5.

That use unlawful Means for the advancing of their own, by the Dimniution of anothers Estate; as by,

1. Lying.

2. Perjury.

3. Defrauding, 1 Theff. iv. 6.

6. That withhold the Labourer's Hire, Jac. v. 4.

7. That do not endeavour what they can to preserve anothers Eftate.

8. That do not relieve the Poor, Luk. xvi. 2. Matt. XXV. 14.

9. That confent with Thieves, Pfal. 1. 18. Prov. xxix. 24.

1. Before the Act, by counfelling them to it, 1 Reg. xxi. 7, 8. Prov. i. 11, 12, 13.

2. Directing them in it.

2. In the Theft.

1. By aiding, Isaiah i. 23. 2. Not hindring it.

3. After it.

1. By receiving ftolen Goods to keep for the Thief.

2. By buying them for himself.

3. By concealing from others the Thief, or the Theft, or ftolen Goods.

10. A Man may be a Thief in God's Account, by abufing and robbing his own Eftate; as,

1. That through Idlenefs he doth not endeavour lawfully to preferve and encrease it, Ecclef. iv. 5.

2. If through Prodigality he lavish it away, Prov. xxi. 17.

3. If through Niggardlinefs he robs and denies himself the Enjoyment of it, Ecclef. ii. 26.

C 4

USE.

USE.

Avoid this Sin.

1. God hates it, Pfal. 1. 17, 18, 21, 22. 2. It is a croffing and oppofing the Order and Providence of God.

3. Who are once infected with it, can fcarce be brought off from it.

4. Theft will never make a Man the richer, Male parta, male dilabuntur.

5. But the poorer, bringing a Curfe on what

he hath.

6. If discovered it will bring you to Temporal;

10.

a

7. Howfoever to an eternal Death, 1 Cor. 6.

MEANS.

1. Repent of what ye have done in this Kind.

2. Refrain the Company of Thieves.

3. Wean your Minds from Earth.
4. Often think of the Judgment-Day.

LEVIT.

Ley IT, xix. II.

Nor deal falfly, nor lie one to another.

I.

WH

HAT is it to deal falfly? That is, to do contrary to our Promifes and

Profeffions.

1. To God.

11. By not performing what we promised, Numb. xxx. 2. Ecclef. v. 5. Pfal. lxxvi. 11. 2. By not loving and defiring him as we pretend.

By not worshipping and serving him we make fhew of, Ezek. xxxiii. 31.

as

4. By not living up to the Gospel we profels, 2 Tim. ii. 9.

But confider,

1. God deals truly with you.

2. He will not be mocked, Gal. vi. 7.
3. If you deal falfly with him, he will deal
juffly with you.

7. To our Neighbours.

1. Pretending to love, when we hate them, Pfal. xxviii. 3. Jer, ix. 8.

2. To do them good, when we strive to injure them.

3. By defrauding and cozening them in our dealing with them, I Thef. iv. 6.

Confider,

1. Whatsoever we defraud our Neighbour of, tho' it be in our Poffeffion, is not

our own.

2. Tho'

1

2. Tho' Men cannot perceive our Frauds, God doth, Pfal. cxxxix.

3. Our Frauds will be all laid open at the Day of Judgment.

4. What will it profit you to cheat your Brother here, and damn your own Souls hereafter? Matt. xvi. 26.

3. Our Sélves.

1. Pretending to our felves that we have repented when we have not.

2. That we have Believed.

3. That we do good Works.

·4% That our Spiritual Eftate is good, when it is not.

Confider,

1. Your false Dealing will not bring you nearer to, but carry you farther from Heaven.

2. God will deal truly with your Souls hereafter, for your dealing falfly with

them here.

Nor Lie.

II.What is it to Lie? Teftimonium falfum; or,Falsa vocis fignificatio cum intentione fallendi. Aug. And fo it differs, Et ab fententiâ & enunciatione para:

In it are,

1. The Matter, a falfe Teftimony.

2. The Form, with an intent of Deceiving.

2. How many Kinds?

1. Focofum, Jefting.

2. Perniciofum, for the doing or avoiding Evil.

Officiofum, for the obtaining of fome Good.

III. How

III. How appears it to be a Sin?

1. It is forbidden by God, Command. IX. Eph. iv. 25..

2. God abhors it, Prov. vi.

22.

3. The Devil is the Father

44.

16, 17. c. xii.

of it, Joh. 8.

4. It is Part of the old Man, Eph. iv. 25. Colof. 3. 9.

5. It is contrary, not only to the Will, but Nature of God.

6. It is contrary to Nature,and an Abuse of the Tongue; which is, Index Animi. Καθ ̓ ἑαυτό τὸ μὲν ψεῦδος φαῦλον κι ψεκτον, Arift. Απόφασις τ8 κυρία τ8το 8 συγχωρεί άπαξ εἰπόντος ὅτι τὸ ψεῦδος ἐκ το διαβόλο η Bafil. 7. It is a Sin that fhall certainly be punifhed, Pfal. v. 6. Prov. xix. 5, 9.

OBJECTIONS,

1. An officious Lie, or Wrong, hurts no Body. Anfw. Yes.

I. GOD.

II. Your Neighbour; causing him to Err.
III. Your Selves: For,

1. The Lyar destroys his Credit: Mendaces
faciunt ut vera dicentibus non credatur. Hier.
2. Damns his Soul hereafter.

But,

2. Suppose my Eftate depends upon it. I muft not give Heaven for Earth. 3. Suppofe my Neighbour's Life; 4. Or mine own.

I must not destroy my Soul for a Body:

!

USE.