A77976:333
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.
CHAP. XXX.
Seventhly, Sin is more opposite to mans good than Affliction, because sin brings guilt upon the soul.
Seventhly, There is more evil in sin than in affliction, Because sin is more opposite against our own good than affliction, and that in this seventh respect, Sin brings guilt upon the soul, it makes the Creature stand guilty in the presence of God: Now guilt upon the soul is a greater evil than any affliction can be: that is the thing I am now to open. Guilt, what is that? it is the binding over of the sinner to Gods Justice, and to the Law, to answer, and be liable unto what the Law requires as punishment due to the sinner: so that then for a Creature to stand bound over to Gods infinite Justice, and the Law, hath more evil in it against mans good than all the afflictions and miseries in the world; this is the thing I am to make good. A sinner goeth up and down with the chains of guilt upon him; Iron chains grating upon the sore flesh of a man, is not so tedious and grievous as the chains of guilt upon conscience. Certainly this is one especial reason why many wicked men and women are so froward as they are, because they have much guilt upon their spirits, that as Iron ch•ins would grate the raw flesh, so doth that guilt lie ⟨p. 270⟩upon Conscience, and that makes them so froward & peevish as they are; froward against God, and against man. Many men that you are to deal withal, you shall find them against the Word extreme froward, & perverse against their acquaintance, neighbours, & family, & nearest friends, & we cannot imagine sometimes what is the reason: Certainly this is one especial reason, there is much guilt upon their consciences, and spirits; and this doth so disquiet and vex them, that they fling out at God, and his Word, and every one; they can have no quiet they be so vexed and galled with that guilt upon their spirits: there is a great deal of cause to suspect much guilt to be upon those that be so outrageous, and can bear nothing; that have their hearts rise against the Word especially. Brethren, if you see any one that hath any light of Conscience, and hath made profession heretofore, if such an one shall frowardly fly out against the Word, and those that be godly, you may conclude there is some woeful guilt upon that mans spirit, he is so froward, and peevish, and disquiet as he is: And so we find it in Saul, he was a man at first of a very quiet spirit, and very moderate;