The Government of the Tongue, Chapter 1
OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGVE.
CAP. I. Of the generall meanes of ruling the tongue.
THE government of the tongue is a vertue pertaining to the holy usage of the tongue according to Gods worde.
And for the well ordering of it, two things are requisite: a pure heart, and skill in the language of Canaan.
The pure heart is most necessarie,Matt. 15.19. because it is the fountaine of speech, and if the fountaine be defiled, the streames that issue thence can not be cleane.
And because the heart of man by nature is a bottomlesse gulfe of iniquitie, two things are to be knowen: first, howe it must be made pure: and then howe it is alwayes afterwarde to be kept pure.
The way to get a pure heart, is this. First, thou must seriously examine thy life and thy conscience for all thy sinnes past then with a heavie and bleeding heart confesse them to God, utterly condemning thy selfe. Thirdly, with deepe sighes and grones of spirite crye unto heauen to God the Father in the name of Christ for pardon, I say, for pardon of the same sinnes, as it were for life and death, and that, day and night, till the Lord send downe from heauen a sweete certificate into the perplexed conscience by his holy spirite, that all thy sinnes are done away. Nowe at the same instant in which pardon shall be graunted, God likewise will once againe stretch forth that mightie hand of his, whereby he made thee when thou wast not, to make thee a newe creature, to create a newe heart in thee, to renewe a right spirite in thee, and to stablish thee by his free spirite. For whome he justifieth, them also at the same time he sanctifieth.
The purified heart appeareth by these signes. I. If thou feele thy selfe to be displeased at thine owne infirmities and corruptions, and to droupe under them as men doe under bodily sicknesse. II. If thou beginne to hate and to flie thine owne personall sinnes. III. If thou feele a griefe and sorow after that thou hast offended God. IIII. If thou heartily desire to abstaine from all manner of sinne. V. If thou be carefull to auoid all occasions and intisements to euill. VI. If thou trauell and doe thine indeauour in eueryevery good thing. VII. If thou desire and pray to God to wash and rinse thine heart in the blood of Christ.
When the heart is pure, to keep it so is the speciall worke of faith, which purifieth the heart.Actes 19.15.
Faith purifieth the heart by a particular applying of Christ crucified with all his merites. b2. kin. 4.34.Elisha when hee went up and lay upon the dead childe, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes upon his eies, and his hands vponupon his hands; and stretched him selfe upon him, the flesh of the childe waxed warme. Afterward Elisha rose and spread him selfe upon him the second time: vers. 35.then the child neesed seaven times and opened his eies. So must a man by faith even spread himselfe upon the crosse of Christ, applying hands and feete to his pearced hands and his feet, and his wretched heart to Christes bleeding heart, and then hee shall feele him selfe warmed by the heat of Gods spirite, and sinne from daie to daie crucified with Christ, and his dead heart quickened and reviued. And this applying which faith maketh, is done by a kinde of reasoning, which faith maketh thus. Hath God of his merciemercy given his owne Sonne to be my saviour, to shed his blood for mee? and hath hee of his merciemercy graunted unto mee the pardon of all my sinnes? I will therefore endeavoure to keepe my heart and my life unblameable that I doe not offende him hereafter in worde or deede, as I have done heretofore.
The language of Canaan is,Isa. 19.18. Rom. 15.6. whereby a man endewed with the spirite of adoption, unfainedly calleth upon the Name of God in Christ, and so consequently doth as it were, familiarly talke and speake with God. This language must needes be learned, that the tongue may be well governed. For man must first be able to talke with God, before he can be able wisely to talke with man. For this cause when men are to have communication one with another, they are first of all to be carefull that they often make their prayers to God that he would guide and blesse them in their speeches, as David did: Set a watch, O Lorde, Psalm. 141.3.before my mouth, and keepe the dore of my lippes. And againe: O Lord open thou my lippes, Psalm. 51.17.and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. where we may see, that the mouth is, as it were, locked up frō speaking any good thing, untill the Lord open it. And Paul having the gift of ordering his tongue in wonderful measure,Ephes. 6.19. yet desireth the Ephesians to pray for him, that utterance might be given him, and good reason, because God ruleth the tongue.Prov. 16 1.