paths of the Seas all these recited by the Prophet David Ps 8.3 6 7 8. with many more not mentioned by him were made to serve us and all do in a manner thus call upon and bespeak every one of us God made us for thee Coelum terra omnia in illis creata 〈◊〉 ut amem te Domine serviaâ— tibi Maub Exercit. â—iet that thou shouldst serve and glorifie him who made us and thee O then let the consideration of thy unthankfulness to God thy Creator put thee to a blushing shame and let the memory of his mercies and blessings spur or incite thee to an active obedience and quicken thy dead or drowsie spirit to walk cheerfully and constantly in the waies of his Commandements do not dishonour nor disgrace him by a constant and wilfull breach of them by a frequent and rash taking of his name in vain Swear not The IV. Remedy by way of motive drawn from the irrational Creatures If all the fore-named Motives will not startle thy obdurate Conscience and drive thee to obedience of Gods Commands consider then the brute Beasts who wanting Reason which thou enjoyest and Speech which God gave thee to set forth his praises * Homo immedâ—atè est propter Deum omnia quâ—liabet habet propter Deum Raymund to advance and publish the glories of his Attributes yet they led only by the guidance of Natures Law offer no indignities no injuries to their Masters from whom they receive food and sustenance nay they have ever shewed themselves thankful to strangers from whom they received the least benefits or courtesies All which may serve to check thy ingratitude in dishonouring God by Rebelling against his precepts Lib. 7. c. 4â— Nat. H st The story in Aelian of Androcles and a Lion is remarkable he pull'd a thorne out of the Lions foot the Lion afterwards repai'd this courtesie by saving his life when he fell among thieves and cryed out for help Ael l. 8. c. 22. A parallel story to this we find in the same Historian of the Tarentine Woman and a Stork she cured one of the Storks young ones which had by a casualty broke its leg the Stork not long after in requital of her goodness dropped a rich Jewel into her lap as she sate in a solitary place bemoaning the death of her dear Husband a little before that time deceased The truth of these Stories I cannot warrant Let then the Scriptures to our shame be witness of mans ingratitude to God and of the brute Creatures thankful respect to their Masters and Benefactors Man for his sensuality and beastly lusts Ps 49.12 20 may be fitly ranked with and compared to the beasts that perish but they are above him admit him not as their equal if you respect their grateful dispositions The Oxe knoweth his owner Isa 1.3 i. e. will submit his neck to the yoke to toile and labour in the field when and so long as his Master pleases so the Asse knoweth his Masters crib or Manger i. e. willingly and readily stoops to any burthen sustains any blow because that is imposed and this comes from his hand by whom he is fed But Israel doth not know what great things I have done for them my people doth not consider how that for their Saviours sake or merits I have provided Heaven for them which shall be the reward of their service and where they shall rest everlastingly from their labours O Man think of Gods complaint here by his Prophet think of it with shame with an inward blushing confusion of spirit and for shame let not the brute beasts out-strip thee in thankfulness submit thy neck to Gods yoke which is easie and light obey his Commands and Swear not The V. Remedy A third consideration In the fifth place consider seriously in thy most recollected thoughts which may be a great remedy against Swearing what recompence God requires of us for all his benefits unto us It is Honour and Praise Praemium Dei est honor operis lauâ— gloria praemium creatura est utilitas Raymund And this duty we discharge when we declare and publish with joyful hearts and thankful tongues the Magnalia Dei those great things which he out of his great mercy hath done for us in our Creation Redemption Vocation together with the manifold and wonderful acts of his Providence over us For the least of which his mercies we could not be sufficiently thankful to God although we should live a thousand years ten hundred times told and spend every day and hour in that long period of time onely in Prayer and Thanksgiving Oh then let us wash our hearts from filthinesse and our tongues from all obscene pollutions Let our mouths be ever fill'd with Gods praises and let us chearfully redeem the time to this blessed work of thankfulnesse which because it is too large or too great to be done in this span-long life Sit illud meditatio frequens in hoc seculo quod perpetuum opus erit in futuro Aug. in Psal 148. it shall be ever doing in that which shall succeed hereafter and is everlasting For Thanks is the chief if not the whole work of the glorified Saints and Angels in Heaven who vent and spend as one sayes well all their burning fire of love in the flame of Gods praise The erect posture wherewith God has endowed man above his fellow-Creatures should put him in mind of his duty to God by way of thankfulness For as if the earth were not a fit object for our Contemplation our faces are set upward and our Souls too by so many foot carried up toward Heaven as our Bodies are erected to it By which frame of our Bodies we are taught this lesson to have our hearts alwayes fixed upon God in Prayer and Thanksgiving He that shall endeavour to follow Saint Pauls wholsome admonition Pray continually In all things give thanks 1 Thes 5.17 18. that man will seldome or never swear nor defile his Soul with the guilt or stains of idle and sinful discourses but being here on earth will live an Angelical life live like to an Angel and Saint in Heaven where there is only continual chaunting out cheerful Hymns which contain Gods praises and he that intends to bear a part in that Celestial Quire must lay aside his Cursing and Swearing and practise here betimes before death surprise him to sing that new Song which Saint John heard in his Revelation Chap. 5.9 10. and ever joyn with Saint Paul in his joyful and thankful Doxology 1 Tim. 1.17 saying Vnto the King immortal invisible and only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Again to incite us to use our Tongues to the praise or to exercise them in the praises of God let us consider to what end He gave us speech and utterance which he has denied to the other inferiour Creatures was it not
will not pardon thy old ones not passe by thy former transgressions Secondly compare thy great unthankfulness with thy Makers bounty and goodness this may beget in thee a detestation or loathing of thy former sins and lewdnesse whereby thou didst reject Gods commands who if thou servest Him will save thee and obeyedst the Devils suggestions who will for thy service everlastingly torment thee When thou hast attain'd to this the first and best ingredient of Repentance a Detestation of thy former impieties as Cursing Swearing Lying and the like then draw near to the Throne of Grace meekly upon thy bended knees with teares in thine eyes and sorrow in thy heart saying with blind Bartimaeus in the Gospel Mark 10.48 Jesu thou Son of David have mercy on me forgive me all my sins past whereby thy holy name has been dishonour'd thy word ill spoken of and my Neighbour injur'd When thou hast thus made thy approach to God with hearty sorrow for thy sins doubt not but that he will draw near to thee with mercy and forgiveness Jam. 4.8 doubt not of a pardon since Truth itself has made the promise Ezek. 18.27 28. Ezek. 18. When the wicked turneth away from his wickednesse c. Because he considereth and turneth away from all his wickednesse which he hath committed he shall surely live he shall not dye he meanes the death of the Soul which is an eternal separation of it from God the fountain of joy and happiness which in the Word are implyed under the name of life He shall surely live he shall not dye a sweet and gracious promise distrust not Gods performance of it if thou truly repentest Daturus est non fallet quia veritas promisit ask and thou shalt receive Aug. for he that is most true will perform what he has promised because he will not he cannot deceive nor be deceived And thus relying upon his gracious promise of hearing and granting our devout Prayers and Petitions our humble requests for his pardoning and purifying grace in the third place beg earnestly of him the assistance of the same grace which is likewise preventing and strengthning to keep thy tongue from all profanenesse cry with holy David Psal 141 3. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips From which humble request of the Prophet we may collect this that as our lips in that they open and shut are the Souls gate through which our inward thoughts break forth apparel'd in the dresse of outward words so as a gate is for the most part shut our lips should never open but to the glory of God and our Neighbours good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. This by the way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a learned Rabbies glosse on the Text. Now if you demand what kind of watch it is which David desires God to set before his lips the acute Eusebius Emissenus shall answer this Quaere Euseb Homil cont diversa vitia p. 138. and clear this doubt Si cordi statueris adhibere custodiam ori non laborâris imponere disciplinam i.e. set a watch to guard thy heart and there will be no need to fence thy mouth Illud siquidem voce depromitur quod prius in officinâ cordis formatur The heart is as it were the Master of the Mint which first sets a stamp upon thy words which are current if they bear Gods image if they carry in their sound the note or mark of Piety and goodness if otherwise i.e. if they be profane and impious they are not allowed of by God being condemned in the holy Scriptures The Tongue is the Hearts servant Mat. 12.36 37. which like that Centurion saies to the Tongue by a kind of command Speak this and it speaks it Run in the Praises of God and it runneth Swear and it sweareth Say nothing and it is silent The Tongue is but as the hammer in the Clock which strikes not of it self but keeps time and moves according to the motion of the wheels within The VI. Gen. part The method which is to be used in the Cure To cure then the unbridled motion of the Tongue begin with the Heart the which if it be as Davids was fixed upon God Psal 108.1 the tongue will cease to lash out into Cursing and Swearing but will as it followes there in the same verse sing and give praise to God for his manifold mercies and blessings which we have received By the heart as hath been explain'd is to be understood the whole Soul which is fixed and setled upon God when it seriously considers his Almighty wonder-working Power and Greatness who created out of nothing this great Universe consisting of Heaven and Earth by his powerful word and sustaines all things in being by his providence This Meditation is an act of the Intellect and may beget in us an awfull fear of his Majesty which ought to be feared The will is fixed upon God when considering and weighing his many and great benefits we devote our selves wholy to his service submitting our wills to him in all things loving him without wavering praise him without ceasing for his mercy goodness And lastly the Affections are fixed upon God when they wander not through loose desires of fading earthly vanities but are chiefly taken up and possessed with an holy delight in God and his Saints on Earth and fed with a firme hope of enjoying Gods presence of seeing Him one day face to face in his Celestial Paradise This Hope is not a barren grace but begets in a man a religious Care not to offend God and to abstain from any the least Sin to which his Nature is most prone because it may lead him into other sins and separate him from the love of God and at last procure his everlasting banishment from those joyes which he believes are unspeakable and hopes to enjoy in the glorious presence of the blessed Trinity together with the blessed Angels and company of the elect Saints to all eternity Which most happy and joyful Fellowship rather then he would lose a good Christian if he were put to his disposall would choose to suffer all the most exquisite torments that ever have been invented by the bloody wit of Tyrants nay he would rather sustain for many thousand yeares even Hells paines Let fire and wild beasts racks and strapadoes yea and all the torments of Hell seize upon me and torment me so I may win Christ it is the triumphant saying of Ignatius the martyr recorded by Eusebius This holy martyrs brest burnt with a love of God and a desire of Heavens happinesse That love caus'd him to feare nothing but Gods displeasure which followes upon our sins by means whereof he might be deprived of everlasting joyes and debarr'd from the enjoyment of Gods most glorious presence In a word the soul that hopes to attain Heaven and desires to reign there for ever with God will
my Text are but a Comment or Illustration on those of the Prophet Isaiah and St. James as the Epistles are Comments upon the Gospels in his fifth Chap. seems to have taken the words of our Saviour in that sense which we have maintain'd and followed whence he sayes ver 12. But above all things my Brethren swear not neither by Heaven nor by Earth nor by any other Oath i. e. besides the name of God when you are lawfully called to it But in your private conference contracts and bargainings let your yea be yea and your nay nay i. barely affirm what you speak without any other addition lest you fall into condemnation And this caution of the Apostle whereby is intimated a severe Judgement or punishment from God which shall fall upon rash swearers the same leads me to the fourth Generall part viz. The Reasons or Motives implyed in the prohibition Swear not viz. why we should fear an Oath or abstain from all rash and vain swearing Having illustrated this particular I shall propose a few Rules by the observation whereof he that is accustom'd to swearing may by Gods grace assisting him abstain from this foul crying sin of profaning Gods holy and dreadful Name Although I cannot wholly allow of the superstitious niceties of the Jewes in the affaires of God or in matters of Religion The IV. Gen. part Reasons of the prohibition Swear not yet I find in their practise many things that deserve our praise and imitation and such as may justly put our profane carelesness to the blush When I read of their curious scruples concerning the dreadful Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah which they call Schem hammeporasch Nomen separatum a separate Name because it is incommunicable to any Creature it being the name of Gods Essence signifying or denoting Him that is that was and ever shall be which Name too they held in so great Reverence that they term'd it Haschem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The name by way of Eminence and Schem hannicbad Nomen gloriosum a glorious Name it containing the Mystery of the Trinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These three distinct letters denote the Trinity The doubling or Repetition of the middle letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the two Natures in Christ and the Incarnation of our Saviour Christ when I likewise read how they bore such an awful respect to it that they deem'd it a crime worthy of death for any but sacred Lips I mean those of the High Priest to express or name it and that on set times and in certain places as on the Feast of Expiation and in the Temple and in that solemn benediction Num. 6.24 25 26. when I meet with these and the like curiosities of the Jewes in their writings Vid. Alsted in Paratilis Theol. p. 153. who did at first abstain from pronouncing of that most sacred Name onely out of a godly fear or reverence lest it should grow vile and contemptible by its familiar and frequent use as all other things do that are daily and hourly used I cannot when I read this in the Jewish Records but infer thus much that from their superstition we Christians may well learn this lesson Not rashly lightly or regardlesly to take the dreadfull Name of God into our mouths but to hear and utter it with due fear and reverence It is a true and remarkable saying of St. Augustine Falsa juratio exitiosa est Serm. 28. de Verbis Dom. vera juratio periculosa nulla juratio secura To swear falsly is damnable to swear truly without Gods warrant i. e. without necessity dangerous but not to swear at all is the surest and best way to secure the good and welfare of our souls This foul sin of Swearing is so hainous if we respect our good God thereby offended and so dangerous if we respect our selves who shall be most severely punish'd for it that St. Chrysostom as we may collect out of many of his * Hom. 14. 15. ad Pop. Antioch Homilies seldom or never came into the Pulpit without some bitter invective against it Swear not then The first reason why we should forbear Swearing first because this deadly and soul-murdering sin is most injurious to God in that it carryeth with it a contempt of Gods person and a contempt of his precept which are not to be found in every sin First it implies a contempt of his person when that we use his glorious Name so called Deut. 28.58 in our common talk and familiar discourse to back our reports and to bolster out our Stories of every idle thing It is as one sayes well to set less by God then by an earthly Judge whom we count it a disgrace to trouble about a Trifle Nay it is to deal worse by him then by a good suit of Apparel which we will not wear every day but lay it up for special dayes and occasions And yet the sacred Name of God how is it torn and worn every day of the week every hour of the day I had almost said every minute of the houre and in so saying I had said the Truth Would not a man of any note worth or fashion take it as a contempt thrown upon his person if one should to his face and in his hearing use his name bluntly without any the least shew of respect without any title or preface of Honour prefixed to it Nay which is more would not that party burn with anger and disdain if any one going about some absurd act should call upon him by Name to be a witnesse of it as if it should be done with his liking and consent Such for quality though greater for quantity or extent is the indignity we cast upon our gracious God when our Tongues in a suddain unmannerlinesse presume to blurt out his sacred Name when we swear by it upon every vain and idle occasion thereby calling him to witnesse what we wickedly either doe or speak as if he did approve or allow of that Sin which is an horrid impiety and blasphemous wickedness but to think or imagine God as he delights not in the death of a Sinner so he delights not in any mans sins To do that thing then i. e. to call God to witness our vanity and lying as if he were pleased with it is a fearfull crime and of this we make our selves guilty when we swear vainly and rashly by his Name Besides this as the Sin of swearing implies a contempt of Gods person so in the Second place thereby we contemn and slight his precept the third Commandement which immediately concerns his person therefore it is no small Sin nay greater then the neglect and breach of those which concern men by how much these are inferiour to God the Lord of Heaven Quanto praeceptum de meliori datur tanto est ejus inobedientia gravior It is an usefull Rule commended to us by Aquinas Aqui. 2. 2.
with Swearers And Secondly * In hoc te non commaculat malus si non consentias si redarguas Aug. Partake not with them in their sins by a patient and silent forbearance when thou doest hear them profane Gods most holy and sacred Name but rebuke them friendly and lovingly with a gentle meekeness To do which is a precept of the Natural and Moral Law a general duty of Neighbour towards Neighbour and a special deed of Charity Lastly The X. Remedy To consider the heavy judgements of God on Blasphemers That this abominable and dangerous sin may fall into a final and total consumption that it may receive its deaths wound and be wholly abolished in thee Consider the fearful judgements which in all ages have fallen upon Swearers and withall the great and many mischiefs which such Blasphemers bring upon the State and Families where they live It is well observed by Hugo upon that of the Psalmist God spake once c. Hugo de Sancto Victore in Ps 62.11 That God speaks once to us in this life four manner of wayes Praecipiendo Prohibendo Promittendo Comminando by commanding by forbidding by promising by threatning And once more will he speak to us hereafter when he comes to judge the quick and the dead according to the works they have done in the flesh Every Judgement which he inflicts now upon particular sinners is a threatning warning-piece to affright and scare others from sinning And can the blaspheming Swearer who shares in thâ— sin expect not to share with others in 〈◊〉 suffering See many the like examples in Mr. Perkins his small Treatise called The Government of the tongue Two Gentlemen of Kent whom I knew and forbear to name being too much addicted to this horrid sin of Swearing were strucken with Apoplexies so that for many years they lived which was but a dying life and continued Speechless In whom we cannot but magnifie Gods Justice in depriving them of the use of their Tongues which they only employed to vent Cursings and Oaths We read of some whose Tongues being before set on fire from Hell as Saint James speaks have been enflamed with a strange fire from Heaven Jam. 8.6 their mouths being scorched with a continual burning heat which is one of Gods fiery Judgements threatned against Swearers Deut. 28.22 which Chapter he that reads and feareth not an Oath Vid. v. 58 59 60. I may conclude that his heart is hardned Some have been struck dead with an oath in their mouths others have been bereaved of their senses and run mad the former wanting time the other reason and grace to repent they are now lamenting themselves and blaspheming in everlasting torments Et lerumque justo Dei judicio moriens obliviscitur sui qui dum vixerit fuerit oblitus Dei Viexmont lib. De Poenitent And oft-times it comes to pass by the just judgement of God that those men who forget God in their lives when they come to die are punished with a stupid kind of oblivion so that they forget themselves and for want of repentance or a deep sight and sense of their transgressions perish in their sinnes If the fore-named examples and many other which might be produced will not drive thee to Piety or Holiness from thy loose prophaneness and methinks they should for whatever did befall one may befall another then let the consideration of the State or Familie wherein thou dwellest invite or move thee to forsake thy Swearing by a timely care and speedy conversion When I read of the brave Spirits that rested in the ancient Roman brests Such were the Horatii Decii Curtius c. who frequently devoted themselves to death for the good of their Country and Common-weale I cannot but with pity wonder at the uncharitable thoughts and most unworthy acts of our common profane Swearers who do what they can in effect to undo a Kingdom wherein they were born and bred and withall procure an inevitable ruine and destruction to their own particular Families and Kindred For if it be most certainly true that because of Oaths the Land mourneth Jer. 23.10 as it oft hath done by reason of those two dreadfull Judgements the Sword and Pestilence then they who are the chief cause of the Lands mourning can be no good subjects because they sin against the whole Kingdom rob this Garden of its best Flower that is Peace and bring down upon it showres of Blood May we not then truly avouch that Swearers are the worst of Traitors They commit Treason not only against the K. of Heaven in that they abuse his most sacred Name and violate his Person but also against the King and State who may truly object to Swearers what Jacob said once to his two Sons Gen. 34. â—0 Simeon and Levi Ye have troubled me you are those for whose multiplied sins the whole Island is torn with Schisms and Divisions you are the men that have chiefly incensed Gods wrath against the Magistrates of this Land who should have drawn out the sword of Justice against your sins but because they connived at them and suffered them to go unpunished Vid. Wisd 6.4 5 6. which Texts I wish that all who are in Authority would oft ponder in their thoughts therefore they themselves were severely punished some banished others imprisoned and impoverished being devested of all their means and degraded from their Authority which they abused and did not use to Gods glory If then there be in you any bowels of pity to the Church Kingdom wherein you live any true loyalty to your most gracious King if you desire as all good men do that your Families and Posteritie after you be not blasted with a curse then cleanse your hearts from hypocrisie and wash your mouths clean from the filthy pollution of his defiling and State-murdering sinne Neither wilfully nor customarily not falsly nor vainly not deceitfully nor rashly but Reverently and never but when you are forced to it by necessity use Gods holy and most reverent Name And let your tongues be evermore the instruments of sounding and setting forth Gods praises by whom you were made and from whom all the blessings and good things you enjoy are derived so may you prevent future Judgments which do but sleep for the present and may be awakened by your sins so may the Sword which is now put into the scabbard rest and be still Ier. 47.6 and be no more drench'd or bath'd in the blood of this nation so may you likewise intail a blessing to your selves and posterity after this short life partake of a better which is everlasting with God and his holy Angels for ever in glory That the former prescribed Remedies may be the better observed and for as much as a recidivation or relapse into sin as into a disease is both easie and dangerous to prevent this danger I shall now prescribe a Diet for the Tongue when by Gods