588 Chap. 29. 11n Expo/Won upon ¿he Book. of J o a. Verf. at. frame. Some offend by not ufing though moftby abafingtheié tongu;. ?,bi Auditors did not keepe filence in either of thefe fences: Ire corde japien Their's was a laudable filence, a f¡¡lence by choiceor ele&ion turn e; Waruna, and when any are fi lent upon fuch grounds as thefe that follow, in ore faruorum theirs alto is a laudable filence. cot Frt, When any are filent, becaufe it is not feafonable to fpeake: For as Solomon hath taught us (Eccl. 3.. 5. ) There is ,s time to keep filence, anda time tofpeake. He that hits the feafonof filence, is as wife as he chit hits the feafon offpeaking. Some are given much to filence and they feldomehit the time of fpeaking; others are givenmuch co (peaking, and they feldome hit the time offilence. Theyare men ofchoyce witdome who hit thele times, both fpeaking and holding their peace in lea fon. Secondly, 'Tis good tokeep filence our felves, when others that are batter able to fpeakeare in company, as bathbeen fbewed, from other paffages of this Booke. Thirdly, 'f is good tobe fi lent and fay no more, when enough bath been !aid to the poynt already. As tome over doe, foothers over-fay their matters. We ought to be filent,whèn fo much bath been Paid as will ferve turn. Why fbould words run waft ? and why fhould time be wafted in fpeak=ng waft words? It is ill to fpend our brearh,andwafle our time in vain. 'Tis a great poynt of wifdome to fpeake in proportion. A largedifcourfe to a littlemat- ter, is like a large garment toa little body, very unhandfome. Fourthly, It is good to keep filence, that we may learn or be betterfitted to fpeake. One ofthe old Philofophers enjoyned his Schollers five years filence, before hefuffered them. to fpeakeas Schollers, that is todeliver any opinion in Philofophy. We muff learn to be filent before we can learn to fpeake,much more before we can fpeak learnedly. The dire&ion which the Apoftle gives about all Women(a 7im,2, t r. ) is not unufefull ;.forfome men; let them learn in filence. Fifthly, It is good to keepe filence, when we perceive we fbould offend by (peaking. As there are fome cafes in which we mutt fpeake, how much foever menare offended ;. fo it is a high poynt ofprudence to avoid all unnecefl'ary offences. istly, 'Tisgood to be filent, to Phew our content and fill)! anon to what bathbeen rightly fpoken, as alto.. Seventh-
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