607 / 808
V
a
x.¢.
Ep.he/àans,Chap.
5.
587
Dolt.
3.
We
fee
that
we
mull
avoid
[jelling
:
]
this
is
a
fpeech
or
gcfture
in
which
one
affeEleth
the moving
of
laughter
,
without
refpeél
of
Chriftian fobriety,
and
oft
of
charity. For
this
jelling
is
not
onely by
word, but by
aéfion;
for the
word,
as Chry
fotome
doth
conílrue it,doth
lignifie
a
flexible
Mow,
that turnes
his
fpeech or
behaviour
any
way
to
caufe
merriment.
Now
fome
of
there doe onely intend procuring
laughter; from the
foolifh lightneffe
of
their
natures
their
hearts de-
lighting
in
the houle of laughter. But commonly
this jefting
as
it al-
wayes goes with forgetfulneffe
of fobriety,fo
often
ofcharity,as
look
Dodges
16.25.
When
their
hearts
were
merry,
they
faid,Call
for
Sampron,
that
he
may make
us
(port,
&c.
They
that carried
away
the
people
of
God
captive, required
of
them
it
fong, laying, Sing
as
one
of
the longs of
izion.
Nehem.4.3.
This
Both
rebuke many amongfl
us,
who
are
rather
like profefFed Vfe
z.
Qefters then Chriftians; nothing
fo foolifh but it
(hall
forth to further
mirth;
mensgate, geflure, manner
of
fpeaking,
all (hall bee
aGìed
to
draw
forth laughter.
They
are men
of
the
long,
rather then members
of
Chriftian Aflemblies, Chriftians they mourne here,the world
(hall
laugh,
you
fhall
weepe, this
life is
a
vale
ofteares;
Wejigh, faith
the
Apoftle,
being
burdened,6c.
Ftoles hearts are delighted
in
the
hou
fe
of
z
cur.q.¢:
laughter.
What
is
the
ufe
ofitc
it
doth
harden the heart
in
impeniten-
cy,
and
keepeth
it
from looking toward the exercife
ofa
broken heart,
that
we
turning
in
forrow might
be faved
:
the
devill wifheth
no other
Mufitians, and what agreement
hath the behaviour
of
vicés in
Playes
with Chriftian fobriety
We
muff
therefore avoid
this foolifh ridiculous fpeech and
beta.
viour, efpeciallyMinifters, their mouths
arefan&ified,
that
men may
aske
the Law from
their lips
:
their
behaviour
is
not
like
Paula
,
sec
went from houle to houle with teares,
he
wrote with
many
reares
to
the Corinthians.
But
what!
is
there no
place
for
a
fpeech more merry
Yes,
wemay
Phew
fharpeneffe
of
wit
,
or
our
dexterity
in a
more
Anf.
pleafant fentence,
but our
rejoycing
mu
fi
be
in
fears.
2. Moderate,thefe
fpeeches
mull
be like
falt,v4
may
lightly come,
we
muff
not powder our
fpeeches
with them.
3.
It
muff
be with
refpe&
ofcircumftances,what
time,
place, per
-
fons may
inoffenfively
endure.
Laftly,
it
is
to be
marked
,
What judgement
we
are
to
make
of theft
Dali.
ffieeches,what
quality
they
are of,they are altogether
unfeemely;
for bawdy
uncleane termes none will greatly Rand,
but for fooli(htalke,
and
for
jefting (which
is
deemed with ridiculous creatures
very
coalmen
-:
dable)
the matter will not
eafiily
be
}melded.
To
fee
thctruth,tonfdetl
the
flare
of
a
Chriftian,
he
cloth
profe(le
that
he
iswifÍ
;Chri(t
k
ti
made
to
him wifdome,whatcan be more
undecent
for
.otfesbat
then words foolifhcHe
is in
a
vale
of
teares,he
is
ful
of
w
sfitalkitnitfll'
les,
he
is in
the midft
of
fearfull enemies: were it not.uftfac
rely
fog
a fouldier
to
lay
downs
his
weapon
in
the fieldand
fail
to
i
jtltinganô
laughin.!
Ecdef.y.},9,
Poil.i37.3.