The dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in several treatisesThe dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in severall treatises

2 Sam. 24.10. And now I beseech thee, take away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly.

The occasion of the words. p. 1. Parts of the Text. p. 3. Words opened. Ibid. The letter of the words speak three Doctrines. First, Gods servants may commit sin, commit iniquity, the iniquity of thy servant. Ibid. Secondly, Fresh sinning, must have fresh repentings. Ibid. Thirdly, There needs fresh pardon, for fresh revoltings. Ibid. Doctrines handled are two, First, Sin is, and Gods people do apprehend it to be, the greatest Evil in the World. Secondly, When God threatens to punish sin, it is the best way to run to God, to take away sin. p. 3. First Doctrine. p. 4. That sin is the greatest Evil; Showed, First, By Collation. Secondly, By Demonstration. First, By Collation and Comparison. First, Most of all other evils are but outward. Secondly, All other evils are but of a temporal nature, they have an end, this evil is of an eternal nature. Thirdly, All other evils do not make a man the subject of Gods wrath. Fourthly, Other evils do but oppose our well being, nay only our well being for present. Fifthly, Other evils are but destructive to a mans self, fight but against particulars. Sixthly, All other evils are Gods Creatures, and so far good. Seventhly, Other evils are used by God, as medicines either, First, To prevent this; or Secondly, for the cure of this. p. 4, 5. Doctrines proved by Demonstration. 1 That which fighteth against, and opposeth the greatest good, must needs be the greatest evil. p. 5, 6. ⟨image 5⟩Secondly, That which is universally evil, all evil, and no good, must needs be the greatest evil, but sin is all evil, &c. p. 6. Thirdly, That which is the sole object of Gods hatred, must needs be the greatest evil; but sin is, &c. Fourthly, That which separates the soul from the chief good, must needs be the greatest evil. p. 7. Fifthly, That which is the ground and cause of all other evils, must needs be the greatest evil; but sin is, &c. p. 8. National evils, 1. Wars, 2. Famine, 3. Pestilence; personal; temporal, spiritual, eternal. p. 8. Sixthly, That which is worse than the utmost evil, must needs be the greatest evil; but sin is worse than the utmost evils, worse than Hell. p. 9. Second part of the Doctrine (as sin is in it self so) In the apprehensions of Gods people, sin is the greatest evil; and this appears by p. 9. 1. Their sighs for sin. 2. By their sufferings to avoid sin, they have esteemed sin worse than 1. Poverty. 2. Prisons.