A64834:475
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. There's no evil but this to be repented of: God allows us to sigh and groan, to mourn and lament at other evils; but for this he calls for and requires repentance, which is a severe thing, full of rebuke and disgrace to man, though it be a grace. How great is that evil for which a man must cry Peccavi, and to bring him to the confession whereof, and repentance for and from it, other evils are inflicted!
3. They are the greatest punishments, which are made up of sins: 'Tis worse to be let alone and given up, then if men were sent quick to Hell; for they live but as reserved to fill up their measure brimful, and to undergo the more of Hell, to grow rich in wrath, having treasured it up against that day. As 'tis the best of comforts to have assurance of the love of God, and to be sealed to the day of Redemption; so 'tis the saddest of judgments to be given up (as 'tis three times in one place, Rom. 1.) to their lusts, to an hardened heart, a seared conscience, a reprobate mind; when God shall say, let him that's filthy be filthy still, Rev. 22.11. and they shall not see nor understand, lest they should be converted, Isa. 6.9, 10. a dreadful place, which is six times quoted in the New Testament, as you may see in the Margin.
3. They are the greatest punishments, which are made up of sins: 'Tis worse to be let alone and given up, then if men were sent quick to Hell; for they live but as reserved to fill up their measure brimful, and to undergo the more of Hell, to grow rich in wrath, having treasured it up against that day. As 'tis the best of comforts to have assurance of the love of God, and to be sealed to the day of Redemption; so 'tis the saddest of judgments to be given up (as 'tis three times in one place, Rom. 1.) to their lusts, to an hardned heart, a seared conscience, a reprobate mind; when God shall say, let him that's filthy be filthy still,