is, one way or other it will probably come to his know. ledge), and when the time cometh, he will fhew his hatred; that is, he will take the first opportunity to revenge

it.

At the beft, it is always matter of grief to the person that is defamed. And Christianity, which is the best natured inftitution in the world, forbids us the doing of those things whereby we may grieve one another. A man's good name is a tender thing; and a wound there finks deep into the spirit even of a wife and good man: and the more innocent any man is in this kind, the more fenfible is he of this hard ufage; because he never treats others fo; nor is he conscious to himself that he hath deferved it.

2dly, The confequences of this vice are as bad or worse to ourselves. Whoever is wont to speak evil of others, gives a bad character of himself, even to thofe whom he defires to pleafe; who, if they be wife enough, will conclude, that he speaks of them to others, as he does of others to them; and were it not for that fond partiality which men have for themselves, no man could be fo blind as not to fee this.

And it is very well worthy of our confideration, which our Saviour says in this very cafe, Matth. vii. 2. that with what measure we mete to others, it shall be measured to us again; and that many times heaped up and running over; for there is hardly any thing wherein mankind do ufe more ftrict juftice and equality, than in rendering evil for evil, and railing for railing.

Nay, revenge often goes further than words. A reproachful and flanderous fpeech hath cost many a man a duel, and in that the lofs of his own life, or the murder of another, perhaps with the lofs of his own foul. And I have often wondered, that among Christians this matter is no more laid to heart.

And though neither of thefe great mifchiefs fhould happen to us, yet this may be inconvenient enough many other ways; for no man knows, in the chance of things, and the mutability of human affairs, whofe kindnefs and good-will he may come to ftand in need of before he dies. So that, did a man only confult his own fafety and quiet, he ought to refrain from evil

fpeaking:

fpeaking: Pfal. xxxiv. 12. 13. What man is he (faith the Pfalmift) that defireth life, and loveth many days, that he may fee good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from Speaking falfehood.

But there is an infinitely greater danger hanging o ver us from God. If we allow ourfelves in this evil practice, all our religion is good for nothing. So St James expressly tells us, chap. i. 26. If any man among you feem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. And St Paul puts flanderers and revilers amongst those that Shall not inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. vi. 10. And our blessed Saviour hath told us, that by our words we fhall be juftified, and by our words we fhall be condemned. To which I will add the counfel given us by the wife man, (Wisdom of Solomon, chap. i. 11.) Refrain your tongue from backbiting: for there is no word fo fecret, that shall go for nought; and the mouth that flandereth, fayeth the foul. I proceed, in the

IV. Fourth place, to add fome further arguments and confiderations to take men off from this vice. As,

1. That the ufe of fpeech is a peculiar prerogative of man above other creatures, and bestowed upon him for fome excellent end and purpofe; that by this faculty we might communicate our thoughts more eafily to one another, and confult together for our mutual comfort and benefit; not to enable us to be hurtful and injurious, but helpful and beneficial to one another. The Pfalmift, as by interpreters is generally thought, calls our tongue our glory; therewith we praife God and bless men. Now, to blefs is to fpeak well of any, and to with them well. So that we pervert the use of speech, and turn our glory into fhame, when we abuse this faculty, to the injury and reproach of any.

2. Confider how cheap a kindness it is to fpeak well, at least not to speak ill of any. A good word is an eafy obligation; but not to speak ill requires only our filence, which cofts us nothing. Some inftances of charity are chargeable, as to relieve the wants and neceffities of others. The expence deters many from this kind of charity. But were a man never fo covetous, he might af VOL. III.

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ford another man his good word; at least he might refrain from fpeaking ill of him; efpecially if it be confidered how dear many have paid for a flanderous and reproachful word.

3. Confider that no quality doth ordinarily recommend one more to the favour and good will of men, than to be free from this vice. Every one defires fuch a man's friendship, and is apt to repofe a great trust and confidence in him; and when he is dead, men will praise him. And, next to piety towards God, and righteoufnefs to man, nothing is thought a more fignificant commendation, than that he was never, or very rarely, heard to speak ill of any. It was a fingular character of a Roman gentleman, Nefcivit quid effet maledicere: "He knew not what it was to give any man an ill "word."

4. Let every man lay his hand upon his heart, and confider how himself is apt to be affected with this ufage. Speak thy confcience, man, and fay, whether, as bad as thou art, thou wouldst not be glad to have every man's, efpecially every good man's, good word ; and to have thy faults concealed; and not to be hardly fpoken of, though it may not be altogether without truth by those whom thou didft never offend by word or deed? But with what face or reafon doft thou expect this from others, to whom thy carriage hath been fo contrary? Nothing furely is more equal and reafonable, than that known rule, "What thou wouldst have 66 no man do to thee, that do thou to no man.”

5. When you are going to speak reproachfully of others, confider whether you do not lie open to juft reproach in the fame, or fome other kind. Therefore give no occafion, no example of this barbarous usage of one another.

There are very few fo innocent and free, either from infirmities or greater faults, as not to be obnoxious to reproach upon one account or other. Even the wifeft, and moft virtuous, and moft perfect amongst men, have fome little vanity or affectation, which lays them open to the raillery of a mimical and malicious wit: therefore we should often turn our thoughts upon ourselves, and look into that part of the wallet which men com

monly

monly fling over their fhoulders, and keep behind them, that they may not fee their own faults; and when we have fearched that well, let us remember our Saviour's rule, He that is without fin, let him caft the first stone.

6. Laftly, Confider, that it is in many cafes as great a charity to conceal the evil you hear and know of others, as if you relieved them in a great neceffity. And we think him a hard-hearted man that will not beftow a fmall alms upon one in great want. It is an excellent advice which the fon of Sirach gives to this purpose, Ecclus xix. 10. Talk not of other mens lives: If thou haft heard a word, let it die with thee; and be bold, it will not burst thee. I fhall, in the

V. Fifth and laft place, give fome rules and directions for the prevention and cure of this great evil among

men.

1. Never fay any evil of any man, but what you certainly know. Whenever you pofitively accufe and indite any man of any crime, though it be in private and among friends, fpeak as if you were upon your oath, because God fees and hears you. This, not only charity, but juftice, and regard to truth, do demand of us. He that eafily credits an ill report, is almost as faulty as the first inventor of it: for though you do not make, yet you commonly propagate a lie. Therefore never fpeak evil of any upon common fame, which, for the moft part, is falfe; but almost always uncertain, whether it be true or not.

Not but that it is a fault, in moft cafes, to report the evil of men which is true, and which we certainly know to be fo; but if I cannot prevail to make men wholly to abftain from this fault, I would be glad to compound with fome perfons, and to gain this point of them however; because it would retrench nine parts in ten of the evil-fpeaking that is in the world.

2. Before you fpeak evil of any man, confider whether he hath not obliged you by fome real kindness? and then it is a bad return to fpeak ill of him who hath done us good. Confider alfo, whether you may not come hereafter to be acquainted with him, related to him, or obliged by him whom you have thus injured? and how will you then be afhamed, when you re

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flect upon it; and perhaps have reafon alfo to believe, that he to whom you have done this injury, is not ignorant of it?

Confider likewife, whether, in the change of human affairs, you may not fome time or other come to stand in need of his favour; and how incapable this carriage of yours towards him will render you of it: and whether it may not be in his power to revenge a fpiteful and needlefs word by a fhrewd turn. So that if a man made no confcience of hurting others, yet he should in prudence have fome confideration of himself.

3. Let us accuftom ourselves to pity the faults of men, and to be truly forry for them; and then we fhall take no pleasure in publishing them. And this common humanity requires of us; confidering the great infirmities of human nature, and that we ourselves alfo are liable to be tempted; confidering likewife, how fevere a punifhment every fault and mifcarriage is to itself, and how terribly it expofeth a man to the wrath of God, both in this world and the other. He is not a good Chriftian, that is not heartily forry for the faults even of his greatest enemies, and if it be fo, he will discover them no farther than is necessary to fome good end.

4. Whenever we hear any man evil-fpoken of, if we know any good of him, let us fay that. It is always the more humane and the more honourable part, to ftand up in the defence and vindication of others, than to accufe and befpatter them. Poffibly the good you have heard of them may not be true; but it is much more probable, that the evil which you have heard of them is not true neither: however, it is better to preferve the eredit of a bad man, than to stain the reputation of the innocent. And if there were any need that a man should be evil spoken of, it is but fair and equal that his good and bad qualities fhould be mentioned together; other wife he may be strangely misrepresented, and an indifferent man may be made a monster.

They that will obferve nothing in a wife man, but his overfights and follies; nothing in a good man, but his failings and infirmities; may make a fhift to render a very wife and good man very despicable. If one should

heap