evil in the heart, must be regarded as coming under the com- prehensive expression of my text. Whatever is the offspring of pride, or envy, or malice, or vanity, or folly, or indifference to religion, in short, ivhatever betrays a want of a religious principle within us, must be denominated " idle." I think this is the true distinction. It is not necessary that in every word a religious principle should appear ; but in no word should the want of a religious principle appear. There may be much that has no religion in it ; there may be even what has not any kind of soHdity in it, as the talking of a mother with her little child; which yet does not come under the description of " idle:" but every thing that betrays a want of a religious principle in the heart, whatever be its aspect in relation to other things, is wrong, and offensive in the sight of God.]
Now we are prepared to hear what the Lord has declared concerning it —
[" Of every such word we must give account in the day of judgment." " There is not a word in our tongue, but God knoweth it altogether*^." " If the secrets of our heart will be made manifest" at the last day, much more will the words, by which they have found utterance, be scrutinized. They will be regarded as evidences of the internal state of our souls, espe- cially so far as our words are evil : for it is but too true, that our words may be good, whilst yet our hearts are evil : but if our words be evil, there can remain no doubt whatever about the state of our hearts, from whence they flow : and, making due allowance for this distinction, " by our words we shall be justified, and by our words we shall be condemned." Not that this distinction is necessary, as it respects God : for the words that are hypocritical are, in God's sight, amongst the most hateful that we can possibly utter. It is only for the sake of avoiding misconception amongst men that I make this dis- tinction. Men cannot know the heart ; and therefore are con- strained to hope well, whei'ever the appearances are favourable: but God sees the heart itself; and will pass his judgment according to what he beholds there. On the words, as far as they are indexes of the mind, he will pass his judgment: but when the words have conveyed what was not in the heart, he will judge, not according to the appearance, but righteous judgment, according to truth.]
Having endeavoured to ascertain the true import of this declaration, I will proceed to,
II. Point out the proper use to be made of it —
The peculiar solemnity with which the assertion
^ Ps. cxxxix. 4.