another, Luke xix. 8.; forges writs, Pfal. cxix. 69.; or fuborns falfe witneffes, Acts vi. 13.

3. By the defender, when he denies a just charge, being called to a free confeffion, Prov. xxviii. 13. And seeing 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 cause go right in judgment.

5. Lastly, By the pleaders, while they appear for an unjust cause to bear down truth and justice, Acts xxiv. 2. &c.

Secondly, Extrajudicially, in common converfation and otherwise. Wherefoever we go, we should carry truth along with us; but out of judgment truth is often prejudiced; and that these three ways.

1. By unfaithfulness in conversation, when people flip the bond of their word, and make nothing of breaking lawful promises, Rom. i. 31. A man ought to value his word highly, as a man, and much more as a Christian. 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 disorder that fin has brought into the world; as in the tongue, which is often going when it should be quiet, and often quiet when it should fpeak. Our tongues are our glory; but they are often found wrapt up in a dark cloud of filence, when they should be fhining forth. Truth is prejudiced by filence, when the honour of God, or the good of our neighbour, either in the way of justice or charity, calls for the discovery 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 information thereof, unto others, Lev. v. 1. Deut. xiii. 8. God has given men a tongue as a banner to be displayed for him. To run away then with flying colours, in fuch a cafe, is very difhonourable to God, and dangerous to ourselves, Mark viii. 38. It is moft injurious to our neighbour, whom we think fo to gratify, being a fnare to his foul, Lev. xix. 17.;

and to ourselves, by involving us in their guilt, Eph. v.

7. 11.

3. By undue speaking. The world is a world of iniquity, and several 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 speak; 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 malicioufly, 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 stirred 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.

(3.) By perverting of truth to a wrong meaning, as the falfe witneffes did against Christ, Matth. xxvi. 60, 61. What he spoke of his body, they turned it to the temple of Jerufalem. So it is not enough that we fpeak truth, but it must be feasonable and charitable too.

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 anfwers are underftood as given according to the queftion. The devil, who is the father of lies, brought this manner of fpeaking into the world, Gen. iii. 5. and that way he was wont to deliver his oracles; for he never speaks truth, but either maliciously 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. Laftly, By lies, Eph. iv. 25. Lying is prejudicial to truth, as darknefs to light, and is from the devil. But obferve some speeches that are like lies, but are not fo.

(1.) Figurative speeches, though not literally true, are not VOL. III. No. 24.

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 fpeech 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 though we are never to tell but the truth, yet we are not always obliged to tell all the truth.

(3.) Speeches according to present 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. 2, 3. 2 Cor. i. 17.

Laftly, Threatenings not executed when the condition understood is done, and promifes not fulfilled when the condition is not performed. Now, these being set aside, confider,

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

2. If the words agree not with the mind of the speaker, 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 false 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 excuse ourselves or others, Job xiii. 7." Will ye fpeak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?” Rom. iii. 8.

3. Pernicious lies; that is, when a perfon raises and spreads a false report with a defign to do mischief 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 false through surprise, inadvertency, and customary loosenefs, 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 these 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 deftroyed the founders of the human race; that the word of God exprefsly condemns every kind of untruth; and that people should 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 false witnefs for or against ourfelves. 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 themfelves, 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 bastard self-denial, which hinders men to be thankful to God, and useful to others, as in the case 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 witness, which the false 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 vicious and base life, 1 Sam. ii. 24. And there are fuch things as are of evil report, fufpicious practices, evil-like things, that though they be not the worst of things, yet they make way for them; by these, perfons throw away their good name, Prov. v 8, 9.; and witness against themselves, that they are untender and vicious perfons, in a near difpofition to the greatest evil.

3. In words. And thus men may be guilty by,

(1.) Bearing witness, against themselves unneceffarily, without a due call, difcovering their own fecret faults and infirmities, especially to those who have no true fenfe of piety, but are ready to improve the fame to the reproach of them, or of religion, or both, Prov. xxv. 9, 10. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a fecret to another left he that heareth it put thee to fhame, and thine infamy turn not away."

(2.) Bearing falfe witness against ourselves, as accufing ourselves unjustly, denying the gifts and graces of God in us, as Job fays, chap. xxvii. 5, 6. " God forbid that I should juftify you: till I die, I will not remove my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold faft, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me fo long as I live." Pride often puts people on this, that they may appear the more humble. But humility never teaches men to rob God of his praise, or to lie against the truth. Lying against our minds can never be good, though it seem to humble us.

(3.) Bearing falfe witnefs for ourselves. Thus people are guilty, upon being duly called to confefs their fins, they deny them, hide them, and, over the belly of their confcience, cause their tongues witness for them, Prov. xxviii. 13. "He that covereth his fins fhall not profper: but whofo confeffeth and forfaketh them fhall have mercy." It is fad witnefling when the conscience within tells people they are lying.

Of this fort is vain-glorious boasting and bragging. There are fome, who, when they speak of themselves, are fure to fpeak very big, as the Pharifee did, Luke xviii. 11. A man or woman that is a boafter, will be found to be a liar ordinarily. They will boaft of what they have not, or of doing what they never did, Prov. xxv. 14. "Whofo boasteth of a falfe gift, is like clouds and wind without rain." Yea, fome will accuse themselves of wickedness which they did not commit, for the pleafure that they take in boafting of mif chief. And where the man has any ground to walk on in his boasting, he is a liar in magnifying it, as was the cafe of the Pharifee, Luke xviii, 12. It is one of the baseft offices for a man to trumpet his own praise: It is a great evidence there is little in him, that he makes fo much noife with it, Such are in the black roll, 2 Tim. iii. 2.

III. I come now to confider this command as it forbids what is injurious to our neighbour and his good name. We