would cure its neighbour's disease without exasperating his
patience, troubling his modesty, or impairing his credit. As it
always judgeth candidly, so it never condemneth extremely.


II. But so much for the explication of this precept, and the
directive part of our discourse. I shall now briefly propound some
inducements to the observance thereof.

1. Let us consider that nothing more than railing and reviling is
opposite to the nature, and inconsistent with the tenor of our
religion; which (as even a heathen did observe of it) nil nisi
justum suadet, et lene, doth recommend nothing but what is very just
and mild; which propoundeth the practices of charity, meekness,
patience, peaceableness, moderation, equity, alacrity, or good
humour, as its principal laws, and declareth them the chief fruits
of the Divine spirit and grace; which chargeth us to curb and
compose all our passions; more particularly to restrain and repress
anger, animosity, envy, malice, and such-like dispositions, as the
fruits of carnality and corrupt lust; which consequently drieth up
all the sources or dammeth up the sluices of bad language. As it
doth above all things oblige us to bear no ill-will in our hearts,
so it chargeth us to vent none with our mouths.

2. It is therefore often expressly condemned and prohibited as
evil. 'Tis the property of the wicked; a character of those who
work iniquity, to "whet their tongues like a sword, and bend their
bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words."

3. No practice hath more severe punishments denounced to it than