saith our blessed Lord, "the mouth speaketh:" now the seat of religion is the heart; it is there that Christ should rule, and the Holy Spirit should dwell. "Know ye not," saith St. Paul, "that ye are the temples of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"* Need I say much, brethren, to prove to you that the heart must be set upon things above, if we desire, in reality, to have our portion in heaven? O surely, where a man's "treasure is, there will his heart be also;" if it be an earthly treasure after which we are toiling, our hearts will be set on that, and concerning that will be our conversation; while, on the other hand, if we "declare plainly that we seek a heavenly" habitation, our discourse will naturally have reference to that. Wherefore, if we see a man who seems to be religious" in his outward deportment, and bears that character in common with the rest of his kindred, who nevertheless is eager to talk only upon worldly sub

* 1 Cor. iii. 16.

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jects-upon gain, or pleasure, or politics, or the news of the day-shall we say that he "bridleth his tongue?" Shall we not rather conclude, either that he is wilfully insincere-that his religion is only an outward garment, which can be taken off and on at pleasure, and that his discourse proves the real state of his heart-that it is set upon earthly things; or else must we not at least conclude that he is unconscious of his own true character, and that his neglecting to bridle his tongue proves that he must be "deceiving himself," as well as others, with "a form of godliness, denying the power thereof?" Again, if we see a man who "seems" thus "to be religious," indulging in hasty words-in impatience and violent language under provocationin intemperate and unbecoming bitterness of reproof, if any offence has been committed against him-there is just reason to distrust the effectual power of his religious principles. Consider how far removed from a christian spirit all

such irritability and hot and passionate language is. Our blessed Lord Jesus Christ," when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself unto Him that judgeth righteously."* How much more unbecoming is it in us, then, who profess to follow his example, and desire to be made like unto Him, to suffer our lips thus to utter bitter and hasty language, which cannot undo the evil which provokes us, while we sin thereby in the sight of God; for the command of sacred Scripture is, "Be ye angry, and sin not." But yet it is in this respect that we are all too apt to offend God.. And it is no excuse for us to say that our tempers are naturally violent, and that we do not mean the things which in a moment of anger escape our lips. Wherein, then, is the "difference between him that serveth God, and him that serveth Him not?" The most ungodly men, who do not even seem to be religious, when * 1 Peter ii. 23. + Ephes. iv. 26.

their passion is over, regret it, and say the same things in excuse of it; believe me, in this respect very particularly, religion ought to make a difference in us. It ought to "bridle our tongues," and teach us, if we cannot help feeling resentment, at least not to give utterance to passionate language. Let us, then, bring our religion to this test. It is no uncommon excuse which is offered by some persons for not observing the duty of receiving the holy Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, that they have so many occasions of irritation, and are so often provoked to anger, and surprised into the use of intemperate language, that they do not consider themselves fit to approach the holy table of the Lord. I will not enlarge on the folly and insufficiency of such excuses; but let us only observe from this, how the neglect of this duty of "bridling our tongues," which at first sight may seem of minor importance, nevertheless leads us to the neglect of more serious duties, and the

commission of much greater sins. What can be said of that seeming religion, which suffers a man to go on from year's end to year's end in the wilful and presumptuous neglect of the holy communion, because it cannot persuade him to give up the useless and sinful indulgence of his passion bursting forth into angry words? Must we not say, as the apostle saith, "that man's religion is vain?" O, brethren, let us study to rule our tempers, and bridle our own tongues! Let us thus practise that self-denial which all Christians must show forth in their lives. It is not in great sacrifices that we are called upon to deny ourselves: most generally we must "take up our cross and follow Christ," by cheerfully making a succession of little sacrifices of self to his will. Our tempers and our words are one particular wherein it is in our power almost daily and hourly to submit our will to God. This life is made up of little things-not of great deeds and achievements: we are not told to go