The Burning of London, Part 3 · Meditation 37 – Meditation 38
MEDITATION XXXVII. Upon the Tongue being a Fire, &c. James 3.6.
VVHen the Scripture would expreſs how miſchievous a Member an evil Tongue is, it ſaith, It is a Fire. Fire hath done a world of miſchief one time or other, and ſo have evil Tongues; whereupon it is added, That the Tongue is a world of iniquity. There is a fire that is called Ignis fatuus (quod efficit tales;) becauſe it makes fools of men, leading them out of their way: So Solomon, ſpeaking concerning a young man ſeduced by a Harlot, ſaith, With her much fair ſpeech ſhe cauſed him to yield, Prov. 7.21. Fire from ſmall beglnnings ſpreads it ſelf very far, ſo do the evils of mens Tongues. So, Solomon ſpeaking of a Fool, faith, The beginning of the words of his mouth is fooliſhneſs, and the end of his talk is miſchievous madneſs, Eccleſ. 10.13. They are high expreſſions which St. James uſeth concerning the Tongue, telling us, that it deſileth the whole body, and ſetteth on fire the courſe of nature, and it is ſet on fire of Hell.
By ſetting on fire the courſe of nature, we may underſtand thoſe great Combuſtions which the tongues of men have made in the VVorld, of which there are three famous Inſtances that come to mind, ſufficient to demonſtrate that, ſo as men may uſe and imploy their Tongues, by means thereof the whole VVorld may be put into a flame. How did the Princes of Succoth fire Gideon, by that upbraiding Queſtion mentioned Judg. 8.5. Are the hands of Zeba and Zalmunnah now in thy hands, that we ſhould give bread unto thine Army? To which he replyed, VVhen the Lord ſhall give Zeba and Zalmunnah into mine hands, then will I te…r your fleſh with the briars of the wilderneſs, and with thorns: And we know he was as good as his word. Did not Nabals churliſh Tongue kindle ſuch a fire in Davids breaſt, as might have conſumed all his family, if the greater prudence of Abigail his wife had not ſeaſonably extinguiſht it, 1 Sam. 25.10. It was gone ſo far, that David had ſworn, He would not leave of them that did pertain to Nabal by the morning-light any that piſſed againſt a wall, Verſ. 22. And all this becauſe of a provoking Anſwer he ſent him, ſaying, VVho is David? Many ſervants nowadayes break away from their Maſters, &c. Yea, the Tongue of David himſelf, (at what time he came with a lie in his mouth to Abimelech) proved no otherwiſe than a fire, which did conſume at once four-ſcore and five of the Lords Prieſts, 1 Sam. 22.19. By the ſame reaſon, that ſo great Combuſtions were raiſed by a few ſparks falling from the Tongues of particular men, may the whole VVorld be deſtroyed by the fire of mens Tongues, ſuch, and ſo great as it may be, which may give us an accompt, of what the Text ſaith concerning the Tongue, its ſetting on fire the whole courſe of nature; Now, whereas he adds that he Tongue it's ſelf, is ſet on fire of hell, me-thinks he ſpeaks of a wicked Tongue, as if it were a ſacrifice, a Holocauſt to the Devil (as the Apoſtle ſaith in another caſe; The things which the Gentiles ſacrifice, they ſ…crifice to Devils, and not to God, 1 Cor. 10.20.) For whereas the ſacrifices which God did accept were kindled by ſire from heaven, a depraved Tongue, is ſaid to be kindled by a fire, worſe then that which is common, viz. by fire from hell, as if it were in token of the Devils preparing, and challenging of it for himſelf.
Yet as ill a conſtruction as calling the tongue a fire, may bear in one ſenſe; yet in another acceptation of that Metaphor, the Tongue ought to be a Fire, and it is its excellency ſo to be. The holy Ghoſt came down upon the Apoſtles, in the form of fiery cl…ven tongues, Act. 2.3. God did touch the mouth of his prophet with a coal from his altar, in token that his iniquity was taken away, and his ſin purged Iſa. 6.7. There are words that may be uſed to enemies which would be like heaping coals of fire upon their heads, in that good ſenſe that S…l…mon wiſheth us ſo to do. May my tongue be ſuch a ſire as one of theſe, may it be a flame breaking forth, to vent, and expreſs a fire of God that burns within: may it be a fire conſuming the vices of others by faithful admonitions, and reproofs, in kindling and increaſing zeal in others, by warm and affectionate counſels; a fire refreſhing the hearts of others by a due and ſeaſonable application of divine and comfortable conſiderations. They whoſe tongues are a fire in the worſe ſenſe, viz. inflaming the world with contention, concupiſcence, and other noiſome luſts, ſhall have for their reward ſharp arrows of the Almighty with coals of Juniper, Pſal. 120.4. Yea, the time is coming, when, in caſe they repent not, they ſhall cry out with Dives, Father Abraham, ſend … z…arus that he may dip the tip of hi… ſinger in water, and cool my tongue, tormented in this flame, Luk. 16. As fire is one of uſefulleſt things in the world, when well imployed; ſo is the Tongue of man; (therefore called his glory): but as that, when it exceeds it's bounds, is greatly pernicious, ſo are the Tongues of men; and therefore, look what care is taken to keep fire within our Chymnies, and other places proper for it, the like ſhould be taken to ſet a watch before the door of our lips, that we offend not with our Tongues: no wonder S. James ſhould ſay, that He who offendeth not in words, is a perfect man, …ble to bridle the whole body. For, he that can maſter his tongue can maſter fire, which of all creatures is moſt untameable.
MEDITATION XXXVIII. Upon the Angels being called flames of fire, Heb. 1.
IS it for their Agility, or for their ſpirituality, or for their great power, or for their likeneſs to God that Angels are called flames of five? or rather, is it not for all of theſe? How quickly doth a flaſh of lightnings ſhoot its ſelf from Eaſt to Weſt? Nor are the Angels of God leſs nimble. Light and fire (and ſlames comprehend both) are as ſpiritual bodies as any we know, the fitter therefore to reſemble thoſe who are meer Spirits, and as the Text calls them miniſtring Spirits. The power of fire, and particularly in deſtroving, we know to our coſt. And did that ſingle Angel ſhow himſelf leſs powerful, who in one night deſtroyed a hundred fourſcore & five thouſand men belonging to the hoſt of Senacherib, Iſa. 37.36. It is not for nothing, that Angels are called Principalities and Powers. Neither have good Angels leſs power to ſave, than to deſtroy, when they are appointed thereunto. God himſelf being called a fire, it is probable enough, that Angels go by the ſame name, becauſe of the reſemblance which they bear to God, who have more of Gods image than man himſelf though man hath more of it then all other creatures. The Chariots of fire which Eliſha ſaw, 2 King. 6.17. What were they, but ſo many Angels of God that were ſent to guard him which made him ſay, there were more with than againſt him. Yea, the fiery chariot in which Elijah was ſaid to have been taken up to heaven, poſſibly was no other then a convoy of Angels, ſuch as carried Lazarus into Abrahams boſom. How happy are the Servants of God in having a guard of Angels? How ſafe are they, being compaſſed about with ſuch walls of fire? No wonder, that the righteous are more bold than a Lion, as Solomon ſpeaks; wild beaſts are afraid of fire, and if there be a ſort of men as ſavage as they, yet can thoſe good Angels which God hath ordered to protect his people, keep thoſe Salvages in awe. What a comfort is it that God hath ſuch nimble Meſſengers to diſpatch upon any expedition for our good? An hoſt of Angels can be with us preſently, even as ſoon as lightning can glance thorough the air. It is well for believers that Angels are ſo powerful that they excell in ſtrength, ſeeing they are theirs, appointed to miniſter for their good. In how much leſs danger are Gods children many times, than they apprehend themſelves, becauſe their guard is ſpiritual and inviſible; which made Eliſha's ſervant more afraid one while than otherwiſe he would have been, & than afterwards he was. If every Angel be a flame of fire, what the Prophet told his man in another caſe, may be applied in this, There are more (flames and fires I mean) with Gods people than are againſt them.