_1st_, That if a person promises to do a thing, which, at the same time he really designs, and afterwards uses all the endeavours he could, to fulfil his promise, and something unforeseen happens, in the course of providence, which prevents the execution thereof, he cannot, properly speaking, be said to be guilty of a lie; though we ought not to promise any thing but upon this supposition, that God enables us to perform it. _2dly_, If a person intends to do a thing, and, accordingly, promises to do it, but afterwards sees some justifiable reason to alter his mind, he is not guilty of a lie; since all creatures are supposed to be mutable. Thus the angels told Lot, that they would _abide in the street all night_; but afterwards, upon his intreaty, they _went into the house with him_, Gen. xix. 2, 3. And our Saviour, when he walked with his disciples to Emmaus, _made as though he would have gone farther: But they constrained him, saying, abide with us; and he went in to tarry with them_, Luke xxiv. 28, 29. But, notwithstanding this if a person promises to do any thing that is of advantage to another, as the paying a just debt, _&c._ it is not a sufficient excuse, to clear him from the guilt of sin, if he pretends that he has altered his mind, supposing that it is in his power to fulfil it: For this is, indeed, a breach of the eighth Commandment, and in some respects, it will appear to him, to be a violation of this. That we may more particularly speak concerning the sin of lying which multitudes are chargeable with, let it be observed, that there are three sorts of lies, _1st_, When a person speaks that which is contrary to truth, and the dictates of his own conscience, with a design to cover a fault or excuse himself or others: This we generally call an officious lie[6]. _2dly_, When a person speaks that which is contrary to the known truth, in a jesting way; and embellishes his discourse with his own fictions, designing hereby to impose on others: This they are guilty of, who invent false news, or tell stories for truth, which they know to be false. This is to lie in a jesting, ludicrous manner[7]. _3dly_, There is a pernicious lie, _viz._ when a person raises and spreads a false report with a design to do injury to another; which is a complicated crime, and the worst sort of lying[8]. Here there are two or three enquiries which it may not be improper to take notice of; (1.) Whether the midwives were guilty of an officious lie, when they told Pharaoh, in Exod. i. 19. that _the Hebrew women were delivered of their children ere they came in unto them_; concerning whom it is said, in the following verse, _that God dealt well with the midwives_ for this report, which carries in it the appearance of a lie. _Answ._ To this it may be replied,