A Treatise Against Lying, Treatise · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Of the meanes whereby wee may be preſerved from Lying.
HItherto I have ſhewed the reaſons which §. 1. The first meanes is ſeriouſly to meditate of the manifold evils which accompany lyes.may move us to loathe and abhorre Lying, as a pernicious Vice; and if wee bee inclined to this diſeaſe or already tainted with it to deſire earneſtly, that wee may be preſerved from it or cured of it; and now in the next place, if this deſire by the former motives bee wrought in us, it is neceſſary that wee carefully uſe all good meanes which may ſtrengthen us againſt this poiſonous contagion like ſoveraigne antidotes, or if wee bee already infected, may recover us out of it. Now theſe meanes either reſpect meditation or affection and action. Firſt, if we would ſhun or leave Lying, we muſt often and ſeriouſly meditate on the manifold evils both of ſin and puniſhment before ſpoken of, as that it is diſhonourable unto God and conſequently odious and hatefull to his pure and perfect Nature, moſt injurious to our neighbours and therefore abhorred of all, and unto our ſelves moſt pernicious both in reſpect of our ſoules and bodies, in this life and the life to come. For the reaſon why men are ſo apt to commit this ſin, is becauſe they ſo much ſlight it, as though it were no ſinne at all, or if it bee any, yet ſo ſmall and veniall, that it may well paſſe among humane frailties and infirmities; by which alſo wee have little dammage, ſeeing it is ſo common amongſt men, that the multitude of offenders taketh away the ſhame, and maketh it ſeeme to bee no ſinne; and on the other ſide bringeth with it ſo much ſeeming profit and benefit, that it doth much overballance all the evils which doe accompany it. All which falſe conceits will eaſily vaniſh, if we throughly weigh and conſider the manifold and great evils of this ſinne which I have formerly diſcovered; and contrariwiſe the excellency of Trueth, and the innumerable bleſſings that it bringeth to thoſe who love and embrace it both in this world and the world to come.
Secondly, let us conſider that wee are alwayes §. 2. That wee conſider that we are alwaies in Gods ſight.in Gods ſight and preſence, who is omniſcient, and ſearcheth and knoweth the very ſecrets of our hearts, and taketh notice when wee lye, what diſtance and diſagreement there is betweene our mindes and tongues; and omnipotent alſo to puniſh thoſe ſinnes which is all-ſeeing eye diſcovereth; and moſt true, as well in his threatnings as promiſes, ſo that hee will not let Lyars goe unpuniſhed, ſeeing hee hath threatned to deſtroy them Pſal. 5. 6. Apoc. 21. 8.and caſt them into hell. And therefore what will it advantage the Lyar, though hee can ſo cunningly coine his lyes that they will for a time goe currant amongſt men; if his Lord and Soveraigne diſcovereth his falſity and treaſon? What if hee can tell his tale ſo ſmoothly that the ſtanders by will acquit him as innocent, when as the Judge himſelfe ſeeth his guilt and ſinne? So Augustine, Thou Mentiri Deo potes; fallere non potes, &c. In Euang. Johannis. Tract. 26maiſt lye unto God, but thou canſt not deceive him. For he knoweth what thou doſt; hee ſeeth thee inwardly, inwardly hee beholdeth, examineth and judgeth thee; inwardly hee either damneth or crowneth thee.
Thirdly, let us conſider that Trueth rather than §. 3. The third meanes is to conſider that Truth is the beſt and readieſt way to attain our ends.lyes is a better and more likely meanes to attaine unto our ends, either of obtaining ſome benefit deſired, or of eſcaping ſome puniſhment feared. For the events and iſſues of all things are in Gods hand: hee it is that by his bleſſing conferreth benefits, and in his juſt judgement inflicteth puniſhments, and the hearts of all men are at his diſpoſing, either to like or diſlike us, to favour and further us for our good, or to bee the inſtruments of his juſtice to doe us hurt: For they are all but tooles in the hand of the great Worke-man, by whom he effecteth what hee will, according to his good pleaſure. Now then which is the likelier way for the compaſſing of our deſires, either in the obtaining of good or the avoiding of evill, to pleaſe God by ſpeaking Trueth, or to offend him by telling lyes, ſeeing all things are at his diſpoſing?
Laſtly, let us meditate and conſider that there will come a Day of Judgement when the ſecrets §. 4. The fourth meanes is to meditate on the Day of Judgement.of all ſhall bee diſcloſed, and whatſoever is done in the darke ſhall bee brought to light. At which Day we ſhall all appeare before Chriſts Tribunall, to give a reckoning of all that wee have done in 1 Cor. 6. 9.the fleſh, yea to give an account of every idle word Matth. 12. 36.as our Saviour ſpeaketh, and how much more of lyes, whereby wee have diſhonoured God, and hurt both our neighbours and our ſelves. Now if it were a great ſhame to have all our lyes written in our foreheads, or if they bee not large enough, to have them publiſhed in the market place, and ſet up upon every poſte and pillar in the ſtreet; then what ſhame and confuſion ſhall cover their faces, when as they ſhall bee diſcovered at this dreadfull Day in the preſence of Men and Angels, and when as Sathan finding his marke and image upon Lyars ſhall owne them for his children, and carry them with him to inherit their patrimony in that Lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone?
And theſe are the meanes which reſpect meditation: §. 5. Of the meanes which respect affection and action; firſt, that wee worke our hearts to a love of Truth.the meanes which reſpect affection and action are divers; the firſt is that we worke our hearts to the love of the Truth; by conſidering the beauty, excellency, profit and neceſſity of it; whereof it will come to paſſe that wee ſhall ſo eſteeme it that wee will purchaſe it at the deareſt prices, but not ſell it at any rate, according to that of the wiſe man, Buy the Trueth, but ſell it not. And if we love Prov. 23. 23.and highly eſteeme the Trueth, then will wee hate lyes as oppoſite unto it, and then will wee delight and rejoyce in it as in a precious jewell. But if we will not receive it with love and delight, God will leave us to the vanity of our mindes, the corruption of vile affections, and unto ſtrong deluſions 2 Theſ. 2. 11.both to make, beleeve and delight in lyes.
The ſecond meanes is that wee ſet a carefull watch over our lippes and tongue, that wee doe §. 6. The ſecond meanes is that we ſet a watch ouer our tongues.not ſpeake vainely, nor raſhly and unadviſedly. For commonly in many words there are ſome untrueths, and they that are raſh in their words, ſpeake oftentimes they know not what, and for want of conſideration, at unawares ſpeake lyes in ſtead of Trueth, and having once ſpoken them, they will ſtand to what they have ſaid for their credits ſake, and to tell a ſecond lye to make the former ſeeme trueth. And therefore if we would avoid Lying, wee muſt with David, looke carefully to our wayes, and keepe our mouthes, as with a bridle, Pſal. 39. 1.that we ſinne not with our tongues.
The third meanes is, That we mortifie our carnall §. 7. The third meanes is that we mortifie our carnall luſts which are the cauſes of Lying.and worldly Luſts, which are the common Cauſes of Lying, as firſt and principally carnall and inordinate feare, whereby we feare men more than God, and ſo become more carefull to pleaſe them, that they may favour and reward us, and to avoid their anger and diſpleaſure that they may not hurt or puniſh us, than to pleaſe God or avoid his wrath who hath all power in his hand to reward or puniſh us both in this life or the life to come. And this moveth men to tell Lyes, becauſe they looke onelyonly to the preſent and not to eternity; and chuſe rather thereby to hazard their ſoules and bodies to everlaſting deſtruction, than to ſuffer temporary evils, or to endanger themſelves to preſent puniſhments. And therefore if we would avoid Lying, let us mortifie this carnall feare, and conſider for this end, how much more fearefull it is to fall into the hands of the everliving God, who is a conſuming Fire, than into the hands of mortall men, who when they have done their worſt, can but puniſh or kill the body, whereas he Matth. 10. 28.is able to caſt body and ſoule into hell, as our Saviour ſpeaketh. Secondly, wee muſt if wee would avoid Lying, mortifie our carnall love of the world and earthly things, whereby wee are ordinarily tempted to the committing of this ſin. For who doth not ſee that they who ſet their hearts immoderately on riches, are ready upon all occaſions to lye and deceive that they may get and encreaſe their wealth? and that they who dotingly affect honours, make no ſcruple to ſupplant others by their Lyes and machievellian policies and deceits that they may raiſe themſelves by their ruine.
The fourth meanes is that we bee more carefull §. 8. The fourth meanes is that we be more carefull to flie ſinne than the puniſhment due unto it.to flie ſinne, than the puniſhment due unto it, and to avoid Lying than the evils of ſmart and ſhame that doe accompany it. For what is the reaſon which moveth men ſo often to fall into this ſin of Lying? but becauſe they make no conſcience of ſinne, and when they have committed it, and expect diſgrace or puniſhment, if it ſhould come to light, they uſe all their lying Arts to hide it, facing and out-facing the Trueth, that their faults may not be diſcovered, nor they puniſhed according to their demerits. Whereas if men ſhould labour in all things to keepe a good conſcience, they would not feare to have what they doe knowne unto any; and if they walked in the wayes of innocency, they would not feare to goe in the wayes of Trueth. And therefore if we would not lye, wee muſt carefully avoid the doing of any thing, which being done, if we be examined, we are not willing to confeſſe: or if through frailty and infirmity we have failed in our duty, let us rather acknowledge our fault, than hide and excuſe it by a lye; and chuſe rather to undergoe the penalty and puniſhment, than to free our ſelves from it by committing ſinne. To which end let us conſider, that ſinne is the greateſt evill, as being an offence againſt an infinite Juſtice and Majeſtie, provoking an infinite wrath, and ſo deſerving as the due merit of it an infinite and everlaſting puniſhment. And therefore what is all the ſhame and puniſhment of this world unto which wee ſhall indanger our ſelves by acknowledging our faults, and confeſſing the Truth; in compariſon of Gods wrath, which is a conſuming fire, and which by lying wee kindle againſt us, and thoſe everlaſting Torments in the flames of Hell?
The fifth meanes is to uſe all our lawfull indeavour §. 9. The fifth meanes that we with all lawfull indeavour ſhun poverty.for the preventing of poverty, and to get ſuch a ſufficiency and competency of eſtate, as that we may have wherewith to provide neceſſaries for our ſelves and thoſe that belong unto us, and to ſupply craving and preſſing wants when they importune us. For as the immoderate love and deſire of riches and aboundance, is a ſtrong tentation to draw men to this ſinne of lying (as I have ſhewed) ſo the feare of want, and the ſenſe and ſmart of penury, is no leſſe potent and powerfull, to make them leave truth and to tell lyes, when they ſeeme helpefull for the bettering of their eſtate. And this wee finde by dayly experience; for who ſeeth not that lyes, (above all ſorts of men) are moſt frequently uſed among them that are of pooreſt condition, being neceſſitated hereunto by their pinching wants and penury? And this the wiſe Agur well knew, who having intreated God to remove Prov. 30. 8.farre from him vanity and lyes, prayeth in the next place that he would give unto him neither poverty nor riches, but feede him with foode convenient for him: becauſe as they who deſire abundance, commonly uſe lying, that they may get and increaſe their wealth; ſo they that live in want and miſery, doe as uſually fall into this ſinne of lying, that they may ſupply their neceſſities and free themſelves from the ſmart of penury. In which reſpect thoſe that will avoide this ſinne of lying, muſt doe their beſt to preſerve themſelves from extreame poverty; and to this end uſe all good providence in getting and keeping a ſufficient competency of eſtate, and all induſtry, diligence and painefulneſſe in the duties of their particular callings, craving Gods bleſſing upon their labours, who onelyonly giveth power to get riches; and except he build the houſe, they labour in Prov. 10. 22. Deut. 8. 18. Pſal. 127. 1.vaine that build it. For as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of ſtealing, ſo I may ſay the ſame of lying; let him that lyed lye no more, but rather let him labour working Eph. 4. 28.with his hands the thing that is good, that hee may have to give to him that needeth, ſeeing it is no leſſe poſſible to avoide lying than ſtealing, if through negligence in our callings wee fall into want and penury.
The laſt and chiefe meanes is fervent and effectuall §. 10. The ſixth meanes is effectuall Prayer.prayer unto God, that he will fill our hearts with Grace and Trueth, and with his Holy Spirit leade and guide us in it; that hee will worke an high eſteeme and love of Truth in us, and an utter deteſtation of lying, which is ſo diſhonourable unto him, and pernicious unto us, and that hee will ſet a watch before our mouthes and keepe the doore of our Pſal. 141. 3.lippes, that no lyes may iſſue out of them: wherein we have David for our example, who prayeth earneſtly, that God would remove from him the way of lying, in which hee was apt to walke, if he ſhould Pſal. 119. 29.be left unto his naturall corruption, as hee had divers times found by woefull experience; and alſo the wiſe Agur, who prayeth fervently that God would remove farre from him vanity and lyes, the which (it ſeemeth) hee ſo much deteſted, that hee could not indure the very neighbor-hood of them. Neither is it inough that we uſe the former means, unleſſe God by his bleſſing give ſuch vertue and power unto them, that they may preſerve us from this ſinne; nor with David that we reſolve to looke to our wayes, and keepe our mouthes with a bridle, that wee offend not with our tongues: (for as the Apoſtle Iames telleth us, The tongue is a fire, and a world of iniquity, Jam. 3. 6, 8.and an unruly evill, which no man can tame) unleſſe the Lord joyne with us and give us helpe, by Judg. 12. 6.ſetting alſo his Watch before our mouthes, and keeping the doore of our lippes, that no lying and liſping Sibboleth may paſſe out of them, nor any ſpeech which bringeth not with it the Watch-word of Trueth.