280 CHRISTIAN MORALITY. softest things that the matter will bear ; love covereth a multi- tide of faults and follies, and in this case silence often be comes us best. But when providence and duty requires us to speak, no pretences 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 neighbours or friends, let ustakeheed of being lavish beyond what truthwill 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. In all the discoveries of our esteem for other men, let us speakno more than we in our hearts believe. It is a character of a very vicious time, and a very degenerate and corrupt age, Ps. xii. 2. f° They speak every one with his neighbour, with flattering lips, and with a double heart do they speak ; but the Lord shall cutoff all flattering lips, for he hates them," ver. 3. They speak flattery with their tongue, while at the same time . their throats are open sepulchres, and they, it may be, attempt to waste, devòur, and destroy. This character of the basest of mea you read in the withPsalm g andyoufind thesainehatefulprac- tice among the Jews in their deepest degeneracy ; 1 er. ix. 5. S. They will deceive every onehis neighbour, andwill notspeak the truth. One speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth wait for him." But this which was so abominable in a Jew, surely achristianought to stand at the greatest distance from it at all times. As in discovery of our esteem, so in the profession of our love and good-will to our neighbour, 'we must observe truth. When your heart is not with your neighbour, be not profuse of the language of friendship. Let lore be without dissimulation Rom. xii. 9. Let lovebe sincere to your fellow-creatures, and love to your fellow-christians be upright and cordial. Let not that affection appear in a flourish of fine words, if it benot Warm in your soul. This is the first characterof truth, that our words agree with our hearts. II. The next instance of the truth required in my text, is, when our deeds are conformable to our Words : And this is called faithfulness, as the former is called veracity or sincerity. Faithfulness or truth, in this sense, 'has respect to our vows, our promises, our resolutions, or our threatenings. 1. Vows are properly made to God alone : And when they are made, if the matter of them be lawful, they ought to be performed. " When thou vowest a vow; defer not to pay it.
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