Foolish Talking and Jesting Described and Condemned, Section 4
§. 4. What are the Truths to be inferred, and what the Duties to be preſſed from this Doctrine?
Of the Truths that I hence infer, theſe are all I ſhall offer; having already treſpaſſed againſt the Brevity intended.
Tr. 1. Our Tongues are not our own. No, but our Lips are under Law, as well as our Hearts and Hands. For, if God be not Lord over them, how comes he to give the Law in my Text, unto them? And in the Day of Judgment, to Juſtify and to Condemn, according to our Words? Mat. 12. 37. It is not more, ſure that God hath made Man's Mouth, than it is that he hath made a Law for it.
T. 2. Metals are known by their Sounds. Hearts are diſcovered by Talks, to be Silver or Braſs. For God the Judg of them, declareth that he doth hereby judg them. And accounteth fooliſh Talkers and Jeſters to be Men of impure Hearts, as truly as Fornicators; and the Covetous, which are Idolaters. If Mouths ſpeak of Wiſdom, and Tongues talk of Judgment, it argues that the Law of God is in the Heart; Pſal. 37. 30. But, if the Tongue be not bridled, it is ſure the Heart is not ſanctified; and the varniſhed Religion is vain; Jam. 1. 26. In Nature and Morality, it's a ſure Rule; Stinking Breath is from foul Stomachs.
T. 3. Words be Treaſonable. By the Goſpel-Law they are ſo. For my Text makes all fooliſh Ones to be Mortal Sins; i. e. To be worthy of Death. Mens Proverb ſaith, VVords are but VVind; but the Divine Proverb ſaith, They do blow Life or Death. He that keepeth his Mouth keepeth his Life, but he that openeth wide his Lips ſhall have Deſtruction, Prov. 10. 19. And, Death and Life are in the Power of the Tongue, Prov. 18. 21.
T. 4. Heaven and Earth are at a huge Diſtance. God and this Rebel-world, are of moſt contrary Minds. For my Text declares that God cannot bear, the Talks which they cannot leave. No, but addict themſelves to, and affect and prize as the Melody of their lives. His Soul hateth their Fooliſh Talks, and their Souls loath this Text and all its Parallels. Who then can pleaſe Men, and be the Servant of Chriſt? Gal. 1. 10. Without becoming a Fool in the World's Repute who can become Wiſe in God's Eſteem? 1 Cor. 3. 18. Holy Lips, are a Thread of Scarlet, Cant. 4. 3. This Thread, in God's Sight, is a rich Ornament; in the World's Eye, it's only fit for a Fool's Coat. In ſhort, we cannot have God's Approbation, but we muſt bear the World's Blame. The World thinks every Man's Folly wonderful, when he forſakes what God pronounceth abominable; Luk. 16. 15. 1 Pet. 4. 4.
T. 5. Diamonds have their Clouds. The trueſt Iſraelites have ſomewhat of the Botch of Egypt. Horrid Spots are ever and anon found on very Nazarites, Lips. For, fooliſh Talks and Jeſts are deteſtable; and yet there is not a juſt Man on Earth that is perfectly free from them. Though every Saint be preſſing on toward Perfection, there is not any one hath already attained it; Phil. 3. 12, 14. There is not one upon Earth, that never offendeth in word. O by what Grace is it, that an Ʋſher, an Owen, a Baxter is ſaved?
T. 6. The Horſes in Pharaoh's Chariots, need Bridles in their Months. The Phraſe that I uſe is Chriſt's own, Cant. 1. 9. Believers are ſo called for Spiritual Strength and Beauty. Egyptian Horſes were the beſt of the World; and doubtleſs, Pharaoh's were the beſt of Egypt, for Spirit and Shape. Believers are compared to theſe; and yet have they no Tongue but needs Diſcipline. For, ſo much is demonſtrated by the Epheſian Saints being thus cautioned; Cautioned in the Text and Context, againſt the deteſtable Sins of the Tongue. A Principle of Grace in the Heart, excuſes not a Bridle in the Mouth. Without which, a very Moſes will ſpeak unadviſedly with his Lips; a Job will curſe his Birth-day; a David's Fire will burn and break out; a Jeremy will abdicate himſelf from his Miniſtry, Jer. 20. 9.
T. 7. Wiſdom is a valuable Commodity. For, it ſeems that there is not a word that can be ſafely ſpoke without it. Fooliſh ones, be Treaſon and Poyſon; and without a Stock of Wiſdom in our Hearts, all we ſpeak muſt be Fooliſh. That is, traiterous againſt God, and poiſonous to our Selves and our Neighbours. Silence, we would not be willingly condemned to; there are few but would rather be deprived of the Motion of their Hands and Feet, than of their Tongues. Nor indeed can a holy Manor Angel, chuſe to be Dumb. All the Creatures beſide, are Mutes; and but tuned inſtruments. They are Angles and Men, that are to make the Muſick. They are the Orators of the Univerſity of the Creation. Miſerable are they, whoſe Mouths muſt neceſſarily ſpeak, and yet their Hearts cannot prudently indite!
T. 8. Thoughts be not free. For if the Words of the Mouth are not, why ſhould the Words of the Heart be ſo? If Fooliſh Talk with Men be deteſtable Sin, why not Fooliſh Talk with our ſelves, alſo? Thoughts be nothing but unfledged Words; Words, not yet taking wing? and flying forth. What we commonly name a Word, is a Thought flown abroad; a Spark aſcended from the fire of the Heart's Coal. True; Fooliſh Oral-Talks and Jeſts do ſin againſt our Neighbours, which mental ones do not. But, the Fox is an unclean Beaſt while it hides in its Hole, as well as when it cometh forth for its Prey. And ſecret Sins, are certain Sins as any. The old Law pronounced the Swan Unclean, though Feathers of Snow hid its black Skin. The Viper is not more deteſtable than the Cockatrices-Egg. Evil Thoughts grieved God to his Heart; Evil Thoughts made him repent that he had made Man!
T. 9. Fooliſh Actions be groſs Shames. For, if Fooliſh Words be Deteſtable, Works much more; Becauſe in them, Sin is obeyed and ſerved by the whole Man. And, if I may ſo ſpeak, the Devil is denied nothing you can grant him. Alſo, in them is the moſt Wilful of all Sin; for, as our Words are much more eaſily reſtrained than our Thoughts, ſo our Actions are much more eaſily reſtrained than our Words. Beſides, in them is the moſt Laborious Sin; In wicked Thoughts and Words, Men offer Satan what coſts them next to nothing. Minds being volatile as Air, and Tongues as active as Fire. But the Work of the Hands ordinarily requireth ſome Sweat of the Brows. Again, in Sins of Action, is commonly a powerful Contagion; no Language is ſo perſwaſive to Good or Evil as the Language of Practice. Evil Communication much corrupteth good Manners; but, I think, not more than Evil Manners corrupt good Communication!
T. 10. It's little Wonder that Peace is grown ſo ſcarce. For, if Fooliſh Talks and Jeſts be what hath been ſaid, the wonder is, that any Peace at all is left among us. Becauſe, every where, theſe are eaten as Men eat Bread; no Conſcience is made of them. And, it were a Marvel if ſuch Poiſons made no ſtirs in our Souls; if ſuch Enemies of all righteouſneſs raiſed no Wars in our Conſciences; and no Variances with one another. Surely, we muſt leſs grieve the holy Comforter, before he very much comfort us with Peace in our ſelves, and with each other.
T. 11. It is not True that All Men ſay. For, generally, All do ſay, that this Talk, which God pronounces Abominable, is very Innocent and Uſeful: And its daily Practice is very conſiſtent with true Godlineſs. God declares it to be a Plague of Leproſy; and he is a rare and ſingular Man, that will not take it for very Comelineſs and Beauty. If any Spot, a Beauty-Spot.
T. 12. Rods are for the back of Fools. Severe Reproofs are due to Fooliſh Talkers. For, it ſeems, their Sin is deteſtable, as well as Drunkards and Whoremongers. And it ſhould be conſidered by Miniſters and Parents, that neither of them ought to Whiſper and but Mutter, againſt that which God doth Thunder: Or to tempt their Pupils to believe, that Folly of Words is None, or but Small, by making their Reproofs of it Such.
T. 13. Hony may be Poiſoned. For, what more grateful than Jeſting? yet, what more Mortal than Fooliſh Jeſts? The Natural Hiſtorian tells us of an Hony in Africa, luſciouſly ſweet, but perpetually diſtracting all that eat of it; being by the Bees gathered from poiſonous Flowers. Juſt like it is the Fooliſh Jocularity ſo much admired in our day; the Haut-gouſt of all Diſcourſes, the Comedy of every Playful Chat. So valued, that it's proverbially ſaid, They will rather loſe their Friend, and Soul alſo, than their Jeſt. Moſt poiſonous are the Weeds whence this Hony is gathered; and moſt wild and mad are the operations of it. It deſtroys habitual Seriouſneſs, and Gravity; inducing a Wantonneſs and Levity Prejudicial, if not Deadly, to all Chriſtian Temper and Buſineſs. So St. Chryſoſtom on our Text; foreign, It makes effeminate the Soul, and impatient of ſevere Thoughts.
T. 14. Idle Company is a Swine-Sty. Wherein is nothing to feed, but much to turn the Stomach of a good Man. For, ſooner are the Men of it to be found without Tongues, than without Talk; and much ſooner without any Talk, than without Fooliſh. And what is ſo loathſom, as hath been foreſhown. I judg of others by my ſelf, ſaith the bleſſed Author of the Chriſtian Directory; I fly from a vain Talkative Perſon, as from a Bed that hath Fleas or Lice. I would ſhut my Doors againſt him, as I would ſtop my Windows againſt Wind and Cold in Winter.
T. 15. The Snuffers of the Sanctuary ought to be of pure Gold. Who ever would effectually Reprove and Reform others ill Ways, muſt Keep a good Tongue in his Head. For if Fooliſh Talks and Jeſts be ſo deteſtable, as we have heard; he that ſhall uſe them will have too ill a Name, to do any good Service. Becauſe, the beſt Meat is loathed when uncleanly Cooks dreſs it; and beſt Admonitions be nauſeated, when they are by Infamous Mouths delivered. Wiſely the Spartan Princes required ſuch good things as were ſpoke by any ill Man, to be taken up and repeated by ſome very good one: as fearing that the uſeful Documents would not look like themſelves, coming out of a Foot's Mouth. Rhetorick gilds the Mouth, and gives it a rare gloſs; but it is Grace that ſcowrs it clean, and fits it for uſe!
T. 16. Holy-Tongues are God's Silver Trumpets. Gracious Diſcourſe, is the Muſick of his Delight. For, if the contrary be ſo deteſtable, this muſt needs be as delectable. It is not for nothing that the Holy Scripture giveth it ſuch Eulogies. Naming it Bread, to Feed; Silver, to Enrich; Health, to make Strong and Uſeful; Hony, to Delight and give Pleaſure; Wells of Water, to Refreſh and Cleanſe; Scarlet, to Adorn and make Honorable; Glory, to Exalt and Magnify God's Glory. For our Natural Faculties and our Supernatural Graces, without Holy Diſcourſe, are Mutes. We commend not God to others, nor draw others unto God, by all our Knowledg and Wiſdom, all our Hope and Love and Joy in Chriſt Jeſus, without holy Diſcourſe. Wherefore, It is only the Devil and his Angels would have us Dumb, and refrain from it. Nor is it to be doubted, but that ſuch as ſtile it Cant and Nonſenſe, and fain would make an end of it; if it were in their Power, they would diſturb the Heavenly Quire alſo; break up that Meeting; ſilence Angels and Glorified Spirits; make an end of the Song of God and of the Lamb; deſtroy together our Hoſanna's here, and their Hallelujah's above!
Of the Duties which might be hence preſſed, I commend theſe principal; though I have room but for ſhort Exhortations, and muſt leave it to your ſelves to make juſt Enlargements.
Duty 1. Learn the Weight of Words. Great is the Moment of your leaſt Talk. Light Words do make heavy Troubles here, and heavy Accounts for hereafter. None weigh light in God's Ballance. The Pſalmiſt ſaith of ſome, Their own Tongue ſhall fall on them, Pſal. 64. 8. A fearful Weight! a Man would be eaſier under a Mountain of Lead. Origen conceited, that the Tongue of Dives was eminently his tormented Part in Hell, becauſe it had been eminently his Sinning Part on Earth. And St. Auſtin in his Confeſſions cried out, That his Tongue had been the Furnace which had Vomited forth his impure Fires.
D. 2. Ʋnlearn falſe Rules of ordering your Words. The Philoſopher ſaith of Youth; but it's true of every Age, foreign. They Speak and Act more by Cuſtom than by Reaſon. More as others do, than as all ought to do. The Precept of my Text cannot be obeyed, if this be not conſidered: that, the Moſt Mens Talks and Jeſts are nothing but Faults, and the Beſt Mens be not Faultleſs. That Moſt Mens are ſtark Naught, and the Beſt Mens are very Imperfect. And he that will be a Chriſtian, … Chriſt Jeſus his Pattern. As his … ſo his Pattern. He muſt … contrary Precepts and … addict himſelf unto Chriſt's … late ones. Out of this … out of the Chriſtian World.
D. 3. Buy rich Furniture … Diſcourſe. While Heads have … Tongues will have Talks; but … Hearts be Wiſe, Tongues Talk muſt … Fooliſh. The Lips of the Wiſe diſperſe Knowledg, but the Heart of the Fooliſh doth not ſo, Prov. 15. 7. The Heart is the Shop whence the Tongue takes all its Wares. If that be poor, and empty of things of Value, this may and will vend abundance of Wares, but no Goods. Buy the Truth, then, as its Divine Author counſels you. In ſhort, Go to the Price of true Wiſdom; Do not expect it for nothing, though Grace offers you a good Bargain; for you may have it for Asking, though not without. God, of his Wiſtom and Holineſs, will not Give unleſs you Ask; Pray and Continue … Prayer. Men, of their …, and worſe, will … their Teaching on any … from Asking. Wherefore, … come out of the Priſon of …, break the great Bar of … Ask Wiſdom, of God and … ask it; and give neither … reſt, till you ſweetly Underſtand the Myſtery of Chriſt and the Laws of his Kingdom. Till you fear not being asked the meaning, of any Article of the Apoſtles Creed, any Petition of the Lord's Prayer, any Commandment of the Ten; or being put to give an account of the Nature and Uſe of Holy Bapiſm and the Lord's Supper. When theſe you Know, then be Inſtructive; till you Know theſe, let your Tongues be perpetually Inquiſitive. To be Dumb is no Wiſdom; it is only to hide Folly▪ He is Wiſe who Opens the Door of his Mouth, firſt, to call Wiſdom in, and afterwards to ſend it out!
D. 4. Enact a Law of … Lay a Command on your … come behind your Thought. … the firſt Judges of your … God and Men will not ſo oft … them, when you your ſelves … Judg them before you do … To think before we ſpeak, is … vent abundance of God's Wrath … Man's, and abundance of our … Repentance. When we do ſo, … Prevent many, and Leſſen all the Faults of our Speech. For then, if Bad, yet it is our Beſt; and to ſpeak the beſt a Man can, is ſome Praiſe. He that uſeth it, ſhall find, among equal Judges, as much Pity as Blame for his very Faults. Beſides; the Holy Ghoſt is offended at the contrary Haſte. And He is much pleaſed with this ſort of Slowneſs to Speak. Inſomuch, that, by means of his Holy Aids, Children Speak better when Deliberate, than Doctors when they are Raſh. Want of Diſcretion banes the Talk of Millions; but want of its Exerciſe as truly banes the Talk of Thouſands.
… Keep a ſtrict Hand upon the … of the Tongue. Upon …, I mean. Love and Hate … What you ought, and as Much …. Joy and Grieve, … Fear, none but right Matters … due Meaſures. This will make … to your Mind to School your …. But Diſeaſes of the … be, very Mortal to our Under…tandings. Their Fumes put out the Eye of its Judgment, and Kill the Heart of its Attention to our Acts. So that in what we call a Paſſion, the Tongue is as an Horſe in a Chafe, not to be curbed; as a Ship in a Tempeſt, not to be managed.
D. 6. Set up full Purpoſes againſt Vicious Talks. Full ones are ſuch as the Underſtanding approves, the Conſcience commands, the Will chuſes, the Memory prompts; all Powers conſpire unto. You are Chriſtians, and have ſuch Purpoſes againſt Sin in general. But many, I fear, are incautelous Chriſtians, and have not ſuch Purpoſes againſt fooliſh … and Jeſts, in particular. Theſe … ones do honour God, and … will honour them. They be the … ward Votes and Laws of our … Souls; and they will ſtand up … what is their own. And … Proviſion for their Execution, as … doth not ordinarily ſuffer to be fruitleſs. Great is the Power of a Hoy… Purpoſe.
D. 7. Follow Reſolutions with Prayers. When the black Ignorance is diſpelled, and baſe Reluctance of our Hearts is conquered; the Falſeneſs and Inconſtance remains to be feared. And as neither Hearts nor Tongues are to be ſafe kept but by Divine Power; the Cuſtody of neither is to be expected without Holy Prayer.
D. 8. Give your Selves the Joy of every Victory. Let him that hears your Prayer have the Praiſe, which is entirely his own; but take you the Comfort, which he allows and requires; when, through his Grace, you … ſpeak; This Day, being … I Reviled not; I Suffered, … not; Being tempted … Wits unto Levity, I … argued them into … &c.—When thus you … the Grace of your Lord, … in the Lord and in his … Joyfully Praiſe the Giver, …, and Worker, and Triumph … his Goodneſs. This exquiſite Pleaſure will cheriſh Care, and ſweeten Endeavours and Prayers for more ſuch Victories!
D. 9. Let nothing Superſede the Watch of your Lips. Prayer engageth to Watchfulneſs, and not excuſeth it. Spiritual Conqueſts alſo, excuſe not Care; but together encourage and engage unto them. For, after them, Satan moſt rages; and Chriſtians Souls, like as their Bodies, when in higheſt places, are moſt liable to Tempeſts. In ſhort; no Beaſts are at all times more apt to Stray, and to do Injury, than our Lips. No Fire more eaſily breaks out and … hurt than the Tongue, It is … and Iniquity at any time, to … over watching ſo wild Cattel, and … let them go without Yokes and …. To give over looking to … Fire, of which, all know, we can … be too Careful.
D. 10. Exerciſe an Holy Revenge on your ſelves. For the Sin of your Tongues, ſharply Reprove and Shame your Selves. Let Repentance have its Perfect Work; Humble your Souls deeply, and give not over haſtily. Spare not the Rod; and give not over for the crying of Fleſh and Blood. Unto them this Work is grievous; but by this Sorrow of the Countenance, Heart and Tongue are made better. And, ſooner ſhall faulty Oxen go better without the Goad, and wildeſt Children be reclaimed without the Rod, than an Extravagant Tongue without this Rebuke.
D. 11. Aſſociate with none but Men of a pure Language. Who knows not … moſt-Omnipotency of choſen … any? It is certain that in … Company, God deſerts … and Satan is let looſe on them; … that they have is very much … tower. They are as it were …, and Satan the Potter; … them into any ſort of … unto Diſhonour. Hypocrites can … Endure; but the Heart of a … doth Prefer, the Lip and Language of Canaan. And they are Wiſely Good, who willingly go near none, from whom they cannot come Wiſer and Better, Prov. 14. 7.
D. 12. Make your Friends your Monitors. Give them your Leave, yea Intreaty, to tell you when you ſpeak amiſs. Raiſe their Poſſe for your Defence. It will be no contemptible one; unleſs when you have engaged them againſt your Sins, you ſide and take part with your Sins againſt them. A wonder it is there ſhould be any need to urge this Practice. We make other Admonition the Condition of Friendſhip; and cannot … Friend ſee our Feet in a wrong … and doth not haſte to give us notice. We ſhould reckon his Silence of our Error, a Proclamation of his Unfaithfulneſs and Guile.
D. 13. Remember into what an Ear▪ every Word of yours droppeth. The Divine aweful One hears all you ſay, as plain as if there were no Tongue in the World ſtirring but yours. And when the Thoughts hereof are ſtirring in your Mind, Experience can tell you how they facilitate the Rule of your Tongue. In the hearing of a wiſe Man, no Fool will prate fooliſhly, but a drunken One. Eſpecially if, as the wiſe Man is endued with VViſdom to deſpiſe him, he be alſo armed with Authority to puniſh him. What Mouths ſhould we have, if we duly minded how open God's Ear is now unto us; and how quickly his Mouth will be opened to judg us?
D. 14. Eſteem it glorious Martyrdom to bear Reproach, for the Purity of your … Language of one … to the Natives of … you are born from Heaven, … Citizens of that …, and ſpeak its Language, … no avoiding of cruel Mockings … the People of this Earth. Theſe, … enough to endure; no, but you … as a Treaſure. And … that you are dignified with them; counting them to have more … the Crown than the Croſs in them. The Zeal of Socrates made him ſpeak … hot as to ſcald his vicious Hearers; the Wildfire of their Scoffs caſt on him, moved him not. Famous is his Saying, That if VVild-Aſſes kicked him, he would never commence a Suit againſt them. And ſhall the Saints do no more than Socrates?
D. 15. Be Salt to all on Earth in whom you have any intereſt. Smartly Reprove the Vices of their Speech: Put forth your utmoſt Authority and Power to purge them away: Give your beſt Counſels, with Intreaties, for holy Language: Follow with ſwee… Encouragements, as many as … the favour to be reformed by you … many as receive the Divine Law from your Mouth. What a Charity is it to cure ſuch a Leproſy as that of Fooliſh Talking and Jeſting? A Labour of Love that God will not forget. A Service, in which you will find unknown Reward. The Bleſſing of many Souls will come upon you; and your … will proſper. God will caſt more Salt into your Heart, and put more good Words into your Mouth. For, to faithful Sowers he will miniſter Seed. Liberal Souls he will make Fat. Sweetly will he amend us all, when all do dutifully correct one another. Would you be made Clean, cleanſe your Company.
D. 16. Finally, Bleſs God for your Truth, while you are ſhort of the Perfection that you ſeek. He that ſeeks not Perfection, is not ſincere; but he that indeed is ſincere, through the Grace of the Goſpel he is a perfect Creature. … Man in Chriſt, and …; he hath no … on him; the Lord … unto him; but honours … ſtiles him a Perfect Man: … in him as a Jewel, and an Apple … Eye: Deals with him moſt …, withholding no good thing … and making every thing … or good to him; as though no … were found in him, while much … finds, and knows there is vaſtly … than he can find, in himſelf; and his daily Cry is, Who ſhall deliver me from this Body of Sin and Death? So that, as the Husband-man may with Joy look on his Corn-fields, and bleſs God for the Riches thereof, though there be thouſands and Ten thouſands of offenſive Weeds therein; no leſs may you joyfully praiſe God for his rich Saving-Grace, having the Teſtimony of your Conſciences, that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity, not ſlothfully, but with all diligence given, you obey my Text. Although, full often, the Good that you … ſpeak, you do not; and the … you would not, that you do ſpeak. … rather, Not you, but Sin that … in you, ſpeaketh it. O bleſs the … that you are not under the Law, … Grace. Not under the … of perſonal, perfect and …; but under the Law … of Repentance, Faith, and … Obedience! That you have a … Righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt … to you; and ſhall not be rejected for the Imperfection of the Righteouſneſs inherent in you.
It is not the leaſt uſe to be made of my Doctrine, to bleſs God for our bleſſed Pair of Advocates. For his Holy Spirit, who works in us Evangelical Perfection; and his Holy Son, who hath redeemed us from Damnation for want of Legal Perfection, and of Abſolute Inoffenſiveneſs in our Talks. He makes an ill Uſe of it indeed, who ſcares himſelf into Deſperation either … Attainableneſs of ſincere … to it, or of the Acceptableneſs … to our Supream Judg. Againſt … I give Warning in my … Words; as ſuppoſing them … kelieſt to paſs unregarded. … already publiſhed Directions … to Holy Diſcourſe; I … no more added, than the … Alarms, Whoſoever ſhall keep … Law, and yet offend, in the one … (of my Text) he is guilty of …. And, if any Man ſeem to be Religious, and bridleth not his Tongue, but deceiveth his own Heart, this Man's Religion is vain.
FINIS.
End of the text · Daniel Burgess, Foolish Talking and Jesting Described and Condemned (1694)