A64834:324
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 Sinners dare not commit sin, till they have given it a new name; they sin not under the name and notion of sin, no, woe unto them; they call, as good evil, so evil good, Is 5. Revenge they will not own, but a vindication of their Honour, a doing right to their reputation; Covetousness is a sordid thing, they say, theirs is but frugality, and good husbandry; Drunkenness is unmanly (because unmanning) 'tis bestial, they confess, but theirs is only good fellowship in the liberal use of the creature; Pride must be called decency, and being in the fashion; Fornication but a trick of Youth, or gratifying nature. Thus do men disguise sin, for surely did they call it by its own name, and but look it in the face, they know they shall find it such an ugly Hag, as were not fit for the embraces of men, no nor of devils. This their new-naming it condemns it.
2 Sinners dare not commit sin, till they have given it a new name; they sin not under the name and notion of sin, no, woe unto them; they call, as good evil, so evil good, Is 5. Revenge they will not own, but a vindication of their Honor, a doing right to their reputation; Covetousness is a fordid thing, they say, theirs is but frugality, and good husbandry; Drunkenness is unmanly (because unmanning) 'tis beastial, they confess, but theirs is only good fellowship in the liberal use of the creature; Pride must be called decency, and being in the fashion; Fornication but a trick of Youth, or gratifying nature. Thus do men disguize sin, for surely did they call it by its own name, and but look it in the face, they know they shall find it such an ugly Hag, as were not fit for the imbraces of men, no nor of devils. This their new-naming it condemns it.
3 This argues their being ashamed on't, that they do what they do, as much as they can, in the dark; yea (as they foolishly think) in the dark, from Gods sight also, and do thereby implicitly confess, that if men or God saw them, they should be ashamed of what they do: time was, when they that were drunk were drunk in the night, it being a business of shame: And Eph 5.11, 12. the Apostle tells us, that 'tis a shame to ⟨p. 147⟩