Page:Sermons preached in the African Protestant Episcopal Church of St. Thomas', Philadelphia.djvu/105

Rh then follows.—"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God."

The rule laid down in this connexion whereby Christians may avoid grieving the Spirit, is to attend to the preceding caution. But alas! how seldom is this rule attended to by professing Christians in their intercourse with each other. They may not violate the first part of the rule. Their conversation may not be of that character as to deserve to be styled, "corrupt communication." But do they not often violate the second part? When they meet together, is the communication that proceeds out of their mouth good to the use of edifying? Is there no foolish talking and jesting which are not convenient? Is there no unkind and unnecessary exposures made of the real or supposed faults of neighbors? Is there no backbiting, no evil-speaking and slandering? Happy for the cause of religion were it so. But the reverse is too often the case. Instead of adhering to the