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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	work_n	work_v	wrath_n	120	3	7.2163	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64834	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 ...	Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.	1669 (1669)	Wing V226; ESTC R38391	212,020	400

of grace quis nisi mentis inops c. 'tad wont to be said who but fool● refuse gold when 't is offer'd them But ala● there are such fools as refuse Christ and heaven and happiness offer'd them and will no be entreated to be reconciled that they ma● be saved but are set against the glory 〈◊〉 God and their own salvation now again●● these do the stones of the street and the d●● of the Apostles feet bear witness Luke 1● 40. Luke 9.5 and 10.10 11. Indeed the● is not a sin but the Creation in whole and 〈◊〉 the several parts doth bear witness agains● the very dullest and worst-natured creatu● have exceeded man the Oxe and Ass a● Dives his dogs had more humanity then Dives himself and were witnesses against his cruelty In short whatever duties they teach by that they convince of and bear witness against the sins which are contrary to them duties and whatever sins they convince of they teach the duties contrary to them sins There remains yet another thing to prove the sinfulness of sin by the creatures which I shall but touch and that is as they are instruments in the hands of God to punish sinners which they do with much readiness as if they were revenging themselves as well as vindicating God witness the plagues of Aegypt The four Elements have born their testimony often Fire burnt Sodom Water drown'd the old World the Earth swallowed up Corah c. the Air hath conveyed infection in times of plague the Sun Moon and Stays have been warriours and fought in their courses against sin the beasts of the field and sowls of the air have done the like but I only hint these things Two ways they shew their displeasure and his whose creatures they are against sin in punishing sinners 1 By withdrawing their influences Deut 28.23 the heaven shall be brass and the earth iron that shall not rain nor drop dew this shall not bring forth fruit See Hos 2.18.22 2 By acting contrary to their ordinary course and nature for waters to stand on an heap Exod. 15.8 fire not to burn Dan. 3. are unwonted and contranatural things and they do this to witness against the contranaturalness of sin and both these were witnesses against the sin of persecuting Gods Israel This do the creatures continue to do upon occasions to this day they are always bearing witness though men observe it not which also infers their further sinfulness and this shall suffice as to the witness of the whole Creation Next If any should say notwithstanding all these witnesses we cannot put sin to death without a Law if there be no Law to condemn sin we cannot condemn it I shall therefore proceed to shew that there is a Law against sin which condemns sin as worthy of death for being guilty of the death of many and attempting the death of all so that we may legally and ought by Law to condemn and put sin to death For 5 The Law witnesseth against and condemns Sin The Law of God is without sin in it self 5 The Law doth witness against sin and 't is against sin in others The Law being holy just and good that which breaks the Law must be unholy unjust and evil The Law discovers the authority wisdome will and goodness of God in its primary intention and promulgation for 't was to life sin must therefore be exceeding sinful it being against all this The Law discover'd mans d●ty and mans happiness 't was the whole of man in both these senses how evil is sin then that is a contradiction of and contrariety to both the duty and happiness of man so that sin being a transgression of Gods good Law the sinfulness of sin appears by the Commandment More particularly 1 The Law is against sin before 't is committed 2 After 't is committed 1 The Law is against sin before 't is committed 't is against its being to be committed its holy and wholly against sin for it forbids sin all sin whither of Omission or Commission whither in thought word or deed whither against God or against man the voice and cry of the Law is thou shalt not sin so that in this sense by the Law is the knowledge of sin viz. what is sin as well as what sin is Rom. 7.7 Is the Law sin God forbid nay I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust or concupiscence to be a sin except or unless the Law had said thou shalt not covet thou shalt not lust The Law shews that lust is sin by forbidding it yea the Law doth not only forbid sin but forbids it upon great and severe penalty upon no less then pain of death on the peril of a curse for this it saith cursed be every one that doth not and continueth not to do all things which are written in the Law Gal. 3.11 So that the Law is utterly against the commission of sin 2 The Law is against sin after 't is committed and here even by the commandment sin appears to be exceeding sinful after commission For 1 The Law discovers as before what is sin so now what sin is how displeasing to God how destructive to man and that as 't is a transgression of the Law of God made for the good of man no sooner is sin committed but the Law is so far from indulging or justifying it or the sinner or from concealing it that it discovers it and the displeasure of God against it Rom. 3.20 yea not only discovers sin but 2 It condemns the sinner the Law is not against the righteous against such there is no Law nor condemnation but this Law which like a good Magistrate is an incouragement to them that do well is a terrour to evil doers saith the Apostle Rom. 7.9 when the commandment came and shew'd me sin as in a Perspective-glass sin revived it got the victory over me was too strong for me for the Law strengthened it against me 1 Cor. 15.56 and I died I was dead in Law I had sentence of death within me as he speaks in another case The transgressed Law worketh wrath Rom. 4.15 it sends abroad terrours thundrings and flashes of wrath it discovers wrath to them that by sin have made work for wrath Thus the Law is against sin before and after the commission of it Yet further to shew how the sinfulness the malignity of sin appears by the Commandment as 1 Thus That it takes occasion from its being prohibited and forbidden by the Law to sin against and transgress it the more It hath such a malignity such an enmity in it that it will not be subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 it strives to break this bond in sunder and to cast this cord far from it the Law stands in its way and therefore it rusheth upon the breaking of it with the more violence sin grows angry and swells like a river pent up and stopt in its course Thus

the Revelations of God a Treasure is put into their hand but they such fools as know not how to use it Prov. 17.16 God hath been pleased in and by Christ Jesus to declare his mind to us 1 Cor. 2.16 His Gospel and grace hath appeared teaching us Tit. 2.11 12. But alas how do men pervert the Gospel turn grace into wantonness Jude 4. and sin abundantly because grace abounds What strivings and struglings reluctances and oppositions against the Gospel How do men stumble and kick at and against Christ Jesus instead of building on him as the Corner-stone as a Rock and sure Foundation How angry are they when Jesus Christ comes by his Word and Spirit to bless them in turning them away from their iniquity When God comes in Christ Jesus and the Ministry of his Gospel to reconcile them and make them happy they take up arms and make war against him When the Gospel comes with the weapons of its warfare to pull down the strong holds and to reduce men to obedience how do they fortifie themselves When God stands at the door and knocks and woes men for entertainment how do they lock themselves up bar and bolt up their hearts against him that the King of Grace and Glory may not enter in 'T is no less a power then that which raised Christ from the dead that makes men willing to believe and obey the Gospel Psal 110.3 Eph. 1.19 Christs Messengers make glorious reports but who believes it Rom. 10.16 they stretch out their hands but to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed they beseech and entreat but men harden their hearts And among the many that seem to profess the Gospel how few practise it in words they confesse God but in works deny him they are lovers of pleasures and themselves more then of God and though they have a form of godlinesse deny the power thereof All these their wayes of not or of mis-improving the means of Gods vouchsafement I say all these their wayes are their folly It were next to endlesse if 't were possible to enumerate the follies of man He thinks More of mans folly like a fool unsteadily and rowling independently and broken inconsistently and to no purpose at randome and rovers many run wast like water beside the Mill He builds Castles in the air his imaginations are like Vagabonds See Herberts Poem of giddiness his contrivances Romantick not to mention the more wicked and sinful thoughts which if they were but known would make one man asham'd and afraid to converse with another for not only vain but vile injurious adulterous and murtherous thoughts lodge in the hearts of men that when any comes to be awakened and to be made sensible of the sinfulnesse of his heart it makes him say as S. Paul of himself I am the chief of sinners Never was any heart such a Shop of vanity such a Den of thieves such a Cage of unclean birds such a Newgate of Murtherers such an Inn and thorow fare of travelling lusts such a Court of flattery ambition pride and envy c. such a Sink and common draught of filthiness such an Hell of blasphemy as mine is As man thinks he often speaks quicquid in buccam foolishly idly proudly c. and as he speaks he acts out of the abundance or fulness of the heart the mouth speaketh and out of the heart are all the issues of life All the follies of his life are but the untying and letting loose of that folly which is bound and bundled up in his heart they are there in gross and are retail'd out as he meets with customers occasions and opportunities in the course of his life and conversation Let us view some instances and but some of mans folly which appears 1 In mans being so heady 1 His rashness hasty and rash in his undertakings There is nothing more becoming a man then deliberation and consideration it being his preheminence above the beasts beasts do act but consider not And herein is a great part of mans foolishnesse that he considers not the end of his actions Oh that they were wise and would consider their end Deut. 32.28 29. People often say I never thought of this and insipientis est dicere non putarem 't is the property of a fool to say I had not thought of this which it may be most concern'd him to think upon The simple believeth every word which he would not do but that he is simple a very fool but the prudent man looks well to his goings The wise man feareth and departeth from evil but the fool rageth and is confident Prov. 14 15 16. Did men consider what 't is they do when they sin they would abhor it who would run on his ruine who would drink his bane none but fools or mad-men did men consider that the wages of sin is death that wrath and hell attended sin surely they would be more wary Men go on and on and never think what will the end of these things be will it not be bitternesse in the latter end non-consideration is an argument as great as 't is clear that man is foolish 2 Mans folly appears in this 2 Laughing at h●s sin and misery that he laughs at and sports himself in his sin and misery It is a sport to a fool to do evil Prov. 10.23 and this sporting and jesting at sin shews him to be a fool in earnest Fools use to laugh at the shrewd turns and mischiefs which they do Sinners are such fools that they make sin their trade they do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and are sin-makers and make it their recreation too 't is their pastime fools that they are to passe away to spend and lose their time and fouls in sinning Fools make a mock at sin Prov. 14.9 when they have cheated others they laugh at them for fools though themselves are the verier fools for cheating others They sport themselves in their own deceivings 2 Pet. 2.13 yea though they know that they who do such things are liable to the judgment of God yet not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them Rom. 1.32 But they are fools for so doing for v. 22. professing themselves to be wise they became fools and v. 31. they were without understanding But oh when God shall laugh and mock at these mockers the●● 't will appear what fools they were who sporter at that which should have been their greates● sorrow and grief 3 Sinful mans folly appears in this 3 Saith its in vain to serve God that 〈◊〉 saith 't is in vain to serve God What greater fol●ly then to call Religion and the Wisdome of Go● foolishnesse vanity and unprofitablenesse be side which there 's no profit under the Sun This is the whole of man all the rest is vanit and vexation of spirit The Author of th● 73. Psal for having but almost said this conclude himself a fool yea so

done no wickedness she will sin to avoid the scandal of her sin When Gehazi had taken a reward by lying in his Masters name of Naaman the Syrian and was returned his Master askt him where he had been saith he thy servant hath been no where 2 Kings 5.15 16. He was so asham'd of what he had done he durst not own it and this is a clear discovery that sin is an ugly thing that sinners will not dare not stand to avow and justifie it But 2 It further appears that sin is an unpleasing thing and that which sinners are asham'd of that they dare not look into their actions nor call themselves to an account 'T is as troublesome a thing to sinners to look into themselves and to examine their lives as 't is for men that go backward in their estates to look into their books and cast up their accounts Jer. 8.5.6 Why is this people backsl●dden with a perpetual back-sl●ding and never look behind them nor within them no man said so much or little as what have I done They care not to be alone least the thoughts of their sins should stare them in the face they study divisions and pastimes and run into company least their sins like Ghosts and Devils should haunt and lay hold of them and when these are over they sleep away the rest of their time they cannot endure to be at home least a worse thing then a scolding woman an upbraiding Conscience should fall upon them they can afford no leisure to think how they have idled and sinn'd away and thereby worse then lost so much of their time Amos 6 3.-6 we read of persons on whose hands time lay heavy and as a burthen and therefore studied Arts and Methods of laying it aside that they may put the thoughts of the evil day far from them sometimes by lying on their beds and being weary of that they stretch themselves upon their Couches and then they fall to eating and drinking and so rise up to play and dance c. what doth all this speak but an unwillingness to have any sense of sin or but to look on its picture 't is so hellish a thing 3 It appears yet further by this that they will decry and punish that sin in others which themselves are guilty of the better to conceal their own or to compensate for it by being severe to others when a Thief hath stoln and robbed he is the first that makes Hue and Cry they are loth to be found the sinners themselves We read that though Judah was guilty of Incest himself yet how forward he was to punish fornication in Jamar his Daughter-in-law Genes 38. When our Saviour put the case to the Pharisees what the Lord of the Vineyard would do with the Husbandmen that had abused and beaten his servants and which was worse slain his son they could readily answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will miserably Gr. wickedly i.e. with a punishment great as their sin will be destroy these wicked men Mat. 21.41 Thus when they knew not whom they condemn'd they condemn'd themselves and their own sin ex ore tuo out of thine own mouth art thou condemn'd O sinner 'T is true the case was alter'd when he said that they were the men but by this we see that when men are not concern'd or seem not to be so how severe they are against sin yea when they do it to hide their own wickedness as John 8.7 8 9. 4 It s yet more apparent by this that they usually fly to the horns of the Altar to some fits of devotion and forms of godliness as if they would compound with God to save them What meant all the purifications sacrifices and attonements which the Heathens used but that a sense of guilt was too heavy to be born and what more common among men of better profession then to say just as soon as they have sinned Lord have mercy upon me God forgive me they kiss their Crucifix tell over their Beads and go to confession and what doth all this conclude but that they have even themselves being witnesses and judges they have been injurious to God and their own souls and that without reconciliation and pardon or one fancied at least they cannot be quiet 5. And lastly they fully declare against sin as sinful in that they desire to die the death of the righteous Balaam and others that lived not the life of the righteous but accounted their life madness yet reckon their end happy and therefore would that their own might be as theirs By this we see that no wicked man cares for sins wages and surely that work cannot be good whose wages is so bad that no man cares to receive it but oh that their after state may be with the righteous Numb 23.10 The wages of sin is death and the end of sin is death oh no such death no such wages says Balaam though they go hell-ward while they live yet they would fain go to heaven when they die and what is deduceable from hence more then this that sin is a damnable thing and though sinners seek their happiness in their misery yet 't is happiness they seek and when ever they find their disappointment they grow angry with themselves with sin the devil and all There is one exception that may be made against this witness true there are some pittiful sneaking sinners cowardly and timerous ones that are daunted at and asham'd of sin but there are others past shame fear and sense roaring Boys ranting and rampant sinners Rodomontado Blades that boast of their sin and glory in being wicked that take pleasure in things worthy of damnation and yet scorn to be frighted with terrible Preachers but will sin in the face of the Sun without a blush we will hear what these say and be judged by these brave Sparks and bold Fellows Be it so 1 With sorrow for them that have none for themselves 't is to be confest that there are some hardned sinners sunk into the image practise and it may be condemnation as well as snare of the devil himself yea they seem to outgo the devils for they believe and tremble which is more then some sinners do Godly men rejoyce with trembling but some ungodly men sin without trembling and rejoyce at it too But 2 This is a sad and dreadful judgment upon them worse then any affliction that could befall them of all judgments this the most terrible as being the Suburbs of hell it self to be punished for sin by sin is the worst of punishments when God saith of a person or people he will let them go they shall take their course and not be punished viz. by bodily and sensible plagues he punisheth them most and worst of all To denote the greatness of it 't is three times said in Scripture Rom. 1. that God gave them up and gave them over v. 24.26.28 'T is no wonder men act the devils part when they

sins 'T is worse to be let alone and given up then if men were sent quick to Hell for they live but as reserved to fill up their measure brimful and to undergo the more of Hell to grow rich in wrath having treasured it up against that day As 't is the best of comforts to have assurance of the love of God and to be sealed to the day of Redemption so 't is the saddest of judgments to be given up as 't is three times in one place Rom. 1. to their lusts to an hardned heart a seared conscience a reprobate mind when God shall say let him that 's filthy be filthy still Rev. 22.11 and they shall not see nor understand lest they should be converted Isa 6.9 10. a dreadful place which is six times quoted in the New Testament as you may see in the Margine 4. Sin is the worst of Evils as appears by this that God hates men for it 't is not only sin Prov. 6.16.19 but sinners that God hates and that for sin Psal 5.5 't is said of God that be hates the workers of iniquity not only the works of iniquity but the workers of it hatred is not known by judgments the evil of suffering but 't is known by the evil of sin which is before us Eccl. 9 1 2. 't is for this that the merciful God saith he that made them will not have mercy on them nor shew them any favour Isa 27 11. and as a Learned person expresseth it This is the highest that can be spoken of the venom of sin that in a sort and to speak after the manner of men it hath put hatred into God himself it made the Lord hate and destroy his own workmanship God is Love and Judgment his strange work yet sin makes him out of love with men and in love with their destruction at last so though he delight not in the death of a repenting yet he doth in the death of an impenitent sinner 5. It proves Sin the worst and greatest of Evils that Christ is the best and greatest of Saviours and his Salvation the best and greatest Salvation he came to save sinners and to save them not from the petty evils of sickness affliction and perfection but from sin the greatest of all evils Math. 1.21 1 Tim. 1.15 To be saved from Egypt was of old reckoned great but being delivered out of the North was a greater Salvation Jer. 23.8 but Salvation from Sin is the greatest Salvation and therefore Sin the worst and greatest of Evils Having thus evinced Sin to be the worst of Evils ●n being against God infers the Evil of Evils none to be compared to it for evil I shall now apply it more distinctly and shew what we are to inter From the sinfulness of Sin His patience to be wonderful as 't is 1. Against God 2. Against Man As sin is considered against God I infer 1. That the patience of God with His patience to be wonderful and the long-suffering of God towards sinners is wonderful if sin be so exceeding sinful i. e. contrary to and displeasing to God then surely his patience is exceeding great his goodness exceeding rich his long-suffering exceeding parvellous even to wonder That God should intreat Sinners his enemies to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.20 that God should stand at a Sinners door and knock Rev. 3 20. that God should wait on Sinners to be gracious to them Isa 30.18 is not after the manner of men but of God yea the God of grace and patience and to be admired for ever That at first God should think thoughts of good and not of evil of peace and not of wrath but visit us in the cool of the day was a wonder but that after he had imparted and commended his heart-love to us in and by his Son Rom. 5.8 and both were rejected that he should yet continue to offer and call and wait 't is a miracle of miracles What shall we say 't is God who is as his Name is Exod. 34.6 Numb 10.18 Psal 86.15 and as he was yesterday he is to day the God of grace and patience Rom. 15.5 and rich in it Rom. 2.4 with 2 Pet. 3.9 1 Tim. 1.13 16. yea we are all living monuments and instances of his goodness and patience 't is of the Lords mercies that we all are not altogether and utterly consumed yea and that in Hell Lam. 3.22 Sin is so sinful so contrary and displeasing to God and hath made man so much Gods enemy that 't is a miracle he should find his enemies any of them and let them go well away That God who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity should look on the sins of men that his eye should so affect his heart as to grieve him yea that it tempts and provokes him to anger wrath and hatred and that God should keep in anger which is like burning coals in our bosom and not let out all his wrath and ease himself of his burthen by avenging himself of his adversaries but woo and wait on sinners Oh the power of his patience Oh the infiniteness of his mercy and compassions Oh the riches of unsearchable grace God sees it is not ignorant God is sensible of it and concern'd for it grieves and vexeth him God is able to right himself when he pleaseth and yet forbears and is patient Oh wonder Consider yet again 1. The multitude of sinners that are in the world if 't were but one or two they might be winkt at and past by but when all the world lies in wickedness as it doth 1 Joh. 5.19 when there is none righteous no not one if there had been but ten God would have spared Sodom c. though ten thousand sinners might be there but when there is not a man to be found that sinneth not but all ahve sinned Jew and Gentile high and low c. Oh what grace what patience is this 2. Consider the multitude of sins and the multitude of sins in and by every sinner the sins are more numerous then sinners if all men had finned and but once it would have mitigated the matter but sin hath grown up with men that were not only conceived and born in sin but went astray before they could go even from the womb not a good thought to be found in their heart Gen. 6.5 it grows up faster then men do they are old in sin when young in years they are adding iniquity to iniquity and drawing it on with cords and ropes committing it with both hands greedily as if they could not sin enough they dare God himself to judge them they drink down iniquity like water as if 't were their element and nourishment and pleasure also yea and among the rest his sons and daughters provoke him with their sins which go very near his heart Deut. 32.19 and yet behold how miraculously patient and long-suffering God is 3. Consider the length of time in which these