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 ...

More particularly sin hath separated man.

1 1 From the sight and seeing of God: Man could talk with God face to face, as a man converseth with his friend, but (woe and alas!) man cannot see his face and live: One of the first discove∣ries of mans sinfulness and misery by it was; that he could not endure (but hid himself from) the sight, yea and the voice of God, Genes. 3.8. Our happiness lies so much in the sight of God, that it hath the name of Beatifical Vision, a sight which passeth all sights: When our Saviour prays for the happiness of his, he doth not only pray that they may be where he is, but that they may see his glory, Joh. 17.24. And this is the glory which doth not yet appear, that we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, 1 Joh. 3.2. They that are regenerate, and enlightned from above, and are refined and clarified, have some glimpses and gradual sights of God, and yet 'tis comparatively called darkness; we see but darkly (as 'twere his back-parts) through a glass, which is short of seeing face to face, 1 Cor. 13.12. We do live by faith now rather then by sight, as the Apostle doth express it, 2 Cor. 5.7. 'Tis true, faith is to us instead of our eyes, for 'tis the evidence of things not seen, Hebr. 11.1. and by it we look (as Moses did) to him who is, and to his things which are invisible, 2 Cor. 4.18. Seeing then mans happiness lies so much in seeing God, what an exceeding great mischief hath sin done to man in separating him from the sight of God, that man cannot see God and live, whereas the best life is in seeing God.

2 Sin hath separated man from the life of God, 2 not only from living unto God, and with God, but from living the life of God, viz. such a life as God lives, which is a life of holiness in perfection; and therefore 'tis said of sinners, that they are alienated from the life of God, Eph. 4.18. yea, and more, that they are dead in sins and tre∣spasses, Eph. 2.1. So far from living, that they are dead so far from living to God, that they live against God; so far from living the life of God, that they live the life of Devils: 'Tis according to the Prince of the Power of the Air, i.e. the Devil, Eph. 1.2. Oh what an injury hath sin done in separating man from the Divine Life and Na∣ture, and sinking him into the dregs and death of sin, viz. made him dead in sin!

3 Sin hath separated man from the love of God: 3 I speak not now of what love and good will there is in God toward man, but of that love, and the actual communication thereof, which man once had and enjoy'd, whereof sin hath not only deprived him, but made him the ob∣ject of his wrath; for God is angry with the wicked every day, Psal. 7.11. and they are by nature the children of wrath, Eph. 2.3, 4 and therefore said not to be beloved, Rom. 9.25. Man was once the object of his love and delight; when man came into the world in the likeness of God, God lookt on him with delight, and was enamour'd of this his Image; but sin (alas) hath made him the object of his wrath: Oh injurious sin!

4 4 Sin hath separated man from communion with God; God and man kept company, while man and holiness kept company, but when that and

man parted; then God and man parted (the re∣dintegration of any is upon a new account) they could not walk together, because of this disa∣greement, Amos 3.3. When man left walking in the light of holiness, and walked in the dark∣ness of sin, fellowship ceased, 1 John 1.6, 7. 'Tis true, there is reconciliation and recovery by Jesus Christ, but sin did what in it lay to cut man off from all communion with God for ever; Oh this spiteful and pernicious sin!

5 5 Sin separated man from the Covenant-relati∣on wherein he stood unto God; so that God had no obligation upon him to own him, or look af∣ter him, to have any thing to do with him, but ruine him; and what sin did at first, it doth (if not repented of, and pardon'd) to this day; and therefore sinners called Loammi, not my people, which is worse then not to be a people, 1 Pet. 2.10. and they are without God, Promise and Co∣venant, Eph. 2.12. Man can claim nothing of God upon any right or Plea of his own, having sinned; and therefore are said also to be with∣out hope, viz. in themselves: Oh what a separa∣tion hath sin made! in robbing man of God, it robs him of all things, for all things are ours, but so far as God is ours, 1 Cor. 3.21.-2.

From hence come two great miseries on sin∣ners from God, as judgments upon this separa∣tion.

1 God hideth his face; and this follows on the separation, as 'tis express, Is. 59.2. Your ini∣quities have separated you and your God, and your sin hath hid his face from you, or (as the Margin reads it) have made him hide his face

from you; his face which makes heaven, a smile whereof, or the lifting up the light of which countenance upon us, refresheth us, more then corn, wine, and oyl, Psa. 4.6, 7. yea, his loving kindness is better then life; we had better have parted with this then that: Mans sin is exprest by this, that he turns his back to God; and not the face; and his punishment by this, that God turns his back to him, and not the face; God carries it not like a friend, but a stranger: And indeed this hiding of his face is significative of many more miseries then I can now stay to in∣stance in.

2 Another, and no less misery hereupon is, that God hears not his prayers, as it follows in that fore-mentioned Text, Is. 59.2. and so it at∣tends the hiding of Gods face, Is. 1.15. God is a God hearing prayers, but sin shuts out our shouting, and the prayers of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, and he calls them no better then howlings, Hos. 7.14. Yet further.

There are two or three other miseries, not to name many more that are consequent upon this separation, which continually attend poor sinful man.

1 That man is without strength: Mans great strength is in union with God, separation wea∣kens him; for without him, apart from him, out of him, separated from him we can do nothing; to be a sinner, is to be without strength Rom. 5.6. with 8. Man was once a Sampson for strength, but having parted with his Lock, his strength is departed from him, that of himself (as of himself) he is not sufficient to think one good

thought, 2 Cor. 3.5. He was strong, while in the Lord, and the power of his might; but now his ••ands are weak, and knees feeble, his legs cannot bear him up, having got the Spiritual Rickers.

2 Being separated from God, man becomes afraid of God, and ashamed to appear before him; while Innocent (though naked, yet) man was not afraid nor ashamed to approach to God, or of Gods approaching to him; but when he had sinned, he was asham'd to shew his face, and a∣fraid to see Gods face, or to hear his voice, Gen. 3.9, 10. When righteous, he was bold as a Lyon; but now he runs his head into a bush.

3 This separation and departure hardens his heart against God, that when God comes to talk and treat with man about his sinning, he will lay it any where, yea at Gods own door (as A∣dam did) rather then confess it: 'Tis three times said in one Chapter, Hebr. 3.8.13, 15. Harden not your hearts, least any of you be hardened, harden not your hearts; and all this in relation 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hearing the voice of God, as 'tis there: When God comes to convince man, he cannot endure to hear on't, but hardens his heart; and as it was in the beginning, so it is now among the sinful children of men.

Thus have I as briefly as so large a subject would permit, set out the sinfulness of sin, as 'tis against the good of man (body and soul) in this life, in a natural and moral respect, which was the first thing propounded. The second follows:

2 Sin is contrary to, 2 or against the good of man in the life to come: It hath brought on man that eternal death, Damnation: In this life man by reason of sin is in deaths often, but in the life to come, he is in death for ever. If sin had only wrong'd man in this life (which is but for a moment) it had not been so considerable, but sins miserable effects are everlasting, if mercy prevent not: the wicked die, and rise to die a∣gain the second, and a worse death: There is a Resurrection to life for the righteous, the chil∣dren of the Resurrection; and for the wicked, a Resurrection to condemnation, or death, (for 'tis opposed to life) John 5.29. But

Before I shew what (and wherein) damnation is, and consequently the mischief and misery that sin hath thereby brought on man, I shall premise a few things which will make our passage smooth and easie. I say then:

1 That God damns no man but for sin: Dam∣nation is a punishment, Mat. 25.46. and all pu∣nishment supposeth guilt and transgression: God the judge of all the earth will do right, and he lays not on man more then is meet, that man may not enter into judgment with God, Job 34.23. or quarrel and find fault with him; which man would quickly do, if Gods judgment were not just, even sinners themselves being Judges▪ Death is but sins wages, Rom. 6.23. that which it hath merited; mans undoing, is but the fruit of his own doing; mans perdition is of him∣self, Hos. 13.9. His own wickedness correct•• him, Jer. 2.19. and that not only in this life, but that to come, Mat. 7.23. and Mat. 25

2 That by sin all men are liable to condemnati∣on: We were all of us children of wrath by na∣ture, Eph. 2.3. and the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience, Eph. 5.6. H•• that believeth not, is condemned already; he i•• in a state of condemnation, beside that which unbelief will bring upon him, Joh. 3.18. and he that believeth not, the wrath of God abideth on him: He was a child of wrath by nature and continues still so in unbelief; Joh. 3.36. Th•• wrath of God seiseth on him, as its habitation an•• abode: Every mouth must be stop'd, for all th•• world is become guilty, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory, and are obnoxious t•• the judgment of God, Rom. 3.19.-23.

3 Some men have been, are, and will be damne•• for sin; all but them who have, do and shall con∣demn sin, and themselves for sin: If we judge our selves, we shall not be condemned of th•• Lord, else woe be to us! When our Saviour sen•• his Disciples to preach, saith he, Go preach, the Gospel (that's good news and glad tidings) he that believes shall be saved, Mark 16.16. Ay•• but what if they will not believe, what shall we say then? Why then tell them, he that believe•• not shall be damned: This is as great a truth of the Gospel, that he who believes not will be dam∣ned, as this is, that he who believes shall be sa∣ved: Heaven and Salvation is not more surely promised to the one, then hell and damnatio•• is threatned to, and shall be executed on the o∣ther: broad is the way that leads to this destru∣ction (there are as many tracts to it as there a•••• sins, but) impenitency and unbelief are the high

road way, the beaten path wherein multitudes go to hell.

4 Damnation is the greatest evil of suffering that can befall a man; 'tis the greatest punishment that God doth inflict: This is the wrath of God to the uttermost, 'tis his vengeance: Oh who knows the power of his wrath? none but damned ones: It is misery, altogether misery, and alwayes misery to be damned. This will yet more fully appear upon examination, and discovery of

Notes

• 1

  From the sight of God.
• 2

  From the life of God.
• 3

  From the love of God.
• 4

  From commu∣nion.
• 5

  From Covenant∣relation.
• 2

  Sin a∣gainst the good of man in the life to come; it damns men.