And feeing judges are fet to judge for the Lord, this must be reckoned a lying to the Lord.

4. By the witneffes, and that when they either conceal the truth, not discovering freely and fully what they know, or when they tell any thing that is not truth, Lev, v. 1. Prov, xix. 9. And thus people may prejudice truth, when they keep up what might make the truth appear, and the caufe go right in judgement.

5. Lastly, By the pleaders, while they appear for an unjuft caufe to bear down truth and juftice, Acts

xxiv. 2. c.

Secondly, Extrajudicially, in common converfation and otherwife. Wherefoever we go, we fhould carry truth along with us; bat out of judgement truth is often prejudiced; and that these three

-ways.

A man

i. By unfaithfulness in converfation, when people flip the bond of their word, and make nothing of breaking lawful promifes, Rom. i. 31. ought to value his word highly, as a man, and much more as a Chriftian. That is a fad complaint, There is no truth in the land, Hof. iv. 1. when men do with their promises as an ape with its collar, flipping it on and off as it fees meet.

2. By undue filence. Strange is the diforder that fin has brought into the world; as in the tongue, which is often going when it fhould be quiet, and often quiet when it should speak. Our tongues are our glory; but they are often found wrapt up in a dark cloud of filence, when they fhould be fhining forth. Truth is prejudiced by filence, when the honour of God or the good of our neighbour, either in the way of juice or charity, calls for the difcovery of it. Thus men fin against God, the truth, and their neighbour, when they hold their peace, (1.) When iniquity calls for a reproof from them. (2.) When it calls for a complaint to or giving informatisa

thereof unto others, Lev. v. 1. Deut. xiii. 8. God has given men a tongue as a banner to be difplayed for him. To run away then with flying colours, in fuch a cafe, is very difhonourable to God, and dangerous to ourfelves, Mark viii. 38. It is most injurious to our neighbour, whom we think fo to gratify, being a fnare to his foul, Lev. xix. 17. and to ourfelves, by involving us in their guilt, Eph. v. 7. 11.

3. By undue fpeaking. The world is a world of iniquity, and feveral ways fpeaks to the prejudice of truth. Truth may be prejudiced thus,

(1.) By fpeaking it unfeafonably. Truth hath fuffered much prejudice by the unfeasonable venting of it: therefore people must take heed not only what, but when they fpeak for there is a time to keep filence, and a time to speak, Eccl. iii. 7. A fool uttereth all his mind; but a wife man keepeth it in till afterwards, Prov. xxix. 11.

(2.) By fpeaking truth maliciously, as Doeg did. It was both unfeafonable, while Saul was in a rage against David, 1 Sam. xxii. 8. 9. and malicious, Pfal. lii. 2. 3. This is the way how the devil speaks truth; as he flirred up the damfel poffeffed with a fpirit of divination, to cry concerning Paul and Silas, Thefe men are the fervants of the most high God, which fhew unto us the way of falvation, Acts xvi. 16. 17. and this very malicioufly, as the context fhews.

C

(3.) By perverting of truth to a wrong meaning, as the falle witneffes did againft Chrift, Matth. xxvi. 60.61. What he fpoke of his body, they turned it to the temple of Jerufalem. So it is not enough that we speak truth, but it must be seasonable and charitable too.

J

4. By equivocal expreffions to the prejudice of truth or juftice; in which the fenfe goes doubtfully, either true or falfe. Of the fame nature are mental refervations. Thus Ifaac finned, in denying

his wife, and calling her his fifter, Gen. xxvi. 7.9. They are indeed lies, an untruth, fpoken with an intention to deceive. For words must be taken according to the common ufe of them, and answers are understood as given according to the queftion. The devil, who is the father of lies, brought this manner of speaking into the world, Gen. iii. 5. and that way he was wont to deliver his oracles; for he never fpeaks truth, but either malicioufly or equivocally, as he moved the falfe prophets to speak in the affair of Ahab's going up to Ramoth-Gilead, 1 Kings xxii. 6. 12.

5. Lastly, By lies, Eph. iv. 25. Lying is prejudicial to truth as darkness to light, and is from the devil. But observe fome fpeeches that are like to lies, but are not so.

(1.) Figurative fpeeches, though not literally true, are not lies, as Chrift's calling himself a vine, John xv. 1. Of this fort are allegories and fables, fuch as Jotham's parable, Judg. ix. 8. parables, Luke xvi. hyperbolic fpeeches, John xxii. ult. ironical fpeeches, Gen. iii. 22. 1 Kings xviii. 27. In the former the fenfe and meaning of them is agreeable to truth, and fables and parables are a fort of speech by pictures. In ironies the gefture readily explains the meaning, 1 Kings xxii. 15.

(2.) The telling a part of the truth and concealing another part of it, when there is no obligation on us from the honour of God or our neighbour to discover it, is not lying, 1 Sam. xvi. 2. for tho' we are never to tell but the truth, yet we are not always obliged to tell all the truth.

>

(3) Speeches according to prefent intention, without prejudicing further liberty, as when one at table refufes fuch a thing, yet changes his mind, and takes it, or on importunity yields, as Gen. xix. 4.13420 Cor. i. 17. 1

Lafly, Threatenings not executed when the condition underflood is done, and promifes not fulfil

led when the condition is not performed. thefe being fet aside, confider,

Now,

1. Sometimes, though the words agree with the mind of the speaker, yet not with the thing itself. This is called a material lie, or an untruth, and is finful, as difagreeing with the truth, If. lix. 13.

2. If the words agree not with the mind of the fpeaker, that is a formal lie, the tongue fpeaking contrary to what the mind thinks. Lies are of four forts.

1. Jefting lies; that is, when a person speaks that which is contrary to the known truth, in a jefting or ludicrous way; and embellishes his difcourfe with his own fictions, defigning thereby to impofe on others. This they are guilty of who invent falfe news, or tell ftories for truth, which they know to be falfe, by way of amufement. Hofea complains of this practice, chap. vii. 3. They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

2. Officious lies; that is, when one speaks that which is contrary to truth, and the dictates of his confcience, to do good to himself or others thereby, or with a defign to cover a fault, or excufe ourfelves or others, Job xiii. 7. Will ye Speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? Rom. iii. 8.

3. Pernicious lies; that is, when a perfon raises and fpreads a falfe report with a defign to do mifchief to another. This is a complicated crime, and the worst fpecies of this fin, a thing which is an abomination to the Lord, Prov. vi. 17.

4. Rafh lies; that is, when a perfon uttereth that which is falfe through furprife, inadvertency, and cuftomary loofenefs, as in the cafe of the tidings brought to David, that Abfalom had flain all the king's fons at the entertainment he had provided for them at Baal-hazor, 2 Sam. xiii. 30.

Concerning all thefe fpecies of lying we may fay, that God is a God of truth, but the devil the

father of lies, who incites men to imitate him in this ancient hellish trade, by which he destroyed the founders of the human race; that the word of God exprefsly condemns every kind of untruth'; and that people fhould never reckon that a small thing which will land the tranfgreffors in hell, Rev. xxi. 8.

II. This command forbids whatsoever is injurious to our own good name. We ought all to be very careful of our reputation, and not to bear falfe witnefs for or against ourselves. Now, people may be guilty of the breach of this command with refpect to themselves,

1. In their hearts, either by thinking too meanly of themselves, or too highly. Though people can never be too humble, yet they may be too blind to what God has done for them; and there may be a great deal of baftard felf-denial, which hinders men to be thankful to God, and ufeful to others, as in the cafe of Mofes, Exod. iv. 10. 14. But the most dangerous extreme is thinking too highly of ourfelves, Rom. xii. 16. This is a moft dangerous piece of falfe witnefs which the falfe heart gives in favour of felf.

2. In their actions, when people either do evil or that which at least is evil-like. When Eli's fons loft their tenderness, and gave themselves to debauchery, they loft their good name. An unfavoury report followed their vitious and bafe life, I Sam. ii. 24. And there are fuch things as are of evil report, fufpicious practices, evil-like things, that though they be not the worft of things, yet they make way for them; by these perfons throw away their good name, Prov. v. 8. 9. and witness againft themfelves that they are untender and vitious perfons, in a near difpofition to the greatest evil.

3. In words. And thus men may be guilty by, (1) Bearing witness against themfelves unneceffarily, without a due call difcovering their own fe

J