Chap.c7. An Éxpofrtion upon the Book of J o B. Verf.4. wager, that 1 offend not with my tongue. When our wayes are wrong our words are feldome right. Ifail 1will take heed to my wayes, that is, tomy wholecourte of life; one would think, he fhould rather have faid, I will take heed tomy words that I offend not with my tongue; but he faith wayes,becaufe the tongue is Toone out of the way in fpeaking, when we are out of the way in akin,; he that offends with his tongue, is apt to offend in his wayes, and he that offends in his wayes is thereby made more apt to offend with his tongue. And therefore as Solomonput the keepingof the heart and tongue together,fo David puts the keeping of our way and tongue together.° how hard is it to keepe the tongue, which cannot bekept unleffebothheart and wayes be kepr.Henceagain that of Solomon ( Pro. t 3. 3. ) He that keepetb bis mouth, keepeth his life, be that opens wide bis lips/hall bave deflruaiion. The holy Proverbemay carry an allufion to a City that is bcfieged ;he that keepeth the gatesof the City keepeth thewhole City fate ; }tttt if you bet the gates open, you let in the enemy, and with himde- ftrudtion.Thus he that keepethhis mouth,keeps his life;Hc keeps his life as to the purityand blinds of it,and he keeps his life as to the peace and fafety of ir. Yet takenotice,Sotoraon doth not fay, He that openetb bis lips (hall havedefitru5lion, he doth not forbid fpeaking,and wecannot fpeake unleffe we open our lips ; but he faith, He thatopens wide bis lips ¡hall bave delirnttion that is, he that opens his mouth fo wide that he letsall comeoutlets in de- ,ífruetion.Such an opening of the lips, is anopening of thegrave,& an inlet to death ; unleffe our mouthhuh a guard, our life bath 13one.Many have loft their lives,and more their fouls,by a carders opening of their mouches. While at that Wide opened Gate va- nitybath ruched aur,whole mopesof mifchiefe and death it belle have ruched in upon them. The Apofile7.ames ( Chap. T. 26. ) reckons this keeping of the mouth not onely asa great piece of re- ligion, but as that wiajhout which all religion is nothing,or comes to nothing ; If any man among youfeeme to be religious, andbrid- letbnot bis tongue, but deceivetb bis owns heart, this mans religion is vaine. An unbridled or unruly tongue, fhevvs that religion is nobridle upon, or bath no rule, bearesno fway in the heart, and when religion(which is focalled,fay borne, from bridlingor bind- ing ) doth not bind the heart,it doth not amine its end,nor ferve for the ufe it is appoynted to, and therefore (as all other things are 39
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=