Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1850-01-17
A SERMON ON LYING

partiality, to bc printed JAM llth.
B.
A SERMON ON LYING
Psraeh,d IN Zicn Clwch, Muport, r. L.,
Sunday morning, Decsa.tg 30h, 1919.
pYREv. DEsJAaIS WATsos, REcroR.
Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every
man truth with his neighbor Tor we are membe. 3
one Of another Ephesians, Chap. 8, ross 20.
These words, you will observe, a,e addressed
by the Apostle to protesting Christians, and
Therefore i, canno, be considered uncourteous for
me to rcpca, and apply them TO my presen, audi
dencc.
The exh9r,ation is introduced b, the word,
Wherefore" which leads us back TO observe
on, Of what argument this conclusion springs
We find, then, on looking over the verses inme-
diately preceding that the writer is insisting on a
renewal Of character in those who had been
taught Of Christ---a putting of the old man, which
is corrup, according to the dccettu lusts, and a
putting on Of the new man, which after God is
created in righteousness and true holiness. From
this it follows, he says, that, putting away lying,
ye should speak truth every man with his neigh
a series Of duties which necessarily pertain to
the new man, or renewed character, and which
all who profess to have learned Christ, should ell
deavor strictly and conscientiously to practice.
From the fact that the apostle exhorts, in the
first pli' :, to "put away lying" we may perhaps
infer, that this vice was not uncommon among
those to whom he wrote, prior to their conversion
Il Il
ally looked upon lie as very trifling fault
while some of them even commended it. Thus,
for instance, " Pinto accounted 1t lawful for states
men aud governors, and SO did Cicero and Plu-
tarch and the Stoics, some say, rcckoned it
among the arts and pcricctons of a wise man, TO
lie deXtcrously, in due time and place" How
different the maxims inculcatcd in that Book
which contained the Jewish code Of morals 1t
is there written " Ye shall not steal, neither deal
falsely, neither lie one To another - and again,
A" Lying lips are an abomnation to the Lord. -
How was it that the Jews, an illiterate, uncuti-
waited people, obtained an idea of morality 80
much higher and more correct than the rest of
mankind Faith answers in word in6dclity
viii search in vain Tor reply.
lie, in its broadcst sense, is anything said or
done with the intention to deceive. 1, is an ont
ward si5nication of what is not really present to
r..,.',
"
impression which il not true, and is therefore a
deception. Now this vice plrtakcs, for this very
reason, OF the nature Of injustice. Language and
"'''' ".'"5 ''' 'e' . '@od SiS VI 'no"sh'' ana
49, - ""''' 'e'''''S "P'' '"1" "'c 'o' 'h'S
e"i' - S''S' ''o''''o" VI INC ilSh's oi
a''ie'!' "'' III JUS" Is o'' "' ''' o''c 10 Ut
'cr "'e 'o''l'''' u F''''i'" ''1 A''er' ~ soch
way ~ WI" N'Te L" "A5 l'H5 WIN ialsc Wow
N'''"'S any P".''''" ''.'' '.', ''' ""'
pass ~ '''"' 'P'''''''' '''''
- 90,
L..
F.. 49,, ,,,,,.,,,, Sc ,,hi.b :. ,,,,;,o
i,,, ,,,h;L, al. hi.
,,,l
j., ,i,.-, rJ..b,,,l - s,,,,, , ,r,,,,l.ss mo, tho,
,r,,r, ,ro b,,, t.,,. finn, nh, h,y, tho .Irh,cs,
rc,r ,rl e., ,bam.,Ivcs th,, yy,ull h r,;ltv of ia
co,,,,,;,,,or .rb,t i ,bc, ,,,,ll acorn, ., o., .,
,o;,ri.. al I,,.,,,,.l.. a.,I ,,;o;,,,,l.
him, ,,I,,, ,h,, k,oy, ,,1 h .Ii,v.l :, hc fl.o
Hr, tell mo. what ;s the o,tuI difference betvcon
th. and a representation setting forth To the conn
mnnity at E,rr,. what we know, or could know.
if we would. to be untrue As. for instance,
when manufacturer puts on, a, article a. pure,
which he is sure is mixed or adul;crated or a
dealer disppses of his goods Of a certain quality,
when h has reason u believe tn Il they are Of an
inferior or when statements are made in the pub
lie prints which the writers themselves do not
credit, There is vast deal Of such kind of ly.
mg in The world which people are too often slow
to perceive is the sin which God has declared,
lie hates. PERHAPS, from this fact. | NAV be ,oo
rcspectablc pcorlc who would be puiltv Of tcI;rc ,
downright; lie. trust, however. for tho sake of
our common humanity, that am not Int that ,b,,
which seems to be SO, may be explained by some
of the considerations which | shall nav nrc.er,
Nh man can obscrvc IN. hpr,,cc oc !, L.,o
,or,;o, ,c t,,. c,,,r,,,,,,,. and ban, Gao. e 49, a,
v,tch our ovn. without hpinc convinced tb,, thor.
i. much thourbtlrss. careless. snca,ing in the
world. He cannot but be struck, that pcople Of
,o .c ,,ords or ,bose ,rc,,;r, ,ho,, b,,. NO .,io-
o,,,o o,rcor,;o, ,b,h ,r0 ~ ,ho,, h,ral,. Lo,,or
H., o,,,,,,,. .,,,oJ, S,,o c,u ;, . L,l;, IS
s,c,kiog cxt,,voc,n,l, and !, ;oh.urouob, form.
~, ,,ha,oyor sr,ioc,s ,ho, oonyor.o Tho,. o,I
rrcss themselves strongly y, ,hc mos, comma,