_Direct._ III. Cleanse your hearts of vanity and filthiness; and then your tongues will be more clean. It is a vain or unchaste heart that makes an unchaste tongue.
_Direct._ IV. Remember what a shame it is to open and proclaim that filthiness of thy heart which thou mightest have concealed. Christ telleth us how to expound thy words, that out of the abundance of thy heart thy mouth speaketh, Luke vi. 45. And what needest thou tell people that it is the rutting-moon with thee? and that lust and filthiness are the inhabitants of thy mind? If thou be not so far past all shame as to commit fornication in the open streets, why wilt thou there talk of it?
_Direct._ V. Remember that filthy talk is but the approach to filthy acts. It is but thy breaking the shell of modesty, that thou mayst eat the kernel of the vomiting nut. This is the tendency of it, whether thou intend it or not. Canst thou be offended with him, that believeth thou dost that villany in secret, which thou talkest of openly? or that taketh thee to be preparing thyself for a whore? If the deed be bad, thy making a jest of it cannot be good.
_Direct._ VI. Remember that thou biddest defiance to godliness and honesty: "corrupt communication" grieveth the Spirit of God, Eph. iv. 29, 30; v. 4. Canst thou expect that the Holy Ghost should dwell and work in so filthy a room, and with such filthy company? Darest thou go pray or read the Scripture, or speak of any holy thing, with those lips that talk of filthy ribaldry? Dost thou find thyself fit to go to prayer after such discourse? Or rather, dost thou not allow all that hear thee to think, that thou renouncest God and godliness, and never usest any serious worship of God at all? And if thou do pretend to worship him with that filthy tongue, what canst thou expect in answer to thy prayers, but a vengeance worse than Nadab and Abihu's, Lev. x. 1-3. "Shall sweet water and bitter come from the same fountain?" James iii. 11. Dost thou bless God, and talk filthily with the same tongue? and think he will not be avenged on thy hypocrisy?
_Direct._ VII. Consider how thou biddest defiance also to common civility. Thou dost that which civil heathens would be ashamed of; as if thou hadst a design to reduce England to the customs of cannibals and savages in America, that go naked, and are past shame.
_Direct._ VIII. Observe what service thou dost the devil, for the corrupting of others;[548] as if he had hired thee to be a tutor in his academy, or one of his preachers, to draw the minds of the hearers from modesty, and prepare them for the stews. Especially people can scarce have more dangerous wildfire cast into their fantasies, than by hearing rotten, filthy talk. And wilt thou be one of Venus's priests?
_Direct._ IX. Remember how little need there is of thy endeavour. Are not lust and filthiness so natural, and the minds of all unsanctified and uncleansed ones so prone to it, that they need no tutor, nor instigator, nor pander to their lusts? This fire is easily kindled; the bellows of thy scurrility are needless to make such gunpowder burn.
_Direct._ X. Presently lament before God and man the filthiness that thy tongue hath been guilty of, and wash heart and tongue in the blood of Christ; and fly from the company and converse of the obscene, as thou wouldst do from a pest-house, or any infectious, pestilential air. And if thou hear such rotten talk, reprove it, or be gone, and let them see that thou hatest it, and fearest God.
_Object._ But, saith the filthy mouth, I think no harm; may we not jest and be merry?
_Answ._ What! hast thou nothing to jest with but dung, and filth, and sin, and the defilement of souls, and the offending of God? Wouldst thou be unclean before the king, or cast dung in men's faces, and say, I think no harm, but am in jest?
_Object._ But, saith he, those that are so demure, are as bad in secret, and worse than we.
_Answ._ What! is a chaste tongue a sign of an unchaste life? Then thou mayst as equally take a meek and quiet tongue to be a sign of an angry man; or a lying tongue to be a sign of a true man. Would the king take that excuse from thee, if thou talk treason openly, and say, Those that do not, are yet in secret as bad as I? I trow he would not take that for an excuse.
_Tit._ 6. _Directions against profane Deriding, Scorning, or Opposing Godliness._
[Sidenote: The explication.]
To prevent the replies or excuses of the scorner, I must here tell you, 1. That by godliness I mean nothing but an entire devotedness to God and living to him: the doctrine and practice which are agreeable to the holy Scripture. I mean no fancies of mistaken men, nor the private opinions of any sect; but the practice of Christianity itself.