even the speaking of a falsehood is not a lie, if it be not spoken with an intent to deceive.

2. Most Casuists, particularly those of the Church of Rome, distinguish lies into three sorts: the first sort is malicious lies; the second, harmless lies; the third, officious lies: concerning which they pass a very different judgment. I know not any that are so hardy as even to excuse, much less defend malicious lies: that is, such as are told with a design to hurt any one: these are condemned by all parties. Men are more divided in their judgment, with regard to harmless lies, such as are supposed to do neither good nor harm. The generality of men, even in the Christian world, utter them without any scruple, and openly maintain, that if they do no harm to any one else, they do none to the speaker. Whether they do or not, they have certainly no place in the mouth of him that is an Israelite indeed. He cannot tell lies in jest, any more than in earnest; nothing but truth is heard from his mouth. He remembers the express command of God to the Ephesian Christians; "Putting away all lying, speak every man truth to his neighbour," Eph. iv. 15.

3. Concerning officious lies, those that are spoken with a design to do good, there have been numerous controversies in the Christian Church. Abundance of writers, and those men of renown for piety, as well as learning, have published whole volumes upon the subject, and in despite of all opposers, not only maintained them to be innocent, but commended them as meritorious. But what saith the Scripture? One passage is so express, that there does not need any other. It occurs in the third chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, where the very words of the Apostle are, (ver. 7, 8,) "If the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory, why am I yet judged as a sinner?" (Will not that lie be excused from blame, for the good effect of it?) "And not rather, as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say, Let us do evil that good may come? Whose damnation is just." Here the Apostle plainly declares, 1, That the good

effect of a lie is no excuse for it. 2, That it is a mere slander upon Christians to say, "They teach men to do evil that good may come." 3, That if any, in fact, do this, either teach men to do evil that good may come, or do so themselves, their damnation is just. This is peculiarly applicable to those who tell lies, in order to do good thereby. It follows, That officious lies, as well as all others, are an abomination to the God of Truth. Therefore, there is no absurdity, however strange it may sound, in that saying of the ancient Father, "I would not tell a wilful lie, to save the souls of the whole world."

4. The second thing which is implied in the character of an Israelite indeed, is Sincerity. As veracity is opposite to lying, so sincerity is to cunning. But it is not opposite to wisdom or discretion, which are well consistent with it. "But what is the difference between wisdom and cunning? Are they not almost, if not quite the same thing?" By no means. The difference between them is exceedingly great. Wisdom is the faculty of discerning the best ends, and the fittest means of attaining them. The end of every rational creature is God: the enjoying him in time and in eternity. The best, indeed the only mean of attaining this end, is, "The faith that worketh by love." True Prudence, in the general sense of the word, is the same thing with wisdom. Discretion is but another name for prudence: if it be not rather a part of it: as it is sometimes referred to our outward behaviour, and means, the ordering our words and actions right. On the contrary, cunning (so it is usually termed amongst common men, but policy among the great) is in plain terms, neither better nor worse than the art of deceiving. If therefore, it be any wisdom at all, it is "the wisdom from beneath :" springing from the bottomless pit, and leading down to the place from whence it came.

5. The two great means which cunning uses in order to deceive, are, Simulation and Dissimulation. Simulation is, the seeming to be what we are not: Dissimulation, the seeming not to be what we are: according to the old verse,

Quod non est, simulo: dissimuloque quod est. Both the one and the other we commonly term, the hanging out of false colours. Innumerable are the shapes that simulation puts on, in order to deceive. And almost as many are used by dissimulation for the same purpose. But the man of sincerity shuns them, and always appears exactly what he is.

6. "But suppose we are engaged with artful men, may we not use silence or reserve, especially if they ask insidious questions, without falling under the imputation of cunning?" Undoubtedly we may; nay, we ought on many occasions, either wholly to keep silence, or to speak with more or less reserve, as circumstances may require. To say nothing at all is, in many cases consistent with the highest sincerity. And so it is, to speak with reserve, to say only a part, perhaps a small part of what we know. But were we to pretend it to be the whole, this would be contrary to sincerity.

7. A more difficult question than this is, May we not speak the truth in order to deceive? Like him of old, who broke out into that exclamation, applauding his own ingenuity, "Hoc ego mihi puto palmarium, ut vera dicendo eos ambos fallam." This I take to be my master-piece to deceive them both, by speaking the truth. I answer, A Heathen might pique himself upon this; but a Christian could not. For although this is not contrary to veracity, yet it certainly is to sincerity. It is, therefore, the most excellent way, if we judge it proper to speak at all, to put away both simulation and dissimulation, and to speak the naked truth from our heart.

8. Perhaps this is properly termed simplicity. It goes a little farther than sincerity itself. It implies not only, first, The speaking no known falsehood; and, secondly, The not designedly deceiving any one; but thirdly, the speaking plainly and artlessly to every one when we speak at all: the speaking as little children, in a childlike, though not a childish manner. Does not this utterly exclude the using

any compliments? A vile word, the very sound of which I abhor quite agreeing with our Poet,

"It never was a good day,

Since lowly fawning was called compliment."

I advise men of sincerity and simplicity never to take that silly word into their mouths; but labour to keep at the utmost distance both from the name and the thing. 9. Not long before that remarkable time,

"When statesmen sent a Prelate cross the seas,

By long-fam'd act of Pains and Penalties," several Bishops attacked Bishop Atterbury at once, then Bishop of Rochester, and asked, "My Lord, why will you not suffer your servants to deny you, when you do not care to see company? It is not a lie for them to say, Your Lordship is not at home. For it deceives no one. Every one knows it means only, Your Lordship is busy." He replied, "My Lords, if it is (which I doubt) consistent with sincerity, yet I am sure, it is not consistent with that simplicity which becomes a Christian Bishop."

10. But to return. The sincerity and simplicity of him in whom is no guile, have likewise an influence on his whole behaviour: they give a colour to his whole outward conversation which, though it be far remote from every thing of clownishness, and ill-breeding, of roughness and surliness, yet is plain and artless, and free from all disguise, being the very picture of his heart. The truth and love which continually reign there, produce an open front, and a serene countenance: such as leave no pretence to say, with that arrogant King of Castile, "When God made man, he left one capital defect: he ought to have set a window in his breast;" for he opens a window in his own breast, by the whole tenor of his words and actions.

11. This then is real, genuine, solid virtue. Not truth alone, nor conformity to truth. This is a property of real virtue; not the essence of it. Not love alone: though this comes nearer the mark: for love in one sense is the fulfilling of the law. No: truth and love united together are the

essence of virtue or holiness. God indispensably requires "truth in the inward parts," influencing all our words and actions. Yet truth itself, separate from love, is nothing in his sight. But let the humble, gentle, patient love of all mankind, be fixed on its right foundation, namely, the love of God springing from faith, from a full conviction that God hath given his only Son to die for my sins: and then the whole will resolve into that grand conclusion, worthy of all men to be received, "Neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by love."