XVIII. SERM. 5 This practice doth plainly signify low spirit, ill breeding, and bad manners: and thence misbecometh any wise, any honest, any honourable person. It agreeth to children, who are unapt and unaccustomed to deal in matters considerable, to squabble; to women of meanest rank, (apt by nature, or custom, to be transported with passion,) to scold. In our modern languages it is termed villany, as being proper for rustic boors, or men of coarsest education and employment; who, having their minds debased by being conversant in meanest affairs, do vent their sorry passions, and bicker about their petty concernments, in such strains; who also, being not capable of a fair reputation, or sensible of disgrace to themselves, do little value the credit of others, or care for aspersing it. But such language is unworthy of those persons, and cannot easily be drawn from them, who are wont to exercise their thoughts about nobler matters, who are versed in affairs manageable only by calm deliberation and fair persuasion, not by impetuous and provocative rudeness; the which do never work otherwise upon masculine souls, than so as to procure disdain and resistance. Such persons, knowing the benefit of a good name, being wont to possess a good repute, prizing their own credit as a considerable good, will never be prone to bereave others of the like by opprobrious speech. A noble enemy will never speak of his enemy in bad terms. We may further consider, that all wise, all honest, all ingenuous persons have an aversation from ill In quo admirari soleo gravitatem et justitiam et sapientiam Cesaris. Nunquam, nisi honorificentissime, Pompeium appellat. -Cic. Epist. ad Fam. vi. 6. XVIII. speaking, and cannot entertain it with any accept- SERM. ance or complacence; that only ill-natured, unworthy, and naughty people are its willing auditors, or do abet it with applause. The good man, in the fifteenth Psalm, Non accipit opprobrium, doth not Ps. xv. 3. take up, or accept, a reproach against his neighbour: but A wicked doer, saith the Wise Man, Prov. xvii. giveth heed to false lips, and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. And what reasonable man will do that, which is disgustful to the wise and good, is grateful only to the foolish and baser sort of men? I pretermit, that using this sort of language doth incapacitate a man for to benefit his neighbour, and defeateth his endeavours for his edification, disparaging a good cause, prejudicing the defence of truth, obstructing the effects of good instruction and wholesome reproof; as we did before remark and declare. Further, 6 He that useth this kind of speech doth, as harm and trouble others, so create many great inconveniences and mischiefs to himself thereby. Nothing so inflameth the wrath of men, so provoketh their enmity, so breedeth lasting hatred and spite, as do contumelious words. They are often called swords and arrows; and as such they pierce Ps. lix. 7; deeply, and cause most grievous smart; which men lvii. 4; feeling are enraged, and accordingly will strive to Prov. xii. requite them in the like manner, and in all other 18; xxx. obvious ways of revenge. Hence strife, clamour Job v. 21. and tumult, care, suspicion and fear, danger and 31. trouble, sorrow and regret, do seize on the reviler; and he is sufficiently punished for this dealing. No It is always taken as an argument of ill-will. Maledicus a malefico non distat, nisi occasione.-Quint. XII. 9. [9.] lii. 2. 14. Prov. x. SERM. man can otherwise than live in perpetual fear of XVIII. reciprocal like usage from him, whom he is con 6, 7. 19; scious of having so abused. Whence, if not justice or charity toward others, yet love and pity of ourselves should persuade us to forbear it as disquietful, incommodious, and mischievous to us. We should indeed certainly enjoy much love, much concord, much quiet, we should live in great safety and security, we should be exempted from much care and fear, if we would restrain ourselves from abusing and offending our neighbour in this kind: being conscious of so just and innocent demeanour toward him, we should converse with him in a pleasant freedom and confidence, not suspecting any bad language or ill usage from him. 7 Hence, with evidently good reason, is he that useth such language called a fool: and he that Prov.xviii. abstaineth from it is commended as wise. A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his Prov. x. lips are the snare of his soul. He that refraineth his tongue is wise. In the tongue of the wise is health. He that keepeth his lips keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his mouth (that is, in evilspeaking, gaping with clamour and vehemency) Eccles. x. shall have destruction. The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swalProv.xviii. low up himself. Death and life are in the power of xii. 18; xiii. 3. 12. 21. the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof; that is, of the one or the other, answerably to the kind of speech they choose. In fine, very remarkable is that advice, or resolution of the grand point concerning the best way Ps. xxxiv. of living happily, in the Psalmist: What man is he 12, 13. XVIII. that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may SERM. see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Abstinence from ill-speaking he seemeth to propose as the first step toward the fruition of a durably-happy life. 8 Lastly, we may consider that it is a grievous perverting the design of speech, (that excellent faculty, which so much distinguisheth us from, so highly advanceth us above, other creatures,) to use it to the defaming and disquieting our neighbour. It was given us as an instrument of beneficial commerce, and delectable conversation; that with it we might assist and advise, might cheer and comfort one another: we therefore, in employing it to the disgrace, vexation, damage or prejudice in any kind, of our neighbour, do foully abuse it; and so doing, render ourselves indeed worse than dumb beasts": for better far it were that we could say nothing, than that we should speak ill. 20, 21. Now the God of grace and peace make us per- Heb. xiii. fect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. " Mutos nasci, et egere omni ratione, satius fuisset, quam providentiæ munera in mutuam perniciem convertere.-Quint. XII. 1. [2.] SERMON XIX. THE FOLLY OF SLANDER. SERM. PROV. X. 18. He that uttereth slander is a fool. ENERAL declamations against vice and sin are indeed excellently useful, as rousing men to consider and look about them: but they do often want effect, because they only raise confused apprehensions of things, and indeterminate propensions to action; the which usually, before men throughly perceive or resolve what they should practise, do decay and vanish. As he that cries out fire doth stir up people, and inspireth them with a kind of hovering tendency every way, yet no man thence to purpose moveth, until he be distinctly informed where the mischief is; then do they, who apprehend themselves concerned, run hastily to oppose it: so, till we particularly discern where our offences lie, (till we distinctly know the heinous nature and the mischievous consequences of them,) we scarce will effectually apply ourselves to correct them. Whence it is requisite, that men should be particularly acquainted with their sins, and by proper arguments be dissuaded from them. In order whereto I have now selected one sin to describe, and to dissuade from, being in nature as vile, and in practice as common, as any other |