A Direction for the Government of the Tongue

A Direction for the Government of the Tongue

From Puritan theologian William Perkins comes this little volume about a big battle to be fought by every Christian: the battle for control of our words. As with all of Perkins's writings, A Direction for the Government of the Tongue is a treasury of scriptural insight and pastoral wisdom. Four centuries later, his counsels in this book will still challenge and instruct his readers. This edition has been newly typeset and formatted for a pleasant reading experience. Also, the spelling has been largely modernized, leaving only those outdated spellings that cannot be misunderstood by a modern reader (mostly, you will find many words ending in a silent "e"!). A table of contents has also been added for convenience. William Perkins (1558-1602) was an influential Puritan theologian and preacher at Great St. Andrews in Cambridge from 1584 until his death. He faced disciplinary measures for his support of the non-conformists. In his role at Cambridge, he was able to influence a generation of Puritan leaders. A gifted and popular author, Perkins wrote more than forty books, perhaps most famously A Golden Chain . CONTENTS CHAPTER I. OF THE GENERAL MEANS OF RULING THE TONGUE. 1 CHAPTER II. OF THE MATTER OF OUR SPEECH. 5 CHAPTER III. OF THE MANNER OF OUR SPEECH, AND WHAT MUST BE DONE BEFORE WE SPEAK. 9 CHAPTER IV. WHAT IS TO BE DONE IN SPEAKING; AND OF WISDOM. 11 CHAPTER V. OF TRUTH, AND OF REVERENCE IN SPEECH. 15 CHAPTER VI. OF MODESTY AND OF MEEKNESS. 25 CHAPTER VII. OF SOBRIETY, URBANITY, FIDELITY, AND CARE OF OTHERS’ GOOD NAME. 33 CHAPTER VIII. OF THE BONDS OF TRUTH. 43 CHAPTER IX. WHAT IS TO BE DONE WHEN WE HAVE SPOKEN. 45 CHAPTER X. OF WRITING. 47 CHAPTER XI. OF SILENCE. 49 CHAPTER XII AN EXHORTATION TO KEEP THE TONGUE. 53 NOTES 59