6. Our words have a great reflection and operation upon our own hearts. As they come from them, so they recoil to them, as in prayer and conference we daily observe. Therefore for our own good or hurt, our words are not to be made light of.
7. God's law and judgment will best teach you what regard you should have to words. Christ telleth you, that by "your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned," Matt. xii. 37. And it is words of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which are the unpardonable sin. James iii. 2, "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body." Ver. 6, "The tongue is a fire; a world of iniquity: so is the tongue amongst our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell." James i. 26, "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." 1 Pet. iii. 10, "For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile." Matt. xii. 36, "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." The third commandment telleth us, that "God will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." And Psal. xv. 1-3, "Speaking the truth in his heart, and not backbiting with the tongue," is the mark of him that shall abide in "God's tabernacle, and dwell in his holy hill." And the very work of heaven is said to be the perpetual "praising of God," Rev. xiv. 11. Judge now how God judgeth of your words.
8. And some conjecture may be made by the judgment of all the world. Do you not care yourselves what men speak of you and to you? Do you not care what language your children, or servants, or neighbours give you? Are not words against the king treasonable and capital, as well as deeds? The "wheel of affairs or course of nature is set on fire by words," James iii. 6. I may conclude then with Prov. xviii. 21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue:" and Prov. xxi. 23, "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from trouble."
The duties of the tongue.
Direct. II. Understand well and remember the particular duties of the tongue; for the mere restraint of it from evil is not enough; and they are these: 1. To glorify God by the magnifying of his name; to speak of the praises of his attributes and works. 2. To sing psalms of praise to him, and delight our souls in the sweet commemoration of his excellencies. 3. To give him thanks for the mercies already received, and declare to others what he hath done for our souls and bodies, for his church and for the world. 4. To pray to him for what we want, and for our brethren, for the church, and for the conversion of his and our enemies. 5. To appeal to him and swear by his name when we are called to it lawfully. 6. To make our necessary covenants and vows to him, and to make open profession of our belief, subjection, and obedience to him, before men. 7. To preach his word, or declare it in discourse, and to teach those that are committed to our care, and edify the ignorant and erroneous as we have opportunity. 8. To defend the truth of God by conference or disputation; and confute the false doctrine of deceivers. 9. To exhort men to their particular duties, and to reprove their particular sins; and endeavour to do them good as we are able. 10. To confess our own sins to God and man as we have occasion. 11. To crave the advice and help of others for our souls; and inquire after the will of God, and the way to salvation. 12. To praise that which is good in others, and speak good of all men, superiors, equals, and inferiors, so far as there is just ground and cause. 13. To bear witness to the truth, when we are called to it. 14. To defend the cause of the just and innocent, and vindicate them against false accusers; and excuse those causes and persons that deserve excuse. 15. To communicate and convey to others the same good impressions and affections of mind, which God hath wrought on us, and not only the bare truths themselves which we have received. 16. Lastly, to be instruments of common converse; of expressing our mutual affections and respects, and transacting all our worldly business: for learning, arts, manufactures, &c. These are the uses and duties of the tongue.[480]
The sins of the tongue.
Direct. III. Understand and remember what are the sins of the tongue to be avoided. And they are very many, and many of them very great: the most observable are these:
1. (Not to say any more of the sins of omission; because it is easy to know them, when I have named the duties, which are done or omitted,) among the sins of commission, the first that I shall name is, blasphemy, as being the greatest; which is the reproaching of God: to speak contemptuously of God, or to vilify him, or dishonour him, by the denying of his perfections, and to debase him, by false titles, doctrines, images, resemblances, as likening him to man in any of our imperfections; any thing that is a reproaching of God is blasphemy. Such as Rabshakeh used when he threatened Hezekiah; and such as infidels and heretics use, when they deny his omnipresence, omniscience, government, justice, particular providence or goodness; and affirm any evil of him, as that he is the author of sin, or false of his word, or that he governeth the world by mere deceit, or the like.
2. Another sin of the tongue is, false doctrine, or teaching things false and dangerous as from God. If any falsely say, he had such or such a point by divine inspiration, vision, or revelation, that maketh him a false prophet. But if he only say falsely, that this or that doctrine is contained in the Scripture, or delivered by tradition to the church, this is but to be a false teacher; which is a sin greater or less according to the aggravations hereafter mentioned.
3. Another of the sins of the tongue is, an opposing of godliness indirectly, by false application of true doctrine, and an opposing of godly persons for the sake of godliness, and cavilling against particular truths and duties of religion; or indirectly opposing the truth or duty under pretence of opposing only some controverted mode or imperfection in him that speaketh or performeth it: a defending of those points and practices which would subvert or undermine religion: a secret endeavour to make all serious godliness seem a needless thing. There are many that seem orthodox, that are impious and malicious opposers of that truth in the application, which themselves do notionally hold, and positively profess.