A64834:471
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. As sin is worse then the Devil as a Tempter, and a worse Tempter; so sin is worse then the Devil as a Tormentor, and a worse Tormentor. The Devil is cruel enough, a roaring Lion, and many times takes possession of men, and handles them most unmercifully, and will much more torment men in Hell (as I have shown above) but all this while the Devil is without the spirit of a man; but sin is there, takes possession of, and torments that •is a grief to be tempted ⟨p. 225⟩to sin, but 'tis a torment to be a sinner; and God doth more form when he pardons us, and more to our ease and refreshment, then if he did cast as many Devils out of us, as he did out of Mary Ma••••lene, or a• whole Legion, as he did, Mark 5.9. Yea, in Hell, the gnawing worm of a guilty and upbraiding conscience doth more torment men then Devils do: 'Twould be a relief to a man in Hell, if he could but have peace in his conscience; or if he could say, that he were there without his demerit, and that his perdition were not of himself. But to eke out this a little further, I say:
2. As sin is worse then the Devil as a Tempter, and a worse Tempter; so sin is worse then the Devil as a Tormentor, and a worse Tormentor. The Devil is cruel enough, a roaring Lion, and many times takes possession of men, and handles them most unmercifully, and will much more torment men in Hell (as I have shewn above) but all this while the Devil is without the spirit of a man; but sin is there, takes possession of, and torments that •is a grief to be tempted ⟨p. 225⟩to sin, but 'tis a torment to be a sinner; and God doth more form when he pardons us, and more to our ease and refreshment, then if he did cast as many Devils out of us, as he did out of Mary Ma••••lene, or a• whole Legion, as he did, Mark 5.9. Yea, in Hell, the gnawing worm of a guilty and upbraiding conscience doth more torment men then Devils do: 'Twould be a relief to a man in Hell, if he could but have peace in his conscience; or if he could say, that he were there without his demerit, and that his perdition were not of himself. But to eeke out this a little further, I say: