without tbougbt or reflection, and seem to fancy that if they do what is right, it matters but little what they say.
But is it so ? Are our words so utterly trifling and unimportant ? We dare not say so, with such a passage ,^ . of Scripture as this before our eyes. Our words are the • '^ 0 evidence of the state of our hearts, as surely as the taste>, ^ of the water is an evidence of the state of the spring. " Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak- ^ eth.'' The lips only utter what the mind conceives. /^ Our words will form one subject of inquiry at the day of "" judgment. We shall have to give account of our sayings, as well as our doings. Truly these are very solemn con- siderations. If there were no other text in the Bible, this passage ought to convince us, that we are all " guilty before God,'' and need a righteousness better than our own, even the righteousness of Christ. (Phil. iii. 9.)
Let us be humble as we read this passage, in the recollection of time past. How many idle, foolish, vain, light, frivolous, sinful, and unprofitable things we have all said ! How many words we have used, which, like thistle-down, have flown far and wide, and sown mischief in the hearts of others that will never die ! How often when we have met our friends, " our conversation," to use an old saint's expression, " has only made work for repentance." There is deep truth in the remark of Burkitt, " A profane scofi" or atheistical jest may stick in the minds of those that hear it, after the tongue that spake it is dead. A word spoken is physically transient, / but morally permanent ." " Death and life," says Solomon, ^ " are in the power of the tongue." (Prov. x\'iii. 21.)
Let us be watchful as we read this passage about words,
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