difficult struggle then commences in the mind, between the fear of offending man, and the fear of offending God. And although a holy decision of character will promptly determine in what manner the struggle shall terminate, who is there that cannot perceive the extreme danger of such a situation to the timid, the modest, and the young? Nor let it be forgotten, that silence itself may be sin; and sin it undoubtedly is, if it proceed from that "fear of man which bringeth a snare ;"—a fear of boldly avowing the principles of the gospel, and maintaining the honour of the cause of Christ. "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words," said the Lord Jesus, " of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels."

Fourthly, Let us remember, that it is incumbent upon us to conduct our social intercourse, so as not only to avoid doing evil, but also to effect all possible good.

Not satisfied with saying merely,-" Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth;"--the Apostle added," but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." The christians of Colosse are also thus exhorted:-" Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." It is as if the Apostle had said:"Let there be in

your conversation a principle of holy vitality, which may prove that your hearts are alive to God let there be in it a corrective principle, preventing the tendencies to that which is corrupt,-too often apparent in social intercourse : let there be in it the virtue of a powerful stimulant, exciting the minds of others to all that is pure and salutary, while it imparts to conversation a zest most gratifying to the spiritual taste." And ought we to feel at a loss for materials to conduct, on these principles, the interchange of thought and sentiment, in the hours of friendly intercourse? What was the subject on which the two celestial visitants conversed with our Lord, on the Mount which was the scene of his transfiguration? What was the class of subjects on which Jesus usually conversed with his disciples? What were the subjects most interesting to the minds of those primitive christians, who "continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers,--eating their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people?" No dejection sat on their countenance; no melancholy brooded over their minds; no moroseness could be detected in their demeanour ; no insipidity rendered unattractive their conversation; yet we cannot doubt that their chief and favourite topics of discourse were connected with

"the decease accomplished at Jerusalem," and its wondrous and glorious results. What other subjects could be in their estimation equally interesting, when, with one mind and one heart, they counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord; and were chiefly solicitous to live to his glory on earth, and to dwell eternally in his presence in heaven. Oh that we could imbibe more of their spirit, and then would it be easier to imitate, in some degree, the style and character of their heavenly conversation! Were this attained, what incalculable benefits might we not diffuse throughout the sphere of our social intercourse!

Fifthly, Let us connect with our best-directed efforts our most earnest prayers for divine aid.

A most appropriate prayer is to be found in an effusion of the inspired Psalmist :-" Lord, I cry unto thee; make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." Our daily prayers, including petitions such as these, should have, as much as possible, the regularity and the constancy of the morning and the evening sacrifice anciently offered at Jerusalem; and if offered by faith in Him of whose atoning blood those sacrifices were the appointed

symbols, they will rise to heaven as acceptably as the cloud of odoriferous and emblematic incense. If we thus lift up our ardent desires to God, for communications which He only can bestow, we shall not fail to receive the aid of heavenly grace, in restraining our lips from evil, and in exciting that spirituality of mind, which is the best preparative for the hours of social intercourse. If we habitually converse much with God, we shall have the best preparation for conversing well and profitably with men. It will then also become easy and natural to us, to offer such petitions as the Psalmist's, not merely in the hours of periodical devotion, but at every moment of solicitude and of danger, when aid from above may be especially required.

Lastly, Let us examine ourselves frequently, at the bar of conscience, in reference to the government of the Tongue.

Have we not, on this subject, occasion for very deep regret, and penitential abasement of spirit? How little have we honoured God, by the improvement of this noble faculty, his gracious gift! How little have we effected by the power of speech, for the spiritual benefit of those around us! Were we to be deprived of this faculty, in any degree, by the effect of paralysing disease, how heavy a burden might our consciences feel, from the recollections of our misimprovement of this inva

f

luable gift! Are there not some who, instead of doing good, have occasioned incalculable evil by the abuse of the Tongue? "The tongue "of

some" is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." So let it not be with any one of us! May pardon be obtained for past offences and past deficiencies, through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus: and may there be granted, in answer to prayer, the effectual aid of the Holy Spirit, to control and sanctify the faculty of speech; that "not offending in word," we may attain the perfection referred to in our text, being able to govern, by most effectual discipline, the whole economy of "the outer man," to the glory of our God, and the spiritual and eternal benefit of all within the sphere of our influence.