A64834:581
Sin, the Plague of Plagues
Sin, the plague of plagues, or, Sinful sin the worst of evils a treatise of sins trial 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 ...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 ...
London: printed for John Hancock, 1669
Title page typeset from the transcription.
SIN, THE PLAGUE of PLAGUES; OR Sinful Sin the worst of Evils. › 2. Against sinful Words.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. Evil words corrupt men and their manners: our great care should be, not to be corrupt, and the next to that, not to corrupt others; but evil words corrupt both: they corrupt and defile our selves, Mat. 15.17, 18. What goeth into the mouth (viz. meat) defileth not the man, but what cometh out of the mouth (viz. evil words) proceeds from the heart, and they defile the man. The tongue is but a little member, yet it boasteth great matters, 'tis but as a spark of fire, but it kindles a great deal of wood, a world of iniquity, the whole course of nature, and defiles the whole body, James 3.5, 6. It defiles, not only a mans own body and course, but the body and community of them with whom we converse too, a little leaven leavens the whole lump: be not deceived, evil communication corrupts good manners, 1 Cor. 15.33. What's the ill language or evil discourse the Apostle ⟨p. 295⟩means? That which he had mentioned, vers. 32. let us (say and do like Epicures, as they say and do) let us eat and drink, for to morrow we shall dye. Such loose Epicurean and Atheistical discourses do debauch men and their manners. Many an ingenuous and hopeful person hath been corrupted by such ill discourse: they have no good conversation, who use evil communication; persons of evil words are seldom persons of good manners, or if so for a while (for nemo repentè fit pessimus) none being suddenly wicked, or worst at first, yet they degenerate and grow immoral and ill-mannered more and more. Lying frequently makes men at last so unacquainted with truth, that they scarce think any difference to be between them; and they jest so long, that they forget to be in earnest, till awaked by the quarrels that these things beget in and among themselves.
4. Evil words corrupt men and their manners: our great care should be, not to be corrupt, and the next to that, not to corrupt others; but evil words corrupt both: they corrupt and defile our selves, Mat. 15.17, 18. What goeth into the mouth (viz. meat) defileth not the man, but what cometh out of the mouth (viz. evil words) proceeds from the heart, and they defile the man. The tongue is but a little member, yet it boasteth great matters, 'tis but as a spark of fire, but it kindles a great deal of wood, a world of iniquity, the whole course of nature, and defiles the whole body,