A64834:541
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.
The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance, he might have driven thee into it by terrors, but he gently leads thee; 'tis indeed his goodness that he will admit us to repent, but that he will call and lead to repentance, is goodness much more: and, Oh, what goodness is it, that he puts us to no greater penance then repentance! Jer. 3.13. God might have said, thou shalt lye in Hell so many thousand years to feel the smart of thy sin, and if he had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? how much more when he saith, wash and be clean (that I may allude to that of Naamans servant unto him) 2 Kings 5.13. yea, which is yet more, God waits to be gracious, and is patient even to long-suffering: he might have called and knocked at thy door once and no more, but he hath stood, and knocked, and begged, given thee space and means, Rev. 2.21. Luke 16.31. and why all this? but that thou mightest come to repentance, 2 Pet. 3.9. which if thou do not, 'tis a greater affront to God then thy former sin was; Humanum est errare, 'tis humane frailty to sin, but to continue in it without repentance is Devilish; 'tis to despise his goodness, Rom. 2.4. 'tis to justify thy sin, and to upbraid God with a scoff, as they did, 2 Pet. 3. where is the promise of his coming? But that his goodness may yet prevail, I entreat thee to consider this much more.
The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance, he might have driven thee into it by terrors, but he gently leads thee; 'tis indeed his goodness that he will admit us to repent, but that he will call and lead to repentance, is goodness much more: and, Oh, what goodness is it, that he puts us to no greater penance then repentance! Jer. 3.13. God might have said, thou shalt lye in Hell so many thousand years to feel the smart of thy sin, and if he had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? how much more when he saith, wash and be clean (that I may allude to that of Naamans servant unto him)