A64834:485
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. Consider the multitude of sins, and the multitude of sins in and by every sinner; the sins are more numerous then sinners: if all men had finned, and but once, it would have mitigated the matter; but sin hath grown up with men, that were not only conceived and born in sin, but ⟨p. 231⟩went astray before they could go, even from the womb; not a good thought to be found in their heart, Gen. 6.5 it grows up faster then men do, they are old in sin, when young in years, they are adding iniquity to iniquity, and drawing it on with cords and ropes, committing it with both hands greedily, as if they could not sin enough; they dare God himself to judge them; they drink down iniquity like water, as if 'twere their element, and nourishment, and pleasure also: yea, and among the rest his sons and daughters provoke him with their sins, which go very near his heart, Deut. 32.19. and yet, behold, how miraculously patient and long-suffering God is!
3. Consider the length of time in which these multitude of sinners have committed these multitudes of sins; from the beginning even till now, generation after generation: if all the world had sinned and committed all manner of sins, if it had been but for an hour or a day, it had not been so provoking: but as length of time aggravates misery, so it doth sin: God reckons up 120 years patience (after many before that) as to the old World, Gen. 6 3 and to Israel, forty years, Heb. 3.17. He came to the Figtree of the Jewish Nation, three years in person, seeking fruit before he cut it down, or so much as gave order for it, Luke 13.6, 7. He had waited longer on all these, but these were over time (such as Landlords allow their Tenants after Quarter-day) space given before Distraint or Ejectment. We were old enough to be damned when we were young; but God hath given us