jury, a real Piece of Injuftice, done Him. SER M. This therefore makes a wide Difference IV. and gives us, in Point of Virtue, much greater Latitude in fpeaking well, than ill, of Others. Secondly, A good Man is friendly to his Fellow-creatures, and a Lover of Mankind; and fo will, upon every Occafion, and often without any, fay all the Good he can of every Body But, fo far as he is a good Man, will never be difpofed to fpeak Evil of any, unless there be fome other Reafon for it, befides barely that it is true. If he be charged with having given an ill Character, he will fcarce think it a fufficient Juftification of himself to say it was a true one; unless he can also give fome farther Account how he came to do fo: A juft Indignation against particular Inftances of Villany, where they are great and scandalous; or to prevent an innocent Man from being deceived and betray'd, when he has great Truft and Confidence in one who does not deferve it. Justice must be done to every Part of a Subject, when we are confidering it. If there be a Man, who bears a fair Character in the World, whom yet we know to be without Faith or Honefty, to be really an ill Man; it must be allowed in general, that

we

SERM. We fhall do a Piece of Service to Society, IV. by letting fuch an one's true Character be

known. This is no more, than what we have an Inftance of in our Saviour himself; *though he was mild and gentle beyond Example. However, no Words can exprefs too strongly the Caution which should be used in such a Cafe as this.

UPON the whole Matter: If People would obferve the obvious Occafions of Silence; if they would fubdue the Inclination to Tale-bearing; and that eager Defire to engage Attention, which is an Original Disease in fome Minds; they would be in little Danger of offending with their Tongue; and would, in a moral and religious Senfe, have due Government over it.

I WILL conclude with fome Precepts and Reflections of the Son of Sirach upon this Subject. Be fwift to hear: and, if thou haft Underflanding, anfwer thy Neighbour; if not, lay thy Hand upon thy Mouth. Honour and Shame is in Talk. A Man of an ill Tongue is dangerous in his City, and be that is rash in his Talk shall be bated. A wife Man will hold his Tongue, till he See Opportunity; but a Babler and a Fool

Mark xii. 38, 40.

will regard no Time. He that useth many SER M. Words fhall be abborred; and he that taketh IV. to himself Authority therein, fhall be hated. A back-biting Tongue bath difquieted many; ftrong Cities bath it pulled down, and overthrown the Houfes of great Men. The Tongue of a Man is his fall; but if thou love to hear, thou shalt receive Understanding.

SERMON

ROM. xii. 15.

Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce, and weep with them that weep.

E

V.

VERY Man is to be confidered in SER M. two Capacities, the Private and Publick; as defigned to purfue his own Intereft, and likewife to contribute to the Good of others. Whoever will confider, may fee, that in general there is no Contrariety between thefe; but that from the original Conftitution of Man, and the Circumftances he is placed in, they perfectly coincide, and mutually carry on each other. But, amongst the great Variety of Affections or Principles of Action in our Nature, fome in their primary Intention and Defign feem to belong to the fingle or priG

vate,