The Evil of Evils

Use 1. Then we from hence see the desperate maliciousness that is in sin. It follows thus: What for a Creature to sin against the blessed God, and to get no good to himself neither, yea, to do hurt to himself too; this is horrible mischief and malice. We account it horrible malice against man, if any man be so notoriously malicious, that he seeks to do mischief to another man though he get no good, yea, though he hurt himself by it, yet he will do another man a mischief: certainly if this be maliciousness against man, then there is certainly malice in sin against God: for when thou sinnest against God; suppose thou shouldest get never so much good, suppose thou by sin, one sin, couldest get the the greatest good that ever any Creature had, yet thou must not commit it; it were wickedness to do it: But what sayest thou to this, that when thou sinnest against God, thou mischiefest thy self; not only gettest no good, but doest ⟨p. 313⟩that which is the greatest wrong and evil to thy self, and yet wilt thou go on in sin against God? Oh what dost thou think of God? and what hurt hath God done to thee that thou shouldest be so malicious against him? that thou wilt dishonour him, and strike at him? though thou gettest nothing thy self, nay, though thou doest undo thy self by it: men will rather go on in that way that is dishonourable to God though they venture their own damnation to do it. It is one of the highest expressions we can have against our Enemies, I will be even with him, I will have my mind of him, or I will spend all I have to a groat; this is desperate malice in man, we account it so. Thou dost more against God, though thou sayest not so, it may be, in word, yet God sees that there is this language in it, well, I will do that which the Word forbids though I undo my self, I will venture my own perishing, my own eternal destruction, rather than that shall not be done that I hear God will not have done: there is this in every Sin. Brethren, because we do not examine what is in sin, we think it but a little, we see but the outside; but when God comes to unravel out Sin, and to pick out all that his Omniscient eye seeth in sin, then it will appear to be evil, transcendently evil.

Ʋse 1. Then we from hence see the desperate maliciousness that is in sin. It follows thus: What for a Creature to sin against the blessed God, and to get no good to himself neither, yea, to do hurt to himself too; this is horrible mischief and malice. We account it horrible malice against man, if any man be so notoriously malicious, that he seeks to do mischief to another man though he get no good, yea, though he hurt himself by it, yet he will do another man a mischief: certainly if this be maliciousness against man, then there is certainly malice in sin against God: for when thou sinnest against God; suppose thou shouldest get never so much good, suppose thou by sin, one sin, couldest get the the greatest good that ever any Creature had, yet thou must not commit it; it were wickedness to do it: But what sayest thou to this, that when thou sinnest against God, thou mischiefest thy self; not only gettest no good, but doest