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Moses' Self-Denial
Reflecting on Hebrews 11:24 25, Jeremiah Burroughs ponders how Moses relinquished his noble and comfortable rights as the son of Pharaoh s daughter to find greater honor as a suffering son of Abraham. Burroughs explains how Christians are called to deny all honors, privileges, and delights for the sake of Christ. He also shows how God is especially honored when we forgo selfish desires at a time when they seem most advantageous to us. You will benefit greatly to see how faith acts to transform losses caused by self-denial into true honor. This is an insightful, practical book a helpful antidote for our natural selfishness.
147 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2010
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52 people want to read
About the author
Jeremiah Burroughs
127 books88 followersJeremiah Burroughs (or Burroughes) was baptized in 1601 and admitted as a pensioner at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1617. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1621 and a Master of Arts degree in 1624. His tutor was Thomas Hooker.
Burroughs’s ministry falls into four periods, all of which reveal him as a zealous and faithful pastor. First, from about 1627 until 1631, he was assistant to Edmund Calamy at Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Both men became members of the Westminster Assembly. Both men strongly opposed King James’s Book of Sports. Both refused to read the king’s proclamation in church that dancing, archery, vaulting, and other games were lawful recreations on the Lord’s Day.
Second, from 1631 to 1636, Burroughs was rector of Tivetshall, Norfolk, a church that still stands today. Despite the best efforts of his patron, Burroughs was suspended in 1636 and deprived in 1637 for refusing to obey the injunctions of Bishop Matthew Wren, especially regarding the reading of the Book of Sports, and the requirements to bow at the name of Jesus and to read prayers rather than speak them extemporaneously.
Third, from 1638 to 1640, Burroughs lived in the Netherlands, where he was teacher of a congregation of English Independents at Rotterdam, formerly ministered by William Ames. William Bridge was the pastor and Sidrach Simpson had established a second like-minded church in the city. Thus, three future dissenting brethren were brought together, all of whom would serve as propagandists for congregationalism later in the 1640s.
In the final period from 1640 to his death in 1646, Burroughs achieved great recognition as a popular preacher and a leading Puritan in London. He returned to England during the Commonwealth period and became pastor of two of the largest congregations in London: Stepney and St. Giles, Cripplegate. At Stepney, he preached early in the morning and became known as “the morning star of Stepney.” He was invited to preach before the House of Commons and the House of Lords several times. Thomas Brooks called him “a prince of preachers.”
As a member of the Westminster Assembly, Burroughs sided with the Independents, but he remained moderate in tone, acting in accord with the motto on his study door: Opinionum varietas et opinantium unitas non sunt ασυστατα (“variety of opinion and unity of opinion are not incompatible”). Richard Baxter said, “If all the Episcopalians had been like Archbishop Ussher, all the Presbyterians like Stephen Marshall, and all the Independents like Jeremiah Burroughs, the breaches of the church would soon have been healed.”
In 1644, Burroughs and several colleagues presented to Parliament their Apologetical Narration, which defended Independency. It attempted to steer a middle course between Presbyterianism, which they regarded as too authoritarian, and Brownism, which they regarded as too democratic. This led to division between the Presbyterians and Independents. Burroughs served on the committee of accommodation, which tried to reconcile the differences, but on March 9, 1646, he declared on behalf of the Independents that presbyteries were “coercive institutions.” Burroughs said he would rather suffer or emigrate than submit to presbyteries. Ultimately, the division between Presbyterians and Independents helped promote the cause of prelacy after the death of Oliver Cromwell.
Burroughs pursued peace to the end. He died in 1646, two weeks after a fall from his horse. The last subject on which he preached became his Irenicum to the Lovers of Truth and Peace, an attempt to heal divisions between believers. Many of his friends believed that church troubles hastened his death.
Burroughs was a prolific writer, highly esteemed by Puritan leaders of his day, some of whom published his writings after his death. Nearly all of his books are compilations of sermons.
Burroughs’s ministry falls into four periods, all of which reveal him as a zealous and faithful pastor. First, from about 1627 until 1631, he was assistant to Edmund Calamy at Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Both men became members of the Westminster Assembly. Both men strongly opposed King James’s Book of Sports. Both refused to read the king’s proclamation in church that dancing, archery, vaulting, and other games were lawful recreations on the Lord’s Day.
Second, from 1631 to 1636, Burroughs was rector of Tivetshall, Norfolk, a church that still stands today. Despite the best efforts of his patron, Burroughs was suspended in 1636 and deprived in 1637 for refusing to obey the injunctions of Bishop Matthew Wren, especially regarding the reading of the Book of Sports, and the requirements to bow at the name of Jesus and to read prayers rather than speak them extemporaneously.
Third, from 1638 to 1640, Burroughs lived in the Netherlands, where he was teacher of a congregation of English Independents at Rotterdam, formerly ministered by William Ames. William Bridge was the pastor and Sidrach Simpson had established a second like-minded church in the city. Thus, three future dissenting brethren were brought together, all of whom would serve as propagandists for congregationalism later in the 1640s.
In the final period from 1640 to his death in 1646, Burroughs achieved great recognition as a popular preacher and a leading Puritan in London. He returned to England during the Commonwealth period and became pastor of two of the largest congregations in London: Stepney and St. Giles, Cripplegate. At Stepney, he preached early in the morning and became known as “the morning star of Stepney.” He was invited to preach before the House of Commons and the House of Lords several times. Thomas Brooks called him “a prince of preachers.”
As a member of the Westminster Assembly, Burroughs sided with the Independents, but he remained moderate in tone, acting in accord with the motto on his study door: Opinionum varietas et opinantium unitas non sunt ασυστατα (“variety of opinion and unity of opinion are not incompatible”). Richard Baxter said, “If all the Episcopalians had been like Archbishop Ussher, all the Presbyterians like Stephen Marshall, and all the Independents like Jeremiah Burroughs, the breaches of the church would soon have been healed.”
In 1644, Burroughs and several colleagues presented to Parliament their Apologetical Narration, which defended Independency. It attempted to steer a middle course between Presbyterianism, which they regarded as too authoritarian, and Brownism, which they regarded as too democratic. This led to division between the Presbyterians and Independents. Burroughs served on the committee of accommodation, which tried to reconcile the differences, but on March 9, 1646, he declared on behalf of the Independents that presbyteries were “coercive institutions.” Burroughs said he would rather suffer or emigrate than submit to presbyteries. Ultimately, the division between Presbyterians and Independents helped promote the cause of prelacy after the death of Oliver Cromwell.
Burroughs pursued peace to the end. He died in 1646, two weeks after a fall from his horse. The last subject on which he preached became his Irenicum to the Lovers of Truth and Peace, an attempt to heal divisions between believers. Many of his friends believed that church troubles hastened his death.
Burroughs was a prolific writer, highly esteemed by Puritan leaders of his day, some of whom published his writings after his death. Nearly all of his books are compilations of sermons.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 13, 2025
A few observations:
1. For a book with “Moses” in the title, there is shockingly little about him here.
2. Burroughs is a solid theologian, but could have used a good editor. (I do, of course, realize this is originally from the 1600s and writing was structured differently then. It still needs some clearer structural support and paring in places.)
3. Antiquated language and references make reading this difficult at times. I’m thankful I read it, but it is not something I would hand to a novice.
4. This book helpfully shows how true self-denial is about honoring Christ firstly. Apart from this correct heart motivation, denying one’s self can, ironically, be done for selfish reasons.
1. For a book with “Moses” in the title, there is shockingly little about him here.
2. Burroughs is a solid theologian, but could have used a good editor. (I do, of course, realize this is originally from the 1600s and writing was structured differently then. It still needs some clearer structural support and paring in places.)
3. Antiquated language and references make reading this difficult at times. I’m thankful I read it, but it is not something I would hand to a novice.
4. This book helpfully shows how true self-denial is about honoring Christ firstly. Apart from this correct heart motivation, denying one’s self can, ironically, be done for selfish reasons.
July 20, 2023
Self-denial is an all too neglected virtue of Christian living. It is apparent that this virtue is called for throughout the Bible. Burroughs homes in on one particular verse from Hebrews 11 centering on Moses' self-denial by denying his adoptive home for identification with God's people. The first half of the book, I thought, was not as strong as the first. Burroughs uses a ton of illustrations of self-denial from the classical and medieval period with some being legendary and untrue illustrations (the blinding of Belisarius comes to mind.) His point is clear enough though. The second half of the book is geared toward faithful living through the Christian life. He is not calling for self-denial simply for the sake of denying self but for a purpose which is faith in Christ. Primarily he is pointing to the faith with is placing trust, hope, and focus on Christ Jesus. The second section of the book was amazing while the first portion was average in many points. It's quite a well done sermon though and quite helpful for a neglected aspect of the Christian life.
January 3, 2020
Terrific in some ways but the writing is rather difficult. It’s a lot to ask to slog through when you could pickup a Bible and understand it easier. I found myself asking the question “how is it that the sermon is more complex and hard to understand than the text it’s explaining??” I think it’s just that English in the days of boroughs was so much different. Whereas the Bible’s translation into English is much more straightforward. Or - and maybe this is the case - our Lords words weren’t nearly as flowery as these puritans...
June 9, 2021
This actually wasn’t so much centred on Moses, but more of a general study on self denial. Burroughs pulls from examples from many different places, whether it be Scripture, Christians of history, and also pagans.
The book took some time to get into, and honestly I don’t remember much of the first portion, but it finished strong, emphasising the importance and supernatural power in and from genuine faith.
The book took some time to get into, and honestly I don’t remember much of the first portion, but it finished strong, emphasising the importance and supernatural power in and from genuine faith.
February 28, 2023
This was a great book from Jeremiah Burroughs on self-denial. The language is in old English, so it can be difficult to read in parts, but it is truly insightful into the topic. You will be humbled in many places, and glad you read this book once you are finished.
August 30, 2012
I would give this book 5 stars for content but I reduced it to 3 because reading the book was difficult. Many sections had to be read & re-read over & over for me to fully apprehend Mr. Burroughs point. Dr. Joel Beeke recommended this book to me & there is good reason to make time to read it, but knowing how much went over my head during the first pass, I'll be reading this one again.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews