Ob how vile are we, if one member be guilty of fo much fin! Not without reafon therefore hach St. Fames in his third Chap. v.6. defcribed an vil Tongue, to be a fire, a world of iniquity, and Set on fire of Hell, ie. from the Devil the Father of lies, malice, and virulency. They that nourish an evil tongue,nourish that which comes from Hell, and which will carry them thither, without ferious, and timely repentance. The tongue can no man tame, as he goes on, v.8. that is, of himself without the concurrence of Divine Grace. Pray therefore for this Grace, that thou maist take heed to thy words, that thou offend not with thy tongue. And for the better regulating and governing of it, obferve these Directions, 1. Begin at thy heart, if thou wouldst rightly govern thy tongue. Pray as David did, Pfal.51.10. Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right Spirit within me. Out of the abun dance of the heart the mouth speaketh, faith our Sa◄ viour, Mat. 12.34. The diforders of the tongue, ufually proceed from the distempers of the heart. Idleneffe of words, from vanity of thoughts; Rashnesse of speech, from haftineffe of Spirit: Boafting, and proud brags, from pride of heart Reviling, and open reproaching, from inward malice. The foul ftomack betraies it felfe, in a ftinking breath. The naughtineffe of the heart vents it felf by the tongue. A heart ftor'd with S wifdom Chap.5. wisdom and grace will discover it self in favoury discourse. 2. Let thy end and aim in fpeaking be, to glorifie God, and to do good to others. That word is an idle word, and utterly loft, which tends to no good purpose. Either speak fomthing better than filence, or keep filence, faies the Heathen Poet. Choose either to speak that which is (fome way or other) profitable; or to be filent. Now there may be a finfull filence, as in these cafes. 1. When God is difhonoured, and we expreß no diflike of it. 2. When 'tis our duty to reprove an offending Brother, and we neglect it. 3. When our filence proceeds from want of delight in Spiritual things; when we are free enough to any worldly difcourfe, but cannot abide to Speak of matters that concern our foules. 4. When we are ashamed to own the waies of Gud, for fear of reproach. 5. When we neglect to give good counfell where we ought. 3. Confider before thou fpeakeft, and be not rafh with thy mouth; Be flow to speak, faith St. Fam. Chap. 1.v. 19. i.e. deliberate, and advifed: Let thy mind be thy tongues guide. When thy words are once out of thy mouth, they are paft recal. And therefore one fet a pretty moral pictare over his table (a place ufually of too much li centious 249 centious difcourfe) of a man out of whofe mouth many little birds flew (which were his words) which he with both his hands ftrove to catch again, but could not: Confider therefore before thou speakeft, and ere thy words be gone out of thy reach and power; efpecially confider before thou promisest any thing: Confider whether the thing be good, fit, convenient, and in thy power, and whether thy mind will fuffer thee to do it or no: He that does not this, will be apt to erre, and to enfnare himself by his owne words. 4. Whatever thou haft covenanted, agreed, or promised, be carefull to perform, though to thy loffe and damage. If thou findeft thy felf unable to perform, give notice betimes, and crave either forbearance, or a releafe. 'Tis a good caution that one gives, that we should be exceeding careful what vowes we make to God, or what promises to man. 5. Be fure, that whatever thou fpeakeft, be morally true; (ie. that there be an agreement between thy heart and tongue) though thou art not obliged to peak all that thou knoweft to be true, at all times. There may be fomtimes malice in reporting the truth: An eager defire to spread a fault wants not fin. 6. Speak with a great deal of caution and marineffe, where thou art aggrieved, and doft think thou fuffereft: Truft not thy felf, if there Sa be be any the leaft touch of ill will, or envy in thee, towards the perfon fpoken of, Ill will never fpeaks well. Under fenfe of wrong, our mindes. are apt to run into very uncharitable imaginati ons. 7. Forbear altogether to speak when thou art in paffion. He that is in a high fir of paffion, is as truly drunk, as he whofe head is full of wine. Paffion is a bad counsellour, and as ill a Speaker: Mofes when in paffion spake unadvisedly with his lips, Pfal.106.33. Job curfed the day of bis Nativity, Job.3.2.3. Jonah pake pettishly against God himself, Jonah 4.9. 8. Deal with anothers good name as thou wouldst be willing thine own fhould be dealt with; be very wary of fpeaking of the credit of others on bare reports. A good name is better than ziches, Prov.22.1. Poffibly thou abhorrest to teal from thy neighbour, or be thought a thief, do not then rob him of his good name, which is more percious than worldly fubftance. By a good name many have done good after their death: by the loffe of it many have been rendred ufeless while they lived. 9. Be not fevere-fpirited, and apt to interpret every thing in the worst fenfe. Let charity bave its perfect work. 'Tis better to erre ten times in a way of charity, than once in a way of cruelty. Goodness is leaft fufpitious: Gracious bearts refect most upon themselves; they do not feek fo fo much what to reprove in others, as what to amend in themselves; they love to look inwards, and being fenfible of their own failings, are tender in reflecting on the weaknesses of others: whereas those that are most inquifitive into the lives of others, are usually most careleffe in reforming their owne. Sharp cenfurers, and reprovers, had need be very exact in their own lives; elfe in judging others they pronounce their own doom. Be not apt therefore to judge or cenfure the actions of others. Confider how often thou thy felfe haft offended; use another with the fame mercy thou wouldst have fhewed to thy felf, Gal.6.1. Brethren, if any man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are fpiritual, restore fuch a one in the Spirit of meekneß, confidering thy felf, left thou also be tempted. They that are moft fpiritual, are moft tender to fet a fallen Chriftian in joynt again. Confider well therefore, before thou pronounce too hard a cenfure upon thy brother: If thou canft not excuse the action, yet confider poffibly the intent was good, or it might proceed from igno rance, or fome violent temptation, and that thon thy felf maift fo fall, if fo tempted, and God do not fuftain thee. Bernard tels of a man, that hearing of a fallen brother, fell into a bitter weeping, and faid, he is fallen to day, and I may fall to morrow: Therefore cherish an humble fenfe of thine own frailty, and that will make thee chariS. 3 table |