who make a dependent State their Choice. Begging is fweet in the Mouth of the fhameless: but in his Belly there fball burn a Fire. Very different from this, is the Cafe of the induftrious. Their Minds are at Eafe: their Bodies are usually healthy: their Time is employed as they know it should: what they get, they enjoy with a good Confcience, and it wears well. Nor do only the Fruits of their Labour delight them: but even Labour itfelf becomes pleasant to them.

And though Perfons of higher Condition are not bound to work with their Hands; yet they alfo muft be diligent in other Ways: in the Bufinefs of their Offices and Profeffions; or, if they have none, yet in the Care of their Families and Affairs. Elfe the former will be ill-governed, wicked, and miferable: and the latter foon run into fuch Diförder, as will almost force them, either to be unjust to their Creditors, and thofe for whom Nature binds them to provide; or to be guilty of mean and dishonourable Actions of more Kinds than one, to avoid these and other difagreeable Confequences of their Supineness. Befides, as the upper Part of the World are peculiarly deftined by Providence to be in one Way or another extenfively ufeful in Society: fuch of them. as are not, defraud it of the Service they owe it, and therefore break this Commandment. But

3. To obferve it well, Frugality must be joined with Industry: elfe it will all be Labour in vain. For unwife Expenfivenefs will diffipate whatever the utmost Diligence can acquire. But if Idlenefs be added to Extravagance, that brings on quick Ruin. And if Intemperance and Debauchery go along with them, the Cafe is then come to its Extremity. Every one therefore, who defires to approve himself honeft, should be careful to live within the Bounds of his Income, so as to have fomething in Readiness against the Time of Inability and unforefeen Events. But they who have, or defign to have Families, fhould endeavour to live a

good deal within thofe Bounds. And whoever spends upon himself, or throws away upon any other Perfon or Thing, more than he can prudently afford, (whatever falfe Names of Praife, as Elegance, Generofity, Good-nature, may be given to this Indifcretion) will be led, before he is aware, to distress himself, perhaps many more; and be too probably driven at laft to repair, as well as he can, by Wickedness, the Breaches, which he hath made by Folly.

4. This Commandment requires in the laft Place, that we neither deny ourselves, or those who belong to us, what is fit for our and their Station, which is one Kind of Robbery; nor omit to relieve the Poor according to our Ability, which is another Kind. For whatever we enjoy of worldly Plenty is given us in Trust, that we fhould take our own Share with Moderation, and diftribute out the Remainder with Liberality. And as they, who have but little, will, moft or all of them, at one Time or another, find thofe who have lefs; very few, if any, are exempted from giving fome Alms. And whoever either penuriously or thoughtlessly neglects his proper Share of this Duty, is unjust to his Maker and his Fellow-Creatures too. For the Good, which God hath placed in our Hands for the Poor, is undoubtedly, as the Scripture declares it, their Due. He hath given them no Right to feize it: but he hath bound us not to withhold it from them.

And now, having finifhed the two Heads propofed, I fhall only add, that by obferving thefe Directions from a Principle of Chriftian Faith; and teaching all under our Care to obferve them from the fame; the poor in this World may be rich towards Goda: and the rich may treafure up in Store for themfelves a good Foundation against the Time to come, which will enable them to lay hold on eternal Life.

z Prov. iii. 27.

a Luke xii. 21.

I

b 1 Tim. vi. 19.

LEC

LECTURE

TH

XXVII.

The Ninth Commandment.

HE Ninth Commandment is connected with every one of the four, which precede it. For neither the Duties of Superiors and Inferiors, nor those amongst Equals, could be tolerably practifed; neither the Lives of Men, nor their Happiness in the neareft Relation of Life, nor their Poffeffions and Properties could ever be fecure; if they were left expofed to thofe Injuries of a licentious Tongue, which are here prohibited. This Commandment therefore was intended, partly to ftrengthen the foregoing ones; and partly alfo, to make Provifion for every Perfon's juft Character on its own Account, as well as for the Sake of Confequences. For, independently on thefe, we have by Nature (and with Reafon) a great Concern about our Reputations. And therefore the Precept, Thou shalt not bear falfe Wit nefs against thy Neighbour, is, in all Views, of muchImportance.

'The Crime, at which thefe Words principally and most expressly point, is, giving falfe Evidence in any Caufe or Trial. And as, in fuch Cafes, Evidence hath always been given upon Oath; this Commandment, fo far, is the fame with the Third: only there, Perjury is forbidden, as Impiety against God; here, as injurious to Men. Now we are guilty of this Sin, if, in bearing Witnefs, we affirm that we know or believe any Thing, which we do not; or deny that we know or believe any Thing, which we do; or either affirm or deny more pofitively, than we have good Grounds. Nay, if we only ftifle, by our Silence, any Fact, which is material, though we are not examined particularly about it; ftill

K 6

when

when we have fworn in general to fpeak the whole Truth, we bear falfe Witness, if we defignedly avoid it; especially after being asked, if we are able to say any Thing befides, relative to the Point in Question. For hiding the Truth may as totally mislead those who are to judge, as telling an Untruth. Indeed, if by any Means whatever we disguise the real State of the Cafe, inftead of relating it in the faireft and plaineft Manner that we can we evidently tranfgrefs the Intent of this Commandment. And by doing it, the good Name, the Property, the Livelihood, the Life of an innocent Perfon may be taken away; the Advantages of Society defeated, nay, perverted into Mischiefs, and the very Bonds of it diffolved. Therefore the Rule of the Mofaic Law is: If a falfe Witness rife up against any Man, and testify against his Brother that which is wrong; then fhall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his Brother, and thine Eye shall not pity. With us indeed, the Punishment extends not fo far. But however mild fuch Perfons may find the Penalties of human Laws to be, or how artfully foever they may evade them; God hath declared: A falfe Witness fhall not be unpunished: and he that speaketh Lies, shall not escape.

The Commandment faith only, that we shall not bear falfe Witnefs against our Neighbour: but in Effect it binds us equally not to bear falfe Witness for him. For in all Trials of Property, bearing Witness for one Party is bearing Witness against the other. And in all Trials for Crimes, falfe Evidence, to the Advantage of the Perfon accufed, is to the Disadvantage and Ruin of Right and Truth, of public Safety and Peace; by concealing and encouraging what ought to be detected and punished.

It being thus criminal to bear falfe Witness; it must be criminal alfo to draw Perfons into the Commiffion of fo great a Sin, by Gifts, or Promises, or Threatenings, or any other Method. And, in its Degree, it must be

* Deut, xix. 16-21.

b Prov, xix, 5.

criminal

criminal to bring a falfe Accufation, or falfe Action, against any one; or to make any Sort of Demand, for which there is no reasonable Ground.

Nay further, however favourably Perfons are apt to think of the Defendant's Side; yet to defend ourselves against Justice, or even to delay it by unfair Methods, is very wicked. For it ought to take Place; and the fooner, the better. Still, both the Profeffors of the Law, and others, may unquestionably fay and do, for a doubtful or a bad Caufe, whatever can be faid with Truth, or done with Equity: for otherwife it might be thought ftill worse than it is; and treated worse than it deferves. But if they do, in any Cause, what in Reafon ought not to be done; if they ufe or fuggeft indirect Methods of defeating the Intent of the Law; if by falfe Colours and Gloffes, by terrifying or confounding Witneffes, by calumniating or ridiculing the adverfe Party, they endeavour to make Juftice itself an Inftrument for patronizing Injuftice; this is turning Judgment into Gall, as the Scripture expreffes it, and the Fruit of Righteousness into Hemlock.

But in a still higher Degree is it fo, if Judges or Jurymen are influenced, in giving their Sentence or Verdict, by Intereft, Relation, Friendship, Hatred, Compaffion, Party; by any Thing, but the Nature of the Cafe, as it fairly appears to them. For defignedly making a falfe Determination, is completing all the Mifchief, which bearing falfe Witness only attempts. And, in a Word, whoever any Way promotes what is wrong, or obftructs what is right, partakes in the fame Sin: be it either of the Parties, their Evidences or Agents; be it the highest Magiftrate, or the lowest Officer.

But Persons may break this Commandment, not only in judicial Proceedings; but, often full as grievously, in common Difcourfe: by raifing, fpreading, or countenancing falfe Reports against others; or fuch, as they have no fufficient Caufe to think true; which is the