A77976:389
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.
If I should Charge these Three things upon the most vile sinner at this present before the ⟨p. 309⟩Lord; Oh thou dost wrong thy own soul, Thou dost despise thy own soul, Thou hatest thy own soul, he would be loth to yield to it; and yet the Scripture chargeth this upon sinners, Prov. 8. 36. He that sins against me, wrongs his own soul: he doth not only wrong God, that was in the first thing we opened; but by sin he wrongs his own soul: You will say sometimes, I do no body wrong, I thank God none can say I wrong them; but thou wrongest thine own soul, and certainly it is as great an evil to wrong thy own soul, as to wrong the Body of another, and a great deal more. Nay further (mark) All they that hate me (that is, Wisdom and Instruction, the Rule of Life) they love death: It is a strange expression; if any Minister should say thus to you, you love death, you would think it a rash speech from us: the Holy Ghost saith so of all that hate Instruction; if there be any Truth of God revealed against sin, and thy heart rise against it, thou lovest death, thy own ruin, and thy own destruction: And what pity is it for men and women to die? who can pity them that die eternally, when as they love death? if they love death, they must have it: So the Holy Ghost saith, they wrong their souls, and they love death; and Prov. 15. 32. He that refuseth Instruction, despiseth his own soul: when you come and hear any Instruction against any sinful way, and refuse it, you despise your own souls; as if your own souls were worth little. Hence it is that men and women, though they hear Sin tends to the death of their souls, to their eternal ⟨p. 310⟩ruin, yet if they have but any temptation, but to get a groat or sixpence, they will venture upon it: what is this but to despise thy soul? that is to despise a thing, to account it little worth: though thy soul be worth a whole world. There is none so poor in this place, the meanest boy, servant; or girl, but hath a soul more worth than Heaven and Earth; but though the meanest here hath a soul more worth than the World, yet we see it ordinary, that to get twopence or a groat, they will venture the ruin of their souls: Is not this to despise their souls? as if they were not worth a groat or sixpence; and they will lye or steal to get that which is less: Nay, not only so, but they are haters of their own souls; and this you have