A64834:557
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.
2. Sinful thoughts are an abomination in th• sight of God: God hath a special eye to th• ⟨p. 277⟩thoughts of mens hearts, to them of good men, Mal. 3.16. and to them of bad men, Gen. 6.5. In good men God accepts (very often) the will for the deed, if to will be present with them, though to do they have not power; if they be as willing to do as to will the deed, God accepts the will for the deed, though they cannot do it, 2 Cor. 8.12. Math. 26.41. So when men will and think wickedly, God takes their will for the deed; as he takes the good mans will for the deed with acceptation, so he takes the wicked mans will for the deed with abomination: for Prov. 15.26. the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, i. e. their wicked thoughts are filthy steams and stinks in the nostrils of God. Sin is a filthiness, and sinful thoughts have their filthiness as well as sinful actions, and it's therefore said, Jer. 4.14. Oh, Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayst be saved, how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee? the very remedy speaks out the disease; if they must be washed, they were filthy sure; for sweeping will not serve the turn: and what was the wickedness of their heart? it follows in the Text, the vain thoughts that were there, and these must be washed, or they could not be saved, so abominable in the sight of God is the villainy and vanity of thoughts.
2. Sinful thoughts are an abomination in th• sight of God: God hath a special eye to th• ⟨p. 277⟩