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SERM. his foul for nothing. An epicure hath fome reason to alXV. lege, an extortioner is a man of wisdom, and acteth pru

dently in comparison to him; for they enjoy fome pleafure, or acquire fome gain here, in lieu of their falvation hereafter: but this fondling offendeth Heaven, and abandoneth happiness, he knoweth not why or for what. He hath not so much as the common plea of human infirmity to excufe him; he can hardly fay that he was tempted thereto by any bait c.

A fantastic humour poffeffeth him of spurning at piety and foberness; he inconfiderately followeth a herd of wild fops; he affecteth to play the ape. What more than this can he say for himself?

XIV. Finally, let us confider, that as we ourselves, with all our members and powers, were chiefly defigned and framed to glorify our Maker; (the which to do is indeed the greatest perfection and noblest privilege of our nature ;) so our tongue and speaking faculty were given to us to declare our admiration and reverence of him, to exhibit our due love and gratitude toward him, to profess our truft and confidence in him, to celebrate his praises, to avow his benefits, to address our fupplications to him, to maintain all kinds of devotional intercourse with him, to propagate our knowledge, fear, love, and obedience to him, in all fuch ways to promote his honour and fervice. This is the moft proper, worthy, and due ufe of our tongue, for which it was created, to which it is dedicated, from whence it becometh, as it is fo often Pf. xvi. 9. ftyled, our glory, and the best member that we have; that whereby we excel all creatures here below, and whereby we are no lefs difcriminated from them than by our reason; that whereby we confort with the blessed angels above in the diftinct utterance of praife, and communication of glory to our Creatord. Wherefore ap

XXX. 12. lvii. 8. cviii. r.

• Οὗτος δὲ, οὐδεμιᾶς ἀνάγκης αὐτὸν βιαζομένης, ὑπὸ ἀνοίας μόνης εἰς τὸ βάραθρον καταπίπτει τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Chryf. ̓Ανδρ.ι. p. 531. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὗτοί τινα πρόφασιν ἔχουσι προβουλεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καταφρόνησιν μόνον. Ibid.

d Hoc enim uno præftamus vel maxime feris, quod colloquimur inter mos, et quod exprimere dicendo fenfa poffumus. Cio, de Orat, i,

plying this to any impious discourse, with this to profane SERM. God's bleffed name, with this to violate his holy com- XV. mands, with this to unhallow his facred ordinance, with this to offer dishonour and indignity to him, is a most unnatural abuse, an horrid ingratitude toward him.

It is that indeed whereby we render this noble organ incapable of any good use. For how (as the excellent пãs tüğóFather doth often urge) can we pray to God for mercies, Chryf. Avde. or praise God for his benefits, or heartily confefs our fins, p. 559. or cheerfully partake of the holy myfteries, with a mouth defiled by impious oaths, with a heart guilty of so heinous difobedience?

a. p. 538.

Likewife, whereas a fecondary, very worthy use of our fpeech is, to promote the good of our neighbour, and especially to edify him in piety, according to that wholesome precept of the Apoftle, Let no corrupt communication pro- Eph. iv. 29. ceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers; the practice of fwearing is an abufe very contrary to that good purpose, ferving to corrupt our neighbour, and to inftil into him a contempt of religion; or, however, grievoufly to fcandalize him.

XV. I shall add but two words more. One is, that we would seriously confider, that our bleffed Saviour, who loved us fo dearly, who did and fuffered fo much for us, who redeemed us by his blood, who faid unto us, If ye Joh.xiv.15. love me, keep my commandments, he thus pofitively hath enjoined, But I fay unto you, Swear not at all: and how Matt. v. 34. then can we find in our heart directly to thwart his word?

The other is, that we would lay to heart the reason whereby St. James doth enforce the point, and the fting in the close of our text, wherewith I conclude; But above all things, my brethren, fwear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay nay, left ye fall into condemnation, or, a left ye fall under damnation. From the which μ¿ò nginfinite mifchief, and from all fin that may caufe it, Godwin, mercy deliver us through our bleffed Redeemer Jefus,

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to whom for ever be all glory and praise.

A a

SERMON XVI.

OF EVIL-SPEAKING IN GENERAL.

TITUS iii. 2.

-To Speak evil of no man.

SERM. THESE words do imply a double duty; one incumbent XVI. on teachers, another on the people who are to be inftructed by them.

σας αὐτούς.

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The teacher's duty appeareth from reflecting on the words of the context, which govern thefe, and make Trop them up an entire sentence; Put them in mind, or, rub their memory to do thus. It is St. Paul's injunction to Titus, a bishop and pastor of the church, that he should admonish the people committed to his care and instruction, as of other great duties, (of yielding obedience to magiftrates, of behaving themselves peaceably, of practifing meeknefs and equity toward all men, of being readily disposed to every good work,) so particularly of this, undeva Bracqnusïv, to revile, or speak evil of no man.

Whence it is apparent, that this is one of the principal duties that preachers are obliged to mind people of, and to prefs upon them. And if this were needful then, when charity, kindled by such inftructions and examples, was fo lively; when Christians, by their fufferings, were so inured to meeknefs and patience; even every one, for the honour of his religion, and the fafety of his person, was concerned in all refpects to demean himself innocently

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XVI.

and inoffenfively; then is it now especially requifite, SERM. when (fuch engagements and restraints being taken off, love being cooled, perfecution being extinct, the tongue being fet loose from all extraordinary curbs) the tranfgreffion of this duty is grown so prevalent and rife, that evil-speaking is almost as common as fpeaking, ordinary conversation extremely abounding therewith, that minifters fhould discharge their office in dehorting and diffuading from it.

Well indeed it were, if by their example of ufing mild and moderate difcourfe, of abftaining from virulent invectives, tauntings, and fcoffings, good for little but to inflame anger, and infuse ill-will, they would lead men to good practice of this fort: for no examples can be fo wholesome, or fo mifchievous to this purpose, as those which come down from the pulpit, the place of edification, backed with special authority and advantage.

However, it is to preachers a ground of affurance, and matter of fatisfaction, that in preffing this duty they shall perform their duty: their text being not fo much of their own choofing, as given them by St. Paul; they can furely scarce find a better to discourse upon it cannot be a matter of finall moment or ufe, which this great master and guide fo exprefsly directeth us to infift upon. And to the obfervance of his precept, fo far as concerneth me, I fhall immediately apply myself.

It is then the duty of all Chriftian people, (to be taught, and preffed on them,) not to reproach, or Speak evil of any man. The which duty, for your inftruction, I fhall first endeavour fomewhat to explain, declaring its import and extent; then, for your farther edification, I fhall inculcate it, propofing feveral inducements persuasive to the obfervance of it.

I. For explication, we may firft confider the object of it, no man; then the act itself, which is prohibited, to blafpheme, that is, to reproach, to revile, or, as we have it rendered, to speak evil.

No man. St. Paul questionless did especially mean hereby to hinder the Chriftians at that time from re

SERM. proaching the Jews and the Pagans among whom they XVI. lived, men in their lives very wicked and corrupt, men in

Jude 9.

opinion extremely diffenting from them, men who greatly did hate, and cruelly did perfecute them; of whom therefore they had mighty provocations and temptations to fpeak ill; their judgment of the perfons, and their refentment of injuries, making it difficult to abstain from doing fo. Whence by a manifeft analogy may be inferred, that the object of this duty is very large, indeed univerfal and unlimited: that we must forbear reproach not only against pious and virtuous perfons, against perfons of our own judgment or party, against those who never did harm or offend us, against our relations, our friends, our benefactors; in refpect of whom there is no ground or temptation of ill-fpeaking; but even against the most unworthy and wicked persons, against those who most discoast in opinion and practice from us, against those who never did oblige us, yea those who have most disobliged us, even against our most bitter and spiteful enemies. There is no acception or excufe to be admitted from the quality, state, relation, or demeanour of men; the duty (according to the proper fenfe, or due qualifications and limits of the act) doth extend to all men: for, Speak evil of no man.

As for the act, it may be inquired what the word Braopnusi, to blafpheme, doth import. I answer, that it is to vent words concerning any perfon which do fignify in us ill opinion, or contempt, anger, hatred, enmity conceived in our minds toward him; which are apt in him to kindle wrath, and breed ill blood toward us; which tend to beget in others that hear ill conceit, or ill-will toward him; which are much deftructive of his reputation, pre

judicial to his interests, productive of damage or mischief Luke xi.45. to him. It is otherwise in Scripture termed λodopeiv, to rail 2 Pet. ii. 11. or revile, (to use bitter and ignominious language;) 6giew, Jam. iv. 11. to fpeak contumeliously; pépeiv Bλáopnμov xplow, to bring railRom. xii. ing accufation, (or reproachful cenfure;) xaraλaλsiv, to use Luke vi. 28, obloquy, or obtrectation; natagãodai, to curse, that is, to xvi. 10.) fpeak words importing that we do with ill to a person.

14.

(2 Sam.

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