all unrighteoufnefie and ungodlineffi. led is not 1mall. Therefore confider ir, and if you, have not yet learned the meaning of that place,Jearne now to underhand it. Secondly, you fhall give account for every idle word ; It will be thoughr,that to fperke a few words is not fo much, but a few fparkes will fet a great Ci- tie on fire ; you fee what the tongue did in c- 4rrrri for evill, and in Luther for good. There is no Ele- ment fo ativeas fire, and nothing fo efficacious as your tongue, which you fo lightly of { eeme of. A. gaine, fire flies about, fo doh the tongue, it !lath wings. Fire likewife affimilates, turning things quickly into its owne nature ; fo the tongue affimi- lares the hearts of men,towhoi we fpeak,it changes ! them, and now confider if it bea light thing to neg- led it. You are wont to fay, Take heed to the fire, for you know not what a fparke may doe, and is it a (mall matter to neglet your tongues r Specially where there bee thatched - houfes and combuhible matter nearer And are not the hearts of men, to whom we fpaake, as Tinder,ready to take fire at the Irate fparke,if you .heed it notrAnd is it then fo (mall a matter to neglert woods t Gather this out of all there Similitudes,to humble you.If the tongue bens a bridle, as the Rudder,and as fire,then it is of much e flicacie that cannot be denied, for to prove that, it is the only end of thefe Similitudes. And if it be fo, then learne hence to know what the illneffe of your fpeech is for the more efficaciousany thing is, if it lye idle, the greater is the fin; looks what good you have done with your tongues, the more that is, the more is on your reckoning. Againe, if you have im- F 2 ployed .. 65r` SIR. I I I.' a
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