344 / 514
536
CBRZ
STIAN MORALTTY,
VIZ.
tSÈItM. $?F.
business from
the
princes,
which
was
about
submission
to
the Chaldeans, and
told them
that
lie
presented
his sup
-
pIication
to
the
king,
that
he would
not
cause
him
to
re-
turn
to
Jonathan's
house,
so
the princes left
off
speaking
with
him,
and the matter
was
not
perceived.
Jeer.
xxxviii. 24,
&c.
There
may be
various
occasions
in
life,
v.
herein
it
is
proper
to keep ourselves upon the reserve:
Silence
is
much commended
by
Solomon,
who
was
made
divinely
wise
:
Prov.
xxix.
11.
A
fool
uttereth all
his
mina;
but a
wise
man
.keepeth
it
in
till
cr.
fterward
Yet, it
must
be
confessed too,
that
sometimes the
con-
cealment
of part
of the
truth,
when
it
is
necessarily
due
to
the hearer,
in
order
to pass a
right judgement of the
whole,
is
almost
as
criminal
as a lie
:
And
,herein
con-
sists
the guilt
of.
partial representations. But
I
cannot
stay to discuss this
point
at
large.
The
great
rule of veracity
in
general
lies
in
being
just
and fair
in
our
narratives and
representations
of
things,
and
in saying
nothing but what
we
believe to be
true.
Whatsoever therefore
we
have to speak
to
our
fellow
-
creatures,
let
us lay
a charge
upon our
consciences
per-
petually,
that
we
speak according to the sentiments
of
our hearts
;
and
remember,
that
what
disgúises
soever
our
tongues
put
on,
God
our
Judge
sees
through
them
all.
And
not
only when
we
relate matters of
fact,
but
when
we
express
our
sentiment
of
the
characters of
men,
let
us
be
just
to
truth,
I
confess,
brotherly
love generally
re-
quires
ús
to
put
the most favourable colours on a ble-
mished
character, and
say
the softest things
that
the
matter
will
bear
;
love
covereth
a
multitude
of
faults
and
follies,
and
in
this case silence often becomes
us best,
But when providence and
duty require us
to
speak, no
pretensions
of
love
or
charity
are
sufficient to excuse a
falsehood.
Again, when
we
have
a
bright character upon our
tongues,
or
when
we
are
paying civilities to
our
neigh
-
bours
or
friends,
let
us
take heed
of
being lavish beyond
what
truth
will allow.
.
The
sins
of
complaisance
maybe
connived
at
or
applauded
by men,
and miscalled
by
the
name
of
good
breeding
;
but
the
eye
and ear
of God
take
a
juster and
more severe notice
of
the
softest and
smoothest falsehoods.
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