all virtuous Minds, nothing more destructive of Morality, or that tends more to introduce Looseness and Brutality, than this lewd Wit, which fets at nought every thing that is chafte and pure, whose present Glory is Shame, and whofe future Reward fhall be Confufion.

If Men have a Knack of cloathing their unchafte Thoughts in cleanly Language, yet it cannot justly be pleaded in Mitigation of their Crime. This poffibly may be to fin more like a Gentleman, but it carries an Aggravation with it that cannot easily be forgiven. To improve upon Vice, and to take off that Mark of Infamy which God has fet upon it, is the highest Abuse of your Reafon and Senfe. To make Lewdness agreeable, to recommend it by an artful Address and a pleasant Wit, what is it but to convey the Poifon in a precious Mixture, that may tempt and deceive the Palate to admit the Destruction? Modesty is the Outguard of Virtue, and gives Notice of the first Approach of Vice; and when Lewdness is so dreffed up as to pass unfuspected, it proves but the more dangerous Enemy within; and therefore we must expect to give a fevere Account for the Time and Words

Words we spend in this Diverfion; and you may imagine how Filthinefs and Lewdness fhall escape, when God fhall fit as Judge, who is all Righteousness and Holiness, and of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity.

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE IV,

PART II.

FOURTHLY, By idle Words we may understand useless and infignificant Words; Words which are spent to no great

End or Purpose either good or bad. This Sense will comprehend a great Part of the Conversation of the World, which aims at nothing but present Amusement; and it is worth our while to inquire, what Guilt a Man contracts by these idle Words. All Words that are in any refpect injurious to God or Man, or contrary to Truth or good Manners, are out of this Question, which is stated upon Words merely impertinent; where VOL. III.

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the Subject of Difcourfe is mean and trifling, and not capable of yielding any Profit or Improvement to ourselves or others. Now to discover whether useless, though innocent Converfation comes within the Judgment of the Text, we must confider these following Particulars:

First, The Scope of our Saviour's Argument in this Place.

Secondly, The End and Defign of Speech, which is the Gift of God to Mankind: For, if we use our Speech to ferve any Purpose contrary to the End defigned by God in giving us Speech, we manifeftly abuse his Gift, and for fuch Abuse must be anfwerable.

Thirdly, The Nature of Man in general, and the different Degrees of Sepfe and Understanding that different Men are endowed with: This Confideration must have place in this Question, because the Tongue cannot speak better than the Understanding can conceive; which infers a Proportion between the Abilities of our Mind, and the Soundness of our Speech; the latter must be judged by the former; for a Man cannot be obliged to utter more Wisdom than God has given him.

First,

First, As to the Scope of our Saviour's Argument: It is evident that he defcends from the greater to the less Evils of Speech; from Blafphemy he comes to the other Evils which are generated in the Heart, and from thence derived to the Tongue: A good Man out of the good Treafure of his Heart bringeth forth good Things, and an evil Man out of the evil Treasure of his Heart bringeth forth evil Things. What the evil Things are, which are bred in the Heart, our Saviour upon another Occafion tells us: Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts, Murders, Adulteries, Fornications, Thefts, falfe Witness, Blafphemies. These then are the evil Things intended. But, as a farther Obligation upon us to keep the Door of our Lips with all Care, our Saviour adds, But I say unto you, that every idle Word that Men fhall fpeak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. Now the Form with which thefe Words are introduced, looks as if they were intended as an Addition and Improvement to the old Doctrines of the Law. The Jews knew that Perjuries and Blafphemies and false Witnefs, and the like Crimes, should certainly be punished; and therefore our Saviour only mentions them, without adding exprefsly, that

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