Sin the Plague of Plagues, Title page – To the reader
SIN, THE PLAGƲE of PLAGƲES; 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 SOƲTHWARK,
By Ralph Venning, A.M.
Prov. 8.36. He that ſinneth againſt me, wrongeth his own Soul.
John 5.14. Sin no more, leaſt a worſe thing come unto thee.
London, Printed for John Hancock, to be ſold at his Shop in Biſhopſgate-ſtreet, over againſt the Exchange, next to the White-Lyon, and the corner ſhop in Popes-head-Alley; and by T. Parkhurſt at the Golden Lyon on London-bridge, 1669.
Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber.
To all that were Hearers, and to all that ſhall be Readers of what's contained in the following Treatiſe.
THE Chriſtian Religion (as it expoſeth to, ſo it) fits for, and is ſuited to Suffering as well as Glory: Yea, the All-wiſe God hath ſo ordered it, that while we are on this ſide the Grave, ſuch Graces (as ſuppoſe Suffering, and are preparative to Glory) ſhould be moſt exerciſed by us, which are to act their part, and to have their continuance only in this world; and which indeed had not had an actual being or exiſtence, if Sin had not entred into the world; viz. ſuch Graces as are Faith, Repentance, Hope and Patience: There had been no need of Faith for righteouſneſs, if we had not loſt our own; no need of, nor occaſion for Repentance, if we had remained Innocent; no room for Hope, ſeeing we had been in a continual ſight, enjoyment and poſſeſſion of happineſs, if we had not ſinned; nor any uſe or exerciſe of Patience, when there had been no ſuffering, and none there had been, if there had been no Sin: The ſtate of Innocency (before ſin was) being in the next degree like to the ſtate of Glory (when ſin ſhall be no more) and that excludes theſe, and ſuch like things; for then ſorrow and ſighing ſhall flee away, and all tears be wiped from their eyes; then Faith ſhall be turned into Viſion, and Hope into Fruition, ſuffering (and conſequently patience) ſhall be at an end, as to good and holy men.
It cannot therefore but be hugely uſeful and advantageous toward the exciting, exerciſing, promoting and perfecting of theſe Graces, to know what an exceeding ſinful thing ſin is; not only that we may ſuffer well, as did Chriſt Jeſus, 1 Pet. 2.19.-23. and make Moſes's choice, Hebr. 11.25. and not that which is charg'd on Job as his, Chap. 36, 21. But alſo becauſe, if ever we be ſaved, theſe Graces muſt be practis'd, and that they are not in a capacity to be, till ſin appear to us, as it did to S. Paul, an exceeding ſinful, deceitful, and deſtructive thing. And truly, as Sinners are not like to be awakened hereunto, till the Commandment come (as it did to the Apoſtle) and diſcover it to them; ſo they who are awakened and converted, are greatly obliged, and no leſs provokt by it, to admire the love and mercy of God, and to pay him everlaſting gratitudes for their deliverance and ſalvation from ſin. But of the uſefulneſs of this Doctrine I ſpeak in the Treatiſe it ſelf, and ſhall therefore forbear to name any thing more of that Nature in this place.
As to the Book I have but a few things to ſay; this Treatiſe was began, and almoſt finiſh'd, before the late Sore and great Plague began; and therefore (though for a memorial of it) I have taken occaſion to give it a Name or Title from thence, yet it is not calculated particularly thereunto; but with a more general aſpect upon the univerſal miſchief, that Sin hath done mankind, as to Soul and Body, Time and Eternity, it being the root of all evil, Corporal, Spiritual, and Eternal, only in relation to that ſweeping Beeſom of deſtruction, and the dreadful fire from heaven or hell, and in ſeveral ſenſes from both, which ſince conſumed the habitations, as the Plague did the Inhabitants before (both which I fear are (alas!) but too much forgotten) we ſhould conſider the operation of Gods hand lifted up, to lay it to heart, to confeſs our ſin, and give him glory: For though God in the midſt of judgment remembred mercy, yet we in the midſt of mercy ſhould remember judgment, both hands being to lead us to repentance; elſe, though the Plague be over and gone, and that fire burns no longer, yet if the plague of our hearts, and not fiery luſts (if our ſins) continue, we are far from health and ſafety: If after ſuch deliverances as theſe, we ſin, as if we were deliver'd to do nothing elſe; or to ſpeak as Ezra doth, Ch. 9.13, 14. and after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great treſpaſs, ſeeing that God hath puniſhed us leſs then our iniquities have deſerved, and hath given us ſuch deliverance as this, ſhould we again break his Commandments, and joyn in affinity with the people of (with ſuch and the like as our former) abominations? would not he be angry with us, till he have conſumed us; ſo that there be none (as hitherto through mercy there hath been) remnant, and eſcaping, but the fire of his wrath may burn to (and we burn in) the lowermoſt hell! Oh, let us hear and fear, and do no more ſo wickedly, Deut. 13.11. for ſin is ſo notoriouſly, more then exceſſively and intollerably evil, that as 'tis at preſent the reproach, 'twill be (hereafter) the ruine of any people who repent not: And what is impenitency? but a treaſuring up of, and growing rich in ſin and wrath together, Rom. 2.4.-9. and what is that but to be abundantly damned!
As to this Subject, I am well aware that ſeveral pious and learned men have treated of it; but that is no diſcouragement to their Succeſſors to do ſo too, no more then 'twas to S. Luke (Ch. 1.1, 2, 3.) to write the Goſpel, of which others had written before him: And indeed, what is the Goſpel of S. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but the ſame Goſpel publiſhed with ſome little variety. The Apoſtle S. Peter wrote of the ſame things which S. Paul had done, 2 Pet. 3.15. and they both wrote of the ſame things over and again, Phil. 3.1. 2 Pet. 1.12, 13. And Jude the Brother of James, as v. 1. did tranſcribe, or at leaſt Epitomize a great part of S. Peters ſecond Epiſtle, almoſt (in terminis & verbatim) word for word. I remember S. Auſtin ſomewhere gives his advice, to have the ſame things publiſhed by ſeveral men, that (by the intereſt, relation, and affection which they have in the world) truths may come to the more hands, which elſe would be confined, and well high impriſoned. Beſide, what Auſonius tells us, …us plus alio invenire poteſt, nemo-omnia is a very great truth, one may find out more then another, but none will or can find and ſpeak out all, ſo exceeding broad are the commands and truths contain'd in the ſacred Scriptures, beyond any others: Though therefore I think it no diſparagement to me to acknowledge, that I have peruſed others, and profited by them, yet I may (without vanity or oſtentation) ſay, that I have not only handled this Subject in another manner, but that I have alſo ſpoken to other things, then any hath done that I have yet met withall; and do not doubt, but much more may be ſaid then hath been by me, any, or all that have written on this Theme.
As to the ſinfulneſs of ſin (the Subject of the Treatiſe) I have indeed handled it moſt largely, as 'tis againſt Mans good and happineſs, it being moſt properly the intent and ſcope of the Text; and God is ſo condeſcending, that he is pleaſed to treat man as a ſelf-lover, and ſo to gain him, and win him by his own advantages; yea, he ſeems by his patience to have a concern for mans Salvation, beyond his own vindication in this world, as the Apoſtle gives us to believe, 2 Pet. 3.9. And truly, this vouchſafement, ſelf-denial, and humbling of himſelf, is ſo great and rich a goodneſs, that it moſt forceably leads and draws us to repentance, Rom. 2.4.
As to the ſtile, I have not minded any curioſity, for I am ſtill of my former opinion, that that eloquence doth injury to things, which draws us to obſerve it, ſeeing words are only for the matters ſake, and ſhould not hinder but help its promotion; fine expreſſions (according to what's ſaid by a Learned and Eloquent perſon) fine expreſſions are but like the gawdy and guilded frame of a Looking-glaſs, which acquaints us not with our faces and features, The genuine uſe of a Looking-glaſs: yea many times the richneſs of the frame, doth ſo much amuſe and dazle the eyes of ſome childiſh perſons, that they are regardleſs of any thing elſe: The Rhetorick diverts men from attending the more concerning, the inſtructive part of a diſcourſe; yea, many that pretend to be Criticks, make little other uſe of Sermons and good Books, then to cenſure or to applaud the contrivance, and the phraſe, without minding the Doctrine, or caring to rectifie what hath been diſcover'd to them to be amiſs: 'Tis no commend to a Preacher to be more ſollicitous to make his expreſsions, then to make his Hearers good: There muſt be no flattering of ſinners; we muſt rather endeavour they may condemn themſelves, then applaud us; and 'twill be more joy to a good Divine, to hear the peoples ſighs for their ſins, then to hear their praiſes of his Sermon, and that they follow his counſel, then that they admire his language: We muſt not ſpeak againſt ſin, to ſhew an art of declaiming, a skill of ſpeaking Oratoriouſly, but to exerciſe our own, and to provoke others to exert their hatred againſt it; and 'tis to be fear'd, that when the beſt of men have done their beſt and utmoſt, there will yet be too many that read pious books with leſs reverence and concern then a Romance, or a Play, being more for the Rhetorick then Divinity, for the wit then worth (which is to ſay) the ſhadow then ſubſtance of diſcourſes; and (as the forementioned excellent perſon ſignificantly expreſſeth it) If a devout book have not good ſtore of witty paſſages, ſome Readers will not mind it at all; and if it have, they will mind nothing elſe. And this experience confirms. But whatever Readers this Book meet with, I have endeavour'd that it may profit (and ſo far pleaſe) them, that I hope they will find nothing worthy of their diſpleaſure, but the thing I write againſt. I have committed it to God, and beg'd his bleſſing, that it may be of uſe, to teach men to profit hereafter by their hitherto loſs, and get ſomething by reading, which they can never do by committing of ſin.
But not to detain thee much longer, I entreat thee to remember, that this world is but a glittering and pompous vanity, a thing that … uſing, and will not reach beyond the grave, and perhaps will not laſt ſo long, for the luſt and faſhion of it paſs, yea, take them wings, and fly away. Remember that ſin leads no where but to hell, the place and Element of torment. Remember that ere long Death will arreſt thee, and carry thy body to the duſt and Dungeon of the grave, and (if thou die in thy ſins) thy Soul to Hell and Damnation. I entreat thee therefore to exerciſe thy ſelf unto, and in the power of godlineſs, and do not live as if the practiſe of Piety were nothing but a Book of that Name. Alas, what is't to have Religion in thy Bible, in thy head and tongue, and yet have none in thine heart and life! Do but think what thou wilt ſay or do when thou comeſt to judgment, as Solomon tells the young man, Eccl. 11.9. Take the courſe which thou canſt own, and juſtifie in that day, and do what thou wilt, and then I am ſure thou wilt not dare to do any thing but what thou oughteſt; for who can anſwer for one of a thouſand, or for but one ſin!
As for any of them (yet alive) that were Hearers, and ſhall now be Readers of what's contain'd in the following Treatiſe, I crave leave to tell them, that they have it double, as Precept upon Precept, and line upon line, and God ſeems to ſend it to them the ſecond time, that it may do more good upon them then it did at firſt, that the repetition and calling of it to remembrance, may do more then the preaching of it did, though I know, bleſſed be God, that it was not then deliver'd and heard without good effects on many, and, I hope, on more then I know of. That God may be glorified, and the Readers may profit by it, is much the prayer, as 'twill be much the joy and rejoycing of my Soul, whatever cenſures may be paſt upon me,
Ralph Venning.