The works of Joseph Butler Author:Joseph Butler Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SERMON IV. UPON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGUE. James i. 26. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own... more » heart, this man's religion is vain. THE translation of this text would be more determinate by being more literal, thus: If any man among you seemeth to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this mans religion is vain. This determines that the words, but decciveth his own heart, are not put in opposition to, seemeth to be religious, but to, bridleth not his tongue. The certain determinate meaning of the text then being, that he who seemeth to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but in that particular deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain; we may observe somewhat very forcible and expressive in these words of St. James. As if the apostle had said, No man surely can make any pretences to religion, who does not at least believe that he bridleth his tongue: if he puts on any appearance or face of religion, and yet does not govern his tongue, he must surely deceive himself in that particular, and think hedoes: and whoever is so unhappy as to deceive himself in this, to imagine he keeps that unruly faculty in due subjection, when indeed he does not, whatever the other part of his life be, his religion is vain; the government of the tongue being a most material restraint which virtue lays us under: without it no man can be truly religious. In treating upon this subject, I will consider, First, What is the general vice or fault here referred to: or what disposition in men is supposed in moral reflections and precepts concerning bridling the tongue. Secondly, When it may be said of any one, that he has a due government over himself in this respect. I. Now the fault ...« less