also, the metaphorical expressions of " the worm that never dieth," and "the fire that is not quenched." You will observe, therefore, that when "the fire of Gehenna" represents the torments inflicted on hardened and impenitent sinners, in the future and invisible world, it is taken in a figurative sense; but, on the occasion of the words in the text, our blessed Lord and Saviour may well be understood to have used it in its literal signification. Adopting this mode of interpretation, which, when practicable, is always to be preferred, the divine threat, which forms the subject of our present meditation, will appear extremely just and appropriate.

To keep such a city as Jerusalem tolerably clean and healthy, by the means that have been already mentioned;-to remove the immense quantity of putrescent and offensive animal substances, not to notice other nuisances, to the Valley of Hinnom, must have been a work of great and constant labor. Many persons must necessarily have been employed in it, from day to day, and year to year. But every man, and, -more particularly, every Jew, whose notions of personal cleanliness, of pollution, and purification, were greatly increased by an observance of the ritual law, must have regarded this as the

most loathsome and degrading office to which he could be reduced;-as furnishing him only with a scanty pittance, and that in a wretched state of existence, to which nothing but the want of all other employment, and the dread of perishing by hunger, could, one might suppose, compel him to submit.

Now, this was the miserable condition, to which our blessed Lord said every man was in danger of bringing himself, who treated his fellow-creatures with abusive language, and with such an abominable mixture of pride and insolence, as, on every trifling provocation, to say to his brother, "Thou fool." Can any thing be more practically wise and just than this? Or can any thing prove more clearly, that our heavenly Redeemer "knew what was in the heart of man?" We are all proud, and therefore jealous, of those high intellectual powers, by which we are removed to an immense distance, in the scale of being, from the mere brutes, and allied to our great and merciful Creator. The very hairs of our head, we know, are of his forming but the faculties of the mind, we cannot help considering as his more immediate gift; as something emanating more especially from his own

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divine Nature, and affording a manifestation, not only of his wisdom and power, but also of his great love. If he has thought proper to dispense these in higher perfection to one than another, there is, indeed, great occasion for gratitude and adoration; but, to reproach a fellow-creature for his inferiority, admitting that inferiority to exist, is base and cruel. In general, however, the opprobrious term of “fool” escapes the lips in a burst of anger, insolence, and pride but it is felt as such an insult and indignity, that it is not easily forgiven; and the painful sense of degradation which it implies doubtless gave rise to the common saying in our language, that "a man would rather be thought a knave than a fool."

He, therefore, who so far indulges the sinful propensities of his nature, as to treat a brother with harsh and opprobrious language, must every where expect to find an enemy instead of a friend. A sense of duty, perhaps, may restrain others from doing him an injury; but, in the language of the Psalmist, "who will shew him any good?" He must look in vain for the assistance of friendship, and the many kind and gratuitous offices of neighbourly love. Instead of

charity, benevolence, and peace, his conduct is calculated to create all the hostility of wounded pride, anger, and resentment.

In the ordinary course of human events, therefore, such a man must gradually sink into a state of poverty and wretched dependence, till at length he will be compelled to accept of the most abject and loathsome employments, to sa tisfy the cravings of hunger. Such, precisely, is the miserable consequence of evil-speaking in one of its most aggravated forms; and this was what our blessed Lord, in his divine wisdom, foresaw and threatened. How frequently the violence of sinful passions in their progress may tempt such a transgressor to infringe the laws of civilised society, and, by committing the most atrocious crimes, to forfeit all hopes of happiness in a state of eternity, is so obvious, as not to require any particular comment, or illus tration.

From the exposition of the text, which has been now offered, we may learn to regard the Holy Scriptures with greater reverence and humility. There are few serious persons, perhaps, who have not, at some time or other, but more particularly in early life, read this awful denunciation of our blessed Lord with terror and

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alarm but we have seen that it will admit of an interpretation, which is perfectly natural, reasonable, and just, not by having recourse to emblems, metaphors, or any other figures of speech; but by taking the words of our blessed Saviour in their plain and literal sense. On occasions, therefore, which may be somewhat si milar, let us learn the great duty of humbleness of mind. Satisfied of the truth of every doc trine and duty that are necessary to make us "wise unto salvation," let us in all cases of ap parent difficulty modestly suppose that there may be some misapprehension, discrepance, or obscurity, arising from the use of metaphorical expressions, from allusions to some ancient cus toms, with which we are not acquainted,-from peculiar idioms, which, in the dead languages, are often liable to be mistaken,-and from a variety of causes, which future industry and learn. ing may elucidate, reconcile, or satisfactorily explain.

Let us dread nothing more, nor guard against any thing with greater caution, than the presumptuous sins of ignorance; the flimsy scepticism, or silly conceits, of the half-learned; the loose insinuations of the profligate; and the offensive ribaldry of scorners. But, if the re