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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
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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

childrens death then that they had sinned And they of whom the world was not worthy being too good to live long chose rather to dye then sin Heb. 11. and many a good man like S. Paul desires to dye because this dying will prove the death of sin Sin is worse then death yea and 3. Sin is worse then the Devil Sin is worse then the Devil the Devil is inde●d a terrible Enemy the evil and envious one the hater of mankind but he knows he can nor damn nor hurt men without sin Sin can do that without the Devil which the Devil cannot do without sin and that is undo men God and the Devil are not so contrary as God and Sin for the Devil hath something ●eft viz. a Being which was of God but sin never was nor can be of God he is neither Author of nor Tempter to it James 1.13 Sin made the Devil what he is as a Devil the Devil was not made so of God as to man the Devil 't is true doth now seek to devour him but he cannot do it without sin nor can he compel any man to sin But 1. Though the Devil tempt 't is man that sins Temptations from Satan to si● are not sins nor the way to Hell but the very temptations of sin are sins the way to more sins and so to Hell A man 's own lusts are more and worse tempters then the Devil and the Scripture speaks as if a man were not tempted nor indeed is effectually till his lust do it James 1.14 If a man were tempted by the Devil forty days and yet without sin as Christ was yea tempted all his days yet if a man yield not but the grace of God be sufficient for him he may as St. Paul glory in his infirmities and triumph over the messenger of Satan 2 Cor 12. The Devil gives over for a season which sinful lusts scarce ever do they haunt men more then the Devil doth There is a scum of filthiness beiling or ●ubling up when the Devil doth not meddle with us Libera me à male homine meipso was St Austins Prayer and should be ours for indeed no man nor Devil is so bad to us as evil-self is to us The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat was no excuse the Devil owed me a spight and paid it will not apologize 't is man that sins and sin that damns either of which the Devil cannot force upon man 2. As sin is worse then the Devil as a Tempter and a worse Tempter so sin is worse then the Devil as a Tormentor and a worse Tormentor The Devil is cruel enough a roaring Lion and many times takes possession of men and handles them most unmercifully and will much more torment men in Hell as I have shewn above but all this while the Devil is without the spirit of a man but sin is there takes possession of and torments that ●is a grief to be tempted to sin but 't is a torment to be a sinner and God doth more form when he pardons us and more to our ease and refreshment then if he did cast as many Devils out of us as he did out of Mary Ma●●●●lene or a● whole Legion as he did Mark 5.9 Yea in Hell the gnawing worm of a guilty and upbraiding conscience doth more torment men then Devils do 'T would be a relief to a man in Hell if he could but have peace in his conscience or if he could say that he were there without his demerit and that his perdition were not of himself But to eeke out this a little further I say 4. That Sin is worse then Hell Sin is worse then Hell Hell is but a punishment Sin is a crime which hath more evil then the punishment and is that which made Hell the punishment thereof yea the greatness of this punishment argues the greatness of the crime and the sinfulness of sin Gods being glorified upon men in such a way is a clear and full proof what an evil thing it is to sin against and dishonour a God and consequently that Hell it self doth not so much hurt no not to man as sin doth Hell indeed is a disinal place of horrour and torment the extremity of suffering but never had an existence till sin had nor never could admit of such names as it doth and such torments if sin were not there 'T is storied as a Saying of Anselmes that if Sin and Hell were set before him and he must go through one of them he would rather chuse to go through Hell then Sin 't is sin 't is sin that 's the worst of Hell and worse then Hell 't is that which makes sinners cry out of the unhabitableness of devouring sire and everlasting burnings which are no terrour to righteous and upright souls as 't is Isa 33.14.15 'T is sin that makes Hell to be Hell God was never angry till sin made him so his wrath was never kindled but by sin now as sin made Hell so the more sin the more Hell as Tyre and Sidon feel beyond Sodom and Gomorrah If there were no Hell but such as Cain and Judas felt within them 't were yet a great one and they would tell you 't were damnation enough to be a sinner and to feel the horrors of a guilty and accusing conscience Yet a little more to shew that Sin is the worst of Evils 1. Other proofs 〈◊〉 sin is the worst 〈…〉 There is more evil in it then good in all the Creation that is it doth us more hurt then all the Creation can do us good when we are sick or wounded there are many medicinal Creatures that can help to recover and cure us but of this evil of sin there is no cure by any or all the Creatures 't was too hard for that good wherein we were created and all created good ever since hath not been able to recover us from it no 't is not but by God that we can be either pardoned or purged of it all the Angels in Heaven could neither pay our debt for us nor cleanse our hearts for us and God himself doth new-make us for mending would not serve our turn and therefore mans recovery is called a new Creation and the man a new Man created c. Eph. 4. and 't was Davids prayer create in●●●e a clean heart Psal 51. Sin is an evil past the skill and power of all the Creation to cure and cleanse 2. There 's no evil but this to be repented of God allows us to sigh and groan to mourn and lament at other evils but for this he calls for and requires repentance which is a severe thing full of rebuke and disgrace to man though it be a grace How great is that evil for which a man must cry Peccavi and to bring him to the confession whereof and repentance for and from it other evils are inflicted 3. They are the greatest punishments which are made up of

for dying r. discease p. 262. l. 21. for command r. commend p. 273. l. 28. after then add these p. 279. l. 5. for a may r. a man may p. 289. l. 10. for i would r. it would SIN THE PLAGUE of PLAGUES OR Sinful Sin the worst of Evils ROM 7.13 Was then that which is good made death to me God forbid But Sin that it might appear Sin working death in me by that which is good that Sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful BEing to treat of the exceeding sinfulness of Sin 't is not only expedient The Introduction by way of promise but necessary that I preface and premise such things as these viz. 1 That God made all things very good Genes 1.31 they were all endowed with the perfections which were suitable to their several beings so that none of them could find fault with or complain of God as if he had been wanting to them or had made them defective yet 2 of these the two most eminent and principal degrees of creatures did quickly degenerate for some of the Angels sinned and kept not their first estate but left their own habitation Jude 6. And by giving way to their subtil and envious infinuations the Man Adam who was a common person sinned also Genes 3. And thus by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.13 And 3 as to the Angels that fell God left them irrecoverable for 2 Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and Jude 6. hath reserved them in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day Christ Jesus the Mediator and Redeemer took not on him Angels or as 't is in the Margine takes not hold of Angels Hebr. 2.16 but it pleas'd God to pity man his saving grace and loving-kindness hath appear'd to man Titus 2.11 and that in Christ Jesus Titus 3.4 whose delight was with the sons of men the habitable parts of the earth Prov. 8.31 and therefore he took on him the seed of Abraham Hebr. 2.16 And 4 this Doctrine of God our Saviour or the Gospel-doctrine doth suppose man a sinner 'T is a faithful saying and worthy of the best and all acceptance and reception that Christ Jesus came into the world on this very errand and design to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 The Doctrine of Repentance supposeth also that man hath done amiss Mat. 9.13 The Doctrine of Faith in another for righteousness and hope concludes man to be without righteousness and hope in himself Eph. 2.12 13. And the end of Christs sending the holy spirit was that he might in the first place convince of sin Joh. 16.8 These things being beside others that might be consider'd it cannot but be hugely useful to let men see what sin is how prodigiously vile how deadly mischievous and therefore how monstrously ugly and odious a thing sin is that so way may be made by it 1. For admiring the free and rich grace of God 2. For believing in our Lord Jesus Christ 3. For vindicating the holy just and good Law of God and his condemnation of sinners for breaking of it 4. For hating of repenting for and from sin thereby taking a holy just and good revenge on it and our selves 5. That we may love and serve God at a better rate then we ever did in the little and short time of Innocency it self And lastly that this black spot may serve for a set off to the admirable incomparable and transcendent Beauty of Holiness And now to the Text it self The Context and the Text explain'ds which may have this for its title The just vindication of the Law of God and no less just accusation and condemnation of the sin of man As to its connexion with what precedes 't is thus at the 10. v. the Apostle had said that the Commandment which was ordain'd to life he found unto death Hence an objection is rais'd v. 13. Seeing the Commandment is good how comes it to be unto death Was that which was good made death to me To which he answers 1. By way of negation and abhorrency God forbid absit I far be it from me or any other to think so no by no means to find fault with the Law were to find fault with God The Law is not to be blam'd What is then for something is to blame To this he answers 2. By way o● affirmation and accusation that sin is the tru● cause of death The Commandment indeed condemns or is death to man not of it self but because of sin and hereby sin appears not only like it self but it self sin yea sinful yea exceeding sinful sin not in a disguize as when ' ti● committed but in its own lively colours o● rather and more properly dead and deadly colours 'T is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin in the abstract and that iterated and repeated as Pharaohs drea● was for the certainty and assurance of the thing 't is sin 't is sin and this sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinful or a sinner nothing else but sinning and sinful sin 't is masculinely and vigorously sinful● for though Erasmus conclude this to be the Attick Dialect viz. the conjunction of this masculine and feminine yet others think that the Apostle doth dare personam peccato bring in sin as if it were a person as v. 17. and 20. 'T is not I but sin as if it were a person unless we may read it thus as Faius doth that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sinner might become sin in the same sense as the objection is made v. 7. Is the Law sin that is criminal and guilty However we read it we are sure of this that it denotes the malignant pestilent and pernicious nature and operation of sin it s own name being the worst that can be given it and yet as if this were not significant enough 't is so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. supra modum Era●m quam maxime Beza eximi● Grotius exceeding above measure excessively or in the highest degree for an Hyperbole is at extraordinary and the highest degree of speaking 't is as the Arabick Version hath it superans excessum 't is extremely and indeed beyond all expression sinful So that upon the whole I may Illustrate the scope and meaning by a familiar example or instance 'T is as if it had been said by a Malefactor to the Judge thus Oh my Lord how cruelly unmerciful are you to condemn me to die Nay saith the Judge 't is not I 't is the Law I am but the mouth of the Law Nay saith the Law 't is not I 't is sin if thou hadst not sinn'd I had not condemn'd for the Law is not against the righteous 1 Tim. 1.9 No against such there is no Law no condenmation from it Gal. 5.28 Thou mayst then in me as in a glass

might be no God for sinners are haters of God Rom. 1.30 And as he that hates his Brother is a Murtherer 1 Joh. 3.15 so as much as in him lies he that hates God is a murtherer of God It keeps Garrisons and strong holds against God 2 Cor 10.4 5. It strives with and fights against God and if its power were as great as its will is wicked it would not suffer God to be God ●s a troublesome thing to sinners and therefore ●hey say to him depart from us Job 21.14 and ●f Christ Jesus let us break his bonds in sunder and cast his cords far from us Psal 2.1 2. And when the Holy Ghost comes to woe and entreat them to be reconciled they resist and make war with the spirit of peace Acts 7.51 so that they are against every person in the Trinity Father Son and Spirit In short and for a conclusion sin is contrary to God and all that 's dear to him or hath his name upon it and though it be against all good yet not so much against any good as against God who is and because he is the chiefest good Before we pass on let me beseech thee who ever thou be that readest to pause a little and consider of what is said for mutato nomine d● te what 's said of sin is to be consider'd by the sinner and is meant of thine and my sin Shal● I not plead for God and thy Soul and entrea● thee to be on Gods side and depart from th● Tents of wickedness Poor Soul Canst thou fin● it in thine heart to hug and imbrace such a Monster as this is Wilt thou love that which hate● God and which God hates God forbid Wi●● thou joyn thy self to that which is nothing bu● contrariety to God and all that 's good Oh sa● to this Idol yea to this Devil Get hence wha● have I to do with thee thou Elymas Sorcere● thou full of all malignity and mischief tho● Child yea Father of the Devil thou that art th● Founder of Hell an Enemy to all righteousness that ceasest not to pervert the right way of the Lord and to reproach the living God Away away Shall I be seduced by thee to grie● the God of all my joy to displease the God 〈◊〉 all my comfort to vex the God of all my co●tent to do evil against a good God by whom I live move and have my being Oh no. Thus consider of these things and do not go on to provoke the Lord least a worse thing befall thee then any hitherto do not contend with God who is stronger then thou art who is able when he will and he will be one day found both able and willing enough to turn the wicked into hell the Element of sin and sinners who shall go into it as into their own place as Judas did Acts 1.25 Oh learn to pity thine own soul for he that sinneth doth as offend and wrong God so wrong and destroy his own soul or as some read the Text despiseth his own soul Prov 8.36 Oh think on 't what hast thou no value no regard for thy soul wilt thou neglect and despise it as if 't were good for nothing but to be damn'd and go to hell wilt thou be felo de se a self-soul-murtherer shall thy perdition be of thy self Oh look to thy self for sin notwithstanding all its flattering pretences is against thee and seeks nothing less then thy ruine and damnation And this brings and leads me to the second thing to be treated of Sins contrariety to Man The second thing wherein the sinfulness of sin doth consist 2 Sin is contrary to the good of man is its contrariety to the good of Man which is the thing that our Text doth especially ment on and intend and is therefore to be the more copiously spoken to Sin is contrary to the good of man and nothing is properly ●nd absolutely so but sin and this results and is evident from sins contrariety to God as there is nothing contrary to God but sin for Devils are not so but by sin so sin in being contrary to God is and cannot but be contrary to man that must he unavoidably evil to man that 's evil against God who is the chiefest good of man communion with and conformity to God is mans felicity his heaven upon earth and in heaven too without which it would not be worth his while to have a being Now sin being a separation between God and Man an interruption of this communion and conformity it must needs be prejudicial and hurtful to him Beside the Commandment of which sin is a transgression was given not only for Gods sake that he might have glory from mans obedience but for Mans sake that man might enjoy the good and benefit of his obedience and find that in keeping the Commands of God there is great reward These two were twisted together and no sooner is the Law transgrest but God and Man are joynt-sufferers God in his glory and Man in his good Mans suffering follows at the heel of sin yea as he suffers by so in sinning suffering and sinning involve each other No sooner did sin enter into the world but death which is a privation o● good did enter by it with it and in it for 't is the sting of death so that sin saith here its death and death saith here is sin No soone● did Angels sin but they fell from their first estate and habitation which they had with God in glory not a moment between their sin and misery and as soon as man had sinned his conscien●● told him that he was naked and destitute o● righteousness and protection and consequently an undone man that he could not endure Gods presence nor his own Genes 3.7 8. So apparent is it that sin and that in being contrary to God is contrary to man for what crosseth Gods glory is cross to mans happiness Now To proceed more distinctly and particularly 1 In this life I shall evince that sin is against mans good both present and future here in time and hereafter in Eternity in this life and world which now is and in that to come against all and every good of man and against the good of all and every man And herein lies the second instance of the sinfulness of sin as it is 1 Against mans present good in this life and that 1 Against the good of his body 2 Against the good of his soul For on both it hath brought a curse and death 1 Sin is against the good of mans body 1 Against his body it hath corrupted mans blood and made his body mortal and thereby render'd it a vile body our bodies though made of dust were yet more precious then the fine gold but when we sinned they became vile bodies before sin our bodies were immortal for death and mortality came in by sin but now alas they must return to dust and it s

appointed to all men once to die and 't is well if they die but once and the second death have no power over them they must see corruption or death in equivalence i.e. a change for this flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God as that wherein we were created might possibly have done 1 Cor. 15.50 Our body is sown in corruption in dishonor in weakness 1 Cor. 15.42 43. and is therefore called vile Philip. 3.21 and before this body be laid in the grave 't is languishing in a continual Consumption and dying daily besides all the dangers that attend it from without And 2 Sin is against the good of mans Soul too 2 Against his Soul The Soul is transcendently excellent beyond the body and the good of that beyond the good of this so that a wrong done to the Soul is much more to mans hurt then a wrong done to the body therefore saith our Saviour Fear not them that can kill the body and do no more which is but little in comparison of what God can do to the soul if it sin but fear him that can destroy i.e. damn soul and body in hell Mat. 10. 'T is not very ill with a man if it be well with his soul but it can never be well with a man if it be ill with his soul so that we can more easily and cheaply die then be damned and may better venture our bodies to suffering then our souls to sinning for he that sinneth wrongs his soul Prov. 8.36 Nothing but sin doth wrong a mans soul and there is no sin but doth it Thus we see in general that sin is against the good of mans body and soul But yet for a more clear and full discovery hereof I shall consider and speak of man 1 In a Natural Sense 2 In a Moral Sense 1 If we consider man in a Physical or Natural state 1 In a natural sense we shall find sin to be 1. Against the well-being And 2. Against the very being of man it will not suffer him to be well or long in the world nor if possible to be at all 1 'T is against mans well-being in this life And so 1 Against his well-being vivere est valere well-being is the life of life and sin bears us so much ill will that it deprives us of our livelihood and that which makes it worth our while to live man was born to a great estate but by sin which was and is Treason against God he forfeited all Man came into the world as into an house ready furnished he had all things prepared and ready to his hands all the creatures came to war on him and pay him homage but when man sinn'd God turn'd him out of house and home all his lands goods and chattels were taken from him Paradise was mans Inheritance where he had every thing pleasant to the eye and good for food as for cloaths he needed none while Innocent but when he sinned God dispossessed him of all and drave him out into the wide world like a Pilgrim a Beggar to live on his own hands and to earn his meat with the sweat of his brow as you may read at large Genes 3. Thus by sin man that was the Emperour of Eden is banisht from his Native Country and must never see it more but in a new and living way for the old is stop'd up and beside that 't is kept against him with flaming swords Ever since it hath been every mans lot to come into and go out of this world naked to shew that he hath no right to any thing but lives on the alms of Gods charity and grace all ●●e have or hold between our birth and death is clear ●gain and meer gift God might chuse whither ●he would allow us any thing or no and when he hath given he may take again and none of us have cause to say any thing but what Job did Chap. 1.21 Naked came I into the world and naked shall I return the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. All we have our food and rayment is but lent us we are only Tenants at will and therefore seeing we deserve nothing we should be content with and thankful for any thing 1 Tim. 6.7 8. 2 To shew that man by sin had lost all when our Lord Jesus came into this world for the recovery of man and stood as in the sinners stead he had not where to lay his head the Foxes had holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head Luke 9.58 Which plainly shews that the sin of man had left the Son of man nothing Though Christ were Lord of all yet if he will come in the likeness of sinful flesh he must speed not like the Son of God but Son of Man and be a man of sorrows destitute forsaken and afflicted and though we fare the better for his suffering yet he fared the worse for our sin and among other the miseries he under-went he had not where to lay his head Again To add yet another discovery of the venomous nature of sin as to this that we are upon 't is not a little observeable that though God took not the full forfeiture nor stript us so naked and bare a he might have done but indulged us comperent subsistance and accommodation and as the first fruits of his goodness made the first suit of cloaths which Adam and Eye wore yet sin is against that good which God left us and fills it with vanity and vexation with bitterness and a curse God left Adam many acres of land to till and husband but he hath it with a curse sweat and sorrow many a grieving bryar and pricking thorn stick fast to him Gen. 3 17.-19 God left him ground enough v. 23. but alas 't is cursed ground so that sin is against mans temporal good either in taking it from him or cursing it to him Sin is so envious that it would leave man nothing and if God be so good as to leave him any thing sins eye is evil because God is good and puts a sting in it viz a curse Yet more particularly 'T is 1 Against his rest 1 Sin is against mans rest and ease of which man is much a lover and indeed needs it as being a great part of the well-being of his life 'T is a sore travel which the sons of men have under the Sun yea what hath man of all his labour and the vexation of his heart wherein he hath laboured for all his daies are sorrows and his travel grief Eccl. 1.13.2.22 23. whither he increase wisdome and knowledge or pleasures and riches yea he taketh not rest in the night but is haunted with vain and extravagant if not feared with frightful dreams and his fancies which are waking dreams by day are more troublesome then them of the night

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

from them yet it is the lea●● for they must part not only with these things but the joy pleasure and delight they had from them These things are most considerable for the use and comfort of them The rich man Luke 12. cheer'd himself not in having much goods but that he expected ease and mirth from them The wicked spend their daies in mirth Job 21.12 and have a brave time on 't as they think they sing care away all the day long and refresh themselves with Requiems and Placebo Songs they chant at the Viol c. and though indeed this frolick joy be a misery of it self for what truer misery then false joy their laughter being but madness yet 't is the best they have in this world But this also must be parted with these crackling of thorns will go out and their mirth will end in woe their joy in sorrow their light in darkness and 't will add to their grief in hell that they were so merry on earth When this evil day comes they will say there 's no pleasure in remembring their good daies It seems Dives was loath to think of this and therefore Abraham saith Son remember but 't was a sad remembrance to remember good as lost and gone for ever they will say then as Adrian did Animula vagula blandula quo vadis non ut soles dabis jocos Oh my poor soul thou wilt laugh and joke and droll no more 3 3 Pat wi●h their peace and ●●cu●i●y or their ins●●sibility They must suffer the loss of all their peace 'T is true● the wicked here have no real and solid peace for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Isa 48.22 and 57.21 but they have that which they call peace and which is to them instead of peace viz. security and stupidity a seared and benum'd conscience and because of this they think they are in peace but when they come to hell all this will be otherwise Conscience that was sear'd as with a red h●t iron here will feel the flames there and startle at it They that met with no trouble here will be consumed with terrors there Psal 73.13 There are no seared consciences in hell they are all tender and sensible there Then will Conscience awake and rouse up like a Lyon or gnaw like a worm That they shall no longer have the little ease of dissembling their pain as they were wo●● to do here 4 4 With their hope Sinners then must lose the hopes they had of heaven Wicked men have no reason to hope for heaven and yet they will hope though against hope as Abraham and good men hope against hope when they have Gods promise so the wicked hope against hope notwithstanding Gods threatning they will be building their hopes as high as heaven though they build on the Sand and without a foundation but this house must fall and the fall will be great from the hopes of heaven into hell Mat. 7.22 27. The hope of Gods people keeps their heart from breaking and it shall never be ashamed but this hope of sinners will break their heart in hell for there 't will be asham'd when the wicked dies his expectation shall perish and the hope of unjust men perisheth Prov. 11.7 Their hope shall be as the giving up of the Ghost Job 11.20 The Hypocrites hope shall perish and his trust is but as a Spiders web he shall lean upon his house but it shall not stand he shall hold it fast but it shall not endure Job 8 13.-15 where will the hope of hypocrites be when God taketh away his soul will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him No no he will not Job 27.8 9. 5 They must part from 5 From all good company and suffer the loss of all good company they shall no more have the company of one good man in this world the wicked fare the better for Gods people being among them and though they despise and scoff at them and think them not worthy to live yet God himself assures us that the world is not worthy of their converse they are too good for this world Hebr. 11.38 yea though the wicked count good and holy mens lives to be folly and madness yet when they come to die they would be glad with all their hearts that their souls might be in as good a condition as theirs after death Balaam that wicked wretch who loved the wages of and lived in unrighteousness all his daies yet could wish to die the death of the righteous and that his latter end Hebr. his afterward or after state might be as theirs Numb 23.10 Then they would be glad to take hold of the shirt of a Jew one that is so inwardly Rom. 2.28 29. and say we will go with you for God is with you but they will find a great Gulf fixed between them Heaven will not hold any of the wicked nor shall Hell have any of the righteous to hold The wicked shall not stand in judgment nor sinners in the Congregation of the righteous Psa 1.5 Here below they may through in the bad among the good but hereafter God will find them out and separate them and though now many a sinner may separate from the world to joyn with Saints yet then God will separate them from Saints and joyn with sinners and devils they shall be excommunicated from the society of Saints and be deliver'd up to Satan the Executioner of Gods wrath and vengeance and shall have no company but the damned Crew 6 6 They must be without the heaven they hoped for They must be not only without their hopes of heaven but without heaven which they hoped for to have parted with their hopes for possession had been no loss but gain but to part with their hopes and with heaven too is a double loss Whatever shall be the Saints portion they must go without it and be no sharers in it in the least degree And though perhaps as some think the wicked may be permitted to look into heaven as Dives saw Lazarus in Abrahams bosom yet it will be but to heighten the depth of their misery by letting them see what they by their sin have deprived themselves of To lose Heaven is to lose a Kingdome and glory more worth and glorious than all the Kingdomes of this world and their several glories united in one 't is to part with Rest Sabbatisme for so 't is called Sabbaths they cared not for while they lived and Sabbatisme or rest they will have none when they die They gloried in their shame in this world and they shall have shame enough but no glory in the world to come The thoughts of their having been happy though but in conceit and that others are really happy and for ever but they excluded from any share in any happiness 't will cut them to the heart 7 They must suffer the loss of God himself 7 They must

his Son 7 Not sparing Christ Jesus but delivering him up for us all Gods sending his Son into the world to condemn sin Rom. 8.3 and to destroy it 1 Joh. 3.8 doth clearly witness for God how odious sin is to him and ought to be to man for whom Christ suffer'd and died that sin might die and man might live yea live to him who died for us for to no less doth his love constrain us 2 Cor. 5.14 15. To clear and evince this the more plainly and fully I shall shew these three things 1 That Christs sufferings were for sinners 2 That Christs sufferings were exceeding great 3 That the greatness of his suffering are full witness on Gods part of Sins sinfulness against God and Man 1 1 He suffer'd for sinners That Christ his sufferings were for sinners Jesus Christ himself suffer'd but he did not suffer for himself for he was without sin Hebr. 4.15 and 7.26 neither was guile found in his mouth nor any misbecoming word when he suffer'd though 't were a provoking time 1 Pet. 2.22 23. 'T is a faithful saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 This was the design errand and business about which he came he had his name Jesus because he was to save his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 And he himself professeth that he came to seek and to save that which was lost Luke 19.20 Now dead and lost is the sinners Motto Luke 15.32 accordingly when he was in the world he suffer'd and died that he might save sinners he died for our sakes and so loved his Church that he gave himself for it Eph. 5.25 Yea 't is not only said often that he died for us Rom. 5.8 and 8.32 but that he died for our sins not only for our good as the final cause but for our sins as the procuring cause of his death Rom. 4.25 He was deliver'd for our offences 1 Cor. 15.3 Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture according to what was typified prophesied and promis'd in the Scripture One eminent place instend of many others is in Is 53.5 He was wounded for ou● transgression he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed To this the Apostles bear witness in the New Testament Gal. 1.4 he gave himself for our sins and 1 Pet. 2.24 who his own self bare our sins Now this dying for us and our sins notes 1 That he died and gave himself as a ransome for us Mat. 20.28 1 As a ransome I came to give my life a ransome for many said our sweet and blessed Saviour 1 Tim. 2.6 He gave himself a ransome for all Christs dying was the paying of a price a ransome price and hence we are said to be bought redeem'd and purchased 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are not your own ye are bought with a price viz. that of his blood as 't is in 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Ye were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ and the Church is purchased with his own blood Acts 20.28 He gave himself as a Redemption price and we are a purchased people 1 Pet. 2.9 2 He died for us as a Sacrifice for our sins 2 A Sacrifice he became sin for us 2 Cor 5.21 In the Old Testament the Sin-offering is called sin so here Christ Jesus an Offering for sin is said to be made sin for us 'T is said in the holy Scripture that Christ offer'd his Body his Soul himself Hebr. 10.10 There 's the offering of his Body Is 53.10 He made his Soul an offering for sin And Eph. 5.2 He hath given himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God Hebr. 9.14 He did offer himself without spot to God and v. 26. He put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Now as we were redeem'd by the price so we are reconciled by the Sacrifice of his death For Rom. 5.9 10. We are reconciled by the death of his Son 3 3 3 A curse Christ laid down his life for us as bearing the curse and punishment due to our sins and therefore 't is said he was made a curse for us which was the punishment of our sin Gal. 3.13 He bare our sins i. e. the curse due to our sins The punishment of sin is called sin often in Scripture and to bear iniquity is to be punished and as Redemption came by the price and Reconciliation by the Sacrifice so Justification by his bearing the curse and punishment Is 53.11 12. He shall justifie many for he shall bear their sins He became a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us and that is Justification by Faith as you may see Gal. 3.13 14. with v. 8 9. This shall suffice as to the first thing viz. that Christs sufferings were for sinners 2 2 His sufferings were great The sufferings of Jesus Christ were exceeding great I shall omit what may be gather'd from the types under the Law and what is exprest by the Prophets concerning the suffering of Christ though many things might be collected thence but they being all fulfilled in him I shall confine my self especially to the relation made thereof in the N. Testament He was a man of sorrows as if he were a man made up of sorrows as the Man of Sin is as if he were made up of sin as if he were nothing else He knew more sorrow then any man yea then all men ever did For the iniquity and consequently the sorrows of all men met in him as if he had been their Center and he was acquainted with griefs he had little acquaintance else grief was his familiar acquaintance he had no acquaintance with laughter we read not that he laughed at all when he was in the world his other acquaintance stood afar off but grief follow'd him to his Cross from his birth to his death from his Cradle to the Cross from the Womb to the Tomb he was a man of sorrows and never were sorrows like his he might say never grief or sorrow like to mine 't is indeed impossible to express the sufferings and sorrows of Christ and the Greek Christians used to beg of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that for the unknown sufferings of Christ he would have mercy on them Though Christs sufferings are abundantly made known yet they are but little known eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it or can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what Christ suffer'd who hath known the power of Gods wrath Christ Jesus knew it for he underwent it but though it be impossible to declare all yet 't is useful to take a view of what we can I shall therefore draw a Scheme of Christs sufferings under three Heads 1 Jesus Christ underwent all manner of sufferings 2 Jesus Christ suffer'd by all manner of persons 3 All manner of aggravating circumstances did meet in

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

Loathsomness of Sin 2. The Infectiousness of Sin 1. That Sin is a filthy i. e. a loathsom thing will be clear if we do consider a little that to which sin is resembled and likened as to the most offensive and loathsom diseases 't is likened to a Canker or Gangrene 2 Tim 2.17 Now with such persons as are under these diseases others are loth to eat or drink 't is likened to the rot to the filth and corruption of the foulest disease which is so foul and rotten as according to the Proverb one would not touch it with a pair of Tongs The Apostle tells us of some who like Jannes and Jambres resist the truth and calls them men of corrupt or rotten minds And Solomon gives us to know that as a sound heart is the life of the flesh so Envy any thing opposed to the sound heart is rottenness to the bones yea sin is likened to the Plague which every one flies from 't is so noisom and loathsom that it separates the nearest relations now sin is called the Plague of the heart 1 Kings 8.38.39 which is much worse then any plague-sore of the body and this is not all but as sin is likened to the most loathsom diseases so to other the most loathsom things that are 't is likened to the blood wherein infants are born which is loathsom as Ezek. 16.5 6. It s likened to Mire and Dung to the very excrements that lye in Ditches and Common shores wherein Sows and Swine do wallow as 't is exprest 2 Pet. 2.22 yea to the Vomit of dogs in the same place to the Putrifaction of graves and sepulchres Math. 23.27 28. which is stinking as Martha said of Lazarus when he had been some days dead Joh. 11.39 't is likened to Poyson Rom. 3.13 All these things and others which I shall not name are loathsom things at which men stop their noses and from which they hide their eyes yet sin is more loathsom then they all if we consider that nothing but the fountain open'd for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in nothing but the blood of Jesus can cleanse from this filthiness all the Nitre and Sope in the world cannot get it out beside 't is not only filthy but filthiness not only corrupt but corruption in the very abstract and all the things to which sin is resembled are far short of sin they are but shadows which are very imperfect representations of things all the former Instances or others of like name and nature reach but to the body and do not defile the man but sin reacheth and seizeth on soul and spirit and defiles the man Math. 15.19 20. This is the Canker the Rottenness the Plague the Poyson of the Soul and sin is not only worse then any but then all of these yea further if our righteousness be but as a menstruous rag Isa 64.6 how filthy must our sin be The Apostle St. Paul counted his righteousness which was of the Law to be but dung Phil. 3. what did he reckon his injuriousness persecution and blasphemy then surely as bad as death and hell if not only our righteousness but our righteousnesses yea all our righteousnesses be as filthy rags as 't is in that fore quoted place Isa 64.6 what is our sin our sins and all our sins Ah how filthy beyond expression or imagination yet again sin is not only filthy i. e. loathsom but it is 2. A polluting and infectious thing 't is of a pestilential and poysonous nature and therefore called not only corruption but pollution and defilement 2 Pet. 2.20 There are many things that may make a man foul and loathsom as Leprosie and ulcerous tumours c. and yet the soul of a man may be pure and fair as Jobs was when his body was all over of a scab or sore and he state on the dunghil but sin as was hinted before defiles the man and soaks into his very spirit and infects that But that we may take the clearer and fuller prospect of sins pestilent and infectious nature and operation let us behold it 1. In its Vniversality how it hath extended and spread it self over all the world there is no Land or Nation Tribe Language Kindred or People where it hath not been known from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof all Climats hot and cold all Quarters of the world Americans Africans Asians and Europeans have all been infected not only Sodom or Samaria but Jerusalem and Sion were infected and ruin'd by it 't is here and there and every where but in Heaven Beside this it hath infected all Ages 't is almost as old as the world it hath run in a blood from Adam to Moses and so on to this day 't is a plague that hath lasted almost 6000 years yea which is more not one man hath escaped it all kind of men of all ranks and qualities high and low rich and poor Kings and Beggars have been infected by it the wise the learned as well as foolish and illiterate Rom. 3.9 10. who is there that hath lived and sinned not our Saviour excepted and if any man say he hath not sinned he sins in saying so By one man sin came into the world but since not one man but every man hath sinned all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 and death came upon all in as much as all had sinned Rom. 5.12 If all men are mortal then all are sinners for death came in by sin where there is no sin there 's no death as in Heaven Rev. 21.4 All men have died of this plague yea our Lord and Saviour had not died if he had not been made sin for us Moreover this Leprosie hath spread it self not only on whole mankind but on the whole of man every whit of every man is infected it hath made flesh and spirit filthy 2 Cor. 7.1 from the crown of ●he head to the sole of the foot there 's no sound part in him all as I instanced above all his members are servants to sin and 't is no better within Gen. 6.5 his heart is evil the thoughts of his heart are evil the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are evil the very thoughts of his thoughts are evil every creature of the heart is evil How the Vnderstanding is darkned and depraved I shewed above that the Heart is desperately wicked and deceitful beyond any knowledge but Gods the Prophet assures us from God himself Jer. 17.9 the mind and Conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 16. The Will is become perverse and stubborn worse then so 't is wilful and mad set upon sin and hell Eccle. 8.11 The Affections concupiscible are inordinate the Passions irascible are unruly that man 's more head-strong then the horse that rusheth into the battel It hath made some men so restless that they cannot sleep unless or until they have done mischief Prov. 4.16 To go on yet further Sin spreads its