A Christian Directory

Tit. 4. Special Directions against Idle talk, and Babling.

§. 1. Direct. 1. UNderstand well what is idle talk: For many take that to be vain which is not, and many take not that to be vain which is. I shall therefore open this before I go any further.

§. 2. The judgment of infidels and impious men here are of little regard: 1. Some of them think prayer to be but vain words, because God knoweth our wants and hearts▪ Job. 22. 2▪ 3. and our service is not profitable to him: As if he had bid us seek him in vain, Isa. 45. 19. These I have elsewhere confuted. 2. Others think frequent preaching vain, and say as the Infidels of Paul, Act. 17. 18. What will this Babbler say: and as Pharaoh, Exod. 5. 9. Let them not regard vain words! But God saith Deut. 32. 46, 47. Set your hearts to all the words which I testify among you—for it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life —3. Some carnal wretches think all vain in God's service, which is spiritual, and which they understand not, or which is above the reach of a fleshly mind. 4. And some think all vain in Preaching, Conference, Writing or Prayer, which is long. But Christ spake no vain words when he prayed all night, Luk. 6. 12. Nor are we bid pray in vain, when we are bid pray continually, instantly and importunately. 1 Thes. 5. 17. Act. 6. 4. Luk. 18. 1, 2. Nor did Paul speak idly when he preached till midnight, Act. 20. Godliness is not vain which is profitable to all things, 1 Tim. 4. 8. Indeed as to their own salvation the wicked may make our preaching vain: but the word of God returneth not empty. The oblations of the disobedient are vain, Isa. 1. 13. and the prayer of the wicked abominable to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight, Prov. 15. 8. 4. Some think all preaching vain of that which they know already, whereas they have most need to hear of that, lest they condemn themselves by sinning against their knowledge. 2 Pet. 1. 12, 13. Rom. 14. 22. 6. Some think it vain if the same things be often preached on, or repeated, (see Phil. 3. 1.) though yet they never received and obeyed them: Or if the same words be oft repeated in prayer, though it be not from emptiness or affectation but fervency: Mark 14. 39. Psalm 136. & 119. 7. Unbelievers think our boasting in God is vain, 2 King. 18. 20. 8. And some malicious adversaries charge it on Ministers as Preaching in vain, whenever the hearers are not converted: See Heb. 4. 2. Gal. 5. 2. & 3. 4. & 4. 11. Isa. 53. 1.

§. 3. On the other side many that are godly mistake in thinking, 1. That all talk is vain which is not of absolute necessity to some great use and end. 2. And that all mirth and pleasant discourse is vain. Whereas the Holy Ghost saith, Prov. 17. 22. A merry heart doth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones: Prov. 15. 13. A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Gen. 26. 8. King Abimelech saw Isaac sporting with Rebekah his wife: Laughing (as the Hebrew is) or playing (as the Chaldee, and Samaritan, and Sept.) or jesting (as the Syriac Arabic and Vulgar Latin.)

§. 4. Observe these qualifications and your mirth and sporting talk will not be idle. 1. Let it be such and so much as is useful to maintain that cheerfulness of mind and alacrity of spirits, which is profitable to your health and duty: For if bodily recreations be lawful, then tongue-recreations are lawful when they are accommodate to their end. 2. Let your speech be savoury, seasoned with salt, and not corrupt and rotten communication: Jeast not with filthiness or sin. 3. Let it be harmless to others: Make not yourselves merry with the sins or miseries of other men. Jeast not to their wrong. 4. Let it be seasonable, and not when another frame of mind is more convenient, nor when graver or weightier discourse should take place. 5. Let it be moderate and not excessive, either wasting time in vain, or tending to habituate the mind of the speakers or hearers to levity, or to estrange them from things that should be preferred. 6. See that all your mirth and speech be sanctified by a holy end; that your intent in all be to whet your spirits, and cheer up and fit yourselves for the service of God, as you do in eating and drinking and all other things. 7. And mix (with cautelous reverence) some serious things, that the end and use be not forgotten, and your mirth may not be altogether as empty and fruitless as that of the unsanctified is. Sporting, pleasant, and recreating talk is not vain but lawful upon these conditions. 8. Still remembering that the most holy and profitable discourse must be most pleasant to us, and we must not through a weariness of it, divert to carnal mirth, as more desirable, but only use natural honest mirth as a necessary concomitant to exhilerate the spirits.

§. 5. Idle or vain words then, are such as are unprofitable and tend not to do good. I here forbear to speak of those Idle words which are also worse than vain, as mentioned before among the sins of the tongue. Idle words are, 1. Either simply such which tend to no good at all. 2. Or comparatively such; which are about some small or inconsiderable good, when you should be speaking of greater things: The former sort are always idle and therefore always sinful: The latter sort are sometimes lawful in themselves, that is, when greater matters are not to be talked of: In its season it is lawful to speak about the saving of a penny, or a point, or a pin: But out of season, when greater matters are in hand, this is but idle sinful talk.

§. 6. Also there is a great deal of difference between now and then an Idle word, and a babbling prating custom, by which it becometh the daily practice of some loose-tongued persons, so that the greater part of the words of all their lives are merely vain.

§. 7. The particular kinds of Idle talk are scarce to be numbered. Some of them are these.

§. 7. 1. When the tongue is like a vagrant beggar or masterless dog that is never in the way, and never out of the way, being left to talk at random about any unprofitable matter that comes before it: And such will never want matter to talk of: everything they see or hear is the subject of their chat: And one word begetteth occasion and matter for another, without end.

§. 8. 2. Another sort of idle talk is the vain discourses (by word or writing) of some learned men, in which they bestow an excessive multitude of words about some small impertinent thing; not to edify▪ but to show their wit: which S • neca reprehends at large.

§. 9. 3. Another sort of idle talk is vain and immoderate Disputings, about the smaller circumstances o • Religion, or frequent discourses about such unedifying things while greater matters should be talked of, Tit. 3. 9. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the Law, for they are unprofitable and vain. 1 Tim. 1. 5, 6, 7. Now the end of the Commandment is charity, out of a pure • eart, and of a good Conscience, and of faith unfeigned; from which some having swerved, have turned aside unto vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the Law, understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. 1 Tim. 6. 20. O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and opposition of sciences falsely so called, which some professing have erred concerning the faith. 2 Tim. 2. 16. But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness. Tit. 1. 10, 11. There are many unruly and vain talkers —&c.

§. 10. 4. Another sort of Idle talk is the using of a needless multitude of words, even about that which is good and necessary in itself, but might better be opened in a briefer manner. Even in preaching or praying words may be vain; which is when they are not suited to the matter and the hearers. For you must note that the same words are necessary to one sort of hearers, which are vain as to another sort. And therefore as Ministers must take heed that they suit their manner of speech to their auditors, so hearers▪ must take heed lest they censoriously and rashly call that vain which is unnecessary to them, or such as they: There may be present many ignorant persons that the preacher is better acquainted with than you: And the ignorant lose that which is concisely uttered: They must have it at large, in many words, and oft r • peated, or else they understand it not, or remember not that which they understand. But yet a real excess of words even about holy things must be avoided. Eccles. 5. 23. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in Heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few: for a dream cometh through the multitude of business, and a fools voice is known by the multitude of words. Two causes of idle words in prayer must be avoided: 1. Emptiness and rashness. 2. Affectation: that is, 1. Affectation to words, as if you should be heard for saying so many words over and over, (as the Papists in their Jesus Psalter say over the name Jesus nine times together, and those nine times, fifteen times over, besides all their repetitions of it, in the petitions themselves between. So in the Titles of the B. Virgin, in her Litany, p. 525.) Hypocrites in all ages and Religions have the same trifling way of devotion; as Christ showeth of the very Heathen that used this way: Matth. 6. 7. But when ye pray use not vain repetitions, as the Heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking: be ye not therefore like unto them. 2. There is an Affectation of length that causeth idle words in prayer: When men think that it is for the honor of their parts to spend so much time, and speak so long together, or when their superstitious consciences in secret tie them to hold on so long, and have not matter or affection answerable to fill up the time, no marvel if it be filled up with words that are too much guilty of vanity.

§. 11. 5. Another kind of Idle talk is that which is purposely contrived to humor idle fancies, and recreate vicious minds, and pass away men's precious time: such are abundance of Love-books, Romances, Plays and Play-books; volumes of Vanity, and hours full of studied vanity (and worse): And such is much of the talk of feigned fools and jesters: Vices which I can hardly express so odious as I apprehend them.

§. 12. 6. Another sort is a custom of inordinate jesting: This vein or disposition is so strong in some, that when they have list to vent a jest, they cannot hold, but out it must come whatever it cost, and be it never so frivolous and vain. Eph. 5. 4.

§. 13. 7. Another sort is foolish talk, that hath not wit enough to make it edifying. Eph. 5. 4. And among Idle talkers how much of it is foolish! How weary would it make a man to hear the talk of many bablers? How insipid is it? How sot • ish? Like the talk of a mad man, or a drunken man, or a man in his sleep: It's far pleasanter not only to hear a bird chirp, but a swine grunt, than to hear much of their discourse. See, Prov. 10. 14. & 12. 11. & 28. 19. 1 Pet. 2. 15. Prov. 15. 2, 14.

§. 14. Direct. 2. Understand also the aggravations of idle words, which of them are the greatest sins, that they may be most carefully avoided. Though all idle words are sins, yet all are not equally sinful: The worst are such as these that follow.

§. 15. 1. When Idle words are frequent, multiplied, and made their common talk and custom: which is the case of some men, but of abundance of loquacious women; whose natural disposition inclineth them thereto. One that hath but little wit, and much self-conceitedness, and passion, will have a torrent of words for a drop of sense: If they meet but with a person so patient and idle as to give them the hearing▪ they will sit a whole hour together with you, yea many hours, to tell you first how the affairs go between them and their husbands or children or servants; and then talk of their cattle, house, or land; and then tell you of news, and enter into a long discourse of other men's matters, which they neither understand nor have anything to do with: and next they talk of the weather; and then of the market, what's cheap and what's dear; and they then tell you what this body said to them, and what the other body said, and then they tell you a story of the old times, and how the world is changed, and how much better the former times were than these: then they tell you what wrong such a one did them, and what he said of them, and how bad this or that man is, and what they said or did amiss; and what the report of the country is of such and such; then they tell you what clothes such a one wears, and how fine and gallant such a one is, and who keepeth a good house, and who is nigardly and sparing: then they tell you what meat was at such a table or feast; and if they be at meat, they have something to say about every dish, and every sort of meat or drink; especially news takes up much of their discourse: And it's well if in all this, the Sermon of the Preacher or his Prayer, or his Life, be not brought in to fill up the empty places of the discourse; and it may be the KING and his Council, and his Laws, and his doings shall be defiled by these Parrots irreverent pratlings, as well as meaner things and persons: So that as Theophrastus saith, He that would not fall into a fever, let him run from them with all the hast he can: I should rather think it would cast one into the s • urvy, if weariness be so great a symptom of it as they say. He that hath nothing to do in this world, nor nothing to do for the world to come; and that hath no use for his time, or wit, or tongue, or hands, but waketh as he sleepeth, and liveth as he must lie when he is dead; he that hath neither master, work nor wages, but thinks he is made to see leaves wag, or hear flies buzz, let him choose such a companion, and let him sit and hear such people chat. For my part, I can easilier endure to to have them call me morese, or proud or uncivil, or any thing; nay I had rather be digging, or plowing, or ridding channels, than endure the tediousness of their discourses. Dionysius sent one to be put to death, for finding fault with his poetry; but called him again to try him once more: and the man rose up in the midst of his recitation, saying, Come, let me go the Gibbet, as choosing to die rather than to be so wearied: I am not so impatient: but I should be glad if I could sleep well while I am tied to such company. And if I had one to send to school that were sick of the talking evil, the morbus loquendi, I would give (as Isocrates required) a double pay to the Schoolmaster willingly, one part, for teaching him to hold his tongue, and the other half for teaching him to speak. I should think many such men and women half cured, if they were half as weary of speaking, as I am of hearing them. He that lets such twatling Swallows build in his chimney, may look to have his pottage savor of their dung. Nay though they may have some learning and goodness to season their discourse, their too much loquacity will make ones stomach turn against it; and the surfeit may make some queazy stomachs distaste even the more wholesome food. Pompey was so weary of Tully 's talkativeness, that he wisht he had been on Caesar's side, for then he would have feared me (saith he,) whereas now his familiarity wearieth me.

§. 16. 2. It is an aggravation of the sin of loquacity and idle talk, when it is done in a proud self-conceitedness of your own wit, with an unmannerly contempt of others. This is the case of abundance that have not the manners or patience to stay till another man hath done his speech: They think others so long that their list will not hold till they come to the end: Yea many pretended learned men and disputants have this disease, that without any shame, or respect to order, or their own reputation, they are in such hast to answer, and talk themselves, that they cut off the speech of others in the midst, as if they should say, Hold your tongue, and let me speak that am wiser. And their excuse is, You are so long that I shall forget half before you come to the end. But if it be in Disputation or about great matters, it is usually much more to the advantage of the truth and hearers, to speak all that necessarily must be considered together, in a continued speech: For the parts of truth have such a dependence one upon another, like the members of a body, or the wheels of a watch, that they are not understood disjunctly, half the sense of them being respective to the other parts: Therefore to deliver it (in such cases) by fragments, and chopping of words, and frequent interruptions one of another, is to chat or contend, and not to open the truth with the clearness and gravity as it requireth. These therefore that accuse others of speaking too long, to excuse their uncivil interruptions; may take their answer from Augustine, Absit ut multiloquium deputem quando necessaria dicuntur, quantalibet sermonem multitudine aut prolixitate dicantur. The huge volumes of Augustine, Chrysostom, Suarez, Calvin, yea Tostatus himself, are seldom accused of idle words. If you depute to each their equal share of time, a composed discourse is fitter and spareth time better, than interrupting alterations and exchange of words: And if your memory cannot hold all that's said, either take notes, or crave the help of some repetition or answer the part which you do remember.

§. 17. 3. Idle talk is worst when it is about Holy things, and tendeth to profane them: when men unreverently bable about the Scriptures, or controversies of Religion: Or when by fluent tongues men design the increase of some faction, or propagating of some error, or the setting forth their parts. S • ith Jerome ( ad Nepot. ) Verba volvere & apud imperitum vulgus admirationem sui facere, indoctorum hominum est: Nihil tam facile quam vilem plebem & ind • ctam, volubilitate linguae decipere, quae quicquid non intelligit, plus miratur. Profane loquacity is the worst kind of loquacity.

§. 18. 4. Idle words are the greater sin when they are magnified and justified, and taken to be lawful, if not some excellent thing. As some unhappy Scholars that spend whole days and months about some trivial unnecessary studies, while Christ the wisdom of God, (or the subject of Divine Philosophy;) is neglected: He that heareth some of their supposed critical curiosities, would say with Paul, 1 Cor. 3. 20. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain: And if he compare their lives with their studies, perhaps he will remember Rom. 1. 21. They became vain in their imaginations: their foolish hearts were darkened, and professing themselves wise, they became fools.

§. 19. 5. Idle words are an aggravated sin, when they are studied, and pompously set forth at great labor and cost, as a matter to be gloried in: As in Plays and Romances: worse than Tobacco-houses where men sell smoke. The pleasure, the love, the labor, the cost, the time, the deceit, the temptation, the impenitency, are great aggravations of this sin.

§. 20. Direct. 3. Understand and consider the mischief of the sin of babbling idle talk. For the common cause of it is, that men take it to be so small a sin, that they think there is no danger in it; and therefore they fear it no more than a scratched finger.

§. 21. 1. (Besides the general evil mentioned Tit. 1. Direct. 1.) consider that much idle talk is a multitude of sins. Though one idle word were never so small a sin, yet when it cometh to hundreds and thousands, and is your daily hourly custom, all set together cannot be small. Many thousand pence, is more than one shilling or pound. And your frequent custom of idle talk, may amount to a greater sinfulness, than Noah 's once drunkenness, or David 's once adultery, or Peter 's once denying Christ. If a swearer should swear as oft, or a liar lie as oft, or a Thief steal as oft, as many women (and men too) speak idly, what Monsters should we take them for?

§. 22. 2. Idle talk excludeth all the good discourse, and edifying speech that should have been used all that time. We have many greater uses for our tongues: You have your business to talk of, and your God, and your souls, and your duties, and your sins, and the life to come to talk of! O how many great and necessary things: And will you shut out all this edifying speech, by your idle chat? Will you hinder others as well as yourselves?

§. 23. 3. Idle talk is a sinful consumer of time: You have greater business to spend your hours in: If you saw what a world you are ready to go to, and saw how near you are to it, you would think yourselves that you had greater business than idle chat, to spend your time in. Do you know what you lose in losing all those hours?

§. 24. 4. Idle talk corrupts the hearers minds, and tendeth to make them light, and vain, and empty, even as good discourse doth tend to make them good. Why do you talk to others, but to communicate your sense and affections to them by your words? And for all that many take it for a little sin, I am sure it is not a little hurt that it doth. If men were not used to be entertained with so much vain discourse, they could not tell how to keep better things from their minds or mouths: nor would their thoughts be so habituated to vanity; nor would they make such returns of idle words; whereas one vain discourse begets another, and it is a multiplying and very infectious sin.

§. 25. 5. As your tongues are mis-employed, so your wits and minds are dishonored by vain talk. Even good words will grow contemptible when they are too cheap and common. A Fidler at the door goes but for a Rogue, though Music and Musicions be honored: Whoever took a talkative babbler for a wise man: He that is Logophilus is seldom Philologus, much less Philosophus. As Demosthenes said to a Prater, If thou knewest more, thou wouldst say less. They seldom go for men of action and virtue that talk much: They that say much, usually do little: Women, and Children, and old folks, are commonly the greatest talkers: (I may add, mad folks ). Livy noteth, that Soldiers that prate and brag much, seldom fight well: And Erasmus noteth, that Children that quickly learn to speak, are long in learning to go. It is not the barking Curr that biteth. Let it be the honor of a Parrot to speak much, but of a man to speak wisely. The mobility of their tongues (an honor common to an Aspen leaf) is all their honor, that can multis verbis pauca dicere, say a little in a great many of words; but multa paucis, much in few words; is the character of the wise, unless when the quality of the auditors prohibiteth it: And qui sunt in dicendo brevissimi, if the auditors can bear it, shall be accounted the best speakers. I am not of his mind that said, He oft repented speaking, but never repented silence: But, except they be Ministers, few men have so much cause to repent of silence as of speech. Non quam multa, sed quam been, must be the Christians care. As one said of Philosophy, I may much more say of Religion, that though an Orators excellency appeareth only in speaking, yet the Philosophers (and the Christians ) appeareth as much in silence.

§. 26. 6. Where there is much idle talk, there will be much sinful talk, Prov. 10. 19. In the multitude of words there wants not sin; but he that refraineth his lips is wise. There are lies, or backbitings, or meddling with other folks matters, or scurrilous jeasts, if not many such sins that go along with a course of idle talk: It is the vehicle in which the Devil giveth his most poisonous draughts. Saith Lipsius, It is given to Praters, Non multa tantum sed male; to speak ill, as well as to speak much.

§. 27. 7. Vain words hinder your own edification: Who knoweth if you would hold your tongues, but someone would speak wiselyer, that might do you good?

§. 28. 8. And you weary the Hearers (unless they are strangely patient) when you intend to please them (or else you might as well talk all that by yourself): It is scarce manners for them, unless you be much their inferiors, to tell you they are aweary to hear you, and to entreat you to hold your tongues: But you little know how oft they think so: I judge of others by myself: I fly from a talkative person, as from a Bed that hath Fleas or Lice: I would shut my doors against them, as I stop my Windows against the Wind and Cold in Winter? How glad am I when they have done? and gladder when they are gone? Make not yourselves a burden to your company or friends, by the troublesome noise of an unwearied tongue.

§. 29. 9. Many words are the common causers of contention: Some word or other will fall that offendeth those that hear it; or else will be carried to those that are absent, and made the occasion of heart-burnings, rehearsals, brawls, or Law-suits. There is no keeping quietness, peace and love, with talkative pratlers; at least not long.

§. 30. 10. Are you not sensible what Pride and impudency is in it, when you think yourselves worthiest to speak? As if you should say, you are all children to me: hold your tongues, and hear me speak? If you had Christian Humility and Modesty, you would in honor prefer others before yourselves, Rom. 12. 10. You would think yourselves unworthiest to speak (unless the contrary be very evident) and desire rather to hear and learn. As Heraclitus being asked, Why he alone was silent in the company, answered, That you may talk: So when you talk above your parts, it is as if you told the company, I talk that all you may be silent.

§. 31. 11. It is a voluntary sin and not repented of: For you may easily forbear it if you will; and you willfully continue in it: and therefore impenitency is your danger.

§. 32. 12. Lastly, Consider how unprofitable a sin it is: and how little you have to hire you to commit it: What get you by it? Will you daily sin against God for nothing?

§. 33. Direct. 4. If you would not be idle talkers, see that your hearts be taken up with something that is good: And that your tongues be acquainted with, and accustomed to their proper work and duty: An empty head and heart are the causes of empty, frothy, vain discourse. Conscience may tell you when your tongues run upon vanity, that at that time there is no sense of sin or duty, or the presence of God upon your hearts: no holy Love; no Zeal for God; but you are asleep to God and all thats good; and in this sleep you moither and talk idly of anything that cometh into your mind. Also you make not conscience of speaking of that which is good, or else it would keep out vanity and evil. Remember what abundance of greater matters you have to talk of! You have the evil of sin, the multitude and subtlety of temptations, and the way of resisting them, to talk of: You have your faults to lament, your evidences to inquire after, your mercies thankfully to open, the greatness and goodness and all the attributes of God to praise: You have all the works of God to admire: even all the creatures in the world to contemplate, and all God's admirable Providences, and Government to observe: You have the mystery of Redemption, the person, and office, and life, and miracles, and sufferings, and glory, and intercession, and reign of Christ to talk of: And all the secret sanctifying operations of the Holy Ghost; and all the Ordinances of God, and all the means of Grace, and all our duties to God and man, and all the holy Scripture; besides death and judgment, and Heaven and Hell, and the concernments of the Church of God, and the case of the persons you speak to, who may need your instruction, exhortation, admonition, reproof or comfort: And is not here work enough to employ your tongues, and keep them from idle talk? Make conscience of those duties commanded, Ephes. 4. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, and may minister grace to the hearers, and grieve not the holy Spirit of God. Ephes. 5. 18, 19. Be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in Psalms, and Hymns, and spiritual Songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 4. 11. If any man speak, let him speak as the Oracles of God. Sinful omission of good discourse, is the cause of sinful commission of vanity. Specially when the heart itself is vain: For as a man is, so is he apt to speak. 1 John 4. 5. They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world. Isa. 32. 6. For the vile person will speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord.

§. 34. Direct. 5. Walk always with God as in his presence, and in the awe of his Laws and judgment, that conscience may be kept awake and tender. You will be restrained from vain talk, if you perceive that God is hearing you, and if you remember that your tongue is under a Law, and that for every idle word men shall give account in the day of judgment, Matth. 12. 36, 37. and that by your words you shall be justified or condemned: If the Law of God were in your hearts, Psal. 40. 8. and hidden there, Psal. 119. 11. Your heart would be fixed, Psal. 57. 7. His word then would be the rejoicing of your heart, Psal. 119. 111. and your tongues would then be talking of judgment, Psal. 37. 30. A tender conscience will smart more with an idle world, than a seared senseless conscience with an Oath, or lie, or slander. For the Fear of God is clean, Psal. 19. 9. and by it men depart from evil. Proverbs 16. 6. Be thou therefore in the fear of the Lord all the day long, Prov. 23. 17.

§. 34. Direct. 6. Avoid idleness, if you would avoid idle talk: The drones of the Commonwealth that have nothing else to do, but visit, and complement, and prate of other men's matters; and that can have while to sit whole hours together, upon no business, are they that are most guilty of idle chat. Idle Gentlemen, and Beggars, and idle gossipping Women, and Old men that are void of the fear of God, and Children that have no business to do, are they that can sit talking away their time, to as little purpose, as if they had been all the time asleep. All idle persons swarm with the Vermin of idle thoughts and words.

§. 36. Direct. 7. If you would avoid idle talk, avoid idle talkative companions: or if you cannot avoid them, answer them not, but let them talk alone, unless it be to reprehend them, or turn them to more profitable talk. For when you hear vanity, it will incline you to speak vanity: And these ungodly persons speak everyone vanity to his neighbor, as if their tongues were so their own, that no Lord might control them. Psal. 12. 1, 2, 5, 6. The Philosopher could say, That which you would not hear do not speak; and that which you would not speak, do not hear. Most are like Parrots that will oftest speak the words which they oftest hear. How hard is it to avoid idle talk amongst idle talkers? One vain word draws on another, and there is no end.

§. 37. Direct. 8. Avoid vain works, if you would avoid vain words. For a man that engageth himself in vain employment, doth lose all the words, as vain, which he useth about that employment. What a life then do they live, that have an unlawful Calling? When their very business and Trade is sin, the adjuncts, the words about it, must be sin, and so all their lives are a continued sin: I had rather therefore be the basest drudge, than one of these men: Especially Stage-players should think of this: And those that spend whole hours, yea, half days, if not nights, in gaming, and vain, or sinful sports, what abundance of idle words do they use about them: Every cast of the Dice, and every Card they play, hath an idle word; so that a sober man would be aweary and ashamed to hear them.

§. 38. Direct. 9. Plunge not yourselves into excess of worldly business, as some do, that undertake more without necessity, than they can discharge: For such necessitate a variety of thoughts and words: And all that are spent in serving them in those their vain employments, are vain; though the work for the matter of it be not vain.

§. 39. Direct. 10. Let not a vicious mind make that seem necessary or convenient which is vain. Carnal hearts that are acquainted with no better things, think nothing vain, that pleaseth their sensual inclinations, or which their carnal interest doth require. A man-pleaser thinketh Civility obligeth him to observe his unnecessary visits and complements, and to answer idle talkers, and not sit silent by them, no • contradict them: And so it must be a point of good manners to break the Law of God: And as they think it uncivil, not to pledge every drinker in his healths, so not to answer every twatler in his talk.

§. 40. Direct. 11. Take heed of a proud self-conceited mind that thinks too well of your own discourse: G • t but Humility, and you will rather choo • e to hear, than to speak. But when all your fancies and impertin • n • ies seem some excellent matters to you, then you are with child till you are delivered of them, and then all must reverence, and silently attend your pride and folly; or be taken as neglecters of you for disregarding it.

§. 41. Direct 12. Avoid Passion and passionate companions: For passion is talkative, and will not be ch •• kt, but resisteth the restraint of reason, and multiplieth words which are worse than vain?

§. 42. Direct. 13. Take heed of an inordinate jesting vain: For it habituateth the mind to foolish l • vity, and knows no bounds, and breeds idle words, as thick as putrefied flesh breeds Vermin: And it is the greater sin, because it is ordinary, and with a certain pleasure and pride, and glorying in vanity, and sinful levity and folly.

§. 43▪ Direct 14. Understand particularly what service you have to do for God or men in every company you come in, and so fit your words to the present duty and company. For those words are vain and inconvenient in one company that are necessary or convenient in another. If you be to converse with the ignorant and ungodly, turn your discourse into a compassionate way of instruction or exhortation. If with men wiser and better than yourselves, inquire and learn of them, and draw that from them which may edify you.

§. 44. Direct. 15. Affect not an unnecessary curiosity of speech, but take those for the fittest words, which are suited to the Matter, and to thy Heart, and to the Hearers? Otherwise your speech will be studiedly and affectedly vain: And you will glory in that as elegant, which is your shame: Hypocritical words that come not from the heart, are dead and corrupt, and are but the Image of true speech, as wanting that verity and significancy of the mind which is their life. Words are like Laws, that are valued by the Authority, and Matter, and End, more than by the curiosity and elegancy: or like money, that is valued by the Authority, Metall, and Weight, and not by the curiosity of its Sculpture, Imagery, or matter. All that is counterfeit, though curious, is vain.

§. 45. Direct. 16. Suppose you had written down the idle words of a day (your own or any other pratlers,) and read them over all at night! Would you not be ashamed of such a Volume of Vanity and Confusion? O what a Book it would be, that one should thus write from the mouth of idle talkers? What a shame would it be to human nature? It would tempt some to question, whether man be a reasonable creature, or whether all be so, at least? Remember then, that all is recorded by God and Conscience: and all this hodgepodge of vanity must be reviewed and answered for.

§. 46. The rest that is necessary for Direction against Idle words, you may find Chap. 5. Part 2. in the Government of the Thoughts (and in my Book of Self-denial. ) In a word, (for I must not commit the fault which I am reproving) account not a course of idle talk for a small sin. Never suffer so loose and slippery a member as your tongue to be unguarded; and never speak that, of which you dare not say, as Psal. 19. 14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be now and always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my strength and my Redeemer.

§. 47. But especially above others, these persons should watch against vain words: 1. Preachers who are doubly sanctified persons, and whose tongues being consecrated to God, must not be sacrilegiously alienated to vanity: which is worse than sacrilegious alienation of the places, or utensils, or revenues of the Church: Hate it therefore more than these.

2. Ancient people, whose words should be grave and wise, and full of instruction to suppress the levity of youth: Childhood, and Youth is Vanity: but Age should not be so.

3. Parents and Masters who should be examples of gravity and stayedness to their families; and by their reproofs and chastisements should repress such faults in their inferiors.

4. Those that are better qualified th • n others, with knowledge and utterance, to use their tongues to edification. Vain speech is a double sin in them.

5. Those that are noted for persons of holiness and Religion: For it is supposed, that they pray and speak much against idle talk, and therefore must not themselves be guilty of it. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not • is tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's Religion i • vain. Jam. 1. 26. (See my Sermon on that Text.)

6. Those that are ignorant, and need much the edifying speech of others.

7. Those that live among wise and holy persons by whom they may be much edified.

8. Those that are among twatlers, where they know they have more need to watch their tongues, than their Purses among Cut-purses.

9. Those (women especially) that are naturally addicted to overmuch talk, who therefore should be the more watchful, as knowing their disease and danger.

10. Both empty and angry persons, who carry a continual temptation about them. All these should be specially watchful against idle talk.

And for the Time, 1. Specially when they are among those that may receive most hurt by it. 2. And when you are going to holy duty, or newly come from it, &c.

Tit. 5. Special Directions against filthy, ribbald, scurrilous Talk.

§. 1. Direct. 1. THe chief Direction against this filthy sin, is General to; get out of a Graceless state, and get a heart that • eareth God, and then you dare not be guilty of such impudency: God is not so despised by those that fear him.

§. 2. Direct. 2. Cease no • your holy communion with God in his Worship, especially in secret, and be not strange to him, and seldom with him. And then you dare not so pollute those lips, that use to speak seriously to God. What! talk of lust and filthiness with that tongue, that spake but even now to the most Holy God? God's Name and presence will awe you, and cleanse you, and show you that his Temple should not be so defiled, and that he hath not called you to uncleanness but to Holiness; and that a filthy tongue is unsuitable to the holy praise of God: But while the rest of your life is nothing but a serving the Devil and the flesh, no wonder if r • baldry seem a fit language for you.

§. 3. Direct. 3. Cleanse your hearts of vanity and filthiness; and then your tongues will be more clean. It is a vain or unchaste heart that makes an unchaste tongue.

§. 4. Direct. 4. Remember what a shame it is to open and proclaim that filthiness of thy heart which thou mightest have concealed. Christ telleth us how to expound thy words, that out of the abundance of thy heart, thy mouth speaketh. And what needest thou tell people that it is the rutting-moon with thee? and that lust and filthiness are the inhabitants of thy mind? If thou be not so far past all shame as to commit fornication in the open Streets, why wilt thou there talk of it.

§. 5. Direct. 5. Remember that filthy talk is but the approach to filthy acts. It is but thy breaking the shell of modesty, that thou mayest eat the kernel of the Vomiting Nutt. This is the tendency of it, whether thou intend it, or not. Canst thou be offended with him, that believeth thou dost that villainy in secret, which thou talkest of openly? or that taketh thee to be preparing thyself for a Whore? If the deed be bad, thy making a jest of it cannot be good.

§. 6. Direct. 6. Remember that thou bidst defiance to godliness and honesty: Corrupt communication grieveth the Spirit of God, Ephes. 4. 29, 30. Canst thou expect that the Holy Ghost should dwell and work in so filthy a room, and with such filthy company? Darest thou go pray or read the Scripture, or speak of any holy thing, with those lips that talk of filthy ribaldry? Dost thou find thyself fit to go to prayer, after such discourse? Or rather dost thou not allow all that hear thee to think, that thou renouncest God and Godliness, and never usest any serious Worship of God at all. And if thou do pretend to Worship him with that filthy tongue, what canst thou expect in answer to thy prayers, but a vengeance worse than Nadab and Abihu 's, Lev. 10. 1, 2, 3. Shall sweet water and bitter come from the same fountain? Jam. 3. 11. D • st thou bless God and talk filthily with the same tongue? and think he will not be avenged on thy hypocrisy.

§. 7. Direct. 7. Consider how thou bidst defiance also to common civility: Thou dost that which civil Heathens would be ashamed of: As if thou hadst a design to reduce England to the Customs of Cannibals and Savages in America, that go naked, and are past shame.

§. 8. Direct. 8. Observe what service thou dost the Devil, for the corrupting of others; as if he had hired thee to be a Tutor in his Academy, or one of his Preachers, to draw the minds of the hearers from modesty, and prepare them for the Stews. Especially people can scarce have more dangerous Wild-fire cast into their fantasies, than by hearing rotten filthy talk. And wilt thou be one of Venus 's Priests?

§. 9. Direct. 9. Remember how little need there is of thy endeavor. Is not lust and filthiness so natural, and the minds of all unsanctified and uncleansed ones so prone to it, that they • eed no Tutor nor instigator, nor pander to their lusts. This fire is easily kindled: The Bellows of thy s • urrility are needless to make such Gunpowder burn.

§. 10. Direct. 10. Presently lament before God and man the filthiness that thy tongue hath been guilty of, and wash heart and tongue in the blood of Christ; and •• y from the company and converse of the obscene, as thou wouldst do from a P • st-house or any infectious pestilential • ire. And if thou hear such rotten talk r • prove it, or be gone, and let them see that▪ thou hatest it, and fearest God.

§. 11. Obj. But, saith the filthy mouth, I think no harm: may we not jest and be merry?

Answ. What! hast thou nothing to jest with but dung and filth and sin and the defilement of souls, and the offending of God? Wouldst thou be unclean before the King, or cast dung in men's faces, and s •• ▪ I think no harm, but am in jest?

§. 12. Obj. But, saith▪ he, those that art so demure▪ are •• bad in secret, and worse than we.

Answ. What! is a chaste tongue a sign of an unchaste life? Then thou mayest as equally take a meek and quiet tongue to be a sign of an angry man: or a lying tongue to be a sign of a true man: Would the King take that excuse from thee, if thou talk Treason openly, and say, Those that do not, are yet in secret as bad as I? I trow he would not take that for an excuse.

Tit. 6. Directions against Profane deriding, scorning, or opposing Godliness.

§. 1. TO prevent the Replyes or excuses of the scorner, I must here tell you, 1. That by Godliness I mean nothing but an entire devotednes to God and living to him: The doctrine and practice which is agreeable to the holy Scripture▪ I mean no fancies of mistaken men, nor the private opinions of any sect▪ but the practice of Christianity itself.

§. 2. 2. And yet I must tell you, that it is the common practice of these scorners to fasten more upon the concrete than the abstract, the person, than the bare doctrine, and to oppose Godly persons as such, when yet they say that they oppose not Godliness. The Reasons of this are these: 1. Because they dare be bolder with the person, than with the Rule and doctrine of God himself. If they scorn at the Bible, or at Godliness directly as such, they should so openly scorn at God himself, that the world would cry shame on them and Conscience▪ would worry them: But as Godliness is in such a neighbor, or such a Preacher, or such a man, so they think they may reverence it less, and that what they do is against the person and not the thing.

2. In men they have something else to pretend, to be the matter of their scorn: Godliness in men is latent, invisible, unprovable as to the sincerity of it; and obscure as to the exercise: If he that scorneth a Godly man, say [He is not Godly, but an Hypocrite;] in this world there is no perfect Justification to be had, against such a calumny; but the probable evidence of Profession and a Godly life is all that can be brought. But Godliness as it is in Scripture lieth open to the view of all, and cannot be denied there, but by denying the Scriptures themselves.

3. Godliness as in the Rule or holy Scripture is perfect, without any blemish that may give a scorner a pretence: But Godliness in men is very imperfect, and mixed with sins, with faults which the world may oft discern, and the Godly themselves are forwardst to confess: And therefore in them a scorner may find some plausible pretense: And when he derideth these Professors of Godliness as being all Hypocrites, he will not instance in their virtues, but in their faults; as in Noah's drunkenness, and Lots incest, and David's Adultery and Murder, and Peters denying Christ: Yet so as the dart shall be cast at Piety itself; and the Conclusion shall not be, to drive men from drunkenness, adultery or any • in, but from serious Godliness itself.

4. Godliness as in the Rule is to them a more unobserved dormant thing, and doth not so much annoy them: (for they can shut their Bibles, or make nothing of it, but as a few good words): But Godliness in the Godly, existent in their Teachers and Neighbors is more discernible to them, and more active, and more troublesome to them, and so more hated by them. In a dead letter, or dead Saint, that troubleth them not, they can commend it: but in the living they are molested by it: And the nearer it is to them, the more they are • xasperated against it. The word is the seed of Godliness; which least offendeth them, till it spring up and bring forth the fruit which condemneth their wicked lives.

§. 3. 3. And as opposers and scorners do usually strike at Godliness through the person and his faults, so they use to strike at the particular parts of God's Worship, through some modes or circumstances, or imperfections of men in the performance. It is not Preaching or Praying that they scorn, if you believe them, but this or that manner or imperfection in Preaching and Praying. But the drift of all is, not to help any man to do it better, but to make them odious that are most serious in doing it at all, and thereby to persuade men that it is a needless thing.

§. 4. 4. Note also that it is not the Image or dead part of Religion that these men are most offended a • , and oppose▪ but it is the Life and zeal and diligence of the Godly. So that if they differ not from themselves in profession about any Doctrine or Ceremony, yet they hate and scorn them for doing seriously the same which themselves hypocritically profess.

§. 5. 5. Lastly note also, that this is not a difference of one Sect or Party or Church against another, upon differing opinions; but it is that which is among all parties within themselves, when there is any thing of serious Religion to be found. Even among the Papists there are some spiritual serious holy persons, who are derided and opposed by the profane that are of their own Church. Yea among the Heathens, Seneca and others tell us that strictness in moral Virtue was made the scorn of the • ude and sensual sort of men: But though the quarrel be but that which was taken up from the beginning between the Woman's and the Serpents seed, yet in all Countries where Church-differences cause contention, this Serpentine Enemity doth with Serpentine subtlety creep in and make advantage of them, and take up the Nick-names, or sharper Weapons which differing Christians form against each other, to strike at the heart of Christianity itself.

§. 6. Direct. 1. For the cure of those that are already infected with so heinous a sin, the chief Direction is, to Understand the greatness of it, and the miserable consequents: as followeth.

§. 7. 1. Consider what it is that thou deridest: Dost thou know against what thou openest thy mouth? 1. Thou deridest or opposest men for Loving God with all their heart and soul and might: And dost thou not confess that this is the duty of all men living? and that he is not worthy to be called a Christian that Loveth not God above all? Thou canst not deny this. And yet wilt thou oppose it? Deny it not; for this is the very thing that thou opposest: either men's Loving God, or showing their Love to him? If thou didst but Love him as much as they, thou wouldst seek and serve him as diligently as they. Dost thou not know this thyself, that if thou didst Love him with all thy Heart and soul and strength, thou wouldst seek and serve and obey him with all thy Heart and soul and strength? If the Godly do more than this, deride them and spare not. If they Love God and serve him with more than all the heart and soul and might, then call them Righteous-overmuch. If thou know any one that Loveth God or serveth him more than he deserveth, blame and oppose that man and spare not. Thou knowest that what thou Lovest most, thou art diligent thyself in seeking and remembering: Thou laborest for money because thou lovest it: And they labor in seeking and serving God because they love him: And is it a work for any but a Devil, to oppose or scorn men for? for Loving or showing their Love to God?

§. 8. 2. Thou deridest men for delighting in that which is most Delectable: For Delighting in high and heavenly Knowledge, and in a Holy state of soul and life, and for Delighting in the Law of God and meditating in it day and night, Psal. 1. 2. and for delighting in holy Prayer, and the Praises of their maker: and for delighting in the fore-thoughts and mention of eternal Joys, and making their Calling and Election sure. What is it but the exercise of these holy desires and delights which thou deridest? And wouldst thou not be as serious in Religion and holiness as they, if thou hadst as much of these Delights as they? Canst thou sit at thy Pots, or follow thy game or sports, or talk of vanity many hours together, because thou Delightest in them? and yet dost thou deride those that Pray or hear God's word opened to them many hours because it is their delight. O poor souls! how quickly and how terribly will God acquaint thee, whether their delights or thine were the more rational and just? and whether their work or thine was fitter to be derided.

§. 9. 3. Thou scornest men for paying but what they owe to the God that Created and Redeemed them Are they not his own? and did he not give them all their parts and powers? And are not all their abilitities and possessions his? what have they which they received not of him? And is this thy justice and honesty to deride men for offering to pay their debts? and to give God his own. If thou know any one that giveth him more than he oweth him, deride that superstitious over-righteous man, and spare not. But if men should not be derided for paying their debts to thee, deride not men for paying their debt to God, and giving him that which is his own. As we must give to Caesar that which is Caesar's, so must we give that to God also which is God's.

§. 10. 4. Thou deridest servants for obeying diligently their highest master? and for doing diligently the greatest, best and needfullest work in all the world? And is this a good example for • hy own servants? sure if a man should be mocked for serving God, he should be mocked more for serving such a one as thee? Dost thou know where we may find a better master, whom we may serve with better encouragement than God? He hath made us his Stewards, and trusted us with his goods, and dost thou scorn us for being faithful in our Stewardship? Thou deridest his subjects for obeying the King of all the world? And is this a good example to the Kings subjects? should it be a matter of scorn to obey the King? or dost thou think that God's Authority is less? or obedience to him less commendable.

§. 11. 5. Nay thou deridest men for doing but some part of their duty, and discharging but a little of his debt. For the holiest man whom thou deridest for doing too much, doth less than what he ought to do. Thou knowest that the best of men do Love God and serve him less than he deserveth; and that the carefullest come short of the perfect keeping of his Laws, And yet wilt thou scorn men for doing so much, when they know, and thou confessest that they do too little? could they do all, they did but their duty, Luk. 17. 10.

§. 12. 6. Thou scornest men because they will not set up themselves, their own wit, and will, against their maker. God hath commanded them to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure: 2 Pet. 1. 10. and to strive to enter in at the strait gate? and day and night to meditate in his Law? and to Love him with all their heart and might? and to pray continually: And thou deridest men for obeying these commands? Why, what wouldst thou have us do man? should we tell God that we are wiser than he? and that he shall not have his will, but we will have our own? and that we know a better way than he hath appointed us? and that he is mistaken, and would deceive us by his Laws? Wouldst thou have men thus to be voluntarily mad, and profess themselves open Robels against God?

§. 13. 7. Thou scornest men because they trust him that is Truth and Goodness itself. We cannot imagine that he can deceive us by his word, or that he maketh any Law for us that is not good, or requireth any duty of us that shall be to our hurt, or that we shall be losers by. And therefore we resolve to obey him as carefully as we can, because we are confident that Goodness itself will not abuse us, and Truth itself will not deceive us: And is this a matter to be scorned for? should not Children trust their Father?

§. 14. 8. Thou deridest men for not sinning against their certain knowledge and experience. They know that a Holy life is best, though thou dost not? They know the Reasonableness of it: They know the sweetness of it: They know the Necessity of it. And must they renounce their own understandings? must they be ignorant because thou art ignorant? and put out their eyes because thou art blind? Is it a crime for men to be wiser than thou? and that in the matters of God and their salvation? They have tried what a Holy life is, and so hast not thou? They have tried what a life of faith and obedience is: And must they renounce their own experience? Must they that have tasted it say Honey is bitter because thou that never didst taste it sayest so? Alas, what unreasonable men have we to deal with?

§. 15. 9. Thou opposest and scornest men for Loving themselves; yea for Loving their souls, and taking care of its health and welfare. For how can a man truly Love himself and not Love his soul which is himself? And how can a man Love his soul, and not prefer it before the low concernments of his flesh? and not take the greatest care of its greatest everlasting Happiness? Can a man truly Love himself, and yet damn himself, or lose the little time in which he must (if ever) work out his salvation? You will not scorn him that is careful of your Children, or your very Cattle? you Love them, and therefore are careful of them yourselves. And shall not he that Loveth his soul be careful of it. To Love ourselves is natural to us as men: And how shall he Love his Neighbor that Loveth not himself?

§. 16. 10. Thou scornest men because they Love Heaven above earth, and because they are desirous to live forever with God and all the holy Hosts of Heaven. For what is it that these men do so diligently, but seek to be saved? What do they but seek first the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness? and labor for the meat that perisheth not, John. 6. 27. and lay up their treasure in Heaven, Mat. 6. 20. and set their hearts there, Mat. 6. 21. and seek the things that are above, and have their conversation in Heaven, Col. 3. 1, 2, 3. Phil. 3. 19, 20. And if it be so scornful a matter to seek for Heaven, sure thou never thinkest of coming to Heaven thyself: Unless thou think to come thither by scorning at the seekers of it.

§. 17. 11. Thou deridest men because they are unwilling to be damned, and unwilling to do that which they know would damn them; or to neglect that without which there is no hope of scaping Hell: They believe the threatenings of God, and therefore they think no pains too great to escape his wrath. They think a Holy Life is both a necessary and an easy way to prevent everlasting torment: But if thou think otherwise keep thy opinion till Grace or Hell shall make thee wiser; and mock not a man that will not play with his own damnation, and leap into Hell as desperately as thyself.

§. 18. 12. Thou deridest men because they will not be the voluntary destroyers of themselves: Were it not enough for thee to betray them unto others? or to murder any of thy neighbors thyself? but thou must with them do it with their own hands? and deride them if they will not! O cruel Monster! that wouldst wish a man to lie in the fire of Hell for evermore? and to go thither willfully of his own accord? which is ten thousand times worse than to wish him to cut his own throat. Dost thou say, [God forbid! I desire no such thing.] Why man, dost thou do thou knowest not what? Doth not he tempt a man to be hanged, that tempteth him to kill and steal? When the righteous God hath unchangeably determined in his Law, that without Holiness none shall see God, and that Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that obey not his Gospel, and that all they shall be damned that obey not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness; when God hath resolved that Hell shall be the wages of ungodliness, dost thou not desire them to damn themselves, when thou desirest them to be ungodly. If thou believe that there is any Hell at all, then tell me what its possible for any man to do, to murder his soul and damn himself, but only to be ungodly? If this way do it not, there is no danger of any other. Tell me, dost thou think that the Devil deserveth to be called A Murderer of souls? If not, it seems thou wilt openly take the Devils part: But if he do deserve it, then the reason of all the World be judge, whether that man deserve it not much more, that will do much more against himself, than the Devil ever did or can do? The Devil can but tempt; but thou wouldst have men do the thing that he tempts them to, and actually to sin, and neglect a holy life? And which is the worse? he that doth the evil? or he that only persuadeth them to it? If the Devil be called, Our Adversary that like a roaring Lyon goeth about night and day seeking whom he may devour: what should that man be called that doth far more against himself, than all the Devils in Hell do against him? Sure he is a devourer or destroyer of himself. Tell me, thou distracted scorner! Is the Devils work thinkest thou Good or Bad? If it be Good, take thy part of it, and boast of it when thou seest the end: If it be Bad (to deceive souls and entice them to sin and Hell,) why wouldst thou have men do worse by themselves? He that sinneth doth worse than he that tempteth. Tell me, what way doth the Devil take to do men hurt, and damn their souls, but only by drawing them to sin? He hath no other way in the World to undo any man, but by tempting him to that which thou temptest men to; even to sin against God and to neglect a Holy life. So that it's plain that thou scornest and opposest men because they will not be worse than Devils to themselves.

§. 19. 13. Moreover thou opposest men for not forsaking God! What is it to forsake God, but to refuse to Love and honor and obey him as God? He hath told us himself that He that cometh to God must believe that God is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Heb. 11. 6. And is it not this diligent seeking him that thou deridest? It's plain then that thou wouldst scorn men away from God, and have them forsake him as thou hast done.

§. 20. 14. Thou scornest men for not being Hypocrites: Because they will be that in good earnest which thou hypocritically callest thyself, and wouldst be thought: Thou callest thyself a Christian, and what is it but for being serious Christians that thou deridest them? Thou takest on thee to believe in God; and what is it but for obeying and serving God that thou deridest them? Thou takest on thee to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God? And what is it but for following the holy Scriptures that thou deridest them? Thou sayest thou believest the Communion of Saints? and deridest them that hold the Communion of Saints in practice: Thou sayest thou believest that Christ shall judge the world? and yet scornest them that are serious in preparing for his judgment. Thou prayest that God's name may be hallowed and his Kingdom come, and his will-be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven: And yet thou deridest them that Hallow his name, and are Subjects of his Kingdom, and endeavor to do his will? O wretched Hypocrite! And yet that tongue of thine pretendeth that it is their Hypocrisy for which thou hatest and deridest them, when thou dost it because they be not such blind and senseless Hypocrites as thyself? Can there be grosser Hypocrisy in the World, than to hate and scorn the serious practice of thy own profession? and the diligent living according to that which thy own tongue professeth to believe? If thou say that it is for doing too much, and being too strict, I answer thee, If it be not the will of God that they do, though I would not deride them, I would seek to change them as well as thou! But if it be the will of God, then tell me, dost thou think they do more than those that are in Heaven do? or do they live more strictly than those in Heaven? If they do, then oppose them and spare not. If not, why prayest thou that God's will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven?

§. 21. 15. Thou deridest men for doing that which they were made for: and that which they have their Reason and will and all their faculties for: Take them off this, and they are good for nothing: A Beast is good to serve Man, and the Plants to feed him: But what is Man good for, or what was he made for but to serve his Maker? And dost thou scorn him for that which he came into the World for? Thou mayest as well hate a Knife because it can cut, or a Sythe for Mowing, or a Clock for telling the hour of the day, when it was made for nothing else.

§. 22. 16. Thou deridest men for being saved by Christ, and for imitating his example: What came Christ for into the World but to destroy the works of the Devil? and to save his people from their sins: and to redeem us from all iniquity and Purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. And hath Christ, to the astonishment of men and Angels, come down into flesh, and lived among men, and given them his holy doctrine and example, and suffered death for them, and all this but to bring men to zealous Purity, and darest thou make a scorn of it after this? What is this but to scorn thy Savior, and scorn all the work of Redemption, and tread▪ underfoot the Son of God, and despise his blood, his life and precepts?

§. 23. 17. Thou scornest men for being renewed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost: What is the work of the Holy Ghost on us, but to sanctify▪ us? And what is it to sanctify us? but to cleanse us from sin, and cause us entirely to devote our souls and lives to God? Dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost or not? If thou do, what is that but to Believe in him as the sanctifier of God's Elect. And what didst thou take Sanctification to be, but this purity and holiness of heart and life: And yet darest thou deride it?

§. 24. 18. Thou deridest men for imitating those ancient Saints, whose names thou seemest thyself to honor, and in honor of whom thou keepest Holy-days. Thou takest on thee to honor the names of Peter, and Paul, and Stephen, and John, of Augustine, Jerome, Chrysostom and other such saints of God: And yet wilt thou make a scorn of those that strive to imitate them? Search and see; if any of these men did (after their conversion) live in luxury, carding, dicing, profaneness, and if any of them was against a Holy life, against much Praying, Hearing, Reading the Scriptures, meditating, exact obedience to God; then let not the shame be thine, but mine? He that is most unlike them, let him have the scorn.

§. 25. 19. Thou deridest men for Repenting of their former sins, and for accepting that mercy which Christ hath purchased, and God hath offered them, and sent his messengers, to entreat them to accept? Can they Repent of their former ungodliness, and not turn from it and amend? If thou knewest what they know, thou wouldst repent thyself, and not deride men for repenting: If thou knewest the gift of God, thou wouldst beg it and gladly accept of it thyself; and not deride them that accept it.

§. 26. 20. Thou scornest men for keeping that Covenant, which thou also madest with God in thy Baptism thyself. At the same time thou speakest against the Anabaptists, that will not have their children baptized, and deridest those that keep their Covenant, which in baptism they made: What a monster of contradictions is an ungodly Hypocrite! Didst thou not in Baptism renounce the flesh, the world and the Devil, and give up thyself in Covenant to God the Father, Son and Holy-Ghost? And dost thou not yet know what thou didst? But scorn them that perform it? What is it to be given up to God in Baptism, but to take him for thy God, thy Savior and Sanctifier, whom thou must Love, and seek, and obey in Holiness, with all thy Heart, and Soul, and Might? He is a Covenantbreaker indeed, that hates the keeping of it.

I have hitherto been showing thee what it is that thou opposest and deridest: I shall now tell thee further what thou dost, in showing thee the Aggravations of thy sin, and its importance.

§. 27. 2. Consider in all this, what an open enemy thou art to God, and an open Soldier for the Devil: What canst thou do more against God and do thy worst, than make a scorn of all his work and s •• vants? He feareth not thy power or rage, thou canst not hurt him. How many millions of such woe • ms as thou, can he tread to Hell, or destroy in a moment? It is in his servants and service that he is honored or opposed here, and that mortals show their Love or hatred to him. And how canst thou devise, if thou wouldst do thy worst, to serve the Devil more notoriously, than by opposing and deriding the service of God? If such be not Satan's Servants he hath none.

§. 28. 3. Consider what a terrible badge of misery, thou carriest about thee? thou bearest the mark of Satan, Death and Hell in thy forehead as it were. If there were any doubt whether a Swearer, or drunkard, or Fornicator may be in a state of Grace, yet it is past all doubt, that a Scorner of Godliness is not: It were strange indeed for that man to be Holy that derideth Holiness: There is scarce any sort of men in the world, that are more undoubtedly in a state of damnation than thou art. It is dark to us what God will do with Infidels; and Heathens that never had the means of salvation: But what he will do with all the unbelieving and ungodly that have had the means, we know past doubt: much more what he will do with those, that are not only void of Holiness, but deride it. I deny not but yet if thou be converted thou mayest be saved: And O that God would give the repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, that thou mightest escape out of the Devils snares, who leads thee captive at his will. 2 Tim. 2. 25. 26. It is written of Basil, that by his prayers he caused the Devil to give back a writing, by which a wretched man had sold his soul to him, that he might enjoy his Masters daughter; and that the man repented and was delivered: If thou mayest be so recovered it will be a happy day for thee. But till then it is as sure as the Scripture is sure, that thou art a miserable creature, and an undone man if thou die in that condition that thou art in. O with what fear shouldst thou rise and lie down, if thou hadst thy wi • s about thee, lest thou shouldst die before thou art converted?

§. 29. 4. To scorn at Holiness is a defiance of grace, as if thou didst renounce God's mercy: Thou dost thy worst to drive away all hope, and make thy case uncurable and desperate. For if ever thou be saved, it must be by this g •• ce, and Holy life which thou deridest: And is scorning grace the way to get it? And is it likely that the Holy-Ghost, will come and dwell in the man that scorneth his sanctifying works?

§. 30. 5. To scorn at Godliness, is a daring of God to give over his patience, and presently to execute his vengeance on thee? Canst thou wonder if he should make thee a monument of his Justice, and set thee up for all others to take warning by! Who is fitter for this, than the scornful opposers of his grace and service? Hasten not vengeance, man; it will come time enough. Will a worm defy the God of Heaven?

§. 31. 6. How little dost thou understand of all that thou opposest? Didst thou ever try a holy life? If thou hadst, thou wouldst not speak against it: If thou hadst not, art thou not ashamed, to speak evil of that which thou dost not understand? It is a thing that none can througly know, without experience: Try it a while, and then speak thy mind.

§. 32. 7. Didst thou ever consider how many judgments are against thee, and whom thou dost contradict and scorn? 1. If thou scorn at serious Godliness, at Preaching, hearing, reading, Praying, Meditating, and strict avoiding sin; thou contradictest God himself; for none in all the world is so Holy, or so much for Holiness as he: And therefore ultimately, it is him that all thy malice is against: even God the Father, and the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier. 2. Thou settest thyself against all the evidence of Scripture; 3. And against all the works of God: For all conspire to call the world to Holiness and strict obedience to God. 4. And thou contradictest all the Prophets and Apostles, and all the ancient Fathers of the Church; and all the Martyrs and Saints of God that ever were in the world, and all the learned faithful Ministers and Pastors of the Church that are or have been; and all the Godly thoughout the world; and all that ever had experience of a holy life: And what art thou, that thou shouldst scorn all these? Art thou wiser than all the Ministers and godly persons in the world? Than all the Apostles and holy Martyrs of Christ, that ever were? Yea than God himself?

§. 33. 8. Didst thou ever mark how unlike the speech of Christ and his Apostles was to thine? Did they deride men for being too diligent, for the pleasing of God and saving of their souls? Read but th • se places following and judge. Matth. 5. 8, 11, 20. & 6. 33, 21. & 7. 13, 14. 1 Pet. 4. 18. & 2. Pet. 3. 11. & 1. 10. Heb. 11. 6. Matth. 5. Rom. 8, 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13. Phil. 3. 18. 19. Heb. 12. 28, 29.

§. 34. 9. Dost thou not thyself do as much for the world, as those that thou opposest do for Heaven? Art thou offended that they preach and pray so long? Art not thou longer about thy worldly business? Are not Gallants longer at a feast, or visit, or games and recreations? Art thou offended that they talk so much of Heaven? And dost not thou talk more of earth? And which of these dost thou think in thy Conscience, doth better deserve to be sought and talked of? Which will prove better at the last? And whose labor will be more worthy of derision?

§. 35. 10. What gain would it be to thee if thou hadst thy will, and Praying, and Preaching, and Holiness were as much banished from the world, as thou wouldst have it? And if men to please thee should displease God, and cast away their souls forever? Would it do thee good for earth to be so like to Hell? It is the grief of godly men already, to think how little Holiness is in the world: There is scarce a sadder thought that ever came into my heart, than to survey all the Nations of the earth; and to think how ignorance and ungodliness abound, and how few there be that are truly holy? And what an inhumane creature is that who yet would have them fewer; and scorn out of the world, the little wisdom and piety that is left?—

And would it be any pleasure to thee in Hell, if men should accompany thee thither to humor thee? Nay it would be thy everlasting torment, to see there so many forever undone, by hearkening to thy wicked counsel. Say not, that thou art not so cruel, and it is not their damnation that thou desirest: No more it is not thy own that thou desirest: But all's one as to the effect, if thou desire the way to it. Thou mayest as well give one man poison, and deride at another for eating and drinking, and yet say, it is not your death that I desire. But die they must, if they ruled by thee?

§. 36. 11. Were not he a cruel man that would not do as much for the saving of his neighbors soul, as that which thou deridest them for in the saving of their own? If thou wert sick, should I refuse to pray for thy life? Or if I knew that it might save another's soul, should I think any means or pains too much? If not, methinks I may be allowed to do as much for myself, as charity bids me do for another.

§. 37. 12. Is it a season to mock at Holiness, when at the same time, there are so many millions of souls in Heaven that all came thither by the way of Holiness? And so many millions of souls in Hell that all came thither for want of Holiness? And while thou art prating against it, they are crying out in despair of the folly of their neglecting it? Would one of the souls in Heaven regard thy mocks if he were to live on earth again? Or would one of the souls in Hell be mocked thither, if they were but tried with another life? If thou sawest at this hour, what unholy souls in Hell are suffering, and what holy souls in Heaven enjoy, wouldst thou ever mock again at Holiness? For shame consider what thou dost; and see by faith the things that mortal eyes behold not.

§. 38. 13. What if men should yield unto thy derisions, and forsake a holy life to please thee? Wouldst thou undertake to justify them, or be answerable for them before that God, that required Holiness, and will condemn all the unholy? Wouldst thou bring them off, and save them from damnation! Alas poor soul, how unable wilt thou be to save thyself? And wilt thou take them for wise men, if they displease the Lord, and go to Hell to humor such a one as thou?

§. 39. 14. Thou wilt not thyself be mocked out of thy House, or Land, or Right, nor from thy meat, or drink, or rest: wouldst thou • ast these away, if another should mock but thee for using them. I think thou wouldst not. And wouldst thou have wise men be mocked out of their Salvation.

§. 40. 15. Thou wouldst not think it reasonable that thy Children or Servants be derided for loving or obeying thee? Or thy very horse dispraised for serving thee? And do they owe thee more, than we all owe God.

§. 41. 16. God highly honoreth them and dearly loveth them, for that very thing that thou h • t • st and deridest them for. Joh. 16. 27. & 14. 21. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that Loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father: and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Psal. 11. 7. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness: his countenance doth behold the upright. Psal. 146. 8. The Lord loveth the righteous. 2 Cor. 6. For ye are the temple of the living God: as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people: wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord, and Almighty. And darest thou scorn the sons and daughters of the Almighty? Even for that very thing for which he hath promised to receive them, and to be a Father to them? How contrary then art thou to God? Mal. 3. 16, 17, 18. A Book of remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name: and they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my Jewels: and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him: And darest thou scorn God's Jewels, and those that are thus precious to him? 1 Sam. 2. 30. For them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed: And wilt thou be one of his despisers, opposing that in others, for which God himself hath promised to honor them?

§. 42. 17. To hate and scorn at Holiness is to hate and scorn at God's own Image; and the clearest image of God that is under Heaven; even that which Christ came down from Heaven to give us the first draught of; even that copy of the holy life of Christ, which by the spirit of God is drawn upon the heart. And he that scorneth at this image of God, doth scorn at the Holy-Ghost that made it, and scorn at Christ who gave us the first pattern, and scorn at God himself whose image it is: Saith Chrysostom, God is loved and hated in his servants as a King is honored or despised in his image. And he that dare scorn God, and scorn Jesus Christ, and scorn the Holy-Ghost, in the Image of God upon his children, methinks should never have the face once to expect, to be saved by the God that he doth scorn.

§. 43. 18. Thou art the shame of human nature; and makest man so like a Devil, that it is hard to prove that Devils can do much worse than thou. Can there be a greater sin, than for a creature to scorn and deride the Image and Laws of his Creator? And hate and oppose or persecute men for obeying him, and seeking to please him and to save their souls? What couldst thou do worse if thou wouldst study to be as bad as thou canst? What a shame is it to thy understanding to be so blind? And to thy heart to be so wicked? It were not half so great a shame to scorn the Sun for shining, or the earth for bearing fruit? For though these are God's creatures, yet they bear not the Image of his Holiness as his children do. When he will condemn men at last it will be upon this account, Matth. 25. 40. 45. Verily I say unto you, in as much as you did it not (or did it) to one of the least of these (my brethren) ye did it not (or did it) unto me. O wonderful, that the nature of man can ever come to this, to hate, and oppose, and scorn the Image and obedience of his Maker, and make a mock of the Holiness of God! It is a great question whether the very tempting men to such sins as these, be not the Devils greatest sin: And to commit it is worse than to tempt thee to commit it (caeteris paribus): And for a man that hath a Savior offered him, thus to scorn his Savior's Grace, and mock his servants, must needs be far worse than for the Devil to do it who hath no Savior, no pardon offered, and no hope, but is shut up under endless desperation. As it is worse for a child to curse his Father, or scorn him, than for an enemy to do it. Think and tremble, how near this deriding or opposing the work of the Holy-Ghost, doth come to the unpardonable Blasphemy against him.

§. 44. 19. What villainy may not be expected from thee, that canst commit such a sin as this? May not thy neighbor look for any mischief that thy carnal interest shall lead thee to do against him? Is it any wrong to thee to think that thou art a thief, a murderer, a whoremonger, a deceiver, unless it be for want of a temptation to commit them? Or that thou wouldst be a Tray • or against thy King and Country? Or perfidious to thy truest friend, if thou wert tempted to it? When thou scornest men for obeying God himself? Can that man stick at any wickedness that he is equally tempted to, who da • e scorn his Maker, the Redeemer and the Sanctifier? And spit contempt upon Holiness itself, the Image of his Judge? For my part if ever I trust thee or any such man as thou, with life or liberty, or with the worth of a groat, it shall be thy Interest and not thy honesty and conscience that I will trust? I will trust thee little further than I would trust the Devil himself that governs thee.

§. 45. 20. Lastly consider what thou wilt think of thyself for this at death and judgment? Will it comfort thee when thou art going to be judged of God, to think that thou art now going into the presence of that God whom thou wast wont to scorn? When thou seest Christ come with thousands of his holy Angels to judge the world, will it comfort thee to think, This is he whose holy life, and precepts, and servants I mocked or persecuted on earth? Now I must be judged by him that I derided. O dreadful case! For a scorner or persecutor of Godliness, to go to be judged by that holy God whose ways he scorned and persecuted? If you say, It was not Christ but a man that you derided, see Mat. 25. 40, 45. Luk. 19. 27. Act. 9. 4. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me? If thou scorn a child for that in which he resembleth, imit •• eth or obeyeth his Father, thou wilt find in the day of judgment to thy woe, that it was the Father himself that was the utmost and principal object of thy scorn. Then I had rather be the vilest Toad than such a Man: Then wilt thou stand to what thou saidst? Wilt thou then maintain thy slanders and reproach? Wilt thou then condemn or scorn the godly, when thou seest them justified at Christ's right hand, or glorified with him in Heaven? No! as M • l. 3. 18. When God makes up his jewels, Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. Then how gladly would you eat all the words of reproach and scorn, that ever you uttered against a saint? And wish that you had never spoken them? I tell you it is an unseemly thing for the same man now to scorn at godliness, who will so speedily tremble before the righteous God in the remembrance of it?

§. 46. I have thought these discoveries of the horridness of this sin, to be the best Directions against it: For as it is a sin that thou gettest nothing by, so it is a sin that thou mayest easily leave if thou be willing. But for those that are yet but in the way to it, or in danger of it, I shall add these further Directions to keep them from so desperate a wickedness.

§. 47. Direct. 1. Avoid the company of those distracted men, that dare revile the servants and ways of God. There is that in your corrupted natures, which will incline you to imitate the most horrid blasphemies, if you often hear them. We have seen it in our days, that in imitation of others, men have been drawn to sins not to be named? To drink healths to the Devil, to make [ God d • mn me ] an ordinary by-word. Be not therefore companions of them.

§. 48. Direct. 2. Take heed of sinning yourselves into blindness of mind and hardness of heart. Forsake not God lest you be forsaken by him. It is men forsaken of God that ordinarily come to this d • sperate degree of sin: Insomuch that the Book of Homilies thus describing them, saith [ The third sort he calleth scorners, that is, a sort of men whose hearts are so stuffed with malice, that they are not contended to dwell in sin, and to lead their lives in all kind of wickedness, but also they do contemn and scorn in others, all Godliness, true Religion, all honesty and virtue: Of the two first sorts of men, I will not say but they may take repentance and be converted unto God: Of the third sort, I think I may without danger of God's judgment pronounce, that never any yet were converted unto God by Repentance, but continued still in their abominable wickedness, heaping up to themselves damnation against the day of God's inevitable judgment. ] Though I take this to be too severe, yet it's the judgment of the Church of England, and terrible to scorners that profess their assent to it.

§. 49. Direct. 3. Take heed of scorning at the very circumstances, or modes of worship which you dislike: For such scorns come so near to the worship itself, that the minds of the hearers may easily be hence drawn, to dishonor the substance for the sake of the derided mode or circumstance; and it plainly savoreth of a hold profaneness which grave and sober Christians do abhor. In the case of Idolatry, or where the very substance of the worship is impious and forbidden, I deny not but Elias may (sometime and with wariness) be imitated, who derided Baals Priests: But to do thus upon smaller differences in the Manner or circumstances of worship, is the way to teach men to turn all Religion into matter of derision and contempt. If you see about the King some circumstance of clothing, ornament or attendance of his followers, which you dislike or judge ridiculous, if you look towards him with a scornful laughter, it will not excuse you to say, I laughed not at the King, but at such or such a thing about him: For his presence should have restrained you from that which seemeth to be a deriding of him: So here, I know you will say, it is not at God's worship, but at such words or gestures of the Minister that I scorn: But take heed of dallying with holy things: Play not so near the consuming fire! Give not others occasion to deride the thing itself by your deriding the circumstances, though they were unapt. Have we not seen, while factious Christians raise jeasts, and nicknames, and scorns against each other, how the profane and common enemies of Religion, do take them up, and turn them against all serious godliness, to the trouble of others, and their own damnation? And we have had experience in these contentious times, that it is the Sectaries and the Profane that are apt to use these scoffs and scorns against the things and persons that they mislike, and that sober, peaceable, judicious men, of all sides do abhor it. How unsavory and profane have all sober men thought it, when they heard some young and hotbraind persons mocking at the Common-prayer by the name of [ P • ttage ] and at the Surplice by the name of [the Whore of Babylon's Smock:] And from hence the same spirit led them as proudly and bitterly to deride at Ministers, Universities, Learning, Temples, Tythes, and all the appurtenances of worship! Yea at the Lord's-Day, and singing Psalms, and Preaching, and almost all the duties of Religion: For when once men will pretend to strive for God, with the spirit and weapons of Satan and the world, and flesh, there is no stop, till they come to the bottom of impiety, and do Satan's work in Satan's way: And so on the other side, while some have too reproachfully scorned such, as Precisians or Puritans, who differed from them about the form of Church government and Ceremonies, the rabble of the profane soon get advantage by it, and turned these words to so common and bitter reproaches of the godly, sober, peaceable pleople of the Land, that Mr. Rob. Bolton saith, [ I am persuaded there was never poor persecuted Word, since malice against God first seized on the damned Angels, and the graces of Heaven dwelt in the heart of man, that passed through the mouths of all sorts of unregenerate men, with more distastefulness and gnashing of teeth, than the name of Puritan doth at this day: which notwithstanding as it is now commonly meant, and ordinarily proceeds from the spleen and spirit of profaneness and good-fellowship, is an honorable nickname, that I may so speak, of Christianity and grace: ] See more cited out of him, and Bishop Downam, Bishop Abbot, &c. in my Formal Hypocrite. pag. 210. 212, &c.

§. 50. Direct. 4. Be very fearful of making the persons of the Godly contemptible, though for their real faults, lest the ungodly easily step thence to the contempt of Godliness itself. For it is easy to observe how commonly the vulgar judge of the Doctrine and Religion by the Person that professeth it. If a Papist or a Sectary live a holy life, take heed of making a scorn of their persons, notwithstanding thou takest the rise of thy derision from their mistakes: For even a mistaking Saint is dearly beloved and honored of God: And where ever Holiness is, it is the most great resplendent and predominant thing in him that hath it: And therefore puts a greater honor on him, than any mistake or infirmity can dishonor him: As the person of a King must not be dishonored by a reproachful mention of his infirmities, lest it reflect upon his office: So neither must the person of a holy man, lest it reflect on his Religion. Not that any man's person should credit or secure his faults, Nor that we should judge of the faults or manners by the men, instead of judging of the men by their manners: But you must judge of them by that which is predominant: and so blame their faults, as to preserve the honor of their Virtues and Religion, and of their persons for their virtues sake. So blame the falls of Noah, and Lot, and David, and Peter, as may make the sin more odious, but not so as may make their persons contemptible, lest it make their Religion next to be contemned. Mark here the difference between the mentioning of good men's falls by the Godly and by the Ungodly. The Godly mention them to make sin appear a thing more to be feared and watched against, and Holiness to appear more excellent and necessary. But the ungodly mention them (and read them in Scripture,) to make themselves believe that sin is not so bad and dangerous a thing as Preachers tell them; and that Holiness doth but little differ from a fleshly life.

§. 51. Direct. 5. Judge not of God's servants barely by report, without some considerable acquaintance with them. I cannot remember one of a multitude of the enemies, scorners and persecutors of Godliness, great or small, high or low, but such as never had the happiness to be well acquainted with them, by any familiarity, or observation of the secret passages of their lives: But usually they are such as know them but by report, or by sight, or small acquaintance: And if they did but live with them in the same houses, or were of their familiarity, it were the likeliest way to change their minds and speeches (unless their acquaintance were only with some of the more ignorant, passionate or distempered sort of Christians).

§. 52. Direct. 6. Take heed of uncharitableness and malice, against any; but especially the servants of Christ. For this blinds the judgment, and mads men with a venomous kind of passion, and will make them scorn and rage against the most holy servants of the Lord. The least true Love to a Christian as a Christian, would do much to the cure of all this sin.

§. 53. Direct. 7. Take heed of being engaged in a sect or faction, and take heed of the carnal zeal of schism, and of the spirit of faction, which ordinarily makes men think it lawful, if not necessary, to scorn the persons that seem against them, that so they may disable them from hindering the interest of their cause or party. Thus Papists, and thus—the factious ones of every Party, think that their revilings are but the necessary disarming of the enemies of God (for such all must seem that differ from them): And a stripping them of that honor by which they might do hurt. Thus good is pretended for the most odious evil, and God is set up against that Love which is the fulfilling of his Law; and made the Patron of the scorners of his children: But surely he scorneth the scorners, Prov. 3. 34.

§. 54. Direct. 8. Take heed of error and infidelity: For if the understanding be once deluded, and take Religion itself to be but a deceit or fancy, and Godliness to be but conceit and hypocrisy, no wonder if it be made a scorn by such. And such scorners will justify themselves in it, and think they do no harm: So great a plague is a blinded mind.

I have said less against this Devillish sin, than the nature of it requireth, because I have already said so much, especially in three Treatises, viz. The Vain Religion of the formal Hypocrite: That called Now or Never; and a Saint or a Bruit.

I conclude with these earnest requests to the Godly: 1. Give men no occasion of scorn by your imprudence, scandal, selfishness or passion, as you tender the honor of God and men's Salvation. As Chrysostom saith, As he that beareth the Kings Standard in fight, had need to be well guarded, so he that carrieth the name and profession of God and Godliness. 2. Be not discouraged by scorners: These are but easy in comparison of what Christ suffered for you, and what the scorners themselves must suffer.

CHAP. X. Directions for the Government of the Body.