A77976:158
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.
THE EVIL of EVILS: OR, The Exceeding Sinfulness OF SIN. › Chapter 10
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.
CHAP. X.
Sin is a striking against God. 1 The sinner wisheth God were not so Holy, &c. 2 It seek the destruction of God. Also sin is a wronging of God.
Thirdly, Sin is a striking against God. I told you sin was an opposing of God, and all his ways: but now I say, Sin is a striking at God; at the very life of God. A man may fight with another, and yet not seek to take away his life, to destroy him; but sin strikes at the very Being of God. I remember an expression in the 24 of Levit. 16. speaking of the Blasphemer that blasphemed the Name of God; the words are translated in the Latin, He did strike through the Name of God: Certainly Sin is a striking of God. Indeed God is not a Body that we can strike through him with our hands; but God is a Spirit, and so the Spirits of men may by their sins strike through God Himself: so strike at God (observe it) as for the maintenance of thy sin, thou dost wish God might cease to be God; this is horrible wickedness you will say indeed What will you say to such a wickedness as this, that it should enter into the heart of any Creature, Oh that I might have my lust, and rather than I will part with my lust, I had rather God should cease to be ⟨p. 51⟩God; rather than I would leave my lust, I had rather God should be no more; this is horrible wickedness. But what will you say if I convince your consciences that this is in your bosoms, that you have been guilty of this sin? yea in some measure, every sin may justly be charged with this, that rather than the sin should not be committed, thou wouldst rather have God to cease to be. You will say, Lord, have mercy upon us, though you have told us some other things hard, and strict, and yet they seem to be true; but you shall never make me believe this, all the men in the world shall never make me to believe this; that I should be guilty of so much wickedness, as to be set upon my lusts so, as to desire rather God not to be God at all, rather than I lose my lust; I hope there is not such wickedness in me. I beseech you hearken, and I hope to convince you that there is so much wickedness in the heart of man; that they be set upon their sins so, that they had rather God were not God at all, than they lose their lusts; and to this end, observe these two things.