A64834:440
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.
3 'Tis but one, and but this once. If sin be good, why but once? if evil, why once? one sin though but once, is one and once too much: Beside, when the Serpents head is in, 'tis hard keeping out the whole body; one makes way for another, 'tis almost impossible to sin once and but once. Yet then fourthly, saith sin, 'tis but a little one; that cannot be a little sin which is against a great God, and deserves so great a punishment as death, for the wages of sin (of every single sin) is death, Rom. 6.23. I but saith sin, (5) 'tis in secret, none will see it; but this is a cheat, for 'tis impossible to sin so secretly but there will be two Witnesses, God and Conscience know all the sins that men commit. I but, saith sin, (6) thou wilt hate it and dread it ever after; as some go to Mass that they may distaste it, and to Plays to see the folly of them: but who would be a burnt child to dread the fir•• 'tis bad making such costly experiments as may cost us the loss of our souls, 'tis dangerous meddling with that which is an appearance, and may be an occasion of evil, much more to parley and ⟨p. 207⟩tamper with sin it self. But then (7) saith sin, I promise thee thou shalt get by it; so much profit, so much pleasure, so much honour shalt thou have by it; but sins gain is loss, he that gets the world by a sin, pays too dear for it, for 'tis the loss, at least the hazard of his soul; the pleasures of sin are grievous; its honours, disgraces and shame. Did not our first Parents find it so, and do not we? the Apostle appeals, Rom. 6.21. the precious substance promised, ends in a pernicious shadow, and the spoils we get by sin do but spoil us. Sin promiseth like a God, but pays like a Devil; sin tells us we shall not dye, but live like Gods, but we find nothing but death and such a life as they have in Hell. Sins performances are contrary to its promises: it promiseth gold, and […] dross: If any man have a mind to true mise••es, let him take sins fall promiset. Well but then, (8) saith sin, others do it, and why mayest not thou? 'Tis not what others do, but what they ought to do that we are to follow; we must not follow any man, nor a multitude of men to do evil: if others will venture their damnation, what's that to us? 'twill be no (solamen miseris socios habuisse) no comfort to have had companions in sin, and to meet them again in Hell.