which is false through surprise, inadvertency, and customary looseness." 2 Sam. xiii. 30.

Perhaps of all the sins that men commit, none is more difficult to be cured than lying.

is, it adheres to men with great tenacity.

Hateful as it

Montaigne: "After a tongue has once got the knack of lying, 'tis not to be imagined how impossible it is almost to reclaim it."

This is felt in churches

this day. The same

formed in heathen countries at difficulty was experienced by Paul and Titus, at least in reference to the churches in Crete. Paul says, "One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true: wherefore rebuke them sharply," &c., &c. Titus i. 12, 13.

It is not necessary to be able to classify every kind of lying. The essence of the sin consists in an intention to deceive where we are under obligation to speak. If any thing is spoken, it should be the truth. Of every species of this sin the old saying is true: "A liar should have a good memory." Montaigne expresses it thus: "He who has not a good memory should never take upon him the trade of lying." Tillotson's illustration of this idea has been often quoted: "Truth and reality have all the advantages of appearance and many more. If the show of any thing be good for any thing, I am sure sincerity is better: for why does any man dissemble, or seem to be that which he is not, but because he thinks it good to have such a quality as he pretends to? for to counterfeit and dissemble is to put on the appearance of some real excellency. Now, the best way in the world for a man to seem to be any thing,

is really to be what he would seem to be. Besides, that it is many times as troublesome to make good the pretence of a good quality, as to have it; and if a man have it not, it is ten to one but he is discovered to want it, and then all his pains and labour to seem to have it are lost. There is something unnatural in painting, which a skilful eye will easily discern from native beauty and complexion.

"It is hard to personate and act a part long; for where truth is not at the bottom, nature will always be endeavouring to return, and will press out and betray herself one time or other. Therefore, if any man think it convenient to seem good, let him be so indeed, and then his goodness will appear to every body's satisfaction; so that, upon all accounts, sincerity is true wisdom. Particularly as to the affairs of this world, integrity hath many advantages over all the fine and artificial ways of dissimulation and deceit; it is much the plainer and easier, much the safer and more secure way of dealing in the world; it has less of trouble and difficulty, of entanglement and perplexity, of danger and hazard in it; it is the shortest and nearest way to our end, carrying us thither in a straight line, and will hold out and last longest. The arts of deceit and cunning do continually grow weaker, and less effectual and serviceable to them that use them; whereas integrity gains strength by use; and the more and longer any man practiseth it, the greater service it does him, by confirming his reputation, and encouraging those with whom he hath to do to repose the greatest trust and confidence in him, which is an unspeakable advantage in the business and affairs of life. Truth is

always consistent with itself, and needs nothing to help it out; it is always near at hand, and sits upon our lips, and is ready to drop out before we are aware; whereas a lie is troublesome, and sets a man's invention upon the rack, and one trick needs a great many more to make it good."

The reason why lying is so hard to be cured is that it is seated in sin itself. Men go astray from the womb, speaking lies. How few there are, even in boyhood, who possess the entire confidence of their play-mates in matters of veracity. Once in a while, such a case is observed and always attracts attention. Thomas was never known to tell a lie. He would sometimes do wrong, but when asked about it, his chin would curl up, and his lip quiver, and out would come the truth. When he was eight or ten years old, bad boys, who wished to do any mischief, would not ask him to go with them; often they would not let him go with them; for they said, "he will be sure to tell all about it, if he is asked." In this way he kept out of much sin and sorrow too.

Yet when the boys were playing ball and a dispute arose, it was pleasing to see how they would all agree to leave it to Thomas. Everybody knew that he would tell the truth. If any boy was not willing to take the word of Thomas, it was thought that he must wish to cheat.

When Thomas was quite a young man, he was called into court to give his evidence under oath, and he told a modest plain story. One of the lawyers told the jury that the young man behaved very well, but he was so young that they ought not to give much weight to what he said. But the judge told the jury that

there was no better witness, old or young, than Thomas. So he was honoured there before all the

people.

Thomas lived to be an old man, and was much respected. He was always a man of truth. When he died there were many sad faces.

Perhaps very few have known more than one or two persons, whose character for veracity was like that of Thomas

One thing in this sin should not be forgotten. It is exceedingly daring. "A liar is brave towards God, and a coward towards man." "A lie has no legs," and so cannot stand. Blessed is the man "that speaketh the truth in his heart," Ps. xv. 2. Compare Prov. xii. 19. Downright lying, without an object, is perhaps not very common, though some such cases do appear. But equivocation, prevarication, Gen. xx. 9-16, wresting men's words, Ps. lvi. 5, and Matt. xxvi. 60, 61, disparagement of others, Luke xviii. 11, undue praise of others, Acts xii. 22, 23, untrue commendation of ourselves, Luke xviii. 11, denying our own gifts, Exodus iv. 10, 14, exaggerating the faults of others, and making "a man an offender for a word," Isa. xxix. 20, 21, are kinds of falsehood, always having some guilt in them. In short, whatever is contrary to candour, fairness, and sincerity, should be avoided. It is to the great reproach of human nature that there should so often seem to be manifest pleasure in falsehood. "All liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death," Rev. xxi. 8. Compare Rev. xxii. 15.

Not a little injustice is done, not a little sin is com

mitted by a class of men, who denominate themselves critics

"A simple race of men who had

One only art, which taught them still to say,

Whate'er was done might have been better done."

These few words complete the account of them. Some time ago a minister quoted the words "we be all dead men." A young coxcomb walking home, said that he was astonished at the minister's ignorance of grammar, and so occupied the attention of others and flattered his own vanity by his silly criticism. A large body of this class of men may properly be denominated professional fault-finders. Stowell: "There is more surmising, insinuating, censuring of what is dishonourable, inconsistent, or iniquitous, than expressed approbation of what is pure and just." Such have no patience with the principle laid down by Bunyan in the Preface to "Grace Abounding." Speaking of that work he says: "He that liketh it, let him receive it; and he that doth not, let him produce a better." A certain class of critics have no heart and no talent to produce a better work; and yet they delight in showing how poor is the production of another far their superior.

One of the most worthy men of his day, was the Rev. Job Orton. He lived in troublous times. He has left some valuable writings. They begin to be inquired after anew. This good man often disclaimed all participation in politics. On one occasion he says: "I have nothing to say about politics, but well remember the saying of Synesius, 'What hath a bishop to do with politics?'" Yet this same good man for