** wisdom, and his tongue talketh of j udgment ; for the law of the " Lord is in his heart."*"' To this sense we must understand that scripture, Mat. xii. 37. " By thy words thou shalt be justified, and " by thy words thou shalt be condemned."" Certainly justification and condemnation, in the day of judgment shall not pass upon us merely for the good or bad words we have spoken ; but according to the state of the person and frame of the heart. But the meaning is, that our words shall justify or condemn us in that day, as evidence of the state and frame of the soul. We use to say, such witnesses hang- ed a man ; the meaning is, the evidence they gave cast and con- demned him. O think seriously of this ; if words evidence the state of the soul, what a woful state must thy soul needs be in, whose mouth overflows with oaths and curses ! How many witnesses will be brought in, to cast thee in the great day ? " Your own tongue " shall then fall upon you," as the expression is, Psal. Ixiv. 8. And out of your own mouth God will fetch abundant evidence to con- demn you. And thus I have opened unto you the evil of vain words and profane oaths ; and presented to your view their several aggrava- tions. If by these things there be a relenting pang upon thine heart, and a serious resolution of reformation, then I shall recommend these few helps or means to thy perusal, and conclude this head : And the first help is this.
Help 1. Seriously fix in thy thoughts that scripture. Mat. xii. 36. *' But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they ** shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment.'' O let it sound in thine ears day and night ! O ponder them in thy heart ! [/ say unto you\ I that have always been in the Father's bosom, and do fully know his mind, that I am constituted the Judge of quick and dead, and do fully understand therule of judgment, and the whole pro- cess thereof, I say, and do assure you, that [every idle word that men ^Uall speak,^ i. e. every word that hath not a tendency and reference to the glory of God, though there be no other obliquity of evil in them than this, that they want a good end : how much more then, scurrilous words, bloody oaths, and blasphemies ? [Men shall give an account thereof;] that is, shall be cast and condemned to suffer the wrath of God for them ; as appears by that parallel scripture, 1 Pet. iv. 4, 5. For as the learned observe, there is plainly a metalepsis in these words ; the antecedent to give an account^ is put for the conse^ quent, punishment, and condemnation to hell-fire: the certainty where- of admits but of this one exception, viz. intervenient repentance, or pardon obtained through the blood of Christ here beforeyou be pre- sented at that judgment-seat. O then, what a bridle should this text be to thy extravagant tongue ! I remember Hierom was wont to say, ' Whether I eat or drink, or whatever I do, raethinks I still hear the
* sound of these words in mine ear. Arise, ye dead, and come to judg-
* raent.' O that the sound of these words may be always in your ears I
314 THE ART OF PRESERVIKG THE FRUITS OF THE LIPS.
Help 9.. Consider before you speak, and be not rash to utter worda without knowledge. He that speaks what he thinks not, speaks hy~ pocritically ; and he that thinks not what to speak, speaks inconside- rately. You have cause to weigh your words before you dehver them by your tongue ; for whether you do, or do not, the Lord ponderetk them : records are kept of them, else you could not be called to an account for them, as I shewed you, you must.
Help 3. Resign up your tongue to God every day, and beg him to guide and keep it. So did David, Psal. cxli. 3. " Set a watch, O " Lord, before my mouth, and keep thou the door of my lips."" Beg him to keep you from provocations and temptations ; or, if you fall into them, intreat him for strength to rule your spirits in them, that you may not be conquered by temptations.
Help 4. But above all, labour to get your souls cleansed and puri- fied by faith, possessed with saving and gracious principles : all other means will be ineffectual without this. O see the vileness of thy na- ture, and the necessity of a change to pass upon it ! First make the tree good, and then his fruit good : a new nature will produce new words and actions. To bind your souls with vows and resolutions, while you are strangers to a regenerate work, is to bind Samson with green withs, whilst his locks remain upon his head. I will shut up this with the advice of that divine poet, Mr. George Herbert ; it may be, it may affect thee, and run in thy thoughts when thou art alone.
Take not his name, who made thy mouth, in vain ;
It gets thee nothing, and hath no excuse. Lust and wine plead a pleasure ; avarice gain : But the cheap swearer, through his open sluice. Lets his soul run nought, as little fearing. Were I an Epicure, I could hate swearing.
When thou dost tell another's jest, therein
Omit the oaths which true wit cannot need : Pick out of tales the mirth, but not the sin. He pares the apple that will cleanly feed. Play not away the virtue of that name, Which is thy best stake when grief makes thee tame.
The cheapest sins most dearly punisVd are.
Because to shun them also is so cheap; For w? have wit to mark them, and to spare. O crumble not away thy soufs fair heap. If thou wilt die, the gates of hell are broad, Pride and full sins have made the way a road.
THE HAIILOT''s FACE IN THE SCRIPTURE-CLASS. Sl^
X HE next clanger 1 shall give you warning of, is the sin of un- cleanness; with which I fear too many of the rude and looser sort of seamen defile themselves ; and possibly, the temptations to this sin are advantaged, and strengthened upon them more than others, by their condition and employments. Let no man be offended that I here give warning of this evil : I intend to asperse no man's person, or raise up jealousy against any ; but would faithfully discharge my duty to all, and that in all things. It was the complaint of Salvian* many hundred years ago, that he could not speak against the vices of men, but one or other would thus object ; ' There he meant me ;
* he hit me f and so storm and fret. Alas (as he replieth) it is not
* we that speak to you, but your own conscience; we speak to the