The Sacrifice of Thankfulness, Sermon 6
THE TAMING OF the Tongue.
IAM. 3. 8.
But the tongue can no man tame: it is an vnruly euill, full of deadly poyson.
HEre is a single Position, guarded with a double reason. The Position is, No man can tame the Tongue. The Reasons, 1. It is vnruly. 2. Full of deadly poyson. Heere is busie dealing with a wilde member: a more difficult action, and intractable nature could not hauehave met. Tongue is the Subiect (I meane in the discourse;) and can you euer thinke of subiecting it naturally to reason, or taming it to Religion? Goe leade a Lyon in a single haire, send vp an Eagle to the skie to pecke out a starre, cope vp the thunder, and quench a flaming City with one widdowes teares: if thou couldest doe these, yet nescit modo lingua domari: the Tongue can no man tame. As the Proposition is backed with two reasons; so each reasons; so each reason hath a terrible second, The Euill hath for the second vnrulines: the Poisonfulnes hath deadly. It is evil, yea vnruly euill: it is poyson, yea, deadly poyson. The Fort is so barricadoed, that it is hard scaling it: the refractary Rebell so guarded with Euill and Poyson, so warded with vnruly and deadly; as if it were with Gyants in an vnchanted Towre, as they fabulate; that no man can tame it. Yet let vsus examine the matter, and finde a stratagem to subdue it.
In the Proposition.
Wee will obserue, 1. The Nature of the thing to bee tamed. 2. The difficulty of accomplishing it. The insubiectible subiect is the Tongue: which is, 1. a member, and 2. an
Excellent
Necessary
Little
Singular
Member,
It is a Member.
Hee that made all, made the Tongue: he that craues all, must hauehave the Tongue. Quicreavit necessariam, postulat creatam. It is an instrument, let it giuegive Musicke to him that made it. All creatures in their kind blesse God. Psal. 148. They that wanttongues, as the heauens, Sunne, Starres, Meteors, Orbes, Elements; prayse him with such obedient Testimonies, as their insensible natures can afford. They that hauehave tongues, though they want reason, prayse him with those naturall Organs. The birds of the ayre sing, the beasts of the earth make a noyse; not so much as the hissing Serpents, the very Dragons in the deepe, but sound out his praise. Man then, that hath a tongue, and a reason to guide it, (and if more, a religion to direct his reason) should much, much more blesse him. Therefore sayes the Psalmographer, that for the well tuning of his Tongue, is called the sweete Singer of Israel, I will praise the Lord with the best Instrument I hauehave; which was his Tongue.
Not that praises can adde to Gods glory, nor blasphemies detract from it. The blessing Tongue cannot make him better,Aug. in Psal. 134 nor the cursing, worse. Nec melior si laudaueris, nec deterior si vituperaueris. As the Sunne is neither betterd by birds singing, nor battered by dogs barking. He is so infinitely great, and constantly good, that his glory admittes neyther addition, nor diminution.
Yet we that cannot make his name greater, can make it seeme greater: and though wee can not enlarge his glory, we may enlarge the manifestation of his glory. This both in words praysing, and in workes practising. We know it is impossible to make a new Christ, as the Papists boast the almightinesse of their Priests: yet our holy liues, and happy lippes (if I may so speak) may make a little Christ, a great Christ. They that before little regarded him, may thus be brought to esteeme him greatly: giuing him the honour due to his name, and glorifying him, after our example.
This is the Tongues office. One member, without arrogating any merite, or boasting the beholdingnesse of the rest vntounto it, is to doe that duetie which is assigned it. The eye is to see for all, the eare to heare for all, the hand to worke for all, the feete to walke for all, the knees to bow for all, the Tongue to praise GOD for all. This is the Tongues office, not vnlike the Towneclarkes, which if it performe not well, the Corporation is better without it. The Tongue is mans clapper, and is giuen him, that hee may sound out the praise of his maker.
Infinite causes draw deseruingly from mans lippes, a deuout acknowledgement of Gods praise. Quia
Creator ad esse.
Conseruator in esse.
Recreator in bene esse.
Glorificator in optimo esse.
He gaue vsus being that had none; preserued vsus in that being;Hug. Cardin. restored vsus voluntarily fallen, vntounto a better being; and will glorifie vsus with the best, at the day of the Lord Iesus. August.Then let the Tongue know, Si non reddet Deo faciendo quae debet, reddet ei patiendo quae debet: If it will not pay God the debt it owes him in an actiue thankefulnes, it shall pay him in a passiue painefulnes. Let the meditation heere of put our tongues into tune. A word fitly spoken,Prou. 25. 11 is like Apples of golde in pictures of siluer.
It is a member you heare: we must take it with all the properties; Excellent, Necessary, Little, Singular.
1. Excellent. Abstractiuely and simply vnderstood, it is an exceeding excellent member, both Quoad
Maiestatem.
Incunditatem.
For the Maiestie of it, it carries an imperious speech: wherein it hath the preeminence of all mortal creatures. It was mans Tongue, Genes. 2. 19to which the Lord gaue licence to call all the liuing creatures, and to giuegive them names. And it is a strong motiue to induce, and to beget in other terrene natures, a reuerence and admiration of man. Therefore it is obserued, that God did punish the ingratitude of Balaam, when hee gaue away some of the dignity proper to man, which is vse of speech, and imparted it to the Asse, man alone speakes. I know that spirites can frame an aeriall voyce, as the Di…ell when he spake in the Serpent that fatall temptation, as in a Truncke; but man onelyonly hath the habituall facultie of speaking.
For the Pleasantnesse of the tongue; the generall consent of all giues it the truest Melos, and restraines all musicall organs from the worth and praise of it: Eccles. 40.Eccl. 40. 21 The pipe and the Psalterie make sweete melodie: but a pleasant tongue is aboue them both. No instruments are so rauishing, or preuaile ouer mans heart with so powerfull complacencie, as the Tongue and voyce of man.
If the Tongue be so excellent, how then doth this Text censure it for so euill? I take the Philosophers old and trite answere. Linguanihil est, vel bona melius, vel mala peius. Then a good Tongue, there is nothing better; then an euill,Hieron. nothing worse. Nihil habet medium: aut grande bonum est, aut grande malum. It hath no meane; it is eyther exceedingly good, or excessiuely euill. It knowes nothing but extreames: and is or good best of all, or bad worst of all. If it be good, it is a walking garden, that scatters in eueryevery place a sweet flower, an hearb of grace to the hearers. If it be euill, it is a wilde Bedlam, full of gadding and madding mischiefes. So the Tongue is eueryevery mans best, or worst moueable.
Heereupon that Philosophicall seruant, when hee was commanded to prouide the best meate for his Masters table, the worst for the family: bought & brought to either, neates tongues. His Morall was, that this was both the best, and worst seruice; according to the goodnesse or badnesse of the Tongue. A good Tongue is a speciall dish for Gods publike seruice. Parsoptima hominis,Prud. digna quae sit hostia. The best part of a man, and most worthy the honour of sacrifice. This onelyonly, when it is well seasoned. Seasoned, I say, with salt; as the Apostle admonisheth: not with fire. Let it not be so salt as fire,Coloss. 4. 6. as that Prouerbe, which no man liuing hath tasted. There is a Citie of salt, mentioned, Ioshua 15. Let no man be an Inhabitant of this salt-citie. Iosh. 15. 62Yet better a salt-tongue, then an oily. Rather let the righteous reprooue mee, then the precious balmes of flatterers breake my head; whilst they most sensibly sooth and supple it. We allow the Tongue salt, not pepper: let it be well seasoned, but not too hote. Thus a good Tongue is GODS dish, and he will accept it at his owne table.
But an euill Tongue is meate for the Diuell, according to the Italian Prouerbe: The Diuell makes his Christmasse pie of lewd Tongues. It is his daintiest dish, and he makes much of it: whether on earth to serue his turne as an instrument of mischiefe, or in hell to answere his fury in torments. Thus saith Salomon of the good Tongue. Pr. 10 20, 21The tongue of the iust is as choice siluer, and the lippes of the righteous feede many. But Saint Iames of the bad one: It is an vnruly euill, full of deadly poison,
2. It is Necessary; so necessary, that without a tongue I could not declare the necessitie of it. It conuerseth with man, conueying to others by this organ that experimentall knowledge, which must else liue and die in himselfe. It imparts secrets, communicates ioyes, which would be lesse happy suppressed, then they are expressed: mirth without a partner, is hilaris cum pondere foelicitas. But to disburden griefes, and powre foorth sorrowes in the bosome of a friend, O necessary tongue! How many hearts would hauehave burst, if thou hadst not giuen them vent! How many soules fallen groueling vnderunder their loade, if thou hadst not called for some supportance! How many a panting spirit hath sayd, I will speake yet ere I die; and by speaking receiued comfort! Lastly, it speakes our deuotions to heauen, and hath the honour to conferre with God. It is that Instrument which the holy Ghost vseth in vsus, to cry Abba Father. It is our spokesman: and hee that can heare the heart without a tongue, regardeth the deuotions of the heart better, when they are sent vp by a diligent messenger, a faithfull tongue.
3. It is Little. As man is a little world in the great▪ so is his tongue a great world in the little. It is a little member, saith the Apostle, verse 5. yet it is a world; verse 6. yea prauitatis vniuersitas, a world of iniquitie. It is parnum, but prauum; little in quantitie, but great in iniquity. What it hath lost in the thickenesse, it hath got in the quickenesse: and the defect of magnitude is recompenced in the fortitude: an arme may bee longer, but the Tongue is stronger; and a legge hath more flesh then it hath, besides bones which it hath not, yet the tongue still runnes quicker and faster; and if the wager lie for holding out, without doubt the Tongue shall winne it.
If it be a talking tongue, it is mundus garrulitatis, a world of prating. If it be a wrangling tongue, it is mundus litigationis, a world of brabbling. If it be a learned tongue, it is as Erasmus sayd of Bishop Tonstall, mundus eruditionis, a world of learning. If it be a petulant tong, it is mundus scurrilitatis, a world of wantonnesse. If it be a poysonous tongue, it is mundus infectionis, sayth our Apostle, verse 6. it defileth the whole body. It is Little.
So little, that it will scarce giuegive a Kite her breakefast, yet it can discourse of the Sunne and Starres, of Orbes and Elements, of Angells and D…uells, of Nature and Artes: and hath no straiter limites, then the whole world to walke through. Homuncio est, gigantea iactat, verse 5. It is a Little member, yet boasteth great things.
Though it be Little, yet if good, it is of great vse. A little bitte guydeth a great horse, adequitis libitum, to the Riders pleasure. A little helme, ruleth a great vessell: though the windes blowe, and the floudes oppose, yet the helme steares the shippe. Though little, yet if euill, it is of great mischiefe. A little leauen sowres the whole lumpe. 1. Cor. 5. 6A little Remora dangers a great vessell. A little sickenesse distempereth the whole body. A little fire setteth a whole citty on combustion, verse 5. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
It is Little in substance, yet great ad affectum, to prouoke passion; ad effectum, to produce action. A Seminaries Tongue, is able to set Instruments on worke, to blowe vp a Parliament. So God hath disposed it among the members, that it gouernes or misgouernes all; and is eyther a good King, or a cruell Tyrant. It eyther precedes to good, or peruerts to euill; purifieth, or putrifieth the whole carcasse, the whole conscience. It betrayeth the heart, when the heart would betray God: and the Lord lets it double treason on it selfe, when it preuaricates with him.
It is a little leake that drowneth a shippe, a little breach that looseth an army, a little spring that powres foorth an Ocean. Little; yet the Lyon is more troubled with the little Waspe, then with the great Elephant. And it is obseruable, that the Aegyptian Sorcerers fayled in minimis, that appeared skilfull and powerfull in maioribus. Exod. 7. 22Doth Moses turne the waters into bloud? the Magicians did so, with their Inchantments. Doth Aaron stretch out his hand ouer the waters,Exod. 8. 7 and couer the Land with Frogges? The Magicians did so with their Inchantments. But when Aaron smote the dust of the Land, and turned it into Lice, Verse 17. 18the Magicians could not effect the like. Nor in the Ashes of the Fornace turned into boiles and blaines. In Frogges and Waters,Chap. 9 they held a semblance, not in the Dust and Ashes turned into Lice and soares. Many hauehave dealt better with the greater members of the body, then with this Little one. Defecerunt in minimis: Virtus non minima est, minimam compescere linguam.
4. It is a singular member. God hath giuen man two eares, one to heare instructions of humane knowledge, the other to hearken to his diuine precepts; the former to conserue his body, the latter to saue his soule. Two eyes, that with the one hee might see to his owne way, with the other pitty and commiserate his distressed bre hren. Two hands, that with the one hee might worke for his owne liuing, with the other giuegive and relieue his brothers wants Two feete, one to walke on common dayes to his ordinary labour:Psal. 104. 23 Man goes foorth in the morning to his labour, and continues till the euening: the other on sacred dayes to visite and frequent the Temple, and the congregation of Saints. But among all, hee hath giuen him but one Tongue: which may instruct him to heare twice so much as he speakes; to see twice so much as he speakes: to worke, and walke twice so much as he speakes.Psal. 139. 14 I will praise thee (O Lord) for I am fearefully and wonderfully made: maruaillous are thy workes, and that my soule knoweth right well. Stay, and wonder at the wonderfull wisedome of God.
1. To create so little a peece of flesh, and to put such vigour into it: to giuegive it neyther bones nor nerues, yet to make it stronger then armes and legges, and those most able and seruiceable parts of the body.1 Cor. 12. 23 So that as Paul sayth, 1. Cor. 12. On those members of the body, which we thinke lesse honourable, we bestow more abundant honour: and our vncomely parts hauehave more abundant comelinesse. So on this little weake member hath the Lord conferred the greatest strength; and as feeble as it is, wee finde it both more necessary, and more honourable.
2 Because it is so forcible, therefore hath the most wise God ordayned, that it shall be but little, that it shall be but one. That so the parvity and singularity may abate the vigour, the rigour of it. If it were paired, as the armes, legges, hands, feete, it would be much more vnruly. For he that cannot tame one tongue, how would he be troubled with twaine! But so hath the Ordinator prouided, that things of the fiercest and firyest nature, should be little, that the malice of them might be somewhat restrayned.
3. Because it is so Vnruly, the Lord hath hedged it in, as a man will not trust a wilde horse in an open pasture, but prison him in a close pownd. A double fence hath the Creator giuen to confine it, the lips and the teeth; that through those mownds it might not breake. And hence a threefold instruction for the vse of the Tongue, is insinuated to vsus.
1. Let vsus not dare to pull vp Gods mownds; nor like wilde beasts, breake through the circular limites, wherein hee hath coped vsus.Eccl. 28. 24 Looke that thou hedge thy possession about with thornes, and binde vp thy siluer and golde. What, doth the wise man intend to giuegive vsus some thriftie counsell, and spend his inke in the rules of good husbandry, which eueryevery worldling can teach himselfe? No; Yes: he exhorteth vsus to the best husbandry, how to guyde and guard our Tongues, and to thriue in the good vse of speech. Therefore declares himselfe; Weigh thy words in a ballance, and make a doore and barre for thy mouth. Let this bee the possession thou so hedgest in, and thy precious golde thou so bindest vp. Beware thou slide not by it, lest thou fall before him that lyeth in waite. Commit not …urglary, by breaking the doores, and pulling downe the barres of thy mouth.
Much more, when the Lord hath hung a locke on it, doe not picke it with a false Key.Psal. 51. 15 Rather pray with Dauid, Psal. 51. O Lord open thou my lippes, and my mouth shall shew foorth thy praise. It is absurd in building, to make the Porch bigger then the House: it is as monstrous in nature, when a mans words are too many, too mighty. EueryEvery man mockes such a gaping boaster, with Quid feret hic dignum tanto promissor hiatu? Saint Bernard giues vsus excellent counsell. Sint tua Verba
rara
vera
ponderosa
contra
multiloquium
falsiloquium
vaniloquium.
Let thy words be few, true, weighty, that thou maist not speake much, not falsely, not vainely. Remember thy bounds, and keepe the non vltra.
2. Since God hath made the tongue one, hauehave not thou a tongue and a tongue. Some are double-tongued, as they are double-hearted. But God hath giuen one tongue, one heart; that they might bee one indeed, as they are in number. It is made simple, let it not be double. God hath made vsus men, we make our selues monsters. He hath giuen vsus two eyes, two eares, two hands, two feete. Of all these we will hauehave, or at lest vse but one. We hauehave one eye to pry into others faults, not an other to see our owne. Wee hauehave one eare to heare the Plaintife, not the other for the Defendant. We hauehave a foote swift to enter forbidden paths, not another to leade vsus to Gods holy place. We hauehave one hand to extort, and scrape, and wound, and not another to relieue, giuegive almes, heale the wounded. But now whereas God hath giuen vsus, but one tongue, and one heart, and bidden vsus be content with their singularity; we will hauehave two tongues, two hearts. Thus crosse are wee to God, to Nature, to Grace: monstrous men; monoculi, monopedes; bicordes, bilingues: one-eyed, one-footed; double-tongued, double-hearted. The slaunderer, the flatterer, the swearer, the tale-bearer are monstrous (I dare scarce adde) men: as mis-shapen Stigmatickes, as if they had two tongues, and but one eye: two heades, and but one foote.
3. This convinceth them of preposterous folly, that put all their malice into their tongue, as the Serpent all her poyson in her tayle. And as it were by a chymicall power, attract all vigor thither, to the weakening and enervation of the other parts. Their hands have chiragram; they can not stretch them foorth to the poore, nor give reliefe to the needy. Their feete podagram, they can not goe to the Church. Their eyes opthalmiam, they can not behold the miserable and pitty-needing. Their eares surditatem, they can not heare the Gospell preached. Oh how defective and sicke all these members are! But their Tongues are in health; there is blithnesse and volubillity in them. If they see a distressed man, they can give him talkative comfort enough;Iam. 2. 16 Bewarmed, be filled, be satisfied: they can fill him with Scripture-sentences; but they send him away with an hungry belly. Whereas the good mans hand is as ready to give, as his tongue to speake. But the fooles lips babbleth foolishnesse; volat irrevocabile verbum. Words runne like Hazael; but good workes, like the Creeple, come lagging after.
We see the nature of the thing to be tamed, the tongue: let vsus consider the difficulty of this enterprise. No man can doe it. Which wee shall best finde, if wee compare it with other
members of the body.
creatures of the world.
With other members of the body: which are various in their faculties and offices; none of them idle.
1. The eye sees farre, and beholdeth the creatures in coelo, solo, salo: in the heavens, sunne and starres: on the earth birds, beasts, plants, and mineralls: in the sea, fishes and serpents. That it is an vnruly member, let our Grand-mother speake; whose roving eye lost vsus all. Let Dinah speake, her wandring eye lost her virginitie, caused the effusion of much blood. Let the Iewes speak concerning the daughters of Madian; what a fearefull apostacie the Eye procured. Yea let Dauid acknowledge, whose petulant eye robbed Vriah of his wife and life, the land of a good souldier, his owne heart of much peace. Yet this eye, as vnruly as it is, hath beene tamed. Did not Iob make a couenant with his eyes, Iob 31. 1that hee would not looke vponupon a maide? The eye hath beene tamed, but the tongue can no man tame; it is an vnruly, &c.
2. The eare yet heares more, then ever the eye saw: and by reason of the patulous admission, derives that to the vnderstanding, whereof the sight never had a glaunce. It can listen to the whisperings of a Doeg, to the susurrations of a Divell, to the Boyse of a Syren, to the voyce of a Delilah. The Parasite through his windore creepes into the great mans favour: hee tunes his warbling notes to an enlarged eare. It is a wilde member, an Instrument that Sathan delights to play vponupon. As vnruly as it is, yet it hath beene tamed. Mary sate at the feete of Christ, and heard him preach with glad attention. The eare hath beene tamed, but the Tongue can no man tame, &c.
3. The foote is an vnhappy member, and carries a man to much wickednesse. It is often swift to the shedding of blood: and runneth away from God Ionahs pace; flying to Tharshish, when it is bound for Niniueh. There is a foote of pride, Psal. 36. a sawcie foote,Psal. 36. 11 that dares presumptuously enter vponupon Gods free-hold. There is a foote of rebellion, that with an apostate malice kickes at God. There is a dauncing foote, that paceth the measures of circular wickednesse. Yet as vnruly as this foote is, it hath beene tamed. David got the victory over it. I considered my wayes,Psal. 119. 59 and turned my foote vntounto thy testimonies. The foote hath beene tamed, but the Tongue can no man tame, &c.
4. The hand rageth and rangeth with violence, to take the bread it never sweat for, to enclose fields, to depopulate Townes,Micah 2. 2 to lay waste whole countries. They couet fields, and houses, and vineyards, and take them, because their Hand hath power. There is a hand of extortion, as Ahabs was to Naboth; the greedy landlords to the poore tenant. There is a hand of fraud, and full of Liegerdumaine, as the vsurers to his distressed borrower. There is a hand of bribery, as Iudas, with his Quantum dabitis; what will you giuegive me to betray the Lord of Life. There is a hand of lust, as Ammons to an incestuous rape. There is a hand of murder, as Ioabs to Abner, or Absolons to Ammon. O how vnruly hath this member beene! yet it hath beene tamed: not by washing it in Pilates basin, but in Davids holy-Water, Innocence. I will wash my hands in innocencie, and then, O Lord, will I compasse thine altar. Heereuppon hee is bolde to say; Lord, looke if there be any iniquitie in my hands. God did repudiate all the Iewes sacrifices,Psal. 7. 3. because their hands were full of blood. Davids Esay 1hands had beene besmeared with the aspersions of lust and blood; but hee had penitently bathed them in his owne teares: and because that could not get out the staines, he faithfully renseth and cleanseth them in his Sonnes and Saviours fountayne, the all-meritorious blood of Christ. This made them look white:Psal. 18. 24. whiter then Lillies in Gods sight. Therefore hath the Lord recompensed mee according to my righteousnesse: according to the cleanenesse of my hands in his eye-sight.
Thus the eye, the eare, the foote, the hand, though wilde and vnruly enough, have been tamed; but the tongue can no man tame: it is an vnruly evill, &c.
With other creatures of the world; whether we find them in the earth, ayre, or water.
1. On the earth, there is the man-hating Tyger; yet man hath subdued him; and (they write) a little boy hath led him in a string. There is the flocke-devouring wolfe, that stands at grinning defiance with the sheepheard; madde to have his prey, or loose himselfe; yet he hath beene tamed. The roaring Lyon, whose voice is a terror to man, by man hath beene subdued. Yea, serpents, that hauehave to their strength two shrewd additions, subtilty, and malice; that carry venime in their mouths, or a sting in their tayles, or are all over poysonous; the very basiliske, that killes with his eyes, as they write, three furlongs off. Yet all these savage, furious, malicious natures have beene tamed, but the tongue can no man tame: it is an vnruly evill, &c.
2. In the sea there be great wonders.Psal. 108. 24 They that goe downe to the sea in shippes, and doe businesse in great waters. These see the workes of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. Yet those naturall wonders have beene tamed by our artificiall wonders, shippes. Even the Leviathan himselfe; Out of whose mouth goe burning Lampes, Iob 41. 19and sparkes of fire. Out of his nosthrils goeth smoke, as out of a boyling Caldron. Squama squamae couiungitur; the flakes of his flesh are ioyned together; they are firme in themselves, and cannot bee moved. Yet we know, that this huge creature hath been tamed; but the tongue can no man tame, &c.
3. In the ayre, the Birds flie high aboue our reach, yet we have ginnes to fetch them downe. A lure stoops the highest-soaring hawke. Nay, Art makes one foule catch another, for mans delight and benefite. Incredible things, if they were not ordinary. Snares, limetwigges, net…es tame them all: even the Pellican in the Desart, and the Eagle amongst the cedars. Thus saith our Apostle, verse 7. Every kinde (not every one of every kinde, but every kinde or nature of all) of beasts, of birds, of serpents, and of things in the Sea, is tamed, and hath beene tamed of the nature of man: but the Tongue can no man tame, &c.
Thus farre then Saint Iames his proposition passeth without opposition. The tongue can no man tame. The tongue is too wilde for any manstaming. It would be a foolish exception, (and yet there are such profane tongues to speake it) that woman stands without this compasse and latitude: and to inferre, that though no man can tame the tongue, yet a woman may: It is most vnworthy answere. Woman, for the most part, hath the glibbest tongue: and if euer this impossibility preclude man, it shall much more annihilate the power of that weaker sex.Prou. 7. 11 and 9. 13 She is lowd, sayth Solomon: a foolish woman is euer clamorous. She calls her tongue, her Defensiue weapon; she meanes offensiue: a fire brand in a franticke hand doth lesse mischiefe. The Prouerbe came not from nothing; when we say of a brawling man, he hath a womans tongue in his head.
The tongue can no man tame. Let vsus listen to some weightier exceptions. The Prophets spake the oracles of life, and the Apostles, the words of saluation; and many mens speech ministers grace to the hearers. Yielde it; yet this generall rule will hauehave no exception: no man can tame it: man hath no sterne for this shippe, no bridle for this colt. How then? God tamed it. We by nature stammer as Moses, till God open a doore of vtterance.Esay 6. 5 I am of vncleane lippes, sayth the Prophet, and dwell with people of vncleane lippes. God must lay a coale of his owne altar vponupon our tongues, or they can not bee tamed.
And when they are tamed, yet they often hauehave an vnruly tricke. Abraham lies, Moses murmurs, Elias for feare of a Queene and a queane wisheth to die, Ionas frets for the Gourd, Dauid cries in his heart, All men are lyers: which speech rebounded euen on God himselfe; as if the Lord by Samuel had deceiued him: Peter forswears his Master, his Sauiour. If the tongues of the iust hauehave thus tripped, how should the profane goe vpright? The tongue can no man tame.
The instruction hence riseth in full strength; that God onelyonly can tame mans tongue. Now the principall actions heereof are: first, to open the mouth, when it should not bee shut: secondly, and to shut it, when it should not be open.
To open our lippes when they should speake, is the sole worke of God, Psalme 51. 15 O Lord open thou my lippes, and then my mouth shall be able to shew forth thy praise. God must open with his golden key of grace, or else our tongues will arrogate a licentious passage. We had better holde our peace, and let our tongues lie still, then to set them a running, till God bids them goe. God commaunds eueryevery sinner to confesse his iniquities: this charge, Dauid knew, concerned himselfe:Psal. 32. 3 yet was Dauid silent; and then his bones waxed olde with anguish. His adultery cryed, his murder cryed, his ingratitude cryed for reuenge: but still Dauid was mute; and so long, day and night the hand of the Lord was heauy vppon him. But at last God stopped the mouth of his clamorous aduersaries, and gaue him leaue to speake. I acknowledged my sinne vntounto thee, and mine iniquitie hauehave I not hid. I said, I will confesse my transgressions vntounto the Lord, and thou for gauest the iniquity of my sinne. It is Christ, that must cast out this dumbe Diuell. The Lord is the best opener. He did open Lidia's heart, to conceiue.Acts 16 2 Kings 6 Esay 50. 5 Coloss. 4. 3 He did open Elishaes seruants eyes, to see. He did open the Prophets eares to heare. He did open Pauls tongue, to speake.
To shut our lippes, when they should not speake, is onelyonly the Lords worke also. It is Christ that casts out the talking Diuell: he shuts the wicket of our mouth against vnsauoury speeches. Wee may thinke it a high office (and worthy euen Dauids ambition) to be a doorekeeper in Gods house, Psal. 84.when God vouchsafes to be a doorekeeper in our house.
Thus all is from God. Man is but a locke, Gods Spirit the key; that openeth, and no man shutteth; that shutteth, and no man openeth. Reu elat. 3. 7.Hee opens, and no man shuts. I must speake, Ierem. 20. 9▪though I die, saith Ieremy: his word is like fire in my bones, and will make mee weary of forbearing. He shuts,Luke 1. 22 and no man opens; so Zachary goes dumbe from the Altar, and could not speake.
Away then with arrogation of works, if not of words. Whē a man hath a good thoght, it is gratia infusa; when a good word, it is gratia effusa: when a good worke, it is gratia diffusa. If the man cannot produce words to praise God, much lesse can he procure his workes to please God. If he cannot tune his tougue, he can neuer turne his heart. Two vsefull benefites may be made heereof.
1. It is taughtvs, whether wee hauehave recourse to tame our tongues. Hee that made the tongue, can tame the tongue. He that gaue man a tongue to speake, can giuegive him a tongue to speake well. He that placed that vnruly member in his mouth, can giuegive him a mouth to rule it. He can giuegive Psalmes for Carrols; the Songs of Sion for the ballads of hell. Man hath no bridle, no cage of brasse, nor barres of yron to tame it: God can. Let vsus moue our tongues, to intreate help for our tongues: and according to their office, let vsus set them on worke to speake for themselues.
2. Wee must not be idle our selues: the difficultie must spurre vsus to more earnest contention. As thou wouldest keepe thy house from theeues, thy garments from mothes, thy golde from rust; so carefully preserue thy tongue from vnrulinesse,Psal. 141. 3. As the Lord doth set a watch before thy mouth, and keepe the doore of thy lippes, Psal. 141 So thou must also be vigilant thy selfe, and not turne ouer thy owne heart to securitie.Math. 12. 34. How can yee being euill, speake good things: for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Looke how farre the heart is good, so farre the tongue. If the heart beleeue, the tongue will confesse: if the heart bee meeke, the tongue will bee gentle: if the heart bee angry, the tongue will bee bitter. The tongue is but the hand without, to shew how the clocke goes within. A vaine tongue discouers a vaine heart. But some hauehave words soft as butter, when their hearts are keene swords: bee they neuer so well traded in the art of Dissembling, sometime or other the tongue, Iu das-like, will betray the Maister: it will mistake the hearts errand, and with stumbling forgetfulnesse trip at the doore of truth.Eccl. 21. 26. The heart of fooles, is in their mouth: but the mouth of the wise, is in their heart. To auoyde ill communication, hate ill cogitation: a polluted heart makes a fowle mouth. Therefore one day, Ex ore tuo, Out of thine owne mouth will God condemne thee.
I hauehave with some prolixity insisted on the Position; the reasons shall bee but lightly touched.
1. It is an vnruly euill.
The difficulty of taming the tongue, one would thinke were sufficiently expressed in the euill of it: but the Apostle seconds it with an other obstacle, signifying the wilde nature of it, vnruly. It is not onelyonly an euill, but an vnruly euill. I will set the Champion and his Second together in this fight; and then shew the hardnesse of the combat.
Bernard sayth: Lingua facile volat, & ideo facile violat. The tongue runnes quickly, therefore wrongs quickly. Speedy is the pace it goes, and therefore speedy is the mischiefe it does. When all other members are dull with age, the tongue alone is quicke and nimble. It is an vnruly euill to our selues, to our neighbours, to the whole world.
1. To our selues.Erasm. Ver. 6. It is so placed among the members, that it defileth all. Though it were euill, as the plague; and vnruly, as the possessed Gergeseus, Math. 8 yet if set off with distance, the evill rests within it selfe. A Leaper shut vp in a Pesthouse, ranckleth to himselfe, infects not others. A wild Caniball in a prison, may onelyonly exercise his savage cruelty vponupon the stone wals, or yron grates. But the tongue is so placed, that being euill and vnruly, it hurts all the members.
2. To our Neighbours. There are some sinnes that hurt not the doer onelyonly, but many sufferers. These are districtly the sinnes of the tongue and the hand. There are other sinnes private and domesticall: the sting and smart whereof dyes in the o…ne soule; and without further extent, plagues onelyonly the person of the committer. So the Lavish is sayde, no mans foe but h…s own: the proud is guilty of his owne vanity: the slothfull beares his owne reproch: and the malicious wasteth the marrow of his owne bones, whiles his envied obiect shines in happinesse. Though perhaps these sinnes insensibly wrong the common-wealth, yet the principall and immediate blow lights on themselues. But some iniquities are swords to the Countrey; as oppression, rapine, circumvention: some incendiaries to the whole land; as evill and vnrnly tongues.
3 To the whole world. If the vastate ruines of ancient monuments, if the depopulation of Countries, if the consuming fires of contention, if the land manured with bloud; had a tongue to speake, they wold all accuse the Tongue for the originall cause of their woe. Slaughter is a lampe, and bloud the oyle; and this is set on fire by the tongue.
You see the latitude and extention of this vnruly evill; nor evnraly then the hand. Slaughters, massacres, oppressions are done by the hand: the tongue doth more. Parcit manus absenti, lingua n…mini. The hand spares to hurt the absent, the tongue hurts all. One may avoid the sword by runni…g from it; not the tongue, though he runne to the Indies. The hand reacheth but a small compasse, the tongue goes through the world. If a man wore coate of armour, or maile of brasse; yet, Penetrabunt spicula linguae; The darts of the tongue will pierce it.
It is evill, and doth much harme; it is vnruly, and doth sudden harme. You will say, many wicked men hauehave often very silent tongues. True, they know their times and places, when and where to seeme mute. But Ieremy compounds the wisedome and folly of the Iewes: That they were wise to do evill, Iere. 4. 22but to do good they had no vnderstanding. So I may say of these, they hauehave tongue enough to speake euill, but are dumbe when they should speake well.
Our Sauiour in the dayes of his flesh on earth,Luke 11. 14 was often troubled with dumbe Deuils: but now he is as much troubled with roaring Deuils. With the fawning Sycophant, a pratling Deuill. With the malicious slaunderer, a brawling Deuill. With the vnquiet peace-hater, a scolding Deuill. With the auarous and ill-conscious Lawyer, a wrangling Deuill. With the factious Schismaticke, a gaping Deuill. With the swaggering ruffian, a roaring Deuill. All whom Christ by his ministers doth coniure, as he once did that crying Deuill; Hold thy peace, and come out. These are silent enough to praise God, but lowd as the Cataracts of Nilus to applaud vanitie.Psal. 32. 3 Dauid sayth of himselfe, Psalme 32. that when he held his peace, yet he rored all the day long. Strange! be silent, and yet roare too, at once? Gregory answeres; h…e that daily commits new sinnes, and doth not penitently confesse his olde, roares much, yet holdes his tongue. The Father pricked the pleurisie-vaine of our times. For wee hauehave many roarers, but dumbe roarers: though they can make a hellish noyse in a Tauerne, and sweare downe the Deuill himselfe; yet to praise God, they are as mute as fishes.
Saint Iames heere calles it fire. Now you know fire is an ill maister: but this is vnruly fire. Nay, hee calles it the fire of hell; blowne with the bellows of malice, kindled with the breath of the deuill. Nay, Stella hath a conceit, that it is worse then the fire of hell: for that torments onelyonly the wicked, this all, both good and bad. For it is Flabellum, invids, and Flagellum, iusti. Swearers, railers, scoldes hauehave hell-fire in their tongues.
This would seeme incredible, but that God sayth it is true. Such are hellish people, that spet abroad the flames of the deuill It is a cursed mouth that spets fire: how should wee auoyde those, as men of hell! many are afraid of hell fire, yet nourish it in their owne tongues. By this kinde of Language, a man may know who is of hell. There are three sorts of languages obserued. Celestiall, terrestriall, and infernall. The heauenly language is spoken by the Saints, Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: Psal. 84. 4they will be still praising thee. Their discourse is habituated, like their course or co…uersation; which Paul saith is heauenly. Philip. 3. 20.The earthly tongue is spoken of worldlings, He that is of the earth, is earthly: and speaketh of the earth. Iohn 3. 31Worldly talke is for worldly men. The infernall language is spoken by men of hell; such as hauehave beene taught by the deuill: they speake like men of Belial. Now, as the Countrey man is knowne by his language: and as the Damosell tolde Peter; Sure thou art of Galile, for thy speech bewrayeth thee: so by this rule, you may know heauenly men by their gracious conference: earthly men by their worldly talke: and hellish, by the language of the lowe Countries, swearing, cursing, blasphemy.
Well the efore did the Apostle call this Tongue a fire; and such a fire, as sets the whole world in combustion. Let these vnruly tongues take heede lest by their roarings they shake the battlements of heauen; and so waken an incensed God to iudgement.Zechar. 5. 4 There is a curse that goeth foorth, and it shall enter into the house of the swearer, and not onelyonly cut him off, Iere. 23. 10but consume his house with the timber, and the stones of it. It was the Prophet Ieremies complaint; that for oathes the Land mourned. No maruaile, if God curse vsus for our cursings; and if the plague light vponupon our bodies, that hauehave so hotely trolled it in our tongues: no wonder if wee hauehave bl…sterd carcases, that hauehave so blisterd consciences; and the stench of contagion punish vsus for our stinking breaths. Our tongues must walke, till the hand of God walke against vsus.
2. Full of deadly poyson.
POison is h…omini i…imicum, loathsomely contrary to mans nature: but there is a poison not mortall; the venime whereof may bee expelled; this is deadly poyson. Yet if there was but a little of this resident in the wicked tongue, the danger were lesse; nay, it is full of it; full of deadly poyson.
Tell a blasphemer this, that he vomites hell fire, and carries deadly poison in his mouth; and hee will laugh at thee. Beloued, we preach not this of our owne heads; we hauehave our infallible warrant:Psal. 14 God speakes it. The poison of Aspes is vnderunder their lippes, sayth the Psalmist. It is a loathsome thing, to carry poison in ones mouth: wee would flie that serpent, yet willingly conuerse with that man. A strangely hated thing in a beast, yet customable in many mens tongues. Whom poison they? First, Themselues; they hauehave speckled soules. Secondly, They sputte their venime ab…oad, and bespurtle others: no beast can cast his poyson so farre. Thirdly, Yea, they would (and no thankes to them that they can not) poison Gods most sacred and feared nam…. Let vsus iudge of these things, not as flesh and blood imagineth, but as God pronounceth.
It is obseruable, that which way soeuer a wicked man vseth his tongue, he cannot vse it well. Mordet detrahendo, lingit adulando. He bites by detraction, lickes by flattery; and eyther of these touches ranckle: he doth no lesse hurt by licking, then by biting. All the parts of his mouth are instruments of wickednesse. Logicians in the difference betwixt vocem, and sonum, say that a voice is made by the lippes, teeth, throat, tongue.
The Psalmographer on eueryevery one of these hath set a brand of wickednesse.Psal. 120 2 1. The lippes are labia dolosa, lying lippes, Psal. 120. 2. The teeth are frementes, frendentes, g…ashing teeth. Psal. 120. 33. The tongue, lingua mendax, lingua mordax. What shalbe done vntounto thee, Rom. 313thou false tongue? 4. The throat patens sepulchrum. Their throat is an open sepulcher. This is a monstrous and fearefull mouth: where the porter, the porch, the entertainer, the receiuer are all …icious. The lippes are the Porter, and that's fraud: the porch the teeth, and there is malice: the entertayner, the tongue, and there is lying: the receiuer, the throat, and there is deuouring.
I cannot omit the Morall of that old Fable. Three children call one man Father, who brought them vp. Dying, he bequeaths all his estate only to one of them, as his true naturall sonne; but which that one was, left vncertaine. Heereupon eueryevery one claimes it. The wise Magistrate for speedy decision of so great an ambiguitie; causeth the dead father to be set vp as a marke; promising the chalengers, that which of them could shoot next his heart, should enioy the Patrimony. The elder shootes, so doth the second, both hitte: but when it came to the yongers turne, he vtterly refused to shoot: good nature would not let him wound that man dead, that bred and fed him liuing. Therfore the Iudge gaue all to this sonne, reputing the former bastards. I he scope of it is plaine, but significant. God will neuer giuegive them the Legacie of Glory, giuen by his Sonne Will to children; that like bastards shoot through, and wound his blessed Name. Thinke of this, ye swearing and cursing to…gues
To conclude, God shall punish such Tongues in their owne kinde: they were full of poison, and the poyson of another stench shall swell them. They hauehave beene enflamed, and shal be tormented with the fire of hell. Burning shall be added to burning; saue that the first was actiue, this passiue. The rich glutton, that when his belly was full, could loose his tong to blasphemie, wanted water to coole his tongne. His tongue sinned, and his tongue smarted. Though his torment was vniuersall, yet he complaines of his tongue. That panted, that smoked, that reeked with sulphur and brimstone: that burnes with the flame of hell dead, that burned with it liuing. For a former tune of sinne, it hath a present tune of woe. It scalded, and is scalded: as it cast abroad the flames of hell in this world, so all the flames of hell shall bee cast on it in the world to come. It hath fired, and shall bee fired, with such fire as is not to bee quenched.
But blessed is the sanctified tongue. God doth now chuse it as an instrument of musicke, to sing his praise; hee doth water it with the sauing dewes of his merciemercy, and will at last aduaunce it to glorie.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Adams, The Sacrifice of Thankfulness (1616)