contrary to virtue; abstain from lying, the Christian will say, because it is hateful to God. This dissuasive includes substantially the other two. Society is the ordinance of God, therefore it is to be regarded-virtue is nothing but the resemblance of his attributes, therefore it is to be sought-every motive, political or moral, can be resolved into religion, but religion cannot be resolved into any thing inferior to itself. Policy may be a good principle for those who know nothing of virtue; and virtue for those who care little about religion; but the Gospel involves all true policy, for it regards the happiness of men; it includes all true virtue, for it exhibits the perfection of God.

Parents, who would teach your children to tell the truth, if you would do it effectually, do it upon the right principle. Let not your children. think, when they have uttered an untruth, that the offence committed is against you, or against others, or against themselves; show them, and show them first, that a lie is an abomination in the sight of God; show them that they violate, not only a conventional or a moral, but a religious obligation; teach them that truth-constant undeviating truth-is as much a part of Christian duty as the daily offering of prayer, or the daily perusal of the Scriptures. O how much benefit would you confer on the rising

generation—how much would you advantage the cause of religion-how would you "deliver your own souls," and advance, I may add, the spiritual interest of those who are and should be most dear to you if you would bring them up in habits of truth, founded on principles derived from this, the only adequate source; grounded upon this, the only abiding foundation. Honour itself, of which men so proudly boast, when compared to religion, is but as the low and sandy shore to the solid and unshaken rock. But if you would do this, you must begin with yourselves - you must let your example be a comment on your preceptyou must lay down a rule from which nothing shall tempt you to deviate; for the slightest deviation may bring an instant and serious injury. If you lie in jest, your children will lie in earnest -if you lie for your business, they will lie for their pleasure if they see you deceive others, what right have you to expect they will not deceive you? The mind of youth is a combustible material, which the least spark may set into a blaze. The least act of deceit in you may generate a habit of falsehood in your children: and what reflection more bitter to a parent than that he has contributed to blast his child's reputation here, and, for aught that can be known, to doom his soul to perdition hereafter!

Remember therefore, brethren, one and all of

you, the admonition of the Apostle which you have heard this day—for it is of universal application" wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another." Remember, that your mutual obligation, as members of the body of Christ, is violated by a single falsehood—no matter to whom it is uttered, or by what it may seem to be excused. In our holy religion all is truth. Thus, truth is a shining attribute in the character of our Heavenly Father, for "a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he❞— is a title which our Divine Redeemer ennobles by assuming, when he says, "I am the way and the truth and the life," while in like manner the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling we are sanctified, is "the Spirit of truth." The word also from which we learn the way of salvation is "the word of truth ;" and all the saints and servants of God in every age concur in expressing their utter detestation of falsehood, their firm persuasion of its hatefulness to God, their desire to be delivered from the practice of it. "Remove far from me the way of lying," says the man after God's own heart. "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord," responds his son, the wisest of mankind. Into the celestial city, declares the favoured disciple who saw the vision of the heavenly revelation, never shall enter "the

man that worketh abomination or maketh a lie; but all liars shall have their portion in the lake that burneth with brimstone and with fire." And is this a portion, brethren, that you deprecate—is it a doom that you dread—is it an evil from which you would shrink, as well worth the exertion of a life to be rescued and relieved? Then avoid the path that leads to it-pollute not your lips with a lie do not even approach the way of lying-practise no habits of subterfuge or equivocation-act and speak as if your brethren could see and search the heart that God searches and sees. Let the simplicity and godly sincerity of the Scriptures pervade all your intercourse with mankind. Strive not to wear a mask-they need none who are guided by the influence of the Spirit of God-they may be known and read of all men and come what may, sorrow and disappointment and adversity- come calumny and persecution and reproach -come all that patience can endure, or all that malice can inflict, this rejoicing will be theirs "the testimony of their consciences, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, they have had their conversation in the world."

SERMON VIII.

THE EVIL AND DANGER OF PUTTING LIGHT FOR DARKNESS, &c.

ISA. V, 20.

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter."

SINCE that fatal transgression of our first parents, which by introducing sin into the world, introduced also its inseparable companions, misery and death; human nature has in all ages been the same the same in its character, the same in its tendencies, the same in its effects. Never has there been any peculiar indication of the Divine goodness-I mean to any collective body-to mankind at large, when all were of one language and one speech, to any specific nation, to any particular generation even of the chosen people-which has not called forth a corresponding manifestation on their part of the corruption and degeneracy of the human heart. The first instance of this is the earliest and surely the most precious promise