A77976:63
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.
THE EVIL of EVILS: OR, The Exceeding Sinfulness OF SIN. › Chapter 3
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.
Answ. To this I Answer, True, God brings good out of sin, that is Occasionally, but not Instrumentally: He may take occasion to bring good out of sin committed: but (mark) God never makes sin an instrument for good; for an instrument comes under somewhat as an Efficiency: for an instrument gives some power towards the Effect; but thus God never useth sin, God never made sin an instrument of any good; that is, that sin should have any power any influence into that good effect that God brings out of it as Afflictions have; God doth not only take occasion by Afflictions to do his people good, but he makes them Channels to convey the Mercies to their Souls: And thus Afflictions have an instrumental efficacy in them, to do men good: Therefore saith the Holy Ghost in Heb. 12. He Chastens them for their profit, that they might be partakers of his holiness: The greatest good the Creature is capable of, Affliction is made oftentimes the instrument to convey: And in Isa. 27. By this the iniquity of Jacob shall be purged: That is, by this as an instrument; but sin is never thus: Sin is never sanctified by God to do good to any Soul: Afflictions are sanctified by God to do good; therefore sin is a greater evil than affliction: sin is so evil that it is not capable of any work of God to sanctify it for good; but no ⟨p. 13⟩Afflictions are so evil but that they are capable of a work of God to sanctify the•r abundance of good. This is the Second.
Answ. To this I Answer, True, God brings good out of sin, that is Occasionally, but not Instrumentally: He may take occasion to bring good out of sin committed: but (mark) God never makes sin an instrument for good; for an instrument comes under somwhat as an Efficiency: for an instrument gives some power towards the Effect; but thus God never useth sin, God never made sin an instrument of any good; that is, that sin should have any power any influence into that good effect that God brings out of it as Afflictions have; God doth not only take occasion by Afflictions to do his people good, but he makes them Channels to convey the Mercies to their Souls: And thus Afflictions have an instrumental efficacy in them, to do men good: Therefore saith the Holy Ghost in