sense to think well of the worthless, has too much charity to speak ill of them, when there is no neceffity for it? And it is contrary to that love we owe to our neighbour, which should make us ready to cover and conceal all things that are defective in him, and which, if known, may tend to leffen that good name and reputation he hath obtained. Where a man's vices only hurt himself, and terminate in his own perfon, there we have no right to publish them; because we can answer no good end thereby: but where they affect, or may affect others, it is our duty to warn as many as we think proper, a due regard being had to our own fafety. Only let us take this caution along with us: before we endeavour to undeceive others, let us be sure we are not deceived ourselves, Let us therefore

Means to

Incline always to the favourable fide, when things are doubtful. If you should be mistaken on the cn ritable fide, God will overlook your mistake, and accept your charity. Endeavour to divert fuch difcourfe, and difcouragé fuch fort of converfation, by all prudent means; as to urge prevent it. what we can in our neighbour's vindication: but, if the matter is too evident to be denied, we may endeavour to diminish the guilt of it, by imputing it to ignorance or surprise, or to the ftrength of temptation, and by owning that the best people might have found difficulties in fuch dangerous circumftances and temptations. And we must not fhew any pleasure or fatisfaction in what is related to our neighbour's prejudice, left we encourage the detractor, and become partakers with him in his fin. But nothing is more neceffary, in order to mafter this reigning fin, than a firm refolution never to fpeak the leaft ill of any one; for whofoever gives himself the liberty to publifh the evil he knows of another, and talks with pleasure of fuch faults, though known by every body, may be likely to fall into real detractions. Because, where the power and corruption of nature is ftrong, it is difficult to ftop; befides, by indulging fmall neglects we fortify our evil inclinations, and by degrees contract a habit of defamation, and exchange the amiable quality of fincerity for deceit and falfhood. I do not know what pleasure men of this ftamp may take, in fuppofing

themselves

themselves to stand clear of those vices, which they charge upon others. But this I dare venture to fay, that the fame meanness and littleness of foul, which makes them fo inquifitive to know, fo glad to hear, and fo induftrious to spread any fault of others, would make them commit the very fame, provided they had the fame temptations and complexion. For vice proceeds from nothing, but the meannefs and baseness of a depraved foul. To this clafs of ill-natured perfons those must be reduced, who love, as they exprefs it, to speak their minds upon all occafions; privileged talkers, affronting thofe above them, infulting those beneath them, and difpleafing every body. But if they will always fpeak freely what they think; they should first take care to think justly, as they ought, tenderly of others, humbly and foberly of themselves.

This fhou be well confidered alfo, by those who make nofcruple of bearing falfe witness against their neighOf bearing bour in a court of juftice, or where-ever his perfon, falfe wit property, or reputation may thereby be injured; mejs. fuch a one is the unrighteous witness, that fells himself to work evil in the fight of the Lord; whofe crime increaseth in proportion to the evil done thereby to his neighbour, and therefore was forbid by God himself: and the offender is adjudged to fuffer the fame punishment he would by falfe witnefs and perjury have brought upon his neighbour. So that, if we are called to give publick teftimony between man and man, a fincere refpect to truth will engage to a careful recollection, before we give our teftimony upon the matter: it will difpofe to lay afide affection on one hand, and prejudice on the other, and impartially to speak the whole truth, without disguise or concealment. For though we are not bound in every cafe to speak the whole truth; yet when a matter depends in whole, or in part, upon our evidence, we are bound not only to avoid all falfhood, but also not to omit any thing which may give light to the true merits of the cause; for fuch concealment has the nature of a lye, because partial evidences may have the fame evil effects, as thofe evidences have, which are directly falfe. For we are not obliged to bear no witness at all against our neighbour; we are only to bear no false witnefs.

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nefs. This rule extends to giving teftimonials and characters of fervants, or candidates for any employinent. To give them no character at all is to all intents and purposes the fame, as giving them a bad one: and to give them a good character upon the whole, when they do not deserve it, is to be eafy and good-natured at the expence of truth and juftice. And Let not thofe, who make a fcruple to bear falfe witness Of pubick where they think their neighbour directly concernflanders. ed in his life, property, reputation or otherwise, yet make a flight of violating truth in common converfation, and too frequently aggravate their flanders with invidious railings and bitter reproaches, think that they fhall escape the judgment of God: for this, no less than the preceding injury of bearing falfe witness, is threatened with the lofs of heaven hereafter; as well as difqualifies them from the communion of Chrift's church here upon earth. And tho' it be no ways aggravated, it would be well for thofe, who are guilty of fuch evil devices, to remember that, if we haftily put an uncertain ftory out of our power by making it publick, we may prove false witneffes of a scandal, to many who take it upon our authority, without having inclination or opportunity to examine the grounds on which we told it.

Besides this, we fhould guard against that too common Whisper- fin of whispering, or fpreading any report to the ing. difadvantage of our neighbour, under a pretence of injoining fecrecy; and this, God knows, is not in regard to our neighbour, but to prevent ourselves from being difcovered to be the authors thereof; and, by that means of working in the dark, the flander like a fecret poison becomes incurable, before the injured perfon can difcern it: and therefore may juftly be accounted one of the most incurable wounds of the tongue, undermining all fociety, and too frequently robbing families of their peace, and innocent perfons of their good name: it feparateth chief friends and therefore the tongue, that is given to this wicked prac-. tice, may be properly faid to be fet on fire of hell.

SUNDAY XI. PART II.

Thus I have given you the nature and extent of this fin; and thall now fhew you fome of the steps towards it, and

the

Reafons a

the principal motives that should deter us from its commiffion. And as in another cafe it is faid, were there Severalfieps no receivers, there would be no thieves: fo, did not towards men encourage tale-bearing and whispering, there this fin. would be no flanderers. And tho' we don't prompt them to this wickednefs, yet, if we are ready to credit flanderous reports, we encourage the wicked perfon, whofe intention finishes in the breach of his neighbour's character. And therefore as such a one's accufation is no juft ground of belief in us, fo we are guilty of injuftice to our neighbour to believe the reported evil. But, if we not only believe, but fcruple not to become a party in the flander by publishing the fame thing, and it may be with some addition, as a story that has been told us, we alfo incur the guilt, and are liable to the punishment of the whisperer. Then, from the very nature and constitution of human fociety, there arifes originally, in the reafon of things, a ftrong argument why men ought to govern their words as well as their actions. For by the mutual intercourse of both human fociety is preferved; and by injurious speech, as well as by gainst this unjuft actions, that general truft and confidence, vice. that mutual charity and good-will are destroyed, on which depend the welfare and happiness of mankind. The conftitution of every human fociety bears fome refemblance to the frame of the natural body: and as, in the natural body, all divifion, difagreement, and difunion of the members tend neceffarily to the deftruction and diffolution of the whole; fo in proportion, in all communities and focieties of men whatsoever, the contention and animofities, the disorders and distractions, arifing from flander, calumny, detraction, uncharitableness, and other inftances of licentious fpeech, are inevitably of very pernicious effect. And it is often of mischievous confequence to the perfon himself that indulgeth this folly. The wife authors of the book of Wisdom and Ecclefiafticus exprefs themselves clearly on this head: Theear of jealousy heareth all things, and the noife of whifperings is not hid; therefore reftrain your tongue from backbiting; for there is no word fo fecret that fhall go for nought, and the mouth that belyeth flayeth the foul. He that can

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rule

rule his tongue thall live without ftrife; and he that hateth babbling fhall have lefs evil: rehearse not unto another that which is told unto thee; and thou shalt fare never the worse: whether it be to a friend or a foe, talk not of other men's lives; and if thou canft without offence, reveal them not: for he heard and obferved thee, and when time cometh he will hate thee; if thou haft heard a word, let it die with thee, and behold, it will not burst thee. The natural punishment therefore of a licentious and unbridled tongue is the inconveniencies it is very apt to bring, in the course of things, upon the perfons themselves. This is the natural ill confequence of this practice, to the perfons themselves who are guilty of it. But the finfulness of it appears principally in the damage it does fecretly to others. Slander and uncharitable defamation is a peftilence that walketh in darkness, and a secret stab, against which there is many times no poffibility of defence. Another and a more powerful motive to oblige men to restrain licentious fpeech is the confideration of the inconfiftency of it with a due fenfe of religion. Therefore St. Paul reproves with great feverity fuch perfons as wander about from house to house, being tatlers, and bufybodies, fpeaking things which they ought not. And lastly, another reafon against calumny and detraction is the confideration of ourselves being all of us fubject to error. I speak not here of the ill character which is, and ought to be given of all open vice and manifeft unrighteoufnefs. But men, who have different notions and apprehenfions of things, are very apt to caft reproach upon each other, not for their vices, but for their different understandings. And the fame frailty, which in a man of the fame fect or party fhall be no blemish at all, fhall in a perfon of a different party be the most unpardonable crime. But the But the greater and still more inexcufable degree of this partiality is, when men caft reproach and contempt upon others, for what is truly commendable; for doing what perhaps was their duty to do for being wifer, or more charitable, or more fcrupulous and confcientious than themselves. Our Saviour forbids this cenforiousness towards others, under the penalty of being more ftrictly judged ourfelves: Judge not, that ye be not judged,

;