ofthetongue. CAP. XI1. Anexhortation to %eepe the Tensue. Hus have I in part Pet downe how the tongue is to be governed : 1 and I heartily riefire, that all Chriflians would put thrfe rules in praaife, Reafons. L Ifanymanfeemc to be religiow,andrefi?raine not his ïarnes.l,s6. tongue, he deceivethhrrn,/elfe, and his religion is to vain. I I. The man of an evill tongue, is a beau in theforme of a man; for his tongue is the tongue of ferpent, under which lyeth nothing but venial and poifon: Pâal 14.0 3. nay, he is worfe then a ferpent : for it cannot hurt, unleffe it be prefent to fee a manor tobite him or to flrikehim with his tayle: but he which Bath not the rule of his tongue, hurteth men as well abfènt as prefent, neither fea nor land , nor any thing can hinder him. And again; his throat is like a grave that path a vent in Tome part, and therfore fendeth foorth nothing but flinke and corruption. 1 I I. As the holy men of Ifa.6.6. Godwhen theypreached , had their tongues , as it were, touched with a cole from the altar ofGod: and as godly men when they fpeakegra- Maah.3.t T. cioufly, have their tongues enflamed with the fire of Gods fpirit : fo contrariwife, when thou fpeakeft evill , thy tongue is kindled by the fire of hell: and Sathancomes from thencewith a coleto touch thy lips, Iames.3.6 and to fet themon fire r° all maner ofmifchiefe.Chryfofome faith that when men fpeakegood things,their tongue is the tongue ofChrifl: l,ut ic'm rr7 all maner ofungodly and turfed fpeaking is the devils language. II I I. The moderating ofthe tongue is a matter ofgreat difficultie. S. Iames Iam.3.7.8. faith, Thewhole nature ofbeaus andof lirds andof creeping things, &c. but the tonguecan noman tame: it is an unruly ovali. Pambus, onewithout Hnf.Tripar, learning carne to a certaine man to be taught a Pfalme : who when he lab.8.rap.a. had heard the firfl verfe of the 3 8.Pfalme,l /%d,that I wit' keepemy wales that I offendnot inmy tongue, would not fuffer thenext verfe to be read, Paving, this verfe is enough, illcould praaife it. Andwhenhis teacher blamedhim, becaufe he faw himnot in fixe moneths after, heanfwered, that he hadnot yet done the verse. And one that knew him many yeres after, asked himwhether hehad yet learned theverse. I am fortie yeares old (faith he)and havenot yet learned to fulfill it. Now then,the harder it is to rule the tongue, the more care is to be had therein, V. The Gods itadge- (lrange judgements ofGod for the abufeofthe tongue, efpecially, in nient for the blafphernies and perjuries are many and fearefull.Threemen confpired cou fGofthe togethera ainftNarciflusBifhopofI-lierufalern:aman that led a godly F%f6.{.8. and blameleffelife, and they charged himwith a.moft Impious crime: all three confirme their accufation by oche. The firewifheth, if it were not fo, that he were burnt.The fecond,that he might dieof the iaundife. The third, that he might lookhis eyes. Afterward in proceffe of time, the firfl had his houlePet on fire in the night, and he with all his family
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