The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-12-15

In all these promises for those who will be
true, and Ia all these thteaienings for those who
will not il certainly involved tie prohibition af
lying, aud every man Is therefore under the
strongest moral obligation to speak the truth, 10
speak II, not simply when men say Il is good,
worldly policy and perfectly safe TO do 20, but
at all times, when no, 10 do II would hc 10 speak
or act lie.
The sophist inay CONTINUE IN tell Us that Il is
both impossible and undesirable a. have an hon
est heart aud a truthful tongue. lie may con-
tinue 10 tell Us that perfect sincerity would work
dire ruin In society, compelling men to express
every though, and feeling 10 turn their hearts
inside out and satisfy the inquisiiivc, To yield
themselves 20 the scrutiny OF ali, to use no con
ecalment aud wear no vail Of sccrcsy, aud To ex-
pose others as well as themselves 10 the gaze Of
the curious Bat uuihfulness calls us 60 the
practice Of no such folly. II only requires us to
be true to ourselves aud TO all men, tha, we may
rise and help Others rise, to the perfection Of
goodness aud happiness. Aud what IL Is 10 bc
true 20 ourselves aud 10 all men, love and sim
pliciiy will always tell us.
Let no one, then, expect great attainment or
great gain Of any kind in any Of the forms Of de-
ccit or imagine that there Is any real advantage
TO be reaped from q double face or double
tongue. Deeeitfulncss seldom biings even n
present and temporary reward. On the contra
~, II brings the very evils we would shun, aud
the very troubles We would avoid. The cxpe-
rencc OF the evils Of society has satisfied us that
the almost universal practice OF thnking and
feeling one thing aud speaking and acting
another, has made the deadliesl hatreds. the Bit
terest animosities, and the worst alterations.
Those whom we receive with gracious smiles
and complimentary words dcspise aud hate Us
when they find out, as they always do, sooner
or later that we are not sincere, and that we
have been acting lie. How they learn this IL Is
not difficult to tell. We are SO constituted, that
what we are not willing 10 say TO - mans face,
We will, Mt some time, ho betrayed into say
ing behind bis back hut IL We do not proclaim
our nsinceriiy In this way We do In another -
There Is almos, always and indcscfibahlr some
thing In the looks aud manners of those who are
praciicing deception. Their kindness. their cx-
ptessions Of interest, their ci,ili,cs fail 10 win
US, and we fecl-we can scarcely tell why-thai
they are not true friends. We msy never have
heard Of anything they have said against US. but
we can not look at them, or listen TO them, with
out the lurking suspicion that they do not feel
the fritndship they are trying TO maniiss,-in
other words, they appear TO us deceilful. Con-
sequenily we feel uneasy In their presence, and
are glad TO be rid Of them. -
II may be they belong TO what Is thought the
better class OF deceiyeFs-Ei's, Christian dcceiv-
ers Startled by some report, carried around on
the tongues Of men and women, they thought At
first of coming directly to US ~ learn the whole
truth, but finally concluded TO keep silent
Whenever they meet us. they think Of what they
have heard, but hatter themselves they are do
ing US no harm, as they neither believe nor dis
believe the strange stories that have been in cir
culation.
Some OF Us, no doubt, are on this list Of liars.
and probably take pride in being liars Of good
judgment, rare wisdom, and marvellous piety.-
But our unusual talent fer deception and our fine
skill in lying have made numerous enemies--and
the worst OF enemies-and We have had proved
10 US, not only the fact that We have often made
our position in society very uncomfortable, but
that we have done our part toward keeping the
world out Of tha, state Of perfect love and haF-
mony so long predicted.
{, is indeed true that society Is uo batter for
the false-hearted. We have all. With lew cx-
cep,ions. deceived and been deceived, and hearts
have grown cold, and strong bands Of love have
been broken, and men have been ' hateful. and
hating one another.
The spoken ialsehoods of the tongue. the un-
spoken i.lsehoods Of the heart the siicn, false
hoods that hide away IN smiles, and the false
hoods of various kinds that spread themselves
over all the life have been our worst enemies.
not our best helpers. They have led us in ihorny
paths, through deserts where were no springs Of
water, and up high mountains Of difficulty where
were no resling-places. Promising US every thing,
they have given US nothing, aud who shall say We
owe them nyihing7 Truth, truth alone. is the
sure friend and the safe guide, and every man, II
he will may see her beckoning finger and hear
her voice saying, This is the way walk ye in
it, Turn aside and your way will be rough |
aud weArisome, and you will never know the |
fnll richness and sweetness Of life. Turn aside,
and you will find when you have crossed the |
river that leads TO the other side. that you can |
not enter in, with the iruc-hearicd. through |
the gates into the holy city" There shall IN l
no wise enter into anything that deile,h neither
whatsoever workeih ahomnation, or makeiA a /
ii,."--imerican Phrsnoleyicai .Iournal.