A64834:339
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.
1 With sorrow, for them that have none for themselves, 'tis to be confessed, that there are some hardened sinners, sunk into the image, practise, and it may be condemnation (as well as snare) of the devil himself; yea they seem to outgo the devils, for they believe and tremble, which is more then some sinners do: Godly men rejoice with trembling, but some ungodly men sin without trembling, and rejoice at it too. But
1 With sorrow, for them that have none for themselves, 'tis to be confest, that there are some hardned sinners, sunk into the image, practise, and it may be condemnation (as well as snare) of the devil himself; yea they seem to outgo the devils, for they believe and tremble, which is more then some sinners do: Godly men rejoyce with trembling, but some ungodly men sin without trembling, and rejoyce at it too. But
2 This is a sad and dreadful judgment upon them, worse then any affliction that could befall them; of all judgments this the most terrible, as being the Suburbs of hell it self; to be punished for sin by sin, is the worst of punishments: when God saith of a person or people, he will let them go, they shall take their course, and not be punished, (viz. by bodily and sensible plagues) he punisheth them most and worst of all: To denote the greatness of it, 'tis three times said in Scripture, Rom. 1. that God gave them up, and gave them over; v. 24.26.28. 'Tis no wonder men act the devils part, when they are under the devils doom.
3 This therefore speaks no more in commendation of sin, then a Bedlams going naked and enduring (without feeling) the pricks of pins in his flesh, commends his condition: Is it any part of handsomeness to have a whores sorehead? Shall we make blind men judges of colours, or dead men of the affairs of the living, and their concerns? Who would take the judgment of them that are void of judgment, and given up to a reprobate mind? If men have lost their senses, and will say Snow is black, Honey is bitter, &c.