A77976:360
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. XXXV.
XII. Sin is a greater Evil to man than Affliction, because it puts a man under the Curse of God.
XII. Nay further, It puts the Creature under the Curse of God: it doth separate the Creature for evil. Psal. 4. 3. It is said, God separates the righteous man for himself. So sin separates the Creature for evil, and makes him Anathema, accursed: For God in Deut. 27 26. saith, Cursed is every one that abides not in every thing that is written in the Law to do it; he is accursed in all that he hath and doth: The Curse of God is against him. And here observe, sin doth not only deserve a Curse, that the Creature should be accursed, but of its own nature it is a Curse, and makes the Creature accursed in its own nature. As thus, you may see the evil of sin by the excellency of Grace: Thus Grace doth not only bring excellency upon the Creature, and brings a blessing, but of it self it separates the Creature for a blessing. For what is holiness but grace? they be usually expressed for one and the same; now what is Holiness but the Consecration of a thing for God; so that when Holiness comes into the heart, that is nothing else but ⟨p. 292⟩that gracious Principle whereby the soul of a man or woman, before common to Lust and sin, is now come to be separated from all these things and to be consecrated and given up to God himself, that's Holiness. Now sin must needs be contrary unto holiness. As holiness is a separation of the Creature from other things, and a consecration of it unto God; so sin is a separation of the Creature from God and all good, and devoting of it up unto wrath, and misery, and a curse, and all evil whatsoever in its own nature; it is not in the desert only. Many men think sin in its desert deserves a Curse, but they understand not how sin in its own nature separates the heart from God, and so gives it up to all evil, and all misery, as grace doth to all good. This is the evil of sin, and therefore another manner of evil than there is in Affliction.