The Evil of an ILL Choice - Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]Chapter 13 of Moses, His Choice with His Eye Fixed Upon Heaven by Jeremiah Burroughs. The Evil of an Ill Choice Discovered.

[00:00:10]In the third place, hence those are justly rebuked who have made an ill choice. This was a blessed choice of Moses, and whosoever makes this choice are blessed of the Lord, but how few have we of Moses' mind. It is a woeful choice that many make.

[00:00:26]Most people are offended at the afflictions of God's people. Their hearts are set upon pleasure and delight, and pleasure they must have.

[00:00:34]Pleasure to the flesh is that they choose and that they follow after.

[00:00:39]But as for the afflicted ways of godliness, they cannot relish them.

[00:00:42]Their carnal sensual hearts do turn aside from them. They give themselves up to the pleasures of the flesh and satisfy themselves in the enjoyment of their hearts' desires, and God does give them up likewise to their own lusts to let them have their choice.

[00:00:58]So that they shall spend their time in mirth and jollity, in eating and drinking and gaming, and in this they bless themselves as those who have wisely provided for themselves to make their lives so full of comfort and so content as they imagine.

[00:01:13]These are set upon carnal frothy sensual things as if the chief good and happiness of man consisted in them, and therefore they give themselves liberty in them to the utmost.

[00:01:23]That wherein a man's happiness consists, he may desire infinitely, and he cannot but do it. It is as natural for him to do it as for the fire to burn or the stone to descend, and because men put happiness in the pleasures of the flesh, therefore their hearts are set infinitely upon them.

[00:01:41]That is to set, as they give themselves liberty without any bounds and desire that, if it were possible, no limits might be set either by God or man. If they have means, they account the chief good of what they have is in that they may have larger opportunities than others to satisfy the flesh and the sensual pleasures of it, and hence is the infinite excess of meats and drinks and carnal delights in those whose means afford them opportunities thereunto.

[00:02:08]Luther, speaking of this excess, hath this expression, "If Adam should now rise again and see this madness of all sorts of men, I believe he would be so amazed at it that he would stand as a stone." End quote.

[00:02:22]Aulus tells of Caligula that he made one supper that cost 300,000 crowns.

[00:02:30]I have read also of Vitellius, the emperor, that at one supper he was served 2,000 sorts of fishes and 7,000 several fowls.

[00:02:40]In such profuse expenses for the satisfying of the flesh, how many do glory as if it were the highest happiness attainable upon the earth.

[00:02:48]And the baser sort of people, seeing the great ones set upon such a kind of life in satisfying the flesh, they think there is no other happiness to be had.

[00:02:58]Therefore, all their care, thoughts, endeavors are how they may live jocundly and give satisfaction to their lusts.

[00:03:05]Clemens Alexandrinus tells of a fish that hath the heart in the belly, differing from other living creatures, which the philosophers called a sea ass.

[00:03:13]This is like sensual men whose hearts are only set upon the things of the belly, so as it may be said of many in regard of satisfying the flesh. As Aurelianus said of Bonosus, he was born not that he might live, but that he might drink.

[00:03:28]So do these seem to be born not that they might live, but that they might eat and drink and pamper the flesh.

[00:03:34]The whole world is too straight to some for the pampering their bellies.

[00:03:38]Oh, how beneath is this to the true excellency of a rational and immortal soul. What pity is it that an immortal reasonable soul should be of no other use than to keep the body alive to taste the sweet of the flesh of beasts and of the fruit of the earth.

[00:03:53]How many draw all their substance through their throats and their bellies, their houses, lands, yea, and devour their posterity like cannibals? When men in company spend their estates, their wives and children wanting bread at home, what do they but even drink the very blood of their wives and children?

[00:04:11]It was the profaneness of Esau for which God has branded him, that he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. Yet that was in the time of extreme hunger.

[00:04:19]These men sell God and heaven and all for drink, not to satisfy thirst, but their lust.

[00:04:24]But oh thou vain man, know thou art utterly mistaken in thy choice, if thou continuest in this way of thine that thou hast chosen to satisfy thy flesh in, thou art undone forever. Thou wilt ere long cry out of this choice most bitterly, and curse thyself for it most fearfully.

[00:04:41]It is a seduced heart that hath deceived thee, and thou feedest upon ashes, and thou canst not say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?" Isaiah 44:20.

[00:04:52]It is true, not only of idolaters, but of all other ways of evil. Thou feedest upon ashes. They are but ashes thou feedest upon and delightest in, and it is a seduced heart that hath turned thee aside from the ways of God that makes thee offended at them.

[00:05:08]It is the god of this world that hath blinded thy eyes, so that thou shouldst not see the glorious excellencies and beautiful pleasures and sweet delights that are in the ways of God, but that thou shouldst please thyself in those ways that tend to death.

[00:05:22]What hath the whole course of thy life been but playing with the devil's bait, under which is a hook that will snatch thee into the sorrows of eternal death?

[00:05:31]Howsoever those that live in jollity and delight in the flesh may bless themselves, yet God's people whose eyes God has opened would not be in their condition one quarter of an hour for a thousand worlds.

[00:05:42]There are diverse sorts that come under this use of reprehension for that ill and woeful choice they have made.

[00:05:49]First, such as choose to satisfy themselves in such pleasures as are in themselves sinful, such who take pleasure in filthiness and ungodliness.

[00:05:57]These are the dregs of men. These are the basest of all that can take delight in the very act of sin itself.

[00:06:03]All that is said concerning the dreadful evils of sin, and that venom and curse that there is in sin, is so far from making sin to be bitter to them as they account more pleasure to be had in many sinful ways than there is to be had in the enjoyment of all the glory that there is in God and Jesus Christ in heaven and eternity.

[00:06:23]Oh, cursed heart and cursed choice is this that when God hath revealed in his word so much concerning the evil of sin that might make any heart in the world tremble at it, that thou shouldst not only not apprehend the evil of it, and not taste any bitterness that is in it, but shouldst count it delightful. Yea, shouldst esteem so much pleasure to be had in the act of sin itself more than there is to be had in God, in Christ, or in the promise, or in heaven, or eternity.

[00:06:52]Surely a cursed seduced heart hath deceived thee.

[00:06:56]These are infinitely out of the way.

[00:06:58]What is there in sin that is thy pleasure that thou choosest as the chief contentment of thy soul?

[00:07:04]Is it possible that the chief contentment of a creature should be in sinning against an infinite God?

[00:07:10]That thy chief contentment should be in departing from God, in striking at God.

[00:07:15]So, thou doest in the way of sin that thy chief contentment should be in incensing the wrath of an infinite deity against thy soul.

[00:07:23]That thy chief contentment should be in putting thyself under the everlasting curse that binds thee over to eternal death.

[00:07:30]That thy chief contentment should be in that which being committed, if ever it comes to be pardoned, must cost more than heaven and earth is worth.

[00:07:38]Thou goest out in the morning and goest into thy company and countest happy that thou hast money to spend and so takest thy pleasure.

[00:07:46]This day thou hast done that which, if ever it be pardoned, it must cost more than heaven and earth is worth. There must be a price paid worth more than a thousand worlds to purchase the pardon of it.

[00:07:58]Canst thou choose that for thy chief contentment which was such a dreadful burden to Jesus Christ?

[00:08:04]That made the soul of Christ to be heavy to the very death, that squeezed out clots of blood from him. What is the chief pleasure and delight of thy soul in that which a true and enlightened gracious heart would rather suffer all the torments in the world than do it?

[00:08:19]If so be it, it were put to him either such a sin must be committed or else all the tortures that can be devised by the world must be inflicted upon him. A gracious heart would rather choose all the tortures that can be inflicted than do that which thou makest the greatest pleasure of thy soul.

[00:08:36]What an infinite difference is between thy base heart and the gracious heart?

[00:08:41]Thy wretched heart doth choose this deliberately as the greatest pleasure of thy life, which a gracious heart would rather suffer all the torments of the world than be brought to do it.

[00:08:51]To delight in sins against conscience is the most desperate folly in the world.

[00:08:55]No man rejoices in any error or fault in other things, but is rather ashamed.

[00:09:00]Only in the errors in the rule of life and obedience men owe to God, they rejoice in.

[00:09:05]Secondly, those come under this apprehension who, though they do not choose things for their chief pleasures that are sin, yet do choose to themselves pleasures that come in by sin. And though this be not so ill as the other, yet ill enough. That is, those that shall strain their consciences to get something in the world to raise their estates, and when they have got estates and money and things well about them, then they can be merry. Then their tables are furnished and they can eat and drink and this they delight in.

[00:09:34]Oh, poor deluded heart, what is this that can give thee so much content?

[00:09:39]Thou has cause to look upon thy table and every morsel that thou eatest as having death in it and every draught you drink as having the curse of God in it.

[00:09:48]Little cause thou has, if thou knewest all, to rejoice in these pleasures that come in by sin.

[00:09:54]Certainly, there can be no good that comes in by sin as sin.

[00:09:57]I know God may turn sin to the good of some, but that which sin brings in of itself, it is impossible good should come of it.

[00:10:05]That which thou take'st pleasure in, that which thou art merry and jocund in, delighting thyself with all, is, it may be, the calamity and misery of others.

[00:10:14]And how hard is that heart that can make that his most and joy that is the distress and sorrow of his brother.

[00:10:20]Chrysostom in a sermon against luxury and excess cries out against those who riot in those things that they have got by making others miserable and says, "It is the most grievous thing that can be."

[00:10:33]Thirdly, those who do neither of these, they choose not to themselves the pleasures that are sin nor the pleasures that come in by sin, but such pleasures in the enjoyment of which they do sin, though the pleasures be in themselves lawful, they choose to let out their hearts unto them and spend the strength of their spirits on them. They think because there is no hurt in them in themselves, therefore they may give liberty to themselves. There is a great deal of mistakenness. We may sin exceedingly in things that are lawful.

[00:10:59]When men shall spend so much time, as many that are professors do, in giving themselves content in some sports and delights to the flesh, as they cut God short of his time, that time that should be spent in examining their hearts, humbling their souls, seeking the face of God, is spent in some slight, vain, idle sport.

[00:11:20]Many are guilty of this, especially those that have means and their callings do not require such a necessity of continual attendance.

[00:11:27]How is that time spent wherein you have liberty from your callings? Certainly, no good account can be given of that time. Much might be gained to your souls in it, and much converse and communion you might have with God. And what ill choice do you make when, as many poor Christians would bless God if they could have a little liberty from their callings?

[00:11:46]On the one side, there is this liberty for you to enjoy communion with God and furnish your souls with heavenly excellencies. On the other side, there is a little vain delight and carnal content and ease to the flesh. And you rather choose this. It may be, though God hath helped you in the main, you chose right. Yet, be convinced this day of the evil of this particular choice in giving such inordinate contentment to yourselves, in giving that ease to your bodies, liberties to the sluggishness of your spirits, and reform.

[00:12:16]You have not honored God as you ought, and therefore your lives are not so beautiful.

[00:12:20]In the general, you continue in the ways of religion, but there is not that convincing luster and beauty in your lives.

[00:12:26]You do not draw others to that love of godliness because your hearts become so vain and so slight in choosing inordinate liberties to yourselves and spending your times and strength in the pleasures of the flesh. And therefore, when you come to spiritual employment, you have no strength, but your hearts are dead.

[00:12:43]I appeal to your consciences. When you have given yourselves leave to have content to the flesh, when you come to communion with God, what dead flat hearts have you?

[00:12:52]Let me speak to such this day from the Lord. This liberty you take to yourselves in the pleasures of the flesh hath been the root of the apostasy of many. As 2 Peter 2:18, those who fell off were lured through the lusts of the flesh. Even though they are said to be clean, escaped from them who live in error, yet through wantonness they were drawn aside.

[00:13:13]Wanton professors seldom prove lasting professors, at least in any power of godliness.

[00:13:20]Take this one note about this.

[00:13:22]That man or woman that shall not esteem the hardest work of godliness at a higher rate than the most delightful contentment to the flesh hath not chosen right and may suspect that yet he is to choose in the way of eternal life.

[00:13:36]It is true that the hardest duty of godliness may be burdensome to the flesh for a while, yet there is no gracious heart but esteems of this duty at an infinite higher rate than the pleasures of the flesh, though never so lawful. It looks upon the pleasures of the flesh as mean low things, though lawful, but looks upon the duties of godliness as precious things, though hard, and those are the things that are most suitable to a gracious flame of spirit.

[00:14:01]Again, fourthly, those come under this reprehension of making ill choice who have had some stirrings of the spirit of God, some workings of their consciences that their way hath not been good and right, and these have been but for some time. Afterward, they have given themselves and do give themselves to too much liberty in satisfying the flesh.

[00:14:21]These are like the Israelites of whom we read Exodus 24:29 to 11, according to the note that some have upon this place, they saw God and did eat and drink. That is, say they, although they had seen God, yet they turned again to temporal pleasures, to eating and drinking in a sensual way, as if it had reference to that sensual eating and drinking and rising up to play upon the dedication of their calf they set up, which was presently after.

[00:14:48]Thus, many, although they have seen the Lord, and this sight of God hath awakened conscience, their hearts have been much stirred for a while, yet they have after fallen to eating and drinking, to sensual pleasures, all their good beginnings have come to nothing.

[00:15:02]These, when they have been in company and come away, they have had many sad thoughts, and next day or in the night, many sad sighs and groans have come from their spirits because their spirits are enlightened and make them fear all will not be well in the end. And yet these continue still in giving themselves pleasure and delights to the flesh inordinately.

[00:15:22]If company call, they cannot refuse.

[00:17:10]this is the man that made not God his portion. Lo, here stands the man that for many years together did account more good to be had in the pleasures of the flesh than in all the good that was to be enjoyed in all the attributes of God and all the merits of Jesus Christ in all the promises of life and all the ways of grace.

[00:17:28]What does thou think will be thy condition when as thou shall be brought as guilty before men and angels that all shall look upon thee as a cursed fool in Israel?

[00:17:37]God and his angels look now upon thee as a fool in Israel. When thou shall be brought to have all the world look upon thee as guilty of such a cursed folly as this, how bitter will it be to thee?

[00:17:48]Wouldst thou be willing to be in such a condition as this?

[00:17:52]Again, wouldst thou be willing at the great day to be found guilty of hating the ways of God?

[00:17:58]"I hope I do not so." Will some say, "Though I give pleasure to my flesh."

[00:18:03]Yes, that man or woman that choose the way of giving content to the flesh rather than the strict ways of godliness, such a one hates God's ways and so hates God himself in hating God's ways. As mark that place in Proverbs 1, "For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord."

[00:18:21]How was it proved that they hated knowledge? They hated that truth of God and that which should bring them into the ways of God and guide them in it.

[00:18:29]How does that appear? They did not choose the fear of the Lord. If thou does not choose the ways of God, thou hatest the ways of God and so by consequent are a hater of God himself.

[00:18:41]Thirdly, wouldst thou willingly have God reject all thy services and account them as abominable to him?

[00:18:47]Thus he threatens against those who choose their own ways. Isaiah 66:3, "He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man. He that sacrificeth a lamb as if he cut off a dog's neck. He that offereth an oblation as if he offered swine's blood. He that burneth incense as if he blessed an idol." And the reason of all is given, "They have chosen their own ways and their soul delighteth in their abominations."

[00:19:12]There are not such four expressions of God's rejecting a man's services that he tenders up to him in all the book of God. And this is given as the reason of all because they have chosen their own ways.

[00:19:25]Again, wouldst thou not be loath that in the time of greatest anguish of spirit and affliction of body, when thou shalt be crying to God for mercy, that God should take pleasure in thy misery and be so far from relieving of thee as to mock at thy destruction?

[00:19:40]Now, thou canst laugh and be merry and jocund, but what if it does prove that this way of mirth and delight to the flesh shall procure unto thee God's laughing and God's mocking at thee in thy anguish and greatest distress that ever thy soul shall be in? Certainly, if thou walkest in the way thou art in, this will be thy portion.

[00:19:58]Mark that place in Proverbs 1:24.

[00:20:01]What God says, "I have called and you refused. I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded, but you have set at naught all my counsel and would none of my reproof.

[00:20:12]I also will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your fear cometh, etc." Be it known unto thee that in whatsoever sin thou blessest thyself, the more thou blessest thyself in it, the more cursed shall it be unto thee.

[00:20:24]What comfort will the pleasures of the flesh be to thee when as Christ shall come and say, "Was I content to part with the pleasures of heaven, the bosom of my father, to redeem poor man, and was it not the pleasure of a little meat and drink thou couldst be content to part with for me?

[00:20:40]Could I be content to part with my blood, and couldst not thou be content to part with thy lusts?

[00:20:46]Was not all my sufferings worthy of enduring those little things thou wouldst called to suffer in thy life?

[00:20:52]What? Was not all that glory of mine that I revealed in my word and works sufficient to show me to be worthy that thou shouldst have given such a testimony of thy respect and honor to me as to be willing to part with such poor, empty, slight things and to suffer such poor little things.

[00:21:08]When God shall bring the saints before thee that did make a better choice, and thou shalt see them to be in a most glorious blessed condition, and thou thyself cast off forever. How will this confound thee another day? Consider of this that you have made an ill choice now while it is time. Consider of the evil, of the folly, of the danger, of the cursedness of that choice that you have made in that you have chosen rather to give content to your flesh than the ways of godliness. Wherefore, for the following of this in a word of exhortation,