A64834:465
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.
1. Death is separating; it separates the nearest and dearest relations, yea, that which God hath joined together, man and wife, soul and body: it separates from Estates, Ordinances, &c. as I showed before; thus death is a great evil and enemy; true, but sin is worse, for it brought death, and all the evils that come by death, and separates man (while alive) from God, who is the light and life of our lives. Death separates not from the love of God, that sin doth, Rom. 8.38, 39. Isa. 59.2.
1. Death is separating; it separates the nearest and dearest relations, yea, that which God hath joyned together, man and wife, soul and body: it separates from Estates, Ordinances, &c. as I shewed before; thus death is a great evil and enemy; true, but sin is worse, for it brought death, and all the evils that come by death, and separates man (while alive) from God, who is the light and life of our lives. Death separates not from the love of God, that sin doth, Rom. 8.38, 39. Isa. 59.2.
2. Death is terrifying, 'tis ([Greek or Hebrew]) the King of Terrors, Job 18.14. 'tis a grim Sir, a very sour and tetrical thing: 'tis ghastly and frightful, for men are not only unwilling but afraid to dye; but all the terror that is in death, sin puts there, 'tis the sting of death, 1 Cor. 13.56. without which, though it kill, it cannot curse, nor hurt any man: so that sin is more terrible then death, for without sin either ⟨p. 222⟩there had been no death, or (to be sure) no terror in death; when the sting is taken away by the death of Christ, there's no danger nor cause of fear, Heb 2.14, 15. and the Apostle looking on the Prince of Peace, was not afraid of the King of Terrors, but could challenge and upbraid it,