A77976:418
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.
It is the very pith of all other Evils; there's nothing that would be scarce worthy the name of Evil, if Sin were not in it. That it is the evil of all other evils, will appear in these Particulars:
First, It is the strength of all other Evils. The strength, the prevailing strength that any evil hath against man, it is from Sin. There is no Evil would have any prevailing strength to do us any hurt were there not Sin in it. That is certain, nothing in heaven, or earth, or hell, would do any of the Children of men any hurt, were it not for Sin, if there were not Sin to give it strength. The strength of any evil that can do us any hurt, is from Sin. Let the evil be never so small, yet if it come armed with the strength of the guilt of Sin, it is enough to undo any man or woman in the world. This is the Reason of the difference of the power, the prevailing power, of any cross and affliction in some more than in others; you shall have some, that let there be but the least cross and affliction upon them, it sinks their hearts, they are not able to stand under it; others that have a hundred times more upon them, they go under it with ⟨p. 329⟩joy: this is the especial difference, one having the guilt of sin in •he evil, and the other being delivered from it. It is a Comparison I remember of a learned man, to express the difference of afflictions; Afflictions are like water, and a little water upon a mans shoulder in a Leaden vessel, is a great deal heavier than much more water in a vessel of Leather or Wood; take a Leather Bucket filled with water, it is not so heavy as a little water in a Leaden vessel; so a little affliction where there is much guilt of sin is abundantly more heavy than a great deal of affliction where there is not the guilt of sin. Haman could not stand before such a petty Cross as that Mordecai would not bow his knee; being a wicked man, that Cross being with sin, troubled him sore: and Ahithophel when he was crossed in his way could not bear it. Therefore Brethren, if you would bear afflictions, this is your way; your wisdom is to labour to know wherein the strength of an affliction lies, if you would overcome it. As you know the Philistines that desired to overcome Sampson, their great care was to know wherein his strength lay, if they could by Delilahs means find out the strength of Sampson, they thought they might easily overcome him. So certainly if you could but find out where the strength of your afflictions lie, it is easy then for you to have fears and disquiets taken away: