A64834:54
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.
5. 5Sin is contrary to the Image of God, wherein man was made: God made man in his own likeness, viz. in righteousness and true holiness, Eph. 4.24. Now sin is clean contrary to this Image, as much unlike it as deformity and ugliness is unlike to handsomeness and beauty, as darkness is to light, as hell to heaven, yea and more too: Sin is the Devils Image; as when God made man, he made him in his own image; so when the Devil made man sin, he thereby made him his own image and likeness: and so I conceive the Devil meant that phrase, Ye shall be like Gods, Elohim, Genes. 3.5. He did not say, nor mean, that he should be like the Elohim, (the Creators, as the word is, Job 35.10. Eccl. 12.1.) the God that made them, but like Elohim Gods, viz. such as I and my Angels are, who once knew good, but now know evil, both by doing it, and suffering ⟨p. 15⟩the sad effects of it. The word Elohim is used not only of God and good Angels, but of fallen Angels, or Devils, 1 Sam. 28.13. And under the covert of this ambiguous and dubious word he craftily abused our first Parents; for he well knew that by sinning they could not become like Elohim, God above, but would become like Elohim, the Gods below: And alas! are we not like Elohim-devils, knowing good by loss, and evil by the sad and dismal effects thereof? Thus he that runs may read the Picture, Image and likeness of the Devil in sin; sinners are as like the Devil as any thing, for he that sinneth is of the Devil, 1 John 3.8. not only a servant, but a child of the Devil; Ye are of your Father the Devil, said holy Jesus to the sinful Jews, John 8.44. Never was Child more like the Father, then a sinner is like the Devil; sin hath the nature, the complexion, the air, the features, and very behaviour of the Devil.