The sermons of John Donne had a powerful effect on the hearts and minds of Englishmen. Donne uses his sermon to masterfully develop his arguments on issues concerning the spirituality of men. In his sermon "Wretched Man" the argument takes the form of a spiritual examination whereas, in his sermon "Sin" the argument is built up from the practical consequences of common sins and applied to those sins that seem less obvious. In both cases Donne is able to develop and express his argument through the use of clear logical reasoning supported with intense, powerful and realistic examples, all of which enable his sermons to manifest such a dramatic effect.

In "Wretched Man", Donne performs a spiritual examination upon the sinful nature of mortal man. He begins his argument by declaring that man is composed of the very elements that define wretchedness: inward decay, outward violence, bodily pain and sorrow of the heart. It is these elements that Donne believes afflict the whole of mankind, much as the venom of a snake poisons others. However, Donne also knows that these same elements, while directed against others, do not leave their host body unaffected. Much as an infection is capable of contaminating all of the body, so also does Donne believe that those contemptible elements that make up "wretched man" can ultimately poison man's own heart and soul. Knowing this the author calls upon each and everyone of us to dissect himself and "consider what he was before God raised him". In this Donne calls us to consider what we were before the grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; how we were at worst "a volume of disease bound up together, a dry cylinder" and at best "glow-worms" amongst the other venomous creeping things God hath made. This also readily applies to Earth's so called learned men, who believe that their extensive education has brought them all of the material riches they have. To these men the author asserts that it is God who first gives their minds contemplation and then the practice that has lead to their material blessings. And with all of this said, Donne concludes his argument by urging us all to "pay thyself the debt of knowing whence and why all this came". In other words, the authors beseeches us to make reparations to both God and man for the shortcomings that are a natural part of our wicked human natures.

In "Sin", Donne develops his argument by dictating to us the consequences of "great" sins and then using that to show us the harm that "lighter" sins can cause us. He begins by postulating all the repercussions brought about by a love of money, something that can be thought as one of those "greater" sins. Donne believes that as a mans money goes out for the attainment of corrupt things, so also does a measure of his soul. In the end, although the mans money may return to him, his soul is left scattered upon those things that he has corruptly won, usurped or bought. Donne also states that it is quite difficult for a man to remain married to just one "great" sin, for if a man were married to the sin of ambition, it would not be long before he would invite the tempting appeal of lust. Having made this point clear about the dangers of "great" sins Donne now turns his argument to that of the "lighter" sins. Such lighter sins that he refers to as "levities and vanities" are just as difficult for us to part with. But, it is our refusal to part company with these "small" sins that keeps us just as marred as the man whose soul is scattered upon all the corrupt acquisitions of his money, - "a man is not clean except he remove the lightest and slightest occasions of provocation". Donne concludes his argument by saying that even the smallest sins, such as sinful delight of the memory past sins, should weigh just as heavy upon our conscience as those of "great" sins. In the end all of this, according to Donne, should give us even more reason to give thanks to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who has taken all sins both "great" and "small" upon himself for our salvation.

In conclusion, Donne uses his sermons to develop his arguments in a unique and specific manner. In "Wretched Man", Donne provides us with a spiritual examination of mankind as he first gives us the very core elements of man, then call's upon us to dissect our own hearts and minds in order for us to see what we were before God gave us his rich blessings, and finally, to repay that debt for which we find ourselves in to both God and man. In "Sin" Donne's argument concerns the seriousness of sins both "great" and "small". He begins by giving us the consequences of what we may consider "great" sins and then uses that to reveal to us the repercussions of what we often term "lighter" sins such as vanities and memories of sinful delight. In both sermons Donne is able to masterfully develop his arguments through a series of clear and logical statements along with vivid examples to backup his points. Perhaps for this reason more than any other have Donne's sermons had such a lasting and powerful effect on the hearts and minds of men.