T!Je ,Cure of idle Talk. ~· 29. 9, Many word1 are the common ctJttfirJ of contrnlio1z :, S~me word or other will fall that offendeth rhofc that hear it; or clfe will be carried tO thofc: that are 4bfcnr, and made the occa– fion of heatt-hurnings, rc:hearfals, brawls, or Law-fuits. There is no keeping quictnefS, peace and }ove with ralkative pratlers; at leafi not long. . . ~ §.'3 0 • 16. Are y~lt-JlOt fenfible what Pride ~t).d in~pudency is in it, when you think your felves war~ •thiefi ro fpeak? As 1r'you (hould fay, you are all duldrcn to me : hold your tongues, and hear me fpeak ? It. you had Chrifiian Humility and A;Iodejiy, you w~'uld in honour prtflr othtrr btfore your {elves, Ram. 12· 10. You woWd think your felves UJtfllortlu_eft to !peak ( unlefs the contrary be ve-:– ry evident). and defire rather to hear and learn. As HeraclttuJ bemg.asked, IYhy he alone waJ fi/c,nt in the company, anfwered, Tbat·;•ou may tal~: So when you tal~above your partJ, it is as if you told •he company, I talk th" aUyo« may be filrnt. . .• 9· 31. I I· It is a voluntary fin and not repented of:· For you may eafily fQrhcar it if you will; and .you wilfully continue in it: and therefore impenitcncy is your da11ger. . 435 9· 32· 12• La11ly, Confider how unprofitable a fin .it is: and how li.ttle Y?U have to hire you to corn! ,mit it : What get you by it ? Will you daily fin agamll God for nothmg? . 9· 33• Dirtct. 4· If you would not be idle talker!, fee tb.zt your bt.tJttJ b~ tak.fn up witb fomething tiMt DireU. 4 • U good : And that yottr tongrut be acquainttdwitb, and accujlomed to thezr proper rPorJt and duty: -\n J(:.. 31 . 4 , r 1 6 • empty headand beart are the caufes of empty,. frothy, vain difcourfc. Confcience may tell you when Manh. 11. J•h your tongues run upon vanity, that at that rime there is no fenfe of fu~ or dury, or the prcfonce of C J6. God upon y_our ~carts: no holyLove; no z:at for God; _but }'OU are ajltcp. to God an~ all th~ts joh~~~\::· good; and m th1s jlup you moirhtr and tal~ tdly of any thmg that corneth mto your mmd. A1fo 1John 4 . f, .ym.J make not confcience of fptakj.JJg of that which is good, or elfe it would keep out vanity and Prov. 16. 2.~; evil. Rememb~r what abundance of greater matters you have fo talk of! You have the e.vil of fin, Pf.11l. 4o S'· the multitude and fuhtilcy of temptations, and the way of refifl:ing them, to talk of: You have Cant. 7· 9· ,your faults tolamem, your evidences ro enquire afrer, your mercies thankfully to open, the gre{ltmji and ~"dnefi and all the attributes of God to praifc: You have all the works ofGod to admire: even .all the creatures in the world to contemplate, and all Gods admirable Providcnces, and Government to obferve: You have the myflerie of Redemption, the perCon, and office, and life, and mi: ncles, and fulftrings, and glory , and intercdfton, and reign of Chrill: to talk of: And. all the fecrct fanClifying opc ..arions of the Holy Ghon ; and all the Ordinances of ,God , and all the means of Grace, and all our duties to God and man, and all the holy Scripture; befides death and judgement)and Heaven and Hell,and the j;Oncernments oftheChurch of God,and. the cafe of the perfons you fpcak to,whO may nc.ed your infiruC\:ion, cxhortation,admonition, reproof qr comfort: And is nOt here work enough to employ your tongues, and keep them from idle talk? . Make confcicnCe ofthofe Prov. , 3 . 16 • duties <;ommanded, Ephef. 4· 29• Let no corrupt communication proceed 11ut of your moutb, bHt tbat J:.·hicb Ugood. tothe u[e of edifying, andmtJy mini{ler gract to the ht-arerJ, a11d gritve not tbe h(}ly Spirit pf~l. 14 r. 6 , ofG..d. Ephef. 5· 18, 19. Be not drun~ with1Yine wherein iJ excefs, but bi fiUed with the Spirit,fpeaJt~ n,u,q,:a." ing to your felvu in P{ahm, andHym111, and fpiritu.sl SoJtgJ, finging and makjngretody in your htartr • tb the Lord, giving tha11kJ alwayu for aU things unto God am/. tbe F~tber. in the n.nne of (i!Ui' Lord Jt[IM P1sl lT9. r1~· Chrijl, 1 Pet. 4· 11. If any malt fPealz, let him jpeak as the Oraelts of God. Sinful omiffion of good Pfal. 49 I ~ ~difcourfe, is the caufe of finful commiffion of vanity. Specially when the heart it fdf is vain: For as 3f· 1 • a man i1, fo is he apt to (peak. 1 John 4· 5· 1hey are of tbe world, therefore jpeak they of the world. !fa. 3 2. 6. For the vile ptr[on wiU[peak viUany, and his heart wiU worlz i•iquity, to prallife hypocrifie, ;;and to utier error agait~jf the LtJrd. . § 34· Direct. 5· Wallz alwayts with God as in bif prefencr, •nd in the awe of'hiJ L•wJ and judge· v· f1 . m~nt, t!JtJI confc.ience ~ay be kept an-_alt,! and. (tnder. You will be refirai~ed from vain talk, ifyou per~ le:~~- 6.S· ·Cetve that God IS heanng you, and tf you remember that y~r tongue JS under a Law, and that for Prov. 6. 21 , every idle rPord men jhtJU give account in the day of judgement, Matth. 12. 36, 37· and that by your Pf.11!. 17· u.. words yoH jhaU be j•ftified or condtmned: Ifthe Law of God w;re in your hearts, Pfal. 40. 8. and & ' 0~-'· & bidden there, Pfal. 119· 1I· Your heart would be fixed, Pfal. 57· 7· His word then would be the re- " 4 · '7· &< joycing of your heart, Pfal. 119· 111o and your rongues would then be talking of judgement, Pfol. 149 ' 11 ' 37· 30. A tender co1tfcienct will fmart more with an idle world, than a feared fenfelefs confci. ence with an Oath, or lye,. or Oander. For the Fear of God H clean, Pfal. 19. 9· and by it men depart from evil. Proverbs 16. 6. Be thou therefore in the ft~r of the Lord all tbe day long, Pro•· 23. 17· §. 34· DiroC\. 6. Avoid idlenefs, if you >Vould avoid idle tallz: The drones of the Commonwealth v· 6 that have norhing clfc to do, but vilit, and complement, and prare of other mens matters; and that ;.ra. · can have while to tit whole: hours together, upon no buGne[s, are they that are moll guilty of i4,le: P:::!: ~~: chat. Idle Gentlemen, and BtggarJ, ai)d idle guf]ippMt.1Yomen, and Oldrtmt that are void of the fear ~f God, and Chi~&ren that have no bufind_S to do, are the~ that can fit talking away their time, to as lnrle purpofe, as 1f they had been all the <nl<e aflecp. AU1dle per[on1 I warm with the Vermine of idle tboughli and wordJ. 9· 36· Direct. 7· If you rPould avoid idle tal~, avoid idle tal~ative companion! 1 or ifyou C.Jn110t v· ll avoid them, an{wer them not, but let them talJt alon~, u~lejf it be to reprehend (hem, or turn them ro G:;reul~ ~~u . more profitable talk. for when you bearva,ity, 1t wJtl incline you to fpeak vanity: And thefe un~ rcfpondere godly p:rfons Jpealt every one vanity to hi! fttigbbou~, as if their toHguu were fo their own, rhat 110 com·itium dt. Lord m~gbt controV them•.Pfal.Jz, 1. 2, 5, 6. The Ph1lofoph~r could fay, 1hat which JMl would not hear do Hot fPealz; •nd that rvhtch yo• wottld not fpeak , do "" bear. Mof\ are like Parrots I hat will •ftrft fpeak
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