VeR. 4.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 205
[3.] You infect others, and corrupt them by filthy discourse. Many an hopeful gentleman hath been debauched this way, by unclean representations both from the stage and the talk of their company. The filthy speakers are factors for hell to proselyte men to the devil, and draw unwary souls into his snare : 2 Peter ii. 18, * They allure through the lust of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them that live in error ; ' they entice and cast them back again into all carnality and filthiness
2. The next word is fioypdX.o'yla, ' foolish speaking.' This hath so many branches, that it is hard to reckon them up ; as —
[1.] When they speak of foolish things. As some can spend hours in telling vain tales, that serve for no other use but to possess the minds of the hearers with levity and folly. Now if the ' thought of foolish- ness be sin,' Prov. xxiv. 9, words of foolishness are much more sin, as they are more public, and abuse the time and ears of others : Prov. xv. 14, ' The mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness ; ' it is as diet to them.
[2.] When men speak of serious things in a ludicrous and vain man- ner, and design it for jest. This is playing with sacred things, like the Philistines calling for Samson to make them sport, Judges xvi. 25, or the Babylonians asking for one of the songs of Sion, Ps. cxxxvii. 3, or the sensualists inventing themselves instruments of music like David, Amos vi. 5, as if their carnal mirth never relished better than when it is seasoned with something that is sacred, and religion is forced to serve their profane mirth.
[3.] Lavish, superfluous speech to no end : Prov. xxix. 11, ' A fool uttereth all his mind.' They can hold nothing, but, whether it tend to hurt or profit, out it cometh. Many have gotten a custom of vain babbling, and full of endless talk to no purpose. Now * In the multi- tude of words there wanteth not sin,' Prov. x. 13; and all this prattle cometh out of a vain and foolish heart, that never had any serious sense of holy things ; and therefore are indiff'erent what they speak, for God or error ; things that belong to them, or belong to them not, their own or other men's matters.
[4.] Easli speech, to speak of things they understand not. As the apostle speaketh of some that, desiring to be teachers of the law, under- stand neither what they say nor whereof they afiirm, 1 Tim. i. 7. As many, like little infants, will attempt to run before they can go, so some are full of talk, and all about matters of controversy in religion, which they understand little of. But empty vessels and shallow brooks make the loudest noise.
[5.] Another kind of it is personal boasting, to set off themselves and their own excellencies. All their discourse is of themselves : Pi-ov. xxv. 27, ' For men to search their own glory is not glory.' This irepiau- ToXoyia is foolish speaking, when all their discourse tendeth to set off themselves, and usher in something of themselves, and I cometh in at the end of every sentence. The rule is, another man's mouth should commend us, not our own : Prov. xxvii. 2, ' Let another man praise thee, not thine own mouth ; a stranger, not thine own lips.' I3iit I will not undertake to reckon up all the kinds of it.
Now I shall prove that it is a sin that should be made conscience of.
(1.) Because it suiteth not with the seriousness of religion, which is
206 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR. IV.
the wisdom of God. As he hath manifested the riches of liis grace and j2;oodness in the gospel, so lie hath 'ahonnded to ns in all wisdom and {)ru- dence,' Eph. i. 8. There should not be a wiser man than a christian, wiio is guided by the direction and counsel of a wise God, and therefore all his discourse should be grave and wise and serious. Solomon telleth us, Prov. X. 31, that 'The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom. His heart is stocked with such truths as contain the highest wisdom in the world, and therefore his mouth should overflow with it ; as he that hath in his pocket more store of gold than of brass farthings will at every draught bring out more gold than farthings.
(2.) It suiteth not Avith the mortified estate of sincere christians. All foolish talking cometli from some unmortified lusts in our hearts, such as pride, vainglory, worldliness, uncleanness ; therefore are they talking of vain things, and boasting of themselves with the contempt of others ; and till these lusts be mortified, in vain do we expect a cure. Now when the heart is purified and purged from vanity, world- liness, and pride, men's discourse is presently altered. If the heart be set on the world, their discourse is commonly of the world : 1 John V. 5, ' They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.' If the heart be unclean, and swarm with noisome lusts, the speech will be rotten. If the heart be proud, men love to hear themselves talk. Vainglory will betray itself in our dis- courses. Every carnal affection leaveth a tincture on our speech.