much in, light buffooneries and foolish jestings, but the greatest part of those discourses which men account the blameless entertainments one of another, come within the compass of this evil, frothy unsavoury stuff, tending to no purpose nor good at all; effectless words, [y] as our Saviour speaks', of which we must render account in the day of judgment, for that very reason. They are in this world of evil in the tongue, if no other way ill, yet ill they are, as the Arabian deserts and barren sands, because they are fruitless. 4. Doubleness and guile, so great a part, that it is here particularly named a part, though the evil of it is less known and discerned; and so there is in it, as I may say, much terra incognita: yet it is of a very large compass, we may confidently say, as large as all the other three together. What of mens speech is not manifestly evil in any of the other kinds is the most of it naught this way: speech good to appearance, plausible and fair, but not upright; not silver, but silver dross, as Solomon calls it, burning lips, &c". Each almost, some way or other, speaking falshood and deceit to his neighbour, and daring to act this faculty with God in his services, and our protestations of obedience to him. Religious speeches are abused by some in hypocrisy, as holy vestments, for a mask or disguise, doing nothing but compassing him about with lies, as he complains of Ephraim", deceiving indeed ourselves, while we think to deceive him who cannot be deceived, and will not be mocked. He saw through the disguises and hypocrisy of his own people, when they came to enquire at him, and yet still entertained their heart-idols, as he tells the prophet?. The sins of each of us, would we enter into a strict account of ourselves, would be found to arise to a great sum in this kind; and they that do put themselves upon the work of self-trial, find, `no doubt, abundant matter of deepest humbling, though Matth. xii. 36. m Prov. xxvi. 23. n Hos. xi. 12. P Ezek. xiv. 3. they had no more, even in the sin of their lips, and are by it often astonished at the Lords's patience, considering his holiness; as Isaiah cried out, having seen the Lord in a glorious vision, this in particular falls upon his thoughts concerning himself and the people, polluted lips, woe is me, &c. And indeed it is a thing the godly mind cannot be satisfied with, to make mention of the Lord, till they be touched with a coal from the heavenly fire of the altar, and they especially that are called to be the Lord's messengers, will say as St. Bernard, "Had "the prophet need of a coal to unpollute his lips, "then do ministers require totum globum igneum, "a whole globe of fire." Go through the land, and see if the sins of this kind will not take up much of the bill against us, which the Lord seems now to have taken into his hands and to be reading, and about to take order with it, because we will not. Would we set ourselves to read it, he would let it fall. Is it not because of oaths that the land mourns, or I am sure hath now high cause to mourn? Mockings at the power of godliness fly thick in most congregations and societies. And what is there to be found almost but mutual detractions and supplantings of the good name of another, and tongues taught to lies, and that frame, or sow, and weave together deceits, as it is in Psal. I. 19. And even the godly, as they may be subject to other sins, so may they be under some degree of this: and too many are very much subject, by reason of their unwatchfulness and not staying themselves in this point, though not to profane, yet to vain, and it may be to detractive speeches; sometimes possibly not with malicious intention, but out of an inadvertence of this evil, readier to stick on the failings of men, and it may be of other christians, than to consider, and commend, and follow what is laudable in them, and it may be in their best discourses, not endeavouring to have hearts, in a becoming manner, purged from all guile and self-ends. Oh! a Isa. vi. 5. Jer. ix. 4, 5. it is a thing needs much diligent study, and is worth it all, to be thoroughly sincere and unfeigned in all, and particularly in those things. Our Saviour's innocence is exprest so, In his mouth was found no guile, chap. ii. of this Epist. v. 22. But to add something for remedy of those evils in some part discovered; for to vanquish the world of evils is a great conquest. 1. It must begin at the heart, otherwise it will be but a mountebank cure, a false imagined conquest. The weights and wheels are there, and the clock strikes according to their motion. Even he that speaks contrary to what is within him, guilefully contrary to his inward conviction and knowledge, yet speaks conformably to what is within him, in the temper and frame of his heart, which is double, a heart and a heart, as the Psalmist hath it. A guileful heart makes guileful tongue and lips. It is the work-house, where is the forge of deceits and slanders, and other evil speakings; and the tongue is only the outer shop where they are vended, and the lips the door of it; so then such ware as is made within, such and no other can be set out. From evil thoughts, evil speakings; from a profane heart, profane words; and from a malicious heart, bitter or calumnious words; and from a decitful heart, guileful words, well varnished, but lined with rottenness. And so in the general, from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, as our Saviour teaches. That which the heart is full of, runs over by the tongue: if the heart be full of God, the tongue will delight to speak of him; much of heavenly things within will sweetly breathe forth something of their smell by the mouth; and if nothing but earth is there, all that man's discourse will have an earthly smell; and if nothing but wind, vanity, and folly, the speech will be airy, and vain, and purposeless. Compare Psal. xxxvii. 30, 31. Psal. xl. 8, 9. Thy law, says David, is in my heart, or, as the Hebrew phrase is, in the midst of my bowels; d Psal. xii. 2. e Matt. xii. 34. and that as from the center, sends forth the lines and rays of suitable words, and I will not, cannot refrain, as there it is added, I have preached righteousness, I have not refrained; so no more can the evil heart refrain the tongue from evil, as here is directed. The tongue of the righteous, says Solomon, is as fined silver, but the heart of the wicked is little worth. It makes the antithesis in the root; his heart is little worth, and therefore his tongue has no silver in it: he may be worth thousands, (as we speak) that is indeed in his chests or lands, and yet himself, his heart, and all the thoughts of it, not worth a penny. If thou art inured to oaths or cursing, in any kind or fashion of it, taking the great name of God any ways in vain, do not favour thyself in it as a small offence to excuse it by custom, is to wash thyself with ink and to accuse thyself deeper that thou art long practised in that sin. But if thou wouldst indeed be delivered from it, think not that a slight dislike of it, (when reproved) will do: seek for a due knowledge of the majesty of God, and thence a deep reverence of him in thy heart; and that will certainly help that habituated evil of thy tongue. It will quite alter that bias that the custom thou speakest of hath given it; will cast it in a new mould, and teach it a new language; will turn thy regardless abuse of that name, by vain oaths and asseverations, into a holy frequent use of it in prayers and praises. Thou wilt not then dare to dishonour that blessed name, that saints and angels bless and adore; but will set in with them to bless it. None that know the weight of it, will dally with it, and lightly lift it up (as that word of taking in vain in the command signifies) they that do continue to lift it up in vain, as it were, to sport themselves with it, will find the weight of it falling back upon them, and crushing them to pieces. In like manner a purified heart will unteach the tongue all filthy impure speeches, and will give it f Prov. x. 20. 463 a holy strain; and the spirit of charity, and humility, will banish that mischievous humour, that sits so deep in the most, of reproaching and disgracing others in any kind, either openly or secretly. For it is wicked self-love, and pride of heart, whence those do spring, searching and disclosing the failings of others, on which love will rather cast a mantle to hide them. It is an argument of a candid ingenuous mind, to delight in the good name and commendation of others; to pass by their defects, and take notice of their virtues; and to speak and hear of those willingly, and not endure either to speak or hear of the other; for in this indeed you may be little less guilty than the evil speaker, in taking pleasure in it, though you speak it not. And this is a piece of men's natural perverseness, to drink in tales and calumnies; and he that doth this will readily from the delight he hath in hearing slide insensibly into the humour of evil-speaking. It is strange how the most dispense with themselves in this point, and that in no societies almost shall we find a hatred of this ill, but rather some tokens of taking pleasure in it; and until a christian set himself to an inward watchfulness over his heart, not suffering in it any thought that is uncharitable, or vain self-esteem, upon the sight of others frailties, he will still be subject to somewhat of this, in the tongue or ear at least. For the evil of guile in the tongue, a sincere heart, truth in the inward parts, powerfully redresses, therefore it is expressed, that speaketh the truth from his heart, and it is added, backbiteth not with his tongue, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. Thence it flows, seek much after this, to speak nothing with God, nor men, but what is the sense of a single unfeigned heart. O sweet truth! excellent but rare sincerity! he that loves that truth within alone can work it there; seek it of him. 8 Obtrectatio & livor primis auribus accipiuntur. h |