The saints submission and Satan's overthrowThe saints submission and Sathans overthrow

The rebellions of the outward man follow; which are either in speeches or actions. Both these are expressed, Isa. 3. 8. Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen, because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory. Rebellious speeches consist either ⟨p. 49⟩in the vanity or rottenness of them. First, there must be no vanity in our speeches, we must as the wise man speaketh, ponder our words, not speak any thing, till having pondered it, we find it to be of sufficient weight, worth the uttering. Did we seriously consider, that we must give account of every ⟨p. 50⟩idle word, that every idle word is a rebellion, we would surely make more conscience of idle words then we do. Secondly, rotten speeches are such wherewith there is joined some corruption Ephes. 4. 29. the contrary to these are called gracious speeches, Col. 4. 6. Now there are two sorts of either kind; ⟨p. 51⟩a speech is called gracious, either because it proceedeth from some inward grace, that is called a zealous speech which proceeds from the affection of zeal; or else because it ministers some grace to the hearers, or stirs up some grace in them which lay dead before: So those are corrupt speeches, which either proceed from ⟨p. 52⟩some corruption in the speaker, or stir up some corruption in the hearer. Our speeches should be powdered with Salt. Col. 4. 6. unless they be seasoned with grace, they are like unsavoury meat which for want of Salt becomes putrefied Pro. 10. 20. The tongue of the just man is as fined silver, that is, his words are precious as silver, and like ⟨p. 53⟩