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CHRISTIAN MORALITY, VIZ.
DARK
X7CIX;
a
poor
man
;
and
he
that
loves wine
and
oil,
feastings
and
entertainments,
he
shall
not
be
rich,"
Thirdly,
A
tattling humour,
excessive talking,
and an
idle inquisitive
impertinence;
are great
enemies also
to
that
industry,
that
is
now
recommended
to
us.
Solomon
assures
us,
that
though
there
is
profit
in all
labour, yet
the
talk
of
the lips
tendeth
only to
penury,
Prov.
xiv.
23. And he
redoubles
it
upon,
our
ears,
that
a:
prating
fool shall
fall,
l-
iay.
x. 8,
10.
There
are
some
persons
that
love to
talk of
any thing; or
every
thing,
besides
their
own
business;
;like foolish children
that turn
every
page
of
their
books,
and flutter a little
about
every
part
of
them, besides where-
their
lesson
is.
Every moving
feather
is
ready
to seize
the
fancy
of
these
triflers,
this
fickle
and talkative race of
men
:
They are
but
taller
children. Every little story
entertains their
idle
inclina.*
tion,
and
gives them:
fresh employment to
tell
it
over
again. They had rather.
do
any
thing
.than
the duty
of
the
present
hour;
they spend
their
tithe like the inhabi-
tants of
Athens,'
in
little
else
but hearing
or telling
some
new thing.
Some
of
these persons
are ready
to
intermingle them-
selves
with every
man's concernments, uncalled and
un-
desired
:
They search into the secrets
of
families, in
or
der
to
gratify
a
wicked humour, to spread
abroad and
publish
some
private
scandal.
They
creep
into
.
houses
to make mischief there, and
by
tattling and repeating
matters
ofcontest,
they
separate
very friends,
and raise
angry quarrels
in
peaceful
families; .Prow.
xvii.
9.
Such
persons
seem
to deserve the public censure
of
the
ma
gistrate,
in
the opinion
of
the apostle
Peter;
l
Pet.
iv.
15.
But let none
of
you,
that
are christians,
suffer as
an
evil
-doer, or
as
a
busy-body
in
other
men's matters.
He
himself
once fell
under
the censure
of Christ
our Lord,
for
this
inquisitive
and
needless curiosity.
Johit
xxi.
21,
22.
When
St.
Peter
had received a prophecy
from
his
master concerning
his own
martyrdom, he had
also
an
express notice
what
his own
business
was,
viz.
to
follow
his
master.. But
Peter
had
a mind to
know
what should
become
of John
too
:
" Lord,
says
he,
and what
shall
this man
'do
or
suffer
?"
What
if
I
will, says
our
blessed
Lord,
that.
he
tarry
till
I
come again
?
What
is
that
to