4. This is a consideration, that God never dispensed with this precept. He hath upon special occasion dispensed with other com- mands, but never with the ninth. With the seventh commandment in the polygamy of the patriarchs, and with the second in Hezekiah's
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passover; but a man must not lie for God, Job xiii. 7-9, because this commandment liatli more in it of the justice and immutable perfection of God than others.
5. By the light of nature nothing is more odious. We love a just and true man, one that is without guile ; we acknowledge it as a moral perfection. But a lie is counted the greatest disgrace ; we revenge the charge of it. It is counted a base thing to lie. AVhy ? Because it comes from fear, and it tends to deceit, both which argue baseness of spirit, and are contrary to the gallantry of a man ; therefore it is shameful in the eyes of nature, and those that are most guilty of it cannot endure to be charged with it. When the prophet Micaiah told Zedekiah of his lying spirit, he ' smote him on the cheek,' 1 Kings xx. 23. So men take it ill to be charged with a lie. We count it a shameful sin among men. The old Persians had such a great respect to truth, that he that was three times taken with a lie was never more to speak in public, upon penalty of death.
6. It is a sin that is most liateful to God ; therefore it should be far from the children of God. We hate that most which is contrary to our nature, so it is contrary to God's nature. There are six things God hates, and a lying tongue is one of them ; twice it is mentioned, Prov. vi. 17, 19, and Prov. xii. 22, ' Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord ; but they that deal truly are his delight.' Now certainly because God hates it, therefore we should hate it. To will and nill the same thing, that is true friendshi}). God hates it, therefore a righteous man hates it : Prov. xiii. 5, ' A righteous man hateth lying ; but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.'
7. It is a sin which God hath expressly threatened to punish in this .life and in the life to come. In this life : Ps. v. 6, ' Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing ;' and Prov. xix. 5, ' He that si)eaketh lies shall not escape.' God will cut them off as not being fit for human society. The first remarkable instance we have in the New Testament of God's vengeance was for a lie, Acts v. 5 ; yea, it is one of the sins that draws down public and national judgments ; and therefore it is said, Hosea iv. 2, ' By swearing and lying, therefore, doth the land mourn.' And when God gives advice to his people how they should prevent his judgments, Zech. viii. IG, 17, ' These are the things that ye shall do, speak ye every man the truth to his neigh- bour: execute the judgment of truth ; love no false oath : for all these are the things that I hate, saitli the Lord.' When men have no care of their speeches, when a people bind themselves by oaths to do that which they mind not to perform, or wilfully do not perform, they are ripe for a judgment. And so in the life to come: Kev. xxi. 27, 'And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie ;' and Piev. xxi. 8, ' All liars shall have their part in the lake which burnetii with fire and brimstone ;' and Kev. xxii. 15, ' For without are dogs and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.'
Use. Oh, then, let us beware of all lying and dissimulation with respect to God and men ! Let our words consent with our minds, and our minds agree with the thing itself. A lie is most odious to
284 SEKMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXX.
God, ' a proud look, and a lying tongue ;' and therefore a Christian that loves God, shall he do that which God so expressl)' hates ? Will you rush upon the pikes, kick against the pricks, and run against the judgments of God ? A lying tongue shall not escape. Nay, God reckons upon his children : Isa. Ixiii. 8, ' Surely they are my people, children that will not lie.' Disappointment, that is the worst vexa- tion. God reckons upon it, surely you will make conscience of truth, not only in j^our oaths (certainly that is a barbarous thing to break the most sacred engagements that are among mankind, therefore you will be careful to perform what you have sworn to the Lord with your hands lift up to the Most High God), but also in your promises and ordinary speeches. Good men have been foiled by it (David begs,' ' Keep me from a way of lying '), and it is a sin more common than we imagine ; it is very natural to us, Isa. lix. 3. As soon as we are born we speak lies ; before we could go we went astray, and before we were able to speak we spake lies ; the seed of it was in onr nature. It is a sin most natural, for it was the occasion of the first sin, and therefore we had need be cautioned against it.