~oS Seethe Dirc– Cl:ions for holy Confaencr, '/u. 1, eh. Jo. Dirtl1. '• 9· ,, Dirc'/l. 1o Eotv mrtch our Words are to be CJ{!,garded. CHAP. IX. :J)ireBions for the Government of tbe To1~t1e. Tit. t. The General 1)ireBions. UNderfta~td in general ofwlw momtnt and concernmtnt it is that the ToNgue bt weU govtrntd and ufed. For they that think words are inconfiderable wi11 ufe them inconfiderately. The conceit that words are of fma.U mo~ mcnt (as lame fay of'thoughtt, that they are fm) doth caufe men to if they were fru, faying, Our lips art our ofr.ln : who H Lord over ns? ufe their 11J1fgtttl aS Pfal. 12• 4· The Grearner, 9· 2• J, The tongue of man is his glory: by which exprt!Jivelj he excelleth the brutes: And a ofdtbd ~ns wond(;rfu1 work of God it is, that a mans tQngue 01ould be able to articulate fuc:h an exceeding :hne Tutu, of number ofwoids : And God hath not given man fo admirable a faculty for vanity and fin: The Plal. ~~~~:· nobler and more c:xcell~nt it is, the more to be regarded, and the greater is the fault of them that Pfal:16. 9 • do abufe it. Hilary comP.arcth them to an ill Barber that cuts a mans face and fo deformcth him,. l'fai.Jo. u. when his work was to have made him more ne:ll and comely. So it is the Office of the tongue to be excellently ferviceablc to the goo<i of others, and to be the glory of man'kind: The Chame therefore of its faults is the mme unc:xcufable. . Ma"b.7; t6, ~· 3• •· The tongue is made to be the Index or exprell'<r of the mind : Therefore if the mind 17 1 J3. be regardable, the tongue is regardable. And if the mind be not regardable, the man is not regar– Mmb. u. 3h dable. For our Lord telleth us, that the Tree is known by its fruit ; an evil Tree bringeth forth c:vil H· fruits: and out of tbt ab~endanct of the beart tbe moutb [peak._eth. And Arijfotlt faith, that [ Sucbar Ung~l index aman U, ficch tJre hit fptechu, /itch h~ n·ork.f, and fitcb b~ life. Therefore by vain or fmfut words ~:jpt;Pus be~ you tell men the vanity and corruption of your mindt. jng 1 asked . . _. • . . . b _, 1 • ,., .1·r L · ijl' Quid diffeut faptens ab m!ip1er.te? M1ue, tr.qUtt, am 0! nuucs au tgnotos, .,.. unces. atrt. 111. .An 'l· ,)fJ:: 9· 4' 3. Mem wor~J havt a !(""' dtpendance on thtir"'"d' : Thmfore if their duds be regardablc, their word! are regardable. tJeedJ are fhrred up, or eaufed by wordt. D.1ily experience tell~th us the power offpeech. Ajpmhhath f.vcd a Kingdom, and a JPtrcbhath loll a Kingdom. Grearactions depend ~n. 1hem, and greater confequeQts. §. 5• 4• If tbe men th•t "'' Jpea4 10 be rtgardJb!e, wordJ ""' regardJb!e. For words are powerful inlhumcnts of their j.ood or hmt. God ufeth them by his MiniJlers for mens converlion and falva~ tion: A,ud Satan ufeth themby his Minifiers for mens fubverfion and damnation. Howmany thou.. fand (ouls are butt every day by the words of others! Some dtceived, fome puffed up, fome hard– ned, and fome provoked to tioful paffions ! And how many thoufand are every day ediried by words! either infiructed, admoni£hed, quickned or comforted. Poml faith, The weapon! of our wa1are are 2. Cor. 1o. 4· migb!.J ibro~hGod: And Pytb.JgorM could fay, that 1onguu cut deeper tb::m fwordt, becaufi.they reacb even to the JOul: Tongue~ji;u and d1dit.t thc:r6fore mufi needs be great. PfJ.l.GG.t• & ~· "6. 5· Our 'touguei are tbt lnftrm;mJt~ of.our Crea~ors prai[e; purpofely given .us to.Jjeak good of 9 5.:. &J-31+ bi1 N.Jmt-, and todeclare hi1 work.! rvtth reJoycmg. It JS no fin1\l part of that fetVJce wbu;h God ex.. & I'f8 Ij· & ped:s from_man, which is perfOrmed by the Tongue; nor a frnall put o( the end ofourCre~rion: •9. •· E< Jco. The ufe ot all our hig~ell f"cttltits, parts and graces are exprdfivcly by the Tongue : Our W•fdor,n. ~nd'Kno)Vledge, our Love andHolinefs are much lofi as to the Honour Qf God, :ll.•d 1he good_ of Qthers, if n0t cxprdfed. The tongue is the Lamhorn or Caftme11t of th<: fOul, by which it looketh qut, and Chineth unto others. Therefore the lin or .duty of fo noble an inHrument an: not to be made light of, by any that .regard the honour of our Maker. §.. 7· 6.0ur" word1 hall€ ~ grt.lt rtjletlio11 and operation upon oUr orvn ht~rtJ. As they come from t-heiTI~ fq rhey recoil totheu~, as in prayer and conference wt: daily ob{C:rve. Therefore fer our o1vn good or hHrt, our wo~ds are not to be made lighr of. ~- s:
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