An·Expofition, withNotes ( jefting, bu~ rathergiving ofth~nk!; ~xJ.v.nr, that is! thankfully remc:mbermg your fweet expenences. You may haveJOY, if_ Chri~ fiians, in other things ; you may commun~cate to one another your experiences of God; and thar·s better mirth then foe!ijb jefting. As we mufl: then avoyd the evil of the tongue,fowe mull: commune · one with another more fruitfully,quickeping one another to a fwtet , apprehmGon of the ben.efics of God : The Spoufes lips dropped ' honey-combs, Cant. 4· Many poffibly avoyd Conferences grofly evil; but how Oow are we to good? Solomon that defcribeth the fad effctl:s of an evil tongue, doth alfo every where difcover the fmits ofa good tongue. For a tafl:e take thefe places, cprov. I o.2o. Th'e tongue of the jusl is tU choyce filver; not only as ~cis purged from the drofs of vanit_y, and lyes, and filthy fpeaking, bur becaufe ef the worth and benefits of it. In another place he faith 'tis the tree oflife, Prov.I I ;3o. whofe leaves are medicinable: And PrtJ, 1 2. I 8. The tongue of the Wife is ht~tlth. All which lbould tbam12 us, becaufe we are fo backward in holy difcourfe, to refretb and heal one:an'other. And out of the whole'we may learn, That Chri- · fti~tmty doth not tak,: away the nfe Df[peech, but rule it; and doth• ?Jot mak.§ ~_Jumb in converfe, but graciou!. . Vei:fe 3· Behold, we put bits intq horfes mouths, that they ma] obeJ us, and we_turn abounheir whole bodies. - Verfe 4· B~hold .dfo the jbips, which though they be great, and driven of fierce winds, Jet they 11re turned abD,ut with afma/1 helm, whitherfocver thegovernor lifteth•. · Thefe two Verfes being fpent in Cemparifons.and Similitudes, need the lefs ofComment and Illufiration : The drift of them is to thew, that little t-hings are able to guide great bodiu, as abridle, and arudder.;· andfothegaidingof the tongue, a little member, may be of as great ufe and confequence in mor~lmatters. By the bridle we keep the horfe from fiumbling, and by the rudder the Lhip . from rocks: So anfwerably Solomon faith, Prov, 21. 23· whofo k§epeth hi! mouth and his tfJngue, k..,eepeth hisSoutfrom troHbles. . Out ofthefe Verfes ob!erve : , . 1. 'Fh.:tt ~tisgood to i!lNfJrate divine tb;ngs by Similitudes ta.:. ·~<tnfrom_eflrth!y. 1. Our knowledg isby fenfe i by things known :we ~~ ~~~~~~- appr~h~n~ ~~f~ ~~~~ ~!~ \t~~~~~() ; and by ha 1n ~ar' y '
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