An Expofttion upon the Thus much. concemin& that ~ein?us and ~ious Sin of Lying. Tbt::re remnns Two otbc:r Vtolanons of tbu Commandment; the one is; by Slander_and Dmatlion, rhe orher ~y Bafc Flat!ery and Soothing ; and both rhefe may rcfpef\ enber our felves or others. I fbalt firfl fpcak of that common Sin of Slander and D;:uaflion, a ~in tbat is re.:igning and uiumpbaot in this our- Age, and if I fuould likewife fay in rh is Place, I thtnk I fhould not my felf be guilty of it by that Ccnfure. lnde1d Sland<r and Detratlion feem fomewhat ro differ; For Slander pro· perly is a falfe Imputation of Vice; but Dctra€Hon is a caufiefs, diminifhlng, Report ofVirme. Tbe one rraduceth us to be wbac indeed we are not, the other ldfenswh3t we really are~ and bot b. are bigbly injurious to our good Name and Reputation, the bcft and deareft of all our Eanhly Poffdlions. , Wben a Man'> Life and A<lions are fo blamelcfs and exemplary, that even Malice itfelf is a!ham'd to vend its Venom by Bafe Sl•ndt!! , left it fhould appeat to be Malice, and the Reproach fhould lighr rarher upon rhe Reporters, than him whom they :fi:ek to defame, then it betakos itfelfto thofe liule fly Arrs of nibbling at the Edg<S ofa Man's Credit, and clipping away the Bordc:rs f.)fhis good Name, tbat ir mJy nor pafifo currtmt in tbt: World as before. Thus RbcO any are fo jull. as ro gh·e otblrs their due Commendation, eitht.r for learning) or Wifi:!om, or Pic=ty, or any oth~r Perfc8:ion, either of Grace, or of N,uure, you fhall bilve rbof~ who he in ~· a : r w cut offother Mens Eftecm, if they fee it fo ftrongly fo rrificd by tht Confpicuoufr.e rs ofir, and the general Vote of tbe World, rhar rhr:y dare not a 1 r:~ ck the whole, rhen they Lurkingly affiult part of itJ and wbat rbey cannot ahogetbt:r deny :hey ~\ill endenour to di ninifb: 'Tistruf, fucb a A-1an u, tU you f ay, .Lrarnrd ao:t.·' Kr:ouir. ; b11t "ithal fo knofDing tlf to know that too. Ht is Wifr, b:.J l bis Wijd(lm is ratf.a Poliuck than GeneroJit; and a/} his Dt./igllt are byifi'd with Self-rnrls. li~ is Chari· table, but his Charity fums too indtjcreet ; or ij fuch, 1J J"U d1d not proclaim hu go('d Wurks bt brmftlf JAMuld He is Piou! and Droout indud, 1:-'oor lHtm, nfirr l1i1 Wuy, tmd accordir.gto his Knowftdf.t. Tnus hy rbefe Blind Hints th ey endeavour eirher to find or to make a Flaw in another M,m's Repute ; well knowing t l- at " crack.'d Name, like a crack·d Bell, will not found half lo dear and lou:lln the Ears of <he World as elfe it might. . Thus you fee what Slanders and Detraaions are. Now, Firfl, AMan may be a Selffi•ndcrer, and • Self-dmaaer; and fuch are thofe \Ono traduce: and d~fame rhemfdves, and t:ither aRume to rbemfelvt:s tboft: Wickedne!fe5 they have nor committed, or bbmeably conce..l thofe Gifts and Excellencies they are eodowc:d with, when they are called to difi;over them fOr the Glory of God, and dre Puhlick Good. Some llander tbemfelvcs our of hope of Reward, when rbey fuppofe the Cdmes they boaft of may be accepttd as Services by orher3. Thus when Sa~/ bad flaio bimfelf, an JJmaltkiu falfly reports ro DaviJ that he ha:d fla•n him, hoping ro - obtain a Reward from him for difparcbing his Enemy. Sometim~:s Men !mpioufly boaft of rbofe Sins which they r.evcr did, tbcy never durft, commit, meerly out of. a bra\ iog Humour of Vai~ · glory, .and that a'!long. their debau~:b 'd Comp.1.nions they might gain th~ Reputauo~ of v~ll.ilnt and danng .Stoners. Or b~rs f~l~y accufe !hem- 'H Urtr- fdves of thofe Sins of wbtcb tber were never gudry, our ot a defpamn~ a~d de]':8.ed ~oA 1! ~ 1i Spirit. Thus many a poor Soul tbat bath 1-tboun~d under fevere <;onvJEl:tons begms J..' :o: " ~- J,f'l · 61ft to doubt and then to conclude, that be barb ccnainly committed the unpardonable -+~~ c \xct· Sin againA: ~he Holy Gboft; and in extteam AngUJfh and Horror criu Guilty, snd <.on5;"~:JcEth f~:lf~thlhe tndiflmentthat is falfly drawn up again it him by the Calumny ot the Devil, 1. 4· ~. 7• ·and his own Black Fears and Melancholy. Somttimes Men derna from themfdvt:s out ofa lying and di!l'embled Humiliry, m·rklng this kind of Dmaaton only a B.lit fo r Comm~::ndation. as knowing the Ball will rebound back the f.uher to rherri the harder rhey flnke i; trom them. Thi> is ufuiilly an Artifice of proud and arrogant Pcrfons. and thofe who cannotendure to be conrr:~di8:ed in any thing e1fe. would be very loth you fho"ld yield to them in tbi~. And laflly, Othersdeuaa lro'!' thtmfelves our of a tno bafbtul Moddly, or to avotd forne uoublefomc and unple.fmgEmploym~nrs which they are allkd unto. Thus we find hlojes, Exod 4· 10. m<~ktng manv Ex cutes, that he was not ,Joquent, but of flow To11gue, and d flt,w Spucb, and all becauf\! be was loth to undertake tbat difficult and dJngtrous Ch;uge ef hringing out t l>e Cbildrcn ofl(ratifrom the Bondage of Eopt. All rbefe KindsofS,lt:flanderand Deuaf\ion are Evil, and fomc ~!them moft V•I• and Abomwable. StconJ!y, Thore
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