Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight. Nothing in nature is so universally decried, and yet so universally practised, as falsehood. A mighty, governing lie goes round the world, and has almost banished truth out of it. The greatest annoyance and disturbance of mankind has been from one of these two things, force or fraud; and force often allies with fraud. It is the tongue that drives the world before it. It is hard to assign any one thing but lying, which God and man so unanimously join in the hatred of; and it is hard to tell whether it does a greater dishonour to God, or mischief to man. I. THE NATURE OF A LIE, AND THE PROPER ESSENTIAL MALIGNITY OF ALL FALSEHOOD. A lie is an outward signification of something contrary to, or at least beside the inward sense of the mind. It is a false signification, knowingly and voluntarily used. There are said to be three different kinds of lie. 1. The pernicious lie, uttered for the hurt or disadvantage of our neighbour. 2. The officious lie, uttered for our own, or our neighbour's advantage. 3. The ludicrous and jocose lie, uttered by way of jest, and only for mirth's sake, in common converse. The unlawfulness of lying is grounded upon this, that a lie is properly a sort of species of injustice, and a violation of the right of that person to whom the false speech is directed. II. THE PERNICIOUS EFFECTS OF LYING. 1. It was this introduced sin into the world; and by lying sin is still propagated and promoted. 2. To it is due all the misery and calamity that befalls mankind. That which brought sin into the world necessarily brings with it sorrow. 3. Lying tends utterly to dissolve society. The band that knits together and supports all compacts is truth and faithfulness. Without mutual trust there could not only be no happiness, but indeed no living in this world. 4. Deceit and falsehood most peculiarly indispose the hearts of men to the impressions of religion. The very life and soul of all religion is sincerity. III. THE REWARDS OR PUNISHMENTS that will assuredly attend, or at least follow, this base practice. (1) An utter loss of all credit and belief with sober and discreet persons. (2) The hatred of all those whom the liar either has, or would, deceive. (3) A final separation from God, who is truth itself. (R. South, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.WEB: Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh, but those who do the truth are his delight. |
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