A64834:509
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.
Object. But it may be said, true, these are (as you say) costly sins indeed; but what say you to Covetousness, that frugal and thrifty, that saving and getting sin? I answer,
That Covetousness and all its gets or saves is unprofitable: For I pray consider.
1. All is not gain that's gotten; I will tell you what a wise man saw and said, Eccl. 5.13. There is a fore evil under the Sun, namely, riches kept by the owners thereof to their hurt; here are riches and riches kept, but, alas, 'tis for the owners hurt and detriment; better he had not had them, or had not kept them: did these profit him? yes, if hurt be profit, not else: Where is the profit? he can show you his hurt, but not his profit. They perish by evil travel, and he begets a son, but can leave him nothing, for 'tis not in his hand, vers. 14. while he had them, he could not sleep for them, vers. 12. and his abundance made him poor; perhaps 'twas his crime that he was rich, and some Vespasian or other mightier then he, finding this sponge swelled and full, would needs squeeze him, and leave him hollow and empty. Stories tell us of times, when Estates have been the greatest crimes persons have been guilty of, though charged with ⟨p. 246⟩malignancy or treason. Or,
1. All is not gain that's gotten; I will tell you what a wise man saw and said, Eccl. 5.13. There is a fore evil under the Sun, namely, riches kept by the owners thereof to their hurt; here are riches and riches kept, but, alas, 'tis for the owners hurt and detriment; better he had not had them, or had not kept them: did these profit him? yes, if hurt be profit, not else: Where is the profit? he can shew you his hurt, but not his profit. They perish by evil travel, and he begets a son, but can leave him nothing, for 'tis not in his hand, vers. 14. while he had them, he could not sleep for them, vers. 12. and his abundance made him poor; perhaps 'twas his crime that he was rich, and some Vespasian or other mightier then he, finding this sponge swell'd and full, would needs squeeze him, and leave him hollow and empty. Stories tell us of times, when Estates have been the greatest crimes persons have been guilty of, though charged with