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reason and honesty, as professors of Christianity, as followers of him in whom was no guile, we are bound ever to use a plainness of speech, to have our communication, yea, yea; and nay, nay. We should maintain such a simple and artless conversation, and be so far removed from fraud and duplicity, as never to give ground of suspicion, that our designs are dishonest. Then, in ordinary cases, our bare word may be sufficient; and in the most important cases our oaths will be regarded.

4. Under the name of swearing, our Saviour condemus all rash imprecations; such as profane people use, either in passion, or in levity, by wishing, or saying they wish temporal, or eternal evil to themselves or others. If such imprecations be accompanied with a real desire, that the evil may take place, they discover a hellish impatience, envy and malice in those who utter them; and the most impious and horrible apprehensions of God, as if he were such a wanton, capricious being as themselves. If the evil be not desired, here is an insolent and presumptuous mockery of his justice and goodness.

5. In this prohibition may be included all scoffing at religion, and contempt of the worship of God; all sporting with passages of sacred scripture, and jocular applications of them to enliven vain mirth and help out a foolish jest.

Religion is so necessary to the peace and welfare of mankind in the present life, and gives such pleasing hopes with respect to futurity, that even though the evidence of its truth were doubtful, a reasonable man would not find in his heart to mock at it. On the contrary, he would feel a regard to 'so benevolent a scheme, would examine it with attention, and would wish it might prove to be true. But for men who profess the belief of it, to mock.

Its most solemn parts-the death of a Saviour for the sins of men, his appearance to judge the world, and the final distribution of rewards and punish. ments, is such madness and presumption, as we should not think men capable of, had there never been instances of the kind. Such scoffers, the scripture foretels, shall come in the last days; but it describes them as walking after their own lusts, and as having their consciences seared with a hot iron.

You have seen what sins are included in the swearing which our Lord condemns. Attend a moment to some arguments and considerations suited to dissuade you from all sins of this kind. The Apostle says, "Above all things swear not." He signifies that profane swearing is one of the greatest of all sins. And so certainly it is. It is a direct insult on Almighty God, a daring affront to his supreme majesty, an insolent defiance of his justice and power; and a wanton trifling with one's. own salvation.

It is a complication of many sins, such as impiety to God and contempt of his authority; the abuse of speech, that distinguishing faculty of man, unbelief in heart, a disregard to, if not a real disbelief of the providence, word and judgment of God. In perjury there is always falsehood and in justice, and often higher crimes; there may be. murder. In the lower kinds of profaneness there is levity, passion, indecency, rudeness and brutality of manners.

Profane language is a sure evidence of a bad disposition of mind. It proceeds from a stupid, atheistical heart, or from some malignant feeling.

It tends to produce still greater hardness, to extinguish all reverence for God and sacred things, and thus to introduce all other sins.

It is of all sins the most pernicious in its consequences. Common profaneness leads to perjury, and thus weakens the social security, which depends much on the efficacy of oaths.

Profaneness, though unreasonable and without apparent temptation, is yet exceedingly infectious. By this, one sinner destroys much good.

The profane swearer is heaping guilt on his soul. If for every idle word, which men speak, they must give an account, how heavy will be the account, and how awful the punishment of that man, who daily multiplies his impious and profane words!

The case of such a man is the more dangerous, because he defeats the means of repentance. What avails it to tell a man of the wrath of God, when he has banished the fear of God from his mind? What avails it to tell him of death, judgment and damnation, when he can familiarly imprecate these on himself and others? What avails it to tell him of the evil and danger of this sin, when he can make a mock of all sin?

He who can trifle with the name and perfections of God, can as casily laugh at reproof and admoni. tion Some great distress and imminent danger may perhaps bring him to consideration; but the calm methods of reason, argument and persuasion will have no effect, in his ordinary state, because he has fortified himself against them. The peculiar dangers of such sinners the Apostle more than intimates, when he says, "Above all things swear not, lest ye fall into condemnation."

God has declared, that he will not hold such persons guiltless, that he will be a swift witness against them, that he will send his curse upon them here, and execute distinguished punishment upon them hereafter.

Let those who have accustomed themselves to this sin, consider the guilt they are bringing on

their own souls, and the irreparable mischief they are doing to the souls of others. Or if these considerations are too grave and serious; at least let them consider, how much better they would be esteemed, and how much more useful they would be in the world, if they would lay aside their impiety, and use only that sober, graceful and sound speech, which cannot be condemned.

Let those who have escaped this iniquity, and particularly the young, realize the shamefulness and danger of it, and learn to look upon it with horror, and on the persons, who practise it, with pity. Let them shun all particular connexions with the profane; and if they are called into the company of such persons, keep their mouth with a bridle.

Let your minds be impressed with a sense of your dependence on God. To obtain his favour and protection, prayer is necessary. But how absurd it is to mingle impiety and devotion together, to think of prevailing with God in your prayers, while you defy him in your ordinary language and behaviour! Let all endeavour, in their several places, as to forbear themselves, so to reform in others every kind of iniquity; and this in particular, which the scripture so solemnly forbids and so awfully condemns-"Above all things, my brethren, swear not, lest ye fall into condemnation; for the Lord will come to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily. committed, and of all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

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The importance of the present season, or the Door of Heaven now open, and soon to be shut.

A Communion Sermon, preached on New Year's Day.

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MATTHEW, xxv. 108

-And the Door was shut,

You doubtless remember the connexion

in which these words stand-a connexion, which ought to awaken our earnest attention, and deeply to impress our hearts. They are a part of the well known parable of the ten virgins, in which Christ represents to us the nature of the kingdom of heayen, the terms of admission into it, and the charac ter of those who shall be excluded.

"The kingdom of heaven is likened to ten virgins, that took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom," who, according to the custom of

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