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they were written, for the under standing of them."-"Let us there, fore meditate upon them and consult them as our rule."-" The

and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

MISTIE.

holy Scriptures are an adorable FAMILY SERMONS.-No. CXLVI. mixture of clearness and obscurity, which enlighten and humble the children of God, and blind and harden those of this world. The, light proceeds from God, and blind

ness from the creature."

. Next, with respect to the praetice of religion it is clear from the same volume, that when the Bishop, speaks of religion as being "easy," when made "a duty," in distinction to its difficulty as "a science," he neither overlooked nor underrated the exertions and sacrifices which it involves, and by no means intended to convey by the term, "easy" what too many persons would willingly understand by that expression. Under the head " Temperance," he says, "Mortification and self-denial are much insisted upon in the Gospel: they are necessary to take off our minds from the pleasures of this life, in order to fit us for those of the next."Again, in proposing (p. 258.) the "test of being true Christians," he says, "They that are true Christians have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts." And to shew that the Bishop was not merely requiring an abstinence from scandalously vicious gratifications, he observes, under the head of "Plays, &c.," "He that is not satisfied they are unlawful diversions, let him, if he dare, pray to God to bless him in the way he is going, and to keep him from their danger."

Such passages, and they might easily be multiplied, appear to lead to the conclusion, That the above aphorism of Bishop Wilson is not so to be construed as in any degree to do away the necessity of "hearing, reading, marking, learning, and inwardly digesting the word of God," or to derogate from the divinely revealed truth, that "he that taketh not his cross

ON THE ORIGIN, SINFULNESS, AND PUNISHMENT OF FALSEHOOD AND INSINCERITY.

Acts v. 3, 4.-But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled, thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it

remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thy heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

INSINCERITY, in its various forms, is one of the most common sins which are current in the world; but it is one which is highly offen-. sive to God, as well as deeply injurious to society. It is true, that there is much of what is called honour to be found among men, and that gross falsehood is almost every where held up to censure and abhorrence; for this is felt by all to be necessary for the general welfare. Men could not live in society, nor could the ordinary business of life be carried on, if some respect were not paid to the outward appearance of truth and sincerity. But when we advance one step farther-when we look at the heart

when we reflect upon the secret motives and intentions of mankind, and compare them with the Christian standard of sincerity, how lamentable is the deficiency! How little do we see around us, how small a portion perhaps do we ourselves possess, of that genuine uprightness of heart of which the Scriptures so often speak, and to which such frequent promises are attached. How slow is our progress towards acquiring that complete tenderness of conscience, that singleness and integrity of aim, which become our exalted profes sion as servants of Him "who knew

no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."

The affecting account of Ananias and Sapphira, from which the text is taken, conveys to us an impressive lesson-a lesson which we should do well seriously to consider-on the origin, the sinfulness, and the punishment of insineerity and falsehood. And while we reflect upon the circumstances of the narrative, let us pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit that this awful example may duly affect our consciences, and that we may be led to cherish in our hearts and lives the genuine fruits of simplieity and godly sincerity.

First, We may learn from the narrative the origin of deceit and falsehood. Saint Peter traces them to the temptations of Satan, and the workings of a corrupt heart; for he says to Ananias, in the third verse, "Why hath Satan filled (or emboldened) thy heart?” and in the fourth, "Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart?" Satan is, in an especial manner, the tempter to every species of falsehood: he is styled emphatically "the father of lies." It was he who by artifice gained the ear of Eve, and drew her aside from her obedience to God, daring even to contradict the words and threatenings of Him "who cannot lie." It was he who entered into Judas, and suggested to him to betray his Master with a kiss, thus leading him to add the blackest treachery and insincerity to an unlawful thirst for gain. Nay, he even attempted to obtain a victory over our blessed Lord himself, and employed falsehood and artifice to effect his design. But in vain he assaulted Him who was 68 holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners:" his fiery darts were repelled, and fell blunted to the ground. It is only where the suggestions of Satan are listened to with complacency, that they can produce their intended effect. Our natural depravity assists his devices; and the sin becomes our own,

even where Satan is the tempter. Oh then let us be constantly on our guard, both against the suggestions of our spiritual enemy and the evil dictates of our own corrupt hearts: and let us look to God to bestow upon us an abundant measure of his Holy Spirit, so that, when the enemy cometh in like a flood, he may lift up a standard against him.

The origin, then, of insincerity and false bood, we have seen traced in the text to the suggestions of Satan and the co-operation of our own evil hearts. And what are the instruments which our spiritual adversary employs to induce us to yield to his suggestions; nay, to co. operate in bis designs, and even to anticipate them, and to conceive in our own bearts, as did Ananias, the very sin into which Satan wishes us to fall?

These instruments

are our corrupt appetites and passions, which, except as they are subdued by the grace of God, are constant incitements to evil. How much, for example, of the insincerity which is in the world arises. from covetousness! What deceitful transactions do we hear of in the business of life-in our shops, and markets, and exchanges-and all to gain a trifle of this world's goods! How many falsehoods are daily uttered to overrate one commodity, and to undervalue another, according as a sordid interest may dictate! "It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer; but when he is gone his way, be boasteth.” The falsehood of Ananias and Sapphira very probably arose, in part at least, from this sin; for they seem to have hoped, that if they could have it believed that they had laid the whole produce of their inheri tance at the Apostles' feet, they would become entitled to be supported out of the common stock which had been collected for the necessities of the saints. Again, how much of the falsehood and misrepresentation which are in the world may be traced to the indulgence of the malignant passions;

with some mercenary views of future gain by the transaction, were doubt, less also prompted by a wish to share in the applause which had been bestowed upon those zealous and disinterested converts who had devoted their substance to God, in order to supply the necessities of their brethren. They were evidently actuated by a desire to be seen of men, and not by a principle of love to the Redeemer, or a wish to minister to the wants of his afflicted servants. Nor was there any excuse which could be made for their insincerity: for, as the Apostle remonstrates with them, the land was in their own power, they needed not to sell it; and even after they had sold it, they could have retained the whole or any part of the price, if they would have been content to sacrifice their covetousness or vain-glory. Their sin, therefore, was not one of mere infirmity or sudden temptation; but was deli

such as envy, jealousy, malice, and revenge, from which spring most of the false and malicious reports which are spread to injure the reputation of our neighbour. Again, how many falsehoods arise from an unchristian fear of man, and a want of trust in the power and providence of God to overrule even the most unfavour able circumstances to our final benefit, provided we withstand the temptation to extricate ourselves by artifice or falsehood. It was such a fear that made both Abraham and Isaac have recourse to a false representation, when they ought to have placed their faith in God to make a way for their escape. It was such a fear that made the brethren of Joseph send a false mes. sage to him, putting words into their father's lips which he never uttered, because "when they saw that their father was dead, they said Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him."-berately planned and carried into But perhaps there is no temptation to insincerity more prevalent than vain-glory, and the love of human applause. The history of which our text forms a part furnishes a striking illustration of the evil effects of this undue desire of worldly estimation. We learn from the conclusion of the former chapter, that, under the peculiar circumstances in which the primitive couverts to Christianity were then placed, Barnabas and others had sold their lauds and houses, and had laid the produce at the feet of the Apostles, for the supply of the poor; and probably with peculiar reference to the wants of those who, for their testimony to the name of Christ, had been driven from their ordinary means of subsistence by their unbelieving masters or persecutors. Among others, Ananias and his wife Sapphira agreed to sell a piece of land, but to keep back a part of the price, while they pretended to bestow the whole. Their hypocrisy and falsehood, though probably connected, as before remarked,

execution, in order to secure some worldly advantage, or to gratify an ostentatious love of praise. And, as before remarked, like all other sins, it had its origin in a corrupt heart-a heart uurenewed by the Spirit of God, and a prey to every evil suggestion of the tempter.

But, secondly, the narrative before us forcibly teaches the great sinfulness of deceit and falsehood in the sight of God. Persons are apt to think it a thing of little account, that they trifle with the obligations of Christian sincerity; that they allow themselves to make false excuses for their sins or faults; and to swerve from strict truth, in order to advance their worldly interests, or to gratify their love of ostentation and human applause, So long at least as their insincerity is not visibly injurious to others, they are ready to think it cannot be an offence of a very heinous kind. But what is the language of St. Peter in reference to the insincere statement, not amounting perhaps to a direct verbal falsehood, of Ananias?

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He expressly calls it "lying to the Holy Ghost," and be shews the magnitude of that crime by adverting to the Divine nature of that infinitely holy and all-seeing Being before whom the offence was committed: "Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." He further calls it, in the ninth verse, "tempting the Spirit of the Lord." We must, therefore, not only trace back our sins to the evil motives and corrupt heart from which they spring, but must also remember the all-powerful and gracious Creator against whom they are committed, in order to estimate aright their beinousness. Now, God has in a very emphatic manner forbidden every species of falsehood and insincerity. In the book of Deuteronomy it is said, "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another;" here deceit and falsehood are forbidden equally with, and in close connexion with, fraud and theft. Again, it is commanded in the book of Exodus, "Thou shalt not raise a false report;" to which it is added, "Put not thine hand with the wicked, to be an unrighteous witness." Yet how many Yet how many who would be shocked at bearing false witness against their neighbour before a public tribunal, think little of the sin of inventing or circulating a false report," which may be uot less injurious to his character, and not less offensive to Him who "seeth the heart;" who requireth truth in the inward parts;" who has classed "a lying tongue" among those things which "the Lord doth hate;" who has commanded us, as the disciples of Christ, "to put away lying, and to speak every one truth with his neighbour;" who has expressly told us, that "there shall in no wise enter into the heavenly Jerusalem any thing that maketh a lie;" who has classed the lover of falsehood and the maker of it among those that are without;" and who has taught us, by his servant David, in reply to the question, "Who shall

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abide in thy tabernacle, and who shall enter into thy holy hill?" that it is "he who walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth from his heart!" Let us beware then that we deceive not our consciences with false palliations of a sin against which God himself has so strongly and repeatedly marked his displeasure.

We were, thirdly, to consider the punishment of falsehood. In the instance immediately under consideration, God was pleased to interfere in a visible and miraculous. manner to punish the guilt of lying unto the Holy Ghost. The case was of a very extraordinary kind; the attempt to deceive was under the hypocritical pretext of more than usual devotion to the cause of Christ; and the welfare of the infaut church seemed to require that such an imposition should be speedily detected and exposed. God was therefore pleased to endue the Apostles with miraculous power, both to discover the artifice and to pronounce the sentence of punishment. This sentence he himself instantly executed: Ananias, while the Apostle was speaking, "fell down and gave up the ghost;" as did also the partner of his guilt, upon her approach with the same falsehood, "three hours after. The consequence was, that “great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things;" an effect which seems to have been the immediate object which God had in view by this special infliction; in order to strengthen. the foundations and purify the visible sanctuary of the rising church, which would doubtless have suffered the most imminent perils had such an instance of covetousness, ostentation, and contempt for his all-searching presence, been suffered to pass unnoticed.

It is true that the Almighty Judge does not usually see it necessary thus visibly and miraculously to interfere for the immediate punishment of sin; and therefore "be

cause vengeance against an evil work is not executed speedily, the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil." But how false and unscriptural such a conclusion! The threatenings of God are equally unchangeable, whether inflicted as soon as pronounced, or delayed till the unseen world shall open upon us, and disclose those solemn scenes which, from the blindness of our understandings and the hardness of our hearts, we are too apt to overlook. Nothing can tear from the book of God that awful threatening, that "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Let us then learn, from the foregoing considerations, the important duty of Christian sincerity. Let us study to be "Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile." As respects our neighbour, let it be our earnest prayer and constant aim, and that not in greater matters only, but in every detail of life, to be true, and faithful, and conscientious in our words and actions, that we may in this, as in other respects, act worthy of our high vocation, and adorn the doc. trine of God our Saviour in all things. As relates to ourselves, let us be honest with our own consciences; let us dread nothing so much as self-deception; as making a fair shew before men while our hearts are not right with God, and while therefore-whatever may be our outward profession-we are

exposed to all the woes pronounced against the hypocritical and unfaithful professors of the Gospel. Let us also be sincere before God; not dissembling or cloking our sins, but confessing them with penitence and humility, and applying to the blood of a crucified Redeemer for pardon and acceptance. We may perhaps be called upon sometimes to suffer for conscience' sake; to relinquish some seeming worldly advantage, or to encounter some risk or danger in maintaining a high measure of Christian sincerity, and refusing to practise the little artifices and evasions which are current in the world around us : constrained to confess a fault which we may feel would not otherwise have been discovered, or to bear a reproach which we might have prevented by the invention of a convenient falsehood; but let us ever remember, when thus subjected to temptation, that the eye of God" is about our path, and about our bed, and spyeth out all our ways." To him, as to a faithful Creator, let us commit our cause, assured that he can, and in most instances will, bless us even in the things of this world, if we endeavour to make our conduct subservient to his glory; or that, should he see fit to let us suffer for righteousness' sake, he can abundantly repay us by the manifestations of his love, by shedding abroad in our hearts that peace which passeth all understanding, and eventually by becoming our eternal portion and exceeding great reward. Amen.

MISCELLANEOUS.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. AMONG the many excellent remarks which have at different times appeared in your pages relative to the inspired prophecies, I do not recollect to have seen any allusion CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 230.

to what has often struck me as one very strong corroboration of their truth; I mean the attempts which have been made, but in vain, to defeat their accomplishment. The modern state of the Jews is an invincible argument on this subject;

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