A64834:582
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.
5. The tongue is either mans glory of shame, worth much or nothing, as 'tis good or evil. God made mans tongue his glory, but sin makes it his shame. Saith holy David to his tongue, awake, my glory, Psal. 57.8. and Psal. 16.9. my glory rejoiceth; which the Apostle (according to the Septuagint) renders, my tongue was glad; Acts 2.26. And when is our tongue our glory, but when it speaks to the glory of God? when its words are savoury and gracious; but if our tongue be a lying tongue, a slandering tongue, or any other way evil, 'tis then our shame. Oh, the vast difference that there is between a good and a bad tongue! Prov. 10.20. The tongue of the just is as choice silver (a precious commodity) ⟨p. 296⟩but the heart of the wicked (and therefore his tongue) is little worth, 'tis but dross; he pays too dear by a farthing, that pays but a farthing for that which is nothing worth: and this is so little worth, that he cannot tell how little, worth nothing, or if you will, 'tis worse then nought in being naught. Again, Prov. 12.18. there is that speaketh (Daggers, as we say) like the piercing of a Sword, dangerous and killing words, but the tongue of the wise is (not only a medicine or wholesome, but in the abstract) health. There is as much difference between a good and bad tongue, as between soundness and wounds, health and sickness. Yet once more, Prov. 15.4. an wholesome tongue is a tree of life (which is for healing) but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit: and a wounded spirit who can bear? or who can bear up under a broken spirit? But,
5. The tongue is either mans glory of shame, worth much or nothing, as 'tis good or evil. God made mans tongue his glory, but sin makes it his shame. Saith holy David to his tongue, awake, my glory,