A64834:49
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.
SIN, THE PLAGUE of PLAGUES; OR Sinful Sin the worst of Evils. › Of sins contrariety to God.
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. 1Sin is contrary to the nature of God; Gods name is holy, and as his name is, so is he and his nature, all holy, yea he is so, and cannot but be so: And therefore God takes it more ill, that men should think him wicked like themselves, Psa. 50.16-22. then that they think him not to be, Psal. 14.1. Its said to weary him, when men do but say that evil is good in his sight, Mal. 2.17. This is the thing God glorieth in, that he is holy, yea glorious in holiness, Exod. 15.11. And Holiness is the Attribute, which freeth God from not only evil it self, but from all appearance or suspicion of evil. Were not God holy, many of the things which God doth would look unlike him; his justice and judgments would look not only like severity but Tyranny, were not it and they holy; his love in its carriages and behaviours to some people, would look like fondness and respecting ⟨p. 11⟩of persons, but that 'tis holy; his patience would look like a toleration, if not approbation of sin, but that 'tis holy patience, &c. Thus many acts of God, were it not for holiness, would appear as seemingly evil as they are really good, and be as much suspected by all, as they are unjustly censured by some. He is holy, without spot or blemish, or any such thing, without any wrinkle, or any thing like it; as they also that are in Christ shall one day be, Eph. 5.27. God is so holy, that he cannot sin himself, nor be the cause or Author of sin in another; he doth not command sin to be committed ('twere to cross his nature and will) nor approve of any mans sin when 'tis committed, but hates it with a perfect hatred; without iniquity is he, and of purer eyes then to behold, i. e. approve iniquity, Hab. 1.13.
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