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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

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

evil and doth evil yea nothing else so that sin and its works are contrary to God and his works 4. Sin is contrary to the Law and Will of God 4 To his Law yea to all the rules and orders of his appointment There is not one of his Laws which it hath not broken and endeavoured to make void and of none effect yea 't is not only a transgrestion of but a contradiction also to the Will of God When the Son of God came into the world to declare and do his Fathers Will he was encountred by and under-went the contradiction of sinners Hebr. 12.3 who would have made men believe that neither he nor his Doctrine was of God 'T is an Anti-will to Gods Will it sets it self to oppose preaching prayer and all the Institutions of God and that not only out of envy to man that he should not be the better for them but out of enmity to God that he should not be worshipped in the world Now to act contrary to the will and Statutes of God is to act contrary to God himself as may be seen by comparing Levit. 26.14 15. with 21 23 27. and many other places David in fulfilling the Will of God was said to be a man after Gods own heart Acts 13.22 and they that obey the will of sin are said to walk after the heart of sin Ezek. 11.21 5. 5 To his Image Sin is contrary to the Image of God wherein man was made God made man in his own likeness viz. in righteousness and true holiness Eph. 4.24 Now sin is clean contrary to this Image as much unlike it as deformity and ugliness is unlike to handsomness and beauty as darkness is to light as hell to heaven yea and more too Sin is the Devils Image as when God made man he made him in his own image so when the Devil made man sin he thereby made him his own image and likeness and so I conceive the Devil meant that phrase Ye shall be like Gods Elohim Genes 3.5 He did not say nor mean that he should be like the Elohim the Creators as the word is Job 35.10 Eccl. 12.1 the God that made them but like Elohim Gods viz. such as I and my Angels are who once knew good but now know evil both by doing it and suffering the sad effects of it The word Elohim is used not only of God and good Angels but of fallen Angels or Devils 1 Sam. 28.13 And under the covert of this ambiguous and dubious word he craftily abused our first Parents for he well knew that by sinning they could not become like Elohim God above but would become like Elohim the Gods below And alas are we not like Elohim-devils knowing good by loss and evil by the sad and dismal effects thereof Thus he that runs may read the Picture Image and likeness of the Devil in sin sinners are as like the Devil as any thing for he that sinneth is of the Devil 1 John 3.8 not only a servant but a child of the Devil Ye are of your Father the Devil said holy Jesus to the sinful Jews John 8.44 Never was Child more like the Father then a sinner is like the Devil sin hath the nature the complexion the air the features and very behaviour of the Devil 6. 6 To his people Sin is contrary to the people and children of God 'T is true sin cannot hate them so much as God loves them nor do them so much hurt as God can do them good yet out of spite and envy 't will do its worst and hate them because God loves them Gods Children are his Darlings and Favorites dear to him as the apple of his eye in all their afflictions he bears a part and is afflicted and looks upon it as if he himself were treated as they are in this world Acts 9.4 5. Mat. 25 41.-45 Now the nearer and dearer they are to God the more Gods heart is set upon then for good the more sin sets its heart against them for evil Sin is alwayes warring against the Seed of God in them the flesh lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5.17 and warreth against their souls 1 Pet. 2.11 So that by sins ill-will Gods people should neither enjoy nor do any good in this world 't is alwayes provoking the Serpentine Race to make war upon to imprison and persecute even to destruction the little Flock and Remnant of the holy Seed it will not further then rebuked by grace let them have one quiet day it disturbs and interrupts them that they cannot attend upon God without destruction when they would do good a evil is present with them either to keep it undone or to make it ill done it endeavours to spoil all they take in hand and to turn their holy things into iniquity by reason whereof they cry out as greatly opprest wretches that we are who shall deliver us from this body of death Rom. 7. This evil and envious sin is bent also to hinder all it can the comfort welfare and happiness of the Saints Sin like the Devil hath not such an evil eye or aking tooth at all the sinners of the world as it hath at the Saints in the world 't is true the Devil is a man-hater but more a Saint-hater watch for your Adversary the devil seeks whom of you he may devoure as S. Peter tells us 1 Pet. 5.8 And this it doth to cross and thwart God and his design who and which is set upon the happiness of his people 7. 7 To his Glory Sin is contrary to and set against the glory of God and all that should and would give glory to him or hath any tendency thereunto Confession of sin and repentance gives glory to God Jos 7.19 and this sin endeavours to obstruct and hinder It began to practise it on Adam and Eve and still keeps on this trade among the children of men Revel 16.9 Faith would give glory to God now that men may not believe sin imployes the Devil to blind their eyes 2 Cor. 4.4 Good men would do all they do but sin will let them do nothing at all to the glory of God but is ever throwing one dead fly or other into their most precious boxes of oyntment Sin is so malicious that it will not only displease and dishonor God it self but labours to defeat and frustrate the endeavours of all that attempt to do otherwise Might sins desires take place there should not be a person or thing by whom and whereby God should be pleas'd or glorified It gives out false reports of God and goodness layes prejudices and rocks of offence and stumbling in mens wayes that they may be out of love with all that 's good so desperately is it bent against the honor of God 8. 8 To his being Sin as was hinted before is contrary to and opposite against the being and existence of God it makes the sinner wish and endeavour that there

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

or delayest it Oh if in this thy day thou consider not the things of thy peace thou mayst have them hid from thine eyes and go blindfold to Hell and be damned for ever and then God will require payment even use upon use to the utmost farthing Mat. 18 23-34 he will be paid all that is due for time for talents for means for mercies for patience and for bearance he will be paid for all If he be not glorified by thee now he will be glorified upon thee then But I hope you are sensible and I shall not need to urge or press this any further and therefore I pass to the Second Counsel believe the Gospel To believe the Gospel 't is not only repentance toward God but faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that 's required for the pardoning and purging of sin for destroying sin and saving thee Repentance is not enough for righteousness is not by repentance but by faith Phil. 3.9 Prayers and tears sighs and sorrows are not our Saviour 't is Jesus only that saves from sin Mat. 1.21 None can put our sint to death but be that dyed for our sins Do not think to compound with God if all the riches of the world were thine to give and thou wouldst give them all it must cost more then so to have thy soul justified and saved Psal 49.9 If all the men of the world would lend thee their blood and thou shouldst offer it up and with that thine own and that of thy first-born too 't were all too little Micah 6 7. bring all thy repentance and righteousness and it cannot compensate or make amends for one sin if all the Angels in Heaven should lend thee their whole stock and 't is a great one yet 't would not do there 's no satisfaction could be made nor any thing merited for thee but by the Son of God he and he only is the Saviour from sin nor is there any Name given under Heaven but his whereby we must be saved nor is there salvation in any other Acts 4.12 Oh then look to him and be saved for be thy sins what they will he can save to the very utmost all that come to God by him for he ever lives to make intercession for them Heb. 7.25 But if thou believe not in Christ Jesus though thou repent of sin and live as touching the Law blaineless as Saul did Phil. 3 though thou be celebrated for a Saint and mayst seem too good to go to Hell yet without Christ and faith in him thou wilt not be good enough to go to Heaven Though there be a Christ to be believed in who hath dyed for sinners yet if thou believe not in him thou mayst dye and be damned notwithstanding that Come then come to and close with Christ not with an idle or dead but with an effectual and lively faith receive whole Christ not only Jesus but Lord not only Saviour but Prince Col. 2.6 be as willing to dye to sin as he was to dye for sin and to live to him as he was to dye for thee be as willing to be his to serve him as that he should be thine to save thee Take him on his own terms give up thy self wholly to him forget thy fathers house depart from all iniquity and become wholly and intirely his let thy works declare and justifie thy faith by purifying thy heart Acts 15.9 by sanctifying thee Acts 26.18 by overcoming the world both the good and evil the best and worst the frowns and flatteries thereof 1 Joh. 5.4 5. as Moses and the rest did by faith Heb. 11. Thus come and thus make good thy coming to and believing in Christ And then thou shalt be saved as the Apostle told the Jaylor Acts 16.30 31. believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Sin this destructive thing Sin shall not destroy them sin this damning thing sin shall not damn them that do unfeignedly and with their heart believe in Jesus as there was need of a Jesus Christ and as there inrequired faith in Jesus Christ so Salvation i● ascertain'd and ensured to them that believe in Jesus Christ He that perseveres to the end shall find the end of his faith the saving of his soul Oh then hasten to take hold on him close with him and cleave to him as ever you would be saved from your sin and Gods wrath Do you like the end and not the way is Salvation desirable and is not faith without which 't is impossible to please God here or to be saved hereafter Have ye not souls as well as bodies would ye not be saved from sin as well as from sickness hasten to Christ Jesus then the Physitian the Saviour of Sours is there any other Christ is there Salvation in any other hath God any more Sons to send is there any other way to Heaven have we not been in hazard long enough Oh now come now to Christ if ever there will be reason for it there is now wilt thou need him thou dost now will he be lovely hereafter he is now Oh methinks these things being so we should flye like Doves to the windows and not stand off a moment longer lest we dye and dye in our sins and then adieu to happiness and hope for ever But I trust this is not in vain I am willing to hope I have not preacht from nor prayed to God in vain expostulated with and beg'd of you in vain but that you will yet repent and believe the Gospel There is yet another thing I have to exhort to on this occasion and that is 3. Not to sin again by returning to folly That you would sin no more nor return again to folly hear and fear and do no more wickedly 't is sad to lick up vomits and after being washt to wallow in the mire the latter end of such is worse then their beginning 2 Pet. 2. and better it had been for them they had not known the way of righteousness then after they have known it to apostatize and depart from the holy Commandment 't will be difficult next to impossible to renew such again unto repentance Heb. 6.6 and what can they expect but judgment fiery indignation and vengeance Heb. 10 26-30 Oh how is and will the sin and condemnation of Apostates be aggravated what after all his kindness wilt thou kick with the heel against him after sin hath cost thee so many sighs and tears and aking hearts wilt thou make work for more thou wilt have thy belly-full for the back-slider in heart shall be filled with his own ways he will have enough of it one day Prov. 14.14 and then cry out Oh what an evil and a bitter thing is Apostacy Oh this evil heart of unbelief that made me again depart from after my returning to serve the living God! The fourth and last thing I have to say is Not to live in any known sin by way of

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

least dram of blessing or blessedness in th● state If so many curses were to wait on th● J●ws on earth when they continued in impenitency as we read Deut. 28.16 20. Oh what 〈◊〉 cursed thing how full of curses is damnation 〈◊〉 this valley of Gehinnom this hell is a Mount Ebal the Mount of curses Deut. 17 13. 3 3 The second death Damnation is called the second death Revel 21.8 't will be a marvellous miraculous kind of death a living death a death that never dies a● immortal mortality they will live whose portion this death is and death will be their portion all their life 4 4 Shame It s a state of shame and contempt there is scarce any thing in the world we are less willing to undergo then shame The Thief who is not afraid to steal yet when taken he is ashamed Shame and confusion and contempt will be their lot Dan. 12.2 3. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt 2 The quantity and quality of hell torments We shall take into consideration the quantity and quality of those torments of hell and damnation 1 They will be exceeding great and terrible 2 They will be universal 3 Without intermission 1 1 Great They will be exceeding great and terrible such as will make the stoutest hearts to quake and tremble If the writing of Mene Mene Tekel c. made a change in Belshazzars countenance and trouble in his thoughts so that the joynts of his loyns were loosed and his knees smote one against another Dan. 5.6 what a commotion and heart-quake will the day of Gods wrath and vengeance produce See an instance in type at least of this kind of speech and thing Rev. 6 15.-17 where not only bondmen persons of little and puny souls but great and mighty men chief Captains and Kings of the earth persons of great souls that have made the earth to tremble shall hide themselves in Dens and Rocks and say to the Mountains fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sits on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand For bond-men to be faint-hearted and fly is no great wonder but for men of might and valour to run away and hide that 's strange I but 't is from wrath though but of a Lamb What will they do then when he shall rise up and roar like the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah 'T is the day of wrath which is the terrible day of the Lord 't is the day of vengeance which is implacable for God who is now hearing prayer will not then spare for their crying no though they cry Lord Lord. God always acts like himself like a God when he shews mercy 't is like the God of all grace who is rich in mercy and loves with a great love so when he executes wrath and vengeance he makes bare his arm and strikes like a God Who knows the power of his anger none but damned ones The sense of it here the receiving or searful reception of judgment as 't is in the Greek Hebr. 10.27 and fiery indignation makes a kind of hell so fearful a thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God when he acts like a God of vengeance as the Apostle there speaks v. 30 31. How dreadful then will it be to be in hell it self under the tortures of his executed wrath for ever as the man is so is his strength 't is but sport to be whipt by a child but to be whipt and lashed by a man a Gyant whose little finger is heavier then anothers loins how painful must it be The rod is for the back of fools but when it shall be turned into Scorpions and God himself shall lay on stroaks without mercy or pitty oh how tormenting will it be A stone thrown from a weak arm will not hit very hard but when the hand and arm of God shall throw down that wrath from heaven which is now but threatned against ungodly men and turn them into hell as a mighty man throws one over his shoulders oh how will it sink them deep into hell 2 2 Universal The torments of hell will be universal and universally inflicted 1 The torments themselves will be universal 't will be not a torment two or three but all tormants met together hell is the place of torment it self Luke 16 28. 't is the center of all punishments sorrow and pain wrath and vengeance sire and darknesse all are there as we proved before If one disease put a man so much to it what would a complication of discases If one punishment the Strapado the Rack or any other be so tormenting what would all at once be Oh what then will hell be 2 The persons on whom these torments will be inflicted will be universally tormented not one or two parts but all and all over whole man hath sinned and whole man will be tormented not soul alone or body only but soul and body after the Resurrection and Judgment day As for the body all the members of it have been instruments of unrighteousness and therefore all the members will be punished as man is defiled so man will be plagued from the crown of the head to the soal of the foot The senses which men have indulged and gratified will be filled with pain and torment that shall be clean contrary to those pleasures wherewith they were gratified in this world The eye which took so much pleasure in and was enamour'd of beauty shall then see nothing but ugly Devils and deformed Hags of damned wretches c. What shall the ear that was delighted with Musick and Love-songs what shall it hear but hideous cryes and gnashing of teeth the howlings and yawlings of damned Fiends The smell that was gratified with Rose-buds and sweet perfumes shall have no pleasing sents but unsavoury brimstone and a stink The taste that was refreshed with eating the fat and drinking the sweet must have nothing but the dregs of the cup of Gods wrath The touch and seeling shall be sensible then not of fine and silken things but of burning flames and scorching fiery indignation Ann as to the soul and all its faculties it and they will speed no better their understanding will be tormented with having the truth understood in miserable effects that which it laught at as foolishness it will then find true by the loss of it viz. Gospel happiness The conscience will be like a stinging Adder a gnawing worm The will will be vex'd that it had its will so long Here men think it a Princely thing to have their will but there they 'l find it a devillish thing 3 3 Without intermission Yet further these torments will be without intermission they shall be tormented day and night

taking away of sin Isa 27.9 yea to make us partakers of his Holiness Heb. 12.10 which is the end of the greatest promises 2 Pet 1.4 2 Cor. 7.1 So that God aims at the same thing in bringing threatned evils on us as in making good promises and making them good to us Is not this better then sin did that ever do such kindnesses for us A as its mercies are cruclties its courtesies are injuries its kindnesses are killing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic notus Vlysses it never did nor meant us any good unless men be so mad to think that 't is good to be defiled dishonoured and damned 5. Sufferings tend to make us perfect but sin makes us more and more imperfect The second Adam was perfected by suffering Heb. 2.10 ●u the first Adam was made imperfect by sinning and thus it fares with both their seeds and children as it did with them a sinner and without strength Rom. 5.6 a sinner and without God without Christ without hope c Eph. 2.12 But a sufferer after a while 〈◊〉 be perfected by the same God of all grace who hath called him into eternal glory by Christ Jesus a●d after his example 1 Pet. 5.10 but the more a sinner the more imperfect and fitter for Hell 6. Suffering for God glorifies God 1 Pet 4.14 and calls on us to thank and glorifie God for it vers 16. but sin dishonours God by suffering the Saints are happy vers 14. being Gods Martyrs but by sinning sinners are miserable as the Devils Martyrs vers 15. and which I pray you is better to suffer for God or for the Devil to be suffering Saints or Sinners 7. Sufferings for God Christ and Righteousness adde to our glory as well as they glorifie God but sinning adds to our torment That suffering adds to our glory see Mat. 5.10 11 12. 2 Cor. 4.17 Light afflictions work an exceeding weight of glory but sin which is exceeding sinful works an exceeding weight of wrath and torment Rom. 2.5 It heaps heap upon heap load upon load to make up a treasury of wrath which then is the greatest evil I speak to wise men judge ye what I say light affliction or heavy sin which is better treasures of glory or treasures of wrath or which is all one to suffer or to sin Thus far I have evinced that sin is worse then affliction I but it may be said if we suffer not unto death 't is no great suffering skin for skin and all a man hath will he give for his life but to dye is dreadful 't is worse to sin I shall therefore prove 2. Sin is worse then death That sin is worse then death we use to say of two evils chuse the least now to dye is more cheap and easie then to sin as Gods loving-kindness is better then life we had better part with this then that so sin is worse then death we had better undergo this then do that better submit to death then commit sin as I hinted before from Mat. 10.28 But let us compare them Sin is more deadly then death viz. the separation of soul and body the dissolution of Natures frame and the union thereof this which we call Death is apprehended as a great evil as appears by mans unwillingness to dye men will live in sickness and pain they will be in deaths often rather then dye once and 't is not only an evil in apprehension but 't is really so to humane Nature for 't is called an enemy 1 Cor. 15.26 'T is true death is a friend to grace but 't is as true that death is an enemy to nature and there are four things in which death is evil and an enemy to man and in all these respects sin is more an enemy to man then death 1. Death is separating it separates the nearest and dearest relations yea that which God hath joyned together man and wife soul and body it separates from Estates Ordinances c. as I shewed before thus death is a great evil and enemy true but sin is worse for it brought death and all the evils that come by death and separates man while alive from God who is the light and life of our lives Death separates not from the love of God that sin doth Rom. 8.38 39. Isa 59.2 2. Death is terrifying 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King of Terrors Job 18.14 't is a grim Sir a very sowre and tetrical thing 't is ghastly and frightful for men are not only unwilling but afraid to dye but all the terror that is in death sin puts there 't is the sting of death 1 Cor. 13.56 without which though it kill it cannot curse nor hurt any man so that sin is more terrible then death for without sin either there had been no death or to be sure no terror in death when the sting is taken away by the death of Christ there 's no danger nor cause of fear Heb 2.14 15. and the Apostle looking on the Prince of Peace was not afraid of the King of Terrors but could challenge and upbraid it 1 Cor. 15 55 3. Death is killing but sin much more death deprives of natural and temporal but sin deprives of spiritual and eternal life death kills but the body sin kills the soul and brings it u●der a worse death then the first viz. the second Men may kill us but only God can destroy us i. e. damn us and that he never doth but for sin so that sin is more ●i●ling then death is 4. Death is corrupting it brings the body to corruption and makes it so loathsom that we say of our dearest relations as Abraham of Sarah when she was dead bury her out of my sight death makes every man say to the worm thou art my mother and to corruption and putrefaction thou art my sister Job 17.14 But sin corrupts us more then death for he that dyed without sin saw no corruption it defiles us and makes us a stink in the nostrils of God and men Gen. 34.30 the old man and its lusts are corrupt and do corrupt us Eph. 4.22 They corrupt our souls and that which corrupts souls the principal man of the man is much worse then that which corrupts the body only but sin corrupts the body too while alive intemperance uncleanness corrupts soul and body so that sin is even in this worse then death Our Saviour tells the Jews that their great misery was not that they should dye but that they should dye in their sins Job 8 21. intimating that sin was worse then death and that which made death a misery better dye in an Hospital or a Ditch then in sin 't is better to dye any how then sin and dye in sin and therefore the Father told Eudoxia the Empress when she threatned him Nil nisi peccatum timeo I fear nothing but to sin And ' ewas a Princely Speech of a Queen who said She had rather hear of her