To All That Were Hearers, and to All That Shall Be Readers

The Christian Religion (as it exposes to, so it) fits for, and is suited to suffering as well as glory: indeed, the all-wise God has so ordered it, that while we are on this side the grave, such graces (as suppose suffering, and are preparative to glory) should be most exercised by us, which are to act their part, and to have their continuance only in this world; and which indeed had not had an actual being or existence, if sin had not entered into the world; namely, such graces as are faith, repentance, hope and patience: There had been no need of faith for righteousness, if we had not lost our own; no need of, nor occasion for repentance, if we had remained innocent; no room for hope, seeing we had been in a continual sight, enjoyment and possession of happiness, if we had not sinned; nor any use or exercise of patience, when there had been no suffering, and none there had been, if there had been no sin: The state of innocency (before sin was) being in the next degree like to the state of glory (when sin shall be no more) and that excludes these, and such like things; for then sorrow and sighing shall flee away, and all tears be wiped from their eyes; then faith shall be turned into vision, and hope into fruition, suffering (and consequently patience) shall be at an end, as to good and holy men.

It cannot therefore but be hugely useful and advantageous toward the exciting, exercising, promoting and perfecting of these graces, to know what an exceeding sinful thing sin is; not only that we may suffer well, as did Christ Jesus (1 Peter 2:19-23), and make Moses's choice (Hebrews 11:25), and not that which is charged on Job as his (Job 36:21). But also because, if ever we be saved, these graces must be practiced, and that they are not in a capacity to be, till sin appear to us, as it did to St. Paul, an exceeding sinful, deceitful, and destructive thing. And truly, as sinners are not likely to be awakened to this, till the commandment come (as it did to the Apostle) and discover it to them; so they who are awakened and converted, are greatly obliged, and no less provoked by it, to admire the love and mercy of God, and to pay him everlasting gratitude for their deliverance and salvation from sin. But of the usefulness of this doctrine I speak in the treatise itself, and shall therefore forbear to name anything more of that nature in this place.

As to the book I have but a few things to say; this treatise was begun, and almost finished, before the late sore and great plague began; and therefore (though for a memorial of it) I have taken occasion to give it a name or title from there, yet it is not calculated particularly to it; but with a more general aspect upon the universal mischief, that sin has done mankind, as to soul and body, time and eternity, it being the root of all evil, corporal, spiritual, and eternal, only in relation to that sweeping besom of destruction, and the dreadful fire from heaven or hell, and in several senses from both, which since consumed the habitations, as the plague did the inhabitants before (both which I fear are (alas!) but too much forgotten) we should consider the operation of God's hand lifted up, to lay it to heart, to confess our sin, and give him glory: For though God in the midst of judgment remembered mercy, yet we in the midst of mercy should remember judgment, both hands being to lead us to repentance; else, though the plague be over and gone, and that fire burns no longer, yet if the plague of our hearts, and not fiery lusts (if our sins) continue, we are far from health and safety: If after such deliverances as these, we sin, as if we were delivered to do nothing else; or to speak as Ezra does (Ezra 9:13-14), and after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that God has punished us less than our iniquities have deserved, and has given us such deliverance as this, should we again break his commandments, and join in affinity with the people of (with such and the like as our former) abominations? Would not he be angry with us, till he have consumed us; so that there be none (as hitherto through mercy there has been) remnant, and escaping, but the fire of his wrath may burn to (and we burn in) the lowermost hell! Oh, let us hear and fear, and do no more so wickedly (Deuteronomy 13:11), for sin is so notoriously, more than excessively and intolerably evil, that as 'tis at present the reproach, 'twill be (hereafter) the ruin of any people who repent not: And what is impenitency? But a treasuring up of, and growing rich in sin and wrath together (Romans 2:4-9), and what is that but to be abundantly damned!

As to this subject, I am well aware that several pious and learned men have treated of it; but that is no discouragement to their successors to do so too, no more than 'twas to St. Luke (Luke 1:1-3) to write the Gospel, of which others had written before him: And indeed, what is the Gospel of St. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but the same Gospel published with some little variety. The Apostle St. Peter wrote of the same things which St. Paul had done (2 Peter 3:15), and they both wrote of the same things over and again (Philippians 3:1; 2 Peter 1:12-13). And Jude the brother of James (verse 1) did transcribe, or at least epitomize a great part of St. Peter's second Epistle, almost (in terminis and verbatim) word for word. I remember St. Augustine somewhere gives his advice, to have the same things published by several men, that (by the interest, relation, and affection which they have in the world) truths may come to the more hands, which else would be confined, and well-nigh imprisoned. Besides, what Ausonius tells us, [illegible] one may find out more than another, but none will or can find and speak out all, so exceeding broad are the commands and truths contained in the sacred Scriptures, beyond any others: Though therefore I think it no disparagement to me to acknowledge, that I have perused others, and profited by them, yet I may (without vanity or ostentation) say, that I have not only handled this subject in another manner, but that I have also spoken to other things, than any has done that I have yet met with; and do not doubt, but much more may be said than has been by me, any, or all that have written on this theme.

As to the sinfulness of sin (the subject of the treatise) I have indeed handled it most largely, as it is against man's good and happiness, it being most properly the intent and scope of the text; and God is so condescending, that he is pleased to treat man as a self-lover, and so to gain him, and win him by his own advantages; indeed, he seems by his patience to have a concern for man's salvation, beyond his own vindication in this world, as the Apostle gives us to believe (2 Peter 3:9). And truly, this vouchsafement, self-denial, and humbling of himself, is so great and rich a goodness, that it most forcefully leads and draws us to repentance (Romans 2:4).

As to the style, I have not minded any curiosity, for I am still of my former opinion, that that eloquence does injury to things, which draws us to observe it, seeing words are only for the matter's sake, and should not hinder but help its promotion; fine expressions (according to what is said by a learned and eloquent person) fine expressions are but like the gaudy and gilded frame of a looking-glass, which acquaints us not with our faces and features, the genuine use of a looking-glass: indeed many times the richness of the frame, does so much distract and dazzle the eyes of some childish persons, that they are regardless of anything else: the rhetoric diverts men from attending the more concerning, the instructive part of a discourse; indeed, many that pretend to be critics, make little other use of sermons and good books, than to censure or to applaud the contrivance, and the phrase, without minding the doctrine, or caring to rectify what has been discovered to them to be amiss: it is no commendation to a preacher to be more solicitous to make his expressions, than to make his hearers good: there must be no flattering of sinners; we must rather endeavor they may condemn themselves, than applaud us; and it will be more joy to a good divine, to hear the people's sighs for their sins, than to hear their praises of his sermon, and that they follow his counsel, than that they admire his language: we must not speak against sin, to show an art of declaiming, a skill of speaking oratoriously, but to exercise our own, and to provoke others to exert their hatred against it; and it is to be feared, that when the best of men have done their best and utmost, there will yet be too many that read pious books with less reverence and concern than a romance, or a play, being more for the rhetoric than divinity, for the wit than worth (which is to say) the shadow than substance of discourses; and (as the aforementioned excellent person significantly expresses it) if a devout book have not good store of witty passages, some readers will not mind it at all; and if it have, they will mind nothing else. And this experience confirms. But whatever readers this book meets with, I have endeavored that it may profit (and so far please) them, that I hope they will find nothing worthy of their displeasure, but the thing I write against. I have committed it to God, and begged his blessing, that it may be of use, to teach men to profit hereafter by their hitherto loss, and get something by reading, which they can never do by committing of sin.

But not to detain you much longer, I entreat you to remember, that this world is but a glittering and pompous vanity, a thing that [illegible] using, and will not reach beyond the grave, and perhaps will not last so long, for the lust and fashion of it pass, indeed, take them wings, and fly away. Remember that sin leads nowhere but to hell, the place and element of torment. Remember that before long death will arrest you, and carry your body to the dust and dungeon of the grave, and (if you die in your sins) your soul to hell and damnation. I entreat you therefore to exercise yourself to, and in the power of godliness, and do not live as if the practice of piety were nothing but a book of that name. Alas, what is it to have religion in your Bible, in your head and tongue, and yet have none in your heart and life! Do but think what you will say or do when you come to judgment, as Solomon tells the young man (Ecclesiastes 11:9). Take the course which you can own, and justify in that day, and do what you will, and then I am sure you will not dare to do anything but what you ought; for who can answer for one of a thousand, or for but one sin!

As for any of them (yet alive) that were hearers, and shall now be readers of what is contained in the following treatise, I crave leave to tell them, that they have it double, as precept upon precept, and line upon line, and God seems to send it to them the second time, that it may do more good upon them than it did at first, that the repetition and calling of it to remembrance, may do more than the preaching of it did, though I know, blessed be God, that it was not then delivered and heard without good effects on many, and, I hope, on more than I know of. That God may be glorified, and the readers may profit by it, is much the prayer, as it will be much the joy and rejoicing of my soul, whatever censures may be passed upon me,

Ralph Venning.