Note that from a deadened heart one may throw out words or promises, and from idle words he may in the heinousness of lying blaze out into insults. For these are the corrosions of increasing sin, that the tongue when not restrained should never lie still where it has fallen but is always descending to what is worse.…
In holy Scripture the term pledge [promise] may denote either the gifts of the Holy Spirit or the confession of sin. Thus pledge is taken as the gift of the Holy Spirit, such as where it is said by Paul, “And given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” For we receive a pledge for this, that we may have an assurance of the promise that is made to us. And so the gift of the Holy Spirit is called a pledge, because through this [Spirit] our soul is strengthened to the assuredness of the inward hope. Again by the name of “a pledge,” confession of sin is also intended, as it is written in the law, “If your brother owes you something, and you take away a pledge from him, rest...
6. In Holy Scripture by the term of ‘a pledge’ sometimes the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and sometimes the confession of sin, are denoted. Thus pledge is taken as the gift of the Holy Spirit, as where it is said by Paul, And given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. [2 Cor. 1, 22] For we receive a pledge for this, that we may hold an assurance touching the promise that is made to us. And so the gift of the Holy Spirit is called a pledge, in that by this our soul is strengthened to assuredness of the inward hope. Again by the name of a ‘pledge’ confession of sin is used to be intended, as it is written in the Law; If thy brother oweth thee aught, and thou takest away a pledge from him, restore the pledge before the setting of the sun. [Ex. 22, 25. 26.] For our brother is made a debtor to us, when any fellow-creature is proved to have done any thing wrong against us. For sins we call ‘debts.’ Whence it is said to the servant when he sinned, I forgave thee all that debt. [Matt....
