fort of licentioufnefs, is to fet it at variance with the understanding, with which it ought to be infeparably joined; thereby affronting God, the author of fo invaluable an endowment, and introducing confufion and unhappiness into the world.

But, "if any offend not in word,” we are told by an Apostle" the fame is a perfect man," thereby intimating to us as well the great difficulty, as the great virtue of regulating the tongue. And truly, fo powerful an inftrument is this little member; at the fame time fo flippery, and applicable to the best or worst ends; that it is either our glory (as the Pfalmift calls it) when employed to the honour of God and the edification of our Neighbour, or otherwise our shame and reproach, when perverted to irreligious, vile, or fraudulent purposes.

Now

Now in order to direct our language to the advantageous ufes for which it was given and defigned, there cannot poffibly be a better expedient, than the obfervance of that Charity which is taught and commanded us in the gospel.

The origin of our words is doubtless the heart, out of the abundance of which, faid Christ, the mouth speaketh; remarking yet more exprefsly, that "a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his beart that which is evil." If then this fecret fountain be pure from all uncharitablenefs, the whole stream of our converfation will be pure likewife; if no guile nor envy nor malice ferment in the heart, neither will the fcum of those base affections, such as lies and clamour and evil-speaking, vent itself at the mouth. For though the

bad

bad person and hypocrite may fo far difguife his malevolent intentions, as to utter fweet words, when at the fame instant his inward parts are very bitternefs; yet it cannot confiftently be fupposed that the man who loves his God with all his foul, and his Neighbour as himself, should either blafpheme the one, or flander the other: Because this would be to contradict his own good principles, and belie his virtue. So infallible a fource of all moral communication is a mind actuated by a true fenfe of Charity.

And here, in order to a clearer insight into the value and neceffity of this grace, with respect to the fruit of men's lips; it will be requifite to take fome particular notice of those vices of the tongue, which offend against the laws of Charity, and loudly call for an effectual application of it.

The

The firft I fhall mention is that infamous, I might add blafphemous, abuse of speech in vulgar oaths and execrations: Which, as they are highly offenfive to every serious and religious ear, are also a great inftance of uncharitable demeanour. For "Love (faith the Apoftle) worketh no ill to it's neighbour," hath a tender regard to his peace and quiet, and will not unneceffarily grieve him, or put him to pain, either by word or action. But now, who that has any just sense of that Almighty Being an whom he continually depends for every fupport of body and foul, can bear to hear the incommunicable name prostituted upon each trifling or worse than trifling occafion, without much concern, indignation and abhorrence? Neither are good and pious men the only fufferers: The inconfiderate and ill-disposed are by fuch audacious and profligate examples either unhappily led to profanėnefs,

or encouraged and hardened in it. Let me add too, by way of terror against fuch outrageous wickedness, that the utterers themselves run extreme hazard of their own fouls; thereby precluding all fellowship of the Holy Ghoft, who can have no communication with the spirits of men destitute of Religion and Charity. We are moreover affured that every evil word which men fhall speak, they shall without timely repentance give an account thereof in the Day of Judgment.

A like cenfure is to be paffed upon all thofe, who presumptuously and facrilegiously scoff at and revile the Holy Scriptures, and the articles of that most facred faith which was once delivered to the Saints Thus maliciously endeavouring first to poison the principles, and then, by an easy transition, the practices of those with whom they converfe. An instance