ments themselves. In this view of the crime, likewise, the guilt is extended to all counterfeiting or taking advantage of false hands or seals, or any writings that may prejudice the innocent upon his trial; for, it is not with God's laws as with the weak laws of man, that are often evaded by cunning or connivance, or taking advantage of the ambiguity of the letter of the law, which, in some instances, may operate against strict justice. But the commandments of the Lord are all perfect, holy, just, and good, and the spirit of them reaches to the minutest circumstance that can infringe their purity.

But, secondly, it is very clear, that this commandment was written not only against perjury, or bearing false witness in a public way, but against all sorts of calumny, or evil speaking against any one, whether it be on a public trial or in a private capacity: for the Apostle admonishes Titus (iii. 2) to speak evil of no man, to be no brawler, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men: which words plainly enjoin us to be tender of the character of others, and to think of them in the most favourable manner that circumstances will admit of. We must forbear all manner of lying, evil speaking, censoriousness, rash judging, and whatever is contrary to Christian love, according to the Apostle's advice in Eph. iv. 25: Wherefore, putting away lying, speak ye every man truth with his

neighbour, for we are members one of another. And St. James, with a view to these sins, affirms (i. 26), that if any man seemeth to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, that man's religion is vain; and in chap. iv. ver. 11, he repeats his admonition against this sinful practice in these words: Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law. But above all, we have the highest authority to dissuade us from giving way to this sin, even that of Christ himself, who in his sermon on the mount gives this direct caution: Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.

In specifying the more general sins against which this commandment is levelled, I just now mentioned calumny and evil speaking, between which it will be necessary in this place to make some distinctions. By calumny we commonly mean a reproach raised upon, and related against, an innocent person. We are guilty of this sin when we are either the makers or spreaders of an untruth of this kind, at least when we know what we say against our neighbour to be false, or have good reason to believe it to be so. This is a most heinous sin, and expressly alluded to, Exod. xxiii. 1: Thou shalt not raise a false report, nor join thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness: and it

calls down the judgment specified in Psalm xxxi. 18: Let the lying lips be put to silence, which cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully speak against the righteous.

But by evil speaking we mean not only when we invent the report ourselves, but when we relate what has been told us for truth, against another, without positive assurance of the fact when we are neglectful to relate it first to the persons concerned, for the better discovery of the truth, or to some friend of theirs, in order to their being cautioned or advised; or when, without attending to the ill effects it may have against the person who is possibly belied and wronged, we hastily and readily publish it to our indifferent acquaintance: nor does it alter the ill effects of the vice, whether we do this with premeditated design to defame our neighbour, or only in the common way of discourse, because this makes but little difference with respect to our neighbour's character, which suffers equally, though our guilt may not be equal in one case as in the other. This particular kind of evil speaking is forbidden in Levit. xix. 16, Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among the people. And to him who avoids this evil custom, is the promise of God's rest given in Psalm xv. 2, 3, even to him who walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in

his heart, who hath used no deceit with his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour, and hath not slandered his neighbour.

In this view of the commandment you see it evidently forbids all rash speaking, all censuring, all malicious credulity, or too great readiness to believe evil of others, and even all encouragement that is given to those whose unhappy disposition it is to be too apt in speaking evil of their neighbour; which latter portion of the sin may be ranked under some of the motives that gave rise to it, and will be mentioned in its due place. I shall, therefore, close this head of the Discourse with a few remarks upon the subject of common lying, in all its shapes, which is clearly included among the many branches of falsehood and deceit, against which this law was written.-I cannot help saying, I wish the whole parish were present, instead of so few, to hear a Discourse against lying; but when I thus express myself, I would not be thought (my brethren) to insinuate that any thing I can offer of myself, would avail to the conviction or conversion of any sinner of this or any other description; for God alone can turn the hearts of men; it is he that giveth increase to the seed of the word, as he doth to the grain of the field, but still every good gift cometh from the Father of lights. Our Saviour himself tells us, that men who will not hearken

to the ordinary means of conversion, they that will not hear Moses and the prophets, and, much more, they that will not hear his words, and those of his immediate followers, will not be persuaded though one rose from the dead. I do, therefore, humbly trust, that even in this my labour of love towards you (deficient as I am şensible it must be, as far as I am alone concerned), by the assistance of God's good Spirit, I may be enabled to represent these things in such a manner, that, if you are sincere in wishing and praying for a blessing upon my feeble endeavours, they will turn out to some benefit

of your souls. If they only put you upon thinking, a very valuable work would be begun. Therefore it is no presumption to assert, that in a state of trial, and where it is God's will that the effects of his power should be produced through the means of secondary causes, the same good Spirit that stirreth up his ministers to employ these means of promoting his glory, naturally raises a wish in our hearts, that our humble endeavours might have every chance of effecting the end for which they are designed. Now, when people slight the means which God's good providence has positively appointed to teach them their duty, to warn them of their danger, and to exhort them to repentance and reformation, it is no wonder that they continue in the practice of any wilful