In discoursing upon these words, I shall endeavour, through Divine grace,

I. TO EXHIBIT THE STATEMENTS THEY

CONTAIN.

II. TO ENFORCE THE LIBERALITY THEY

INCULCATE.

And may He who alone can " put into your hearts good desires," and enable you to" bring the same to good effect," without whose grace we are insufficient to speak a good word, or to think a good thought; may He condescend to visit and bless us, to our present and endless comfort, and to the glory of his most holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord!

In reference to the words of our text, I am

I. TO EXHIBIT THE STATEMENTS THEY CONTAIN.

The first thing in this passage, which appears to deserve our particular attention, is

1. The practice here described and condemned. The vile person shall no longer be called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

This, evidently, implies that improper names had been attached to certain characters. At first sight, this may, perhaps, appear a matter of small moment, and of trifling importance. Such a view, however, of the subject can only arise from negligence and inattention to its nature and consequences. Without any fear of contradiction, we may venture to affirm, that more harm has been done, in the moral world, by men giving good names to bad things, and bad names to good things, than will ever be fully known till the great day of eternity. So great is the evil in the sight of the Lord, that we find this prophet denouncing a solemn woe upon those who are guilty of it; and the language is so plain that one would suppose none could read the words, without perceiving the importance of the subject which now occupies our attention. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter........ Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him.

any

To persuade men to the adoption of these erroneous and destructive sentiments, in defiance of reason, of conscience, and of Scripture, has ever been the great effort of him, who is a liar from the beginning. Nor can reasonable doubt be entertained, that many who have lived and died in the rejection of the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, and who are now everlastingly undone, received their first hostile impressions against real and vital godliness, through the misrepresentations and lies of such scoffers; who spake against those things which they understood not, contradicting and blaspheming; who dared to call evil good, and good evil.

This misnaming of men and things, in the common concerns of life, would be productive of too much inconvenience and perplexity to be tolerated for a single day. What difficulties would be occasioned, for instance, if iron were called wood, or wood iron; if brass were called gold, or gold brass; fire called water, or water called fire! No word would, at length, have a certain or precise meaning, but language would be reduced to sound without sense.

If, then, it be admitted that this practice would be in the highest degree inconvenient, if introduced into common life and mercantile transactions, let me have your attention, while I endeavour to exhibit to you this very thing operating as one grand means employed by Satan for the destruction of the souls of men. Let me give a case in illustration of these remarks.

A man, hitherto careless and unconcerned about his everlasting welfare, attending upon the ministry of God's holy Word, becomes seriously impressed. A desire is excited in his breast after the consolations of religion, and he inquires, What must I do to be saved? The prince of darkness sees that he is, probably, about to lose his prey, and nothing will here be so likely to retain the captive in his possession as misnaming men and things. Nor will he want his ready agents to accomplish this work,-persons who shall thus exhort the trembling half-awakened sinner; "Friend, be cheerful: Raise your drooping spirits: be not thus cast down. The

minister who taught you these new doctrines is an enthusiast, an enemy to the Church and to the State; no friend to cheerfulness, or, indeed, to mankind; but the promoter of disorder and misery. The sentiments you have embraced are dangerous, they will lead you to be too precise, to spend too much time alone, instead of enjoying good society, will cause you to lead a mopish and a miserable life, and, in the end, perhaps, may disorder your intellects, as well as ruin your family."

It is in vain for the person thus addressed, to reply, that his former sins are enough to cast him down; that nothing can raise his spirits but the favor and grace of God in Christ Jesus; that the minister who taught him thus, was only doing his duty, and, like a spiritual watchman, giving him warning from God; that, so far from being opposed to Church or King, he labors earnestly to uphold the one, exhorts all men to honor the other, and prays ardently for both; that his aim is to benefit nominal Christians at home, and to send the Gospel to heathens abroad, and to promote peace