What extravagant conceits of the little evil of sin, and the great easiness of repentance, who can impose upon themselves at this rate!

Bethink yourselves better in time, consider and show yourselves men. What will you do in the day of your distress, who have neglected God in your most flourishing and prosperous condition? What will you say to him in a dying hour? Can you have the face at that time to bespeak him in this manner: "Lord, now the world and my lusts have left me, and I feel myself ready to sink into eternal perdition, I lay hold upon thy mercy to deliver my soul. I have heard strange things of thy goodness, and that thou art merciful even to a miracle. This is what I always trusted to, that after a long life of sin and vanity, thou wouldst at last be pacified with a few penitent words and sighs at the hour of death!"

Is this an address fit to be made to a wise man, much less to the all-wise and just Judge of the world? And yet this seems to be the plain interpretation of a great and habitual sinner's application to Almighty God, when he is just going to appear before his dreadful tribunal.

I say again, let no man deceive you with vain hopes from a slight and sudden repentance; for, as sure as God is true, they shall never see his kingdom, who, instead of seeking it in the first place, make it their last refuge and retreat.

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The ever-blessed God is himself abundantly sufficient for his own happiness, and does not need our company to make any addition to it: nor yet is heaven so desolate a place, or so utterly void of inhabitants, that, like some newly discovered plantation, it should be glad to receive the most vile and profligate persons, the scum and refuse of mankind. An innumerable company of glorious angels, much nobler creatures than the best of men, people those blessed regions. Thousands of thousands continually stand before God, and ten thousand times ten thousand minister unto him.

God indeed is so good as to desire our happiness as earnestly as if it were necessary to his own but he is happy in and from himself; and without him it is impossible we should be happy; nay, we must of necessity be for ever miserable.

To conclude: If we would have God to accept us in a dying hour, and our blessed Saviour to remember us now he is in his kingdom, let us think of him betimes, and acquaint ourselves with him, that we may be at peace, NOW; before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when we shall say, we have no pleasure in them.

O that men were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! Which God of his infinite goodness grant that we may all seriously lay to heart, in this our

day, and may learn betimes so to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom; for his mercies' sake in Jesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

SERMON XVI.

AGAINST EVIL SPEAKING.

TITUS iii. 2.

To speak evil of no man.

My text is a dissuasive from one of the reigning vices of the age, evil speaking; by which men contract so much guilt to themselves, and create so much trouble to others; and from which, it is to be feared, few or none are wholly free. For who is he, saith the son of Sirach, that hath not offended with his tongue? Eccl. xix. 16. In many things, saith St. James, we offend all and if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. James iii. 2.

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I shall reduce what I have to say on evil speaking to five heads.

I. I shall consider the nature of this vice, and wherein it consists.

II. I shall consider the due extent of this prohibition, To speak evil of no man.

III. I shall show the evil of this practice, both in the causes and effects of it.

IV. I shall add some farther considerations to dissuade men from it.

V. I shall give some rules and directions for the prevention and cure of it.

I. I shall consider what this sin or vice of evil speaking, here forbidden by the apostle, is: it consists in saying things of others which tend to their disparagement and reproach, to the taking away or lessening their reputation; and that, whether the things said be true or not.

If the thing be true, and we know it so, it is defamation: to say the evil of others which is true, unless we have some good reason for it, is a fault, because it tends to the prejudice of our neighbour's reputation; and is therefore contrary to that charity and goodness which Christianity requires. If what we say to the prejudice of another, be false, and we know it to be so, then it is calumny; and if we do not know it, but take it upon report, it is however slander; and the more injurious, because groundless and undeserved.

Again, It is the vice condemned in the text, whether we be the first authors of an ill report, or relate it from others; because he that is evil spoken of is equally defamed either way.

So, whether we speak evil of a man to his face, or behind his back: the former, indeed,

seems the more generous, and is what we call reviling; the latter more mean and base, and that which is properly called backbiting.

Lastly, It is evil speaking, whether it be done directly and in express terms, or more obscurely, and by insinuation; whether by way of downright reproach, or with some crafty preface of commendation; for so it have the effect to defame, the manner of address does not much alter the case: the one may be more dexterous, but is not less faulty. Many times the deepest wounds are given by these smoother, and more artificial ways of slander; because they insinuate something that is much worse than is said, and are very apt to create, in the unwary, a strong belief of something that is very bad, though they know not what it is. In a word, whatever tends to lessen a man's reputation is the sin forbidden in the

text.

II. We will consider the extent of this prohibition, to speak evil of no man; and the due limitations of it. For it is not to be understood absolutely to forbid us to say any thing concerning others that is bad: this in some cases may be necessary, and our duty; and in several cases very fit and reasonable; as, for the prevention of some great evil, or the procuring some considerable good to ourselves or others.

But because this may not be direction suf

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