The Practical Sabbatarian, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Impertinent and frothy Language unbecoming and defiling the Sabbath.
BUt God in the Text, commands us not only to abſtaine from unſuitable practices, but unſuitable diſcourſes on Gratia prudentiae caelitus datae reprimit in colloquiis piorum ſermonem otioſum et inutilem; funditus autem removet, et tollit ab ii…, improbum, obſcaenum et putridum ſermònem. Daven.the holy Sabbath; ſo the Text, [Not ſpeaking thy own words.] The Sabbath may be polluted by the ſlipperineſs of the tongue, as well as by the ſliding of the feet; we may as well talk, as act irregularly. Holy Communication, Col. 4. 6. becomes a holy Sabbath. Our Sabbath is a ſign of heaven; and there, as there ſhall be no irregular practice, ſo no unſeemly diſcourſe, and here we ſhould endeavour to begin heaven. Vain diſcourſe on a Sabbath, is like Muſick at a ſuneral, or ſighs at a wedding, which are not onelyonly impertinent but unſeemly. It is a ſign the World hath crept into our hearts, if it creep out of our tongues on the bleſſed Sabbath. The Sabbath hath its Shibboleth. Is our frothy and Abſtinendum eſt a vanis confabulationibus, ridiculis, nugoſis, detractoriis, irriſoriis, obſcenis, ri…oſis. Sept. Pſal. 45. 1.looſe language the fruit of thoſe powerfull Ordinances and holy Adminiſtrations we enjoy on a Sabbath? What a gulf do we ſhoot, when we paſs from holy prayers to unſeemly pratlings; from breathing out our ſouls in duty, to breath out vanity in frothy Communications? Nor will it be any excuſe for us, to the God of the Sabbath, to ſpend part of it in diſcourſing of the flue…t gifts, rare parts, elegant paſſages of the Miniſter, and to make himſelf, not his Doctrine the ſubject to dilate upon. Gods holy truth, not the Miniſters perſon or parts, muſt take up our Sabbath diſcourſes. The tongue indeed is only the hearts interpreter; and what frame of heart we ſhould be of on a Sabbath, is moſt eaſily conjectured; ſurely then, if ever, our tongues ſhould be as the pen of a ready writer. The Emperour Leo would permit no talking of pleaſures, or worldly matters on a Lords day: And Clemens Romanus prohib…it, Sermonum v…nitatem, et faceti…s.ſo Clemens Romanus condemned all Jeſtings, and facetiouſneſs, to tickle or delight the vanity of mens ſpirits. Men by breaking jeſts ſhould not break the Sabbath. Dr. Ames obſerves, there is nothing more fits and tunes the heart for Culius publicus quàm maximè ſolenniter eſt celebrandus, et neceſſariò poſtulat exercitia colloquiorum ſanct…rum, et contemplation is operum diei, quibus paratiores fiamus ad publicum cultum. Ameſ. Luk. 14. 1, 2. Secundum membrum convivii Phariſaici eſt miraculoſa ſanatio hydropici. Ipſum hoc miraculum de bonitate et potentiâ Chriſti, idem docet, quod reliqua omnia. Chemnit.publick ſervice on a Sabbath, then holy diſcourſes; we are more ready by them for ſpiritual Adminiſtrations. Vain language ſets the heart backward, that it is not ſo intenſe in Sabbath performances. Our Saviour (who is our Copy without blot) making a meal with a Phariſee on the Sabbath, ſpent all his time, either in healing or preaching, in working miracles, or ſpeaking parable…, which are thoſe ſtars behind a cloud, not a vain word drops from him, Luke 14. 1, 2, 7. and ſurely in this particular, our imitation is our holineſs. A holy man complained long ſince, That many had made ſuch proceedings in ſin, that when they ſhould reckon with their ſouls, they would reckon with their ſervants, and when they ſhould make even with their conſciences, they would make even with their Chapmen, and yet perſwade themſelves of the ſmall breaches of the Sabbath. The Leiden profeſſors, make holy diſcourſe, one of the private Duties of a Sabbath; and to omit it, what is it, but to maime and mutilate a Sabbath, to looſe a duty, and to make a chaſme and vacancy in the conſtant and continued Religion of a Sabbath. And indeed, if holy language be ſalt at any time, it is more eſpecially at the feaſt of a Sabbath. The Pſalmiſt, in Pſal. 16. 4. Commands us not to take the Name of other Gods into our lips; we muſt not onelyonly not worſhip them, but not name them: So that there is irreligion Eccleſ. 12. 10.in the tongue, as well as in the knee; and if ever ſinfulneſs Non modo publice, ſed et privatim, Sabbathum ſanctis pietatis exercitiis celebretur, qualia ſunt Scripturae lectio, et domeſtica meditatio, & colloquium de rebus ſanctis, Leid. Prof. Col. 4. 6. Sicut Sal non modo exſiccat ſuperfluos & noxios ciborum humores, ſed focit illos inſuper aptos ad digerendum, ſalubres ad nutriendam. Sic Sal prudentiae efficit, non modo ut ſermo Chriſtianorum non ſit otioſus aut noxius, ſed ut aptus fiat, ac utilis ad aedifi…andum. Daven. Sermo noſter opportunus eſſe debet, e… com…i…us, ut a…itores nobis gratias agan…, …t per nos adjuti ſint. Theoph.cleaves to the tongue, it is in idl… and fooliſh talking on a Sabbath; this indeed is the Fly in the ointment. On that holy day we muſt not only abſtain from ſecular works, but ſecular words; for much talk upon the Sabbath about worldly affairs; doth as much hinder the ſanctification of the day, as much work; nay, we may work alone, but we cannot talk alone, and ſo we muſt hinder others as well as our ſelves. Diſcourſe, it either doth caſt a ſtench or a perfume among others, according as it is good or bad. Now let us take theſe five Glaſſes to ſee the ſin of vain diſcourſe on the Sabbath day.
We may ſee it in the clear Glaſs of a Command. Frothy language is onelyonly the foam of a carnal heart at any time, much more on the Sabbath; it is alwayes the breath of vanity, Eph. 4. 29.and therefore called corrupt communication by the Apoſtle, who here ſeverely forbids all ſuch communication. And indeed Mar. 12. 36.worldly diſcourſe on the Sabbath is no leſs then corrupt diſcourſe, putrid, rotten and unſavoury language, which is prohibited by a ſtrict command, Eph. 4. 29. The ſame Apoſtle ſaith, Evil communication corrupts good manners; I am 1 Cor. 15. 33.ſure it corrupts good Sabbaths; it is nothing but ſpittle caſt Verſus hic, eſt ſenarius menandri; ait Hier. Mar. 16. 19.upon the face of a Sabbath, its affront and ſhame; prophane talkers dealing with the day of a Sabbath, as the Jews with the Lord of the Sabbath, they ſpit in its face.
In the Glaſs of Example. Should I reaſſume the divine example of our dear Lord, Luke 14. 7. No pattern more pure and pregnant; his language on a Sabbath was as the dropping Luk. 14. 7.of a honey comb, the langudge of Heaven, the triumph of Acts 20. 27.words, the ſalvifical diſcoveries, that he brought from his Fathers boſome. But let me lay down the wonted cuſtome of a late Miniſter, now with God, Holy Mr. Dod, briefly he thus Mr. Dod.ſpent his Sabbath; He preacht almoſt all day long on the Mr. Clark in the life of Mr. Dod.Lords day; firſt, in the morning he opened a Chapter, and prayed in his Family, after preached twice in publick, and in the interim diſcourſed all dinner while to thoſe who ſat with him at his Table: he would ſay, this is not a day Quàm auguſta erit iſta Synodus, in quâ convenient omnes ſancti, cujus foreign erit Chriſtus; in quâ non erit neceſſarium, ſollicitè inquirere veritate…, ſed omnia omnibus erunt nota, et manifeſta.to feaſt the body, but the ſoul; at the firſt ſitting down he would bid them help themſelves, and one another, and ſee none want; let me ſaid he, bid you but once, for I would not ſpeak a vain word to day. After the two Sermons in publick were ended, the houſe would be filled, and then he would fit in his chair, and then he uſed to ſay, if any one have a good queſtion, or a hard place of Scripture to open, let them ſay on, and when he was faint, would call for ſom… refreſhment, and ſo on again till night. And thus this man of God, ſpake nothing but the language of God on the bleſſed Sabbath of God.
This ſin of uſing unholy language on the Sabbath, may be ſeen in the Glaſs of Equity. If idle diſcourſe be not forbidden in the fourth Commandment, then that Commandment is ſtraighter, and not ſo comprehenſive as the reſt; for the ſixth Commandment doth not only prohibit bloody 1 John 3. 15.murder, but the very hating of our brother; the ſeventh Commandment doth not onelyonly forbid acts of Adultery, but Mat. 5. 28. Quod fecit Chriſtus in caſu homicidii, hoc etiam facit in caſu Adulterii, et non actum ſolummodo ſed impudicum quo que coercet aſpectum, ut diſcos, …bi conſiſtat illu…, quod ſepra Scriburum et Phariſaeorum noſtra precipitur obundare juſtitia. Chryſoſt.laſcivious looks, wanton glances, nay, effeminate ſpeculations; and ſhall not the fourth Commandment be as large to condemn worldly diſcourſes, as well as ſecular labours? Or ſhall our obedience to the Commandments of the ſecond table, be more exact and ſtrict, then our conformity to the Commandments of the firſt? Shall our behaviour be more preciſe to our neighbour, then to our God? Surely he that hath ſaid, we muſt not work on the Sabbath, hath likewiſe ſaid, we muſt not word it on a Sabbath about our ſecular affairs, our bargains, our pleaſures, our pleaſing vanities.
In the Glaſs of Religion. We ſhould converſe as Saints on Gods holy day; our language then more eſpecially ſhould Mat. 26. 73.betray us to belong to Jeſus Chriſt. Every thing ſhould be Qnemad modum Moſes et Elias in transfigurations cum Chriſto colloquuntur ſic in vitâ aeternâ vigebunt inter ſanctes, perpetua et jucundiſſima colloquia. Gerard. Rev. 1. 10. Pſal. 39. 1.holy on a Sabbath, we ſhould converſe with God in holy duties, tread accurately in holy practices, breath out nothing but holy affections, trade in nothing but holy devotions, and edifie one another with holy diſcourſes. Vain and idle talking becomes not thoſe who would ſerve God▪ more ſeraphically then others, and who are in the ſpirit upon the Lords day. Where are our hearts, when our tongues range and licentiate in ſinfull liberties? Religion will cauſe a Saint to make a Covenant with his tongue on this day, that the offend not with his lips. At this time our tongues ſhould be a mine of Gold, not a pile of Droſs.
And laſtly, we may ſee this ſin of fooliſh talking on a Sabin the Glaſs of future Glory. The glorified Saints converſe Ne que enim beati erunt foreign, ſed ſuaviſſimos invicem ſermones conſerent, de admirandis divinae ſapientiae decretis, de ſtupendis divinae potentiae operibus, de infinitis, divinae gratiae, et bonitatis argumentis. Ger.one with another in a moſt holy manner: What the method, or the way is of their Communications one with another, is not ſo eaſily diſcernable; but this is clear, that it is moſt holy. We ſhould ſtudy to ſpend our Sabbaths here, as we ſhall ſpend them above, in all holy and divine communications; there ſhall be no vain word, no ſenſeleſs prate about the things of this life. Let us begin Heaven betimes, and in obſerving a temporal, eye our Eternal Sabbath.