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very forward in promises, but fail in performance. Now a poor man that loveth you, and will do his best, is a surer friend than such great men as only give you good words, and sprinkle you with a little court holy water. But this should be far from a christian, for he is to keep his word, though it be to his hurt : Ps. xv. 4, ' In whose eyes a vile person is contemned ; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord : he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.' Lying is a sin most contrary to the nature of God, who is truth itself ; but the devil is called the father of lies. And it is most contrary to the new nature : Eph. iv. 24, 25, ' And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour ; ' Isa. Ixiii. 8, ' And he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie.' It is most contrary to human society, for commerce is kept up by truth.
[2.] For truth in actions. We should always keep the integrity of a good conscience : Ps. xxxii. 2, ' Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, in whose spirit there is no guile ; ' 2 Cor. i. 12, * For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversations in the world, and more especially to you-ward.' And truth, sincerity, and candour should be seen in all that we do. Satan assaults you with wiles, but your strength lieth in downright honesty : Eph. vi. 14, ' Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of right- eousness.' This will give you courage in the day of sore trial, and comfort in the very agonies of death : Isa. xxxviii. 2, 3, ' And Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, and said. Remember now, 0 Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.' Therefore we must carry ourselves sincerely, free from hypocrisy and dissimulation, whether towards God or men.
2. The next boundary is, 'Whatsoever things are honest,^ cre/im, grave and venerable, free from scurrility, lightness and vanity, in word or in deed. Religion is a serious thing, and accordingly leaveth an im- pression upon the heart, and maketh them serious that profess it. The apostle would have the christian women to carry themselves as women professing godliness : 1 Tim. ii. 9, 10, ' In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.' And surely all christians should be of a modest and good behaviour. A garish levity will not become them that live in constant communion with a great God. This cannot but make the heart more aweful and serious, especially in the more aged : Titus ii. 2, ' That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.'
3. ' Whatsoever things are just,' hUaia, giving to every one what is due, and doing to others as we would be dealt with ourselves. There- fore we must defraud no man of his right ; whether superiors : Mat. xxii. 21, 'Render therefore unto Ceesar the things which are Cassar's, and unto God the things that are God's.' Or inferiors : Col. iv. 1, ' Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, know-
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ing that ye have a master in heaven.' So also to equals, not invading each other's rights, not detaining from them anything that is theirs : Eom. xiii. 8, ' Owe no man anything, but to love one another ; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law,' That is a debt still owing, and still to be paid : Mat. vii. 12, ' Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them ; for this is the law and the prophets.' The rule of justice, of doing to others as you would they should do to you, standeth on these suppositions : The actual equality of all men by nature ; did not he that made you make them ? And the possible equality by providential disposure ; you may stand in need of them as they do of you, and be under them as they are under you.
4. ' Whatsoever things are pure ; ' therefore nothing that is obscene or unchaste should be seen in or heard from a christian. "A'^va signi- fieth chaste and clean, as well as pure : Eph. iv. 29, ' Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers.' Rotten communication argueth a naughty heart, as a stinking breath doth rotten and putrid lungs. So also for actions ; nothing filthy or unclean should be done by us : Eph. v. 12, ' For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.' A christian is ashamed to speak what others are not ashamed to do ; but God seeth in secret, and his law is our rule, and his eye should be enough.