2.72, Of Conference; andgouernment ofthe tongue. follow.So Ezech. zo.certaine prophets wouldnot followGod andhis word,buttheirowne fpirits; and yet there is no greater ods in the world thanbetween ourownereafon and Gods wifdomc,asElà.5 5.My thoughts (faith the Lord) arenotaryour thoughts. Well, ifwe willfollow Chrift, we mutt follow him, notas a great Lord, togrant vs great leases, fat farms,or high towers,but asaman contenmed,as thereproch ofthe world,as aman full of forrowcs. Cbrill path two crosvnes,the one ofthemes, theother ofglorie, he that will be honoured with thelaft,muft behumbled with the firec. cbrsfts two Crowses. CHAP. I2. f Conference,andGodlyobi(dome in the governmentofthetongue. S weoftenfpeakeof thingslawful!, butyetfor want ofwifedome conference. _ to examine the time, place,and perlons, when, where, andwith whornwetalke, Sathaniaboureth tomake vs(1/jetand filentin ,kot-tobetoo _1 r O', ourfpeech, when often,weMight fpeake, toGodsglorie, to the ftr'ist andfi- auoydingofwhichtemptation,we Inuitendeuour tofpeake when tent when nc- God giuethoctagon, and that with thankfull acknowledgingof beecbofgood Gods fpirituallgrace, bythemotion whereof wefpeake : as allb reeechisofJe- with humbleacknowledgment ofourweakenes,whobeingmea. red.ti` .. `_ lured with Góds iuftice, we fhould Infound to haveRained our fpecches and Godsgraces with great corruptions,and to faylein many circumftances. Howbeit, ifwedo it ina tingleheart,and euen becaufewe loueGods word,and inzeale of Gods glorie : wemay boldly fpeake, comnsittiugthk fucceewhichon vs (ifweobferued all circumftanccs) did not depend, totheonmipotencie ofGod,to the bleffing of Chrift, yen. and tothe working of the holySpirit; for we beingneither ,God,norCbrilt, norAngels, mutt not thinkto preuaileofour felues, by our fpeeches,norllayuntil we thinke our felues molt fic butcommend our hearts to the Lord, whovndoubtedly fpareth weakelings. Goodfpeeches. m-Being Chriftians, wermuth notfcay our fehues iii our inemrmgs for otlsers to begin goodlpeeches, but ifGod giuevsany good thing ñourminds,Ietvswithalhumblenes put it f orthto beexamined; ifive feeienothing,let vs complaineofour dulneflèand dead- nefle:euen thereby we fhalgiue octagon ofgoodconference.For asinhence amongeoill menone coil word fetteth abroch many, fo in deadneffe among good men,one goodword mayquicken many. 3 It weretobesaifhrd, tbatgodlymenintheirmeetingswouldgr itbyprayeroffervp theirfpeeches to God to viethem adnifedly, reverently, andnot patting their boundsof knowledge : and iftheycould not1-peakeof anythmg,yetthey fhould aske fomething : if theycouldnotaske,,yettheymight;fpeakeofthecommunionof'Saints: if theyçouid:fay nothing,yetat thekaft they [hould conrplaineofthedulnes ofchesr.tninde ; fo that oft icir dulnes and deadlies llsould arifequicknelle and lifeoffpeech again 0srfinch is q Wegull be carfitll an vfsog,, and,watchfull-.inrefirayningthetonge..Daïtid prayed inAgee potcn- fora watch before his tongue,and (ora porter at else doore of his lipes, hewould keepehi$ tixdsuina, mouth witha hridle,thär it (11ou1dnpt go,norbpeikwnthout a caufe.The eyeglaunecthiour bee- vinculum hands flip, ourfontetreads awry ; yetifweholde ourtonguequalified,svefhalldo the cictätishu ter. It is a little eeceoffleth,lusallm aantitiebutmi htieiu ualiteiitisfoft,bntlÌip- snanx. P 9. . g q perk ; it goeti lightly,b utfalleth heatuly; it ftriketisCott, butwogndeth fore ;:itgoeth out Tencra,mol- quickeiybutburneth-yehetnently Ottnrcethdeepe, and therefore nothealed fpecdily;it hs &casgua bath libertiegranted eafily to goc fortlybut it willfinde nonseaneseafily toreturn house. It is compared with perilfous things,toa (harpe tsveedgedfword,to arazor, tofharpe ar, Iatn. n. roves, to an Addersding, to the poyfonofanAfpe,totieriecoules, and being onteenfla- medby Sat hans bellosves,to the fireofhell. cgAI)
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