The Sins of tl1e Tongue. ?· 2 6, 15 • Anorher fin of the tongue is t.he reviling or dijhunouri~g of foper~urJ : When Children fp~ak unrcverently and ~i{honmu~~ly ro, or of th~ir Pare~lts, or Sub)e8::s of thcu Govemours, or fe~~ vants of thdr Mall.crs, either to theu faces, or behmd thear backs. 2 Pet. 2· IO• 1hcy are not afratd 10 jpralt,_tvil ofdtgnities, Jud. 8. .' §. 27 . 1 6. Another is, the imperiouJ contempt~ of inferiou~J, infulting over them, provoking and difcouraging them ; Ephef. 6. 4· FathcrJ prottok.! not JIWT cb,ldren to wrath. §. 2 8. 17• Another fin of.the Tongue is Idle tallt,_and multitude of u(elefs_words: a babling loqua– city, or unprofi.tablcnc:fs ~f fpecch: when it is fpeech that tcnde~h. to no cdahcaoon, no! any good ufc: fm mind or. body or affa1rs. . . . . §. 29 ,,g, Another fin is Foolifh tallt,_, orj•a~{ng in levity-and folly, wluch tendeth.to potfefs th10miods of the hearers with a difpofibon of levity and folly, l1ke rhe fpeake<s :.Ephef. 5· 4!' Foolifh tall{!~g and jeJ/ling- arc things not convenient. Honeft mirth is lawful; and that IS the bejt which is mon fanctj. tied, as being from 'a holy principle, and about a holy matter, or to. a holy end: as .R.ejoyciitg ,in the Lord alw.tyJ, Phi\. 4· 4· If any be mmy let himjing P[almJ, Jam. 5· •3· Rut fuch,a·ltght and frothy j<:alling as-is but the vent of habitualleviry by idle words is not allowable. ' But efpeciallytho(c ptr– llms do mofi odiouny abufe their tongues and Rea[on, who coumerfett 1deots or fools, and:! life' their wit to cover their jcafts with a feeming folly, to make them the more ridjculous, and make it their very profdlion to be the jeaflers of great men. They r~ake a trade of ~eynous fin. :)' §. 30 • 19 • Another fin is fi'ihh.y jpeal{!ng, Ephef. 5· 4· Obfceneand nbba_ld talk; which~beApollle calls cormpt'or rotten_communicatio11, £p~1e!· 4· 29· ~hen want~n filthy mmds do make rhemfdves merry with wanton hlthy fpccches:. ~Ius IS theDev1ls preparative to whor~dom and ail abo~ipable uncleanncfs : For when the ronguc IS hrlt taught to make a fporc of fuch filthy fins, and the ear to be delighted in it, Of be iodilfercnt to it, there remaineth but a fmall llep to atft~al fil– thinefs. · j ' §· 3r. 2(>- Another fin of the tongue is curfing ; when men wifh fame mifchief cauflclly or unwar~ nmably to others : If you fpeak but inpaffion or jeafi, and defire not to them in your hearts the hurt which you name, it js nevcnhelefs a fin of the t.OHgue, as it is to fpeak blafphemy or treafon in a paffion or in jeat'\: The. tongue mull be ruled as well as the•heart. Bur if really you defir.e the'hurt which you wilh them, it is fo much the worfe: But it is w6rfi of all, when pallionate factious men will turn their very praytrs into mrjings, calling for fire from ·Heaven, and praying for other mens defhutl:ionor hurt; andpretending Scripture examples for it; as if they might do it unwarr01:,ntably, which others have done in other cafes in a warrantable manner, §. 32. 2 r. SJ,mdering is another fin of the tongt>!e t1 when out of malice and ill wi1l, men fpeak evil falfly of otherS to make them odious or do them hurt: Or elfe through uncharitable credulity, do eafily believe a falfe report, and fo report it again to orhers ; orthrough raChnefs and unrulindS of tongue div~lge it, before they try it, or receive either jufi proof;, or any warranrable call to menti~ .on it. 411 5· 33• 22. Another fin is Back]liting and venting iU report.r behind mens backs, without any war... ram: Be the matter true or falfr, as long as you either know it not to be true, or if you do, yet vent it to make the per[on ltfs refpeded, or at leafi without a fufficient caufe, it is a fin againfi Ged, and a wrong to men. §· 3'1-· 23· Anotherfin is t.J_{h ce1t{uring, when you fpeak that tvilof anorher, which you have but E:Uflimant ·.m unchatirable furmife of; and take that to be probable which is but poJ!ible} or that to be ctrtain which Jo9uacita~cm is butprobttble againft anot~er .. _ . . . . ~c::~~~~~~~; 9· 35· '24· Another fin IS RatiMg, revrh.ng, or paffionate provokmg words,~whJCh.tend to the dimi~ omnibus bonz 11ution of charity,and the breach of peace, and the fiirring u_p of diCcord, anti of a return of railing confcien:iz. words from others, contrary ·to the Love and patience and meeknefs and gcntlenefs which becomcth fignum ~rbnSaints. , 1• tr~ntur. §. 36. 25· Another fin is cbtating, deceiving over-reaching words: when men u[e thdr tongues to ~~~:0:J. Cont. dctraud their Neighbours in bargaining for their own gain. §. 37· 26. Another fin of rhe tongue is f•lfe witne[t-bearing, and falfe aecujing; a fin which crys ro God for vengeance, who is the jufiitier of the innocent. 9· 38. '1.7· Another fin of the tongue is the paffing an unrigbttom {eHWtce in judgewtent: when Rulers abfolve the guilty or condemn the jufi, and call evil good and good evil, and fay to rhe Righte– ous, Thou art rvic/ztd, PJOv. 24· 24. §. 39· 28. Another fin of rhe Tongue is Flattery; which is the more heynous by how much more hurtful: And it is moH hurtful, J . When it tendeth to delude men in the greatrft things, even the .ft.Jte of their fouls ; The flattery of a Preacher that deceiVeth men as in the name of Chrifi is of a11 oth~r flattery the moft· pernicious ; To make the unregenerate believe that they are rege~erate and the ungodly to believe that they are Godly, and the unju£\ified to believe that they are jofiificd' and rhc Children of Satan to believe that without Converfion they may be favcd ; to rn<~ke a world~ ling, a (wearer, aglutton, a drunkard, a fornicator, a formal hypocrite, or a harer of holinefs be– .)ie.ve. that fuch as ~e may co~e to Heaven ~irhout the fandifying rene~ing work of the Holy dhofi, th1s ts the moll: em1nent ferv1ce of the Devt1that the Tongue of any man can do him, except it be the very open oppofers o.f Rc~i~ion; As th.e Devil ufetb mon:: to flatte~ men to Hell, than 'to frighten them thither, fo do h1s Mm1fiers and mfirurnents. And all doChmes of Libertinifm and 1oofnefs which warrant men t? do evil and to .negle.& a h.oly .life, are of rhe two a more dangerous way of thttcry, than that wluch confifieth but m mJf-appltqrwn. Thus alfo camal friend• do ufe to flatter a finncr
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