The inward Cause of lying is our own corrupt ⟨p. 63⟩1flesh and the sinful lusts thereof. For as the Devil is a liar and the father of lies, so the flesh is a liar and the mother of this bastardly brood, who receiving from Satan this sinful seed, doth nourish it in her fruitful womb, conceiving, breeding and bearing it, until it be so multiplied that it hath filled the earth. Neither is our corrupt nature more prone unto any vice than unto this of lying, nor yet giveth more full swing unto any without remorse or check of conscience, than unto it, if it be simply considered in it self, or produce any advantage, and be not made odious by some evil consequents, or pernicious fruits which it bringeth to our neighbours or to our selves. And as the flesh generally is the cause of lying, so is it in its particular lusts and the sinful fruits which it produceth. As first ignorance of God and his trueth, is a special Cause of lying. For did we know and acknowledge Gods Omniscience, whereby he beholdeth all secrets, and taketh notice of not only the words of our mouths, but also of the hidden thoughts of our hearts, and discerneth how they differ one from another; his omnipotence, whereby he is able not only to kill the body of him that lieth, as he did Ananias and Sapphira, but also to cast both body and soul into hell, and in the mean time to frustrate all our hopes and ends which we propound unto our selves in lying, either by detecting our untruths, or by crossing us in them, so as they shall not effect our desires, but rather hinder them; and finally if we did know that he is a God of trueth, who hateth and abhorreth lies, and will according to his Word ⟨p. 64⟩give liars their portion in that lake which burneth 2with fire and brimstone, if they do not prevent their just damnation by unfeigned repentance, we would not take pleasure in lies, nor be hired to tell them with the base wages of worldly vanities. But it is our ignorance of these things that causeth us so easily to fall into this sin, when as Satan or the World tempteth us unto it. And therefore the Prophet joineth them together as the Cause and Effect: They bend (saith he) their tongue like 3their bow for lies; but they are not valiant for the trueth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.
The inward Cause of lying is our owne corrupt ⟨p. 63⟩1flesh and the sinfull lusts thereof. For as the Devill is a lyar and the father of lyes, so the flesh is a lyar and the mother of this bastardly brood, who receiving from Sathan this sinfull seed, doth nourish it in her fruitfull wombe, conceiving, breeding and bearing it, untill it bee so multiplyed that it hath filled the earth. Neither is our corrupt nature more prone unto any vice than unto this of lying, nor yet giveth more full swinge unto any without remorse or checke of conscience, than unto it, if it be simply considered in it selfe, or produce any advantage, and bee not made odious by some evill consequents, or pernitious fruits which it bringeth to our neighbours or to our selves. And as the flesh generally is the cause of lying, so is it in its particular lusts and the sinfull fruits which it produceth. As first ignorance of God and his trueth, is a speciall Cause of lying. For did we know and acknowledge Gods Omniscience, whereby hee beholdeth all secrets, and taketh notice of not only the words of our mouthes, but also of the hidden thoughts of our hearts, and discerneth how they differ one from another; his omnipotence, whereby hee is able not onely to kill the body of him that lyeth, as hee did Ananias and Sapphira, but also to cast both body and soule into hell, and in the meane time to frustrate all our hopes and ends which we propound unto our selves in lying, either by detecting our untrueths, or by crossing us in them, so as they shall not effect our desires, but rather hinder them; and finally if wee did know that he is a God of trueth, who hateth and abhorreth lyes, and will according to his Word ⟨p. 64⟩give lyars their portion in that lake which burneth 2with fire and brimstone, if they doe not prevent their just damnation by unfained repentance, wee would not take pleasure in lyes, nor bee hyred to tell them with the base wages of worldly vanities. But it is our ignorance of these things that causeth us so easily to fall into this sinne, when as Sathan or the World tempteth us unto it. And therefore the Prophet joyneth them together as the Cause and Effect: They bend (saith hee) their tongue like 3their bow for lyes; but they are not valiant for the trueth upon the earth; for they proceed from evill to evill, and they know not me, saith the Lord.
- 1§. 3. Of the inward causes of Lying, namely the flesh and fleshly lusts: and 1. Ignorance and forgetfulness of God.§. 3. Of the inward causes of Lying, namely the flesh and fleshly lusts: and 1. Ignorance and forgetfulnesse of God.
- 2Apoc. 21. 8.
- 3Jer. 9. •.
