X. wards others, they have so much reason SERM. to expect injuries of the same kind to themselves; nay, even the vicious dislike and dread him, and though, from the base nature of all sorts of vice, they may take a pleasure in listening to his defamatory conversation, yet for his person they still entertain an aversion; though they may love the slander, they hate the slanderer. But with his character his views in life must suffer at the same time, since who will have dealings with, who will trust, assist, or promote the common enemy of mankind? His peace of mind too must be entirely gone, as he must live in perpetual apprehension of being detected and brought to shame, and of suffering either in his person or his property for his falsities and ill-nature. Such, and many more, are the evils which attend the calumniator and, in addition to them, without repentVOL. I. M ance, SERM. ance, he will certainly be excluded from X. the kingdom of heaven. For if none "that "maketh a lie shall enter into that hea"venly city," if to all liars their portion be assigned in the lake which burneth "with fire and brimstone," then assuredly. that capital liar-the slanderer-(who lieth most injuriously) shall be far excluded from happiness, and thrust down into that miserable place! If, as St. Paul says, no railer or evil speaker shall inherit the kingdom of God, how far from it shall they be removed, who without truth or justice calumniate and abuse their neighbour!If of every idle or vain word we must render a strict account, how much more of words of this kind! words, so empty of truth and void of equity! words, not only negatively vain and useless, but positively mischievous and spoken to bad purpose! Supposing then, it were possible that slan der der should here avoid detection and escape SERM. punishment, yet infallibly, hereafter, at the dreadful day, it shall be disclosed, irreversibly condemned, and inevitably recompensed with utter shame and sorrow, Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess. THE business of the minister of the gospel SERM. is not only to instruct his audience in XI. those truths of which they may be ignorant, but to remind them of those which they may have forgotten; nay, he will much more frequently find himself called on to do the latter than the former. The generality of men, in all material things, M 3 know 1 |