398 The EvilofCorrupt Communication. Voi. II. put of all thefe, anger, wrath, malice, evilfpeaking, filthy communication. Ye fee that filthy communication is reckoned amongft thofe fins of the Gentiles, which Chriftians were utterly to quit and forfake, as contrary to the purity of the Chri- ftian Profeffion. And fo St. Paul tells the Theffalonians, r Theft: 4. 7. God loath not called us unto uncleannefs; but unto holinefs. And he gives the fame Precept to the Coloffians, Chap. 4. 6. Let your fpeecbbe always with grace,' that is, accept- able and ufeful, fomething that is worthy the hearing, feafoned with fait, that is, with prudence and diferetion, which should always govern our fpeech, and keep it within the bounds of fobriety and modefty. As our talk should not be inlpid and foolifh, fo much lefs rotten and unfavoury, immodeft and lewd. And in his Epiftle to the Philippians, Chap. 4. 8. he earneftly recommends the Virtues that are dire&ly contrary to this Vice. Finally, my brethren, whatfoever things are honefl, got ooJevá. whatfoever things aregrave or'venerable, óoa, cifvá, what- foever things arepure or chaff, think on thefe things ; that is, have great regard to them in your Converfation and Behaviour, therebeing no fort of Virtue which the. Chriftian Religion does not ftri&ly enjoyn and exa& from us ; and, confequently whatfoever is light and frothy, and much more whatever is lewd and filthy, ought to be banifhed from the Converfation of Chriftians, as utterly inconfiftent with the gravity and purity of that holy Profeffion. And the faine Apoftle tells us, that all the Promifes of the Gofpel are fo many arguments and obligations to purity and holinefs. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore thefe promifes (dearly beloved) let us cleanfe our felves from all filthinefs of the flefb and fpirit, perfeéling, or pra&ifing, holinefs in the fear of God. And on the con- trary St. John tell us, that all impßrity will be an effefual bar to our entrance into Heaven. Revel. 21.27. fpeaking of the new7erufalem, fays he, There frail in no wife enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatfoever worketh abomination. So that if either the Promifes or Threatnings of the Gofpel have any influence up- on us, they will effe&ually reftrain this vicious pra&ice: VII. and Laflly, All impure and filthy Communication grieves the holy Spirit, and drives him away from us. And therefore after he had forbidden this Vice here in the Text, that no corrupt Communication proceed out ofyour mouth, but that which is good to the ufe of edifying, that it mayminifler grace unto the hearers; he immediately adds, andgrieve not the holy fpirit -of God, whereby ye are fealed to thedayof redemption; hereby intimating, that all corrupt and filthy Communi- cation grieves the holy fpirit ofGod, that bleWed fpirit which is theJeal and earnefl of our redemption, that is, as theApoftle himfelfexplains it, of the redemption of our bodies from the bondage ofcorruption, by the refurre&ion of them to eternal life. For it is the Spirit of God dwelling in us, which (hall raife our bodies at the laft day, and make them partakers of a bleffed Immortality. So the Apoftle fays ex- prefly, Rom. 8. i i. But if the fpirit of bim that raifed up yefus from the dead,dwell in you; he that raifed zip Chrifl from the dead, (hallalfo quickenyour mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. If we defile our bodies, or any members ofthem byuncleannefs, wegrieve the Spirit of Godwhich dwells in us, and force him out of hishabitation; that bleffed Spirit, which should quicken our mortal bodies, and is both the earnefl and the caufe of their Refurre&ion to eternal life. For our Bo- dies as well as our Souls are the temples .of the holy Ghoft, and the Spirit of God dwells in them; and we banifh him out of his Temple whenever we prophane it by lewd and filthy Speech. And the Apoftle ufeth this Argument more than once, to deter Chriftians more efpecially from the fins of uncleannefs. r Cor. g. 16, 17. Knowye not thatye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him (hall God deflroy. For the temple of God is holy, which - templeye are. The Holy Spirit of God fan&ifieth the place where hemore efpe- cially refides, and makes it bis temple; and fo are our Bodies as well as our Souls; as the fame Apoftle exprefly tells us, Chap. 6. Ver. 18, ig, 20. wherehe argues a- gainft the fins ofuncleannefs, which are committed inthe Body, and by the metti- bers and inftruments of it, from this confederation, that our bodies are the temples of 5
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