Pfal. 140

Iaco. iii.

Coloſ, iii.

             The aucht command.            Fol. lxvii.
be ar to ſay, to quhome we ſpek in tyme and
place conuenient, and becauſe ſik diſcretioun
is a gift of God, we ſuld pray to God for it,
ſayand with the Prophet in the Pſalme. Pone
domine cuſtodiam ori meo, et oſtium circumſtatie
labiis meis. I beſeik the, O gud Lord, put a ke-
ping to my mouth, Lord I pray the gife me thi
grace, quhairby I may dant and refrane my
wung fra all vaine and euil wordis, and to ſpek
allanerly gud wordis, with dew circumſtance
of reſone. And the Apoſtil ſanct Paule ſais: St
quis in verbo non offendit, hic perfectus eſt vir.
Gyf a man offend or ſyn nocht in his worde, he
is ane perfite man. Neir ze ſuld nocht under-
ſtand yat the perfectioun of a chriſtin man ſtan-
dis onlie in gud gyding of our toung, for un-
doutand, it ſtandis principally in perfite lufe
and cheritie, as ſanct Paule declaris to the Col-
loſiens, ſayand: Super omnia charitate habete,
quod eſt vinculum perfectionis. Abone all thingis
haif cheritie, quhilk is the band of perfectioun.
Nochtheles, gud gyding of the toung, is a ſpe-
cial takin of perfectioun, and ſa ſanct James
callis a ma yat ſynnis nocht in his toung, to be
ane perfite man, for as makil as he hes ane ſpe-
cial takin of ane chriſtin mannis perfectioun.
And to gyde our toung with diſcretioun, ſanct
James exhortis us be twa familir exemples.
                    R.ii                                        The