harm, I will agree to it; and go yet farther, and, add, that he means nothing: but whether this ex-. cuse will come well from the mouth of one, whom God has endowed with fenfe and reafon and underftanding, they who have not loft their own fhall, determine. But, allowing the excuse, it will not exempt him from the judgment of the text; because by idle words, as has been already fhewn, fuch words are meant as are capable of this excuse, as not being chargeable with any great evil. Lastly, add to the text the comment of St. Paul, and then by idle words we must understand foolish talking and jefting, which are not convenient. This may teach us what judgment we are to make from the scope and defign of the text: but yet here we can find nothing directly pointing against common converfation, where the fubject of the difcourfe is poor and mean, and incapable of yielding any profit or improvement; and fince we cannot directly conclude from the text, let us confider,

Secondly, The end and defign of speech, which is the gift of God to mankind: for if we ufe our fpeech to ferve any purposes contrary to the end defigned by God in giving us fpeech, we manifeftly abuse his gift, and must answer for fuch an abuse.

Speech was given us for the communication of our thoughts to each other; the mind is furnished with variety of thoughts and reflections, fome of which are proper for discourse, and fome not there are some things which a man cannot but have ideas of, fome things which intrude upon the mind, but are not fit fubjects of discourse. though speech be given for the communicating of

So that

our thoughts, yet all our thoughts are not to be disclosed, or brought into conversation. We must judge what are proper fubjects, and must be anfwerable for the government of our tongues. A man may be innocent in having fome thoughts in his mind, which he cannot innocently difclofe; the reafon is, because he cannot always choofe his thoughts, but he can always choose what he will talk of. As to the proper ends of speech, we may reason thus: God has made us reasonable creatures, and fitted us for his fervice, and therefore expects a reasonable service from us: as he has given us all the good we enjoy, it is our duty to praise and adore him; to raise in ourselves and others a fenfe of gratitude and duty towards him: this is one end of speech. As he has made us liable to many wants and neceffities, it is our duty to pray to him, and in all our wants to apply to him, both in public and private: this is another end of fpeech. Under thefe heads we include, with refpect to reafon, the contemplation of the works of nature and providence, which ferves to give us a juft fenfe of the power and wisdom of God; and, with refpect to fpeech, all difcourfes upon these subjects, which tend to infpire others with the fame awful fense of the Almighty: thefe are, no doubt, proper fubjects for reasonable creatures and Chriftians.

But then farther, the wants and neceffities of nature, which are prefent, call for our help. We must by labour and industry supply ourselves with ne ceffaries and conveniencies of life; and as this fubject must employ great part of our thoughts, fo likewife great part of our fpeech; for we cannot

live without the mutual aid and affiftance of each other; and this neceffarily makes the bufinefs of life the frequent fubject of discourse. And a very proper fubject it is, and men are usefully employed, when they are learning themfelves, or inftructing others in the business of their trade or profeffion. So then this is another end of fpeech, that men may confer concerning the neceffary affairs of life, and be mutually aiding and helping to each other.

But farther ftill, God has made us to delight in each other's company. We are by nature fociable creatures, and there is a pleasure in conversation, though we have no end to ferve by it, no bufinefs to discourse of, nor any thing to afk or defire of one another. And fince God has made us fociable creatures, and it is his will and express command to us, that we love and delight in one another; it follows, that it is very lawful and commendable for men to meet for this purpose, for the improving and maintaining mutual love and friendship: and then another end of fpeech is to be a bond of fociety, to be a means of bringing and keeping men together.

Now then, if it does appear that men may meet for mutual fociety and converfation, it follows, that nothing can render converfation unlawful that is not finful for God made us for the fociety of each other, and has commanded us to love each other; and therefore if our difcourfes are friendly and focial, they are so far virtuous, as they ferve the end of nature.

Now men may talk of many fubjects, which have no present profit or instruction in them, and ye

they may serve this end of converfation, of making men delight in each other's company and fince love and friendship are fuch great Gospel virtues, a man may fafely dedicate fome hours in the day to them without a profpect of ferving any other end; ånd yet be virtuously employed. How often is it feen, that men by meeting accidentally, and difcourfing only upon common fubjects, come to have a good liking to each other, which by degrees improves into love and kindness! How often too are the greatest enemies reconciled, by being brought into company together! At firft they hardly bear the fight of each other: were they to talk of their own affairs, or even of any thing that would admit of a difpute, their refentments would flame out into anger and paffion; but upon common and indifferent fubjects they make shift to bear with one another in converfation; which by degrees foftens them into a mutual compliance, and restores the long-forgotten friendship and kindness and will you fay the time is ill fpent, that ends fo profitably, fo much to the glory of God, and the good of men ?

At proper feafons, and in proper company, we ought to choose nobler themes we have all the works of nature before us; we have the hiftory of Providence through many ages faithfully preferved in the facred records; and we cannot be excused in overlooking these great fubjects. We owe likewife to one another, whatever each other wants; we fhould comfort the weak, inftruct the fimple, rebuke the finner; rejoice with them that do rejoice, and mourn with them that mourn. To neglect the

proper opportunities of performing these duties, is a fault not to be extenuated. But then they are as improper at fome times as they are proper at others;} and when well-minded but weak men unfkilfully break in upon these fubjects, all that they get by it is the pity of good men, and the fcorn and contempt of the wicked.

Since then fociety is a thing in itself commendable; fince one end of fpeech is to be a bond of fociety, which is preferved by mutual converse; and fince religion is not always a proper fubject; it follows, that for the maintaining fociety, and for promoting love and friendship, men may innocently meet, and spend their time upon fuch fubjects as offer, though the fubject in itself does not tend die rectly either to the good of men, or the glory of God. If this kind of converfation be blameable, it muft either be a fin of commiffion, or a fin of omiffion. It cannot be a fin of commiffion, because it is fuppofed to be innocent; and I know no fin that a man can commit by being innocently em1 ployed or diverted. Neither can it be a fin of -omiffion; for no pofitive act can be a fin of omiffion. A man may incur the guilt of omitting his duty, whilft he spends his time in this kind of difcourse; and fo he may if he talks of business or religion. If your friend or relation wants your immediate help, and you will ftand difputing or difScourfing of religion, you incur a breach of charity, and are guilty of a fin of omiffion. So if you wafte your time in talking impertinently, when you ought to be at your bufinefs or calling, to the neglect and impoverishing of your family or if you leave no