Tit. 5. Special Directions against Filthy, Ribald, Scurrilous Talk.
Direct. I. The chief direction against this filthy sin, is general; to get out of a graceless state, and get a heart that feareth God, and then you dare not be guilty of such impudency: God is not so despised by those that fear him.
Direct. II. Cease not your holy communion with God in his worship, especially in secret, and be not strange to him, and seldom with him. And then you dare not so pollute those lips, that use to speak seriously to God. What! talk of lust and filthiness with that tongue, that spake but even now to the most holy God! God's name and presence will awe you, and cleanse you, and show you that his temple should not be so defiled, and that he hath not called you to uncleanness but to holiness; and that a filthy tongue is unsuitable to the holy praise of God: but while the rest of your life is nothing but a serving the devil and the flesh, no wonder if ribaldry seem a fit language for you.
Direct. III. Cleanse your hearts of vanity and filthiness; and then your tongues will be more clean. It is a vain or unchaste heart that makes an unchaste tongue.
Direct. IV. Remember what a shame it is to open and proclaim that filthiness of thy heart which thou mightest have concealed. Christ telleth us how to expound thy words, that out of the abundance of thy heart thy mouth speaketh, Luke vi. 45. And what needest thou tell people that it is the rutting-moon with thee? and that lust and filthiness are the inhabitants of thy mind? If thou be not so far past all shame as to commit fornication in the open streets, why wilt thou there talk of it?
Direct. V. Remember that filthy talk is but the approach to filthy acts. It is but thy breaking the shell of modesty, that thou mayst eat the kernel of the vomiting nut. This is the tendency of it, whether thou intend it or not. Canst thou be offended with him, that believeth thou dost that villany in secret, which thou talkest of openly? or that taketh thee to be preparing thyself for a whore? If the deed be bad, thy making a jest of it cannot be good.
Direct. VI. Remember that thou biddest defiance to godliness and honesty: "corrupt communication" grieveth the Spirit of God, Eph. iv. 29, 30; v. 4. Canst thou expect that the Holy Ghost should dwell and work in so filthy a room, and with such filthy company? Darest thou go pray or read the Scripture, or speak of any holy thing, with those lips that talk of filthy ribaldry? Dost thou find thyself fit to go to prayer after such discourse? Or rather, dost thou not allow all that hear thee to think, that thou renouncest God and godliness, and never usest any serious worship of God at all? And if thou do pretend to worship him with that filthy tongue, what canst thou expect in answer to thy prayers, but a vengeance worse than Nadab and Abihu's, Lev. x. 1-3. "Shall sweet water and bitter come from the same fountain?" James iii. 11. Dost thou bless God, and talk filthily with the same tongue? and think he will not be avenged on thy hypocrisy?
Direct. VII. Consider how thou biddest defiance also to common civility. Thou dost that which civil heathens would be ashamed of; as if thou hadst a design to reduce England to the customs of cannibals and savages in America, that go naked, and are past shame.
Direct. VIII. Observe what service thou dost the devil, for the corrupting of others;[548] as if he had hired thee to be a tutor in his academy, or one of his preachers, to draw the minds of the hearers from modesty, and prepare them for the stews. Especially people can scarce have more dangerous wildfire cast into their fantasies, than by hearing rotten, filthy talk. And wilt thou be one of Venus's priests?
Direct. IX. Remember how little need there is of thy endeavour. Are not lust and filthiness so natural, and the minds of all unsanctified and uncleansed ones so prone to it, that they need no tutor, nor instigator, nor pander to their lusts? This fire is easily kindled; the bellows of thy scurrility are needless to make such gunpowder burn.