Idle andworldly Talk to be denied. 125 of God upon the heart. For a man never talks heartily, that talks not from the Heart. He that is full ofthe Love of God, poffeffed of the Spirit of Chrift, taken up with the riches of grace and ofglory,will fcarce want matter to talkof,nor an holy difpofition to fet him awork : For theWord ofGod will be as a fire in his heart ; he will be weary with forbearing , till the flames bull out, Pfill. 119.11. & 4o. 8.& 57. 7.& 119. III. & 39. 3. yer, 20.9. The hearty experienced Chriflian is ufu- ally the fruitful Chrillian in word and deed. Dir.3.Preferve a tender confcience, that may check you when you begin to turn to vanity. The fear of God is the fouls pre7 ferver, Pfal. 19. 9. Prov. 16. 6. & 23. 17. Dir. 4. Walk as before the Lord : Live, and think , and fpeak as in his prefence. If the pretence ofan Angel would call you offfrom idle words, what then fhould the prefence of God himfelfdo I Dareyou run on in idle foolifh prating when you remember that he heareth you ? D;r. 5. Keep -out of the company of idle talkers, left they entangle you in the fin : unlefs when you have a call to be among them, Prov. 13. 20. We are apt to let our difcourfe run. with the fiream. Dir. 6. When you are with the ungodly, maintain in you a believing .compaflion to their fouls ; And then the fenfe ofcheir condition will heal your difcourfe. Dir. 7. Provide matter for holy difcourfe ofpurpofe before- hand. As you will not travel without money in your parks to defray your charges ; fo you Chould not go into company with. out a provifion offuch matter as may be profitable for thecorn- piny that you may be eaft upon. Study and contrive how to fuit your fpeechcs to the Edification of others, or el re to draw good fromothers, even as Minillers Rudy for their Sermons. Dir.8.Speak not till you have confidered what is like to be the , effeft of it, and weighed the quality of the perfon, and other circumftances to that end. Do notfpeak firft, and confider af- ter, but firft think, and then fpeak. Dir. 9. Bella! fenfible of the worth of time and opportunity?, and then you will be as loth to cart it away on idle talk, as a good husband will beto caft away his money for nothing. R. 3;
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