A Treatise of Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. Wanton diſcourſe, ſongs, to be denied.
3. ANother part of ſelf-intereſt or ſenſuality to be denied, is, the uſe of wanton filthy diſcourſe, and of wanton books, and ſongs and ballads, commonly called Love ſongs. As theſe are the fruits of vain minds that do invent them, ſo do they breed and feed the like vanity in others. Indeed they are the Devils Pſalms and Liturgy, in which he is ſerved with mirth and jollity, by perſons of corrupt and ſenſual minds. They that will not be at the pains to learn a Catechiſm will learn a wanton ſong or ballad, which one would think ſhould be as hardly learn'd. When we deſire them to learn any thing that is neceſſary to their ſalvation, they tell us that they are no Scholars, and they have weak memories, and they cannot learn. But they can learn an idle tale, or a filthy ſong, though they are no Scholars, and though their memory be weak. Their weak memories are ſtrong enough to keep any thing that's naught; like a riddle that will not hold the corn, but it will hold the ſtraws and rubbiſh; or like a ſive that will not hold the milk, but it will hold the hairs and filth. And ſo much greater is this ſin than many others, becauſe it is ſtudied for, and laboured for, and therefore is committed purpoſely, reſolvedly, and with delight, and not as ſome other ſins which men are tempted to by ſudden paſſions or ſurpriſals! What abundance of children are ſet to School to the Devil, and muſt beſtow many days and hours in learning their leſſons! and when they have learned them, he muſt hear them ſay them over, uſually more than once a day. As they are at work in their ſhops or fields, they are at it, either by wanton ſongs, or ribbald filthy talk: yea they be not aſhamed to ſing them as they go about the ſtreets: Mark this, you that are the ſervants of Chriſt! will you evermore be aſhamed of your Maſter or of his holy ſervice! will you be aſhamed to confeſs him in the open ſtreets, or to be heard at Prayer, or reading, or ſinging the Praiſe of God in your houſes; when the Devils ſervants are train'd up in their very childhood to ſing his Pſalms in the open ſtreets, and publickly to ſerve him without fear or ſhame! May not a man conjecture by their Education, what trade they are intended for? They that ſerve an apprenticeſhip to a trade, are ſure intended to live upon it. One would think by the talk and the ſongs of many of our children in the ſtreets, that the parents had bound them apprentices to a brothelhouſe, and intended that their trade ſhould be fornication, whoredom, and all uncleanneſs! why elſe do they learn the art of talking of it, but in order to the art of practiſing it? Sure I am, they are the apprentices of Satan: & a doleful caſe it is to think on; that as the Turks do take the children of Chriſtians, and breed them up to be their Army of Janizaries, to fight againſt Chriſtians as their ſtouteſt Souldiers, when they come to age; ſo the Devil and their own parents do take the children that in baptiſm were dedicatedonce…o Chriſt, & liſted under his command, and they teach men to fight againſt Chriſt, by curſing, and railing, and ſwearing, and mocking at Godlineſs, and by baudy ſongs and ribbaldry. Chriſt telleth us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh; and therefore they cannot in reaſon blame us, if we judge of their hearts by their tongues: for though the tongue be too often better than the heart, it is ſeldom worſe. And ſurely if many of our wretched neighbours may be judged of by this rule of Chriſt, we muſt needs conclude that they have luſtful, filthy adulterous hearts? what elſe can we think of them when their diſcourſe and ſongs are filthy, but that their hearts are filthy? Chriſt hath warranted us to conclude, that rotten ſpeeches come from the abundance of a rotten heart. Young people, I beſeech you regard your credit, if you regard not your ſalvation. Will you openly proclaim in the ears of the world that you are trained ſouldiers of the Devil, learning to be whores and whoremongers, or that you have luſt and whoredom in your hearts? Is it your meaning to tell this to all the town? what doth it in your mouths, if it be not in your hearts? will you not judge by a mans language what Country man he is? If he ſpeak W…lch, you'l think he is a Welſh man: If Iriſh, you'l think he is an Iriſh man; if Engliſh, you'l conjecture he is an Engliſhman: And if you ſpeak the language of harlots and brothelhouſes, what can we think but that you are ſuch your ſelves, or at leaſt are learning to be ſuch? For …ame do not ſo diſgrace your parents that breed you up, & the houſes that you live in; what may folks think and ſay, when they hear you talk filthily, and ſinging filthy ſongs, will they not think that you have Adulterers or filthy perſons to your parents, that teach or ſuffer you to learn ſuch things? and that they are bringing you up for their own profeſſion? will they not think that you live in whorehouſes, and not in Chriſtian families? Do not for ſhame proclaim this ſuſpicion of your parents, or the families you dwell in, in the hearing of the world, unleſs you think it an honour to be harlots. It would make the ears of a modeſt perſon to glow on his head, to hear the ribbaldry that is ordinary in ſome prophane families; eſpecially in many Inns and Alehouſes, where the quality of the company & the nature of the employment is ſuch from whence no better can be expected.
Let all that would be accounted Chriſtians, deny and abhor this part of ſenſuality in themſelves and theirs. Again conſider the command of God [But fornication, & all uncleanneſs, or Covetouſneſs, let it not once be named amongſt you, as becometh Saints: neither filthineſs, nor fooliſh talking, nor jeſting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks: Eph. 5. 3, 4. & 4. 29, 30. [Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the uſe of edifying, that it may miniſter grace unto the hearers; und grieve not the holy ſpirit of God.] Mark here, how ſuch filthy ſpeech is called [Corrupt] Communication, or rotten; like Carrion in a ditch, which ſhould cauſe all that paſs by to ſtop their noſes. And yet this is our peoples ſport: what ſay theſe wretches, may we not jeſt and be merry, when we mean no harm, without all this ado? Have you no honeſter mirth than this? nor no more cleanly jeſts than theſe? will you feed upon that wch is Carrion or corrupt, and make it your Junkets to delight your palate? will you make merry with that which God condemneth, and threatneth to ſhut you out of his Kingdom for, and makes the mark of the unſanctified, and chargeth you not once to name it, that is not without diſtaſte and rebuke? Have you nothing but filthineſs, and the ſervice of the Devil, and the wrath of God to play with, and to make merry with? Prov. 10. 23. [It is a ſport to a fool to do miſchief] I may well ſay of this, as Solomon of another ſin, Prov. 26. 18, 19. [As a mad-man that caſteth firebrands, arrows and death, ſo is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and ſaith, Am not I in ſport?] It's mad ſporting with ſin, eſpecially to chooſe it purpoſely for a recreation; and ſpecially ſuch an odious ſin as this that infecteth others, and baniſheth all gracious edifying conference, and increaſeth the corruption of the mind, and prepareth people to actual whoredom, ſelfpollution, and abominable uncleanneſs: for thoughts and words are but preparatives to deeds.