The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venningdoes not desire life, and to see good days while he lives? Many say, who will showus any good? And everyone says, Life, Life, Skin for skin, and all for life. 'Come, yechildren, hearken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord; what man ishe that desireth life, and loveth many days that he may see good? Keep thy tonguefrom evil, and thy lips from speaking guile' (Psalm 34.11-13). O that all the parentsin the world would call their children together to give them such lectures as this!Many say, Come my children, I will teach you the way to grow rich and great, howto be fine and in fashion. But few call them and say, Come my children, I will teachyou the fear of the Lord, the best wisdom and godliness, the best and mostenriching trade, which is good for this life and that to come. 0 that they would askthem, Would you see life? Yes, you say, but how? Why, if you seek for life andgood days, keep your tongue from evil and guile. This is confirmed in the NewTestament (1 Peter 3.10). The best way to live and live well is to keep a goodtongue in our heads, as our proverb says, and to have no evil words in our mouths.For, as the wise man assures us, 'whoso keepeth his mouth and tongue, keepethhis soul from troubles' (Proverbs 21.23). This is not only a political but a divineassertion, and is true between God and man, as it is between man and man.Holy David was so afraid of his tongue, lest he should offend with it, that he put abridle into his mouth (Psalm 39.1). Surely the tongue is an unruly thing that itmust be bridled like a horse or an ass! Indeed it is so unruly that one may betterrule horses and manage them, and more easily turn such unwieldy things as greatships are than keep the tongue in order; therefore St. James pronounces him aperfect man who offends not in word, and one that is able with ease to bridle thewhole body, when he has the mastery of his tongue (James 3.2-4). It is a rarething to use the tongue well!Now to help you against this evil, that you may not sin with your mouths, tonguesor lips (which are all one in signification), let me beg you to consider that,(i) Sinful words are wholly forbidden us and their opposites are enjoined upon us.God has told us what we shall not, and what we shall say, what words we oughtnot, and what we ought to use. As to the negative, 'let no corrupt (filthy, rotten,unsavoury) communication proceed out of your mouth; but (affirmatively) thatwhich is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers'(Ephesians 4.29). Again, in the same epistle, 'But fornication, and all uncleanness,or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neitherfilthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rathergiving of thanks' (Ephesians 5.3-4). These things should not be the subject andmatter of your conversation and talk, but rather the giving of thanks, that is, thatwhich is graceful and thankworthy, fit to season and edify others by ministeringgrace to them, as was said before. 'Let your speech be alway with grace, seasonedwith salt' (Colossians 4.6). It should be such as becomes saints, graceful andcomely, seasoned and savoury, that which may not defile any but edify all. Thougha Christian is not always to talk of grace, yet he is always to talk so as to showhimself a gracious person. Our very table talk, as well as our meat, should beseasoned with salt; it should be with the first and second course. For salt is the firstto be put on, and the last taken off, that all may be seasoned and savoury. And soshould all our speech be, not like salt that has lost its savour, which has no valueeven for the dunghill (Luke 14.35).133