N00731:80
The folly of sinning, opened & applied, in two sermons, occasioned by the condemnation…The folly of sinning, opened & applyed, in two sermons, occasioned by the condemnation…
The folly of sinning, opened & applied, in two sermons, occasioned by the condemnation of one that was executed at Boston in New-England, on November 17th. 1698. / By Increase Mather, president of Harvard College, in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel at Boston in N.E. ; [Two lines from Romans]The folly of sinning, opened & applyed, in two sermons, occasioned by the condemnation of one that was executed at Boston in New-England, on November 17th. 1698. / By Increase Mather, praesident of Harvard Colledge, in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel at Boston in N.E. ; [Two lines from Romans]
Boston: printed by B Green for Michael Perry over against the Town House, 1699
THE FOLLY OF Sinning. › Sermon 2 › Proposition 3: PROPOSITION. III.
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.
Thus have we seen the Doctrine opened and confirmed in the particulars which have been mentioned. For the Improvement of it, we shall speak a few things briefly. Let the first USE be for Instruction, in two particulars.
Inf. 1. What folly are they guilty of who make light of the greatest Sins? There are those in the world that do so. Profane Swearing is a great Sin: Therefore does the Scripture say, above all things Swear not, neither by Heaven, neither by the Earth, neither by any o•her Oath, lest you fall into Condemnation. James 5.12. Yet there are some ⟨p. 87⟩who make light of this horrible Sin. If they be but a little provoked they'll Curse & Swear like Devils incarnate: And then think to Excuse it, by saying, such an one provoked me. And art not thou a Fool to provoke the Eternal God, only because thy Neighbour has provoked thee? There are Oaths unto which men to show how light they make of being guilty of them, have given the Name of Petty Oaths: They think that for them to Swear by their Faith and by their Troth is a small evil if any at all: but it is a great Sin to do so. All Swearing by Creatures is a grievous sin. To Swear by things that are no Gods is great impiety. Jer. 5.7. But the man that Swears by his Faith & Tr•th, Swears by things that are no Gods How shall the Lord pardon them for this without Repentance. Drunkenness is a great and a Damning Sin: The word of the Lord says expressly that no man that is a Drunkard shall inherit the Kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6.10. Yet are there not those that make a mock of this Sin. Yea, that will make others Drunk on purpose, that so they may have something to laugh at, and to make themselves sport with. Ah! what Fools are they that will make themselves ⟨p. 88⟩