A Treatise Against Lying, Treatise · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
That the Lyar ſinneth moſt of all againſt himſelfe.
BUt as lyes are in theſe and many other §. 1. That lying defaceth Gods Image in us, and ſtampeth on us the image of Sathan.reſpects hurtfull to our neighbours, ſo are they much more pernicious to our ſelves; and that both in reſpect of the evill of ſinne, and alſo of the evill of puniſhment. Concerning the former, lying is moſt pernitious unto our ſelves in many conſiderations. For firſt, it defaceth and blotteth out Gods Image in us, ſeeing wee reſemble him not onelyonly in wiſedome, holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, but alſo in truth, which hath ſuch relation unto them all, that it is neceſſarily required to their very eſſence and being, ſo that wiſedome, righteouſneſſe and holineſſe, are of no worth and exiſtence, unleſſe truth be joyned with them. And therefore the Apoſtle exhorting us to bee renewed according to Gods Image, doth bid us to put on the new man, which after foreign. Eph. 4. 24.God is created in righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe, or as the words there ſignifie, holineſſe of truth. And this the Greeke Oratour ſaw by the light of nature, foreign. Demoſthenes.for being asked in what things men came neereſt to the likeneſſe of GOD, anſwered, in Trueth and beneficence. Now this Trueth is moſt oppoſed and defaced by Lying, and conſequently it is moſt pernicious. For if wee eſteeme it a great hurt, to have our eyes put out, our faces gaſhed and deformed, and our bodies maimed and diſmembred, how much more hurtfull is it to have theſe blemiſhes in our ſoules and to have Gods image defaced in us? And yet it doth not onelyonly blot out of us the image of God, but it alſo ſtampeth on us the image of Sathan and ſinne. For the Devill is not onelyonly a Lyar himſelfe, but alſo the authour and father of lyes, according to that of our Saviour; He is a Murtherer from the beginning, Joh. 8. 44.and abode not in the trueth, becauſe there is no trueth in him: when hee ſpeaketh a lye he ſpeaketh it of his owne, for hee is a Lyar and the father of it; where (as Saint Baſil obſerveth) our Saviour putteth no difference In reg. Contract. Num. 76.of lyes, but ſpeaketh this indefinitely of them all. And this wee ſee in the example of our firſt Parents, unto whom Sathan lyeth even againſt God himſelfe, and alſo teacheth them to lye; from whom this corruption and diſpoſition of Lying is propagated to all their poſterity; in the example of the foure hundred falſe Prophets in whoſe mouth Sathan was a lying ſpirit teaching them to lye perniciouſly to Ahabs deſtruction, as himſelfe confeſſeth; and of Ananias and Saphira, Whoſe hearts 1 Kings 22. 22. Acts 5. 3.Sathan filled with deceit, to lye unto the holy Ghost, as Saint Peter ſpeaketh. Wherein he ſheweth himſelfe a right Serpent indeed, ſeeing he carrieth his poiſon in his mouth, whereby he killeth both himſelfe and others. And as the Devill is the Father of Lyars, ſo are they his children, in nothing more reſembling him than in loving and making lyes. For in this particular reſpect our Saviour chiefly ſpeaketh; Yee are of your Father the Devill, and the lusts of your Father yee will doe. Yea in this alſo they Joh. 8. 44.ſhew themſelves to bee of this ſerpentine generation, in that Their poiſon is like the poiſon of a Serpent, Pſal. 38. 4. & 140. 3.ſharpening their tongues like him, and having Adders poiſon under their lips. Yea herein they goe beyond their Father the Devill, in that hee beleeveth the trueth and trembleth, whereas they not onelyonly love and make lyes, but alſo beleeve them more than truth, yea rather any thing more than it, according to the ſaying of our Saviour, Becauſe I tell you the Joh. 8. 45.trueth, therefore yee beleeve mee not. Now what can bee more pernicious unto man, than to have Gods Image defaced in him, to become the child of the Devill, and to reſemble him in ſinfull Lying, ſeeing they that are like him in his ſinne, ſhall hereafter be made like him in his puniſhments?
So alſo by Lying not onelyonly the Image of Sathan §. 2. That the ſinne of Lying encourageth men to commit all other wickedneſſe.is ſtamped upon us, but alſo the Image of ſinne; and as thereby wee prove our ſelves to bee the children of the Devill, ſo alſo the ſervants and ſlaves of ſinne. For as it is a great ſinne in it ſelfe, having in it all relations of ſinne, as before I have ſhewed; ſo is it the cauſe of many other ſins, and a fruitfull mother and nurſe of much other wickedneſſe, even as it is alſo the baſtardly Brat and helliſh of ſpring of other ſinnes which like curſed fathers beget it. Firſt it is the Cauſe of ſinne, becauſe it is the common encouragement which ſetteth men on to worke wickednes whileſt they hope to hide and diſguiſe it ſo with their lyes, that they ſhall never come to light. This emboldeneth the adulterers to commit filthineſſe, becauſe if they be queſtioned Expè delinquētibus promptiſſimum eſt mentiri. Lyſ…s apud Stobaeum. Serm. 12.they reſolve to deny it, and none can prove it but only their Partners in wickedneſſe. This heartneth men to kill and ſlay, to coozen and deceive, to rob and ſteale, and what not? Becauſe if they bee ſuſpected and examined, they by their cunning lyes can hide their ſinnes from the ſight of men, and ſo eſcape ſhame and puniſhment. Whereas if they did not truſt in lyes, Adam would not eate the forbidden fruite, Cain would not murther his brother, Iacob would not deceive his father, Ioſephs brethren would not ſell him to the Iſmaelites, Gehazi would not take a bribe; the Harlot would not entice her young Lover to commit whoredome and then wipe her mouth as though ſhe had not committed filthineſſe, Ananias and Saphira would not play the Hypocrites, and withold part of the price of their poſſeſſion; the ſervant would not defraude his maſter, the thiefe would not ſteale his neighbours goods, nor the ſubject commit treaſon againſt his Prince; and as the Prophet ſpeaketh, Iſrael ſhall doe no iniquitie, if they will not Zeph. 3. 13.ſpeake lyes to hide and cover it. But when men have made lyes their refuge and have hid themſelves under falſhood, then they are ready to make a covenant with death and an agreement with hell, and to let looſe the reines to all wickedneſſe, becauſe they hope for immunity and to eſcape puniſhment, and that when the overflowing ſcourge ſhall paſſe through, it ſhall Eſay 28. 15.not come nigh unto them. And as Lying is the Cauſe, ſo alſo the Effect of ſinne; which followeth it as the ſhadow doth the body, as we ſee in the example of our firſt Parents, who having committed ſinne, did ſeeke to hide it with lyes and frivolous excuſes, even as they did with figge leaves ſeeke to hide their ſhame. The which is alſo the common practice of all their degenerate poſterity, who are no more ready to ſinne, than to deny or excuſe it with a lye. For that which Saint Chryſostome ſpeaketh Mendacil cauſa ex furto naſcitur. Chryſoſt. in Mat. 5. Hom. 19.of ſtealing, that the Cauſe of Lying ſpringeth from theft, the ſame may bee verified of all other ſinnes which make men lyable to ſhame or puniſhment; although indeed the ſinne of ſtealing is a moſt uſuall cauſe of Lying, when as men having ſtollen, doe uſe it as a colour and cover to hide their theft, and therefore the Prophet Nahum joyneth them together as the Cauſe and the Effect. Woe unto the bloody citie, it is all full of lyes and robberie. Nahum. 3. 1.And as Lying is the Cauſe and Effect of many other ſinnes, ſo it is the meanes to make us lye and dye in them without repentance: for whereas there is no other meanes to bring us to the ſight of our ſinnes and unfeined ſorrow for it, nor to worke in us reformation for the time to come, but the carefull and conſcionable hearing of Gods Word, and Law, which convinceth us of our wickedneſſe and ſheweth our miſerable condition whileſt wee continue in it, Lying doth ſtop our eares, that we will not liſten unto it, nor beeleve it; as the Prophet implyeth in thoſe words, This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not heare the Eſay 30. 9.Law of the Lord. And this commeth to paſſe, partly becauſe they make lyes their refuge, and ſheltring and hiding themſelves under this covert, they imagine that as they deceive men with their lyes, ſo they ſhall alſo deceive God, and preſerve themſelves from his juſt judgements, becauſe he taketh no notice of their wickedneſſe: and partly becauſe being accuſtomed to Lying, they give no credit to the words of his Miniſters and Ambaſſadours, nor beleeve God or man in any thing which is ſpoken againſt them, as thinking that there is no more Truth in them than they finde in themſelves.
Secondly, the Lyar maketh himſelfe guilty of §. 3. That the Lyar abuſeth his tongue and ſpeech.a great ſin, by abuſing of his tongue which ſhould bee his glory, and which was given unto him by God as an excellent inſtrument to ſet forth his praiſe, to ſpeake the trueth which his minde conceiveth and to diſcover it to others for their mutuall good, a privilege wherein God hath advanced man above all the reſt of the creatures, but Lyars ſhamefully abuſe this ſingular gift of God, and whereas it was given unto them as an inſtrument of righteouſneſſe and trueth, and for the ſetting forth of Gods praiſe, they make it to become a weapon or inſtrument of iniquity by their lying, wherewith they diſhonour God and hurt their neighbors; whereby they make it appeare that they are ſubjects of Sathan. For whereas there are two kingdomes, the one of light, the other of darkeneſſe, and God the King of the one, the Devill of the other; they have alſo two ſeverall languages, the one of trueth, which is the language of the ſpirituall Canaan; the other of lyes, which is the idiome or language of hell: So that by our ſpeech we may be knowne unto what Kingdome wee belong, either of God, when we ſpeake the truth from Pſal. 15. ….our hearts, or of Sathan, when wee commonly lye and deceive; which language when wee uſually ſpeake, it may bee ſaid unto us as it was unto Saint Peter, thou art a ſubject of the Kingdome of darkneſſe, for thy ſpeech bewraieth thee. Now if any lyar ſhall object, that this is not his ordinary language, Incredibile eſt non mentiri hominem ne capiatur, qui mentitur ut capiat. i. It is not to bee beleeved but that a man will lye, that he … bee …, who … not to …, that he may … …nd over… ▪ Auguſt. Sen…. 2, 3. Ubi cauſa mē ti…n…i ſublata eſt mentimur ex conſuetudine. Sen. Epi. 46. Qui non ſeductione diaboli deceptus mentitur, ſed propoſito mendax eſt, nunquam deſinit eſſe mendax neque poſt mortem. Chryſoſt. in Matth. 6. Hom. 10. Matth 7. …2.but that he only uſeth it when it may ſeeme for his advantage; to this I anſwere, that a frequent act will bring an habite, and he who often lyeth for his profit, will within a while be ſo inured unto it, that he will bee ready to lye, out of meere vanity and love of lying, for his pleaſure and delight. Yea, he will be ready to lye when hee never thinketh of it; and as the skilfull Muſition, who hath brought his hand by much practice to an habite, will play his leſſon when his minde is on ſome other matter; ſo when by cuſtome men are come to an habite of lying, they will lye at unawares, and if they bee challenged for it, they are ready to lye againe by denying that they lyed. In reſpect of which habite and cuſtome, Saint Chryſostome ſaith, that a lyar will continue to lye even after death. He that lyeth (ſaith he) being not deceived by the ſeduction of the Divell, but willingly and of ſet purpoſe, will never leave to lye, no not after death, for death ſeparateth the ſoule from the body, but doth not change the purpoſe of lying: wilt thou know this? conſider thoſe lyars even after death. Lord in thy name we have done this and that. Did not they know in themſelves, that they never loved Chriſt, nor did his Will? yes, but they thinke that as in this world they have deceived men, ſo alſo there that they can deceive even God himſelfe: and therefore hee doth not ſay; depart from me ye that have wrought iniquity, but ye that now worke it: becauſe wicked men ceaſe not to be wicked, no not after death; ſeeing though they cannot now ſin, yet they retain ſtill their purpoſe of ſining.
Thirdly, the lyar ſinneth againſt his owne ſoule, §. 4. That the Lyar robbeth himſelfe of his good name and credit. Eccleſ. 7. 1. Prov. 22. 1.in that by his lying hee robbeth himſelfe of a moſt precious jewell, even of a good name, which is better than a precious oyntment, and much to be preferred before great riches; for a poore man being true and honeſt, is better than alyar though never ſo rich, Prov. 19. 22.as the wiſe man telleth us. Neither is it poſſible that a man ſhould hold his reputation, when hee hath by lying loſt all opinion of his truth, but his words are eſteemed no better than winde, and if there be no clearer evidence for what he ſaith, then his bare word, hee is no more beleeved when hee ſpeaketh truth, than when he lyeth▪ according to that of the ſonne of Syrach: Of an uncleane thing what Eccli. 34. 4.can be cleanſed, and from that which is falſe, what truth can come? Now what greater miſchiefe can befall a man in this life, than to live infamous? what greater loſſe, than to looſe a good name? And when it is once loſt, what can againe bee more hardly recovered? If wee looſe our riches, by labour and induſtry we may recover them: If wee looſe our health, by phyſicke and good dyet it may be regained: If our bodies be ſore wounded, they may be cured: but if we once looſe our fame, and have woundes inflicted into our good names and reputation, they hardly admit of any cure, or if the wound bee healed, there will ever after remaine a ſcarre. But there is no more ready way to bring this evill of diſhonour upon us, than to bee accounted common lyars; for as the ſon of Syrach telleth us, The diſpoſition of a lyar is diſhonourable, and Eccli. 20. 26.his ſhame is ever with him. And the wiſe man teacheth us the ſame leſſon; A righteous man (ſaith hee) hateth lying, but the wicked man, that is (as the antitheſis Prov. 13. 5.inferreth, ſuch an one as loveth lyes) is loathſome and commeth to ſhame. Neither can there in common repute a greater ſhame befall a man, than to bee eſteemed and called a lyar; whereof it is that the very name is ſo much abhorred in all Nations, and amongſt all conditions of Men, yea even thoſe that make no conſcience of committing the ſinne, that by a certaine kinde of propriety or eminency, it is called the word of diſgrace, and no greater injury or affront can be offered unto them, than that any, upon any cauſe (yea even when they deſerve it) ſhall give them the lye. Although I thinke that our great gallants doe not take the word ſo much to heart, becauſe their truth is queſtioned and impeached (for then they would hate the vice it ſelfe as much as the name) as becauſe it toucheth them in their valour and courage, ſeeing lying is a baſe and cowardly vice, into which men oftentimes fall out of meere feare, and becauſe they dare not ſpeake or ſtand to the truth.
Fourthly, this vice of lying maketh us odious §. 5. That lyes make men odious unto God and men.both to God and men. Firſt God abhorreth lyars, and hateth lyes, becauſe they are contrary to his Nature, and to his Law, and not onelyonly very ſinfull in themſelves, but alſo the cauſes of much wickedneſſe. And therefore Salomon numbreth it amongſt thoſe ſeaven abominations which God abhorreth; A proude looke, a lying tongue and hands that ſhed innocent Prov. 6. 17. Prov. 12. 22.blood. And againe, lying lippes are an abomination to the Lord, but they that deale truly are his delight. And wiſedome, even that eternall Word and Wiſedome of the Father, his onelyonly deare Sonne profeſſeth that his mouth ſhould ſpeake truth, and that Prov. 8. 7.wickedneſſe (that is the iniquity of lying, as the antitheſis ſheweth) is an abomination to his lippes: now how odious ought this vice to be unto us, that maketh us odious unto God? and how ought we to love and imbrace Truth, which God ſo much loveth, according to that of Ieremy: O Lord, are not Jer. 5. 3.thine eyes upon the Truth? namely to approve, love and reward it; for he loveth Truth, and deſireth it above all things in the inward parts, as the Pſalmiſt Zech. 8. 19.ſpeaketh. And who would not love that which God loveth? and embrace and delight in that, in which God delighteth and will reward? Secondly, it maketh lyars odious unto men; as being a diſhoneſt and diſhonourable vice, reprehended and condemned of all as unworthy an ingenuous civill man, and much more a Chriſtian, who profeſſeth himſelfe a ſervant and childe of the God of Truth. But eſpecially, it is hurtfull to thoſe that feare God and love his truth, and maketh thoſe that make and love lyes odious in their eyes, according to that of the wiſe Salomon: A righteous man hateth lying, but Prov. 13. 5.a wicked man, that is a wicked lyar, is loathſome and commeth to ſhame. An example whereof wee have in David; I have (ſaith hee) hated them that regard Pſal. 31. 5.lying vanities. And againe, I hate and abhorre lying, Pſal. 119. 163.but thy Law doe I love. Yea hee maketh this a note and ſigne of a bleſſed man, that hee diſ-reſpecteth lyars: Bleſſed is the man (ſaith he) that reſpecteth not Pſal. 40. 4.the proud, nor ſuch as turne aſide to lyes. But though lyars are chiefly odious in their eyes, yet not in theirs onelyonly; for even ingenuous men, though meerely civill, doe abhorre lyars as they are pernicious members of a State, and bring with them much miſchiefe, both to the whole Common-wealth, and alſo to private families and particular perſons: yea oftentimes they that make no conſcience of lying for advantage, do yet hate it in others when unpartially they looke upon it, and doe not behold it through the ſpectacles of ſelfe-love, and even they that like and love it in themſelves, yet cannot indure that others ſhould uſe it. Yea ſo loathſome it is in its owne nature, if it be not ſugred and ſweetned with ſome profit or pleaſure, that though they uſe it, yet they are aſhamed to owne it, and can upon no tearmes indure to bee branded with the name, which they hold moſt odious and reproachfull, though they make no ſcruple (ſo it be unknowne) to be tainted and poyſoned with the vice. Finally, as lying maketh men odious both to the innocent and guilty, ſo it maketh the innocent odious to the lyar, when as hee knoweth that he hath abuſed them with his untruthes, according to that Italian, or rather Machivellian proverbe, whom I have wronged, I will never forgive. And this diſpoſition the wiſe Salomon obſerveth to be in malicious lyars and ſlanderers; A lying tongue (ſaith he) Prov. 26. 28.hateth thoſe that are afflicted by it: Of which this may be the reaſon, becauſe they who have injured others by their lyes, doe expect from them juſt revenge, and upon due examination of their fault, that they will bring the truth to light, and them to ſuffer deſerved ſhame and puniſhment.§. 6. That Lyes weaken faith and hope, diſpoile us of the girdle of verity, and a good conſcience.
Fifthly, lyes are pernicious unto the lyars themſelves in divers other reſpects; for firſt they weaken their faith in the aſſurance of their ſalvation, yea deprive them of all hope of Heavenly happineſſe; ſeeing it is an infallible marke of one that ſhall dwell in this holy Hill, that hee ſpeaketh the Pſal. 15. 2.Truth in his heart. Now if we count that pernicious to our perſons and ſtate, that defaces our evidences of ſome earthly Patrimony, and cuts off all our aſſurance ever to injoy it; how much more is that pernicious, that cuts off all our hopes to our everlaſting Inheritance, and deprives us of that comfortable note and ſigne, that wee have juſt title unto it? Secondly, it diſpoyles us of a chiefe part of our Chriſtian armour, the girdle of verity, wherewith Eph. 6. 14.all the reſt is buckled unto us, and ſo layeth us open and naked to all the aſſaults of Sathans tentations, to bee thereby foyled, overcome, and led captive of ſinne, when as he findeth us ſo diſarmed. Thirdly, becauſe it depriveth us of a good conſcience, when as wee make no ſcruple of ſuch a ſinne as is committed directly againſt it, yea it waſteth and woundeth a naturall conſcience, when as wee live in ſuch a vice as it condemneth. For if conſcience be not ſear'd, it is ready as ſoone as a man hath lyed, to accuſe him of ſinne, and to teſtifie againſt him, that he hath offended God by denying truth, and done that which would be a ſhame and diſhonour unto him if it ſhould come to light. And this is the cauſe why having lyed they are ſo loath to acknowledge it, but uſe all their Art and policy to hide and cover it, that ſo they may ſeeme not to have lyed: yea if they bee convinced or but ſuſpected of it, they are ready to diſcover their inward guilt of conſcience by their outward bluſhing, the which is eſpecially to be obſerved in children, who are not by cuſtome hardned and heartned in their ſinne; becauſe they even naturally knowing that lying is a fowle and diſhonourable vice, and that they have done evill in falling into it, as their conſciences are preſſed with the guilt of their ſinne, ſo their faces are filled with the ſhame that accompanies it.
And thus lyars are pernicious unto themſelves, §. 7. That lyes bring upon lyars the evill of puniſhment in this life.in reſpect of the evill of ſinne: Now further it commeth to bee conſidered how it bringeth upon them the evill of puniſhment. For howſoever it is made but a ſleight ſinne amongſt men, and ſo accordingly for the moſt part ſleightly puniſhed, yet it is haynous in Gods ſight, and puniſhed by him with great ſeverity. And though the lyar through his cunning skill can often ſo hide his lyes, that men cannot diſcover them, and ſo are freed from the puniſhment both of their fault and lye with which they cover it, yet Gods All-ſeeing eye can eaſily finde them out in all their ſubtilties and cunning conveyances, and his mighty hand of Juſtice ſhall ſurely reach unto them, and inflict upon them Prov. 19. 5.deſerved puniſhments. So the wiſe man ſaith, that howſoever it may fare with others, yet he that telleth Pſal. 63. 11.lyes ſhall not eſcape. And though they delight to open their mouthes to lye for their advantage, yet God will ſtoppe them with his puniſhments, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh: upon which ground in another place by a Propheticall Spirit foreſeeing their impenitence, he prayeth againſt them: for the ſinne of their mouth, and the words of their lippes, let them even Pſal. 59. 12.bee taken in their pride, and for their curſing and lying which they ſpeake. Neither will God lightly puniſh thoſe who love and make lyes, but it cauſes him to have a controverſie with a land, to haſten his Aſſiſes, and to inflict ſuch heavy judgements, as will make the land to mourne, and every one that dwelleth therein to languiſh, as the Prophet Hoſea threatneth. Hoſ. 4. 1. 2, 3.For he will bring upon lyars utter deſtruction; according to that of the Pſalmiſt: Thou ſhalt deſtroy Pſal. 5. 6.them that ſpeake leaſings; and that of the wiſe man. A falſe witneſſe ſhall not be unpuniſhed, and he that ſpeaketh lyes ſhall periſh. To the ſame purpoſe ſpeaketh Prov. 19. ….the ſonne of Syrach. A theefe is better than a man that Eccli. 20. 25.is accustomed to lye, but they both ſhall have destruction to heritage. And becauſe they are ſeldome ſevered either in this life, or in the life to come; therefore the Prophet joyneth the ſinne and puniſhment together: Ephraim daily increaſeth lyes and deſolation. Hoſ. 12. 1.And of this we have examples in the Scripture; as in Gehazi, whoſe lie was puniſhed with a perpetuall Leproſie, upon himſelfe and all his Poſterity: In Haman, who ſlandering Mordecai and the Jewes, and by his lyes plotting their ruine, was taken in his owne net, and both hee and his ſonnes hanged upon the ſame gallowes which hee had made for innocent Mordecai: And in Ananias and Sapphira, Heſt. 3. 8. Act. 5. 2. 3.who for their lye were puniſhed with preſent and ſudden death. And therefore as much as wee hate death and deſtruction, ſo much let us abhor lying, which is the cauſe thereof; and with as much care and endeavour let us ſhunne the one, as well as the other.
And as God thus puniſheth lyes in this life; ſo §. 8. That God puniſheth lyars with everlaſting condemnationmuch more fearefully in the life to come. For firſt it excludeth lyars out of the Kingdome of Heaven, ſeeing none are admitted to dwell in Gods Holy Pſal. 15. 2.Hill, but thoſe that ſpeake the Trueth from their hearts; and the Gates of this Heavenly Citty are onelyonly opened that the righteous Nation which keepeth Eſa. 26. 2.the Truth may enter in. And as the Apoſtle Iohn telleth us, there ſhall in no wiſe enter into it any thing Apoc. 21. 27.that defileth, neither whatſoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lye. And that without the gates of the Citty Apoc. 22. 15.are dogges, and ſorcerers, and whoremongers, and murtherers, and idolaters, and whoſoever loveth and maketh a lye. Yea not onelyonly doth this ſinne of lying exclude lyars out of the Kingdome of Heaven, but alſo if they live and dye in it without repentance, it will irrecoverably plunge them headlong into Hell. For the ſame Apoſtle telleth us, that the fearefull and unbeleeving, and the abominable and murtherers, and whoremongers, and ſorcerers and idolaters, and all lyars, (without any difference made of their divers kindes of lyes) ſhall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the ſecond Apoc. 21. 8.death. And therefore as we love to injoy eternall happineſſe in Heaven, ſo let us love to ſpeake the Truth from our hearts, which will aſſure us of it; and as wee abhorre everlaſting torments in Hell fire, ſo let us hate and abhorre Lyes, which are the meanes, that will bring us to them.