A77976:542
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.
Corollaries and Consequences from all the former Particulars. › Chapter 52
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.
And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness, and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and I spread forth my hands unto the Lord my God, and said, Oh Lord my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God, for our iniquities are increased over our heads, and our trespasses are grown up to the heavens, &c. There mark the Prayer Ezra makes at the evening Sacrificed when the time was come that he should stir and seek God, then his Spirit was mighty active, ⟨p. 421⟩and stirring, though he were astonished before. If it had been melancholy, his heart would have sate still then; so that trouble of Conscience puts life into the Soul in Prayer. And so it makes the soul active in meditation and contemplation; melancholy people be dull, and heavy, and know not how to meditate, nor what to meditate on. Those troubled in Conscience, Oh what quick thoughts have they about God, & Christ, and eternity, and the law, and sin; and their souls work about such objects, that they can have no help unto from their bodies and senses, and yet their spirits are raised higher than before, in their workings• And so when they come to hear the Word, Oh how active be their spirits; in catching of the word, and at every truth. I appeal to you that are troubled, what difference there is between your spirits now, and what they were before you were troubled for sin, before you came to the Congregation, to see and be seen, and wondered what men meant to be so earnest; and now, you mark every truth, and catch hold of every sentence, and mark the mind of God, and understand what is said: before you came and heard, and never understood what was meant by such and such things; you saw the Minister earnest, but you could not conceive what the man meant in his earnestness, but now you see what he means in his earnestness, and understand what weight is in those truths, you hear revealed: this is some what like, when the spirit is thus •ed, and acted in Prayer, and Pearing. And in Conference, ⟨p. 422⟩when you were in Conference with good men, before, Conference about good things was dry, and a dull thing, and you savoured not the things conferred on, but presently were asleep: but now, if you come where there is Conference of God and his Word, and Christ, and the like, your mind closeth with this.