_If any man among you seem to be religious_, _and bridleth not his tongue_, _but deceiveth his own 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 man's religion is vain_. This determines that the words, _but deceiveth 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 he does; 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.