the effects of innocent, fober, and well-ordered difcourfe; SERM. the which do much commend their author, and declare XIII. the excellent virtue of that tree from which fuch fruits do grow. 7. Laftly, the observation how unusual this practice is, in any good degree, may ftrongly affure the excellency thereof. For the rarer, efpecially in morals, any good thing is, the more noble and worthy it is; that rarity arguing somewhat of peculiar difficulty in the attainment or the achievement thereof. Nothing is more obvious to common experience, than that persons, who in the rest of their demeanour and dealings appear blameless, yea, who in regard to other points of duty would feem nice and precife, are extremely peccant in this kind. We may fee divers, otherwife much restraining and much denying themselves, who yet indulge themselves a strange licentiousness in speaking whatever their humour or their pasfion dictates. Many, in other refpects harmless, (who would not for any thing fmite or flay folks,) we may observe with their tongue to commit horrible outrages upon any man that comes in their way. Frequently persons very punctual in their dealings are very unjuft in their language, cheating and robbing their neighbour of his reputation by envious detraction and hard cenfure. They who abhor fhedding a man's blood will yet, without any fcruple or remorfe, by calumnious tales and virulent reproaches, affaffinate his credit, and murder his good name, although to him perhaps far more dear and precious than his life. Commonly fuch as are greatly ftaunch in other enjoyments of pleasure, are enormously intemperate in speaking, and very incontinent of their tongue: men in all other parts of morality rigorously fober, are often in this very wild and diffolute. Yea, not seldom we may observe, that even mighty pretenders to godlinefs, and zealous practisers of devotion, cannot forbear speaking things plainly repugnant to God's law, and very prejudicial to his honour. Thus it is obfervable to be now; and thus we may suppose that it always hath been. So of his time St. Hierome (or rather St. Paulinus, in his ex SERM, cellent Epiftle to Celantia) teftifies: a Such a luft (faith he, XIII. concerning the ill governance of speech) of this evil hath invaded the minds of men, that even those, who have far receded from other vices, do yet fall into this, as into the last fnare of the devil. So it appears, that among all forts of good practice, the strict governance of the tongue is least ordinary, and confequently, that it is most admirable and excellent. And this is all I fhall fay for confirmation of the point afferted. Now then, as it is our duty to aim at perfection, or to endeavour the attainment of integrity in heart and life, fo we should especially labour to govern our tongue, and guard it from offence. To which purpose it is requifite, that we should well understand and confider the nature of those several offences to which speech is liable, together with the special pravity, deformity, and inconvenience of each for did we know and weigh them, we should not furely either like or dare to incur them. The offences of speech are many and various in kind; so many as there be of thought and of action, unto which they do run parallel: accordingly they well may be diftinguished from the difference of objects which they do specially respect. Whence, 1. fome of them are committed against God, and confront piety; 2. others against our neighbour, and violate justice, or charity, or peace; 3. others against ourselves, infringing sobriety, discretion, or modefty; or, 4. fome are of a more general and abftracted nature, rambling through all matters, and croffing all the heads of duty. It is true, that in moft, or in all offences of fpeech, there is a complication of impiety, iniquity, and imprudence; for that by all forts of ill fpeaking we fin against God, and break his commandment; we injure our neighbour, at leaft by contagion and bad example; we abuse ourselves, contracting guilt, and expofing ourselves to punishment: alfo the general a Tanta hujus mali libido mentes hominum invafit, ut etiam qui procul ab aliis vitiis recefferunt, in iftud tamen, quafi in extremum diaboli laqueum, incidant. Ad Celant, vices of speech (unadvisedness and vanity) do conftantly SERM. adhere to every bad word: yet commonly each evil XIII. fpeech hath a more direct and immediate aspect upon fome one of those objects, (God, our neighbour, or ourfelves,) and is peculiarly repugnant to one of those capital virtues (piety, charity, and fobriety) unto which all our duty is reduced. Now according to this distinction, I should, if time would give leave, describe and diffuade particularly all these forts of offence: but (fince I must be respectful to patience, and careful myself not to offend in fpeech) I fhall confine the rest of my present Discourse to the first fort, the offences against piety; and even of them I fhall (waving the reft) only touch two or three, infinuating fome reafons why we fhould efchew them. These are, 19. Job xxxiv. 8, 9. 2 Chron. Dan. xi. 36. I. Speaking blafphemously againft God, or reproach- (Pf.lxxviii. fully concerning religion, or to the difgrace of piety, Num. xxi. with intent to fubvert men's faith in God, or to impair 5. their reverence of him. There hath been a race of men, 37.) (and would to God that race were not even till now continued) concerning whom the Pfalmift faid, They speak Pf. lxxiii. loftily, they fet their mouth against the heavens; who, like the proud Sennacherib, lift up their eyes, and exalt Ifa. xxxvii. their voice against the Holy One of Ifrael; who, with the 23. profane Antiochus, Speak marvellous things against the xxxii. 19. God of gods. This of all impieties is the most prodigiously gigantic, the most figual practice of enmity towards God, and downright waging of war against heaven. Of all weapons formed against God, the tongue most no- Ifa. liv. 17. toriously doth impugn him; for we cannot reach heaven with our hands, or immediately affault God by our actions other ill practice indeed obliquely, or by confequence difhonoureth God, and defameth goodness; but profane discourse is directly levelled at them, and doth immediately touch them, as its formal objects. Now doing thus argueth an extremity both of folly and naughtinefs: for he that doeth it, either believeth the existence of God, and the truth of religion; or he diftrufts them. If he doth believe them, what a desperate SERM. madness is it in him, advisedly to invite certain misXIII. chief to his home, and pull down heavieft vengeance on his own head, by opposing the irresistible power, and provoking the inflexible justice of God! What an abominable villany and baseness is it thus to abuse God's immense goodness and mercy, offering fuch despite to the Author of his being, and free Donor of all the good he enjoys! What a monftrous confpiracy is it of ftupidity and perverseness in him, thus wilfully to defy his own welfare, to forfeit all capacity of happiness; to precipitate and plunge himself into a double hell, that of bitter remorfe here, that of endless pain hereafter! But if he that reproacheth God and religion be supposed distrustful of their being and reality, neither fo is he excufable from like degrees of folly and pravity: for, beside the wild extravagance of such disbelief, against legions of cogent arguments and pregnant testimonies, against all the voice of nature and faith of history, against the fettled judgment of wife and fober perfons who have ftudied and confidered the point, against the current tradition of all ages, and general confent of mankind; all which to withstand, no lefs demonstrateth high indifcretion than arrogance; befide alfo the palpable filliness which he displays, in causelefsly (or for no other caufe than foothing a fantastic humour) drawing upon himself the anger and hatred of all men who are concerned for the interests of their religion, thrusting himself into great dangers and mischiefs thence imminent to him both from private zeal and public law; befide, I say, these evident follies, there is an unsufferable infolence and horrible malice apparent in this practice; for it is no less than the height of infolence, thus to affront mankind in matters of highest confideration, and deepest resentment with it; not only thwarting its common notions, but vilifying the chief objects of its highest refpect and affection, of its main care and concernment; fo making the fierceft invafion that can be on its credit, and charging it with greatest fondness. Who can endure that He, whom he apprehends to be his grand Parent, his best Friend and Benefactor, his great Patron and Sove XIII. reign, fhould in downright terms be defamed or difpa- SER M. raged? Who can patiently bear that, wherein he placeth his utmost hopes and fupreme felicity, to be expressly flighted or fcorned? Who can take the offering to do this, otherwife than for a moft injurious reflection upon his judgment and his practice? If he cannot believe in God, he may let them alone who do: if he will not practise religion, he may forbear to perfecute it. He cannot pretend any zeal; it is therefore only pride that moves him to disturb us. So may every man with all the reason in the world complain against the profane talker. Seeing alfo it is moft evident, that hearty reverence of God, and a confcientious regard to religion, do produce great benefits to mankind, being indeed the main supports of common honefty and fobriety, the fole curbs, effectually reftraining men from unjuft fraud and violence, from brutifh lufts and paffions; fince apparently religion prefcribeth the beft rules, and impofeth the ftrongest engagements to the performance of those actions, whereby not only men's private welfare is promoted, and ordinary converfation is fweetened, and common life is adorned, but also whereby public order and peace are maintained; fince, as Cicero with good reafon judged, piety being re- Haud fcio moved, it is probable that juftice itself (of all virtues the an, pietate best guarded and fortified by human power) could not Deos fubfubfift, no faith could be fecured, no fociety could be pre- etiam, et ferved among men ; it being manifeftly vain to fancy, that focietas huaffuredly without religious confcience any one will be a neris, et good fubject, a true friend, or an honeft man; or that una excelany other confideration can induce, men to prefer duty virtus jufto their prince, the profperity of their country, fide- titia tollality toward their friends or neighbours, before their own present interefts and pleasure: fince, I say, the credit of religion is fo very beneficial and useful to mankind, it is plain that he must be exceedingly spiteful and malicious, who fhall by profane difcourse endeavour to fupplant or shake it. He that speaketh against God's providence hath affuredly a pique at goodness, and would not have it predominant in the hearts of men. adverfus lata, fides mani ge lentiffima tur. Cic. |