66 That the Nature of man is full of SER. 111.! for ir, G o D fees ir, and it is a finne in Thought. The fecond a tuall finne is our words ; And here . In our likewife you (hall find the Truth of this,that our na- Words. tures arc full omall impiety and wickedneffe, and ex- ceeding prone to evill. The tongue of man is very flippery,nothing being fo cheap as breath it is readie at hand to doe any evil]. If a thing to be acted, there is time required to prepare for it, but a word is quickly out : So the frequencie of offending with our tongue fhouid humble us. The impor- And againc, as our offences, herein arc frequent, I 'mice ofour fo it is a matter of much moment, which wee have words. caufe to marke, becaufe wee doe efleeme not fo of them. Iam. chap.;. $Verf.3,4..6. you fhall finde three 1am.3.3,4.6. Similitudes, by which the Tongue is exprefled, and there you (hall finde what it is to offend in words. It is compared to a Bir, which will keepe in the wildell horfe; and to a Rudder, which (though it be excee- ding great) will turne the Ship. And thirdly, to a fire, what a great matter will a little fire kindle e Men rhinke it a fmall thing to offend in fpeechcs, but God will have them know it is another kinde of mat- ter. Therefore, confider this, you that fufler your tongues to walke up and downe at randome, from morning till night, and thinke it a fmall thing. I will aske you thefe queaions out of thefe Similitudes. Is it a fmall matter to ncglea the Rudder of the Ship Will it not quickly runne on the Sands e Suppofe a mati ride on an unruly horfe, Is it a fmall thing not to keepe the hand on the bridle, to neglett it To have a tongue without a bridle, is as an unruly hork in a dangerous place,or on a narrow bridge,the neg- le
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