lyes and damnable for all lyars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death y Rev. 21.8 Wherefore put away lying saith the Apostle and speak every man truth with his neighbour z Ephes 4.25 2 2 Truth spoken from the heart Have respect to moral Truth which is an agreement between heart and Tongue that is to speak what yee think and as yee think and to think what ye speak For the Tongue is but the Interpreter of the mind to declare that all that and only that which the mind dictates A good correspondence between the Heart and the Tongue is the character of a Citizen of Sion a Psal 15.2 hee speaketh the truth in his heart that is with or from his heart hee speaks what hee thinks his heart and mouth do harmonize consent and concenter in the truth of his speech The contrary hereunto is guile deceit and Dissimulation when the heart and Tongue are divided and wee speak what we do not think or think as we do not speak so the heart and the Tongue do vary yea contradict and give one another the lye The wicked speak with a double heart saith David b Psal 12.2 speaking one thing and thinking another 1 Tim. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A double heart makes a double and deceitfull Tongue But a man is not what he saith with his lips but what hee thinks in his heart As Solomon speaks of him that hath an evill eye c Prov. 23.6 7. as hee thinketh in his heart so is he◠eat and drink saith hee to thee but his heart is not with thee This veracity in the mouth is a fruit of sincerity or truth in the inward parts to speak what wee think and to think as wee speak which is a parcel of our conformity to Christ who did no sin neither was guile found in his d 1 Pet. 2.22 lips The wise man makes this the Character of one of the worst of men scil a hatefull hating man that hee dissembleth in his lips and layeth up deceit within him e Pro◠26.24 when hee speaketh fair or makes his voice gracious beleeve him not Ver. 25. for there are seven that is many abominations in his heart But though hee cover hatred in his heart Vers 26. with deceit in his mouth yet his wickednesse shall bee shewed before the whole Congregation God will give Dissemblers over to some great sin that they may bee publickly detected disgraced and detested of all Burning lips saith Solomon f Prov. 26 2◠and a wicked heart are like a potsheard covered with silver dross Burning lips that is in shew of affection or profession of love to others yet without reality as Ezekiels hearers who with their mouth shewed much love Ezek. 33.31 but their heart went after their covetousnesse And a wicked heart intending or wishing evill to others and rejoycing when evill befalls them are like a potsheard covered with silver drosse fair speaking lips upon a false foul-meaning heart are no better than drosse upon dirt silver gilt upon clay Whereas the Tongue of the Righteous is as choice silver Prov. 10.20 therefore his words are of great price but the heart of the Wicked is little worth and his words are of no value Dissemblers are like painted Sepulchers which appear beautifull outwardly but within are ful of rottennesse and uncleannesse So these have fair and flourishing words without but rotten filthy hearts within They are as one saith nought on both sides having a bad mouth and a worse heart Dissembling is but like painting of an old rotten poste or of a wrinkled deformed face with fair fresh colours To cover a rough heart with a smooth Tongue is but as one compares it like drawing a fair glove on a foul hand As wee should pray with David to bee delivered Psal 120.2 from lying lips and from a deceitfull Tongue so that God would keep our lips from lyes and our tongues from Deceits and from disagreement with our hearts Secondly 2 Goodness in Speech have respect in the matter of your speech to goodnesse 1 That it bee good and sound not evil and corrupt 2 Profitable and useful not vain and idle 1 Let your speech be good and sound good matter and good words To this end 1 Speak of God and his Attributes as David did h Psal 145.1 Vers 5. Vers 6. Vers 7. I will extol thee O God my King I will speak of the glorious honour of thy Majesty I will declare thy greatness men shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodnesse and shall sing of thy righteousness Vers 8. that the Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy thy Saints shall talk of thy power Vers 11. my Tongue shall talk of thy Righteousnesse all the day long saith David Psal 71.24 speak of the word of God when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way when you lye down and when you rise up i Deut. 6.6.7 David resolved it k Psal 119.172 my Tongue shall speak of thy word God commanded Joshuah that this book of the Law should not depart out of his mouth l Josh 1.8 you ought to keep your Bibles not only in your houses hands or hearts but in your mouthes also to speak thereof Gods Word will furnish you fully with matter of good Discourse upon all occasions To this end hide Gods word in your hearts and they shall bee fitted in your lips and you shall never want good subjects to speak of nor direction to speak aright The mouth of the Righteous speaketh wisdome and his Tongue talketh of Judgement why so the Law of God is in his heart therefore none of his goings or sayings shall slide Psa 37.30 31. Speak of the works of God both creational and providential as David did m Psal 145.5 I will speak of thy wondrous works men shall speak of the might of thy terrible Acts and of his Kingdome which is over all Vers 6.12 and everlasting and of the glory of it Speak of Jesus Christ and his benefits a large subject able to fill the hearts and mouths of all men My heart is inditing a good subject saith David n Psal 45.1 I will speak of the things which I have made touching the King that is not only King Solomon his son but touching Jesus Christ the King of Saints of whom Solomon was but a type and my tongue is the pen of a ready writer free and swift to express the renowned excellencies and just praises of Christ 2 Speak prudent words wise counsel and righteous things as doth the mouth of the righteous Prov. 10.31 3 Speak your own experiences to others Gods gracious dealings with you as the Psalmist did p Psal 66.16 come and hear all yee that fear God and I will declare
use our Tongues as iustruments of much service praise and glory to his Name and of good to others For what God useth hee will blesse and to that end that God would speak by us as hee did by o 2 Sam. 23.2 3. David The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee and his word was in my Tongue though wee can desire and expect it but in an ordinary not in an oraculous way which made David to be the sweet Psalmist of Israel Vers 1. and a Pen-man of holy Scripture The Fourth Rule 4 Rule Observe bewail and amend the errors of your Tongues 1 Observe them Psal 119.59 what yee say amiss as what yee do amiss Christians should take account of their words as well as of their works for both of them are equally their wayes in which they walk on towards either Heaven or Hell Jer. 8.6 God hearkens to hear you ask your selves what have I said as well as what have I done For the Tongue is subject to more errors slips and failings than the hand or any other member of the body because it is so moveable voluble flexible indefatigable that speaks infinitly more words than the hand doth deeds or the foot goeth steps The Tongue is never tired with talking as other members are with moving viz. hand and feet Who can understand his errors Psal 19.12 saith David his unadvised inconsiderate sins to wit in speaking as well as in acting or in thinking Therefore think of your words and recollect them after yee have spoken them to find out the faults of them Then 2 Bewail the same Mourn for not only evil speeches but even for idle words impertinent unprofitable discourse Let us judge our selves for them for of every idle word Mat. 12.36 that men shall speak they shall give account in the day of Judgement A gracious heart will melt as kindly and mourn as bitterly for sinning with the Tongue as with the hand for unadvised words as for unbeseeming deeds The errors of a godly mans mouth fill his heart with grief and face with shame He can say my Tongue hath cost my soul many a sigh mine eye many a tear and put my cheeks to many a blush Gods servants have gained hereby When Moses complained of the uncircumcision of his lips God promised to bee with his mouth and teach him what to say and to make him a God to Pharaoh to command him in Gods Name to let Israel go and if he refused to execute judgement upon him by Gods power and Aaron his Brother should be his Prophet i. e. his spokesman for his readiness of speech Exod. 6.30 with 7.1 Job 42.3 When Job was convinced and humbled for uttering that hee understood not things too wonderfull for him which hee knew not that is for speaking rashly and ignorantly of the passages of Gods providence which were above his capacity Then God made out a clearer discovery of himself than formerly for saith Job Vers 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee When the Prophet Isaiah was sadly sensible of the pollution of his lips woe is mee saith hee I am undone â—â—a 6.5 6 7. c. then God touched his lip with a coal from the Altar by the ministry of an Angel and took away his iniquity and purged his sin This is part of the answer of a good conscience towards God to say I have sinned with my mouth but Lord thou knowest I have sorrowed with my heart for it Christians should weep sin to death sin in the mouth as well as sin in the heart or life 3 Mark and mourn for the errors of your Tongue to amend the same Take account of your speeches as well as of your wayes that you may turn your tongue as well as your feet to Gods testimonies So did p Job 40.4 Job Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay mine hand upon my mouth Once have I spoken presumptuously against thy providential proceedings but I will not answer or justifie what I have rashly spoken yea twice but I will proceed no further I will never say so again If you have spoken foolishly or wickedly idlely or vainly lay your hand upon your mouth and say so no more Happy is that observation which causeth repentance and that repentance which produceth reformation of faults in heart tongue or hand The fifth and last Rule â— Rule keep a good and constant correspondence as between heart and tongue to speak as yee think as was shewed before so between tongue and hand to do what you say to pay what you vow to God and perform what you promise to men and to say no more to either than you can and will do that there may bee an harmony between your words and your works that as your Tongues are the interpreters of your minds so your hands may bee the executors of your tongues to perform the Dicts and Ingagements thereof Good language joyned with real performance is as one saith as a pleasant sauce to wholesome meat Reas 1 Because this is a sign 〈◊〉 downright and throughout sincerity when a man speaks what he thinks or his words may bee read by himself in his heart and when a man doth what hee saith or his words may be read by others in his life Hee that doth not what he saith undoeth his sayings He that liveth not what hee speaks kils his words or unspeaks in his life what hee hath spoken with his mouth Reas 2 This is the image of God upon us who spake with his mouth to David and fulfilled with his hand what hee promosed q 1 King 8.15.24 Isa 46.11 him Gods Tongue and hand go together what he saith he will do Reas 3 This is a fruit and sign of love in deed and in truth to which the Apostle John exhorts r 1 Joh. 3.18 us When our love lyeth not in our lips only nor terminates in our Tongues but commeth forth into our hands and makes out it self in real actions as well as in verbal expressions Reas 4 This is the property of a Citizen of Å¿ Psal 15.4 Sion Hee sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not Hee will make good his word Tongue-ingagements by hand-performance though it be to his damage or prejudice 1 Joh. 3.7 Let no man deceive you saith the Apostle He that doeth Righteousnesse not he that sayeth it only is righteous Not words but deeds denominate a man righteous To say and not to do is to be like the Nightingale Vox praeterea nihil a voice and no more Reas 5 This is the practice of the wicked not only their Tongues but their hands or doings are against the Lord Isa 3.8 as Jerusalems and Judahâ— were to provoke the eyes of his glory which brought them to ruine The wicked make their word good even when they speak evil The Jews made wicked Vows
destroy Nabal q 1 Sam. 25.24 25 c. The wise woman of Abel by a few right words she spake to Joab and to the people preserved the City r 2 Sam. 20.16 17 22. Such were Christs Answers whereby hee convinced and silenced them that put captious Questions to him to ensnare and intangle him in his words See John 8.7.9 Luc. 20.21 to 27. and cap. 14.1 to 7. Mat. 22.41 to the end Right words carry authority and efficacy in them such a force as none can stand against for they have the strength of Reason wisdome truth and righteousnesse in them which are the sinews of invincible forces Psal 19.8 Heb. 4.12 The word of the Lord is right therefore quick and powerfull mighty in operation Right speech is excellent Prov. 8.6 Right answers are mouth stopping heart-stabbing conscience-convincing answers they are unanswerable 2 Comely They are comely as great an ornament to the lips as a well-shapen garment is to the body yea are as Jewels to the ear a chain of gold Gen 49.21 or pearle to the neck or a gold-ring to the finger Right answers are words of beauty They make the Lips like a threed of Scarlet they are comely speech t Cant 4.3 Words spoken awry not fitted to the occasion are like the Leggs of a lame man which are not equal Prov. 26.7 and his going uneven and uncomely 3 Pleasant Right words are pleasant The words of the pure are words of pleasantnesse saith u Prov. 15.26 Solomon and pleasant words are as an honey-comb sweet to the soul and health to the vv Prov. 16.24 bones Right words will make you amiable and acceptable to others and procure favour even with great ones Grace in the Lips will make the King a mans friend x Prov. 22.11 what a grace to Josephs lips was his Interpretation of Pharoahs dreams y Gen. 41.38 c for which the King became his friend and set him up to bee second in the Kingdome For the Grace of Daniels Lips through which did shine that wisdome God had put into his heart King Nebuchadnezzer made him a great man Dan. 2.47 48 Dan 5.11 gave him many great gifts and made him Master of the Magicians Astrologers c. Esther not only by the beauty of her looks but by the grace of her lips obtained kindnesse of Hegai King Ahasuerus his Chamberlain Esth 2.9 and the King loved her above all the Women vers 17. For the grace of Abigails lips 1 Sam. 25.33 34 39. King David became her friend first and afterward her Husband For the grace that was in the lips of the wise woman of Abel when she gave advice to cut off Sheba's head Joab 2 Sam. 20.22 General over the Hosts of Israel became a friend not only to her but to that whole City when hee besiedged it to retire from it Herod reverenced John for the grace of his lips as well as of his life For hee heard him gladly and did many things a Mar. 6.20 Christ loved the Scribe who asked him which is the first Commandement of all when he saw that he answered discreetly b Mar. 12.34 This will make us hang on the lips of others and hear them attentively as all the people did on Christs c Luk. 19.48 Every man shall kiss his lips that answereth right words saith the wise man d Prov. 24 26. that is shall give approbation and honour and shew affection to him At thy mouth shall all my people kiss said Pharaoh to Joseph e Gen. 41 40. as a sign of love honour and obedience because his mouth spake right things This occasions joy both to our selves for man hath joy by the answer of his mouth f Prov. 15.23 when he returns a right answer and to others also for the Fathers heart rejoyceth yea his reigns Pro. 23.15 16. when the sons lips speak right things The second grace of the speech is fewnesse of words 2 Fewnesse of words especially in ordinary discourse except the matter or occasion or persons require many or there be need of more Let your words be choice and few to utter much matter in a few words to be solid and succinct in speech for brevit as grata to be short is to be acceptable This is a great grace and ornament of speech Wise sayings which are full of matter in few words choice short pithy sentences are the cream and flower of speech Pithy brevity compacting as many things as words together Mr. Cotton Such were Solomons Proverbs and many of our Saviours speeches and Pauls Aphorismes 1 Thes 5.16 to 23 yea the Heathen excelled herein Dr. Casaubon Pithy sayings and sentences as a learned man saith were the best evidences of every Nations wisdome There was a time among the Grecians when all wisdome consisted in parables and sentences and to bee the Author of a wise saying was enough to purchase a man in the world both admiration and authority Either none but those of high rank and place took upon themselves to speak sentences or if any others did they were reputed persons of greatest honour A sentence and an oracle were then entertained almost with equall honour and reverence The excellencie of the School-men lyes in this and as some think this hath made their books more vendible and dearer than those of our Orthodox Divines to wit their rational Disputes with distinct solidity and succinct brevity Quest Why should our words bee few Reas 1. Because Verba valent usu sicut nummi words are of force and account in Use like mony Now as men will pay no more mony than is due no not a farthing◠so wee should speak or spend no more words than are due or is meet upon any occasion but husband our speech as wee do our mony To this end wee should weigh our words well and deliver them forth by weight rather than by number Reas 2 Because in the multitude of words there is folly vanity and iniquity 1 Folly for this is the character of a fool A Fools voice is known by multitude of words saith the Preacher g Eccl◠chap. 〈◊〉 and A Fool is full of words or multiplieth them In multiloquio stultilo◠quium much speech argueth little wit It is a point of wisdome to speak no waste nor superfluous words Hee that refraineth his lips is wise Prov. 10.19 hee that speaketh no oftener and no more words than there is need of It argueth excellency of spirit to moderate speech and to spare words especially in anger h Prov. 17.27 vers 28. Hence even a fool when hee holdeth his peace is counted wise Whereas a babbling fool proclaims his foolishnesse k Prov. 12.2 2 Vanity In many words there are diverse vanities saith the Preacher l Eccles 5. ◠As the vanity of mis-spending breath and time of beating the air of tiring the ear of
do good to others The Tongue is an usefull instrument 1 For Healing Prov. 12.18 the tongue of the wise is health 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifieth a medicine or healing So it is rendred in Prov. 4.22 A wise godly man hath an Apothecaries shop in his mouth and healing Medicines therein of all sorts for the cure of all kinds of distempers and diseases in the Spirits speeches and carriage of others And the time of speaking is a time of healing like Spring and Fall to give physick in A holy Tongue hath a healing property to lick the sores of others whole It hath in it the Balm of Gilead to heal wounds and the Oyl of gladness to ease pains A wholesome Tongue or the healing of the tongue is a Tree of life Prov. 15.4 saith Solomon it cureth blindnesse by instruction Corruption by Reprehension and Sadnesse by Consolation Hardness by Lenitive and deadnesse by Corrasive arguments A charitable Tongue is medicinable to lick others whole who have been lashed sore with Scorpion Tongues 2 For Feeding The lips of the Righteous feed many saith Solomon b Prov. 10.21 Christians should have meat in their mouths to feed others with wholesome counsel comfort and the like as Doves do one another Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the hony-comb saith Christ c Cant. 4.11 hony and milk are under thy Tongue These two were the blessings of Canaan and are the fruits of a godly mans mouth to feed others with both for nourishment and delight His lips are full of Hospitality or a free Table furnished with the dainties of heavenly grace-ministring Soul-nourishing words A godly man hath a Dole of grace at the door of his mouth as well as of Alms at the door of his house It s bad and sad beyond expression to abuse the Tongue or not to use it to good ends and purposes To propound a good end in all wee speak is a means to order our words aright to attain the same and to put our Tongues alwayes to good use As to consider the end of our actions is the way not to do amiss The Third Rule Commit your Tongues as well as your heads or hearts into Gods hands 3 Rule to guide them aright and to keep them from evil Reas Because God is the Tongues maker as hee said to Moses f Exod. 4.11 who hath made mans mouth or who maketh the dumb or deaf c have not I the Lord and the Tongues Master to 1 Command it 2 Guide it 3 Keep it 4 Purge it 5 Prosper it 1 God is Lord over the Tongue to command it to speak or to keep silence His Law binds our Tongues as well as our hands to obedience and wee must yeeld subjection to God in the one as well as in the other Our lips are not our own to use as wee list Psal 12.4 but they are Gods who is Lord over us God keeps the key of mans mouth and his hand openeth and shutteth it at his pleasure as he did Ezekiels mouth cap. 3 26 27. and cap. 33.22 and Daniels mouth cap. 10 15 16. Luk. 1.20 Thus God shut Zacharias his mouth for his unbeleef and opened it again vers 64. If God open the mouth none can shut it as hee did the mouths of his Prophets Nations and kingdomes could not stop them and of Christs Apostles neither Imprisonment nor the Councils command of silence could make them hold their peace wee cannot but speak said Peter and John the things which wee have seen and heard g Act. 4.20 And if hee shut it none can open it Ezekiel Daniel Zacharias were all dumb till God pleased to open their mouths God can open and shut the mouths of Beasts at his pleasure The Lord opened the mouth of the Ass to reprove her master Balaam h Numb 22.28 30. 2 Pet. 2.16 The dumb Ass spoke with mans voice God shut the Dogs mouths in Egypt to one moved his Tongue against any of the Children of israel against man or beast i Exod. 11.7 Din. 6.22 God shut the Lions mouths that they should not hurt Daniel God can put a muzzle on mens mouths and tye up or restrain their Tongues when hee pleaseth as hee did Labans from speaking to Jacob either good or bad k Gen. 31.24 and the Canaanites none of them moved his Tongue against any of the Children of Israel l Josh 10.21 God can heal all Tongue-infirmities and impediments of speech as Christ opened the ears and loosed the Tongue of him that was deaf and had an impediment in his speech and hee spake plain m Mar. 7.33 34 35. Isa 35.6 32.4 God can make the Tongue of the dumb to sing and the Tongue of the Stammerers ready to speak plainly or elegantly Pray the Lord to keep the key of your mouthes ever in his own hand to open them when hee would have you to speak and to shut them when he would have you to keep silence Pray with David n Psal 51.15 O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise to wit upon all occasions and heal Lord what is amiss in my mouth 2 God is Lord over the Tongue to guide it what to speak and how and when That was a sweet and gracious promise of God to Moses when Moses made excuses to wave the service of God imposed on him Exod. 4.10 O my Lord I am not eloquent or a man of words but I am slow of speech and of a slow Tongue God said unto him Now therefore go and I will bee thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say Vers 12. God can put what words hee will into mens mouths and make them speak not what they will but what he pleaseth and some time contrary to what they intend Thus God made Balaam to blesse Israel when hee came to curse them and he could do no other as hee told o Numb 22.38 and 35. Balak Loe I am come unto thee have I now any power at all to say any thing the word that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speak If Balak would give mee his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God Numb 22.18 Chap. 24.13 to do lesse or more but what the Lord saith that will I speak God is the Author and Doner 1 Of Tongue-gifts and lip-learning The Lord hath given me the Tongue of the learned saith p Isay 50.4 Isaiah 2 Of conceptions and of utterance God enriched the Corinthians in all utterance and in all knowledge q 1 Cor. 1.5 of right answers both root and branch The preparations of the Heart in man and the answer of the Tongue Prov. 16.1 is from the Lord. A man cannot prepare or dispose his heart to speak nor speak what hee hath prepared without Gods assistance This may comfort us against our ignorance that wee may know what
and ignorant I was as a beast before thee Nabals servant accused his master of folly Psal 73.22 and bruitish stupidity that he would indure no body to admonish him of his sinne or danger hee was so harsh and churlish and had not the patience to bear it 1 Sam. 25.17 Hee is such a Sonne of Belial that a man cannot speak to him 4 The refusal of reproof is the way to multiply sin to persist in sin to live and dye in sin Because reproof is a remedy of Gods appointment against sin to give a stop to it or put in a bar against it Now the refusal of reproof is a removal of this let or impediment and opens a door to let in all iniquity How have I hated instruction will he that hath been enticed to whoredome at last mourn and say my heart despised reproof Pro. 5.11 to 15 and have not obeyed the voice of my Teachers c. I was almost in all evil in the midst of the Congregation and assembly which words may bee understood as expressing the greatnesse of his sinne q.d. there is almost no sin which I did not commit without shame or blushing openly in the sight of others as well as the greatnesse of his misery q. d. I am made a publike spectacle of ruine for all men to gaze at To reject reproof is the way to go astray do amisse and to go on in iniquity without stop or let and not to return nor reform to fall and lye in sinne and not to recover nor rise again to bee hardned and rooted in evil to bee lull'd asleep in the Cradle of security and setled on our Lees without means or hope of being removed transplanted and awakened Prov. 10.17 Hee is in the way of life saith the wise man that keepeth instruction or admonition that holds it fast and makes use of it but hee that refuseth eproof erreth that is hee not onely is out of his way but without help or hope to set him right or bring him into it again which reproof would do There is no end of erring to him who refuseth to bee reproved for hee causeth to erre as the word may bee rendred or wilfully makes himself to goe out of the way and keep out and not come in again whereas Reproof would reduce him 5 The rejection of reproof is a great aggravation of sin an adding of sin to sin God urged this against Israel to make their sinne out of measure sinfull that he had rebuked them by his Prophets laboured their reformation The Revolters are profound to make slaughter Hos 5.2 though I have been a Râ—buker of them all It argueth a height of impiety for a man to harden himself against reproof Prov. 29.1 to persist in a fault although often admonished for it Such an one will bee like an Heretick after several Admonitions Tit. 3.10 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned Sixth Evil of sinne herein is this in despising reproof wee despise not man but God whose Ordinance it is and who speaks to us in by the same They would none of my Counsell Prov. 1.30 saith God they despised all my reproof when wee despise Gods servants whom hee sends to reprove us wee despise God and such shall bee lightly esteemed 1 〈◊〉 2.30 wee reject the Counsell of God against our selves and forsake our own mercy 2 Consider the evil of punishment that accompanieth it Rejecting of reproof is the way to calamity without pitty and to destruction without remedy It is as one calls it an expresse and explicit sign of everlasting ruine to despise reproof When King Amaziah taunted Gods Prophet because hee reproved him for seeking after the Gods of Edom then the Prophet said I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not hearkned to my Counsell or reproof 2 Chron. 25.16 Amaziah King of Iudah would not hear the admonition which Joash King of Israel gave him which provoked him and procured ruine to himself vers 21 22. 1 Sam. 2.25 Elies Sons would not hearken to their Fathers too milde Reproof because the Lord would slay them It is a sign God hath left men to themselves when they become deaf to reproofes and admonitions How doth wisdome complain and threaten the contemners of her reproofs Prov. 1.24 to 33. Hee that hates reproof shall dye Prov. 15.10 saith Solomon is in danger to bee surprized with some sudden dreadfull judgement or shamefull miserable end Hell gapes for such and earth groans under them Deur 17.12 The Law of Moses appoints that the man that will do presumptuously and not hearken to reprovers to wit the Priest and the judge that man shall dye Some think Solomon hath reference thereunto hee that hates reproof shall dye because that is the high way to do presumptuously A Man of reproofs that is Prov. 29.1 a man that hath been reproved again and again as Daniel is called a man of desires that is greatly desired and hardneth his neck that is will not submit to the yoak of reproof hee shall bee destroyed suddenly without remedy or recovery because hee that refuseth to bee reproved hates to bee reformed and therefore shall surely and severely bee broken to pieces as the word signifieth Refractarinesse to reproof can look for nothing but ruine If the stripes of reproof cannot make us bow to reformation the stroaks of Gods judgements will break us to destruction THe fourth Particular case is Communication Christians should conferre together of the matters of God as the two Disciples did by the way as they went to Emmaus concerning Jesus of Nazareth his prophetical Office and power in word and deed Luk. 24.14 19 20 21 22 23 24 Vers 15. in doctrin and in miracles his passion and resurrection These were the subject of their discourse of which they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 talk familiarly together and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquire dispute and reason together or question one with another about the things that had hapned Vers 21 whether Christ was risen indeed whether it was he that should have redeemed Israel Vers 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did bandy or tosse discourse one to another as when two play at ball Christ and the woman of Samaria had conference together about soul-affaires with good successe for that proved an effectual means of her Conversion and an occasion of the salvation of many Samaritanes who beleived on Christ for the saying of the woman Joh. 4.39 and Christ was so forward thereunto that though hee was then hungry yet hee forgot to eat meat what conferences had Christ and his Apostles and Disciples before his Passion and after his Resurrection Act. 1.3 6 7 2 King 2.11 Of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of God Elijah and Elisha walked and talked together when the fiery Chariot came to part them asunder It
to make you partakers of his holynesse Vers 10 6 Though afflictions bee sad and troublesome at present yet afterwards or in the issue they will bee comfortable for yee shall reap the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse thereby and bee both bettered and comforted thereby the rod of correction is like a tree that bears righteousnesse that is Reformation as the fruit of it and peaâ—â— of Conscience or inward tranquility and comfort of soul as the quality or effect of the fruit Fourth Rule Chuse the best means to comfort others by as kind and loving specches Consolatory speeches will revive and refresh the spirits of a disconsolate friend Thus Joseph comforted his brethren when cast down with fears scil hee spake kindly to them saying yee thought evil against mee c. Now fear yee not I will nourish you and your little ones Gen. 50.20 21 Boaz comforted Ruth by speaking friendly to her to the heart of his handmaid Ruth 2.13 that is courteously and kindly The Lord answered the Angel that talked with me saith Zachariah with good words Zach. 11.13 and comfortable words Hence it appears that good words are comfortable words 2 Strong Reasons or Arguments drawn from the several heads of Consolation as the Authour end and benefits of affliction and comparison thereof with what they deserve and what others suffer and the like Arguments to overcome the reason and over-power the passions of the disconsolate that may be stronger to support and refresh the drooping spirit than the affliction is to deject and contristate the same 3 Means Plain Scriptures properly and fitly applied unto the afflicted and their condition as precepts promises and examples recorded therein The Holy Scriptures are the Eden or Garden of God full of the flowers of consolation to make sweet Posies on to refresh sad and heavy spirits they are a Treasury of comfort that furnisheth not only the Man of God but every godly man with all kindes of Cordials and with the choycest consolatory arguments For this end they were written Rom. 15.4 that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope David experienced the same Psal 119.50.82 93 This is my comfort in my affliction thy word hath quickned me Scripture comforts are the chiefest comforts they have most spirits and life in them and come home to the heart and are most efficacious to revive recover fainting swounding souls they are commonly watered with the dew of Gods blessing for they have the consolations of God in them they being the Word of the God of all consolation they are the Wine sellars and the Orchards into which Christ brings his Spouse when she is sick of love and sad where her stayes her with Flaggons Cant. 2.5 and comforts her with Apples Hence Paul saith Comfort one another against death of Friends with these words 1 Thes 4.18 and hee might have added the same conclusion to his consolations against corrections in Hebr. 12. 4 Means of comforting others is experience both our own and others 1 Our own experience of Gods dealings with us in such like conditions and of the comforts wherewith God hath comforted us to the end that wee should comfort others therewith 2 Cor. 1.3 4 as Paul and Timothy did Blessed be God c. who comforteth us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God ver 6. whether we bee afflicted or comforted it is for your consolation and salvation Experiences are principles of strong consolation these made Christ himself a more sympathizing and compassionate High Priest The heart is the place from whence comfort cometh in experience â—eb 4.15 and whither it goeth in influence the greatest experiencers are the greatest comforters yea we may comfort others not only with the comforts we have received immediately from God but which we have had in others 2 Cor. 7.6 7 God comforted Paul not by Titus his coming only Vers 13 but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in the Corinthians for his spirit was refreshed by them all Vers 13 Paul was comforted in the Corinthians comfort To this end we should comfort our selves bee Physians and practise upon our selves by applying Cordials of reason Scripture and experience to our selves according to our needs looking up to God for his blessing to set them home to our hearts and make them effectual This will make us able to comfort others which are in any trouble and that not from our heads but from our hearts also when we can tell others what supported revived or refreshed our spirits under such and such distresses and droopings Psal 119 1â— I remembred thy Judgements of old saith David and have comforted my self This is the way to prescribe Cordials to others with a Probatum est or experto crede when Peter is converted that is recovered from his fal Luke 22.31 then he must strengthen his brethren help them with his experience 2 We should comfort others by the experiences others have had of Gods mercies to them 5 Means of comforting others The exercise and evidence of our Graces for that is matter of great joy and comfort to the godly who see or hear the same of us as 1 Faith and love Rom. 1.18 12 I long to see you saith Paul to the Romans that I may impart unto you some spiritual gifts that is that I may bee comforted with you by the mutual love both of you and me thus writes Paul to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.6 â— when Timotheus came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity and that yee have good remembrance of us always desiring greatly to see us and wee were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress Phil. 2.1 by your faith There is great comfort in love not only in the exercise but in the evidence of it to others We have great consolation in thy love saith Paul because the bowels of the Saints are refreshed by thee brother Philem. 7 And other holy affections as Desire and Grief God comforted us saith Paul not by the coming of Titus only but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you When he told us your earnest desire 2 Cor. 7.7 your mourning our servent mind toward me so that I rejoyced the more 2 Constancy in the truth and work of the Lord. Now we live saith Paul meaning the life of consolation 2 Thes 3.8 9 if yee stand fast in the Lord. Aristarchus Marcus and Jesus who is called Justus were a comfort unto Paul because when others forsook him these only continued to bee his fellow-helpers unto the Kingdom of God Col. 4.11 2 Joh. 4. 3 Joh. 4 This was Johns great joy that he found of the elect Ladies children walking in truth that made Paul so desirous to hear of
heart commonly cool and wither when the occasion of them ceaseth But true desires flowing out of the heart are sed with the lasting spring of grace in it the waters whereof shall not sail They are restlesse never quiet till they be satisfied uncessant till prevalent ever rising and rolling till they rest in the Center of obtaining They that desire Christ and grace pardon and peace c. aright are not only importunately but uncessantly greedy for them and will bee Gods Remembrancers night and day and give him no rest till hee give them their hearts desires Neither delayes nor repulses can crush or quash sincere desires Mat. 15. See this exemplified in the woman of Canaan Desires are true when they are the bias of the soul which inclines or leads it the right way scil Christ-ward Grace-ward Heaven-ward when they do as by a proper Motion carry out our souls freely and constantly after these as sparks flye upward as the stone moves downard and waters run forward Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgements at all times saith David and my soul thirsteth after thee Psal 143.6 as a thirsty land that gapes continually till God give Rain So much for the first direction for the right comforting of afflicted souls The second Direction is this Caution them against four evills to take heed 1 That they do not dishonour God in the time of their desertions and distractions by unworthy thoughts of him or hard speeches against him by murmurings at him or quarrelings with him for his assaultings of them with Terrours and anguish for his withdrawings from them of light and influences and for his far distance and long absence from them Hereupon they are apt to think and say that God is not so loving and kind tender and ready to help as his word reports him to bee The Psalmist when his spirit was overwhelmed his soul troubled and refused to bee comforted then hee began to call Gods mercy Psal 77.2 Vers 7 8. Truth and faithfulness into question will the Lord cast off for ever will hee bee favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore Vers 10. But hee checks himself for it I said this is mine infirmity or this doth make mee sick It should bee the chief care of Gods people what ever they suffer from God not to sin against God whatever God doth to them to think and speak only the thing that is right and to justifie God when ever they judge themselves This was Jobs comfort and commendation in his great affliction In all this did not Job sin with his lips Job 1.22 with cha 2.10 nor charge God foolishly Despair of Gods mercy is high treason against his Majesty and a flat denyall of his Deity Gods glory should bee dearer to us than our lives souls or the salvation of them and the more tender wee are of it the more will God tender the comfort of our souls and lives It was the frequent and fervent petition of a Godly man in his tentations Lord maintain honourable thoughts of thy self in mee 2 Caution that they do not destroy their own souls either 1 By denying what God hath done for them to wit the work of grace begun in their hearts his love to them his choice and calling of them saying they have no grace they are Reprobates cast-awayes whereby they bear false witnesse 1 Against themselves which is unnatural 2 Against the grace of God and against the God of grace his work in them and goodnesse to them which is most unworthy and ungratefull 2 Or by refusing what God would give to them scil grace mercy peace and joy wilfull refusal whereof is wilfull murder like cutting of the throat or stabbing to the heart yea self murder It isblood-guiltinesse yea guilt of the blood of souls yea of their own souls and should not your precious immortal souls be dearer to you than all the world labour to convince them that by such a denyall or refusall they make themselves false witnesses and murderers 3 Caution Joh. 8.44 that they do not gratifie Satan who is 1 A Lyar the Father of Lyes because there is no truth in him 2 A Murtherer sc of souls from the beginning and will be so to the end 3 An Accuser of the Brethren the children of God unto God their Father Job 1.9 as hee was of Job to God that he was an Hypocrite or hireling Doth Job fear God for naught and an accuser of God unto them as if hee was a hard Master cruel to crush poor souls under his feet and took pleasure in their destruction or at least that God doth not with them all the good or so well as hee might Thus Satan in the Serpent calumniated God to out first Parents of untruth as if the word which hee had spoken in threatning death was not true Gen. 3.4 yee shall not surely dye and of envy as if God had out of ill will forbid them that Tree or for fear lest by eating thereof they should become as wise as himself Presse and perswade poor afflicted souls to beware they do not gratifie Satan 1 By entertaining parley with him as Eve did which was the cause of her foil and fall The old Serpent being full of all subtlety will bee too hard for them It is the first game hee desires to play with troubled souls to argue the case with them about their spirituall condition to circumvent and deceive them with his wiles 2 By hearkning to his tentations and suggestions as these and the like 1 To cast off ordinances neglect duties in publick and in private which are the means of grace peace and comfort to hear read pray meditate c. as if these were needless or to no purpose and they should bee no better for them This is Satans plot to starve poor souls by cutting off provision from them or them from it This perswasion commeth not from God that calleth you but from the Devil who seeketh to subvert and devour you 2 To harbour Jealousies and evil surmisings of God or derogatory dishonourable thoughts such as Satan casts into your mind as if God was not mercifull pittifull faithfull c. These and the like suggestions are the bolts which Satan makes for disconsolate discontented souls to shoot at God or a coat of dis-honour which Satan shapes or cuts out for them to few and put upon the Lord. 3 To cast away their confidence and lay hope aside and give over seeking and waiting on God any longer and to throw themselves into a Gulf of despair This is to do the Devil a real kindness and to give their souls a fatal blow for hereby they make themselves a prey to Satan 4 To make a wrong judgement of themselves and of their condition by false Reasonings which are Satans Sophistry to conclude themselves out of the state of Grace out of
King Rehoboam by answering the people roughly lost ten Tribes a 1 King 12.13 16. Harsh uneven speech proceeds from a rough unhewn spirit Let the rich take heed they do not answer the poor roughly when hee useth intreaties b Prov. 18.23 To affect Masterfullness of speech or speaking in an imperious commanding way is to be a servant to pride and passion Reas 4 Because meekness was the grace of Christs lips For hee did not strive nor cry nor did any man hear his voice in the streets c Mat. 12.19 viz. in way of Contention Ambition Ostentation Perturbation or Clamour but hee ever spake meekly and mildly yea even to his enemies to Judas that betrayed him to his apprehenders accusers condemners and crucifiers When hee was reviled 1 Pet. 2.23 wâ—th 21. hee reviled not again When he suffered he threatned not The grace of meekness was poured into his lips his mouth was ever full of it And he hath left us an example of meekness in spirit and in speech that wee should follow his steps Mat. 11.29 and learn it of him Meek speech is the Lambs blea but bitterness and clamour is the Lions roar With meeknesse joyn Courtesie and kindnesse which is an ornament to the lips In the vertuous womans Tongue is the Law of kindnesse Prov. 31.26 The Tongue annointed with the vertue of kindnesse and courtesy will cure distempers in others and draw kindnesse from them A Mouth full of kindnesse is like a Combe full of honey then the lips are like Lillies dropping sweet-smelling myrrhe The Fourth grace of speech is Modesty 4 Modesty which is the Tincture of vertue upon the Tongue and keeps the Mouth clean This Discovers it self 1 In not speaking of filthy actions at all or at least not without great loathing Fornication and all uncleannesse or covetousnesse let it not be once named amongst you saith Paul d Eph. 5.3 4 neither filthinesse This is modesty and Saintdecency Vers 12. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done by Sinners in secret To take liberty to speak filthily is the practice of a people of unclean lips Isaiah bewailed his condition to live among such c â—sa 6.5 Woe is mee I dwell amongst a people of unclean Lips Filthy lusts in the heart taint the Tongue with filthy speeches and both are polluted by Satan the unclean spirit Mat. 12.43 that delighteth in filthinesse 2 In speaking of res pudendae such things as are lawfull but secret and cause blushing and should bee concealed Observe the modesty of Scripture-phrases or manner of speaking of such things as concerning the use of marriage f Gen. 4.1 Adam knew his wife I will go in to my wife into the Chamber said Sampson g Judg. 15.1 The Holy Ghost forbids committing uncleannesse under the expression of uncovering h Lev. 18.8 c. nakedness So concerning the natural evacuation of the body Saul went in to cover his i 1 Sam. 24.3 Dâ—ut 23.13 feet that is to do his easement The Scripture calleth it a sitting down 3 In speaking of others faults and infirmities covering and concealing them till Gods Providence puts us upon speaking of them When Cham had seen his Fathers nakednesse Gen. 9.22 hee told his two Brethren without which procured a curse extenuating and excusing them either for fact manner or intent what wee can in truth and charity not aggravating the same 4 In speaking of our selves our own vertues or praises Wee should not commend our selves for that properly belongeth to others Let another man praise thee saith Solomon and not thine own mouth Prov. 27.2 a stranger and not thine own Lips Modesty forbids the same When Paul related his extraordinary Revelations he speaks of himself as of another person k 2 Cor. 12.2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years agoe c. So did l John 19.26 John When Jesus saw his Mother and the Disciple whom hee loved that was himself standing by he saith to his Mother woman behold thy Son When wee speak of the good wee have or do or of any thing that tends to our own praise wee should bee very sparing therein and speak rather farre short or much too little than a little over or too much So did m Eph. 3.8 Paul unto mee who am lesse than the least of all Saints is this Grace given 1 Cor. 15.9 and I am the least of the Apostles that am not meet to bee cald an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God Modesty sets bounds to speech in matters that tend to self-praise Except the vindication of our innocency of Gods Truth and glory require the same A mans praise smells sweet when it comes out of other mens mouths but it stinks in his own mouth Self-commendation is stinking breath but when wee have occasion to speak of our own corruptions we have free liberty to be large therein But more of this afterwards The fifth Grace of Speech is 5 Reverence Reverence to God and Man 1 To God 1 To God to speak highly and honourably of God his Titles and Attributes with holy awe and reverential fear debasing and vilifying our selves before him as Abraham did n Gen. 18.27 Behold now I have taken upon mee to speak unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes and Moses o Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord among the Gods glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders So reverently spake John Baptist of p Mar. 1.7 Christ Heâ—is mightier than I the latchet of whose shooes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose To this end let us consider Gods heavenly greatnesse and our earthly vilenesse to make us speak to him and of him with holy reverence as Christ directs us to conceive and to say Mat. 6.9 Our Father which art in Heaven All our words of God should be pointed and accented with reverence to God This is grace to the Lips and glory to the Tongue 2 2 To Man Reverence to man Give men their proper titles just praises and civil respects in word as well as in gesture which is due to them upon a Gospel-account Paul saith q Rom. 13.7 Render to all their dues fear to whom fear honour to whom honour and in honour prefer one another r Rom. 12.10 Peâ—er saith Honour all men s 1 Pet. 2.17 which stands not onely in inward esteem but in outward Expression thereof both in word and deed to men for the image of God and for their superiority in parts or rank or age This was the practice of the Saints in the times of both the Testaments Abrahams servant cald him Master Gen. 24. no lesse than two and twenty times in Gen. 24. and the same Title hee gave to Isaac Vers 65 Sarah obeyed Abraham and cald him Lord â— Pet. 3.6 Gen. 33.13
that with mee there should be yea Vers 18 19 yea and nay nay Our word toward you was not Yea and Nay but in him was yea Paul was stedfast and constant in his words with him there was nor yea and nay concerning the same thing but his speech of it was ever the same His Yea was alwaies yea and his Nay nay Not yea at one time and nay at another The Jews have a Proverb The Just mans yea is yea and his nay nay not now yea and anon nay as theirs is who are light and inconstant in their speech and spirits who will change their minds and turn their Tongues on a sudden and affirm and deny with a breath A false witnesse shall perish Prov. 21.28 saith Solomon but the man that heareth speaketh constantly The true witnesse that speaks no more than hee heareth his testimony is ever the same hee varieth not in it So Paul was alwaies in the same story in his Apologies viz. to the Chief-Captain to Felix Tit. 3.8 to Festus and to Agrippa These things saith hee to Titus I will that thou affirm constantly Christians should be stedfast and immoveable as in their works so in their words Fourthly IV Season Eccle. 3.7 Have respect to the season when you speak For there is a time to keep silence and a time to speak I will shew you some special-seasons of both I. The seasons of silence 1 When wee are afflicted by God This is Silence from murmuring When Nadab and Abihu were burnt by fire from the Lord then Aaron their Father held his peace Lev. 10.3 I was dumb Psal 39.9 saith David when Gods hand was heavy upon him and opened not my mouth because thou didst it The yoak of affliction must be born with silence e Lam. 3.27 28 God puts us to silence when hee gives us the waters of gall to f Jer. 8.14 drink 2. When wee are injured by men This is silence from reviling or revenge It s probable Moses held his peace Numb 12.1 to 10 and put up the wrong when Aaron and Miriam spake against him therefore the Lord spake for him and reproved them When Davids enemies spake mischievous things against him c. But I saith he as a deaf man heard not I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth g Psal 38.12 13 14. Our Saviour was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before the Shearers is dumb so hee opened not his mouth h Isa 53.7 when hee was reviled hee reviled not again i 1 Pet. 2.23 Answer not a Fool according to his Folly saith the wiseman k Prov. 26.4 that is do not rage revile or speak idlely as he doth lest thou bee like or equal unto him For the answer a man giveth another is the picture or measure of himself A foolish answer sheweth a foolish man The best answer to a fool in such a case is silence 3 When the times are perilous and men watch for iniquity Isa 29.20 21 and make a man an offender for a word and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the Gate that is in publick both for Magistrate and Minister to bring them into trouble for their slips and failings in speech or by wresting and misconstruing their words When what we speak is like to prove a snare to us This silence is forbearance to speak at least out or broad except we be called thereto The prudent shall keep silence in that time Amos. 5.12 13. for it is an evil time Then hee that keeps his Tongue keeps his life Micah's counsell seemes to refer to such times wherein men are like briars and thorns catching at others words scratching and pricking them Micâ—h 7.4 if they get hold or advantage against them Then trust yee not in a friend Vers 7. put yee not confidence in a guide keep the door of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosome When others watch for our words to pick out of them matter against us or ask us tempting ensnaring questions silence may bee in season for us In this case our Saviour was sometimes silent and gave no answer as when hee was accused before the High-Priest and Pilate Mar. 15.3 4 5. 14.60.61 and they earnestly provoked him to speak for himself yet he would say nothing which made them wonder 4 When the wicked are before us who will scoffe and scorn and reject what we say and wee have no hope of doing them good thereby but fear they will bee worse This silence is a forbearance to instruct reprove or relate our condition before such I will keep my mouth as with a bridle saith David l Psal 39.1 while the wicked is before mee that is I will be silent and not speak of my calamity before them lest they rejoyce at it and reproach mee for it To reprove and admonish obstinate sinners who will prophane but never profit by holy things is to cast pearles before swine who will trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you and to cast holy things to Dogs who will knarle at them and bark and bite you for them 2 King 18.36 King Hezekiah commanded his people to be silent and not to answer a word to Rabshekah's flatteries or blasphemies Christ notwithstanding his ability of speech and the efficacy of his words in the presence of wicked men kept silence from good words Herod questioned with him in many words Luk. 23.9 but Christ answered him nothing He had no hope of doing him any good and he would not satisfie his curiosity Upon this account wee are forbidden to reprove a scorner because he will hate us and bee never the better m Prov 9.7 8. or to speak in the ears of a fool that is wilfull and obstinate for he will bee no wiser but despise the wisdome of our words n Prov. 23.9 This is to offer light to the blind or speech to the deaf Ephraim is joyned to Idols saith God let him alone o Hos 4.17 do not speak to him it will do him no good 5 When wee are angry and our spirits are distempered Passion is no season for speech as appears in Moses Jonah and others Passion as one saith is a bad counsellor and as ill a speaker Oh! that we were so much Masters over our Tongues as not to speak when wee are angry For wee are prone at such a time to speak rashly and unadvisedly to speake over to say unto our Brother Racha or Thou Fool both which Gods Law as Christ expounds it prohibits p Mat. 5.22 A Christian should have a calm of meeknesse upon his heart when hee hath a storm of reproof in his mouth Let mee adde It is a season to keep silence when the persons to bee spoken to are in a distemper of heart or head through passion distraction or drunkennesse Abigail told Nabal nothing
God in our souls How safe and sure are our tongues to bee well ordered when our mouths are kept and barracaded by God against evil within us that it go not out of them and against evil spirits without us that they get not into them Desire God to keep our keeping and to watch over our watching of our Mouths 4 God is Lord over the Tongue to purge it from all pollution for sin defileth the mouth as well as the heart the lips as well as the life and makes us not worthy that Christ should come under the roof of our mouths or to take his Name into our lips Sin made not only the men in the midst of whom Isaiah dwelt a people of unclean c Isa 6.5 lips but himself also woe is mee for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips by reason of some moral desect or default as in the delivery of his message it may be his not reproving the sin of the prince and of the people Sin made Moses a man of uncircumcised d Exod. 6.12.30 Ainsworth in Gen. 17.11 lips that is unclean unsanctified or of many superfluous words for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a superfluity or stoppage that hindreth the due effect or operation of a thing All sin is signified by the superfluous foreskin which God commanded to be circumcised or cut quite off This word as applyed to the lips implies superfluity in speaking which Stammerers use and others also Moses lips were not free from faults and the uncircumcision thereof hindred as he thought the Reception and operation of his message as he Spake before the Lord saying Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened to mee how then shall Pharaoh hear me who am of uncircumcised lips Exod. 6.12 Corruption in the heart pollutes the mouth and makes a man unfit to speak to God or from God or to appear before God yea the Tongue defiles the whole body saith e Jam. 3.6 Quod efficit tale illud magis est tale James therefore is it foul and filthy in it self A mouth full of iniquity or of vanity is a cage full of unclean birds that hath need to bee cleansed Now only the Lord can wash our mouthes as well as our hearts from wickednesse our Tongues as well as our hands from all the taint and filth of sin Hee can create in us a pure lip as well as a clean heart which he hath promised f Zeph. 3.9 For then will I turn to the people a pure or purified lip or language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one shoulder Let us pray with David g Psal 51.2 wash mee throughly O Lord from mine iniquity my tongue as well as my heart or hand and cleanse mee from my sin in word as well as in deed Pray the Lord to dip your Tongues in the blood of his Son 1 Joh. 1.7 then our language will bee pure and our words precious and our voice sweet Cant. 2.14 to circumcise our lips or pare off the foreskin of them that is superfluous words folly and vanity to touch our lips with a coal from this Altar the true type of Christ as he did the Prophet h Isa 6.6 7. Isaiahs that our iniquity may bee taken away and our sin purged that is to purifie them by his Spirit applying to our lips the vertue of Christs blood to purge them from the soil of sin as also to assoil from the guilt of sin and the grace of Christ to sanctifie our lips as a coal of fire fetcht from Heaven to put out the helfire of sin and to consume the dross of vanity out of our i Jam. 3.6 Tongues then wee shall bee as Gods mouth Jer. 15.19 The Holy Ghost set on fire the Apostles Tongues with zeal that flame of God Act. 2.3 5 God is Lord over the Tongue to prosper it and to make this little member an instrument of doing great things as some mens Tongues effect far more than other mens hands out of the mouths of Babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength said David to k Psal 8 2. God to still the enemy and the avengers that is out of the mouthes of those that are such or little more for age as the Children that cryed in the Temple Hosanna to the son of l Mat 21.15 16. David who thereby honoured Christ but sorely displeased the Scribes and Pharisees yet Christ did accept and own even the Childrens way of praising him as they were fit and able or that are Babes and Sucklings not for age but for meanness of persons and weaknesse of parts natural or acquired as the Prophets and Apostles some of them at least were indeed Act. 4.13 or in appearance and in account as Peter and John in the Pharisees esteem were idiots and illiterate men yet out of their mouths God ordained strength strong convictions to stop the mouthes of enemies strong reprehensions to affright the hearts of the ungodly strong perswasions to draw sinners out of the World unto Christ to move them to good and to mould them aright strong arguments to confute errors 1 Cor. 1.27 28. and to confound the wisdome of the world to bring great things to passe Out of the mouth of the Child Jeremy God ordained strength yea victory See saith God to him I have this day set thee over the Nations and over the m Jer. 1.10 Kingdomes to root out pul down destroy to build and to plant These bee mighty matters but how shall Jeremiah do them with what tool or instrument even with his Tongue or by the words that God puts into his mouth Jer. 1.9 10. And because the Jews said the Prophets words are but n Jer. 5.13 Vers 14. Hos 6.5 wind behold saith God I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people wood and it shall devoure them God hewed Ephraim and Judah by his Prophets and slew them by the words of his mouth The word of God is a two-edged sword in the mouths of his servants It is foretold that fire shall go out of the mouthes of the two witnesses and devour their enemies that is Rev. 11.5 the word of their mouths shall be as fire to scorch and consume those that oppose or contradict their Testimony and by their Tongues they are said to have tormented them that dwell upon the earth Vers 10. Let us pray God would blesse all the words that proceed from our mouths that they may peirce and perswade prosper and prevail to all good intents and purposes for which they are spoken though they be weak as water and light as wind in expression and yet that God would make them weighty as silver and mighty as fire in operation both amiable and forcible that the words which come from our hearts may go to the hearts of them that hear us Intreat the Lord to delight to
and made them good and resolved to do so still Yee and your Wives saith the Lord to v Jer. 44.25 them have both spoken with your mouths and ful filled with your hands saying Wee will surely perform our vows to burn incense to the Queen of heaven c. yee will surely accomplish your vows and surely perform your vows One calls this a vigorous ingemination Shall not the godly then do what they say hand their speeches and turn their words into deeds ought not they to be as good as the wicked are bad to do as much for God as the wicked do against God should not their Tongues and their hands bee for the Lord Therefore bee very cautious in making vows to God Voâ—vs or promises to men 1 Vows to God For though vows be the free-will-offerings of your mouths in making them as David calls w Psa 119.108 them yet are they binding and obligatory upon your souls to the keeping of them Thy vows are upon mee O God saith x Psa 56.12 hee scil as a bond upon my soul Psa 116.18 See Psa 66.13 14. Therefore hee resolved I will pay my vows to the Lord. Though Jephtah had made a rash vow and was much troubled at it yet he durst not break it I have opened my mouth saith he to the Lord and I cannot go y Jud 11.30 3â— 34 35. back and his Daughter upon whom the vow fell with a stroak consented he should keep it Vers 36. My Father if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord do to mee according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth This is the Law of keeping lawfull z Deut. 23.21 22 23. vows when thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not slack to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee vows are debts and it would bee sin in thee not to pay the same vers 23. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform even a free-will-offering as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God which thou hast promised with thy mouth The Preacher disswades from rashnesse in making a Eccles 5.2 vows and from slacknesse in paying them and he gives many reasons against the same as that 1 This is folly and God hath no pleasure in fools Ver. 4. 2 It is better not to vow than to vow and not to pay Ver. 5. 3 The mouth by making rash vows causeth the flesh to sin that is Ver. 6. defiles the whole man which should not bee suffered 4 God is angry at such words and it provokes him to destroy the works of our hands because wee destroy our vows Ver. 6. the words of our mouths 5 Rash vows are inexcusable before God and his Angels or Ministers by a plea of errour Ver. 6. But to vow and to pay is as one faith to give God the Tree with the fruit which is best accepted with him 2 Promises Be cautelous in making promises to men Speak no more than yee purpose to do for a promise is a debt of the mouth which the man is obliged to pay or a bond for performance Prov. 6.2 By rash promises men are snared with the words of their mouth and are drawn thereby to defraud others and to damnifie themselves Judah will send the Harlot Tamar a kid from the flock Gen. 38.16 17 20 23. to make good his promise to her even for shame-sake The Romans were so carefull to perform their promise that as some observe the first Temple built in Rome was dedicated to Fidelity It is much better not to promise than not to perform and to bee slow in promising rather than slow in performing The third Thing is the Reasons of it 3 Reason For government of the Tongue why wee should make it our work or a businesse of it to govern our tongues These may bee drawn from five heads 1 The Difficulty 2 Excellency 3 Necessity 4 Commodity 5 Conveniency of helps Reas 1 Difficulty 1 The difficulty thereof because of the unrulinesse of the Tongue The Tongue saith b Jam. 3.8 James can no man tame it is an unruly evil This hee sets out by six comparisons 1 He compares the Tongue with all the other members of the body Vers 2. and implicitly affirms that it is more difficult to rule the Tongue than them all when he saith the man that offends not in word is able to bridle the whole body 2 Ve. 7. With all kinds of Creatures that have life and sense as birds beasts serpents fishes all these have been and are tamed by the art of man Vers 8. but the Tongue can no man tame it is more indomitable than a wild beast 3 With Fountains that flow and Trees that grow and bear fruit according to their kind Vers 11. Doth a fountain send forth at the same hole sweet water and bitter salt water and fresh can the Fig-tree bear Olive-berries Vers 12. either a vine figs much less can Thorns bring forth Grapes or Thistles Figs Mat. 7.16 But the Tongue will out of the same hole of the mouth send forth blessing and cursing Vers 9 10. for therewith blesse wee God and curse wee men my brethren saith the Apostle these things ought not so to bee One calls this a monstrous abuse of the tongue to contraries which is contrary to nature Pareus and most to God out of whose moush proceedeth not evill and c Lam. 3.38 good that is as some understand it only good and no evil This argueth great absurdity in the Tongue and difficulty of governing it 4 With the World which contains variety and multitude yea all kind of things in it So the Tongue is a World of iniquity Jam. 3. vers 6. which comprehends all sorts of sin in it Mans mouth though it bee but a little hole will hold a world-full of sin For there is not any sin forbidden in the Law or Gospel which is not spoken by the Tongue as well as thought in the heart or done in the life Is it not then almost as difficult to rule the tongue as to rule a World 5 Hee compares the Tongue with things that are great yet are ruled by little means as Horses and Ships as some understand James sense to bee in those three verses Iam. 3.3 4 5. though others think otherwise of which alterwards The Horse is a strong stout stateiy stif-necked Creature Vers 3. yet made obedient to the will of the Rider by a little Bit put in his mouth Ships are great and are driven of fierce winds yet are they turned about with a very small helm whithersoever the Pilot pleaseth Now the tongue Vers 4. though it be but a little member yet it is a harder matter to govern it than to ride a horse or to guide a ship for many who are expert
more sinnes in one word you heard before in the multitude of words there wants no sinne That saying hath I beleeve a truth in it A mans most and worst sinnes are his words 1 His most sinnes because the Tongue formeth and increaseth iniquity more than any other member of the body 2 His worst sinnes as blasphemies against God especially against the Holy Ghost the sinne of which man cannot repent and which God will not forgive The lip of Truth hath spoken it whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not bee forgiven him noither in this world nor in the world to come Math. 12.31 32. The Holy Ghost describes the sinne of the Tongue in a greater circumference or compasse than the sinnes of any other part of the body James saith the Tongue is not a Hill or Mountain not a Town City or Countrey but a world of Iniquity Chap. 3.6 Paul anatomizing the natural man from head to foot in Rom. 3.9 to 19. and declaring how all men naturally are subject in all parts of them to all sinnes discovers more evils in the Organs of Speech than in any other member of the body There is a grave in the throat to bury others in quick guile in the Tongue poyson in the Lips gall or bitternesse in the mouth The sinnes of the Tongue have an universal influence not onely upon all the members of the body as was shewed before to pervert pollute yea poyson them all but over all callings conditions relations in which a man stands The tongues of Tradesmenly for gain though Treasures gotten thereby are but vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death Prov. 21.6 Of States-men drives on their design and self-interest Of Church-men preach their own parts conceits ends not Christ his truth and glory The sinnes of other members decay with age but the sinnes of the Tongue continue if they do not encrease even in old age as swearing cursing frowardnesse bitternesse in the speeches of aged men and women The sins of the mouth leave both a stain and a sting in the soul Therefore perverseness in the Tongue is a breach in the spirit saith m Prov. 15.4 Solomon Is it needfull for us to keep our mouthes from evil so is it to guide our Tongues well Both are equally necessary the one as the end the other as the means The restraint of the Tongue will keep a world of sin out of the mouth and abundance of sin out of the World 2 To prevent the evil of misery both 1 Here and 2 Hereafter 1 To prevent the evil of miseryhere as 1 Gods anger 2 Hatred 3 Opposition 4 Separation 1 Gods anger at our words Why should God bee angry at thy voice saith the n Eccles 5.6 Preacher that is when thou speakest rashly and unadvisedly Gods wrath was kindled against Eliphaz and his two friends for saith he yee have not spoken of mee the thing that is right as my Servant Job o Job 42.7 Ver. 8. hath that is So truly and rightly of his providential proceedings Therefore God prescribed them a course to make their peace with him scil to provide a great sacrifice and bring it to Job to offer and to pray for them lest I deal with you saith God after your folly or punish your foolishnesse in that yee have not spoken of mee the thing that is right Gods repetition hereof implies an aggravation of the fault and an inflammation of his anger against them for it Gods anger was kindled against Aaron and Miriam for speaking against Moses Numb 12.1.9 2 Gods hatred of our Tongues and lips for a lying Tongue is one of the six or seven things which the Lord hates and are an abomination to his p Prov 6.16 17 12.22.23 soul 3 Gods opposition to our persons or setting himself against us as an enemy for the abuse of our Tongues as hee did against the Prophets r Jer. 23.31 Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that use their Tongues or that smooth their Tongues who speak placentia pleasing and plausible things to sooth up the people in their sins and perswade them it is the word of the Lord they deliver when it is nothing but their own fancies 4 A separation between us and our God which is made by Tongue-sins as well as by s Isa 59 2.3 hand-sins your iniquities saith the Prophet have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that hee will not hear what sins 1 The sins of the Hands and Fingers 2 Of the Lips and Tongue for your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity your lips have spoken lyes your Tongue hath uttered perverseness How needfull it is to govern our Mouths well that our words may not be the object of his anger nor our Tongues of his hatred that God may not estrange himself hide his face from us as not a friend to us nor set himself against us as an Enemy It were better for us to have all the World against us than God To keep our mouthes with al diligence is a means to keep our selves in the love and favour of God in neerness to and fellowship with God 2 To prevent Gods Judgements denounced against an evil Tongue or against man for the evils of his Tongue or evils executed upon that account as the Tongue of frowardness shall bee out out Prov. 10.31 like a bad branch that brings forth ill fruit God will cut off all flattering lips saith t Psa 12.3 David and the Tongue that speaketh proud or great things King Nebuchadnezzer for speaking proud u Dan. 4.30 Vers 31. words Is not this great Babylon that I have built c. while the word was in his mouth there fell a voice from Heaven like thunder as one saith with a bolt in it that he should be dis-throaned or unking'd yea unman'd and cast out of the society of men to live as a Beast Vers 32 33. and eat grasse among the Beasts of the field for seven years before his Reason returned to him A high and heavy punishment inflicted by God on a mighty Monarch for a proud speech the sin of his mouth for which hee was even taken in his vv Psal 59.12 pride scil as a bird in a snare God shut Moses out of temporal Canaan for speaking unadvisedly with his lips though hee much desired to go over and see that good land beyond Jordan Deut. 3.25 26. The sins of mens mouths prove the snares of their souls The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips saith x Pro. 12.13 Solomon that is his Tongue brings himself into trouble A fools mouth is neer destruction how neer scil at pits brink ready to drop in Prov. 10.14 yea a fools mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soul Prov. 18.7 Hee that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life but hee
and satisfaction 1 Life for God hath intaild the promise of living long and seeing good dayes upon the refrayning of the Tongue from evil 1 Per. 3.10 and of the lips from guile Death and Life are in the power of the Tongue saith Solomon and they that love it shall eat the fruits thereof in the power that is Prov. 18.21 in the government of the Tongue 1 To save and prolong life if it be well governed 2 To condemn and shorten life if it be ill guided For though the tongue be but a little member yet it hath a great command what a great dependance is there upon a mans own tongue for life or death as there is upon the Judges tongue for passing sentence upon the prisoners of absolution or condemnation They that love life will use their tongues well and they shall eat the pleasant fruits of it They that love death let their tongues run at randome have not mastery over them and they shall eat the bitter fruits thereof As every one delights to use his tongue well or ill or as he soweth his words so he shall reap fruit good or bad 2 Salvation for as with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousness or Justification So with the mouth confession is made unto f Rom. 10.10 salvation The well using or abusing of the Tongue is effectuall either for salvation or destruction to eternity As life and death so Heaven and Hell Salvation and damnation are in the power of the Tongue scil thus far that according as men rule their tongues well or ill so they shall bee saved or damned go to Heaven or Hell Hence it is that David describes a Citizen of Zion more largely by his g Psa 15.1 2 3. tongue as that hee speaketh the truth in his heart he backbiteth not with his tongue nor doth any evil thereby to his neighbour he sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not vers 4. than by any other member of his body either foot vers 2. that hee walketh uprightly or hand that he worketh righteousness or ears that he doth not receive a reproach against his Neighbour vers 3. or eyes that a vile person is contemned therein verse 4. Tongue-properties and praises are tripple if not quadruple and the commendation of the other members but single 3 Joy for a man hath joy by the answer of his h Prov. 15.23 mouth when he hath spoken right words suitable seasonable and effectuall as was declared before The wisdome of a mans speech is the rejoycing of his heart This is our rejoycing saith Paul the testimony of our conscience within I may adde 2 Cor. 1.12 the innocency of our Tongues and the purity of our lips without 4 Satisfaction A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth saith the i Prov. 12.14 Wiseman shall eat good by it cap. 13.2 A mans belly shall bee satisfied with the fruit of his mouth and with the increase of his lips shall he bee filled Prov. 18.20 and vers 21. he shall eat the fruit scil of the tongue This satisfaction is contentfull acquiescence and comfortable composure of mind and heart upon a fourfold account 1 That God hath been with our mouthes and directed our tongues what to say 2 That God will reward as well the words of our mouthes as the works of our hands yea all the instruments of speech shall have their proper and full reward as the tongue mouth lips which some conceive the cause why Solomon so particularly and distinctly names them The good usage of the tongue to the glory of God and good of others the Lord God of Recompences will surely requite both here and hereafter 3 That we shall reap good to our selves by speaking of that which is good to others by instructing exhorting counselling and comforting others we teach excite advise and refresh our selves and may thereby grow better both in knowledge and in practice By speaking of good things to others wee imprint the same more deeply upon our own hearts and our knowledge is made more clear and our affections more warm Whereas the speaking of evil words make men worse they corrupt their own good manners 4 That wee may expect to receive good from others in way of recompence for the fruit of our mouthes and increase of our lips bestowed upon them in wholesome instructions counsels and consolations as Paul writ to the k 1 Cor. 9.11 Corinthians If we sow unto you spiritual things scil by our mouthes is it a great thing if wee shall reap your carnal things scil with our hands the mouth is a field narrow in compasse but fruitfull above measure either with good or evil with wholesome or hurtful words therefore Solomon speaketh often of the fruit of the mouth It is very commodious to sow this field with good seed and it will yeeld you your own with great advantage Ought wee not to govern our tongues well as wee desire to injoy life or salvation joy or satisfaction 2 Great is the commodity of a well ordered tongue in respect of others the benefits and advantages that redound to them thereby as we shewed before in the second Rule for regulating speech in the end thereof Especially these three 1 Communication of our minds gifts graces and experiences to others were it not for the tongue one man should not know the mind of another but bee as a vessel without vent stopt up a spring hidden in the ground or a fountain sealed words are the image and the tongue the Index of the mind Psal 66.16 wee could not tell others what God hath done for our souls nor counsel others what they should intreat God to do for their souls nor provoke others to love or to do good works if we wanted either the precious faculty of speech or the gracious government of the tongue The lips of the wise disperse knowledge saith l Prov. 15.7 Solomon how as the Sun doth beams of light and influences as a fountain doth water fire doth heat and flowers do fragrant smell and as they desperse knowledge so other gifts a spiritual blessing for all to gather up and suck in who are so wise as to know the worth thereof 2 Is Salvation both 1 Temporal our tongues may sometimes save others sooner than our hands Abigail by her tongue saved Nabals life and the wise woman of Abel by her tongue preserved the City as I shewed before 2 And eternall No member of the body can help others to Heaven so effectually and speedily as the tongue God useth and blesseth the same as an instrument of the conversion instruction edification reformation and confirmation of those that shall bee saved Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing the word preached Paul by Gods blessing upon his ministerial tongue and lip-labours begat the Corinthians unto God 1 Cor. 4.15 incouraged and established the souls of the Disciples Act. 14.21 22. and licked whole the
of building his Church of a new frame or model under the Gospel the old Fabrick of the Jewish Church being then to be taken down about the time of Christs passion and the new to be set up after his assension according to his commission and direction given to his Apostles to that purpose Act. 1.2 3. beeing seen of them forty dayes after his Resurrection and speaking to them of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of God that is his Church hee first requires an account or confession of their Faith Whom say yee that I am Vers 15. Then Peter answered in the name of all the Apostles as our sound Orthodox Divines conceive Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Therefore Peter saith in John 6.69 not I only but wee Apostles beleeve and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the Living God and Christ replyed thou art Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a stone in this spiritual building yea a pillar in the Church Gal. 2.9 and upon this rock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 16.18 that is upon this confession made of mee to be the Christ or upon mee the rock as confessed I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Hence we may collect two things 1 That a good confession of Faith in Christ should bee made and laid as a foundation at the gathering or constituting of Churches to build them upon which may bee effectual to keep them sound in the faith and free from errours and to ingage them to hold fast their principles and not to swarve from the same but to preserve the doctrin of Religion pure therein and to strengthen the whole building that is raised upon it 2 That those are the fittest stones for the building of a Church that can give the best account of their faith in Christ 2 At our Admission into a Church of Christ to which wee desire to joyn our selves and they require us to give an account of our faith and holinesse that wee are Saints and Beleevers This we should be free and ready to do 1 Because as to beleeve with the heart makes a man a member of the invisible Church so to confesse with the mouth or open profession of faith qualifies him to bee a member of a visible Church of Christ 2 This will give the Church knowledge of us and satisfaction in us yea move them to glorify God for us and to receive us in the Lord unto fellowship with them in all Christs Ordinances without which they may bee afraid of us as the Church of Jerusalem was of Paul when hee assaied to joyn himself to it until Barnabas had satisfied them concerning him Act. 9.26 27. 3 This seems to have been the practice of the Primitive Church as now it is of the reformed Churches The 3000 converted at Peters Sermon did not they confesse Christ Act. 2. or make a profession of their faith and of a change wrought in them Else how could the Apostles know that they gladly received the word to wit of faith repentance Vers 41. and obedience to the Gospel and distinguish them from all others and upon that account baptise them I am apt to think that those who beleeved at Ephesus confessed their Saviour as well as their sinnes and their Faith as well as their Repentance 4 What is done at the planting of a Church is proper and suitable to bee done in the augmentation of it that is confession of Faith whosoever would bee a Peter that is 1 Pet. 2.5 a lively stone fit to be laid in this building should be a confessour of Christ 2 When wee are called thereunto by a Magistrate or secular powers or brought before Rulers and Governours for Christs sake and examined about our Religion then wee ought to bear witnesse to Christ and his Truth as Christ and his Apostles did 1 Christ who witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate then President in Judea recorded in John 18.37 1 Tim. 6.1 when Pilate said unto him art thou a King Jesus answered Thou sayest that I am a King This is an Hebrew manner of confession aequivalent to an affirmation q. d. that thou sayest is true I am so indeed Christ did the like before the Council Luk. 22.70 when they all said art thou the Son of God and he said unto them ye say that I am q. d. I am what you say and before the High-Priest when hee asked him Art thou the Christ the Sonne of the blessed Mark 14.61 62 And Jesus said I am 2 The Apostles witnessed a good confession of Christ and of that main truth scil that Salvation is onely by Christ as Peter and John before the Council Act. 4.5 to 16. and cap. 5.27 to 33. and Steven Act. 6.12.15 and 7. chapter and Paul before Felix the Governour Act. 24.14 to 22. before King Agrippa Act. 26.2 c. especially 22 23. vers and before Festus 24 25 to 30. vers 2 When wee are called to it privately especially in three cases First When wee are asked by a single person who desires to bee informed by us and seeks not to lay a snare for us Bee ready always 1 Pet. 3.15 to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and reverence Now to give a reason of our hope what is it but to yield an account of our faith which wee are bound to do upon a private demand or when just occasion is given though but by a private person as Christ made confession of himself to the Samaritan woman and to a blind man Iohn 4.25 When shee made confession of the Messiah to Christ as 1 That he would come 2 That he was now upon comming 3 That when hee is come hee will tell us all things i. e. teach his Church more fully and perfectly though shee was a woman Trap in John 4.7 and a Samatan and a poor Tankerd-bearer a sinner one that lived in fornication yet Christ rejects her not but takes occasion from her Confession of the Messiah John 4.26 to confesse or make known himself to her to be the Christ or Messiah shee spake of Though he did not manifest himself so plainly to the Jews no not when they pressed him saying How long doest thou make us doubt John 10.24 if thou bee the Christ tell us plainly But hee would not in plain Termes tell them that hee was hee because hee knew their hearts that they asked not sincerely to beleeve in him but captiously to get advantage against him though hee told the woman because Christ knew shee was now a Convert and would bee a means of the conversion of others When the blind man asked Christ who was the Sonne of God that hee might beleeve in him though the Pharisees had excommunicated him for confessing Christ yet Christ confesseth himself to him and tells him
Exaltation or honorificall event which was either conferred by the Father on his Son as a reward of his deep humiliation as Piscator and others think or at least was a consequent of it as Calvin conceives quod dictio illativa in Phil. 2.9 consequentiam hic magis sonet quam causam That wherefore in Phil. 2.9 denotes rather his exaltation to be a consequent of his humiliation Phil. 2.9 Vers 9. than his humiliation to be a cause of his exaltation He humbled himself and became obedient unto death c. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name Vers 10. that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow that is all things in Heaven and Earth should be subject to his Dominion and Power and that every Tongue should confesse that Jesus Christ is Lord either voluntarily here or coercively hereafter to wit at the day of Judgement Confession of Christ before men is an honour due to Christs Name from us Vers 11. even upon the Account of his Passion or Humiliation and not to confesse him is to rob him of that glory which is justly and peculiarly his own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence Christ is called the Apostle and High-Priest of our profession or confession that is He whom we should principally confesse or professe and our Faith in him for salvation As the Author of our Salvation and of our Faith and the Apostle of that Evangellical Doctrin which we professe 2 It was Christs practice both in life and death for with his mouth he confessed his Father himself and the Truth 1 His Father Christ both gave knowledge and bare witnesse of him before men for Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father Joh. 8.38 he hath declared him and I speak saith Christ that which I have seen with my Father what was that Christ saw and spake 1 His Fathers Essence or being Joh. 4.24 that God is a spirit 2 His mind and will as how he will bee worshipped to wit in spirit and truth and what he would have us to do scil Vers 23 24. what soever he hath commanded us for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you saith Christ Joh. 15.15 John Baptist witneded this of Christ Joh. 3.32 what he had seen and heard he testifieth He made confession or bare witnesse of himself as before Pilate that he was a King before the Council that he was the Son of God before the High-Priest that he was the Christ the Son of the blessed and before all that the Father sent him Object Dath not Christ say Joh. 5.31 If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true Answ Beza saith this is a Rhetoricall concession as if Christ had said the Jews will object that I testifie of my self therefore my testimony is unfit and invalid for men suspect self-testimonies If I only should testifie of my self yee might distrust mee but I have other witnesses greater than all exception as John Ver. 33 36 â—â— and the works I do and the Father himself Afterwards Christ said Joh. 8.14.18 Though I bear record of my self my record is true because God is witnesse sufficient of himself I know whence I came and whither I go I am a divine person exempt from Error and falshood 3 He confessed and bare witnesse to the Truth Joh. 18.37 To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the World that I should bear witness unto the Truth saith Christ Lest Pilate before whom he had confessed himself to bee a King should conceit him to be an earthly King Non regem agere sed servum potius Rolloc he shews the end why he was born c. was to act the part not of a King depositâ ad tempus regis personâ but to give testimony as a Servant made obedient to the will of the Father to the word and to the Truth of God and to this in particular that he was King and that his Testimony should not be in vain for every one that is of the truth heareth my voice saith Christ Rev. 1. â— 3.14 that is all that are regenerated by the word of Truth Hence Christ is called the true and faithfull witnesse because hee hath truly and faithfully revealed the whole Will of God necessary for salvation and hath attested the verity thereof yea sealed it with his blood Hence the Doctrin of the Gospel is called a witnesse Joh. 3.11 Christs Testimony vers 32. Seeing this was Christs practice For this cause he came into the World that he might confesse the Truth and upon this account he went out of the World because he did confesse it as that he was King he died for his Testimony ought not Christians to do the like Is not confessing with the mouth a Christ-like duty Doth Christ bid us do more herein than he did himself Hath he not left us an example of confession that we should follow his steps Is not this part of our conformity to Christ Is not confession high and honourable imployment not unbeseeming the Son of the most high God Reas 3 From our selves They are four 1 Because we are Gods witnesses Isa 43.10 yee are my witnesses saith the Lord and my Servant whom I have chosen and it is our task or office to give testimony of God and of his Truth and grace before men To this end God gives us plain pregnant plentifull proofs thereof more discoveries of himself and his Truth and more of his grace than to others that we may speak more of and for God than others Our eyes see and our ears hear that of Christ and his Gospel which others do not as Christ told his Disciples Mat. 13.16 Therefore God expects a larger Testimony from our mouthes than others can or will give of him To this end we are born again and are made partakers of the divine nature and are of the Truth that is of the stock and Linage of Truth and for this cause were wee sent into the World to give testimony to Christ and to the Truth in our Generation It is great dignity to be a witnesse of Christ John Baptist that great Prophet came for a witnesse of the light that is Christ John 1.7 John the Evangelist the beloved Disciple was an eminent witness of Christ both by word and writing Joh. 21.24 So was Paul who was not a whit behinde the very chiefest Apostles 2 Cor. 11.5 Christ appeared to him for this purpose to make him a Minister and a witnesse Act. 26.16 and accounted him a chosen vessel to bear his Name by confession thereof before the Gentiles Act. 9.15 and Kings and children of Israel And for this use wee should count our Tongues our Glory scil to confess God as well as to
therefore what you have received Act. 13.25 Rev. 3.3 and heard and hold fast and speak out the same even to the end We should confess Christ with our Tongues while we are able to speak yea chuse to dye with a Testimony of Jesus in our mouthes of our Faith and Hope in him and love to him and for the Truth against Errors for the straight and holy wayes of God against all false and by-wayes Then we may boldly look God in the face and go triumphantly to Heaven We should confesse Christ in evil times when others deny him When Christ and his truths and wayes are opposed despised and persecuted and his servants for them Then to own Christ and to speak for him 2 Tim. 1.8 and for his and not to be afraid of his Crosse nor ashamed of his cause or Testimony will be kindly taken by Christ as Paul◠witnesse of him at Jerusalem and Rome and elsewhere was Rev. ◠1◠and the Church of Pergamos her not denying his Faith but holding fast his Name even in those dayes wherein Christs faithful Martyr Antipas was slain Rev. 3. ◠and in that place where Satan dwelt and had his Throne The Church of Philadelphia though she had but a little strength yet she kept Christs word and denyed not his Name though she had adversaries and because shee kept the word of Christs patience that is Vers 1◠with great patience she held and maintained the Truth of Christ and her profession of it Therefore Christ will keep her from the hour of Tentation which shall come upon all the World 5 Innocently without giving offence or occasion to any to speak evil of us while we are speaking good of Gods Name or for his Truths and wayes This was Pauls care Act. 24.20 and for this he challenged his enemies Let these same here say If they have found any evil doing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or thing amiss in mee while I stood before the Council scil to give Testimony of Christ the Scribes that were of the Pharisees part said Act. 23.9 we find no evill in this man To this end wee should give a reason of our hope or an account of our faith with meeknesse and fear 1 Pet. 3.15 1. With meeknesse from an humble lowly spirit without any shew or appearance first of pride ostentation or vain-glory or secondly of passion or bitternesse in us for the wrath of man as it worketh not so it testifieth not the righteousnesse of God it doth not at all adorn the Truths or wayes of God nor our profession or confessions of them which meeknesse of spirit doth 2 With fear of God of offending him while wee are confessing him of saying or doing any thing that may cause the way of Truth to bee evil spoken of for our sakes and reverence of men to give all due respect to them before whom wespeak Sixth Sincerely Out of Love and Zeal 1 Out of Love to Christ and his truth for what wee love wee will own or avouch openly Confession and commendation are fruits of love Love knows no shame in acknowledging and praising its beloved Lovers are the freest and largest Confessers and Commenders See it in the Spouse her Encomium of Christ her beloved from head to foot when the Daughters of Jerusalem asked her what is thy beloved more than another beloved Cant. 5.9 to the end when love to Christ and to his truth move us to confess him and it then we will speak liberally yea all that we can possibly for them whosoever saith nay thereto Love is strong as death and the love of Christ will constrain us to confesse Christ to death yea though wee die for it Hence John who was the best beloved and most loving Disciple gave special Testimony of Christ Joh. 19.35 and 21.24 Those that leave their first love grow loath and averse to confesse Christ 2 Out of Zeal for God for the glory of his name the credit of his cause the honour of his truth the propagation of his Gospell for the encouragement and comfort of Christs Friends for the conviction and obstruction of his enemies not to get praise to our selves nor to seek our own glory for love of praise is a great prejudice to the confession of Christ Joh. 12.42 43 Some among the chief Rulers did not confesse Christ for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God The Sanctuary fire of zeal kindled from heaven in our hearts will burn out that Lukewarmness Neutrality and indifferency of spirit which makes us to bee of Gallio's temper in the things of God carelesse of such matters what any say or do against the Name or truth wayes or Kingdome of Christ what errors heresies and blasphemies are broached dispersed or maintained This will also consume to ashes the Conceits of the Libertines and Familists who think it lawfull to dissemble their faith even before the Magistrate and of the Nicodemites of these dayes who count it sufficient to beleeve with the heart taking liberty to confesse what they list with their mouth Seventh and last Wee must confesse Christ patiently with a disposition and resolution to suffer for our Testimony if God call us to it because the confessing of Christ before men may cost us dear the losse of Liberty goods Friends yea life and all as it did the Apostles Mat. 10.37 38 39. and many other the faithfull witnesses of Christ Christ requires wee should bee willing to part with all upon that Account Confessing of Christ hath been a cause of suffering for Christ ever since Christs time Satan and his instruments have raised opposition and persecution against the profession of Faith as well as against the practice of piery and against the persons that have held forth the same even from Generation to Generation The Jews agreed that if any man did confesse Christ Joh. 9.22 Rev. 1.9 he should bee put out of the Synagogue John was banished into the Isle of Patmos for the word of God and for the Testimony hee gave of Jesus Christ When the Lamb had opened the fifth Seal Rev. 6.9 John saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slain under the Roman Emperours for the word of God and for the Testimony which they held Rev. 11.3 The two witnesses of Christ prophecy in Sack-cloath and when they have finished their Testimony Vers 7 they shall bee slain by the Beast to wit of Rome that is Anti-Christ and the inhabitants of the earth that is of the Malignant or Antichristian Church shall rejoyce thereat and make merry and as a congratulation of their riddance send gifts one to another This was the cause of the Dragons quarrel with a remnant of the Womans seed scil Rev. 12.17 they kept the Commandements of God and had the Testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 20.4 John saw also the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of
of his people to bee affected with to make an impression on them The Fifth Rule Get some common heads into your minds and hearts that may bee of general use to all and at all times as the sinfullnesse of sin the excellency of Christ and Grace the vanity of Creatures the uncertainty and troubles of life the approach and great consequence of death the last judgement the joyes of Heaven and torments of Hell the piety and felicity of the godly the iniquity and misery of the wicked especially get not only your heads fraught with notions but your hearts fil'd with affiance in affection to and experience of Jesus Christ and speak of him freely and frequently to others to carry Christ to them or to draw them to Christ As the Spouse did of her beloved Cant 5.10 6.1 c. to the daughters of Jerusalem as the two Disciples going to Emmaus did of Jesus of Nazareth and the Prophet did of that good matter his heart had indited concerning Christ the King of Saints Psal 45.1 for Christ is a most sweet profitable and successfull subject of discourse and ever in season The Sixth Rule The asking and answering of questions aright may conduce much to mutual edification As when others have doubts and desire to bee resolved in matters of Religion or in cases of conscience wee may help them greatly by giving them clear and sound answers or solutions thereof This is a fruitfull way of improving time and talents abilities and opportunities This wee find under precept in the old Testament and under practice in the New 1 Under Precept in the Old Testament there are commands for asking and answering questions about the word and works of God As 1 Children of their Fathers concerning 1 Gods Providence ask thy Father and hee will shew thee Dâ—u 32.6 7 8. thy elders and they will tell thee to wit the wondrous works God did for Israel as in their redemption out of Egypt in dividing the land of Canaan among them by Lot when your Children ask their Fathers in time to come what mean you by these stones set up in the midst of Jordan Then yee shall answer them Josh 1.6 7. that the waters of Jordan were cut off and those stones shall bee for a memorial unto the Children of Israel for ever scil Vers 21 22 That Israel came over this Jordan on dry land As the Children were to ask the meaning of Gods great Works so their Parents were enjoyned to answer them and instruct them in the knowledge thereof 2 Concerning Gods Ordinances or religious Services and the meaning and reason of them as of the Sacraments and administrations of them Children were to ask and their Parents were commanded to teach them the occasion signification and use thereof as of the Passeover Exod. 12.26 27. When your children shall say what mean you by this service yee shall say it is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passeover In like manner should Christians teach their Children the meaning of Gospel-Sacraments scil Exod. 13.14 15. Baptism and the Lords Supper so concerning the consecrating of the first-born see what that meant 3 Concerning the Law of God Deut. 6.20 When thy Son asketh thee what means the Testimonies Statutes and Judgements which the Lord our God hath commanded you That is the whole Law Moral Ceremonial and Judicial Ainsw One calls this A brief Catechism containing the Grounds of Religion Vers 21. to the end Then thou shalt shew unto him the occasion end and benefits thereof the Law was given to the Fathers psal 78.5 6 that they should make it known to their children 2 People of their Ministers Mal. 2.7 The Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth Not only in publick by hearing his Doctrin but in private also by propounding their Doubts and Queries to him 3 One private person of another Thus shall yee say every one to his neighbour and every one to his brother Ies. 23.35 what hath the Lord answered and what hath the Lord spoken It is said in Zech. 3.10 Yee shall call every man his neighbour under the Vine and under the Fig-tree Some understand this not only of a secure State without all danger and fear but of their communion together to promote the salvation one of another 2 The duty of asking Questions wee finde under practise and example in the New Testament this was an edifying course to the Disciples of Christ and Primitive Christians when Christ spake these words concerning the removing of his bodily presence from them Joh 16.16 17 A little while and yee shall not see me c. The Disciples first enquired among themselves what these words meant and because they could not satisfie themselves they were desirous to ask Christ to explain himself Vers 19 20.21 which he perceiving did when the Disciples heard Christ deliver any thing which they understood not they asked him the meaning thereof when he was alone Mark 4.10 As of the Parable of the Sower and of that Parable or sentence Mar. 7.15.17 That which goeth into a man cannot defile the man but the things which come out of him Mar. 10.9 10.11 Mar. 13.1 2 3 4 And of what he spake concerning the indissolubleness of marriage and the destruction of the Temple When the Eunuch understood not what he read in Isaiah concerning Christ Isa 53.7 he asked Philip the meaning Acts 8.34 35 I pray thee of whom speaketh the Prophet this of himself or of some other man Then Philip opened the Scripture to him Let Christians take notice of their doubts and scruples and wait for an occasion to propound them to such as are able to resolve them To question much is the way to learn much especially if the questions bee suited to the Askers necessity and to the Answerers faculty this is the way to glean up knowledge Col. 4.6 There is a dexterity in asking and answering questions aright 1 Questions should be asked not out of curiosity to shew wit or please fancy or to scratch an itching humour but in sincerity out of love to the truth to know it to the end we may do it and readily to submit to it when it is discovered to us 2 Not about things that are vain and unprofitable but what may tend to godly edifying in faith and love 1 Tim. 1.4 in holiness and obedience 3 Avoyd subtile and acute Questions in common discourse which as one saith resemble Crafishes where there is more picking work than meat to eat These ingender strife of words vain janglings and animosities 4 Questions of Religion should bee debated without pride and passion or desire of praise or victory but in a spirit of love and meekness that truth may be made to appear to strike fire that by the sparks of Arguments we may light the lamp of truth 1 Tim. 6.4 Hereby we
upon Baals Priests in a heat of zeal scoffing at them Job on his friends to check their pride and conceit of their own wildome No doubt yee are the People Job 12.2 and wisdome shall dye with you And Paul upon the Corinthians for their Laodicean conceit and boast of fulnesse Now yee are rich 1 Cor. 4.8 1 Cor. 14.36 37 full c. and for their pride what came the word of the Lord out from you or came it to you only Beza saith this is a sharp objurgation of them least they should think themselves the only wisemen and all fools but they or that they were the first Christians none before them or none beside them God taught the Jews to take up a taunting Proverb in way of derision against the King of Babylon Isa 14.4 his state and City The Preachers speech to the young man was Ironical Rejoyce in thy youth Eccl. 11.9 q. d. seeing thou art wilful go on and take thy course but know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Such was Micaiahs answer to King Ahab when hee asked him 1 King 22.15 shall wee go against Ramoth Gilead to battel or not he said go and prosper q. d. thy Prophets have bidden thee go and thou hast a mind to go go thy way no doubt but thou wilt prosper Ahab resented it as a scoff An Irony is a nipping jeast or a speech that hath the honey of pleasantnesse in its mouth and a sting of rebuke in its taile There is a texterity in speaking truth in an Irony or in a pleasant sentence which may bee taken sometimes with lesse offence then a plain downright speech to be so addicted to joycing as to loose a friend rather than a jeast this becommeth Jewish friendship saith one rather then Christian love Mr. Bain◠Eighth Rule In speech speak not so much to shew wit or eloquence as efficatious power of speech to perswade others to good and to disswade them from evil Speak not out of affectation of praise or delight to hear our selves speak well but out of desire of doing good or of drawing others to do well Many speak against eloquence as they do against learning out of ignorance because they know not the worth or use of it for Art hath no enemy but an ignorant person but I speak only against the proud and vain use and shew of it Of Eloquence HEre I will shew you first That eloquence may be used and secondly how 1 Eloquence may bee used yea there may be good use of it because 1 Eloquence is the gift of God which hee bestows on some of his servants not on others as on Aaron I know saith God to Moses of him Fxo. 4.14 Vers 16 Vers 10 that hee can speak well and he shall be thy spokes-man to the people and instead of a mouth to thee Not on Moses for hee was not eloquent but slow of speech Paul was eminent in eloquence therefore the people of Lystra Act. 14.12 call'd him Mercurius because he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chief speaker or Master of speech Apollos was an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures Act. 18.24 None of Gods servants should open their mouthes to speak against any of God gifts of which eloquence or the faculty of speech is one 2 Eloquence is a flower of speech both for beauty and sweetnesse which sets off speech with greater grace obtains audience with greater delight and insinuates with more efficacy Though the Gospel was preached at first with greatest plainness of speech 1 Cor. 1.17 and 2.4 yet God hath blessed it since to the furtherance of the gospel The sweetning of speech with eloquence hath been a means sometimes of winning others to hear embrace the Gospel Christ in it Doctor Sibs saith Souls Conflict while Augustine out of curiosity delighted to hear the Eloquence of Ambrose hee was taken with the matter it self sweetly sliding together with the words into his heart Peter Veretus sometime preacher at Geneva was so sweetly Eloquent that hee drew many to bee his hearers who were no friends to Religion and chained his hearers ears to his mouth so as they never thought him tedious but always wished his Sermon longer hee converted thousands to the truth and faith in Christ One saith of Gregory Nazianzen that the true beauty of his Soul did shine forth in his eloquence Rhetorick being both his Companion and his servant It is reported of Mr. Rogers and Mr. Bradford Martyrs that it was hard to say whether there was more force of Eloquence and utterance in their preaching or holinesse in their lives and conversations Both historyes and experience declare that God bestowed an excellent faculty of elocution upon many of his servants both ancient and modern divines whose labours hee blessed to the Conversion of many souls and to the edification of the Church 4 God threatens it as a judgement to take away from Jerusalem and from Judah Isay 3.3 the eloquent Orator or the man skilful in speech and powerful to perswade as well as the wise Counsellour or cunning Artificer Ornamentum maximum reipublicae est eloquentia Philosophorum saith Plato Thus it s made to appear that eloquence is lawfull and usefull 2 I must shew how it should be used 1 Eloquence should flow from us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a nattiral kind of facility as water out of a fountain some command good language as freely as others do speech Though it bee acquired yet it should not be strained or forced as some use it in imitation of others which to judicious cars sounds harsh and ungrateful 2 Whether our eloquence bee naturall or acquired how ever wee come by it wee should use it without affectation and ostentation and not pride our selves in wit words or phrases An humble Christian will forbear or change such expressions as he conceives may seem elegant to others and hee feels or fears his own heart would bee puffed up therewith when Eloquence is affected or boasted then it shews swelling vanity in the minds of the speakers and is not pleasing in the ears of the hearers 3 Wee should strive to bee rather solid then florid in our speeches yet we may use elegance therein so that our end and aim bee more to affect the hearts than tickle the ears of our Auditors Eccl. 12.10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words or words of delight such as are apt not only to sinke into the mind like Davids stone into Goliahs forehead but also to pierce to the heart like a dart of delight Good matter cloathed with good phrase procureth acceptation and suavity of elocution produceth efficacy of perswasion Ninth Rule Speak of good things at home in your own families as yee have occasion to inure your selves unto and to get an habit of fruitfull discourse abroad This was Solomons practice therefore the Queen of Sheba said to
him 1 King 18.8 Happy are these thy Servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdome These words which I command thee this day shall bee in thy heart and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way Deut. 6.6.7 when thou liest down and when thou risest up Tenth Rule Let your discourse proceed 1 From good principles as 1 The fear of God and thoughts of his name as it did in the godly in Malachies time Mal. 3.16 2 Love to others souls and care of their good as brethren or fellow members ought to have one for another for speech is the instrument of charity and from desire of imparting some spiritual good to them Rom. 11.11 which was in Paul to the Romans that they might be established 3 From delight in spiritual things for every one will take or make occasion to speak of such things wherein they delight Ps 119.24 so did David Thy testimonies are my delight what then my tongue shall speak of thy word Vers 172 I will speak of thy testimonys before Kings Vers 46 and will not bee ashamed Having finished the rules I proceed to the Reasons why Christians should confer together of the things of God which are five Reas 1. This is part of the Communion of Saints to which God hath promised the blessing Psal 133.3 It is a Gospel duty and a Gospell priviledge yea this is the end of the faculty of speech and of society upon this account two are better than one but woe to him that is alone Eccl. 4.9 10 Christian conference is a loadstone to draw others to us in the truth and wayes of God to love and like and embrace the same for hereby seducers draw many into errors and false wayes to set them in and to keep them in It s difficult for one to go right alone 1 Kin. 11.3 4 It is a warning stone to kindle keep in and increase holy heat warmth of spirituall affections love and zeal one in another It is like Abishag that lay in Davids bosome to keep him warm Christians are like coals which laid together kindle one another and burn but being scattered go out and dye Such a warming stone was Christs discourse to the two Disciples hearts they said one to another did not our hearts burn within us while hee talked with us by the way and while hee opened to us the Scripture Luk. 24.32 If two lye together then they have heat Eccl. 4.11 but how can one be warm alone Christian conference is a whetstone to edge and sharpen one another as Iron sharpneth Iron though both bee blunt to whet one another to love and to good works It is a Sleetstone or a smoothing stone to make the ways of God plain and even smooth and easie to others to whom they appear rough and rugged and to take off the roughnesse that is upon the spirits of them who are not even cast It is a Touchstone for the trial of opinions spirits graces wayes and state of others Hereby It is probable the Angel of the Church of Ephesus tryed them that said Rev. 2.2 they are Apostles and were not and found them lyars and pul'd off their masks and Vizzards Christian discourse is a precious stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stone of grace Prov. 17.8 to communicate spirituall gifts and graces or the vertues of him that hath cal'd us one to another Rom. 1.11 as Paul desired to do to the Romans which prospers whithersoever it turneth whether to instruction reprehension or consolation It is a resting stone for many that come weary and heavy laden under loads of pressures by reason of troubles inward or outward into the company of Christians some or other may lend an helping hand to take off their burdens by Christian conference and give ease to their spirits and send them lightaway even as those that carry burdens find much ease by sitting down on stones in the way and setting their pack or sack thereon It is Eben-ezer a stone of help lastly Christian-conference is a burdensome stone to all the enemies thereof that spite it and oppose it as Satan and his Instruments the wicked seducers and deceivers as God threatned to make Jerusalem Zach. 12.3 to all people that gathered themselves against it and all that burden themselves with it by setting themselves against it shall bee crusht by it Reas 2 Because all sorts of persons conferre about their own matters as Merchants and trades men of their goods and traffick To this end they have exchanges common Halls to meet in and discourse together how to manage their merchandizing with best advantage Hunters will speak of their game souldiers of their marches and ingagings Fellow travellers of their journey business and place whither they are going Country men when they meet will talk of their own Country affairs And shall not Christians who are or should be wise Merchants trading in heavenly Commodities the goodly pearls of grace for eternity speak together of their Merchandizes which is better than that of silver and gold who are Country men that belong to heaven from whence they are begotten and born again where their Fathers house and their inheritance yea their Crown and Kingdome is And fellow-travellers that journey toward Heaven shall not they conferre together of their heavenly Country matters of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of Heaven whither they are a going Phil. 3.20 This is to have our conversation in Heaven for spirituall speech is a fruit of heavenly mindednesse and the language of Canaan And hereby wee declare plainly that wee are strangers on earth and Citizens of Heaven Let mee adde the wicked speak evill one to another familiarly to corrupt good manners carry on wicked designs to draw some to evill and discourage others from good by their evil communications The Devil drives a mighty trade of iniquitie by the tongues as well as by the hands of the wicked who are diligent and constant and unwearied in this service shall the Devills instruments speak evill oft one to another to advance the works and Kingdome of darknesse as they are going toward Hell together and shall Gods servants speak good seldome one to another of God or for God to promote the Kingdome of Christ and salvation of souls Reas 3. Because to this end variety of gifts are given by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 12.7 to 12. who divideth to every one severally as he will for mutuall converse and communication to profit withall As one Country hath some commodities which another Country wants that there might bee mutuall trade and commerce among all that one member may not say to another I have no need of thee not the eye to the hand nor the head to the feet and that the abundance of parts in some 1 Cor. 12.21 2 Cor. 8.14 may
of which have spent whole or the greatest part of chapters upon that subject As that good governour Nehemiah did the thirteenth chapter of his book as a Naerrative of the good deeds hee had done for the house of his God and for the offices thereof which hee intreats the Lord to remember vers 14. against the prophanation of the Sabbath and the marriages with strange wives and the fifth chapter in relating his pitty and bounty to the poor Jews in freeing them from their oppressions vers 1. to 14. and from their charge of provision which they were bound to bring in to their governour vers 14 15. hee forbore his own allowance yet kept hospitality and hee prayes in the close of the chapter Think upon me my God for good according to all that I have done for this people Job makes protestation of his innocency and integrity not only here and there often in his book but the 29. and 31. chapters contain his continued vindication thereof or a catalogue of his good works Paul spends many chapters in declaring what hee had received from God and what hee did and suffered for God and his people as Act. 20. Phil. 3.1 Thes 2.2 Cor. 11. and 12. chapters Quest In what cases is self-commendation allowed to Gods people Ans I shall name eleven First case is of afflictions from God wherein they have professed their faith in God First Case their patience obedience sincerity constancy notwithstanding the same so did Job when hee took his flesh in his teeth and put his life in his hand Though God slay mee saith he yet will I trust in him I will maintain mine own wayes before him and my foot hath held his steps Job 13.14 15. Chap. 23.10.11 12. his way have I kept and not declined neither have I gone back from the commandement of his lips no not when God laid a load of sorrows upon him And the Church in Psal 44.17 18 19 c. All this evil is come upon us from the Lord yet have wee not forgotten thee nor dealt falsly in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back c. And Jeremy when afflicted and humbled under the hand of God As for mee Jer. 17 1â— I have not hasted from being a pastour to follow thee neither have I desired the woefull day thou knowest Vers 17. that which came out of my lips was right before thee bee not a terrour unto mee thou art ray hope in the day of evil The second Case is Second Case Injuries from men in word or deed 1 In word by scoffs or reproaches 2 Sam. 6 2â— as David when Michal mocked him for dancing before the Ark hee justified his Act as done before the Lord out of zeal for his glory joy in him and thankfullness to him Vers 21. and if this make mee vile I will yet bee more vile than thus Or by slanders and false Accusations of our good conversation In this case it may bee needfull to make just Apologies for defence of our innocency and vindication of our good names as Paul did before the people of Jerusalem Act. 22.1 2 c. Act. 21.27 28. when the Jews of Asia cryed out against him that hee taught all men every where against the people and the law and the temple And when hee was brought before the Council in Act. 23.1 men and Brethren saith he I have lived in all good conscience before God untill this day When Tertullus the Oratour accused him before Felix the governour wee have found this man a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition Act. 24.5 6. among all the Jews c. what a large Apologie did Paul then make for his faith Vers 10. to 22. life doctrin and conscience and afterwards before King Agrippa in the 26 of the Acts Thus wee may and ought to plead our cause and defend our innocency to wit the grace of God we have received and the work of God which wee have done when wee are called before Rulers and Governours for Christs sake Mic. 10.18 19 20. when wee are accused to them or examined by them of our faith holinesse or conversation Jacob made an Apologie for his faithfullness in Labans service Gen. 31.36 to 42. when Laban compelled him to commend himself and thereby to defend himself as Job did frequently when his friends charged him wrongfully David did the like to clear his slandered innocency and Paul to vindicate his person office and doctrin from the aspersions and calumniations of his emulous Adversaries the false Apostles whereby they laboured to cast an odium upon him which forced him into a commendation of himself as in the 11. and 12. chapters of the second Epistle to the Corinthians Yea Christ himself did commend himself to defend himself against the Jews which of you convinceth mee of sin saith he Joh. 8.46 48. and when they said to him say wee not well that thou art a Samaritan Vers 49. and hast a Devill Jesus answered I have not a Devil but I honour my Father and yee do dishonour mee 3 In case of Injuries from men in deed wee may protest our innocency to prove wee suffer wrongfully as Daniel did his before King Darius when hee was cast into the Lions den for calling upon his God My God hath sent his Angell and hath shut the Lions mouths that they have not hurt mee Dan. 6.22 for as much as before him innocency was found in mee and also before thee O King have I done no hurt When the Jews took up stones to stone Christ hee pleaded his innocency Joh. 10.31 32. many good works have I shewed you from my Father for which of those works do you stone mee and now yee seek to kill mee a man that hath told the truth Joh. 8.40 which I have heard of God The third Case Third Case wherein it is lawfull to commend our selves is this To shew forth the infinite riches of Gods free grace and mercy to such vile unworthy Creatures as wee are in giving us grace to bee what wee are and inabling us by grace to do what wee do to incourage weak beleevers unto dependence on God for grace and mercy and against despondency notwithstanding all their infirmities and unworthiness Upon this account Paul commended himself before the Corinthians and Timothy and all that read his Epistles to them that hee might commend the great love and kindness of God to him before them all and to propound himself as an example of Gods free and rich mercy to them all I persecuted saith hee to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 15.9 10. the Church of God but by the grace of God I am that I am and I laboured more abundantly than they all that is the rest of the Apostles and to Timothy he saith I was before a Persecuter a Blasphemer 1 Tim. 1 1â— and injurious yea the chief of sinners Vers 15 16 but I
as we can and to grow up in grace and in all things into him that is our head Ephes 4.15 Jesus Christ as in Knowledge Wisdom and Spiritual understanding to bee filled with it Col. 1.9 in faith to increase it 2 Cor. 10.15 in hope to abound in it Rom. 15.13 in love that it may abound yet more and more in us Phil. 1.9 in good works to stand full and compleat in all the will of God Col. 4.12 Heb. 13.21 to bee fruitful in every good work Col. 1.10 always abounding therein 1 Cor. 15.58 To go forward and get as near perfection as near Heaven as we can while we live though we cannot come up to the top of it or attain it fully till we dye Growing in grace is perfecting of holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which denotes a continued act and is done by degrees for we cannot be perfectly holy at once nor in this life Growing in grace is building us up even to heaven Act. 20.32 the Metamorphosing of us into the Image of the Lord from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3.18 that is from one degree of grace to another by the Spirit of Sanctification in us untill wee be perfectly renewed in holinese and righteousness for grace is glory begun and glory is grace perfected In this sence we are exhorted to bee perfect as our father in heaven is perfect that is to strive after perfection and to be merciful as our father is merciful Luk. 6.36 that is Col. 3.12 to put on bowels of mercy kindness c. as the Apostle exhorts and to put forth the acts thereof as God gives us ability and opportunity and to be holy as God himself is holy that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.14 to follow after holiness with an eager pursute and earnest indeavour Mortification-work and Renovation-work both which are perfectionwork in the beginning and proceeding or tendency thereof in this life are gradual works or wrought in us and carried on by degrees and daily and they are still in progress in this life 1 Cor. 15.31 until we attain to the perfection of the life to come This is to dye to sin daily or to put off the Old man more and more Ephes 4.22 to mortifie our earthly members Col. 3.5 to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 to repent of sin resist and strive against sin while wee live though sin cannot be wholly crucified and dead in us and purged out of us nor we bee absolutely freed from it till wee dye for sin cannot bee abolished till body and soul be dissolv'd This is to put on the New man or to bee renewed into the Image of God which is to be done daily in a constant and continued course Ephes 4.23 24. 2 Cor. 4.16 this is a going on unto perfection Heb. 6.1 Pauls example is very pregnant and alluring that wee should not take up Phil 3.12 13 nor acquiese in present attainments I count not my self to have already attained or that I am already perfect but this one thing I do forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before Vers 14. I press towards the mark c. We must shoot at the highest mark as one saith though we take our arrows up short enough daily Baines A Christian at his conversion is like the Moon after the Change at her first appearance how little a part of her is enlightned how much of the old Moon how much Dark still but she grows by degrees to the Full. So he as the Moon receives Light from Christ the Sun of Righteousness but little at first much of the Old man and many dark spots of corruption still remains in him yet is he wexing daily towards the Full though as one saith at the best here wee reach not the first quarter by increase of illumination and sanctification here though he cannot attain to be filled with all the fulness of God to have his whole soul full of the Image of God in knowledge righteousness and holiness all inlightned and all-over pure without any spot or any wrinckle of the Old man till he go into another world where all perfection is alway in its prime and full and where no imperfection or corruption can finde any place no Eclipses interruptions or Diminutions where there is fulness of Grace Peace Joy and Glory in the presence of God for evermore whereof there is so little appearance here that the Apostle tells us It doth not yet appear what wee shall be 1 Joh. 3.2 The sight and sense of our imperfections and serious desires and indeavours after Perfection are counted our Perfection in this life 6 And lastly wee are said to bee perfect here in respect of establishment in good and perseverance in well-doing even to the end The God of all Grace after yee have suffered a while make you perfect prayes Peter what is that strengthen stablish settle you 1 Pet. 5.10 Perseverance is our Perfection All these six wee should seek for for they are kinds of Perfection on earth the Word of God calls them so and they are our way to full and finall yea eternall Perfection in Heaven Obj. 1. Hath not Christ bidden us bee Perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is Perfect Mat. 5.48 therefore wee may bee perfect here for the Gospel injoyns no impossible things Did not Christ pray for all Beleevers that they may bee made perfect in one Joh. 17.23 and doth not the Father hear his Son alway Ans 1 Many things are commanded us to do yea are prayed for for us and promised to us which have their beginning in us in this life but not their fulfilling or full accomplishment till the life to come which we must seek on earth but cannot find to the full till wee come in Heaven Let mee instance in four things scil Sanctification Obedience Vnion and Glorification 1 Sanctification This God commands us on earth 1 Thes 4.3 4. yea to bec holy as God is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 16. This Christ hath prayed for for his people Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy Truth c. This God hath promised in the Covenant of Grace Ezek. 36.25 26 27. yet sanctification for all this is but inchoated in us on earth not perfected till wee come in Heaven The Grace of Christ is like Jacobs Ladder it hath several steps ascending which reach up to Heaven the foot whereof is on earth it is begun in our Regeneration and the top of it in Heaven it is finished in our glorification This might bee exemplified in particular Graces but I will mention knowledge only Wee are commanded to know the Lord and God hath promised All shall know him from the least to the greatest This is begun on earth but not perfect 1 Cor.
cognitio The knowledge of his imperfection is the sole perfection of all Also Tunc justi sumus quando nos peccatores fatemur Then we are righteous when we confess our selves to be sinners Imprimatur Edm. Calamy FINIS The Table or Series of the particulars in this Treatise 1 IN the General part Of the Government of the Tongue which contains three things 1 Preparatives to it 2 Rules for it 3 Reasons of it First Preparatives to the Government of the Tongue which are three p. 2 1 Wisdom required by Reason 1 Of the difficulty of the Task 2 Of the Commodity or Discommodity of the event p. 3 And how this wisdom may be obtained p. 4 2 Resolution p. 5 3 The wel-ordering of the heart p. 6 Required for three Reasons 1 The Heart is the guide of the Tongue p. 6 2 The Heart is the root and treasury of it p. 7 3 Errours in the Tongue proceed from disorders in the heart p. 8 Second thing Rules for Government of the Tongue which are five 1 Rule Consider before you speak p. 9 2 Rule In speech have respect to Five particulars 1 To the Principle from which you speak p. 10 Which should be 1 Reason not passion p. 11 2 Love not malice envie or hatred p. 12 3 Grace as faith zeal Conscience sincerity purity and the fear of God experience not wit or parts only p. 13 2 Have respect to the matter what you speak and therein to two things p. 15 1 To Truth which is two-fold 1 Logical truth to speak as the thing is 2 Moral truth to speak as yee think p. 16 2 To goodness 1 That your speech be good and sound not evil and corrupt p. 19. for three Reasons 1 A man is known by his speech p. 21 2 Evil words corrupt good manners p. 23 3 Gods Law obligeth the tongue as well as the hand to obedience ibid. 2 That it be profitable not vain or idle p. 26 Reas 1. Because vain speech proceeds from a vain mind Reas 2. Men must be countable to God for idle words Reas 3. Vain speech is the language of strange children Reas 4. Idle words are not convenient unbecoming the Saints p. 27 3 Have respect to the manner how yee speak to this end seven Graces of the lips or of speech are commended p. 28 1 Grace of the speech is fitness of speech p. 29 right words are 1. effectual 2. Comely 3. Pleasant p. 30 2 Is fewness of words p. 32 Reas 1. Because words are like money p. 33 Reas 2. In the multitude of words there is 1 Folly 2 Vanity 3 Iniquity p. 34 Reas 3. An open mouth bewrayeth an empty heart p. 36 3 Is meekness and humility p. 36 Reas 1. This makes both the tongue and the words soft Reas 2. Pride in the mouth is a rod to strike others with p. 37. Reas 3 Harshness of speech is an uncomliness p. 38. Reas 4 Meekness was the Grace of Christs lips ibid. 4 Is Modesty in speaking 1 Of filthy actions 2 Of things that are secret p. 39. 3 Of others faults 4 Of our selves and of our own vertues and praises p. 40. 5 Is Reverence 1 To God to speak highly and honourably of him p. 41. 2 To man to give men their due in titles praises and respects p. 42. 6 Is caution to take heed what you say p. 45. 1 Not to give offence to others 2 Not to give others advantage against you 3 So warily as if all were to be written which yee say p. 46. 7 Is Constancy and stedfastness not to say and unsay p. 46. 4 Have respect to the season when you speak p 47. There bee seasons for filence which are eight p. 47 c. And three reasons for keeping silence therein p. 52. There bee also seasons of speech which are four p. 53 And three reasons for speech therein p. 56. 5 Have respect to the end of your speech which should bee 1 Gods glory 2 Others good p. 58 59 The usefulness of the tongue 1 For healing p. 59. 2 For feeding p. 60. 3 Rule Commit your tongues to Gods guidance p. 61. Reas Because God is the tongue-maker and Master to 1 Command it 2 Guide it p. 62. 3 Keep it p. 66. 4 Purge it p. 68. 5 Prosper it p. 70. 4 Rule Observe bewail and amend the errors of your Tongues p. 72. 5 Rule Keep a good and constant correspondence between tongue and hand to do what you say p. 74 75. 5 Reasons for it Cautions first in making vows to God p. 76. secondly In making promises to men p. 78. The third thing is the Reasons of the Government of the Tongue drawn from five heads p. 78. Reas 1 From the difficulty of Tongue-Government because of the unruliness of the tongue set out by six comparisons p. 79 c. Reas 2 From the excellency of the good order and use of the Tongue in five respects p. 82. 1 Of Action p. 82. 2 Commendation p. 84. 3 Of Perfection p. 85. 4 Of Imitation ibid. 5 Of Distinction ibid. Reas 3 From the necessity of Tongue-Government p. 86. In respect 1 Of God that our Tongues may obey him p. 86. 2 Of Religion to adorn it and shew the efficacy of it p. 87. 3 Of our selves and others 1 Of our selves to prevent the evil 1 Of Sin p 89. 2 Of Misery both Here. p. 91. and Hereafter p. 97. 2 The Government of our Tongue is needfull in respect of others for the like prevention 1 Of Sin p. 99. 2 Of Mischief both to places and persons p. 101. The mischief of the Tongue appears 1 By Scripture comparisons of it p. 103. 2 By the Mercy of being delivered from it p. 105. 3 By the final miserie it draws others into p. 106. Reas 4 From the Commodity of the good Government of the Tongue in respect of Our selves and Others p. 107 1 Of our selves to procure us four things 1 Life p. 107. 2 Salvation p. 108. 3 Joy p. 109. 4 Satisfaction p. 109 2 Of others three Benefits redound to them therby 1 Communication of our minds Gifts Graces Experience p. 110 111 2 Salvation both Temporall p. 112 and Eternal 3 Consolation p. 112 Reas 5 From the conveniency of helps afforded us for the Government af the Tongue both Naturall and Spirituall p. 112 II A Table of the Directions in particular cases relating to Speech which are six The first Case is confession of our sins to men 115 Three Directions are given in this duty 1 In what Cases 2 To what Persons 3 From what Principles 1 In what cases wee should confess our faults one to another which are eight p. 116 1 Scandall before Admission into Church-fellowship ibid. or after p. 117 2 Injuries done to others p. 117 3 Scruple about a sin that burdens the conscience p. 118 4 A common Judgement p. 119. Or a particular affliction p. 120 5 Reproof from others p. 121 6 Copartnership in sin p. 122 7 To