cufe, which was much lefs able to cover his fin then the fig-leaves were his nakednefs. And as in the infancy of the first world, the tongue had licked up the venem of the old ferpent, fo neither could the Deluge wash it off in the second. No fooner was that fmall colony (wherewith the depopulated earth was to be replanted) come forth of the Ark, but we meet with Cham a delator to his own father, inviting his brethren to that execrable fpectacle of their parents nakedness.

3. NOR did this only run in the blood of that accurfed Perfon; the holy feed was not totally free from its infection, even the Patriarchs themselves were not exemt. Abraham ufed a repeted collufion in the cafe of his wife, and exposed his own integrity to preferve her chastity. Ifaac the heir of his bleffing, was fon of his infirmity alfo, aud acted over the fame fcene upon Rebecca's account. Jacob obtain'd his fathers bleffing by a flat lie. Simeon and Levi fpake not only falfly, but infidiously, nay hypocritically, abufing at once their profelytes, and their religion, for the effecting their cruel defigns upon the Sichemites. Mofes tho a man of an unparallel'd meekness, yet spake unadvisedly

up

with his lips, Pfal. 106, 33. David uttered a bloody vow against Nabal, spake words fmoother then oil to Uriah, when he had don him one injury, and defign'd him another. 'Twere endlefs to reckon those several instances, the old Teftament gives us of these lapfes of the tongue: neither want there divers in the new; tho there is one of fo much horror, as fuperfedes the naming more, I mean that of St. Peter in his reiterated abjuring his Lord, a crime which (abstracted from the intention)feems worse then that of Judas: that traitor owned his relation, cried Mafter Mafter even when he betraied him, fo that had he bin mefured only by his tongue, he might have paft for the better difciple.

4. THESE are fad inftances, not recorded to patronize the fin, but to excite our caution. It was a Politic inference of the elder of Ifrael in the case of Jebu; Behold two Kings stood not before him, how then shall we ftand? 2. Kings 10. And we may well apply it to this; if perfons of fo circumfpect a piety, have bin thus overtaken, what fecurity can there be for our wretchlefs ofcitancy? If those who kept their mouths as it were with

with a bridle, Pfal.39.1.could not alwaies preserve them innocent, to what guilts may not our unrestrained licentious tongues hurry us? Those which, as the Pfalmift fpeaketh Pfalm 73. 9. go thro the world, are in that unbounded range very likely to meet with him who walks the fame round, Job. 2. 2. and by him be tuned and set to his key, be fcrued and wrefted from their proper ufe, and made fubfervient to his vileft defigns.

5. AND Would God this were only a probable fuppofition! but alas experience fupplants the use of conjecture in the point; we do not only prefume it may be fo, but actually find it is fo. For amidst the univerfal depravation of our faculties, there is none more notorious then that of fpeech. Whither fhall we turn us to find it in its pristine integrity? Amidst that infinity of words in which we exhaust our breath, how few are there which do at all correfpond with the original defignation of speech; nay which do not flatly contradict it? To what unholy, uncharitable purposes is that useful faculty perverted? That which was meant to serve as the perfume of the tabernacle, to send up the incenfes of praises and praiers,

now

now exhales in impious vapors, to eclipse if it were poffible the Father of light. That which should be the store-houfe of relief and refreshment to our brethren, is become a magazine of all offenfive weapons against them, fpears and arrows and sharp fwords,as the Pfalmift often phrases it. We do not only fall by the flipperiness of our tongues, but we deliberately difcipline and train them to mifchief. We bend our tongues as our bows for lies, as the Prophet fpeaks, Jer.9.3.And in a word, what God affirmed of the old world in relation to thoughts, is too appliable to our words, they are evil and that continually, Gen. 6. 5. and that which was intended for the inftrument, the aid of human fociety, is become the difturber, the peft of it.

6. I fhall not attemt a particular dif cuffion of all the vices of the tongue : it doth indeed pass all Geography to draw an exact Map of that world of iniquity, as St. James calls it. I fhall only draw the greater lines,and diftribute it into its principal and more eminent parts, which are distinguishable as they relate to God, our Neighbor, and our felves; in each of which I fhall rather make an effay by B 2

way

way of instance, then attemt an exact enumeration or furvey.

I.

I

I

SECT. III.

Of Atheisticall Difcourfe.

Begin with those which relate to God, this poor defpicable member the tongue being of fuch a gigantic infolence tho not fize, as even to make war with heaven. 'Tis true every difordered fpeech doth remotely fo,as it is a violation of Gods law; but I now speak only of those which as it were attaque his perfon, and immediatly fly in the face of Omnipotency. In the highest rank of these we may well place all Atheistical Discourse, which is that bold fort of rebellion, which ftrikes not only at his Autority, but himfelf: Other blafphemies level fome at one Attribute, fome another; but this by a more compendious impiety, fhoots at his very being, and as if it fcorn'd those peice-male guilts ; fets up a fingle monster big enough to devour them all: for all in