A Bridle for the Tongue, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of ſome particular ſins of the Tongue, and firſt of the curſing Tongue.
SECT. 1. Curſing defined.
NOw that we may take the more heed of theſe ſins of the tongue: I ſhall diſcourſe upon ſome of them, and ſhew you the evils that are in them; and firſt I will begin with that ſin of the Tongue, which is called in Scripture a curſing Tongue; and Firſt I ſhall define the ſin of curſing.
To curſe,Definitt. of curſing. is to wiſh the Plagues and Judgements of God upon ſuch things or perſons,Maledictio proprie eſt imprecatio ſeu optatio mali alicui facta ſub ratione mali Angelus de Clavis. ſum. de caſib conſc. in Titul. maledict. foreign devoveo diris, impre…. foreign an execration verbal or real. foreign verbo vel re maledixit. Job 3.6. Gen. 3.17. Ruther. with whom we are offended; There is a curſing of our ſelves, or others: men curſe themſelves, when through wrath and anger they wiſh evil to themſelves; as when …he Jews cryed out to Pilate concerning Chriſt, his blood be upon us, and upon our children, Mat. 27.25. which within a few years after came upon them according to their wiſh, and lies heavy upon them to this day; and it is very frequent for wicked perſons to curſe and ban themſelves. God damn me, God judge me, God confound me, pray God I may never ſtirre, let me ſink where I ſtand, let me never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, nor come where God hath to do, if it be not ſo: Oh how ſhould perſons take heed of ſuch imprecations againſt themſelves! for God heareth mens prayers two waies; either in Mercy, or in Wrath; if thou curſeſt thy ſelf, except thou turn to God by ſpeedy repentance, he may hear thy prayer in his wrath and verifie thy curſe upon thee to thy utter confuſion.
2. Men may curſe themſelve… when they bear rancor and malice i… their heart againſt their brethren when they pray that God would forgive them their treſpaſſes, as they forgive their brethren that treſpaſs againſt them, and yet forgive them not: then do men curſe themſelves as often as they pray; and their own ſins being great, do they not as it were pray, that they might ſink under the burthen of them: and ſeeing their ſins are in multitude ſo innumerable, and magnitude ſo intolerable, do they not pray in effect, Lord, I would have thee pour out thy whole diſpleaſure upon me forth m! for ſo would I do, even the worſt that I can againſt my brother; execute the rigor of Revenge upon him. Lord ſo deal with me, take no pitty on me; pour out the Viols of thy wrath upon me; ſet me up as a mark to ſhoot at; make thine arrows drunk in my blood; let thy ſword be bathed in my Bowels; Lord, I pray thee do the worſt thou canſt unto me: Now becauſe this is a fearful curſe, when men are loth to forgive, and more loth to curſe themſelves, therefore they will either not uſe the Lords prayer or leave out this peti…ion or condition in it: A notable device to deceive themſelves; it is not the ſaying it, will keep off the curſe from them; but being in ſuch a ſtate, let them ſay it or not ſay it, or whatſoever prayer they uſe, they curſe themſelves; there ſhall be judgement mercileſs to him that ſheweth no mercy, Jam. 2.13.
2. Men curſe others, when they bann or wiſh evil unto others,Maledictio eſt imprecatio quâ quis alteri imprecatur malum culpae, poenae, vel naturae. Alſted. Theol. Caſ. Cap. 21. when men wiſh the Pox, or plague of God to light upon others, a vengeance to take them, the Devil to break their necks, the Devil take them, &c. Many men when they are provoked curſe their Children, their Servants, and their Cattle; a ſin too rife and common among us: now if a man give way to this ſin, what ſhe… of Religion ſoever he maketh, his Rel… gion is vain.
SECT. 2. The greatneſs of this ſhewed in eigh… particulars.
NOw that we may ſee the greatneſs of this ſin, conſider.
1. It is the mark of a graceleſs perſon, that his mouth is full of curſing Pſal. 10.7. This is the character of… man that hath not God in all his thoughts: ſuch a man is ſo full of miſchief, that he venteth it upon every trifling occaſion: Some indeed like Sauls ſervants, bleſſe with their mouths, but with their hearts they curſe. Pſal. 62.4. but multitudes of men now-a daies curſe with their mouths what ever cometh in their way: how many that would be accounted Religious, do rejoyce at the hurt and ſin of thoſe whom they hate: now this ſin raigning and Grace cannot ſtand together; for where it reigneth, it clearly ſheweth the heart to be full of bitterneſs. Rom. 3.14. therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, Their mouth is full of curſing and bitterneſs. As they have gall and bitterneſs in their heart. Act. 8 23. ſo they utter it with their mouth as one noteth;Grynaeus. from that root of bitterneſs that is in their heart, there is brought forth gall and wormwood by their Tongues, Deut. 29.18. and were there not ſuch an overflowing of bitterneſs and wormwood, and gall in the heart, it would not thus run out in the tongues of men: Salvian ſaith,Salvian. de gubern. lib. 3. that curſing is made the common weapon of graceleſs men when they are angry, their fierce wrath wiſhing that evil upon another, which becauſe of weakneſs it cannot work.
2. This is directly croſs to Gods command: for our Saviour ſaith, love your enemies, bleſs them that curſe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which deſpightfully uſe you. Mat. 5.44. and the Apoſtle doubleth the command, Bleſs them which perſecute you, and curſe not. Rom, 12.14. this is repeated for two cauſes. 1. To note the weightineſs of it, that we ſhould not ſlightly paſs it over. 2. The difficulty of it; for there is nothing more hard to corrupt nature then to wiſh well to them that wiſh us ill, and to bleſs them that curſe us; and Peter ſaith. 1 Pet. 3 9. render not railing for railing but contrariwiſe bleſsing; and this leſſon which Paul taught others, he practiſed himſelf. 1 Cor. 4.12. we are evil ſpoken of, and yet we bleſs.
3. It is contrary to Chriſts example: now every one would be lookt upon to be a Chriſtian, and a member of Chriſts body myſtical; but if it be ſo, let men ſhew it by being conformed to his example, conſidering that the Lord Chriſt did not curſe his enemies, but prayed for them; and we are commanded to imitate his example, if we are his people. 1 Pet. 2. 22. who when he was reviled, reviled not again: So it was with Stephen, he gave them not ill words for their curſing, but bleſſing; he ſent up prayers to heaven for his enemies, when their ſtones flew about his ears: therefore for men to ſay they are Chriſtians, and walk croſs to Chriſts example and the examples of the Saints, is to deceive their own hearts.
4. This is quite croſs to the hope of a Chriſtian; when the Apoſtle bids us not render reviling for reviling, he addeth, but contrariwiſe bleſsing; for this reaſon; knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye might inherit a bleſſing. 1 Pet. 3.9. there is no curſe mingled at all with the bleſſings Gods people ſhall inherit; therefore he that curſeth another,Curſing is as common as ſtones in the ſtreet; men in one day curſe oftner, then pray in a whole year. cannot hope to inherit a bleſſing.
5. How abſurd a thing is it, that men with the ſame mouth ſhould bleſs God and curſe men, the Apoſtle ſheweth, Jam. 3.9.10. ſhewing that this is no more conſiſtent with Grace, then that the ſame tree ſhould bring forth good and bad fruit, were conſiſtent with nature: As ſweet and bitter water mingled together, the bitter eaſily takes away the nature of the ſweet; and as honey and poiſon mingled together, the poiſon far leſs in quantity turneth the honey: ſo when curſing and bleſſing are in one mouth together, the bitterneſs of the curſe turneth the ſweetneſs of the bleſſing, and maketh it odious before God.
6. He whom you curſe, is made after the image of God; therefore in curſing him, you curſe Gods image. Gen. 9.6. therefore the curſing of man doth in ſome ſort touch God, whom we uſe only to bleſs and to ſpeak well of God gives a Law againſt the ſhedding of mans blood, and gives this reaſon; for in the image of God hath he made man: and Prov. 17.5. Whoſo deſpiſeth the poor, deſpiſeth his Maker: the wrong that is done to the poor man, is done to the Lord, his Maker: as the abuſing of the Kings image, is the abuſing of the King, declaring a want of love and reverence toward him; in like manner by curſing to abuſe men [Gods images] is to abuſe God,Mayer Expoſit. in Jam. 3. and to do againſt that love and reverence that we owe unto him.
7. Herein men intrench upon that which is Gods ſole prerogative: for of right it belongs only to God to curſe:How fooliſh is this! hereby they make as though God knew not when, nor whom, nor how to ſtrike; how ſaucily do ſuch deal with the God of vengeance? God tells Abraham, I will curſe them that curſe thee. Gen. 12.3. Abraham muſt not curſe his enemies. Thou in thy paſſion wiſheſt evil upon another, that (it may be) hurts thee: Thou ſetſt thy ſelf by this deed in the Lords throne, to whom vengeance belongeth, and who hath commanded us not to avenge ous ſelves, but to recompence good for evil. Ro. 12.18, 19, 20. and he that doth not ſo, ſets up himſelf in the ſtead of God, whoſe right it is to avenge wrongs and injuries.
8. Thoſe that live in this ſin, do preſumptuouſly ſet up themſelves above God; for ſuch a one makes himſelf his own Judge, and God muſt be the executioner of his paſſion. By theſe particulars, you may ſee the greatneſs of the ſin of curſing.
SECT. 3. How ſeverely God puniſheth curſers, ſhewed in five things.
LEt me therefore beſeech you to take heed of this ſin of curſing; and to this purpoſe obſerve and conſider the dreadfulneſs of the puniſhment that will light on thoſe that take liberty to go on in this ſin, except it pleaſe God to grant them repentance that they may be ſaved; and to this end, conſider ſeriouſly that moſt dreadful place of ſcripture. Pſal. 109.17, 18. where are five dreadful evils that the Holy man by the ſpirit of God denounceth againſt thoſe that are guilty of this ſin.
1. As he that is given to curſing, cared not for bleſſing, ſo he ſhall have nothing to do with it; he delighted not in bleſſing, and it ſhall be far from him.
2. He loved curſing, and a moſt direful curſe ſhall be his portion: ſuch is the condition of all curſers, whoſe tongues run with great ſpeed on the Devils errand, whoſe maledictions are ſhot out of their mouths juſt like fools bolts, not caring where they light: that like ill-made Pieces with which while men diſcharge at others, they recoil in ſplinters upon their own faces.
3. Mark in what manner it ſhall come upon him: it ſhall come into his Bowels like Water, and like Oile into his Bones; water and oile are ſoaking things; and a drop of oile upon a piece of cloth, ſpreads it ſelf abroad, and ſoaks ſo into it, that it can hardly be gotten out: So curſing ſhall come within the man that loveth curſing, ſoaking into his very bones and bowels; it ſhall fall upon his innerman: Now what this is, the Prophet tells us. Lament. 3.65. namely, ſorrow of heart. The Prophet imprecating evil upon the enemies of the Church, prayes thus to God: give them ſorrow of heart, thy curſe upon them, and this of all other is the moſt dreadful evil; a wounded ſpirit who can bear? a ſore judgement it is for a man to be like the troubled ſea that cannot reſt, whoſe waters caſt up mire and dirt; Iſai. 57.20. It is a diſeaſe that changeth the countenance, and terrifieth both ſoul and body: the Jews ſaid of Chriſt, his blood be upon us, and upon our children, Mat 27.25. a ſore imprecation,Aretius in Mat. 27 and it purſues them to this day tanquam attonitos & terrefactos: they look as men affrighted and aſtoniſhed; and ſome ſay they may be diſtinguiſhed from all other men in the world.
4. It ſhall ſtick ſo cloſe unto him, as he cannot eſcape it; it ſhall be as a Garment about him; let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, ver. …9. it ſhall not be eaſily thrown off; as his garment that is fitted, and ſits cloſe to his body: and if every curſe ſhould ſtick a viſible bliſter upon the tongue, as it doth inſenſible ones on the ſoul, oh how many mens tongues would be too big for their mouths, and their mouth as an open ſepulchre full of rottenneſs and putrefaction!
5. It ſhall lie upon him to all eternity: they that have frequently poured out curſings upon others, ſhall lye under the curſe of God for ever; Goe ye curſed into everlaſting fire: curſing ſaith the Pſalmiſt, ſhall be to him for a girdle,Maledictio eſt peccatum gravius, 1. Si Imprecatio mali fiat ex animo. 2. Si fiat ex plena deliberatione animi. 3. Si malum quod imprecamur alteri ſit gravius; extra hos caſus eſt peccatum levi…s. Alſted. Theol. Caſ. Cap. 21. Of the judgements of God upon curſers, ſee Mr. Perkins, of the government of the Tongue, and Mr. Ball upon the ſame ſubject. Beards Theatre of Gods Judgements Chap. 31. Woodw. Childs patrim. Fox Act. & Monum. Mayer. Expoſit. Jam 3. wherewith he ſhall be girded continually; this girdle he ſhall alwaies wear, and never put off, it ſhall be continually about his loins: now you have ſeen the ſin, the greatneſs o… it, and the miſery that attends it, ſit down, conſider it, and repent, leſt it come upon you.
SECT. 4, An Objection about Noah's, Job's, David's, Elijah's curſing, anſwered in in five things. A queſtion about Miniſters denouncing curſes againſt the wicked reſolved.
Object. BUt ſome will be ready to ſay, Is it ſo great a ſin to curſe others? have not many of Gods own people broken out into it, as Noah, Job, David Elijah, &c.?
Reſp.That you may ſee that this makes nothing at all for ſuch:
1. Conſider firſt, that our rule to walk by is Gods precept, not mans precedent; and God commandeth we ſhould render bleſſing and not curſing.
2. If we look upon examples, let us look on ſuch as do not erre, and …hen we can follow none but our Lord and Saviours, who prayed for his enemies: follow no man further then he doth follow the example of Chriſt; and if we would be accounted Chriſtians, let us walk as Chriſt walked; not as this or that man walketh, 1 Joh. 2.6. as he was, ſo muſt we be in this world.
3. If we will imitate the Saints in any thing, let it then be in that wherein they followed the rule of Gods word, and not make uſe of their failings to nouriſh ſin in us: Imitate not Job in his infirmity, when he curſed the day of his birth, Job. 3.1. But you may imitate him in what God commends him for; when ſtript naked of all, he curſeth not his enemies, but bleſſeth the Lord that might do with him what he pleaſed, without whoſe providence nothing comes to paſs. Job 1. ult. and this is added to his commendation, Job 31.29, 30, 31. That he rejoyced not at the deſtruction of him that hated him, nor lift up himſelf when evil found his enemy; nor did he ſuffer his mouth to ſin by wiſhing a curſe to his ſoul; and albeit he had ſtrong incitements to revenge by them that were about him that would have eaten the fleſh of them that did wrong their Maſter, yet he kept himſelf from it, ver. 31. So David, though his enemies rewarded him evil for good; yet ſaith he, When they were ſick, my clothing was ſackcloth, I humbled my ſoul with faſting; they rejoyce at his evil; he mourneth for theirs, and prayes for them in affliction. Pſal. 35.13, 14. He behaved himſelf as though his enemy had been his friend or brother, bowing down heavily as one that mourneth for his Mother; and 2 Sam. 16.9. when Shimei curſeth him, his ſervants deſire his leave to take off Shimeis head for curſing the King; he harkens not unto them, but looketh to the Lord in it, and commits his cauſe to God: Let him alone, and let him curſe, for the Lord hath bidden him; it may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and requite good for his curſing this day. ver. 11.12. he will not therefore take vengeance himſelf, nor ſuffer others to do it; in this imitate David: So we read of Jeremy, that he ſtood before the Lord to pray and entreat for thoſe that had abuſed him. Take heed of the Saints ſins, but imitate their Graces.
4. Conſider what our Saviour ſaith to his Diſciples, concerning Elijah. Luk 9.54, 55. they would have imitated him in calling for fire to come down from Heaven upon the Samaritans, as he did upon the two Captains and their troops; but Chriſt rebuketh them for it, ſaying, Ye know not what manner of ſpirit ye are of: as if Chriſt had ſaid; you do this upon the account of private paſſion and revenge; he did it by another ſpirit, even the ſpirit of God: you underſtand not your Commiſſion; for you that be my Diſciples, muſt be of meek and humble ſpirits like me your Maſter,There be in mans ſoul ſaith Anſelm. 3 ſeveral faculties. ſc. Ratio, qua aſſimulatur Angelis; Appetitus qua aſſimulatur brutis; & voluntas, which enclineth ſometime to the one, ſometime to the other, Et hic ſapiens & ſentiens in peſorem partem ferebatur. Anſelm. in Luc. 9. and not of ſuch furious and fiery mettatl. I ſuſpect you more deſire revenge then the glorifying of my name: This was like the Zeal St. Paul ſpeakes of, which was not according to knowledge. Rom. 10.2.
5. When the people of God in Scripture have curſed their enemies, they have therein been acted by the ſpirit of God in an extraordinary manner; it was not by humane paſſion (that is ſinful) that Noah curſed Cham, but it was a Prophetical prediction of what ſhould come upon him afterwards: and Auſtin ſaith, that Davids imprecations againſt his enemies (or rather Gods enemies) are propheſies, ſhewing what ſhould come unto them, rather then curſes of his own, as deſiring that ſuch things ſhould come to paſs: St. Amb. obſerveth, that when God gave the Devil leave to afflict Jobs body, he ſpared his tongue, that feeling his pain, he might eaſily raile and curſe; ſo pleaſing a thing is curſed ſpeaking to the Devil;Rich. Rogers on Judg. 5. but it is in no ſort lawful for us to curſe any man to ſatisfie our own revenging minds; for when we deal in our own matters, we muſt love our enemies, and bleſs them that curſe us:2. Reg. 1. and for Elijah, what he did, he did by the ſpirit of God; for as ſoon as God bids him go, he goes down to the King, and boldly ſpeaks unto him what the Lord would have him: therefore let all thoſe that know by their own conſciences, that this is, or hath been their ſin, lay it to heart, and be humbled for it before the Lord, conſidering how croſs they have walked according to the rule of Gods word, leſt the very Heathen riſe up in judgement againſt them: for I have read of a certain woman Prieſt of Athens, being proffered money to curſe Alcibiades, refuſed it, ſaying, It was her office and duty to pray for others, not to curſe them.
Object. Here a queſtion may be propounded, Wheher it be lawful for Miniſters to denounce curſes againſt wicked men?
Reſp.Yes; but they do it only declarativè, declaring what ſhall come upon them, if they repent not: Miniſters muſt not look upon ſuch as their enemies,St. Austin ſpeaking of his denouncing Gods judgements againſt the wicked, ſaith, Non hoc ago, ut ſim homine con vitiando ſupeoior, ſed errorem convincendo ſalubrior. I ſtrive not in reproving my adverſary, to out-goe him in railing words but to make him better, convincing him of his fault. Chriſtianus non eſt, qui facile maledicit; Qui pacem cordis, oris & operis non habet, Christianus dici nod potest. Aug. Serm. 2. ad fratres in Eremo. but as Gods enemies; Paul in general denounceth a curſe againſt all wicked men; If any man love not the Lord Jeſus, let him be Anathema Maranatha. 1 Cor. 16.22. Miniſters denounce curſes, but Miniſterially, when they in the name of God denouce the judgements of God againſt impenitent ſinners.