A64834:526
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.
Yet again, If there be any pleasure, 'tis but for a season, a very little while, 'tis soon over and gone, like the crackling of thorns under a pot; the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the Hypocrite is but for a moment, Job 20.5. but the miseries of sin may be, yea, (without ⟨p. 256⟩repentance) will be Eternal: so that as the sufferings of this present life (to the godly) are not worthy to be compared with the future glory; so the pleasures of the wicked are as nothing (take the best of them) not to be compared with the future misery: certainly they are woeful and rueful pleasures that men must repent of, or be damned for to all Eternity.
Yet again, If there be any pleasure, 'tis but for a season, a very little while, 'tis soon over and gone, like the crackling of thorns under a pot; the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the Hypocrite is but for a moment, Job 20.5. but the miseries of sin may be, yea, (without ⟨p. 256⟩repentance) will be Eternal: so that as the sufferings of this present life (to the godly) are not worthy to be compared with the future glory; so the pleasures of the wicked are as nothing (take the best of them) not to be compared with the future miscry: certainly they are woful and ruful pleasures that men must repent of, or be damned for to all Eternity.
Upon the whole then, the inference is undeniable, that there is no good (of profit, honour, or pleasure) to be had by sin, and that they who seek for all or any of them there, do as they that would seek case in Hell, the very place and Element of torment. If good be not good, when better is expected, how miserably vexatious must the disappointment be? when men look for good and peace, but behold evil and trouble (yea, and nothing else) comes upon them: when they bless themselves, and say (as,