(1.) That the heart of the wicked is spoken of in the softest terms. Elsewhere it is said to be ' deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,' Jer. xvii. 9 ; set upon mischief : Ps. xxviii. 3, ' Mischief is in their hearts ; ' but here it is ' little worth.' And this teacheth us that it is not enough not to do harm by our speech, but our discourse should have savour and worth in it, such as may benefit others. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down. Some men pro- pagate the taint of the common corruption by their converses ; but if we avoid that, do we seek to stop the pollution of mankind by whole- some and sound speech ?
(2.) That it is not enough to speak much, but is there any real worth in our discourse ? otherwise it is but the overflowing of a drossy unsanctified heart.
(3.) Here are compared a good man's words and a wicked man's thoughts. Good men's words are of great price, but wicked men's thoughts are of no value ; the one's tongue is better than the other's heart ; the mischief lieth near their hearts.
(4.) That we must make conscience not only of our words, but thoughts. Men are cautious in their speeches and how they discover themselves ; but they think thoughts are free. No ; heart-sins are sins as well as the sins of the tongue and life : Prov. xxiv. 9, ' The thought of foolish- ness is sin ; ' they are contrary to the law of God. Therefore David saith, Ps. cxix. 113, ' I hate vain thoughts.' Usually we take more liberty in our thoughts than in our words and actions. Men will not rob, steal, murder, or assault the chastity of a neighbour's wife ; but let their hearts run riot in coveting, and that is theft in the heart; or lust- ing, and that is adultery in the heart : Mat. v. 28, ' Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart ; ' or malice and revenge, and that is killing in the heart.
(5.) That till we make conscience of our thoughts, we cannot well
SERMONS UPON PROVERBS X. 20. 399*
order our words with gravity and profit ; for the heart hath an influence upon the tongue : Ps. xxxvii. 30, 31, ' The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment ; the law of his. God is in his heart.' And those that are either contriving sin or mus^ ing upon vanity will bewray themselves in their speeches.
(6.) That familiar converse with those whose hearts are nothing worth will little tend to our profit, but rather to our hurt ; for to this enS is it spoken by the Holy Ghost, to direct us in the choice of our company. They that have the spirit of grace are most likely in their discourses to minister grace to the hearers, and should be most accept- able to those that have the same spirit, and can savour spiritual things. If we are as in a prison when we are in good company who use gracious talk, it is none of the best signs. Our souls are grown out of relish with spiritual and heavenly things if such kind of discourse doth not please us. Surely this is the company that is most likely to be most fruitful and profitable to us : Prov. xx. 15, * The lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.' But in vain and idle company what can you meet with but vanity and that which is little worth ? a trifle, not a jewel, impertinency, levity, folly, immodesty, worldliness. Pride is all that you can gather from others, and we have too much of this ourselves already. Depraved nature needeth no helps to deprave it more, but all the means of cure that can be used : Prov. x. 21, ' The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for want of knowledge.' Surely then it will be our wisdom to be intimate with those that discourse of holy things, where you may have something of value ; but nothing but idle talk is to be expected from them whose hearts are nothing worth.
II. The reasons.
1. Because they are not furnished with those graces which do serve in munimentum, ornamentum, or emolumenticm, which may serve to defend their own souls, or be delightful in the eyes of God, or make them profitable to others ; and those are faith, hope, and love. They never felt the quickening virtue of faith, nor were wrought by it to the true love of God and an holy and heavenly mind. Those that were never acquainted with the virtue of faith, and the power of divine love, and the quickening efficacy of an heavenly hope, certainly they have base, dead, poor, and unworthy spirits, and can do no eminent thing for God in the world, nor for the salvation of their own souls. I prove it from the use of these graces. They are in munimentum for defence : 1 Thes. V. 8, ' But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love ; and for an helmet the hope of salvation ; ' Kom. xiii. 12, ' Let us put on the armour of light.' Grace is our sure defence against the taint of the sensual, ignorant, and brutish world. These have a spirit that carrieth them to God and divine and heavenly things, and so are clarified and purified from the dregs of sense. Faith purifieth : Acts xv. 9, ' Purifying their hearts by faith.' Love purifieth : 1 Peter i. 22, ' Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth, through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethi-en, see that ye love one another ; ' and hope purifieth : 1 John iii. 3, ' He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.' Again, these graces serve in ornamentum^ for ornament, to make us amiable in the sight of God and men ; and therefore holiness is called ' an orna-