prayed for his murderers, and fuggefted in his prayer the only plea which could be alleged in extenuation of their guilt? Is this to remember the petition framed by Him for your daily devotions; that God would fo forgive your trefpaffes, as you förgive them who trespass against you? Is this to obey his folemn command; Bless them that curfe you; pray for them which defpitefully ufe you and perfecute you (k)? Is this to give credit to his awful declaration; Whofoever shall fay to his brother, Raca; whofoever shall malignantly address another even with a flight term of reproach, fhall be in danger of the council; and whofoever fhall fay, Thou fool, fhall be in danger of bell-fire (1)? Is this to believe his renewed warning by the mouth of St. Paul: Be not deceived: revilers shall not inherit the kingdom of God (m)? Do you attempt to excuse yourself by the abfurd apology fo frequent on the lips of the paffionate; that you should not have offended with your tongue, if you had not received provocation? As though it would have been a poble proof of felf-denial to have refrained from outrageous language when there was no motive to excite it! As though it would have been a fignal teftimony of obedience to God, to have refrained from finning when there was no temptation to offend! Why does the Almighty permit provocations to affail thee, but to prove thee, to know what is in thine heart, whether thou wilt keep his commandments or no: whether thou wilt obey the headlong impulfe of wrath; or ftrive through the grace of thy God, and for the fake of pleafing Him, to remain unmoved? How is obedience to be exercifed, but by trials? When is it to be manifefted, but in the hour of trial? Let every man, my beloved brethren, be fwift to hear, flow to speak, flow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteoufnefs of God. I beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowlinefs and meekness; with long-fuffering; forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (n). IV. I proceed to thofe fins of the tongue which owe their origin to vanity and pride. (") James, i. 19, 20. Eph. iv. 1-3. T Thefe Thefe fins may be comprehended under the term boastfulness. The boaftful man fpeaketh of himself, and feeketh his own glory. His heart is lifted up; his mouth uttereth proud things: he giveth not the honour unto God: he vaunteth himself against the Moft High. When he medi tates an important undertaking, he fays not with the Apoftle; If the Lord will, I fhall do this or that. His language is that which the Scripture reprobates; To-morrow I will go into fuch a city, and stay there a year, and buy and fell, and get gain (v). When his enterprises profper, he remembers not that it is the Lord who giveth him power to get wealth. He exlaims with Nebuchadnezzar : Is not this great Babylon that I have built? with the king of Affyria, By my wisdom I have done it; for I am prudent: with the vaunting Ifraelite, My power, and the might of my arm, hath gotten me this wealth (p). If he talks of religion, it is to fay to his neighbour; Stand by thyself: come not near to me: for I am holier than thou. I thank God that I am not as other men are. I am rich and increafed with spiritual goods; (0) James, iv. 13. 15. ) Dan. iv. 30. Ifaiah, x. 13. Deut. viii. 17. and my own. and have need of nothing. (q). If he meets with oppofition, he cries out with the overbearing boaster described by the Pfalmift: With my tongue will I prevail: my lips are Who is lord over me (r)? Even health and bodily ftrength and activity are with him the fubjects of vain-glory, as though he had conferred them upon himhimself. Not unfrequently wickedness itfelf becomes his boaft. He openly triumphs. in the violence with which he has borne down an opponent; in the cunning with which he has overreached a competitor; in the revenge which he has exercifed against a person who has offended him; in being mighty to drink wine, and a man of Strength to mingle ftrong drink (s). Solicitous in every circumftance of life to magnify himself, he speaks contemptuously and degradingly of others: and the more contemptuoufly and degradingly in proportion as he apprehends that they may be advantageously compared with him, or may ftand in the way of his enterprises and projects. This is he who feeketh honour from men, not the honour which cometh only from (9) Ifaiah, lxv. 5. Luke, xviii. Rev. ii. 17. God. God. This is he who perceiveth not that before honour is humility. This is he who knoweth not that every one who exalteth himself fhall be abafed. This is he who knoweth not that in each of the catalogues of grievous finners recorded by St. Paul as objects of divine vengeance, boafters have a place. Does the boafter call himself a disciple and imitator of the Lord Jefus ? Come and learn of me, faid Chrift: for I am meek and lowly in heart. He did not found a trumpet before him; nor caufe his voice to be heard in the street. Though commiffioned to display his miraculous power in public as one of the proofs that he was the predicted Saviour, he delighted to find occafions of exerting it in private: he repeatedly enjoined the concealment of his mighty deeds: he ftudiously transferred the entire praise of his works from himself to his Father: he commanded the few witnesses, whom he permitted to behold his transfiguration, to make no mention of that difplay of glory until after his death. Seeft thou a man wife in his own conceit ? There is more hope of a fool than of him. Brethren; in honour prefer one another. Be courteous in word and deed. Let another man praife thee, and not thine own mouth : a stranger, |