likeness of tongues of fire, warm my heart, and direct my thoughts!

Matth. xii. 34. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. How can ye, being evil, speak good things? By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Psa. cxli. 3. Set a guard, O Lord, upon my mouth, and keep the door of my lips.

Psa, xxxvii. 30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

Hearts, truly touched with the love of God, will communicate light and heat to each other; will speak honorably of God, of his perfections, his justice, goodness, wisdom, and power; of the excellency of his laws, the pleasantness of his service; of the instances of his love, of the rewards, he has promised to his friends, and of the punishments, he has prepared for his ene

mies...

Matth. v. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, who is in heaven.

1 Thess, N. 11. Therefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another.

Heb. x. 24.

Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good works.

Let us join a good life to our religious conversation, and never contradict our tongue by our deeds. We always do good or harm to

others by the matiner of our conversation; we either confirm them in sin, or awaken them to piety!

It is too true, that some evil passion or other, and to gratify our corruption, is the aim of most conversations. We love to speak of past troubles; hatred and ill will make us take pleasure in relating the evil actions of our ene mies. We compare with some degrees of pride the advantages, we have over others. We re

count with too sensible a pleasure the worldly happiness, we enjoy. This strengthens our pas sions, and increases our corruption. God grant that I may watch against a weakness, which has so evil consequences.

May I never hear, never repeat with pleasure, such things, as may dishonor God, hurt my own character, or injure my neighbour.

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James vi. 11. Speak not evil one of another. True humility makes us see our own faults without concerning ourselves with the faults of other.

Against Anger.

Eccles. vii. 9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

O Lord, who art a God ready to pardon, slow to anger, and of great kindness, remove far from me all occasions and effects of causeless and immoderate anger; all pride and prejudice, and too much concern for the things of this

world; all intemperate speeches and indecent passions.

Give me, O God, a mild, a peaceable, a meek, and a humble spirit; that, remembering my own infirmities, I may bear with those of others; that I may think lowly of myself, and not be angry, when others also think lowly of me; that I may be patient toward all men, gentle and easy to be intreated; that God for Christ's sake may be so toward me. Amen. Ephes. iv. 26. Be angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath,

: Prov. xix. 11.

ferreth his anger.

The discretion of a man de

A soft answer turneth away strife.

Prou. xvi. 32. He, that is slow to anger, is better, than the mighty; and he, that ruleth his spirit, than he, that taketh a city.

Rom. xii. 10. Be kindly affectioned one toward another..

Suppress the very beginning of anger. Do not indulge it, even where there are real faults; but try the gentle way, which may probably succeed better, and with more ease.

Seldom do people vex us on purpose; and yet prejudice very often makes us think that they do. A sense of one's own integrity will make one pass by injuries more easily.

Be not too much concerned to tell the injuries, you have received. Accustom yourself to silence, if you would learn to govern your tongue.

Deliver me, O God, from all violent and sinful passions, and give me grace to stand against them.

Matth. v. 4. Blessed are the meek.

Instruct me, Lord, in this Christian virtue; Thou, who art the master and teacher of it.

For forgiveness of injuries.

Luke vi. 37. Forgive, and ye shall be for: given.

O God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men, show mercy to thy servant by making my corrupt nature obedient to thy commands.

O God, who hast made it my everlasting interest as well, as my duty, to forgive my neigh bour, whatever wrong he has done me; help me to overcome all the difficulties, I have to struggle with; all pride, prejudice, and desire of rendering evil for evil; that I may not deprive my soul of that mercy, which thy infinite goodness has offered to sinners.

James ii. 13..He shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy.

O blessed God, help me in this great concern, that I may never fall under thy wrath for want of showing mercy to others ; but grant, O blessed Jesus, that in this I may be thy disciple indeed. Amen.

H 2

Slander.

Matth. xi. 19. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, behold a mangluttonous and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.

Whatever measure a good man takes, he will hardly escape the censure of the world ; the best way is, not: to be concerned at them.

It is an instance of humility, silently to bear the calumnies, which are raised against us, when they relate to ourselves only; but it is a duty of prudence and charity, modestly to vindicate ourselves, when the honor of God and the Church is concerned.

Both Jesus Christ and John the Baptist were slandered; who then will complain, that they cannot satisfy the world, and stop men's mouths?

Psa. cxx. 2.. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.

Envy makes us see, what will serve to accuse others; and not perceive, what may justify them. A truly good man is always disposed to excuse, what is evil in his brethren, as far, as truth will suffer him.