can afford the leaft Refreshment; not a Drop of Water to cool their false Tongue while they are tormented in thefe Flames.

I think it now plainly appears that all Lies are forbidden us, and that even the officious Lie ftands alfo condemn'd, as unlawful and finful. And therefore all that can be faid for those Philofophers, and for those antient Christians, who in their Writings speak too kindly of this fort of Lie, is, that they did not throughly enter into the Confideration of a Lie in its intrinfick Nature, but only confider'd it with relation to the Effect that it produc'd, or to the End for which it was intended; and accordingly as the Effect or the End prov'd either advantageous or mifchievous, they pronounc'd the Lie either lawful or unlawful. And the above mention'd Instances which are brought out of the Word of God in favour of this Lie, make nothing for the Purpose *. We confefs indeed that Rabab and the Egyptian Midwives did excellent Works by means of a Lie; but can any one fay that thefe Works would not

*Quod fcriptum eft bene Deum feciffe cum Hebræis Obftetricibus & cum Rahab; non ideo factum eft quia mentitæ funt, fed quia in homines Dei mifericordes fuerunt: non eft in iis remunerata fallacia fed benevolentia,&c. Aug. contr. Mendac. Deus bonum memorabiliter honoravit, malum clementer ignovit. Ibid.

Luke xvi.

24.

have been more excellent without it? God bleffed them and rewarded them for what they did; but will any one fay that God bleffed them and rewarded them for lying? No, in the Works they did, they gave a special Evidence of their Faith, but in their Lie an Inftance of their Weaknefs; it was their Faith that God rewarded, and not their Falfhood. Their Lie in Mercy he pardon'd and forgave; and their Faith, for the Good it did, he accepted and rewarded. The Good they did was excellent and praife-worthy, but they did not do well in lying; * and if we imitate their Example, and lie because they did, we fhall do much worse.

Now all these Things laid together muft certainly convince us that every Lie is a Sin, and that it is abfolutely and univerfally unlawful to speak falfly; 'tis bad in any Man,

but most monftrous in a Chriftian.

Wherefore the good and charitable Chriftian, often confidering in his Mind the great Heinoufnefs of this Sin of Lying, takes fpecial care that he fay nothing with his Tongue, which in his Confcience he knows to be

otherwife; he will not upon any Confidera

* Quando de fcripturis fanctis mentiendi proponuntur exempla, aut mendacia non funt, fed putantur effe dum non intelliguntur; aut fi mendacia funt, imitanda non funt, &c. Aug. ibid.

tion impose upon his Neighbour in his Difcourfe; he will always talk as he thinks, and

speak the Truth from his Heart. And as he behaves himself thus truly and fincerely to others, fo he cannot but in Charity suppose that others do fo to him. There's nothing that cafts a greater Stain and Blemish upon. a Man, than to be thought falfe and deceitful; the Name of a Liar is the most mean and despicable Character that can be, and therefore is most justly abhorred and detefted by all. To tell a Lie is fuch a fhameful and wicked thing, that Charity is not eafily perfuaded to believe that any one will be guilty of it; fhe cannot entertain fuch an injurious and unworthy Jealoufy, as when a Man's Words are fair, to fufpect his Intention; fhe hath fo much Candour and Good-nature, as to think what Men fay to be true, and therefore is ever ready to believe what they fay. Charity believeth all Things,

G

XII. *

CHA P. XII.

Charity hopeth all Things.

Ca

Harity hopeth all Things. Charity is not hafty and precipitate in cenfuring and judging the Actions and Intentions of others, but is kind in her Opinion concerning them. Though her Neighbour's Actions may feem to carry with them fome reafon for Sufpicion, yet fhe will think as favourably of them as she can, and will hope the best. Whatever Miscarriages others are guilty of, Charity, if poffible, will be for finding out fomething or other to excuse them; and if she cannot wholly remove the Fault, yet fhe will at leaft leffen and alleviate the Guilt of it. If we are at any time abus'd and

* Пáva iλils. Omnia bona de Proximo fperat. Corn. à Lap. Non facilè de quoquam defperat, quin ad meliorem frugem venire poffit. Grot. Affiduè fperat de Proximo, five bonus fit five malus; fed de illo meliora, de hoc bona, refipifcentiam, profectum, perfeverantiam, &c. Eftius. Tí bála enill; πάντα τὰ χρυσὰ φησὶν ουκ Σπογινώσκς τὸ ἀγαπωμε, ἀλλὰ καν παυλος προμύει διορθυμβρη, &c. Chryf. Κἂν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ίδη ρέψανία, προσπβρει αυτό ότι το κρεϊπον μεταβολίων. Theodorct. Ἐλπίζῃ αὐτὸν ἀεὶ εἰς τὸ κρεῖλον ἐπιδιδόναι. Theophylact.

,

injur'd

injur'd by our Neighbour, Charity will have us confider the many good Offices the fame Perfon hath done us at other times, and this may be enough to make us put up the Abuse that he cafts upon us now. angry when he faid it; the

Perhaps he was
Violence of his

Paffion made him speak that, which in his calm and cooler Thoughts he would not say. When any one does us a Mischief, Charity foftens the Matter, and makes us think that it was done by Chance and Accident, and not out of Malice and Ill-will to us: When he commits a Sin, Charity hopes that the Sin proceeded not from a wilful Mind, but from Weakness and Inadvertency. Thus candid and good temper'd is Charity, she always thinks and hopes the best in the bad Beha viour of other Men.

But here, that I may avoid fuch an Interpretation as I have already treated of under fome other Property, I fhall only confider how Charity behaves herself with regard to Mens fpiritual State and Condition in this World, and to their eternal State in the

next.

1. Then I shall shew how Charity behaves herself with regard to Mens spiritual State and Condition in this World. And here Charity is always inclin'd to hope the best; fhe

is