A77976:459
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.
yet we are to know, though the Devil now should tempt no more, yet there is enough in the hearts of men and women to sin against God all manner of sin, even from their own innate corruption that now is in them; if the Devil were destroyed, Sin would not be destroyed: In Grace there is no power to work but by Gods working together with it; but in Sin there is a power to work without the Devils working: though the Devil is forward enough to work with our corruption, yet I say there is corruption enough in our hearts for to work all kind of sin, though the Devil should not tempt us any more; therefore we ⟨p. 360⟩must not lay all upon the Devil, as many do; when they fall into any wickedness, they will say, this is the Devil, and lay all the fault upon the Devil, and so think to take it off from themselves by laying it upon the Devil: No, know, though the Devil labours to further it what he can, yet there is such corruption in you, that it would stream forth from you though the Devil stir it not at all: therefore charge your own hearts as well as the Devil. In the work of Grace, we must give all the glory to God; but in the work of Sin, we cannot allot all the fault to the Devil; we are not to take any of the glory of the work of Grace to our selves, but we are to take a great part, yea, sometimes the greatest part of Sin to our selves: but however the Devil is the cause of Sin originally, and helps forward to it.
yet we are to know, though the Devil now should tempt no more, yet there is enough in the hearts of men and women to sin against God all manner of sin, even from their own innate corruption that now is in them; if the Devil were destroyed, Sin would not be destroyed: In Grace there is no power to work but by Gods working together with it; but in Sin there is a power to work without the Devils working: though the Devil is forward enough to work with our corruption, yet I say there is corruption enough in our hearts for to work al kind of sin, though the Devil should not tempt us any more; therfore we ⟨p. 360⟩must not lay all upon the Devil, as many do; when they fall into any wickedness, they will say, this is the Devil, and lay all the fault upon the Devil, and so think to take it off from themselves by laying it upon the Devil: No, know, though the Devil labors to further it what he can, yet there is such corruption in you, that it would stream forth from you though the Devil stir it not at all: therefore charge your own hearts as well as the Devil. In the work of Grace, we must give all the glorie to God; but in the work of Sin, we cannot allot all the fault to the Devil; we are not to take any of the glorie of the work of Grace to our selves, but we are to take a great part, yea, somtimes the greatest part of Sin to our selves: but however the Devil is the cause of Sin originally, and helps forward to it.