They are Persons chosen to Glory Rejecting him who Elected them thereunto Putting God out of the Throne who of most free Grace hath appointed unto them a Kingdom In foolish Talk they turn to the foolish God of this World and forsake him who is God and their God They are Redeemed-Captives slighting him who died not for the VVorld as he died for them Refusing to let him give Law to so much as their Lips They are Creatures raised from the Dead despising him that Quickned them As not vouchsafing to obey him in very Words and as far as very Scribes and Pharisees do They are Pardoned Malefactors dishonouring the most Gracious King that hath Forgiven them Ten thousand Sins Yea Ten thousand times Ten thousand sinful Thoughts Words and Works They are Adopted Heirs Provoking to wrath their Adoptive Father Uttering in his Presence and in Mens Hearing also Words that he cannot away with They are Cleansed-Lepers making themselves unclean again Defiling anew the Temple of God and in that which is named the very Glory of it The Tongue is so called They are such as being Night and Day accused in the Court of Heaven have but one Intercessor and yet are Incensing him against them Walking contrarily unto him in whose Lips no Guile was found and the Grace of whose Lips all Men admired They are Comforted Souls grieving their holy Comforter Making him by their offensive Breath to keep far off from them and to carry it as kindest Friends use to do when our Words much displease them They are Men that live by Hope and yet sin against the only VVord whereon they do or dare to hope Their Possession is nothing to their Reversion it is in Hope that they rejoice Hope of the Glory promised in that Covenant which promiseth none at all but to them that obey the Gospel in Word and Deed. They are Sworn-Men breaking their Oaths and Vows unto God Their Vows Sacramental and less solemn ones many to speak as well as act by God's Rule and for his Glory They are Seers and Children of Light sinning against Light and Knowledg Against Light more Heavenly and of a nobler kind than any unregenerate Men are endued with They are strong Men and invincible by VVorld and Devil throwing themselves down under Divine VVrath The Grace first infused into every Convert makes him certainly able to walk acceptably with God according to the Grace of the New-Covenant O what a Sight is it when not a Child falls of Weakness but a Giant throws himself down a Precipice They are Professors of Purity wallowing in Mire What Protestant-Christian professeth not to take Christ's Word for the Rule of his Words as well as Thoughts and Actions Or who doth doubt but foolish Talks and Jests are hereto most repugnant They are Petitioners unto Heaven Men that give themselves unto Prayer no more able to live without Praying than without Breathing and yet do by contrary words chase away the Spirit deaden the Grace and lessen the Gift of Prayer Extream Madness to disable themselves for that by which they fetch from Heaven all they want They are Men often Reproved kicking against the Pricks thereof They have a hundred Rebukes for every one that an unregenerate Man hath The Holy Ghost their Conscience their Pastor their Pious Companions must be supposed ever and anon checking them They are such as have been enriched by Diamonds and yet prefer Bits of Glass Where is any Godly Man but he has sometimes heard and sometimes spoke a good Word which for all the World he would not but have spoke and heard After this to take up Foolish Talks is after Gold tried to prefer Counters They are Children that have been Burnt and yet fear not the Fire I take it for granted that Foolish Talks and Jests have cost all good Men dear at one time or other Have blotted their Evidences expell'd their Comforts raisedtheir Fears torn their Hearts And what will they sin more that worse things may come They are such as Revive what they have took abundance of pains to Kill Sure there is no sincere Convert but what has laboured hard among his other Spiritual Enemies to mortify those flying Serpents that proceed from the Lips and to spoil the breed of them They are Men that most of all deceive Expectation They have a good Treasure and all People look that their Tongues should bring forth good things From Dogs we expect but Barking and from Monkeys nothing wiser than Laughing In the Mouth of a Saint it 's expected there should be the Tongue of an Angel It is at least monstrous if Doves gaggle as Geese or Sheep bark as Dogs They are finally Lambs that murder more than VVolves Indeed Sin especially Sin of the Tongue is a catching Disease But from none is it so very deeply and dangerously taken as from Men of real or reputed Religion Their Sins are the most deadly Examples as it were so many Warrants for other Mens Sins If they sin audaciously many conclude they may then sin by Authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. Hecub There be those whom the Foolish Talk of another's Mouth shall not hurt but if it come out of yours it shall debauch Do we not daily find it Some Mens Names are Swords and Bucklers for other Mens Sins But to conclude §. 4. What are the Truths to be inferred and what the Duties to be pressed from this Doctrine Of the Truths that I hence infer these are all I shall offer having already trespassed against the Brevity intended Tr. 1. Our Tongues are not our own No but our Lips are under Law as well as our Hearts and Hands For if God be not Lord over them how comes he to give the Law in my Text unto them And in the Day of Judgment to Justify and to Condemn according to our Words Mat. 12. 37. It is not more sure that God hath made Man's Mouth than it is that he hath made a Law for it T. 2. Metals are known by their Sounds Hearts are discovered by Talks to be Silver or Brass For God the Judg of them declareth that he doth hereby judg them And accounteth foolish Talkers and Jesters to be Men of impure Hearts as truly as Fornicators and the Covetous which are Idolaters If Mouths speak of Wisdom and Tongues talk of Judgment it argues that the Law of God is in the Heart Psal 37. 30. But if the Tongue be not bridled it is sure the Heart is not sanctified and the varnished Religion is vain Jam. 1. 26. In Nature and Morality it 's a sure Rule Stinking Breath is from foul Stomachs T. 3. Words be Treasonable By the Gospel-Law they are so For my Text makes all foolish Ones to be Mortal Sins i. e. To be worthy of Death Mens Proverb saith VVords are but VVind but the Divine Proverb saith They do blow Life or Death He that keepeth his Mouth keepeth his Life but he that openeth wide his Lips shall have
without Sincerity He that considers both shall think it to be wisely and kindly that God banisheth dissembling Lips And as cruelly and foolishly that any Man recals and uses them Where dwells the Man that desires not in his heart to have all the Town take his Word Hypocrites are undone when they are Unbelieved and yet no Man that knows them can Believe them Wise Men are they not to Desire perfect Impossibilities i. e. the Eternal concealment of Lies or inward belief of revealed ones It is not the way of the Wise to sail East when they would land in the West To directly-oppose their own Desires as they notoriously do whose Tongues run in Dissimulation while their Hearts lust after the repute of Veracity In short Men of the falsest Tongues would have nothing but very Truth put into their own ears But doth Wisdom either reject ought but Evil or embrace the practice of ought but Good Hypocritical Talk is Innocent or Harmful if Innocent why Angry with other Men for it if Injurious what makes the use of it Yours Every Man that uses it is Self-condemned No doubt but Saul was so when he pressed David to fight the Lord's Battels to the end that he might be slain by one or other of his Enemies Jacob's Sons were so when they expressed Zeal for Religion vaunted that none but Men of their Faith should be taken into their Family but designed only to make way for the Swords wherewith they cut the knot of the Controversie about their Sister's Marriage Jezabel was so when she called for a Fast for an After-meal of Naboth's Estate and Life Judas was so and so was his Successor Julian when he Preached what the Historian calls his Play of Christianity Plainly so are we all as oft as our Speech is with Dissimulation As oft as our Tongues deliver false Copies of our Minds Yea though they truly enough do represent the Things we speak of As oft as we speak for God deceitfully and contend for our holy Faith unfaithfully Designing to win but the Praise of Men or the Peace of our own Minds which are madly got when stollen by Lies Briefly A Lie is the utmost Corruption of Speech Deviation from its principal Service Violation of the Original and principal Law laid upon it The Tongue 's part being not so much to deliver what things really are whereof it is no Judg as to declare what the Speaker verily thinks of them in his Mind whereof it is a Witness And the most perfect Truth is a Lie in a Hypocrite's Mouth when neither Believing it himself nor concerned to have others Believe it he sets it forth with a false Profession of both Which Falsity his own Heart tells him is of so great a Malignity So great that it turneth Words of Hony into Gall of Wine into Poison of Holiness into Profaneness An aweful Thought and worthy thy to be considered Naturalists reckon Elephants and Camels among Wild Beasts though they do the Service of Tame ones because their Nature is Wild. Casuists determine Hypocrites to be Liars though they fill their Mouths with choicest Truths because there is no Truth in their Inward-Parts Remove from me the way of Lying and grant me thy Law graciously is Wise Mens Common Prayer 3. Rash Talk is Foolish That is Rash wherein the Tongue out-runs the Wit Or if Wit doth indeed Sail yet Judgment doth not Steer Though of our whole Man except but only the Heart it is the Tongue that most of all wants Government So vast are the Benefits or Mischiefs that it is apt to Produce With so much greater Ease and Speed than our Hands and Feet it doth hasten to produce them and so much more Indefatigably So very difficultly is it brought to Good-Behaviour and so palpable a mistake is our Proverb that Good words cost nothing Lions being as soon made to draw Chariots quietly as our Tongues to speak inoffensively So very difficultly also are they restrained from Evil no Bears or Tygers more needing to be kept within Rails and in Chains Perpetually is the Tongue presented with Temptations which sute its inward Propensions All Persons are Tempters If High to Flatter them if Low to Insult over them if Kind to Idolize them if Cross to Rage against them And all Things are Temptations Prosperity to Boast Adversity to Murmur Grateful things to be Lavish in their Praises Grievous ones to be as Prodigal of harsh Censures And what are they the Wise in Heart that let such a Creature go without a Guard The Creature which if any of the Subjects of God's Kingdom needeth his Supream and our Subordinate Government Unnatural it is the Natural Use is changed when the Tongue leaps before the Mind looks Brute Creatures will not so rebel against their Natures they open their Eyes e're they stir their Feet or Wings Wiser than we are whose Tongues gallop with the Eye-lids of our Minds shut Unless Wisdom it be and Reason to put off Nature If it be any it 's one full of Impiety and contrary to the Author and Lord of Nature He that Speaks as he Spits what comes next and Talks without the use of his Understanding he Talks without the Fear of his God And as truly against Law as Nature Nor is any Thank owing unto his Care if all the Commands of the first Table be not broken by his haste The Rash Talker puts it to the adventure and interpretatively says He will lose his God rather than his Word How mad a Choice But Neither is Unadvised Talk more against Piety than against Justice and Charity An ever-flowing Fountain of Iniquity it is For seldom is it other than Injurious as either False robbing Auditors of Truth or Contumelious robbing them of the Honour due to them or downright Felonious robbing them of Money or Slanderous robbing them of their good Name or someway Tedious robbing them of their Patience at the least Vain and robbing them of invaluable Time A wretched Folly thus to Plunder and Devour Men rashly without any End or if any the worst that can be proposed It would be farther considered also That The Rash Talker is not any manner of Felon more than de se His Sin doth most mercilesly of all rob himself While it Scratches other Men it Stabs him Much from them it Steals but himself out-right it Kills His Rash Licentious Talk murders all Wise Mens respect unto his Name Destroys their Credit to his very Deliberate Words Mortally wounds the Peace of his Conscience Cuts the very Throat of all his just Comfort Perfectly slays his Friendship with Men of Worth and Repute Makes his Tongue worse than none in the Apostle's Phrase Dead while it Lives Gives Death to his Understanding the Guide of Life which no longer lives in us than it leads us finally It is a Mortal Self-Pollution of his blind Will and Affections which take an infamous Rot when Judgment ceaseth to restrain and regulate them as in
the Law against Foolish Talking and Jesting seems utterly repealed among us No Man stands by it All Men forsake it It is one Every where spoken against One that suffers in the House of its Friends yea by the Tongue of Men and Angels I mean by many consecrated Tongues of the Angels of the Churches Tongues commissioned and commanded to preach this Doctrine which well deserves to be every Christian's Observation Foolish Talking and Jesting must be detested as things ungodly unseemly and intolerable in Saints As truly so as Fornication arid Uncleanness as Covetousness and Filthiness of whose Company and Kindred they are proclaimed to be It shall be shown 1. What Foolish Talking is 2. What Foolish Jesting is 3. What their detestable Turpitude and Filth is and specially in Saints 4. What theVse of this Doctrine is O Lord God and Father of Jesus Christ I pray thee send me good speed this Day Giving me a Mouth and Wisdom which all my Adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist In Faith and Hope I proceed §. 1. What is Foolish Talk The Nature of it is not far to seek All the World will grant Folly is Sin and Sin is Inconformity to the Precept and Example of our Soveraign Prince and Pattern Unto us Christ Jesus is both and the Speech which he hath required and exemplified is such as honoureth God and profiteth Men. Thereby answering the unquestionable Ends of so rare a Gift unto our Mature Thereby serving the Uses for which Speech was framed and to which it is fitted So that Foolish Talk is all and only that which is not designed and adapted unto the foresaid Ends and Uses But thwarts the same contradicts our Saviour's Example and transgresseth his Law Of such Talk Nabal is the Name in Christ's School That Folly is with it his Disciples will attest Unthinking Creatures do fancy it to be harmless but none of these can hold it guiltless This Transgression of Talkative Men saith within their Hearts that there is not a just Fear of God before their Eyes The Kinds of this Foolish Talk are numerous and various Even as the Follies of Thought and Action whereto they run parallel A Sermon is too small a Map to hold their wide World But these Particulars will set in view the most principal 1. Profane Talk is foolish It is Profane whatever mentioneth Things sacred without Veneration expressed Whatever makes not its Honours and its highest ones unto their Majesty Who but a Fool will either not bow to the King or no lower than unto one of his Pages It is a senseless Babler that talks of holy Persons Things or Actions without hallowing their Names Without paying them their due Observance by some or other Emphasis If I speak of them as a Gallio I do make my self an Esau It is a Profaneness more gross when Scurrility is added to Sacrilege When Veneration is sacrilegiously withheld and Injury and Indignity is offered Indignity of wretched Tendence to subvert the Faith of Hearers and to impair their Reverence When uncircumcised Lips drop no Praises but pour out Slights upon Religion or its Votaries He is a more grown Esau that dares thus to do A Gallio is a younger Brother to such a Scorner And if such Talkers must pass for wise Men Senacherib must be canonized for a Saint and Antiochus be no more called Mad. Plato like as Moses adjudged to Death such Fools And the Turks stick not to kill the Man that presumes to speak contumeliously of Mahomet or the Alcoran The words of Bishop Wilkins are very Sun-beams A Devout Heathen is better than a Profane Christian Indeed there is a Pitch of Profaneness to which not one Esau of many hath used to grow One which I was minded therefore in silence to pass over But second thoughts allow it not the numbers of those profane Anakims and Giants being as we see in this day of ours Profane to the uttermost is that Talk which throws Stones as well as Dirt. Venteth Wrath as well as Contempt upon that which is Holy Breathes forth Threatnings against Divine Service with Scoffs at Divine Attributes and Statutes Words turned indeed into Swords and sent out for the Destruction not for the single Disgrace of God's Servants and Service He who thus Talks is the Goliah of the Profane Host the Prince of their Nation of Devils in Flesh the Beelzebub A more Profane Riot no Tongue can run Here it must stand having no further to go Unless it be in Glorying in this Shame in Boasting that the Conspiracy of Stupidity and Malice have carried it so far And left nothing save Hell more profoundly Devilish or bloodily fighting against Heaven Thou lovest all devouring words O thou Profane Tongue God shall likewise destroy thee for ever he shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy Dwelling place and root thee out of the Land of the Living 2. Hypocritical Talk is Foolish A Hypocrite is a Liar in a Cloud by his Ambition raised It is Hypocritical Talk that designedly misreports the Speaker's Heart That speaks better than he thinks of his State his Dispositions his Aims his Actions or any thing that is his If this be not Folly then Darkness excelleth Light the Sun is an annoyance to the World and Owls and Thieves are Wise for hating the Light of it For Truth is Light Falsehood is Darkness The Fountain of Truth hath taken the Name of Light and the Father of Lies is called the Prince of Darkness And is he a wise Speaker who is likest to the Devil and most unlike to God in his Words Likest to the Devil that hath no Truth in him and Unlikest to God that cannot lie and whose Word is the Word of Truth Were it a matter of choice who would not rather be transformed into the ugliest Serpent in Africa than into such a Monster Drunkenness corrupts not Reason more than Falseness corrupteth Speech both destroy God's Work as to its proper Use And where is the Wisdom of the one or other Confusion Tiplers make Beasts of Men Dissemblers do of Men make Devils In speaking unto our Maker Feigned Words are the worst Indignities and Affronts we can offer To bely our selves in Prayer is to blaspheme him to his Face With open Mouth to tell him our Hearts be not naked and open to him Now Men that are themselves use to beware of their Words unto earthly Kings As for Humane Converse hypocritical Talk is its Bane and Death Much it destroyeth all it corrupteth Who will converse with one whom he cannot credit or who will believe a Liar even when he speaks Truth The Mute and Dumb are more desireable Company than Men false and deceitful Which as other Snakes under their fairest Skins all People do hate even those whom they reach not to hurt And justly for it is the Nature of both to mischieve us if it be not in their Power What is Life without Converse and what is Converse
Destruction Prov. 10. 19. And Death and Life are in the Power of the Tongue Prov. 18. 21. T. 4. Heaven and Earth are at a huge Distance God and this Rebel-world are of most contrary Minds For my Text declares that God cannot bear the Talks which they cannot leave No but addict themselves to and affect and prize as the Melody of their lives His Soul hateth their Foolish Talks and their Souls loath this Text and all its Parallels Who then can please Men and be the Servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. Without becoming a Fool in the World's Repute who can become Wise in God's Esteem 1 Cor. 3. 18. Holy Lips are a Thread of Scarlet Cant. 4. 3. This Thread in God's Sight is a rich Ornament in the World's Eye it 's only fit for a Fool 's Coat In short we cannot have God's Approbation but we must bear the World's Blame The World thinks every Man's Folly wonderful when he forsakes what God pronounceth abominable Luk. 16. 15. 1 Pet. 4. 4. T. 5. Diamonds have their Clouds The truest Israelites have somewhat of the Botch of Egypt Horrid Spots are ever and anon found on very Nazarites Lips For foolish Talks and Jests are detestable and yet there is not a just Man on Earth that is perfectly free from them Though every Saint be pressing on toward Perfection there is not any one hath already attained it Phil. 3. 12 14. There is not one upon Earth that never offendeth in word O by what Grace is it that an Vsher an Owen a Baxter is saved T. 6. The Horses in Pharaoh's Chariots need Bridles in their Months The Phrase that I use is Christ's own Cant. 1. 9. Believers are so called for Spiritual Strength and Beauty Egyptian Horses were the best of the World and doubtless Pharaoh's were the best of Egypt for Spirit and Shape Believers are compared to these and yet have they no Tongue but needs Discipline For so much is demonstrated by the Ephesian Saints being thus cautioned Cautioned in the Text and Context against the detestable Sins of the Tongue A Principle of Grace in the Heart excuses not a Bridle in the Mouth Without which a very Moses will speak unadvisedly with his Lips a Job will curse his Birth-day a David's Fire will burn and break out a Jeremy will abdicate himself from his Ministry Jer. 20. 9. T. 7. Wisdom is a valuable Commodity For it seems that there is not a word that can be safely spoke without it Foolish ones be Treason and Poyson and without a Stock of Wisdom in our Hearts all we speak must be Foolish That is traiterous against God and poisonous to our Selves and our Neighbours Silence we would not be willingly condemned to there are few but would rather be deprived of the Motion of their Hands and Feet than of their Tongues Nor indeed can a holy Manor Angel chuse to be Dumb. All the Creatures beside are Mutes and but tuned instruments They are Angles and Men that are to make the Musick They are the Orators of the University of the Creation Miserable are they whose Mouths must necessarily speak and yet their Hearts cannot prudently indite T. 8. Thoughts be not free For if the Words of the Mouth are not why should the Words of the Heart be so If Foolish Talk with Men be detestable Sin why not Foolish Talk with our selves also Thoughts be nothing but unfledged Words Words not yet taking wing and flying forth What we commonly name a Word is a Thought flown abroad a Spark ascended from the fire of the Heart's Coal True Foolish Oral-Talks and Jests do sin against our Neighbours which mental ones do not But the Fox is an unclean Beast while it hides in its Hole as well as when it cometh forth for its Prey And secret Sins are certain Sins as any The old Law pronounced the Swan Unclean though Feathers of Snow hid its black Skin The Viper is not more detestable than the Cockatrices-Egg Evil Thoughts grieved God to his Heart Evil Thoughts made him repent that he had made Man T. 9. Foolish Actions be gross Shames For if Foolish Words be Detestable Works much more Because in them Sin is obeyed and served by the whole Man And if I may so speak the Devil is denied nothing you can grant him Also in them is the most Wilful of all Sin for as our Words are much more easily restrained than our Thoughts so our Actions are much more easily restrained than our Words Besides in them is the most Laborious Sin In wicked Thoughts and Words Men offer Satan what costs them next to nothing Minds being volatile as Air and Tongues as active as Fire But the Work of the Hands ordinarily requireth some Sweat of the Brows Again in Sins of Action is commonly a powerful Contagion no Language is so perswasive to Good or Evil as the Language of Practice Evil Communication much corrupteth good Manners but I think not more than Evil Manners corrupt good Communication T. 10. It 's little Wonder that Peace is grown so scarce For if Foolish Talks and Jests be what hath been said the wonder is that any Peace at all is left among us Because every where these are eaten as Men eat Bread no Conscience is made of them And it were a Marvel if such Poisons made no stirs in our Souls if such Enemies of all righteousness raised no Wars in our Consciences and no Variances with one another Surely we must less grieve the holy Comforter before he very much comfort us with Peace in our selves and with each other T. 11. It is not True that All Men say For generally All do say that this Talk which God pronounces Abominable is very Innocent and Useful And its daily Practice is very consistent with true Godliness God declares it to be a Plague of Leprosy and he is a rare and singular Man that will not take it for very Comeliness and Beauty If any Spot a Beauty-Spot T. 12. Rods are for the back of Fools Severe Reproofs are due to Foolish Talkers For it seems their Sin is detestable as well as Drunkards and Whoremongers And it should be considered by Ministers and Parents that neither of them ought to Whisper and but Mutter against that which God doth Thunder Or to tempt their Pupils to believe that Folly of Words is None or but Small by making their Reproofs of it Such T. 13. Hony may be Poisoned For what more grateful than Jesting yet what more Mortal than Foolish Jests The Natural Historian tells us of an Hony in Africa lusciously sweet but perpetually distracting all that eat of it being by the Bees gathered from poisonous Flowers Just like it is the Foolish Jocularity so much admired in our day the Haut-goust of all Discourses the Comedy of every Playful Chat. So valued that it 's proverbially said They will rather lose their Friend and Soul also than their Jest Most poisonous are the Weeds whence this Hony is gathered
Talk of Thousands 〈…〉 Keep a strict Hand upon the 〈…〉 of the Tongue Upon 〈…〉 I mean Love and Hate 〈…〉 What you ought and as Much 〈…〉 Joy and Grieve 〈…〉 Fear none but right Matters 〈…〉 due Measures This will make 〈…〉 to your Mind to School your 〈…〉 But Diseases of the 〈…〉 be very Mortal to our Underâ—tandings Their Fumes put out the Eye of its Judgment and Kill the Heart of its Attention to our Acts. So that in what we call a Passion the Tongue is as an Horse in a Chafe not to be curbed as a Ship in a Tempest not to be managed D. 6. Set up full Purposes against Vicious Talks Full ones are such as the Understanding approves the Conscience commands the Will chuses the Memory prompts all Powers conspire unto You are Christians and have such Purposes against Sin in general But many I fear are incautelous Christians and have not such Purposes against foolish 〈…〉 and Jests in particular These 〈◊〉 ones do honour God and 〈…〉 will honour them They be the 〈…〉 ward Votes and Laws of our 〈…〉 Souls and they will stand up 〈◊〉 what is their own And 〈…〉 Provision for their Execution as 〈◊〉 doth not ordinarily suffer to be fruitless Great is the Power of a Hoyâ— Purpose D. 7. Follow Resolutions with Prayers When the black Ignorance is dispelled and base Reluctance of our Hearts is conquered the Falseness and Inconstance remains to be feared And as neither Hearts nor Tongues are to be safe kept but by Divine Power the Custody of neither is to be expected without Holy Prayer D. 8. Give your Selves the Joy of every Victory Let him that hears your Prayer have the Praise which is entirely his own but take you the Comfort which he allows and requires when through his Grace you 〈…〉 speak This Day being 〈…〉 I Reviled not I Suffered 〈…〉 not Being tempted 〈…〉 Wits unto Levity I 〈…〉 argued them into 〈…〉 c. When thus you 〈…〉 the Grace of your Lord 〈…〉 in the Lord and in his 〈◊〉 Joyfully Praise the Giver 〈…〉 and Worker and Triumph 〈◊〉 his Goodness This exquisite Pleasure will cherish Care and sweeten Endeavours and Prayers for more such Victories D. 9. Let nothing Supersede the Watch of your Lips Prayer engageth to Watchfulness and not excuseth it Spiritual Conquests also excuse not Care but together encourage and engage unto them For after them Satan most rages and Christians Souls like as their Bodies when in highest places are most liable to Tempests In short no Beasts are at all times more apt to Stray and to do Injury than our Lips No Fire more easily breaks out and 〈…〉 hurt than the Tongue It is 〈…〉 and Iniquity at any time to 〈◊〉 over watching so wild Cattel and 〈◊〉 let them go without Yokes and 〈…〉 To give over looking to 〈◊〉 Fire of which all know we can 〈…〉 be too Careful D. 10. Exercise an Holy Revenge on your selves For the Sin of your Tongues sharply Reprove and Shame your Selves Let Repentance have its Perfect Work Humble your Souls deeply and give not over hastily Spare not the Rod and give not over for the crying of Flesh and Blood Unto them this Work is grievous but by this Sorrow of the Countenance Heart and Tongue are made better And sooner shall faulty Oxen go better without the Goad and wildest Children be reclaimed without the Rod than an Extravagant Tongue without this Rebuke D. 11. Associate with none but Men of a pure Language Who knows not 〈…〉 most-Omnipotency of chosen 〈…〉 any It is certain that in 〈…〉 Company God deserts 〈…〉 and Satan is let loose on them 〈…〉 that they have is very much 〈…〉 tower They are as it were 〈…〉 and Satan the Potter 〈…〉 them into any sort of 〈…〉 unto Dishonour Hypocrites can 〈…〉 Endure but the Heart of a 〈…〉 doth Prefer the Lip and Language of Canaan And they are Wisely Good who willingly go near none from whom they cannot come Wiser and Better Prov. 14. 7. D. 12. Make your Friends your Monitors Give them your Leave yea Intreaty to tell you when you speak amiss Raise their Posse for your Defence It will be no contemptible one unless when you have engaged them against your Sins you side and take part with your Sins against them A wonder it is there should be any need to urge this Practice We make other Admonition the Condition of Friendship and cannot 〈…〉 Friend see our Feet in a wrong 〈◊〉 and doth not haste to give us notice We should reckon his Silence of our Error a Proclamation of his Unfaithfulness and Guile D. 13. Remember into what an Ear every Word of yours droppeth The Divine aweful One hears all you say as plain as if there were no Tongue in the World stirring but yours And when the Thoughts hereof are stirring in your Mind Experience can tell you how they facilitate the Rule of your Tongue In the hearing of a wise Man no Fool will prate foolishly but a drunken One. Especially if as the wise Man is endued with VVisdom to despise him he be also armed with Authority to punish him What Mouths should we have if we duly minded how open God's Ear is now unto us and how quickly his Mouth will be opened to judg us D. 14. Esteem it glorious Martyrdom to bear Reproach for the Purity of your 〈…〉 Language of one 〈…〉 to the Natives of 〈…〉 you are born from Heaven 〈…〉 Citizens of that 〈…〉 and speak its Language 〈…〉 no avoiding of cruel Mockings 〈◊〉 the People of this Earth These 〈…〉 enough to endure no but you 〈…〉 as a Treasure And 〈…〉 that you are dignified with them counting them to have more 〈◊〉 the Crown than the Cross in them The Zeal of Socrates made him speak 〈◊〉 hot as to scald his vicious Hearers the Wildfire of their Scoffs cast on him moved him not Famous is his Saying That if VVild-Asses kicked him he would never commence a Suit against them And shall the Saints do no more than Socrates D. 15. Be Salt to all on Earth in whom you have any interest Smartly Reprove the Vices of their Speech Put forth your utmost Authority and Power to purge them away Give your best Counsels with Intreaties for holy Language Follow with swee 〈…〉 Encouragements as many as 〈…〉 the favour to be reformed by you 〈…〉 many as receive the Divine Law from your Mouth What a Charity is it to cure such a Leprosy as that of Foolish Talking and Jesting A Labour of Love that God will not forget A Service in which you will find unknown Reward The Blessing of many Souls will come upon you and your 〈…〉 will prosper God will cast more Salt into your Heart and put more good Words into your Mouth For to faithful Sowers he will minister Seed Liberal Souls he will make Fat Sweetly will he amend us all when all do dutifully correct one another Would you be made Clean cleanse your Company D. 16. Finally Bless God for your Truth while you are short of the Perfection that you seek He that seeks not Perfection is not sincere but he that indeed is sincere through the Grace of the Gospel he is a perfect Creature 〈…〉 Man in Christ and 〈…〉 he hath no 〈…〉 on him the Lord 〈…〉 unto him but honours 〈…〉 stiles him a Perfect Man 〈…〉 in him as a Jewel and an Apple 〈…〉 Eye Deals with him most 〈…〉 withholding no good thing 〈…〉 and making every thing 〈…〉 or good to him as though no 〈…〉 were found in him while much 〈…〉 finds and knows there is vastly 〈◊〉 than he can find in himself and his daily Cry is Who shall deliver me from this Body of Sin and Death So that as the Husband-man may with Joy look on his Corn-fields and bless God for the Riches thereof though there be thousands and Ten thousands of offensive Weeds therein no less may you joyfully praise God for his rich Saving-Grace having the Testimony of your Consciences that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity not slothfully but with all diligence given you obey my Text. Although full often the Good that you 〈…〉 speak you do not and the 〈…〉 you would not that you do speak 〈◊〉 rather Not you but Sin that 〈…〉 in you speaketh it O bless the 〈…〉 that you are not under the Law 〈…〉 Grace Not under the 〈…〉 of personal perfect and 〈…〉 but under the Law 〈…〉 of Repentance Faith and 〈…〉 Obedience That you have a 〈◊〉 Righteousness of Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 to you and shall not be rejected for the Imperfection of the Righteousness inherent in you It is not the least use to be made of my Doctrine to bless God for our blessed Pair of Advocates For his Holy Spirit who works in us Evangelical Perfection and his Holy Son who hath redeemed us from Damnation for want of Legal Perfection and of Absolute Inoffensiveness in our Talks He makes an ill Use of it indeed who scares himself into Desperation either 〈…〉 Attainableness of sincere 〈…〉 to it or of the Acceptableness 〈…〉 to our Supream Judg. Against 〈…〉 I give Warning in my 〈…〉 Words as supposing them 〈…〉 keliest to pass unregarded 〈…〉 already published Directions 〈…〉 to Holy Discourse I 〈…〉 no more added than the 〈…〉 Alarms Whosoever shall keep 〈…〉 Law and yet offend in the one 〈◊〉 of my Text he is guilty of 〈◊〉 And if any Man seem to be Religious and bridleth not his Tongue but deceiveth his own Heart this Man's Religion is vain FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nec Sermones Stultitiae Syriac Stultiloquia Aethiopic Arabic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat l. 3. See Dr. Barrow in Loc. See Dr. Barrow on Prov. 10. 18. A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dura Lex in speciem sed ex cujus rigore liqet qantopere Deo placet Verecundia qantum abominatur Impudentiam Calv.
Inferiours of whom we speak ill and if we wrong them we recompence them A Rare Restraint and most Unfrequent Restitution But what if made both of ' em It is he that is void of Understanding that despiseth any Neighbour He only who dares despise his Maker dares to mock the Poor Nor can any Hands heal some Wounds that are given by Tongues We speak ill of some Men as constrained to it by the Love of God How good is it to be sure that we are not in an Errour when we presume that we do well It is possible to speak wickedly for God And it 's sure though you do speak for him it is wickedly if you speak without his Call and speak not according to his Rule You dishonour and displease him your King if without his Warrant you inflict a deserved Punishment on your Fellow-Subjects Nor will he take such an Usurpation of undue Power for a token of your Love And supposing that you have indeed his Commision and thereby a just right to Sentence your Neighbour making him that has done ill to hear ill alike Criminal you will be found if you transgress his Laws of Equity Humanity and Pity If you say more than you Know if what you Know you speak maliciously without Compassion and to ill Purposes What a Malefactor was Achan and what a Storm raised he to the Publick What a Lover of his God was Joshua how True how Zealous But with what words doth Joshua fall upon Achan My Son What Balm more benign what Oil more gentle I pray thee How courteous is the Mouth of Love to the most Unlovely And that from the Seat of the highest Authority Give Glory to God and make Confession What Pity is here and Bounty Pity of a perishing Creature and Bounty in instructing and exhorting that he might not perish Why hast thou Troubled us No Railing Accusation a Blow no harder than might serve to awaken Conscience The Lord will Trouble thee No Insultation no Imprecation Not the Curse of God take thee c. O imitable Example and worthy of all Acceptation In short as much as our Age does abound in this Uncharitable Talk and the rather because it doth so it must be said He that utters it is a Fool. Slander is as truly Sin and Folly as either Murder or Adultery Nor is Bearing false Witness the only Kind of Slander though it be the most gross Affixing of reproachful Names upon innocent Persons is Slandering So is Aspersing their Actions with Scornfully-expressed-Censures So is Perverting their Words by affected Misconstructions So is Representing their Words or Deeds but partially suppressing some part to blemish the whole So is Instilling sly Suggestions apt to breed unworthy opinions of them So is Reflecting on them ever so covertly with design to fasten a reproach by it So is Aggravating their faults oat of measure and making Beams of their Motes So is Charging of them with the ill Consequences of their Judgment which they themselves aver they do not see and protest they do much abhor And so is the Aiding and Abetting and being foster-fathers unto any Slanderous Reports Nor are Slanderous Ears much less odious to God or Wise Men than Slanderous Tongues Those Receivers seem as bad as these Thieves And it 's more than probable that all the Guilty would strait-way find themselves to be Uncharitable could they but bring their Minds to reflect better upon their Principles and Ends. To consider what it really is that makes Evil-speaking the far greatest part of their Talk as Talk is out of question the much biggest Imployment of their Life They would find that either an in-rooted Ill-will or a rash Anger an old Spite or a newly raised Spleen brought their Neighbours Faults into their Mouths That either Contempt of Men as thought hugely below them or Envy at them as supposed someway above themselves was the common Parent of their disparaging Talk That ever and anon Coveting hath brought them to Slandering and they have for no other reason disgraced others but that they might enrich themselves That not unfrequently Wantonness hath given the rise to their Calumny nor have they for any thing but Sport murdred Men in their Credit Yea and that sometimes there has certainly been a much more abstruse cause pure Malignity and Love of Inhumanity without any formed Reason which has made them bite their Neighbours meerly to gratify their currish Humours just as other Mad-dogs do A Disposition that is more common than is well thought of or Prayed against One Planted in corrupt Nature watred by the Example of all the World and Encreased by Mens own assiduous Use But Of Vncharitable Talkers come not into the Secret O my Soul unto their Assembly mine Honour be not thou Vnited I proceed to enquire nextly §. 2. What is Foolish Jesting Foolish-Talking or Jesting saith the Text that is or Jesting which is Foolish And it may be the Sense designed is somewhat more q. d. Detest ye Foolish-talking of all Kinds even Jesting it self that Admired and Beloved one that Alamode and Sugared one Abhor Foolish Talk the Meat yea and Jests that are the Sawce It is surely predicated of both that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not Pertinent or conducible to any good Purpose but only serve very ill ones Are insufferable therefore in Jesus Christ's School as hath been aforesaid By Jesting all Men understand Speech framed and intended for Mirth Talk is the Business of the Lips Jests are their Play Speaking is their Trade Jesting is their Game In That they do but make a Noise in This they make Musick That is the Employment This the Recreation they give their Hearers And as of other Recreations it must be said of Jests No doubt but some are Lawful yea Needful and unto some Men they are a Duty say the gravest Casuists When it is that they are our Duty and Wisdom and when our Folly and our Sin is to be judged by the same Rules Lawful Recreation is some Action not forbidden apt to exhilarate the Fancy or exercise the Body so as to whet the Sithe of both for Sacred and Civil Work And Lawful Jesting is some innocent Expression apt to raise drooping Spirits and sharpen blunted Minds so as to mend their Plight for all good Service All is one whether it be by its Beauty or its Rarity whether by its Perspicuity or Abstrusity an Expression so instilleth Pleasure and reneweth Vigor Thus may an holy Isaac Sport with his Rebecca Laugh as the Hebrew Play as the Chaldee Jest as the Syriack and Arabick speak All that can be said for Melancholy-Christians of another Mind is that their Error erreth upon the Right hand He that is no otherwise a Jester is far from being a Fool and he that is contradictiously Morose therein is not Wise Broken Spirits dry our Bones and unfit us to fight the Lord's Battels Merry Hearts do good like generous Medicines and strengthen
both for Spiritual Warfare and for Secular Merchandise The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word Jesting is originally of no ill Signification the Abuse hath brought it into disrepute as the anciently honorable Name of Tyrant and very many others Our Wisdom will be neither to be Frighted with the harsh sound of its Name among our selves nor be Charmed with its Magnificent Titles found in Pagan Moralists But less regardful of its Denomination ever to mind its Nature End and Vse By them forming our judgments of it Briefly then All that are Hatched of Forbidden words are Foolish Jests such as are Irreligious are more Mad than Facetious And if Eating and Drinking without aiming at God's Glory be foolish Jesting without that Design cannot be Wise Holy Intention is essential to all Moral Good and is the savour of it If the Salt of Jests be without that savour they be good for nothing but to be cast out But we will be more particular 1. Profane Jesting is Foolish Prating loosely about things that are Holy Trifling with the Names whereat Heaven and Earth trembles Making Sport with the aweful Word by which we must be judged A certain Effect of worst Causes and as sure a Cause of worst Effects For nothing less than a Reign of Sin can make a Play of Religion Nor can it be but Playing with Religion must needs heighten Sins Dominion Only Contempt of Sacred Things can breed jocular Familiarity and that worse than Devilish Familiarity greatens the Contempt I say worse than Devilish for though Profane Men Believe and Jest Devils do Believe and Tremble If Profane Wits believe not that there is a God they are blinder than Heathens If they do believe there is one they are on this account more mad than Devils And who save mad and blind Men can think it valuable Wit to make God and Men one 's Enemies for Merriment expose one's self to Everlasting Fire for a fit of Laughter Once a Merry Atheist never a Sober Christian saith Dr. Hammond 2. Vnclean Jesting is Foolish The Holy Ghost hath named Obscenity very Folly and called words of Smut Rotten and Corrupt What an extream Phrenzy then is it ever so wittily to commit this Folly to Spue forth worse than Street-Dirt and name it a Fine Sport But hereunto rise none save highest Graduats in the University of Wickedness Wherefore I advance but this single Thought God's Law in old time required cutting off of the Hand which did an Indecent Act to save the nearest Relation's Life Deut. 25. 11. And hereby we may easily judg of his Wrath against the Mouth that utters Unclean words for nothing but an once to Disport and Debauch its Hearers 3. Vnnatural Jesting is Foolish That which makes merry with the Sins and sporteth with the Miseries of Men. That plays upon their Misdeeds and taunts at their Parts their infirm Bodies or mean Conditions and particular Disasters A Practice so horrid that it would be as Impossible as Unrighteous did not Men together put off the Humane and put on Diabolical Nature For Humanity will Compassionate not Patratragediate on a Stray or a Faln-beast and it cannot draw mirth from the Misery of a Man There is a Beast and none of the gentlest neither which they say sheddeth Tears over them whom it Devours But a gentle one it is and a most merciful Creature compared to this Kind of Jester For there is a Clemency in those that wound us Modestly nor is he near so much the Tyrant that doth us our wrongs as he who Mocks at us for them The first gives the Wound but it 's this Second that makes it Smart and Kill In short he is rather a Stock than a Man that deplores not Evil but more a Devil than a Man that derides it And his monstrous Mirth is seldom long from a Hell above Ground 4. Immoral Jesting is Foolish In all things the Wisdom that is from above requires good Manners Whereinsoever they are not found good Conscience is lost It 's Asleep Blind or Dead The fifth Commandment is without Restriction 't is not said Honour thy Father and Mother in all Talk except Raillery Or Speak not Evil of Dignities in any Discourse but Drolling Or Honour all Men unless while you are Jesting Wherefore they make an unwise Bargain who sell God and Mens Peace for the Musick of their Jest For the tickle of their Fancies in prejudicial and disgraceful Gibes For the luscious but prodigious Pleasure of a Wasp to Sting others and Kill it self 5. Vnprofitable Jesting is Foolish I mean That which is not as truly intended and desired for a Whet to our Minds as our Eating is intended for Nourishment and Sleeping for Refreshment to our Bodies That wherein Religious Profit is not designed nor any thing more than the transient Pleasure of a Laugh and Giggle A Sorry thing and below any Ambition save that of Children who prefer their Toy above the Tower of London as the Proverb speaks It would be ask'd what Understanding is in them should Men use other Whetstones without Thought or Care whether their Instruments were sharpned at all by them and for nothing but an unaccountable Delight taken in Grinding for nothing A practice which would soon so sensibly and notoriously grind them to the Dust and Depth of Poverty and Scorn among Men. Awake Conscience and say whether all Jesters grind to fetch an Edg or no! Particularly I appeal to God's Register in the Hearts of such as grind in the Game of Chess That operose Syntax of Jests by which let them say whether they find their Minds more Sharpned or Blunted for Business Civil or Sacred Wondrous it seems that the Board whereon Men Strain their Thoughts as hard as the Mechanick on his Shopboard or the Lawyer or Divine on his Desk should be taken for a Recreation of them any more than carrying of Sacks of Corn on one's Back should be reputed a Sport for the Body's Refreshment But Witchcraft there is in all Error Candles-Ends and Coals be Sweet-meats when Girls are in a Pica And Rowling in the Dirt doth a wanton Boy 's heart good Wracks are Recreations if Men fancy them such This Game saith one is not only Lawful but it may be the most Ingenious and Delightful that ever was invented I hope he Dreamed not that the more Ingenious the more Lawful and the more Delightful to his Fancy the more undoubtedly Harmless and Innocent in it self He knows how Witty the worst of Creatures is and how Sweet abundance of Forbidden Fruit Well but after that he droppeth these more memorable words Many precious Hours have I profusely spent in this Game and It is a Time-waster It hath had with me a Fascinating Property I have been Bewitched by it When I have Begun I have not had the Power to Give over I will not Vse it till I find I can Refuse it Reason and Religion shall order my Recreation It hath not done with me