20l An Expojition upon the nor Tr?th partly conc~aled, nor the Change of our Mi nd and Purpofes, upon the Changm9 and Al~erauon of Ctrcumtlances, can be chargeable with that foul and fcaodalous Sm of Lymg. · Now Lies are ufually difiinguilhed into Three Kinds : The Jocular, Officious, and Pt:rnicious, Lie. Firjl, Ther" is a Jocular Lie1 a Lie framed to excite Mirth and Laughter and dec~.:ive the Hca r~r, only ~o plea.fe ar.d diverr hi~. This: though it may fC:tm' very harmlefs to decetve Men Into Muth and Recreatton, yet Truth is fuch an awful and !evere Thin.g, tb~t it ought not.to be contradith:d ; no, not in Jeft: And God reckons u up as*a Sm agamft the lfraelrtes, Hofea 7• 3· that they made the K111g and Princes tlad, or m~rry, cvitb their Lies. Secondly, There is ao Officious Lie, which is told for another's Benefit and Advan' rage; and fcems to make an abundant Compenfation for irsFalfhood by its Ufe and Profit: But yet neithe r caR this excufe it from being a Sio; for ftncc a Lie is imrinfically evil in itfelf, let the;: Advantage that accrues by it be never fo great, we ougbr not to fbelter eitber our fi::lves or others under that rotten Refuge. Thu Hated Maxirn · holds univerf3lly true in all Cafes, We ought not to Jo Evil that Good may come thereof. And therefore, although thine own Life, or thy Neighbour's, depends upon ir. yea, put theCate it "ere not only to favc his Life, bur to fave his Soul; coul rl fi rho~ by this Means moft eminend,- advance the GJory of God, or the general Good and Weltare of the Church, yet thou ougbre!t nor to tell the le•ft Lie to promote thde great and blell<!d Ends. This the Apotlle takes for granted, Rom. 3· 7· Wh ich Place, becaufi: it may feem at fir!t glance lomel'l'hat obfcu re, llh•ll briefly expound unto you. If the Truth ofGod bath more abounded through my V e unto bit Glory t.oby yet am I a!fo judged as a Szmur? The Words, as they lye, feem to be favourabl~ to fuch a Beneficial Lie 1 but it we confider the Scope and Drift of rhcm we !hall fee that t~ev. clearly condt:mn ~t. For the~-~file had in the fOregoing Vtr fes taught, that the Unnghteoufnefs and Sms of Men cud cccafion<!lly conduce to rhe Manitt:fta. tion of the: Jultic~::and Veracity ofGod, in fulfilliog hi s Threatnings upon them·· 3 . gain(! thi s Pofirion he raifotb an Objeaion; Verfe 5· If th• Unrigbreoufncfi of ll1en commend and illufirare the Righteoufnc1S ofGod, bow then can God be juft in ta• king Vengeance on thofe Sins by which he is glorified? To tbis the Apofile anfwers Two Ways. tlrjf , He abhors the Confequence, Verje 6. God f orbid that we lhould think him unjuft, becaufe he punil herh tbofe Sins which accidentally fenc fer the Manifd i,Ji ton of hi> Glory. For if God were unjuft how then !hould he judge rho World> Secvndly, He anfwers by putting a like Cafe) and giving a like l nihnce, Ver . 7· If t he T rutb oj G~d bath mo' e abounded through my Lie. why yn am 1 judged n~ a Sinner? ·As it ht: fhould Ly hy the like Re1foo as you infer that it ·would be Unrighteous in God to punith thofe who are rb~:: Occafion of fo much Glory to him through. their Sins by rhe like I might infer, that if by my Lie I mipbt glorifie God I were not to be ; ccoumed a Sinner for Lying. Bur th is, faith ht:. Ver. 8. is a moft wicked Confequcnce, and fUch ~s wowld jufiifie the Sla.nQers of rhofe ~ho. r~port I hat we affirm it lawful to do Ev1l that Good may come, whofe 11ammmon rs ;u{l: That is, it is juft with God to 9amn rhofe who fl ander us ~irh filch a grofs ~ntruth ; ar.~ it is juft with God: to damn tbofe who hold fo wrcked and deftrufttve a Doanne. So rhat you fee nothing could he more exprefly fpoken agai nfi th t fe Officious Lies tit an what rhe Apollle here producerh in this Place. He afiom in the general , 1hat we mull: not do Evil that Good m1y come thereof ; and he infi:anceth in particular, that we moll not Lie, although the Glory of God may be promoted by it. Tbirdly, There is a malicious and perniciou~ Lie, a Lie dev ifed on purpofe for the Hurt and Damage of my Neighbour, whitb is the wor!t and the moft heinous Sort of all , and bath nothing rhat might excufe or ~x.tenuate ir. It fhews .a n Hean brim· ful of tbe Blm:rnef!t of Malice, ~A-ben tbis Paffion works out at the Mouth in {hnderous Reports, and falfe Accufations. All Lies are in themfelves fi nful, but this the vileft and mofl abominable of all . N!>w for the Aggravations of tbii Sin, confider, firfl, lt
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