How wonderful the work of God, that it fhould be able to articulate fuch an infinite number and variety of founds. The more noble and excellent it is, the more it ought to be refpected, and the greater is the evil in perverting it to bafe ufes. The tongue is the index and difcoverer of the mind. It is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. If the mind is to be regarded, fo alfo is the tongue. By words we read the character of a man's heart, whether it be virtuous and good, or vain and corrupt. Men's works are likewife exceedingly dependant upon their words. Wherefore, if their deeds are to be refpected, fo are their words. Actions of the moft exalted nature, words are often the cause of them. Daily experience informs us of the power of speech; a fpeech has faved a nation, and a speech has destroyed one. If the perfons with whom we converse are to be refpected, our language must be regarded, for this is an eminent inftrument either of good or hurt. God employs the tongues of his minifters and others, for the converfion and falvation of men 5 and the devil by his emiffaries ufeth the fame for their fubverfion and deftruction. How many thoufands every day are injured by the tongues of others, fome deceived, fome provoked to finful paffions, &c. And on the other hand, how many thousands are daily edified, inftructed and comforted thereby St. Paul could fay, "The weapons of our warfare are "mighty through God." One once declared, that the tongue cuts deeper than a fword, this only pierces the body, while the other reaches to the foul.

Morcover, our tongues are the inftruments of our Creator's praife. This exhibits its diftinguishing excellency and glory. This was one great end for which fpeech was given us, to thew forth the wonders of the name of the Moft High, A confiderable part of the fervice, which God requires of men, is performed by the tongue. The ufe of the

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highest faculties and graces of the foul are manifefted by it. By this our knowledge, wifdom, love, friendship, gratitude &c. are expreffed. The declaration of Christ pronounces the high importance of our words. "By your words you fhall "be juftified, and by your words you fhall be condemned.". So excellent is the tongue, that life and death are faid to be in its power. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue," faith the royal preacher. The work of heaven which confifts in praising him who fetteth on the throne, and the Lamb forever and ever, holds up to view the tranfcendent excellency thereof. Hence, fay the fcriptures, "If a man offend not in "words, the fame is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole "body. And he that will love life and fee good days, let "him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from fpeaking "guile. He that keepeth his tongue and mouth, keepeth his "foul from trouble." All thefe things, to which a multitude of others might be added, difplay the fuperior excellency of

this member.

Secondly, our attention must be turned to the ends for which the tongue was given, and the duties of it. The grand end for which our Creator endowed us herewith, as well as all the other powers and faculties of body and mind, was for his own glory. And its duties are too numerous for a compleat detail. A few hints upon this fubject muft fuffice for the prefent. As it was conferred upon us for the honor of the Great Supreme, therefore the fum of all its duties is to glorify him; to magnify his name and speak forth the praife of his attributes and works. With this we are to fing the fongs of Zion, and give thanks for all the mercies we receive-to pray to him for what we want for ourfelves, for the church and others-to confefs his name, make profeffion of our belief in him, in Christ Jefus, of our fubjection to his grace in the gofpel, and obedience to his will in all things. With this, we

are to covenant with and make vows unto him-to teach and.' edify thofe committed to our care-to do good one to another. by inftruction, counfel and exhortation-to confefs our fins to God and our faults to each other as occafion may requirerecommend that which is good in others-to fpeak well of all men, fuperiors, inferiors and equals, as far as there is juft ground for the fame-to bear witnefs to the truth when lawfully called thereto-to defend the caufe of the just and innocent against falfe accufers. Laftly, to be inftruments of common communication between man and man; expreffing our mutual affections and refpects; for tranfacting all wordly bufinefs, for learning fciences, arts, trades, &c. Thefe are only a few extracts of the great ends and important duties of the tongue.

But it is proper we should attend to the main matters intended to be communicated to us in this text, to wit, the great fins and evils incident to the tongue. In fome former lectures we have confidered the iniquities of fwearing, curfing, backbiting, reproaching, &c. thefe fhall not be repeated. Among the henious offences committed by this member, that of blafphemy is of deep malignity, which is fpeaking evil of God, debafing his names and titles, reproaching him as a deceitful' being. As Rabfhehah in his fpeech to Hezekiah blafphemed the Lord. Perjury, or falfe witness bearing, is another aggravated tranfgreffion. It is near a kin to blafphemy and the fin against the Holy Ghoft. It is a folemn appeal to God in favour of a falfehood, calling the God of truth to witness a lie. This must be exceedingly provoking to the omnifcient Jehovah, injurious to all the laws of justice, and damning to the immortal foul. One obferves, that it was never known that a perfon convicted of perjury was ever brought to repentance. Lying is an abomination of a moft criminal nature. However common the practice fcarcely any thing more injuriousit defpifes the commandments of God, contemas his menaces,

deftroys the peace of neighbourhoods, and breaks up all the happiness of fociety. It is an enemy which erects a strong battery against the whole fyftem of christianity, which declares, «Ye shall not lie one to another. The Lord hates a lying 66 tongue, and lying lips are an abomination to him. Where"fore put away lying and speak every man truth with his "neighbour."

There are other fins of the tongue, fuch as preaching falfe doctrine, pretending to infpiration, as fome have foolishly done of late, without affording the leaft fhadow of teftimony in their favour, perverting prophesies, and bending them to their own imaginations, and in their own imagination extracting from the fcriptures things not contained in them; deriding true religion and experimental piety, and uttering fcoffs againft perfons profeffing godlinefs, and pouring derifion upon the minifters of Christ, upon whom wrath will come to the utmost. Oltentatious boafting of knowledge, understanding or religion, who, like Jehu, iffue their loud proclamations to come and fee their zeal for the Lord. When children speak dishonorably of their parents, and inferiors of their fuperiors; this is an evil under the fun, when perfons become fo abandonedly wicked as to speak evil of dignities.

Another fin of the tongue is a forward, idle and babbling loquacity, light and vain difcourfe only adapted to awaken in the hearers unbecoming ideas. "Foolish talking or jefting,

faith Paul, are things not convenient." All the filthy ribaldry flowing from obfcene mouths, he cenfures as "corrupt "communication." Slandering is a deteftable vice, fpeaking falfely of others to render them odious, readily believing evil reports, and fedulous in reporting them-Rash judging and cenfuring others, upon a hafty foundation, is condemned by our Lord, when he fay, "Judge not, that ye be not judged;

for with what judgment ye judge, ye fhall be judged, and "with what meafure ye mete it fhall be measured to you

again."-Railing, reviling, and all the paffionate speeches of provocation, which deftroy brotherly love and create difcord, foment contention and drive through fociety the tempest of every evil work, mult not this be a fire kindled by hell?-Flattery is a fin the oppofite of cenfure.--Vice, with all its affumptions, never dared to affume confiftency. This would be to destroy itself. Whatever its pretenfions, by its votaries, may be, its life and foul will forever confit in inconfiftency. "A flattering mouth, faith Solomon, worketh ruin." And thus it doth in a thoufand different forms. The tortuous windings of the tongue in this kind of evil, exceeds the intricacies of the Labyrinth. There is no thread or clue, by which the unhappy traveller can make his efcape. And perhaps few evils, in which the minifters of the gofpel are enveloped, and froin which they receive injury to their own fouls, and by the practice of which they commit injury upon the fouls of others, cqual to this. Minifters are flattered, this blinds their minds, and inflates their hearts to flatter others. Hence they are difpofed, to flatter thofe under concern of foul, that they arc converted; thofe under fome trouble of mind, that they Qught to be comforted; thofe under juft feats, that they ought to give their apprehenfions to the wind, and go on in their heavenly courfe rejoicing. The great evil here is, their wealthy fupporters flatter them with the excellency of their performances, and they return the adulation with a tenfold accumulation, that they and their children are on the high road to heaven. Their hearers intimate to them, the fermon ought to be printed and circulated round the world; the minillers heart replies your falvation is certain. This is a fubject I have often wifhed to fee judiciously and fcripturally handled. I think it might be of great advantage to public orators upon every occafion, and of the most eminent utility to the weekly fpeakers, and the daily directors of fouls.