The Evil of Evils

Because every sinful way is a departing from God, and all that good in God: now this in the account of Reason may appear to the weakest capacity, That where there stands two goods propounded, and I depart from one, and choose the other; by my choosing, though I say nothing, when I choose the one, when I cannot enjoy both together; I do thereby profess I account more good to be in that other I choose, than in that former I parted from: Thus it is in the ways of Sin, God sets forth himself to the Soul, and shows his goodness and excellency, as appeareth in all his glorious works; and those that live under the Gospel, as appeareth in his word to them; and God woes the Soul, My Son give me thy heart, and here I am willing to communicate my self to thee, and all that good in me to thy Soul; if I have any good, any thing in that infinite Nature of mine, to comfort thy Soul, and make thee happy, here I am willing to let it out and communicate it to thee: Thus God professes to all the world, all the Children of men, to whom at least the Ministry of the Gospel comes, if thy Soul will come in and close with him in that way he reveals to thee, he is ready to communicate that goodness in him to thy Soul to make thee blessed. But now any man or woman in any sinful way, though they do not say so, yet they profess by their practice this, That though there be such goodness in thee, yet here is such a sinful lust, I expect more goodness in this than in thy blessed Majesty: Certainly there is this in every Sin, and God ⟨p. 61⟩seeth it, and God will deal with a sinner according to this if he come to answer for his sin himself. For (Brethren) thus it stands, we cannot enjoy God and sinful ways both together; so far as any decline to sinful ways, so far they venture the loss of God eternally, and all that good in God. It may be God may have mercy upon thee, and bring thee into Christ; and Christ may satisfy God for that wrong thou didst to him, this is nothing to thee, but there is this evil in thee, there is not one sinful way that thou closest with, but thou venturest the loss of all that infinite good to be enjoyed in the blessed God, in that sin: here is the evil of sin: And is not this a wrong to God? what is God, if not better than a base lust?

Because everie sinful way is a departing from God, and all that good in God: now this in the account of Reason may appear to the weakest capacity, That where there stands two goods propounded, and I depart from one, and chuse the other; by my chusing, though I say nothing, when I chuse the one, when I cannot injoy both together; I do thereby profess I account more good to be in that other I chuse, than in that former I parted from: Thus it is in the waies of Sin, God sets forth himself to the Soul, and shews his goodness and excellencie, as appeareth in all his glorious works; and those that live under the Gospel, as appeareth in his word to them; and God woes the Soul, My Son give me thy heart, and here I am willing to communicate my self to thee, and all that good in me to thy Soul; if I have anie good, anie thing in that infinite Nature of mine, to comfort thy Soul, and make thee happie, here I am willing to let it out and communicate it to thee: Thus God professes to all the world, all the Children of men, to whom at least the Ministerie of the Gospel comes, if thy Soul will come in and close with him in that way he reveals to thee, he is readie to communicate that goodness in him to thy Soul to make thee blessed. But now anie man or woman in anie sinful way, though they do not say so, yet they profess by their practice this, That though there be such goodness in thee, yet here is such a sinful lust, I expect more goodness in this than in thy blessed Majestie: Certainly there is this in everie Sin, and God