Ninth Commandtnellt~ - Fi'rjl It is a Sin tbat makes you moft like umo the Devil. The Devil is a Spirit, and rhe;efore grSJfs carnal Sins cannot~orrefpond u~o his N~ture: tli~ Sins are more refin'd and imellct\ual, fuch as are Pnde and Mahce, Deceit and FaHhood. ']obn 8. 44 . He is a Linr, and tbe Father of !t' And th~ .more of_M~IIce g~s Into tl* Compofidon of any Lie, rhe more nearly 1t reftrnble~.him. Th1~ IS rhe .Ft! fi-born of rhc Devil, the Beginning of his Strength, for by Ltes,be prevatled over wret'~'d _Man; and ther t: fore is hl? darling ~nd ~eloyed Sm, a.nd the ~r~atc(t lnftr~~ent. oF promotu~g his Kingdom. 'Tis rhar wh1ch m his own Mouth rum .d all Mankmd m the pro.ii, when he faH\{ fuggefted ro our Firfl Parents that they lhould lx: as Gods, and th~t which he flil p 0 ts intO the Hearts and Mouths of others, to rum and de(lroy _thetr Souls and the Souls of others; Aar 5· 3· Why bath Satan fillrd thme Heart to lu unto Jb; Hofy,Gbofl? When he.fpcaheth a Lie he .fp<aketb ofhir own, faith our Sayiour : And certainly when we fpeak a Lte we repeat only what be ~rom~rs and dttlates to us. Thou never lid\, but thou fpeakeft aloud what the Qev1! wl11fpercd loftly to thee. The Old Serperft !yes folded round in thy Hean,_ and we may hear him bi!fing in thy Voice: And therefore when God fummoned all hiS ijeavenly Attend~nce about him, and demanded who would perfwade Ahab to go up, and fall at J!a>f!Otb-Gilead, an Evil Spirit, that had c·rowded in among them, ftep~ forth, and underr.akes the Office as his mol\ natural.Employment, and that wherem he mofl of all delighted 1 Kin'gs 22. 22. I will go forth, and be a Lying Spirit in the hloUJb of all his Pr:pbeu. Every Lie rhou tellefl confider that the Devil ijrs t~pon rhy Tongue, bre-Jrbes Falfhood into thine Hear~~ and forms the Words aQ9 Accents into Deceit.. Secondly, Confider that ir is a Sin moft contrary to the Nature of God, who is Truth itlelf; a Sio that he hates and abominates. Prcn;. 6. '7· Thife Six Thing< dotb the Lord bare~ yea, Sevm are an .Abomination unto him ; a proud Look, a /J.ing Tongue, &c. Ar.d Prov. 12. 32. Lying Lips.are an .Abomination unto the ~rd; and therefOre we have fo many exprefs Commands given usagainft this Sin. Lro. 19, 1 r. 'ltjha/1 not deal fa/fly, nor/it one to another. Col. 3· 9· Lit nof one to anotber. Eph. 1 4· 25. Wherefore Ntting away L~ing, .fpeak every Man Truth to hir Neighbo11r. Thirdly, Confider that it is a Sin that gives in a fearful Evidence againfl us that we belong to the De~il, and are his Children, for be is the Father of Lies, and Q{ Liars: God's Children will imitate their Heavenly Father in hi• Truth and Veracity. And it is a very obfervable Place, !fa. 63. 8. Surely, faith God, tbey are my People, (hildrentbt will not Lit; fo he ·coa.r their Saviour. · . . . Fourthly, Confider bow dreadfully God bath threatned it with Eternal Death; fcarce aoy one Sin more exprefly and panKularly., Rev. 21. ulr. Without, tven in outer Dar!mrj.r, are Dogs. and Murtberers, and Idolaters, and wb~tfoeuer IO'Vetb, or maketh; a Lie. Fourthly, A Lie lheweth a mol\ degenerous and ~owardly Fear of Men, and a moft daring Contempt of the Great God. Whofoever Lies doth it out of a bafe and fordid Fear, left fome Evil and Inconveniency lhould c.ome unto him by declaring the Truth. And rhis M•ntaigne in his Effay• gives as the Reafon why rhe Imputation L'B :z.n8 of Lying is the mofl reproachful Ignominy that one Man can lay upon another, and I ' • 0 that which moft paffionately moves them mRevenge; becaufe, faith ho,toJy a Man lietb, H to fay that be H Autladou.r /(!Wards God, and a Coward towards Men. . Sixrbly, Mankind generally accounts it the mof.Hnfamous and reproachful Sin of all others: A Liar l1>leth all Credit and Reputation among Men ; and he who bath made himfelffcanda!ous by Lying, is not believed when he fpeaks Truth. Yea it is fo odious and foul a Sin, that we find it generally efleemed worfe thaa any 'other .Sin ; and the avoiding of this thought a good Excufe for the Commiffion of others: For whe'n Men are moved with foO)e violent Paflion they olientimes refolve io do fuch Things, which, when their Paffion is allayed, they mu!\ look upon as grievous Sins; yet rather than be falfe to their Word, . and fo cenfured for Lying, they will venture to perpetrate. Thus Hr:rod, for his .Oath's take, Beheaded John t~e Baptrfl. hnd the common Excofe for ralh and unwarrantable Aaions is, I jaid!would do tbu• or thus, and tbtrifort .1 tluJ11ght my felj bound in Honour ttJ d~ it. Seventb!y, It is a Sin that God will detect, and expofeth thofe who are guilty of it to Shame and Contempt. Prov. 12.19. Lying Lipsarebutfor a Moment. And when they are lound out, as ufttally they are, by their own Forgetfulnefs, and the interfering of their own Speeches, bow lhameful will their Sin be to them? And the only , !l-eward they !hall have for it is, that thofe who have accuftomed themfelvei to Ly- - IDg !hall not be believed when they fpeak Truth. ·~- - D d d 2 · Thu s '
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=