A64834:376
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 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