A64834:26
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.
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.
These things being, beside others that might be considered, it cannot but be hugely useful to let men see what sin is, how prodigiously vile, how deadly mischievous, and therefore how monstrously ugly and odious a thing sin is; that so way may be made by it: (1.) For admiring the free and rich grace of God. (2.) For believing in our Lord Jesus Christ. (3.) For vindicating the holy, just and good Law of God, and his condemnation of sinners for breaking of it. (4.) For hating of, repenting for and from sin, thereby taking a holy, just and good revenge on it and our selves. (5.) That we may love and serve God at a better rate then we ever did, in the little and short time of Innocency it self. And lastly, that this black spot may serve for a set off, to the admirable, incomparable, and transcendent Beauty of Holiness.
These things being, beside others that might be consider'd, it cannot but be hugely useful to let men see what sin is, how prodigiously vile, how deadly mischievous, and therefore how monstrously ugly and odious a thing sin is; that so way may be made by it: (1.) For admiring the free and rich grace of God. (2.) For believing in our Lord Jesus Christ. (3.) For vindicating the holy, just and good Law of God, and his condemnation of sinners for breaking of it. (4.) For hating of, repenting for and from sin, thereby taking a holy, just and good revenge on it and our selves. (5.) That we may love and serve God at a better rate then we ever did, in the little and short time of Innocency it self. And lastly, that this black spot may serve for a set off, to the admirable, incomparable, and transcendent Beauty of Holiness.
And now to the Text it self, 1which may have this for its title, The just vindication of the Law of God, and no less just accusation and condemnation of the sin of man. As to its connection, with what precedes, 'tis thus; at the 10. v. the Apostle had said, that the Commandment which was ordained to life, he found unto death: Hence an objection is raised, v. 13. Seeing the Commandment is good, how comes it to be unto death? Was that which was good made death to me? To which he answers: (1.) By way of negation and abhorrency, God forbid! absit I far be it from me or any other to think so! no, by no means! to find fault with the Law, were to find fault with God: The Law is not to be blamed: What is then? for something is to