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lying. And because his wife consented thereto, because she agreed herself to forward and to maintain this vile imposture, this unrighteous work, therefore did she involve herself in the like awful sentence of condemnation. "Behold," said St. Peter to Sapphira, "the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out." Thus did she and her husband " perish from among the congregation." Thus were they judicially and on the instant stricken with death. No space was then given, no opportunity was then afforded, to these miserable and convicted creatures to cry unto the Lord for mercy and forgiveness. In the greatness of their crime were they taken away. In the foulness of their offence, and with the forbidden and guiltstained speech on their tongue, were they hurried away to their last and dread

account.

That "great fear should come upon

2 Deut. xvi. 33.

the church, and upon as many as heard these things," can surely be no matter of surprise to us. Here, in the sight of the assembled multitude, was wrought a miracle indeed, but unlike the many and beneficent miracles recorded in the Gospel; here was an astounding work of condemnation,-"The wicked driven away in his wickedness." No wonder,

as we repeat, that " great fear should come upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things." It was thus fully certified to the believers in Christ, that the Spirit of the Lord was especially present with his church, to uphold, and to vindicate, the cause of truth and righteousness. And even among those whose hearts had not been yet awakened, and turned by the preaching of the Gospel, great must have been their astonishment, and troubled their thoughts, that such a judgment should be impending over those who, having professed themselves followers of the cru

3 Prov. xiv. 32.

cified Jesus, should thus stoop to the mean arts of falsehood and deceit.

It is our duty, my brethren, as of other Scripture narratives, so of this fearful example, to make a right and profitable use, and so to gather instruction therefrom, that the words of our mouth, and even the thoughts of our heart, may be duly influenced thereby. The principal and holy lesson indeed to be deduced from, and proved by, the instantaneous and awful death here inflicted upon Ananias and Sapphira, is the truth of Solomon's assertion, that "a lying tongue is but for a moment.'

A certain principle, or, as we may say, a sort of tacit compact which is called honour among men, may, and does, espe cially amongst the higher classes of society, prevent the commission, or utterance of the grosser falsehoods; and so far as this feeling operates in a moral and peaceable way, so far as the confidence and good order of society is thereby preserved, it is 4 * Prov. xii. 19.

well, it is good and salutary in its way. But, my brethren, we, the instructed servants of the Gospel,-we are required to

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speak truth every one with his neighbour," on a far more exalted principle than mere worldly considerations, or out of regard only to what may be our character in the world.

Truth, my brethren, is an attribute of the Lord God Almighty himself. "A God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he.” 6 Lying lips must be

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an abomination to the Lord," The father of lies is the devil, and it was by a lie, by equivocation, and cunning, and deceitful promises, that he prevailed to the destruction of our first parents, bringing upon them and their hapless posterity the just anger and wrath of an insulted God.

Far from holiness, therefore, and in secret league with the great enemy of souls, may that man be said to be, who lends his mouth to the

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utterance, or

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furtherance of falsehood, who deceives his fellow man in what proceeds from his lips, who wickedly disdains to confine himself simply to what is true, but does unhesitatingly speak that which is most convenient, or agreeable and plausible, and apparently best for himself at the moment.

Can our consciences on this point, my brethren, give us "an answer of ?" peace

It

may be surmised that if we suffered our consciences to speak truly and searchingly in this matter, many, even in this assembly, could scarcely feel at peace. For in the common utterances of the tongue, and in the ordinary intercourses of society, there is too much guilty forgetfulness of the high and holy duty of "speaking the truth from the heart, of using no deceit with one's neighbour." But under whatever form, or under whatever pretence, the truth is concealed, whether by a direct falsehood, or by equivocation, that coward species of lying, or by mental reservation, or by any other mode; "sin lieth at the

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