(p) Josh 1.8 Law is departed out of our mouths Nor yet oh my soul mayest thou think that thy tongue or thy words are sufficient lodgings for Divine Love they are but for walks to move and appear in Thy honour to God though it be but barren without the fruit and the calves of thy lips yet these oblations are odious to the very soul of God when they are not offered from out the very soul of man Though stinking breath argues rotten lungs and I am out of doubt thou art most impure if thy speech be not seasoned with salt yet this I utterly set at naught unless thou have (q) Col 4.6 Mat. 9 5 salt in thy self also The cleaner thou sweepest before the (r) Mic. 7.5 doors of thy mouth oh my soul sweep so much the cleaner before the doors of thy heart too and within its chambers otherwise thy (s) Psal 57.8 tongue will be indeed thy glory but no more than thy vain glory Add whereto (t) Mar. 3.24 25. that the Kingdom of God cannot stand in humane souls wherein the heart and tongue stand divided against each other The practical impieties of an hypocrite (u) Job 29.17 will break his own jaws and pluck the spoils of Grace out of his teeth If his tongue break not its own word his hands will Being evil he may speak great things but not good to himself who speaks them nor very likely to be good to others coming through so polluted lips as his But oh my soul David sayes The words of the Lord are pure words And his son tells thee The (x) Psal 12.6 words of the pure are (y) Pro. 15.26 pleasant words Oh count thou them onely pleasant which are pure and them pure which are godly Christ who in one sense (z) Mat 10.19 forbids thee in another commands thee to take thought how and what thou shalt speak (a) Ecc. 5.1 Be not rash with thy mouth sayes Solomon Be (b) Jam 1.19 slow with it sayes James (c) 1 Co 14.19 Five words with understanding ones self and with edifyingness to others are better than ten thousand without the same sayes Paul The wisest of men declares it That acceptable words he did not find without (d) Ecc 12.10 seeking them out The most godly of men professes it cost him good (e) Psal 39.1 heed to keep sin out of his tongue and sometimes 't was a bridle onely which could rule it A blessed prophet mentions (f) Mic 7.5 doors of the mouth and calls for Porters to keep them to Were it an easie thing graciously to open those doors Why prayed (g) Psal 51.15 David so urgently to God to open his for him Were it easie to keep them duly shut one chapter in St. James his Epistle would swarm with errors Though one love pureness of heart 't is not the natural gift but the supernatural (h) Pro 22.11 grace of ones lips for which the King of Heaven will become our friend In the multitude of words utter'd by the best if there be not a multitude yet neither is there any (i) Pro. 10.19 want of sin Thy sad and woful experience tells thee Thou art apt to (k) Exo 23.2 follow those multitudes to do evil Wherefore do this now oh my soul and deliver thy self go humble thy self to God! and give not sleep to thine eyes (l) Pro. 6.3 4 2 or slumber to thy eye-lids till thou hast confess'd it to him that thou hast been snar'd with the words of thy mouth and taken by the words of thy mouth which had they been savoury and sound they had been (m) Pro 8.11 19. better than rubies and their fruit better than gold yea fine gold but being corrupt (n) Psal 58.4 their poison is like the poison of a serpent and when best painted they are but stinking sepulchres Go and beseech the Christ of God to give thee a (o) Luk 21.15 Rom. 15.6 1 Cor. 13.1 mouth and wisedom wisedom with my heart and mouth also to glorifie him all the day long to make his Word the rule and mold wherein to cast mine Would God oh my soul the tongue of men and Angels were but one and the praises of God were as incessantly sung aloud on earth as in heaven Would God there were no such things as tongues devising (p) Psal 52.2 mischiefs and like sharp rasors working deceitfully Would God there were no tongues of the beast save in the mouths of beasts and (q) Psal 49.3 the meditation of humane hearts were so of understanding that the mouth of the whole world would be of wisedom Would God iniquitie were more than tongue-ty'd even rooted out and the words of men Psal 12.7 Mat. 12.34 would become as the words of God pure words tried in the furnace purified seven times But seeing so it sadly is that out of the abundance of my hearts wickedness my tongue is hastie to speak And seeing in the (r) Job 20.12 Pro. 10.14 Mal. 2.7 mouths of the most wickedness is sweet and holiness bitter as gall seeing the mouths of fools are near destroying themselves and others too Seeing God will also require his Law at thy mouth and Christ Jesus owns not those for his whose lips are not as (s) Can 3.8 11. thred of scarlet and speech comely whose lips drop not as the honey comb and under whose tongues there 's not honey and milk See Can 5.13 I charge thee oh my soul before God and the elect Angels that thou slack not prayer till thou hear God saying to me All dayes of thy life I will be with thee and with thy mouth and (t) Exo 4.12 teach thee what thou shalt say 21. A Soliloquy of evil Company CUrse ill companie oh my (a) Psal 103.1 2 3 4 5. soul and all that is within me curse its wicked name Curse it oh my soul and forget not all its injuries which sets afoot all thy iniquities and strengthens all thy diseases which reduces thy spiritual life to destruction and crowns thee with the thorns of its loving kindness which fills thy mouth with evil things (b) Isa 65.4 broth of abominable things (c) Psal 103.12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath it removed the thoughts of my God and my Christ from me Even when I remember it (d) Job 21.6 I am affraid and trembling takes hold on me For it hath cast down many wounded yea many strong in grace have been slain by the wiles of it Satans agents are subtile spirits and his ministers a (e) Psal 105.4 Psal 76.7 Psal 76 1 2 3. flaming fire They even they are to be feared and who can stand not guiltie or at least not accessary in their sight In evil companie Satan is well known his name is great in evil companie in evil companie also is his tabernacle and his
Law ought not to depart out of a man's mouth so neither ought it to enter in save (k) Mat. 12.34 out of the hearts abundance Eliphaz advises (l) Job 22.22 Job to lay up God's word in his heart not his mouth (m) Pro 3.1 Prov. 4.23 and Solomon thought no cabinet so proper to keep divine Commands in as it Nay God himself chuses the Tables of the heart (n) Jer. 31.33 for to write his Laws in which makes me conclude A man may keep his mouth and tongue richly and yet never keep (o) Pro. 21.23 his soul from troubles and this because I know whatever entreth in at the mouth if it find no place in the heart it goes into (p) Mat 15.18 the belly of hidden lusts and is cast out into their draught The things of God which proceed out of the mouth when they proceed not forth out of the heart they defile the man So little a praise is it to be a man of pure lips if no more and especially if that of the (q) Isa 29. wise man be true to wit that though (r) Pro. 14.23 in all labour there be profit yet lip labour has a direct tendency to povertie Oh my soul (s) Pro. 11.9 Solomon tells thee That the Hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour I tell thee more even that he destroys himself for though he has (t) Pro. 7.14 9 15 16 17 18 19 20. Peace offerings with him and every day payes his vows yet he goes forth in the black and dark angels of his soul to meet the Devil diligently to find him though he decks his bed with covering of religious Tapestry with carved works and fine linen of profession though he perfumes his bed with myrrh aloes and cinamon yet he takes his fill of spiritual whoredom and solaces himself with atheistical loves while the good conscience is not at home but is turn'd out of doors with a bag of money not to come home till the day appointed even that of Death and Judgement If of any soul alive this oh my soul is true of the hypocritical one He feedeth on ashes a deceiv'd heart hath turn'd him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say (u) Isa 44.20 Is there not a lye in my right hand (x) Pro 12.15 For the way of such a fool is right in his own eyes And Christ himself does not deny but he has his reward (y) Mat. 6.2 Mat. 6.4 Mat. 6.7 Mat. 6.6 Mar. 6.31 32 He does his alms to the devil in secret and that father of his who seeth him in secret himself rewards him openly Though when he prayes to God he uses as vain repetitions as the Heathens do yet when he prayes to the devil and wishes for devilish things he keeps in the closet of privacy and shuts all the doors at which men may see in He takes no thought saving What shall I do to eat Christ's flesh or drink his blood or cloath me with the garment of his Righteousness For after all these things do true Israelites seek but he seeks first the titular Kingdom of God and the professional Righteousness thereof and thinks all these things shall be added He takes no care for to morrow but lets that care for it self Sufficient he thinks unto the Day of Judgement if to any day is the evil thereof His love I can't say is without dissimulation but sure (z) Mat 5.44 love he does his enemies God's Lawes bless he does them though they curse him and pray for God's promises though they despightfully use him and give him no one drop of comfort He 's even almostas perfect as his father which is inHell is perfect This indeed oh my soul (a) Mat 7.11 9 10 9 10. I observe that being evil the hypocrite knows how to give good gifts and though when his friend asks of him for bread what he gives him in respect of himself be no more than a stone and he takes no more in it yet to his friend 't is good bread Though the Truths he delivers be to himself serpents that sometimes sting his soul yet as he delivers them they are fish What is (b) 2 Co 4.2 handling the Word of God deceitfully if this be not to wit Taking it (c) Deu 30.14 very nigh one even into ones mouth and yet not so much as know it any otherwise than God knows the proud to wit (d) Psal 138.6 afar off to be not a hearer onely but a talker too and yet not a (e) Jam 1.22 doer of the Word to do with it many wonderful works by it to (f) Mat 7.22 cast out devils and nevertheless as the Pharisees and Scribes (g) Mar 7.13 making that of none effect to ones self Oh my soul for the love of God let not the Word of God (h) Psa 119.103 be sweet to thy mouth and not to thy tast (i) 1 Th 5 26. Kiss it with no Judas-like but with a holy kiss (k) Mat 13.57 As 't is said of a prophet he is not without honour save in his own countrey so may it be said of the Word it is not without honour save in its own proper Region that of the heart (l) Deu 4.9 Oh keep thy heart and it more dear than thy hearts blood with all diligence (m) Psa 45.1 Let thy heart endite good matters of it (n) Pro 15.13 Pro. 15.15 A merry heart makes a chearful countenance Let thy hearts mirth in it be that which sets thy chearful countenance on it 'T is a heart a heart a heart I tell thee a merry heart with it which hath a continual Feast for the Lord and from the Lord. In the Word God opens his heart to the Word open thy heart even the hidden man of thy heart Oh my soul (o) 1 pe 3.4 I charge thee before God who has quickned thee and before Jesus Christ who never made or will endure rotten professions that thou take not the oyl (q) Psa 104.15 of the Word to make thy face to shine without the wine of the Word to make thy very heart glad in the Lord. (r) Jam 3.5 The tongue is a little member don't think that God intended it for the Seat and Dwelling house of his great Law (s) Pro. 16.1 The answer of the tongue is indeed from the Lord but when When the preparations of the heart in man be so to (t) pro. 15.7 the tongue is the dispenser and should be the disperser of holy knowledge But the heart my soul the heart 't is that has the good (u) Mat 6.21 treasure and as 't is true where the treasure is there the heart will be so really where the heart is there the (x) Mat 12.35 treasure will be good or bad O my soul better is a little in the heart (y) Pro. 15.16 with the fear
of the Lord than great treasure of God's word in thy mouth and the trouble of thy tongue therewith He (z) Heb 11.4 who being dead yet speaks of spiritual life is infinitely far from that speech which (a) Ca. 411. Christ Jesus calls comely and yet if he were not the wise man tells us Excellent speech (b) Pro. 17.7 becomes not a fool O my soul my soul Take thou (c) Mat 10.19 then no thought how or what thou shalt speak of God or his wayes (d) Mat 12.35 but out of the good treasure of thy heart Let it ever be given unto thee what thou shalt say (e) Mal. 2.6 Let the Law of Truth be in thy lips (f) Psal 15.2 and speak the truth in thine heart The way to be without offence is to be sincere and make clean the insides of the vessels (g) Phil 1.10 the Kingdom of God is not in word 14. A Soliloquy with God complaining of vile Affections OH my God my God! (h) Job 19.23 24. oh that thy words were now written in the Book of my heart Oh that they were printed in my conscience That they were engraven with an iron pen and lead in the rock of my heart for ever But alas (i) Psal 1.6 I am affraid of ten thousands of vile affections which have beset themselves round about me not onely to keep me from holy wisdom that (k) Pro. 6.25 I lust not after her beauty in my heart nor let her take me with her eye-lids that I am not ravish'd with one (l) Can 4.9 of her eyes and one chain of her neck (m) Job 29.22 but to make me mock at her sear and not be affrightned nor turn back from her swords to say among her trumpets Ha ha to scorn the thunder of her captains and their shouting Nay and as if they themselves were not enough they say to all temptations (n) Pro 1.11 12 Pro. 1.17 Come with us let us lay wait for blood let us lurk privily for all the Laws of God that ever come here Let us swallow them up alive as the grave and whole as those that go down to the pit O my God are not all thy nets spread in vain in the sight of such Birds as my worldly affections who say of heavenly-mindedness (o) Ecc 2.2 that it is mad and of self-denyal what doth it who taunt at my conscience saying (p) Can 5.9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved O my God! I confess it 't is but just on me (q) Isa 1.2 I have nourish'd and brought up these children of Belial and now they rebel against me domineering over my heart the womb that bare them and the dugs that gave them suck so that (r) Ro. 7.15 that which she allows not she does that which she would she does not and does what she hates And verily oh my God these (s) 1 Co 1.27 foolish things confound the wise within me these weak confound the things that are mighty (t) Eccl 4.1 I have considered all the oppressions that are done under the Sun but oh my God I know none like those done by my vile affections (u) Isa 3.15 which beat thy good Teachings to pieces and grind the faces of my poor convictions which fence up my way that I cannot pass from them and set darkness about all my paths which make me ever and anon grumble (x) Psal 73.13 I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency to wit while they say to my graces and comforts (y) Jer. 13.18 Humble your selves sit down for your principalities shall come down even the crown of your glory Oh my God my God! 't is through these that (z) Jer. 12.2 3. thou so often art near in my mouth and far from my reins but oh thou that knowest me seest me and tryest my reins thou knowest that I pray thee for the love of Christ to pull them out like sheep for the slaughter and prepare them for the day of slaughter For alas alas (a) Isa 57.20 they are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt the winds and the seas will obey me assoon as they and the worst of it is (b) Pro 29.12 That my Rulers my judgement and conscience do but too often hearken to their lies and then all their servants my will memory and all other powers are wicked and so wicked as that if any good seed get into me (c) Job 14.2 it comes up like a flower and is cut down it flees as a shadow and continues not My God I fear at my yery heart (d) 2 Câ—â— 26 2â— That as Vzziah I shall be a leper to my death and dwell in a several house sever'd from the near access to thee and thy holiness which my heart pants for because really I am (e) Job 2.6 in the hand of these devils onely thou savest my life of which it self I am wofully afraid when many times (f) Psa 46.9 they make my very warfare with them to cease they break my spiritual bows and cut my spears in sunder and burn the Chariots of God in the fire Their cursed peace being (g) Isa 48 18.19 all the whiles as a River and their unrighteousness numerous and boisterous as the waves of the sea Their ungodly seed as the sand and their off-spring as the gravel thereof Oh my God if whosoever (h) Luk 14.11 exalts himself shall be abased sure I should hope these corrupt affections were to be brought down for sure they exalt themselves above thy own Majesty When I sometimes query with them methinks the sum of their answer is what was said of old These (i) Isa 48.5 and these things mine idol hath done and my graven image and my molten image hath commanded them They are stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the works of sin and vanity They are (k) Eph 6.10 11 17. strong in the Devil and the power of his might putting on his whole armour that they may be able to stand against the very sword of the spirit the Word of God O my God (l) 2 Ti 3.16.17 I find they are notable for doctrine for reproof for corrections for instruction in unrighteousness that the child of disobedience may be perfect throughly furnish'd unto all evil works they subtly (m) T it 2.12 13 teach to deny all spiritual Godliness and Grace and to live indeed unsoberly unrighteously and ungodly in this present world looking for that hope which makes asham'd They (n) Jam 1.21 lay apart all spivituality and godly sineerity and receive with proud desperateness the devices of Satan the least of which is enough to damn humane souls To do evil and to communicate it they (o) Heb 13.16 forget not for with such sacrifices the god of this world