A64834:374
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 Thus, That it takes occasion from its being prohibited, and forbidden by the Law, to sin against, and transgress it the more: It hath such a malignity, such an enmity in it, that it will not be subject to the Law of God, Rom. 8.7. it strives to break this bond in sunder, and to cast this cord far from it; the Law stands in its way, and therefore it rusheth upon the breaking of it with the more violence; sin grows angry, and swells like a river pent up, and stopped in its course. Thus the Apostle speaks of it, Rom. 7.8. Sin taking occasion by the Commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence: The Law said, thou shalt not lust; at this Lust grows mad, and provokes to sin the more: nitimur in vetitum; gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas. Sin is proud and impetuous, it scorns to be checked, or have any chains put upon it: Poor we (such is the sinfulness of sin!) are apt to be the more proud, the more covetous, the more wanton, &c. because 'tis forbidden us.
1 Thus, That it takes occasion from its being prohibited, and forbidden by the Law, to sin against, and transgress it the more: It hath such a malignity, such an enmity in it, that it will not be subject to the Law of God, Rom. 8.7. it strives to break this bond in sunder, and to cast this cord far from it; the Law stands in its way, and therefore it rusheth upon the breaking of it with the more violence; sin grows angry, and swells like a river pent up, and stopt in its course. Thus the Apostle speaks of it, Rom. 7.8. Sin taking occasion by the Commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence: The Law said, thou shalt not lust; at this Lust grows mad, and provokes to sin the more: nitimur in vetitum; gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas. Sin is proud and impetuous, it scorns to be checkt, or have any chains put upon it: Poor we (such is the sinfulness of sin!) are apt to be the more proud, the more covetous, the more wanton, &c. because 'tis forbidden us.
2 The sinfulness of sin appears by the Commandment thus, that it takes occasion by the Commandment to deceive us, as the Apostle saith it did him, Rom. 7.11. just as the devil took occasion from the Commandment to deceive our first parents; as if God were envious ⟨p. 170⟩to us, or at least we mistake his meaning, &c. Thus did the devil, and thus doth sin take occasion from the Commandment to deceive us, to corrupt our understanding first, and by that our affection, and by that our conversation: The devil and sin put their interpretations on Gods Text, they gloss and comment upon it, and put Queries, hath God said? Gen. 3. and 2 Cor. 11.3. You need not fear, there's no such danger, there is another meaning in this command, &c. such are the sly and cunning tricks that Satan and sin put on us, to harden us by deceit, Hebr. 3.13.
3 Sin appears exceeding sinful by the Commandment, in that it makes use of it to slay and kill us; it works our death and ruin by it; as Rom. 7.11.-13. Sin at first makes us believe (as the Serpent did Eve) that we shall not die, but live better, and be like Gods: But James 1.14, 15. being tempted, enticed and drawn away of our own lust, then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death, yea all sorts of deaths, natural, spiritual and eternal; this is the wages and end of sin, Rom. 6.21.23. Man no sooner sinned, but he became mortal, dead in Law; and by living in sin, men become spiritually dead in sin, Eph. 2.1, 2. and (if grace prevent not) will die in sin, and be damned for sin, which is eternal death: Thus saith the Apostle, while sin flattered and deceived me, (as if I should go unpunished) it brought me under ⟨p. 171⟩condemnation and death; and though God do let sentence of death pass upon some men, that he may raise them from the dead, yet these persons find themselves dead first (before they pass from death to life) as was the Apostles case in this place; Conversion is a Resurrection from the dead: Sin kills men, grace revives men; so (like the Prodigal) they that were dead, are alive: But by this we see the sinfulness of sin, that it makes use of the Law, which was ordained to life, to condemn and pass sentence of death upon sinful men; that which was made to be our strength against sin, is become the strength of sin, 1 Cor. 15.56. Death were weak without its sting, which is sin, and sin were weak without its strength, which is the Law: Oh sinful sin, exceeding, out of measure sinful, that worketh death by that which is good, and was ordained to life!
Hereupon follow several things which proclaim the sinfulness of sin from the mouth of the Law: Do we not hear the Law? Gal. 4.21. what dreadful things it speaks against the transgressors of it.
As 1. This, The Law allows us no favour, if we break it in any one thing, though we observe it in many things, if we keep not all, 'tis as if we kept it not at all; the Law will not pardon the least sin; there is no compounding with the Law, nor compensating a sin by doing a duty, Rom. 2 25. What profiteth Circumcision? it profiteth if thou keep the ⟨p. 172⟩Law, but if thou break the Law, Circumcision is as uncircumcision, it profiteth not at all: as one sinner destroyeth much good, so doth one sin; 'tis like a dead fly in a box of ointment, James 2.10. whosoever shall keep the whole, and yet offend in but one point, he is guilty of all (for the nature of all sin is in any and every one sin) if a man sin once, though but once, the Law casts him; for the Law is but the one will of God in divers particulars, either of which transgressed is against the will of God, which runs through all (as a silken string through a great many pearls, which if it be cut or broken but in one place, the whole is broken) and where ever there is but one transgression, the Law pronounceth the curse, Gal. 3.10. Had not God provided a City of refuge, a new and living way, we had never found any favour from, or by the Law, Rom. 8.2, 3. Hence
As 1. This, The Law allows us no favour, if we break it in any one thing, though we observe it in many things, if we keep not all, 'tis as if we kept it not at all; the Law will not pardon the least sin; there is no compounding with the Law, nor compensating a sin by doing a duty, Rom. 2 25. What profiteth Circumcision? it profiteth if thou keep the ⟨p. 172⟩Law, but if thou break the Law, Circumcision is as uncircumcision, it profiteth not at all: as one sinner destroyeth much good, so doth one sin; 'tis like a dead fly in a box of oyntment, James 2.10
2 The Law (since sin entered) cannot justify any man, it hath lost its power, and grown weak; as Rom. 8.23. If it were pitiful, compassionate and friendly, yet it wants power to justify us; the Law cannot give life (though 'twere made to that end) Gal. 3.21, 22. If there had been a law given, which could have given life, righteousness had been by the law; but the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise (viz. of life) might be given to them that believe: If the law could, implying that it was not in the laws ⟨p. 173⟩power, but why not? it could at first; true, but 'tis weak through the flesh, all are concluded under sin, the law is transgressed, and therefore cannot give life: Sinful sin hath weakened the law, as to the justification, but it hath strengthened it, as to the condemnation of sinners.
2 The Law (since sin entred) cannot justifie any man, it hath lost its power, and grown weak; as Rom. 8.23. If it were pitiful, compassionate and friendly, yet it wants power to justifie us; the Law cannot give life (though 'twere made to that end) Gal. 3.21, 22. If there had been a law given, which could have given life, righteousness had been by the law; but the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise (viz. of life) might be given to them that believe: If the law could, implying that it was not in the laws ⟨p. 173⟩power, but why not? it could at first; true, but 'tis weak through the flesh, all are concluded under sin, the law is transgrest, and therefore cannot give life: Sinful sin hath weakned the law, as to the justification, but it hath strengthened it, as to the condemnation of sinners.
3 The law makes sin abound, and aggravates it exceedingly, Gal. 3.19. Wherefore serves the law? of what use is the law? It was added because of transgression, to make sin appear in its own colours: the law written in mans heart was so obliterated, that men could not discern sin by it, as they had wont: for, saith the Apostle, I had not known sin but by the law, viz. new promulged and written, I did not know it by the law in my heart, for that let me alone; so that the law was added to revive the sight and sense of sin, that men might see what an ugly thing sin is, infinitely worse then men are generally aware of, till the commandment come. The law entered that sin might abound, Rom. 5.20. not that men might sin more, but see their sin more, that men might take a full measure of sin in all the dimensions of it, in its height, depth, breadth and length; the holiness, goodness, justice, the severity. &c. of the law, do all set out sin in its ugly shape and colour.
3 The law makes sin abound, and aggravates it exceedingly, Gal. 3.19. Wherefore serves the law? of what use is the law? It was added because of transgression, to make sin appear in its own colours: the law written in mans heart was so obliterated, that men could not discern sin by it, as they had wont: for, saith the Apostle, I had not known sin but by the law, viz. new promulged and written, I did not know it by the law in my heart, for that let me alone; so that the law was added to revive the sight and sense of sin, that men might see what an ugly thing sin is, infinitely worse then men are generally aware of, till the commandment come. The law entred that sin might abound, Rom. 5.20. not that men might sin more, but see their sin more, that men might take a full measure of sin in all the dimensions of it, in its heighth, depth, breadth and length; the holiness, goodness, justice, the severity. &c. of the law, do all set out sin in its ugly shape and colour.
4 The law witnesseth against sin as exceeding ⟨p. 174⟩sinful in its being become as a Schoolmaster to us, Gal. 3.24. We should scarce ever have looked to Christ, had not the law whipped and lashed us, like a severe Schoolmaster, for this (not to exclude others) is, as I conceive, much the meaning of this Text, viz. that the law kept us in awe and bondage, by its severity, until Christ came: Compare this Text with Ch. 4:1, 2, 3. The heir, as he is a Child or Babe, differs nothing from a servant, but is under Tutors and Governors; so we (saith the Apostle) were in bondage, &c. To be under Tutors, is all one as to be under a Schoolmaster, and that's to be in a condition of bondage: Many go to School with an ill will, for they go to the Ferula, to the Rod, to the Whip, to bondage, to fear and torment; the law doth nothing but frown on us, puts us hard tasks, and lasheth us for non-performance, till Christ come, and till we come to Christ, as the Egyptians did the Israelites, Exod. 5.14. The law is the state of bondage and fear; the very children are all subject to bondage through fear of death, Hebr. 2.14, 15. This also argues the sinfulness of sin, that it made the law such a dread and terror to us (as it is to all) till Christ come, who is the end of the law for righteousness, Rom. 10.4. and so takes off the Schoolmasters terribleness, by taking us into the university of an higher and better state, viz. that of believing in him for righteousness, by which we come to have a ⟨p. 175⟩spirit not of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind, as S. Paul speaks, 2 Tim. 1.7.
4 The law witnesseth against sin as exceeding ⟨p. 174⟩sinful in its being become as a Schoolmaster to us,
5 The law silenceth man from making any complaint, how great soever the judgment of God be upon him: Mark what, to whom, and to what end and purpose the law speaketh, Rom. 3.19. that every mouth be stopped: All the world must be silent when God speaks judgment, for all are guilty: If living man complain, he hath this answer presently, and in short, 'tis for his sin, Lam. 3.39. There's no room for one that hath finned to complain when he is judged: a sinner, and yet complain? Oh I, I am punished, 'tis for sin; now this stops his mouth: Man hath no reason to enter into judgment with God, when God enters into judgment with man: O what a wicked thing is sin, that hath brought man into such a condition, that he cannot speak one word for himself; if he should open his mouth, the law would stop it, by saying but this, thou hast sinned: The Law tells man that he is without excuse, and therefore 'tis in vain to plead; all on this side hell is mercy (for 'tis the Lords mercy we are not consumed) and hell it self is just judgment, under this, or that, any, or all judgment, man under the law (the sentence and condemnation of the law) hath no cause to complain, he must be silent for and because he hath sinned.
5 The law silenceth man from making any complaint, how great soever the judgment of God be upon him: Mark what, to whom, and to what end and purpose the law speaketh, Rom. 3.19. that every mouth be stopt: All the world must be silent when God speaks judgment, for all are guilty: If living man complain, he hath this answer presently, and in short, 'tis for his sin, Lam. 3.39. There's no room for one that hath finned to complain when he is judged: a sinner, and yet complain? Oh I, I am punish'd, 'tis for sin; now this stops his mouth: Man hath no reason to enter into judgment with God, when God enters into judgment with man: O what a wicked thing is sin, that hath brought man into such a condition, that he cannot speak one word for himself; if he should open his mouth, the law would stop it, by saying but this, thou hast sinned: The Law tells man that he is without excuse, and therefore 'tis in vain to plead; all on this side hell is mercy (for 'tis the Lords mercy we are not consumed) and hell it self is just judgment, under this, or that, any, or all judgment, man under the law (the sentence and condemnation of the law) hath no cause to complain, he must be silent for and because he hath sinned.
6 And lastly, The law leaves a man without hope; when it hath once past sentence on man, there's no reversing it by the law: Hope is one of the last succours, and when this fails, the heart breaks, and sinners (as they are without hope, so they) are broken-hearted; Christ came to save sinners, and to heal the broken-hearted, men without hope, Is. 61.1. men that were in a desperate and despairing state: The law condemns without mercy, Hebr. 10.28. it leaves no place for hope from it, if you present it with Petitions never so many, and seek a pardon with tears, the law is inexorable, he is cursed, and shall be cursed, saith the law. Now if there be any reprieve, or hope of pardon, that's from the grace of heavens Prerogative, which is above the Law, and can revoke and disannul its sentence, yea bestow a blessing, where the law denounced a curse; but the law it self admits of no altering, 'tis like that of the Medes and Persians, peremptory, and unalterable: quod scripsi, scripsi, what I have written, I have written, saith the Law. In all these respects, sin by the Commandment, and the law, doth become and appear to be exceeding sinful. But
If it should be said by any, that though the law be severe to sinners, yet the Gospel is propitious and merciful to them; and therefore sin seems not (now at least) to be so vile a thing as heretofore: ⟨p. 177⟩To this I shall answer, and make it evident;
6 That the Gospel also bears witness, yea, 6and is the greatest and clearest testimony that's born against sin: Though sinners find favour from the Gospel, yet sin finds none: The Gospel is not, in the least, indulgent to the least sin: The whole voice of the Gospel is, these things are written, that ye sin not: The Gospel is the Declaration of the life and death, the design and doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was and is all against sin: The design of Christ was indeed to save sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. but to destroy sin, Rom. 8.3. 1 Joh. 3.5. with 8. he came to save his people from their sins; he came not to save from the petty and contemptible evils of reproaches and afflictions, &c. but from the great and formidable evil of sin; from the guilt for time past, and the power for time to come; he came to redeem us from all iniquity, Tit. 2.14. And this is the blessing with which he blesseth us, to turn us every one away from every one of our iniquities, Acts 3.26. so that whoever names and calls upon the Name of the Lord (i.e. makes profession of being a Christian) is thereby obliged to depart from iniquity, 2 Tim. 2.19. How •he life and death of our holy and blessed Saviour did witness against sin, I declared before: I shall now treat of the doctrine of •he Gospel, which doth so fully comport ⟨p. 178⟩with, and is adequately fitted to his aim and design, viz. the taking away of sin.
The sum of Gospel Doctrine (preached by Christ himself, and confirmed to us by them that heard him) was and is, repentance and faith, Mark 1.15. and under these the Apostle compriseth the whole counsel of God, Acts 20.21. with 27. both these doctrines speak aloud against sin, as exceeding sinful: Repent, saith the Apostle, for the remission of sins; what an evil is that which man must repent of! and none but the God of all grace, rich in mercy, can remit and forgive? And which forgiveness argues him to be a God of great love, rich in mercy, &c. or else sin could not be forgiven, it being easier to heal diseases, &c. then to forgive sins, as our Saviour tells us, Mat, 9.5, 6. 'Tis the manifestation of his power; according to what Moses said in prayer, let the power of my Lord be great to pardon, &c. Numb. 14.17.-20. Repentance takes in many things, its made up of sorrow and shame, confession and reformation, all and every of which speak sins sinfulness: Repent, that your sins may be blotted out, Acts 3.19. If sin be not blotted out, man is undone, his name will be blotted out of the Book of Life: as Repentance, so Faith speaks against sin: Faith speaks men to be void of righteousness and life, for they both are by faith; and, as if men repent not, they will not be forgiven, so, if they believe ⟨p. 179⟩not, they will be damned; for not only they that know not God, but they that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, will have vengeance taken on them, and be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, 2 Thes. 1.8, 9. And how can they escape (i. e. there's no possibility of escaping) this great damnation, that neglect the great salvation, Hebr. 2.3.
The sum of Gospel Doctrine (preacht by Christ himself, and confirmed to us by them that heard him) was and is, repentance and faith,
Let us take the Doctrine of the Gospel apart, and 'tis (as in the whole, so in every part of it) against sin; not one Gospel doctrine, but the application of it is (and is to be made) against sin, Tit. 2.11. The grace of God bringing salvation (or the saving grace of God) hath appeared to all men (and so is against the sin of all men, and against all sin) teaching us to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts (not one excepted) and to live soberly (as to our selves) righteously (as to others) and godlily (to God) in this present world, i e. all the days of our life; as 'tis Luke 1.74, 75. The Gospel is a witness against the old man, with all his corrupt affections, passions, lusts and deeds, and is all for new light and knowledge, new love and affection, new life and conversation; and its design is, that man be no longer an old, but a new creature, Eph. 4.17.-25. 2 Cor. 5.17. 'Tis against all sin, and for all righteousness and holiness; 'tis against hypocrisy, and for truth; against formality, and for spirit and power.
Let us take the Doctrine of the Gospel apart, and 'tis (as in the whole, so in every part of it) against sin; not one Gospel doctrine, but the application of it is (and is to be made) against sin, Tit. 2.11. The grace of God bringing salvation (or the saving grace of God) hath appear'd to all men (and so is against the sin of all men, and against all sin) teaching us to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts (not one excepted) and to live soberly (as to our selves) righteously (as to others) and godlily (to God) in this present world, i e. all the daies of our life; as 'tis Luke 1.74, 75. The Gospel is a witness against the old man, with all his corrupt affections, passions, lusts and deeds, and is all for new light and knowledge, new love and affection, new life and conversation; and its design is, that man be no longer an old, but a new creature, Eph. 4.17.-25.
More particularly 1 The Doctrinal part Of the Gospel is against sin. 2 The Mandatory part Of the Gospel is against sin. 3 The Promising part Of the Gospel is against sin. 4 The Menacing part Of the Gospel is against sin. 5 The Exemplary part Of the Gospel is against sin. 6 The •••rimental part Of the Gospel is against sin.
3 Sin appears exceeding sinful by the Commandment, in that it makes use of it to slay and kill us; it works our death and ruine by it; as Rom. 7.11.-13. Sin at first makes us believe (as the Serpent did Eve) that we shall not die, but live better, and be like Gods: But James 1.14, 15. being tempted, enticed and drawn away of our own lust, then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death, yea all sorts of deaths, natural, spiritual and eternal; this is the wages and end of sin, Rom. 6.21.23. Man no sooner sinned, but he became mortal, dead in Law; and by living in sin, men become spiritually dead in sin, Eph. 2.1, 2. and (if grace prevent not) will die in sin, and be damned for sin, which is eternal death: Thus saith the Apostle, while sin flatter'd and deceiv'd me, (as if I should go unpunished) it brought me under ⟨p. 171⟩condemnation and death; and though God do let sentence of death pass upon some men, that he may raise them from the dead, yet these persons find themselves dead first (before they pass from death to life) as was the Apostles case in this place; Conversion is a Resurrection from the dead: Sin kills men, grace revives men; so (like the Prodigal) they that were dead, are alive: But by this we see the sinfulness of sin, that it makes use of the Law, which was ordain'd to life, to condemn and pass sentence of death upon sinful men; that which was made to be our strength against sin, is become the strength of sin, 1 Cor. 15.56. Death were weak without its sting, which is sin, and sin were weak without its strength, which is the Law: Oh sinful sin, exceeding, out of measure sinful, that worketh death by that which is good, and was ordain'd to life!
