A77976:409
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.
Fourthly, Sin turns the greatest Good into the greatest Evil, therefore opposite to all Good. As thus, Take the greatest good of man in prosperity: the more prosperity thou hast, though ⟨p. 322⟩a fruit of Gods Bounty, yet thy Sin turns it to the greatest evil to thee: As if Poison get in Wine, it works more strongly than in Water: so Sin in a prosperous Estate, usually works more strongly to turn it to a greater evil, than Sin in a lower Estate. Poor men by Sin, have their Water poisoned; and rich men by Sin, have their Wine poisoned: Now poisoned Wine hath more strength than poisoned Water. And it turns not only prosperity, but the best means, not only the means of grace, but the better any means is thou enjoyest, the more evil it is turned into to thee, except the means take away the sinfulness of thy heart: if thou retainest the sinfulness of thy heart, the more powerful Sermons thou hearest, and the more glorious Truths laid open, the worse will be thy condition, and thou wilt one day curse the time that ever thou hadst such means. Yea, Sin turns God to be the greatest evil, and makes him the greatest evil in all his Attributes: And Christ himself (though infinitely good) to be the greatest evil: Christ is a stumbling stone to wicked men, and laid by God a stumbling stone: What! Christ the precious Corner stone, that hath infinite Treasures of all Excellency, in whom the Fullness of the God head dwells bodily, yet this Christ a stumbling stone, and the greatest evil through sin to wicked men; so that one day they will curse the time that ever they heard of Christ. So Sin is opposite to all good, because it turns the greatest good to the greatest evil.
Fourthly, Sin turns the greatest Good into the greatest Evil, therefore opposite to all Good. As thus, Take the greatest good of man in prosperitie: the more prosperitie thou hast, though ⟨p. 322⟩a fruit of Gods Bountie, yet thy Sin turns it to the greatest evil to thee: As if Poyson get in Wine, it works more strongly than in Water: so Sin in a prosperous Estate, usually works more strongly to turn it to a greater evil, than Sin in a lower Estate. Poor men by Sin, have their Water poysoned; and rich men by Sin, have their Wine poysoned: Now poysoned Wine hath more strength than poysoned Water. And it turns not only prosperitie, but the best means, not only the means of grace, but the better any means is thou injoyest, the more evil it is turned into to thee, except the means take away the sinfulness of thy heart: if thou retainest the sinfulness of thy heart, the more powerful Sermons thou hearest, and the more glorious Truths laid open, the worse will be thy condition, and thou wilt one day curse the time that ever thou hadst such means. Yea, Sin turns God to be the greatest evil, and makes him the greatest evil in all his Attributes: And Christ himself (though infinitely good) to be the greatest evil: Christ is a stumbling stone to wicked men, and laid by God a stumbling stone: What! Christ the precious Corner stone, that hath infinite Treasures of all Excellencie, in whom the Fulness of the God head dwels bodilie, yet this Christ a stumbling stone, and the greatest evil through sin to wicked men; so that one day they will curse the time that ever they heard of Christ. So Sin is opposite to all good, because it turns the greatest good to the greatest evil.