heart be peftered with revengeful thoughts: take that word in Mat.6.14,15. If ye forgive men their trefpaffes, your Heavenly Father will forgive you; But if ye forgive not men their trefpaffes, neither will your Father forgive your trefpaßes. If luft be stirring in thee, take that fword in Mat.5.28. But I lay unto you, whosoe ver looketh on a woman to luft after her, bath com mitted adultery with her already in his heart. If pride, take that word, 1 Pet.5.5. God refifts the proud, and gives Grace to the humble. If Covetonfneffe, take that fword, Luke 12.15. Take heed and beware of covetousness, for a mans life confifteth not in the abundance of the things which he poffeffeth. And 1 Tim.6.10. The love of m ney is the root of all evil. Thus if thou art well acquainted with the word of God, thou maist find a fword to flay any inordinate affection, any rebellious luft that rifes up in thee, mo. Prov.4.23. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the iffues of life. Gal.5.24. And they that are Chrifts have cruci fied the flesh, with the affections and lufts. Tit.2.12. Teaching us that denying ungodlineß, and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, righte ously, and Godly in this prefent world. Rom.8.6. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be fpiritually minded is life and peace. V.13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die, but but if ge through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye fhall live. 1 Pet.2.11. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as ftrangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lufts which war against the foul. Eph.2.3. Among whom alfo, we all had our converfation in times paft, in the lufts of our flesh, fulfilling the defires of the flesh, and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath even as others. Prov.25.28. He that hath no rule over his owne Spirit, is like a City that is broken down, and without wals. Prov.16.32. He that is flow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a City. Eph.4.26. Beye angry, and fin not; let not the Sun go down upon your wrath. V.27. Neither give place to the devil. V.30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fealed to the day of redemption. V.31. Let all bitternesse, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. V.32. And be ye kind one to another,tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as Godfor Chrifts fake bath forgiven yon. 1 Cor.14.20. Brethren be not children in underStanding; howbeit, in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. Ecclef. Ecclef.7.9. Be not hafty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger refteth in the bofom of fools. 1 John 3.15. Whosoever hateth his Brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 2 Cor.12.20. For I fear, left when I come, I shall not find you fuch as I would, and that I shall be found unto you fuch as ye would not; left there be debates, envyings, wraths, ftrifes, backbitings, whisperings, fwellings, tumults. Jam.4.5. Do ye think that the Scripture faith in vain, the Spirit that dwelleth in us lufteth to envy? Jam.1.20. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteoufneffe of God. Luke 9.55. But be turned and rebuked them, and faid, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. John 13.35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Difciples, if ye have love one to another. 1 Pet.3.4. But let it be the hidden man of the heart. in that which is not corruptible, even the orna ment of a meek and quiet Spirit, which is in the fight of God of great price. Thirdly, Watch over thy words. Gods fervants in all ages, have feen a great deal of reafon, to refolve within themselves, to take heed of offending with their tongues, and to pray earnestly to the Lord, that he would please to 245 to fet a watch before their mouths, and to keep the door of their lips. 'Tis a great part of Religion, rightly to govern and bridle the tongue. If any man feemeth to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, this mans religion is vain, Jam.1,26. And the tranfgreffion of the tongue is the rather to be watched againft, because of the natural proneneffe that is in us to offend in that kind. We are exceedingly apt to fall into this fin partly, because of that quick intercourse that is between the tongue, and the heart, so that we fin in an inftant; partly, because fpeech is an Act we perform without labour, and fo we the more eafily offend this way: And lastly, because the fins of the tongue are very pleafing, and compliant with corrupt nature. Therefore St Fames faith, Fam.3.v.2. If any man offend not in word, the fame is a perfect man, i.e. Not only a beginner, but one that is come to fome ripeneffe, and growth in Chriftianity; his care and watchfulneffe over his words, argues him to be a found, fincere, and upright Chriftian. Oh how much reafon have we to be feriously hum bled for the errours and miscarriages of our tongues! Divide the fins of man into two parts, faies Nazianzen, and one half of them are the fins of the tongue. One reckons up twenty four fins of the tongue, and yet poffibly he hath not reckoned all. 1. Taking Gods Name in vain, in ordinary communication. 2. Unlawful fwearing. 3. Lying. 4. Curfing. 5. Perjury.. 7. Rash and unlawful vowes. 8. Heartleffe and hypocritical praying. 10. Open railing, reviling and reproaching. 11, Secret defaming, backbiting, and whiffe. ring. 12. Scoffing, jeering, fcorning, giving biting quips and girds. 13. Ribaldry, filthy speaking, fcurrulous jefting, rotten communication. neß. 14. Menacing and threatning revenge. 16. Proud boafting, and self-magnifying. 18. Vain and idle tatling. 19. Flattering and foothing in evil. 20. Enticing and alluring to fin and wicked 21. Seducing into error. 22. Murmuring and repining. 23. Difclofing fecrets contrary to promife: To all which may be added, 34. Sinful filence. Of which more afterward. |