A64834:612
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. › 2. Take heed of sins of Commission.
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.
4. §41Take heed of the sins that attend your Callings, Occupations, and Trades: and here I premise, 1. That every man should (as was touched above) have a Calling to follow, and follow his Calling; God hath given no man a dispensation to be idle, the rule is, 2 Thes 3.10. and that by command, if any will not, that can, work, neither should he eat; and if this rule were observed, I am afraid that more rich then poor would go with hungry stomachs and empty bellies. Of idleness comes no good, but to be sure a great deal of evil: They that are at work are not at leisure to sin, but they that are idle are at leisure to do nothing but to sin. Adam in innocency (that better then golden age) had his Calling and Employment, he was a Gardner, *Gen. 2.15. The Angels of Heaven are not without their Cal•ing; when they are abroad (here on earth) they are ministering Spirits, Heb. 1.14. and when at home in Heaven, they rest not day or night from praising God; as one of the Greek Fathers expresseth it, [Greek or Hebrew], their service and calling is to sing Songs and Psalms of praise. I may ⟨p. 319⟩therefore say, Take heed of the sin of being without a Calling, or of having no Calling, especially you that are young and strong to labour. 2. No mans Calling necessitates him to sin; there's many a Trade, of which I scruple not to say, 'tis no Calling: many make Trades for a livelihood of that which is no Calling; Harlotry and Thieving are no Callings; for we are called, not to uncleanness, but to holiness: and as to lawful Callings, sin is but accidental, and springs up more from our inclination, then 'tis occasioned by our Callings. Necessities are things that few men are competent Judges of; many things are called so, which are far from being so; and nothing should be called so, that is a sin; he that cannot follow a Calling without sinning, had better lay aside his Trade, then live by sinning: That there is sin in Callings, is not from our vocation, but from our corruption; 'tis not our Calling, but our evil hearts that put us upon sinning. There's no need to tell a lye, or to steal, or cheat, there are many other better ways to live, and if we were not distrustful of God, and indulgent to the baseness of our own hearts, we might find them out. Yet,