A77976:305
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.
3 Hence it follows, That all the Creatures in the world were brought under the Dominion of Man to be serviceable unto Man; why? Because he had so much of the Image of God in him: upon that all Creatures in the world were to lie under his feet, to be perfectly subject to the Dominion of Man. Now if the Image of God be such a glorious thing as it is, then what would you say of that which doth deface this Image? that must needs be an evil thing, and do much to the hurt of man that shall deface such an excellency as this is. Now certainly sin doth so; sin doth cast dirt into this Image of God, and doth deface it: and therefore in the 3. Col 10. the Apostle there speaking of renewing grace, sanctifying grace, it is said, by it we come to have the Image of God renewed: by grace; then it is apparent, by sin the Image of God is defaced. Now Prethren, if a man did take delight in a curious piece, as there be some men that will give five hundred pounds, a thousand pounds for some curious thing drawn with Art: suppose such a one that prizeth such a piece, and there should come one and quite deface it; would he not account this a great evil, and his heart rise against him? Thus it is in this case, ⟨p. 149⟩the Image of God in the soul of man, is the curiousest piece that ever was drawn in the world by the finger of Gods Spirit; all Creatures in Heaven and Earth could never draw such a piece, but sin defaceth it; nay, such is the evil of sin, that one sin is enough quite to deface, and take away the Image of God: As we know in Adam, that was made according to the Image of God, one sin quite defaced the Image of God: As we account a House quite defaced and demolished, though here and there a little rubbish and stones remain: as in your Monasteries or Abbeys that are demolished, though there be a few stones and rubbish left, yet the House is demolished. So all that is left in Man of Gods Image, is but as the little rubbish of such a house left after its demolishing; yea, that which is left, according to the Opinion of many of the Learned, is not a remainder of the Image of God in man that he had at first Creation; but rather a small pittance of some common gifts of Gods Spirit:
3 Hence it follows, That all the Creatures in the world were brought under the Dominion of Man to be serviceable unto Man; why? Because he had so much of the Image of God in him: upon that all Creatures in the world were to lie under his feet, to be perfectly subject to the Dominion of Man. Now if the Image of God be such a glorious thing as it is, then what would you say of that which doth deface this Image? that must needs be an evil thing, and do much to the hurt of man that shall deface such an ezcellency as this is. Now certainly sin doth so; sin doth cast dirt into this Image of God, and doth deface it: and therefore in the 3. Col 10. the Apostle there speaking of renewing grace, sanctifying grace, it is said, by it we come to have the Image of God renewed: by grace; then it is apparent, by sin the Image of God is defaced. Now Prethren, if a man did take delight in a curious piece, as there be some men that will give five hundred pounds, a thousand pounds for some curious thing drawn with Art: suppose such a one that prizeth such a piece, and there should come one and quite deface it; would he not account this a great evil, and his heart rise against him? Thus it is in this case,