1. Because it conduceth so much to the good of human society. A christian is a member of a double community, of the church and of the world ; the one in order to eternal life, the other in order to the present life : in the latter he is considered as a man, in the former as a chris- tian. Now the righteous are pillars of human societies, that keep up a spirit of truth and justice in the world, without which it would be but as a den of thieves, or filled with liars, deceivers, robbers, enemies. Remota justitia, saith Austin, quidfiunt regna nisi magna latrocinia f The world cannot subsist without justice. ' The king's throne is estab- lished by righteousness,' Prov. xvi. 12. The honour and rei)utation of any nation is kept up : Prov. xiv. 34, ' Righteousness exalteth a nation.' Never did the peo])leof the Jews, nor any other nation whose history is come to our ears, flourish so much as when they weie careful and exact in maintaining righteousness. And as to persons, all commerce between man and man is kept up by it. Surely it is God, and not the devil, that governeth the world, and distributeth the rewards and blessings of this life ; therefore the way to do well in the world is not lying, cozening, and dissembling, but a strict obedience to God's lioly will.
2. Because of the many promises of God, both as to tiie world to come and the present life. As to the world to come, the question is put, Ps. XV. 1 (and it were well if we would ])ut it oftener), ' Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle ? who shall dwell in thy holy hill.^' And
278 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR, XI.
it is answered, ver. 2, * He that walketh uprightly, and woilceth righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart/ Others are exchided : 1 Cor. vi, 9, ' Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?' So for this world there are many promises. Take a taste : Prov. x. 2, ' Treasures of wickedness profit not ; but righteousness delivereth from death.' How soon can God blow upon and blast an ill-gotten estate ! Job xx. 12-15, ' Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue ; though he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it still within his mouth ; yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him. He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly; ' and ver. 26, 'A fire not blown shall consume him ; ' Job v. 3, ' I have seen the foolish taking root ; but suddenly I cursed his habitation.'
Use 1. (1.) To show what a friend religion is to human societies, that placeth so much in righteousness. It prevenleth all that is false, bad, unjust or cruel, and teacheth us to be tender, not only over other men's persons and estates, but names. Grace doth not abolish so much of nature as is good, but refine and sublimate it, by causing us to act from higher principles to higher ends, and maketh these duties doubly dear to us, in the flesh and in the Lord.
(2.) It showeth where the safety of christians lieth, in their right- eousness. God is their protector: 1 Peter iii, 13, 'Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?' And there is a strong conviction in the consciences of wicked men : 1 Sam. xxiv. 17, ' And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I ; for thou liast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.' Moral duties are not small things, when the glory of God, the safety of his people, and comfort of our sincerity lieth in them.
tlse 2. To press you to get this fruit of the Spirit.
1. Propound to do nothing but what is agreeable to righteousness and honesty : Prov. xii. 5, ' The thoughts of the righteous are right, but the counsels of the wicked are deceit,'
2. Be always exercising righteousness: Ps. cvi. 3, ' Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.'
3. Teach it to your children : Gen. xviii. 19, ' I know Abraham, that be will command his children, and his household after him ; and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do judgment and justice.'
[See more of this in Sermon on Ps. cxix. 121.]
SERMON XL
Goodness, righteousness, and truth. — Eph. v. 9.
DoCT. 3. That to make a christian complete in his carriage towards men, to goodness and righteousness there must be added truth.
Let me inquire here— (1.) What is truth; (2.) That it must be made conscience of by the children of light ; (3.) Why truth must be added to goodness and ri<rliteousness.
VeR. 9.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 279
I. What is meant by truth ? Ans. Sincerity or uprightness in all our speeches and dealings with men. But because integrity of life, and uprightness in our commerce and dealings with others, is a great branch of righteousness, therefore here we must consider it as an opposite to falsehood or a lie in speech ; yet not excluding either godly sincerity, which is the root of it : ' Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts,' Ps. li. 6 ; or internal integrity and righteousness : Jer. v. 1, ' Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth ; ' where truth is put for integrity of life. But here we take it chiefly for simplicity of speech, without lying and dissimulation ; as also it is taken, Ps. xv. 2, *He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart ; ' that is, maketh conscience of what he speaketh, ruling his tongue so as it may go with his heart. To understand this sort of truth, we must consider what a lie is. Men are said to lie when they do wittingly or willingly, and with a purpose to deceive by speech, signify to others that which is false. The matter of a lie is falsehood, the formality of it is an intention to deceive ; the outward sign is speech. Gestures are a sign by which we discover our mind, but an imperfect sign ; the special instrument of human commerce is speech. Now there is a twofold lying — a lying to God, and a lying to men.