A64834:623
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.
3. Grind them not by forcing upon them braided and trashy ware, because they are in your debt: You complain many times that your Chapmen break, and 'tis to be feared they may complain that you break them; either by forcing too much, or very bad commodities into their hand, which they cannot vend or put off but to their great loss. They are in your books, and for fear of your displeasure, lest you should arrest them, they are willing to take it of you: ⟨p. 327⟩but, Oh, for the poor's-sake, for Gods-sake, and for your own, and your families-sake, do not grow rich by the poor mans poverty. If you know any more beside these (for I have but little knowledge of your Mysteries) I entreat you to take heed of them. If you shall say in your heart, that he is a silly fellow that cannot distinguish away the danger and dread of all this, I list not to answer your objections: But this I say,
3. Grind them not by forcing upon them braided and trashy ware, because they are in your debt: You complain many times that your Chapmen break, and 'tis to be feared they may complain that you break them; either by forcing too much, or very bad commodities into their hand, which they cannot vend or put off but to their great loss. They are in your books, and for fear of your displeasure, lest you should arrest them, they are willing to take it of you: ⟨p. 327⟩but, Oh, for the poors-sake, for Gods-sake, and for your own, and your famililies-sake, do not grow rich by the poor mans poverty. If you know any more beside these (for I have but little knowledge of your Mysteries) I intreat you to take heed of them. If you shall say in your heart, that he is a silly fellow that cannot distinguish away the danger and dread of all this, I list not to answer your objections: But this I say,
That you can never evade your consciences, where this is indelibly written, that you ought to do as you would be done by in justice, and if you would not another should wrong you, do not you wrong them: if your conscience should be bribed, yet God will not, and what will you do when he riseth up to Judgment? how will you answer God, to whom you must give an account? be not deceived, God will not be mocked: 'tis as cheap as easy to laugh at, and put off such a poor thing as man is; but believe it, Conscience and God will not be so put off. Thus I have in this also endeavoured to discharge my own soul, and to save yours, as well as to be free from your blood. Oh, consider, consider! If you are not guilty, I have not condemned you, but speak this, that you may not be guilty; and that you may pray to God to be kept from, and praise him if you have been kept from such crying sins. To proceed yet further.