A64834:437
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.
And though it be impossible to reckon up all the particular ways whereby the deceitful hearts and sins of men abuse them; yet I will instance in a few, that it may be for a warning to sinners, and a witness against sin; and then conclude this part of our Discourse.
1. Sometimes sin persuades us that such or such a thing is no sin, though it look like a sin, as the Devil dealt by Eve at first, and so deceived her: she was a little jealous and shy, that what the Serpent put her upon was evil, but he cunningly insinuates, that however it seemed to her, yet that it was not so: This way is the pride and wantonness of persons upheld, that though these things are appearances of evil, yet they are not evil: but, alas, 'tis next to being a sinner to look like a sinner; appearance in good is too little, in evil 'tis too much: 'tis a very hard thing to look like a sinner, to talk and garb it like a sinner, and not to be one; and which is the worst on't, 'tis more then likely, that what the Devil grants to be like a sin is a sin; and they that are persuaded otherwise, are deceived by him, as Eve was: 'tis great odds, but if we do like the picture, we shall like the thing: though an Idol be no God, nor like him; yet God hath ⟨p. 206⟩utterly forbidden graven images, for they are of the Devils carving.
1. Sometimes sin perswades us that such or such a thing is no sin, though it look like a sin, as the Devil dealt by Eve at first, and so deceiv'd her: she was a little jealous and shy, that what the Serpent put her upon was evil, but he cunningly insinuates, that however it seem'd to her, yet that it was not so: This way is the pride and wantonness of persons upheld, that though these things are appearances of evil, yet they are not evil: but, alas, 'tis next to being a sinner to look like a sinner; appearance in good is too little, in evil 'tis too much: 'tis a very hard thing to look like a sinner, to talk and garb it like a sinner, and not to be one; and which is the worst on't, 'tis more then likely, that what the Devil grants to be like a sin is a sin; and they that are perswaded otherwise, are deceived by him, as Eve was: 'tis great odds, but if we do like the picture, we shall like the thing: though an Idol be no God, nor like him; yet God hath