random talkers, all light, unthinking, and, on that account, inaccurate people; all violent and paffionate people; all vain people, who feek only to be admired for what they fay; and efpecially all envious and jealous people, which thofe never fail to be, who are afpiring and ambitious, together with all partial, bigoted, and prejudiced people-every one of these, I fear, is apt to be every day a breaker of this Commandment; and fo indeed are all, who have not yet learnt to exercife a tender confcience in what they fay, and to fet a guard upon their lips, even in their hours of relaxation; for let it be remembered, that there are many who may not intend unjustly to prejudice their neighbor's reputation, but who, nevertheless, by indulging prejudices and fancies, and by being too inaccurate in general, in respect to truth, are for ever cafting unfair blame on fome character or other, and are contributing largely to encrease that quantity of falfe teftimony which is circulating in the world.

There are fome perfons who attempt to avoid the fault of evil fpeaking, by running into an oppofite extreme; they refufe to tell the faults which they really know, and which it is important to reveal; and they do this on the most felfifh principle, namely, left they should bring them felves into trouble; their custom is to praise every body; and they think, that if they always fpeak handfomely of others, then others will agree to speak handfomely of them. We must

beware, however, of imagining that these are the persons who pay obedience to this Commandment, and that their felfifh policy, and mifplaced commendations deferve any praise; as well might the witnefs in a court of juftice, who gives falfe evidence in favor of the perfon accufed, take credit for his perjury, or the witnefs who refuses to give evidence at all, take credit for his filence, when the public intereft requires that he should speak out. It is truth

and candor, not flattery and false praise, nor univerfal filence, respecting the characters of men, which are required by this Command.

ment.

There are alfo many, who, through their own ignorance of the nature of true goodness, are apt to praife the moft irreligious characters; and who are ready to charge every religious perfon with that very prejudice and difpofition to false teftimony, which I have been condemning, be. caufe he cannot join in the praife. But let flatterers of this clafs be told, that all those who are irreligious, are confidered as wicked, in the word of God, and that (as Solomon has faid) "He that juftifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the juft, even they both are an abomination to the Lord."

But to return. The practice of tale-bearing is fo common, and it leads to fo much falfe teftimony against our neighbors, that I propofe now to warn my readers, particularly on this head; and I will do it, by fubjoining a few

queftions, which every one should be prepared to anfwer, before he ventures to repeat any tale to the prejudice of another.

First then, how did you hear the ftory? From an actual witnefs of the fact, or from one that heard it of another? If it came to you only through the second or third hand, pray fufpend a little of your belief, till you have heard the truth more exactly, from a more unquestionable authority.

Confider next how far, even the eye or ear witness, who may have told it you, is worthy of credit; whether, for inftance, he is an enemy of the accused, or can have an interest in lowering his character; whether he is credulous, or paffionate, or prejudiced; and whether his memory, in fome particular, at leaft, may not have failed him.

Confider, alfo, whether allowing the whole. which has been told you to be true, there may not have been fomething omitted, that ought to have been added, the addition of which, would make a great difference in the general impreffion.

Confider well, alfo, whether you yourself, in liftening to your informer, have been quite free from prejudice, and have avoided every error. It is poffible, that you may innocently have. miftaken fome doubtful expreffion; for in every language there are ambiguous words, and what is faid by the fpeaker, rather loosely or figu

ratively, is fometimes understood by the hearer much too literally and ftrictly..

It may be well to examine alfo, whether, notwithstanding the authority on which it stands, there may not be some such contrarieties in different parts of the ftory, as to render it quite impoffible. But even if it fhould be highly improbable; if, for inftance, it should contain a charge which is contradicted by the general character of the accufed, a candid man will not be confident in his belief. Endeavor, therefore, in general, to know the character of the accused perfon before you spread a report to his difadvantage; and if he is reputed to be religious, be particularly fufpicious of the tales against him, for the world is apt to revile men of this caft.

Enquire alfo, whether the perfon charged, has ever been charged to his face. Poffibly, quite a new light might be thrown on the matter, if the accufer would but confent to meet the perfon accufed, face to face. If you are purpofing to repeat the ftory, it is a good general rule, to tell it firft to the perfon fuppofed to be in fault.

And lastly, fuppofing the fact clear, afk yourfelf what is the ufe of telling it. Be fure not to tell it from talkativenefs, or from fecret envy, or from party prejudice. Undoubtedly, there may be good reafons for fpeaking out, especially when the crime is very ferious. The public fhould be warned against impofition; the character of men also ought, in a variety of cases,

to be made known, and if given at all, it ought, undoubtedly, to be fairly given. Be as tender, however, as you poffibly can of your neighbor's reputation, and speak against him with regret, not with readiness and fatisfaction. Say nothing in heat, for if you do, you will exaggerate. And do not let the story stand on your own credid, but choose rather to let it ftand on the credit of him who told it you, and be always willing, therefore, (if permitted) to give up your authority.

And now to close this subject, let it ever be remembered, that the love of our neighbor is the great thing which is neceffary, in order to our fulfilling this Commandment. "Love, as was before remarked, is the fulfilling of the law; for this, thou fhalt not bear falfe witnefs." If men did but love their neighbors as themfelves, they would then be jealous of their neighbor's reputation, juft in the fame manner as they now are of their own; and a thousand rules and inftructions on this fubject might be fpared. We do not commonly spread falfe reports againft our own wife, or child, or fifter, or brother; and the reafon is, that we love our own kindred. Let us then learn to love all men as brethren, and let this Commandment fend us to that gospel which fo ftrongly inculcates good-will and charity towards our fellow-creatures.