A64834:283
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.
5 The devil grants sin to be the worst of evils by this, that all the affliction and misery which he brings upon men, is to make them sin more; so that in the devils account, sin is worse then suffering: as it proves the goodness of God, that he brings evil on us, to do and make us good, to cure us of the evil of sin by the evil of suffering; so it argues the sinfulness of the devil, and sin too, that he brings evil on us to make us worse; he doth not care to afflict us so much because we have sinned, as that we may sin no more. The end of the devil in persecuting Job, was not only ⟨p. 127⟩to make him smart, but to make him sin, that he might curse God; 'tis something beyond suffering, which is worse then suffering, that the devil aims at in bringing suffering, and that is sin.
6 The devil bears witness that sin is sinful by this, that when any are awakened to see their own vileness, he endeavours all he can to drive them to despair; as he would at first they should presume to sin, so after that they should not hope for, but despair of pardon: he littles it (or nothings it) before commission, and greatens it after; when sin revived, the Apostle died, Rom. 7.9 It wrought in him apprehensions of death and hell, due to that state wherein he then was: when Christ Jesus convinced him of his sin of persecution, it made him tremble, and struck him almost dead, Acts 9. Conviction of sin pricks men to the heart, and makes them cry out like undone men, what shall we do! what will become of us! is there any pardon? is there any hope? Now the devil strikes in, and tells them, that their sin is greater then can be forgiven. When the poor Penitent was sorrowful, the devil made use of his devices that he might be swallowed up, and drowned in sorrow, 2 Cor. 2.7. with 11. as if he would have told him, if these forgive thee not, much less will God, the Church hath cast thee off, and so will God: His great design is (then) to persuade men, that the Mercy of God, and Merit of Christ, is not enough to save them. Thus the devil speaks out fully, that sin is exceeding sinful.