The Art of Preferving the Fruits of the Lips,
The Art of Preferving Thedrunkard torteits man, and doth diveft Altworldly right, fave whathehas bybeaſt.
Shall I, to pleaſe another's wine ſprung mind, Loſe all myown ? Godhasgiven me a meaſure
Short of his can, and body; must I find Apain in thatwherein he finds a pleaſure ?
Stay at the third glass; if thou loſe thy hold, Thenthou art modeſt, but the wine grows bold.
Ifreaſonmovenot gallants, quittheroom, (All ina ſhipwreck ſhift their ſev'ral way.)
Let nota common ruin thee intomb :
Benot abeaſt in courteſies; but ſtay, Stay atthethird glaſs, or foregothe place :
Wine, above all things, dothGod's flampdeface.
CAUTION II.
THE fecondevil I ſmalldeal with, istheevil ofthetongue, which, as St James faith, is full of deadly poiſon, caths, curſes, blafphemies ; and this poiſon it ſcatters up and down theworld in all places ; anuntamed member thatnonecan rule,
Jam. iii. 7, 8.
The fierceſt of beasts havebeentamed byman, as the apoſtle there obſerves, which is a relicof his old fuperiority and dominion over them : but this is an unruly member thatnone cantamebut he that made it; no beaſt ſo fierce and crabbed as this is.
It may be, I may be bitten by it for my labourand endeavours to put a reſtraint upon it ; but I ſhall adventure it. Mydeſign is not todiſhonour or exafperate you ; but if my faithfulness toGod and you ſhould accidentallydo fo, I cannot help that.
Friends, Providence oftentimes confines manyof you toge ther within the narrow limits ofa ſhip, where you have time enough, and, if your hearts were ſanctified, many choice ad vantages of edifying one another. O what tranſcendent fubjects doth Providence daily preſentyou with, to take up your diſcourſes !
How many experiences of extraordinary mercies and preſervations haveyou to relate to one another, and bleſs the Lord for ! Alſo, how many works of wonderdo you daily behold, who godown into the deeps ? O what heavenly employment ishere for your tongues! howſhouldthey be talking of all his wonders ? How ſhouldyou callupon each other, as Daviddid, Pfal. lxvi. 16.
Come hither, and I will tell you "whatGod hath done for my foul," at ſuch a time, in fuch an extremity?
How ſhould youcallupon che another topay
the Fruit of the Lips.
" the vows your lips have uttered in yourdiſtreſs ?"
Thus ſhould one provoke anotherin this angelical work, asone lively bird fets the whole flock a chirping.
Buttell me, Sirs, ſhouldaman come aboardyou at fea, and ask of you, as Chriſt did of thoſetwodifciples going toEmmaus, Luke xxiv. 17. " What manner of communication is this thatye have by the way ?" O what a fad accountwouldhe have from moſt of you !
It may be he ſhould find onejefting, and another ſwearing, a third revihng godliness, and the profefforsof it; ſo that it would be a little hell for a ferious Chriſtian tobeconfined to your fociety.
This is not, I am confident, the manner of all.
We have a company of more ſober feamen, and bleſſedbe God forthem; but furely thus ſtands the cate with most of you. Owhat ſtuff is here from perſons profeffing Chriftianity, and borderingcloſe upon theconfinesof eternity, as you do ?
It isnot mypurpoſe to write ofallthe diſeaſes of the tongue; that would fill a volume, and is inconfiftent with myintended brevity. Who can recount the evils of the tongue ? The apo ftlefaith, " It is aworldof iniquity," Jam. iii.6. And if there be a world of fin in one member, who can number the fins of all the members ?
Laurentius reckons as many fins of the tongue, as there are letters inthe alphabet. And it is an obfervable note that onehath uponRom. iii. 13, 14 Thatwhen
Paul anatomizeth the natural man there, he infifteth longer upontheorgans of ſpeech, than all the other members : "Their
" throat is an open ſepulchre, with their tongues theyhave uſed " deceit ; the poiſon of afps is under their lips, their mouth is
** fullof curſing and bitterness."
But, tobe ſhort, we find the SpiritofGod in ſcripture comparing thetongue toatree,Prov. xv. 4. " Awholeſome tongue
" is a tree of life."
And words are the fruit of the tree, Ifa.
Ivii. 12. " I create the fruit of the lips."
Some of theſe nees bear precious fruits, and it is a lovely fight to behold them laden with them in their ſeaſons, Prov. XXV . 11. " A word fits ly ſpoken, is like apples of gold in pictures of filver." Such atongue is a tree of life.
Others of theſe trees bear evil fruit, grapes of Sodom, and cluſters of Gomorrah. I ſhall only in fiftupontwo forts of theſe fruits, viz. (1.) Withered, faplefs fruit; I mean idle and unprofitable words.
(2.) Rotten and corrupt fruit; I mean, prophane oaths, andprophanations of the facred name of God. No fruit in the world fo apt to cor. rupt andtaint, as the fruit of the lips. When it is ſo, the fcripture calls itσατρος λόγος, corrupt or rotten communication,
The Art of Preferving Eph. iv. 29. To prevent this the SpiritofGod preſcribes an excellentway to ſeaſon ourwords, and keep them ſweet and found, that theymay neither wither, nor become idle and fapleſs, or putrity and become rotten, as prophane words are,
Col. iv. 6. " Let your ſpeech be always with grace, ſeaſoned " with falt, that you may know how to anſwer every man."
Oh! if the falt of grace were once caſt intothe fountain, the heart ſtreams muſt needs become more ſavoury and pleaſant, as the waters of Marah when they were healed. My preſent work is to attempt the cure of this double evil of idle words, and prophaneaaths, whereof thousands among you are deeply guilty.
I shall begin with the firſt, viz.
I. IDLE WORDS. That is, uſeleſs chat, unprofitable talk, that is not referred anyway to the glory of God.
This isacommon evil, and little regarded by moſt men ; but yet a fin of ſeverer aggravations thanthe moſt imagine : light words weigh heavy in God's balance.
Arg. 1. For, firſt, The evil of them is exceedingly aggravatedby this: they abuſe and pervert the tongue, that noble member, from that employment and uſe whichGod by the law of creationdeſigned itto, God gave not to man the organs and power of ſpeech (which is his excellency above thebeaſts) to ſerve a paſſion, or vainhumour, to ventthe froth and vanity ofhis ſpirit ; but to extol theCreator, and render him thepraite of all his admirable and glorious works.
For though the creationbe acurious well tuned inſtrument, yet manis the muſicianthat muſt touch it, and make the melody.
This was the endofGod in forming thoſe inſtruments and organs : but now hereby they are fubject to Satan and luft, and employed to the difonour of God that made them. God is pleaſed to fufpend the power of ſpeech (aswe fee in children) until reaſon begins tobud in them : they have not the liberty of one, until they have the use of the other ; which plainly ſhews, thatGod is not willing tohave our words run waſte.
Arg. 2. It is a finful waſtingof our precious time; and that puts a further aggravation upon it.
Confider, firs, the time of life is but a little ſpot betwixt two eternities. The longfuffering God wheels about thoſe glorious celestial bodies over yourheads in a conſtant revolution, tobegettime for you ; and the preciouſneſs of every minute thereof reſults from its uſe and end : itis intended and afforded as a ſpace to you to repent in, Rev. ii. 21.
And therefore great things depend upon it: noleſs than your eternal happiness ormiſeryhangs uponthoſe precious opportunities. Every minute of ithath an influence
the Fruit of the Lips.
intoeternity. How would the damned value one hourof it, if they might enjoy it! The buſineſs you havetodo in it, isof unspeakable weight and concernment: this great work, this foul work, and eternity-work, lies upon your hands ; you are caſt into ſtraits of time about it : and, if ſo, Owhat an evil is it inyou, to waste itawaythus tono purpoſe!
Arg.3. It isa fin that feware ſenſible of, as they are of other ſins, andtherefore the more dangerous.
It is commonly committed, and that without checks of confcience. Other fins, As murder and adultery,thoughtheybe horrid ſins, yet are but feldomcommitted, and when they are, confcience is ſtartled at the horridneſs of them; few, except they be prodigious wretches indeed, dare make light of them.
But now for idle and vain words, there are innumerable ſwarms of theſe every day, and few regard them.
The intercourſe betwixt the heart andtongue isquick; they are quickly committed, and as eaſilyforgotten.
Arg. 4. And then, 4thly, Theyhave mischievous effects upon others. Howlongdoth an idle word, or foolish jeſt, ſtick inmens minds, and become an occafion of much ſin to them ?
The froth and vanity of thy ſpirit, which thy tongue ſo freely vents among thy vaincompanions, may be working in their minds, when thou art in thedust, and ſo be tranfmitted from one to another ; for unto that no more is requiſite than an tjective existence of thoſe vain words in their memories. And thus mayeſt thoube ſinning in the perſons of thycompanions, when thou art turned intoduſt. And this is one reaſon that Suarez gives for a generaljudgment, after men have paffed their particularjudgment immediately after their death, • Becauſe
(faithhe) after this, multitudes of fins by their means will • be committed in theworld, for which they must yetbe judg- ⚫ed to a fuller meaſure of wrath. So that look as manyof the precious ſervants ofGod, nowin glory,have left manyweighty and holy ſayingsbehind them, bywhich manythousands of fouls have been benefited, andGodglorified on earth, after they had left it: ſo thou leaveſt that vanity upon the mind of others behind thee, by which he may be diſhonoured to manygenerations.
And then, II. For PROPHANE OATHS, the corrupt fruit of a graceleſs heart; oh ! how common are theſe among you ?
Yea, the habit of ſwearingis ſoſtrengthened infame, that theyhave loft all fenſe and confcience of the fin. Now, oh ! that I might prevail with you to repent of this wickedness, and break the forceof thiscuſtomary evil among you ! willyou but give me
The Art of Preferving the reading of a fewpages more, andweighwith thereaſon of men, whatyou read ? Ifyou will nothearkentocounſel, it isa fatal fign, 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16. and you ſhall mourn for this obſtinacy hereafter, Prov. v. 12, 13.
Deſperate is that evil that ſcorns the remedy. And if you have patience to read it, the Lord giveyou an heart to confider what you read, and obey the counſels of God; or elſe it were better thine eyes had never ſeen theſe lines.
Well, then, I beſeech you confider,.
Arg. 1. That prophane oaths are anhigh abuſe ofthedreadful and facred name of God, which ſhould neitherbe ſpoken or thought of without the deepeſt awe and reverence. Itis the takingof that facredname invain, Exod. xx. 7. NowGod is exceeding tender and jealous over his name; itis dear to him; his name is dreadful andglorious; Mal. i. 14. " Iam a great
"king, andmyname isdreadful among the heathen ."
The heathens would not ordinarily mention the names of ſuch as they reverenced.
Suetonius faith, that Auguſtus prohibited thecommon useof his name he thought it an indignity to havehis name toffed upand down in every one's mouth .
Yea, fays Dr Willet on Exod. xx. itwasauſe among them to keep fecret fuch names as theywouldhave in reverence. Theydurft notmentionthe name of Demogorgon, whom theyheld tobe the firſt God: they thought when he was named, the earth would tremble.
Alſo the name of Mercurius Treſinegillus, was very fparingly uſed, becauſe of that reverencethe people had forhim.
Now confider, ſhall poor worms be ſo tender of preferving thereverence of their names !
Shall not heathens dare to uſe the names of their idols; and hall the ſacred and dreadful name of the trueGod be thus bandied up anddown by tonguesof hisown creatures ?
Will not God be avenged fortheſe abuſes of his name ?
Be confident, it ſhall oneday be fanctified uponyou in judgment, becauſeyedidnotfanctify it according to yourduty.
Arg. 2. Swearing is a part of the worship of God; and therefore profane ſwearing can be no less than the profanation
-of his worſhip, and robbing him of all the glory he has there by ; Deut vi . 13.
Thou shalt fear the Lord thyGod, and " ferve him, and ſhalt ſwear by his name."
So Jer. iv. 2.
" Thou shalt ſwear the Lord liveth in truth, in judgment, " and in righteouſneſs."
If a man ſwear byGod after this manner, God is exceedingly glorified thereby. Now, that you
mayfee what revenue of gloryGod hath from this part of his worthip, and how it becomes a part of divine worſhip you must know then, an oath is nothing else, but the asking or
the Fruits of the Lips.
defiringa divine teftimony, for the confirmation ofthe truth of our testimony : Heb. vi. 16. " Formen verily ſwear by the " greater; and an oath for [confirmation] is tothem an end
" of all strife." The corruption ofhumannature by the fall, has mademanſuch a falſe and fickle creature, that his fingle teftimony cannotbe fufficient ſecurity for another, eſpecially in weighty cafes, to reſt upon; andtherefore in ſwearing, he callethGod for a witness ofthe truth of that he affirms, or promiſeth: I ſay, callethGod to be a witneſs ofthe truth of what he faith, becausehe is truth itſelf, and cannot lie, Heb. vi. 18. Nowthis callingfor, or aſking ofatestimony fromGod, makes anoath become a part of God's worship, andgives him agreatdeal ofgloryand honour; forherebyhethat ſweareth, acknowledgeth his omnifciency, and infallible truth and righteousness. His omnifciency is acknowledged: forby this appeal tohim, we imply andacknowledge him to be the fearcher of the heart and reins; that he knows the ſecret intents and meaning ofour ſpirits. His fupreme and infallible truth is alſo acknowledged; for this is manifeſtlycarriedin an oath, that though Iam a falſe and deceitful creature, andmy affirmation cannotobtainuniverſal andfull credence,yet he that isgreater than I,bywhoſe name Iſwear, cannot deceive. And, laſtly, hisrighteousness is acknowledged inanoath: forhethat fwearethdoth, either exprefsty or implicitly, put himselfunder the curſeandwrathofGod, ifheſwear falfely. Everyoath hathan execration or imprecation in it, Neh. x. 29. "They entered
"intoa curſe, andanoath, towalkin God's law." And ſo2Cor. i. 23. " I callGod for a recordupon myfoul." Andthe uſual form in theOld Testamentwas, "The Lord do ſoto me, and ** more alſo." Now herebyGod hath the gloryofhis righteoufnefs andjustice givenhim by the creature, and therefore it isachoice partofthe divineworship, orof that homagewhich acreature oweth to his Cod. And ifthis be ſo, thenhow eafilymay the fin of raſh andprofane oaths be hence argued andaggravated ? The more excellent any thing is by an inftie tution ofGod, by fo much more horrid and abominable is the abuse thereof. O how often is the dreadful majesty ofheaven and earth called to witneſs to frivolous things ! and oft to be a witneſs ofour rage and fury ! as 1 Sam. xiv. 39. Is ita light thing to robhim ofhis peculiarglory, and ſubject poor fouls to his curſe and wrath, who has faid, " He will be a ſwift
"witneſs againstyou?" Mal. iii. 5. Yourtonguesare nimble VOL. VI.
TheArt of Preferving incommiting this fin, and God willbe ſwift inpunishing of it.
Arg.3. ItisafinwhichGodhath ſeverelythreatened to punish, and thatwith temporal and corporalplagues : "Forby
" reaſon ofoaths,theland mourns," Hof. iv. 2, 3. That is, itbrings theheavyjudgment ofGod uponwholenations,under whichthey ſhallmourn. And in Zech. v. 2, 3, 4. You have there a roll of curses, (i. e.) a catalogue ofjudgments andwoes, the length thereof twenty cubits, (i. e. ten yards), to fet out the multitude of woes contained in it: it is along catalogue, and aflying roll, to denote theswiftness ofit : it flies towards the houſe ofthe ſwearer ; it makes haste.
The judgments thatare writteninitlinger not, but areeven inpain to be delivered. And this flying roll, full ofdreadfulwoes, flies and enters into thehouſe oftheſwearer; and itfballtherein remain, faiththe Lord; it ſhallcleaveto his family ; none ſhall claw off theſe woes from him : and it ſhall confumethe simberthereof, andthe stones thereof, (i. e.)bring utter fubverfion, ruin, and defolationto his houſe. Odreadful fin! what a defolationdoth itmake ! yourmouths are fullofoaths, and your houſes ſhallbe full ofcurſes. Woe to that wretched family, intowhich this flyingroll ſhallenter ! Woe, I ſay, to thewretched inhabitants thereof ! " The curſe of the Lord,
" (faith Solomon) is in the houſe ofthe wicked ; butheblef- " ſeth the [habitation] ofthejuſt," Prov. iii. 33. Tuguriolum
(i. e.) faith Mercer, his poorlittle tenementor cottage.
There is ableffing, the promises,like clouds ofbleſſing,dwell overit, anddrop mercies on it; buta curſe inthehouſe of the wicked.
Ah! how many statelymanſions are there, inwhich-littleother language but oaths and curſes are heard ! and theſe areas fo much gun-powder laid under the foundationofthem, which,whenjuſtice ſhall fet fire to, Owhatworkwill itmake! woe to the inhabitants thereof! well then, break off this fin byrepentance, unless you intend to ruinyour families, and bring all the curfes of God into your houſes: Ifyouhave no pity for yourſelves, yet pity your pofterity ; have mercy for yourwives andchildren; do not ruin allfor the indulgence of a luft.
Arg. 4.But that is not all; itbrings foul-judgments and ſpiritual plagues uponyou : it brings hellalong with it. And if thou be not afraidto fin, yet, methinks, thou ſhouldſt be afraid to burn : ifthe love ofGodcanwork nothing upon thy brawny heart, yet, methinks, the terrors of the Lord ſhould ſtartle and affright it. To this purpoſe, Ibeſeech you weigh
the Fruits of the Lips.
theſe ſcriptures ; and, methinks, unleſs God hath lost all his authority with you, andhell all its terrors, it ſhould ſtartleyou.
The firſtis that dre dreadful ſcripture, James v. 12. " But above " all things, mybrethren,ſwear not ; neither byheaven, nei- " therby the earth, neitherby anyotheroath ; but let your
" yea, be yea ; andyour nay, nay; leſt ye fall into [condem- " nation."] O view this textſeriouſly ! methinks it ſhould be like the fingers that came forth and wrote upon the wall that dreadfulfentence that changed the countenance of a king, and thatin theheight of a frolichumour, and made his knees
T ſmite together.
Mark, [above allthings], aform ofvehemencyandearneſtneſs, like that, Eph. vi. 16. " But above all, tak- "ing the ſhield of faith." As faith hath a prelation therebeforeall thegraces, ſo ſwearing here before all other vices.
[Swear not], (i. e.) vainly, rafhly, profanely : forotherwise it isalawfulthing, andapartofGod's worship, as I have ſhewed: butſwearnot vain oaths, by the creatures, heaven, or earth, c. Which is to advance the creature into the room ofGod: a fin towhich theJews were much addicted.
But, " Let your " yea, be yea ; and your nay, nay;" (i. e.) accuſtom yourſelves to ſhort and plain affirmations andnegations, toa ſimple and candid expreſſion ofyour minds. Andthe thundering argument that backs it, is this, [leftye fall into condemnation];
(i. e.) left fortheſe things the Judge ofheaven and earth paſs a ſentence ofcondemnation tohell upon you. O, firs! dare you touch with this hot iron ? dare you from henceforward commit that fin, that you know will bring you under the condemnation and judgment ofGod ? Do you know what it is for afoul tobe caſt atGod's bar? didyou never fee a poor malefactor tried at the affizes, and obſerve how his face gathers paleneſs, howhis legs tremble, anddeathdiſplays its colours inhis cheeks, whenſentence isgiven uponhim ? But what is thattoGod's condemnation? What isagallows tohell? Another text I wouldcommend to your confideration is that,
Exod. xx. 7. "The Lord will not hold him guiltleſs that " taketh his name invain;" where vain oaths are eſpecially included. Now,whatdothGodmean,when he faith, he will not hold him guiltleſs ? The meaning is plain, his fins ſhall bereckoned and imputedto him ; they ſhall lie uponhis foul ; he ſhall be bound over to answer to God for them.
O terrible ſentence ! whatfoul canbear it, or ſtandbefore it ! " Blef- " fed is the man (faith David) towhom the Lord imputeth
" notiniquity:" Surelythen, curſed is thatmantowhomGod Xx 2 :
The Art of Preferving will imputethem and tothe ſwearer they ſhallallbe imputed, ifhe breaknot offhisfinbyrepentance, and get a Chrift the fooner. O ! how darest thou think of going before the Lordwith the guiltofallthy fins upon thee? When Chrift would adminifter the very ſpirit ofjoyinto oneſentence toa poor finner,Matth. ix. 2. Hefaid," Son,be ofgood cheer, thy
" fins be forgiven." AndwhenGodwouldcontract the ſum ofall miſery intooneword,he faith, " His fins ſhall liedown
" with him in the dust," Jobxx. 11. Ah, foul! one oftheſe days thou shaltbe laidonthydeath-bed, orfeethewaves, that ſhall entomb thee, leaping and roaringupon every fide; and then thou wilt ſurelyhave other thoughts ofthehappineſs that lies in remiſſion offin than thou haftnow.
Obſervethe moſt incorrigible finnerthen; hark,how he fighs, and groans, and cries,Ah,Lord! and must I die ? Andthen ſeehow the tears trickledown his cheeks, and his heart ready to burſt within him. Why, what isthe matter ? Oh! the Lordwillnotpar donhim, he holds him guilty ! Ifhe were fure his fins were forgiven, thenhe coulddie: but, oh! to appear before the Lord in them, appals him, daunts him, kills the veryheart ofhim! he would faincry for mercy,but conſcience ſtopshis mouth . O, faith confcience, how canst thou movethat tongue toGodinprayer for mercy, thathath ſo often rent and torn his glorious name, by oaths and curſes ? Sirs, I pray you do not make light of these things ; they will look wiſhly upon you one of theſe days, except ye prevent it by foundconver fion.
Arg. 5.Andthen, laſtly, to name no more, Ipray you con fider, that a cuſtom of vain words, and profane oaths, is as plain an indication and discovery of an unregenerate foul, as anyintheworld: this is afure ſign thou art none ofChrift's, nor haft any thing todo with the promises and privileges of his people; forby this the Scripture diftinguiſhedthe ſtateof faints and finners, Eccl. ix. 2. " There isone event to the " righteous, and tothewicked;totheclean and tothe unclean;
" to him that ſacrificeth, and tohim that facrificeth not : as " is the good, ſo is the finner ; andhe that ſweareth, as " he that feareth an oath ."
Mark, he that ſweareth, and he that feareth anoath,do as manifeſtly diftinguiſh the childrenof
Godfrom wicked men, as cleanand unclean,righteous and wicked, facrificing and not facrificing.
This fruit of the tongue plainly ſhews what the tree is that bears it ; Ifa. ii.
6. "The vile perſon will speak ofvillany; and out ofthe a If bundance ofthe heart the mouth ſpeaks." Loquere, ut vi
the Fruits of the Lips.
deam, ſaid one ; Speak, that I may fee whatyou are.
Look what is inthe heast,that isventedbythe tongue; where the treafuresofgrace areintheheart,words miniſtringgracewillbe in the lips ; Pfalm xxxvii. 30. " The mouth ofthe righteous
" ſpeaketh wifdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment; " for the law ofthe Lord is in his heart."
To this ſenſewe muſt understand that Scripture, Matth. xii. 37. " By thy "wordsthou ſhaltbejustified, andby thy words thou shalt
"be condemned."
Certainly, juftification and condemnation,inthedayofjudgment, ſhall not paſs upon us merely for the good orbad words we have ſpoken; but according tothe ſtate oftheperfon, and frame ofthe heart. But themeaning is,thatourwords thalljustifyor condemnus in thatday,as evidence ofthe ſtate and frame of the foul. We use to fay, fuchwitneſſes hangeda man ; the meaning is, the evidence theygavecast and condemned him. Othink ſeriously ofthis ; ifwords evidence the ſtate ofthe foul, what a woeful ſtate muſtthyfoul needs be in,whoſe mouth overflows with caths and curſes ! How manywitneſſes will be brought in, to caſt thee inthe great day ? " Yourown tongue ſhall then fall up- " onyou," as the expreffion is, Pfal. lxiv. 8. And out ofyour ownmouthGod will fetch abundant evidence to condemn you. Andthus Ihaveopened untoyouthe evil ofvainwords, and profane caths ; and preſented to your view their ſeveral aggravations.
If by theſe things there be arelentingpang upon thine heart, and a ferious resolutionof reformation, then I shall commend theſe few helps or means to thy peruſal, and conclude this head. And the firſt help is this.
Help 1. Serioufly fix inthy thoughts that Scripture, Matth. xii. 36. " But Isay unto you, that every idle word that men
" ſhallſpeak, they ſhall give an account thereofin the day of " judgment." Olet it foundinthine ears dayandnight! O ponderthem inthy heart ! [Ifay untoyou] Ithat have always been inthe Father's boſom, anddo fullyknow his mind, that Iam conftitutedthe Judge ofquick anddead, and dofullyunderſtand the rule ofjudgment, andthe whole proceſs thereof,
I ſay, and do aſſure you, that [every idle word that menshall Speak], (i. e.) every word that hath nota tendency and reference to the glory ofGod, though there be no other obliquity ofevil inthem than this, that they want a good end : how much more then, ſcurrilous words, bloody oaths, and blafphemies ? [Menfhallgive an account thereof;] that is, ſhall be caft and condemned to fuffer the wrath ofGodfor them ; as ap-
The Art of Preferving. pears by that parallel Scripture, 1 Pet. iv. 4, 5. For as the learned obſerve, there is plainly ametalepsis in theſewords: the antecedent, togive an account, is put forthe confequent,puniſhment, and condemnationtohell-fire ; the certainty whereofadmitsbutofthisone exception,viz. intervenientrepentance, or pardon obtained through the blood ofChriſt here, before youbepreſentedatthatjudgment-feat. O then,whatabridle ſhould this text be to thy extravagant tongue ! I remember
Hierom was wont to ſay, Whether I eat or drink, or what ◄ever I do, methinks I still hear the found of theſewords in •mine ear,Arife,yedead,and cometojudgment.' O that the foundoftheſe wordsmaybe always in your ears !
Help 2. Confiderbeforeyou ſpeak, and be not raſh toutter words without knowledge. He that speaks what he thinks not,ſpeaks hypocritically ; andhe that thinks notwhat to ſpeak, ſpeaks inconfiderately.
Youhave cauſe toweigh your words beforeyou deliver thembyyourtongue; for whetheryou do, ordonot, the Lord pondereththein: records are keptofthem, elſeyoucouldnot be calledto an account for them, as I ſhewedyou, you must.
"Set Help 3. Reſign upyour tongueto Godeveryday, andbeg him to guide and keep it. Sodid David, Pfal, cxli. 3 .
" awatch, O Lord,before my mouth, andkeepthou thedoor " ofmy lips." Beghim to keep you from provocations and temptations ; or, if you fall into them, intreat him for ſtrength to rule your ſpirits inthem, thatyou may notbeconqueredby temptations.
Help4. But above all, labourtogetyourſoulscleanſedand purifiedby faith, poſſeſſedwith ſaving andgraciousprinciples : allothermeans willbe ineffectual without this. Oſee the vileneſs ofthy nature, and the neceffity of a change to paſs upon it! Firſt make the tree good, andthen his fruitgood : a new nature will produce new words and actions.
To bind your fouls with vows and reſolutions, while you are ſtrangers to aregenerate work, is tobind Sampſonwithgreen withs, whillt his locksremainuponhis head. Iwill shut up this with the advice of that divine poet, Mr.George Herbert; it may be, it may affect thee,and run inthy thoughts when thou art alone.
Take not his name,who made thy mouth, invain ; Itgetsthee nothing, andhath no excuſe.
Luftand wineplead a pleaſure ; avaricegain :
But the cheap ſwearer, through his open fluice,