Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

Head II. Fruitfulnefs. 343
God’s Inchfure, hedg’d about as a Garden for him-.
Cant. iv. 16. ’Tis true, there are Weeds of Cor¬
ruption there, becaufe the Ground is not yet per¬
fectly healed: But the Man, in the Day of his
new Creation, is fet to drefs it, and keep it. A
Live-coal from the Altar has touched his Lips, and
they are purified, Pfal. xv. 1,2, 3. Lord, wbofoall
abide in thy 1‘abernacle ? Who Jhall dwell in thy
holy Hill ? He that fpeaketb the CL• uth in h:s Heart.
He that backbiteth not with his ‘tongue, nor taketh
up a Reproach againjl his Neighbour. There may
be indeed a fmooth Tongue, where there is a falfe
Heart. The Voice may be Jacob’s, while the Hands
are Efau's. But, If any Man among you feem to
be religious’, and bridletb not his Tongue, but de~
eeiwth bis own Heart, this Man’s Religion is <vain,
James i. 26. The Power of Godlinefs will rule o-
ver the Tongue, tho’ a World of Iniquity. If one
be a Galilean, his Speech will bewray him ; he’ll
fpeak not the Language of Afiodod, but the Lan¬
guage of Canaan. He’Jl neither be dumb in Reli¬
gion ; nor will his Tongue walk at Random, fee¬
ing to the double Guard, Nature hath given the
Tongue, Grace hath added a Third. The Fruits
of Holinefs will be found, in his outward Coivver-
fation, for he hath clean Hands, as well as a pure
Heart, Pfal. xxiv. 4. He is a godly Man, and reli-
gioufly difeharges the Duties of the firjl Table of
the Law » He is a righteous Man, and honeft-
ly performs the Duties of the fecond Table.
In his Converfation he’s a good Chrijiian, and
a good Neighbour too. He carries it towards
God, as if Mens Eyes were upon him; and
towards Men, as believing God’s Eye to be u-
pon him. Thefe Things which God hath join-