358 VE R. s :z. A11 Exlofi~iot~, 'With Notes CHAP.j. PJ?ti. 39· I. I foid, I would tak_e heed to my wap, left 1 offend mth my tongue: He would take heed to the whole courfe of his life, but chiefly watch his tongue~ Iniquity and offence.was likely _ to lhooc forth foonefi that way. Next to keeping our hearts, So– lomon biddethus to keep our tongues; Prov. 4· 13, 24. Keep thy heP~rt \Vith.a/l dil~gence: then, Put ~»'A) a froward mouth, and perverfe lips: Ftrfr the heart, then the tongue, then the foot, ·Ver{. 26. Confider, I. Your fpeeches are noted: Xenophon would have all fpeeches written, to make men more fedous; They. are re– corded, Jam. 2. u. Every idle word is br-ought into Judgment , Mat. 12. 36. Light words weigh heavy in Gods balance. 2. Thty are puni01ed: Pfal. 64. 9• Their own tongnefha/lfa/1 upon them : Better aMountain fhould fall upon you, then the weight of your own Tongue. Origmobferveth out of that expreffion, which in– limateth that the rich man defired A drop to eo,/ his tongue, Luk,; 16. 24. that his tongue was punithed, quia lingua plm peccave– rat,becauft he had finoed moft with his tongue: but the exprefsion there intmdethonly eafe and comfort. Other placc3 are more clear : See Prov. 14. 3• In tht mouth ofthefoo/ifh is A rod of pride, but the lips of the wife jh;t/1 preferve them: We boaff and infult; Godwill make itarod to fcaurge us. 'Tis not "'{word, b~c a rod, becaufe God will punilh contempt with contempt, both in this life, and that to come. 3· Confider what a vile thing it isto abufe the tongue to firife, cenfure, or infultation: The tongue is called the tJory 9f man in the 'P[alms; Awak! my glorJ, Pfal. 57· 8. It thould not accommodate fuch vile ufes and purpofes ; we pe.rvert it from its proper ufe : God made it to celebrate his own praife, to convey theholyconceptions of the Soal to others. Mans excellency lhould not be thus deba(ed ; better be dumb, then of a wicked \ a A .., ·,, ~ tongue. 4• ·r~not of fmall regard, that God in Nature would . t HY~'V t;. thew that he hath fet boundS tO the tongne; he bath a hedged it in !;~ £fiG with a row of teeth: Other organsaredouble, we have twfJ eyu, ROI' CciV o two .:oars, but one tongue. Children have not anufeot their tongue omcr. naturally, till they have an ufe of Reafon\: Certainly therefore . "twas never intended to ferve pafsion and pride, and eve.ry idle humor. For apt Remedies, I. Get a pure heart; there's theTongue~ treafury and ftorehoufe: Agood man is always ready to difcourfe, no~ f~r~ed bydt~~~~any, ~~~ ~~~~~J..~W o~ ~d is inb his -·· : eart
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