under which we may and ought continually to view and adore the Divine Majesty, we will nevertheless be labouring to turn his Being and Attributes, his Word and his Works into Ridicule and Contempt, and that this fhould be efteem'd a great Degree of Wit and Good Senfe. There is indeed a Sort of Wit which confifts in joining together very difparate Ideas; as when grand Affairs are put into a degrading Light, or trifling Affairs are mentioned under grand Circumftances. Now jefting in Sacred Matters is certainly joining together very difparate Ideas; but if this is done without fomething of Reafon to fupport it, it is not then Wit, but Abfurdity. In common Life Matters of a more serious Nature will not bear to fall under Ridicule : To have a Buffoon determining upon Life and Death; a Man behaving merily in the extremeft Dangers, &c. are Circumstances entirely out of Character, and plainly bespeak Folly and Madness : But how much more fo is it in Divine Matters? To fee a Worm endeavouring

to

to outbrave Omnipotence; to fee a Man that is crush'd before the Moth, contemning the Majefty of Heaven, and ridiculing infinite Perfection, trifling about his Eternal Welfare, and jefting with Eternal Damnation, are monftrous Inftances of abfurd and daring Iniquity. But thus it is that Men fuffer themselves to be deceived in what is fashionable (especially if what is fashionable be likewife wicked) that they will extravagantly approve and act over that in their most important Concerns, which common Reafon would condemn in the very lowest Affairs of Life; they will form the flightest and weakest Judgment there, where they ought to employ the utmoft Caution and Exactnefs; and rather than not gratify a wanton vicious Humour, they will give up the very Principles of common Sense. But however they may deceive themfelves, God is not mocked; the Almighty will at length pour down infinite Vengeance upon the Prophane for all their impious Jeftings and foolish Laughter; and however induftrioufly they avoid the

VOL. I.

N

Character

Character of Hypocrites here, they will not be able hereafter, without a very fevere Repentance, to ward off the partaking with Hypocrites in their Punishments, weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth.

SERMON

SERMON IX.

EPHES. iv. 29.

Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth; but that which is good for the Ufe of edifying, that it may minifter Grace unto the Hearers.

T

HESE Words feem intended to regulate the common Converfation of Men with one another; the SubjectMatter of which, for Diftinction Sake, may be reduced to the Three Heads of fuch Difcourfe, as doth more immediately relate to God, our Neighbour, and Ourselves: The First of VOL. I.

N 2

thefe

1

thefe Heads, viz. Religious Difcourfe, hath been already largely treated of; the Second Head, which is fuch Converfation as doth more immediately concern our Neighbour, and which may properly go under the Name of charitable Dif courfe, comes next to be confidered.

Now this Sort of Difcourfe may be branched out into two Particulars, as it may either relate to thofe we converfe with, or to thofe whom we talk about. We fhall come up to the Duty of Charity with refpect to those we converfe with, by treating them with an obliging Plainnefs; with Plainnefs, to fhew the Sincerity; with an obliging Plainnefs, to fhew the Goodness of our Nature. The former of thefe is oppofed to Flattery, which is apt to feed the Vanity of Men; the latter to Rudeness, which always gives Difguft. If Men were to purfue thefe Extremes, they would meet together either to deceive or to quarrel with one another, and the Whole of Converfation would turn either upon Panegyrick or Satire, both which are Breaches of Charity; for Chrity rejoiceth in the Truth, but fo,