A treatise of self-denial. By Richard Baxter, pastor of the church at KidderminsterA treatise of self-denial. By Richard Baxter, pastor of the church at Kederminster

And the commonness of this sin of idle talk, yea with many that we hope are godly, doth make me think that it's thought to be a smaller matter than it is; and I doubt this conceit is it that makes it to be so common. And therefore I shall here give you some of the aggravations of this sin, that you may hereafter judge of it as it is, and not be encouraged in it by false apprehensions.

A custom of vain words, is a sign of a vain and empty mind: were the heart but full of better things, the tongue would be employed in better speeches. Either the head, or heart, or both is empty and vain, in that measure as the tongue is vain, Eccles. 5. 3. [A dream cometh through the multitude of business, and a fools voice is known by multitude of words] Eccles. 10. 12. [The words of a wise mans mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself] Eccles. 10. 14. [A fool is full of words] And therefore Solomon opposeth the tongue of the just and the heart of the wicked, Prov. 10. 20. [The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth] See Pro. 17. 27, 28. Psal. 37. 30, 31. [The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgement] and whence is this [The Law of his God is in his heart: none of his steps shall slide.] It is a sign that a man hath little feeling of the greatness of his own sin, of the greatness of Gods Love in Christ, of the greatness of the joy that is set before him, of the greatness of duty that lieth on him, when he can spend so much of his time in talking of mere vanity. You cannot get a dying man, or a man that's taken up with any great important business, to jest and prate with you of idle matters. It's