A64834:249
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.
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.
2 2God hath executed judgment on his own people when they have sinned, to show how hateful sin is, though it be in them he so dearly loves: One would think, that if God would spare any, he would spare his own; and indeed he doth pity them, and spare them, as a Father pitieth and spareth the Son that serves him: I, but though he forgive them, yet he taketh vengeance on their iniquity, Psa. 99.8. Many a sinner God forgives (as to punishment) in this life, who will not be forgiven in the world to come; but seeing God fully resolves to forgive his people for ever, he will not wholly forgive them, i. e. leave them altogether unpunished here in time: God hath carried it very severely to his people when they have sinned, it hath cost them dear; King David's adultery and murder cost him broken bones, oh heal the bones that thou hast broken; as 'tis in that Penitential Psalm, Psa. 51.8. When Peter had sinned, it cost him a bitter weeping; repentance is a chargeable thing; 'tis disgrace, sorrow and pain to man, though it be a grace and duty: If Gods children transgress, and play the Truant, they must feel the Rod, 'tis the Rod of the Covenant; chastenings and corrections of wantonness are in the Covenant, as well as supplies of wants; threatenings of judgment, as well as promises of mercy; and sometimes sin brings such sorrow on the very members of the Church, that they are in danger of being swallowed up of overmuch sorrow, even ⟨p. 109⟩to despair of giving over to hope for mercy, 2 Cor. […] Though God be a God gracious and merciful, yet he is a God visiting iniquity, and will sometimes punish them whom he hath known and loved, above all the people of the earth: and though he take not his loving kindness from them, yet he will visit their transgression with the Rod, and their iniquity with stripes, Psa. 89.30.3•. Yet further.
2 2God hath executed judgment on his own people when they have sinned, to shew how hateful sin is, though it be in them he so dearly loves: One would think, that if God would spare any, he would spare his own; and indeed he doth pity them, and spare them, as a Father pitieth and spareth the Son that serves him: I, but though he forgive them, yet he taketh vengeance on their iniquity,