IN these words is drawn up Elihues false Charge against holy Job wherin he did shamefully scan dalize this man of God , concerning whom the Lord himsel gives in this Letter testimonial That he was perfect and upright , one that se●e● God a● schewed Evil , Job 1. 1. And yet Elihue speaks here to this effect against him , That he chose Iniquity rather than Affliction ; that he should see less Evil in Sin , then he did in Affliction : that for his Affliction he was troubled but for his Sin he was not Afflicted ; that the burthen of his Affliction lay heavy as a talent of ●ead upon him , but his Sin was lighter than a Feather . Or thus , Thou hast Chosen Iniquity , rather than Affliction ; whereas God requires of thee to give him glory in thy humble submission unto him in thy Patience , under his mighty hand , thou hast behaved thy self stubbornly and stoutly , and hast denyed to give God the glory of his Soveraignty , Majesty , Holiness , Justice , and Purity ; and this thou hast Chosen rather than to be content to lie under the Afflicting hand of God : which way so ever it be taken , it was a heavie Charge had it been true ; So for it to be alleadged against any Souls , That they Chuse Iniquity rather than Affliction , is a great and heavy Charge .

The Doctrinal truth which ariseth from the Doct. words thus opened , is this , That it is a very ●v● Choice for any soul under heaven , to choose the least Sin , rather then the greatest Affliction . Better be under the greatest Affliction then be under the guilt or power of any Sin : it is true , that neither Sin , nor Affliction is to be Chosen : Affliction in it self is an Evil , and Sin is an Evil , but the object of the Will is good , and choice is of the Will , therfore neither ( barely considered as in themselves ) can be chosen ; but because of some Evils , the less in comparison of the greater , may come under a notion of good , and so may be somtimes chosen the Will cannot chuse any thing but under the notion of good , either real , or in appearance : and though Affliction be in it self an evil , yet in regard of Sin , it may come under the notion of good , and that 's to be chosen rather than Sin : Now this is the work I have to do , to make out this Conclusion to you , That any Affliction is to be chosen rather than any Sin ; that there is more evil in any Sin , the least sin , than in the greatest Affliction .

My principal business is , To charge mens Consciences with the evil of their sin , and shew to them how much evil there is in sin : all men are a raid of afflictions , and troubled at affliction , but wher 's the man or woman that fears sin , and ●●yes from it as from a Ser●ent , and is troubled at sin more then any affliction ? That there is more vil in sin than in affliction , in the General ( I suppose is granted of all , none dare deny it ; but because they do not see how this is , they have not convincing Arguments to bring this truth with power unto their Souls : but I hope before I have done with this Point , that I shal make it clear to every ones Conscience , That there is more evil in sin , than in affliction ; not only more evil in sin , than in outward trouble in the world but more evil in sin , than in al the miseries and torments of Hel it self : Suppose that God should bring any of you to the very brink of that bottomless Gulf and open it to you , and there you should see those damned Creatures lie sweltring under the wrath of the infinite God , and there you should hear the dreadful and hideous cryes and shreeks of those that are under such soul amazing , and soul-sinking torments through the wrath of the Almighty ; yet I say there is more evil in one sinful thought , than there is in all these everlasting burnings : and that is that which I shal endeavor to clear and prove to every mans Conscience , that we shal not only see it an ill Choice that we chuse sin rather than affliction , but ( if it come in competition ) to chuse sin rather than al the tortures and torments of Hell , howsoever many of you admit of sin upon very easie terms ; yet the truth is , That if it should come into competition whether we would endure al the torments that there are in Hell to all eternity rather than to commit one sin , I say , if our Spirits were as they should be , we would rather be willing to endure al these torments , than commit the least sin . And Brethren do not think this is a high strain , for that com to speak in the Name of God come not to speak Hyperbollically , to raise Expressions higher than the things are in their reality ; no , I come not for that end , and I should take the Name of God in vain if I should do so , therfore I dare not raise things beyond that which they are in reality in themselves : Therfore know , Whatsoever I shal say unto you in this thing , that they are not Words or Expressions , but I speak as in the name of God as I would take it upon mine own Conscience , having to deal between God and you in this great work , and in this place to deliver this truth , That there is more evil in the least Sin , than in al the miseries that possible a Creature is capable of , either here or in Hel besides : I hope if I shal make out this to you , you wil then beleeve that sure you have not yet understood the sinfulness of Sin , that yet the burthen of Sin hath not lain upon you to be felt as the burthen of sin ▪ Now then that I may fully convince you , That there is more Evil in the least Sin , than in any Affliction .

FIrst , Those Servants of God that have been guided by the Wisdom of God , to make their Choice , they have rather chose the sorest and most dreadful Afflictions in this world than willingly to commit the least sin : as now , if you would but turn your thoughts to what you have read or heard of the Martyrs , what hideous , and grievous torments did they suffer ; the boyling of their bodies in scalding Lead , laying of their naked backs upon hot Gridirons , and ●ending and tearing their Members a pieces with Horses , the pulling of their flesh off from their Bodies with Pinchers , and others by red hot burning Tongs , their enduring their flesh to be scorched with broyling of it , first on the one side , and afterward on the other side ; Yea , weak Women have endured this , To have their flesh harrowed with stones and sharp irons , to have their bodies flayed , and then thrown into rivers of cold ice ; and a thousand more whatsoever Hel and wicked men could devise : they were content to endure al this , and certainly could they have devised ten thousand times more exquisite torments then they did , they would have been content to have endured that , and whatsoever else , rather than to act against their Consciences the least sin , and they accounted this to be a good Choice , when as they saw Sin against their Consciences on the one hand , and al their torments on the other , they did rather embrace these tortures , then embrace that sin ; and for this their Choice they are renowned in the hearts of the Saints to al generations : yea , the holy Ghost doth witness , That they have a good Report , Heb. 11. Those that suffered sawing asunder , and scourging , and went up and down in Sheeps-skins and Goats skins , in leather Breeches and Doublets , and suffered the spoyling of their goods and of al that they had , these had a good Report , and the Holy Ghost commends them for their Choice . Many of you when it comes to it wil be loather to loose a groat than commit a sin , loather to endure the least shame or a nick-name , than to commit a sin : Are there not many Servants here , or Children , wil tel a Lye ( when they have done an evil ) rather than suffer a little shame in the Family from their Parents , or Masters , or fellow Servants , and Children . What a difference is there between thy heart , and the heart of the Martyrs ? they could endure al tortures on their Bodys that could be devised , rather than to commit any known sin against their Consciences ; and thou wilt venture to commit a known sin against thy Conscience , rather than to be found out in some fault , and have an angry word , or a little shame : If it be but to gain two pence they wil tel a Lye , and are willing to chuse sin rather than endure the least trouble ; a mighty difference between thee and them . You know how it was with Paul , when he speaks of Afflictions these be his Expressions , but light and momentary , but for a moment , but they work an exceeding weight of Glory : ( mark ) light Afflictions , what were they ? you would account them heavie if they were upon you . Blessed Paul ( that great vessel to bear the name of God as great an instrument of Gods glory as any in the world except Christ himself , and yet this Paul ) was whipt up & down as if he had been a Rogue , put into the Stocks , had not Cloaths to cover his nakedness , had not Bread to eat , and was accounted the off scouring of the world ; and yet he accounts all this but Light : But when he comes to Sin , that is heavie , Oh wretched man that I am ! Thus he gives a dreadful shreek at sin ; see what a difference he makes between Affliction and Sin , and accounts it abundantly more evil to be in sin , than in affliction . And so Christ himself ▪ that is the Wisdom of the Father , and therfore could not chuse but judge right , and yet he was content for the sake of poor Souls , to come and under go al kind of Affliction , and Pain , and Sorrow , so as to be made a man of Sorrows , according as the Scripture speaks ; How was he content to have his Body whipt and scourged , was laughed at and scorned , and though he was possessor of Heaven and Earth , yet had not a house to put his head in ; yea , to bear the wrath of God for the Sin of man , to be made a Curse for man , under the Curse of ●he Law , and to be under that pain & extremity through the wrath of his Father , when he sweat great drops of Bloud ? all this Christ would endure : But now if it had been to have committed the least sin to have saved al the World , Christ would never have done it : though Christ could be content to suffer all kind of Miseries , yea , the wrath of his Father ; yet had it been to have committed the least sin , Christ would have let al the World be Damned eternally rather than he would have done that , there is so much evil in it . Afflictions taken in the strength and latitude of them , yet they have no greater evil in them then Christ is capable of . I say , take them in the strength and latitude of them , certainly there was never any Affliction since the world began endured like Christs , and yet these be no other than Christ , God and Man , is capable of ; and it may stand with the blessedness of his Divinity , That that person , both God and Man , could be under such Afflictions : Christ was content with these , He made his Soul an offering for Sin : But sin is so great an evil , that Christ is not capable of it ; Christ never entertained the least thought of it , but cast it off if it came to him : therfore certainly there is more evil in the least Sin , than there is in the greatest Affliction : The Afflictions that Christ indured , though they were not every way the same with the damned in hell , yet certainly there was the wrath of God as really and truly upon Christ , as truly as upon the damned in hell , as really though I say not in every kind in the same way and manner ; and therefore see , Christ was Capable of that evil , of the wrath of the Almighty upon his Soul , and yet not capable of Sin , he was willing to undergo that , and yet not to have the least guilt of Sin applied to him ; and therefore certainly there is more evil in the least Sin , than in the greatest Affliction .