A77976:170
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 11
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.
First, Sin wrongs God in his Attributes: As thus,
First, Sin doth hold forth this, That there is not a sufficiency of good in God, for the satisfying of a soul; this language is apparent in every sin, and it holds this forth; so far as sin doth appear, it holds this forth before all, and speaks this language, That there is not enough good in God, That is, the Blessed, Glorious, Al-sufficient Eternal, Unchangeable good and Fountain of all good: yet sin makes this profession, That there is not enough good in God to satisfy this soul: or else why doth the soul depart from him in any sinful way, and go to the Creature for any good, if there be enough in God himself? Now there is great wrong done to that blessed God, who is goodness it self; for any Creature to hold this forth, That there is not sufficient good there, but that the Creature must be fain to seek for it elsewhere out of God. So long as we seek comforts in the Creature in order to God, we seek for it in God, though in the Creature, if in order unto God: but when we come to seek for any good, any comfort in any way of sin (as no sin can be committed, but there is this in it) Though deliberately you do not ⟨p. 59⟩say, that you think there is not comfort enough in God, but you will have it in this sinful way, you do not say so: but there is this in thy walking in the way of sin, God seeth this in the Nature of every sin. Would not a Father think it a wrong to him, or a Master think it a wrong, to have his Son, or his Servant, go and complain to his Neighbour and say, he hath not meat enough? That wrong you would think your Child doth to you, in going to shark at your Neighbours door for meat; this you do to God when you go to sin: As if you should say, notwithstanding there is so much said of the infinite goodness of God, and that infinite satisfaction in Him; for my part I find not enough in Him, I must have it elsewhere. This is a wrong to Gods Al-sufficiency in this first regard.
First, Sin doth hold forth this, That there is not a sufficiency of good in God, for the satisfying of a soul; this language is apparant in every sin, and it holds this forth; so far as sin doth appear, it holds this forth before all, and speaks this language, That there is not enough good in God, That is, the Blessed, Glorious, Al-sufficient Eternal, Unchangable good and Fountain of all good: yet sin makes this profession, That there is not enough good in God to satisfie this soul: or else why doth the soul depart from him in any sinful way, and go to the Creature for any good, if there be enough in God himself? Now there is great wrong done to that blessed God, who is goodness it self; for any Creature to hold this forth, That there is not sufficient good there, but that the Creature must be fain to seek for it elswhere out of God. So long as we seek comforts in the Creature in order to God, we seek for it in God, though in the Creature, if in order unto God: but when we come to seek for any good, any comfort in any way of sin (as no sin can be committed, but there is this in it) Though deliberately you do not