,
do then commend his husbandry, and set forth his
praise, when we are laden with the fruits of right-
eousness, as the apostle sheweth, Phil. i. 11. No
wonder, then, if God be so diligent in his husbanding
of his church, seeing the fruitfulness of the church
brings praise and honour to his name ; which is the
main end he proposeth to himself in all his actions,
as hath been before proved.
Use 1. And is God so careful a husbandman of
his church ? Hath he so provident a care for the
good of it, as that if anything be wanting, he su)jplies
it ; or if anything be hurtful in it, he removes it ?
Then may all wicked ones hence take out a lesson, to
their grief and terror. For woe to them wlio are in
the church of God but as thorns and briars, hurtful
and noxious to the lilies, Cant. ii. 2. God is a
better husbandman than to sufi'er these for ever. A
day will come when he will view his field, and stub
up all winding and wounding briars, all renting and
rankling thorns that fetch away the clothes, yea,
skin and tlesh too, from off the lambs of Christ, with
then- entanglements. It may be God may sutler
these for a while, as he did the Canaanites in Israel,
lest the wild beasts should break in upon them ; and,
as a wise husbandman, permits such to lie in the
hedge for a year or two, and makes them ser-
viceable for the stopping of a gap, or some such
purpose ; but in the end, when they are sear and
rotten in their sins, then he wUl have them to the
tire ; for that is their portion.
Use 2. Secondly, It should admonish all to look
unto their growth, that it be good and kindly. If
the roots of trees run too deep into the earth, they
must be cut off shorter ; if the branches of a vine
spread too far, they must be pruned nearer ; and if
the canker once eat into, or cleave unto our trees we
set, we burn them, smoke them, or the like. And
so if we be too much rooted by our affections in
things below, or suffer them to spread abroad too far,
or let the canker of sin to eat into our souls, be we
what we will be, God will give us many a cutting,
pruning, smoking, that if it be possible we may be
brought into better case.
Use 3. Thirdly, This may comfort such as are ever-
more bewaiUng their little growth in grace. Mar-
vellous defective they are in virtues of all kinds, as in
faith, meekness, patience, thankfulness, heavenly-
mindedness, and the Hke ; and albeit they have some
good desires and unfeigned purposes and resolutions to
bring forth fruit to God, yet withal they find such
strong corruptions in themselves, as pride, vain-
glory, worldliuess, lust, passion, revengefulness, with
such like, as that they be even out of hope, and
know not what to judge of their own estate, but fear
they belong not unto God, because they are no better
husbanded. Now let me speak a word to the souls
of these, and let my words be to them as ' the rain
to the new-mown grass,' Deut. xxxii. 2. Dost thou
not see the husbandman suffer his gi'ound to lie as
though he had foi'saken it ; and for a time to endure
to have weeds and thistles grow thereon, even when
he hath a purpose to break it up with his plough,
and bestow much cost thereon ? — yea, and after he
hath turned it up, to let it lie, as if he were aweary
of his pains ; when notwithstanding he comes with
his plough again, and gives it another tilt or two,
and then sows his seed, being all the while before
but a-preparing of the soil for the receiving of it.
The like is God's dealing with his dearest servants.
He many times suffers them to bring forth the weeds
of sin, and to lie in their wickedness for a time, as
we see in David, Peter, and some others, as if he
had cast them off; but it is for no other end but to
mellow their hard hearts by humiliation and godly
sorrow, and to teach them to distaste their pride,
and not to trust to their own strength hereafter.
But, notwithstanding, in due season he doth return,
restore, and lift* them up again. And therefore wait
thou a while. Is thy heart hard and stony ? Why,
in his due time he will mollify and mellow it, and
make it fit for the seed of grace, by bringing down all
high hills of presumption, and making deep and
long furrows of mortification in it. Hath he be.gun
to scatter the seeds of grace within thy soul ? Why,
then, he will follow thee, and so husband the least
drachm thereof, be it but a grain of mustard seed. Mat.
xiii. 31, 32, as that it shall shoot up to ripeness, and
become as a mighty tree, so that the birds of the air
shall come and lodge in the branches of it. And
forasmuch as thy heart is as apt to bring forth sin
upon the least temptation, as the best and fattest
ground is to bring forth weeds upon the sweetest
April shower, God will daily look unto thee ; and no
sooner shall a weed peep out, but he will with his
weeding hook have it up; nor a superfluous twig
sprout forth, but lie will with his pruning knife cut
it off". According to that which our Saviour teacheth,
' Every branch that bringeth forth fruit, he purgeth,
that it may bring forth more fruit,' John xv. 2.
And therefore discourage not thyself; for thy soul is
the field, not of the sluggard, but of a careful bus-
44
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
bandman, who will so follow thee, as that thou shalt
every day grow more fruitful in grace and goodness.
Use 4. And lastly, Hence let good ministers, who
are God's depiaties to husband this bis vineyard,
learn diligently to follow their vocation, omitting
no manner of pains that may tend to the fructifying
of the church, seeing God himself omits none. Let
us observe our times and seasons, and sometimes
plant, and at other times water, with exhortations,
persuasions, and the like; and as occasion serves,
let us sometimes prune with reprehensions, objurga-
tions, and, if need require, with the knife of discip-
line ; evermore being occupied about something that
may make for the good thereof ; remembering that
it is God's vineyard we labour in, and not man's;
and he is able to recompense the faithful, and punish
the unfaithful, which should make us to be the more
circumspect and laborious in our calling, taking heed
to what seed we sow, and to what plants we set.
Alas for such as are idle, negligent, and regardless of
the vineyard of the Lord, who, like harlots, so soon
as they be brought to bed, put forth their children
to other nurses,* that themselves might have the bet-
ter leisure to take their pleasure and satisfy their
lust. How will God allege his own example against
such for their conviction, and strike their ears with that
chiding and unpleasant voice, Away, thou disloyal
and unprofitable servant, into utter darkness ! _
This in general. Come we now to the particulars,
wherein this good husbandman shewed his great care
for his vineyard's good. In handhng of which I
would be loath to be found too curious. I con-
fess I am of theirt judgment who thuik it not so tit
to sift every branch too exquisitely or exactly; for
every string of a parable is not to be strained, nor too
curiously to be pressed, lest instead of milk we fetch
blood. TheoJogia sijmholica -non est argumentativa.
The principal scope' is especially to be regarded, be-
yond which nothing is to be urged. I intend there-
fore to gather from these branches such fruit as hang
lowest for my reach, and as will readily and naturally,
and as it were of its own accord, fall into our hands.
I hope I shall offend no reasonable hearer nor reader
in so doing.
The first particular wherein God commends his
love and care to this bis vineyard, is in the situation
of it. He chose for it such a place and plat as was,
first, commodious, for it was a hill, which place vines
love well, and best prosper on —
'Bacchus amat colles, Aquilonem et frigora sylva.'
Secondly, fertile and plenteous, for it was a very fruit-
ful hill, or the horn of the son of oil, by which He-
braism the fatness and fruitfulness of the place is set
* Damasc. Papa, epist. iv., dist. 78.
+ Calvin and Ursin, in loc.
forth, as we have seen before. Put both together,
and thence we learn,
Bocf. The fat of the eai-th is often given hy God to
Ms church and peo2)ie for their possession.
God often gives abundance of temporal good things
and earthly blessings to his own people, as well as to
the wicked ; and as David sheweth, he ' prepareth
a table for them even in the presence of their enemies,
and doth anoint their heads wiUi oil, and so fill their
ctip as that it runneth over,' Ps. xxiii. 5. A cloud of
witnesses might be brought to justify as much, both
out of the Old Testament and New. Out of the Old
these : Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Jacob, Job, David, So-
lomon, Hezekiab, Jehoshaphat, Josiah, besides others,
all good and rich. Gen. xiii. 7, and xxiv. 35 ; Job i.
1-3, and xxxi. 24, 25. Out of the New Testament
these : Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, an honour-
able counsellor, and he was a good man and just ;
Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and
Susanna, both disciples and followers of Christ, with
many others of all estates, Mat. xxvii. 57 ; Mark
XV. 43 ; Luke xxiii. 50, and viii. 3 ;' some rich, some
noble, some wise, some mighty and of great ac-
count, as the apostle sheweth, 1 Cor. i. 26. Agree-
able hereunto is that promise, that 'riches and trea-
sures shall be in his house that feareth the Lord,'
Ps. exii. 1, 3, and that prophecy, that ' the rich should
come to the people of God, ,and join with the church,'
Isa. Ix. 11.
Eeasons may be rendered, as these : first, that the
wicked might not altogether trample on them ; or,
secondly, say God could not enrich them. And
therefore God will give to some, that they may see
he could enrich all the rest if he saw good, and that
it would make for their good ; or, thirdly, that nei-
ther they nor theirs may stand to the wicked's find-
ing, who are hard-hearted, and would give them but
short allowance, if they were at their providing.
Use 1. This may serve, first, to restrain men from
rash censuring of the rich, as if wickedness were of
necessity bound to wealthiness, as heat is to the lire,
when we see a rich man may be a good man. Wealth
and wisdom may dwell together, righteousness and
riches may kiss each other. ' Ye cannot serve God
and mammon,' saith our Saviour, Mat. vi. 25. He
doth not say, as it is well observed,* Ye cannot have
God and mammon ; but. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon ; for he that is the servant of God must be the
master of his money, and so he may have both the
one and the other. Poor Lazarus indeed attained
unto everlasting life, and the rich glutton was tor-
mented ; but yet it was rich Abraham which did hold
poor Lazarus in his bosom. f And therefore conclude
we, it is not wealth, but vice that excludes out of
God's kingdom. A man may be wealthy and wise,
* Chrysost. Aret. in loc. t Aug. in Ps. ix, ser. 1, torn. 10.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
45
great and gracious. In heaven you may find such,
though they be rarities there.
Use 2. Secondly, This may teach us not to contemn
these outward things, but to esteem of them as good
blessings in themselves, and be tliankful for them
vi'hen we have them given us. ' Length of days is in
her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour,'
Prov. iii. 16. They are the gifts of God then, and
therefore good ; * indeed they are but gifts of the left
hand, and therefore not the chiefest good. They are
given to the good, tliat we may not undervalue them ;
and they are given to the bad, that we may not too
highly prize them.f It was then but a foolish part
of Crates, a man of great riches, and a philosopher at
Thebes, to cast his wealth into the sea, saying he
would destroy it lest it should destroy him, for neither
needed. And as great folly for friars, hermits, and
ancliorites, to vow and profess voluntary poverty
upon the like ground. I have seen a rotten log
yield as much sawdust as a piece of good timber,
and Jerome, espied a proud lieart under a monk's
cowl.J
Ohj. If any do object that our blessed Saviour call-
eth riches ' the mammon of unrighteousness,' Luke
xvi. 9, and ' thorns and snares ' to choke and catch
the soal, Mat. xiii. 22, they are to know that our
Saviour therein airaeth not at riches as they are in
their own nature, nor as they are used and possessed
by the faithful, but as they are abused by the wicked
unto sin, either in their unlawful getting or possess-
ing, and so they are as a sword in a madman's hand.
The abuse, and not themselves, is to be rejected. §
The second particular that manifests God's care is
his protecting of it in building a fence about it ; and
that teacheth us,
Doct. God's church and people are strongly fenced
in and protected from the rage and fury of their
enemies.
What the devil confesses of Job is true of all God's
people, ' Thou hast made a hedge about him, and about
his house, and about all that he hath on every side,' Job
i. 10. The truth of this I will endeavour to shew in
sundry particulars.
For, Jirst, The unreasonable creatures are as a hedge
and defence unto them. God many times sends
armies of them as a valiant garrison to defend his
Israel. Yea, the very waters shall be as a wall of
defence unto them, as well on their right hand as on
their left, Exod. xiv. 22. The cruellest of these
creatures God often makes both their friends and
patrons.
* Sunt Dei dona, ergo in se bona. — Aug. episi. 70 ad Bonif.
■f 'Se putentur mala, dantur et bonis ; ne putentur summa
bona, dantur et malis.
J Quid facit sub tunica pcenitentis regius animus? — llicr.
§ Crimen non est in rebus, sed in usu agentis.— Z/o-k.
Secondly, They are oftentimes fenced and protected
by the very wicked. Chaff and straw is good to pre-
serve the corn, though otherwise it be good for little
but to burn. Thus the cursed Canaanites shall remain a
while amongst the Israelites, as before was shewed, and
not be destroyed at once, but by litlle and little, as
God's people got more and more strength, that the wild
beasts of the field might not break in upon them or
molest them.
Thirdly, The godly as a holy army do rise up in
their defence to help them ; sometimes by making
apology for them ; other whiles by sending aid and
succour to them, and continually by their prayers
which they put up to God for their preservation and
safety.
Fourthly, The glorious angels that excel in strength
do pitch their tents about them, and keep them in
all their ways. These are the watchmen over the
walls of the new Jerusalem and of the mountains
about the same, Ps. ciii. 20, xsxiv. 7, and xci. 1 1 ;
Isa. Ixii.
And lastly. In all these, and above alU these, the
Lord himself is the defence and protection of his
people. He is unto them ' a wall of fire round about,'
Zech. ii. 5. He is their covert, their shadow, and
their place of refuge, Isa. iv. G. He is their rock,
their fortress, their strength, their buckler, their high
tower, and their deliverer, Ps. xviii. 2.
Reason. Desire we to know the reason why the
godly are so hedged about and so strongly fenced ?
then take it in a word. There is a near bond and
conjunction between God and them ; they are his
friends, they are his subjects, they are his servants,
they are his children, they are his spouse, yea, the
members of his own body, according to that saying,
' He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine
eye,' Zech. ii. 8.
Use 1. Which being so, let none think to prevail
against them or overcome them. True it is, the church
is a weak tent in itself ; and the godly are like a small
flock of sheep, for the most part very impotent and
feeble in regard of outward strength; when their ene-
mies are like raging lions ; and besides for multitude
very many, who use all then- wit and wealth, power
and strength that possibly they can use or devise, for
the raising and overthrowing of God's church and
people. Yet the flock of Christ still remains, and
ever shall remain ; all the power and policy of men
and devils shall never be able to subdue them. For
albeit we are harder assaulted, yet not any are better
protected ; their garrison is strong and mighty ; God
himself is their rock and fortress, their shield and
buckler, and until that be broken or smitten through,
they shall never be wounded. Let then all atheists,
papists, and all other, cease plotting and devising any-
thing which may be hurtful or pernicious to any of
4G
ROGERS ON ISAIAH T. 1-7.
God's cliildren; for if they do, let tliem be well assured
their labour will be in vain, Ps. ii. 1. And he is a
very fool that will attempt anything which he knows
for certainty will never come to good, but prove his
bane and ruin, as all their wicked plots and projects
will most assuredly in the end.
Use 2. Hence also ariseth much comfort to God's
people, for they are safe and sure under the wings of
the Almighty, they are strongly fenced about and
preserved with a continual guard. That which Elisha
and his man saw with bodily eyes, 2 Kings vi. 17,
every believer may be assured of by faith.
No monarch on the earth hath a stronger garrison
than the meanest Christian, neither is any man's safety
better provided for than is the godly man's ; so that
he may be bold and confident at all times, in all
places, and in the midst of the greatest dangers.
Whether he walk abroad or stay at home, whether
he be in company or alone, whether it be in the day
or in the night, whether he wake or sleep, he may
sing and say with David, ' I will fear no evil,' Ps.
xxiii. 4. Let the enemies of the church band them-
selves together against it to molest it, let Pharaoh
and his host pursue God's Israel ; God will suddenly
step forth and cause the cloudy pillar to remove be-
hind his people, and to be betwixt their enemies and
them, Exod. xiv. 19; as if God should say. Before
they touch thee they shall overcome me, 0 Israel.
Let us then go on as God commanded them, and
keep ourselves in our ways, and then fear nothing,
for God will fight for us, let us hold our peace,
ver. 14.
The third particular here mentioned is its elapi-
dation or cleansing, ' He gathered out the stones
thereof;' whereby is meant, as before was shewed, the
idolatrous heathen, Avhom God drove out before his
Israel, Ps. sliv. 2, that they might not hinder this
his vineyard's growth. Hence we infer,
Doct. It is not safe nor jyrofitahle for the cliurch to
sniffer tviclced idolaters, or other obstinate sinners, to
remain tvitkin the church. Of such God's vineyard
must be rid, and his church purged.
Will you hear in a few words what the Scriptures
say for confirmation hereof. It is commanded in the
law, that the false^prophet, [and seducing idolater,
whether he be brother, or son, or daughter, or wife,
or friend, should be taken away and slain without
mercy or pity, that all Israel may hear and see and
fear, and not dare to commit the hke,' Deut. xiii. I, et
seq. And again, ' There shall not be amongst you
man, nor woman, nor family, nor tribe, which shall
turn away his heart from the Lord our God, to go and
serve the gods of these nations,' Deut. xxix. 18. Be-
sides, it forbade sowing of the field with mingled seed,
Lev. six. 19; plougliing with an ox and an ass to-
gether, Deut. xxii. 10; the wearing of a garment of
divers things, as Unen and woollen mixed together.
Now these laws according to the letter seem ridi-
culous, saitli the gloss,* but the thing that God in-
tends hereby to shew is, that he cannot away with a
mixed religion. The church of Ephesus was com-
mended for hating the works of the Nicolaitanes, Rev.
ii. G ; but Pergamus was reproved for suffering them
that maintained the doctrine of Balaam, ver. 14 ; and
Thyatira blamed for suffering Jezebel to teach and
deceive God's servants, ver. 20. And why in Scripture
are idolaters called stumbling-blocks, snares, thorns,
traps, whips, and destruction, Joshua xxiii. 3 ; Judges
ii. 1, but because they prove so to the people amongst
whom they live ? Israel found them so ; and England
did no less in Queen Mary's days ; and France doth
so. For from whence spring these commotions,
tumults, horrible massacres, and bloody tragedies, but
from the diversity of religion amongst them ?
Eeaso7i 1. And indeed what agreement hath light
with darkness, or God with Belial ? The Lord can
never digest two contraries, though never so well
mixed or wisely tempered, in matters of religion, as
the church of Laodicea sheweth. Rev. iii. 16. Here-
upon zealous Elijah exhorteth the people after this
manner, ' If the Lord be God, follow him ; and if
Baal be God, go after him,' 1 Kings xviii. 21.
Reason 2. Besides, ' Do ye not know that a little
leaven leaveneth the whole lump ?' 1 Cor. v. 6. Sin,
therefore, being infectious, the sinner is not to be
tolerated in the assembly of the righteous.
Use 1. Take we occasion hence to magnify God's
name, who bath been so gracious to this his vineyard,
which his own right hand hath planted in this land,
as to cleanse it of all such stones as might any way
hinder the prosperity or flourishing estate of it. Our
streets are well swept and rid of that po])ish rubbish,
wherewith formerly they have been much annoyed.
Those dens of thieves are dispersed ; those buyers and
sellers of popish trash, monks, friars, mass-mongers,
and Jesuits, are whipt out of the temple, and driven
from amongst us. He hath pulled down that great
idol of the mass, with other idols that were set up to
be adored, and hath abolished the manifold heresies
and corruptions of false doctrine, and withal bath
blessed us with so religious and prudent a king as is
a constant ' defender of the faith,' and an open ad-
versary to superstition and idolatry. What shall we
now render to the Lord for all these testimonies and
tokens of his love towards us ? but take the cup of
salvation, and praise with tongue and heart the name
of God, acknowledging his goodness in delivering us
from the Romish bondage, labouring to bring forth
the fruits of the gospel, to the glory of his name and
our own endless salvation.
* Hjec ad literara videntur esse ridicula. — Ordiii. Gloss, in
Lcvit.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7
47
Use 2. This likewise serveth for the admonition,
1. Of ministers, whom God hath reposed such great
trust and confidence in, as to be tlie di-essers and
keepers of his vineyard ; that we be found faithful,
and, what lies in us, remove whatsoever may any way
annoy it. For which end, Christ hath not only com-
mitted unto us ' the sword of tlie Spirit, which is the
word of God,' Eph. vi., wherewith we may convince
gainsayers, Titus i., but also 'the keys of the king-
dom,' Mat. xvi. 19, that men, being convicted and not
converted nor reclaimed, they may be cast out and
expelled, either for a time, as the incestuous Corin-
thian was, 1 Cor. v. 5, or for ever, even unto the coming
of the Lord. Which kind of excommunication the
apostle calls Maran-atha, 1 Cor. xvi. 22, of JIara, the
Lord, and Atha, he cometh, n being interposed for
sound's sake. Which censure being so grievous as it
is, — for it is a delivering up to Satan, 1 Cor. v. 5, —
ought not to be inflicted rashly for every trifle, but
deliberately in matters of weight and moment, and
in such cases as expressly shut out of the kingdom of
heaven, such as those the apostle mentioneth, 1 Cor.
vi., because it is a declaration of that which is by God
done in heaven. In the execution whereof let all such
as it doth concern beware of filthy lucre, and faithfully
discharge what is committed to them, not suffering the
notoriously profane to remain within the church, lest
others be endangered and infected by their society; for
' their very words' — and much more their conversation
— 'creepeth and corrupteth as a gangrene,' 2 Tim. ii. 17.
2. Magistrates, who must second the word of infor-
mation with the rod of reformation,* and back the
ministers of the word by the use of the temporal
sword, which they must not bear for nought, but as
the ministers of God, take vengeance on them that
do evil. These are God's surrogates, and the preacher's
hopes, Eom. xiii. 4. Our words are thought air,
where their hands do not compel. Good laws are
made against the wicked and profane ; but what are
we the better for God's own laws without execution ?
If those who have the charge imposed, and the sword
put in their hands, stand hke the picture of St George,
with his hand up, yet never strike, it will fare full ill
with the vineyard of the Lord. Let it be their care
with David, ' early to destroy the wicked of the land,
and to cut off all wicked doers from the city of the
Lord,' Ps. ci. 8. ' Take us the foxes, the little foxes
that spoil the vines ; for our vines have tender grapes,'
Cant. ii. 15. Let neither young nor old be spared.
And of all other, let that Komlsh reynard and his
cubs, extravagant priests and Jesuits, with other ob-
stinate recusants, be hunted as most hurtful to our
vineyard.
For what think you of these positions f — (1.) Neigh-
* Verbum informans, virga reformans.
t Decret. Papal, apud Grat. cans. 15, Gloss.
hours, if heretics, meaning thereby protestants, may
lawfully be spoiled of their goods, though indeed it
were better, say they, to do it by the authority of the
judge.
(2.) It is lawful for parishioners to defraud protes-
tant ministers of their tithes, and of this, A'on est
duhium, say the}', there is no doubt to be made.*
(3.) Men are not bound to restore that which they
have received, or to satisfy their creditors, who are
tainted with heresy .f
(4.) A Catholic wife is not bound to give due bene-
volence to her husband, being a protestant.J
(5.) By the heresy of the father a child is freed from
his obechenee. So that, if a priest returning into
England findeth his father to be a protestant, he may
deny him to be his father, meaning that he is not
such a one as he ought to acknowledge for his father. §
(6.) That heretics may not be termed either children
or kindred ; but according to the old law, thy hand
must be upon them to spill their blood.||
(7.) That it is not lawful for Christians to tolerate
an heretical king : they may expel him, depose him,
yea, murder him. And this, they say, is agreeable
to the apostolic doctrine.^f
(8.) If war be once proclaimed by them against sec-
taries—that is, in their language, us jirotestants —
then it is lawful for any private man to take, spoil,
kill such sectaries, and burn their houses over their
heads.**
_ (9.) It is lawful for Catholic princes to make league
with protestants only for their own advantage; as,
for example, to despatch some businesses which
hinder them from faUing upon protestants with their
whole forces. ft
(10.) And that one may swear with equivocation
and mental reservation, is good positive divinity with
them.JJ
By these and the like positions, which they main-
tain, we plainly see how they chssolve all bands of
human fellowship, and strangle the vital spirits of
human society. Whether it be safe then to suffer
such, judge ye. Besides, as is their doctrine, such is
their practice, in deposing kings and emperors, prac-
tising hellish treasons, justifying the murdering of
princes, making leagues only for theii- own ends ;
breaking their promises, oaths, vows, at their plea-
sure. Can it then be well with the vineyard, if these
* Alanns Cardi. et Parsonus.
+ Simancha Epis. Pacens. Instit. Cath., tit. 46, sec. 73.
t Simanch. Instit. Gregor., 13.
§ Simancb. quo sup., tit. 46, see. 74, et Alan. Card.
II Apud Grat. gloss, in Decret, lib. v. ex Decret. Greg. 9,
Caus. 23, q. 8.
^ Bellar. lib. v. de Eom. Pontif., cap. 67 and 4.
** Simanch. Instit. C'athol., cap. 45, sec. 13.
tt Paulus Windebek in delib. de hteret. extirp., p. 414.
tJ Card. Tol., lib. iv., Instit. Sacerd., cap. 21.
48
EOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
foxes be at liberty ? Can it be well with the lambs
of Christ, if these wolves be suffered to range about ?
Can Israel enjoy the land of Canaan in quiet, if these
Canaanites be not subdued as servants to the con-
gregation, or subverted as enemies ? Let, therefore,
all such magistrates as tender the good of their king
and crown, land and state, do their best to watch and
catch these foxes ; lenity and mildness hath long
been used. Now, to use the words of a late worthy
prelate,* some justice with mercy would do well ;
some frosts with the fire that warms these snakes in
the bowels of our land ; some plucks at these thorns
and prickles in our eyes, the meantime, and will be
hereafter in our sides and hearts ; lest, if justice go
on to sleep, as it were, her dead sleep, the tares of
disloyalty, treasons, and seditions be so thick-sown
in the field of this kingdom by those envious ones,
the seedsmen of Eome, that it will be difficulty and
mastery afterwards to remove them.
3. And let all good Christians, of what estate or
degree soever, beware of having any inward society or
familiarity with idolaters, or other obstinate sinners
and offenders. It is worthy remembering how, when
the emperor Theodosius, senior, was desirous to con-
fer with Eunomius, the Arian bishop, his wife,
Placilla, the empress, very earnestly dissuaded him,
lest he, being perverted by his speeches, should begin
to like of his heresy. f And .surely there is more
danger of being infected by them than of doing good
upon them. Easier is it to draw a profane person
from hell gates than to remove an opinion from a
wilful mind. Let us all, with Jacob, cleanse and
purge our families of these and such-like baggage,
Gen. XXXV. 2, not suffering any ungodly person to
dwell with us, Ps. ci. We see how it is in the body ;
when nature hath any evil or unprofitable humours
that oppress the stomach, it is forced to cast them
out for the preservation of the health of other parts.
So should it be with us : if we perceive our families
to be endangered by obstinate and obdurate sinners,
it should vomit them out as raw and undigested
humours by timely ejection, lest the whole head wax
heavy, and the whole body sickly, and so the vital
parts languish. To conclude, let us all pray, and
pray heartily, for this vineyard in this land, as all
are directed by authority : | ' Lord, strengthen the
hands of our gracious king, the nobles, and magis-
trates of the land, that with judgment and justice
they may cut off and root out that Babylonish and
antichristian sect out of the confines and limits of
this kingdom, that they may never prevail against us,
nor triumph in the ruins of this church.' And with
* Dr King's Sermon at Whitehall, Nov. 5, 1G08.
+ Sozom., lib. vii. cap. 7.
J Prayers appointed for tlie 5th of Xoveinber, the first after
the second lesson.
our prayer let all protest with one joint voice to God
' Thou art my Lord, &c. ; their sorrows shall be mul-
tiplied that hasten after another god : their drink-
offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their
names into my lips,' Ps. xvi. 2, 4.
Now, in the next place, consider we of God's great
love to this his vineyard, in regard of the choice vine
wherewith he planted it. It was not of an ordinary,
but of the best and noblest kind ; which, whether it
be meant of all the seed of Abraham in general, as
some would have it, or of some of the choicest per-
sons of the house of Judah in particular — as of David,
Solomon, and other such godly kings — as some other
take it, yet this will follow : —
Doct. Tlie godly and their seed are the nohlest plants
and choirest persons. Such as are godly, such are
most excellent.
' My goodness,' saith David, ' extendeth not to
thee, but to the saints that are in the earth, and to
the excellent, in whom is all my delight,' Ps. xvi. 2,
3. Where see how that kingly prophet honoureth
such as are saints with the name of excellent and
wort/lies of the earth ; and Solomon, his son, affirmeth
as much when he telleth us, ' The righteous is more
excellent than his neighbour,' Prov. xii. 26 ; he is
better beloved and graced of God, and hath that in
him which maketh him more honourable than any
other who is unrighteous and sinful. And our pro-
phet Isaiah calleth the godly, in plain terms, ' The
glory.' ' Upon aU the glory,' saith he, ' shall be a
defence,' chap. iv. 5. Thus, as the godly go before
all other in virtue, so they go before them in honour,
and as they exceed others in piety, so they surmount
them in excellence.
Reason. And that this is truth — viz., that the godly
are the noblest and choicest of persons — may appear
further if we consider,
(1.) Their race and pedigree, for they are descended
of the blood royal, 1 Pet. ii. 9 ; they are born of God,
John iii. 1), being ' sons and daughters of the King of
kings and Lord of lords,' 2 Cor. vi. 18 ; and whereas
other men are called ' children of the earth,' or ' chil-
dren of disobedience,' Col. iii. 6, or 'children of iniquity,'
Hoseax. 0, or ' children of wrath,' Eph. ii. 3, or ' chil-
dren of death,' 1 Sam. xxvi. 16, or 'children of the
devil,' John viii. 44, or 'children of perdition, 'John xvii.
2, or 'children of hell,' Mat. xxiii. 15; we shall find
that all the godly are called either ' children of light,'
John xii. 36, or ' children of the prophets,' Acts iii.
25, or ' children of the promise,' Rom. ix. 8, or ' chil-
dren of the wedding chamber,' Mark ii. 19, or 'chil-
dren of the kingdom,' Mat. viii. 12. Thus for birth
and blood they exceed all other of the earth besides.
(2.) Their kindred are very rich and noble. For
their Father they have him ' in whose hands are all
the corners of the earth, and the strength of all hills
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
49
is his also. The sea is his, for he made it ; and his
hands prepared the dry land. A great God is he,
and a great King above all gods,' Ps. xcv. 3-5. For
their mother they have a great queen, Ps. xlv. 9,
who hath king's daughters and honourable women
for her attendants, being clothed in raiment of gold
and needle-work. For theii' brethren they have
Christ, the great heir of the world, ' who is not
ashamed to call them brethren,' Heb. ii. 11, and all
saints upon the earth besides. Now, ' seemeth this
a light thing unto you?' 1 Sam. xviii. 23.
(3.) Their place and dignity is very great ; they are
in high place and oflice, being made by Christ ' kings
and priests unto God his Father,' Eev. i. 6. They
are in high authority to command and rule, like kings
and priests, who have the chiefest rooms of all.
(4.) Their attendants are honourable. The glori-
ous angels that are above, and which excel in strength,
do evermore wait upon them, Ps. xxxiv. 7, xci. 11,
and are become ' ministering spirits sent forth to
minister for those who are heirs of salvation,' Heb.
i. 14. Yea, kings and queens are but as 'nurses' to
them, Isa. xlix. 23 ; and they must do them homage,
' worshipping with their faces towards the earth, and
licking up the dust under theu* feet.'
What shall we need to speak of other things,
wherein one man is wont to excel another, and
thereby wax glorious and become renowned ? Who
are wise besides these ? Are not these only ' a wise,
prudent, and understanding people ?' Deut. iv. 6.
Who are valiant but these ? Are not these the ' cha-
riots and horsemen of Israel?' 2 Kings ii. 12, xiii.
14. Who go fine but these? Ai-e not these they
who are ' arrayed with pure fine linen and shining ?'
Eev. iii. 5, xix. 8. Do not these go clothed with the
golden and silken robes of Jesus Christ, and of his
Spirit ? Who fare so well as these ? Are not these
fed with manna, the bread of life? John vi. 33 ; Rev.
ii. 17. Have not these prepared for them ' a feast of
fat things, even a feast of fined wines, of fat things
full of marrow, of wines fined and purified?' Isa.
XXV. 6. Ayho are out of debt but these ? Hath not
Christ discharged them of all their sins, which are
called debts. Mat. vi. 12, and cancelled the bonds?
1 Pet. ii. 24 ; Col. ii. 14. Who have peace within
and without but these ? God is now reconciled with
them, so that they have peace not only with God
himself and his creatures, Rom. v. 1, Phil. iv. 7, 2 Cor.
v. 1 9, but also with themselves in their own souls and
consciences. Who enjoy health but these ? Their
souls are sound and well ; and daily they ' go on from
strength to strength, till they appear perfect in Sion,'
Ps. Ixxxiv. 7. Who speaks so pure a language as
these ? Their language is ' the language of Canaan ;'
out of their mcuths ' no filthy, unsavoury, nor rotten
communication doth proceed,' Col. iv. 6. What shall
I say more ? Who can compare with these, who
have the heavens for their inheritance, 1 Pet. i. 4,
the Scriptures for their evidences, the sacraments for
their seals, and the Holy Ghost for then- assurer.
Who have ' all things theirs, and they are Christ's,
and Christ is God's,' 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23.
Use 1. Now, if this be so, that the godly are the
choicest plants and chiefest personages, why then are
such most contemned, and accounted, according -to
St Paul's saying, ' as the filth of the world, and off-
scouring of all things?' 1 Cor. iv. 13. But let me
say to worldlings, as the apostle of those great ones
vs'ho put the Lord of life to death, ' If they had
known, they would not have crucified the Lord of
life and glory,' 1 Cor. ii. S. So didst thou but know
Avho these are, and what manner of persons they are,
whom thou thus desi^isest, thou wouldest more respect
them, yea, love and reverence them — nay, kiss the
very ground they go upon. Indeed, they seem out-
wardly black and weather-beaten ; but what then ?
Yet under that baseness and blackness is hid great
honour and beauty. Within that leather purse is a
precious pearl : in those earthen pots is abundance of
golden treasure. As mean and base as they seem in
thy eyes, they are children of God — great heirs and
princes, and shall one day reign with Christ in glory.
Be therefore well advised, and disdain them not.
Had Shimei ever thought that David should ever
have recovered again the crown and kingdom, and so
sovereignty over him, he would have spared his cursed
speeches used against him, and have been more tem-
perate, 2 Sam. xvi. Or had Joseph's brethren as much
believed his di-eams. Gen. xxxvii. 11, that they should
come and bow to him, as they envied him for them, they
would have used him with more mildness ; but they,
when they sold him, thought never to have seen him
more, much less did they expect to have been told of
their cruelty from his mouth. And yet, whatever they
thought, it so fell out contrary to all their expecta-
•tions. Now, when they hear him which was a ruler
in Egypt say, 'I am Joseph, your brother, whom
you sold,' Gen. xlv. 4, how amazedly do you
think they looked one upon another? with what
paleness and silence do they stand before him ?
Wonder, doubt, reverence, fear, hope, guiltiness,
struck them at once. The more they considered,
they wondered the more ; and the more they be-
lieved, the more they feared. For those words, ' I
am Joseph whom you sold,' seemed to sound thus
much to their guilty thoughts. You are murderers,
and I am a prince in spite of you ; my power and
this place give me all opportunities of revenge ; my
glory is your shame, my life your danger, &c. Even
thus it is and shall be with all wicked ones. When
they revile and mock God's children, do they think
they shall ever see Joseph more ? or ever come and
50
EOGEES ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
bow before him and do him reverence ? Alas, they
have no such thought ; and yet they must and shall,
for Joseph will appear, though not in Egypt, yet in
heaven, to their confusion and shame. Then will
they be vexed and amazed, who now set God's
children at nought ; then will they change their
minds, and sob and sigh for grief of spirit, and say
within themselves, These are the men and women
whom we disdained and contemned, and called puri-
tanical fools, and precise fellows; these are they whom
we slandered and molested. But now we see how
highly they are advanced, being counted amongst the
children of God, having their portion with the saints.
Oh that such as vex and molest the righteous, either
with virulent tongues, as Shimei, 2 Sam. xvi, or
with violent hands, as Herod, Acts xii., or with both,
as Julian the apostate ; whether by themselves, .as
Diotrephes, .3 .John 9, or by other, as the Scribes
and Pharisees, Mat. xxvi. 3 ; whether closely, like
Jezebel, 1 Kings xxi., or openly, like Pharaoh,
Exod. v., would think of this change and alteration !
And how soon it may come ; who knowetli ? But
certainly it will come, and then what the psalmist
speaketh shall infallibly be verified, — ' Their horn
shall be exalted with glory. The wicked shall see it,
and be angry ; he shall gnash with his teeth and
consume away : the desire of the wicked shall perish,'
Ps. cxii. 9, lb.
Use 2. And therefore, let this serve furtlier for
our instruction, that we learn highly to esteem of
such as be truly godly, seem they never so mean or
base in the world's eye. Thus did St Lawrence, that
blessed martyr of Cluist Jesus, who being demanded
of the tyrant, where the riches of the church lay,
looking for store of gold and such like treasure, he
gathered together a multitude of poor Christians,
telling the tyrant that there was the riches and
beauty of the church, and albeit they were now
ragged and unseemly in the eyes of men, yet they
should one day be clad in white robes, and shine in
majesty and glory before the throne of God. The
like, as I have read,* was the practice of Ingo, an
ancient king of the Draves and Veneds, who, making
upon a time a stately feast, invited thereunto all his
nobles, who were at that time pagans, and uncon-
verted to the Christian faith, and a multitude of
poor Chl'istians. His nobles he set in his hall below,
and those poor Christians with himself in his pre-
sence chamber, entertaining them with the royallest
cheer and kingliest attendance that might be. At
which, when his nobles wondered, he told them this
he did not as he was king of the Draves, but as
king of another world, wherein these should be his
companions and fellow princes. To them he would
give civil due in the government of the common-
■* jEiieas Sylvius, cap. 20.
wealth ; but these he must love and honour in his
heart, as most honoured and best beloved of God.
Read this to thy shame, who knowest not how to
shew the least respect unto a Christian. And if thou
wouldest not have it to condemn thee, let it mend
thee, causing thee to be more respective in thy
carriage towards such as serve the Lord. So shalt
thou imitate God like a good child herein, and get a
testimony to thy own conscience, that thou art God's,
because thou lovest his image, 1 John iii. 2, which
mark of a child of God may comfort thee when all
others in the time of temptation may fail thee.
Use 3. Hence also we may have direction how to
become excellent and famous, namely, by becoming
gracious. This way will not fail to efl'ect it, and no
other course can be available without it. Men may
be wealthy, and ignominious ; they may have gorgeous
apparel, and yet be contemptible. Pharaoh's horses
had costly trappings. Cant. i. 8 ; and the Midianites'
camels had chains of gold about their necks, Judges
viii. 2G. Grace and goodness do more deck and
adorn than all these do or can. This is that which
the apostle calleth seeking glory and honour by well-
doing, Eom. ii. 7 ; and only is that whereby Abel,
Noah, Abraham, and the rest obtained a good report,
Heb. xi. 12. How grossly, then, are such deceived as
think godliness doth cause contempt, and the way to
become honourable is to grow graceless and sinful !
For can any wise man think that the dunghill of
wickedness is a fit mine to dig out a good estimation,
or that the puddle water of vanity will make a man
seem beautiful and fair ? or that tlie only way to
make a man sweet is to tumble in a jakes ? Cer-
tainly figs grow not upon thorns, neither is the sweet
ointment of a good name compounded of those stink-
ing ingredients, pride, drunkenness, whoredom, pro-
faneness, or the like. A good name arisetb out of
honest things, as the poet* could say, and not from
actions sinful and dishonest. Cain and Esau we
know were wicked men, and dead many hundred
years ago ; yet the Scripture never speaketh of them
but with great reproach, as ' profane Esau,' Heb. xii.
16 ; ' Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his
brother,' 1 John iii. 12. And so Judas, who is never
almost spoken of but he is called by the name of
' traitor.' The patriarchs, prophets, and apostles have
likewise been a long time dead, and yet how lovely
are their names ! Scripture never speaks of them but
with great respect ; as, ' Abraham the father of the
faithful,' Eom. iv. ; ' Moses the servant of God,' Ps.
xc, title ; ' David the sweet singer of Israel,' 2 Sam.
x.\iii. 1 ; and St Peter, St Paul, St John, and so the
rest. Thus the wicked leave a filthy savour behind
them, as a greasy snuff, when it goeth out, which every
* Famam extendere factis
Hoc virtu tis opus.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
51
one that passeth by stops his nose at ; but the godly-
leave their names behind them for a blessing. The
very remembrance of them is sweet ; and like the end
of some sweet wax candle, which every one loves to
have the scent of, even after it hath left burning.
Wouldst thou then be counted excellent ? see that
thou ' do worthily in Ephratah, and so be famous in
Bethlehem,' Ruth iv. 11. It is virtue only that can
emblazon thy name, and that will do it. A field of
sincerity charged with deeds of piety, cannot but be
accomplished with a crest of glory. But if thou
livest licentiously and profanely, so loathsome will thy
abominable life make thee, as that thou shalt scarce
ever come into mention of God's people but with a
style like that of ' Jereboam the son of Nebat, that
made Israel to sin,' 2 Kings x. 29.
Use 4. And lastly, for consolation, let this serve to
the godly poor despised by the rich and worldly wise.
Know thou for thy comfort thou art a choice plant in
God's account, and he that knows the true worth of
things, esteems thee precious, and holds thee for one
of his jewels of great price, Mai. iii. 17, whatever
men do deem. And when that day of separation
shall come, he will then make it known to all the
world. First, by his setting thee on his right hand
as one of his darhngs, whom he purposeth to advance
and honour when all other shall be turned to the left
hand as base and contemptible. Mat. xxv. Secondly,
By that his gracious call and sweet sentence, ' Come,
thou blessed,' &c. The prosecuting of tlais point would
be very comfortable, but I hasten, and now come to the
fifth particular here mentioned, whereby God's love to
this his vineyard was manifested, in these words :
He huilt a tower in the midst of it; which was as
well for the beautifying and adorning it as for the
further strengthening of it. By which tower, whether
we understand the glorious temple in Jerusalem, that
stately edifice and building, or Jerusalem itself, where-
unto all the tribes resorted, and the nations came to
worship, Ps. cxxii. 4, it will lead us to this observa-
tion, that,
l)oct. The heauty and bulwark of a jilace is God's
service and luorship erected and set up in tlujt place.
For neither is Jerusalem nor Zion here compared to
a tower, especially in regard of the stately buildings,
multiplicity of turrets, aspiring towers, or the like ;
but in regard of religion that was found in it. In
Jerusalem was the continual worsliip of God, in the
temple the continued service of God • and this was it
which gave the grace and countenance, this made it
the golden head of the picture, lady of the world,
seat of the monarchy, and as Micah, agreeing with
this of our prophet, calls it, the ' tower of the flock,
and the strong-hold of the daughter of God's people,'
Micah iv. 8.
We read how that good woman, the wife of Phine-
has, upon hearing tidings of taking of the ark, with
very grief fell in travail, and gave up the ghost, 1 Sam.
iv. 20, 21 ; before whose death neither could the birth
of a man-child, nor the kind and comfortable speeches
of those women then present with her, any whit com-
fort or content her ; but she cries out, ' The glory is
departed from Israel, because the ark of God was
taken;' yea, she doubles her passionate complaint,
and again, with her last breath, says, ' The glory is
departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken.
And thereupon she gives her son a name, and calls
him Ichabod, as much as to say, ' where is the glory ?'
or rather, ' no glory ; ' and all because the ark of God
was taken. And thus not state, not wealth, not out-
ward magnificence, but the presence of God in his
ordinances, was ever accounted to be the glory of
that people.
And so the apostle, in reckoning up the privileges
and prerogatives of the Jews, telleth us that ' to them
belonged the adoption and the glory,' Eom. ix. 4, 5,
meaning thereby the ark, which was a token of God's
presence, whence God also heard the prayers and
praises of his people^ and gave forth oracles unto
such as sought him.
As it was their glory, so it was their strength. By
it great things had been for them wrought. Before
it the waters of Jordan were divided. Josh. iii. 14.
The idol Dagon was laid tiat upon the floor; the
strong walls of Jericho were demolished by the pre-
sence of it. Josh. vi. 11 ; before it their enemies can-
not stand. And this caused Israel too superstitiously
to trust in the ark of wood, when they had God then:
enemy ; for when they fell before their enemies they
thus advise, ' Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of
the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh
amongst us it may save us out of the hands of our
enemies,' 1 Sam. iv. 3. Besides this that hath been
said and shewed of the ark, for making good this
point, that of the prophet Isaiah might be brought,
' In that day shall this song be sung in the land of
Judah ; We have a strong city ; salvation wiU God
appoint for walls and bulwarks,' &c., Isa. xxvi. 1.
But I hasten to the use.
Use 1. See here what enemies all irreligious persons
are to this state and kingdom, as likewise such as
seek to suppress and overthrow God's worship and
true religion. These are the capital enemies of our
nation, inasmuch as they labour to the utmost to
pull away that which is the stay and pillar of our
land. Satan and his instruments have ever charged
true religion, and the professors of it, to be the
authors of all contentions, tumults, and insurrections,
and the greatest enemies of states and kingdoms,
which imputation the father of lies hath laid%efore
the eyes of great ones, to alienate the minds of princes
both from it and them. Thus was Ahasuerus in-
52
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
censed against the Jews, Esther iii. 8 ; and Nebuchad-
nezzar against the thi-ee companions of Daniel, as if
they had been disobeyers of the king's Laws, and con-
temners of his edicts, Dan. iii. 12. So St Paul was
often accused by the stoics in Athens, by Demetrius,
by Tertullus, that he was a pestilent fellow, a mover
of sedition amongst the Jews through the world, and
a sect-master, Acts xvii. 18, xix. 26, and xxiv. 5.
And in the time of the first ten persecutions, if there
were any public plague or calamity fallen on city or
country, the heathen would straight cry out upon the
Christians, accusing them to be the authors and
causers of it. If Nilus overflowed not her banks, if
the clouds withheld their rain, if the earth quaked,
if famine increased, if the sword spoiled, if pestilence
continued, by and by the poor Christians, as the sheep
of Christ, were cast unto the lions. They were
charged to make privy conspiracies, to devise secret
counsels against the commonwealth, with the murder-
ing of children, and eating man's flesh, as Eusebius doth
record. Thus Nero, when he set Eome on fire, laid
the fault on them. And where would the papists
have laid the gunpowder treason, had the blow been
given, but upon the puritans ? But as the wolf in the
fable, (oh, that it were but a fable !) when he sees the
lamb drinking at the pool, comes blundering into the
water, and troubles it, then quarrels with the lamb
for troubling the water —
' )Sic nocet innocuo nocuus, causamque nocendi
Quaerit.'
So though Ahab, the wolf, troubles all Israel, yet
Elijah, tile lamb, shall be accused for it, 1 Kings xviii.
17, 18. And herein the wicked plays Athaliah's
part, who cried out. Treason, treason, when she was
the traitor, and none else. Therefore, as Elijah an-
swered the crime objected, and rejected the same back,
that it rebounded at him that gave the charge, so do I.
It is not the godly and religious, but you irreligious
and profane, who are the troublers of this kingdom.
Use 2. Hence let all be exhorted to use all good
means to their utmost, that true religion may be
established ; for look, as Samson's strength lay in his
hair, Judges xvi. 19, so doth the strength of our land
consist herein ; which if it should be shaved and
deprived of, which we trust shall never be, though
every shower were a shower of gold, every stone in
the land a pearl, every beggar an honourable senator,
every fool as wise as Solomon, every weakling as
strong as Samson, yet our wealth, honour, strength,
wisdom, and glory are gone, and we shall sing a
doleful miserere \wi\X\ Phinehas his wife, 1 Sam iv. 21,
Ichahod: The glory of England is gone; for religion
is gone. And therefore let every one, both magistrates
and others, as they love their souls, their bodies, their
king, their country, their peace and prosperity, pray
heartily, and pray continually for the establishing of
it ; esteeming it for God's best friend, the king's best
friend, the court's best friend, the city's best friend,
the country's best friend, and best friend to us all :
' Exalt her therefore, and she shall promote thee : she
shall bring thee,' 0 England, 'to honour, if thou dost
still embrace her,' Prov. iv. 8.
The sixth and last particular follows ; and that is
the erection and setting up of a winepress in it, for
the pressing of the grapes and saving of the wine.
And this, saith one, shews what hope the vinitor
conceived of the fertility of his vineyard. As if the
prophet should say : he nothing doubting of the
fruitfulness thereof, made a winepress therein.
About which winepress our expositors are very
various in their judgments ; and yet the opinions
of the most of them have some probable ground.
Amongst all, theirs seemeth probablest who under-
stand thereby the word and discipline. But foras-
much as we have not here so sure footing as we have
had in the former, in that we want Scripture for the
seconding such an exposition, I wiU. content myself
with this general observation : —
Doct. God hatlihis tvine2M-ess,for the pressing , prun-
ing* and discovering of his vineyard's fruit.
The truth of this I will endeavour to prove by an
induction of particulars.
Fu-st, The word preached is an excellent wine-
press for this end. This discovers what is in a man ;
and therefore it is compared to an axe put to the
root of the tree. Mat. iii. 10, because it discovers who
are sound and unsound, as the axe doth. For albeit
by the eye it is not so soon perceived what trees are
good and what naught, for many a one there may be
which is straight without, having a goodly top, and
fair rind, and yet rotten and hollow within, yet when
the axe is brought and laid to the root, and it felled,
then what was before unknown is manifestly seen. In
the same respect it is compared to a fan in Christ's
hand, whereby he doth purge his floor, ver. 12.
Chaff and corn, good and bad, lie together upon a
heap a while ; but when the gospel comes, it being
preached with power and a good conscience, it blows
so mightily, as with the goist thereof hypocrites are
scattered, and the faithfulness of such as with honest
and good hearts embrace it is revealed and made
known. Aftej' the same manner is the word com-
pared unto fire, Jer. xxiii. 29, which hath a double
effect ; to waste stubble and di'oss, and to purify that
which is refinable as gold and silver. It inflames
some men's hearts with a zealous love to God and his
glory, and setteth others on fire to persecute and
impugn it. And to a sword with two edges, Heb.
iv. 12, which cutteth both ways, and divides between
the joints and the sinews, and the marrow and the
* Query, 'proving?' — Ed.
EOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
53
bones. It doth anatomise the hearts of men, and
discover the soundness or unsoundness of them. And
to light, Eph. v. 13, which maketh all things clear
and manifest, which before, lying in the dark, could
not be discerned nor discovered. Thus we see the
nature of the word, which, like a winepress, will
make known wliat is within, laying open the poison
that lurked in the wicked, and the grace and good-
ness that lay hid in the bosom of the godly.
Secondly, Crosses and afflictions, wherewith God
exerciseth his church, are as God's winepress. By
these he doth discover what is in his people that pro-
fess his name. Thus Moses said he led his people
Israel forty years in the wilderness, ' for to humble
them, and prove them, to know,' that is to make
known, 'what was in their hearts,' Deut. viii. 2.
And so God, speaking of the remainder of his people,
whom he did not utterly cut off in judgment, saith
thus : ' I will bring the third part through the fire,
and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try
them as gold is tried,' Zech. xiii. 9. And St Peter,
comforting the faithful in their afflictions, speaketh
after this manner : ' Dearly beloved, think it not
strange concerning the fiery trial which is amongst
you to prove you, as though some strange thing were
come unto you,' &c., 1 Pet. iv. 12, 13. And St
.James, after the same manner, calleth afflictions,
trials, and temptations, chap. i. 3, because they
serve to try us what is in us, and make it known.
And, indeed, afflictions are blabs and tell-tales, as
one saith well — the)- will not conceal the truth, but
make it known ; they press out of the godly that sap
and juice of grace which is within them ; yea, the
more they are pressed, the more the liquor of grace
distilleth from them, the more abundant they are m
prayer, confession, humiliation, &c. But from the
wicked they can press nothing but noisome, stinking
putrefaction ; all they send forth in the day of trouble
is railing, murmuring, and impatience.
Thirdly, Discipline or the spiritual censures of the
church, executed against such members of the church
as have fallen into any scandalous ofi'ence, — the highest
degree whereof is excommunication, and debarring
from the public ordinances of God, and society of the
faithful, both public and private, — are as a winepress.
And though it be not absolutely of the essence of the
church, no more than the winepress is essential to the
vineyard, yet it cannot well be wanting in the church,
no more than a winepress can be wanting in a vine-
yard. By and in the true use whereof, the sinner
becomes humbled and reformed,. 1 Cor. v. 5 ; 2 Thes.
iii. 14 ; others are terrified and made afraid, 1 Tim.
v. 20 ; and the ordinances of God are kept in re-
verence, 1 Cor. V. 6, 7. The sweet juice that this
ordinance of God bringeth forth, St Paul sheweth in
his second epistle to the Corinthians, ' For, behold,'
saith he, ' this self-same thing, that you sorrowed
after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you,
yea, w^hat clearing of yourselves, yea, what indigna-
tion, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea,
what zeal, yea, what revenge ! In all things ye have
approved yourselves to be clear in this matter,' 2 Cor.
vii. 11.
Use. All this may serve to stu- up every one to look
that their hearts be upright and sincere, and our
graces sound and saving, for God will in time discover
us. His winepress is for some use and end ; we must
assuredly be brought unto the trial ; first or last. He
will press us to the purpose, and then what will
become of fair shows and flourishes ? The house
that is built upon the sands makes as goodly a show
as any other in a fair sunshine day, and stands as
well while the weather is calm ; but when the winds
arise, and the rain beats, then it falls, and is not able
to stand out the trial ,- ' And the fall of that house is
great,' saith our blessed Saviour, Mat. vii. 27. If
thou beest not sound at the core, thy false-heartedness
will appear ; when thou comest unto the press, it
cannot be hid. Haply the word and discipline hath
discovered abundance of corruption in thee, and
caused thee to murmur, repine, and grudge, &c.
Well, assure thyself, the winepress of affliction will
discover far more, when thou shalt be brought unto
it, and how soon we may be tried therewith, God only
knows. Lesser and lighter afflictions make thee as
the raging sea, ' foaming out mire and dirt,' Isa. Ivii.
20, 21; what then will common* afflictions and
heavier persecutions, which may befall the church,
cause thee to do ? And yet, as St Paul saith, con-
cerning heresies, so say I of these, ' They must needs
be, that the approved may be known,' 1 Cor. xi. 19.
Wouldest thou then be able to endure the press ?
Look well unto thy mside ; thy faith must be
iinfeigned, 1 Tim. i. 5 ; thy love unfeigned, 1 John
iii. 18; in deed and truth, thy repentance an unfeigned
rentmg of the heart, Joel ii. ; and thy wisdom without
dissimulation, James v. 1 7 ; and then thou needest not
fear it ; for as good grapes, thou are pressed to be
preserved and not spoiled. A child or a fool indeed
would think a goodly cluster of gi-apes spoiled when
it is cast into the press ; but a wse man knoweth, if it
be not cast in, it will perish within a few days. If it
had not been so, we had wanted the vine we now
have. Thus the precious liquor distilled from thee
shall be kept to refresh the heart both of God and
man. Judges ix. 13 ; out of that gracious and sweet
juice, God will glorify himself and comfort others,
De hoc Uquore scecla futura bihent. And thus much
of these particulars, wherein the great care and dili-
gence of this vinitor did appear for his vineyard's
good. Now see the success.
* Query, ' uncommon ?' — Ed.
54
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
He looked that it sliouJd bring forth rjra2ies, and it
Irovght forth wild grapes. His hope and expectation
was to iind grapes in the vine, or clusters of grapes,
as the word noteth. But it deceived the hope and
expectation of tlie Lord, and, like a degenerated plant,
brought forth wild grapes. Not leaves or no fruit,
but, as the ^vord signifieth, stinking and bitter fruit ;
such a kind of fruit, as in smell, was most odious and
stinking, and in taste most loathsome and unsavoury,
being neither answerable to the nature and kind of
the noble plant, nor yet to the care and cost of the
good and painful husbandman.
Two things then are here to be considered : —
First, What God expected for his cost and pains.
He looked for grapes.
Secondly, What it returned, and how it answered
the hope and expectation of the vinedresser. It
brouffht forth wild gmpes.
Quest. Before I come to any observation, let me
make answer to a question. Some may demand.
Whether God can fail of his end in any of his actions,
or be deceived of his hope and expectation ?
Ans. The answer is, God's knowledge is absolute
and perfect, knowing all things from all eternity at
one instant ; and it is most certain, and cannot any
way be deceived, all things being known of him as
they are, and all things are as they are known of
him.* The future degeneration and ingratitude of
this people the Bord foresaw even from the beginning,
and knew full well what he should receive from them ;
and causeth his servant Moses to sing and write there-
of even before they came into the land of Canaan,
Deut. xxxi. 20, 29 ; and so he telleth them by this
our prophet that he knew they would deal very
treacherously with him, Isa. xlviii. 8. This, then, is
not spoken as if God's hope and expectation were un-
certain, or could be frustrate, or as if he were doubtful
what would follow, but by a figure {axj^iuTorrciSsia) he
thus speaketh, shewing thereby— 1. What they ought
to have done; 2. How acceptable and pleasing it
would have been to him if they had so done.
Now to some instructions. And, first, from God's
expectation, this we note :
jDoct. Where God hath taken pains in planting and
hwsbanding, there he justli/ expects fruit somewhat mir
siverahle to his jMins.
He looks for the fruits of his travails from them on
whom he hath bestowed it : ' I went down into the
garden of nuts,' saith the well-beloved, 'to see the
fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine
flourished, and the pomegranates budded,' Cant. vi.
11. He having purged and dressed his garden, came
to see how his handiwork did thrive and prosper, ex-
pecting in convenient time some answerable return.
That parable which our Saviour doth propound of
* Zancli. <le natura Dei, cap. ii. quest. 13.
the vineyard let out to unthankful husbandmen, Mat.
xxi. 34, is a pregnant proof ; for when the season
came and time of fruit drew near, that great house-
holder sends out his servants to those husbandmen
that they might receive the fruits. And in the appli-
cation of that parable we read that ' He will let out
his vineyard to other husbandmen who should render
him fruits in due season.' And when our Saviour
telleth us of his Father's purging and pruning of the
vine, John xv. 2, he withal sheweth us what is his
aim and scope therein — namely, that Christians should
be abundant in bringing forth of fruits beseeming
their profession.
Reas. Thei'e is good reason for it : for 'who plant-
eth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof ?
or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of
the flock?' 1 Cor. ix. 7. What husbandman be-
stows his seed and pains upon his land, and doth not
expect a good crop therefrom ? And is it not then
just and equal that the Lord should look for some
answerable return for all his pains ?
Use 1. Let this, then, serve for our instruction,
that we answer this husbandman's hopes in some
good measure. Let us remember the end of all his
cost and labour, and consider with ourselves the rea-
son why we have received so many blessings from
him. Let us set before our eyes his many favours,
spiritual and temporal, and then say whether he hath
not been as careful a husbandman for England as
ever he was for Israel. Hath he not taken us out of
the Romish Egypt, where we grew not well, and
planted us 'in a very fruitful hill,' in a land flowing
with milk and honey ? Hath he not fenced us about
with his mighty protection, and defended us from
many dangers and devihsh plots devised against us by
the enemies of the truth,* so that neither boar nor
bear, wolf nor fox, Turk nor Pope, could yet invade
us or prevail against us ? Hath he not rooted out
and expelled those rankling thorns and renting
brambles, (I mean the papists,) and cast out of this
his vineyard the stumbling-stones of superstition and
baggage of man's traditions with the relics of idolatry,
hammering and beating down the popish Dagon ?
And hath he not planted choice plants in this his
vineyard, giving us such princes as may be compared
with the best princes of Israel and Judah, under
whom we have a long time enjoyed the gospel,
with the fruits of the gospel, peace and plenty, so
that we may sit under our own vines and fig-trees,
conferring of the ways of God, and quietly enjoying
our goods and earthly happiness ? No church under
heaven more enriched with treasures and gifts from
God than ours is. What could he have done more
for this his vineyard than he hath done ? And what
can he expect less from this his vineyard than he
* Ecmember '8S and ICOj.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
55
now dotli, abundance of sAveet grapes and good fruits?
Yea, in particular, let every one consider this, and
make application of it to himself : Hath not the
Lord chosen thee above many thousands in the world,
and afforded unto thee such means as he hath not
granted unto many who by nature are as good as
thyself art '? Hath he not sent his servants unto thee
early and late to call upon thee, that thou shouldest
bring forth fruit worthy, amendment of life ? Hath
he not often trimmed thee with his pruning-hook of
afflictions and crosses — sometimes in thy friends, at
other times in thy goods — sometimes one way, at
other times another — and to what end hath all this
been but that thou shouldest be fruitful ? Thus should
every one commune with his soul, and put the ques-
tion to himself, what God meant in being at such
pains and cost with him, that so those fruits may be
found in us which the hand of God looks to gather
from us ; for ' to whom much is given, of them much
shall be required.' Oh beware, then, that thou de-
ceivest not God's hope ! He expecteth fruit of thee,
let him find it in thee.
This point, though plain, I find so needful to be
pressed in this barren age, as that I must be bold to
pursue it, and shew — First, The- motives or reasons
inducing us to fruitfulness ; and, secondly. Acquaint
you with some profitable means that must be used
to make us grow more fruitful ; and, thirdly. Ac-
quaint you with the nature and quality of that fruit
which we must bring forth, that God may accept of
it, and take pleasure in it. All which are necessary
points to be handled in the prosecuting and following
of this use.
To begin with the motives. Besides what hath
already been said and shewed of God's deserving it,
by reason of his pains and cost, which strongly bind-
eth us to obedience, sundry other reasons may be
brought. 1. As first. Every creature in its kind is
fruitful. The poorest creature that God hath made
is enabled, with some gift, to imitate the goodness
and bounty of the Creator, and to yield something
from itself to the use and benefit of others. The
sun, moon, and stars, as they are endued with light,
so they restlessly move to impart their light and in-
fluence to the enlightening of this inferior world.
The clouds fly up and down, emptying themselves to
enrich the earth, from which, notwithstanding, they
reap no harvest. The earth liberally yields her
riches, and brings forth food for the maintenance of
those innumerable armies of creatures that live
thereon. Green herbs for the cattle, and oil and
wine for man. The valleys stand thick with corn ;
the mower filleth his scythe, and the binder up of
sheaves his bosom. Thus it returns fruits in abund-
ance to the painful tiller and dresser of it. Yea,
what herb, plant, or tree grows upon the earth which
is not in its kind fruitful, spending itself and the
principal part of its sap and moisture in bringing
forth some pleasant berry, or other such like fruit,
which, being ripe and perfect, suffers to have plucked
from it for the good of man, and voluntarily lets
drop down before his feet ? And doth not every one
dislike sterility in his grounds and barrenness in his
cattle, expecting fruitfulness in all that belongs unto
him ? Now, then, how can it be allowable, when
heaven and earth are fruitful in their kind, and
neither bird, beast, nor plant are idle, but are ever
bringing forth for the good of their lords and owners,
that only man should remain unfruitful — his facul-
ties and graces idle, and he himself a burden to the
earth ? Shall not every creature be a witness
against man, and rise up in judgment to condemn
him, if he be barren, fruitless ? And therefore, as
the earth to man, so let man to God return a blessed
usury — ten for one ; nay, thirty, sixty, an hundred-
fold.
2. Secondly, The fruitfulness of a Christian is the
groundwork of all true prosperity, so that ' whatso-
ever he doth shall prosper,' Ps. i. 3. Oh, what a
large extent is here of God's goodness towards such a
one. He shall prosper, not in some things, but in
all things, whatsoever he undertakes or goes about
' Blessed shall he be in the city, and blessed in the
field : blessed in the fruit of his body, and in the
fruit of his ground, and in the fruit of his cattle, and
in the increase of his kine, and in the flocks of his
sheep : blessed in his basket, and in his store : in his
coming in, and going out ; yea, the Lord shall bless
him in all that he shall set his hand unto,' Deut.
xxviii. 3-8. And thus it was with Joseph, that
' fruitful bough,' Gen. xlix. 22. ' The Lord was
with him,' saith the text, ' and that which he did,
the Lord made it to prosper,' chap, xxxix. 23. As
it is thus with him in whatsoever he undertaketh by
action, so shall it be with him in whatsoever he tin-
dergoeth by passion or by suffering. His losses,
crosses, troubles, persecutions, or what else betides
him, shall be for his good, as the apostle witnesseth,
Rom. viii. 28, and tend to the furthering him with
that eternal weight of glory. Let tortures, torments,
fire, gallows, 'tribulation, persecution, famine, naked-
ness, peril, sword,' or any such like befall him, yet
they shall never wrong him, but prove an advantage
unto him, and be at length shall prove a noble and
a worthy conqueror over them. They will but help
him sooner to that crown which he hath so long
strived for ; and, to use the words of blessed Brad-
ford,* If there be any way to heaven on horseback,
this is the way. So that these shall never hinder
him in his journey. Methinks this consideration
should work effectually with us and upon us all, and
* Fox, Martyr., fof. 1492.
56
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
if I sliould say no more, this were enough to make
every one that is not settled on his lees to resolve to
become fruitful ; for who would not do anything to
have such a privilege as this is ? What man would
not himself follow, and set his child unto, such a vo-
cation, in the whicli every action would bring profit
and great commodity ?
3. Again, if we be fruitful, bringing forth fruits of
the Spirit, ' tliere is no law against us,' for so witness-
eth tlie apostle, Gal. v. 22, 23. An excellent privilege
this is indeed. There is no law to condemn such, nor
domineer over such. Though there is a law for them,
which is as a rule unto them of obedience, yet there is
no law against them, for such are freed, first, from
the obligation and rigour of it, as it bindeth us to
perfect obedience in ourselves and by ourselves, for
the obtaining of eternal life, according to the tenor
thereof : ' Do this, and thou shalt live.' And, se-
condly, from the curse of the law for any breach
thereof, either in thought, word, or deed ; so that
there is no condemnation belongs unto them, Eom.
viii. 1. Thougli the best do things worthy of con-
demnation, and have need to use David's prayer,
' Enter not into judgment witli thy servant, 0 Lord,'
Ps. cxliii. 2, yet they shall never be condemned.
Stay, Christian, meditate a while of this privilege
before thou proceedest furtlier ; ponder it well in thy
mind, and consider the excellence hereof. Art thou
a fruitful branch ? Why then thou hast liberty to
live and ' serve God without fear ' of damnation, Luke
i. 74 ; whenas otherwise thou canst not but quake
and fear upon the thought of hell and judgment, and,
as the apostle speaketh, ' all thy lifetime must needs
be subject to fear and bondage,' Heb. ii. 15. Hence
likewise, tliou mayest comfort thyself in thy desires
and weak endeavours to obey, which God will accept
at thy hands for obedience itself, because thou art
freed from the rigour of the law, so that thy many
weaknesses and imperfections in doing good duties
need not discourage thee, for the Lord will not examine
thy actions according to the strict rule of his law, but
according to the pui-pose, desire, and endeavour of thy
soul will he reward thee, and ' spare thee as a man
spareth his own son that serveth him,' Mai. iii. 17.
But, on the otlier side, so long as thou continuest
fruitless, the law hath power over thee to require
exact and personal obedience at thy hands unto it,
and to accuse and condemn thee for the least breach
of it. Thy desires, thy endeavours, thy meanings,
thy ]3urposes, cannot starid thee in stead, nor defend
thee from the wrath of a revenging God ; no whither
canst thou fly for succour or relief ; thy case is fearful.
Again, thou mayest ' rejoice in tribulation,' Rom. v.
3, and sing in the very stocks witli Paul and Silas,
Acts xvi. 25. Though thou be persecuted and afflicted,
railed upon and reviled by evil men, yet seeing there
is no law against thee, and the curse, which maketh
these things bitter, is removed from thee, thou needest
not fear them before they come, nor be discouraged
when they are come, but, e contra,- if thou bring
not forth the fruits of the Spirit, then assure thy-
self that whatsoever loss or cross befalls thee, they
fall upon thee with a curse ; the venom and sting is
in the tail of them, they tend to thy perdition. Were
these things well weighed by us, how could we then
but labour to be fiUed with ' the fruits of righteous-
ness?' Men of this world commonly comfort tliem-
selves with this, that however they fail, yet the law
cannot take hold upon them. Be thou a fruitful
branch, and this comfort thou mayest have, for the
law moral is no killing letter to thee.
Fourthly, The circumstance of time calls upon us
to bring forth the fruits of obedience. Our Master
hath suffered us our first year already, yea, our second,
nay, our third, Luke xiii. 7, or rather our third score
year, for Is it not rather three times twenty years than
three years since the Lord hath spared us, as he
spared the fig-tree ?. Forasmuch then as he hath
year by year, for so long succession of years, sought
for fruit of us and found none, it is now high time to
look about us and bring forth plenty, or else, with
fear and trembling, it is to be expected that we shall
stand no longer, but be stubbed up, and have that sen-
tence passed against us which was sometimes passed
against the fig-tree, ' Cut it down, why cumbereth
it the ground ?' Besides these motives, our blessed
Saviour useth many more in that same sweet sermon,
which he preached to his disciples a little before his
departure from them, John xv., and, as some think,
in the way between the place where he did eat the
Passover, and the garden wherein he was betrayed.
' Herein,' saith he, ' is my Father glorified, that you
bear much fruit,' ver. S.
1. Our fruit-bearing tends much to God's glorifying,
and in glorifying him, our glory doth consist ; for the
glory of man without glorifying his Maker is but
dung and worms ; but this dung and worms by glori-
fying God shall be made glorious. Now the only way
to bring glory to his name is by bringing forth the
fruit of our planting.
2. Again he saith, by this we shall be his disciples,
that is, know, and have a testimony that we are so,
and indeed without fruit none can have his vocation,
adoption, or engrafting into Christ sealed up unto his
soul. He then that is unfruitful wants tliis testimony,
which every one desu-es to have, and none to be with-
out.
3. Again he telleth them, this was tlie end of their
election before time, and special vocation in time, ver.
16, ' Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit.'
4. Besides, if a man endeavour to bring forth fruit,
KOGEES ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
he is sure to speed when he hath any suit to God, and
therefore in the same verse lie addeth this as a reason
to his exhortation, ' that whatsoever they should ask
of his Father in his name he ruight give it tliem.'
5. If all this will not serve to make us fruitful, that
which our Saviour saith in the beginning of that chap-
ter, methinks, should awaken us, for 'every branch that
beareth not fruit, he taketh a«-ay,' ver. 2, and presently
after, ' if a man abide not in me' (viz., to bring forth
fruit,) 'he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and
men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they
are burned.' Much more might be said for the
pressing of this so necessary a duty. My desire is
to say enough, and but enough. Xow, what hath
been spoken is enough, if God shall please to accom-
pany it with his grace and operation of his blessed
Spirit, without which neither this, nor all that can
be said, will be enough to work us hereunto.
By this time haply thy heart may smite thee for
thy barrenness, and the Spirit may begin to work
within thee a desire after the fruits of holy life ;
insomuch that, out of the longing desire of thy soul
■which thou hast of fruitfulness, thou wilt now come
to me, as those publicans and soldiers came to John,
saying, 'What shall we do?' Luke iii. 10; or as
that lawyer came to Christ with, ' Master, what shall
I do ? ' chap, X. 25. If this be thy next question,
What thou shouldest do to become fruitful, I would
advise thee to follow these directions :
1. See thou be removed out of thy natural soil,
and be engrafted into another stock. For that thou
mayest be fruitful, thou must be, as it is said of the
godly man in the first psalm, 'A tree planted,' Ps. i.
3, because by nature the best of us are but as wild
olives. And if ever we become fruitful trees, we must
of necessity be transplanted from the first Adam into
the .second. The tree must be good before the fruit
can be — ' Either make the tree good, and the fruit
good ; or the tree evil, and the fruit evil,' saith our
Saviour, Mat. xii. 33 ; for ' men gather not grajies of
thorns, nor figs of thistles. As a good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, so neither can a corrupt tree
bring forth good fruit,' chap. vii. 16. Until thou
be a plant planted in the house of the Lord, and
engrafted into Christ by a true faith, and made a
new creature by regeneration, having a believing
heart, and a good conscience, thy fruit can never be
good. All thy works are as so many sins, yea, thy
best works are but as rotten weeds. Thorns and
thistles thou bringest forth, and therefore art ' nigh
unto cursing, whose end is to be burned,' Heb. vi. 8 ;
but being once engrafted into this stock, Jesus
Chi'ist, thou canst not but bring forth fruit inconti-
nent,— though not such plenty and store of fruit as
afterwards, — for such a lively power of life is in it,
that wert thou as dry as Aaron's withered rod, yet
thou shalt presently be changed into a flourishing
and fruitful tree. As the thief upon the cross,
Luke xxiii. 39, who no sooner was set into it, but he
bears fruit in an instant : (1.) Reproving his feUow-
thief, for his sin in railing upon Christ; (2.) Justi-
fying Christ, and pleading his innocence, giving a
good testimony of him ; (3.) Condemning himself,
acknowledging God's righteousness in laying that
punishment upon him ; (4.) Craving mercy and for-
giveness from his Saviour, desii'ing him to remember
him when he came into his Idngdom. So thou being
joined unto him, that is, raised from the dead, ' shalt
bring forth fruit unto God.' Rom. vii. 4. Labour
therefore to be engrafted. The ordinary means is
the word preached ; for as in grafting, so here, God
is the husbandman, Christ the stock, believers the
imps, the Spirit the sap, the word the saw, the
sacraments the ligatures. As therefore, without a
knife or saw to open and rive the stock, and let in
the imps, no man can graft ; so without the word no
hope of this benefit. And this that hath been said
overthrows a point of natural and Popish religion, —
viz.. That a man may be justified and saved by his
good works, when by this that hath been said, we
see that good works can only be the fruits of persons
already justified ; * and that which follows cannot
be the cause of that which went before. The fruit
cannot make the tree to be good, it doth only de-
clare and manifest that it is good ; according to that
speech of our Saviour, ' The tree is known by his
fruit,' Mat. vii.
2. In the second place, that thou mayest be fruit-
ful, see thou plant thyself by the running brooks.
Seat thyself under a powerful ministry, that so thou
mayest be partaker of those waters which ' flow from
under the threshold of the sanctuary,' Ezek. xlvii. 12.
Water, we know, causeth fruitfulness, as (bought
doth famine. The inundations of the river Nile
caused Egypt to be so fruitful; .so these spiritual
waters will cause us mightily to fructify and increase,
and make us ' spring up as amongst the grass, and
as willows by the water-courses,' Isa. xliv. 4. Thus
the church, as it was planted in a fruitful field, so was
it likewise placed by ' great waters,' Ezek. xvii. 5,
insomuch that it grew and became a spreading vine.
And the godly man, being ' planted by the rivers of
waters, brought forth his fruit in due season,' Ps.
i. 3. Is it then the true desire of thy soul to fructify
and bring forth fruit '? See then that thou frequent
the sanctuary of the Lord. ' Can the rush grow up
without mh'e ? or can the flag grow up without
water?' Job viii. 11. Is it possible that thou
shouldest increase in grace and goodness, and yet
never drink of the waters of Shiloah ? It cannot be.
* Js'ou pro3ceduntjustificandum, sedsequuntur justificatum.
— A urjust.
58
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
If, therefore, tliou liast not in thy own fountain, seek
to thy neighbours, and carry thy pitcher witli tliee ;
for nothing can more dangerously or uucomfortaLly
be wanting to thy soul.
3. Besides, see thou labour for humility and ten-
derness of heart. The ground which is hard and
stony is unfit for fruit, as our Saviour hath manifested
in that parable of the seed, Luke viii.. 6 ; for neither
can the seed sown take any root, neither will it drink
in the rain that the heart of it might be moistened ;
it may be the outside may be a little washy, but it
gets not in to prepare it to fruitfulness. Thus hard-
ness of heart keeps the soul dry and barren ; and
surely here is the reason, why after so long time of
preaching, there doth so little fruit appear. Much
water hath been poured on us, many a gracious ser-
mon hath been preached to us, but what are we the
better ? The invincible hardness of our hearts will
not suffer one drop of these heavenly dews to sinjc
into our souls. How many handfuls of good seed do
God's seedsmen daily cast amongst us ; and can they
say with Isaac that they have reaped an hundred fold,
as he did in the land ? Alas ! so far are they from
seeing such an increase as that, they would be heart-
glad of thirty, nay, of ten. Yea, let me tell you,
many ministers would be glad, if they could see their
seed again ; and what is the reason but this, that
men's hearts are so stony, flinty ? Labour then for
greater tenderness of heart, if thou wouldest bring
forth more fruit in thy life ; and see thou retain the
waters, and drink in the rain, Heb. vi. 7 ; hold fast
what thou hearest by conscionable meditation.
4. Fourthly, Thou must beware of overshadowing
thy heart by any sinful lust, whereby the warm beams
of the Sun of righteousness is kept from it. Husband-
men have evermore a gi'eat care of this, and will not
by any means endure to have their young nurseries
overshadowed-by any bough or tree, but so plant them
as that they may enjoy the benefit of the sunbeams,
for no ground or plant will ever prove good which
hath not a favourable aspect from the heavens. And
thus our hearts are made fruitful by the heavens
answering the earth, as Hosea speaketh, chap. ii. 21,
though in another sense ; I mean, when Christ the
Sun of righteousness darteth the beams of liis gracious
countenance and favour upon our souls, warming
and cherishing Paul's planting, and ApoUos' watering,
with the influence of his grace, for without him we
can do nothing, John xv.' 6, nor have any life in us.
And, therefore, beware lest through ' superfluity of
lusts,' or ' inordinate desires,' through worldliness and
covetousness, or any other such like sin, thy soul be
so shaded as that this Sun of righteousness cannot
shine upon it, if thou wouldest grow fruitful.
5. Fifthly, A special care must be had to the root,
that that grow well, if we would bring forth fruit
abundantly. Now faith is that same radical grace,
which must especially be regarded ; if that thrive not,
no other grace can prosper. Foolish then and pre-
posterous is their care, who seek and study how to
lie laden with the other fruits of God's blessed Spirit,
as with love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness, meekness, temperance, and the like, and
yet neglect the looking to this grace of faith. This
is no otherwise, saith one,* than if a man should w'ater
all the branches of a tree, and not the root.
6. Sixthly and lastly, We must be earnest with the
Lord, that he would make us fruitful, and give us
wisdom from above, which wisdom, saith St James,
is ' full of good fruits,' James i. 5, iii. 17. Call upon
him earnestly and frequently for grace ; and not only
so, but withal seek the prayers of God's vine-dressers,
his ministers ; and desire them to be earnest with
God for you, that you may he fruitful ; for however
this ungrateful world contemneth and despiseth these,
yet the truth is they can prevail much with G^d,
Luke xiii. 6, 7 ; and if tliey should not oftentimes
rise up and stand in the gap, woe would be to
thousands for the barrenness of their lives.
And thus I have shewed you the way, how of bar-
ren you may become fruitful. If, then, any amongsst
you that hear me this day do hereafter continue bar-
ren and fruitless, it must needs be because they are
wilful, or slothful, or both ; for put in practice what
now you have been taught, and I dare pass my word
and pawn my credit that in a short time the barren-
est professor in this congregation will bud and blos-
som, and bring forth fruit abundantly. For what
should hinder ? Is there any fault in the husband-
man to be found ? Surely no : for we have heard it
before proved, that he is no way wanting nor defective
and therefore cannot justly be charged with the bar-
renness of any man's heart or life, as hereafter shall
be cleared. AVhere then lies the fault ? Is it in the
stock or root ? No, neither : for we have lately heard
how lively and full of juice it is ; insomuch that who-
soever is set into it doth incontinently fructify and
bring forth fruit. If, then, there be any w'ant, it
must be in thyself, in not using the means that hath
been now prescribed. Oh that men would now at
length be brought to look about them, and sufl'er
themselves to be so far prevailed with as to make trial
of these means in ujirightness and sincerity of heart.
Consider, I beseech thee, with thyself, how exceedingly
hitherto thou hast frustrated the Lord's hopes and
expectations, as likewise in what a woful estate and
condition thou hast lived, and still livest in, whilst
thou art under that same curse, that heavy curse
which is never far from thee, ' Cut it down, why
cumbers it the ground,' Luke xiii. Urge, therefore,
and jiress thy soul unto this fruitfulness, and in some
* Wanl's Life of Faith.
ROGERS OX ISAIAH V. 1-7.
good measure answer the Lord's hopes hereafter, and
content not thyself with shows and leaves ; but as a
tree of righteousness, do thou shew forth thy grapes,
and figs, and sweet fruits, for that is it which God
expects.
Object. But we are fruitful members of the church;
we hear the word, receive the sacraments, and delight
therein ; we keep good orders in our families, speak
agaiust^common abuses, and reform evils in ourselves
and ours ; what would you more ?
Ans. Yet something may be wanting. The fig-tree
had leaves enough, and by the flourishing greenness
seemed to promise great store of fruit ; no wonder,
then, if such fair green leaves as these cause many a
soul to deceive himself and others also ; when, alas,
all this, and more than this may be, and is in many
who are like to have the doom that fig-tree had,
' Never fruit grow on thee more,' Mat. xxi. 19. And,
therefore, before thou boastest, see thy fruits have
these properties:
(1.) First, look that the fruit that thou boastest of
be proper fruit. It must be thy own, done by thyself,
not by a deputy nor attorney. Thus the godly man
is compared to a tree that ' bringeth forth her fruit in
due season,' Ps. i. 3. It must not, then, be borrowed
fruit, for so a heart as stony and barren as Cheapside
itself, may be made a far richer garden than some of
those are where those herbs brought thither naturally
grew. The Papists, indeed, would fain make us to be-
lieve that if our own lamps be without oil, we may
go and borrow of our neighbours to supply our wants.
For holy men of God, say the Pihemists,* have done
not only that which they ought to do, but more than
was required at their hands : as, for example, .John
Baptist fasted more than he was commanded, and
Mar}' lived more strictly than she was required. Now,
these superabundant works, as a church treasury,
becometh an advantage to others wlio are more de-
fective ; and, indeed, hang as it were upon the pope's
tally, for who gives most. But these works of super-
erogation are works of superarrogation. Our Saviour
hath taught us this lesson: Luke xvii. 10, 'When
we have done all we can, we are but unprofitable
servants.' And, therefore, let none build their hope
upon such a sandy foundation as the good works of
others. Another man's meat cannot nourish me;
another man's garment cannot warm me ; another
man's eye cannot guide me, neither can another man's
works save me. You call upon your minister to
preach for himself, upon your servants to do their
work for themselves, and upon your captain to lead
his company for himself ; .and therefore let me call
upon you to do good duties by yourselves, and for
yourselves. Let not great men think to go to heaven
* Supererogatio quasi super id quod erogatur. — likem.Annot.
on Luke x. 35 ; 2 Cor. viii. 14 ; 1 Cor. is. 10.
by their chaplains, nor wives by their husbands, nor
parents by their children, nor servants by their mas-
ters, by whom usually they are religious here, and
think to be glorious hereafter. Let me crave your
patience a little in hearing a story, which though in
itself it be idle and feigned, yet may be of good use
to set forth a truth unfeigned. There was a certain
man, saitli the legend, which would never go to church
himself, but ever when he heard the saints' bell ring
would say to his wife. Go thou to church and pray
for thee and me. One night he dreamt that both he
and Ills wife were dead, and that they knocked to-
gether at heaven's gate for entrance ; Peter, being the
imagined and supposed porter, lets in the wife, but
keeps out the husband, telling liim thus, Ilhi intravit
pro se, et ie — She is entered in both for herself and
thee ; for as she went to church for thee, so she is
gone to heaven for thee. This is the fable. The
moral is good, and instructs every one to have a per-
sonality of faith, and propriety of fruit ; that himself
serving God, himself may be blessed of God. So
willeth the apostle, ' Have rejoicing in thyself alone,
and not in another,' Gal. vi. 4. It is his own faith
the just shall live by, Hab. ii. 4, and a man's own
works that he must give an account of, 2 Cor. v. 10 ;
Luke xvi. 2. For at the last day the question will
not be, what hath he done ? but, what hast thou done?
And therefore let thy grand care be to provide an
answer to that question, which will put the greatest
jDart of the world to a nonplus. See then that thou
preach for thyself, if thou have a calling thereunto,
pray for thyself, give thanks for thyself, serve God
for thyself, and thus make the proverb good, which
otherwise is devilish, Jivery man for himself, and God
for all.
And yet to avoid all scruples, I would not so be
understood, as if we might not join with others in
holy duties, for that we may, yea, must ; or that we
are not to pray for others, or have others pray for us;
for this ought to be ; only we are not to content our-
selves with what is done by them, unless we join in
heart and do the like ourselves. Neither do I think
it a thing unlawful, but fitting, if a Samuel be in pre-
sence, that he should perform these holy duties, be it
in any family, and bless the meat, be it at any man's
table ; for at such a time the lord and master of that
house or family, how great soever, should give way.
But as for children to give thanks at their father's
board, except in case before, that they are prophets,
I think it not expedient. Sure I am Christ never
put his disciples to it, though they were men grown
up, and of ripe years, but ever gave thanks himself
and therefore the practice of many parents is too, too
childish, who make their children their chaplains ;
and if they be out of the house, grace shall be out of
the parlour, as if it were unbeseeming their worthi-
60
EOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
ness to call upon God for a blessing upon what they
eat.
(2.) Secondly, Our fruit it must be kindly fruit ;
for no man gatheretli grapes of thorns nor figs of
thistles, Mat. vii. Good ground we know bringeth
forth fruit of the same kind and nature with the seed
that it was sowed withal ; and not tares when wheat
was sown, nor cockle when barley was cast into the
ground. Thus a Christian man's fruit must be such
a conversation as may beseem the gospel, Phil. i. 27.
Thy fruits may not be fruits of the flesh, which are
so rife, so ripe, yea, rotten ; no, nor fruits of civil
righteousness, wherewith many content themselves,
concluding they are trees of righteousness because
they pay every man his own, deal justly, truly, and
so carry themselves as that no man can say black is
their eye, when notwithstanding they are void of all
true piety and sanctity. No, nor fruits of external
profession of religion or outward reformation ; but
the fruit God expecteth from thee must be kindly,
resembling the Author, which is the Spirit of grace,
and that holy and pure seed, which is the word of
grace. Such fruits as those reckoned up by the
apostle. Gal. v. 22, 23, ' Love, joy, peace, long-
suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,' ifec. Other
fruits than these, or the like to these, beseem not
Christians : ' As for fornication, uncleanness, cove-
tousness, let it not be once named amongst you,'
saith the same apostle, Epli. v. 3, 4 ; 'as becometh
saints: neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jest-
ing, which are not convenient.' If it becometh not a
saint once to name these things, much less to bear
them and bring them forth. Muddy water is less
offensive in a puddle than in a fountain, brambles and
briars do a great deal better in a hedge or thicket than
in a garden knot ; let one worldling do as another
worldling does, but let no worldling's practice be a
precedent to thee. What if my lady Jezebel and
other gentlewomen in court and city have such a
complexion, such hair, not as God hath made, but as
the devil hath been the dyer of, as one of the
ancients * speaketh ? What if they disguise them-
selves like harlots, moreJike than attiring themselves
as chaste matrons, what is that to thee ? And what
if many — it may be the greatest in your country,
Master Justice or thy landlord — will drink till they
be drunken, swear, lie, and break God's Sabbaths,
wilt thou imitate and follow them in their lewdness ?
It beseems thee not ; learn more manners than to do
as such great ones do. The consideration of whom I
am should teach me what a one I should be. Think
then thus with thyself : I am a tree of righteousness,
a branch of the true vine, the planting of the Lord,
whose heart hath been sowed with j)ure seed, and
shall I bring forth such fruit? will such works
* !S"on quos Deus fecit, sed quos diabolus infecit. — Cijini
become me ? Good Nehemiah being persuaded to fly
and save his life, would not, but said to him that
persuaded him unto it, ' Should such a man as I fly ?
and who is there that being as I am would go into
the temple to save his life ? I will not go in. Now,
therefore, 0 God, strengthen my hands,' Neh. vi. IL
So say thou when thou art enticed into lewdness.
Should such a one as I do thus ? Shall I swear,
swagger, drink to be drunk, or the like ? I will not
do it ; for who is there, being as I am, what heart,
having been sowed with such seed as mine hath been,
would bring forth such fruit, so unanswerable there-
unto ? Now therefore, 0 Lord, strengthen my hands,
give grace to withstand, for I will not do thus.
(3.) Thirdly, Our fruit, if acceptable, must be timely
and seasonable. This is a commendable property in
our grounds, trees, plants, that they bring forth their
fruit in due season, as it is said of that tree which
was jjlanted by the rivers of water, whereto the godly,
blessed man was resembled, Ps. i. 3. If our corn
should not ear until harvest was past, nor our trees bud
until after midsummer, men might look to have but
small store of fruit, and to reap but a sorry and
slender crop. Thus the grace of our fruit is the
season ableness of it. God himself, for our example,
hath an appointed time and fit season for all his
works, Eccles. iii. 1.
Quest. But is any time unseasonable for the bring-
ing forth of fruit ?
Ans. I answer, Yes. A good work may be
unseasonable, as well as fish or flesh. For the clear-
ing this we are to knoAV there is a difference of good
things to be performed by us. Some good things
are as continual acts to be performed by all persons,
at all times, and in all places; from the doing whereof
no part of our life is exempted, because they reach to
all times of this life, and yet only to this life. As,
for example, the exercise of faith, repentance, morti-
fication, amendment of life, working out our salvation
with fear and trembling, seeking reconciliation with
God, and such like. These are daily and hourly to be
performed by every one of us ; and yet for these there
are some times and seasons more fit, though all be
fit, wherein if they be done they will be more accept-
able : as to repent in the day of our youth, and to
remember our Creator before our okl years come,
Eccles. xiL 1. Who will not confess that young age
is a fitter time to learn the horn-book or primer in
than old ? Yet it is better for a man of threescore to
learn his ABC than die a dunce. So for repent-
ance. God takes no delight to pledge the devil, and
drink those snuffs and dregs that he hath left.
Other good duties we are bound to do that reach
not to all times and places, but are limited to some
particular place, time, and season : as hearing, read-
ing, set and solemn prayer, singing, conference, alms-
ROGERS ON ISAIAH Y. 1-7.
61
deeds, and the like ; and tliese are they that may
unseasonably be performed. Take an instance. In
time of public exercise, while the minister is preach-
ing, here is no tit time for any person to fall a praying,
otherwise than by ejaculation or lifting up the soul to
God ; for he is now God's mouth, and by him the
Lord is speaking unto us. Now it is no point of
good manners to speak to our betters before they
have made an end of speaking. And so, while the
minister is praying, for a man then to fall a reading
is unseasonable ; for he is now the voice of the people
to the Lord, and all must join with the congregation
in that duty. And let not this seem strange to any ;
for it is an old policy that the devil hath, to justle
out a greater good by a less. He can be well con-
tent that we should do duties, for matter good, so
we dishonour God in the sinful manner of perform-
ance of them. Neither let any think I speak against
these duties ; for my desire is that men would pray
more, read oftener, &a., but only against the unsea-
sonableness in the performance of them, which maketh
our best service, in God's esteem, no better than the
' sacrifice of fools,' Eccles. v. 1. Wisely, then, observe
thy time, and bring forth fruit in the right Quando,
in the due season ; for know it for a truth, all duties
done unseasonably are hopeless, fruitless.
(4.) Fourthly, our fruit must be ripe fruit, if com-
mendable. Would a husbandman respect that tree
which every year doth bud and blossom, like many
of our outlandish plants, but never bring any fruit to
its perfection ? And yet, if haply he should delight
in it and nourish it iu his orchard, because of the
sweetness of the blossom, or fairness of the leaf or
Hower, which may yield a comfortable shade in the
heat of summer; yet God will never. He knows not
how to entreat such whose goodness is but ' as the
morning dew,' Hosea vi. 4, and whose righteousness
is but •■ as a cake not turned,' vii. 8 ; who have some
good purposes and motions in their minds, and so
begin to blossom, but within a short space sufl'er all
to fade. See, then, thou bring thy actions to perfec-
tion ; let thy resolutions be brought to execution,
and suffer them not to perish like an abortive birth.
Thou hast a purpose to leave thy ungodly course of
life and sinful trade, and take a new course, &c.
Thou blossomest very fair, what a pity is it if the
frost should nip these in the head ?
IMany make their purposes like our eves, and their
performances like our holidays. Servants work hard
upon the one, that they may have the more liberty
to play upon the other. So do they labour hard
upon their purposes, but are idle and play upon their
performances. But purpose without performance is
like a cloud without rain, and not unlike to Her-
cules's club in the tragedy — of a great bulk, but the
stuffing is moss and rubbish. Would such blossoms
bring a man to heaven, Baalam and many other
wicked wretches, who are now in torments, would
have gotten thither long ago. The five foolish vir-
gins intended to go in with the bridegroom ; but
before the time theu- lights dropped out. If a bare in-
tention would serve the turn, God's church on earth
would be fuller of saints, and his court in heaven
fuller of souls. Good motions and resolutions are to
be respected, but thou must up and be doing, else
God distastes them.
(.5.) A fifth property of good fruit is universalities.
It must be ' all fruit,' as Isaiah speaketh, chap, xxvii.
9, fruits of the first and second table : of holiness
towards God, and righteousness towards man ; for
what God hath joined may not be divorced. Parti-
culars were infinite. Fruits inward ; as good thoughts,
motions, purposes; good desires, longings, faintings
after God and his graces ; good affections, as love, joy,
fear, sorrow, patience, compassion, &c. Fruits out-
ward, as good words, favourite speech, pure and
wholesome language; and good works, such as we
are bound to perform within the compass of our call-
ing, whether general or special. In a word, ' What-
soever things are honest, whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are
of good report, those things must we think on to do,'
Phil. iv. 8 ; and as Mary said to the servants, John
ii. 6, ' Whatsoever he saith, do it,' so say I. What-
soever the Lord commands, that must be done. We
may not pick and choose, and do what best likes us,
but as once Israel said, so must we always, ' What-
soever the Lord commandeth, that will we do,' Exod.
xix. 8, xxiv. 3-7. True it is, many points of our
Master's will we know not, but our desu-e must be to
know; and many things we do not, but our desire
must be to do : for our obedience must reach to God's
whole revealed will. Every Christian duty, thou must
make account, belongs to thee as well as to any other;
and therefore, as a man that is to plant an orchard
will be sure to get of every good fruit some, so do
not hear of any fruit that good is, but carry it home
and set thy heart therewith. Memorable was the
practice of blessed Bradford,* who was content to
sacrifice his life in God's cause. He used to make
unto himself a journal or day-book, wherein he used
to set down all such notable things as either he did
see or hear each day that passed. If he did hear or
see any good in any man, by that sight he found and
noted the want thereof in himself, and added a short
prayer, wherein he craved grace and mercy that lie
might amend. If he did hear or see any plague or
misery, he noted it as a thing procured by his own
sins, and still added, ' Lord have mercy upon me.'
* See Mr Sampson's Preface to Bradford's Sermon of Re-
pentance.
C2
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
Oh that we would (read in this saint's steps ! how much
more fruitful should we then be than now we are ?
(6.) Lastly, our fruit must be constant fruit. Con-
stancy crowns all. Thus it is said of the blessed
ground, ' It bringeth forth fruit with patience,' Luke
viii. 15. And herein we may not be like to other
trees, which grow barren with their age ; but we
must bring forth fruit in our old age, and continue
fat and flourishing, Ps. xcii. 14; nay, not so much
as a leaf must fade or fail, Ps. i. 3 ; there must not
be any appearance of being out of the state of grace,'
Heb. iv. 1 ; none of us must seem to be deprived or
come short of entering into God's rest. Alas for
such ! who have left bearing — yea, lost their very
leaves and shows of professioUj which formerly they
have made ; being now worse than that cursed fig-
tree, which was green. What hope have these, who
come short of those that come short of heaven ?
Shall the former fruitfulness of such professors be
regarded or rewarded ? Surely no. ' All their right-
eousness which they have done shall never be men-
tioned : but in their trespass that they have tres-
passed, and in their sin that they have sinned, in
them they shall die,' Ezek. xviii. 24. And if every
man shall receive according to his fruits, then such
shall one day feed upon the bitter fruit of their
apostasy and backsliding, and find how bitter a thing
it is to forsake the Lord, and feel what they will not
now be brought to believe : That ' it had been
better for them never to have known the way of
truth, than thus to have departed from the holy
commandment,' 2 Pet. ii. 21. Look, then, thou walk
not in a good course for a fit ; but ' be constant to
the death, and so receive the crown of life,' Eev.
ii. 10; for ' glory and immortality' is the part and
portion only of such as ' by constancy in well-doing
seek it,' Eom. ii. 7. ' To you,' saith our Saviour,
Luke x.^ii. 24, 'which have continued with me in
tentations, have I appointed a kingdom, as my Father
hath appointed me a kingdom.'
And thus we have seen what is necessarily re-
quired, that our fruit may be acceptable and pleasing
unto God. Now then, thou that braggest of thy
faithfulness and fruitfulness, tell me, darest thou
abide the trial ? Why, then, answer me to these
interrogatories which I propound unto thee : Is thy
fruit thy own ? Is it done by thy own self, and in
thy own person ? Dost thou rest and rely upon thy
own faith, and live by it, and by no man's else ?
Again, tell me, Is thy fruit kindly, answerable to the
good seed that hath oftentimes been cast into thy
heart, and beseeming the stock wherein thou sayest
thou art engrafted ? Is not swearing, lying, cogging,
and dissembling, and such stinking fruit as this, the
fruit thou bearest? I demand again. Dost thou
observe the time and season, not contenting thyself
in doing good for matter, unless also thou do it then
when God may have most glory by the doing of it ?
Answer me yet further, ' Dost thou labour that thy
fruit may come to some perfection ? Not resting
thyself in this, that thou bloomest, blossomest, but
still art striving that every bud may be brought to
maturity and ripeness ? Besides all this, Dost thou
truly and unfeignedly desire ai}d endeavour to be
fruitful in all good works, making no exceptions,
like a lazy servant, at any of God's commands, seem
they never so hard or harsh, so mean or base? And
lastly, tell me. Dost thou continue constant in bear-
ing fruit, not giving over in the year of drought, but
even then continuest fresh and flourishing ? What
answerest thou ? Canst thou stand out this trial ?
And doth thy conscience witness that these things
are so ? Why then, indeed, thou art a fi'uitful branch,
and hast whereof to rejoice, inasmuch as thou bearest
fruit to God, who doth so accept it, that he will
revi'ard it. ' For the earth that drinketh in the rain
that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs
meet for him by whom it is dressed, receiveth bless-
ing from God,' Heb. vi. 7. But if thou findest it
otherwise with thee, and art not able to endure the
trial, then let me tell thee. Thou deludest thy own
soul, in thinking that thy leaves and shows will or
can answer God's hopes and expectations ; neither
canst thou comfort thyself in thy estate, for it is
wretched, fearful. All such barren, or rather evil-
fruited ground, is 'nigh unto cursing; whose end is
to be burned,' ver; 8.
Use 2. And so I am fallen into a use of repre-
hension of thousand thousands in the world, who
frustrate the Lord's hopes, and never think of making
any return unto the Lord for his many mercies, resting
only in the means of fruitfulness, thinking that enough.
What abundance of dead ground is there in the world
which brings forth just nothing ? They think it will
prove somewhat a troublesome journey to go towards
heaven, and therefore they sit them down, and fall
fast asleep. Let these idle wretches know that though
they sleep out their time, ' their damnation sleeps not,'
2 Pet. ii. 3. And what abundance of ground is there
that for all God's care and pains, return but leaves,
which are as good as nothing ? Numbers of carnal
gospellerSj who content themselves with the form of
godliness, denying the power thereof ; boasting much
of this, that they are harmless men, and no drunk-
ards, whorema.«ters, thieves, usurers, extortioners, and
the like. All this is well ; and I would to God all
you that hear me this day could so boast. Oh how
would it beautify this assembly ? But all this is not
enough. Negative divinity and Christianity, which
is so rife, and grows almost in every hedge, is not the
fruit that must answer God's hopes. The parable
damns the evil servant for not doing good with his
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
63
talent, though he misspent it not, Mat. sxv., and
Dives for not helping Lazarus, though he hurt him
not. It is not enougli that thou canst say, I bring
forth no evil fruit, I bear fair leaves, &o. For thou
cleceivest God's expectation if thou bringest forth no
good ; and whatever thou thinkest of thyself, or others
think of thee, thou canst not escape the fire ; for
' every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn
down and east into the fire,' Mat. iii. 10; and there-
fore be more wise than to trust to these fair leaves
and shows wherewith thou are richly decked, and
makest a goodly show, as the iig-tree did, for tliey
cannot save thee from the curse. And yet a worse
kind of ground than either of these, — such ground
as my text speaks of, which instead of grapes brings
forth wild grapes, that brings forth hedge fruit like
the heathen — nay, not so good, but like those figs the
prophet Jeremiah speaketh of, ' They are evil, very
evil ; they cannot be eaten, they are so evil.' ' Their
grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter.
Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel
venom of asps,' Deut. xxxii. 32, 33. Oh, beloved,
weigh it ; if barrenness and leaves will not, cannot
escape the axe and fire, how shall the evil-fruited
tree ? If the barren vine fare so bad, the wild vine
must fare far worse. What, hell, and how many tor-
ments, are prepared for oppressing Dives, when IDives,
that but denied his own, shall be so tortured and
tormented in endless flames ? Shall he that gives
not, wring his hands ? then certainly he that takes
away shall rend his heart. The old woi'ld did but
eat and drink, plant and build, marry and be merry,
tilings lawful in themselves, and yet were swept away
with the besom of destruction, Mat. xxiv. 28. And
shall we think that liars, swearers, whoremongers,
malicious, monstrous, scandalous oftenders, whose
works are in themselves simply unlawful, will ever
escape unpunished ? Certainly, if omission of good
works be whipped with rods, commission of impieties
shall be scourged with scorpions. At the hands of
these, and every one of these, will the Lord of the
vineyard requii'e fruit, and judge them according to
their works.
Use 3. And now, before I leave this point, let me
give a word of comfort to all such as find themselves
so qualified in some good measure, as is necessarily
required lie should be, whose fruit God accepteth, as
\\'e have before shewed. However these have in them
many weaknesses and corruptions ; yet, allowing and
maintaining none, let them assure, and secure them-
selves, against all the fears of their own hearts, and
cavils of Satan, or this wicked world, that they are
truly fruitl'ul, and in some good measure answer the
Lord's hopes and expectation. The husbandman, as
we see, though he receive not a crop of an hundred
fold, yet he will think it well, and count his ground
for good, and his labour well bestowed, if he might
receive sixty or thhty fold ; so though we be not the
best ground yet we may be good ground, as he may
be a good servant, that is not best of all. And it is
not good ground that is rejected, it is only the bad
and barren that God accepteth not, Heb. vi. 7. Let
not then the littleness of thy fruit discourage thee,
though it humble thee. It is not, how much, but hoiv
good, that God doth especially regard. We see the
fruitfullest tree that groweth loseth many of her buds
and blossoms ; some are smitten with blasting, some
are nipped with frosts, and bitten with the cold and
dry east wind ; and some again are eaten up with
worms and caterpillers ; and if the tithe thereof come
to perfection we think it well. Thus our buds and
blossoms, holy purposes and resolutions, often perish,
sometimes in the very thought, and go no further ;
sometimes they come to words ; we talk and tell what
our purpose is, and there it rests ; much ado there is
to bring them into works ; the devil, the world, and
flesh, so nip us with their temptations ; and if we,
when we have done all we can, can save the tithe,
nay the tithe of the tithe of our resolutions, and bring
them to execution, we have done well. Look more,
therefore, to the quality than to the quantity of thy
fruit, though look to both, and see it be not counter-
feit nor feigned ; let that be thy chiefest care, that as
men say of their plums and pears, &c. : Here is but
little, but it is good ; I have not many of them, but
them that be are very dainty, they are right of such
and such a kind, I dare assure you ; so thou mayest
say of thy faith, repentance, and obedience : Though
it be very little, and not so much as I could wish
it were, yet I assure myself it is of the right kind,
true and good, what is of it. And then assure thy-
self, to thy endless comfort and more cheerful under-
going of holy duties, that thou art a fruitful Chris-
tian, and shall every day grow fruitfuller than other.
Go then and ' eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy
wine with a cheerful heart, for God accepteth of thy
works,' Eccies. ix. 7.
And it hroiujlit forth ivild grapes. This was the
return it made to God for all his cost and pains. He
doth not say it was barren and brought forth no grapes,
for that had been more, tolerable, but it was fruitful.
' It brought forth ; ' but what ? ' wild grapes,' saith
the text ; such grapes as we find after mentioned in
this chapter by the prophet — injustice, oppression,
covetousness, avarice, and the like, which fruit was
loathsome and unsavoury to God's smell and taste,
and nothing answerable to the kind and nature of the
root.
Here, then; we have taxed in them a real, actual,
sensuoal, senseless ingratitude and unthankfuluess.
And yet this doth not sufficiently express it ; it
goeth a degree beyond it. Mere ingratitude returns
64
EOGERS ON ISAIAH Y. 1-7.
nothing for good ; but here we have evil returned for
good, and therefore we may rather call it a contu-
macious and contumehous retribution.
Doct. Thus the wicked answer heaven's kindness with
an ungrateful iviclcedness. For many blessings which
they have from God received, they return horrible
and more than brutish ingratitude.
Great and many were the favours which this people
had received from God, for ' he chose them,' saith
Moses, Deut. xxxii. 10-18, 'for his own inheritance.'
He kept them in the wilderness as the apple of his
eye ; he ' bore them on his wings, as the eagle her
young ones ; he fed them with the best, and gave
them plenty of all things : honey out of the rock,
and oil out of the flinty rock : butter of kiue, milk of
sheep, fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan,
and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat ; yea, they
did diink the pure blood of the grape. But Jeshu-
run waxed fat, and kicked : when he was waxen fat,
and grown thick, and covered with fatness, then he
forsook God that made him, and lightly esteemed the
rock of his salvation. They provoked him to jealousy
with strange gods ; with abominations provoked they
him to anger. They sacrificed to devils, and not to
God : to gods whom they knew not : to new gods
that came newly up, whom their fathers feared not.'
Hence was that complaint which the prophet made,
ver. 6, ' Do ye thus requite the Lord, 0 foolish
people and unwise?' The like complaint makes
God himself in the first chapter of this prophecy,
vers. 2-4, ' Hear, 0 heavens ; and give ear, 0 earth :
for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and
brought up children, and they have rebelled against
me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his
master's crib : but Israel doth not know, my people
doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people
laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children
that are corrupters ! They have forsaken the Lord,
they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to
anger, they are gone away backward.' Oh, piercing
words ! Woe unto such as occasion God thus to
complain.
Use. Beware we, then, oh beware we of it ! Be
not so ungrateful as to conceal the many favours thou
hast received from the Lord, and much less so un-
thankful as to make so wicked a retribution. To re-
turn evil for evil, and that to man, is damnable ; but
to return evil for good received is far more inexcus-
able. If it be thus between man and man, then is
the case more grievous between God and us. How
do we provoke him every day ? yet he, to win us,
bestows abundance of blessings on us — giving us life,
health, food, raiment, liberty, peace, plenty, comfort-
able seasons, &c. But the more he foUoweth us with
his favours, the further are we off; the more he
ladeth us with his blessings, the more we oppress him
with our sins ; and the better he is to us, the worse
we be to him ; like springs of water, which are then
coldest when the sun is hottest ; and like the Thracian
flint, whereof I have read, that it burns with water
and is quenched with oil ; or like the nature of that
country ([which if true is wonderful) wherein — siccitas
dat lutum, iml/res imlverem, * — a great drought and
heat makes abundance of mu'e and dirt, but store of
rain causeth dust. So it is with us ; experience makes
it good. The plentiful showers of God's blessings
rained down upon us is answered with the dusty
and sandy barrenness of our lives. The sweet dews
of Hermon have made the hill of Sion more barren.
Oh, how inexcusable shall we be ! How can such a
generation as this escape the damnation of hell ?
Needs must we perish and be consumed in the indig-
nation of the Lord if we amend not.
Use 2. And let this be a ground of patience to us,
when we have unkindness returned for kindness
shewed. ' They rewarded me evil for good,' saith
David, Ps. xxxv. 12, ' to the spoiling of my soul.'
Well, David, be content ; for the like measure God
himself hath found, and daily doth find, at the hands
of sinful men ; and the servant must not think to fare
better tlian his Lord and master.
Doct. Again, observe we hence how the wicked di-
vert the means of their salvation to their confusion.
God plants and sets, prunes and waters, to make this
vineyard fruitful ; and this his pains engenders no-
thing in their wicked hearts but noisome and stench-
ful fruits. Instead of grapes, they bring forth wild
grapes.
Thus the gospel was given for the bringing of men
to Christ, and therefore the apostle calls it ' the power
of God to salvation,' Eom. i. 16, and yet it was found
to be to some, ' a savour of death unto death,' 2 Cor.
ii. 15, and a swift furtherer of their perdition. So
the sacraments were ordained, in their true and pro-
per use, as a means to increase faith ; but the matter
by many is so handled that they serve for no other end
than to increase their judgment, 1 Cor. xi. 29, yea,
Christ himself, who was ' laid in Zion as a chief cor-
ner stone, elect and precious,' 1 Peter ii. 6, on whom
whosoever believeth shall never be confounded, be-
comes a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence to dis-
obedient ones, ver. 8 ; 1 Cor. i. 23. And thus it is
with every other good blessing and ordinance of God.
Jleas. For as it fares with him that hath a sur-
feited stomach, the more good meat he eats, the more
he increaseth his corruption, the former crudities un-
digested having the greater force, turn the good nutri-
ment into themselves, so is it with the wicked, whose
hearts are full of poisonful corruption, and surfeited
with sin ; and so corrupt everything that they have
or do receive, Tit. i. 16. Yea, such an antipathy
* Plin.
ROGEES ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
65
there is betwixt God's grace and man's bad heart,
that the more it wrestles with him to bring him to
salvation, the more he wrestles against it for his own
confusion.
Cse 1. Hence then we may take notice, first, of the
poisonful nature of sin, which corrupteth and altereth
the nature of all things, be they never so good, so excel-
lent ; making that hurtful, which in itself is health-
ful. Christ, the word, the sacraments, the creatures,
yea, God himself, are by it made occasions of evil.
Yea, look, as God's wisdom and goodness can draw
good out of the greatest evil, (as out of man's fall,
Judas his treason, the Jews' objection, &c.,) so mans
sin can draw evil out of the greatest good, and make
it hurtful and pernicious to his soul. Should we not
then hate it and abhor it ?
And, secondly, of the wretched estate of the sinner
who is poisoned by sin. Needs must his condition
be fearful, who brings swift damnation on himself,
not only by foul gross sins, but even by the most
holy things of God, as tlie wicked doth. For as ' all
things work together for the best unto them that love
God, even to them that are called of his purpose,'
as witnessetli the apostle, Kom. iii. 28 ; so by a rule
of contraries, to them who are unregenerated, all
things work together for the worst. They corrupt
all things, they defile all things. Their tongues are
adders' spears, their lips are instruments of guile, their
hands work iniquity, and their feet are swift to the
shedding of blood. Their wits they abuse to cavil
with, their wealth to oppress, their strength to steal,
their friends to bolster them out in all, with their
knowledge they beguile and deceive the simple and un-
stable soul. The Scripture they make a cover for their
profaneness; for when they be espied or reproved, they
will tell you they do no more than what they can justify
by holy warrant. Their marriage they abuse for lust,
their children for covetousness, the day for open evil,
and the night for secret shame. How near must
their damnation be, when everything doth further it !
Every word, every action, yea, every thought doth
hasten it. Oh the misery of the wicked, who in the
top of their happiness, and in the midst of their store
and plenty, are hastening to death, to hell !
Use 2. Again, Let this admonish us not to content
ourselves with the enjoyment of things, in themselves
good, unless we have a sanctified use thereof. And
surely herein many do delude themselves in thinking
all is well, and they are the blessed of the Lord, in
that they have so many good things, and such plenty
of God's good blessings showered down upon their
tabernacles, when, alas ! as we have seen, many have
as much, whose ' table becomes a snare unto them,'
Eom. xi. 10, and their prosperity their ruin. Do
not, then, content thyself in the simple enjoyment of
things good, unless they be good to thee. Better be
as poor as Lazarus, than, with Dives, to have much
wealth, and have no grace to use it. ' Wisdom is
good,' saith wise King Solomon, Eccles. vii. 11, 'with
an inheritance ; ' but an inheritance without wisdom
is passing hurtful.
Use 3. Lastly, Learn that the means which God
afFordeth for man's good shall never return in vain ;
for if they further not man's salvation, they will
hasten his destruction and confusion. If we will not
be the better for his mercies, we shall be a great deal
worse. Some effect will follow thereupon ; if they
produce not sweet grapes, they will sour. For, ' as
the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven,
and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth,
and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give
seed to the sower, and bread unto the eater ; so shall
my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth : it
shall not return unto me void ; but it shall accomplish
that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing
whereto I sent it,' saith the Lord, Isa. Iv. 10, 11.
The preaching of God's word, and all other of his
ordinances, is such physic as will either cure or kill.
None ever heard the one, or used the other, but was
thereby made either much better or much worse ;
they became either more barren or more fruitful.
The word, in Scripture, is called ' a two-edged sword,' __
Heb. iv. 12, that cuts both ways — it is either a con-
verting or a convincing power. A savour it hath
to all, either of death or life. And look, as fire hath
a double operation upon the several subjects it works
upon, it fires stubble, but refines the gold ; so hath
the word. Some hearts, as we have heard, it inflames
with zeal and love unto it, other hearts it sets on fire,
to persecute and molest it, and the bringers of it.
At one sermon Sergius Paulus was converted, and
Elymas obdurated. Acts xiii. 7, 8 ; at another ser-
mon ' some believed, and some believed not,' Acts
xvii. 4, 5. And upon our Saviour's preaching we
may read how ' some went back, and walked no more
with him,' -John vi. 66 ; but others stuck more fast
and close unto him, knowing full well that he had
' the words of eternal life,' and therefore ' whither
should they go?' ver. 68. Thus is it to conversion,
if believed ; to confusion, if despised. How should
this stir us up to a zealous preparation before we
come to the house of God ! We return not to our
own homee as we came from thence, but we are one
step nearer to heaven or to hell. Oh, wliat a grief
and heart-break will it be unto thee at the last day,
to see many who have heard the word with thee, been
of the same parish, under the same ministry, sat
in the same stool, to be received into heaven, be-
cause they beheved and repented, and thou thyself
thrust down to hell for thy infidelity and hard-hearted-
ness ! Look, therefore, well about thee, and regard
the means. When Moses threw the rod out of his
G6
KOGEKS ON ISAIAn V. 1-7.
hand, it became a serpent, Exod. iv. 3 ; but when he
laid hold of it, and took it to him, it became that rod
■wherewith he wrought those many and mighty
miracles. Thus, if thou castest the word thou hearest
from thee, look to find it as a serpent that will sting
thee to the heart ; but lay hold of it, and take it up,
obey it, and apply it, and thou shalt have the great
work of thy salvation wrought thereby.
Before we leave this verse, one thing more I would
have observed. The fruit that is brought forth is
said to be ' wild fruit.' The word, as was before
noted, signifieth such a kind of fruit,* which in smell
is most odious and stinking, and in taste most loath-
some and unsavoury. And tliis teacheth us thus
much : —
Doct. The fruit of disobedience and sin is a stinking
and unsavoury fruit. It is such a fruit as is odious
and unsavoury in God's nostrils — bitter and unplea-
sant to his taste.
Moses, in his last song, speaking of the wicked
and ungodly enemies of the church, saith thus: ' Their
vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Go-
morrah : their grapes are grapes of gal!, their clusters
are bitter. Their \vine is the poison of dragons, and
the cruel venom of asps,' Deut. xxsii. 32, 33. For
the better understanding of which words we are to
know that the vale of Jordan, where Sodom and her
sisters stood, was, before the destruction thereof, one
of the goodliest, pleasantest, and fruitfullest places in
the world, even like ' Eden, the garden of the Lord,'
Gen. xiii. 10, or like the land of Egypt. But after
the destruction and overthrow thereof, it became the
'breeding- place of nettles and salt-pits,' Zeph. ii. 9;
yea, it was turned into a most ugly and loathsome
lake, which is called to this day the lake of Sodom,
or the Salt or Dead Sea, wherein there is not any fish
or other living creature, though it be more than twenty
miles of length, neither will it admit anything into it
that hath life, as Josephus, a Jew born, relates ; t
which relation is seconded by some of the fathers,^
and by all such as have travelled in those parts. The
report whereof seemed so strange unto the Romans,
that when Vespasian besieged Jerusalem, he would
needs go thither to make a trial, and taking six men
that could not swim, he bound their hands and feet,
and cast them all into the water, and not one sunk, but
all swam like leaves. This Josephus witoiesseth he
was an eye-witness of ; who lived there, and went
with him. Eound about the brinks of this lake there
grow store of vines and fruit trees of all sorts, which
bear grapes and fruit most pleasant to the eye, as
evidences of the former fertility and fruitfulness of
* Baaschim, Vvas putridas, seu foctidas. — Uollcr. in loc.
Acerbas ac iusuaves. — Fatab.
t, Joseph, de bello Judaic. ^
J August, de Civ. Dei. Hieroii. in Ezek.
that place ; but take those grapes and fruits, and
break or bruise them to be eaten, and there is nothing
but filthy and stinking ashes, as though some vile
matter had been newly burnt. By this, then, it doth
appear what Closes means in the former words, ' Their
vine is as the vine of Sodom,' &c. — that is, fair and
pleasant to the outward show, but within filthy,
stmking, and unsavoury. And that such is the fruit
of sin appears yet plainer in sundry places of holy
Scripture. In the first chapter of this prophecy, ver.
11-15, God tells these Israelites that 'he delighted
not in the blood of bullocks, nor of lambs, nor of he-
goats : their incense was an abomination unto him ;
their new moons, and sabbaths, and calling of assem-
blies he could not away with ; for it is iniquity, even
their solemn meetings. Their new moons and ap-
pointed feasts his soul hated, they were a trouble to
him, he was weary to bear them. And -when they
spread forth their hands, he would hide his eyes ; and
when they make many prayers he would not hear,
for their hands were full of blood.' The Scripture for
our understanding ascribes senses to God, and here
we find every sense displeased with their sins.
(1.) They were offensive to his tasting; for their
burnt-oft'erings of rams, with the fat of lambs, &c.,
he could not relish — they delighted him not, they were
sour to his palate.
(2.) They were offensive to liis smelling ; for he
tells them that theh incense was an abomination unto
him — that precious perfume, which was made with so
many sweet spices and pure frankincense, Exod. xxx.
34, 35, did stink in his nostrils, the scent thereof he
could not abide.
(3.) They were offensive to his feeling; for their
new moons and appointed feasts were a burden unto
him, he was aweary to bear them. And though he
be not weary of bearing the whole world, yet he is
aweary of this burden; so heavy is it to his sense,
that he complains he is ' pressed under it as a cart is
pressed that is full of sheaves,' Amos ii. 13.
(4.) They were offensive to his seeing ; and there-
fore he tells them, though they spread forth their
hands, he will hide his eges. His pure eyes ' cannot
behold evil,' Hab. ii. 13, nor endure to look upon
iniquity, and therefore he must turn away his face
from them.
(5.) They were ofl'ensive to his hearing ; for when
they make many prayers he will not hear. Their
prayers were as jarring in Iris ears as if divers dis-
tracted musicians should play upon divers bad instru-
ments so many several tunes at one time.
Neither were their sins only displeasing to his
senses, but also grievous to his mind, and therefore
he tells them, theh new moons and appointed feasts
his soul did hate; which is an emphatical speech, and
an argument of God's hearty detestation. Now, ' is
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
67
it a small thing for you to grieve men, but you must
grieve God also?' Isa. vii. 13.
Besides this, the divers names given to sin in Scrip-
ture, and the comparisons used to set it forth, may
shew unto us the odiousness of it. It is called a pol-
lution, a leprosy, a contagion, the vomit of a dog, and
wallowing of a swine in the mire. Again it is called
uncleanness, filthiness, the execrable thing, and every-
where it is said to be abomination. From all which
we may safely conclude that sin and the fruits
thereof are odious and loathsome to the Lord.
Reas. Take the reason in a word. God is light
and purity, and perfection itself ; and therefore can-
not but he must detest and abhor that which is his
contrary.
Use 1 . Hence, then, we see what the apostle teach-
eth, Eom. viii. 8, ' They that are in the flesh cannot
please God ; ' the very oblations of their defiled hands
stink in his presence. Their hearts are like to some
fen or bog, and every action they do is as an evil
vapour ascending thence. Of all the sacrifice and
service of wicked men, Solomon saith, Prov. xv. 8,
' It is an abomination to the Lord.' And of their
' whole way,' ver. 9, he saith as much ; every action
of their lives God abhors. Their actions spiritual,
as prayer, reading, hearing, singing, &c., God takes
no pleasure in. ' He that sacrificeth a lamb is as if
he cut off a dog's neck,' &c., Isa. Ixvi. 3. Their
actions civil, as buying, selling, giving, lending, hon-
est dealing, &c., shall have no better acceptance with
him. Their actions natural, as eating, drinking,
sleeping, recreation, &c., all are stinking, loathsome.
Alas, for the fearful estate of sueh! Oh that the
eyes of these were open, that they might see their
misery !
Use 2. Secondly, Let us be admonished to take
heed of sin, yea, of every sin ; for, omnis malitia
eructat fumuin, all wickedness belcheth forth an evil
savour which God cannot endure nor abide. Shall
we delight in that which God abhors, or take
pleasure in that which makes us loathsome to him ?
Be it far from us so to do. True it is, while we live
here upon the earth, we cannot but we shall fall,
and that often ; yet let us not lie still and wallow in
uncleanness. For casual defilements there is hope ;
but for wilful pollutions there is little. How can God
dwell or abide with us, if we be swearers, drunkards,
usurers, oppressors, or the like ? Assuredly he
neither can nor will ; for these impieties, and such
like, are more odious to him than any carrion is or
can be to us ; nay, the devil himself is not so hateful
to him as sin is, for, no/i oJit peccatwyi diabuU causa, sed
diabolum j^eccati causa, he hates not sin for the devil's
sake, but the devil for sin's sake. And, therefore, to
shut up all with that exhortation of the apostle, 2
Cor. vii. 1, ' Dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God.'
Hitherto we have entreated of the vineyard's plan-
tation. The supplantation of it follows next to be
handled, which is contained in ver. 3-6, wherein we
have.
First, The Lord's plea with them, ver. 3, 4.
Secondly, The verdict or judgment jjassed upon
them, ver. 5, 6.
In the plea, we have first an appeal made to them,
ver. 3 ; and, secondly, an indictment against them,
ver. 4.
In the appeal divers circumstances are considera-
ble, as —
1. The manner of it, which is not in command-
ing-wise, as it might have been, but by way of en-
treaty and request — I pni>/ you.
2. The matter requested, and for which this appeal
was made, and that is, that they would discern
wisely of the matter, and accordingly pass sentence
—Judge.
3. Who they be which are made judges of the
cause ; and they are the men of Judah, and inhabit-
ants of .Jerusalem, even the whole multitude.
4. The parties between whom the controversy and
variance is, and they are God and his vineyard; God
being the plaintiff, and Israel the defendant.
Ver. 3, And notv, 0 inhabitants of Jenisalem,
judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard, &c.
And noiv, or noiv therefore. These are the words
of God himself, q.d., Seeing it is thus that my vine-
yard hath so frustrated my hopes, therefore, now,
&c.
0 inhabitants, and men. The words are in the
original read in the singular, not in the plural
number, 0 inhabitant, and man, by whom some
would have the Lord Jesus to be meant, as before
was shewed ; but it is evident that here the Lord
appealeth to the Jews themselves, and makes them
judges in their own cause, referring the matter be-
tween him and them to their own cousoieu(?es. And
we know it is no rare thing iu Scripture to find one
number put for another, the plural for the singular,
and the singular for the plural. Now, the reason
why the Lord speaketh to one man, as it were,
rather than to all, or to them all as if they were but
one, may be this, because he would have judgment,
not as simply of them altogether, but particularly of
every one ; '* willing every singular person of Judah
and Jerusalem, to commune with their own hearts,
and accordingly give sentence. And, therefore, Tre-
mellius and Junius, with divers others, read as the
original hath it, itnd viri Jehudce singuli.
Jerusalem, Judah ; Judah was the country, Jeru-
* Singulariter loquitur, postulans noa simpUciter omnea,
sed et unumquemque. — Muscul.
68
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-
salem was the chief city in that country; and, indeed,
one of the most famous cities of tiie world, full of
people, great amongst the nations, princess amongst.,
the provinces, and in one respect exceeded all other
cities in the world besides; for therein was Mount
Zion, the place of God's service and worship, and
therefore it was called ' The city of the Lord of hosts,'
' The city of God,' Ps. xlviii. 1, 8.
Jvclge ; To judge sometimes signifieth to pass an
upright or impartial sentence against any, true or
false; so Christ willeth the Jews to 'judge righteous
judgment,' John vii. 24. And sometimes it is only
taken for the understanding and discerning of all
things ; so meaneth the apostle when he saith, 1 Cor.
xiv. ^29, ' Let two or three speak, and let the other
judge,' i.e., discern what is spoken. This latter some
would have only here meant, as if the Lord did not
require sentence, but only an inspection into the
cause. But it may rather seem the Lord requires
not only that they should consider and discern, but
also that they should speak their mind and give
sentence against such a vineyard.
We shall not need to stand longer upon interpre-
tation ; the other words are clear. We come now to
doctrine, with the uses and duties which we are to
learn from each of the particulars. And, first, from
the manner of this appeal, I pray yoxi, learn that —
Doct. With much meekness and mildness doth God
proceed against sinners. When he hath to deal with
them, he doth not come in fury and rage, but in
mild and peaceable terms, with kind entreaties. He
doth not, as we see, imperiously command them with
sic volo, sic jubeo, &c., but vouchsafeth kindly to
request them, Judicate, qiiceso, I pray ye judge.
The like was God's manner of proceeding with
Adam after his transgression: Gen. iii. 9, 11, 'Adam,
Where art thou ? ' ' Who told thee thou wert naked ?
Hast thou eat^n of the tree whereof I told thee thou
shouldest not eat ?' In the like manner he comes to
Cain, Gen. iv. 9, 'Where is thy brother Abel?
What hast thou done?' And so our blessed Saviour,
how mildly did he deal with him that smote him un-
justly : John xviii. 23, ' If I have spoken evil, bear
witness of the evil ; but if well, why smitest thou
me?' And what mUdness and meekness did he
shew to Judas, when he came to betray him, even at
that time calling him/r(<?«f/, 'Friend, betrayest thou
the Son of man with a kiss ? ' Mat. xxvi. 50. In
that parable of the marriage of the king's son. Mat.
xxii. 11, wherein God's proceeding against wicked
and un.'odly professors who repent not of sin,
neither do believe in Christ, is set forth, this point
may have further confirmation ; for to him that
hath not on a wedding garment, the king saith thus,
'Friend, how earnest thou in hither?' &c., quietly
and peaceably examining and convincing him.
lieason. And this the Lord dotli, that he may the
sooner and the better bring the sinner to a sight and
sense of his sin and fault, and that he might, if it
were possible, be pricked in his heart, and be brouglit
to see that it is out of love which the Lord bearetli to
him, as he is his creature ; and that he desireth not
his death, but his repentance, that he might live.
And certainly this mild and gentle kind of dealing doth
much sooner cause the offender to see his fault than a
hasty and passionate proceeding dotli or can. So that
unworthy guest, when he was so friendly dealt withal,
had nothing to answer, but was speechless, Mat.
xxii. 12.
Use 1. Herein let us be followers of God, as dear
children, in manifesting this notable fruit of the
Spirit, when we have to deal witli sinners, which
hath in it the very pith of love, which when it accom-
panieth a reprehension or objurgation, it is as that same
' precious oil which shall not break the head,' Ps.
cxli. .5. Let ministers here learn how to deal with
their hearers, entreating, exhorting, beseeching, even
then when they may lawfully command. In things of
this life, see how men are fain to entreat and sue hard
for that which is their own, and heart-glad they are
if by any such course they can gather up their debts.
How glad, then, may we be if by any earnest persua-
sion or fair entreaty we can gather up the debt of
obedience which our people owe unto the Lord ! I will
never think much to speak fair and friendl}', so that
may follow thereupon. And thus the apostle Paul
doth come unto his hearers with ' I beseech you,
brethren, by the mercies of God,' Eom. xii. 1 ; and
' We beseech you, that you would be reconciled unto
God,' 2 Cor. v. 20 ; and, again, ' I Paul myself be-
seech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ,'
2 Cor. X. 1. These are his usual exhortations. And
surely when ministers speak thus to sinful men, and
proceed after this manner with them, ' I beseech thee,
by the mercies of God ;' I pray thee that thou
wouldest leave thy drunkenness, profanation of God's
Sabbaths, swearing, &c., and be reconciled unto God;
it must needs strike deep into their hearts, if they be
not sealed up with hardness and unbelief. Let magis-
trates hence learn to shew mercy and compassion, and
all tokens and testimonies of love towards malefactors,
even then when justice is to be executed and punish-
ment intiicted, that offenders may see it is not malice,
but justice, that inflicteth that punishment upon them ;
and that it is not their blood, but their good, and the
good of others, which is sought. And thus dealt
Joshua with Achan after he was ajiprehended for that
execrable wickedness which he had committed, and
whereby all Israel was troubled : ' My son,' saith he,
' I beseech thee give glory unto the Lord God of
Israel, and make confession unto him ; and tell me
now what thou hast done, hide it not from me,' Josh.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
69
vii. 19. For want of this Jeliu the king of Israel is
threatened to be punished ; for albeit he executed the
judgments of tlie Lord against the house of Ahub,
according to God's command, yet doing it with a cruel
and revengeful mind, without all pity and compassion,
God was displeased, and saith he will ' revenge the
blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu,' Hosea i. 4.
Let all Christians in general take out this lesson which
the Lord himself doth here and elsewhere teach us by
his practice ; and in informing or reforming offending
persons, let us use all moderation and meekness, en-
deavouring in the quietest and mildest manner to
convince them of their sins. In so doing we shall,
first, tread in the steps of God himself ; secondly,
give obedience to God's commands, which requires us
to ' restore such as are fallen with the spirit of meek-
ness,' Gal. vi. 1 ; thirdly, manifest we have the Spirit
of God in us by the fruits, whereof this is one, chap.
V. 23 ; fourthly, have some hope that our reproofs,
admonitions, exhortations, &c., shall be profitable;
for if ever we do good, it must be by weight of
good arguments, pressed in meekness of wisdom,
with mildness of spirit, that must be as sugar, without
which the bitter pills of reproof will not be swallowed.
But, alas ! we cannot hit of those steps which our
heavenly Father hath trodden in, and wherein our
blessed Saviour hath gone before us. How doth that
hastiness in many of us ministers, who, because we
see not present success of our labours, are ready to
surcease our pains and forego all, sort with this truth
or that injunction which St Paul giveth to Timothy,
and in him to all other ministers : ' In meekness
instruct those that oppose themselves ; if God perad-
venture will give them repentance to the acknow-
ledging of the truth,' 2 Tim. ii. 25. How do those
bitter jests, taunts, and reproaches, cast out against
such as are in misery, — what though they be evil-
doers, standing at the bar to be judged and arraigned,
— usually to be heard in the places of justice and
judgment, by such as are in place of authority, come
nigh this copy which God hath set ? How can we
see we imitate God like good children, when, having
to deal with friend or foe, we grow hot and boisterous
if we be a little moved ? Alas for us ! Oh that we
could but remember God's peaceable proceeding,
even with the vessels of his wrath, and learn more
mildness.
Qiie.'t. But are we to deal thus mildly with all ? may
some demand. Is there no time when, nor no person
to whom, rigour and severity must be shewed?
Ans. Surely much patience and lenity must be used
even unto the very worst, until it be despised and wil-
fully contemned. And then, if it be clear no meek-
ness will serve to win men, it is high time to use
severity towards such, who by mild entreaties will not
be persuaded. And thus our blessed Saviour, though
in his first sermon he pronounced blessings. Mat. v.,
yet in his other he denounceth woes and curses against
the scribes and pharisees, Mat. xxiii., whenas the
former did not work upon them.
Use 2. Let this teach us likewise to admire the
great goodness and unspeakable mercy of the Lord.
Men commonly are entreaters for those things which
are profitable to themselves ; but who is he that is
earnest with another to do that which tends only to
the profit of him with whom he dealeth ? If a man
of himself cannot see what maketh for his own good,
and do it of his own accord, we think him well worthy
to smart for his own folly. But here see God's deal-
ing with us the sons of men, who desireth and en-
treateth us to sit in judgment against ourselves.
And why ? Surely for this end, that he might not
judge us; for as the apostle speaketh, 1 Cor. xi. 31,
' If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged
of the Lord ;' so that the profit thereof would be our
own. How should our hearts relent ! how should we
be overcome with this kindness of the Lord, who so
graciously and mercifully requesteth and entreateth
us for our own welfare !
Use 3. And, lastly. Is God so mild even when he
hath to deal with sinners ? and doth he proceed in
such quiet and peaceable terms, even with wicked and
ungodly ones ? Then let this stay the hearts of God's
people, for assuredly with them he will not be rigorous
nor extreme. If these fare so well, certainly God's
children shall fare far better. Lift up then thy dejected
spirit, and cheer up thy disquieted and perplexed eon-
science, thou poor one who tremblest under God's
hand for thy manifold infirmities, as the child doth
under the rod, and be not out of heart or hope.
' The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger,
and plenteous in mercy, who will not always chide,
neither will he keep his anger for evermore,' Ps.
ciii. 8. He beareth patiently with the wicked, his
slaves, his vassals; and will he not with thee, who
art his child, his darling? Is it possible that he-
should be worser towards thee who seekest his face,
than he is with them who seek it not at all ? That
cannot be. And thus much for the manner, how he
maketh his appeal ; now for the matter, or thing
itself, for which he doth appeal, and that is judg-
ment.
Judge, I pray you. He doth not say condemn
these, or justify my proceedings ; but judge, advise,
take counsel, and accordingly pass sentence. Thus,
Doct. God is content to submit his courses unto
scanning, and to bring his proceedings with the sons of
men unto a trial before he proceed to judgment.
In the first chapter of this prophecy we read how
the Lord doth, as it were, provoke the people to a
pleading with him, ' Come now, and let us reason
together, saith the Lord,' &c., Isa. i . 18; as if h
70
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
should say, If you are so well persuaded of the good-
ness of your cause, and are so ready to accuse me,
and excuse yourselves, which is the property of all
hypocrites, let us reason about the business, and bring
the matter unto a trial, that so it may appear whether
I or yourselves be most in fault. The like plea he
offers his people by the prophet Jeremiah, ' Where-
fore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and
with your children's children I will plead,' Jer. ii. 9.
And by the prophet Micah he summons them to the
like business, willing them to plead the cause with
him, as it were at even hand, offering to make answer to
whatsoever they could object or layunto his charge; and
he calls upon the hills and mountains to be witnesses,
yea, judges of the cause: ' Hear, 0 ye mountains,' saith
he, ' the Lord's controversy, and ye strong founda-
tions of the earth : for the Lord hath a controversy
, with his peojile, and he will plead with Israel. 0 my
people, what have I done unto thee ? and wherein
have I wearied thee ? testify against me,' &c., Micah
vi. 2, 3,
Recis. And the main reason hereof is, that the
justice of God might hereby be cleared, and every
man's mouth stopped, ' That he might be justified
when he speaketh, and cleared when he judgeth,' Ps.
li. 4.
Ohj. But the apostle reproveth such as dare word
it with the Lord, and dispute with him about his pro-
ceedings : ' Who art thou, 0 man,' saith he, ' that
pleadest against God ? Shall the thing formed say
to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ?'
&c., Eom. ix. 20.
Ans. Trae ; for though God be content to offer it
for the clearing of his justice and conviction of the
sinner, yet it is over-great boldness and sauciness for
any man to require and demand it. Here was Job's
failing, Jeremiah's weakness, and David's infirmity.
Makt these uses of this point : —
Use 1. First, Let it serve for our instruction, that
we admire the rich mercy and great goodness of the
Lord, who is content so to abase himself as to put his
holy actions and proceedings to our scanning, and
plead with us, clay and dirt, dung and worm's-meat,
about his just and righteous proceedings. Should he
use martial law against us, and as soon as ever we
offend, like Draco, write his laws in blood upon us, it
were but just and right. Now for him to come and
reason with us, and plead about the justice of his
cause, before he proceeds to judgment, this deserves ac-
knowledgment and admiration in the highest degree.
Should the wood quarrel with the carpenter, or the
iron with the smith, or the clay with the potter,
would they do thus ? And yet there is more differ-
ence between God and us than is or can be between
the carpenter and his wood, the smith and liis iron,
the potter, though he were a king, and his pot.
though it were of the worst fashion, or for the basest
use. ' Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom
and loving-kindness of our God ! how unsearchable
is his goodness, and his mercies past finding out !'
Rom. xi. 33.
Use 2. Secondly, Let it be for admonition unto us,
that we beware how we tax God of the least injustice
in any of his proceedings, for he is so assured of the
equity of his actions, as that he fears not the scan-
ning of them by his very enemies ; yea, so far is he
from fearing it, as that he will provoke them to a
pleading with him that do accuse him. Now we
know none call for a day of trial, but such as are
well persuaded they are of the surer side ; as for those
that do evil, they ' hate the light,' as our Saviour
speaketh, ' lest their deeds should be reproved,' John
iii. 20. Be thou then contented with his will ; he
hath reason for his actions, though thou knowest it
not. This is a lesson we cannot hit on ; the best of
us are much wanting in it. We can all say, It is
a shame to contend with the Almighty ; yet when his
hand lies any way upon us, then. Oh that I might speak
with the Almighty. Holy Job, while he was himself,
acknowledgeth this, chap. ix. 1-3 ; but being tried
with affliction, then he foi'got himself, chap, xxiii. 3,
4 ; for which God sharply reproves him, chap. xl. 2 ;
and then Job cries peccavi, chap. xhi. 1,2; and ac-
knowledgeth his own vileness, and promiseth amend-
ment. Whatsoever God doth, acknowlege to be most
just ; say not, What a hard case is this, or How can
this stand with justice ? But learn thou better things,
and with Eli say, ' It is the Lord ; let him do what
seemeth him good,' I Sam. iii. 18. And with Mauri-
tius, remember that of David, ' Righteous art thuu, 0
Lord, and just are thy judgments,' Ps. cxix. What
thou canst not understand, inquire not a reason of,
but reverence it. Couldest thou understand it, thou
shouldest much more understand that thou hast no
reason to complain, though it were for the reprobation
of thy husband's, wife's, child's, or own soul.
The parties who are appointed judges in the cause
are in the next place to he considered, and they are
themselves.
You inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah.
He doth not put the business to this or that friend
to arbitrate, neither doth he call upon ' heaven and
earth,' Isa. i. 2, nor on the ' mountains and strong
foundations,' as he doth elsewhere, Micah vi. 1, 2, to
hear the quarrel, for it might have been thought these
would have been partial. But he makes his adver-
saries themselves the judges of the cause. Whence
note we,
Doct. God will fetch witness from his adversaries'
own consciences, for the justlfi/ing and condemning
themselves. God will neither choose nor use any other
judge to condemn man than man himself.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
Thus the Lord, after he had used all good means
for the converting of Ephraim and Judah, demands
of no other than of themselves, what he should do
more, Hosea vi. 4 ; and so our Saviour, after he had
propounded that parable of the vineyard, let out to
wicked husbandmen, requires of the priests and rulers
their judgment : and they sentence them, and in
them, themselves, thus : Mat. xxi. 40, That they were
worthy to be destroyed, and to have the vineyard
taken from them, and let out to others who should
render the fruits in their seasons. The like I might
shew of Pharaoh, who, by force of conscience, was
made to justify the Lord to his own confusion, Exod.
ix. 27 ; and of Adonibezek, who acknowledged, when
Judah had taken him and cut off his thumbs and toes,
Ihat as he had done by others, so had God requited
hiin, Judges i. 7 ; and of Judas, who read the sen-
tence against himself, there being none else to do it,
Mat. xxvii. 4 ; besides many others of whom mention
is made in Scripture, whose mouths have been opened
to read their own doom, to the justifying of the Lord
and condemning of themselves. Hereunto tends the
apostle's speech, when he telleth us that the sinner is
subverted and sinneth, being ' self-condemned,' Titus
iii. 11. Thus, God loves to have a sinner accuse
himself before he accuse him, condemn himself before
he condemn him.
Use 1. See, then, here the use of conscience, and
what good service it wiU do. The Lord God hath
set it as his deputy in the breast of man, which,
though it be oftentimes a neuter when the act is
doing and while sin is a-committing, yet afterwards it
will prove a friend and faithful witness for the Lord,
but an adversary against man. Oh that the wicked
would think of this, who sin in hope of secrecy !
Why, who sees them, who can witness anything
against them, who can condemn them for such or
such an action ? Alas, poor soul ! there is a con-
science within thee that sees thee, and will condemn
thee ; thyself shall pass sentence against thyself.
Now thou canst hide, cover, and cloak thy sin, and
plead in the defence thereof; but when God shall
cite thy conscience to give in evidence, that shall be
as a thousand witnesses, conscientia inille testes, and
condemn thee for thy most secret sins. Though thou
do escape all apprehension and accusation in this
world, yet thy own conscience will arrest thee, and
hale thee unto judgment ; and albeit thou escape
man's judgment, yet the judgment of thy own con-
science thou shalt never escape. Neither think that
what thou thyself knowest shall ever be concealed ;
thou art privy to thy own lewdness, and knowest of
thy drunkenness, adultery, theft, &c. What art thou
the better, then, in that nobody else is privy to them,
so long as thou hast a conscience within thee ? Quid
tibi prodest non habere conscium, habenti conscientiam ?
Neither think thou that, because thy conscience is
now asleep, or seared and benumbed, through a con-
tinuance in the custom of sin, that it will never be
awakened, or that this is nothing so ; for, as the
poise of a clock being down all motion ceaseth, the
wheels stir not, but, being wound up, all is set on
gohig ; so albeit now, while thy conscience is down,
there is no noise nor moving in thy heart, all is quiet ;
yet when it is wound up by the justice of God, as
one day assuredly it shall, it will set all the wheels
on worjcing : thy tongue, to confess and say. Guilty,
Lord, guilty ; thy eyes to weep, thy hands to wring,
thy voice to cry, thy heart to ache ; and yet all in
vain. Be watchful, therefore, and ever remember
conscience. Beware of hypocrisy and secret sins ;
for, though thou canst hide them from men and
devils, yet not from it ; and look thou neglect not the
checks of conscience. Doth it now check thee and
reprove thee for thy ways? — know the time cometh
when that conscience, which doth now cheek thee
sliall judge thee and condemn thee ; and that which
doth now reprove thee shall hereafter torment thee
in endless woe if thou repent not.
Use 2. Secondly, Seeing this is so, that man shall
judge himself and justify the Lord, then let it teach
us this point of wisdom, te begin betimes, and now
' judge ourselves, that we may not be judged,' 1 Cor.
-xi. 31. Self-condemning is an especial means to
prevent future condemnation ; and the more speedily
we set upon the work, the more mercifully will the
Lord deal with us. It is recorded'-' of Edward the
First, sometimes king of this land, that being crossed
by a servant of his in the sport of hawking, and fur-
ther incensed by a saucy answer which he made unto
the king's tlireatenings, telling him it was well there
was a river between them, spurred his horse into the
depth of the river, not without great danger of his
life, the water being deep, and the banks too high
and steep for his ascending ; yet, at last, recovering
land, pursues his servant with his drawn sword.
The servant, finding himself too ill-horsed to outride
the king, and seeing no way to escape his fury, lights
from his horse, and, on his knees, exposed his neck
to the blow of the king's sword. The king, seeing
this, puts up his sword, and would not touch him.
Behold how humble submission and self-judging soon
pacifies him whom a dangerous water could not with-
hold from violence !
Whiles men" stand out against God, justifying them-
selves, stubbornly flying from him, he that rides upon
the wings of the wind posts after, with the sword of
vengeance drawn ; but when we condemn ourselves
and cast ourselves down at the foot of his mercy, then
will his wrath be soon appeased towards us.
Use 3. Thirdly, Here we have a pattern for our imi-
* Acts and Monum.
72
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
tation, and a copy set to write after. Let us herein
also be ' followers of God, as dear children,' Ephes.
V. 1, and be so upright and just in our proceedings as
that we may dare to appeal to the consciences of our
adversaries for witness and testimony of our inno-
cency ; and, as the apostle willeth, let us ' approve
ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of
God,' 2 Cor. iv. 2. Such was David's carriage to-
wards Saul, as that he was constrained twice to tes-
tify of him, ' Thou art more righteous than I,' 1 Sam.
xxiv. 18, and xxvi. 21. The innocency of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, caused Nebuchadnezzar to
pronounce with his own mouth, they were ' the ser-
vants of the high God,' Dan. iii. 26. Though Pli-
nius Secundus be an enemy to Christians, and a per-
secutor of them, yet their holy and godly conversa-
tion shall make him to certify the emperor his master,
Trajan, that they are harmless persons. Thus let
thy life be holy and innocent, and then thou mayest
fetch a testimony from the conscience of the very
enemy. And as David said unto Michal, objecting
unto him that even his own servants contemned him
for his dancing before the ark, ' Of the servants which
thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour,'
2 Sam. vii. 22, so say I. Even those wicked ones that
outwardly traduce thee and revile thee, cannot but in-
wardly they must acquit thee and commend thee.
Their heart and conscience shall speak for thee even
then, when their tongue and lips do speak against
thee ; and whenever it shall please the Lord to set
their consciences on the rack, or to compass them
about with the snares of death, then shall their
tongue be constrained, will they, nill they, to dis-
cover what now lies hidden, for the justification of
thy righteousness. Then they cry out. Oh send for
such a man, or such a woman. They will pray for
me, and do me good, and give me comfort. And do
we not see daily that they sooner trust, for all their
talk, such as they term hypocrites, dissemblers, and
precisians, with their goods, and with their children,
and with their portions — yea, and with their souls
also, before any other ?
The last thing propounded to our consideration in
this appeal is, the parties between whom the variance
is, and they are the Lord and Israel, God and his
vineyard, God being the plaintiff, and the whole body
of the people — even all Israel and Judah — the defend-
ants ; as unequally matched as ever were earth and
heaven, strength and weakness, or the great behemoth
and the silliest worm that creeps in the chinks and
crannies of the earth. God contends with man — he
that is excellent with them that are but dust. Who,
then, is like to have the day ?
Ee'ween me and my vineyard. And is it possible
that there should be a controversy between God and
his vine, which he planted with his own right hand ?
— between him and that people whom he had so
highly honoured ? Then it will follow, that —
Doct. Sin ii'ill make-bate and stir up slrife between
God and his dearest j^eople.
There is no city. — no, not Jerusalem ; no people —
no, not Israel nor Judah, be they graced with never
so many privileges, crowned with never so many
blessings, but sin will set the Lord and them at vari-
ance. ' The Lord hath a controversy with the inhabit-
ants of the land,' saith Hosea, 'because there is no truth,
nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land,' &c.,
Hosea iv. 1, 2. Sin was the breeder of it. ' Babylon,
the glory of the kingdoms, the beauty of the Chal-
dees' excellency,' Isa. xiii. 19. Yet her pride set her
and God at variance, so that her palaces were made
dens of dragons. Wild beasts of the field did lie
there ; their houses were cages for unclean birds ;
owls did dwell there ; satyrs did dance there ; with
doleful creatures were they filled. And thus Sodom,
sometimes as fair and beautiful as paradise itself,
Gen. xix. 24, was set at variance with the Lord,
by reason of her sins. ' Pride, idleness, and fulness
of .bread,' &c., bred the quarrel, Ezek. xvi. 49. and
was the cause that she was made ' a perpetual desola-
tion,' Zeph. ii. 9. And will not those seven famous
churches of Asia, Eev. i., ii., and iii., Ephesus,
Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Laodicea, Philadelphia,
Sardis, in the midst whereof God is said to have his
walk, witness as much ? Did not their sins cause
the Lord to contend with them a long time, and in
the end make him to give up their land to be inha-
bited by Zym and Ochim — Turks and infidels?
What shall I need to say more ? Such a variance
it made between God and the angels, as that they
were turned out of heaven, Jude 6 — between God
and our great-grandfather, as that he was drove out
of paradise. Gen. iii. 22 — between the Lord and
Moses, as that it kept him from Canaan, Deut.
xxxii. 51, 62. And such a contention it daily
breeds between God and men, as that infinite thou-
sands are thereby kept out of the kingdom of
heaven, 1 Cor. vi. 9 ; Rev. xxi.
Use 1. Let all wicked ones hence take notice of
their estates, which by this doctrine they may as clearly
see as in a glass ; for doth sin set God and man at
odds? and is it a make-bate between them? Then cer-
tainly such as live in it, and harbour it, cannot be at
peace with God. ' What peace,' saith Jehu to Joram,
' so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel, and
her witchcrafts, are so many?' 2 Kings ix. 22. So say
I, What peace so long as that make-bate is harboured
in thy breast ? Nay, ' There is no peace to the
wicked, saith my God,' Isa. Ivii. 21. 'For what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness ?
what communion hath light with darkness? what
concord hath Christ with Belial?' 2 Cor. vi. 14. God
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
73
is thy enemy, and hath against thee, Mat. v. 25, and
therefore see thou agree quickly with thy adversary.
We say in a proverb, He is poor that God hates.
True, none so poor as the wicked are ; for what
though they have riches, honours, friends, (fee, when
there is a controversy between God and them ? ' If
one man sin against another, the judge shall judge
for him,' said old Eli to his sons : ' but if a man sin
against the Lord, who shall entreat for him ?' 1 Sam.
ii. 25. Seek therefore reconciliation ; cast that make-
bate out of thy bosom, which stirs up all this strife.
Sin is thy own creature ; destroy that, "and God
must needs love thee, who art his creature : but
if thou wilt not, then expect no peace, but conten-
tion and destruction. If the pot will needs contend
with the potter, it cannot be but it must be broken.
Thou art but an earthen pitcher in the hand of thy
Jlaker, and he can full easily dash thee against the
wall, and stamp thee into powder. It is good counsel
that the wise man gives thee, Ecoles. vi. 10, ' Con-
tend not with him who is mightier than thyself : ' and
if thou beest not a fool, I advise thee to follow it, lest
woe and alas come too late.
Use 2. And, secondly. See here the reason why the
Lord doth so often bend his brows, and turn away
his face from his own people in displeasure. Sin is
it that bred the quarrel ; that was it which causeth
it. The fashion of many in the day of affliction is to
cry out of evil tongues that have forespoken them :
And surely, say they, we are bewitched ; but if we
look well about us, we shall find the grand witch to
lie lurking in our own bosoms. It is sin that hales
down those judgments on us and ours. ' What shall
I say, 0 Lord, when Israel turns their backs before
their enemies?' said Joshua to God. Now mark
God's answer ! ' Get thee up ; wherefore liest thou
thus upon thy face ? Israel hath sinned, they have
transgressed my covenant which I have commanded
them : for they have even taken of the accursed
thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and
they have put it even amongst their own stuff. There-
fore the children of Israel could not stand before their
enemies, because they were accursed : neither will I
be with you any more, except you destroy the accursed
thing from amongst you,' Josh. vii. 8-13. This
answer may we give to the like demand : Why are
we so often punished, afflicted, plagued ? Surely
we have taken of that execrable thing, and broken
the covenant of the Lord ; and until that accursed
thing, sin, be searched out and cast away, never
hope for any favour to be shewed from the Lord :
Jonah must be cast overboard before the storm cease,
Jonah i. 16.
Use 3. Lastly, Seeing sin sets God and his dearest
people at variance, be they graced with never so
many excellencies or privileges : then ' be not high-
minded, but fear,' Eom. xi. 20 ; for whatsoever
thou art that sinnest against the Lord, be thy pri-
vileges never so many or excellent, ' wert thou as a
signet upon God's right hand, or as the apple of his
eye,' Jer. xxii. 24, yet he will have a controversy
with thee. And so for our land in general, which
may seem to outvie the felicity of all other nations in
high and rich prerogatives. Of all the trees in the
garden, we may seem to be the vine that God hath
set his heart upon. Amongst all the variety of
flowers, England is the lily and the rose ; amongst
all the princes, we have had a Deborah, and have a
David; amongst all the prophets of the Lord, we
have the most reverend Elishas ; amongst all the
nurseries and springs of learning, we have the most
famous Naioths ; amongst all lands, we have that
Canaan, which abounds with plenty of all good things;
and amongst all cities, we have Jerusalem. But will
these privileges bear us out, if we take liberty to sin
against the Lord ? Alas ! they cannot. Nay, so far
are they from stopping God's wrath, as that they
will rather make way for it. As a man is more
offended with the evil behaviour of a servant that
hath been advanced by him ; so the Lord with us.
When Saul behaved himself not so well in his king-
dom as he ought, it was taken from him and given
unto David. Hold that thou hast, 0 England, l§st
misery come upon thee.
And thus much for the appeal, which was the first
thing we considered in the plea. The indictment
follows in these words : What could have been done
vwre to my vineyard, that I have not done in it ?
Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth
grapes, brought it forth wild grapes ?
Wherein we have an action commenced against
them of ingratitude, which is prosecuted and proved
to their faces, and therein.
More particularly we see, first, how the Lord ex-
cuseth himself from being in any fault for that their
barrenness. No way was he defective ; he had done
as much as might be done to make it fruitful. ' What
could have been done more to my vineyard,' saith he,
'that I have not done in it?'
And, secondly, he accuseth them for horrible un-
thankfulness in making so ungrateful a return ; which
accusation is amplified by an antithesis between his
just demand, ' He looked that it should bring forth
grapes,' and their unjust demeanour, for ' it brought
forth wild grapes.'
The form of the w-ords, as we see, is interrogatory ;
' What could liave been done ? Wherefore tvlten I looked,'
&c. And it is observed by some, that before man fell
to sinning, God fell not to questioning ; all his speeches
to him were either commendatory or comraandatory.
But when man turned his heart to another object,
then God turned his voice to another accent ; and the
ROGEES ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
first word he speaks to liim after his transgression was
a question, ' Adam, Where art thou ?' Gen. iii. 9 ; and
with the same form and method of speech he goeth on,
ver. 11, 'Who told thee thou wast naked? Hast
thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee tliou
shouldest not eat ? ' And ever since it is usual with the
Lord to discuss with man after the same manner, some-
times to teach him, sometimes to reprove him, some-
times to confirm him, and oftentimes to convince
him. For albeit man's questions are for the most
part effects of dubitation, doubting being the mother
of them, that breedeth them and causeth them ; yet
God's questions are of another nature, and have an-
other use, for they for the most part tend to convince
the conscience, and bring it to a sense and science of
sin. And so here, God doth appeal to the consciences
of these Israehtes, and fetch evidence against them
from the impartial evidence of their own hearts,
' What could have been done more?' q.d., Is there
anything that could have been desired of a husband-
man wherein I have been wanting ? Shew me wherein
I have failed of my duty ; allege what you can against
me ; let your consciences speak.
' Wherefore when I looked,' &c. Some" read it,
' Tf/iy have I looked,' as if God should expostulate
with himself why he expected any good fruit from so
naughty and perverse a people; and that he doth
after the manner of men, who oftentimes complain of
themselves, and are offended with themselves, when
the event of a thing doth not answer their hope and
expectation, for that they have bestowed such cost
and pains to so little purpose. But others t think
this sense to be the plainer : ' Seeing I have fully
discharged my duty, and have done above all that
could have been expected in husbanding my vine,
whence comes it that it yields me so evil reoom-
pence?'
Ohj. Now haply some may object that albeit
God had thus planted and watered his church, and
used all outward means for the fertility thereof, yet
seeing, as the apostle sheweth, Paul's planting is
nothing, nor Apollo's watering, without God's blessing,
1 Cor. iii., how could God say he had done all that
could be done, when he withheld a blessing, and
softened not their hearts that the means might be-
come profitable ? Might not this man of .ludah and
inhabitant of Jerusalem have had replied in the words
of the leper, ' Why, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst
make us clean ' ? Mat. yiii. 2.
Ans. 1. For answer hereunto, first, we are to know
that God here speaketh of the sufticiency of the out-
ward means, and not of inward grace. That was
done to this wicked vineyard, which, if it had been
good, would have brought forth the fruit of repent-
ance and new obedience. The rain falls, the sun
♦ MoUer., in loc. t Calv., in he.
shines upon the earth, the garden hereupon brings
forth herbs, the desert thorns ; whence is this, but
from the nature of the ground ? There is as much
done to make one fruitful as the other. ■' Thus God
had done enough ; the means he used were sufficient,
had not this people been of such a peevish and fro-
ward disposition.
Ans. 2. And, secondly, God speaketh not here of
his absolute power, whereby he can do whatsoever
pleaseth him — he could make iron swim, and cause
stony rocks to yield forth streams of water ; he could
raise up of stones chikh'en unto Abraham, and give
Christ more than twelve legions of angels to deliver
him — but he denies that he was bound to do any
more for them than he did. And therefore that cavil
would have been but frivolous, saith Calvin, for their
consciences pricked them in such wise as that they
could not escape by laying the fault upon another.
For albeit God does not pierce with efficacy into the
hearts of men by his Holy Spirit to make them teach-
able ; yet it will be in vain for any notwithstanding
to mutter that this was wanting to them, seeing that
their external vocation doth sufficiently cut off all
pretext and show of ignorance whatsoever. And
now let us come to some such instructions as the
text will naturally afford. And, first, we see how —
Doct. God is altogetlier out of fault, and can in
no ivay he charged with the sinfulness and barrenness
of men's hearts and lives.
In another place of this prophecy we find the Lord
complaining that he had ' held out his hands all the
day long to a gainsaying and rebellious people,' Isa.
Ixv. 2. His arms were stretched out, he ready to
receive ; but they did gainsay and rebel, and refused
to come into his arms. And by the prophet Jere-
miah he telleth the people how he 'sent all his servants,
the prophets, unto them, rising early, and sending
them, saying. Oh do not such abominable things
which I hate. But they hearkened not, cor inclined
their ears to turn from their wickedness,' chap. xliv.
4, ,5. And by the prophet Hosea he thus speaketh :
' I have spoken unto them by the prophets, and I have
mrdtiplied visions, and used similitudes by the min-
istry of the prophets,' chap. sii. 10. The meaning is,
that he had declared his will, and made known his
mind unto them so plainly, as that they could not
plead ignorance, or any way charge him with fault.
And our Saviour Jesus Christ complains thus : ' 0
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets,
and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as
* ' Loquitur dc sufficientia extcrnorum mediorum.non internse
gratias.' — Ilicron. ct Ursin. ' Simul pluit Domimis super segetea
et super spinas: sed segeti pluit ad horreum, spinis ad ignem,
ct tamon una est pluvia.' — August, de benedict. Esau ct
Jacob.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
75
a lien gatliereth lier chiclcens, and ye ■would not ! ^lat.
xxiii. 37. Where we see clearly how God would their
conversion — understand it of his signifying'' will — and
therefoi'e gave them the outward means, ' sending unto
them prophets, wise men, and scribes,' ver. 34, mes-
sengers endued with all variety of gifts, administra-
tions, and operations, and that not once, but often.
' How often would I have gathered ! ' Often by the
mouth of his servants ; often by his own self, as the
loving hen is always caring for her chickens — always
clucking and calling them, if they wander out of her
sight never so little, that she may gather them and
guard them from the mischief of all vermin. But
they would not ; they themselves gainsaid. Where,
then, lay the fault ? And so St Stephen complaineth
of the Jews — yea, telleth them to their faces that they
were ' stiff-necked and of uncircumcised hearts and
ears, and did always resist the Holy Ghost,' Acts
vii. 51 ; that is, the work of the Holy Ghost in
the ministry of the word, and would not be wrought
upon.
Ohj. But the Scripture speaketh of God's har-
dening Pharaoh's heart, so that the means should not
be profitable unto him, Exod. vii. 3, and x. 27 ; and
God himself commandeth Isaiah to preach unto the
people, that they may be hardened, and so not con-
verted, Isa. vi. 10, and Ixiii. 17.
Ans. 1. True ; and yet in all this God cannot
be charged with any fault or blame ; for it is a just
and righteous thing with God to punish sin with sin :
' My people would not hearken to my voice, and Is-
rael would none of me : so I gave them up unto their
own hearts' lusts, and they walked in their ovi'n coun-
sels,' ts. Ixxxi. 12. Thus, then, God doth this for a
punishment of such as withstand and contemn those
gracious means he olTers them for their good. If
Pharaoh harden his heart against the means, God
will harden his heart that he shall not profit by the
means.f So, then, though Satan hardeneth as a
malicious author, and man hardeneth himself as a
voluntary instrument, yet God hardeneth no other-
wise than as he is a just judge and righteous avenger
of sin.
Ans. 2. And, secondly, God doth not harden by
infusing evil, but by withholding of his grace,! and
forsaking of his creatui-e, which divines call spiritual
desertion. As the sun freezeth the water, not by
adding coldness to it, but by keeping back his heat ;
so is God a deficient cause of hardness, but no effi-
cient thereof. And this must be marked, that we
err not on this point. Now let us make the use.
* ' Voluntas signi,' not ' voluntas beneplaciti.'
-|- PharaoU seipsum induravit liberie arbitro : Deus indura-
vit Pbaraonem justo judicio. — Aug.
t Noil inducendo malitiam, sed subtrahendo gratiam. —
Aquin.
' Use 1. And, first, Tliis frees us from a slander that
he papists have laid upon us, in giving out that we
teach directly, or by consequence, that God is the
author of sin, and only cause thereof. Now, whether
this be true or no, judge you. You now hear it
taught, that he is out of fault, and may no way be
charged with the least spot of sin : he is most holy,
just, and pure in all his ways and works. Now,
therefore, the Lord be judge between them and us.
Use 2. And, secondly, See how damnable and ex-
cuseless shall the carelessness of the most be in the
matter of their salvation. To excuse and lessen their
own sin, they wiU not stick to lay the fault on God
himself, and charge their Maker with their damna-
tion. They swear, swagger, drink to drunkenness,
defile forbidden beds, shoot at heaven with their blas-
phemous oaths, and then fetch from God's decree and
purpose excuses for these their outrageous wickednesses.
And why should fault be found with them ? If God
would it should be otherwise, ' Who hath ever resisted
his will? and why doth he yet find fault?' Rom. ix.
19. He hath decreed it, and his decree must stand.
If the devils in hell should speak, what could they
say more? We have fallen, and God caused it.
Wicked and fearful thoughts ! When Adam sinned,
he blamed his wife, and she God himself. Gen. iii. 12.
And we have sucked the same milk ; but as it would
not serve Adam's turn, no more will it serve ours.
Cease, then, thou foolish one, from charging God, or
drawing him in as an accessary to thy profaneness.
God would have thee saved, but thou wilt not ; he
labours to make thee good, and darest thou lay to his
charge thy own voluntary badness ? Behold, God is
so far from being guilty of thy misery, as that he giveth
thee his word, his sacraments, and aflbrdeth thee all
good helps to mollify thy heart, justifying himself by
these proffered means of thy salvation, that he hath
no desire nor dehght in thy destruction ; and darest
thou charge him with thy damnation ?
Ohj. 1. Thou sayest, If God would, it should be
otherwise ; if he please, he could save without these
means.
Ans. True, if we speak of his absolute power, as
was before shewed, but it is his actual power that
thou must look unto. And so he, having tied the
end and the means together, cannot, because he will
not, bring thee to the end without thy using of those
means which tend unto the end; for that is the
ordinary course which he hath decreed to use, and
which he will not alter but upon special occasion, as
our Saviour noteth in the cure of Naaman, and in
the feeding of the widow of Sarepta, Luke iv. 26, 27.
God hath ordained that a man's body should live by
the means of meat, drink, sleep, &o. ; shouldest thou
now neglect these means for the preservation thereof,
and yet accuse God if thou growest sick, and weak,
f6
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
&c., because if he would lie could continue health
and strength unto thee without these helps '? I am
sure that all men would condemn thee; nay, that
thou wouldest condemn thyself of folly and presump-
tion.
Ohj. 2. Thou pleadest further God's decree, for
albeit thou use the means, yet the end is already de-
creed, and who can alter it ?
Ans. But secret things belong unto the Lord ; leave
them to him. It is not for thee to j^ry into that ark
which is covered with a curtain of holy secrecy, not
to be drawn aside until that day comes, wherein we
shall know as we are known. That signed and re-
vealed will, written in tables, published with trumpets,
is it to which thou standest bound. Neither doth
the necessity of this decree excuse, for God doth not
by his decree force thee unto evil ; but he finds thee
evil and prone only unto it of thyself. He decrees
that thou shalt be so or so ; and knoweth that thou
wouldest be so had he never decreed it ; but seeing
thou knowest not what this his decree is, use the
means, and condemn not God.
Thus learn to chamber thy tongue, vain man, for
God cannot be charged nor any way blamed with thy
sinfulness and barrenness. Lay thy hand upon thy
mouth, and condemn thyself, for ' thy destruction is
of thyself, 0 Israel,' Hosea xiii. Say not. What can I
remedy it if God will not save me ? for what can God
do more than he hath done for thee ? God rains upon
thee his holy dews, and is not wanting in his purging
and pruning thee with his corrections. He hath
criven thee strange and excellent means, so that it is
only thou that art wanting to thyself ; heaven is good,
but thy ground is naught. A cunning carver can cut
the similitude of any creature, yet not on a rotten
stick. Where lies the fault ? Surely in the rotten-
ness of the wood, and not in the carver's cunning ;
that thou art not wrought upon, the fault is thy own,
and not the Lord's. Thy case is that of Jerusalem ;
how often would I have gathered thee, and thou
wouldest not ? If then thou smartest for thy sinful
and barren life, thank thyself, for thou art the cause,
God only the avenger ; thy blood then be upon thy
own head * that which will die let it die. And thus
much for the first point. A second follows, and I
propound it thus : —
Doct. The wicked itiill still continue tviched, although
God use all good means that can he used to bring them
unto good, and make them better. God had done
what might be done, and yet his vineyard is as bad,
nay, worse than ever ; a jiregnant proof of this our
prophet gives us when he saith, ' Let favour be shewed
to the wicked, yet will he not learn rightousness : in
the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will
not behold the majesty of the Lord,' Isa. xxvi. 10.
Such is the vile and cursed nature of them, as that
no mercy nor favour can work with them to do well ;
nay, in the land of uprightness, amongst many oc-
'casions and means of good, they will do wickedly.
And thus Jeremiah to the same purpose, ' In vain
I have smitten your children ; they received no cor-
rection, &c. O generation, see ye the word of the
Lord. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel ? a land
of darkness ? Wherefore say my people, We are
lords ; we will come no more unto thee ?' chap. ii. 30,
31. And again, ' 0 Lord, are not thine eyes upon
the truth ? thou hast stricken them, but they have
not grieved ; thou hast consumed them, but they have
refused to receive correction ; they have made their
faces harder than a rock ; they have refused to re-
turn,' chap. V. 3. And so Amos sheweth how in-
corrigible the wicked of his time were ; no correction
that the Lord could use would better them, chap. iv.
6. Many are the examples likewise that might be
brought for the further strengthening of this truth, as
of Pharaoh, Aliaz, and others ; but I purposely for-
bear, inasmuch as something hath formerly been
spoken to this purpose. Now briefly for the use,
which is —
Use. For admonition, that we beware of this sin
which hath an aggravating circumstance with it, for
then is sin most vile and filthy when it breaks out
against those means that should have kept it in.
Amongst many of which means these are some, which
let us all take especial notice of : —
1. First, Our vows and promises which we have
often made unto the Lord, both in health and sick-
ness, that we would do such or such a holy duty, and
refrain from such or such an evil action. Let us be-
ware of sinning against these. Our vows are God's
debts, and they must be paid, and therefore saith
Solomon, ' When thou vowest a vow to God, defer
not to pay it ; for he hath no pleasure in fools :
pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that
thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow
and not pay,' Eccles. v. 4, 6. And indeed he is justly
required to pay that was not compelled to vow.*
And amongst all other vows, be mindful of that
solemn vow which thou madest to God in thy baptism,
and hast often since renewed in thy coming to the
supper of the Lord. Oh, what a fearful thing is it
if we wittingly and wilfully break covenant with
God, when civil honesty maketh some conscience of
keeping promise made with man !
2. Secondly, Check of conscience. God hath set
conscience within us as a monitor to give us an itetn
when we do amiss, and to forewarn us of evil. This
oftentimes tells us we may not do such or such an
action, or when we have done it, that it is not well.
Now beware we of sinning against conscience; ne-
• Juste exigitur ad solvendum, qui non cogitur ad Toven-
dum. — Bern.
ROGEKS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
77
gleet not the checks thereof reproving us of our ways,
but heedfully mind its watchword; for else know
assuredly that the conscience which now checks thee
shaU liereafter judge thee, and that which now re-
proveth thee will hereafter vex thee and torment thee
for thy neglect. Beware also how thou supressest
any good motion suggested by conscience ; for in so
doing, thou wilt in the end clean silence conscience,
and quite kill it, so that the grossest sins shall be
practised without any check or remorse, Eph. iv.
18, 19. Fearful is this sin, and such as is the fore-
runner of a reprobate mind, Rom. i. 21, 26.
3. Thirdly, Corrections and afflictio7is. These are
the thorns wherewith God doth hedge us in, Hosea
ii. 6, and serve to keep us from leaping out of God's
pastures into the pasture of wickedness and sin.
Beware we then of leaping over this hedge ; take we
heed of sinning against these means. Let it not be
said of us as it was of Ahaz, ' This is that king Ahaz
who, in the time of his distress, did trespass yet more
and more against the Lord,' 2 Chron. xxviii. 22. To
be afflicted, and not to be purged by affliction, to
be stricken with the rods of God, and to have no
correction nor reformation follow, is a sign of a fear-
ful induration. ' The bellows are burned, the lead
is consumed with fire ; the founder melteth in vain :
for the wicked are not plucked away. Reprobate
silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath
rejected them,' Jer. vi. 29, 30.
4. Fourthly, God's many and great mercies, espe-
cially the word, and the light of the gospel. Take
we heed how we withhold the ' truth of God in un-
righteousness,' Rom. i. 18, 'hating to be reformed,
casting it behind our backs,' Ps. 1. 16. Such a sin
is this as brings condemnation with a witness, with
a vengeance — sore and heavy condemnation. ' This
is that condemnation, that light is come into the
world, and men love darkness rather than light, be^
cause their deeds are evil,' Jo'nn iii. 19. The clear
light of the truth shining hath discovered to us that
swearing is a sin, drunkenness is a sin. Sabbath
breaking is a sin, &c. What now will such plead
for themselves that live therein ? Surely they have
now ' no cloak for their sins,' John xv. 22. St Paul
would have the word of God to ' dwell plentifully in
our hearts,' Col. iii. 16, to have full scope and the
whole sway in the heart of a Christian. And so be it.
These and the like means which God affordeth us
for our good, let us profit by, and by no means sin
against them ; for if we do, assuredly God will re-
quire it of us ; for good turns aggravate unkindnesses,
and our offences are increased with our obligations.
Of all the gracious means he affords us he keeps a
reckoning. The sundry afflictions wherewith his
people were afflicted are by him remembered, Amos
iv. 6-1 1 ; and so the sermons and prophecies of his
servants, with the circumstances of time and place,
and under what king's reign, are likewise by him
recorded, Isa. i. 1 ; Jer. i. 1 ; Hosea i. 1. Since, there-
fore, God keeps such a precise account of the means
he vouchsafeth to us, let it stir up all to make better
account and use of those means ; for otherwise they
will be reckoned for no other end but to make
our reckoning the heavier. So many means, will the
Lord one day say, I have afforded you, so many
ministers have lived amongst you, and warned you,
so many hundred sermons you, have heard and lost.
We read that he took account of how many men
were won by a sermon. Acts ii. 41 ; and shall we
then think he doth not take an account of how many
sermons are lost by men ? Oh, how should this
make every one see that they profit by the means
which God affords !
Wherefore when I loolced that it should bring forth
grapes, brought it forth wild grapes 1
Wliether we take this second member as a com-
plaint made by God against himself, for that he ex-
pected fruit from so bad a vineyard, as, we noted
before, some do, or else as a complaint made by him
against them for not profiting by the means, it is not
much material; from either of them both we may
collect,
Boct. God takes it grievously that the means which
he tiseth for man's good should be contemned. For this
is a complaint, and proceedeth, as it were, from a
grieved heart and troubled mind.
To prove this point, remember what is said of the
old world. After God's Spirit had strived with them
a long time by admonition, reprehension, threatening,
and expectation. Gen. vi. 3, for that is there meant
by his Spirit's striving, labouring in vain to brino-
them to repentance : ' It repented the Lord he had
made man on the earth, and it grieved him at the
heart,' ver. 6. This caused the Lord to take up that
pitiful complaint against Israel and Judah, ' 0 Eph-
raim, what shall I do unto thee ? 0 Judah, how shall
I entreat thee ? for your goodness is as a morning cloud,
and as the morning dew it goeth away,' Hosea vi. 4. As
if he should have said. Hitherto I have used all means
that possibly I can to humble you for your sins and
to do you good, so that I know not what I shaU do
more for you, and yet I can bring you to no good
pass ; therefore it grieves me for you, and I cannot
but mourn to see you so rebelhous. And thus our
blessed Saviour beheld Jerusalem and wept over it,
saying, ' If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in
this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace,'
&c., Luke xix. 42. He considering the obstinacy and
stubbornness of his people, despising his word, re-
proaching his miracles, and rejecting'his grace, could
not refrain but he must burst forth into tears. By
these scriptures it is evident that it is grievous unto
78
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
God to see men neglect the good means ordained
and afforded for their good and welfare.
Reas. And, indeed, a little nnkinduess at their
hands of whom we have deserved well must needs be
grievous, when much indignity received from an
enemy shall never be regarded.
Use 1. Whose example may be for our instruction.
When we see the froward and perverse disposition of
wicked ones, who will not be reclaimed by any means
that is or can be used, let us grieve and mourn for
the hardness of their hearts : ' IMy leanness, my
leanness,' crieth out this our prophet Isaiah, 'woe
is me ! the treacherous dealers have dealt very
treacherously, yea, the treacherous dealers have
dealt very treacherously,' chap. xxiv. 16. He did so
grieve at the transgressions of the people, that he
became exceeding lean therewith, as the doubling of
the word importeth. The prophet Jeremiah likewise
is full of passion on this behalf, and cries out, ' ]\ly
bowels, my bowels ! I am pained at my very heart ;
my heart maketh a noise in me : I cannot hold my
peace,' chap. iv. 19. Yea, he wisheth that his 'head
were full of water, and his eyes a fountain of tears,
that he might weep day and night for the sins of
the people,' and also tells them, chap. ix. 1, that if
they still contemn the means, and turn away the ear
refusing to hear, ' his soul should weep in secret places
for them, and his eyes should weep sore, and run
down with tears,' chap. xiii. 17. Thus did righteous
Lot ' vex his soul with the unclean conversation of
the wicked,' 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8. And thus did Samuel
weep for the sins of Saul, 1 Sam. xvi. 2 ; and so did
David's ' eyes gush out with tears, because men kept
not God's law,' Ps. cxix. 139. Thus did Ezra weep
for the sins of the people in his time, chap. x. 1 ; and
Paul weep for them that did walk inordinately
amongst the Philippians, Phil. iii. 18. Did God's
children so weep in those days for the obstinacy and
hard-heartedness of the wicked, how comes it to
pass then in these days that we are so dried ? Is it
because the men of this generation are not so bad ?
Or rather, as the truth is, we that profess ourselves
Christians are not so good ? Soon may we guess then
of what stamp they are of who are so far from mourn-
in"' and grieving at the sinfulness and hard-hearted-
ness of this age, as that they make themselves merry
therewith and rejoice thereat, in theatres, playhouses,
and such like meetings, not only with patience, but
with content and delight, hear blasphemy, and behold
uncleanness. Blasphemy, pride, di'unkenness, and
such like profaneness, they can see and hear without
remorse, yea, laugh at. What monsters are these !
Meroz must be cursed bitterly for not helping the
Lord against the mighty. Judges v. ; and can such look
to be blessed, that laugh^with those that tight against
him ? When thou seest the iniquity of the people,
remember God grieves for it ; and wilt thou rejoice at
it ? If those infernal and hellish spirits have any de-
light, this is their delight, to see men sin and offend
their God. And wilt thou make the devil's delight
thine ? Do not so, but be thou contrary to him,
and grieve at that which he takes pleasure in.
Wouldest thou instead of a smile afford a tear, when
thou seest sinners to transgress, it might so come to
pass that thy grief might work also a grief in them,
and thy tears cause them to relent, — as many times we
see, the seeing others fall heartily to their meat brings
on their stomach, — when thy smile confirms them in
their wickedness.
Use 2. And, secondly, Seeing this is so, that God
takes it grievously when the means he useth for our
good is contemned by us, let this serve to press that
use which we lately heard, and cause us to profit by
all the gracious means that God affords. Thou art
afflicted and liest under God's correcting hand. Oh,
how grievous will it be to God if thou comest out of
this fire not refined 1 Thou comest to his house, and
sittest down at his table, and departest again away
less justified than thou camest thither. Oh, how
doth this cause God to mourn ! Have you no regard
of this his sorrow ? ' Is it nothing to you, all you
that pass by?' Lam. i. 12. What creature is there
that God hath made in heaven, earth, seas, or all
depths, brings heaviness into the courts of happiness,
except man ? It is he, and only he, that doth it.
Thou mockest at thy ojipressions, oaths, sacrileges,
lusts, frauds ; for these he grieves. Thou scornest
his gospel preached ; he bewails thy scorn. That
which is sorrow to his soul, is but a pastime unto
thee, ProY. xiv. 9. Oh do no more so wickedly,
my brethren ; bewail sin past, and amend for time to
come.
Use 3. And, lastly. Hence may the humbled and
contrite soul suck forth much sweetness. For doth
he grieve when we profit not by the means, then
questionless his ears must needs be open to the sighs
and groans, to the prayers and supplications of such
as are wrought upon by the means, to turn unto
. him with true contrition and godly sorrow, and call
upon him with a lively faith. How should this en-
courage such as are coming on, to, come on with
cheerfulness ! But if we will not, then assuredly he
will destroy us, though with grief ; as the judge
passing sentence on a malefactor, though he be moved
with indignation against him, as he is a thief or
murderer, kc, yet with compassion as he is a man.
And if we be condemned, whether it be with the will,
or against the will, all cometh to one end ; our pains
and plagues shall be never the less nor lighter.
And now go to ; I will tell yaxi u'hat I will do to
my vineyard : I ivill take away the hedge thereof, and
it shall be eaten up ; and hreak down the ivall thereof,
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
79
and it shall he trodden down : and I u'ill lay it waste :
it shall not he pruned nor digged; hut there shall come
up briers and thorns : I will also comynund the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
Look, as in courts of justice, and seats of judg-
ment, after conviction follows sentence of condemna-
tion, so here we liave tlie like proceeding : tliey being
convicted by their own consciences, and as condemned
persons by their own mouths, sentence passeth against
them on the plaintiff's side, and that most fearful ;
for it is a sentence of destruction and desolation,
even of the whole laud and people. He will take
from tliem those many blessings and favours which
he had bestowed on them. And that is not all ; for
he will also lay them open, and give them up to the
spoil of their enemies, so that they shall be trodden
down and made desolate.
In which sentence is considerable : First, A gracious
premonition, in the beginning of the fifth verse.
Secondly, A terrible execution of the judgment
threatened, from the middle of the fifth verse, to the
end of the sixth.
In the premonition, observe we God's merciful
goodness ; First, In foretelhug them of the judgment.
And now go to, I will tell you. Secondly, In pro-
longing it ; for he doth not by and by punish them,
but a while defers, and therefore he speaketh in the
future tense, loliat I u'ill do.
In the execution, consider we these three circum-
stances: — 1. The party punishing, and that is the
Lord himself ; / will take away, / will break, &c. 2.
The parties punished, and they are God's own people,
his chosen \'ineyard, his own inheritance ; it shall be
trodden down, the hedge thereof, &e. 3. 'The punish-
ment itself ; and that consists both in the pain of loss
and pain of sense ; good things shall be removed,
and evil things inflicted. For, first, he will take aiuay
the liedije, and break doion the wall, whereupon shall
follow eating up, treading down, laying tvaste. And
then, secondly, he will withdraw his pains in pruning
and digging of it, and withhold the clouds from rain-
ing rain upon it ; and thereupon shall follow the
barrenness of it ; for it shall bring forth nothing, or
worse than nothing; briers and thorns shall grow
upon it.
Having now seen the sum, let us spend a little
time in the opening of the words, that so having
found out the sense and meaning, we may the better
raise some profitable observation.
And now go to. The Lord seems here to excite and
stir up himself, after the manner of men, to proceed
in judgment.
/ will shew you what I will do to my vineyard ; or,
I will give you to understand, or, make known unto
you, as some read it, q.d., Seeing that you are con-
demned in your consciences, and yet will not pro-
nounce sentence with your mouths, therefore go to
now, I myself will tell you what I will do.
/ will take away the hedge thereof. By hedge, as
before, ver. 2, we have seen sundry things may be
understood ; but not to trouble you with repetition
of what was before taught, we are especially, as I take
it, to understand thereby God's divine protection,
which was as a hedge or wall about them, and whereof
they should be now deprived. As if he should have
said. Hitherto you have had my merciful protection,
which hath ministered unto you safety and defence
from all your enemies ; but now I will leave oft' to
help, succour, or defend you any more. This was
that for want whereof the church did complain,
' Why hast thou broken down her hedges, so that
all they that do pass by the way do pluck her?' Ps.
Ixxx. 12.
A nd it shall be eaten up, or that it may be eaten up,
and devoured ; to wit, by the beasts of the field, the
enemies of the church. Not only their neighbours
nigh about them, but also their enemies far ott', should
molest and trouble them, according to that tlu'eatening,
' Mine anger shall be kindled against them in that
day, and I will forsake them, and hide my face from
them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils
and troubles shall befall them,' &c., Deut. xxxi. 17.
This also doth the church complain of in the pface
before quoted, ' The boar out of the wood doth waste
it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it,' Ps.
Lxxx. 13.
And break down tlie wall thereof : or, as some read
it, tear down the waU thereof : and so indeed the word
signifieth, to tear down a thing with violence, which
noteth out the vehemency of God's wrath ; for it
shall not fall down of itself, but be violently torn or
broken down. Now by this wall many understand
the tower which he spake of before, ver. 2, that was
built in the midst of the vineyard, whereby, as we
saw, after the judgment of many of the learned, the
temple was to be understood. But what need we be
so exact in each of these particulars ? For if by wall
we understand no other thing, than that before was
meant by hedge, we should not fall into any great
absurdity.'-'
And it shall be trodden down ; or, for a treading. He
here alludeth to the manner of wild beasts breaking
into a vineyard, which do not only eat and devour,
but tread down and spoil ; and this notes a higher
degree of wrath than the former did. The enemies
of this people should not only trouble them and afflict
them, but overcome them and enter into their pos-
sessions ; and not only carry away, but also make strip
and waste, havoc and spoil what they leave behind.
This also sets out unto us the rage and fury of the
wicked against God's church.
* Idem aliis atque aliis verbis bis iicit.—Mus., in loc.
80
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
And I will lay it waste, or make it a desolation. So
that it shall become as a vast desert, without any to
inhabit it. And here we have a higher degree than
either of the former; for though the enemy might
overcome them and spoil their country, yet there
niicfht remain some city ; and albeit some cities might
be assailed and destroyed, yet some houses in those
cities might still continue. Or say it should so fall
out that all their cities, and houses in their cities,
should be laid level with the ground, yet some men
might haply escape by flight, and afterwards return
and build new houses, cities, and erect new laws and
government. But in that he threatens to lay it waste,
and make it a desolation, all hope is gone. This is
that which the Lord speaketh in the next chapter,
where he seemeth to comment upon these words,
' The cities shall be wasted without inhabitant, and
the houses without man, and the land be utterly
desolate. And the Lord wiU remove men far away,
and there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of
the land,' Isa. vi. 1 1, 12. All which befell this people
at their carrying away into Babylon. And much
more fully and completely was it fulfilled after Christ's
time, when Jerusalem was utterly destroyed, so that
one stone was not left upon another, to which time
some refer it.
It shall not be pruned nor digged. By cutting or
pruning, he seemeth to understand fatherly discipline
and correction, which now he would withhold from
them, according to that in the first of this prophecy,
'Why should you be stricken any more?' Isa. i. 5.
As if he should have said, I see it is but lost labour
to smite you ; for the more I correct you, the worse
you prove. And by digging he understandeth that
point of husbandry whereby the earth is drawn into
ridges or heaps, chiefly about the vines, which is so
convenient and necessary in such places where vin-
tages are, as that without it the vines will never pros-^
per. And here he alludeth unto such husbandmen as'
having barren vineyards and fruitless trees, do neglect
to prune or cut them, dung or dig about them, be-
cause they take no pleasure or delight in them.
But there shall come np briei-s and tho7-ns. By briers
and thorns some'' here understand the Gentiles,
according^ to that of our Saviour, ' Jerusalem shall be
trodden down of the Gentiles, until the time of the
Gentiles be fulfilled,' Luke xxi. 24. But we may bet-
ter understand thereby, idolatry and superstition,
with other errors and aljominations, that for want of
God's husbandry should, as afterwards there did,
grow up amongst them. And thus sins and trans-
gressions are compared to thorns and briers, elsewhere
in Scripture, Heb. vi. 8. And that fitly: 1-. For their
wounding and pricking those that handle them ; for
whom doth not sin wound ? whom hath it not stung
* Musculus, in loc.
that ever dealt with it? 2. For their holding together,
and twining one within another. Sins grow in
heaps, and where you find any you may find many. And
therefore when the apostle speaks of them, he couples
them, ' Chambering and wantonness, gluttony and
drunkenness, strife and envying,' Eom. xiii. 13 ; thus
they grow like thorns and hedges, by companies.
3. Because they choke the plants, and hinder them
from tlie sun's heat and influence of heaven ; thus
the seed is choked by these thorns, as our Saviour
teacheth, Mat. xiii. And therefore St Peter willeth to
' lay aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisy, a,nd
envies, and evil speakings,' those cursed thorns and
briers, ' and then as new-born babes, desire the
sincere milk of the word to grow thereby,' 1 Pet. ii.
1, 2.
/ ivill also commaml the clouds that they rain no
rain upon it. By clouds understand we '■* the pro-
phets, and by rain the word. The metaphor is usual.
Moses thus begins his song, ' My doctrine shall drop
as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew ; as the
small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers
upon the grass,' Deut. xxxii. 2. And so the word of
the Lord came to Ezekiel, and said, ' Son of man, set
thy face towards Jerusalem, and drop thy word to-
wards the holy places, and prophesy against the land
of Israel,' chap. xxi. 2. And thus Amos speaketh to
Amaziah, ' Thou sayest, Prophe.sy not against Israel,
and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac,'
Amos vii. 16. In which places it is apparent, that
God's prophets are as clouds, and their words or pro-
phecies like drops of rain. Now in comparing the
rain and the word, we shall find good resemblance in
sundry particulars ; as, 1. In regard of cooling heat ;
2. Quenching thirst ; 3. Cleansing the air ; 4. Allay-
ing the winds ; 5. Mollifying and mellowing the
parched and heat-hardened earth. lu each one of
which, if we should spend time, we should find an
excellent agreement ; but, especially in a sixth respect,
it is a principal means and subordinate cause that all
things fructify and grow. And therefore this must
needs be a heavy judgment, and argue God's hot dis-
pleasure against his vineyafrd, in commanding the
clouds to rain no more rain upon it, according to that
charge given to Micah, ' Prophesy ye not unto them,'
chap. ii. 6 ; seeing that without it, it was impossible
the vine should grow or flourish. Thus we see that
as by briers and thorns the plants should be choked,
so for want of rain their very roots should wither.
And thus much for the literal exposition. Now to
come to some particular observation.
And now go to, I will tell you.
Doct. This w the usual mcmner df GocFs dealing, to
warn before he strikes, and foretell the judgment before
he inflictetk it. He punisheth none before he hath
* Chald. Paraph, et Hect. Pint.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
81
admonished them ; smiteth none before he hath fore-
warned them.
That of the prophet Amos makes this good, ' Surely
the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his
secrets unto his servants the prophets,' Amos iii. 7.
He sendeth his heralds to proclaim war before lie
makes it, and foretells them of such judgments as he
is purposed to inflict, that they may forewarn otliers.
Take the old world, my brethren, for an example. Did
he not foretell the destruction of it unto Noah, before
he brought that great deluge upon the earth ? Heb.
xi. 7. And was not Noah ' a preacher of righteous-
ness' unto them, whose hand taught them as much as
his tongue ? 2 Peter ii. 5. His business in building
the ark was a real sermon to the world, wherein at
once were taught mercy and life to the believer, and
to the rebellious destruction. And did he not the like
by Sodom and Gomorrah, unto whom he sent his ser-
vant Lot, ' whose righteous soul was vexed from day to
day with their unlawful deeds'? 2 Peter ii. 8. AVas
not this likewise his dealing with Pharaoh and his
people ? Did he not again and again admonish them,
and threaten them by his servants Moses and Aaron,
that if they would not let his people go, he would do
thus and thus unto them ? Exod. viu. 2, 21, ix. 3, 14,
I'J, and X. 4. And so with the Ninevites, unto whom
he sent Jonah with this cry, ' Yet forty days, and
Nineveh shall be overthrown,' Jonah iii. 4. And
with Jerusalem, which was often forewarned by his
prophets, and by our Lord himself, of her destruction
before it fell, Mat. xxiii. 37.
Reas. 1. Two reasons may be rendered for this ti'uth;
the one is in regard of the godly, and such as fear the
Lord, that they may not be taken at unawares, but
may be awakened out of their security, and timely pre-
vent those judgments threatened ; as those did, who
upon the hearing of that plague of hail which Moses
foretold would fall on Egypt, Exod. ix. 20, sent their
servants to fetch their cattle into their houses.
Beas. 2. The other is, that the wicked may be left
without excuse in the day of wrath. ' If I had not
come and spoken unto them, they had had no sin ; but
now they have no cloak for their sin,' saith our blessed
Saviour, John xv. 22. These may be some reasons
why God gives a caveat before his capias, and doth
warn before he wound.
Use 1. And is this God's usual dealing ? Why
then are we smitten, plagued, punished ? Were we
not forewarned of judgment ? Oh our wilfulness and
folly ! On whom, 0 man, canst thou lay the fault ?
Whom wilt thou charge with thy smart ? Canst
thou justly say God's silence was any cause thereof ?
Hath not he shot off many a warning piece, and
sounded many an alarum, before he set himself in
battle array against thee? In the secret of thy soul thou
knowest he hath done this. Often and often he hath,
by his servants, the ministers, warned thee of danger
at the door ; and by thy own conscience many a time
reproved thee, and premonished thee of future ven-
geance. He hath not played the part of a subtle
enemy, and stolen upon thee at unawares, but, as
Tamerlane, that warlike Scythian, displayed first a
white flag, in token of mercy, and then a red, me-
nacing and threatening blood, before that black flag,
the messenger and ensign of death, was hung abroad.
Accuse not the Lord then of any hard dealing, but
the hardness of thy own heart, which will take no
warning. He need not to give thee any warning of
his judgments ; thou gavest him no warning of thy
sins, no respite ; yet that God might approve his
mercies to thee, lie gives thee warning, and respite of
repenting. How loath art thou, 0 blessed God, to
strike, that threats before ! He that delights in re-
venge, surprises his adversary ; whereas he that gives
warning, desires to be prevented. Were we not wilful,
what need we ever feel smart ?
Une 2. Oh that this might teach us wisdom, to see
the evil and fly from it ! Which that we may the better
do, let us diligently observe the usual ways whereby
the Lord premonisheth ; and they are sundry. As (1.)
By the ministry of his servants the prophets, where-
by he foretelleth when ^Yrath is ready to fall upon us
for our sins. By them he foretold the Israelites of
the king of the Chaldeans coming up against them,
whom they laughed to scorn and contemned, 2 Chron.
xxxvi. 1.5, IG. And by them Jerusalem was fore-
warned, as before noted. Their threatenings, there-
fore, and menaces should not be lightly despised, but
feared; not passed over, but prevented ; not derided,
but applied to our consciences. For though they die,
Zech. i. 6, yet God's word shall hve, and his judg-
ments they denounced seize upon us except we die
to sin.
(2.) By signs and wonders, of which sort was that
earthquake which happened in Uzziah's days in the
whole country, Amos i. 1 ; Zech. xiv. 5. And those
strange apparitions seen in the heavens a little before
the destruction of -Jerusalem : as that blazing star
like a sword, which hung over the city a whole year's
space ; horses and chariots, with armed troops of
men, seen in the air ; the eclipse of the moon for
twelve nights together, with many other wonders,
whereof Josephus hath at large written.* As that
voice heard in the temple the night before the feast
of Pentecost, Let us depart from hence : and the
constant crying of one about the walls for a long
space. Woe, woe, woe to Jerusalem, and the like. And
thus doth God forewarn us of the end of the world,
as our blessed Saviour sheweth. Mat. xxiv. 32.
(3.) By lesser and lighter judgments, by gentle and
fatherly corrections, that by them we may be brought
* Joseph, de Bell. Jud., lib. vii. cap. 12.
Z
82
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
to turn unto liim, and so escape furtlier vengeance.
Thus were the Israehtes often Wiirned from the Lord :
sometimes he smote them with blastings and mildews,
Amos iv. 8 ; and at other times by giving their
gardens, vineyards, fig-trees, and olive-trees to the
palmer-worm to devour ; and when these warnings
would not serve, then he sent amongst them the pesti-
lence, after the manner of Egypt, and slew their young
men with the sword, and took away their horses, &o.,
and when nothing would serve, he overthrew them as
he overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. And so our
Saviour, having foretold many evils that should come
upon Jerusalem for their contempt of the gospel, and
refusing of grace offered, addeth, ' All these are but
the beginnings of sorrows, the end is not yet,' Mat.
xxiv. 6, 8. There were more in number and greater
in weight to follow after these. Thus lesser judg-
ments are as it were the prints of God's foot, whereby
we may trace him, if he be come out against us.
(4.) By the death of the godly, and such as fear
his name, are future judgments forewarned ; espe-
cially if they be such as are great and eminent,
whether in church or commonwealth ; if these be
taken away, it is a fearful sign that some grievous
judgment will overtake the remnant of the people.
This is that whereof our prophet Isaiah speaketh,
' Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away
from Jerusalem the mighty man, and the man of
war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent,
and the ancient, the captains of fifty, and the honour-
able man, and the counsellor,' &o., chap. iii. 1-3. And
elsewhere, thus, ' The righteous perisheth, and no
man layetli it to his heart ; and merciful men are
taken away, none considering that the righteous is
taken away from the evil to come,' chn]j. Ivii. 1. Thus
was that good king Josiah dealt withal, 2 Kings xxii.
20, not long after whose death followed the captivity
of Babel. In that grave wherein he was interred, the
liberty, glory, and peace of Jewry lay also buried.
And so Luther, after whose death presently followed
that miserable calamity upon Germany, which he had
often foretold would come upon them for their con-
tempt of the word, and which he desired he might
never live to see, as Calvin observes in his comment
upon that place of Isaiah last quoted, chap. Ivii. L
These are some ways whereliy the Lord forewarneth
us that evil is at hand, and therefore it behoveth us,
when by any of these he premonisheth us of danger
nigh, we ' prepare to meet him,' and prevent it, Amos
iv. And surely if ever there was a cause, then now
there is, why we should humble ourselves before him
in sackcloth and ashes ; for who can be ignorant of
the many warnings we have had in each particular
kind ? The turtles of this land have groaned out
the sad tunes of woe and misery. God hath so
guided the hearts and tongues of his ministers, as
that they all, even as one man, do constantly cry out,
with that Jesus the son of Ananus a little before the
destruction of Jerusalem, Woe to England, and to
the inhabitants thereof, by reason of such outrageous
wickedness as everywhere aboundeth ; which thing is
not lightly to be passed by, but deserves pondering
on. For certainly, if we be not persuaded to fear
their threatenings, we shall in the end be constrained
to feel them, whether we will or no. Besides, what
strange signs and wonders, and what vai'iety of them,
have we lately seen,* both in the heavens and upon
the earth ! What wcmderful and mighty tempests,
fearful thundering and lightning, hath lately hap-
pened ! whereby much hurt hath been done at sea,
many ships and barks cast away, and that in the
safest roads and harbours of this land, besides the
almost incredible hurt done by land f throughout
this kingdom, the violence of the wind, thunder and
lightning, being such as that, in many places west-
ward, whole fields of corn have been blasted, stacks
of corn seorched ; and here with us, the corn hath
been so dispersed and scattered as if it had been
sown again, and so beaten out of the ears as if it had
been threshed on the Hoor ; so that with the mildew
and blasting which was sent upon our coi'n in general
before our harvest, and now with this sudden judg-
ment of wind upon that little store of corn remain-
ing in harvest, God hath taken from us our stay and
staff of bread. What shall I need to speak of those
many earthquakes, mighty inundations of waters,
great hailstones, strange eclipses, monstrous births,
which every year brings forth ? Certainly, if the
sorcerers of Egypt were now amongst us, they would
confess these to be the finger of God. But fools,
and blind that we are, who have no eyes to see, nor
hearts to understand these things, or at most, make
of them but a nine days' wonderment, and so pass
them over !
And again, hath not God often warned us by
lesser and lighter judgments? Hath he not visited
us with famines, pestilence, and other such like infec-
tion of sickness? These are but as warning pieces
shot off in our ears, and assured forerunners of greater
judgments, unless repentance cut off their course. f
For, look, as one cloud foUoweth another till the sun
consume them, so one judgment hastens after another,
and repentance only is the sun that must dispel
them. And lastly, that the righteous perish, who
seetli not ? And yet, alas, wdio seeth it so as to con-
sider it in his heart? The Lord's hand hath been
upon us these many years, and hath come, not in
favour, to weed out the worst, but in displeasure, to
* This present year 1G22, on August 19.
f As appears in that relation of the tempest which hap-
pened in Devon, the year and montli aforesaiil, wliieh is in
print. J Perk. E.\Uort. to Repent.
ROGERS OX ISAIAH V. 1-7.
83
gather tbe best and ripest. Amongst our princes he
hath smitten at our chiefest. Amongst our nobles
he hath taken of our noblest. Amongst our magis-
trates he hath fetched away of our uprightest. Surely,
surely, God never thus beheads a state or country
but for some treason. The shepherds are smitten
for the sheep's unthankfulness, unfruitfulness. What
shall I say more '? Death hath been at the city as
■well as at the court, and in the country as well as in
the city, and hath fetclied away of all sorts almost
the best. And can this be any other than a plain
prognostication of some evil nigh at hand, which
evils they have prevented by their death ? God grant
we likewise may prevent them by our repentance 1
To draw towards a conclusion of this point. Let
every one in particular, yea, thou that hearest and
readest this, go home to thyself, and make applica-
tion hereof to thy own soul, for God speaketh in par'
ticular to thee, as well as to any other, and demandeth
of thee how thou hast profited by these or the like
warnings. For hath he not often, by the ministry of
his servants, come so home unto thy conscience
as that thou hast been persuaded and enforced to
confess thou art tlie man he meaneth, and at
whom he aimeth? And what drunkard or pro-
fane Esau is there here amongst us who hath not
been at some times or other told by them tliat if
they repent not they shall be damned ? Besides,
have not thine eyes seen his signs and wonders in
the heavens, upon the earth, &c. ? Thou hast
heard, and hast been told of such a child, born
witliout a mouth, or with two heads, or with one
eye, &c. AVhy, take thou warning ; this is meant
to thee as well as to any otlier. And hath not the
Lord smote thee, hitherto, with a little rod ? afflicted
thee with light losses, crosses, &c. ? See then thou
' liearest the rod, and who hath appointed it,' Micah
vi. 9. And once .again I will demand of thee, an-
swer me, Hast thou not been deprived of some faith-
ful friend ? — it may be of a godly husband, a religious
wife, a Cliristian and careful parent, a gracious child,
a faithful shepherd, or a true-hearted brother. If
it be so, take it as the shaking of the rod, and as a
warning from God unto thee that thou mend thy
manners. Eemember Solomon's proverb, 'A pru-
dent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself ; but
the simple pass on, and are punished,' Prov. xxii. 3.
Be thou that wise man, not this fuol ; but foresee
the danger, and prevent it before it fall. Oh happy
man, to hear this word, before it fall, sound in tliine
ears ! As for many thousands, it is fallen irrecover-
ably upon them already. To those poor souls it can-
not be said, as now it is to thee. Prevent it b)' repent-
ance, before it fall, for judgment hatli already seized
upon them ; but how happy art thou, if thou kuewest
thy happiness in that day is yet to come I And
therefore I say to thee, take warning by these things,
and prevent the evil before it fall ; for when it is fallen
there is no preventing of it. ' Oh that thou knewest,
at the least in this thy day. those things which belong
unto thy peace, and that they were not hidden from
thine eyes!' Luke ix. 4L My prayer -shall be for
thee, myself, and the whole land in general, that we
may so do. Even so, 0 Lord, open our eyes, that
we may so see thee warning as that we may fear thee
threatening, and obey thee teaching, and patiently
suffer thee chastising, and at last be by thee made
partakers of those good things which ' neither eye
hath seen, nor ear heard, nor can enter into the
heart of man !' 2 Cor. ii. 9. Amen, Amen.
What I will do. Great was God's mercy towards
this his people in foretelling and ju'emonishing them
of vengeance. And this makes it greater in his j)ro-
longing of it. He doth not by and by inflict, but
will a while defer. Theie shall be some delay and
pause, some lucida intervcdla misericordiw. A breath-
ing time and merciful space is granted between the
fault and punishment. And therefore he speaks not
in the present tense, but in the future. What I ivill
do. Where we see, and whence we learn,
Doct. God is of cl jMtient and forbearing nature, of
much gendeness and long-sufferance, forbearing sinners
for some space after they have transgressed before he pro-
ceed to inuiish.
Many examples might be brought for proof. ' All
the day lung' he did wait upon the Israelites, ' stretch-
ing out his hand to that disobedient and rebeUious
people,' Isa. Ixv. 2. A w-hole night did he forbear de-
stroying Sodom after he had told Abraham thereof, and
forewarned them by Lot, Gen. xix. 1, 23. Forty days
did the Lord allot unto Nineveh for their repentance :
' Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed,' Jonah
iii. 4. Three years did he bear with the barren fig-
tree before he would cut it down with the axe of his
judgments, Luke xiii. 1 . He ' suft'ered the ill manners'
— the word is very significant — of the Israelites ' forty
years in the wilderness ' before he would destroy
them. Acts xiii. 18. One hundred and twenty years'
respite of repenting God gave the old world, even all
the while the ark was a-jireparing, Gen. vi. 3 ; 1 Pet.
iii. 20. For the space of four hundred years he spared
the Canaanites and Amorites, Gen. xv. 16. Yea, he
suffered the Gentiles to wander in their own ways
and in the vanity of their minds almost for three
thousand years together, Acts xiv. 16. Thus, 1. All
a day; 2. A whole night; 3. Forty days; 4. Three
whole years; 6. Forty years; 6. One hundred and
twenty years ; 7. Four hundred years ; 8. Three thou-
sand years' breathing-time is given man between the
threatening and execution. Oh, how loath is God to
strike, that threats so long ! In a word, have we not
all experience of this truth ? Are there not so many
84
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
thousand witnesses as there are consciences in this
congregation to confirm this point? Had not this
been true, where should every one of us have been at
this present ? Surely I should neither have been here
to speak nor thou to hear, but long before this hour
we should have been swept from off the earth like
dung, had there not been this patience and longa-
nimity in God. Thus sundry ways hath God made
good his name, which all of us must needs feelingly
subscribe unto : ' The Lord, the Lord strong, merci-
ful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in good-
ness and in truth,' &c., Exod. xxxiv. 6.
Beason 1. And no marvel, if we consider, first,
that he is God. Were he not God, it were im-
possible for him so long together to hold his hands ;
but he is God and not man, therefore he forbears.
This reason seems secretly to be implied in those
words of the Chronicle.?, ' The Lord God of their
fathers sent to them his messengers,' &c., 2 Chron.
xxxvi. 14, 15.
Ueas. 2. He ' knowcth our weakness, our frame,
and remembereth that we are but dust;' he therefore
' dealeth not with us after our sins, nor rewardeth us
after our iniquities,' Ps. ciii. 10, 14. This reason is
rendered by the psalmist why he pitieth, spareth.
Reas. 3. ' He is not slack concerning his promise,
as some men count slackness, but is long-sufl'ering to
US-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance,' 2 Pet. iii. 9. He de-
sires our conversion, not destruction, and therefore
bears so long. And this is the reason that St Peter
gives.
Reas. 4. He beareth a long time with the vessels of
his wrath, to the end that they may ' fill up the
measure of their sins,' Gen. xv. 16. And this is the
reason the Holy Ghost makes why the Amorites were
forborne so long before punishment was executed on
them for their wickedness. Let us now apply these
things unto ourselves. And —
Use 1. First, This serves for information of our
judgments, whence it comes that wicked men are so
long spared and suffered to run on in sin. We see
how wretched and profane many are, being blas-
phemers of God's name, profaners of his Sabbaths,
contemners of his word, and given over to the com-
mitting of all sin with greediness, and yet are suffered
to run on without punishment, which causeth matter
of wonderment oftentimes in the hearts of God's
children, Jer. xii. 1.* But see here the reason : God
is of a patient and forbearing nature. The wicked
think it is because God is like them, Ps. 1., a lover
and liker of sin ; but be not thou deluded, learn the
• Not! ille amisit providentiam, aut amisit potentiam, sed
patientiam exercet guam, dum poenitentiam expectat tuam. —
A vrjust.
Use 2. Admire the richness of God's grace in bear-
ing so long with rebellious sinners. For God to bear
with his own children when they provoke him is very
much ; but to suffer his enemies, and bear so long
with the vessels of his wrath ; to suffer drunkards,
whoremongers, Sabbath-breakers, to run on in a
course of sin, living day after day, week after week,
year after year, and never in all that time to seek his
favour, but to wax the worse because they are for-
borne, this must needs argue an infinite perfection.
Oh, how can we sufficiently magnify such a God as
this ! How can we enough admii'e his goodness, or
set forth his praise ! Here is mercy, patience, good-
ness, past the comprehension of all finite spirits, and
only to be conceived by him whose it is.
Use 3. And thirdly, if this be so, that God is of
such a patient and forbearing nature, see what an
odious contempt of God's grace it is to take occasion
by this patience, to continue and increase in sin. In
things of this life, we hold it detestable if a servant
should thus reason from his master's bounty : He
dealeth thus and thus graciously with me, therefore I
care not how I provoke him and displease him. And
3'et this is the reasoning of thousands in the world ;
for thus say some — and far more think : I have lived
in such or such a course, as I hear preachers say of
sinning, for many years, but I see that God hath
blessed me as well as the precisest of them all ; I live
still and thrive well, God I thank thee, and therefore
I purpose to hold on as I have begun, talk these
preachers what they please, I pass not. And thus,
' because sentence is not speedily executed, ungodly
men take courage to offend,' Eccles. viii. 11 ; dealing
with God as birds do with the scarecrow. At first they
are afraid ; but seeing it not to stir, at length they
come near it and sit upon it. So these, at first they
are somewhat fearful to offend, but through impunity
they harden themselves to commit iniquity. And
yet, saith Solomon, ver. 12, 13, 'Though a sinner do
evil a hundred times, and God prolong his days, yet
surely I know that it shall be well with them that
fear the Lord, which fear before him : but it shall
not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong
his days, which are as a shadow ; because he feareth
not before God.' Understand, therefore, 0 ye unwise
amongst the people, all is not well because God for-
bears to punish. His patience and longfinimity is no
good argument of man's innocency. It may be by
the prayers of the vinedressers respite hath been ob-
tained for thee for a while before thy cutting down,
as was for that barren fig-tree, Luke xiii. G. Or else
it may be thy sins, though heinous enough amongst
us, are not come as yet to their full ripeness, Gen.
XV. 10. Or haply, God thus forbears thee, to shew
his loathness to destroy. However, his patience
always tends not to countenance received courses, but
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
85
to give occasion to alter our accustomed evils. And
^vhat though his wrath comes slowly, yet in the end
he will make amends for his delay with the weight
of vengeance. Lento gradu ad rindictani sui. His
mill grinds slow, but yet sure and small. All
this while he bears, he is but a-fetching of the
blow ; and the higher he lifts, the heavier it lights.
Now he is preparing his deadly arrows ; this time
he takes to fit them to the string, and because
he means not to miss the mark, he stands long at
level, and draws far, even to the head, that his arrows
may pierce deep, even to the soul. Take Jerusalem
for an example, and set that famous city before thine
eyes. Did ever any people taste more of God's patience,
or drink deeper of the cup of his merciful forbearance,
than Jerusalem, famous .Jerusalem did ? How long
did he sjjare them ! How many ways did he forewarn
them ! And when nothing would serve, how was his
patience turned into fury ! ' Not one stone left upon
another,' Mat. xxiv. 2, and the inhabitants and their
posterity made slaves and vagabonds for this sixteen
hundred years. Say not then with Agag, ' Surely the
bitterness of death is past,' 1 Sam. xv. 32, because
thou art a while forborne. No, no ; the longer be-
fore the reckoning, the greater the account will be,
Patienda Icesa fit furor. And evermore remember, that
there is no wrath so furiously outrages, as that which
ariseth from patience long and obstinately abused.
Use 4. See therefore, in the next place, thou beest
admonished to beware how thou abusest this jjatience
and long-suti'ering of the Lord. And see thou follow
the apostle's direction, ' Let it lead thee to repent-
ance,' Eom. ii. 4. Hapjjy thou, if thou do thus use
it. And indeed, except thou dost so, thou never
makest the true and proper use thereof. ' There is
mercy witli thee, that thou mayest be feared,' saith
that kingly prophet, Ps. cxxx. 4. God's children do
fear God and his goodness, Hosea iii. 5, and fear to
oti'end God in regard of his goodness. Josejoh reasons
thus. My master hath dealt thus kindly with me, &c.,
' how then can I commit this gi-eat wickedness ?' Gen.
xxxix. 8. So must all God's children reason.
Use 5. Again, This may be for imitation. As God
is and hath been towards us patient aud long-sufl'er-
ing, so let us be towards others. That hasty spirit
of calling for fire from heaven for every disobedience,
was sharply reproved by our blessed Saviour, Luke
ix. 54. Let us learn to have an eye to the rich
patience of our God, who is daily by us provoked ;
and, after his example, tolerate the froward infirmities
of our ignorant brethren, with meekness instructing
them, rather than with raslmess of zeal rejecting them,
2 Tim. ii. 25 ; and in case of wrong, say not, I will
recompense evLL It was a good speech, and coming
out of a heathen's* mouth, deserves the more regard, —
* Socrates.
I ivill willingly neither sufl'er wrong nor do it ; but if
I must choose one, I will rather choose to suffer than to
do. But why sjieak I of the heathen, unless to shame
us, when we have God himself to imitate ? How
patient is he towards reprobates and vessels of his
WTath ! If thou puttest up an injury patiently once
or twice, thou hast thyself highly in admiration, and,
in thy own conceit, deservest to be chronicled for a rare
pattern of patience. But God doth bear with thee
and other many thousand times in a day ; write after
that copy, and forgive ' not seven times, but seventy
times seven times,' Mat. xviii. 22, if thou beest so
often wronged. And be thou ' transformed into the
same image of God, from glory to glory.'
Use G. Lastly, Hence may perplexed and disquieted
consciences, who tremble under God's hand, fearing
the power of his wrath by reason of their sins, have
a use of comfort for the lifting of them up. It is
God's nature to be patient, be not therefore out of
hope. He is long ere he be provoked, and when he
is provoked, easy to be appeased. An earthly father
will not take every advantage against his child ; he
will tell him and forewarn him before he doth correct
and punish him. And why should we think God
harder than ourselves ? How long bears he with
such as never grieve, mourn, nor complain of sin !
"Will he then be hasty to mark what is done amiss by
such as groan under the burden of their corruptions ?
He spareth such as never so much as say. What have
I done ? And is it possible that he should not spare
such as with the prodigal cry out,^ ' Father, I have
sinned ' ? Luke xv. Certainly if the wicked fare so
well, the godly shall fare much better, and be thou
persuaded so. And thus much for the premonition ;
the execution follows.
I will take aivay the hedge thereof, and it shall he
eaten, tip ; and break dou'ii the n'uU thereof, and it shall
he trodden doiun, &c.
Here, according to our propounded method, con-
sider we first, the party punishing ; and who it is that
doth inflict this judgment on them ; and that is the
Lord himself, ' I will take away,' &c. Thence observe —
Doct. God's holy hand hath a sjjecial stroke in those
afflictions and visitations which are laid upon his church
and hefall his people, whosoever he the instrmnent.
What truth more strongly confirmed in holy writ than
this ? Do we not there read thus : — ' Affliction cometh
not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out
of the ground,' Job v. 6. 'I form the light and
create darkness, I make peace and create evil : I the
Lord do all these things,' Isa. xlv. 7. 'The Lord shall
rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in
the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his
strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange
act,' chap, x.xviii. 21. ' The Lord killeth and maketh
alive, he bringeth down to the grave, and briugeth
8G
nOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
up. The Lord maketli poor, nrd maketh ricli : he
bringeth low and liftefh up,' 1 Sara. ii. G, 7. ' I, even
I, am he, and there is no i,'od with me : I kill and I
make alive, I wound and I heal, neither is there any
that can deliver out of my hand,' Pent, xxxii. 39.
And, ' What evil is there in the' city' — understand it
of the evil of punishment — ' that I have not done?'
Amos iii. 6. Hereupon doth the church mutually
exhort one another to ' return unto the Lord, be-
cause he hath torn and he will heal, he hath
smitten and he will bind up,' Hosea vi. 1. And by
St Peter we are instructed to ' humble ourselves un-
der the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt us
in due time,' 1 Peter v. 6. And hereupon Joseph,
though of his envious brethren sold into Egypt, saith,
' God hath sent me hither,' Gen. xlv. 8. And David,
being cursed by Shemei, said, ' God hath bid him
curse,' 2 Sam. xvi. 10. And Job, robbed b3' the
Sabeans, saith, ' God hath taken away,' Job i. 21.
Eedson. And how can it otherwise be, seeing that
a sparrow falleth not to the ground, nor a hair from
oil our heads, without the providence of the Almighty,
as our Saviour hath taught us ? Mat. x. 29. If then
God's providence reaoheth to matters of such small
weight, it must needs reach to matters of greater
moment.
Object. If any now object, that wicked and bad
men, yea, the devil himself, doth persecute God's
church, and sorely afflict his people, and that the
most evils which befall God's children come from
them, how then can it be said, they are of God ?
Ans, I answer, We are to know that these are
but as the executioners, God employing them no
otherwise than as a judge doth some base slave in
making him the hangman, Still hath God a hand in
those punishments inflicted on his by those evil ones,
which shews itself in these actions : —
1. First, In ordaining and appointing them even
from all eternity, ' to do whatsoever thine hand and
counsel hath appointed to be done,' Acts ii. 28.
2, In ordering and disposing them : First, In regard
of the time when they shall both begin and end ; so
as that all the fury and malice of the wicked cannot
any jot hasten, lengthen, or prolong them. There is
an hour appointed tor the powers of darkness to work
in, and till that hour be come a hair shall not fall
from the heads of any of the godly. Let the Jews
take up never so many stones against Christ Jesus,
yet he shall escape ; let them seek to take him, yet
none shall dare to lay hold upon him, because ' his
hour is not yet come,' John vii. 30. And when that
hour is come, tliey shall not be able to lengthen it one
moment, as we may see in the four hundred years
appointed to the Israelites in the Egyptian servitude,
which being once expired, they came out, maugre all
the malice of their enemies, ' even the self-same day/
Exod. xii. 41 ; and in the seventy years of the Baby-
lonish captivity, Dan. ix. 2, 21-23 ; as also in the
afflictions and persecutions of the church of Smyrna,
raised up by Satan, which is restrained to a deter-
minate time of ten days. Rev. ii. 10. Secondly, In
regard of the measure, which is also appointed in such
an exact and strict manner, as that it is alike impos-
sible for all the powers of men or devils to add one
drachm into the weight, as we see in Job's example ;
for as Satan at fii'st could not touch him until he had
received a commission from God,cha]). i. 12, so neither
could he add anything to his first afflictions until his
commission was renewed, chap. ii. G. To this pur-
pose speaketh the psalmist thus ; ' Thou feedest
them with the bread of tears, and givest them tears
to drink in great measure,' Ps. Ixxx. 5. And,
Thirdly, In regard of their ends and issues, turning
them to his own glory and church's good : ' All
things working together for their best,' Rom. viii. 28.
Thus Joseph said of bis selling into Egypt, ' God dis-
posed it to good,' Gen. 1. 20, though it was evil which
his brethren intended against bim. Thus the Chal-
deans steal Job's wealth to enrich themselves ; the
devil afflicts his body in his hatred to mankind. God
suffers all this for the trial of his patience : man for
covetousness, the devil for malice, God for the pro-
bation of the afflicted's constancy, and advancing his
own glory. The covetous extortioner or griping
usurer spoils thee of thy goods ; God in wisdom raiseth
profit from it, and by thy poverty in jmrse helps thee
to the riches of his grace, and suflers these snares to
be taken from thee to save thy soul, yet no thanks
to them. Thus we have seen how God hath a hand
in such evils as are inflicted on us by wicked instru-
ments.
Quest. 1. Now hence again it may be questioned,
why God doth not rather correct his servants by his
own hand, and let his chastisements come purely from
himself, or by the means of righteous and just men,
than by such wicked instruments, who infuse into
those afflictions the poison of their maliciousness and
spleen.
Ans. The execution of punishment in itself is a
base and servile thing, and doth not so fitly agree
with the nature of the most High, who being the
chief goodness, taketh his chief delight in doing good.
Now because it is not familiar and delightful to his
nature, lie doth it not by himself, nor yet by the
godly, but commonly allotteth it to the devil and
wicked ones, as being fittest for such a service. For
do we not see a carpenter hath divei's kinds of tools ?
some are coarse, which he useth about stones or
gravel ; others are choice, which he useth about finer
worlc. Thus when God hath some base work to
effect, he hath some rejjrobate at hand, about which
he is employed ; but if a more honourable piece of
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
87
service, then he usually feteheth a tool of a purer
metal and finer making, one of his children shall be
sent for. He will not use the Virgin Mary, or such
ciioice pieces, but a Judas, a Caiaphas, a Pilate, and
such like as they, if Christ is to he crucified.
Quest. 2. But how can it stand with God's justice,
to punish the wicked for afiiioting of his church and
people, seeing they are but his instruments in exe-
cuting of his judgments, and do no other than that
whereabout he sets them ?
A us. 1. Know we that the will of God is secret or
revealed. The former was never propounded as a
rule for us to conform our actions unto ; but the
latter, which we find written in his law, \nito which
he requireth conformity and obedience ; and by it we
are enjoined to love our neighbour as ourselves, and
b)' all good means to seek the good and advancement
of our brethren. Now though they do the secret will
of God — which the devil and all reprobates do, and
cannot otherwise choose but must do, will they nill
they — yet because they run full butt against God's
revealed will, the rule and square of all their actions,
their condemnation is most just.
A71S. 2. Again, They aim not therein at the glory of
God, and never think of the eti'eeting of his counsels
and secret will, but only aim at and labour for the
accomplishing of their own hearts' lusts, desiring
to glut their cruelty, and to advance themselves out
of the ruin of God's servants. See an excellent
example hereof in that Assyrian king whom God sent
in his secret counsel against his people to afflict them
for their sins : ' Howbeit,' saith the text, ' he meaneth
not so, neither doth his heart think so,' Isa. x. 7.
His intent and purpose was to destroy and cut off
not a few nations, that he might make all his princes
kings, and so himself a mighty monarch. This
then serveth not for their excuse, that they are
but instruments, seeing they are such instruments.
Now we come to apply the point unto ourselves.
And first.
Use 1. Seeing it is so, that all afflictions and visita-
tions that befall us come from God, and are inflicted
by him, it oonfuseth and taxeth us for a vanity at
least, I had almost said a blasphemy, deeply rooted
and settled amongst us. When any calamity doth be-
fall us, we straight cry out Bad luck, bad fortune. If
any loss or cross betide us. Oh, say we, what luck and
fortune was this I In every misery blind fortune
is complained of. And so, e contra, when any good
thing happens, luck and fortune must be thanked for
it ; thus walking after the lusts of the Gentiles, who
held Fortune as a goddess, and assigned her a place in
heaven:* representing her by a woman sitting upon a
ball, as if the whole world were at her command ; having
* Te facimus, Fortuna, deam, creloque loeamus. — Jiivcn.,
Sat. 10.
with her a razor, as if she could at her pleasure cut off
and end man's happiness ; bearing in her right hand
the stern of a ship, as if she could turn all things about
at her pleasure, and in her left hand the horn of
abundance, as though all plenty came from her.
Which palpable idolatry that was amongst them
should be renounced and abhorred by us Ciu'istians.
Yea, so far should it be had in detestation, that the
very name of fortune should not once be named
amongst us, and much less anything ascribed to it,
whereof we see not an apparent cause.
Use 2. vSecondly, Seeing af'Hiotions are inflicted by
the hand of God, this should teach us p-itience, as it
did David when Absalom rose up against him : ' I
was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou
didst it,' Ps. xxxix. d. It must needs be a bold
audacious impudence to murmur in afflictions, con-
sidering God is the author and inflictur. If our in-
ferior strike us, we revenge it treble ; if an equal, we
requite it ; if a superior, we have learnt this wisdom,
not to repine, or if we mutter, yet not to utter our
discontent. Think whose hand strilves : it is God's,
whoever be the instrument ; the blow was his, what-
soever was the weapon. It is usually seen that in
corrections coming immediately from God's hand we
are not ordinarily so impatient as in those which come
by means of wicked instruments ; and what is the
cause, but this ? we do not so apparently behold God s
holy hand striking us in these latter as in the former.
Did we but seriously consider that it is God that
scourgeth us by them, we would then be ashamed of
our folly in being angry at the rod without any re-
gard of the smiter ; in snarling like dogs at the stone,
never considering the flinger. Do we not see how
patiently lords and nobles condemned to die suffer
the stroke of death at the hands of the base hang-
man, shewing therein their subjection and obedience
to their prince ? Even so should we quietly and
patiently endure all the indignities that are offered
unto us by wicked worldly men, therein giving testi-
mony of our obedience to God, who useth them as
instruments of his justice to correct us. See then
that thou dost so ; never sever the cross from God's
hand, though there be never so many instruments,
but 'hear the rod, and who hath appointed it,' so shalt
thou with patience and meekness bear that affliction
that is inflicted. But if otherwise, if when the cross
comes, thou art willing to see anything rather than
God, running uj)on inferior causes, gazing on men
or means, regarding more the staff wherewith thou
art smitten than the hand moving and ruling it, it will
then be intolerable, and thou must needs then break
the bounds of patience.
Quest. But ma}' we not have an eye upon second
causes ? Are we utterly to neglect the instruments
of our afflictions ?
88
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
A us. In all afflictions, we are to consider not only
the action and work as it is simply natural, and the
disposition of them to the manifestation of God's
glory and our good, in which respect God is tlie chief
author of them, but also an accidental confusion and
malignity of the action, which is wholly to be ascribed
to man's corruption, by whom it is performed ; in
regard of which malignity and sin, we are to have
some respect unto them, that we may hate and fly
that evil and injustice that is in them, and use all
good and lawful means whereby we may cross them
in their wicked purposes, and free ourselves from
their injuries and oppressions ; having herein the
word of God for warrant, which enjoineth us to use
all honest courses that spiritual wisdom can suggest
unto us for our preservation and safety.
Use 3. Thirdly, If God be the author of affliction,
this may serve for direction unto us what course to
take in time of danger, even that which is given us
by the prophet Hosea, to ' come and return unto the
Lord,' chap. vi. 1, for it is he that spoils, and he must
heal ; it is he that wounds, and he must bind up ;
there is none that can take off God's hand but him-
self, Job X. 7. He is a foolish malefactor that seeks
to the executioner and not unto the judge ; and yet
as foolish are we who, in the day of trouble, rest
upon vain helps that cannot profit, hoping to have
release from some saint or angel in heaven, or, which
is worse, from conjurers and witches here upon the
earth. As sometimes the heathen man said,
' Flectere si nequeo superos, acheronta movebo.'
If I cannot entreat the gods, I will go unto the devils ;
and as King Ahaziah did, who, being sick, sent to in-
quire of Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, 2 Kings i.,
. whether he should recover of his disease or no.
Woeful is that cure w^liich is wrought by such pliysi-
cians. We have learned better things. The general
rule for all troubles is, ' Call upon me in the day of
trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify
me,' Ps. 1. 15. ' As the eyes of servants therefore
look unto the hands of their masters, and as the eyes
of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so our
eyes shall wait upon thee our God, until that thou
have mercy on us,' Ps. cxxiii. 2.
Use 4. And lastly. Seeing God hath a hand in all
afflictions that befall, this may afford great comfoi't
to the godly, in that they are not left into the hands
of their cruel and crafty enemies, but are in the hands
of so gracious and merciful a God and loving Father,
through whose sweet hand the sharpest and bitterest
afflictions do pass. As for our adversaries, they are
but as the rod in the hand of him that smites. As,
therefore, the rod can of itself do nothing further
than the force of the hand using it gives strength
unto it, no more can they do anything unto us fur-
ther than they have ' power given them from above,'
John xix. Boisterous Tubeco may haply dismay us
with his thundering speeches, but let us know there
is an overruling hand to moderate and restrain him.
The swinging rod the child sees in his father's hand
may somewhat terrify him, yet the child may cer-
tainly persuade himself his father will so use it, as it
shall do him no more harm than a smaller one would
do. Let the wicked storm and fret, and breathe out
threatenings against God's church and people ; this
we know assuredly, they may do what they can, but
they cannot do what they would. And thus much for
the first cjrcumstiince, which concerneth the author
or intiieter of the judgment. Now followeth the se-
cond, which concerns the punished, or the parties on
whom it is inflicted ; and they are God's own people,
a people whom he chose for his peculiar, before any
other people in the world beside ; it was his vineyard,
his own inclosure, as these words tha-cof and it do
note unto us.
Let this then be our observation hence —
Doct. That God ivill not spare his own people, if
the)/ sill ayaiiist him, hut will visit their transgressions
ivitli the rod, and their iniquities ivith strokes.
The Scriptures propose many examples ; our ears
have heard many reports, our eyes behold daily
many precedents which may confirm this doctrine.
What doleful complaints do we read that the church
maketh everywhere in the Lamentations : ' Behold,
0 Lord, how I am troubled, my bowels swell, my
heart is turned within me, for I am full of heaviness.
The sword spoileth abroad, as death doth at home,'
&c., chap. i. 18, 20, and ii. 1, &c. How lamentably
do the godly bemoan themselves and the estate of
the church in the prophecy of Isaiah : ' Be not angry,
O Lord, above measure, neither remember iniquity
for ever : behold, see, we beseech thee, we are thy
peojjle. Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a
wilderness, Jerusalem desolation : our holy and our
beautiful house where our fathers praised thee is
burnt up with fire, and all our pleasant things are
laid waste,' chap. liv. 0—11. And how dotli the
prophet David express the burden of his afflictions
wherewith he was afflicted, in the book of Psalms :
' Thine arrows,' saith he, ' stick fast in me, and thy
hand presseth me sore. There is no soundness in
my flesh, because of thine anger, neither is there any
rest in my bones, because of my sin.' And again
thus, ' The sorrows of death compassed me, and the
pains of hell gat hold upon me ; 1 found trouble and
sorrow.' And many such like pathetical complaints
he makes, Ps. vi. 3, xxxii. 4, xxxviii. 2, 3, and cxvi.
3. The whole book of the Judges may be a proof for
this truth, wherein we see how the people of Israel
proceeding to do evil in the sight tif the Lord, he sold
them into the hand of his and their enemies. We
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
89
might further instance in Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat,
Josiah, Hezekiah, and others, all which make this
good, that God spareth not his own people when
they sin against him.
Ji'eas. 1. Two reasons maybe given hereof; First,
That the Lord might declare himself to be an adver-
sary to sin in all men, Ps. Li. 4, and that the wicked
may see he is not partial to any when his command-
ments are not regarded.
lieas. 2. Secondly, That he may reduce his ser-
vants from running on headlong with the wicked to
perdition. For, were we altogether exempted from
the rod, how wanton and froward would we grow,
and into how many perils would we east ourselves !
And so, saith St Paul, ' When we are judged, we
are chastened of the Lord, that we might not be
condemned with the world,' 1 Cor. xi. 32.
ObJ. But did not Christ give himself for his
church, and shed his blood for their redemption ?
was not their sins punished in him ? How comes
it then to pass they are still subject to God's heavy
visitations ?
Alls. True it is that Christ did bear away all our
punishments; but he hath not freed us from fatherly
corrections. Now, when God afflicteth his in this
world, it is more for medicine than for punishment,
more for a correction than for a penalty. Losses,
crosses, poverty, imprisonment, sickness, yea, death
itself, are not to us punishments nor curses properly,
but fatherly chastisements, being inflicted as further-
ances of sanctifioation, not as means of satisfaction.
And thus you have this objection answered, and my
doctrine confirmed, viz., God will not spare any, no
not his own people, when they sin against him.
Use 1. Which being so, this may terrify wicked
and ungodly ones, who make a trade of sin, driving
after it, as it was said of Jehu in another case, as
if they were mad; and yet imagine, because God for
a time holdeth his peace and keeps silence, that he
is such a one as themselves, a lover and approver of
their wicked ways, Ps. 1. 21. But, 0 you fools,
how long will you love folly, and when will you grow
wise ? Doth God correct the flock of his own pas-
ture, the children of his own household, and shall you
go scot-free '? Doth the Lord chastise them so heavily,
the burden of whose sins Christ hath borne in his
body on the cross, and shall such as Christ never died
for, no, nor yet prayed foi", (John xvii. 9,) escape ?
Shall not many prayers and tears, sighs and groans,
petitions of God's saints, requests of the Spirit, to-
gether with the daily intercession of Jesus Christ,
God's only and well-beloved, in whom he is well
pleased, keep off such bitter things from them, who
but now and then break out ? Woe and alas then !
what shall become of you, who never pray, sigh, nor
shed tears for sin, for whom God's blessed Spirit
makes no request, and who have no interest in the
mediation and intercession of that just and righteous
advocate, who sin not of infirmity and weakness, but
boldly and presumptuously, with a high hand against
the Lord ! Think of an answer to those interrofa-
tories which the Spirit of God propoundeth to thee
in holy writ : ' Lo, I begin to bring evil on the city
which is called by my name, and shall you go utterly
unpunished?' Jer. xxv. 29. And again, 'Behold,
they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup,
have assuredly drunken ; and art thou he that shall
escape?' chap. xlix. 12. And again, 'If these things
be done to the green tree' — to them who have in
them the sap of grace — ' what shall be done to the
dry ? ' to them who have no moisture of goodness,
Luke xxiii. 3L And again, ' If judgment first begin
at us who are the house of God, what shall the end
be of them that obey not the gospel of God ? And
if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the un-
godly and sinner appear?' 1 Peter iv. 17, 18. What
answerest thou to these ? why speakest thou not ?
And now, O my God, behold how I am troubled, my
bowels swell, my heart is turned within me; for I
hear an answer, true, but terrible, ' The Lord indeed
will try the righteous in his furnace, but the wicked,
and such as love inic^uity, doth his soul hate: upon
the wicked shall he rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and
stormy tempest ; this in the portion of their cup,' Ps.xi.
5, 6. He will indeed judge the just man for his trans-
gressions in this life, but he will ' wound the head of
his enemies, and the hairy pate of him that walketh
on in his trespasses,' Ps. Ixviii. 21. Yea, 'in flaming
fire shall God come, taking vengeance on them that
know him not, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ ; and they shall be punished with ever-
lasting perdition from the presence of the Lord, and
from the glory of his power,' 2 Thes. i. 8, 9 ; ' Then
shall the kings of the earth, and the great men, and
the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty
men, and every bondman, and every free man' —
whose names are not written in the Lamb's book —
' hide themselves in dens, and in the rocks of the
mountains : and say to the mountains and rocks,
Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that
sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the
Lamb,' Kev. vi. 15, IG. But as it was with the old
world, when God rained from heaven the greatest
shower that ever the earth did or shall sustain, their
shifts were bootless, so will it now be. They then
thought to over-climb the judgment, and haste up to
the highest mountains, and being there, with some
hope look down on the swimming valleys ; but, alas !
the water begins to ascend to their refuged hills, and
within a small time the place of their hopes becomes
an island ; now they hitch up higher to the tops of
the tallest trees, but soon after the waters following,
90
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
overtake them half dead with hunger and with horror.
Thus those mountains could not save those in that
day of water, nor these mountains these, in this day
of fire. For the very heaven ' sh.all depart as a scroll
that is rolled up together, and every mountain and
island shall be moved out of their places,' ver. 14.
And what hope th&n remains in them of security or
refuge ? Tremble, tremble at this, all you ungodly
ones : ' Stand in awe, and sin no more,' Ps. iv. 4. A
judgment is reserved for you, deceive yourselves no
longer. Weakness in God's children must be cor-
rected,and shall wickedness in you escape unpunished?
Is it possible you should think it? Methuiks it is a
thing impossible you should be so sensel&ss. No, no;
if God thus atHict his children, he will never suffer
disobe<lient bastards to go free.. He whips the one
with rods, he will scourge the other with scorpions ;
for ' Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the
earth, and therefore much more the wicl<ed and the
sinner,' Prov. xi. 31. And this for the first use; a
second follows.
Use 2. This serves for admonition to the best, that
they beware of sin ; for if they will take liberty to
break God's laws, let them look for stripes. God
loveth his like a wise father, aiming at their good, and
chooseth rather to profit than to please ; and not
fondly and eti'eminately, like some foolish mother, who
gives herself to follow the foolish lusts and ajjpetite of
her child. He hath his rod lie by him, and will dis-
cipline us ; and if we enter into a course of sinning,
he will reclaim us by his chastisements. And there-
fore let no man think nor say he is safe, because he
hath some assurance of his election, and therefore
cannot be deprived of salvation. For though thou
beest in the state of happiness for the life to come,
yet thou mayest fall into great misery in this life
present. David was as well elected as thyself, and as
safe from being condemned as thou art or canst be,
and yet such calamities befell him as made him 'groan
and cry, yea, roar;' so that his 'blood was dried up,
and his moistuie was like unto the drought in sum-
mer,' Ps. xxxii. 4. Yea, he felt as great anguish as
if his bones had been broken, or all out of joint ; and
therefore be not high-minded, but fear. For it is not
the virtues that thou hast that can be a warrant to thee
to fall in vice, nor yet thy profession or religion, no,
nor yet election, that will keep the rod from off thy
back, if thou play the fool in committing folly. I
confess God will not wipe out those whose names he
hath written in the book of life, nor damn any of his
elect which are in Christ ; yet if they or any of them
wax wanton, he will whip them to the purpose, and
make them tame. The magistrate, we know, hath
many punishments for offenders besides death and
gallows — he hath the stocks, the whipping-post, the
pillory, the jail; and so hath God more judgments
besides damnation — he hath his stocks, his whip, his
little-ease, his purgatory, for his own in this world;
though he do not reprobate them, yet he may so hide
his face, and conceal their pardon from them, as that
they may find little ditierence betwixt a reprobate and
themselves. ' Be wise now therefore,' 0 ye Christians,
' be instructed, all ye' godly of the earth. ' Serve the
Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the
Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way,
when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all
they that put their trust in him,' Ps. ii. 10-12.
Use 3. And lastly. From hence much comfort may
be gathered, inasmuch as afflictions do not disable us
from being God's. It was Gideon's weakness to argue
God's absence by them. ' If the Lord be with us, why
then is all this befallen us?' saith he. Judges vi. 13.-
Fond nature thinks, God should not suH'er the wind
to blow upon his dear ones, because herself makes
this use of her own indulgence. But we shall read,
that none out of the place of torment have suffered,
such or so many afflictions as his dearest children,
Heb. xi. 36, 37. There is no reason then why we
should imagine that God's favour is the less towards
us when we are exercised though with great and
heavy afflictions; for 'whom he loveth he doth
chastise,' Prov. iii. 12; and nearest to God, fullest of
sorrows, as one* saith well. Hence it is that the
apostle informeth us after this sort, 'My son, despise
not the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when
thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth
he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he re-
ceiveth. If you endure chastening, God dealeth with
you as with sons : for what son is he whom the father
chasteneth not ? But if you be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards, and
not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our
flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence :
shall we not much rather be in .subjection unto the
Father of spirits, and live ? For they verily for a few
days chastened us after their own jileasure ; but he for
our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be
joyous, but grievous ; nevertheless afterwards it
yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness, unto
them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up
the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,'
Heb. xii. 5-13. See how large our apostle is in his
comfortable exhortation. Surely he full well knew
how hardly the very best are persuaded that God is
with them in the day of trouble, and how apt the
godly are to make hard conclusions against them-
selves in the day of their calamity ; and therefore is
he so large in his comforts. Fain would the devil
have, had persuaded Christ that he was none of
God's, because he was afflicted with hunger, Mat.
* Clem. Alexand.
ROGEES ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
91
iv. 6, and the same would he willingly persuade thee
of ; but remember thou the former consolation, and
relinquish not thy hope of happiness in heaven,
because thou art recompensed with judgments here
on earth ; for in so doing thou wilt but add to thy own
sorrow, and needlessly ino'ease the weight of thy own
burden. And thus much for this use, as also for this
second circumstance; the third follows, which concerns
the punishment inflicted, and what it is.
The hedge thereof shall be taken away^ and it shall
he eaten up ; and break doivn the wall thereof, and it
shall be trodden down. And I u'ill lay it waste, &c.
The judgment here inflicted, as we see, consists in
the pain of loss, and pain of sense. First, Good
things shall be removed and taken from them, as the
hedge and wall will be broken down, his pains in
digging and pruning he will withdraw. And he will
withhold the clouds from raining any more rain upon
it. Secondly, Evil things shall be imposed and in-
flicted on them ; for it shall be eaten up, trodden
down, and laid waste by their enemies. Moreover, it
shall be cursed with barrenness ; for thorns and briers
shall be the best crop that will grow therein ; fit fuel
for the tire.
Before we come to the particulars, let us observe in
general —
Doct. The ungrateful abuse of Gad's blessings and
favours, causefh the Lord to deprive a people of them,
and to bring upon them the contrary evils.
This is that which is here threatened to this people ;
because instead of the sweet grapes of righteousness,
it brought forth nothnig but the sour grapes of sin,
after all his pains bestowed about it, he would not
only abandon and let it alone, but pull down the
hedge, break down the wall, and lay it waste, so that
the beasts of the field should devour it ; and it should
become as a barren heath and forsaken wilderness.
This is that which is threatened by Moses, the
servant of God, against Israel, ' Because thou servedst
not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with glad-
ness of heart, for the abundance of all things ; there-
fore shalt thou serve thine enemies, which the Lord
shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and
in nakedness, and in want of all things ; and he shall
put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have de-
stroyed thee,' Dent, xxviii. 47, 48. This is that also
which is threatened by Hosea, against those priests
who ungratefully abused all those benefits and pre-
rogatives wherewith they were endowed above the rest
of the people, to God's dishonour. ' For as they were
increased, so they sinned against me, saith the Lord ;
therefore I will turn their glory into shame,' chap,
iv. 7. He would not only take from thera tlieir hon-
our and advancement which they so abused, but he
will bring upon them the contrary evils — viz., shame
and reproach. The like we may find threatened by
the prophet Joel, against the people, for their abuse
of God's creatures by gluttony and drunkenness ; their
condition should be so far changed, that ' the nevir
wine should be cut from their mouths,' chap. i. 4,
0-12, that is, they shall not have any taste of it at
all. ' The field and the corn should be wasted, the
new wine dried up, the oil shall languish. So that
tlieir husbandmen should he ashamed, their vine-
dressers should howl, for the wheat and for the barley,
because the harvest of the field is perished.' A mar-
vellous and great change, if it be well considered, that
they who had so great plenty should now fall into
such exceeding penury. But herein we may see the
just judgment of God, against such as abuse his favours
to licentiousness. We might further confirm this truth
by the prodigal's example, of whom it is said, that after
he had lavished out his patrimony upon whores and
riotous company, he came unto such exceeding misery,
that he would gladly have ' fed upon the husks that
the swine ate, but none gave them unto him,' Luke
XV. 16. Upon which parable read my exposition,*
if you desire more of this doctrine, where you shall
find this truth handled at large in sundry observations,
to which I refer thee ; for now I will content myself
with a word of exhortation for the use, and so proceed.
Use. This being so, how should it stir us up on all
hands to return thankfulness to God for his benefits,
who hath with such a liberal hand sown the seed of
liis favours amongst us, and cause us to beware that
we abuse not his good blessings unto sin, lest the con-
trary evils do betide us. When a child beginneth to
play with his meat, a wise father will take it from
him ; if we wax wanton by reason of God's good
favours, he will withdraw them, and turn our peace
into war, our health into sickness, our liberty into
thraldom, our plenty into penury ; or, which is
worse, if they be continued to us, he will cause them
of blessings to become curses, so that ' our table shall
be made our snare, and our prosperity our ruin,' Ps.
Ixix. 22.
/ tvill take away the hedge, and break doion the wall.
We have seen before in the exposition what is meant
by this hedge and wall — namely, the divine protection
of the Almighty, wherewith they were compassed
about, so that their enemies could not once touch
them to hurt them. Of this they should be now de-
prived, so that there should be a gap made for their
enemies to enter in upon them. Hence we infer —
Doct. Sin dejmveth man of the protection of the Al-
mighty, and layeth him open to the rage and fury of
the enemy.
When the people of Israel had committed idolatry
in making them gods to go before them, the text
saith, ' they were naked amongst their enemies,'
Exod. xxxii. 2.5 ; whereby he means that they wanted
* True Convert.
92
ROGERS OX ISAIAH V. 1-7.
God's favour and protection, -tt-liicli is as the clothing
of his children. So, when Eehoboam, the son of
Solomon, and all Israel with him, had forsaken the
Lord, the prophet is sent unto him with this message,
Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me; there-
fore have I left you in the hands of Shishak,' 2 Chron.
xii. 5. The Uke we read in the book of Judges. No
sooner had Israel feU to idolatry in worshipping Baal
and Ashtaroth, and such other idols as the nations
served who dwelt about them, but God as soon left
them, and deUvered them into the hands of spoilers
that spoiled them, and sold them into the hands of
their enemies round about, so that they could not any
longer stand before their enemies. Judges xiii. 14 ; x.
6. In the book of Joshua, likewise, chap. vii. 12, we
read, that when Achan had taken of the accursed
thing, and transgressed God's covenant, in stealing
that Babylonish garment, the shekels of silver, and
the wedge of gold, they could not stand before their
enemies, but turned their backs before them, and all
because God was not with them with his protection,
by reason of that offence committed, neither would
God be with them any more, except that accursed
thing were destroyed from amongst them. Hitherto
tends that also of this our prophet, Isa. hx. 1, ' Be-
hold the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot
save, neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear ;
but your sins have separated betwixt you and your
God ; and your sins have hid his face from you that
he will not hear.' And thus is the point made good,
that sin depriveth a people of God's protection. It
breaketh down the hedge and wall of their defence,
and layeth them open to the fury of their enemies.
Reason. And no wonder, seeing sin is a breach of
the covenant made betwixt God and us. ' I am God
all-sulticient ; walk before me and be upright,' Gen.
xvii. 1. AVhere the promise on God's part is to be
an all-sufhcient God, to bless, save, protect, and de-
fend us ; the condition required on our part is upright
walking before the Lord, in all faithful, constant,
cheerful, and universal obedience. If then the latter
be not performed, the former cannot be expected ; for
God is not bound unto us further than we keep the
promise which hath been made by us. And this is
the ground of my propounded point, why sin should
deprive us of God's protection.
Use 1. And this may serve first for information.
See here what it is, and who they are that doth
weaken a kingdom — surely sin and sinners. This
and These open the gates, throw do\vn the walls, and
let in the enemy. Were our armies never so strong,
our cities never so sure blocked, our walls never so
well fortified, that we feared not to have them scaled,
yet so long as our Hams continue their scoffing, our
Esaus their profaning, our Sennacheribs their blas-
pheming, our Achans their tliieving, our Xabals their
coveting, our Jezebels their whoring, and all of us
our sinning and rebelling, we deceive ourselves if we
think we be strong, for we are weak. How can God
be with us when these accursed things are found so
rife amongst us ? And how shall we stand before
our enemies when the most high God hath forsaken
us ? Oh, the weakness of this land wherein sin doth
so abound I This is it which will weaken our forces,
overthrow our castles, break down our towers, batter
our bulwarks, and make frustrate all our devices.
When Phocas had built a mighty wall about his
palace for his security in the night, he heard a voice
thus speaking : ' Though thou buUd as high as the
clouds, 0 king, yet the city will easily be taken, for
the sin within will mar all.* True it is, we have no
enemies without, but are at peace with all about us ;
but what are we the better when our chief enemies
are within : sin is harboured within our walls and
gates ; our wicked manners are stronger than armed
men.j This is enough to bring upon us those days
of desolation, the days of darkness and gloominess,
the days of wasteness and confusion. What hath
been the ruin and overthrow of the most famous
kingdoms in the world but it ? AVhat hath turned
the noblest cities into dust but it? What hath
brought those infinite calamities of famine, sword,
pestilence, fire, slavery, and bondage, but it ? From
this Cometh the ruin of countries, cities, families,
yea, and of particular persons. Do not many ruined
monuments and monasteries seem to tell passengers.
Hie fuit hostUitas, war hath been here ? And may
we not also there read in those rude heaps. Hie fuit
iniquitas, sin hath been here; idolatry rather than
war pulled down those walls : for had there been no
enemy to raze them, they would have fallen alone,
rather than hide so much superstition and impiety
under their guilty roofs. Oh that we could once see
this ! Oh that we would be once persuaded of it ;
then would there be some hope that that accursed
thing would be cast out from amongst us, that so
God might be our defence and fortress. And let us
assure ourselves that until repentance make up our
breaches, we lie open to the fury of our adversaries.
Wickedness hath struck up the drum, and we maj'
every day expect for destruction to come marching on.
Use 2. Second!}', This may serve for our instruction.
When we go about any enterprise of God, let us see
that our hearts be clear from any pollution of sin,
and when we be thwarted in our hopes, or crossed in
just and holy quarrels, let us then ransack ourselves
and search our hearts for some lurking sin. For we
may almost, nay, altogether persuade ourselves there
is some secret evil unrepented of ; and then no wonder
* Cedron. Hist., p. 542.
t ' Graviores sunt inlmici mores pravi, quam hostcs infcsti.'
— Amhros. Her. 87.
EOGEHS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
93
if the Lord do, as it were, tumble down the wall of
our protection, and seem to leave ns to ourselves. Our
great iniquities hearten our adversaries; they. profess
to build all their wickedness against us upon our
wickedness against God. Let us, therefore, now at
last prevail against our own evils, and we shall cer-
tainly prevail against all our enemies. The powers of
Rome, the powers of hell itself, can never hurt us if
we hurt not oui'selves. Let us cast down our Jeze-
bels that bewitch us, and pluck away sin, which like
ivy weakens the wall of our protection, and fear
nothing, for we shall stand immoveable.
Use 3. Thirdly, Here is a commination against the
wicked. For if this be so, that sin deprives man of
the protection of the Almighty, then woe to them who
harbour sin. How open do they lie in every part to
the rage and fury of their adversaries, Satan, death,
and hell ! Yea, every creature is adversary to them
whom God hath forsaken, and therefore they are not
safe from the rage of any. Oh the woeful and fear-
ful condition of such as these who have not God for
their defence ! In what perpetual peril and danger
of destruction live they in ! Can they say they are
safe in any fort, in any castle, in any tower ? Can
any place or any power upon the earth, or in the
earth, or above the earth, keep back the stroke of
death and destruction, hell and damnation ? Can
any wicked man say with warrant, I am here free
from the dart of death ; I shall surely carry myself
from hence ; judgment shall not seize on me in this
place ? Can any of them say at any repast or recrea-
tion, I shall continue out this feast, or game, or
sport, to the end, before my ,fall or ruin ; this de-
light shall not be interrupted and broken off by fear
and torment before it be fully finished ? Alas ! they
cannot, for ' evil shall hunt the wicked ' to destruc-
tion, Ps. cxl. 11, and pursue him, Prov. xiii. 21, and
in the end overtake him, and seize upon him, Deut.
xxviii. 45. So that as the hare runneth in hazard
and jeopardy before the greyhound, and is at last
snatched up, so is it with the wicked, ' whose damna-
tion sleepeth not.'
True it is, no men's estates seem to be more happy,
nor no men's stays more strong ; and who more se-
cure than these men are ! But all is not gold that
glitters. Their hope is as the spider's web, their staff
they lean on is but an Egyptian reed that will in the
end breakj'run into their shoulders, and lay them flat
along the earth. Their security is but senseless and
blockish stupidity, and well compared to that of
Jonah's, who slept most soundly when he had most
cause to watch and pray, Jonah i. The Lord is pur-
suing him as a vagrant and fugitive. The officers of
God are about him to apprehend him ; the wind rageth,
the waves of the sea roar and beat against the ship
wherein he was, and roll with violence against the
bark, refusing all other satisfaction offered by the
mariners, so that all the company that be with him
are afraid, and compelled to cry every man unto his
god ; yet Jonah is still sleeping under hatches. Thus
fareth it with the wicked ; the Lord stands oft'ended
with them ; the heavens above are closed upon them;
hell beneath is open to receive them ; God's fearful
judgments are ready to lay hands upon them ; the
devil is at hand, waiting when they shall be delivered
to him ; yet they lie snorting in their sins, sleeping
between death and hell, as Peter did between the two
soldiers being fast bound with chains. Acts xii. 6, or to
use Solomon's proverb, as a sailor upon the top-mast in
the midst of a storm, there being but a hair's-breadth
between them and their destruction. See then thy
estate, thou who art from under God's protection ;
living in thy sins thou livest in perpetual peril ; thou
mayest eat and drink, make merry and be jocund,
but thou hast little reason. Belshazzar may carouse
it in gold and silver vessels, but he had little cause
when his doom was writteii on the wall, Dan. v.
2-5. Amnon's heart may cheer him, but as little
reason had he, death being so nigh at hand, 2 Sam.
xiii. 28. Be then as merry as you will, you wicked
ones ; this I am sure of, your wretched estate gives
you no leave.
Use 4. Lastly, Here is a ground of encouragement
for the faithful, when they have just cause to band
themselves against the wicked, and are constrained
to meddle with evil men, or to undertake war against
the enemies of the church either for the defence of
true religion, or for the relieving and delivering of
such as are oppressed for religion, or for the safety
and defence of land and people,* or for other such
like just causes, that we lift up our heads and hearts
with hope of victory, because we have to do with
weak and naked men. Thus Joshua and Caleb
comforted the people against the Canaanites, saying,
' Rebel ye not against the Lord, neither fear ye the
people of the land, for they are but bread for us :
their shield is departed from them, and the Lord is
with us, fear them not,' Num. xiv. 9. This was
that also wherewith Abijah, the king of Judah, com-
forted himself, going against the mighty army of
Jeroboam, 2 Chron. xiii. 10-12; with this let us
and all God's people comfort ourselves, when wa are
to go out against our adversaries, for they come out
into the field as soldiers without weapons, they have
neither shield, nor buckler, nor breast-plate, nor
helmet, nor sword, nor spear ; their loins are ungirt,
their feet unshod, their heads are uncovered in the
day of battle ; they lie open as naked men to be
wounded and destroyed ; and, therefore, ' Be strong
and courageous ; fear not, neither be afraid for the
w'icked, nor all their multitude, for there is more with
* Pax populi, patriseqiie salus, et gloria regni.
94
ROGEIIS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
lis than is witli them. With them is an arm of
flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, for to help
us, and to fight our battles,' 2 Chron. xxxii. 7, 8.
And so much for this ; now we go on.
It shall be eaten iq) and trodden down. This fol-
lows upon the former. The hedge and wall being
plucked up and broken down, way is made whereby
the beasts of the field — that is, the enemies of the
church, shall have free egress and regress to eat and
devour ; and not only so, but to tread down and
spoil ; they should not only trouble and aiBict them,
but also overcome them, and enter into their posses-
sions, carrying away what they hst, making strip
and waste of the rest.
Doct. The first point hence to be observed is.
Until God break down the wall, and pluck up the
hedge of his protection, toherewith his people are en-
compassed, the wicked and ungodly cannot hurt them or
any luay harm them. God must give, yea make, way,
before they can come in upon them to afflict them.
'How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten
thousand to flight,' saith Moses in that same sweet
song which he sang a Httle before his death, Dent,
xxxii. 30, ' except their Eock had sold them, and the
Lord had shut them up ? ' This was a thing impos-
sible, that one enemy should chase a thousand
Israelites, and two Gentiles put a thousand Jews to
flight, had not that God, who had been before
their rock, delivered them up into the hands of those
their enemies.* The devil himself, who is the
greatest of all their enemies, and strongest of that
hellish band, being the great Goliah in that army of
Piiilistines, can do nothing without permission ; he
must have a commission to go forth and be a lying
spirit in the mouth of Ahab's prophets, that he and
liis people may fall at Eamoth-Gilead, 1 Kings xxii.
22. He must beg leave at God's hands to touch
Job, Job i. 11, such a hedge being made about him,
and all he had, on every side, that there was no
coming at him except God leave open some gap
for this foul beast to enter. The like protection
have all God's people, whereby they are so fenced,
that neither the devil nor any of his limbs can hurt
any of them, without special warrant and commission
from the Lord. Hitherto tends that which we read
of in the Acts, chap. iv. 27, 28, ' Doubtless, against
thy holy Son Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both
Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and
people of Israel, gathered themselves together, to do
whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel hath determined
before to be done.' And that answer of our Saviour
vinto Pilate, John xix. 11, 'Thou couldest have no
j)ower at all against me, except it were given thee
from above.'
* Id est, qui fieri potuisset ut hostia unicus persequeretur
miUe Israclitas, nisi quod, &e. — Vatah. in loc.
lieas. For as our Saviour saith elsewliere, ' My
Father is stronger than all,' John x. 29 ; all power
and strength is of him and from him originally,
according to that in Daniel, ' Wisdom and might are
God's,' Dan. ii. 20. He can give and take away at
his pleasure.
Use 1. Which being so, this discovers unto us a
notable delusion of the devil, in that he persuadeth
witches and wizards that he can do all things, and at
their request or command will lame and kill men or
beasts ; and whatsoever they bid him do, or hire him
to do, that shall be done. With which conceit also
many of our people are possessed, which causeth
them to be so afraid of witches as that they dare not
any way displease them, or give them a foul word,
for fear. they should send their spirits to torment
their bodies, destroy their goods, lame their cattle,
or do them some other mischief. And thus are thou-
sands deluded by the devil, yea, and bewitched before
they be aware, and led into all manner of error and
of falsehood.
That there are witches, by whom the devil worketh,
I deny not — Scriptures and experience doth make it
evident; but that these witches can send the devil to
kill or lame either men or beasts, when they list and
where they list, I utterly deny.
lieas. 1. For, first, we are to know that the devil
hath of himself no power over the least fly. The
high providence of the Almighty hath so chained
and bridled hira up as that he cannot pluck off a
feather from the wing of a little wren or sparrow
without leave and power given him from God. It
follows, then, that he at his pleasure cannot do the
least harm to man or beast to gratify a witch ; nei-
ther doth the sending of the devil by a witch give
him any power and commission to do anything, for
God must give way before any evil can befall, ac-
cording to our doctrine delivered.
Reas. 2. Secondly, The devil is more forward and
ready to do evil than any witch can be, for he is like
' a roaring lion, going about seeking whom he may de-
vour,' 1 Pet. V. 8, and like a, red or fiery dragon, Rev.
xii. 3, burning in malice against God's church and
people; so that he needs not to be stirred up or sent by a
witch, he being so forward and watchful of himself to
do mischief. Whence it follows there is no more nor
less hurt done than would be done if there were no
witches ; for as the devil can do nothing to hurt the
poorest creature before he have power granted unto
him from the Lord, so when he is [lermitted and hath
his power granted, he is not so sottish as not to exe-
cute his power, except some witch do send him.
True it is, if he can, he will do it, as entreated and
sent by witches, so cunning and crafty is he, that he
may do the more harm, using them but for a colour
to draw on worser matters.
ROGERS OX ISAIAH V. 1-7.
95
Jieas. 3. Thirdly, The devil is the comraaiider,
the witch is but his drudge and servant. He is the
god of this world, and ruleth with power in the hearts
of the children of disobedience ; she is but his slave
and subject, to serve him, and not command him ;
and using her as his instrument, he wholly directeth
her heart unto the wickedness. And, therefore,
whereas there be many natural causes in the bodies
of men and beasts — of tortures, lameness, and of
death itself — which, though the leariiedest and most
expert physician cannot espy, yet he can see and
know, and can conjecture very near the time when
they will take effect ; he plieth it with the witch,
and inflameth her mind with malice, and moveth her
to send him against that party ; upon which sending,
the man or beast suddenly and strangely are tor-
mented, fall lame, and die ; and then he telleth her
that he did it upon her sending and command — when,
indeed, she obe3'eth him, being led by his suggestion,
and not he her. The like is his practice when God
gives him liberty to strike with bodily plagues any of
the godly for the trial of their faith and patience :
he covets, if he can, to bring it thus about ; so that
we see she is but his drudge, and not he her servant
Let us not, then, be so deluded by this deceiver, nei-
ther stand in fear of any witch or sorcerer, but of
God alone, for neither one or other can any way
molest or hurt us until God please to give way and
sutler them.
Use 2. For a second use, seeing none can hurt us
until God give way, let this serve for admonition unto
us all that would live in safety, that vie keep in with
God ; fur if lie be our friend, what need we care who
be our enemies ? ' If he be with us, who can be
against us?' Rom. viii. 31. Be then of David's re-
solution, to make God thy 'shield and buckler, thy
refuge and thy fortress,' Ps. iii. 3 ; xci. 2 ; and thus
being in David's taking, thou mayest be in David's
tune. ' The Lord is my light and my salv.ition ;
whom shall I fear ? The Lord is the strength of my
life; of whom shall I be afraid '?' Ps. xxvii. L ' I
will nut be afraid of ten thousands of people that have
set themselves against me round about.' Ps. iii. 5.
' Though an host should encamp against me, my heart
shall not be troubled ; though war should rise against
me, in this I will be confident. For in the time of
trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion : in the secret
of his tabernacle shall lie hide me ; he shall set me
up upon a rock,' Ps. xxvii. 3, 5. I end this use as
David ends that psalm, ver. 14, ' Wait on the Lord :
be of good courage, a7id he shall strengthen thine
heart : wait, I say, on the Lord.'
Use 3. Thirdly, This may serve to daunt the hearts
and proud spirits of the wicked, who insult over the
godly because they are so few, so mean, so simple, and
so weak ; and pride themselves oftentimes in the con-
ceit of their own greatness, power, policy, and mali-
cious intendments against the godly. But tliese grossly
deceive themselves, for let them know their rage and
power is limited by the Lord, so that they cannot do
what they list, but what God will; they cannot execute
what they please, but what pleaseth him. Let atheists,
papists, and all other profane persons, desist from
devising evil against God's Zion. A prophet of their
ow-n side will teach them it is in vain to curse whom
God hath blessed. Num. xxiii. 8.
Use 4. Lastly, As Noah's dove brought in her
mouth an olive leaf, Gen. viii, 11, so doth this doc-
trine bring with it tidings of peace and comfort to such
as are in Christ. For if it be so, that man cannot
hurt until God give way, then ' let all those that put
their trust in thee rejoice : let them ever sliout for
joy, because thou defendcst them : let them also that
love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou. Lord, wilt
bless the righteous ; with favour wilt thou compass
him as with a shield,' Ps. v, 11, 12. What the
apostle speaks in case of damnation, Rom, viii. 1, may
be spoken also in case of danger, ' There is none
unto them.' They are alike safe in every place, even
in the midst of their mortal enemies, as amongst their
kindest friends. And so likewise at all seasons ; for
whereas the wicked, who are without God, are like a
bird without a nest, or a beast without a den, liable to
any storm that ariseth and danger that befalls ; yet it
is otherwise with the godly, they know whither to go
to be hid from the strife of tongues, and viplence of
tyrants. God's favour joined with his mighty power
and faithfulness, is ' a strong tower, thither the right-
eous run and are exalted,' Prov. xviii. 10 ; which fort
and castle of defence is everywhere, and no time is
unseasonable to repair unto it ; no place an impedi-
ment to hinder them from it ; no bodily weakness
can disable them of it. Their journey may be under-
taken at mid-night as well as at mid-day, and they may
run apace as they sit in their houses, or lie in their
beds ; and the feeblest crijiple may make as good
speed as the swiftest footman. The walls thereof can
no enemy scale ; the- forts thereof can no adversary
batter. Well may our enemies assault us, but no
multitude nor power can prevail against us, because
' he that is with us is stronger than they that are
against us,' 2 Kings vi, 18; so that the floods of
great waters can never come nigh us,' Ps. xxxii.
6, Oh the security and felicity of the faithful ! mar-
vellous great it is ; who have such a tower to fly unto,
and such a shield to cover and compass them round
about as is impenetrable ; no sword, no dart, nor
shot, can possibly strike them until it pierce him.
So fenced are they in their goods, in their cattle,
and in all that belongs unto them, that no wicked
spirit by any art can come near to touch them, with-
out a special commission from the Almighty. When
OG
EOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
Philip, king of Macedon, had slept a sound sleep, and
at length waking, spying Antipater by him, he used
these words, as the story saith,* ' No marvel I slept
so soundly, seeing Antipater was by and watched.'
It would not have fallen out so well with this land in
general, and many, no nor any of us in particular,
had not this Antipater, our gracious Father, who
was before all worlds, been our merciful keeper. In
'88 fierce enemies intended the invasion of this land,
but they were foiled, and England triumphed ; for
the Lord of hosts was our defender. Many enter-
prises have been undertaken against our most gracious
sovereign, especially that hellish attempt of popish
monsters in that infernal powder plot ; yet King James
is waked, and long may he wake, for Antipater stood
by and watched, — oh, still stand by and watch, — but
as for las enemies they are executed as traitors, and have
slept their last. And so let them perish, 0 Lord.
ObJ. But do we not see how the godly are wronged,
spoiled, yea, and sometimes killed by their adver-
saries ?
Ans. True, yet this cometh not to pass through
the force of then' adversaries' might, but by the will
and permission of the Lord ; neither doth lie suffer it
to satisfy their foes, but to increase their felicity, and
for their good. For it is with the godly as with the
beast in the field, which is safer in a storm than in
the fairest seasons : the storm driveth him to his den
and harbour ; but when it is over he cometh forth,
and is in danger to be taken of the hunter. Thus in
trouble, the godly fly unto the clefts of their rock, and
get under the wing of their Protector ; but when
troubles are over, they are in greater danger to be
ensnared. We know rain and thunder are many
times better for corn and grass than fair- sunshine ;
so here.
Again, God hath promised not to defend us from
troubles, but preserve us in troubles. Our fear shall
be taken away, not our fight.f And so, though we
be persecuted, yet we be not forsaken ; though slain,
yet not overcome : nay, when we seem to be over-
come, then do we overcome our enemies. Though
we bear away the blows, and are slain by them, yet
God still preserves us, and we obtain a noble victory,
Kom. viii. 37. Excellent was that speech, which
sometimes Anaxarchus used, when as Nicocreon the
tyrant commanded he should be beaten to death in a
mortar : Beat and bray, said he to the executioner,
as long as thou wilt, Anaxarchus his satchel, meaning
his body, but Anaxarchus thou canst not touch.
Thus are the godly preserved by God, who putteth
his right hand under their heads, and gives them
grace sufficient, proportioning their strength to the
burden, mitigating their sorrows, making them possess
* Plutarcli.
t Formido sublata est, non pugna. — Leo,
their souls in patience — yea, to rejoice in their tribu-
lation, as appeareth, not only in the examples of the
apostles in the Acts, chap. v. 41, and xvi., but also
by the practice of some in our own nation in the
time of persecution, as Glover, Farrar, Hawkes,*
with divers other. The latter of which three, being
desired by some of his godly friends, to give some
token when he was in the flames, whether the pain
were tolerable or no, for their further confirmation,
after his eyes were started out of his head, his fingers
consumed with the fire, and when every one thought
him dead, and did expect the fall of his body, sud-
denly lifts up his stumps, and thrice, as a famous
conqueror, claps them over his head in token of
victory. Thus the faithful famously conquer when
they seem to be conquered by their enemies. I re-
member what one saith t of St Laurence his patience
and constancy, when he was broiled on the griiliron :
That God was more glorified by it, than if he had
saved his body from burning by a miracle. So, un-
doubtedly, it is as much for God's glory to preserve
us in our suffering, as to preserve us altogether from
suffering.
Thus, then, we see that our enemies could not so
far prevail, did not God permit them ; neither would
he suffer them so far to prevail, did it any way tend
to his dishonour or our damage. Our God is omni-
potent, doing what he will, and suffering no resistance
in that he will not : so that only he which can over-
come him can hurt us. Nemo nos Iwiiit nisi qui Deum
vincit. That godly gloriation, then, which the apostle
useth against the enemies of our souls, may fitly be
used by us against the enemies of our bodies : ' What
shall we then say to these things ? If God be for us,
who can be against us?' Rom. viii. 31. And then a
little after, ver. 35-37, ' Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword ? Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us.' Thus, as
if all these had been but flea-bitings, he doth triumph
over them. And then in a strain beyond all admira-
tion, he goeth on thus: ver. 38, 39, ' For I am per-
suaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of
God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' If then we
be God's, though Satan and sinners would, yet they
can do nothing against us, that shall be for our hurt,
and though God himself can, yet he will do nothing
to us that shall not turn to our endless and everlasting
good.
Further, in that it is said, The wall shall not only
* Read their stories in the Acts and Slon.
t Rupertus.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
97
be broken, but that it shall likewise be trodden down,
we may see, as in a glass, the beastly and brutish dis-
position of the enemies of the church.
Doct. iVo heast of the field doth shew itself more raijing
or ravenous than do the ivicked ivhen God suffers them to
break into his vineyard for the afilidimj of it. Look,
as it is with beasts, who do not only eat and devour,
but tread down and spoil, when they come into good
pastures, more than they eat ; so is it with them, and
therefore Scripture gives them names agreeing with
their natures. They are called fowlers, Ps. cxxiv. 7 ;
hunters, Micali vii. 2 ; cannibals and men-eaters, Ps.
liii. 4. They are also named lions, 2 Tim. iv. 17, and
Ps. Iviii. 6 ; and this was Nero's style, who was the first
that stained his sword with the blood of Christians,
as Eusebius sheweth in bis Ecclesiastical History.
They are likewise called boars, Ps. Ixxx. 13, ' the
boar out of the wood doth waste it;' and bulls, yea,
strong bulls of Bashan, Ps. xxii. 1 2. They are also com-
pared to unicorns, ver. 21 ; bears, Ps. Iviii. 4 ; leopards,
dragons, serpents, asps, adders, Ps. Ixxiv. 13, 14;
Prov. xvii. 12; Ps. iii. 7; and they have their horns,
tusks, teeth, talons, mouths, jaws, paws, cheekbones,
given to them. These names they have made good in
all ages. If we should view the Scriptures, or read
over the histories of the primitive church, we should
find plenty of examples for the confirming hereof.
Such and so great cruelty hath been practised by them
towards God's people, that, as Eusebius affirmeth," it
far exceedeth the credit of any relation. If we come
to our own times we shall not want examples of their
cruelty for the proving this truth. What unnatural
cruelty was it to take the infant issuing out of the
mother's womb in the midst of the flame, and cast it
in again with their forks,t that, as the offspring of a
heretic, it might burn together with her ! 0 blessed
babe ! to be no sooner born, but as soon baptized with
fire ; before thou art lapped in swaddling-clothes, to
be crowned with martyrdom ; and before thou fully
breathest in the breath of life, thou happily breathest
out thine own innocent soul to God. But out
upon such cruelty, such transcendent outrageous
cruelty ! Are these catholics ? Are these they that
hold it for an article of their faith, that all children
dying unbaptized are damned, and yet would wittingly
put this innocent child to death before it had received
baptism? Can any judge otherwise but that they
purposed to have flung this infant both body and soul
into a fire on earth and the fire in hell both at once ?
' Cursed be their wrath, for it was cruel.' And is it
not yet fresh in the memory of our fathers how cruelly
they dealt, not only with the quick in burying them
alive, as Marion at Burges,^ but also with the dead in
unburying them, as they dealt by Wiokliffe,§ digging
* Eccles. Hist., lib. viii. cap. 3, 10, 11.
t Acts and Mon. p. 1804. Jlbid., p. 81C. § Ibid., p. 17S0.
up his bones one and forty years after his death, and
burning them ; and so by Peter Martyr's wife at Ox-
ford,'-' and Mr Bucer and Phagius at Cambridge,
besides others ? And herein their cruelty exceeds
that which is in some beasts, which extends itself
only to the living and not unto the dead, Ursi non
saviunt in cadavera. But the rage and cruelty of
Sion's enemies extendeth itself, even as the kindness
of her friends doth, Ruth ii. 20, both to the living
and the dead ; to the one as well as to the other.
We find in history that the first founders of Rome
were nourished by a wolf ; certain it is that the off-
spring of that people have the hearts of wolves, being
savage and cruel. Their city it was first founded in
blood,t the blood of a natural german-brother ;
Romulus slaying his brother Remus, to settle tlie king-
dom in his own person. And as it was with the city,
so was it the papacy ; for the foundation of that see
was laid in blood, when Phocas slew his liege lord and
emperor.]: And cruelty and bloodshed is at this day
the ensign and badge of that church. The habit of
that harlot is according to her heart, purple and scar-
let. Rev. xvii. G, and her diet is the diet of the
cannibals : ' I saw her drunken with the blood of tha
saints.' Can we think this to be the religion that
God doth take delight in, which upsetteth and up-
holdeth itself by such cruelty ?
Jieas. But what is the reason that the enemies of
the church are so outrageous ? Surely it may soon
be given ; they are led by the spirit of the devil, and
he doth participate of his nature unto them. He is a
roaring lion, 1 Peter v. 8, a cruel dragon, a subtle
serpent, a false accuser of the brethren. Rev. xii. ; and
he labours to have his Uke him in cruelty and mis-
chief. We hasten to the uses.
Use 1. And first; let us all be admonished not to
trust those too far who are irreligious. A lion is a lion
though he be chained ; it is good not coming within
his reach though he seem to fawn. A wolf is a
wolf though he be in sheep's clothing, and at length
will shew his wolfish disposition. They have the voice
of Jacob, but the hands of Esau ; words of a brother,
but hands of an enemy ; they can salute with a kiss, but
persecute with the sword. The fisher baits the hook
when he would deceive the fish, and the fowler sings
sweetly when he would deceive the bird : so the enemies
of the church, when they pretend greatest courtesy,
then they intend greatest villainy; when they offer
treaties of peace, leagues of marriages, and such like
confederacies, then is it to be feared the net is a-spread-
ing, and the snare a-laying. It is wisdom therefore
not to trust them. No faith, saith the papist, is to
* Acts and Mon., p. 1785.
f Au?. De Civ. Dei, lib. xv. cap. 5.
J Suffbcaa Phoca imperium, stabilisque pap.atuin. — Gail.
Slam ph.
98
EOGEKS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
be kept ■witli heretics, and ^ve are rank ones, as tliey
say ; therefore no faith to be kept with us. Take
heed therefore of them, and though they seem now to
be foxes passant, and dogs couchant, yet were time
and opportunity oflered, — which Lord for thy mercy
sake never suffer! — they would shew themselves to be
lions rampant, seeking only our ruin and desolation.
Use 2. And secondly, Seeing the enemies of the
church are so outrageous when they are suffered to enter
into God's vineyard, making strip and waste of all,
oh then let us all strive with God by earnest prayer,
that we may be delivered and preserved from such
' unreasonable men,' 2 Thes. iii. 2, whose wrath and
malice knoweth no end nor measure, being of Hanni-
bal's muid, in whose eyes no sight was more pleasing
than a ditch swimming over with man's blood ! And
seeing that by reason of our sins we have deserved
great plagues, which we may daily look for and ex-
pect, let us pray with David, that we may rather fall
into the hands of God than of man, because with him
is mercy, 2 Sam. xxiv. 14 ; yea, in his very correction
'he remembereth mercy,' Hab. iii. 2. But if we be given
over into the hands of the wicked, there is no mercy to
be looked for, no moderation to be expected. They can
never find in their hearts to say that to themselves
which God did to his destroying angel, ' It is enough,
put up thy sword,' 2 Sam. xxiv. 16. Hitherto God
hath taken the rod into his own hand, and smitten
us himself by famines, pestilence, inundations of
waters, and the like ; but if he should deliver us into
the hands of our bloody enemies, the papists, we
should then soon discern the difference betwixt the
lovin" chastisements of a father, and the bloody
strokes of an enemy. Let us therefors turn to God
with Israel, and pray with their words, ' We have
sinned, O Lord, we have sinned : do thou unto us
whatsoever seemeth good to thee; deliver us only,
we pray thee, this day,' Judges x. 15^ Why shouldest
thou sell us into the hands of idolatrous papists, who
will p'ive thine honour to stocks and stones, and not
unto thy majesty, who giveth them the victory?
For thy name's sake, be merciful to us, our God;
and if we must fall by reason of our fearful sins, let
thine own hand cast us down, not theirs, for there is
mercy in thy blows. Do thou then take us to do,
O God, and shew thyself a tender and indulgent
father towards us, by correcting us thyself, as hitherto
thou hast done ; and deliver us not to that merciless
generation, whose ' teeth are sword.s, and their jaws
as knives,' Ps. xxx. 14, and Ivii. 4, who know no
end of scourging us, till they have also made an end
of us whom they scourge. So shall we sing praises
to thy name, and say, ' Blessed be the Lord, who
hath not given us as a prey unto their teeth,' Ps.
cxxiv. 6.
And I will lay it waste, or, / will make it a desola-
tion, so that it shall have none to inhabit it. The
people of the land shall be swept away with the
sword, and the earth shall be robbed of all her goodly
ornaments. It shall neither be inhabited by men,
nor adorned with her beautiful fruits, as it were with
her princely coat of divers colours, but become as a
desolate and forsaken wilderness. This is the mean-
ing. And hence note we the misery of war.
Doct. War is that miserable desolation which finds a
land before it like Eden, and leaves it behind like Sodom,
a desolate and foi-saken wilderness. The fierceness and
rage of it Moses expresseth and describeth, when he
telleth the IsraeUtes of a nation that should come
from far, as swift as the eagle fleeth, and of fierce
countenance, who should not regard the person of
the old, nor shew favour to the young ; who should
eat the fruit of their cattle, and the fruit of their land,
until they were destroyed; who should not leave
them either corn, wine, or oil, nor increase of kine,
nor flocks of sheep ; but should besiege them in
their gates, until their high and fenced walls came
do\^■n, wherein they trusted, throughout all their land;
by reason whereof they should be driven to eat the
fruit of their own body, the flesh of their sons and
of their daughters, which the Lord their God had
given them, in the siege, and in the straitness where-
with their enemies should distress them. So that men
should have evil or covetous eyes towards their breth-
ren and wives of their bosoms, and their children
which they should leave, in not giving to any of them
of the flesh of their children which they should eat,
for fear lest they should have none left for themselves
in the straitness of the siege. And the tender and deh-
cate women, who would not adventure to set the sole of
their feet upon the ground for delicateness, shall be as
niggardly towards their husbands, and towards their
sons and daughters, and towards their young ones.
For they shall eat their children secretly and in cor-
ners, that none might get any part away from them,
because of the siege wherewith their enemy should
distress them, Deut. xxviii. 49-58. Fearful threaten-
ings ! But is it possible that the misery or mischief
of war should be so great ? Were not these threaten-
ings made to keep them in obedience only '? Surely
nothing is there threatened but war hath brought
forth. To instance in that unmatchable instance of
the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and Vespasian,
who besieged it for the space of five months, three-
score and eleven years after Christ's incarnation, or
thereabouts. In which time there passed many
assaults and skirmishes, much slaughter and blood-
shed being made both on the one side and other.
The famine meanwhile afflicting the city was such as
no history can parallel. Horses, asses, dogs, cats,
rats, were good unto their tastes. But this food fail-
ing, they were driven to eat coarser fare, yea, those
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
99
things which, unreasonable creatures would not eat,
as the leather of their shoes, and of their targets, of
their bridles, and of their girdles, and the like.'"' Ox-
dung was a precious dish unto them, and the shred-
dings of pot-herbs, cast out and trodden under foot
and withered, were taken up again for nourishment.
AVhat miserable meat was this ! And yet, as miser-
able as it was, the child would snatch it from his
parent, and the parent from his child, even from
out his jaws.f Yea, some to prolong their lives
would not stick to eat up that that others had
vomited and cast up. And yet hearken to a far
more lamentable accident than all this yet : the
mother takes her own cliild from her breasts —
a harmless suckling, silly infant, and thus speaks to
it : — Little infant — poor wretch ! in Avar, in famine, in
sedition, for whom shall I preserve thee ? for whom
shall I save thee alive ? If thou live, thou must be a
slave unto the Eomans ; but famine prevents thy ser-
vitude ; yea, and the mutinous Jews are more cruel
than either the Eomans or the famine. Be thou
therefore meat to me ; a fury to the mutinous, and
even a mock of the life of man. J And when she had
thus spoken she killed it, and boiled the dead body
of it, and ate the one half and reserved the other for
another time. The mutinous Jews drawn by the
scent and savour of this meat, break into this woman's
house, and threaten to slay her, if she bring it not
forth unto them. She tells them she hath meat
indeed, but she had reserved it for herself ; neverthe-
less, seeing they did so urge her, she would bring it to
them. So she brings them the relics of her son ; at
which sight they standing amazed, and shrinking
back with fear and horror, the mother said thus unto
them : — This meat you see is indeed part of my own
son ; it was my deed to kill it ; eat ye of it, for I have
eaten. Will you be more tender than a woman ?
more pitiful than a mother ? Eat, I say, for I
have eaten. If you will not eat, it shall remain
for me, his mother. Oh fearful, horrid, inhuman
act!
The famine still continuing, they are compelled to
begin to issue out of their city gates, and no sooner
were they out, but they were still taken and crucified
upon crosses and gibbets set up before the walls, that
they who were within might, by beholding of this
spectacle, be moved to give over ; but yet they con-
tinued obstinate and would not. Five hundred a
day were thus hanged up, till there were neither trees
to be gotten, nor any more space left to set them in :
* Fame impellebantur ut vel equorum lora, et suos baltlieos,
ct calceos, et coria comcderent. — Ponlan. Bibl. cone. Tom. i,
ad dom. 10. Trinit.
t Eapiebant parentibus filii, parentes filiis, et de ipsis fauci-
bu3 cibus prof ere batur. — Hegesip de cxcid. Ilitvos. lib. v. cap. 18.
X Josepli de Bell. Judaico, lib. vi. cap. 3.
and desire being made to know the number of dead
carcases which were carried out of the city for want
of burial, to be thrown in ditches as dung upon the
earth, they found the number to be numberless, so
that no way could it certainly be known ; but out of
one gate the keeper had noted a hundred and fifty
thousand dead bodies to be carried out. And thus,
what with the extremity of the famine, what with the
fury of the sword, and what with sickness during the
time of this war, there perished in Jerusalem, and the
province adjoining, as some credible authors'* affirm,
about six hundred thousand able men to bear
arms; or as others t hold, who were present at the
war, there died eleven hundred thousand, besides
others taken captive to the number of ninety-seven
thousand.
The Jews thus dead and scattered, what became
now of their glorious city ? Their holy temple it was
burned; their strong and high walls were thrown
down ; aU the city became waste and desolate, and so
it remains to this day. And thus we see what Moses
there threatened, is here fulfilled to the utmost ; both
which prove my doctrine and make it good. That
albeit war find a land like Eden, it will leave it Hke
a Sodom, a desolate and forsaken wilderness. If
these be not sufficient, read the whole book of Jere-
miah's Lamentations, and there we shall find that the
mercies of war are cruel. As also what this our pro-
phet Isaiah saith in the ninth of this his prophecy,
where speaking of the troubles that should befall the
people for their sins, he saith, ' The people shall be as
the fuel of the fire : no man shall spare his brother.
And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry;
and he shall eat on the left hand, and not be satisfied :
they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm,'
Isa. ix. 19, 20. Where we see war is compared to
the fire, and it feedeth upon and destroyeth the peo-
ple, as the fire consumeth straw or wood ; or like as
a hungry man, who snatcheth at the right hand and
at the left, and is not satisfied, such is the unsatiable
hungry desire of war ; there is no measure nor satiety
of blood. Let us thus apply this point : —
Use 1. First, For adpionitiou unto us all, that we
be heartily and unfeignedly thankful for the long
peace and prosperity that we have enjoyed under the
conduct of our worthy Deborah, our late sovereign,
Queen Elizabeth, and still do enjoy under the govern-
ment of our peaceable Solomon, and princely Eccle-
siastes, who came unto us like Noah's dove, with an
olive branch of peace. Gen. viii. 11, and hath shut
the iron gates of war, and settled peace amongst us,
so that we may sit every one under our own vines
and tig-trees, and there is none to make us afraid,
2 Sam. vii. 1. Which blessing is no common bless-
* Euseb. in Chro. Orosius, lib. vii.
T Joseph de Bell, Jud., lib. vi. cap. 7.
100
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
ing that we of tliis little island at this day do enjoy.
Our neighbours round about us are at this day
whirled about in tumultuous broils, while our
Britain, like the centre, standeth still unmoveable,
insomuch that it is hard to say whether other
nations more envy or admire us. In peace our
merchants trade abroad, and bring home ' wines to
make glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face
to shine,' Ps. civ. 15. In peace our magistrates sit
at home, and ' give judgment in the gates of Israel,'
for maintaining of peace, 2 King vii. In peace the
messengers of peace preach unto us the sweet tidings
of the gospel, Isa. lii. 7. In peace our husbandmen
' sow their corn in hope, and reap with joy,' James v.
7. In peace our ' sons as plants grow up in their
youth, and our daughters are as corner-stones,
polished after the similitude of a palace. Our garners
are full, affording all manner of store : our sheep
bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our
streets. Our oxen are strong to labour : there is no
breaking in, nor going out ; there is no complaining
in our streets,' Ps. cxli. 12-14. In a word, all
honest occupations and honourable professions thrive
under the peace that we enjoy. For which peace,
what cause have we to be thankful to the God of
peace ! especially considering how often by our sins
we have broken our truce with God, and given an
alarm to the king of heaven, by our pride, Isa. iii.
16, and contempt of the gospel, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16,
17, two usual forerunners of the sword. And there-
fore, in the midst of this our peace, let us not grow
secure. We have not so many blessings, but we
may forfeit them all by our disobedience. AVhen
we most feared war, God sent us peace. Now we
most brag of our peace, we may well fear that God
. will send us war.
Use 2. Secondly, For reprehension of such as
grudge their own peace and welfare, and both wish
and pray for wars. Never good days since so much
peace, say some ; and Would we had wars again ! say
others. Fools that we are, that know no better
how to use our peace, and testify so great unthank-
fulness for so great a mercy ! H^jd we been in the
coats of our forefathers, or did we feel the scourge
of war, as our neighbours do, we would better know
how to esteem this blessing and prize this garland of
peace. We never saw our towns and cities burning,
whiles the flame gave light to the soldiers to carry
away our goods ; we never saw our houses rifled,
our temples spoiled, our wives ravished, our children
bleeding dead on the pavements, or sprawling on the
merciless pikes ; we hear not the confused cries of
men sounding in our distracted ears, some dying,
others killing, others insulting, others resisting; we
see not our highways strawed with breathless car-
cases, men and horses wallowing in their blood, and
the ghastly visages of wounds and death in every
corner ; these things we can only judge of by report
and hearsay ; did we know them by experience, we
would not so repine at the peace we now enjoy.
Were it not a woeful and lamentable thing to see fire
without mercy, and without quenching, consuming
houses, and eating up all things, making spare of
nothing ? How much more to hear, and see, and
feel the affliction of war, when all things are in
confusion and combustion ! AVhen ' there is no
peace to him that goeth out or in, but great troubles
to all the inhabitants : when nation is destroyed of
nation, and city of city, and all are troubled with
adversity,' 2 Chron. xv. 5, 6. Alas ! what good,
what profit, what sweetness can we find in these
things ?
And as these are to be reproved, so methinks I
find another sort of people to be sharply censured,
who go a degree further than the former, counting
of war but as a matter of sport and play. So
speaketh Abner, captain of the host, ' Let the young
men now rise and play before us,' 2 Sam. ii. 14.
His meaning was, that they should come forth and
try their valour, one in hewing and cutting of
another, and so shew them a bloody play.'* Such
were those sword-plays in use amongst the Romans,
wherein cruel spectacles were exhibited on each side
in the shedding of human blood. Such also are our
challenges made and performed by fencers upon the
stage, now in use araongst us, whereby God's image
is oftentimes defaced, and blood spilt as water upon
the ground ; and yet what running and thronging
to see such bloody fights ! being counted by many
but a sport, or matter of recreation. Which kind of
savage and beastly spectacles, Theodosius, the em-
peror, abhorred and would never behold. And one
Demonax, among the Athenians, hearing the people
consult about such plays, told them they must first
break down the altar of mercy ; because such figlits
were so merciless and cruel. Let all such as fear the
Lord beware of countenancing such by our presence,
lest we make ourselves guilty of their sins, and stand
as guilty before the Lord of shedding that blood
which they do shed.
Thirdly, For our instruction this serves. Seeing
there is such cruelty in war, and fearfulness and
devouring in the sword, let us take heed of the be-
ginnings thereof, and cut the cords of all contention
and debate, living jieaceably one with another, as
brethren ought to do. ' From whence come wars
and contentions amongst you'?' saith St James ; ' are
they not hence, even of your lusts that fight in your
members?' chap. iv. 1. These distempered lusts are
the cause of all strife and contention, causing a con-
tinual war within a man, and oftentimes wars with
* A^atab. et Jun. in loc.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
101
other men, to the ruinating not only of private per-
sons, but of whole families, cities, kingdoms. The
greatest wars have been kindled by private discords,
as histories declare. Let every one, then, beware of
sowing the seeds of division, for in time they may
come to yield a comfortless crop of cares and con-
fusions. Brawl not, chide not one with another ;
and as St James saith, chap. v. 9, ' Gi-udge not one
against another,', for these are the foundations of war,
and therefore have no hand in laying them. Civil
dissensions ruinate a commonwealth more than open
war, as Jerusalem and Rome can testify, both which,
by private factions, made themselves a prey to the
common enemy. The French, and we English also,
have some experience hereof in those homebred gar-
boils which were between the house of Lancaster
and York before they were united ; in which unhappy
quarrel there were cruelly butchered fourscore princes
of the blood-royal, as one" witnesseth, besides an in-
finite number of the commonaltj' that were slain.
And thvis we see St James his saying true, ' Where
envying and strife is, there is sedition and all manner
of evil works,' chap. iii. 16.
Use 4. Lastly, Seeing there is misery and mischief in
war, let this serve for exhortation, that we 'mourn with
them that mourn, and weep with them that weep,'
Kora. xii. 10-15. Our brethren in France and Ger-
many are whirled about in these bloody tumults :
they hear the dismal cries of cruel adversaries, crying
hill, kill ; the shrieks of women and-infants, the thun-
dering of those murdering pieces in their ears, while
we ' lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch ourselves upon
our couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and
the calves out of the midst of the stall ; while we
drink wine in bowls, and anoint ourselves with the
chief ointments,' Amos vi. 4, 6. We are strangers to
those miseries they undergo in passion. I pray God
we be not strangers to their miseries in compassion,
which I fear, I fear we are. Let us think we see
the calamities of war with our neighbours' eyes, and
feel them through their sides, and let not the afflic-
tions of poor Joseph be forgotten. And seeing they
are in the valleys fighting against the Amalekites,
the cursed enemies of God's church and people, let
us be upon the mountains lifting up our hands for
their victory and deliverance, Exod. xvii. 8, praying
with the words of David, Ps. Ixxiv. 2, 19-21, saying,
' Eemember, 0 Lord, thy congregation, which thou
hast purchased of old : the rod of thine inheritance,
which thou hast redeemed. Oh deliver not the soul
of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked:
forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
Have respect unto tlie covenant : for the dark places
of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. Oh
let not the oppressed return ashamed : let the poor
* Cominseua.
and needy praise thy name.' Ps. Ixxix. 11-13,
' Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee ;
according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou
those that are appointed to die ; and render unto our
neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach,
wherewith they have reproached thee, 0 Lord. So
we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give
thee thanks for ever : we will shew forth thy praise
to all generations.'
It shall not be pruned nor digged. Look, as hus-
bandmen neglect to prune, cut, dig, or dress such
grounds and plants as they despair of and have not
pleasure in, so God here despairing, as it were, of ' j^
this his vineyard, tells them he will husband them no
more, but he would withhold such means from them
as formerly he had used for their fructifying. Whence
learn we —
Doct. When the Lord hath used all mean'y both ly
his word and tvorks, to bring a people to good, and they
nevertheless neglect and contemn those means of their
good — continuing still in carnal security, gross in-
fidelity, and impenitency — then will the Lord deprive
such a people of those means of their good, and give
them over to their own wicked courses and 'hearts' lusts,
and suffer them to fall headlong, as tcell into the evil of
sin, as into^ tlie evil of punishment. So we see here
dealt he with this people : he d«priyeth them of the
means, withholding his pains m pruning, digging,
and the like, as also the rain from falling on them
any more, and so suffers them to bring forth thorns
and briers, noisome sins and lusts, even to their own
ruin and perdition. Thus in the first chapter of
this prophecy we may read how that after God had
bestowed many and great favours upon his people,
notwithstanding all which they continued obstinate
and rebellious, and neither by mercy nor misery would
be reclaimed nor reformed, but would still desperately
persevere in their defection ; he tells them plainly he
would smite them no more, seeing it was so that they
were set upon evil, and had as it were sold themselves
to work wickedness : ' Wherefore,' saith he, ' should
you be stricken any more ? seeing you will revolt
more and more,' Isa. i. 5 — q.d., To what end should I
any more correct you ? for full well I see that you be-
come worse after you are afflicted than you were
before ; and therefore I will withhold my hand, and
leave you to yourselves. The like judgment we find
threatened in Hosea's prophecy against the apostate
Israelites, ohap. iv. 14, 'I will not punish your
daughters when they commit whoredom, nor yowr
spouses when they commit adultery;' seeing they
would not be amended, he would lay the reins upon
their necks, and withhold the means whereby they
might have been reclaimed. And thus when the
Gentiles would not serve God according to that light
of nature which he had given unto them, he ' gave
102
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
them up to their own vile affection,' and to ' a repro-
bate mind,' Eom. i. 28. And upon such as having
long had the means of knowledge and regeneration,
and yet continue still in tlieir unrighteousness and
corruption, lie passeth that definitive sentence, Eev.
xxii. II, 'He that is unjust, let him be unjust still :
and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still.'* And
thus we see it to he true, that God will remove and
deny means of reclaiming, when having long enjoyed
them, we make no good use of them, neither are re-
claimed by them.
Iteas. And why so ? Because it is but lost labour
and cost cast away, to administer physio to such
patients whose diseases are desperate. Now God is
a most wise physician, and knows with whom he
hath to deal ; and therefore when he sees men rend
in pieces his prescripts, and pull off his plasters, and
reject those wholesome potions which he ministereth
to purge men from their corruptions, he giveth them
over to themselves to sink or swim, and suffers them
to die and perish in their sins, and in the sickness of
their souls.
Quest. But is it just with God to suffer such as are
grown desperate in sin, and become incorrigible, to
run on without punishment ?
Ans. 1. I answer, first, We are not to understand
what hath formerly been spoken, generally and abso-
lute, as though he would inflict upon such no kind
of punishment ; but more specially he would not lay
upon them that kind of punishment which is called
chastisement and correction. He will not, in punish-
ing them, play the part of a physician, but rather of
a chirurgeon, cutting that clean off which he hath no
hope to cure.
Alls. 2. Secondly, I answer. They are punished
even while they are spared, and that most fearfully.
For what greater punishment can be inflicted than
to be given up to one's own heart's lusts, and so to
have sin punished with sin ; sin foregoing, with sin
following?!
Ans. 3. And thirdly, We are to know that this
world is more properly the place of doing, than of
suffering; and therefore though God suffer them
to heap sin upon sin, seeing thereby they do but
' treasure up unto themselves wrath against that day
of wrath,' Rom. ii. 5, wherein every transgression of
theirs shall receive its recompence, God may not be
thought to be unjust, Eccles. xii. 14. Some sins are
here punished, that we may know there is a pro-
vidence in God ; others escape here unpunished, to
assure us that there is a judgment reserved, and a day
of wrath appointed.
* It is &\)6kai\ projjjidamlo, von optando, — Cceliiis.
+ Insignis jjoena est et vimlicta impietatis connivere Deum
ac indulgere peccantibus, et non modo impunitatem sed ct
longam concedere prosperitatem. — Philo. lib. de con/us. ling.
Thus is the point proved and cleared ; hear it now
applied.
Use 1. This concerns this our land and people very
nearly, who, in Regard of the means, with Capernaum
have been lift up to heaven. Mat. xi. 23, and yet are
so little bettered by the means. Wherein hath God
been wanting to us either in word or deed ? What
means can be devised to do us good that God hatli
not used ? Is there any way by which a man may
learn, but by the same the Lord hath taught us ? By
his precepts he hath instructed us, by requests he hath
exhorted us, by his mercies (great and many) he hath
allured us, and by his judgments he hath terrified us.
He hath sent his servants of sundry qualities, accord-
ing to their several gifts, early and late unto us : some,
like Moses, to teach us ; some, like Isaiah, to comfort
us ; some, like Jeremiah, to mourn for us ; some, like
David, to sing to us ; all labouring to win us to re-
pentance, that we might be saved. But where is our
repentance? where our reformation ? If we look with
an impartial eye, we shall soon see all manner of sin
to abound instead of these. Doth not pride, glut-
tony, drunkenness, &c., abound here? When I see
and hear, I must needs say unto my soul, ' How ghould
God spare us for these?' Jer. v. 7. I pray God that
that we take to be an argument of his favour, viz., peace
and outward prosperity, do not rather strongly argue
his fiery and hot displeasure.
Use 2. More particularly, this may be for admoni-
tion to all and every of us, that with all careful dili-
gence we make profitable use of the means which the
Lord hath given us, of what sort and kind soever they
have been ; remembering always that to whom much
is committed, of him much shall be required ; the
longer our day of learning hath been, and the lighter,
the more work and service will God expect at our
hands, and the better. We do not look for nor expect
so much fruit of a tree that hath grown but a few
years in a ground that is barren, as of that which bath
grown many years in a soil that is fertile; and there-
fore it concerneth such as have been most and longest
taught, to shew themselves most zealous, righteous, and
devout.
In regard of the means, you in this famous city
siiould be like Saul, higher than others by the shoul-
ders, 1 Sam. X. 23. A sin and shame then it would
be for you to come behind others in your obedience.
Look then to it, for assure yourselves a lesser and
smaller measure of knowledge, faith, obedience, ifcc,
will be accepted in others, than will or can be in you,
because your means are more. In this respect Christ
deemeth the damnation of the Capernaites to be more
horrible and fearful than that of the Sodomites, Mat.
xi. 21, 22, because the one had more means to make
them good than the other had. And so will it be
with you; for if you bring forth no better fruit
KOGERS OX ISAIAH V. 1-7.
103
answerable in some sort to the means whicli God hatli
bestowed on you, the time will come assuredly that
you shall wish, Oh that I were a Sodomite ! oh that I
were a Gomorrhean ! Yea, you will envy their happi-
ness in regard of your own misery ; and in the mean-
time you will be left of God as a desperate cure, and
be suffered to run on in a course of sinning, until you
fall into that bottomless pit of destruction, and gulf
of condemnation.
/ loill also command the clouds that ihey rain no rain
vpoH it.
We have seen before what is meant by clouds and
rain. The prophets and ministers of God's word are
meant by the former, and the word they preach is
meant by the latter. I intend not to follow the meta-
phors in the particular resemblances wherein they may
be compared, they having been touched afore in the
exposition. From hence I will only observe one point
of doctrine, and take it thus brieSy: —
Doct. Ministers have no power nor ahility of them-
selves to perform their ministerial function.
It is of God, and from God. It is God that will
withhold these clouds, his prophets and preachers,
from dropping the showers of his word into the ears
of this people. He will command, and they must
obey. It is he that ' makes the heart of the priest''*
fat, and creates the fruit of the lips to be at peace,'
Isa. Ivii. 19. It is he that ' openeth, and no man
shutteth ; and shutteth, and no man openeth,' Eev.
iii. 7. This St Paul acknowledgeth, that we are ' not
sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of our-
selves ; our sufficiency is of God, who hath made us
able ministers,' 2 Cor. iii. 5, G. And further con-
fesseth, that though he had laboured more abundantly
than the rest, yet it was not he, but the grace of God
which was in him, 1 Cor. xv. 10. And of all ministers
whatsoever he saith indefinitely, that ' neither he which
planteth is anything, nor he which watereth, but God
is all in all,'^ 1 Cor. iii. 7. Thus Christ is said to have
the ministers as 'stars in his right hand,' Rev. i. 16;
not only for their defence, but also to make them rise
or set, when and where he pleaseth. Hence it is
that the rain of the gospel, like the rain of the clouds,
hath sometimes gone by coasts, raining sometimes
upon one city and not upon another, Amos iv. 7.
Gideon's tieece hath been wet, and no place else;
and every place else, and not Gideon's fleece, Judges
vi. 37.
Use 1. Which being so, methinks this should
teach many of our hearers better things than to
impute every disability that is seen in ministers —
yea, sometimes in such ministers as at other times
are able and sufficient enough, through God that
strengthens them — to their own idleness and neg-
ligence. It often happens that the faithfuUest la-
* Query, ' people ' ? — Ed.
bourers and workmen are often tongue-tied ; and
though they be clouds thick and full, and likely
enough to drop down showers, yet when they come
to the place of exercising this their ministerial func-
tion, they are so withheld, that they cannot be as a
rej^rover unto their people. Now how do our people
censure these for their ignorance, negligence, fear,
pride, unfaithfulness, and the like ! I deny not but
these, and every one of these, do often stop the
mouths of God's ministers, 1 Cor. xvi. 9, 10 ; Heb.
xiii. 17. For polluted lips are no lips of utterance.
The lips of the minister must be touched with the
coals of knowledge, zeal, and mortification, Isa. vi. 5.
But certain I am that it is the sins of the people
that most usually puts their ministers to sOence.
' Son of man, I will make thy tongue cleave to the
roof of thy mouth, and thou shalt be dumb, and
thou shalt not be to them a reprover.' Mark the
reason. ' For they are a rebellious house,' Ezek. iii.
26, 27 ; Hosea ix. 7. You see then it was the re-
bellion of the house of Israel that made Ezekiel
dumb. When such an accident falls out, condemn
more thy own sins than thy teacher's negligence or
ignorance. This is thy best and safest course.
Use 2. And secondly. How should this stir up
people to ' pray for us, that God would open unto us
a door of utterance, that we may open our mouths
boldly to make known the mysterj' of the gospel of
Jesus Christ ! ' Eph. vi. 19; Col. iv. 3. What is it
for us to come unto you richly laden, crui-a thymo
plena, and to be as full of good matter as ever Elihu
was. Job xxxii. 18, if God be not with our mouths,
as he promised Moses, Exod. iv. 12, and teach us
what to say '? Pray, therefore, oh pray earnestly to
God for us, that he would excite us, sth us up, and
enable us to utter such holy things as we have
studied and thought upon ; for ' the preparations
of the heart are in man, but the answer of the
tongue is from the Lord,' Prov. xvi. 1 ; and there-
fore excejjt he do to us as he did to Jeremiah, stretch
out his hand and touch our mouth, and put his
words into it, Jer. i. 9, there is small hope that our
tongues should so set out those wonderful works of
God, and those great things of his law, Hosea viii.
12, as that the souls of God's people may have any
cause to bless God that ever they did hear us.
Use 3. Thirdly, What cause have such to bless
God, as are under such clouds, and live under such
ministers, whose ' doctrine drops as the rain, and
whose speech distils as the dew ; as the small rain
upon the tender herb, and as the sho^vers upon the
grass ! ' Dent, x.xxii. 2. Oh that men knew but this
gift of God, and were answerably thankful for so
great a gift ! Satan grudges, yea, envies the church
this gift, and sets himself by all means to withhold
these clouds from dropping, as knowing full well
104
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
■\vliat a great disadvantage they are unto his king-
dom. Hence is it that all Ephesus is in an uproar
lipon Paul's teacliing, and hence is that outcry of
our people, Never was merry world since so much
preaching ! Oh, how cursed a gen'eration are we
fallen into ! who repine at that, as if it were some
heavy plague, for which we are bound to bless God
for, as a special blessing. A day will surely come
when such will wish to have but one drop fall from
these clouds to cool the heat and horror of their con-
sciences, and to ease the agonies they are perplexed
withal, but shall not obtain it.
Use 4. And lastly, This may teach us who are
ministers of the word, to seek abiUty and liberty
from the hands of God, that we may be enabled to
deliver unto our people what we have thought upon
and meditated on before ; for if he will give liberty,
who can restrain it ? and if he will silence, who can
enlarge it ? Let us then not be overrconfident of
our own abihty ; but if we be to speak of matters of
moment, be more careful to crave God's aid and
direction than trust to our own readiness or prepara-
tion.
And so much for this. I hope a word to the wise
will be sufficient. We have done with the parable.
The application follows.
The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of
Israel, and the men of Judah his jj/easant 2^lant ; and
he looked for judgment, but behold oppression ; for
righteousness, but behold a cry.
Here we have the allegory explained and applied
by shewing —
First, Who this vinitor is ; and he is God himself,
who is here described by his titles and epithets ; first.
Lord; secondly. Lord of hosts.
Secondly, Who this vineyard was ; and they are,
first. The house of Israel ; secondly, The men of Judah,
even all the whole body of them.
Thirdly, What were the fruits ; first, which he ex-
pected, and they were judgment and righteousness ;
secondly, which they returned, and they were oppres-
sion and a cry.
The vineyard. We have seen before in the begin-
ning of the parable the reason why the church is com-
pared to a vineyard, with the several concurrences
wherein the comparison stands, which is needless here
again to recite ; therefore thither I refer you.
Of the Lord. God is called a Lord, because of his
absolute power, dominion, and authority that he hath
over all creatures ; for, as we know, he is properly
called the lord of anything, that hath interest, autho-
rity, and government over the same. Now seeing
God hath an absolute, free, and eternal right to all
things both in heaven and in earth, tliis title of Lord
is truly and properly given to him.
Of hosts. He is called not only a Lord, but Lord of
hosts ; first, because his creatures are many and a
multitude, as an army consists of many troops ;
secondly, in regard of their order, which is admirable,
as order makes an array beautiful ; thirdly, and
especially, in regard of their obedience ; for no soldier
is so ready presto at the command of his captain, as
all creatures are ready to fulfil the will of God.
Is the house of Israel. This name Israel God, for
honour's sake, gave to Jacob, upon a special occasion
mentioned in his story. Gen. xxxiii. 38; and it signifleth
a prince or prevailer with God. And he thought it
an excellent blessing to have his children called by
his name Israel, as we may see in that his prayer
made for Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh,
' The angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the
lads ; and let my name be named on them,' &c.. Gen.
xlviii. 16. And this name was given to Jacob's seed
as a title of honour. See Rom. ix. 4. So that by
' the house of Israel ' is meant the seed and posterity
of Israel, they who came of that house, and issued
from his loins.
And the men of Judah. Though Israel was a com-
mon name to the twelve tribes, while the}^ were but
one kingdom, which was fi'om the beginning of Saul's
reign to the end of Solomon's, yet after they were
divided into two kingdoms, they were called by these
two names, Israel and Judah. When and how this
rent was made, we find expressly deUvered both in
the books of the Kings and Chronicles, 1 Kings xii. ;
2 Chron. x. For the time, it was after the death of
king Solomon, and not before. And for the manner
thus : —
Rehoboam, king Solomon's son — censured by Jesus
the son of Sirach, to be even the foolishness of the
people, and one that had no understanding — succeed-
ing in his father's throne, did, upon advice given him
by his young counsellors, threaten sharp usage and
hard measure unto his people, so that his little finger
should be heavier than his father's loins ; and whereas
his father did burden them with a grievous yoke, he
would make it heavier ; his father did chastise them
with rods, but he would correct them with scourges ;
which unkind entreating of his people caused a re-
bellion and revolt. Ten of the twelve tribes much
discontented, break forth into speeches of impatience,
' What portion have we in David ? we have no inheri-
tance in the son of Jesse : to your tents, 0 Israel :
now see to thine own house, David,' So they forsook
Rehoboam their rightful lord, and set up Jeroboam,
son of Nebat, to be king over them ; two tribes —
viz., the tribes of Judah and Benjamin — only con-
tinuing their obedience. Thus was Israel divided
from Israel ; ten tribes from the other two, which
made both the ten and the two miserable.
The ten revolted tribes have divers appellations in
the sanctified writings of the holy prophets, as Bethel,
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
lOc
Beth-aven, Samaria, Joseph, Jea-eel, Ephraim, Jacob,
but none more usual than this of Israel.
The two other tribes, Judah and Benjamin — called
in Scripture but one tribe, because of the mixture of
their possessions, as 1 Kings xi. 13 — have in like
sort their divers appellations, as sometimes they are
called Benjamin, other times Jerusalem, and other
■whiles Sioti, and sometimes again we may find them
called the house of David, but most commonly they
are known by the name of Judah, as here. And thus
we see the reason of these ditierent names given to
one and the same people ; for all came of Jacob, and
issued out of his loins.
His pleasant plant; that is, the plant which he
took delight in. Now this is not spoken as if they
of the tribe of Judah were more approv.ed of than
were the other Israelites, but rather to aggravate their
sin, in that God having so man}' ways advanced that
tribe above the rest, and according to Jacob's pro-
phetical blessing, Gen. xlix. 8, 12, made it lord and
king over the other tribes, so that the right of the
kingdom belonged to it, and was to continue in
Judah's line until Shiloh came ; yea, and out of that
tribe should the Shiloh and Messiah come, which was
a special prerogative that that tribe had above the
rest ; yet, notwithstanding all this, Judah should deal
so ungratefully with God, as instead of sweet grapes
to bring forth wild grapes.
He looked for judi/menf, but behold oppression. The
prophet here, as well as in other places of this his
prophecy, sheweth his rhetoric, using a figure (crajaKi-
/jMcia) whereby he doth excellently adorn his speech ;
for we have here a meeting together of words, which
hath a very good grace with it, and yet cannot be so
well expressed in any other tongue as in the original ;
in sound the words seem to be almost the same, and
yet are of contrary significations, and differing much
in sense by the changing of a letter ; the one, mishpat,
signifying judgment ; the other, misj^ach, ojqiression :
the one, tzedakah, justice ; the other, tzehhakah, a crT/.
These words especially respect magistrates and their
office, and may seem to shew unto us the wellspring
of all that wickedness which was amongst them ; it
came from the head, and so dispersed itself to the
members.
He looked for judgment; that is, this he expected
for all his many favours, that judgment and justice
should be administered, the cause of the innocent
should be heard and pleaded, the quarrel of the poor
revenged, and the wicked and ungodly sharply cen-
sured and severely punished.
But behold opjiression ; or, as some expound it, a
consptiracy; the magistrates themselves conspiring to-
gether with the wicked to oppress the poor, accord-
ing to that in chap. i. 23, ' Thy princes are rebellious,
and comjjanions of thieves,' &c. : so here, while these
judges and magistrates should punish such as did
oppress the poor, they themselves did conspire with
the wicked, while they did accompany them in deal-
ing extremely and cruelly with them.
For righteousness; that is, that every one might
have their due, and no man wronged nor injured. And
this hath a larger extent than the former, compre-
hending under it all the duties of love and charity
which ought to be shewed unto our neighbour.
A cry, or clamour; to wit, of such as were unjustly
oppressed by those corrupt magistrates. The cries of
the widows and fatherless came into the ears of the
most high God. And this was wickedness with an
ecce, behold it ; yea, and again behold it ; for it is
twice used, behold opjyression, behold a cry ; wliich
particle hath a great emphasis with it, and being
double, the greater. It is as a watchword to awake
us to the consideration of what is said ; we should
not lightly pass this over, that there should be such
wickedness, to be beheld amongst them, beyond hope
or expectation of God or men ; thus much for explica-
tion. Now come we to observation. And first, from
the prophet's practice, learn we in general, that —
Doct. Preachers are to apply their doctrines in par-
ticular to their hearers. This course took Nathan
when he had to deal with David ; he did not only in a
parable make him condemn the sin, ' He shall die
that hath done this thing,' 2 Sam. xii. 7 ; but by par-
ticular application comes home unto him, ' Thou art
the man,' and so makes him condemn himself.* And
thus did St Peter in that sermon wherein he con-
verted three thousand souls, ' Whom ye have taken,
and by wicked hands have crucified and slain,' Acts
ii. 23. ' Therefore let all the house of Israel know
assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom
ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ,' ver. 36.
Such was his dealing with Simon Magus, ' Thy
money perish with thee. Repent of this thy malice,
thou art in the gall of bitterness : it may be thy sin
may be done away,' chap. viii. 20-23. The like was
our Saviour's practice, whose example is without all
exception : ' I tell you nay, but except ye repent you
shall all likewise perish,' Luke xui. 5. ' AVoe unto
you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites : Woe unto you
also, you lawyers,' chap. xi. 44—46. And John to the
Jews thus : ' 0 generation of vipers, who hath fore-
warned you to flee from the wrath to come?' Mat.iii. 7.
Reas. 1. And there is good reason for this course,
because application is the life of doctrine. This leads
it to the thoughts and intents of the heart to discern
them ; if sinful, to captivate them ; if right, to inflame
them. This makes the word to become ours, and
causeth us to taste the sweetness of it. Without this,
no fruit in the threatenings for our humiliation ; no
fruit in the promises for our restitution ; no true
* Vide Dr Hall on Nathan.
lOG
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
■understanding of either, without our own faith ming-
ling and truly applying both. That which is spoken
to all, is as good as spoken to none at all.
£eas. 2. Secondly, God's ministers are compared
unto builders, and therefore are not only to lay the
foundation, but also to erect up the building. Now
doctrine is but the laying of a ground, and appH-
cation is rearing up of the walls, and as the building
up of a Christian in grace and goodness.
The uses concern, first, us ministers ; secondly, you
our hearers.
Use 1. We that are ministers must labour herein,
and not content ourselves with idle or intricate dis-
courses, further than to lay them as grounds for ex-
hortation. A lesson without use, saith one,* is a
devised thing idly without end ; and it is less cunning
to give a precept, tlian to shew aptly the use thereof.
We are stewards ; now, saith the apostle, 1 Cor. iv.
1, 2, ' it is required in stewards that a man be found
faithful.' Faithful, first, in providing wholesome food
for the whole family ; and, secondly, in a wise distri-
bution of the provision, giving to every one in the
house their portion. Thus must we, first, see our pro-
vision be good and seasonable, delivering not for
doctrine men's precepts, nor the fancies and inven-
tions of our own brains, which fill full of wind, and
not sound nourishment. And, secondly, give every
one their part of the wholesome word of life : comfort
to whom comfort belongs, and judgment to whom
judgment belongs ; making difference, not serving all
alike, nor sending that to the master's board which
was provided for the men — for there is no faithfulness
in this — but setting before every one what is fittest
for him ; giving the bread of consolation to the child,
and the whip and staff of reprehension to the dog.
This is the course whereby holy doctrine is fastened,
as with nails, by the masters of assemblies. And the
want of this is the cause why many men's pains are
so lifeless, fruitless ; for as a rich man discoursing of
bread to a hungry beggar, or a physician describing
his patient's disease, and leaving him to himself ; so
is a preacher not applying. Or as a whole loaf set
before children would do them no good, for they
might starve well enough unless it be divided ; so is a
general doctrine amongst our auditors. In itself, in-
deed, it is nourishable, but being not applied, it seldom
is so to them. I end this use with a meditation of a
worthy of our times :t — ' Those that are all in exhorta-
tion, no whit in doctrine, are like to them that snuff
the candle, but pour not in oil. Those that are all
in doctrine, and nothing in exhortation, drown the
wick in oil, but light it not, making it tit for use if
it had fire put to it ; but as it is, rather capable of
good, than profitable in present.' Doctrine without
* Bernard's Faith. Sheph.
t Dr Hall's Vows and Meditations, third Cent. Med. 35.
exhortation makes men all brains, no heart. Exhor-
tation without doctrine makes the heart full, but
leaves the brain empty. Both together makes a man ;
one makes him wise, the other good ; one serves that we
may know our duty, the other that we may perform it.
In both which we must labour ; and who can say in
whether most ? Men cannot practise unless they
know ; and in vain they know if they practise not.
Let none think I take upon me to task or censure
any ; I only, as my duty is, and occasion given me by
this our prophet's practice, labour to shew what we
ought to do.
Use 2. And now for hearers, let them learn to suf-
fer with meekness the word to be brought home, and
applied close unto their consciences, and quietly to
receive that which is their appointment. In these
misjudgmg* days, saith one, it is a hard matter to
overreach the devil. If we let sin alone, his king-
dom flourisheth ; if we strike at him, and hit not
the bough he sits on, we move him not. If we
hit him, by taking the very sin on the head, then we
are judged partial, personal, and wreakers of our own
spleen. Hence grows the quarrel betwixt us and you ;
for were it not for special application, we should please
you well enough ; but because we tell you the truth,
we are become your enemies. Beloved, if it were
profitable for you, it were peaceable for us to shoot at
rovers, and speak at random ; but both our duty and
your necessity calls for particular application. Art
thou a blasphemer, a Sabbath-breaker, an ungodly
usurer, or such like ? Why then thou hast thy por-
tion appointed thee, and that is brimstone and tire :
it is somewhat hot indeed ; but this is the portion of
thy cup, as the psalmist speaketh, Ps. xi. 6, this is
appointed for thee to drink. Art thou angry with
thy minister for telling thee this.? If thou beest, thou
hast little reason for it. For where is the fault, in
thee or him ? I pray thee heartily repent, and amend
thy life, and such things shall not be spoken to
thee ; become a child, and thou shalt have a child's
part, the bread of consolation. But while thou cou-
tiimest thus profane and dissolute, look for no other
than the whip of reprehension, and content thyself
therewith, if thou wilt become no better.
Yea, let every one help the minister in this his
labour, and learn to apply what is taught to their
own consciences, accusing or excusing. We usually
hear the word as we do news out of foreign countries,
as not pertaining to ourselves ; and come to hear ser-
mons as women come to costly banquets, to pocket up
and carry away for others that are at home more than
for themselves ; or as they do at feasts, laying liberally
on their neighbours' trenchers, letting their own lie
empty. Thus when we hear any sin threatened or
disgraced, we can post it oft" to others : Oh, such a one
is met withal, and that is for him. But hear not so
ROGERS ON ISAIAn V. 1-7.
107
idly. The Lord speaks to thee, and intends that ex-
hortation or reprehension to thy soul ; take it, then,
as spoken to thyself. Is it comfort ? Repent and
believe, and it is meant to thee. Is it judgment ? If
thou repentest not, it is to thee as sursly as if he had
named thee. And this is the way to hear savingly.
So much in general.
The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of
Isiriel. God himself, as we see here, is the owner of
this vineyard, who is called a Lord, and a Lord of
hosts. From the first of these Ave learn,
Doct. God is an absolute Lord over all creatures.
He it is that hath an absolute dominion, power,
authority, and sovereignty over all. This Nebuchad-
nezzar, after he was himself, acknowledged : ' Whose
dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his king-
dom is from generation to generation,' Dan. iv. 3.
David in his prayer makes an ample confession of it :
' Thine, 0 Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and
the glory, and the victory, and the majesty ; for all
that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine : thine
is the kingdom, 0 Lord, and thou art exalted as head
above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and
thou reignest over all ; and in thy hand is power and
might, and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give
strength unto all,' 1 Chron. xxix. 11, 12. And in
that form of prayer which our blessed Saviour hath
given us, Mat. vi. 1.3, we are taught to acknowledge
that ' kingdom, power, and glory ' is God's.
lieas. And no marvel, seeing he alone made aU
without any help, Col. i. 16. Yea, he it is that doth
joreserve and uphold all things that are made, Acts
xvii. 24 ; Rev. iv. 1 1 ; and therefore he must needs
have absolute sovereignty and authority over all.
Ohj. But Satan is called ' the god of this world,'
2 Cor. iv. 4, and most obey him ; how, then, is God
so absolute a Lord ?
Arts. 1. Satan is so called, first, because he challengeth
it to himself, and not that he is so ; for '' the earth is
the Lord's and the fulness thereof, the world and they
that dwell therein,' Ps. xxiv. 1. He only usurps it,
as he did when he told our blessed Saviour, ' All the
kingdoms of the world he would give him, if he would
fall down and worship him,' ]\Iat. iv. 8. And thus
the devil is called the god of this world, as Absalom
was called king, by usurpation.
Am. 2. Secondly and especially. He is called a god,
because the wicked make him so, suffering him to
rule over them, and reign in them, giving him that
honour and worship which indeed belongs to God.
It is not then Satan's power that makes him a god,
but man's weakness in yielding to his suggestions.
Neither doth this obedience, which most give him,
make against wliat is now taught ; for we may not
measure and esteem of sovereignty and authority by
the obedience or disobedience of subjects, but by the
right of authority which any hath over a land or
people. "What if most men should not obey their
prince, but his enemy ? would it follow hereupon that
he should not be their lord, but that other whom they
serve ? Nothing less. So here. And again, Satan
himself is but God's slave, serving as an executioner
or tormentor of the wicked. Now we know princes
are a^ well lords over such, as they are over the very
best. Now we come to see what uses wiU follow
hereupon.
Use 1. And first. Seeing God is absolute Lord over
all that is or ever was, let wicked men be admonished
advisedly to consider from whom they have had what
now they do enjoy, and whether they hold their lands
and their possessions, as we say, in capite. All, as
we see, is God's ; and if we hold not what we have
from him, we are but as thieves, robbers, and usurpers.
Tell me, then, thou worldly, wealthy, wise one, canst
thou say of thy lands, possession, leases, moneys, as
Jacob did. Gen. xxxii. 10, that God hath given them
thee ? I fear me nay ; the bad means thou usedst
for the attainment of them will gainsay it. God reives
what he gives by lawful means. Thy courses were
sinful and unlawful; as lying, cozenage, oppression,
usury, extortion, or the like, whereby these were gotten.
Whence is it that trades are called crafts and mysteries,
but from hence, in that- more live by the craft and sin
of their trades than by the trade itself ? Hence also
is it that men are fain to be as wary in buying and
bargaining with most tradesmen in these sinfurdays,
as if they were fallen into the hands of thieves and
cut-purses. Will not these things witness against
many at the last day, that they have not lawfully
what they have? Will not these sinful courses
convict thousands of theft before the Lord? Yes,
questionless. Happy were it for these if they could
in time see it, and repent thereof, and make restitu-
tion of what they have thus unjustly gotten, while
there is help and hope; otherwise let such be assured a
day will come whenas they shall be compelled to restore,
and say to Satan and the world, as Judas to the hio-h
priests, Take your silver, your gold, your wealth agam,
' it is the price of blood,' Mat. xxvii. 3, 4; but shall find
no better answer than that they gave him, ' What is
that to us?' thou shouldest have looked to it.
Use 2. Secondly, Is God such an absolute Lord,
having power and dominion over all ? Let this serve
for our instruction, and teach us all to shew our alle-
giance to him in the practice of these duties.
First, In carrying in our hearts a fear and rever-
ence of his majesty, even such a fear as doth proceed
from love. This God requireth : Mai. i. 6, 'A so!i
honoureth his father, and a servant his master : if
then I be a father, where is my honour ? and if I be
a master, where is my fear ? saith the Lord Almighty.'
Secondly, By an open profession and acknovvledg-
108
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
ment that lie is our Lord. Even as servants by their
livery make known to all men whose they are and
whom they serve, so do tliou, both by words and deeds,
make known to whom thou dost belong ; and be not
ashamed of thy Master, thou hast no cause. He is
far from being a faithful servant that can stand by
and be dumb in case his master be dishonoured.
Thirdly, In giving him absolute and universal obe-
dience, cheerfully subjecting ourselves in all things and
at all times to his commands. Here must be no rea-
soning about, no inquiring into his commandments,
as may be into men's ; for they must bo obeyed in
him, yea, disobeyed for him, if they command any-
thing contrary to his will ; but he must be obeyed
absolutely in all the parts of his will revealed. His
sayings must be our doings : Ipse dixit, must be suf-
ficient.
Fourthly, By acknowledging ourselves to be ac-
countable unto him for all our ways and works. Still
remembering the goods we use are none of ours, they
are our Lord's, and we are but stewards, who must
shortly be called to a reckoning, Luke xvi. % He
that spendeth his own need care the less ; but he that
hath a matter of trust committed into his hands, and
cannot spend but out of another's stock, had need to
look about him, because he must be countable, and so
enforced to make good whatsoever he cometh short
in in his reckonings. Ask then thyself, What have
I that I have not received of my Lord and Master ?
Whence had I these gifts of body, mind, health,
wealth, ikc, but of him ? And so carry thyself in
the using of these as that thou mayest be able to
hold up thy head before the Lord in that day of
reckoning. And thus we see some particulars wherein
we are to testify our loyalty and obedience.
Use. 3. Lastly, This may be a ground of modera-
' tion and meekness for all superiors in their dealings
with their inferiors, and such as are under their
government, seeing as they are lords over others, so
they have a Lord above them. This the apostle
putteth masters in mind of, and on this very ground
stirs them up to just and equal dealing with their ser-
vants, because they also have a Master in heaven,
Eph. vi. 9 ; Gol. iv. 1. As if he should say. Beware
that you abuse not your authority ; for know that
you have a supreme Lord and Master above you, as
you are above these, who hath more power over you
than you have over them, and therefore look unto
your carriage.
The second attribute given to him is Lord of hosts.
The reasons have been before rendered, and this one
of the principal, because all creatures are as his hosts,
executing his will and pleasure. Whence learn we —
Boct. God is a God of j^oiver. He hath all crea-
tures for his hosts, ready presto to fight his battles
and revenge his quarrels.
Moses sings this forth, and proclaims it abroad,
that ' the Lord is a man of war, his name is Jehovah,'
Exod. XV. 3. Yea, and that we might the better
observe it, Almighty God hath spoken ' once and
twice; that power belongeth unto him,' Ps. Ixii. 11.
One text repeated twice, pressed again and again,
must needs be plain and peremptory ; * and therefore
we will make no doubt of this truth, for if we should,
his mighty works of creation, gubernation, and re-
demption would convince us.
Use 1. Which being so, how should this teach us
to fear this mighty God, who hath such mighty armies
and so many hosts to destroy his enemies withal !
He need not arm himself with any weapons, either
offensive or defensive ; it is enough if he but ' arise,
for then his enemies shall be scattered,' Ps. Ixviii. l.f
His soldiers are in a readiness, and if he do but move
his little finger it is enough. If he say but to a host
of frogs, or flies, or lice, or grasshoppers, or cater-
pillers, to all or any of them. Go, they go immedi-
ately, and Pharaoh nor all bis host shall ever be able
to withstand them. Oh beware then of offending
this mighty God, for he hath his armies in the heavens,
in the earth, in the air, in the sea, yea, in hell itself.
A thousand ways he hath to revenge himself upon
us if we rebel.
Vse 2. Secondly, If this be so, let the ungodly
tremble ; for what greater corrosive can come to the
heart of a wicked man than the hearing of this truth,
that God is so strong, so powerful ? ' Hast thou
found me, 0 my enemy ?' said wicked Ahab to
good Elijah. So may they say to every creature
they meet withal, who have God against them.
The number of the stars in the sky, fowls flying
in the air, beasts feeding in the field, are number-
less ; how infinitely infinite then is the number
of thy enemies, who art enemy to God ! In
what a woeful and fearful estate art thou, when all
that is \Yithin thee, without thee, above thee, about
thee, God and man, angels, saints, fish and fowls,
birds and beasts, and all creeping things, are up in
arms against thee, to revenge the Lord's most just
and righteous quarrel! What hope of heaven?
what hope of having access into God's gracious
presence in time of need ? Shouldest thou come with
a petition to an earthly prince, and find all his
officers and attendants to oppose thee, thou couldest
have but cold comfort of ever speeding in thy suit.
This is thy case — yea, far more woeful. Be not then
secure, for thy case is wretched. What Cain some-
times said, thou hast just cause to fear : ' Every
creature that meeteth me shall slay me,' Gen. iv. 14.
Thou walkest all day long as it w-ere upon a mine of
gunpowder ; either by force or stratagem thou wilt
* Verba toties inculcata, vera sunt, viva sunt, sana sunt,
plana sunt.— ^Hjf. t Cal. in loc.
KOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
109
be surprised and taken. Oh that men would once
learn to meddle with their match, and beware of con-
tending with him that is stronger than themselves,
lest they be consumed in the end !
Use 3. And lastly. Let the godly rejoice, yea, let
them sing for joy, seeing they have such a God, even
' the Lord of hosts, the Lord mighty in battle,' Ps.
xxiv., on their sides to preserve and keep them. It
is a comfort to serve a master that will take one's
part in case of need ; but to serve such a master as is
able to defend one, is a far greater comfort. Such a
one is that God ' whom we serve, he is able to deliver
us,' Dan. iii. 17. England was sometimes said to
have a warlike George ; but the papists being oflended
with us, to do us, as they suppose, a mischief, have
robbed us of our George. And though to other
countries they allot a several saint — imitating therein
the Gentiles, who going to war had their several gods for
their protectors, — as to Spain, St James ; to France,
St Dennis; to Ireland, St Patrick; to Eome, St
Peter and St Paul, and the like, — yet England shall
go without. They will leave us God alone to fight
our battles, and revenge our quarrel. For which
honour and favour all English hearts are bound
heartily to thank them.* Let them keep their
George, and give us tliis man of war, whose name is
the Lord of hosts ; in having him we have enough.
If he be with us, we fear neither their he-saints, nor
she-saints, nor a thousand more of them, though
they be against us. And therefore as our church hath
taught us in her liturgy to pray, so let us pray con-
tinually, ' 0 Lord, save thy people, and bless thine
inheritance. Give peace in our time, 0 Lord, because
there is no other that fighteth for us, but only thou, 0
God.'
Is the house of Israel and the men of Judah his
2)leasant plant 2
Having spoken of the vinitor, and who he was, it
foUoweth now to speak of the vineyard, and who it
is. ' The house of Israel and the men of Judah,'
saith my text, is it ; that is, the whole body of the
Jews, both Israel and Judah, even both the king-
doms. Of both which we will speak jointly, seeing
they were but one body. The house of Israel and the
men of Judah, that is, the seed and posterity of Israel
and Judah, those people who issued out of their
loins. Whence note we : —
Dod. Good progenitors may have a degenerate and
unregenerate offspring.
Israel was good, but his posterity naught.
Of the first brace of sons which the world's eye did
see, one was a branded runagate upon the face of
the earth, Gen. iv. 14 ; such a one as was undutiful
to his father, unnatural to his brother, heretical to-
wards his God, damnable to his own soul. From
* DrBoys, Spr. pai-t. p- 227.
Adam come we to Noah ; and of his leash of sons one
was a Ham, Gen. ix. 22, 25, who takes an advantage
by his father's weakness, discovers his nakedness, and
makes him the argument of his sport. Come we
from him to faithful Abraham, of whose great care in
the well nurturing and training up of his children
God himself doth witness. Gen. xviii. 19, yet his
condition is no better ; for of his two sons, Ishmael
was a scoffer, chap. xxi. 9. And as it was thus with
the father, so it happened to be no better with his
son. Unto Isaac is born not only Jacob, who was
this Israel, but also profane Esau, Gen. xxv. 32, so
branded as it were in the forehead by the Spirit of
God, Heb. xii. 16, for selhng away his birthright for
a mess of pottage. ' And what shall I mora say ?
for the time would fail me to tell of Eli, 1 Sam. ii.
12, and of Samuel, 2 Sam. xiii. 14 ; of David, 2 Sam.
XV. 16, Josiah, 1 Kings i. 5, and Hezekiah, 2 Kings
xxi. 2, 3, with other men of God, whose sons have
been sons of Belial, that knew not the Lord.
Meas. The reason is, because that goodness which
is in man, he hath it not by nature, but by grace.
Now man communicates to his children that which he
hath of nature, in begetting children according unto
nature, and not that which he hath above nature, by
the grace of regeneration.''' The grains of wheat
which are sowed in the earth, though they be never
so well purged from all their superfluities, having
neither stalk, nor ears, nor chaff; yet when they
spring up again, bring all these with them, because,
as one of the fathers saith, that purgation of the corn
is not made by nature, but by the art of man. So here
in this.
Use 1. Which being so, let none think to be saved
by their forefathers' faith or goodness : ' The just shall
live by his own faith,' saith Habakkuk, chap. ii. 4 ;
not by the faith of his father, no, nor of his father's
father. How grossly, then, do such deceive them-
selves, that run into all excess of riot, and think to
have mercy shewed unto them, because of the godli-
ness of their parents 1
Obj. 1. But we read that the promise of remission
of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost is made to us
and to our children. Acts ii. 39.
Ans. True, yet not to all of them, but only to ' so
many of them as the Lord our God shall call;' for
so it followeth in the words immediately following.
Ohj. 2. ' The unbelieving husband is sanctified by
the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the
husband : else were your children unclean ; but now
they are holy,' 1 Cor. vii. 14. Now if they be clean
and holy, then are they under the election of grace.
Ans. There is a double holiness : first, of regenera-
* Homo liberos giguit ex carne vetusta et peccatrice, non
ex spiritu: quocirca minime mirumsi Justus justos non gignat,
sicut peccator pcccatorem.— ^kj. con. Pelag., lib. ii. cap. 9.
110
EOGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
tion ; secondly, of the covenant. In regard of the
first, tliey are rebellious ; but in regard of the second,
they are holy, whereby tliey are received into the
church visible, and made partakers of the outward
privileges thereof, as of the word and sacraments.
So, then, though thou be born of godly parents,
this will not profit thee to salvation, except thou
believest and repentest ; for as the sin of the father
prejudiceth not the believing child, no more doth the
righteousness of the father save the unbelieving.
Use 2. Secondly, Let not parents be too much dis-
couraged, if it so happen that their seed be untoward
and ungracious, seeing, as we have seen, it hath been
the condition of the best and faithfullest ; yea, God,
who is the Father of us all, complains that he had
' nourished and brought up children, but they had
rebelled against him,' Isa. i. 2. Grace is no inherit-
ance, it cannot be conveyed by us to our children as
our land and houses can ; neither can we leave it to
them as we leave them a possession, to descend by a
continued succession, from the father to the son,
and so to the son's son, in one race and genera-
tion. It is God's free gift, and he giveth it where
he pleaseth, and to whom he pleaseth. Only let us
use the means to bring them unto God, for that we
are bound to do, and then commit the success to liim
with patience. There is a threefold duty that we
owe unto them, which we must look we faithfully
discharge : First, that we have a care of their edu-
cation, to ' bring them up in tlie information of the
Lord,' as St Paul requireth us, Eph. vi. 4. Secondly,
that by a godly life we give them good example ; for
it is au evil great enough that we have derived sin
unto them by propagation ; let them not draw it also
from us by imitation. Thirdly, that we be earnest in
the Lord by prayer for them, that he would be
pleased to give them a new nature, and to take
away the corruption of the old, which in their first
generation we communicated to them ;' which duties,
if we neglect, we shall be guilty of their blood ; but
if we perform faithfully and conscionably, we are free,
and have delivered our souls, and may comfort our-
selves in the testimony of a good conscience, know-
ing that we only can use the means, it is God only
that must give the blessing thereupon.
Use 3. Lastly, Hence let me give a caution to
every one, that they beware of over-rash censuring
of parents for the loose carriage of their children.
We have seen it cleared by a cloud of witnesses,
that reformed men have had unreformed children,
as circumcised parents begot children which were
uncircumcised. And though it be true amongst
irrational creatures, that they ever bring forth their
like ; eagles have eagles, and doves, doves ; yet, in
* A child of so many prayers and tears cannot be lost, as
one said concerning Augustine, the son of Monica.
man's progeny there is often found not so like a pro-
portion as unlike a disposition. To condemn then
the parent upon this ground, for that the child is
dissolute, is too too rash ; for in so doing we may
condemn the generation of the just. And thus
much for this first point ; now a second follows.
These people, as we see, were called by the name
of Israel and Judah ; good names both, and honour-
able ; one signifieth a 2»'ince or p«i-a!7e)' with God,
and the other signifieth confession or praise; and
yet this people were reckless, dissolute. Hence
learn we —
Doct. Good names and titles profit nothing at all, if
our lives be not conformable to those names and titles
that are given us.
Cain, a good name, signifying a possession ; but
what is he the better for it, when he is a murderer ?
Gen. iv. 8. So Absalom, which made war against
his father, had tlie name and made goodliest show to
be his father s peace, and yet he proved to be his
greatest heart-smart, 2 Sam. xviii. 33. Judas his
name was good, and proclaimed him to be a pro-
fessor; but what doth that avail him, when by his
deeds he shewed himself a devil ? John vi. 70.
Thus the Jews bragged they were Abraham's seed,
John viii. 33 ; but alas, will it profit them when
they are the servants of sin ? Surely it cannot pro-
fit them at all.
lleas. And no wonder, for God respecteth truth in
the inward parts, and not outward titles ; he legard-
eth substance more than shadows.
Use. This being so, let none content themselves
with their good names, or outward titles of honour
that are given them ; but let them use them as a
spur to stir them up to imitate such good men as
have been before so named. And surely this was one
reason why this people were thus called by the name
of Israel, that they might hereby be put in mind of
their pedigree, and so of their predecessors' piety ;
and consequently to make them ashamed of their
own apostasy, who were so far degenerated from
those religious men of whom they were descended.
Neither content thyself with that honourable title of
a Christian, or of a professor, or of a j^rotestant, unless
thou makest good those names by a holy and godly
life. Tell me then, thou that art thus called, hast
thou those gifts and graces which those names im-
port ? hast thou received an ointment from that
holy one ? hath he opened thy eyes, quickened thy
dead heart, sanctified thy unclean affections ? If it
be thus, then indeed these names and titles are well
befitting tliee ; but if it be otherwise with thee, if
thou livest loosely and profanely, thou mayest
blush so often as thou hearest thyself called Chris-
tian, or professor, or the like ; for thou art nick-
named and miscalled. It is as if a cobbler should be
ROGERS OX ISAIAH V. 1-7.
Ill
called worshipful, or a car-man, lionoiiralle ; and
who could away with that ? Nay, more, it is a
kind of sacrilege, under tliose holy names to live
an unlioly life. Belsliazzar sinneel against God by
excess and intemperancy in his eating and drink-
ing ; but in that he abused the holy vessels of the
house of God, to serve him to such profane and un-
holy uses, was a sin more fearful and sacrilege most
horrible. Thus for thee, as thou art a man, to sin,
provokes God's wrath, and deserves damnation ; but
to sin under the Christian name, and commit wicked-
ness as thou art a gospeller, it is with Belsliazzar to
abuse and profane the holy vessels of God's house ;
and this must needs jalunge thee into the hottest fire
of hell. To conclude this use, let me tell you what
I have read of a libidinous gentleman,'"' who sporting
with a courtesan in a house of sin, happened to ask
her name, which she said was Mart/, whereat he was
stricken with such a remorse and reverence, that he
instantly not only cast off the harlot, but amended
his future life. Art thou called a Christian, and yet
foUowest drunkenness, swearing, &c.? let that very
name cause thee to be ashamed of thy folly. Let all
apply what I forbear to amplify.
Further, in that these people liave these titles,
Israel, Judah, the names of their forefathers, given
them as titles of honour, find names of excellency, we
learn a third lesson ; and observe another note — viz.,
Doct. Good 2xirenis and proyenitors are great orna-
'/nents to their posterity. Parents that are godly and
religious do no whit at all disgrace their childi'en by
their piety and godliness, but much countenance and
grace them by it, insomuch that it is an honour for
posterity to descend from such worthy ancestors.
Solomon's proverb may be a sufficient proof hereof :
Prov. xvii. 6, ' Children's children are the ei'own of
the elders ; and the glory of the children are their
fathers ;' to wit, if they be godly and pious. Besides
sundry instances and examples that might be brought
for the confirming of this truth ; as of Abraham, what
an honourable title was it accounted to be called the
son of Abraham, and child of Abraham ! The Jews
brag and boast therefore, they were ' Abraham's seed,'
and they ' had Abraham to their father,' John viii.
33 ; Mat. iii. 9. And so it was indeed to them that
walked in his steps, and were like him in grace. And
so afterwards in David, what an excellent prerogative
was it accounted to be, to descend from lam and be
of his family !
Reas. For such are the seed of princes and lineage
of kings ; for thus hath God advanced the godly to
be kings, priests, and prophets unto himself. Rev.
i. 6. They come of the noblest house and family that
is, whose original cometh not out of some corner of
the earth ; but they spring of Christ, of whom all the
* Montaigne's Essavs.
families in heaven and earth are called. And this is
right and proper nobility indeed.
Use 1. This being so, it first reproveth such parents
as hope to bring credit and renown to their posterities
by their lewd and sinful courses ; they live miserably
and deal unjustly, and open the mouths of all to cry
out upon their falsehood and deceit, their covetousness
and extortion, and yet think to raise up their houses,
and advance their names, and adorn their children
with glory and estimation. But this truth may dis-
cover unto such parents their folly and great mad-
ness ; for this is not the way to bring credit, but
disgrace to then- posterities, yea, when they are dead
and rotten, their evil courses will be cast as dung in
the faces of such as they leave behind, as experience
makes good. Such a man, saith one, was this child's
father. What ! that usurer, that worldhng, that ex-
tortioner, that drunk-ard, that whoremaster ? saith an-
other. How can thy child stand by and hear this
without red cheeks? It must needs be matter of
shame and grief unto him. "Wouldest thou indeed
be an ornament to thy child, and child's child after
thee ? Then see thou be righteous and religious, and
so thy name shall be remembered in them when thou
art dead. Oh what a credit is it no\v accounted to be
of the posterity of Latimer, Bradford, Eidley, and
other of those men of God who suffered for the truth !
How are such esteemed and accounted of amono-st
all ! Let experience make thee wise, and so live thou
that thy children also may account it their honour,
not their shame, to name thee when thou art raked
up in the dust.
Use 2. Secondly, Let children who have had, or
have, godly and religious parents, be thankful for
them, and repose their gentry more in their fore-
fathers' virtues that they had than in their great
lands and revenues that ' they possessed ; esteeming
them the worthiest of all their ancestors who were the
godliest, rather than they who were the wealthiest.
And withal, let such be stirred up to tread in their
fathers' steps ; for all that hath been said is with this
2yrovlso, that we their children be adorned with their
gifts and vu'tues. For though we descend from godly
and worthy ancestors, yet if we degenerate from them,
as a base and bastard brood, Ezek. xviii. 10, 13, it
can be no honour, credit, comfort, nor commendation
to us. Put case a man have a thousand pound land
a year left him by his friends, and he spend it all,
like the prodigal, in riotous and voluptuous living,
Luke XV. ; what credit is it for him to brag that sucli
an estate was left him ? nay, is it not a shame ? So
if the virtues of thy parents live in thee, it is then a
grace unto thee that thou descendedst from their
loins ; otherwise the contrary. The very heathen '-'
have rather chose to descend of unnoble parents, so
* Ovid. Slctam. lib. .xiii. Juvenal., Sat. 8.
112
ROGERS ON ISAIAn V. 1-7.
themselves were noble and reno\\Tied through virtue,
than to come of worthy parents and progenitors, and
themselves to grow base and degenerate out of kind.
So it is better to be religious, and the son of wicked
parents, than being the son of godl3' parents to be
wicked. Cain, Ham, Ishmael, and Esau, might
boast of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, the noblest
parents ; who, on the other side, might blush and
grieve at such degenerate issues. Walk then in the
steps of thy godly parents, and speak not of thy blood,
but of thy good ; not of thy parent's virtues, but of
thy own, Non genus, sed genius: non gens, sed mens;
for what hath a coward to do to glory in the valour of
his father ? And I would that papists would con-
sider of this, who brag that their pope and bishops
are the successors of Peter, and the rest of the
apostles. Well, admit this to be true, yet can they
shew us how they succeed them in their gifts and
graces ? If they cannot, as all the world may see
they cannot, their personal succession is nothing
worth, and they brag of an empty title without
honour.
It remains now that we come to take a view of
the fruits which this vineyard brought forth, which
is the third and last thing I propounded to be con- '
sidered.
He looied for judgment, but behold oppression ; for
righteousness, hut behold a cry. Here we see, first,
what fruits they were which God especially expected ;
and they were fruits of the second table — judgment,
righteousness. And, secondly, what were the fruits
which they returned — namely, oppression, a cry.
I might observe hence, from the prophet's elegancy,
adorning of his speech rhetorically by a figure, thus
much, that —
Dod. Rhetoric is an art sanctified by. God's Spirit,
and mail laiLfuUy be used in handling of God's ivord.
There might be brought divers instances out of holy
Scripture wherein all the parts of rhetoric are used,
and every approved rule of it practised, yea, even in
this very prophecy. But I hasten towards a con-
clusion, and therefore pass from this with a word of
admonition to all, that we beware how we condemn
the lawful use with the abuse. For the art itself is
to.be approved, and only the abuse thereof to be
condemned. But I come to the particulars in my
text.
lie looked for judgment, righteousness. He doth
not say he expected oblations and sacrifices, which
this people were abundant in, as chap. i. 11 ; but he
expected that judgment and justice should be adminis-
tered, the cause of the poor pleaded, and all good
duties and offices of love should be shewed towards
our brethren, and those who were in need. Sundry
points might hence be raised, but I will only observe
this one, which is as the sum of all.
Dod. The ivories and duties of the second table are in
special manner expected and respected by God. In the
first chapter of this prophecy we may read how for-
ward this people were in the outward duties of the
first table, offering multitude of sacrifices and burnt-
ofl'erings of rams and the fat of fed beasts, &c., Isa. i.
1 1. But God he cahs them oif, and tells them he would
none, because they had no regard of the duties of the
second table, for their 'hands were full of blood,'
ver. 15, 16. Then exhorting them to repentance, he
wills them to testify the truth thereof by bringing
forth fruits meet for repentance. And for their
better direction, he instanceth in some particulars,
making choice not of such duties as immediately con-
cern himself, but of such as especially concern our
neighbour: ver. 17, ' Seek judgment, relieve the op-
pressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.'
As if he had said unto them. You offer multitudes of
sacrifices, and observe solemn days and feasts, the new
moons and sabbaths, and the like, and are not want-
ing in the outward duties of the first table : but I
especially respect the duties of the second, wherein
you have been wanting ; and therefore labour to find
out what is right, and seek after that justice that
God requires in his law, dealuig with others as you
would be dealt withal ; give over your cruelty, exer-
cise mercy, and stretch forth your helping hand for
the reUeving and defending of such as are in need.
And in the 58th of this prophecy, ver. 6, 7, we may
read how God rejects their prayers and fastings, be-
cause they regarded not to shew mercy and kindness
unto the jioor and needy ; and withal shews them
what manner of fast it was that he required, namely,
to ' loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy
burdens, and to let the oppressed go free. To deal bread
unto the hungry, to bring the poor that are cast out
unto their houses, to clothe the naked,' and the like.
This was the fast that God did especially respect.
In the prophecy of Micah we may read what large
proffers the wicked make : They will ' come with
burnt- offerings and calves of a year old; they will
offer thousands of rams, and ten thousand rivers of
oil ; they would give their firstborn for their trans-
gression, the fruit of their body for the sin of their
soul,' chap. vi. 6, 7, so that God would be pleased here-
with. But yet all this would not please him. Ver.
8, ' He hath shewed thee, 0 man, what is good ;
and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do
justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with
thy God?' without this all the former is nothing
worth. Thus we see verified what we find recorded
by the prophet Hosea, ' I desire mercy, and not sacri-
fice,' chap. vi. G. It is better pleasing unto God to
see the duties of justice and righteousness, of mercy
and loving -kindness performed to our neighbour,
than to have sacrifices never so many or great severed
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
113
from these done unto himself. The works and duties
that the second table requires to be performed of us
are most expected and respected by him.
lims. For the touchstone of piety and true religion
towards God is our just and righteous dealing with
our brethren : 1 John iii. 10, ' Herein are the chil-
dren of God known, and the children of the devil :
whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, nei-
ther he that loveth not his brother.' True faith is
operative, and worketh by love, and is to be mani-
fested by our works, without which it is to be judged
dead, as St James speaketh, chap. ii. 18-26. No
marvel then.if God do so much set by the practice
of these duties.
Use. Which serveth to reprove such as bring forth
fair leaves of profession in the first table, but are
little or nothing at all in the duties of the second
table. In the outward and public exercises of religion
they are very diligent, as iu repairing to the congre-
gation, hearing the word, receiving of the sacra-
ments, and the like. But look on them in those
things which concern men, and there you shall find
them exceedingly faulty, being unmerciful, unjust,
and unrighteous in their deahngs. Certainly the
religion of these men is in vain ; their best services
do stink in God's nostrils when righteousness to-
wards man is wanting. Let all such as are in the
place of justice — for to them this is especially in-
tended— advisedly consider of this, and beware how
they ' turn judgment into gall and wormwood,' as
Arnos speaks, ' and the fruit of righteousness into
hemlock,' Amos v. 7 and vi. 12. I would such
would often put Job's question to their soul : ' AVhat
shall I do when God riseth up ? and when he visiteth,
what shall 1 answer him?' Job xxxi. 14. It would
be a good means to make them take up his practice
— not to withhold from the poor his desire, nor cause
the eyes of the widow to fail ; not to lift up their
hand against the fatherless, though they saw their
help in the gate, and might do it undiscerned, ver.
16, 21. Yea, let us all consider this, and endeavour
to be conscionably just and upright in our dealings
between man and man. "When the question is made
to God what manner of men should dwell in his
tabernacle, and rest in his holy mountain — i.e.,
■which should have a good estate here, and a habi-
tation in heaven for evermore, he describeth them
by tlieir innocent and harmless behaviour towards
their brethren : Ps. xv. 2, 3, ' He that walketh up-
rightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh
the truth in his heart.' Certainly he regardeth that
■work very much, which he rewardeth with such and
so great wages, and he is well pleased with that
person in this life, whom he will receive to dwell
with him in everlasting life. But 1 will be sparing
in prosecuting this, in regard of the near affinity
which it hath with the succeeding doctrine, to wliich
I hasten.
But behold oppression. The clean contrary was
found to that which God expected. He looked to
have the poor defended and their causes heard by
such as were in place, but by none so much as they
were they injured and oppressed. A sin beyond
thought or expectation, and therefore set out with
a note of admiration. ' Behold oppression,' &c.
Hence our note shall be —
Doct. Oj^pression of the poor, especially by such as
ought to be defenders and relievers of the poor, is a sin
heinous, grievous.
In the first chapter of this book we find it to be of
a bloody nature. Isa. i. 15, ' Your hands are full of
blood.' And in the third chapter, to make the
former good, we shall find oppi'essors charged with
beating the people to pieces, and grinding the faces
of the poor, chap. iii. 15 ; and in the fourteenth
Psalm, with ' eating them up as one would eat up
bread,' Ps. xiv. 4. The prophet Amos chargeth op-
pressors with ' swallowing of them up,' Amos viii. 4 ;
and Micah chargeth princes and magistrates yet fur-
ther— to wit, with ' eating the very flesh of his people,
and flaying their skins from oft' them, and breaking
of their bones, and chopping them in pieces as for
the pot, and as flesh within the caldron,' Micah iii.
3. How fearfully was Jehoiakim threatened for this
sin ! Jer. xxii. 13-19, 'Woe unto him that buildeth
his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by
wrong ; that useth his neighbour's service without
wages, and giveth him not for his work Shalt
thou reign, because thou olothest thyself in cedar ?
Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment
and justice, and then it was ■n-ell with him ? He
judged the cause of the poor and needy ; then it was
well ■'.vith him : . . . . but tliine eyes and thy heart
are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed in-
nocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to
do it. Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning
Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, They
sliall not lament for him, saying. Ah my brother ! or
Ah my sister ! they shall not lament for him, saying,
Ah lord ! or, Ah his glory ! He shall be buried
with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth be-
yond the gates of Jerusalem.' These are proofs suffi-
cient for my doctrine, strongly confirming what I
have now taught — viz., oppression of the poor, espe-
cially by such as ought to defend and relieve the
jDoor, is a heinous and grievous sin.
Reas. 1. For, first. It is a sin against nature and
race. Beasts, we see, molest not their own kind.
SiBvis inter se convenit ursis.
Lions fight not with lions ; serpents spend not
their venom upon serpents ; and therefore it is more
114
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
than brutisli for man to devour man by tliis sin of op-
pression. This made Cyprian, seeing it practised by
some, to cry out witli wonderment and admiration,
Oh the detestable cruelty of man's malice ! The fierce
lions spare Daniel in the den ; the ravenous birds do
feed Elijah in the vi'ilderness ; but one man exerciseth
cruelty upon another,* and only man to man is become
pernicious.
Reas. 2. Secondly, It is a sin against religion and
grace; for 'the grace of God that bringeth salvation
hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that deny-
ing ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world,'
Titus ii. 11, 12. And this was prophesied of long
since, that in the time of the gospel, ' the wolf
should dwell with the lamb, and the leopard should
lie with the kid,' &c., and that 'none should hurt
and destroy in aU the mountain of the Lord's holi-
ness,' Isa. xi. 6.
Jieas. 3. Thirdly, When it is practised by great
men, it is a sin against place. Now as there is no
impiety to that impiety which is committed in God's
sanctuary, Jer. vii. 11 ; 2 Chron. xxxvi. 14, so there
is no injustice to that injustice which is committed
and practised in the very seat and sanctuary of jus-
tice; and whereby men amidst the law sin against
the law,t as Ananias the high priest did, in com-
manding Paul to be smitten contrary to the law. Acts
xxiii. 3. It, therefore, being a sin against race, grace,
and place, I doubt not but on all sides it will be con-
fessed to be most heinous.
Use 1. Which doctrine serves first for reprehension,
even of all those who use any kind of injustice, either
^ by violence, or by colour of law, or by any other cun-
ning dealing whatsoever, against such as are not able
to withstand them, for that I call oppression, ' whose
teeth are as swords, and their jaws as knives,' to de-
vour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from
amongst men ; who are lions, wolves, kine, bulls,
beasts, yea, monsters in the shape of men ; with which
beasts or monsters many countries swarm, as Egypt
did with frogs and locusts. They abound both in
fori) and in choro, in change and chancel, church
and commonwealth. To rip up all the sorts of them
were infinite ; with some of the principal I will only
deal. Awd first, to begin with them whom I have not
least cause to think upon, our church oppressors, those
greedy and harpy-like devourers of sacred things, who
prey upon their patrimony who pray for them, and
unjustly turn the revenues of the church unto their
own proper use ; against whom that kiligly prophet
David bestows a whole psalm, and calls them God's
* Fera: parcunt, aves pascunt, homines 6a;viunt. — Cypr.
scr. 6.
■f Inter leges ipsas contra leges delinquitur. — Ci/}}. ad.
Duiiat., lib. ii. epist. 2.
enemies, tumultuous, proud, God-haters, crafty ene-
mies, confederate enemies, who combine themselves
together to anniliilate a church, Ps. Ixxxiii. 2, 3 ; and
that we might not be deceived in the persons, he de-
scribes them to us by their words : they are those
that say, ' Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in
possession,' ver. 12 ; they beat their brains, and spend
their wits how to appropriate that to them and theirs,
which the Almighty is invested in. And that they
have, and hold, but by what right or title the very
name of impi-ojirialions doth shew, as being altogether
improiier for them that have them, and held by
an u7iproper title. For tithes are due only to the
church, and cannot be alienated to any other use, they
having once been passed over to God, and dedicated
to the church ; neither have the laity aught to do
herewith ; for where tithes are paid, there must be
a matter of giving and receiving ; the minister giveth
spu'itual things, saith the apostle, and reoeiveth carnal
things, Phil. iv. 15; 1 Cor. ix. 11. Now because
laymen cannot perform the one, they have not to
meddle with the other; for not keeping the condition,
they cannot claim the covenant. I do not deny but
it may be in the power of civil magistrates to allow
any other maintenance unto the minister, so it be
competent ; but seeing tithes are by law established
amongst us for this purpose, to be the hire of the
Lord's labourers, and the wages of his workmen, it is
as great a sin to defraud the minister of his portion,
as to keep back the meat or wages from an ordinary
labourer ; yea, far greater. And yet St James saith,
that is a sin that crieth loud in the ears of God for
vengeance, James v. 4. How many thousands, then,
in this land stand obnoxious in a high degree to the
judgments of God for this same sin, which is the bane
of our people and blemish of our church ! Some there
are who rob God of his main tithes, yet are content
to leave him still the lesser ; they pluck our fleeces
and leave us the tag-locks, poor vicarage tithes, whilst
themselves and children are kept warm in our wool,
the parsonage. And others yet more injurious, who
think that too much. Would the law but allow them
a pair of shears, they would clip the very tag-locks off.
These, with the deceitful tailor, are not content to
shrink the whole and fan- broadcloth of the church
to a dozen of buttons ; but they must likewise take
part of them away, and nim the very shreds, which only
we have left. After they have full gorged themselves
with the parsonage grains, they can find means, either
by unconscionable leases, or compositions, to pick the
vicarage bones. And thus as Dionj'sius dealt with
Jupiter Olympius,* who took from him a massy gar-
ment of gold, which Hiero had dedicated to him of
the spoils of Carthage, and gave him a woollen cloak,
saying, that the other was too heavy for summer and
* JElian. Yar. Hist., lib. i. eap. 20.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
115
too cold for winter, but this was fit for both seasons ;
even so, I say, we are dealt withal. And now our
poverty is flouted at by them that have our livings, as
the .Jews, who, having spoiled Christ of his vestments,
then mocked him with baseness. Every gentleman
thinks ministers mean, and yet all the world sees that
our means have made them gentlemen. But let all
such persons know, as have any way intruded upon
church rights, God hath a quare impedit against them,
which one day they must make answer to.
Ohj. 1. You say they were taken away from idle
drones and fat-belhed monks.
Ans. True, from the unworthy they were taken, and
from the worthy they are detained. Wicked papists
had them, ungodly robbers have them.* And as one
observes upon tlie battle of Montlecheri, some lost
their livings for running away, and they were given
to those who ran ten miles farther. Idleness hath
lost, and oppression hath gained.
Obj. 2. You object again, that they were given by
our forefathers not to us, but to Romish priests and
bishops, who are deprived of them ; and therefore you
have as much right to them as any of our clergy.
Ans. Thus is this objection answered: These were
given to religious uses, and for the increase of true
religion and learning. Now if they, by injury of the
time, through ignorance mistook the truth, it is no
wrong, nay, it is great right, to keep their general
j)urpose, with amendment of their particular error.
Ohj. 3. Again you plead, they are your inheritances,
left by your fathers ; and if they have been taken from
the church, you took them not. But learn what that
meaneth :
Ans. If a father ' that hath oppressed the poor and
needy, and spoiled by violence, &c., beget a son that
seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and con-
sidereth and doth not the like, itc., he shall not die for
the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live,' ic., Ezek.
xviii. 14—19. And then that objection is answered.
Obj. 4. Yet law is on your side, and you do no
more than that allows.
Ans. Though the laws of men are for you, yet the
laws of God, by wliich you must one day stand or
fall, are plain against you. And albeit it holds in
the courts of men, yet it wUl never hold in the court
of heaven.t Besides, the civil laws are not on your
side ; for they hold that the things of God — such as
are our tithes and revenues of the church — ought not
to belong to lay persons. But say they were, yet
what are you the better that the la\vs of men do
patronise you in it, when the law of God condemns you
for it ? Oh that all such as are any way guilty of
* Possidebant papistte, possident rapistse. — Cominams, lib. i.
cap. 4.
t Injure fori, non in jure cceli. — Aug. De Vil. et Morib.
Cler.
this sin would in time bethink them, and call to
mind the horrible examples of God's judgments in
former ages for it. Belshazzar, king of Babylon,
abusing the holy vessels of the temple to profane uses,
was first wounded inwardly with terror of conscience,
and afterwards was cruelly murdered, Dan. v. 2-7.
In both the books of the Maccabees, we read of
Alcymus, Hehodorus, Lysimachus, Antiochus, Mene-
laus, and Nicanor, all notorious church robbers, and
all came to fearful ends." The example likewise of
Ananias and Sapphira is not to be forgotten, who for
withholding part of that money which was consecrated
to God by their own gift, were by the severity of
God's justice struck dead, as invaders of God's right,
Acts v. 2. Thus according to Solomon's proverb, ' It
is a snare to a man that devoureth holy things,' Prov.
XX. 25. And as a snare, first, it catcheth suddenly ;
secondly, it holdeth surely ; and, thirdly, it destroyeth
certainly. Let our improprietaries apply it, and learn
to be -ivise by others' harms. Let them beware how
they .Jewishly with the spoils of Christ purchase fields
of blood for themselves and theirs. For questionless
the church's goods have proved more unfortunate to
the gentry of this land than ever did the gold of the
temple of Tholossa to the followers of Scipio, of which
whoever carried any part away, never prospered after.
This hath been as that coal which hung at the piece
of meat which the eagle stole from the altar, where-
with she fired her nest, and burnt up herself and
young ones. Had it not been for this, it may be
thought many a fair family had at this day stood,
which is now ruinated. God is as just as ever, and
detesteth this sin as much as ever he did; and therefore
let such as will not leave it and repent of it assure
themselves that they shall speed as others have done
before them. To you that have any impropriations
in your hands, I say as Daniel did in the hke case to
Nebuchadnezzar, ' Let my counsel be acceptable to
you, break off this your sin by righteousness,' Dan. iii.
Make restitution of that which most unjustly you
have so long detained, that so there may be a healinc
of your error. Thou hast taken away the church's
dowry, and spoiled her of it, now it were but reason,
if thou shouldest make her a jointure to recompense
the wrong offered, and the loss she hath sustained.
But, however, restore to God his own, that God may
restore to you your own.t For with what face canst
thou expect an inheritance from Christ in heaven,
who detainest away from Christ his inheritance upon
earth ? 'What you get by such a destiny shall be
your fatal destiny ; you shall leave the gold behind
you, but carry the guilt with you to everlasting fire.
* 1 Mac. is. 54-56 ; 2 Mac. iii. 24, 25 ; iv. 39, 41, 42 ; v.
15, 16; cum xcv. 11; xiii. 4-8; xv. 30-34.
t Moneo ut reddatis Deo sua, ut Dcus restituat Tobis vostra.
— Clirys. in Mat. iii.
116
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
And that which you devour here, you are Hke to
digest in hell hereafter,* except by restitution you
vomit it up before. We do not crave that you would
with Zaecheus restore fourfold — though it is apparent
that the tenths were got in old time from us by most
false and forged cavillations — we only crave our owu,
■we -would ask no more, nor w-illingly take less, for our
whole duty is still required, then wliy should not our
whole due be paid ?t And yet that the world may learn
of us contentedness, as well by our practice as our doe-
trine, we would for the present take in good part, and
rest contented with a part of our own. And some
competent portions out of the impropriations, pro-
portioned to the quantity of the charge imposed, and
the gifts and pains required, would for a time be a
reasonable satisfaction in our ministry, until our state
found itself either better enabled or more straitly tied
in conscience to full restitution. And therefore let
all such as have impropriations in their hands be
hereby moved to make some restitution, in whole
or part, as their estates may bear, as some already
have done, to the disburdening of their consciences,
and good example of others. But here I look to
have that counsel given me which one did once give
Luther, when he first began to preach against the
pope's usurpation and tyranny: You had as good
hold your peace ; this wickedness is so powerful, that
you will never prevail against it. Get you to your
study, and say. Lord have mercy on us, and procure
to yourself no ill-will. Well, if the worst come, I
can but speed as others have done before me. I fear,
indeed, I do but beat the air, for this devil is not easily
east forth. The sons of Zeruiah are too hard for us,
unless Christian magistrates, who are 'nursing fa-
thers ' to the church,''Isa. xlix. 23, do by their power,
' with good Nehemiah, work a reformation, Neh. xiii.
11, 12, and compel them to bring their tithes again
into the house of God. It is the king's evil ; no
hand but his can heal it. But as the prophet said
in another case, ' For Zion's sake I cannot hold my
tongue, and for Jerusalem's sake;' for the poor
church's sake, ' I cannot cease,' Isa. Lxii. 1 ; and I
would to God that God's ministers were here Boan-
erges, sons of thunder, to thunder out God's judg-
ments against this horrible sin of sacrilege. And
that all we who have anything to do with any of
these persons, how great soever, would cry aloud
against them, and not spare, Isa. Iviii. 1, that if it be
possible they might be roused and awakened out of
this same sin, which in many places oauseth pro-
phesying to fail, and consequently the people perish,
Prov. xxLx. 18.
* Multi in hac vita manducaut quod postea apud inferos
digerunt. — Aug.
t Mr Crashaw, Epiat. Dedic. to Terk. treat, of the duty and
dig. of Min.
Leave we now the church, and come we to the
commonwealth, and there we shall meet with more
of this bloody generation. First, Such as my text
here especially speaks of, corrupt judges and magis-
trates, who 'judge not the fatherless, neither doth
the widow's cause come before them,' Isa. i. 23. As
Amos speaketh, who ' turn judgment into wormwood
and gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock :
who afflict the just, take a bribe, and turn aside the
poor in the gate from their right,' Amos v. 7, 12 and
vi. 12. These the prophet Zephaniah is not afraid
to call 'roaring lions and ravening wolves,' Zeph.
iii. 3' ; and our prophet Isaiah, being ' very bold,'
Rom. X. 20, calleth them 'companions of thieves,'
Isa. i. 23. And why so ? Did they take purses by
the highways ? No ; but they took bribes in their
chambers. ' Every one loved gifts, and followed
after rewards,' &c. And, as the prophet Hosea
speaketh, they 'loved to say with shame, Give ye,'
Hosea iv. 18. Now, I pray you, what difference is
there between Give ye and Deliver ye, except it be
this : Give ye goeth often in chains of gold, whilst
Deliver ye lieth in fetters of iron ? Before God there
is no. difference between thievery and bribery. I
doubt not but this kingdom will afford as worthy
judges and magistrates as any land or people in the
workl. And as Justinian said, so with a safe con-
science many of our rulers may ; they can lift up
their hands clean to God, to the king, and to the
law, and make protestation with just and uncorrupt
Samuel ; they have ' defrauded none ; they have
oppressed none,' 1 Sam. xii. 3. Yet I wish — and
therein, I hope, do no man harm — that all could say
so. Then would not justice be made a hackney, to
be backed for money ; neither could a golden spur
do anything to bring her to the desired journey's end
of injury and wrong.
But oh the wickedness of these times ! wherein,
with Solomon, we may observe many a ' just man to
perish in his righteousness,' Eccles. vii. 15, and the
wicked to prosper in their wickedness. Is a man
well moneyed? Then, saith the proverb, he is too
heavy to be cast ; for what is wanting in the goodness
of his cause, the greatness of the fees will make up. ''■'
So that the rich may say unto the poor, as yEsop's
wolf unto the sheep, when they were in contention
together. Thou hast a better cause than I, but I
have stronger teeth than thou. Gain and rewards
be the remoi-a to the ship of justice. She cannot
now be called the Speed, but the Delay. A motion
this term, an order next, and instantly all is crossed.
A writ of error puts all out of course. Jethro was
not pleased, as it seems, to see causes hang from
morning to evening, Exod. xviii. 1-1 : had he lived in
* Pecuniosus damnari non potest. Cui vis est jus non
metuit, jus abruitur vi.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
117
these days, how would it have grudged him to see
them hang from term to term, from year to year !
and the best causes to be used as sore legs are by
unconscionable chirurgeons, held long in hand, not
for the difficulty of the cure, but for the gain thereof !
The poor client is fain to trudge up this term and
next, emptying his purse with paying fees to one and
to another, and still the web of his suit is drawn out
of a greater length till he want weft to prosecute it ;
and so, after all his pains and cost, is in the end en-
forced to let it fall. Or say he have the day, yet he
makes no saving match, by reason the charges of his
suit are greater than the costs that shall be awarded.*
Oh the uncertain events of suits, besides the trouble !
I hope to see an end this term of my suit, saith the
poor blood-drawn wretch ; when, alas, he sees no end
the next term, nor next after that — yea, oftentimes
the next and next year is past first : his suit is a suit
of durance, almost an everlasting suit. And thus,
while the poor oppressed runs to them, who should
be as a ' shelter from the wind, and a covert from
the tempest,' Isa. xxxii. 2, it oftentimes falls out that,
with the silly sheep running in a storm to the hedge
or thicket, they are so ensnared amongst the thorns
and briars as that they can hardly wind and wrest
themselves out without loss of wool and coat. What
with delays, demurs, and a thousand tricks which
money will find out, they lose their fleece, and carry
away their flesh whole upon their backs with much
ado. If this weather hold, many men will go nigh
to be of the mind that Themistocles was sometimes
of, who professed that if two ways were shewed him,
one to hell, and the other to the bar, he would choose
that which went to hell, and forsake the other. See,
then, all you that are in place of justice, that you
keep yourselves untainted of this sin. ' Walk right-
eousty, speak uprightly, despise the gain of oppression,
shake your hands from holding of bribes, stop your
ears from hearing of blood, and shut your eyes from
seeing evil,' Isa. xxxiii. 1.5.
2. Merciless and cruel landlords, who, partly by
racking and improving of old rents, and that with-
out the old minds of our forefathers, I mean their
charity, for so it is lawful to improve them, partly
by enclosing of greens, commons, woods, or other of
the like, which appertain of right unto their tenants,
partly by burdening them with carriages, and such
like services, more than was covenanted or agreed
upon, and partly by making their leases void when
it pleaseth them, so that a covenant to-day shall be
none to-morrow, and tliat which is none now shall
be one anon,t they oppress their tenants, grind their
* Major est expensarum sumptus quam sententia: fructus.
— ^lian, lib. ix. cap. 18.
f Pactum non pactum est, non pactum pactum est quod
illis lubet. — Plant.
faces, and suck their bloods. The poor farmer he is
fain to endure the heat and burden of the day : he
riseth early, goeth late to bed, eateth the bread of
carefulness, and sitteth with many a hungry meal,
not being able to spare a morsel of bread to others,
nay, hardly able to give food unto his family ; and all
that he does or can do is but as a prey to his greedy
landlord. Good words it may be, prayers they shall
sometimes have returned, as God help you, bless you,
and give you good of it, &c. ; but if their prayers were
worth a penny they would keep them to themselves,
their tenants should not be troubled with them.
And herein they are like Darius, who prayed for
Daniel that God would deliver him when he himself
sends him to the lions' den, Dan. vi. 16. These are
oppressors, and such ones as God hath sworn to take
away with hooks, and their posterity with fish-hooks,
Amos iv. 2.
3. Ingrossers, whose practice is to compass sea and
land to get a commodity into their hands ; which
having once obtained, they set a price upon it as large
as their own consciences, or else hoard it uji only to
make a dearth without a scarcity. I deny not but it
is lawful to buy the overplus of any commodity, and
when men's turns are served in times of plentj', to
take the residue, as Joseph did, that in time of dearth
he may have to help the commonwealth, with some
good and moderate gain to himself also. But these,
instead of laying up to prevent a dearth, do hoard up
to procure one, which time is the ingrosser's day
wherein he doth enrich himself with the spoil of the
poor. Against these very persons Amos thus prophe-
sieth : ' Hear this, 0 you that swallow up the poor,
that you may make the needy of the land to fail,
saying. When will the new moon be gone, that we may
sell corn ? and the sabbath, that we may set forth,
wheat, and make the ephah small, and the shekel
great, and falsify the weights by deceit ? and buy the
poor for silver, and the needy for shoes; yea, and sell
the refuse of the wheat ?' Amos viii. 4—6. They had
long, as it may seem, kept up the corn for this pur-
pose, that it might grow dear, and now they had a
time to serve their turn in, and they mtist set it
to sale in all haste, so that they thought the new
moon and the sabbath-days appointed for God's own
service too long until they were a-selling. And now
they intend to prey upon the poor, for they will sell
little for much ; lessening the measure and enhancing
the price. The poor shall buy the refuse dear, which
is little werth, and sell themselves cheap, even in a
manner for old shoes, to pay for it. Here God sent
corn, and the devil sent garners ; nay, in some sort
they were worse than the very devil himself, for he
seemed to have some charity in him when he
would have had Christ to turn stones into bread,
Mat. iv., and so make a plenty in time of scarcity, but
118
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
these endeavoured, what in them lay, to make a scarcity
in the midst of plenty, turning bread into stones, a
trick beyond the devil. Are not these oppressors ?
4. Usurers, who may well be compared to the
timber worm, which to touch is as soft as silk, but
hath teeth so hard as that it eats the oak ; or like the
beaver, which biteth so sore as that he never looseth
his teeth until he have broken the bones.*' It may
be truly said of these, ' Desolation and destruction is
in their path,' Isa. lix. 7 ; wheresoever they set foot,
they make havoc of all. The prophet Ezekiel doth
hedge in this sin between bribery and extortion : ' In
thee have they taken gifts to shed blood ; thou hast
taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily
gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast for-
gotten me, saith the Lord ; therefore I have smitten
my hands at thy dishonest gain,' Ezek. xxii. 12.
And in another place we shall find that it and op-
pression is made both one : ' If thou lend money to
my people with thee, thou shalt not be an usurer,
thou shalt not oppress him,' Exod. xxii. 26. Thus by
God's own testimony these are oppressors. Not
inaptly may we compai-e the usurer to the nether
millstone, which is slow and stirs not ; he sits at
home and spends his time in a devilish arithmetic, in
numeration of hours, days, and moneys, in subtrac-
tion from other men's estates and multiplication of
his own, until he have made division between his
soul and heaven, and divided the earth to himself,
and himself to hell. His broker we may compare
to the upper millstone, without which the nether
millstone may seem unprofitable, that is quick
and stirring, and runs round. The poor, like
corn, who between both these is grinded into
powder. Surely it is for our sins that God suffers
usurers amongst us. It may be he suffers these
a while, as he did the Canaanites in Israel, lest
the wikl beasts should break in upon them, lest pride
and a full estate should spill men's souls ; yet we
may safely say of these, as Joshua did of those, they
are 'pricks in our sides, and thorns in our eyes.'
Now the mercy of God rid us of them ! Let them
bring what excuses, apologies, mitigations, evasions,
or distinctions they possibly can invent ; let them
reply, Usury is no sin, many learned men are of this
opinion ; yet what are they the better, if God himself
be not of the same mind those learned men are of ?
And let them tell me if their consciences can be so
satisfied. Would not the greatest usurer willingly
give a hundred pound bag to be secured in this
point ? It is not safe wading far in a questionable
water. Oh yet that there were hope with any sayings
to move, then I would spend some time, and take
some pains in persuading these men, who deal alto-
gether in letting out their money to men, their time
* Jul. Solin, cap. 23.
to mammon, their body to pining, their mind to
repining, their soul to .Satan ; that they would fall to
restoring, because the sin is retained until the gains
of usury be returned ; " which saying, though it
seem hard, yet it is most true. And what though
they should in so doing restore all they have ? I
would tell them, as the prophet did Amaziah, ' The
Lord is able to give thee more than this,' 2 Chron.
XXV. 9. A mansion in God's kingdom is worth all
thy cash. But I speak to the belly that hath no
ears. Shew me the usurer, except Zaccheus, that ever
repented truly ; for as humility is the repentance of
pride, so is restitution of this sin. I doubt not but
there are some, but they will be as dainty dishes
in heaven as venison is on a ploughman's table.
Wherefore I will forbear any further dealing with
these, and rather speak in general to all oppressors
of what kind soever, and so hasten to an end. Let
all such know as use any kind of injustice, vi or dolo,
by force or fraud, against the poor and needy, who
are no way able to withstand them, that they flay
their skins off, they grind their faces ; yea, eat their
very tiesh, as sometimes that poor lean widow told
Baldwin, an archbishop of Canterbury,! when she
heard him boasting that he had never eat flesh in all
his days, that he had eat up hers in taking away her
cow, whereby she lived. And let them call to mind
the fearful woes that are thundered out against them
for this sin. There is a woe from Isaiah, chap. iii.
14, 15 ; a woe from Jeremiah, chap. xxii. 13 ; a woe
from Micah, chap. ii. 1,2; a woe from Habakkuk,
chap. ii. 12. Woe and alas then, that such can be
secure. Oh that such would now at length call them-
selves to account for their oppressions, that some
remorse might be wrought in their hearts if it were
possible I Such as these in former times have been
executed, as thieves are now amongst us. Catillus, a
British king, hung up all oppressors of the poor.J
And after him king Edward, commonly called good
king Edward, banished such the land. And by the
ancient laws of England, the goods of oppressors,
dying \Yithout restitution, were forfeit to the king,
and all his lands unto the lord of the town.§ And it
is apparent by the canon law,|| that heretofore they
have been denied Christian burial. Were the same
laws still in force, undoubtedly it would be a good
restraint. And yet what is all this to expulsion out
of God's kingdom ? Oh that these would bethink
them of that dreadful day of reckoning, and of that
terrible sentence which shall be then denounced, ' De-
part, ye cui'sed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the
devil and his angels,' Mat. xxv. 41. There is the
* Non remittitur peoeatum, nisi restituatur ablatum. — Aug.
t Acts and Mon., p. 233. J Stow in his Summary.
§ Glanvil., lib. vii. de leg. et consu. Angl., cap. 37.
II Extra de Usur., cap. Quia in om.
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
119
rejection, For ' I was an hungry, and you gave me do
meat : I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink : I
was a stranger, and ye took me not in : naked, and
ye clothed me not : sick, and in prison, and ye did
not relieve me,' ver. 42. There is a reason of their
rejection. Oh then, how fearful will their case he
against whom the Judge may thus proceed in sen-
tence, ' Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlast-
ing fire, prepared for the devil and his angels :' for I
had meat, and by force you took it from me : I had
drink, and you spoiled me of it : I had a house, and
you thrust me out of doors : I had clothes, and you
pulled them from my back : I was in health, and you
made me sick : I was at liberty, and you imprisoned
me ! For if by that sentence they be damned who
have not done the works of mercy ; much more shall
they be damned who have acted the works of cruelty.
If by that sentence they be damned who have not
succoured nor relieved the poor ; much more shall
they be damned who have oppressed and crushed the
poor. To wind up all in a word, and so to turn the
use from reprehension to exhortation, ' Let no man
from henceforth oppress nor defraud his brother, for
the Lord is the avenger of all such things,' 1 Thes.
iv. 6. Let us all so carry ourselves, as that with
blessed Paul we may glory as he did, ' We have
wronged no man, we have consumed no man, we
have defrauded no man,' 2 Cor. vii. 2. And so I
leave this, which especially respects the agent, and
come to what remains, wldch especially respects the
patient.
Behold a cry, i.e., of the poor and needy, of the
fatherless and widow, and such as were oppressed.
Here we see, —
Doct. The cries of the oppressed ascend up into the
Almighty's ears, lie hears their groans, and beholds
their grievances.
The Lord told Moses as much when he called him
to be the deliverer of his people Israel, ' I have surely
seen tlie affliction of my people which are in Egypt,
and have heard their cry by reason of their task-
masters ; for I know their sorrows. Now therefore,
behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto
me : and I have also seen the oppression wherewith
the Eg5fptians oppress them,' Exod. iii. 7, 9, and ii.
23, 24. Afterwards, when God forbade his people
to oppress the stranger, fatherless, and widow, he
addeth this as a reason, ' I will surely hear their
cry,' Exod. xxii. 23. Job announceth as much as I
have delivered, ' They cause the cry of the poor to
come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the
afflicted,' .Job xxxiv. 28. So doth the psalmist,
' The righteous cry,' when he is thus oppressed, ' and
God heareth him,' Ps. xxxiv. 17. St James likewise
confirmeth it, ' Behold the hire of the labourers which
have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept
back by fraud, crieth : and the cries of them which
have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of
Sabaoth.'
Py.eas. 1. And how can it be otherwise? For mark
our blessed Saviour's own argument, Luke xviii. 4,
If importunate clamour prevail with the unjust judge,
who neither regardeth man nor feareth God, shall not
God much more avenge his own elect ones, that cry
day and night unto him, for the ^^Tong that is done
unto them, through the oppression of the mighty ? I
tell you, saith our Saviour, though he forbear long,
yet at length he will do it.
Beas. 2. David furnisheth us with another reason :
' A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widow,
is God in his holy habitation,' Ps. Ixviii. 5. These
are his clients, he hath talien them into his protec-
tion ; he is become their judge ; and ' shall not the
judge of all the world do right ? ' Gen. xviii. 25.
Use L This nearly concerns both oppressors and
the oppressed. As for oppressors, they had need be
well advised what they do ; for if they continue in
then' cruelty, the poor must needs sigh and cry, and
God will hear them, which if he do, he will cause
their oppressors to hear of him. ' He will judge the
fatherless, and the oppressed, that the man of earth
may no more oppress,' Ps. x. 17. Or suppose that
they themselves cry not, but ' sit down by it,' and
thrust their mouths ' in the dust,' Lam. iii. 28, 29,
' swallowing their grief with silence,' Ps. xxxLs. 9,
yea, praying for them who persecute and ojjpress
them, rather than putting up any bill of complaint
to God against them, Ps. cix. 4, Acts vii. GO, Luke
xxiii. 34 ; yet the sin itself will cry though they be
silent.
Clamitat in coolum vox sanguinis et Sodomorum,
Vox oppressorum, merces retenta laborum.
Every sin indeed hath its voice to discover itself to
God, saith one,'' and not a voice only, but feet also,
yea, and wings too, to make way and speed into
heaven for vengeance ; but yet there are four sins,
and but four, as is observed,! mentioned in Scripture,
that are said to cry. The first is homicide, murder,
or manslaughter, whereof Almighty God thus speak-
eth unto Cain, ' The voice of thy brother's blood
crieth unto me from off the earth,' Gen. iv. 10. The
second is sodomy, a sin against nature, whereof the.
Lord speaketh thus unto Abraham, 'Because the
cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is great, and because
their sin is, exceeding grievous, I will go down now
and see whether they have done altogether according
to the cry which is come unto me,' Gen. xviii. 20.
■ The third is this of oppression, as the places before
* Omnia namquo iniquitas apud secreta Dei judicia liabet
voces siias. — Grcrj. Mor. 5, cap. S.
f Aquiu. in Jac. v. 4.
120
ROGERS ON ISAIAH V. 1-7.
quoted shew, as also that of Habakkuk, chap. ii. 11 ,
12, where the very timber and stone from the build-
ing that is founded upon falsehood and oppression,
is said to cry for vengeance from heaven. The
fourth is the keeping back of the labourer's hire, as
that place even now brought out of St James for
the proof of our point, witnesseth, Jas. v. 4. These
sins are not only vocal, but importunate, they will
have no nay, but hale down judgments upon the
heads of the miserable authors and wretched actors
of them. So then it is impossible for oppressors to
escape unpunished ; and however vengeance may
seem limpingly to pursue them, yet it will overtake
them in the end, without repentance hinder.
Use 2. As for the poor oppressed, this may serve
for their comfort, and it may teach them patience.
He that is over-swayed with might against equity and
right in some one court, yet is not out of heart nor
hope so long as he may appeal to some other that is
higher, especially if he be persuaded of the integrity
and uprightness of that judge to whom he makes ap-
peal. Art thou then wronged and injured by the
mighty ? Yet be not discouraged ; for though thou
canst have no help at man's hand, yet there is a higher
to whom thou mayest appeal, even God in bis holy
habitation, who beholds thy troubles, hears thy sighs,
bottles up thy tears, is acquainted with all thy griefs,
and will right thy wrongs. ' For the oppression of
the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I
arise, saith the Lord ; I will set him at liberty from him
that puffeth at him,' Ps. xii. 5. Hear this, you father-
less and widows, you poor and needy ones. And
albeit these mighty Nimrods ' ride over your heads,'
and ' plough upon your backs, making long furrows
there,' Ps. Ixvi. 12, and thus wound your flesh, yet
let them not wound your patience ; but ' let your
weak hands be strengthened, and your feeble knees
confirmed ; for behold your God will come with ven-
geance, your God will come with recompence,' Isa.
XXXV. 3. Commit therefore your cause to him who
judgeth righteously, and see you assuage your grief
and sorrow when you are thus oppressed. He will
come, he will come assuredly in due time ; he will
come and deliver you from out the paws of the blood-
thirsty and cruel man. Though passion therefore
possess your bodies, yet let ' patience possess your
souls,' Luke xxi.
And now for the ecce, which is here twice used,
Behold oppression, behold a cry. Once using is not
enough. Behold, and behold again. One* calls this
a starry note. Anotherf compares it to a hand in the
margin of a book, pointing to something of great
succeeding consequence. Another | compares it to
the sounding of a trumpet before some proclamation.
Another to the ringing of a bell before the sermon of
some famous preacher. And indeed, as often as it is
used, for it is used six hundred times in Scripture,
it is never used but in matters of great moment,
worthy of our deepest and most serious observation,
being still put for a word of wonder and note of ad-
miration. So here ; behold the wonderful and un-
speakable mercy and goodness of the Lord towards
this his vineyard. How great things he had done
for it, and what means he used for the prosperity
and welfare of it ; yea, in every one of the former
particulars behold it. Again, behold the horrible
ingratitude of this his vineyard. Ingratitude in its
full proportion, with all the dimensions of its ugly
stigmatic form, in it behold. Yea, we may move
attention from this word to all that hath been said ;
for there is nothing in this song but deserves to have
this character, behold, to be stamped on it. Consider
well of all this scripture ; examine every parcel ; let
not one jot or tittle pass away unregarded. God
hath commended, yea, recommended what is here
taught unto us with this remarkable note, behold,
yea, behold again. See, therefore, that you have been
here present with your minds, as well as with your
bodies. And all you that are here present, behold
from the highest to the lowest, for it deserves deep
pondering upon. ' Let him that hath ears to hear,
hear,' Mat. xiii. 9 ; and ' let him that readeth con-
sider,' Mat. xxiv. 15; even so consider we what
hath been said, ' and the Lord give us understanding
in all things,' 2 Tim. ii. 7.
* Bernard. t Yega. J Poutan.
AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE,
FOR THE READIER FINDING OUT THE CHIEF AND MOST JIATERIAL THINGS CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK.
God cannot fail of his end in any of his actions,
Affections of people must be wrought upon by God's
ministers, .....
AfJiictions are God's winepress,
Not to be bettered by our afflictions is dangerous,
God's holy hand is in all afflictions.
Both the time, measure, and end of our afflictions are
ordered by God, ....
Why God doth use wicked instruments in the afflict-
ing of his people, ....
How we may look upon second causes in our ai
tions, .....
God is to be sought unto when we are afflicted,
They do not disable us from being God's children
Amoz, the father of Isaiah, and Amos, in the number
of the small prophets, not both one.
The angels watch for the godly man's safety.
Application is the life of doctrine,
Arroganc}', a sin to be avoided,
Attendants of the godly honourable, .
Authority must be shewed for what God's ministers
do deliver, ... . .
B
Barren professors are good for nothing.
The world is full of such,
Man degraded beneath the beasts,
Names of beasts given to the wicked, .
Behold, how often used in the Scriptures,
It is ever used in matters of importance,
The abuse of God's blessings causeth the Lord to de
prive us of them, ....
Pray for a sanctified use of them,
Bribery is no better than thievery.
Busy-meddling dangerous,
Children are not saved by the faith of their parents,
They should be thankful for religious parents,
God's own children chastised, .
The church weak in itself,
She is a garden enclosed.
It stands in need of daily looking to, .
10
49
106
41
49
36
97
120
120
91
65
116
110
111
88
33,45
31
31
She is exposed to many dangers.
She is dear unto the Lord,
She is but one, .....
The more the church is afflicted, the more she flourish
eth, .....
She is outwardly black, but inwardlj- glorious,
It is her privilege, that God is her keeper,
Why the devil seeks to persecute her.
She may be corrupted with idolatrj', .
Church in England not to be forsaken for some
wants, .....
Which the papists make to be the Catholic Church,
Her enemies are but weak,
The miseries of the church should move us to pity her,
Christ only deserves our love, .
Members of the church receive the sap of grace from
him, .....
All that are in the church are not truly incorporated
into Christ, .....
Comparisons may lawfully be used,
Company of the godly to be frequented,
Man's conscience shall justify God's proceedings,
The conscience shall one day be awakened,
The checks of it not to be neglected, .
Contention and discord, the beginnings of war,
Conversation of Christians should be such as that our
adversaries may justify it, .
The creature is become man's schoolmaster, .
A double use to be made of them.
They are a defence for the godly.
They are God's hosts, ....
All of them are against the wicked, .
The godly conquer when they seem conquered,
God remembereth mercy in his corrections, .
D
Death of the godly, a forerunner of judgment,
Necessity of God's decree, no excuse for wickedness.
Discipline not wanting in our church.
It is not of the essence of the church,
Dignity of the godly very great.
The devil hath not power over any creature but by
God's permission, .....
2c
PAGE
31
32, 39
32, 40
33
33
37
39
40
41
93
101
27
32
34
24
71
71
■1,76
101
45
108
122
ALPHABETICAL TABLE.
How he is the god of tliis ■\rorhl,
Authors of divisioQ in the church sin fearfully,
We must receive notliing for doctrine but what is
grounded on Scripture, .... 27
Dowry, great, given by Christ to his'spouse, . . 27
Diversity of gifts given by God for the good of the
church, ...... 10
E
Earthly things afTord heavenly instructions, . . 35
We maj' make resemblances betwixt things earthly
and heavenly, ..... 35
AVhat errors make a church to be no church, . . 40
Envy, a sin unnatural, .... 41
The way how to become excellent, ... 50
The wicked excuseless, .... 75
Excommunication a grievous censure, . . 47
Not to pass for small trifles, . . . . 47
F
Faith is the root of other graces, ... 53
Personality of faith needful, .... 59
Families to be purged of jjrofane persons, . . 48
Famine, how grievous at the destruction of Jeru-
salem, . . . . . " . 99
Our own faults propounded in another's person soon
espied^ ...... 6
Nothing to be attributed unto fortune, . . 87
Fruit, bring forth, to God, .... 43
By bearing fruit we glorify God, ... 66
Such as are fruitful, shall grow more fruitful, . 43
God's cost on us should move to fruitfulness, . 54
Every creature is in its kind fruitful, . . 55
Fruitfulness of a Christian the groundwork of pro-
sperity, ...... 55
If we be fruitful, there is no law against us, . . 56
It is high time we should bring fortb fruit, . . 56
We must first be transplanted and set into Christ be-
fore we can bear fruit, ... .57
Such as ai-e in Christ bring forth fruit incontinent, . 57
The properties of good fruit, .... 59
6
Garrison, strong, about the godly, . . . 46
The godly are run to in the day of trouble, . . 33
God is the protector of bis people,
He is the husbandman of his church,
God is not the author of sin, .
The godly to be esteemed above others, . . 50
They exceed all others in growth in grace, . . 33
God hath little glory in the world, ... 17
God's glory should be our aim in all our actions, . 16
The godly prefer it before their own salvation, . 1 7
By glorifying God we bring glory to ourselves, . 17
Judgments fearful on such as rob God of his glory, . 18
AVe ought to grow in grace, .... 43
H
How God hardens, ..... 75
The godly hated, and why, . . . . S9
Hearers must be careful what they receive for gospel, 28
They may not rashly censure their teachers for some
disabilities, . . . . . .103
They must pray for them, .... 103
Hearers must suffer the word of application as well as
of doctrine, . . . . . .106
They may not find fault with their teachers for their
plainness, ...... 35
Heavens are diligent, learned, and catliolic pastors, . 17
Human testimonies may lawfully be alleged in ser-
mons, .....
God husbands his people.
Husbandry a commendable vocation, .
Submit ourselves to God's husbandry.
How to know whether God hath husbanded the heart,
Hypocrisy in the end shall be discovered.
Humility and tenderness of heart to be laboured for,
I ASD J.
Idolaters, not to be familiar withal.
Ignorance, no good plea.
Impropriations held by an improper title, where some
objections answered,
Ingrossers are oppressors,
Irreligious persons enemies to king and state,
Isaiah a noble prophet, and eloquent, together with
his death, .....
He fainted not in his function.
He was of Christ's kindred.
Judgments of God divers ways foretold,
Tbe way to prevent God's judgments is to judge our-
selves, .....
Justice in our dealings, the touchstone of true reli-
gion, .....
K
Kindred of the godly, noble, .
Kingdom weakened by sin.
Knowledge of God, a means to love God,
Sins against knowledge, fearful.
Landlords, many are oppressors,
Lawsuits are durable, ....
No law against the godly.
Leaves of profession, not enough,
Love God before all, ....
Christ only deserves our love, .
How our love to God may be discovered.
The wa\- to bring our hearts to love the Lord,
We may not answer God in anything except in love,
Lewd life of a professor dishonours God,
Sinful lusts overshadow the soul,
God is the absolute Lord over all,
M
JIagistrates, as the head, should govern wisely.
Private persons may not meddle mth the office of ma
gistrates, .....
Magistrates should back the ministers of the word with
the use of the temporal sword.
Meekness to be shewed in our dealing with sinners.
Sins against the means, fearful.
The more means, the more obedience doth God ex
pect, .....
To contemn the means, grieves the Lord,
No means can reclaim the wicked,
Means contemned, causeth the Lord to deprive us of
them, .....
Means to bring our hearts to love God,
Means to make us fruitful.
It is fearful to make ourselves merry with other's sins.
Ministers are builders, stewards.
Wherein they must shew themselves faithful,
They must be painful in their function.
They must woo for Christ,
They must deliver nothing but by warrant from God,
They must attend their cjUlings,
ALPHABETICAL TABLE.
123
PAGE
They should be well provided for, ... 29
They are the subordinate husbandmen of the church, 37
Idle ministers like harlots, .... 44
Ministers must seek to God for ability to discharge
their function, ..... 104
They may not be discouraged so as to surcease their
pains, ...... 8
Their life is a spiritual piscation, ... 8
They are not to be blamed though they sometimes
alter their method, ..... 9
They serre the greatest master, and are employed in
the greatest work, and shall have the greatest
wages, ...... 11
Motives to fruitfulness, .... 55
Motives to singing, . . . ~. .14
Motives to seek after God's glory, ... 16
N
A good name, how to get, .... 50
Good names profit not without grace, . . 110
They should be a spur to goodness, . . . 110
Under a holy name to lead an unholy life is a kind of
sacrilege, . . . . . .111
Negative divinity not enough, . . .62
No goodness comes from nature, . . . 109
0
Obedience is to be given to all God's precepts, . 61
Particulars wherein we are to shew our obedience unto
God,
Omission of good duties, damnable, .
Oppression, a sin against race, grace, and place, . 113
Oppressors, how heretofore punished, . . 118
God hears the groans of the oppressed, . , 120
Parents to give thanks at meat, and not their chil-
dren for them, ..... 59
Good parents may have lewd children, . . 110
Their duties towards their children, . . . 110
Parents are not too rashly to be censured for the loose
carriage of children, . . . .110
Wicked parents disgrace their children, . . Ill
Papists, their positions dissolve all bands of human
fellowship, ...... 47
Their practices agreeable to their positions, . . 47
Their bloody cruelty, ..... 97
A fearful sin to abuse God's patience, . . 84
God's patience should teach us patience, . . 85
Our peace so long enjoyed a great blessing, . . 99
Our works are to be brought to perfection, . . 62
Perseverance in good needful, ... 62
Presence of God still to be remembered, , . 24
God's proceedings are all just, ... 70
Ifo privilege will bear us out, if we take liberty to
sin, . . . . . . . 73, 92
Privileges of those who love God, ... 25
Poesy is a commendable art, . . . .13
Professors' outward carriage, if holy, doth much good, 33
The lewd life of a professor doth highly dishonour
God, ...... 18
Prophecies of the prophets, how kept, . . 5
Before God doth punish he giveth warning, . . 81
AVhy God Buffers the wicked to run on without punish-
ment, ...... 102
Why God punishetb the wicked for doing that work
he employs them in, .... 87
Purposes made, for the most part, like our holiday
eves, ...... 61
H PACE
God fell not to questioning until man fell to sinning, 73
God's questions tend for the most part to convince
the conscience, ..... 74
R
The godly come of noble race, ... 48
Rage of the wicked limited, .... 95
Diversity of religion dangerous in a kingdom, . 46
Religion is the strength of our land, ... 52
Rhetoric lawful to be used, . . . .112
Rich men rarities in heaven, . . . . 4-t
Riches to be esteemed in themselves as blessings, . 44
Why they are called the mammon of unrighteousness, 44
Rome, her first foundation laid in blood, . . 97
Whether it be a true church, .... 40
Rules to be followed in using parables and allegories, 35
Safety of the godly very great, ... 95
To live in safety, keep in with God, ... 95
Saints allotted by papists to all countries except Eng-
land, ...... 109
Security of the wicked, blockish stupidity, . . 92
Separation not to be made from our church for some
blemishes, ...... 36
Senses of God troubled with man's sin, . . 09
Sin corrupteth all things, .... 65
Every sin belcheth forth an evil savour, . . 66
It is a make-bait, • .... 72
It breaks our covenant with God, . . .92
It deprives us of God's protection, ... 92
It weakens a kingdom, ■ ... 92
It hath both voice, feet, and wings to hasten
judgment, ...... 119
Four sins in Scripture said to be crying sins, . 119
Sins of weakness punished, much more sliall sins of
wickedness, . . . . . .90
Things sinful afford resemblances to admonish of duty, 35
Singing psalms or other holy songs lawful, . ". 13
Directions how to sing, .... 15
Few sing but they take God's name in vain by their
singing, ...... 16
Three kinds of songs in use amongst the Jews, . 7
Sodom, what it was, and what it is, . . . 66
By our speeches our love we bear to God will be dis-
covered, ••.... 22
Four suitors that seek to get the soul, . . 26
No suitor should speed but Christ, ... 27
Superiors must remember they have a superior, . 108
T
Duties of the second table to be especially regarded, . 113
Time is to be observed for doing good, ". , 60
Some good duties are at some times unseasonable, . 60
Tongue, the interpreter of the mind, ... 22
Toleration of idolaters unlawful, ... 47
The godly, though not preserved from troubles, yet
preserved in them, ..... 96
Why trades are called crafts and mysteries, . . 107
Truth of God withhold not in unrighteousness, . 77
V xyoV
The church compared to a vineyard in divers respects, 31
Verse comprehends much in a little, . . 13
Verse better remembered than prose, . . 13
Unity ought to be in the church, ... 41
That unity be maintained, what must be avoided,
The wicked are unthankful to God, .
Vows not to be broken,
124
ALPHABETICAL TABLE.
Usurers like the timber worm, and like the nether mill-
stone, and their brokers like the upper, . . 118
They will be venison in heaven, . . . 118
W
War a heavy judgment, .... 100
Waters of the sanctuary needful to further our growth
in grace, ...... 57
Weakness of grace should not discourage, if there be
true grace, ...... 63
Wealthiness and wickedness not ever conjoined, . 41
Wicked, they shall not ever remain within the church, 4.3
Wicked preserve the godly, as chaff doth the corn, . 45
They charge the godly to be the troublers of the state
when it is themselves, .... 52
They turn God's best blessings into poison, . . 67'
They cannot please God,
They have no peace with him.
They shall not escape God's wrath,
They lie open to all dangers, .
Witches are the devil's drudges.
The devil cannot do harm to any to gratify a witch
Works testify, though not justify.
The godly abound iu good works,
Words of a Christian are of a healing nature,
Word preached is a winepress, and doth discover what
is within the heart.
Word never preached in vain,
Our works should be works of the Spirit,
The best works of the wicked are offensive to God,
World not to be loved if we would love God, .
Worship of God is the glory and strength of our land.
PACE
65
72
89
93
95
94
23
34
34
52
65
60
67
24
THE END.
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