24. Another sin is, railing, reviling, or passionate, provoking words, which tend to the diminution of charity, and the breach of peace, and the stirring up of discord, and of a return of railing words from others, contrary to the love, and patience, and meekness, and gentleness which become saints.
25. Another sin is, cheating, deceiving, overreaching words; when men use their tongues to defraud their neighbours, in bargaining for their own gain.
26. Another sin of the tongue is, false witness-bearing, and false accusing; a sin which cries to God for vengeance, who is the justifier of the innocent.
27. Another sin of the tongue is, the passing an unrighteous sentence in judgment: when rulers absolve the guilty or condemn the just, and call evil good and good evil, and say to the righteous, "Thou art wicked," Prov. xxiv. 24.
28. Another sin of the tongue is, flattery; which is the more heinous by how much more hurtful. And it is most hurtful, 1. When it tendeth to delude men in the greatest things, even the state of their souls. The flattery of a preacher that deceiveth men as in the name of Christ, is of all other flattery the most pernicious; to make the unregenerate believe that they are regenerate, and the ungodly to believe that they are godly, and the unjustified to believe that they are justified, and the children of Satan to believe that without conversion they may be saved; to make a worldling, a swearer, a glutton, a drunkard, a fornicator, a formal hypocrite, or a hater of holiness, believe that such as he may come to heaven without the sanctifying, renewing work of the Holy Ghost; this is the most eminent service of the devil that the tongue of any man can do him, except it be the very open opposers of religion. As the devil useth more to flatter men to hell, than to frighten them thither, so do his ministers and instruments. And all doctrines of libertinism and looseness, which warrant men to do evil and to neglect a holy life, are of the two a more dangerous way of flattery, than that which consisteth but in misapplication. Thus also carnal friends do use to flatter a sinner into presumption and false hopes, when they see him convinced of his sin and misery, and say, Trouble not yourself; God is merciful, and you have lived well, and been a good neighbour, and done nobody harm, and if such as you be not saved, God help a great many. Thus when a convinced sinner is striving to get out of the devil's snares, the servants of Satan rock him asleep again, by false and flattering speeches and deceit. 2. Flattering is pernicious when it tendeth to the hurt of many; as when rulers are deceived and perverted by it to the destruction of the people and themselves.[484] Prov. xxvi. 28, "A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it, and a flattering mouth worketh ruin." See 1 Thess. ii. 5; Ezek. xii. 24; Psal. xii. 2, 3.
29. Another sin is, a jeering, mocking, deriding, or scorning at others, either for their infirmities of body or mind, or for their virtues, or through envy and malice, or pride, or a custom of deriding, scornful speech. "Scorners delight in scorning," Prov. i. 22. See Psal. xxii. 7; xliv. 13; lxxix. 4. Especially when sinners scorn at the reproofs and counsels of the godly, and cast them all back into their faces with contempt; for he that "reproveth a scorner getteth himself a blot," Prov. ix. 7, 8. "A scorner loveth not one that reproveth," Prov. xv. 12.
30. Another tongue sin is, idolatry or false worship; the praise of idols, or praying to them, or making songs, or speeches, or disputes for them; as also the false worship of the true God. These among others are the sins of the tongue to be avoided. No wonder if there be yet more, for the "tongue is ὁ κοσμος της αδικιας, a world of iniquity," James iii. 6.
Direct. IV. When you have thus understood the duties and sins of the tongue, and the greatness of them, the next thing which you must be most careful and diligent about is, that you keep all that upon the heart which should be upon the tongue, and keep the heart clean from that which the tongue must be kept clean from.[485] The principal work must be about the heart; for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." 1. The tongue will be no other way effectually governed; if the heart be upon the world, the tongue will most commonly be upon the world; you may force it a little against your hearts, but it will be to a very unconstant obedience; when you ever so little loose the reins it is gone. If the heart be proud, the tongue will speak proudly; if the heart be lustful, or vain, or malicious, the words will ordinarily be so too. 2. Or if you can force the tongue to go against the heart, it is but a hypocritical reformation. A vain, a proud, a worldly, a wanton, a malicious or ungodly heart will condemn you, though the tongue was forced to speak humbly, chastely, patiently, or piously. Therefore if you would overcome the vanity, or worldliness, or wantonness, or any other corruption of your speech, first set yourselves to overcome the same corruption in your hearts, and to revive and actuate the contrary graces. And if you would use your tongues to the honour of God, and the edification of men, wind up the spring of those holy affections which must be as water to the mill. It is the use of the tongue to express the mind: and it is the use of holy speech to be the expression of a holy mind. And do you think to express that which you have not? Will you make a duty of a lie? If you would speak of Christ or heaven with seriousness, see that your hearts are seriously set upon Christ and heaven. When you go into any company where you should speak for God, and for the hearers' good, endeavour beforehand to get a deep impression on your hearts of those attributes or truths of God which you would express; and to revive the sense of that upon yourselves which you would make others sensible of. Stir up within you the love of God, and the love of holiness and truth, and a love of the souls of them you speak to; and then you will be as a conduit which runs as soon as the cock is turned, because it is always full of water.
Direct. V. Labour for understanding in the matters on which you should discourse. Ignorance denieth provision for discourse, or furnisheth you only with chaff and vanity, and maketh you so speak as that it were better to say nothing. Knowledge and wisdom are continual storehouses of good and profitable talk: such as the "scribe instructed to the kingdom of heaven, that bringeth out of his treasure things new and old," Matt. xiii. 52. When a man understandeth the matter which he is to speak of, he is furnished to speak understandingly of it to others, and to defend it against gainsayers. Psal. xxxvii. 30, 31, "The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment: the law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide." Prov. x. 31, 32, "The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom; but the froward tongue shall be cut out: the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable; but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness." Wise men are never unprovided for wise speech; but the mouth of fools bewrayeth their folly. Prov. xv. 2, "The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright; but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness." Chap. xiv. 3, "In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride; but the lips of the wise shall preserve them." Chap. xviii. 6, 7, "A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul." But you will say, To tell us that we should get wisdom, is a word soon spoken, but not a thing that is easily or quickly done. It is very true; and therefore it is as true, that the tongue is not easily well used and governed; for men cannot express the wisdom which they have not, unless it be by rote: therefore you must take Solomon's counsel, Prov. ii. 1-6, "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear to wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God: for the Lord giveth wisdom," &c.—