broil lying lips and a deceitful tongue, pleasing himself and others in the execution of hi« wnith upon a lying tongue : Prov. xix 5, ' A false witness sliall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.' Though men sometimes by lying may escape the displeasure of men, yet they sliall never by lying escape the wrath and displeasure of God. Wiath is for that man, and that man is for wrath, who halh taught his tongue the trade of lying : Hosea xii. 1, ' Ephraim daily incrcaseth lies and desolation.' Desolation is the fruit and con- sequent of lying. Sin and punishment are inseparable companions. They who heap up lies hasten desolation, both upon themselves and the places where they live. Now, if lying be a sin so hateful and odious to God, no wonder if God appears in flaming tire against it. But,
[4.] Fourthly and lastly,- Lying is a sin against ike light and law of nature. It is a sin against natural conscience, and therefore it is that a little child will blush many times when he tells a lie. It was ob- served of Pomponius Atticus, Cicero's great friend, that he never used lying, neither could he with patience lend his ear to a liar. Tennes, the son of Cycnus,i -^ho was worshipped as a god, was so strict in judgment that he caused an axe to be held over the witnesses' head to execute them out of hand if they were taken with falsehood or a lie. Among the Scythians, when their priests foretold an untruth, they were carried along upon hurdles full of heath and dry wood, drawn by oxen, and manacled hand and foot, and burnt to death. Aristotle saith, by the light of natural reason, that a lie is evil in itself, and cannot be dispensed withal, it being contrary to the order of nature ; for, saith he, we have tongues given us to express our minds and meanings one to another by. Now, if our tongues tell more or less than our minds conceive, it is against nature.2 It is said of Epaminondas, a heathen, . that he abhorred mendacium Jocosum, a jesting lie. Plutarch calls lying a tinkerly sin, a sin that is both hateful and shameful. Euri- })ides saith, that he is unhappy who rather useth lies, though seem- ingly good, than truths when he judgeth them evil. To think the truth, saith Plato, is honest; but a filthy and dishonest thing to lie. I could, saith my author, both sigh and smile at the simplicity of some pagan people in America, who having told a lie, used to let their tongues bleed in expiation thereof, — a good cure for the squinancy,** but no satisfaction for lying. These heathens will one day rise in judgment against such amongst us as make no conscience of lying. To bring things close, those that lived within and without the walls of London, that were given up to a trade, a course of lying, those per- sons sinned with a high hand, not only against the light of nature, but also against as clear, as glorious a gospel-light as ever shined round a j)co])le since Christ was upon the earth ; and therefore no wonder if God hath laid their city in ashes. He that shall seriously dwell u])on tliese four things — viz., (1.) That lying is a very great sin ; (2.) That lies and liars are very destructive to all human societies, kingdoms, and commonwealths ; (3.) That lying is a sin most hateful and odious to God ; (4.) That lying is a sin against the light and law of nature, — he will see cause enough to justify the Lord in that late dreadful fire that has thus licen amongst us.
^ Misprinted Cvrnus. — G. ' Arist. Ethic, lib. iv. cap. 7. *' Quinsy.' — G.
ISA. XLII. 24, 25] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 97
But before I close up this particular, give me leave to say, that this trade, this course of lying that brings that sore judgment of fire upon cities and countries, I cannot charge with any clear evidence upon those that did truly fear the Lord, whose habitations were once within or without the walls of London before it was turned into a ruinous heap ; and that upon these grounds: —
[1.] First, Because a trade, a course of lying is not consistent with the truth or state of grace, Ps, cxxxix. 23, 24 ; 1 John iii. 6-10. A trade, a course of drunkenness, of whoring, of swearing, of curs- ing, is as inconsistent with a state of grace, as a trade, a course of lying is. I know Jacob lied, and David lied, and Peter lied, but none of these were ever given up to a trade of lying, to a course of lying. The best saints have had their extravagant motions, and have sadly mis- carried as to particular actions ; but he that shall judge of a Chris- tian's estate by particular acts, though notorious bad, will certainly condemn where God acquits : una actio non denominat. We must always distinguish between some single evil actions and a serious course of evil actions. It is not this or that particular evil action, but a continued course of evil actions, that denominates a man wicked, as it is not this or that particular good act, but a continued course of holy actions, that denominates a man holy. Every man is as his course is ; if his course be holy, the man is holy ; if his course be wicked, the man is wicked. There is a maxim in logic, viz., That no general rule can be established upon a particular instance ; and there is another maxim in logic, viz.. That no particular instance can overthrow a general rule. So here, look, as no man can safely and groundedly conclude from no better premises than from some few particular actions, though in themselves materially and substantially good, that this or that man's spiritual estate is good ; so, on the other hand, no man ought to conclude, because of some particular sinful actions and extravagant motions, that this or that man's spiritual estate is bad. A trade of lying can never stand with a trade of holiness ; a course of lying can never stand with a course of godliness. Though the needle of the seaman's compass may jog this way and that way, yet the bent of the needle will still be northward ; so though a Jacob, a David, a Peter may have their particular sinful joggings this way or that way, yet the bent of their hearts will still be Grod-wards, Christ-wards, heaven-wards, and holiness-wards. But,
[2.] Secondly, Such as did truly fear the Lord within or without the walls of London, such did in their solemn addresses to the Lord, both t<")gether and apart, lament and heivail that trade, that course of lying that luas predomi7iant among many that day ; and therefore I dare not charge the trade, the course of lying upon their scores. But,