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and impertinent difcourfe, doing no good to the hearers, but bewraying the folly of the fpeaker.

3. A trade of jefting, Eph. v. 4. It is not finful to pafs an innocent jeft for begetting of moderate chearfulness. The wife man tells us, There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh, Eccl. iii. 4. It may in fome cafes be as neceffary to chear the fpirits, as a cordial is to restore them, or a pleasant gale of wind to purify the air. It was not unbecoming the gra vity of the prophet to mock Baal's priests, and to fay, Cry aloud; for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is purfuing, or he is on a journey; or per adventure he fleepeth, and must be awakened, 1 Kings xviii. 27. But finful are,

(1.) Offenfive jefts, which tend to the fhewing a defpiling of our neighbour, to the irritating and provoking of him. And indeed it is often feen, that those who are much given that way, their converfation is most offenfive, fparing neither friend nor foe, and will rather lose their friend than their jest.

(2.) Profane jefts, either making a mock of fin, or of that which is holy, particularly wrefting and abufing of fcripture, to exprefs the conceits of their light and wanton wits. It is a dangerous thing to jeft in fuch matters.

(3.) People's being immoderate in jefting. To make every word a jeft, is liker the ftage than Chriftian gravity. This is as abfurd as to prefent a man a difh of falt to feed on; a little of it is good for feasoning, but to give it for the whole entertainment is abfurd.

4. Laftly, Flattery, Pfal. xii. 3. This is a moft dangerous ftroke, and the more deadly that the wound it gives does not fmart, but by it a man is hugged to ruin. The words of a flatterer are fmoother than oil, yet are they in effect as drawn fwords. It is a compound of lying, abjectnefs of fpirit, and treachery. The flatterer gives the praise that is not due, profeffes the kindness that is not real, and screws up

all to a pitch far above truth; and fo he is a liar. He debafes himself to please others, turning himself into every fhape to humour the party he is to flatter; and betrays him into felf-conceit and unacquaintednefs with himself.

I fhall fhut all with a twofold dehortation.

First, Speak truth, and beware of lying. Lying is a very common fin; repent of that guilt, and beware of it for the future. For motives, confider,

Mot. 1. That God is the God of truth, the author and lover of truth, so that he cannot lie. And therefore lying is moft contrary to the nature and mind of God; it is therefore fingularly abominable and hateful to him, Pfal. x. 6. Prov. vi. 16. 17. We find that God fuffered Adam's fons to marry their own fifters, and the Ifraelites to spoil the Egyptians of what they had borrowed of them; but never did the God of truth at any time difpenfe with mens fpeaking lies. Hate that abominable thing then, which God fo hates.

2. All lies are from the devil in a special manner, John viii. 44. It was he that first broached lies in the world, and ruined mankind with them; and having fped fo well with that engine of hell at first, no wonder he fets himself to keep up the trade. He is the father of lies, that begets them on the falfe heart, and they are brought forth by the lying tongue. Whom do liars refemble then, the God of truth or the father of lies?

3. Lying is a part of the old man of fin, which must be put off, if we would not be put out of God's prefence, Eph. iv. 24. 25. It is the way to which our corrupt natures do kindly and quickly incline, Pfal. lviii. 3. The wicked go aftray, as foon as they be born, fpeaking lies. Hence children are not to learn this, they have the art of it from their first father Adam. But as foon as grace enters the heart, it rectifies it in that point. Hence the Lord's people are called children that will not lie, If. lxiii. 8. VOL. III.

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4. There is a meannefs or bafenefs in lying beyond what is in other common fins, either because it proceeds from fear, or tends to deceive. Hence liars themselves cannot endure to be called liars; the bafenefs of the fin being fo much acknowledged in the world, that though many bring forth and cherish the vile brat, none can endure to be reputed the father of it. And no wonder it is reputed fuch a bafe thing; for when once a man is known to make no confcience of truth, he has loft his credit, and is looked on as a man that cannot be bound with the common ties of fociety, nor trusted.

Lastly, It will bring God's wrath heavily on the guilty, Prov. xix. 5. 9. A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies fhall not efcape. A falfe witness shall not be unpunished; and he that Speaketh lies fhall perish. God's truth is impawned for the liar's deftruction, even eternal deftruction. Shall liars have accefs to heaven? No, they are barred out from thence, Rev. xxi. ult. There fhall in nowife enter into it any thing that-maketh a lie. Their lodging is appointed to them in another place with the devil the father of lies, in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, Rev. xxi. 8. & xxii. 15. I fhall give you a few advices.

1. Strike at the root of lying, and fo the fruit will wither and come to nought. The great root of all is the corrupt nature, that needs to be mortified by grace from Jefus Christ. There are alfo particular lufts on which lies depend. Labour to be humble, for pride and felf-feeking occafions many lies, as the boafter's lie. Some are founded on covetouinefs, as the lies in bargaining; fome in fear, flavifh fear of men, as denying of truth; fome in the vanity and rafhnefs of our natures, whereby lies come to be broached without a formed defign.

2. Accuftom yourselves to few words, for in the multitude of words there wanteth not fin, Prov. x. 19.

It is but juft with God, that idle words be punished by fuffering people to fall into lying words.

3. Remeinber that God will difcover truth; and that his eye is upon you at all times. And though ye may deceive others with your lies, ye cannot deceive the omnifcient God. He is witnefs to the truth, and will call you to account for your contradifting of it. And indeed the trade of lying is hard to keep up without difcovery. Liars had need of good memories. A lying tongue is but for a moment, Prov. xii. 19.

Laftly, Curb lying in young ones, out of pity to their fouls, and care of their credit when they come to years. For fome get fuch a habit of it when they are young, that there is no mending of them when they grow old.

Secondly, Beware of carrying an evil tongue. The lying tongue is contrary to truth, the evil tongue to charity and love to our neighbour, being employed in flandering, backbiting, reproaching, re-* viling, fcolding, &c. For motives,

Mot. 1. Confider the woful perverfenefs that is in an evil tongue. God gave man fpeech which he denied to other creatures, that by his tongue he might glorify God, and do good to himfelf and others, Pfal. vii. 9. 10. Shall we thus turn our glory into-fhame, and pervert the ends of fpeech? How juft were it that we were ftruck dumb? 2. It is a murdering inftrument, obferved to you before, that an ill tongue is a parcel of murdering weapons, a bow and harp arrows to pierce, a fword to ftab, and a fire to devour others. Yca, Solomon obferves, that death and life are in the power of the tongue, It is a fire that kindles ftrife and contention in al! focieties, and turns them into confufion; and oft-times returns heavily on the head of thofe who carry it. The tongues from heaven were cloven, to be the more diffufive of good; but thote

fred from hell are forked, to be the more impreftive of michief.

3. Contider the wickednefs of it. It is a world ef iniquity, Jam. iii. 6. They have much ado that Eve an ill tongue to guide, a world of iniquity to guide. It is a broad ftream from the fountain of the wickednets of the heart.

4. An unbridled tongue cuts off all pretences to true religion, "Jim. i. 25. For where the fear or love of God and our neighbour is in the heart, it will be a bond on the tongue to keep it within the beends of Chritian charity.

s. We mult give an account of our words at the day of degement, Matth. xii. 36. 37.

len il tongue will ruin the foul. Bridle your tongues; however unruly they be, they fhall & done in the grave. And if repentance prevent it not the day will come that they will be tormented shot dures. Luke xvi.

that cendede with an advice or two.

Seg at the heart, if ye would order your amgo Light Labour to get them cleanfed by the A spicit of Christ. Study love to God and your Boghbour, watch are the fulfilling of the law. Labour for meekucis, and patience, and humility, weld wil de the bett directors of the tongue,

2. See yourèlves, in the faith of promised affiftce to watch ever your hearts and tongues. Lewachibinets is dangerous in the cafe of fuch an arrely member as the tongue is.. God has guarded iraturally. Do ye alfo watch it *.

*Several particulars relating to fpeaking truth, and truth in the Deart, and the evil of lying, &c. may be read with pleasure and proat, in the author's book, lately published, entitled, Diftinguifk Ang charwalors qr” true believers, fermors on Pfal. xv. 2.

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