A64834:296
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 Good and godly men discover that sin is odious to them by this, that they will rather suffer ⟨p. 134⟩then sin: Many men make an ill choice, such an one as Elihu charged on Job, Ch. 36.21. This (viz. sin) hast thou chosen rather then affliction; but godly men make Moses his choice, who chose affliction rather then the pleasures of sin, Hebr. 11. As precious a thing as life is, a godly man would not willingly sin to save his life: Though the mouth of a Fiery Furnace (heated sevenfold) were open to devour the three children (as we use to call them) yet they would not sin, Dan. 3.18, and Daniel would rather adventure on the Lyons, then neglect a duty to his God, Dan. 6.10. Though bonds waited on S. Paul every where, yet he could not be withheld by fear of them from preaching the faith of Jesus, Acts 20.23, 24. with 21.11.—15. you have a long Catalogue, a little Book of Martyrs, Hebr. 11. who chose all manner of deaths before any kind or manner of sin, and would not accept deliverance on ignoble terms, but had rather die holily, then live sinfully. They all declare, that 'tis better to suffer to avoid sinning, then sin to avoid suffering.
2 Good and godly men discover that sin is odious to them by this, that they will rather suffer ⟨p. 134⟩then sin: Many men make an ill choice, such an one as Elihu charged on Job, Ch. 36.21. This (viz. sin) hast thou chosen rather then affliction; but godly men make Moses his choice, who chose affliction rather then the pleasures of sin, Hebr. 11. As precious a thing as life is, a godly man would not willingly sin to save his life: Though the mouth of a Fiery Furnace (heated sevenfold) were open to devoure the three children (as we use to call them) yet they would not sin,