A77976:296
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.
1 Those that are most sorely afflicted, yet to show that they are not the worse for their afflictions, see the 11. Heb. 36, 37, 38. verses; I suppose you that are acquainted with the Word of God, know the ⟨p. 142⟩story, that the Christians went up and down the world in Sheep Skins and Goats Skins, Persecuted and afflicted, and dwelling in the Caves of the Earth; they had trials of cruel mockings, and scourgings; yea, moreover, of bands, and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. What can be said be more of affliction? if affliction can make a man miserable, surely these must needs be miserable: They were mocked and flouted, and made the off-scouring of the World; driven from house and home, and went in sheep skins and goat skins: many think themselves miserable if they cannot go fine and brave; these went in sheep skins and goat skins, and were sawen asunder, miserably tormented and afflicted: It may be some will say, certainly these were in a most miserable condition: now mark the next words of the holy Ghost, Of whom the world was not worthy: they were under such sore afflictions, and yet they were such excellent persons as the world was not worthy of them in their worst condition, they were so excellent that the world was not worthy of them: They were thought to be such as were not worthy to live in the world, thus the evil world thought of them; but mark the difference of the Judgment of God from the Judgment of the World; the World thinks they are so vile that they are not worthy to live in the World; and God thinks they are so excellent that the World is not worthy that they should live amongst them. ⟨p. 143⟩I remember Chrysostom hath this upon it, That they were so excellent, as all the men in the world were not worth one of them; put all the other men in the world together, and they were not worth so much as (at least) a few of these afflicted, persecuted, tormented Christians: as if he should say, do you see a company of poor Creatures walking in sheep skins and goat skins, and live in caves and dens of the Earth;
1 Those that are most sorely afflicted, yet to shew that they are not the worse for their afflictions, see the 11. Heb. 36, 37, 38. verses; I suppose you that are acquainted with the Word of God, know the