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Sometimes it is derived from apifh imitation, or a hu- SERM, mour to comply with a fashion current among vain and XV. diffolute perfons.

It always doth come from a great defect of confcience, of reverence to God, of love to goodness, of difcretion and fober regard to the welfare of a man's foul.

(Pf.xxvi.4.)

From fuch evidently vicious and unworthy fources it proceedeth, and therefore muft needs be very culpable. No good, no wife man can like actions drawn from fuch Matt. vil, principles. Farther,

XIII. This offence may be particularly aggravated by confidering, that it hath no strong temptation alluring to it; that it yieldeth no fenfible advantage; that it most easily may be avoided or corrected.

Every fin, faith St. Chryfoftom, hath not the fame punishment; but those things which may easily be reformed do bring on us greater punishment: and what can be more easy than to reform this fault? Tell me, faith he, what difficulty, what fweat, what art, what hazard, what more doth it require, befide a little care ↳, to abstain wholly from it? It is but willing, or resolving on it, and it is instantly done: for there is not any natural inclination difpofing to it, any strong appetite to detain us under its power.

It gratifieth no sense, it yieldeth no profit, it procureth no honour; for the found of it is not very melodious, and no man furely did ever get an estate by it, or was preferred to dignity for it. It rather to any good ear maketh a horrid and jarring noise; it rather with the best part of the world produceth displeasure, damage, and difgrace. What therefore befide monftrous vanity, and unaccountable perverseness, should hold men so devoted thereto ?

16.

Surely of all dealers in fin the fwearer is palpably the filliest, and maketh the worft bargains for himself; for he finneth gratis, and, like those in the Prophet, felleth Isa. lii. 3.

• Οὐ γὰρ δὴ πᾶν ἁμάρτημα τὴν αὐτὴν φέρει κόλασιν· ἀλλὰ τὰ εὐκατόρθωσα

μείζονα ἡμῖν ἐπάγει τὴν τιμωρίαν. Chryf. Ανδρ. ι'. p. 531.

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weiar dvoxoXiav, &c. Chryf, 'Avdg, id'. p. 594. é ́. p. 499. X. p. 489.

XV.

SERM. his foul for nothing. An epicure hath some reason to allege, an extortioner is a man of wisdom, and acteth prudently in comparison to him; for they enjoy fome pleafure, or acquire fome gain here, in lieu of their falvation hereafter but this fondling offendeth Heaven, and abandoneth happiness, he knoweth not why or for what. He hath not so much as the common plea of human infirmity to excuse him; he can hardly fay that he was tempted thereto by any bait c.

A fantastic humour poffeffeth him of spurning at piety and fobernefs; he inconfiderately followeth a herd of wild fops; he affecteth to play the ape. What more than this can he say for himself?

XIV. Finally, let us confider, that as we ourselves, with all our members and powers, were chiefly defigned and framed to glorify our Maker; (the which to do is indeed the greatest perfection and nobleft privilege of our nature ;) so our tongue and speaking faculty were given to us to declare our admiration and reverence of him, to exhibit our due love and gratitude toward him, to profess our truft and confidence in him, to celebrate his praises, to avow his benefits, to address our fupplications to him, to maintain all kinds of devotional intercourse with him, to propagate our knowledge, fear, love, and obedience to him, in all fuch ways to promote his honour and fervice. This is the most proper, worthy, and due ufe of our tongue, for which it was created, to which it is dedicated, from whence it becometh, as it is so often Pl. xvi. 9. ftyled, our glory, and the best member that we have ; that whereby we excel all creatures here below, and whereby we are no less discriminated from them than by our reason; that whereby we confort with the bleffed angels above in the distinct utterance of praise, and communication of glory to our Creatord. Wherefore ap

XXX. 12.

lvii. 8. cviii.

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• Οὗτος δὲ, οὐδεμιᾶς ἀνάγκης αὐτὸν βιαζομένης, ὑπὸ ἀνοίας μόνης εἰς τὸ βάραθρον καταπίπτει τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Chryf. Ανδρ.ί. p. 531. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὗτοί τινα πρόφασιν ἔχουσι προβουλεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καταφρόνησιν μόνον. Ibid.

d Hoc enim uno præftamus vel maxime feris, quod colloquimur inter Bos, et quod exprimere dicendo fenfa poffumus. Cis, de Orat. is

plying this to any impious discourse, with this to profane SERM. God's bleffed name, with this to violate his holy com- XV. mands, with this to unhallow his facred ordinance, with this to offer difhonour and indignity to him, is a most unnatural abuse, an horrid ingratitude toward him.

μεθα;

It is that indeed whereby we render this noble organ incapable of any good ufe. For how (as the excellent as sğFather doth often urge) can we pray to God for mercies, Chryf.' Avde or praise God for his benefits, or heartily confefs our fins,, p. 559. or cheerfully partake of the holy myfteries, with a mouth. p. 588. defiled by impious oaths, with a heart guilty of fo heinous difobedience?

Likewise, whereas a fécondary, very worthy use of our fpeech is, to promote the good of our neighbour, and efpecially to edify him in piety, according to that wholesome precept of the Apoftle, Let no corrupt communication pro- Eph. iv. 29. ceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minifter grace unto the hearers; the practice of fwearing is an abuse very contrary to that good purpose, ferving to corrupt our neighbour, and to inftil into him a contempt of religion; or, however, grievoufly to fcandalize him.

XV. I fhall add but two words more. would feriously confider, that our bleffed

One is, that we

Saviour, who

loved us fo dearly, who did and fuffered fo much for us, who redeemed us by his blood, who faid unto us, If ye Joh. xiv.15. love me, keep my commandments, he thus pofitively hath enjoined, But I fay unto you, Swear not at all: and how Matt. v. 34. then can we find in our heart directly to thwart his word?

The other is, that we would lay to heart the reason whereby St. James doth enforce the point, and the sting in the close of our text, wherewith I conclude; But above all things, my brethren, Swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay nay, left ye fall into condemnation, or, a left ye fall under damnation. From the which això xgíinfinite mifchief, and from all fin that may cause it, God wiens. in mercy deliver us through our bleffed Redeemer Jefus,

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to whom for ever be all glory and praise,

A a

SERMON XVI.

OF EVIL-SPEAKING IN GENERAL.

TITUS iii. 2.

-To fpeak evil of no man.

SERM. THESE words do imply a double duty; one incumbent XVI. on teachers, another on the people who are to be inftructed by them.

σκε αὐτούς.

The teacher's duty appeareth from reflecting on the words of the context, which govern thefe, and make Tropiμ them up an entire sentence; Put them in mind, or, rub up their memory to do thus. It is St. Paul's injunction to Titus, a bishop and paftor, of the church, that he should admonish the people committed to his care and instruction, as of other great duties, (of yielding obedience to magiftrates, of behaving themselves peaceably, of practifing meekness and equity toward all men, of being readily disposed to every good work,) fo particularly of this, undeva Braonusiv, to revile, or speak evil of no man.

Whence it is apparent, that this is one of the principal duties that preachers are obliged to mind people of, and to press upon them. And if this were needful then, when charity, kindled by fuch inftructions and examples, was fo lively; when Chriftians, by their fufferings, were so inured to meeknefs and patience; even every one, for the honour of his religion, and the safety of his perfon, was concerned in all refpects to demean himself innocently

XVI.

and inoffenfively; then is it now efpecially requifite, SERM. when (fuch engagements and restraints being taken off, love being cooled, perfecution being extinct, the tongue being fet loose from all extraordinary curbs) the tranfgreffion of this duty is grown fo prevalent and rife, that evil-fpeaking is almoft as common as fpeaking, ordinary converfation extremely abounding therewith, that ministers should discharge their office in dehorting and disfuading from it.

Well indeed it were, if by their example of using mild and moderate discourse, of abstaining from virulent invectives, tauntings, and fcoffings, good for little but to inflame anger, and infuse ill-will, they would lead men to good practice of this fort: for no examples can be fo wholesome, or fo mifchievous to this purpose, as those which come down from the pulpit, the place of edification, backed with special authority and advantage.

However, it is to preachers a ground of affurance, and matter of fatisfaction, that in preffing this duty they shall perform their duty: their text being not fo much of their own choofing, as given them by St. Paul; they can furely fcarce find a better to difcourfe upon it cannot be a matter of small moment or use, which this great master and guide fo exprefsly directeth us to infift upon. And to the observance of his precept, fo far as concerneth me, I fhall immediately apply myself.

It is then the duty of all Chriftian people, (to be taught, and pressed on them,) not to reproach, or Speak evil of any man. The which duty, for your inftruction, I fhall firft endeavour fomewhat to explain, declaring its import and extent; then, for your farther edification, I shall inculcate it, propofing several inducements perfuafive to the observance of it.

I. For explication, we may first confider the object of it, no man; then the act itself, which is prohibited, to blafpheme, that is, to reproach, to revile, or, as we have it rendered, to speak evil.

No man.

St. Paul questionlefs did efpecially mean hereby to hinder the Chriftians at that time from re

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