A77976:379
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. XXXVIII.
XV. Sin is worse to us than Affliction, because Sin brings more shame than Affliction.
XV. There is more evil in Sin than in Affliction as against our selves, In regard of the shame that it doth bring; Sin brings more shame than any Affliction brings, Rom. 6. 20. What profit, or what fruit had you in those ⟨p. 304⟩things whereof you be now ashamed? Sin, it is that which brings shame, not only to a man or woman in particular, but likewise to a whole Nation, when sin prevails. Prov. 14. 34. Righteousness exalteth a Nation, but sin is a reproach to any People. Afflictions are not a reproach any further than as they be the fruit of sin, and then there is shame in them (but this we shall speak of afterward) but sin is the proper cause of any reproach and shame: and certainly this Scripture hath been fulfilled concerning us; our sin hath been a reproach to this Nation: there was a time, this Nation was honoured among other Nations, and a terror to them; but of late since we have sinned and grown Superstitious, and come nearer unto Popery, since there hath been more wickedness among us. This Nation hath been an exceeding reproach: we may apply for that, that in the 13, of Hosea, according to the Interpretation of most, When Ephraim spake, trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died; thus Interpreters carry it: There was a time when Ephraim spake, then was trembling in all Nations about him, and he exalted himself above other Nations: but when he sinned in Baal, then he died, his Honour died, he was a dead Nation, and no body regarded him. True, time was, when England spake, there was trembling, and England exalted himself above other Nations; but since we sinned in Baal, and there hath been so much Idolatry and Superstition, we have been a dead Nation in respect of what we have been before. Sin is