Motives to IJoly Speecb. CHAP. XVI. Special DireElions for [hrijl:ian Conference, E:xiJort~tioll and IJ?.sproof. Tit. 1. Motiws to [hrijl:iar1 Conference and Exhortation. THE right ufe of Spmh being a duty of fo great import1nce, as I have before (hewed about the Government of the Tongue, and it being a way of Commu11ic.ttion by which we are all obliged to exercife our L9ve to one another, even in the greatd\ mttter, the f.iving of {oulJ, I fhall firft endeavour to pctfwade them to this duty who make too litt~e confcience of it: and that by thefc following confiderations. § I· Mot. J, Confider tb.u it is tbe cxcrcife ofour Humanity: Rea[on and Speech do differmce Jlf from Bruitu. If by being Rcafimable we are men, thtn by ufing Reafon we live as men: A nd tbe firft communicative u[e o[Rrafon i1 by [prcch: By thinkJ•·g, "'' exrrcife )(cajim for o<<r felveJ: By [peak._– ing, lilt exercife it ( firjl) for otherr. Therefore if our Reafon be given us for the higheft ufes to our (elves, (to know God and eternal life, and the Means thereto ), then certainly our speech is alfo givtn us, for the fame highefi ufes, by way of Communic.Jtiv1t unto others. life therefore your tongues to thofe noble~ Ends, tOr which they were given you. Ufe them as the tongut:r of mm, to the End1 which humane nature iscreated for. §. 2· Mot. 2. There i1 no [ubjrli [o [ublime and honourable, for the T••gut of malt liJ bt imployrd about, _as the matters ofGod and life eurnal. Children will talk of childi{h toyes; and Countrey~ men talk of their Corn and C:1ttel, and Princes and Statefmcn look do~n on thefc with contemptuous finilcs, as much below them: But Crowns and Kingdoms are incomparably more below the bufinefs of a holy foul! The higher fubjects Philofophers treat of, the more honourable ( if well done,) arc their difcourfes. But none is fo high as God and glory. §. 3. Mor. 3. It i1 tbr mojl profita!Jlt (ubje<l to the bearm : A difcourfe of Riches at the moO cm bur direct them how to grow rich : Adifcourfe ofHonours u[ually puffeth up the: minds of the am~ bitious: And if it could advance the aUditors to Honour, the fruit would be a vanity little to be de:~ fired. But a difcourfe of God, and Heaven, and Holine!S, doth tend to change the: hearers minds, in– to rhenature of the things difcourfi of: It hath been the means of converting and fanClifying many a thoufand fouls. As learned difcourG:stend to make men learned in the things dlcourft off:, fo holy difcourfcs tend to rn1ke men holy: For as naruralGenerationbrgCttcth not Gold or Kingdoms, but a Man; fo fpeech is not made to communicate to others (directly) the wealth, or health, or honours, or any extrinfccal rhings which the fpeaker hath; but to communicate thofc Mmta! Excel– lwcieJ which he is potfeH of. Prov. 16. 21, 22· 1'ht /iveetmfi of t.be lips increa{eth ltarning: Vmkr– ftanding U a wtU-fpring of life to bim t!J.ll h.1tb it. Prov. 10. 13, ll· In the lips of him that IJ:z:h m:– J.,jl.mding wijiJom iJfound---Tbe lipt of the rightrouJjitd many. Prov. IS·7· Thelip!ofthe wife difprr[t k_nowlrdgr; but tbr hmt of the foolijb doth not fo· Pro''· 20. 1 S· There ;, Gold and a mul· titudc ofRttbir.r: but tbe lipr of J.:..nowledf!,t are a precious Jcrvcl. Prov. 10. 20. The to11gue of the j:t}t U af choice Silver: the heart of the wiclz.td is little worth. · §. 4· Mor. 4· H'ly difcourfe i1 al[o moft profitable to the fpeak$r bim{tlf. Grace increafeth by rhe rxcrcift. Even in inftrud"ing others and opening truth, we arc oft tim~s more powerfully led up w further trurh our fclves, than by folitary C\udies: For Speech doth a:vak,.w the inrellcctual. faculq•, and kecpcth on the rhoughts in order, and one truth oft infcrreth other<;, to a thus excited and prepared mind.And the tongue hath a power of moving own our heans:\Vhe:n we blow the tire to warm another, both the cxercifc and the fire warm our (elves: lr ldndleth the flames of holy love in us, to declare the praife of God to others : It increafcth a hatred of fj.n in us, ro open its odi– ouG1tfs to others. We. fiarve our ftlvcs, when we !larve the fouls which we fhould cherifb. · 9· 5· Mor. 5· Holy and Heavenly difcoU1fe iJ the m4t delr:l1able. I mean in its 'own apti1udc, and to a mind that is not difeJ.ftcl by corruption. That which is moll Great, and Good, and NeceiTuy, is moll ddcctab!e. What ihould brft plea[< ·us, but that which is brji for us' And beO for other;? And h<t·l in it kif? The cxct!lency of the fubject maketh it delightful I ·And fo doth the cxcrcife of out Graces upon ir ~ And fcrious con!Crencc doth help down the truth into our hearts, where it is moO: fwctt. Bdidcs that Nuurc and Charity make it pltafant to do g0od to others. le cm be n01hing b::ttcr than a fubverfion of the appetite by carnality anJ wickedoe:f,) that maketh any one 97 .
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