He will give you, (believing on the Lord Jesus Christ,) pardon, that blessed gift, pardon for all thy sins, thy multiplied, aggravated, fearful transgressions, "Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more," Hebrews viii. 12. (Oh! the value of this boon at a dying hour to an immortal soul!) He can, He will give you peace, the enjoyment of this pardon, peace in the face of a frowning world and in the prospect of a fast coming eternity. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you," John xiv. 27. Strength too shall be yours, “sin shall not have dominion over you," this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Instead of being the slave to base lusts, you shall be the servant of God and shall “yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness."

"And in the world to come eternal life." This will He give, who hath bought you with His blood, upholds you with His power, sanctifies you by His Spirit, and will finally glorify you in the mansions of the blessed. "I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of My hand," John x. 28.

O ye immortal souls! will ye put" the dust

of the earth"-" the hundred talents"-the delights of sense the world and its glareagainst these realities, these lasting realities? Will you grasp at a shadow and lose the substance? Look onwards a few short years and what price will ye put on all of this world that you now count dear. Ye will "cast your idols to the moles and to the bats." Oh come then now to Jesus and be happy. Come and give thy whole heart to God, and prove in your own blessed experience that "godliness hath the promise of the life that now is as well as of that which is to come," 1 Tim. iv. 8.

Whilst others may cry "What shall we do for the hundred talents," let thy thought be, "Oh my soul, God is able to give thee much more than this." A smile from my God will make up for it all. If "the Lord be my Shepherd I shall not want." When "flesh and heart fail, God shall be the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." "As for me, I will behold Thy face, O Lord, in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake with Thy likeness.'

V.

"THE TONGUE."

ST. JAMES iii., part of 6th verse.
“The tongue is a fire,—a world of iniquity.”

SOLEMN is the witness here borne. As every member of the body is abused by the ungodly man, so especially, the tongue. Thus in the description of the unconverted quoted from the Psalms in the 3rd chapter of the epistle to the Romans, (verse 10, &c.) the wickedness brought forth by the tongue is most frequently insisted on, "Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues they have used deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." And yet through the perverseness of man, no sins are less regarded than the sins of the tongue.

Let us ask for the grace of God's holy Spirit that the ear may take in truth and the heart apply it, whilst we dwell for a short season on the evils of the tongue. Lord! grant that we may profit by Thy word for Jesus' sake. Amen.

The tongue, then, is our subject. Let us

inquire,

I. What God's Word saith it IS,

II. What it DOES,

III. What shall be done to IT.

I. What God's Word saith it IS. It is not to be described in one sentence; it is spoken of in the Bible under different likenesses, all opening to us the deadly evil that is connected with an untamed tongue.

1. It is called "a fire," "the tongue is a fire," James iii. 6. Small in itself, this little member, like a spark, kindles "great matters.” Nay, it is more destructive than fire; that may burn houses, villages, towns, the tongue consumes character, reputation, nay destroys the very soul; fire may be put out after a while, but who shall quench that which this evil member hath kindled?

2. It is called "poison," and deadly poison too, James iii. 8; Rom. iii. 13. Deadly poison it is, sometimes so gently insinuating itself, that its effects are not seen, till it hath reached the marrow, and coldness gathers round the heart. Of such a nature, are the suggestions of the infidel, the doubt instilled, like poison by the tongue of the asp. As you would not taste poison, to try whether it would destroy,

"so come not thou into their secret," avoid their path, "walk not thou in the way with them." Their track is marked by the dying and the dead.

even "a sharp

It may well be That bitter re

3. It is called "a sword," sword," Psa. lvii. 4, lxiv. 3. termed so, it pierces deeply. proach, that cutting word, that unkind sarcasm, how many an one hath fallen down wounded under this weapon. Under these attacks Hannah writhed, till "sore provoked she wept and did not eat," 1 Sam. i. 7. If thou hast drawn this sword, return it to the scabbard, yea, rather cast it away. The man who sharpens it, uses Satan's whetstone, and whilst he grieveth others, is preparing destruction for himself.

4. It is likened to a beast, and declared untameable; whilst beasts may be tamed, James iii. 7, 8: "The tongue can no man tame." No, He only who saith to the angry sea, "Be still," and it is calm, can quiet the raging of an evil tongue. Like unto Him whom it obeys, it goeth forth "as a roaring lion, seeking whom it may devour." It scorns the bit and the bridle. The tongue can no man tame. Solemn words! that may well call forth well call forth a prayer from every heart, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips," Psa. cxli. 3.