_Direct._ IV. Write over thy doors or bed, where thou mayst oft read it, the third commandment, or some of those terrible passages of holy Scripture: Matt. v. 34-37, "I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven,--nor by the earth,--nor by thy head,--but let thy communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil." James v. 12, "Above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heavens, neither by the earth, nor any other oath; but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation" (or hypocrisy, as Dr. Hammond thinks it should be read). Zech. v. 3, "Every one that sweareth shall be cut off." Jer. xxiii. 10, "Because of swearing the land mourneth." Hos. iv. 2. Think well on such texts as these.
_Direct._ V. Love God, and honour him as God, and thou canst not thus despise and abuse his name. Thou wilt reverence and honour the name of that person that thou lovest, and reverencest, and honourest. It is atheism and want of love to God, that makes thee so profane his name.
_Direct._ VI. Punish thyself after every such crime with such a voluntary mulct or penalty as may help to quicken thy observation and remembrance. If none execute the law upon thee, (which is twelve pence an oath,) lay more on thyself, and give it to the poor. Though you are not bound to do justice on yourselves, you may medicinally help to cure yourselves, by that which hath a rational aptitude thereto.
_Tit._ 3. _Special Directions against Lying and Dissembling._
[Sidenote: What truth is.]
That you may know what lying is, we must first know what truth is, and what is the use of speech. Truth is considerable, 1. As it is in the things known and spoken of. 2. As it is in the conception or knowledge of the mind. 3. As it is in the expressions of the tongue. 1. Truth in the things known is nothing but their reality; that indeed they are that which their names import, or the mind apprehendeth them to be: this is that which is called both physical and metaphysical truth.[497] 2. Truth in the conception or knowledge of the mind, is nothing else but the agreement or conformity of the knowledge to the thing known; to conceive of it truly, is to conceive of it as it is; mistake or error is contrary to this truth. 3. Truth as it is in the expressions is indeed a twofold relation. (1.) The primary relation is of our words or writings to the matter expressed. And so truth of speech is nothing but the agreeableness of our words to the things expressed; when we speak of them as they are. (2.) The secondary relation of our words is to the mind of the speaker; for the natural use of the tongue is to express the mind as well as the matter: and thus truth of speech is nothing but the agreeableness of our words to our thoughts or judgments. Truth as it is the agreement of thoughts or words to the matter, may be called logical truth. And this is but the common matter of moral or ethical truth, which may be found partly in a clock, or watch, or weathercock, or a seaman's chart. The agreement of our words to our minds, is the more proper or special matter of moral truth; the form of it as a moral virtue is its agreement to the law of the God of truth. And as the _terminus_ entereth the definition of relations, so our words have respect to the mind of the hearer or reader, as their proper _terminus_; their use being to acquaint him, 1. With the matter expressed; 2. With our minds concerning it. Therefore it is necessary to the logical truth of speech, that it have an aptitude rightly to inform the hearer; and to the ethical truth, that it be intended by the speaker really to inform him, and not to deceive him. (Supposing that it is another that we speak to.)
You see then that to a moral truth all these things are necessary: 1. That it be an agreement of the words with the matter expressed (as far as we are obliged to know the matter). 2. That it be an agreement of the words with the speaker's mind or judgment. 3. That the expressions have an aptitude to inform the hearer of both the former truths. 4. That we really intend them to inform him of the truth, so far as we speak it. 5. That it be agreeable to the law of God; which is the rule of duty, and discoverer of sin.
In some speeches the truth of our words as agreeing to the matter and to the mind is all one, viz. when our own conception or judgment of a thing is all that we assert. As when we say, I think, or I believe, or I judge that such a thing is so. Here it is no whit necessary to the truth of my words, that the thing be so as I think it to be, (for I affirm it not to be so,) but that indeed I think as I say I think. But that our words and minds agree, is always and inseparably necessary to all moral truth.
[Sidenote: How far we are bound to speak the truth.]