XVIII.

SERM. 2. The flanderer is plainly a fool; because he maketh wrong judgments and valuations of things, and accordingly driveth on filly bargains for himself, in refult whereof he proveth a great lofer. He means by his calumnious ftories either to vent fome paffion boiling in him, or to compass fome defign which he affects, or to please some humour that he is poffeffed with: but is any of these things worth purchafing at fo dear a rate? Can there be any valuable exchange for our honefty? Is it not more advisable to fupprefs our paffion, or to let it evaporate otherwise, than to discharge it in fo foul a way? Is it not better to let go a petty interest, than to further it by committing so notorious and heinous a fin; to let an ambitious project fink, than to buoy it up by fuch base means? Is it not wisdom rather to fmother, or curb our humour, than by fatisfying it thus to forfeit our innocence ? Can any thing in the world be fo confiderable, that for its fake we should defile our fouls by fo foul a practice, making fhipwreck of a good confcience, abandoning honour and honefty, incurring all the guilt and all the punishment due to fo enormous a crime? Is it not far more wisdom, contentedly to see our neighbour to enjoy credit and success, to flourish and thrive in the world, than by fuch base courses to fully his reputation, to rifle him of his goods, to fupplant or cross him in his affairs? We do really, when we think thus to deprefs him, and to climb up to wealth or credit by the ruins of his honour, but debase ourselves. Whatever comes of it, (whether he fucceeds, or is disappointed therein,) affuredly he that useth such courfes will himself be the greatest lofer and deepest sufProv. xxi. ferer. 'Tis true which the Wife Man faith, The getting of treasures by a lying tongue, is a vanity tossed to and fro lfa. v. 18. of them that feek death. And, Woe unto them, faith the Prophet, that draw iniquity with cords of vanity; that is, who by falfehood endeavour to compass unjust designs.

6.

But it is not, perhaps he will pretend, for to affuage a private paffion, or to promote his particular concernment, that he makes fo bold with his neighbour, or deals fo harshly with him; but for the fake of orthodox doctrine,

for advantage of the true church, for the advancement of SERM. public good, he judgeth it expedient to asperse him. This XVIII. indeed is the covert of innumerable flanders: zeal for some opinion, or some party, beareth out men of fectarian and factious fpirits in fuch practices; they may do, they may fay any thing for thofe fine ends. What is a little truth, what is any man's reputation, in comparison to the carrying on fuch brave defigns? But (to omit that men do usually prevaricate in these cases; that it is not commonly for love of truth, but of themselves, not so much for the benefit of their fect, but for their own intereft, that they calumniate) this plea will nowise justify such practice. For truth and fincerity, equity and candour, meekness and charity are inviolably to be observed, not only toward diffenters in opinion, but even toward declared enemies of truth itself; we are to bless them, (that is, to speak well of them, and to wish well to them,) not to curfe them, (that is, not to reproach them, or to wish them ill, much less to belie them.) Truth alfo, as it cannot ever need, fo doth it always loathe and scorn the patronage and the fuccour of lies; it is able to fupport and protect itself by fair means; it will not be killed upon a pretence of faving it, or thrive by its own ruin. Nor indeed can any party be so much strengthened and underpropt, as it will be weakened and undermined, by fuch courses: no cause can stand firm upon a bottom so loose and flippery, as falfehood is: all the good a flanderer can do is to difparage what he would maintain. In truth, no herefy can be worse than that would be, which should allow to play the devil in any case. He that can dispense with himself to flander a Jew or a Turk, doth in fo doing render himself worse than either of them by profeffion are for even they, and even Pagans themselves, difallow the practice of inhumanity and iniquity. All men by light of nature avow truth to be honourable, and faith to be indifpenfably obferved. He doth not understand what it is to be Chriftian, or careth not to practise according thereto, who can find in his heart, in any cafe, upon any pretence, to calumniate. In fine, to prostitute our con

:

SERM. science, or facrifice our honefly, for any cause, to any inXVIII. tereft whatever, can never be warrantable or wife. Farther,

3. The flanderer is a fool, because he useth improper means and prepofterous methods of effecting his purposes. As there is no defign worth the carrying on by ways of falfehood and iniquity; fo is there fcarce any (no good or lawful one at least) which may not more surely, more fafely, more cleverly be achieved by means of truth and juftice. Is not always the straight way more fhort than the oblique and crooked? Is not the plain way more easy than the rough and cragged? Is not the fair way more pleasant and paffable than the foul? Is it not better to walk in paths that are open and allowed, than in those that are fhut up and prohibited? than to clamber over walls, to break through fences, to trespass upon inProv. x. 9. closures? Surely yes: He that walketh uprightly walketh furely. Ufing ftrict veracity and integrity, candour and equity, is the best method of accomplishing good designs. Our own industry, good ufe of the parts and faculties God hath given us, embracing fair opportunities, God's bleffing and providence, are sufficient means to rely upon for procuring, in an honest way, whatever is convenient for us. These are ways approved, and amiable to all men; they procure the best friends, and feweft enemies; they afford to the practifer a cheerful courage, and good hope; they meet with less disappointment, and have no regret or shame attending them. He that hath recourse Ifa. xxviii. to the other base means, and maketh lies his refuge, as he Jer. xxviii. renounceth all just and honeft means, as he disclaimeth

15, 17.

15.

all hope in God's affistance, and forfeiteth all pretence to his bleffing; fo he cannot reasonably expect good fuccess, or be satisfied in any undertaking. The fupplanting way indeed feems the most curt and compendious way of bringing about dishonest or dishonourable defigns: but as a good defign is certainly dishonoured thereby, so is it apt thence to be defeated; it raifing up enemies and obftacles, yielding advantages to whoever is difpofed to cross us. As in trade it is notorious, that the best course to

thrive is by dealing squarely and truly; any fraud or co- SERM. zenage appearing there doth overthrow a man's credit, XVIII. and drive away cuftom from him: fo in all other tranfactions, as he that dealeth justly and fairly will have his affairs proceed roundly, and shall find men ready to com-' ply with him; fo he that is observed to practise falsehood, will be declined by fome, oppofed by others, difliked by all: no man fcarce willingly will have to do with him; he is commonly forced to stand out in bufiness, as one that plays foul play.

4. Laftly, The flanderer is a very fool, as bringing many great inconveniences, troubles, and mifchiefs on himself.

7. xiii. 3.

xviii. 21.

Firft, A fool's mouth, faith the Wife Man, is his de- Prov. xviii. ftruction, his lips are the fnare of his foul: and if any kind of speech is destructive and dangerous, then is this certainly most of all; for by no means can a man enflame so fierce anger, impress so stiff hatred, raise fo deadly enmity against himself, and confequently fo endanger his safety, ease, and welfare, as by this practice. Men can more eafily endure, and fooner will forgive, any fort of abuse than this; they will rather pardon a robber of their goods, than a defamer of their good name.

Secondly, Such an one indeed is not only odious to the perfon immediately concerned, but generally to all men that obferve his practice, every man presently will be fenfible how eafily it may be his own cafe, how liable he may be to be thus abused, in a way against which there is no guard or defence. The flanderer therefore is apprehended a common enemy, dangerous to all men; and thence rendereth all men averse from him, and ready to crofs him d. Love and peace, tranquillity and security can only be maintained by innocent and true dealing: fo the Pfalmift hath well taught us; What man is he that Pf. xxxiv. defreth life, and loveth many days, that he may fee good?

d

ecquid

Ad te poft paulo ventura pericula fentis?

Hor. Lib. i. Ep. 18.

fibi quisque timet, quanquam eft intactus et odit. Idem.

12, 13.

SERM. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from Speaking XVIII. guile.

4.

Thirdly, All wife, all noble, all ingenuous and honest perfons have an aversation from this practice, and cannot Prov.xiii. 5. entertain it with any acceptance or complacence. A righteous man hateth lying, faith the Wife Man. It is only ill-natured and ill-nurtured, unworthy and naughty peoProv. xvii. ple, that are willing auditors or encouragers thereof.- A wicked doer, faith the Wife Man again, giveth heed to falfe lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. All love of truth, and regard to justice, and sense of humanity, all generofity and ingenuity, all charity and good-will to men, must be extinct in those who can with delight, or indeed with patience, lend an ear, or give any countenance to a slanderer: and is not he a very fool, who chooseth to displease the best, only soothing the worst of men?

Fourthly, The flanderer indeed doth banish himself from all converfation and company, or, intruding into it, becomes very disgustful thereto : for he worthily is not only looked upon as an enemy to those whom he flanderreth, but to those also upon whom he obtrudeth his calumnious difcourfe. He not only wrongeth the former by the injury, but he mocketh the latter by the falsehood of his stories; implicitly charging his hearers with weaknefs and credulity, or with injustice and pravity.

Fifthly, He also derogateth wholly from his own credit, in all matters of discourse. For he that dareth thus to injure his neighbour, who can trust him in any thing he speaks? What will not he say to please his vile humour, or further his base interest? What (thinks any man) will he fcruple or boggle at, who hath the heart in thus doing wrong and mischief to imitate the Devil? Farther,

Sixthly, This practice is perpetually haunted with most troublesome companions, inward regret and self-condemnation, fear and difquiet: the confcience of dealing fo

e Ὁ κακῶς εἰπὼν ἐναγώνιος λοιπόν ἐσιν, ὑποπτεύει τε, καὶ δέδοικε, καὶ μετανοεῖ, κ κατεσθίει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γλῶτταν, δεδοικώς, καὶ τρέμων, μήποτε εἰς ἑτέρους ἐξενεχθέν