Thirdly, In our lips. The tongue is the principal mifchievous inftrument whereby people ruin or wound the good name of others. And here come in the fins of the tongue against our neighbour in a fpecial manner. Thus men injure their neighbour,

1. By filence, when they forbear to fpeak what they ought and can for the credit of their neighbour. Thus men may wrong others by their filence in their neighbour's caufe while he is afperfed, Prov. xxxi. 8. for in that cafe filence is confent. As alfo when their neighbour is juftly commended, the entertaining thereof with filent looks as if they knew fomething that may juftly mar his reputation. If that be not the fenfe of it, it reflects on the filent perfon as grudging the reputation of the perfon commended.

2. Our neighbour may be injured by finful speaking; and fo this command may be broken many

ways.

(1.) By unneceffary discovering of the faults and infirmities of others. O how much guilt is contracted this way, by people's going in the way of curfed Ham, Gen. ix. 22. unvailing inftead of vailing the weakneffes of others, without any neceffity, but to the leffening of their reputation!

(2.) By aggravating of their leffer faults, Matth. vii. 3. 4. 5.

Men fee motes like beams in the eyes of others, while beams are as motes in their own. It is a mischievous tongue that counting the faults of others, for fifty fets down a hundred, and still looks to them through a magnifying glafs. Had we the dexterity of aggravating our own as we have of aggravating the faults of others, we would be happy, becaufe very humble people.

(3.) By reviving the memory of our neighbour's crimes which were worn out of mind, efpecially being repented of. Thus many vent their malice againft others by cafting up their former faults to them, as Shimei did to David. Truth it may be, but it

is uncharitably and maliciously spoken, for which the fpeaker muft give an account to God.

(4.) By betraying of fecrets committed to us. It is true, if the honour of God and the good of our neighbour require the discovering of a fecret, in that cafe as we ought not to promife, fo we ought not to conceal it. But when we have lawfully promifed to keep it, either exprefsly or tacitly we fin, against truth, juftice, and friendfhip, to betray it. And though there be no promife in the cafe, yet when the revealing of it tends to the detriment of our neighbour, it is finful, Prov. xvii. 9. 2 Tim.

iii. 4.

(5.) By detracting, or endeavouring any manner of way to impair the deferved credit of our eighbour, Ezek. iv. 12. 13. This is the native refult of envy and ill-will at our neighbour: for those who cannot endure others to fit on high, where they are defervedly placed, will go about one way or other to undermine them.

(6.) By evil reports to the prejudicing of our neighbour unjustly. In these many are involved in guilt. [1.] The raifer of it, Exod. xxiii. 1. Satan has the mouths of many at command for a forge of ill reports, who ftrike that hellish coin with their stamp, that it may pafs for current. [2.] The receivers and spreaders of it, who are guilty here as well as the raifer; for they are to the raifer as the receiver to the thief: Report, fay they, and we will report. If others will gather filth, they will throw it on their neighbours faces, and yet are not innocent, though they can give their authors, Neh. vi. 6. See Pfal. xv. 3.

(7) By flandering, which is an ill report without all ground, Pfal. 1. 20. This is the venom of a wretched tongue made ufe of to kill and bury alive the innocent. It has been the trial of the people of God in general, and feldom if ever do any of them efcape without it. Satan loves by his agents to vo

mit out against them reproaches and flanders, wherewith their good name may be blafted, and especially if religion and the caufe of God can be wounded through their fides. The fcourge of the tongue is a fharp fcourge.

(8.) By backbiting and whispering, Rom. i. 29. 30. Both agree in that they speak evil behind mens back, acculing them and loading them with reproach, when they are not present to answer for themselves. The backbiter does it openly, and the whisperer does it fecretly.

(9.) By tale-bearing, Lev. xix. 16. This is a fort of pedlar-trade for the devil, driven by many whose work it is to carry tales out of the house or company where they happen to be; and these are the wares they haye to vent in other houfes or companies, where they will be ready to take up new clashes and tales to where they go next. These are the plagues of society, like Satan fowing difcord among brethren. Hence fecret grudges against one another, and none knows wherefore; and when they are searched to the furtheft, it is all grounded on fome talebearer's credit.

(10.) By countenancing and encouraging o the black tribe of flanderers, backbiters, &c. Prov. xxix. 12. If thefe merchants for hell got not their wares taken off their hands, they would be afhamed of their trade, and forced to quit it. But many are as ready to take them off their hands as they are to deliver them.

(11.) By ftopping our ears against the juft defence of the parties lefed, as the malicious Jews did against Stephen, Acts vii. 57. 58. How rare is it to find a person as ready to receive a defence for, as an accu• fation against their neighbour?

(12.) By fcornful contempt, and fcoffing, and mocking of others. This was the way of Ifhmael's perfecuting of Isaac, Gal. iv. 29. Thefe viperous tongues work upon the miferics of others as the fol

28.29.

diers did at Chrift in his fufferings, Matth. xxvii. The natural imperfections of others are their fport, though reproaching the poor they defpife his Maker; yea and their finful imperfections too, for fools make a mock at fin.

Some have a mighty fondnefs for gibing and taunting; their whole converfe runs that way, to make others uneafy and themselves merry with their taunts. Let them not value themselves on their talent; if any spark of tenderness be left in them, I doubt they dare look to it as a good gift given them from above, but as an abuse of the good gift of God. It was Ifhmael's way, for which he was caft out of the family of the faithful, Gal. iv. 29.

(13.) Reviling and railing, giving others reproachful and opprobrious names, piercing them with bitter words, and murdering them with their tongues, Matth. v. 22. I Cor. vi. 10. Revilers are among thofe excluded out of heaven.

Thefe are fome of the ways how the wicked tongue gives home thrufts to others, and pierces like the piercing of the fword, following the example of him who was a liar and a murderer from the beginning. But would ye fee them all gathered together in one, ye have them in,

(13.) Lastly, Scolding and rating, an abominable diforder which we are fo much difturbed with. There their wicked hearts, ftirred up with pafiion and revenge, vomit out all at once this filthy ftuff. For there their neighbour's faults are unneceffarily difcovered, aggravated, &c. as if hell's forces were rendezvouling betwixt them. Wonder not at the expreffiou. See Jude 9. No, the angei durft not engage Satan with thefe weapons whereof he was the proper mafter, and at which none can outdo him. If ye take not better heed to your tongues, they will ruin you, Pfal. lii. 2-5.

There are fome other evils of the tongue here forbidden, the hurt whereof does not so plainly appear.

1. Talkativenefs, or much fpeaking. Some are ever talking, and are never in their element but when prattling and when once they loofe, it is as hard to ftop them as to ftop a flood, and turn it another way. Of it I fay,

(1.) It is a fign of a loose and frothy heart, where the fear of God has little place, Eccl. v. 2. For that would make our words few, true, weighty, and ufeful. When God has given us two ears, and but one tongue, that we may be fwift to hear and flow to speak; it is a pregnant evidence of a naughty heart, to be swift to speak and flow to hear.

(2.) It is the fool's badge, Eccl. v. 3. Talkative perfons, for want of acquaintance with themselves, thinking to fhew themfelves wife, ordinarily prefent a fool to the company. They will have a flood of words, who have hardly a drop of good fenfe or judgement; fo that they are juft a voice, and no more. They that are given to much speaking, can hardly fpeak either true or well; which made an orator afk a double fee of a talkative fcholar, one to learn him to fpeak well, another to learn him to hold his peace. It is the character of a virtuous woman, that he openeth her mouth with wifdem, Prov. xxxi. 26. Her mouth is not always open, but duly fhut and difcreetly opened.

2. Idle fpeaking, Matth. xii. 36. The tongue was given to man to be for the honour of God, and the good of himfelf and his neighbour. Though our words then be not evil in themfelves, they are evil because they are idle; that is, words fpoken to nʊ good purpofe, tending neither to the honour of God, nor the good of ourselves or others, neither to his moral good to make him more holy, nor to his civil good, as not being upon the neceflary concerns of human life, nor his natural good, to maintain the moderate chearfulness of fociety. It may be comprehended under foolish talking, rafh, raving,