The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-04-30
Sermon on Lying.

A statement is rendered false by
anyone of these three errors, for
to be true it must accord with the
facts in the case. There is an er-
ror in knowledge when a person
makes statement which he has
every reason to suppose correct
when it is not really so. Such er-
rors were those of even the wisest
men who formerly taught that the
earth is fiat and that the positions
of the stars indicate events on the
earth. Such errors creep into our
conversation when we make state
ments that prove inaccurate on
the authority of people whose trust
worthiness we cannot doubt.
The second class of errors are
very common. They frequently
arise from hasty deductions and
differences. Often the position of
the observer is ill-adapted to a
right discernment of the relation
of things. Very good people make
mistakes Of this kind Still they
are not always without blame.
They forget the words, 'slow to
speak" Doubtful conclusions, es-
pecially where they reflect on 9th
ers, should never be stated as facts.
But he who errs in knowledge or
in judgment involuntarily, should
not be considered a liar.
To lie is to make a statement
knowingly contrary to the facts in
the case To lie is to commit one
of the most heinous sins. In many
cases it is really easier to excuse
murder than lying God has
right to take life, but even he has
not right to lie. God hates lying
especially because it is antago-
nistic to his own nature. AS if to
teach the church at it's very be-
ginning the enormity of the sin
of lying, Ananias and Sapphire
were stricken with death. Then
God has assigned "all lars ever
lastingly to ''the lake that burneth
with fire and birthstone"
Lying, while an injury to per-
sons falsely spoken about, is far
more an injury to the person ad
dicted to it. It is a sin that honey
combs the character. It is ''vio-
lation Of the eternal law of truth
which God has wrought into our
moral constitution through the
sitting or overruling of the in
stinct or sentiment Of veracity.
which no man whose heart is right |
can do, without being self-con-
demned.'
Still there are lies which some
persons, perhaps well-meaning peo-
pie, attempt to Justify. There are
lies OF custom seen in almost all
kinds Of business and even in the
church. The best fruit is put on
the top of barrels and boxes. Adj
vertisements declare certain ar
ticle to be the chest in the world"
when others are just as good.
Preachers announce a service to
begin at certain hour when they
know that it will not begin until
a half hour later. Churches rec
ommend ministers and members
when they do not believe that they
ought to be approved.
Then there are lies of supposed
kindness. A friend is sick unto
death but he is told, to keep him
calm, that he will soon be we'll.
This is mistaken kindness as
we'll as sin. However poor
time the death-bed may be for fl
nally arranging the things of this
life or making preparation for the
next, person who is going hence
ought to have the opportunity of
doing what he can to better his
interests. To deprive him of this
opportunity may be to eternally
diminish his moral strength and
spiritual life. It may be to debar
him from saying some word that
will be great comfort and bless
ing to others.
Among the most common kind
of lies are those of etiquette.
Truth does not require us to relate
the faults of others or always to
tell people how we regard their
evil ways, though there are times {
when it is our duty to kindly adj {
monish them. But truth does for ,
bid our making protestations of !
friendship which we do not feel. 6
10 tell another how glad we are
to see him when we rejoice in his 6
absence, is to be guilty Of the sin t
of lying. To fatter another is to '
lie. Praise is often merited, and {