sake of that to deny themselves almost all sort of ease and pleasure To deny themselves did I say No they have wisely and judiciously chosen the truest and highest Pleasure that this World knows the Pleasure of doing good and being Benefactors to Mankind May they have a long and happy Reign over us to make us happy and to lay up in store for Themselves a Happiness without measure and without end in God's glorious and everlasting Kingdom For his Mercies sake in Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory Thanksgiving and Praise both now and for ever Amen A SERMON AGAINST EVIL-SPEAKING Preached before the King and Queen AT WHITE-HALL Febr. the 25 th 1693 4. A Sermon against Evil-speaking TIT. iij. 2 To speak evil of no man GEneral Persuasives to Repentance and a good Life and Invectives against Sin and Wickedness at large are certainly of good use to recommend Religion and Virtue and to expose the deformity and danger of a Vicious course But it must be acknowledged on the other hand that these general Discourses do not so immediately tend to reform the Lives of men Because they fall among the Croud but do not touch the Consciences of particular Persons in so sensible and awakening a manner as when we treat of particular Duties and Sins and endeavour to put men upon the practice of the one and to reclaim them from the other by proper Arguments taken from the Word of God and from the nature of particular Vertues and Vices The general way is as if a Physician instead of applying particular Remedies to the Distemper of his Patient should entertain him with a long discourse of Diseases in general and of the pleasure and advantages of Health and earnestly persuade him to be well without taking his particular Disease into consideration and prescribing Remedies for it But if we would effectually reform men we must take to task the great and common disorders of their Lives and represent their faults to them in such a manner as may convince them of the evil and danger of them and put them upon the endeavour of a cure And to this end I have pitched upon one of the common and reigning Vices of the Age Calumny and Evil-speaking by which men contract so much guilt to themselves and create so much trouble to others And from which it is to be feared few or none are wholly free For who is he saith the Son of Sirach that hath not offended with his tongue In many things saith St. James we offend all And if any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man But how few have attain'd to this perfection And yet unless we do endeavour after it and in some good measure attain it all our pretence to Religion is vain So the same Apostle tells us If any man among you seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart that man's Religion is vain For the more distinct handling of this Argument I shall reduce my Discourse to these Five Heads First I shall consider the Nature of this Vice and wherein it consists Secondly I shall consider the due extent of this Prohibition To speak evil of no man Thirdly I shall shew the Evil of this practice both in the Causes and Effects of it Fourthly I shall add some further Considerations to dissuade men from it Fifthly I shall give some Rules and Directions for the prevention and cure of it I. I shall consider what this Sin or Vice of evil speaking here forbidden by the Apostle is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to defame and slander any man not to hurt his reputation as the Etymology of the word doth import So that this Vice consists in saying things of others which tend to their disparagement and reproach to the taking away or lessening of their Reputation and good Name And this whether the things said be true or not If they be false and we know it then it is down-right Calumny and if we do not know it but take it upon the report of others it is however a Slander and so much the more injurious because really groundless and undeserved If the thing be true and we know it to be so yet it is a defamation and tends to the prejudice of our neighbour's reputation And it is a fault to say the evil of others which is true unless there be some good reason for it besides Because it is contrary to that charity and goodness which Christianity requires to divulge the faults of others though they be really guilty of them without necessity or some other very good reason for it Again It is Evil-speaking and the Vice condemn'd in the Text whether we be the first Authors of an ill Report or relate it from others because the man that is evil spoken of is equally defam'd either way Again Whether we speak evil of a man to his face or behind his back The former way indeed seems to be the more generous but yet is a great Fault and that which we call reviling The latter is more mean and base and that which we properly call Slander or Backbiting And Lastly Whether it be done directly and in express terms or more obscurely and by way of oblique insinuation whether by way of down-right reproach or with some crafty preface of commendation For so it have the effect to defame the manner of address does not much alter the case The one may be more dextrous but is not one jot less faulty For many times the deepest Wounds are given by these smoother and more artificial ways of Slander as by asking questions Have you not heard so and so of such a man I say no more I only ask the question Or by general intimations that they are loth to say what they have heard of such a one are very sorry for it and do not at all believe it if you will believe them And this many times without telling the thing but leaving you in the dark to suspect the worst These and such like Arts though they may seem to be tenderer and gentler ways of using men's reputation yet in truth they are the most malicious and effectual methods of Slander because they insinuate something that is much worse than is said and yet are very apt to create in unwary men a strong belief of something that is very bad though they know not what it is So that it matters not in what fashion a Slander is dress'd up if it tend to defame a man and to diminish his Reputation it is the Sin forbidden in the Text. II. We will consider the extent of this Prohibition to speak evil of no man and the due bounds and limitations of it For it is not to be understood absolutely to forbid us to say any thing concerning others that is bad This in some cases may be necessary and our duty and in several cases
First I observe the charitable Decorum which our B. Saviour keeps in this as well as in the rest of his Parables as if He would fain suppose and hope that among those who enjoy the Gospel and make profession of it the number of them that are truly good is equal to those that are bad For our B. Saviour here represents the whole number of the Professors of Christianity by ten Virgins the half whereof the Parable seems to suppose to be truly and really good and to persevere in goodness to the end vers 1 2. Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten Virgins which took their Lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom And five of them were wise and five were foolish Secondly I observe how very common it is for men to neglect this great concernment of their Souls viz. a due preparation for another World and how willing men are to deceive themselves herein and to depend upon any thing else how groundless and unreasonable soever rather than to take pains to be really good and fit for Heaven And this is in a very lively manner represented to us in the description of the foolish Virgins who had provided no supply of Oyl in their Vessels and when the Bridegroom was coming would have furnish'd themselves by borrowing or buying of others vers 8.9 10. Thirdly I observe That even the better sort of Christians are not careful and watchful as they ought to prepare themselves for Death and Judgment Whilst the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept even the wise Virgins as well as the foolish Fourthly I observe further how little is to be done by us to any good purpose in this great work of Preparation when it is deferr'd and put off to the last Thus the foolish Virgins did and what a sad confusion and hurry they were in we may see vers 6 7 8 9. And at midnight there was a cry made Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet Him At midnight the most dismal and unseasonable time of all other Then all those Virgins arose and trimmed their Lamps and the foolish said unto the wise give us of your Oyl for our Lamps are gone out But the wise answered not so lest there be not enough for us and you but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selves And how ineffectual all that they could do at that time prov'd to be we find verse 10 11 12 And whilst they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut Afterwards came also the other Virgins saying Lord Lord open to us But he answered and said verily I say unto you I know you not Fifthly I observe that there is no such thing as Works of Super-erogation That no man can do more than needs and is his duty to do by way of preparation for another World For when the foolish Virgins would have begg'd of the wise some Oyl for their Lamps the wise answered not so lest there be not enough for us and you It was only the foolish Virgins that had entertain'd this foolish conceit that there might be an over-plus of Grace and Merit in others sufficient to supply their want But the wise knew not of any that they had to spare but suppos'd all that they had little enough to qualify them for the reward of eternal life Not so say they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest at any time lest when there should be need and occasion all that we have done or could do should prove little enough for our selves Sixthly and lastly I observe That if we could suppose any persons to be so over-good as to have more grace and goodness than needs to qualify them for the reward of eternal life yet there is no assigning and transferring of this over-plus of Grace and Virtue from one man to another For we see verse 9 10. that all the ways which they could think of of borrowing or buying Oyl of others did all prove ineffectual because the thing is in its own nature impracticable that one Sinner should be in a condition to merit for another All these Observations seem to have some fair and probable foundation in some part or other of this Parable and most of them I am sure are agreeable to the main scope and intention of the whole I shall speak to them severally and as briefly as I can First I observe the charitable Decorum which our B. Saviour keeps in this as well as in the rest of his Parables as if he would fain suppose and hope that among those who enjoy the Gospel and make Profession of it the number of those who make a firm and sincere Profession of it and persevere in goodness to the end is equal to the number of those who do not make good their Profession or who fall off from it I shall not be long upon this because I lay the least stress upon it of all the rest I shall only take notice that our B. Saviour in this Parable represents the whole number of the Professors of Christianity by ten Virgins the half of which the Parable seems to suppose to have sincerely embraced the Christian Profession and to have persever'd therein to the last The Kingdom of heaven shall be likened unto ten Virgin which took their Lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom And five of them were wise and five were foolish And this Decorum our B. Saviour seems carefully to observe in his other Parables As in the Parable of the Prodigal Luke 15. where for one Son that left his Father and took riotous courses there was another that stayed always with him and continued constant to his duty And in the Parable of the ten Talents which immediately follows that of the ten Virgins two are supposed to improve the Talents committed to them for one that made no improvement of his He that had five Talents committed to him made them five more and he that had two gained other two and only he that had but one Talent hid it in the earth and made no improvement of it And in the Parable which I am now upon the number of the Professors of Christianity who took care to fit and prepare themselves for the coming of the Bridegroom is supposed equal to the number of those who did not And whether this be particularly intended in the Parable or not it may however be thus far instructive to us That we should be so far from lessening the number of true Christians and from confining the Church of Christ within a narrow compass so as to exclude out of its Communion the far greatest part of the Professors of Christianity that on the contrary we should enlarge the Kingdom of Christ as much as we can and extend our charity to all Churches and Christians of what Denomination soever as far as regard to Truth and to the foundations of the
in execution As against the profanation of the Lord's Day by secular business by vain sports and pastimes which by the very nature of them are apt to dissolve the minds of men into mirth and pleasure and to carry them off from all serious thoughts of God and Religion and from the Meditations of another World and to give the Devil an advantage and an opportunity which be never fails to take to steal the good seed the Word of God which they have heard that Day out of their hearts and to make it of none effect And which is yet worse by lewd and sinful practices which are unlawful at any time but upon that Day are a double breach and violation of God's Law And likewise by neglecting to put in execution the Laws against profane Swearing and Cursing for which the Land mourns and against Drunkenness and Adultery and Fornication which are so common and so impudently committed amongst us whether they be Civil or Ecclesiastical Laws and it is hard to say which of them are most remisly executed And to mention no more by neglecting to prosecute that horrible Sin of Murther so frequently now committed in our Streets beyond the example of former Ages with that severity and impartiality which is necessary to free the Nation from the guilt of that crying Sin which calls so loud to Heaven for Vengeance And all this notwithstanding the Magistrates are under the Oath of God to put the Laws in due execution against all these Crimes so far as they come to their knowledge and fall under their cognisance 2. The Sins of the Ministers who serve at God's Altar and watch over the Souls of men whose bloud will be required at their hands if any of them perish through their fault and neglect There is no reason to doubt but that there are a good number of faithful Shepherds in the Land who watch over their Flocks with great care and conscience remembring the dreadful Account which they must one Day make to Him who shall judge the quick and dead of the Souls committed to their charge But yet how grosly do many of us fail of the faithful discharge of the substantial parts of this high Office wanting a just sense of the inestimable worth and value of the Souls of men for whom Christ died taking little or no care to instruct them in the good knowledge of the Lord and to lead them in the way to eternal happiness by an exemplary conversation Nay too many among us demean themselves so scandalously as perfectly to undermine the credit and effect of their Doctrine by leading lives so directly contrary to it and to alienate their People from the Church and to make them to abhorr the Sacrifice and Service of the Lord by their wicked and unhallowed Conversations hereby exposing them to the craft of Seducers and rendring them an easie prey to the Emissaries of the Church of Rome or to any other Sect and Faction that pretends a greater zeal for Religion or makes a better shew of a strict and unblameable life For who will regard or believe those Teachers who give all the evidence that can be by their lives and actions that they do not believe themselves and their own Doctrines When all is said the life and manners of the Preacher are the best eloquence and have that dint and power of persuasion in them which no words no art can equal Who so lives as he speaks does as it is said of our Blessed Saviour Speaks as one that hath authority and not as the Scribes Not as the Scribes whose words notwithstanding all the formality and gravity with which they were deliver'd did therefore want weight and force because as our Saviour tells us of them they said but did not their Lives were not answerable to their Doctrines Whereas our Blessed Saviour therefore spoke as never man spake because he liv'd as never man liv'd so innocent so useful so exemplary a life He was holy harmless and undefil'd He did no sin neither was guile found in his lips He fulfilled all righteousness and went about doing good This was that which made Him so powerful a Preacher of Righteousness and we must necessarily fall so much short of Him in the authority and efficacy of our Sermons as we do in the holiness and goodness of our Lives Such a Preacher and such a practice as that of our Blessed Saviour was is every way fitted to reprove and persuade and reform Mankind We now live in an Age and Church wherein they who are called to be the Teachers and Guides of Souls ought to take great heed both to their Doctrine and their Lives that the Name of God may not be blasphem'd and his holy Religion be brought into contempt by those who above all others are most nearly concern'd to preserve and support the credit and honour of it And we cannot but see how our Religion and Church are beset and endanger'd on every side by the rude assaults of Infidelity and by the cunning Arts of seducing Spirits and by our own intestine Heats and Divisions And it can never be sufficiently lamented no though it were with tears of bloud that we whose particular charge and employment it is to build up the Souls of Men in a holy Faith and in the resolution of a good Life should for want of due instruction and by the dissolute and profligate lives of too many among us and by inflaming our needless Differences about lesser things have so great a hand in pulling down Religion and in betraying the Souls of Men either to downright Infidelity or to a careless neglect and profane contempt of all Religion May not God justly expostulate this matter with us as he did of old with the People of the Jews A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the Land the Prophets prophesy falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and my People love to have it so and what will ye doe in the end thereof When they who are the Pastors and Guides of Souls have by their ill conduct and management brought matters to that pass that the generality of the People sit down contented with the worst state of things and are become almost indifferent whether they have any Religion or not what can the end of these things be but that the Kingdom of God will be taken from us and given to a Nation that will bring forth the fruits of it If ever there be a publick Reformation among us it must begin at the House of God and they who are the Ministers of Religion must lead on this work and be more careful and conscientious in the discharge of that high and holy Office which is committed to them by the Great Shepherd and Bishop of Souls Else what shall we say when God shall challenge us as he once did the Pastors of the Jewish Church by his Prophet saying Where is the Flock that was given thee thy beautiful