A64834:532
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.
5. Sin being so sinful, §51it greatly concerns persons, and hugely obligeth them to be religious betimes, that they may prevent a great deal of sin, which without being early religious (and strictly so) they cannot possibly do: how precious and dear should that be to us, which prevents the being of what is so pernicious and destructive? how industriously careful should we be to keep our selves from that, which will keep us from happiness? and how ambitious to enjoy that, which capacitates us for the enjoying of God for ever, and gives us the first-fruits of it here? We cannot be too soon nor too much religious, but the sooner (and more) the better. If ever you mean to be religious, there is no time more proper then now, the present now, no day to to day: Eccl. 12.1. remember now thy Creators (as the word is, viz. God in Christ, for he •reated all things by Christ Jesus, Eph. 3.9. ⟨p. 260⟩Col. 1.16.) Remember now, in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them: not only no pleasure in the evil days (of sickness, death, and judgment, that evil day, which I put far from me) but I have none in the remembrance of my youthful days. Youth is the most proper season of all our days, and now is the most proper season of all our youth to remember God in. If you say, we will do that when we are old, 'tis now spring-time with us (and no month to May) we will think of Religion in a Winters night: Oh do not boast of to morrow, as young as thou art, thou art old enough to dye, this night thy soul may be taken from thee, and be in Hell to morrow!
5. Sin being so sinful, §51it greatly concernes persons, and hugely obligeth them to be religious betimes, that they may prevent a great deal of sin, which without being early religious (and strictly so) they cannot possibly do: how precious and dear should that be to us, which prevents the being of what is so pernicious and destructive? how industriously careful should we be to keep our selves from that, which will keep us from happiness? and how ambitious to enjoy that, which capacitates us for the enjoying of God for ever, and gives us the first-fruits of it here? We cannot be too soon nor too much religious, but the sooner (and more) the better. If ever you mean to be religious, there is no time more proper then now, the present now, no day to to day: