_Direct._ XV. Affect not an unnecessary curiosity of speech, but take those for the fittest words, which are suited to the matter, and to thy heart, and to the hearers.[546] Otherwise your speech will be studiedly and affectedly vain; and you will glory in that as elegant, which is your shame. Hypocritical words that come not from the heart, are dead and corrupt, and are but the image of true speech, as wanting that verity and significancy of the mind which is their life. Words are like laws, that are valued by the authority, and matter, and end, more than by the curiosity and elegancy; or like money, that is valued by the authority, metal, and weight, and not by the curiosity of its sculpture, imagery, or matter. All that is counterfeit, though curious, is vain.
_Direct._ XVI. Suppose you had written down the idle words of a day, (your own or any other prattlers,) and read them over all at night! Would you not be ashamed of such a volume of vanity and confusion? Oh what a book it would be, that one should thus write from the mouth of idle talkers! What a shame would it be to human nature! It would tempt some to question, whether man be a reasonable creature, or whether all be so, at least? Remember then, that all is recorded by God and conscience; and all this hodgepodge of vanity must be reviewed and answered for.
The rest that is necessary for direction against idle words, you may find chap. v. part ii. in the government of the thoughts, and in my book of "Self-denial." In a word, (for I must not commit the fault which I am reproving,) account not a course of idle talk for a small sin. Never suffer so loose and slippery a member as your tongue to be unguarded; and never speak that, of which you dare not say, as Psal. xix. 14, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be now and always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."
[Sidenote: Who should be most watchful here.]
But especially, above others, these persons should watch against vain words: 1. Preachers, who are doubly sanctified persons, and whose tongues being consecrated to God, must not be sacrilegiously alienated to vanity: which is worse than sacrilegious alienation of the places, or utensils, or revenues of the church. Hate it therefore more than these.
2. Ancient people, whose words should be grave and wise, and full of instruction to suppress the levity of youth; childhood and youth is vanity; but age should not be so.[547]
3. Parents and masters, who should be examples of gravity and staidness to their families; and by their reproofs and chastisements should repress such faults in their inferiors.
4. Those that are better qualified than others, with knowledge and utterance, to use their tongues to edification. Vain speech is a double sin in them.
5. Those that are noted for persons of holiness and religion: for it is supposed, that they pray and speak much against idle talk, and therefore must not themselves be guilty of it. "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain," James i. 26. (See my sermon on that text.)
6. Those that are ignorant, and need much the edifying speech of others.
7. Those that live among wise and holy persons, by whom they may be much edified.
8. Those that are among twattlers, where they know they have more need to watch their tongues, than their purses among cut-purses.
9. Those (women especially) that are naturally addicted to over-much talk, who therefore should be the more watchful, as knowing their disease and danger.
10. Both empty and angry persons, who carry a continual temptation about them. All these should be specially watchful against idle talk.
And for the time, 1. Specially when they are among those that may receive most hurt by it. 2. And when you are going to holy duty, or newly come from it, &c.
_Tit._ 5. _Special Directions against Filthy, Ribald, Scurrilous Talk._
_Direct._ I. The chief direction against this filthy sin, is general; to get out of a graceless state, and get a heart that feareth God, and then you dare not be guilty of such impudency: God is not so despised by those that fear him.
_Direct._ II. Cease not your holy communion with God in his worship, especially in secret, and be not strange to him, and seldom with him. And then you dare not so pollute those lips, that use to speak seriously to God. What! talk of lust and filthiness with that tongue, that spake but even now to the most holy God! God's name and presence will awe you, and cleanse you, and show you that his temple should not be so defiled, and that he hath not called you to uncleanness but to holiness; and that a filthy tongue is unsuitable to the holy praise of God: but while the rest of your life is nothing but a serving the devil and the flesh, no wonder if ribaldry seem a fit language for you.