ther the matter be true or falfe, while we have no intentions of deceit, we cannot be faid to lye.

Having thus attempted to defcribe the nature of truth, there are various inquiries arife upon the difcuffion of this Lubject.

It will be here inquired, are we bound to speak the truth to all who afk us? To which it is answered, we are bound never to lye. But instead of being bound to speak the truth to all who afk us, in many cafes, we are not under obligation to speak at all. And filence is often the beft reproof for impertinent questions. And when it is deemed expedient to make fome anfwer to querifts, it may be couched in fuch language confiftent with truth as will afford no certain information. David was guilty of no fin when he feigned himself mad before the enemies of his nation, but a wife ftratagem which it was his duty to employ in those circumstances. Thus our Lord made "They drew nigh ufe of a pretence on a certain occafion. "unto a village whither they went, and he made as tho' he "would have gone farther." This concealment of our Saviour's purpose, in pretending to go farther than he designed, was not finful, but a lawful pretence, to try the friendship, affection and hofpitality of his difciples, and to awaken their im portunity for his tarrying with them. So phyficians may use various and innocent pretences with their patients to induce them to take medicine to heal their difeafes. Thus weakminded perfons and children may be induced to do things for their good, which otherwise they would not, by a kind of charitable guile, which can never be termed fin.

It will be further asked, are we obliged at all times to tell the whole truth?-At certain feasons, and when we are properly called thereto, this becomes an indifpenfable duty. But at times a concealment of the whole is fit and right.

Thus Samuel was fent on an important errand to Bethleham under pretence of offering facrifice to anoint another king instead of Saul, and to fave his life, and by the direction of God himfelt, he was to use a stratagem whereby Saul was deceived. When Samuel objected to the bufinefs, faying, "If Saul hear it he ❝ will kill me. The Lord faid, take an heifer with thee, and. "fay, I am come to facrifice to the Lord. And call Jeffe to "the facrifice, and I will fhew thee what thou shalt do." Here was a compleat impofition upon the reigning fovereign by the direction of heaven, without fin.-So the midwives of Egypt deceived their civil rulers, and were recommended and rewarded by God for their conduct. They told part of the truth. All they faid was, "The Hebrew women are not as "Egyptian women, for they are lively and they are delivered "ere the midwives come unto them." This was undoubtedly true. The one would delay fending as long as poffible, and the other would delay coming. Thus the officers were deceived and impofed upon, and for the midwives to tell the wholetruth in all its circumstances was not their duty.

It is timeto proceed to the

Second head propofed, which was to fhow what lying is, and the evil thereof, "put away lying." Were I to give a definition of lying in order to diftinguish it from error and mistake, I would say, it is speaking a known falfefhood in or der to deceive. It is not speaking that which is false, when we believe it to be true, which is an error or a mistake only; it is not every purpose to deceive, or every impofition, that is fineful and wicked, as has been manifested; but it is allerting a known and wilful falfehood, with a defign to deceive and impofe upon the perfon or perfons who hear it. This comprehends not only the grofs forts of lying, but likewife all the more refined. And every fpecies of lying, whether ferious or

jocole, whether in jeft or earnest, is condemned by reafon, by the light of nature, and by the word of God.

The evils of this heinous iniquity are great and many. It outrages that which is beautiful, difhonors God, violates both law and gospel, grofsly injures fociety, a flagrant infult of our `fellow men, and intails certain ruin upon the immortal foul." "Here is a picture that nothing can exceed for deformity.

It outrages that which is beautiful. Truth contains in its nature intrinfic beauty and fuperlative excellency. What more amiable, beautiful and excellent than truth? God is ftiled truth, Jefus Chrift, the Saviour of the world, is the truth and the life, the Holy Ghoft is the spirit of truth, the holy fcriptures are truth, and the glory of all creation is truth. Now what can be a greater outrage than to attempt the deftruction of all this beauty, worth and excellency? But this is the nature and tendency of every falfehood. How inconceiveably dreadful then must be its evil? To blot out all the glory of created and uncreated existence is the evil genius of this ini quity.

It in a diftinguishing manner dishonors God. It denies his omnifcience, omniprefence, and almighty power, his holiness, his purity and his juftice. Now a thing of fuch a nature, must be an infinite evil indeed.

But this is the awful nature and

evil of lying; hence it ought to be held in abhorrence by all the children of men. "Put away lying." It ought to be the fole property of the atheistial tribe, and none others ought to intermeddle with it. This fhows us how highly it reflects difhonor upon the glorious Jehovah, his existence and all his perfections.

It is a violation both of the law and of the gofpel. It is a tranfgreffion of the ninth commandment, and is abundantly

condemned throughout the Old Teftament and the New. The former declares, "Ye fhall not lye one to another. I "hate and abhor a lying tongue faith the Lord. A righteous He man hateth lying. Let lying lips be put to filence. that fpeaketh lies fhall not efcape, he fhall perish." The latter fpeaks in the fame manner. "Lye not one to another

feeing ye have put off the old man, put away lying.” But there would be no end of retailing the texts relative to this matter. Thus you fec, it is a violation both of law and gofpel, therfore ought to be held in deteftation.

It is a grofs injury of fociety. The tendency of lying is to deftroy all human conversation and commerce, and to introduce the most pernicious confequences into the affairs of mankind. Let truth be excluded, and men can neither buy nor fell, nor even live together. It is fo great an evil to fociety, that it was punifhed with death among the ancient RomansIf any was convicted of this crime, he was to be caft from the Tarpian rock. It breaks the focial bands, defeats the defign of fpeech, deftroys all confidence between man and man, and throws the world into turmoil, confufion and defolation.

Lying is a flagrant infult upon our fellow men, a declaration that they are not worthy of the truth; that diffimulation, deceit and falfehood are only proper treatment for them. Better man had been born dumb than employ his tongue for fo horrid and base a purpose.

The complection of its evil is, it brings certain ruin upon the immortal foul. Unlefs deep repentance and a thorough reformation prevent, liars muft perifh forever. And who can be willing to dwell eternally in devouring flames, to be toffed from furge to furge on the billows of Jehovah's wrath, throughout endless and unwafting ages? Their habitation fhall be, "That tophet, which God hath ordained of

"old; he hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire "and much wood; the breath of the Lord like a ftream of "brimstone doth kindle it. God fhall deftroy them that speak "leafing. For the fin of their mouth, for curfing and lying "which they fpeak, he will confume them in wrath. He "that fpeaketh lies fhall not efcape, he fhall perish. There "fhall in no wife enter into heaven, any thing that maketh a

lye. Lyars fhall have their portion in the lake that bur "neth with fire and brimftone." Thus you behold compleat, perfect and eternal deftruction entailed upon all who are guilty of this fin.

How unfpeakably great and aggravated is this iniquity? It is an abomination to God and man. He who can count the drops of the ocean, or measure the depths of hell, let him defcribe the evil thereof.

I proceed,

Thirdly, to give fome directions against this vice, and in favour of speaking the truth, "For we are members one of "another." This is the reafon here advanced by the apoftle, why we should refrain from this fin and speak the truth. We are members defigned for the fervice and benefit one of another, and truth is a debt which we reciprocally owe, and have a right to expect from each other. Of whatever body we account ourselves members, or to whatever fociety we belong, the argument against lying, and in favour of peaking truth is ftrong and cogent. If we are members of the church, to which these words evidently refer, we ought to love, efteem, and be ferviceable to each other. But nothing more contradicts this purpose or defeats our usefulness and fervice than lying. What character more abfurd than a lying christian? He is a ftain to his profeffion, a fcandal to the church, and a difgrace to himself. A chriflian and a liar iş as inconfiftent as light and darkness. If we confider our