CCXIV. SER M. manners, is very far from deferving that name; and they that are fober and virtuous, cannot entertain any difcourfe of this kind with approbation and acceptance: a well-bred perfon will never offend in this way; and therefore it cannot but be efteemed as an affront to modest company, and a rude prefuming upon their approbation, impudently taking it for granted that all others are as lewd and diffolute as themselves: This fort of converfation was not only offenfive to righteous Lot, but was a perpetual vexation to him, and grieved him at his very heart. So St. Peter tells us, 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8. that "Lot was vexed with the fil ་་ thy converfation of the wicked. For that righteous "man dwelling among them, in feeing and hearing, "vexed his righteous foul from day to day with their « unlawful deeds." In feeing and hearing, that is, in feeing their lewd actions, and hearing their filthy talk, his life became a burden to him; and therefore GOD fingled him out, and delivered him both from that wicked company, and from that dreadful judgment of fire and brimftone, which came down from heaven upon them, and confumed them with an utter deftruction, for an example to all ages, and an admonition to all good men, that they ought to be in like manner affected, as righteous Lot was, with "the filthy converfation of the wicked." VI. As by this practice we offend against nature, and reason, and true morality; fo it is likewise a direct contempt and defiance of the chriftian religion, which does fo ftrictly forbid, and fo feverely condemn it in Chriftians. Our bleffed SAVIOUR feems more particularly to censure and condenin this vice, when he fays, Matt. xii. 36, 37. " that every idle word "that men fhall fpeak, they fhall give an account "thereof "thereof in the day of judgment. Every idle word, SER M. Papyov,"every vain and unprofitable word," CCXIV? that no ways tends to edification; that is the very loweft fenfe the words can bear. But then how much more shall we give an account in that day of every lewd word, which tends to corrupt and debauch the minds and manners of men. Some copies have it, ρημα πονηρὸν, every naughty and wicked word," every falfe and malicious, and calumniating word: "an idle word," fays St. Bafil, is that which is not "for edification, and fuch words fhall come under exa"mination in that great affembly of the whole world; " and what then," fays he, "fhall be done to words "of fcurrility and calumny, and obscenity?" ་་ But that which will beft direct us to the meaning of this phrase, is what the jewith masters obferved, that by an idle word" the Jews did commonly understand immodeft and unchafte fpeech, fcurrilous and obfcene words. And then it follows, "for by "thy words thou shalt be juftified, and by thy words thou fhalt be condemned." Men are commonly apt to make a very light matter of fuch words; but because they shew the mind and manners of the man, his inward temper and difpofition, therefore men fhall be called to a strict account for them in the day of judgment, and be condemned for lewd and diffolute words as well as for acts of filthinefs and uncleannefs; because these come from the heart, and defile the “man;” they proceed from an impure spring and founitain; and though we only perceive them to come out of the mouth, yet they proceed "out of the abundance “of the heart,” from an evil difpofition of mind. So that our judge hath exprefly warned us of this fault, and declared to us the danger of it. And theretore whofoever believes this declaration of our SA SERM. VIOUR, and dreads the judgment of the great day, CCXIV. ought to take heed that he offend not with his tongue in this or any other kind. Men make but little account of fuch words now, but they fhall all be strictly accounted for another day; and what we utter now fo freely and without blufhing, will then ftrike us dumb, and be matter of greatest shame and confusion to us, in the presence of GoD and his holy angels. And fo St. Paul likewise, not only here in the text, doth forbid and reprove this practice, when he says, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your "mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minifter grace to the hearers: " but in feveral other places of his epiftles, he most feverely condemns it, as utterly mifbecoming Christians, and moft directly contrary to our most holy profeffion. Eph. v. 3, 4. " but fornication, and all uncleanness, "or covetoufnefs, let it not once be named among you, as becometh faints; neither filthinefs nor fool"ifh talking, nor jefting, which are not convenient." Here he forbids all lewd and filthy talk, as utterly mifbecoming the converfation of Chriftians, who fhould give no occafion to have the vices of this nature so much as once mentioned, much less practifed amongst Christians; let not these things," fays he, "be once named among you, as becometh faints: "but rather giving of thanks." Here he directs us to that which is the proper employment of the tongue, and one of the chief ends of fpeech; which is to praise and glorify God, and not to dishonour him by lewd and filthy talk. And this he urgeth again, as the proper fruit of our lips." Ver. 20. "giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in "the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST." And at the 5th ver. of this chapter he appeals to CCXIV. Chriftians, whether they had not been conftantly SERM. taught and inftructed, that all lewdnefs and filthiness, not only in act but in word, will certainly fhut men out of the kingdom of heaven. "For this," fays! he, "ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean "perfon," (referring to those several forts of uncleannefs he had mentioned before; among which is "fil"thy and foolish talk.")" hath any inheritance' in "the kingdom of CHRIST, and of God." The apoftle here speaks to the gentile Chriftians, who were' newly converted from heathenifm, and had been accustomed to make flight of thefe kinds of fin, which were fo common among the idolatrous heathen, and part of the worship of their obfcene deities: but he' tells them, that the chriftian religion, which they had embraced, required another fort of converfation, and did strictly enjoin all manner of purity, both of heart and life, in all our words and actions; and that "as he that hath called us is holy, fo we should be holy << in all manner of converfation." And whatever false teachers might infinuate, as if the christian religion did allow a greater liberty in these things, and made that a cloak for licentioufnefs, hereby turning "the grace of GoD," that is, the doctrine of the gofpel, into lafcivioufnefs," as St. Jude speaks, ver. 4. yet they would certainly find things quite otherwife in the iffue, and that God, who punished the heathen for thefe vices, and fent fuch terrible judgments upon them, would much lefs let Chriftians go unpunished, that fhould be found guilty of them, Eph. v. 6. "let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the "wrath of GOD upon the children of difobedience,' that is, the heathen world, who continued ftill in their infidelity, and lived in the practice of thofe fins; and would CCXIV. SER M. would fall much more heavily upon Chriftians, if after they had embraced this holy religion, they should allow themselves in any of thofe vile and impure practices, which they had been guilty of before, and which they had fo folemnly promifed to renounce and put off in their baptifmi And fo likewife, Col. iii. 5, 6, 7. “Mortify there"fore your members which are upon the earth; for"nication, uncleannefs, inordinate affection, evil con cupifcence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: "for which things fake the wrath of God.cometh cc on the children of difobedience," or unbelief; "in the which ye alfo walked fome time, when ye "lived in them," that is, whilft ye were heathens, and converfed among them, ye practiced these vices: "but now," that is, now that you are become Chriftians," put off thefe, anger, wrath, malice, evil"fpeaking, filthy communication." Ye fee that filthy communication is reckoned amongst those fins of the Gentiles, which Chriftians were utterly to quit and forfake, as contrary to the purity of the chriftian profeffion. And fo St. Paul tells the Theffalonians, 1 Theff. iv. 7. "God hath not called us un"to uncleannefs; but unto holiness." And he gives the fame precept to the Coloffians, chap. iv. 6. let your speech be always with grace," that is, acceptable and ufeful, fomething that is worthy the hearing: "feafoned with falt," that is, with prudence and difcretion, which should always govern our speech, and keep it within the bounds of fobriety, and modefty. As our talk should not be infipid and foolish, so much Jefs rotten and unfavoury, immodeft and lewd. And in his epistle to the Philippians, chap. iv. 8. he earnestly recommends the virtues that are directly contrary to this vice. "Finally, my brethren, what "foevel |
