""Twixt truth and error there's this difference known,
Error is fruitful, truth is only one."

The true man never disguises his intentions, nor presents adulation when he meditates injury. His "smiles must be sincere or not at all." But the liar always resembles his father, the prince of falsehood, in his attack on the fidelity of Jesus Christ. Says bishop Hall,

"Whoso marvels to see the devil upon his knees, would much more marvel to hear what came from his mouth: 'Jesu, the Son of the Most High God: a confession, which, if we should hear without the name of the author, we should ask from what saint it came? Behold the same name given to Christ by the devil, which was formerly given him by the angel, 'thou shalt call his name Jesus.' That awful name, whereat every knee shall bow, in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, is called upon by this prostrate devil; and lest that should not import enough, since others have been honored by this name, in type, he adds for full distinction, the Son of the Most High God.' The good Syrophenician, and blind Bartimeus, could say, 'the Son of David.'

"It was well to acknowledge the true descent of his pedigree according to the flesh: but this infernal spirit looks aloft, and fetches his line out of the highest heavens, 'the Son of the Most High God.' The famous confession of the prime apostle, which honored him with a new name to immortality, was no other than, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God?' and what other do I hear from the lips of a fiend? None more divine words could fall from the highest saint. Nothing hinders but that the veriest miscreant on earth, yea, the foulest devil in hell, may speak holily. It is no passing of judgment upon loose sentences. So Peter should have been cast for a Satan, in denying, forswearing, cursing; and the devil should have been set up for a saint, in confessing, Jesus, the Son of the Most High God.' Fond hypocrite, that pleasest thyself in

talking well, hear this devil; and, when thou canst speak better than he, look to fare better: but in the mean time know, that a smooth tongue and a foul heart carry away double judgments."

Here let us revert to the Scripture with which we began. "Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross." The most infamous and wretched heart often appears under a decorous garb, as a worthless potsherd may be made to appear fair with a thin coat of glittering tinsel.

"The tongue of the just is as choice silver;" but the heart of the wicked which is nothing worth,-lips burning with professed esteem, yet covering a heart full of malicious purposes,―utters protestations which are no better than dross. Such were the lips of Joseph's brethren, when "they rose up to comfort their father," under the bereavement caused by their own perfidy. Such were the traitor's lips and heart, uniting with the faithful in professions of the sincerest faithfulness, and yet, false as hell, "betraying the Son of man with a kiss."

"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.

An evil soul, producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek ;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart;
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!

CHAPTER XVII.

DECEIT ;

OR, THE KNAVE UNMASKED.

"AN inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed," Proverbs 20: 21. From this declaration we infer that, while dishonesty may seem for a while to promote rapid gain, it is sure to end in disappointment, disgrace, and dismay. Let us examine the subject, and see if the truth does not substantiate this principle as it respects the three points named.

In the first place, he who would hastily acquire an inheritance, and uses deceit as his means, is likely soon to possess only disappointment as the end. Truth is eternal, and destined to immortal honor; but falsehood is transient, and doomed to infamy. "The lip of truth shall be established forever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment." The fruit of Gehazi's lie was but a momentary pleasure, while the shame he thereby incurred was perpetual. None are so openly and surely blasted with the darkest hue of disgrace as those who habitually practise deceit. "He has everything that an honest man should not have; what an honest man should have, he has nothing."

"Seems he a dove? his feathers are but borrow'd,

For he's disposed as the hateful raven.

Is he a lamb? his skin is surely lent him,
For he's inclined as are the ravenous wolves.
Who cannot steal a shape, that means deceit ?"

But however fair may be the outside which the deceiver assumes, he cannot long fail to become the open and avowed object of public execration. He will soon be addressed on all sides, as was a preceding knave, "Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table." The underhanded dealings of the most adroit villain sooner or later come to light, involving their crafty perpetrator in chagrin and disappointment the most bitter. "The multiplying villanies of nature do swarm upon him," and transfix his dastard spirit with enduring pangs. "Ah," exclaims old Thomas Brooks, "how many thread-bare souls are to be found under silken cloaks and gowns! How often are worldly riches like hangmen; they hide men's faces with a covering, that they may not see their own end, and then they hang them. And if they do not hang you, they will shortly leave you; they make themselves wings and flee away. When one was commending the riches and wealth of merchants: I do not love that wealth (saith a heathen) that hangs upon ropes; if they break, the ship miscarrieth, and all is lost. He is rich enough (saith St. Jerome,) that lacketh not bread, and high enough in dignity, that is not forced to serve.

"Such goods are worth getting and owning, as will not sink or wash away, if a shipwreck happen, but will wade and swim out with us: and such are the spiritual riches that will attend those who, in the spring and morning of their youth, shall know the Lord, and serve the Lord, and get an interest in the Lord."

"He that hath an evil eye hasteth to be rich, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him ;" and in the same connection, the preacher adds, "He that maketh haste to be rich shall not be unpunished." Lot hasted to acquire wealth. For a while all seems fair; but soon every worldly prospect is blasted, and he ends his days a degraded tenant of the desolate cave at Zoar. Abraham, on the contrary, was rich with

out haste, for God blessed him; thus he who sought the world lost it, and he who was ready to lose it, found it. Ahab envied Naboth the enjoyment of his vineyard; and Jehoiakim by unjust means grasped all that came within his reach; but both of them soon ended their career in deep disgrace. It is better to be poor by Providence, than rich by sin. He who leaps over the bounds of principle to acquire gain, will land in the gulf of ruin. "They that will be rich-use unrighteous means—fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, that drown men in destruction and perdition. But thou, O man of God, flee these things." Eternity is the reward of truth and the punishment of a lie; but oh! the infinite difference between this eternity-in heaven or in hell!

We remark, secondly, that deceit is doomed not only to disappointment but disgrace. "The hypocrite is good in nothing but in sight," and his false show soon miserably ends. Says the word of God, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper." The brain of the deceiver, "more busy than the laboring spider, weaves tedious snares to trap his enemies," but often the only reward he gets for his pains is to be caught in his own net. Thus Saul was willing to sacrifice his daughter in his malice towards David. "I will give him her, that she may be a snare unto him, that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Such wretches abound in this bad world, and are the most dreadful foes to the peace of the good.

"Their friendship is a lurking snare,

Their honor but an idle breath,

Their smile, the smile that traitors wear,

Their love is hate, their life is death."

But all moral history attests that the miscreant who constantly aims to deceive cannot long avert the disgrace he deserves. He whose face is,