SRAM. XXI.] TRUTH; SINCERITY, &C. 35 t It is upon this supposition of an all-knowing and avenging power, that oaths are administered in all coun- tries which are reformed from utter barbarity. An oath is appointed to be the confirmation of truth in what we sayor do. Therein God himself, with all his knowledge, his power and his terrors, is called upon to bear witness to what we speak, and to be an avenger of perjury and falsehood. Surely we might venture to say, that a day will come when the great and holy God will shew himself terrible to liars and deceivers, if we had nothingbut the light of nature to tell us so. II. If we consider our relation to mankind, truth will appear to be a necessary duty. Man is a sociable creature, he is made to love society; but no society can be maintained without truth : All falsehood therefore is inconsistent with the social nature of mankind, and con- sequently it becomes contrary to the law and light of nature. Without truth we should all become deceivers to one another, every man a liar to his neighbour. No contracts would be of any force; no commerce could be maintained; none of us would be able to trust another, nor could we live safe by those that dwell nearest to us. He that indulges himself in lying, takes away his own credit, and gives sufficient occasion for his neighbour not to believe him, even when he happens to speak the truth; for a man that will lie and deceive sometimes, how can we tell that he is not dealing deceitfully with us, even when he professes to be most faithful and true ? And children should take noticeof this, that if once they in- dulge the sin of lying, there is no body will ever believe what they say. A liar is such an abandoned character amongst man- kind, that though there are too many who deserve the name, yet every one is ashamed of it. It is esteemed a reproach of so heinous and hateful a nature for a man to be called a liar, that sometimes the life and blood of the slanderer has paid for it. The very nature of man re- sents it highly, for it implies in it, that a man guiltyof this vice deserves to be cut off from all society with mankind, and to be thrust out of cities and families like a beast of the earth. The same thing may be said of-an unfaithful man, a man who makes promises, contracts; and agreements,
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