other light, than as a dead weight to sink them the deeper into perdition? Where is men's wisdom or sagacity? Where is their love to themselves, in pursuing a course attended with such evil consequences? If you value therefore your external credit; if you value your internal comfort, or your eternal_happiness; banish from you lying lips. Let truth and integrity rule in your shops; let them rule in your hearts; and be your constant attendants in every business and company. Recommend them to your children, and charge them upon your servants; for if you permit them to lie for your advantage, they will not scruple to do it to your prejudice. And wherever you have been defective in regard to truth, shew the sincerity of your concern for it by sincere repentance and universal reformation. To which end, 1. Subdue covetousness. He that loveth money better than GoD and conscience, will for money displease GOD and conscience, by this or any other sin. Covetousness is the root of falsehood, and many other vices. 2. Learn to trust GOD and his providence, in the way of duty. This will set you above every mean and unworthy artifice; for he that believes and considers that he depends upon God for all things, will easily perceive that the prac tice of virtue, and not of vice, is the means to be blessed by him. 3. Preserve upon your minds a continual apprehension of the exceeding baseness and evil of lying. Men would not so readily commit sins of any kind, if their consciences were not stupid and insensible of the evil nature of them, 4. Let the presence of God be a curb to you, whenever you are tempted to this sin. Surely none can dare to tell a deliberate untruth, who seriously considers himself in the continual presence of the God of truth. How can those lift up their faces with comfort to Him in prayer at night, who have thus affronted His truth and omniscience in the day. 5. Especially, seek to God for his renewing and sanctifying grace, and labour to attain an holy frame of mind. It is a vain attempt to purify the streams of vice, while the fountain of iniquity, a corrupt nature, remains in all its vigour. But when that is cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of God; then only will the issues from it be pure and acceptable. "A renewed conscience, is the great preservative from all evil." Thus I have set before you, the nature and necessity of venerable truth, and M endeavoured to excite you to the pratice of it; what impression it has made upon your hearts, GoD only knows; but this I must say, that if these arguments prevail not with you, GOD has one which will do so effectually, for he hath said, "that the mouth of them that speak lies, shall be stopped." Psal. xliii. 11. "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. Lev. xix. 11." 135 CHAP. VII. OF CONTENTMENT. CONTENTMENT, as it relates to this subject, is a cheerful satisfaction in the place and calling wherein God hath set us. As there is a natural stupidity in some persons; so there is a stoical pride in others, who would endeavour to appear indifferent in every state and circumstance of life, from an obstinate and self sufficient temper of mind: but christian contentment is a more noble thing, arising from a becoming sense of God's dominion over us, as our Lord and owner, who may therefore do as he pleases with his own; and an humble trust in him as our Father and friend, whose wisdom and goodness directs every part of his dispensations towards us, the low afflicted situations of life, as well as the more pleasurable and prosperous ones; and these persuasions, by divine grace, enable us to learn in whatsoever state we are, therewith to be content.' But, alas, where is this amiable virtue to be found? Men are usually unsatisfied with their present condition, longing after some change or alteration, which when they have attained, they are as far from happiness as they were before.* The child or servant, weary of restraint, longs for the liberty of the parent or master. The pa rent or master, weary of his cares and troubles, wishes for retirement and ease. The unmarried are not contented with their condition; and the married often less with theirs. The poor envy the plenty of the rich; and the rich admire the quiet and health of the poor. Nor is the Tradesman free from this restless distemper; often preferring, not only the gown or the sword, but this or the other trade before his own: and indeed, ever since our father Adam grew dissatisfied with the delights of paradise, all his posterity are infected with. the same unhappy disease, until the grace * Our very wishes give us not our wish, |