624 Chap. 31. An Expofttioa upon flea 'Book of J o rs. Vert. 30 moutb keepe the doore ofmy lips. God who is infinitely glorious will yet condefcesd to be our doore keeper,to bea doore keeper ro our hearts, yea to keepe the doore ofour lips, he wal not dif- daine that çfflce when we humbly fue unto him to undertake it. As a godly man beggs of God to open his mouth for holy ufes (s /41.5 r. 15.)Open them mylips, and my mouthJhallJbewforth thy praife ( we cannot openour lips to the prayteof God,unleffe God come with his key and unlocke them) (o he beggs of God to fhut his mouth, and keepe the doore of his lips for him, that he fin not with his tongue. Fourthly 'Tis remarkeable. that 7,,b did not fay I endeavou- red that my mouth fhould not fin, but he faith, Neither have I fufferedmy mouth tofin. Hence obferve. ei1 godly man carefully watching over himfelfe , keeper his mouth fromfinfull/peakings. He Bothnot only attempt this reiraint, but he may attaine it ; This labour (h ill not be in vaine in theLord. Yet we are not to underftand thepoynt, as if a Godly man might attaine to fuch a corquef over corruption as never to fin at all by word, but as to this or that temptation he may Thus 74 prevailed over his heart and tongue not to curfe man,his rea11 enemy as before he did, not to curie God when he of tied towards him inappearance like an enemy. But faith not the Apoftle ?awes ( Chap. 3.8. ) The tongue no mancan tame , it is an unruly evil!. This forne underftand with reference to the torguesofother men, who can tamehis intemperate tongue that boafteth, my torgHe is my owne, who is Lordover me ? But wemay better underftand it of a mans owne tongue ; The tongue is often too hard for the whole man ; no man can tame it ; that is, no man can tame it of himfelfe ; but a man may obraine power of God to tame it., This unruly evil' may be ruled&brought under good government by the fìrength of grace. The tongue is an unruly evils, but not an unconquera- ble evill. A godly manmay come off with vietory, and be more then a cor:goeror (through the firength of Chili) over all thofe temptations which would fer the tongue afire in evil) (peaking, or by evill fpeaking kindle a fireamong others. The tongue is a fire, and 'cis 3ellowes alfo,from both ill tonguedperlons arejuft- ly
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