A77976:217
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 17
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.
Thirdly, That which follows hence, That Sin is so much against God as hath been showed, We see that there are but very few that are humbled for sin aright: It will follow from hence, I shall make it out from the Point, That if Sin be of this nature so much against God as you have heard, certainly there are few people ⟨p. 85⟩in the world are humbled for sin aright. There are many people that are troubled for sin, and will cry out of their sin, are stricken with many fears and terrors for sin, and yet never humbled for sin aright, and it is clear from that you have heard out of this Point. Why? Because that Humiliation for sin that is aright, it must needs be an humiliation for it as it is the greatest evil of all; and it is the greatest evil as it is against God himself. Now the humiliation of most in the world it is not so much for this, because sin is so much against God, because it opposeth God, strikes at God, and wrongs God so much: This is not the thing that doth usually take the hearts of men and women▪ in their trouble for sin; but for the fear of the wrath of God, and of Hell, and an accusing Conscience that doth flash the very fire of Hell in their faces; this troubles them. And well were it for many that they were but troubled so far; true, this trouble is that which God doth many times bless, and there is great use of it, but this is not all; no nor the chief trouble of the Soul for sin. These fears and horrors (I say) are not the chief; the chief of all is the humiliation of the soul for sin, as it is against God; then is the heart humbled aright for sin, when it apprehends how by sin the soul hath been against the infinite glorious first-Being of all things. All other humiliations in the world is not sufficient without this. For,
THirdly, That which follows hence, That Sin is so much against God as hath been shewed, We see that there are but very few that are humbled for sin aright: It will follow from hence, I shall make it out from the Point, That if Sin be of this nature so much against God as you have heard, certainly there are few people ⟨p. 85⟩in the world are humbled for sin aright. There are many people that are troubled for sin, and will cry out of their sin, are struken with many feares and terrors for sin, and yet never humbled for sin aright, and it is clear from that you have heard out of this Point. Why? Because that Humiliation for sin that is aright, it must needs be an humiliation for it as it is the greatest evil of all; and it is the greatest evil as it is against God himself. Now the humiliation of most in the world it is not so much for this, because sin is so much against God, because it opposeth God, strikes at God, and wrongs God so much: This is not the thing that doth usually take the hearts of men and women in their trouble for sin; but for the fear of the wrath of God, and of Hell, and an accusing Conscience that doth flash the very fire of Hell in their faces; this troubles them. And well were it for many that they were but troubled so far; true, this trouble is that which God doth many times bless, and there is great use of it, but this is not all; no nor the chief trouble of the Soul for sin. These fears and horrors (I say) are not the chief; the chief of all is the humiliation of the soul for sin, as it is against God; then is the heart humbled aright for sin, when it apprehends how by sin the soul hath been against the infinite glorious first-Being of all things. All other humiliations in the world is not sufficient without this. For,