The next object of divine scrutiny, in the day of Judgment, will be our words. "I fay unto you that every idle word that men fhall fpeak, they fhall give account thereof in the day of Judgment." + Impoffi, ble would it be for me to enumerate all the expreffions that may be called idle words, for which we fhall be juftified or condemned. There are fome, however, fufficiently obvious to every understanding. Thofe blafphemous Expreffions whereby we offend God, and thofe wicked words, by which we deceive and injure our neighbour, are furely deferving of the feverest punishment. When that name which is great, wonderful, and holy, is profaned by curfing and fwearing, when the Lord of all the Earth is called upon, to be a witness to Scenes of riot and debauchery, can we fhew a greater contempt for him, or more furely

+ Mat. xii. 36.

draw

draw down divine vengeance upon ourselves? What lefs than actual offences, do they commit, who flander and defame their neighbours, who are guilty of Lying, and bearing falfe-witnefs, who corrupt themfelves, and others, by filthy talking and jefting, or who, by arguments of fubtilty and deceit, endeavour to banish out of the world all belief of a future ftate, and of a day of final Justice? In the courfe of thofe crimés, which have driven you into this confinement, how many idle words have you had occafion to pronounce? How much have they furthered your progrefs in Iniquity? How greatly have they aggravated your Guilt? To bear falfe: witness against your neighbour, in order to fucceed in your Schemes of wickednefs, or to protect yourselves from prefent punishment, you have confidered as felf-defence, and thus, (without repentance) have ruined your own Souls, by neglecting to

Set

fet a watch before your mouth, and to keep the door of your lips.

In the last place, to every man that believes in a future day of account, it will be evident, that his actions will pafs in review before his God; and that " God will bring every work into Judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil." + What then, my brethren, will be your condition, when you ftand before the Judgment-feat of Chrift, if ye leave this world with all your unrepented Sins, and rufh into the divine prefence, neither relying on the merits of a benevolent Saviour, nor offering one prayer to avert the rigor of uplifted vengeance? In this fcrutiny, every action must be accounted for, every deed uncovered. With what confufion will all those appear, whofe conduct will

+ Eccl. xii. 14.

not

not bear the penetrating Eye, who have acted with Hypocrify towards men, with a dangerous and a daring fteadiness againft Heaven? Have any of you committed crimes under the fhadow of the night, or in the gloom of retirement? Have you abused the confidence of a kind pa rent, or an indulgent Mafter ? Have you privately feduced unfufpecting Innocence, or ruined the wife or daughter of your friend? Have you with diffipated minds, and unfanctified hearts, given a loose to an unbounded fenfuality, and wallowed in unlawful pleafures? Let me further enquire, have you thrown off the reftraints of religion, the Laws of Self Government; and do you think yourselves entitled to offend, wherever an opportunity permits? Have you entered the dwelling of your neighbour, and deprived him of the well-earned reward of many a laborious day? Have you publickly attacked the

weary traveller, and left him deftitute of every comfort, wounded and bleeding by the way-fide? Have you-horrible to enquire-have you all unpitying and remorfelefs, either by cool deliberate malice, or in a whirlwind of impetuous paffion, deprived another of that life which God gave him as a bleffing ?-Oh! that you could indeed plead not guilty to thefe charges, that in the day of univerfal account you might ftand upon a true foundation before the Throne of Grace!

To thofe fins which you have actually committed, must be added thofe good deeds which you have neglected to perform; or, in other words, the Sins of Omiffion. According to your feveral Stations and opportunities of information, will thefe offences be estimated." Unto whom much is given, of them much will be required." "* If, instead of

ufing

* Luke xii. 48.