A64834:362
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.
There remains yet another thing to prove the sinfulness of sin by the creatures (which I shall but touch) and that is, as they are instruments in the hands of God to punish sinners, which they do with much readiness, as if they were revenging themselves as well as vindicating God, witness the plagues of Egypt. The four Elements have born their testimony often; Fire burnt Sodom, Water drowned the old World, the Earth swallowed up Corah, &c. the Air hath conveyed infection in times of plague; the Sun, Moon and Stays have been warriors, and fought in their courses against sin; the beasts of the field and fowls of the air have done the like; but I only hint these things: Two ways they show their displeasure (and his, whose creatures they are) against sin, in punishing sinners.
There remains yet another thing to prove the sinfulness of sin by the creatures (which I shall but touch) and that is, as they are instruments in the hands of God to punish sinners, which they do with much readiness, as if they were revenging themselves as well as vindicating God, witness the plagues of Aegypt. The four Elements have born their testimony often; Fire burnt Sodom, Water drown'd the old World, the Earth swallowed up Corah, &c. the Air hath conveyed infection in times of plague; the Sun, Moon and Stays have been warriours, and fought in their courses against sin; the beasts of the field and sowls of the air have done the like; but I only hint these things: Two ways they shew their displeasure (and his, whose creatures they are) against sin, in punishing sinners.
1 By withdrawing their influences, Deut 28.23. the heaven shall be brass, and the earth iron, that shall not rain nor drop dew, this shall not bring forth fruit. See Hos. 2.18.22.