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I. WHAT PERJURY IS, AND HOW MANY WAYS IT IS COMMITTED.

1. Perjury is a swearing by God's name falsely, a calling God to witness for the confirmation of a lie.

2. It is committed several ways.

(1) When men do assert and testify upon oath a thing to be true which they know to be false.

(2) When men do assert and testify upon oath a thing to be true of the truth of which they are not fully assured.

(3) They that promise upon oath, what they intended not to perform, or are unresolved and indifferent whether they shall perform it or not. These are, ipso facto, guilty of perjury, because they swear by God's name falsely; they call God to witness and to vouch for the truth and sincerity of their promise, when the intention of their minds does not concur with the wools of their mouths.

(4) They also are guilty of perjury that having promised upon oath sincerely and with an honest intention do yet afterwards fall off and renounce the obligation, do not faithfully and resolvedly endeavour and take care to fulfil their word, do act contrary to their oath when a just occasion requires and calls for the performance of their promise or sworn duty.

(5) They are involved in the guilt of perjury who against, or without the consent of the Supreme Power, do frame and impose upon others, or take themselves new oaths contrary to, and destructive of, their former obligations.

(6) They are guilty of perjury who make use of tricks and cheats and subtle artifices to evade and elude the obligation of their oaths, who will not understand the words of an oath in their assertions or promises, according to the plain and common acceptation of them, but by fastening a secret sense of their own upon some ambiguous terms, or by some reserves, or exceptions, or additions within their minds, do not quite alter the meaning of the words, and thereby intend neither to be obliged to speak truth nor perform their promises.

II. THE HEINOUSNESS OF THIS SIN OF PERJURY.

1. It is an affront to God, and to all those glorious attributes that shine forth and display themselves in the government of the world.

2. It is also most injurious and mischievous to man.

(1) In his private capacity. Life, liberty, reputation, estate are all at the mercy of the perjurer.

(2) To conversation and commerce. All our dealings, and trades, and contracts, and friendships are grounded upon and managed by the faith and assurance that we give and take of the sincerity of our minds and purposes, expressed by our words, and in great concerns confirmed by our oaths.

(3) As to government and the consequents of it — peace and order, and just liberty — there is nothing but perjury can destroy it and deprive us of them. Nothing but perjury can carry on faction and begin a rebellion. Nothing but the highest profanation of God's name can ruin the monarchy.

(4) Perjury is injurious to public justice.

III. THE OCCASIONS OF, OR TEMPTATIONS TO THIS SIN.

1. Atheism. A denying of God and Providence. This indeed were a rational account of, and excuse for, perjury, if atheism itself were rational. An atheist. should he swear falsely every hour, upon every occasion, would do like an atheist, and act consistently to his principles. For what should hinder him from complying with our forms and customs of calling of God to witness when it is for his advantage? He knows of no God to come at his call to look on and be a witness of his words, and the searcher of his heart. He believes no judgment to come, no future state.

2. Lying, and treachery, and customary swearing. These things do qualify and dispose a man to forswear himself upon any convenience or temptation. Because hereby men throw off that reverence and respect to religion, that fear of God's power and justice, which would restrain them.

3. To these I might add the usual occasions and common temptations to this sin. Such are poverty and necessity; covetousness, and hope of reward; also fear, whether of shame or of punishment, or of both. In some, ambition and popularity, a desire and thirst after honour and greatness. In others, or perhaps in the same, revenge and malice; or else favour, affection and partiality. Or, lastly, faction, sedition, and designs against the government. As to all of which it may be enough to remark, that when these furious passions and violent desires are able to overmaster and run down the fear of God, and the reverence of an oath in the hearts of men, then is perjury the most easy and compendious, the most secure, the most proper way to relieve their wants, or satisfy their covetous desires, or to rid them of their fears, or to gratify their ambition, or to pleasure their friends, or despatch their enemies, or to compass and complete their seditious designs.

IV. THE PUNISHMENTS OF PERJURY, and these are severe and dreadful in proportion to the guilt of this great sin. It is a good rule. Men ought to weigh well the damages and mischievous consequences of their false-witnessing and perfidiousness, not to others only, but to themselves; that if conscience and the sense of their duty cannot prevail with them, they may be restrained by the fear of suffering.

(John Allen, M. A.)

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KJV: And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

WEB: "'You shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.