A77976:429
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.
5. Again, All Afflictions when they come in a way of a Cause for Sin, they be sent to ripen men and women for destruction, and therefore they harden their hearts and make them often fly out against God. There is no affliction sent in a way of a Curse, but doth ripen any man or woman for eternal misery. Oh consider this you that have been under great Afflictions, it may be you are delivered from the pain, and you think your selves ⟨p. 338⟩safe: examine, how is it? are not your hearts more hard than before? are you not more greedy upon Sin than before? know then that is a dangerous sign that that affliction was but sent to ripen you for destruction and eternal misery; though you be escaped for a time, yet they only were ripeners to hasten you to everlasting destruction. And in these things consists the Curse of sin; in all evils that befall us. This is the Third.
5. Again, All Afflictions when they come in a way of a Cuase for Sin, they be sent to ripen men and women for destruction, and therefore they harden their hearts and make them often flie out against God. There is no affliction sent in a way of a Curse, but doth ripen any man or woman for eternal misery. Oh consider this you that have been under great Afflictions, it may be you are delivered from the pain, and you think your selves ⟨p. 338⟩safe: examine, how is it? are not your hearts more hard than before? are you not more greedy upon Sin than before? know then that is a dangerous sign that that affliction was but sent to ripen you for destruction and eternal misery; though you be escaped for a time, yet they only were ripeners to hasten you to everlasting destruction. And in these things consists the Curse of sin; in all evils that befal us. This is the Third.
Fourthly, Sin is the Evil of all Evils, For it is the shame of all evils; it is that which makes any affliction to be a shame to us: I remember before in the opening the nature of Sin as it is against our own good, there I showed, Sin was a shame to the Soul; whether there be affliction or no; but now I am to show you how sin puts shame into other evils, not only brings shame to our selves, but puts a shame upon the evils and afflictions that are or shall be upon us: As thus, A Male factor is stigmatized, is branded; well, there is pain to his body in the branding, and then there is the shame that is in the brand that goeth along with the pain; and therefore it is, that it might be a Note of perpetual shame and reproach. So in Afflictions, there is the pain of the Affliction, and then there is the shame that is upon men through the affliction. Let men be branded, and if it be not for their sin, if it be for Righteousness, then their brands are honourable, let them be stigmatized never so much; let their Ears be cut off, and branded with an. S. or any other brand in the cheeks, or foreheads; if it be