VII. judged. And if concerning opprobrious and SER M. reproachful language to a man's face, he fays, Whofoever shall fay unto his Erother, Thou fool, fhall be in danger of hell-fire; much more against malicious Back-biting and uncharitable Detraction, would he have used the like feverity of expreffion. The reason is; because fuch kind of Detraction and Defamation is really more injurious, and more difficult to be guarded against, and of more extenfive Effect, than many other ways of doing wrong to our Neighbour. I conclude therefore with that declaration of our Lord, Matt. xii. 36; I fay unto you, that every idle word, (that is, as appears evidently in the context, every malicious word) that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment: For by thy words thou shalt be juftified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. SERMON 19295 SERMON VIII. Of the Sin of deliberate Fraud. ACTS V. 3, 4. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was fold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this Thing in thine Heart? Thou haft not lied unto Men, but unto God. I N the three fore-going Chapters SER M. mitive Church, which was planted im mediately SERM.mediately by the Apostles themselves upon VIII. their being inspired with the Holy Ghost at Pentecoft, and flourished in the very Beginning even of Their Days. And the Character we find of it, is fuch; as contains both a mot just Reproof of the decaying Piety of Chriftians in fucceeding Ages, and at the fame time affords us a lovely and Venerable Idea of the fincere and uncorrupt Manners of those Primitive Difciples. Ch. ii. ver. 42; They continued ftedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers. Ver. 44; And all that believed, were together, and had all things common; And fold their poffeffions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man bad need. Expecting, as it appears, speedy Destruction of the Jewish Nation, and being as yet but a few scattered People, they agreed among themselves to fell every one what he had, and put it into one publick Stock, to be imployed in furnishing out such as were to be sent abroad in the fervice of preaching the Gospel, and to be diftributed likewife for the Maintenance of them that continued in Jeru falem, a VIII. n Salem, according to every man's Wants and S ER M. Neceffities. Ver. 46; And they continued daily with one Accord in the Temple; their Practice being, conftantly to frequent the Temple at the ufual Hours of publick Prayer: And breaking bread from Houfe to Houfe, (In the Houfe, it should be tranflated; The Meaning is; meeting together in their Private Affembly to receive the Communion among themselves, after they had prayed in publick with the Jews;) they did eat their meat with gladness and Singleness of Heart: Praifing God, and having Favour with all the People; that is, by their Innocency and Simplicity of Manners, obtaining the good Opinion of all well difpofed and unprejudiced Perfons: According to that Admonition of St Paul, Rom. xiv. 17; The Kingdom of God, is Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghoft; For he that in These things ferveth Christ, is acceptable to God and approved of Men. At the latter end of the 4th Chapter, as an Introduction to the History whereof my Text is a part, the fame Character of that Primitive Apoftolical Church, is repeated in other Words: Ver. 32; And the |