A77976:561
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 53
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.
Certainly this man, though he be freed from Afflictions all his days, yet is a most miserable man; because he is delivered from Afflictions.
Certainlie this man, though he be freed from Afflictions all his daies, yet is a most miserable man; because he is delivered from Afflictions.
1 He comes to have Prosperity fuel for sin: That is matter for sin to work upon; so that Prosperity nourisheth and fattens up sin. As many men, because they have Prosperity, their sins grow to a mighty height by Prosperity: Prosperity is fuel for Lust, fattens your malice, and occasions pride. Were it not he had such an estate as he hath, and a healthful lusty body, then he could not be guilty of so much Lust, uncleanness, drunkenness, pride; so much malice and revenge; the more God doth deliver them from Afflictions, sickness, poverty, the more fuel hath he for sin, wickedness, and the lusts of his heart to burn upon, and grow up to a flame. As it is with a body, those humours of the body, are matters for the disease to grow upon, and feed the disease; they be no good to the body, but mischief to it: some men have great big arms and legs, but what bigness is it? a bigness that comes by disease by dropsies, such humours their bodies being full of them, they feed the disease ⟨p. 437⟩of the body: now be these humours any such things as that we should rejoice in? do they make for the good of the body? they make for the bigness, but not the goodness of the body. So any mans estate, that makes matter to feed lust upon, and nourish and grow upon this; such a man is so much the more miserable, by how much the more Prosperous he is: as usually wicked men, through the malignity in their hearts, they do make all their Prosperity to be nothing else but nourishment for lust to breed on. As it is with a gracious heart, it will turn all things he doth enjoy, to be matter for his grace to work upon, and to further the work of grace: so a wicked heart will turn all he doth enjoy, to be matter for his lust to work upon, and to further his lust; the excellency of grace appears in the one, and the malignity of sin appears in the other. Now if sin be so great an evil, then whatsoever a man enjoys, if it be a furtherance of sin, and nourish sin, it makes him the more miserable, a miserable creature; though a prosperous man, yet this man is miserable, because his Prosperity makes him more sinful.