A77976:346
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.
Eighthly, Sin is a greater evil to man than affliction, because it's that which put the Creature under the Sentence of Condemnation.
Eighthly, Sin is a greater evil than Affliction, Because it is that which puts the Creature under the Sentence of Condemnation, and so makes more against the good of man than any affliction can do. For a poor Creature to see himself stand before the great Judg of all the World, and have the Sentence of Condemnation come out against him; this is a greater evil than to have any affliction that all the Creatures of Heaven and Earth could bring upon him. As now, take a Malefactor that is to stand before Mans Judgment Seat, and to receive Sentence of Condemnation; is not this a greater evil unto him than if ⟨p. 278⟩he should hear of loss in his estate, than if he had sickness in his body, any pain in his limbs; to stand thus to receive the Sentence, he looks upon it as a greater evil than possibly can befall him in this world otherwise. But then, when the soul shall see it self stand before the infinite glorious, eternal first-Being of all things, and looks upon God sitting upon his Tribunal passing Sentence of Eternal Death upon him; this is another manner of evil than any affliction and suffering that can befall him. But now, know there is not any one sin that thou committest (but if you look upon it as in it self) God sits, I say, upon his Throne, and passeth Sentence of death upon thee for it as really as ever he will do at the great day of Judgment; it is done now as really and as truly in this world as ever it shall be at the day of Judgment, only here is the difference, then it is irrecoverable; nay, shall I say it cannot be recalled here; no certainly it shall not, only it may be transmitted to Christ, he must bear it, he must have the sentence; so that it is not properly recalled, God doth not as a Judg that passeth Sentence, and afterward nullifies it: no, but God passeth Sentence and condemns the sinner; only Christ comes in and takes the Sentence upon himself; so that the Sentence goeth on still, only it is transferred from one person to another; Christ comes in, and he puts on the Sentence of Condemnation for thee that hast it passed against thee, so that the Sentence is not properly nullified, but transferred to Christ: