Serm. LVIII. the Light ofNature and Revelation. 4.O9 Revelling:, and filch like : of the which I tell you before, as I have alto told you he times pafi, that they that do filch things Thai not inherit the Kingdom of God, Col. 3. 5, 6. Mortie therefore your Members upon Earth, Fornication, Uncleannefs, In. ordinate Affetïion, Evil Concupifence, and Covetoufne,fs, which is Idolatry, for which thingsfake the wrath. ofGod cometh on the Children ofdi/Obedience, Rev. 2r. S. The fearful and unbelieving, (that is, thofe who reje&ed the Chri(tlan Religion, not- withflanding the clear Evidence that was offer'd for ir, and thofe who out of fear fhould Apoftatize from it,) Thefearful andunbelieving, and the abominable, (that is, thofe who were guilty of unnatural Lufts, not fit to be named) and Murder- ers, and Whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters,and all liars (that io, all forts of falfeand deceitful and perfidious Perlons) /hall have their part in the Lake which barns withfire and brimflone, which is thefecond death. And not only thefegrofs and notorious Sins, which are fuch plaits violations of the Law and Light of Nature ; but thole wherein Mankind have been apt to take more liberty, as if they were not fufficiently convinced of the evil of them ; as the refilling of Civil Authority, which the Apoftle tells us, they that areguilty of, /hall receive to themfelves damnation, Rom. 13. 2. Profane Swearing in com- mon Converfation, which St. James tells us brings Men under the danger of dam- nation, Ch. 5. 12. Above all things, my Brethren, fwear not, leftyefall under Con- demnation. Nay, our Saviour bath told us plainly, that not only for wickedanions, but for every evilandfnful word, Men are obnoxious to the Judgment ofGod. So our Lord affures us, Mat. t 2. 36, 37. Ifayuntoyou; that every idleword that Men/ball fyeak, they/hall give an account thereofin the Dayof Judgment. For by thy words. thou (halt bejuflfed, and by thywords thou (halt be condemned. He had fpoken before of that great and unpardonable Sin ofBlafpheming the Holy GhV'5 and becaufe this might be thought great feverityfor evil words, he declaresthe lkeafon more fully, becaufe words thew the Mind and Temper of the Man, ver. 34. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouthfpeaketh. " The Charafter of the Man is (hewn by his " words, faith Menander. Profert eosins mores plerumque oratio (faith juintilian) e3 animi fecreta detegit 5 " A Man's Speech difcovers his Manners, and the fe- " crets of his heart; ut vivet etiam qunsque decere, Men commonly (peak as they " live; and therefore our Saviour adds, A good Man out of the good treafure ofhis heart, bringethforthgood things ; and an evil Man out ofthe evil treafure of his heart bringethforth evil things : but fay untoyou that every idle word, =iv ñueì ágyóv, by which I do not think our Saviour means, that Men fluff be call'd to a Solemn account at the Dayof Judgment,_ for every trifling and impatient and unprofitable word, but every wicked andfinfulword of any kind, as if he had faid, do you think this fevere to make words an unpardonable fault ? I fay unto you, that Men (hall not only be condemned for their malicious and blafphemous fpeeches againft the Holy Ghoft; but they (tall likewife give a ftriAt account for all other wicked andfnfulfpeeches inany kind tho' muchinferiour to this. And this is not only molt agreeable to the fcopeof our Saviour, but is confirmed by fome Greek Co- pies, in which it is lstt ri v ,uce wovgóv, every wicked word which Men (ball fpeak, they Thal be accountablefor it at the Day ofJudgment. But this by the by. Our Saviour likewife tells us, that Men (hall not only be proceeded againft for Sins of Commiffion, but for thebare Omiffion and Negleti oftheir Duty, efpecially in Works of Mercy and Charity; for not feeding thehungry, and the like, as we fee, Mat: z 5. and that for the Omiflion of thefe; he will pars that terrible Sen- tence, Depart ye &c. So that it nearly concerns us to be careful of our whole Life, of all our Words and Atìions, liince the Gofpel hath fo plainly and exprefly declared, thatfor all thefe things God will bring us into Judgment. And if the threatnings of, the Gofpel be true, What ofPerfons ought we tobe, in all holy Converfation andGodlinefs ? Secondly, As the threatnings of the Gofpel are very plain and exprefs, Co are they likewife very dreadful and terrible. I want words to exprefs the lealt part of the terrour ofthern ; and yet the expreffionsof Scripture concerning themife- ry and punifhment . of Sinners in another World, are fuch as may ju(tly raife G g g amaze-
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