THE FIRST SERIES TRACTS OF THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY. INSTITUTED 1799. VOL. XI. LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY, AND SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY, 56, PATERNOSTER ROW, AND 65, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD. CONTENTS. 375 Brand plucked out of the Fire. 376 An Exhortation to Sinners. 396 How do we know there is a God?.. 397 The Fall of Nineveh, Tyre, and Egypt. 398 Happiness of serving God in our Daily Employments. 401 The Soldier out of Uniform. RUTH PIERCE; OR, THE EVIL CONSEQUENCES OF LYING. IT is scarcely possible that a more solemn instance can be adduced of the dreadful consequences of the sin or lying, than that which is recorded in the following inscription on the market cross at Devizes, in Wiltshire. "The mayor and corporation of Devizes, avail themselves of the stability of this building to transmit to future times the record of an awful event, which occurred in this market place in the year 1753, hoping that such a record may serve as a salutary warning against the danger of impiously invoking the Divine vengeance, or of calling on the holy name of God, to conceal the devices of falsehood and fraud. On Thursday, the 25th of January, 1753, Ruth Pierce, of Pottern, in this county, agreed with three other women to buy a sack of wheat in the market, each paying her due proportion towards the same. One of these women, in collecting the several quotas of money, discovered a deficiency, and demanded of Ruth Pierce the sum which was wanting to make good the amount. Ruth Pierce protested that she had paid her share, and said, she wished she might drop down dead if she had not. She rashly repeated this' awful wish; when, to the consternation of the surrounding multitude, she instantly fell down and expired, having the money concealed in her hand." Reader, bear with me, while I make a few remarks on the foregoing awful incident, and, oh may the blessed Spirit of truth seal conviction on your mind, and while he convinces you of sin, give you no rest until you have fled to Jesus Christ as the only refuge from the wrath to come. Consider the awful end of this poor sinful woman, summoned in the midst of her sin, with" a lie in her right hand," to appear at the judgment bar of God. Alas! we cannot doubt as to her eternal state. The word of God declares,. that all liars shall have their portion in the lake which THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, INSTITUTED 1799; |