Page:Sermons preached in the African Protestant Episcopal Church of St. Thomas', Philadelphia.djvu/104

"earthly, sensual and devilish." The conversation in which he delights, must consequently partake of the same character. How then can the Holy Spirit be otherwise than grieved to behold the tongues of men so much employed about temporal subjects, as totally to exclude those that are spiritual and eternal;—those subjects which excite the most adoring wonder and rapturous songs of joy among the redeemed in glory. But upon this point, we need not confine our remarks exclusively to the impenitent part of our hearers. Professing Christians are far from being faultless here. Indeed, the apostle Paul in giving the admonition contained in the text, evidently had his Christian brethren at Ephesus chiefly in view In the words that immediately precede the text, he addressed them thus:—"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good, to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers." The text