Aggravation of sin and sinning against knowledge. Mercy. Delivered in several sermons upon divers…Aggravation of sinne and sinning against knowledge. Mercie. Delivered in severall sermons upon divers…

But yet this estimate is but taken from the effects of it, the essence of it which is the cause of all these evils, must needs have much more mischief in it. Shall I speak the least evil I can say of it? It contains all evils also in it: therefore James 1. 23. the Apostle calls it filthiness, and abundance of superfluity, or excrement as it were, ⟨p. 7⟩of naughtiness. [Greek or Hebrew]. As if so transcendent, that if all evils were to have an excrement, a scum, a superfluity, sin is it, as being the abstracted quintessence of all evil. An evil, which in the nature and essence of it virtually, and eminently, contains all evils of what kind soever that are in the world; Insomuch as in the Scriptures you shall find that all the evils in the world, serve but to answer for it, and to give names to it. Hence sin it is called poison, and sinners serpents: sin is called a vomit, sinners dogs: sin the stench of graves, and they rotten sepulchres: sin mire, sinners sows: and sin darkness, blindness, shame, nakedness, folly, madness, death, whatsoever is filthy, defective, infective, painful. Now as the holy Ghost says of Nabal, as is his name, so is he; so may we say of sin: for if Adam gave names to all things, according to their nature, much more God, who calls things as they are. Surely God would not slander sin, though it be his only enemy. And besides, there is reason for this, for it is the cause of all evils. God sowed nothing but good seed in the world; He beheld, and saw all things were very good. It is sin hath sown the tares: all those evils that have come up, sorrows and diseases, both unto men and beasts. Now whatsoever is in the effect, is via eminentiae in the cause. Surely therefore it is to the soul of man (the miserable vessel and subject of it) all that, which poison, death, and sickness is unto the other creatures, and to the body; and in that, it is all ⟨p. 8⟩these to the soul, it is therefore more than all these to it: for corruptio optimi pessima: by how much the soul exceeds all other creatures, by so much must sin, which is the corruption, poison, death, and sickness of it, exceed all other evils.

But yet this estimate is but taken from the effects of it, the essence of it which is the cause of all these evills, must needs have much more mischiefe in it. Shall I speak the least evill I can say of it? It conteins all evills als in it: therefore