A77976:672
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 67
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.
1 Know, That though the Sensitive part may not be so much stirred from the beholding the evil of sin, as of affliction, yet the Rational part may more work against sin as sin, than from affliction that follows. How will this follow (will you say) that the Rational part is not ordered by the Sensitive? Thus: If I put my finger in the fire, there will be more pain to Sense, than if I endured that which is a hundred times worse: as, suppose a Prince should lose his Kingdom, that is a greater evil than to have his finger a little burnt; yet there would be more ⟨p. 523⟩to sense for the instant, than can be in the other: But if he come to the Rational part, to choose which he will take, he will rather take that which is most painful for the present. So the troubled soul, though to sense it find more from the fear of evil; but if it were put to its choice, he will choose any affliction rather than sin; so that the Rational part fears its sin more than its affliction: For if it were thus, that it might have its choice, that it might commit such a sin without any affliction, or such an affliction without sin; which will you take? Certainly that soul in the rational part, will choose the affliction without sin, rather than the sin without the affliction.
1 Know, That though the Sensitive part may not be so much stirred from the beholding the evil of sin, as of affliction, yet the Rational part may more work against sin as sin, than from affliction that follows. How will this follow (will you say) that the Rational part is not ordered by the Sensitive? Thus: If I put my finger in the fire, there will be more pain to Sence, than if I endured that which is a hundred times worse: as, suppose a Prince should lose his Kingdom, that is a greater evil than to have his finger a little burnt; yet there would be more ⟨p. 523⟩to sence for the instant, than can be in the other: But if he come to the Rational part, to chuse which he will take, he will rather take that which is most painful for the present. So the troubled soul, though to sence it find more from the fear of evil; but if it were put to its choice, he will chuse any affliction rather than sin; so that the Rational part fears its sin more than its affliction: For if it were thus, that it might have its choice, that it might commit such a sin without any affliction, or such an affliction without sin; which will you take? Certainly that soul in the rational part, will chuse the affliction without sin, rather than the sin without the affliction.