A77976:631
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 63
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.
Use XIII. If there be such evil in Sin as you have heard, Hence then it is a fearful thing for any one to be instrumental to draw others to sin. All that hath been said in the opening of the evil of sin, must needs speak very terribly unto all that ever have been any way instruments to draw others to sin in all their lives. Now, Oh that God would speak to every man and woman's Conscience in this Congregation, that are conscious to themselves, that ever they have been any cause to draw others to sin: Is there not ⟨p. 493⟩one whose Conscience presently at the naming of this Use doth even tell you, well, now God speaks to me, for certainly there hath been some that I have drawn to sin, that I have been a means to further sin in. If any one of you have ever been a means, by counsel, or advise, by approbation, by persuasion, by encouragement, by abetting of any, by joining with any in any sinful course to draw them to sin; know, that God speaks to you.
Ʋse XIII. If there be such evil in Sin as you have heard, Hence then it is a fearful thing for any one to be instrumental to draw others to sin. All that hath been said in the opening of the evil of sin, must needs speak very terribly unto all that ever have been any way instruments to draw others to sin in all their lives. Now, Oh that God would speak to every man and womans Conscience in this Congregation, that are conscious to themselves, that ever they have been any cause to draw others to sin: Is there not ⟨p. 493⟩one whose Conscience presently at the naming of this Use doth even tell you, well, now God speaks to me, for certainlie there hath been some that I have drawn to sin, that I have been a means to further sin in. If any one of you have ever been a means, by counsel, or advise, by approbation, by perswasion, by encouragement, by abetting of any, by joyning with any in anie sinful course to draw them to sin; know, that God speaks to you.
First, God tells you this; That if you had been born to do mischief, you could not do a greater mischief than this is; if you had been the means to undo men and women in their outward Estate, it had been nothing so much; but thou hast what in thee lies, been a means to undo an immortal soul; yea; and to cause them to sin against the infinite God; so that thou art guilty of every sin thou hast been a means to draw others to, and thou art worse than those that have sinned; for thy act in drawing them to it, is a dreadful evil, and then that which they have done is thine too: Hast not thou sins of thine own enough to answer for before the Lord, but thou must have the sins of another also? Dost thou know what thou hast done, in enticing others to sin? either to uncleanness, drunkenness, to company keeping, and breach of the Sabbath, and other sins: Perhaps thou hast brought them to pilfering and purloining, and many other particulars, and other ways that might he named; for indeed if we should enlarge our selves in this Point, it