ON READING JEREMIAH BURROUGHS

Following Matthew Brennan's challenge on reading (below), Dr Jim Davison (Belfast Bible College) writes ...

In response to a recent post by Matthew Brennan, I put forward Jeremiah Burroughes as my favourite author. Now I would like to give my reasons for this choice.

Most of Burroughes’ works are sermons, many of which were published after his death in 1646. These sermons were his endeavour to exhort his hearers to recognise the excellency of God and, therefore, their responsibility to live in a truly God honouring way. For this reason we find very little by way of apologetics or many technical theological terms used in these sermons. This does not mean that there is no theology to be found in these sermons; what it does mean is that it is expressed in a way that his hearers, the common folk around Stepney and St. Giles, Cripplegate, in London, where he was a lecturer in the 1640s, understood clearly what Burroughes was pronouncing as God’s spokesperson.

In these sermons Burroughes shows not only the excellency of God in his Being, but also the infinite love of God towards fallen mankind, through Christ the Mediator. There is also to be found in Burroughes’ sermons a very clear understanding of what sin actually is, and the evil of it (something that is greatly needed today), which helps recognise the magnitude of the grace of God. But while the sermons give good evidence of being proclaimed in a forthright manner, they are full of compassion that seeks to move and warm the heart.

Now I am the first to acknowledge that men like Richard Sibbes, Thomas Watson, Thomas Brooks, and Thomas Vincent, to name but a few, express the same truth and with the same warmth oozing out of their works (who can read Sibbes’ A Bruised Reed or Vincent’s The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ and not be taken up with praising God?) But for me Burroughes has the edge.

In Burroughes’ sermons I find three streams of major puritan doctrine, among others, with which he identified: 1) the infinite holiness of God; 2) the heinousness of sin, which separates man from God; and 3) the all-sufficiency of Christ in reconciling sinners and God. For Burroughes these doctrines must be maintained in balance in order to bring about the godly life, a life that consists of communion with God, the One who is infinitely majestic in his Being, and who alone is deserving of our adoration and worship. My suggested reading of Burroughes’ sermons in the following order:

1. Gospel Revelation: In this excellent work Burroughes sets forth a very penetrating and masterly exposition of the nature of God, the glory of Christ and the excellency of man’s immortal soul (the third part can be left to be read later).
2. Gospel Worship: Burroughes wrote: ‘the reason men worship God in a slight way is because they do not see God in His glory.’ How true this is today, and therefore how much we need to read this book that seeks to show not only why we should worship God, but importantly, how we should worship God. The work has three parts: 1) worship in hearing the word; 2) in the sacraments (ordinances); and 3) in prayer.
3. Gospel Fear: In this work Burroughes seeks to develop a tender heart that trembles at the Word of God, with reverence and awe, for the Word is ‘the glass of the holiness of the infinite God.’
4. The Evil of Evils: A penetrating analysis of sin. In this work Burroughes’ hatred of sin is very evident as he emphasises repeatedly that ‘it is better to choose affliction rather than sin.’ No one can fail to know what sin is after reading this book.
5. Gospel Remission: Here Burroughes expounds what he regarded as the greatest blessing a man can have, namely, the pardon or remission of sin.
6. A Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment: Burroughs’ best-known work aims to set before its readers not only the obstacles to contentment, but how it may be attained. It is a classic on the topic.

The reading order suggests we first get a proper understanding of who God and Christ are, then how they are to be worshiped, especially as we reverence God’s Word. The last three reveal man in his degradation, then the blessedness of being lifted out of this state by the grace of God, which alone brings true contentment.

There are at least ten other volumes by Burroughes in print that may be read with real benefit.

Readers who have enjoyed Dr Davison's comments on Burroughes will be glad to know of his forthcoming articles on his favourite puritan in future issues of the Banner of Truth magazine.