Use 3. Is God a God of Truth, let us be like God in Truth. 1. We must be true in our Words. Pythagoras being asked what made Men like God? answered, Cum vera loquuntur, when they speak Truth. It is the note of a Man that shall go to Heaven, Psal. 15.2. He speaketh the Truth from his heart. Truth in words is opposed, 1. to Lying, Eph. 4.25. Putting away lying, speak every one truth to his neighbour. Lying is when one speaks that for a truth, which he knows to be false. A Liar is most opposite to the God of Truth. There is, as Austin saith, two sorts of Lies, 1. Mendacium Officiosum, an Officious Lie, when a Man tells a Lie for his Profit, as when a Trades-man saith his Commodity cost him so much, when perhaps it did not cost him half so much. He that will lie in his Trade, shall lye in Hell. 2. Mendacium Jocosum, a jesting Lie, when a Man tells a Lie in sport to make others merry: he goes laughing to Hell. When you tell a Lie, you make your selves like the Devil; John 8.44. The Devil is a liar, and the Father of it. He deceived our first Parents by a Lie. Some are so wicked, that they will not only speak an Untruth, but will Swear to it; nay, they will wish a Curse upon themselves, if that Untruth be not true. As I have read of a Woman (one Anne Averies) 1575. who being in a Shop, wished that she might sink if she had not paid for the Wares she took; she fell down speechless immediately, and died in the place. A Liar is not fit to live in a Commonwealth. Lying takes away all Society and Converse with Men. How can you Converse with him whom you cannot believe what he saith? Lying shuts Men out of Heaven, Rev. 22.25. Without are Dogs, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. And as it is a great sin to tell a lie, so it is a worse sin to teach a lye, Isa. 9.15. The Prophet that teacheth lies. He who broacheth Error, teacheth Lies; he spreads the Plague; he not only damns himself, but helps to damn others. 2. Truth in words is opposed to Dissembling. The Heart and Tongue should go together, as the Dial goes exactly with the Sun. To speak fair to ones Face, and not to mean what one speaks, is no better then a lie; Psal. 55.21. His words were smoother than oil, but war was in his heart. Some have an Art at this, they can flatter and hate. Hierom speaking of the Arians, saith, They pretended friendship, they kissed my hands, but plotted mischief against me. Psal.
Use 3. Is God a God of Truth, let us be like God in Truth. 1. We must be true in our Words. Pythagoras being asked what made Men like God? answered, Cum vera loquuntur, when they speak Truth. It is the note of a Man that shall go to Heaven, Psal. 15.2. He speaketh the Truth from his heart. Truth in words is opposed, 1. to Lying, Eph. 4.25. Putting away lying, speak every one truth to his neighbour. Lying is when one speaks that for a truth, which he knows to be false. A Lier is most opposite to the God of Truth. There is, as Austin saith, two sorts of Lies, 1. Mendacium Officiosum, an Officious Lie, when a Man tells a Lie for his Profit, as when a Trades-man saith his Commodity cost him so much, when perhaps it did not cost him half so much. He that will lie in his Trade, shall lye in Hell. 2. Mendacium Iocosum, a jesting Lie, when a Man tells a Lie in sport to make others merry: he goes laughing to Hell. When you tell a Lie, you make your selves like the Devil; Iohn 8.44. The Devil is a lier, and the Father of it. He deceived our first Parents by a Lie. Some are so wicked, that they will not only speak an Untruth, but will Swear to it; nay, they will wish a Curse upon themselves, if that Untruth be not true. As I have read of a Woman (one Anne Averies) 1575. who being in a Shop, wished that she might sink if she had not paid for the Wares she took; she fell down speechless immeditately, and died in the place. A Lier is not fit to live in a Commonwealth. Lying takes away all Society and Converse with Men. How can you Converse with him whom you cannot believe what he saith? Lying shuts Men out of Heaven, Rev. 22.25. Without are Dogs, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. And as it is a great sin to tell a lie, so it is a worse sin to teach a lye, Isa. 9.15. The Prophet that teacheth lies. He who broacheth Errour, teacheth Lies; he spreads the Plague; he not only damns himself, but helps to damn others. 2. Truth in words is opposed to Dissembling. The Heart and Tongue should go together, as the Dial goes exactly with the Sun. To speak fair to ones Face, and not to mean what one speaks, is no better then a lie; Psal. 55.21. His words were smoother than oil, but war was in his heart. Some have an Art at this, they can flatter and hate. Hierom speaking of the Arrians, saith, They pretended friendship, they kissed my hands, but plotted mischief against me. Psal.
