A77976:13
The Evil of Evils
The eighth book of Mr Jeremiah Burroughs. Being a treatise of the evil of evils, or the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Wherein is showed, 1 There is more evil in the least sin, than there is in the greatest affliction. 2 Sin is most opposite to God. 3 Sin is most opposite to mans good. 4 Sin is opposite to all good in general. 5 Sin is the poison, or evil of all other evils. 6 Sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it. 7 Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil. All these several heads are branched out into very many particulars. / Published by Thomas Goodwin, William Bridge, Sydrach Simpson, William Adderly, [double brace] William Greenhil, Philip Nigh, John Yates.The eighth book of Mr Jeremiah Burroughs. Being a treatise of the evil of evils, or the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Wherein is shewed, 1 There is more evil in the least sin, than there is in the greatest affliction. 2 Sin is most opposite to God. 3 Sin is most opposite to mans good. 4 Sin is opposite to all good in general. 5 Sin is the poyson, or evil of all other evils. 6 Sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it. 7 Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil. All these several heads are branched out into very many particulars. / Published by Thomas Goodwyn, William Bridge, Sydrach Sympson, William Adderly, [double brace] William Greenhil, Philip Nye, John Yates.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1654
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
To the Reader.
READER,
THE Creatures vanity and emptiness, the abounding Sinfulness of Sin, and Christs All-sufficiency and Fullness, and how to live the life of Faith in Christ, are Subjects containing the Sum and Substance of Religion, and much treated on promiscuously amongst Divines. And I think amongst all the Treatises of this blessed man, Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs (now triumphing in glory above all sin and sorrow) which have been received with so much acceptation amongst the Saints, there hath not been presented to thy view a more Practical Piece than this now under thy ⟨image 5⟩hands: And though divers Divines have written and spoken much concerning this Subject, yet in my poor Judgment, this out-goes all of this Nature, that ever my eyes beheld, setting forth with life and spirit the Subject in hand, and bringing it down powerfully in a practical way to convince the Judgment, and work upon the affections of the weakest Reader. That which is the undoing of those who think themselves no small Christians, is resting in a bare notion of the Creatures emptiness, Sins filthiness, Christs Fullness, and having some high towering speculations concerning the Nature and Object of Faith: and to be able to discourse of these things in company, and upon occasion, is the Religion of the World, and more especially of our Formal Professors. Now the reality of these confessed Principles are not made powerful upon the conscience by the clearest natural acquired light in the World: but when the Lord is pleased to set home those over-awing, soul ballasting-thoughts ⟨image 5⟩of Eternity, then, and never till then, shall we live, act, and walk as a people who acknowledge these Principles of Christianity to be true: Whilst the things of Religion, and thoughts of Eternity lie swimming only in our Brains, they never conquer, command, and subdue the heart in a way of Practical Obedience. Many mens thoughts language, and lives are such, that if they were certain there is no God, no Sin, no Hell, no wrath to be feared, no Grace to be minded and attained, no Judgment day when they must give an account, they could not be worse than they are, nor do worse than they do; Oh the horrid Atheism bound up in mens hearts, and they see it not, how else durst men be so profane in their lives under Gospel light? how durst they sit so stupidly under the powerful awaking means of Grace?