Page images
PDF
EPUB

say little to others, and much to yourselves.' You have two ears and one tongue: hear twice and speak once: we oftener repent of speaking than of being silent. Few words are quickly answered for. To be wary and sparing of your speech doth not only avoid abundance of contention, danger, and repentance, but also procureth you a reputation of wisdom, Plutarch saith well, that Pauca loquentibus

[ocr errors]

'There needs but few laws for

When one said to the
If thou art a wise man,

[ocr errors]

paucis legibus opus est:' them that speak but few words.' Cynic, when he was much silent, thou dost foolishly; if thou be a fool thou dost wisely.' He answered, Nemo stultus tacere potest:'A fool cannot hold his tongue:' and he that cannot hold his tongue cannot hold his peace. Pythagoras's counsel in this agreeth with Christ's, Aut sile, aut affer silentio meliora :' Either be silent, or say something that is better than silence.' It was a wise answer of him that being asked whom covetous landlords, and whom covetous lawyers hated most;' did answer to the first, 'Those that eat little and sweat much :' (for they usually live long, and so their leases are not soon expired :) and to the second, Those that speak little and love much:' for such seldom make any work for lawyers. Two things are requisite in the matter of your speech; that it be somewhat needful to be spoken, and that it be a thing which you understand. Till then be silent.

[ocr errors]

Direct. vii, Take heed of hasty rashness in your speech; and use deliberation, especially in great or in doubtful things. Think before you speak: it is better to try your words before you speak them than after; a preventing trial is better than a repenting trial; but if both be omitted, God will try them to your greater cost. I know, in matters that are throughly understood, a wise man can speak without any further premeditation, than the immediate actuating of the knowledge which he doth express; but when there is any fear of misunderstanding, or a disability to speak fitly and safely without forethoughts, there hasty speaking without deliberation (especially in weighty things) must be avoided: "Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him." Especially take

h Noli cito loqui, est enim insaniæ indicium. Bias in Diog. Laert. lib. ii. sect. 87. p. 54. i Prov. xxix. 20.

heed in speaking either to God in prayer, or in the name of God, or as from God in preaching or exhortation, or about the holy matters of God in any of thy discourse; "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to offer the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil*:" that is, watch thyself in public worship, and be more forward to learn of God and to obey him, as sensible of thy ignorance and subject to his will, than to offer him thy sacrifice (as if he stood in need of thee) while thou neglectest or rejectest his commands. "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through multitude of business, and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words:" that is, come to God as an obedient learner and a receiver, and not as a giver and therefore be readier to hear what he hath to command thee, than to pour out many words before him, as if he would accept and hear thee for thy babbling. If loquacity and forwardness to talk many undigested words be a sign of folly among men, how much more when thou speakest to God that is in heaven?

[ocr errors]

Direct. VIII. Keep a holy government over all your passions (as aforesaid) and especially try all those words with suspicion which any passion urgeth you to vent.' For passion is so apt to blind the judgment, that even holy passions themselves must be warily managed, and feared, as you carry fire among straw or other combustible matter. As "grievous words stir up anger ";" so anger causeth grievous words. "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools"." To govern the tongue when you are in any passion (either love, or fear, or grief, or anger) is like the governing of a ship in storms and tempests, or the managing of a horse that is fierce and heated. "The fool rageth and is confident: he that is soon angry dealeth foolishly "." "It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious, angry woman "." "An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

in transgression "." There is no ruling the tongue if you cannot rule the passions: therefore it is good counsel, "Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go; lest thou learn his way, and get a snare to thy soul'."

Direct. ix. Foresee your opportunities of profitable discourse, and your temptations to evil speeches.' For we are seldom throughly prepared for sudden, unexpected accidents. Consider when you go forth, what company you are like to fall into, and what good you are like to be called to, or what evil you are most likely to be tempted to: especially consider the ordinary stated duties and temptations of your daily company and converse.

[ocr errors]

Direct. x. Accordingly (besides your aforesaid general preparations) be prepared particularly for those duties and those temptations: carry still about with you some special preservatives against those particular sins of speech which you are most in danger of; and some special provisions and helps to those duties of speech which you may be called

As a surgeon will carry about with him his instruments and salves which he is like to have use for, among the persons that he hath to do with. And as a traveller will carry such necessaries still with him, as in his travels he cannot be without. If you are to converse with angry men, be still furnished with patience and firm resolutions to "give place to wrath." If you are to converse with ignorant, ungodly men, go furnished with powerful, convincing reasons, to humble them and change their minds. If you are to go amongst the cavilling or scorning enemies of holiness, go furnished with well digested arguments for the defence of that which they are most likely to oppose, that you may shame and stop the mouths of such gainsayers. This must be done by "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Therefore be well acquainted with the Scripture, and with particular plain texts for each particular use: by them the "man of God is complete, throughly furnished to every good work "."

[ocr errors]

Direct. x1. Continually walk as in the presence of God, and as under his government and law, and as those that are

9 Prov. xxix. 22. Ephes. vi. 17.

r Prov. xxii. 24.

u 2 Tim. iii. 17.

Rom. xii. 19.

passing on to judgment. Ask yourselves, whatever you say: 1. Whether it be fit for God to hear? 2. Whether it be agreeable to his holy law? 3. Whether it be such speech as you would hear of at the day of judgment? If it be speech unmeet for the hearing of a grave and reverend man, will you speak it before God? Will you speak wantonly, or filthily, or foolishly, or maliciously, when God forbiddeth it, and when he is present and heareth every word, and when you must certainly give account to him of all?

Direct. XII. Pray every morning to God for preservation from the sins of speech that you are liable to that day.' Commit the custody of your tongues to him; not so as to think yourselves discharged of it, but so as to implore and trust his grace. Pray as David," Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips; incline not my heart to any evil thing: and that the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart, may be acceptable to him "."

Direct. XIII. Make it part of your continual work to watch your tongues.' Carelessness and negligence will not serve turn in so difficult a work of government. James telleth you that to tame and rule the tongue, is harder than to tame and rule wild beasts, and birds, and serpents: and as the ruling of a horse by the bridle, and of a ship that is driven by fierce winds: and that the "tongue is an unruly evil: and that he that offendeth not in word is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body"." Make it therefore your study and work, and watch it continually.

Direct. xiv. Call your tongues daily to account, and ask yourselves, what evil you have spoken, and what good you have omitted every day; and be humbled before God in the penitent confession of the sin which you discover, and renew your resolution for a stricter watch for the time to come.' If your servant be every day faulty, and never hear of it, he will take it as no fault, and be little careful to amend: nay, you will remember your very ox of his fault when he goeth out of the furrow by a prick or stroke, and your horse when he is faulty by a spur or rod. And do you think if you let yourselves, even your tongues, be faulty every day and never tell them of it, or call them to account,

* Psal. cxxxix. 4.

Psal. cxli. 5, 4. xix. 11.

* James iii.

that they are ever like to be reformed, and not grow careless and accustomed to the sin? Your first care must be for preventing the sin, and doing the duty; saying, as David, "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me: I was dumb with silence, I held my peace." "My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long." My tongue shall speak of thy word c." "My tongue is as the pen of a ready writer." But your next care must be to repent of the faults which you commit, and to judge yourselves for them and reform: remembering that "there is not a word in your tongues, but is altogether known to God."

66

Direct. xv. Make use of a faithful monitor or reprover.' We are apt, through custom and partiality, to overlook the faults of our own speech. A friend is here exceeding useful. Desire your friend therefore to watch over you in this: and amend what he telleth you of: and be not so foolish as to take part with your fault against your friend.

Tit. 2. Special Directions against profane Swearing, and using God's name unreverently and in vain.

I. To swear is an affirming or denying of a thing, with an appeal to some other thing or person, as a witness of the truth or avenger of the untruth, who is not producible as witness or judge in human courts. An affirmation or negation is the matter of an oath: the peculiar appellation is the form. It is not every appeal or attestation that maketh an oath'. To appeal to such a witness as is credible and may be produced in the court, from a partial, incredible witness, is no oath. To appeal from an incompetent judge or an inferior court, to a competent judge or higher court, is no swearing. To say, I take the king for my witness,' or 'I appeal to the king,' is not to swear by the king: but to say, 'I take God to witness,' or 'I appeal to God as the judge of the truth of what I say,' is to swear by God. But to appeal to God as a righteous Judge, against the injustice or cruelty of men, without relation to his attesting or judging

a Psal. xxxix. 1-3. d Psal. xlv. 1.

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »