A64834:554
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.
'Tis true, all thoughts of evil are not evil thoughts, as all thoughts of good are not good thoughts: a man may think of evil, and yet his thoughts may be good; and a man may think of good, and yet his thoughts be evil. One then thinks of evil, yet with good thoughts, when he thinks of evil, to grieve and repent for it, to abhor and forsake it: and one thinks of good with evil thoughts, when he thinks of good to neglect and scorn it, to call it evil, and so to persecute it. But thoughts of sin may be sinful thoughts, with respect to sin past, or sin to come; with respect to sin past, when men please themselves in the thoughts of their past sins, when they chew the cud, and lick their lips after it, or as 'tis said in Job 20.12, 13. they hide (and roll) it (as if 'twere a Sugar-plum) under their tongue; they do it over and over again by thinking of it, when they do not act it: so some understand that, in Ezek. 23.19. She multiplied her whoredoms in calling to remembrance the sins of her youth; she acted it over again in her memory, in new speculations of her old sins: and on the other hand others (and it may be the same persons) think sinfully of the sins they have ⟨p. 276⟩not done, grieving at, and regretting it, that they had not taken such and such occasions, and embraced such and such temptations as they had to sin. So with respect to sins to come, men think sinfully in plotting, contriving, and fore-thinking what sins they will do, though they do them not. Against this we are charged, Rom. 13.14. make no provision for the flesh (the word is) do not project and cater for the flesh; lay not in fuel for such fire, do not lye abed and fore-cast to fulfil the lusts hereafter, which thou canst not act at present.
'Tis true, all thoughts of evil are not evil thoughts, as all thoughts of good are not good thoughts: a man may think of evil, and yet his thoughts may be good; and a man may think of good, and yet his thoughts be evil. One then thinks of evil, yet with good thoughts, when he thinks of evil, to grieve and repent for it, to abhor and forsake it: and one thinks of good with evil thoughts, when he thinks of good to neglect and scorn it, to call it evil, and so to persecute it. But thoughts of sin may be sinful thoughts, with respect to sin past, or sin to come; with respect to sin past, when men please themselves in the thoughts of their past sins, when they chew the cud, and lick their lips after it, or as 'tis said in