Dirt{i.8. Dirrli·9• 'DirclJ, JC, D1rclJ.Jr. P!>JV. i· 7· &16.1z. 1 <.or.;. 18. The UlrS. of Idle Talk. fpeak the words which theyo[teft hear. How hard is it to avoid idle tall(_ amongfi idle tal~rs? One V ..tin word draws on another, and there is no end. ~· 37· Dint!. 8. Avoid vain work.f, if you WQHldavoid vainWordJ. For a man that enga:geth him. felt in vain c:mployme•t, doth lofeall th!! words,as vain, which he uferh about that employmenr. What a life then do rhty livt, thlt have an unl8wful CaDjHg ? When their wry bufinc{a.ndTrade is tin the ad junlts,the words about it,mufi be fin,and fo all their ·lives are a con1inm!d tiO:i had rarh(r rher~fort: ~e the baf,fi drudge, than one of thefe men: Efpecially Stage-players OlOuld thiok of rhis: And thofe that fpcnd whole hours, yea, half dayes, if not nights, in gaming, 'and vain, or lir.ful fporrs what abunda~ce of idle words do they ufc about them : Every caft of the Dice, and every Card th;y play, bath an tdle word; fo that a foher man would be aweary and aChamed to hear them . .9· 38- oCtt. 9• Plrt.nge n~t your [elves into txctfi.of worldly bujint{s, as fame do, that. underta~ more wubout ntcffJity, thau tiJty caH difchm-gt: For fcich ne-cdlttate a variety of though[s and wmds: And all that art ipent in ferving them in thufe their vain employments, are vain ; though the work for the matter Of it be not vain. · ~· j9. D:rcd-. 10. Let not a viciouJ ·mind makJ that feem mceffary or tonvenient which it vain. CarO;~t hearts that arc acquainted wi1h no better things ., think nmhing vain, that pleafeth theif'fen· •flpl inclinations, or which their carnal intereH doth require. A man·pleafer thinketh Civility ob– ligeth him to obfer~e ~is unnecdfary vifits and complements, and to an{wer idle.talkers, and not fit filent by them, nor contradid: them : And fo it mull: be a point of good manners m break the Law of God : And as they t_hink it uncivil, not to pledge every drinker in his healths, fo not toanfwer every rwader in his talk. 9· 40. Dirtll. I I. 'take bttd of • proud fe/fconceitld mindthat thinks too weU ofyout own diflourfe: Get but HHmility, and you will rather choofe to hear, than to fpeak. But when all your fanJies and imperrinencies feem fame excellent matters to you, then you arc with child till you a're delivered of them, and then all mull reverence, and filently attend your pride andfoUy; or be taken ~s negll!d:ers of you for difregarding it. l'irel1. 12 • §. 41 •• Diree.£. u . Avoi(J.Paffion and paffionate companion!: For paffion is tqlk._at~, and will not be Pro\·, 14 . 17 . checkt, but rdifieth the ren:raint of reafon, and multiplyeth word1 which are woric.than Vain? ts, 1S. ~· •P• DireCt. I3· 1a~e heed ofan hto.,dinatt jea(~ing vain: For it habituatcth the mind to foo1ilh Fcclrf 7· 8,9. levity, and knows no bounds, and breeds idle wo·rds, as thick as putrifit:d fldh bree(ls Vermine: And VirtU. I3· it is the greater fin, bccaufe it is ordin-ary, and with a certain pleafure and pride, and glorying in vanii~~J:~:~: :: ty, and lln~ullevify and folly. . • • Ephcf 1 . 4 . §. 43· D~rect. I 4· Vndtrft•nd partrcularly what fcrvzce you have to Jo f" God or men '" mry Dire&. 14 • c1mpany yori. come in , ~nd fo fit your woid1 to •he pre{tnt dHty and c~~pany. For thofe words Prqv. u . 17. are vain and inconvenitm in one company that are Htujfary or contftnim~ m ano1her• . If you lx to Prov. 1 a. sS. converfe with the ignorant and ungodly, turn your difcourfe into a comp•fhonate way of inll:rudion or & 13 '1o IX exhortation. Ifwith men wif~raud better than your felvcs, enquire and learn of them, and draw 15 · :, 71 3 1 • that from rhem wh8 may editie you. · Dirtl1. I • 9· 44· Di~ell. I 't· Ajfrl;l•ot an unneccffary curiojity ofJptech, but takJ thoji fer 1be fotefl w_ordf, You will cJ?e which are Jutted to tbt Matter, aud lo thy. Heart, ~nd to the HeartY/ l ?ch~rw1fe your fpccch will be beburi"f,t;~ioft jlltdiedly and afftlltJiy vain : And you WJJI f..lory m that as.tltgant, wh1ch IS your jhame: Hypacritical ~eu~4tow , ;as wordJ that come nm from the heart~ aretleadand corrupt, and are but the Image of true ipcech, as one ' 3 ilt(lhim wanting that verity and fignifictncy of the miudwhieh is rheir life. Words are likeLarvJ, that arc: va~ t!ut w~ot~ 2 lurd by the: Atttbority, and Matter, and E11d, more than by the curiofity and elegancy: or like momy, ffi~~lc 0~:~;~1 that is valued by the Authority, Mtta/1, and'irti"ght,and not by the: curicfity of its.Sculpturc, Imagery, or matter. All that is counterfeit, though curiozu, is vain. • Direli. I6. §• 45• Direct. I6. Suppofe yoHh;dwrimndown tht idle wqrtfs of aday (your own or any other pra"tlers,) and retrd the.m over aU l'Jt night! Would you not be a01amed of fuch a Volume of Vllnity and Coitfufion? 0 what a Book it would be, that one fhould rhus write from the mouth of idle talfterJ l what a fl13me would it be: to humane nature? It.would tempt fame to quefi:ion; whether man be a reafonab/e creamre, or whether a~ be fo, at leaft ? R_ern,mbcr then, .that aU is recorded by God and Confcience : and all tlus hodgepodge of vamty mull be rcvrewed and anfwered for. 9· 4 6. The reil that is n<cdfuy for Direction againfl Tdlt words, you may find Chap. 5· Part 2 . in the Government oftht 1houghts (and in my Book of Seifdeny•l.) In a word, ( for_ I mufl not com– mit the fault which I am reproving ) account not acourfe of tdle talk for a fmall hn. Never fuffer fo loo{C and flippery a member as your tongue to be ttnt,utJrded; and never fprak that, of which you dare not fay, asPfal. 19· 14• Let tbe words ofmy meUJIJ, and tbe mtditationJ of my heart, be ~towandalwayu acctp,.ble ill thy jigbt, 0 L<Jrdmyftrength andmy Rtdremer. ~ ho lhould ~· 47· But cf~cially 01boveothers 1 thefe pcrfons fh.ould watch againfi vain word1: l• Prta~ber~ who be moll are doubly fanctitied pcrtons, and whofc tongues Pt:mg confecrated to God, muH nor be faculcg1oufly watchful alienated to vanity: which is worle than facrilegious alienation of the: places, or utenfils, or revencws ·her~? of the: Churih : Ha(s.,ir therefore more than thei"C-. i Tlm. 4· n. 2 • Ancient people;Affo[e words fhould be grave·and wife,and ful1 of infirutlion to fupprefs the levity F-;~1;(·1 ::·, 0 , of youth : ChiJdbno4) and Tomb is Vanity: but Age iliould not be fo. . .. '· Partnts and Maflers who Owuld be examples of g•avity and fiayedpefs to thell famJlt<S ; and by thJr teproofs and challifemcnts !hould reprels luch faul!s in their inferio~<. 'f' Thofe
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