5. The evil toiipruo is the censorious tongue, James iv. 12., " Wlio art thou that judgest another ?" Some make it a part of their religion to judge and censure <>- thers ; they do not imitate their graces, but censure their failings ; sucli an <»nc is an hypocrite ; this c(»mes from pride. AVcre men's hearts more humhle, their tongiu's would he more charitahle. The censurer sits in the chair of pride, and passcth sen- tence u]K)n another, and doth reprohate him ; this is to usurp (lod's ])rert)gative, and take his work out of his hands ; it is God's work to judge, not ours. He who spends his time in censuring others, spends but little time in examining himself; he doth not see his own faults. There is not a greater sign of hypocrisy, than to be over hasty in judging and censuring persons.
6. Tlie evil tongue is the slanderous tongue, Ps. 1. 20., " Thou sittest and slan- derest thy own mother's son." Slandering is when we speak to the prejudice of ano- ther, and speak that which is not true. Worth and eminency ai*e commonly blast- ed by slander ; holiness itself is no shield from slander: "John Baptist came neither eating nor drinking, yet they say he hath a devil," Mat. xi. Come and let us smite him with the tongue. A slanderer wounds another's fame, and no ])hysician can heal these wounds. The sword doth not make so deep a wound as the tongue. The Greek word for slanderer, signifies devil. Some think it is no great matter to belie and de- fame another ; but know, this is to act the j)art of a devil. The slanderer's tongue is a two-edged sword, it wounds two at once ; while the slanderer wounds another in his name, he wounds himself in his conscience. This is contrary to scripture, James iv. 1 1., " Speak not evil one of another." God tiikes this ill at our hands, to speak evil of others, especially such as are eminently ho- ly, and help to bear up the honour of reli- gion : Num. xii. 8., " Were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses ?" Wiiat ! my servant who hath wrought so many mi- racles,— whom I have spoken with in the mount face to face, — were not ve afraid to Bpeak against hi;n ? So will God say,
Take heed of this, it is a fein our nature is very prone to ; and remember, it is no less sin to rob another of his good name, than to steal his goods or wares out of his shop.
7. The evil tongue is the unclean tongue, that vents itself in filthy and scurrilous words, Ejih. iv. 29., " Let no corrupt com- munication proceed out of your mouth" A sign of a great distemper, that the fever is hii>:Ii, when the tongue is black : a siirn men's hearts are very evil, when such black words come from them.
8. The evil tongue is the lying tongue, Col. iii. 9., " Lie not one to another." The Cretians were noted for liars; Tit. i. 12., " The Cretians are aUvay liars." It be- comes not Chrisiians to be Cretians. No- thing is more contrary to God than a lie : it shews much irreligion ; lying is a sin that doth not go alone, it ushers in other sins. Absalom told his father a lie, that he was going to pay his vow at Hebron, 2 Sam. XV. 7., and this lie was a preface to his treason. Lying is such a sin, as takes away all society and converse with men ; how can you have converse with him, that you cannot trust a word he saith ? It is a sin so sordid, that when the liar is convicted, he is ashamed. God's children have this character, they are " children that will not lie," Isa. l.xiii. 8., the new nature in them will not suffer them. The liar is near a-kin to the devil, and the devil \vill shortly claim kindred with him, John viii. 44., " The devil is a liar, and the father of it." lie seduced our first parents by a lie, Gen. iii. 4. How doth this sin incense God ? He struck Ananias dead for telling a lie. Acts v. 5. The furnace of hell is heated to throw liars into. Rev. xxii. 15., " ^^ ithout are dogs, and sorcerers, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."
9. The evil tongue is the flattering tongue, that will speak fair to one's face, but will defame, Prov. xxvi. 24-., " He that hateth, dissembleth with his lips." When he speak- eth fair, believe him not ; dissembled love is worse than hatred. Some can commend and reproach, flatter and hate, — honey in their mouths, but a sting of malice in their hearts : better are the wounds of a friend, than the kisses of such an enemy. Hierora saith, " the Arian faction pretended friend-
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SELECT SERMONS.