340 Chap. 3 t. An Expoftion upon the Books of Jos. Verf,S. D.ceit is an odious thing both to God and all good men. God is theGod of truth ; as he cannot bedeceived becaufehe is infinitely wifeand all knowing ; So he cannot useceave becaufe he is infinitely true and faithfi¿II ; and thoughall men in íome lence are 'ltars ; yet every good man is (in his meafure) a man of truth. fileSpirit of God gives it as the charae`}er of the may that /1,al1 gift-end into thehill of G,d be bath not lift up his footle to va- nitie, nor, - raedeceiofoily ( Pfal. 24. 4. ) They that can make haft to deck: deceitfully, will not be very flow or b.:ekward to fweare deceitfully. And how great a wickednes falle (peaking, much loo.e falle (Wearing is, Sol-;mon tells us, ( 'Pro. 12., 22 ) Lying l_as are anabomination to the Lord ; Theush lyars often perfume their lips with faire words to men, yet theLord fmtls the fîer-x i and ill favour of their rotten hearts. What Solomon oteaneth by lying lips, appeares by the following oppofition, but they ¿bat deale truely are his ( that is theLords) delight. L inlet ,words are ufttaliy accompanyed with lyingworkes, and chef who Gdeake not the truth, will not dealt trutly. They who fpeake the truth and doe ir, whole workes make acomment up- on their words, are the delight of Clod. To lay what ro true, and to kiiegatat to dixe be true to what we fay is a high charatler of Gedlrnes. A godly ru man hath fo much love to andtealefor truth andhonefty,that what putaret. {never he fpeak..r,be fpealo it as if he were upon his eath.And though an oath be a more tarred thing then a word, yet he will not be bound confcientioufly by an oath, who makes no confcience of his word. I grant there is Tome liberty and latitude allowable in fpeaking as to Ipeciall cafes yet we fhouldalwayes keepe with- in the bounds of truth. Noman will fpeake deceitfully, but he that intends todealedeceitfully ; And as all deceit whether it be in fpeaking or dealing is an abomination toGod, bo it hath not only an ill name, but an odious oneamong all men,even thofe who are molt remote fromGod,theHeathens. Firrá Becaufe'tiscontrary to the Law and light of nature ; every finfull aâ is the more finfull, byhow much it is a fina- gainft a more common light. There are force fins which God will punifh feverely, which are fins only againft divine inftituti- on and fpeciall revelation; But fuch fins as are againft the gene- ral light ofnature, fuch fins, as he that never heard of a Bible cocdemneth how doth God condemne them! How feverely will he punifh them ? Se-
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