A77976:437
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.
A Fifth General Head that was Propounded in the beginning is this: Sin hath a kind of Infiniteness of Evil in it.
It is true, we must acknowledge that nothing but God can be properly said to be infinite: There is not an infiniteness in a strict sense in sin, for then certainly all the Mercy of God, and all the Power of God, could never overcome it, if properly and absolutely sin had an infiniteness in it; therefore I do not say it is properly infinite. Well, but there is a kind of infiniteness, it comes exceeding near to infiniteness (if we may so speak, though it is somewhat improper to say it comes near, but we must speak so as we can to our own apprehensions, you shall see in the opening what I mean) As thus, There is a kind of infiniteness of evil in sin beyond all bounds.
It is true, we must acknowledg that nothing but God can be properly said to be infinite: There is not an infiniteness in a strict sense in sin, for then certainly all the Mercy of God, and all the Power of God, could never overcome it, if properly and absolutely sin had an infiniteness in it; therefore I do not say it is properly infinite. Well, but there is a kind of infiniteness, it comes exceeding neer to infiniteness (if we may so speak, though it is somwhat improper to say it comes neer, but we must speak so as we can to our own apprehensions, you shall see in the opening what I mean) As thus, There is a kind of infiniteness of evil in sin beyond all bounds.
First, Because there is nothing but infinite Power can overcome it. Take the least sin that any man or woman lies under the power of; nothing but the infinite Power of God can overcome that sin: and this is the reason that many that have had many convictions of conscience of the evil of sin, many resolutions against sin, many Vows and Covenants, and Promises they have made against sin: Oh when they are sick, now they see the evil of sin, now they promise if God will restore them they will never do the like; and they speak from their hearts, they do not only dally, but they do verily think they will never come in company more, and commit sin more because it is so evil: but when they be well, they be under the power of sin as before, and all their resolutions and experiences, and all their own strength and power, and all the means they