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of your hope that you are in a state of falvation. Fix not your thoughts on thofe portions of your conduct which you efteem

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the faireft. Look alfo to the duties which you neglect, to the tranfgreffions in which you wilfully indulge. Say not; "I know "that I reverence God, because I do many things for his fake." Afk yourself whether it be your defire, and your aim, to do all things for his fake. If there be any practice which you pertinacioufly hold faft in oppofition to his revealed will; you deny his authority, you reverence him not. Say not; "I am confident that I am re

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ligious and shall inherit the kingdom of "Chrift; because I am not unchafte, nor a thief, nor a drunkard, nor a reveller, nor heretical, nor feditious." Examine whether you are not covetous. If you are pure from covetoufnefs; fearch whether you are not addicted to envy. If neither covetous nor envious; are you not a reviler? If clear from these fins; do not you cherish hatred? Proceed in this method through that catalogue of fins which St. Paul has displayed before you: from that catalogue pursue your enquiry through the other heads of offences, to which by his concluding general expreffion he refers you :

and

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and learn whether there be not fome one habitual fin, which you obftinately cherish. If that be the cafe; believe the word of God, believe the folemn and repeated declarations of the Holy Ghoft, that this very fin, unless through the divine grace, which awaits your prayers, it be abandoned, will caft you into hell. Hear St. James illuftrating by a specific example, the import of his doctrine. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart; that man's religion is vain. The man who bridleth not his tongue, however religious he may in other refpects appear, is not religious: he may persuade himself that he is religious, but he deceiveth his own heart: his religion may be outwardly fpecious and impofing, but it is not religion; it is a hollow, empty, unsubstantial appearance, a vain, delufive, unprofitable fhadow. His unbridled tongue fhall be his destruction. Shall his unbridled tongue deftroy his foul, even though in many points he acts in conformity to the precepts of religion? Affuredly. By refusing to curb his tongue proves that very conformity not to flow from religion. Were his obedience in other points genuine, it would not be limited to

he

them.

them. He is not religious: therefore he juftly perifhes. In the place of an unbridled tongue fubftitute the fin which you retain, and apply this reafoning to yourself. Deceive not your own heart.

you only feem to be religious.

Beware left
Beware left

your religion be vain. If you prefer any one finful habit to the command of God; you

are not his fervant. If you fuffer any one finful habit to ftand between you and heaven; you deferve to forfeit heaven. You confefs that God has authority to forbid every fin. You confefs that he has forbidden every fin. You hear his voice in the Scriptures. His warnings are urged upon you by his minifters. You are fatiffied that you can obtain falvation in no other path than that which he has traced.. You are fully apprised that, unless you labour to obey Him in all things, the severity of his wrath will abide upon you. With this conviction to awaken your confcience, do you fay unto the Moft High; "These

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66

things will I do for Thee; but this I will

not do for Thy fake. Thus far I will obey Thee; but here I will be master ?" Do you speak thus, and prefume to affirm you pay respect to the fovereignty of the Almighty? Do you act in this spirit,

that

and

and hope to be accepted by Him? Is this to love holinefs? Is this to feek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness? Is this to mortify your corruptions, and to live unto Chrift who died for you? A good man may be overcome by a sudden temptation but he will be humbled in forrow to the duft, and will be led by remorfe to encreased earneftness in watchfulness and prayer. He who has not been fully inftructed may long remain in blindness and guilt yet let his heart become turned unto God, and the eyes of his understanding be opened; and he will abhor himself and repent. But the man who, with an unclouded knowledge of his duty, refufes to aim at univerfal holiness, and perfifts in the referved indulgence of fome unchristian temper or practice; be that temper or practice what it may, fhall find its fruit to be. everlasting condemnation.

SERMON XII.

On Sins of the Tongue.

PSALM cxli. 3.

Set a watch, O Lord! before my mouth! keep the door of my lips.

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WORDS," exclaim the inconfiderate, are empty air; formless shadows; "tranfient pictures of the inclination of the "moment. Even when moft reprehen "fible, we have intended little by them, They were the offspring of surprise.

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They were faults, if faults, which died "in their birth. The wind carried them

away and they were forgotten. God "looks to fubftantial deeds. We fhall be recompenfed according to our works."

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Death and life, replies the voice of the Moft High, are in the power of the tongues By thy words thou shalt be justified; and by

thy

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