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when once that hath fuffered an imputation; for the most part, neither the perfons calumniated, be they ever so innocent, can recover it completely by their own endeavours, nor the perfons who have wronged them, be they ever fo defirous, reftore it fully to its former ftate; though certainly they, who rob o thers of their good name, or even without defign asperse it, are full as much bound to make reftitution for that, as for any other damage, which they caufe. But were they not to hurt at all the perfon against whom they speak, still they hurt themselves, and leffen their power of doing good in the world; they often hurt their innocent families by the provocations which they give; they grieve their friends; they fet a mifchievous example in society; and, if they profess any religion, bring a dreadful reproach upon it, by a temper and behaviour fo juftly hateful to mankind.

It will easily be understood, that, next to the raifers and fpreaders of ill reports, they who encourage perfons of that kind, by hearkening to them with pleasure, and by readiness of belief in what they fay, contradict the intention of this com mandment. Indeed we ought, far from countenancing fcandal and detraction, to exprefs, in all proper ways, our dislike of it: fhew the uncertainty, the improbability, the falsehood, if we can, of injurious rumours; oppose the divulging even of truths that are uncharitable; and fet a pattern of giving every one his just praise.

It must now be observed further, that though undoubtedly thofe falfehoods are the worst, which hurt others the most directly, yet falfehoods in general are hurtful and wrong. And therefore lying; all ufe either of words or actions of known fettled import, with purpose to deceive; is unlawful. And thofe offences of this kind, which may feem the most harmlefs, have yet commonly great evil in them. Lying destroys the very end of speech, and leads us into perpetual mistakes, by the very means which God intended should lead us into. truth. It puts an end to all the pleasure, all the benefit, all the fafety of converfation. Nobody can know, on what or whom to depend. For if one perfon may lie, why not another? and at this rate, no juftice can be done, no wickedness be prevented or punished, no bufinefs go forward. All thefe mifchiefs will equally follow, whether untruths be told in a

grofs

grofs barefaced manner, or disguised under equivocations, quibbles, and evafions. The fin therefore is as great in one case as the other. And it is fo great in both, that no fufficient excufes can ever be made for it in either, though several are often pleaded.

Many perfons imagine, that, when they have committed a fault, it is very pardonable to conceal it under a lie. But fome faults ought not to be concealed at all; and none by this method; which is committing two, instead of one; and the fecond not uncommonly worse than the firft. And ingenuous confeffion will be likely, in moft cafes, to procure an eafy pardon but a lie is a monftrous aggravation of an offence; and perfifting in a lie can very hardly be forgiven. But, above all, if any perfons, to hide what they have done amifs themfelves, are so vile as to throw the blame or the suspicion of it upon another; this is the height of wickednefs. And therefore particularly all children and fervants, who are chiefly tempted to excuse themselves by telling falfehoods, ought to undergo any thing, rather than be guilty of fuch a fin. And, on the other hand, all parents, mafters, and mistreffes, ought to beware o punishing them too feverely for their other of fences; left they drive them into a habit of this terrible one.

Some again plead for making free with truth, that they do it only in jeft. But these jefts of theirs often occafion great uneafinefs and difquiet; and fometimes other very serious bad confequences. The fcripture therefore hath paffed a fevere cenfure upon them. As a madman, who cafleth fire-brands, arrows, and death; fo is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and faith, Am I not in fport*? To give another person vexation, or make him appear contemptible, though in a slight inftance, is by no means innocent fport. And befides, to speak falfehood on any occafion is a dangerous introduction to fpeaking it on more, if not all, occafions. For if fo trifling a motive as a jeft will prevail on us to violate truth, how can we be expected to withstand more weighty temptations?

However, it may perhaps at least be thought, that lying, to prevent mifchief and do good, must be permitted. But the fcripture exprefsly forbids us to do evil, that good may camet. And they, who allow themselves in it, will ufually be difco

vered

*Prov. xxvi. 19.

+ Rom. iii. 8.

wered and lose their end: or, if not, will never know where to ftop. They will be enticed by degrees to think every thing good, that ferves their turn, let others think it ever fo bad : thofe others again will think themselves authorized by fuch examples to take the fame liberties: and thus all truft and probity will be lost amongst men: a much greater evil, than any good, which falfehood may do now and then, will ever compenfate.

And if telling lies, even from these plaufible inducements, be fo bad; what muft it be, when they proceed from lefs excufable ones, as defire of promoting our own interest, or that of our party and how completely deteftable, when we are prompted to them by malice, or undue refentment, or any o ther totally wicked principle!

Nor is the practice lefs imprudent, than it is unlawful. Some indeed lie to raise their characters, as others do to gain their points. But both act very abfurdly. For they miss of their purpose entirely, as foon as they are found out: and all liars are found out; immediately, for the most part; but in a while without fail. And after that, every body despises and hates them even when they speak truth, nobody knows how to credit them: and fo, by aiming wickedly at some little advantage for the present, they put themselves foolishly under the greatest disadvantage in the world ever after. The lip of truth fhall be eftablished for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment *. Beware then of the leaft beginning of a practice that will be fure to end ill. For if you venture upon falfehood at all, it will grow upon you, and entangle you; and bring you to fhame, to punishment, to ruin. And, befides what you will fuffer by it here, your portion, unless you repent very deeply, and amend very thoroughly, will be with the father of lies hereafter. For into the heavenly Ferufalem fhall in no wife enter whófoever worketh abomination, or maketh a liet. Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly, are his delight ‡.

There is yet another fort of falfehood, often full as bad as affirming what we do not think: I mean, promifing what we do not intend; or what we neglect afterwards to perform, fo foon, or fo fully, as we ought. Whoever hath promised, hath VOL. IV. 3 I

Prev. xii. 19, 22.

+ Rev. xxi. 27. + Prov xii. 22.

made

made himself a debtor: and, unless he be punctual in his pay ment, commits an injuftice; which in many cases may be of very pernicious confequence.

Now, in order to fecure this great point of speaking truth: befides confidering carefully and frequently the before-mentioned evils of departing from it, we should be attentive also to moderate the quantity of our discourse, left we fall into falfehood unawares. For in the multitude of words there wanteth not fin: but he that refraineth his lips is wife*. Perfons, who fuffer themselves to run on heedlessly in talk, juft as their prefent humour difpofes them, or the prefent company will be best pleased; or who will fay almost any thing, rather than fay nothing; must be perpetually tranfgreffing some of the duties comprehended under this commandment; which yet it is of the utmost importance not to tranfgrefs. For, with respect to the concerns of this world, He that loveth life, and would fee good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they fpeak no guile †. And, as to our eternal state in the next, If any man feem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, that man's religion is vain ‡.

* Prov. X. 19.

† Pfal. xxxiv. 12, 13.

James'i. 26.

LECTURE XXVIII.

THE TENTH COMMANDMENT.

W E are now come to the tenth and last commandment; which is by the Church of Rome abfurdly divided into two, to keep up the number, after joining the first and fecond into one, contrary to ancient authority, Jewish and Chriftian, How the mistake was originally made, is hard to fay but undoubtedly they retain and defend it the more earneftly, in order to pafs over the fecond commandment, as only part of the first, without any distinct meaning of its own. And

:

accordingly

accordingly many of their devotional books omit it entirely. But that these two ought not to be thus joined and confounded, I have shown you already. And that this now before us, ought not to be divided, it is extremely evident: for it is one fingle prohibition of all unjust defires. And if reckoning up the feveral prohibited objects of defire makes it more than one commandment; for the fame reafon it will be more than two. For there are fix things forbidden in it particularly, befides all the reft, that are forbidden in general. And, moreover, if this be two commandments, which is the firft of them? For in Exodus it begins, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's houfe : but in Deuteronomy, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife. And accordingly fome of their books of devotion make the former, some the latter of these, the ninth *. Surely the order of the words would never have been changed thus in fcripture, had there been two commandments in them †: but being one, it is no way material, which part is named firft. I fay no more therefore on fo clear a point: but proceed to explain this precept, of not coveting what is our neighbour's.

The good things of this life being the gifts of God, for which all are to be thankful to him; defiring, with due moderation and fubmiffion, a comfortable fhare of them, is very natural and right. Wishing, that our fhare were better, is, in the cafe of many perfons, fo far from a fin, that endeavouring diligently to make it better is part of their duty. Wishing it were equal to that of fuch another, is not wishing ill to 3 I 2 him,

* Their Manual of Prayers in English, 1725, puts, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, for the ninth. But in the Office of the Virgin, both Latin and English, called the Primer, 1717, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's boufe, is the ninth.

Indeed the Vatican Copy of the Septuagint in Exodus places, Thou fhalt not commit adultery, before Thou shalt do no murder. And fo do Mark x. 19. Luke xviii. 20. kom. xiii. 9. and Philo, and part of the fathers. But the Hebrew and Samaritan, and all tranflations, excepting the Septuagint, and even that in Deuteronomy, and I believe moft copies of ît in Exodus, and Matth. xix. 13. and Jofephus, and another part of the fathers, keep the now common order. And the Evangelifts did not intend to obferve the original order: for they put, Honour thy father, &c. laft. And St Faul doth not fay, that he intended to obferve it. This therefore is not a parallel cafe to that of the tenth commandment.