The Gowmmmt of the Ear. ply withyourJteceffitier. 3· ~hen yo~ !hew ·n?t fo much difo$ning and_ditlike of the_evil which you hear, as you might do Without an mconvcipence greater than the benefit; ~ut make It your own •by finful filence or compliance•. 4· When you are prefumpruo~s an~ fearlefs of your ~at1ger. . , 9· 4 • Direct. 4· K11ow wbercm the d.znger of fiecb finfttl bearmg lteth. A~ I. ln d1rplcafing God, Direct. 4 • who loveth not to fee his children hcarkning to thofe that arcabuling him; nor ro fee them playing tooTh.: dJ.ngerof boldly about fire or water, nor to touch any !linking or de tiling thing; but calls to them, Come OHt hearing. · from amonrr them, and bt ye [eparatt faith theLord, and touch 110t tbe unclean thing, and I wiU receive you. 2 Cor. 6: 16, 17, 18. 2· It is dangerous tO your famafie an_d memory; which qui_ckly receiv~th hurtful impreff10ns by what you hear ~ If you lhould hear provokptg words, even agamft your W11ls, }'et it's hard to c_fcape the r~ceiving of feme_ hur_t~ul impr~~on by them: And if you hea~ lafcivious tilthy words agamfi your w1lls (much more J[ wz~mgly) H s two to one but ,they leave fome thoughts in your minds which m1y gender unto further lm•. ~nd it IS dangerous to yom p.JjfionJ and ajfet1i01u, Jell they catch tire before you arc aware. And tt IS dangerous to your un_dujfandings left they be perverted and fcduced: and tO your wiUr lcll ~hey be turned after evil, and turned away from good; and alas how quickly is all this done~ 3.lt IS dangerous to the jpeak.._er, Jell your voluntary IJearinL encourage him in his iin,and hinder his repentance. 4· And it is di(honourable toGod and Godlinef:,. 9· 5· Direel. 5• Do y ()l(T beft to live in· fuch con:pany where you jhaU hear that which ir good a~td edify_- Direl1. 5• ing, and to cfcape that comp:my whofe conference 11 hurtfitl and cor:upt. Run not your felves m to th1s When !ou ~re temptation : Be [ure you have a call, and your call mufl be difc.erncd, I· By your office or place; called mto Ill whether any duty of your office or relation bind you to be there. 2. By your ends: whether you be comp 2 ny. there as aPhyficion to do them good (as Chrill went among finners) or to do the work of your proper calling : or whether you are rh:.:rc out of a carnal, man-pleaiing or temporizing humour ? 3. By the meafure of your abilities to attain thofe ends. 4· By the meafure of your dan1,cr to receive the infedion. 5· By the quality of your comp1ny, and the probability of G~od or Evil in the event. 9· 6, Dlft~c:t. 6. fYbm _yiJtl are called in~o iil company go fortified with defenfive andoffenfive armr, ar Dirtl1. 8. forefoeiJ.1g what d:zngrr or duty Y'u are liJte tobe cajf upQn. Forefee what difcourfe you arc like to hear, . and accordingly prepare your ((:Ives: Let your firlt prepuation be tq pre{erve your felvtt from the hurt, and yom next preparatiOn to confute the evil, and convince the finful fp~aker, or atJean to pi'e-- fcrve the endangered hearers, if you have abilit)•, and opportunity. lf fou are to'he~r a feducing btrt– tic:zl1'eacher, there is one kJnd ot preparation to be 'mad_C: If you are to hear _a beaflly filthy talk,_er, there is another kind of preparation to be made. If. yOu are to hear a cunning Pharifet, or maligllantcnemy of Godlincfs reproach or cavil or wrangle agai111l the Scriptures or the ways of God, there is another kind of preparatiol) to be made: If ¥OU are to hear but the {enfelejj {cor111 or railings and b~wlings oi 1gnorant prophane and fenfual fors, there is another kind of preparation to be ·made : T o give you particular Dirtdions for your, preparations againfi every fuch danger would make my "'ork too tedious. But remember how much lieth upon your own preparations or unprepared– "efs. 9· 7· Dire&. 7· Be not fmfuliy n>~ming in good difcourfe your felvct, if you would not bt enfoared by Dirtl1. 7• bad difcour{e from l!lhtrJ, Your good difco~trfe may p_revent, or divert, or {hame, or di[appoint their evil difcourfe. Turn rhe ftream ano1her way: And db it wifcly, rrat you expofe not your fel;~u and your cau]C to korn and laughter : And do it with fuch zeal as the caufe requireth that you be not born down by their greater zeal in cv1l. And where it is unfit for you to fpeak, if it may be let your c;ountenancc or dcpatture fignifie your difiike and farrow. 9· 8. Direct. 8. SpcciaUy labJur to mortijic thJfe fin!, which)/,, unavoidabledifeourfe of your comp•· D/re{J. S• ny doth moft tempt y(lu to: that whtre tfJe Devil,d~th moft to hurt yo:t, yQu may there do moft in yo:er own dcfmfl. Doth the talk which you hear tend m oft,toHerefie, SeduUion, or to turn you from the truth? Swdy the more to be e{f.:tblijhuJ. in the truth : Read more bobks for it; and hear more that is faid by wife and godly men againfi rhe error whicli fou arc tempted to. Is it to prophanenefs or di11iKe of a holy life, that your company tempt you I Addr~fsyour felves the more to God, and give up your felves to holincfs, and let yonr ftudy and practife be fuch as tendeth to keep your foul-s in relifh with holinefs:. and hatred of fin. Is it Pride that their applaudi'ng difcourfe doth tempt you to> Study the more the doCtrine of Humililtion. Is it lull that they provoke you to, or is it drunkennefs, gluttony, finful recreations or excdfcs? Labour tbe more in the work of mortification, and keep the fiti6tc0: guard where they a!fault you. 9· 9· Direel:. 9· Be not un-1cquaimed with theparlicular we~Jiuu.ffes and d.1ngerr of your own hearts, or DirtC/. ,. any oj"J•our {tnful inclination~: That when ypu know where the wall is wea~eft you may there make the belt defenfe. That W-1nton word will fet a want011 heart on fire, ·which a fober mind doth hear with pity as a bedlam kind of fpeech. Apievifh pJfJionatc heart is prefently dinurbed and kindled with thofe ~ords which are f~arce obferved by a weU-compoftd foul. , 9· IO· Direct. 10. Hear every fin/Hl word"' di[/ated by the Devil; •nd fi<PP'Jt yJu Jaw him, aU Dirt{J. ro. · the while al the [pe.Jk.!rs eJkaw: putting each word into hid mouth, and telling him what ta foy. For it is as verily the Devil that doth fuggen them all, as if you faw him: Suppofe you faw him behind the rayler hilling him on as boys do dogs in fighting, and bidding hi~JJ, c.u him thru.or thrli: Suppofe yo~t faw him at the malignants car, bidding him,. Rtvile a holy life,. and JPea.k., evil of the wayr and Jtrvantr of tht Lord: Suppofe you faw htm behmd the wanton, b1ddmg h1m ufc fuch ribbald talk, or on the fl•ge fu.sgcning i~ to the a/iorJ; or.at the ea~ of thofethar would provoke you to p•llion, to t~ll them what'to fay agamn you: Thts JU~ fuppofiuon would rnuoh preferve you. · Bbb ~ 9· u. Direa. u .
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