A64834:129
Sin, the Plague of Plagues
Sin, the plague of plagues, or, Sinful sin the worst of evils a treatise of sins trial and arraignment, wherein sin is accused for being, proved to be, and condemned for being exceeding sinful : and that 1. as against God, his nature, attributes, works, will, law, image, people, glory and existence, 2. as against man, his good and welfare of body and soul, in this life, and that to come : with the use and improvement to be made of this doctrine, that men may not be damned, but saved, &c. : being the substance of many sermons preached many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning ...Sin, the plague of plagues, or, Sinful sin the worst of evils a treatise of sins tryal and arraignment, wherein sin is accused for being, proved to be, and condemned for being exceeding sinful : and that 1. as against God, his nature, attributes, works, will, law, image, people, glory and existence, 2. as against man, his good and welfare of body and soul, in this life, and that to come : with the use and improvement to be made of this doctrine, that men may not be damned, but saved, &c. : being the substance of many sermons preached many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning ...
London: printed for John Hancock, 1669
Title page typeset from the transcription.
SIN, THE PLAGUE of PLAGUES; OR Sinful Sin the worst of Evils. › 2 In a Moral sense, for
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 By this, that the beasts transgress not the Law of their nature, but man hath done, and doth do it over and over: the instinct of these creatures is their Law, and they constantly observe it: The quality of a beast, which is condemnable in man, is not condemnable in the beast; ignorance and stupidity is no crime in an Ox or an Ass, but 'tis in man: 'tis no fault in a Eyon to be devouring, but 'tis sin in man to be like a Lyon in devouring; The beasts fulfil, but men transgress the Law of their Nature, when they act like beasts: so that sinful man is worse then the beast. Yea
1 By this, that the beasts transgresse not the Law of their nature, but man hath done, and doth do it over and over: the instinct of these creatures is their Law, and they constantly observe it: The quality of a beast, which is condemnable in man, is not condemnable in the beast; ignorance and stupidity is no crime in an Oxe or an Asse, but 'tis in man: 'tis no sault in a Eyon to be devouring, but 'tis sin in man to be like a Lyon in devouring; The beasts fulfill, but men transgress the Law of their Nature, when they act like beasts: so that sinful man is worse then the beast. Yea
2 Sinful man is worse then beasts in the very quality for which he is likened to the beast: The Ox and the Ass which have no understanding, and to which sinful man is compared for ignorance and stupidity, is yet more knowing then sinful man; as 'tis Is. 1.3. And the like is spoken of the Stork, Crane, and Swallow, by way of upbraid to man, Jer. 8.7. These foolish creatures have more understanding then sinful man; so as to sensuality, man is worse then the beast; for things of sense are the proper objects of a beasts appetite, but not of the natural appetite and inclination of man; 'tis no sin in the beast to be sensual, but 'tis so in a man, who (though •reated to higher ends and purposes) is yet so degenerated, as to be in many things more sensual and carnal then the beasts are: Sin hath made man so unsociable and cruel too, that Bears are more kind to one another, then men are, saevis inter se convenit ursis, and 'twere better for a man (safer) to meet a Bear in her rage, when robbed of her Whelps, then to meet a fool in his folly,