villany, as being proper for ruftic boors, or men of SERM. coarsest education and employment; who, having their XVI. minds debased by being converfant in meanest affairs, do vent their forry paffions, and bicker about their petty concernments, in fuch ftrains; who alfo, being not capable of a fair reputation, or fenfible of difgrace to themfelves, do little value the credit of others, or care for asperfing it. But such language is unworthy of those perfons, and cannot easily be drawn from them, who are wont to exercise their thoughts about nobler matters, who are verfed in affairs manageable only by calm deliberation and fair perfuafion, not by impetuous and provocative rudeness; the which do never work otherwise upon masculine fouls, than fo as to procure disdain and resistance. Such perfons, knowing the benefit of a good name, being wont to poffefs a good repute, prizing their own credit as a confiderable good, will never be prone to bereave others of the like by opprobrious speech. A noble enemy will never speak of his enemy in bad

terms s.

We may farther confider, that all wise, all honest, all ingenuous perfons have an aversation from ill speaking, and cannot entertain it with any acceptance or complacence; that only ill-natured, unworthy, and naughty people are its willing auditors, or do abet it with applause. The good man, in the fifteenth Pfalm, non accipit Pfal. xv. 3. opprobrium, doth not take up, or accept, a reproach against his neighbour: but A wicked doer, faith the Wife Man, Prov. xvii. giveth heed to falfe lips, and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. And what reasonable man will do that which is disgustful to the wise and good, is grateful only to the foolish and bafer fort of ment? I pretermit, that ufing this fort of language doth incapacitate a man for to benefit his neighbour, and defeateth his endeavours for his édification, disparaging a good cause, prejudicing the de

• In quo admirari foleo gravitatem et juftitiam et fapientiam Cæfaris, qui nunquam nifi honorificentiffime Pompeium appellat. Cic. Epift. tom. vi. 6. * It is always taken as an argument of ill-will. Maledicus a malefico non diftat, nifi occafione. Quint. xii. 9.

4.

SERM. fence of truth, obftructing the effects of good inftruction XVI. and wholefome reproof; as we did before remark and declare. Farther,

6. He that useth this kind of speech doth, as harm and trouble others, fo create many great inconveniences and mischiefs to himself thereby. Nothing fo inflameth the wrath of men, so provoketh their enmity, fo breedeth lafting hatred and fpite, as do contumelious words. They are often called fwords and arrows; and as fuch they pierce deeply, and cause most grievous smart; which men feeling are enraged, and accordingly will strive to requite them in the like manner, and in all other obvious ways of revenge. Hence ftrife, clamour and tumult, care, fufpicion and fear, danger and trouble, forrow and regret, do feize on the reviler; and he is fufficiently punished for this dealing. No man can otherwise than live in perpetual fear of reciprocal like usage from him, whom he is confcious of having fo abused. Whence, if not justice or charity toward others, yet love and pity of ourselves fhould perfuade us to forbear it as difquietful, incommodious, and mischievous to us.

We should indeed certainly enjoy much love, much concord, much quiet, we should live in great safety and fecurity, we should be exempted from much care and fear, if we would restrain ourselves from abufing and offending our neighbour in this kind: being confcious of fo juft and innocent demeanour toward him, we should converse with him in a pleasant freedom and confidence, not suspecting any bad language or ill usage from him.

7. Hence with evidently good reason is he that useth fuch language called a fool: and he that abstaineth from Prov. xviii. it is commended as wife. A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for ftrokes. A fool's mouth is Prov. x. 19. his deftruction, and his lips are the fnare of his foul. He Prov.xii. 18. that refraineth his tongue is wife. In the tongue of the

6, 7.

"The scourge of the tongue, Job v. 21. Prov. xii. 18. There is that fpeaketh like the piercings of a fword. Pfal. Ivii. 4. lix. 7. lxiv. 3. Pfal. lii. 2. Sharp rafor. Prov. xxx. 14. Knives.

* The froward tongue shall be cut out. Prov. x. 31.

wife is health. He that keepeth his lips keepeth his life: SERM. but he that openeth wide his mouth (that is, in evil-speak- XVI. ing, gaping with clamour and vehemency) fhall have de- Prov.xiii. 3. ftruction. The words of a wife man's mouth are gracious: Ecclef. x. but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it 21. fhall eat the fruit thereof; that is, of the one or the other, answerably to the kind of speech they choose.

12.

Prov. xviii.

In fine, very remarkable is that advice, or refolution of the grand point concerning the best way of living happily, in the Pfalmift: What man is he that defireth life, Pfal. xxxiv. and loveth many days, that he may fee good? Keep thy 12, 13. tongue from evil, and thy lips from Speaking guile. Abftinence from ill-speaking he seemeth to propofe as the first step toward the fruition of a durably-happy life.

8. Laftly, we may confider that it is a grievous perverting the defign of speech, (that excellent faculty, which fo much distinguisheth us from, fo highly advanceth us above, other creatures,) to use it to the defaming and difquieting our neighbour. It was given us as an inftrument of beneficial commerce, and delectable converfation; that with it we might affift and advise, might cheer and comfort one another: we therefore in employing it to the disgrace, vexation, damage or prejudice in any kind, of our neighbour, do foully abuse it; and so doing, render ourselves indeed worse than dumb beafts: for better far it were that we could fay nothing, than that we fhould fpeak ill y.

Now the God of grace and peace make us perfect in Heb. xiii. every good work to do his will, working in us that which is 20, 21. well-pleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift; to whom be

glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

y Mutos nafci, et egere omni ratione fatius fuiffet, quam providentiæ munera in mutuam perniciem convertere. Quint. xii. 1.

SERMON

SERMON XVII.

THE FOLLY OF SLANDER.

PROV. X. 18.

He that uttereth flander is a fool.

SERM. GENERAL declamations against vice and fin are indeed XVII. excellently useful, as roufing men to confider and look about them: but they do often want effect, because they only raise confused apprehenfions of things, and indeterminate propenfions to action; the which ufually, before men throughly perceive or refolve what they should practise, do decay and vanish. As he that cries out fire doth ftir up people, and infpireth them with a kind of hovering tendency every way, yet no man thence to purpose moveth, until he be distinctly informed where the mischief is; then do they, who apprehend themselves concerned, run haftily to oppose it: fo, till we particularly discern where our offences lie, (till we diftinctly know the heinous nature and the mifchievous confequences of them,) we scarce will effectually apply ourfelves to correct them. Whence it is requifite, that men fhould be particularly acquainted with their fins, and by proper arguments be diffuaded from them.

In order whereto I have now felected one fin to defcribe, and to diffuade from, being in nature as vile, and in practice as common, as any other whatever that hath prevailed among men. It is flander, a fin which in all

times and places hath been epidemical and rife; but SERM. which especially doth feem to reign and rage in our age XVII.

and country.

There are principles innate to men, which ever have, and ever will incline them to this offence. Eager appetites to fecular and fenfual goods; violent paffions, urging the prosecution of what men affect; wrath and displeafure against those who stand in the way of compassing their defires; emulation and envy toward those who hap to fucceed better, or to attain a greater share in fuch things; exceffive felf-love; unaccountable malignity and vanity, are in some degrees connatural to all men, and ever prompt them to this dealing, as appearing the most efficacious, compendious, and easy way of fatisfying such appetites, of promoting such defigns, of discharging fuch paffions. Slander thence hath always been a principal engine, whereby covetous, ambitious, envious, ill-natured, and vain persons have ftrove to fupplant their competitors, and advance themselves; meaning thereby to procure, what thay chiefly prize and like, wealth, or dignity, or reputation, favour and power in the court, respect and intereft with the people.

But from efpecial causes our age peculiarly doth abound in this practice: for, befides the common difpofitions inclining thereto, there are conceits newly coined, and greedily entertained by many, which seem purposely levelled at the disparagement of piety, charity, and justice, substituting interest in the room of conscience, authorizing and commending, for good and wife, all ways ferving to private advantage. There are implacable diffenfions, fierce animofities, and bitter zeals sprung up; there is an extreme curiofity, niceness, and delicacy of judgment; there is a mighty affectation of seeming wise and witty by any means; there is a great unsettlement of mind, and corruption of manners, generally diffused over people from which fources it is no wonder that this flood hath fo overflown, that no banks can restrain it, no fences are able to resist it; so that ordinary conversation îs full with it, and no demeanour can be secure from it.