Selected quad for the lemma: end_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
end_n	oath_n	strife_n	swear_v	3,032	5	9.0688	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67779	A sovereign antidote, or, A precious mithridate for recovery of souls twice dead in sin, and buried in the grave of long custome, to the life of grace. With hopeful means (God blessing the same) to prevent that three-fold (and worse than Ægyptian) plague of the heart; drunkenness, swearing, and profaneness. Wherein is a sweet composition of severity and mercy: of indignation against sin, of compassion and commiseration to the sinner; with such Christian moderation, as may argue zeal without malice; and a desire to win souls, no will to gall them. By R. Younge of Roxwell in Essex.	Younge, Richard.	1664 (1664)	Wing Y191A; ESTC R218572	39,339	35

at all if so weighty that we may lawfully swear as before a Magistrate being called to it then we must only use the glorious Name of our God in a holy and religious manner as you may see Deut. 6.13 Isa 45.23 65.16 Josh 23.7 Jer. 5.7 Exod. 23.13 And the reasons of it are weighty if we look into them for in swearing by any creature whatsoever we do invocate that creature and ascribe to it divine worsh●p a lawful oath being a kind of Invocation and a part of Gods worship Yea whatsoever we swear by that we invocate both as our Witness Surety and Judge Heb. 6.16 and by consequence deifie it by ascribing and communicating unto it Gods incommunicable Attributes as his Omnipresence and Omniscience of being every where present and knowing the secret thoughts and intentions of the heart and likewise an Omnipotency as being Almighty in patronizing protecting defending and rewarding us for speaking the truth or punishing us if we speak falsly all which are so peculiar to God as that they can no way be communicated or ascribed to another So that in swearing by any of those things thou committest an high degree of gross Idolatry thou spoilest and robbest God of his Glory the most impious kind of theft and in a manner dethronest him and placest an Idol in his room Sect. 6. And as to swear by the creature makes the sin far more hainous so the more mean and vile the thing is which you swear by be it by my fay by cock and p●e hares foot by this ch●ese and such like childish oaths which are so much in use with the ignorant superstitious swarm the greater is your sin in swearing such an Oath because you ascribe that unto these basest of creatures which is only proper to God namely to know your heart and to be a discerner of secret things why else should you call that creature as a witness unto your conscience that you speak the truth and lie not which only belongeth to God And therefore the Lord calls it a forsaking of him as mark well what he saith Jer. 5.7 How shall I spare thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no Gods And do you make it a small matter to forsake God and make a God of the Creature Will you believe the Prophet Amos if you will he saith speaking of them that swore by the sin of Samaria that they shall fall and ne●er rise again Amos 8.14 A terrible place to vain swearers Neither are we to joyn any other with God in our oaths for in so doing we make base Idols and filthy creatures Co●●●vals in honour and Competitors in the Throne of Justice with the Lord who is Creator of Heaven and Earth and the supreme Judge and sole Monarch of all the World Or in case we do our doom shall be remediless for the Lord threatneth by the Prophet Zephany That he will cut off them that swear by the Lord and by Malcham Which Malcham was their King or as some think their Idol Zeph. 1.4 5. But admit the sin were small as you would have it to be yet the circumstances make it most heinous for even the least sin in its own nature is not only mortal but rests unpardonable so long as it is willingly committed and excused or defended Swearer But all do swear except some few singular ones and they also will lye which is as bad Sect. 7. Messenger You must not measure all others by your own bushel for although ill Dispositions cause ill Suspicions even as the eye that is bloud●hot sees all things red or as they that have the Jau●dies see all things yellow yet know that there be thousands who can say truly through Gods mercy that they had rather choose to have their souls pass from their bodies than a w●lful premeditated Lye or a wicked Oath from their mouths Wherefore when you want experience think the best as Charity bids you and leave what you know not to the searcher of hearts Sect. 8. As for the number of Swearers it cannot be denied but the sin is almost universal and this is it which hath incensed Gods wrath and almost brought an universal destruction upon our whole Nation But is not this excuse That others do so a most reasonless plea and only becoming a fool when our Saviour Christ hath plainly told us that the greatest number go the broad way to destruction and but a few the narrow way which leade●h unto life Mat. 7.13 14. And S. John that the whole World lieth in wickedness 1 Joh. 5.19 And that the number of those whom Satan shall deceive is as the sand of the sea Rev. 20.8 13.16 Isa 10.22 Rom. 9.27 And tell me Were it a good plea to commit a Fel●ny and say that others do so Or wilt thou leap into Hell and cast away thy soul because others do so A sorry comfort it will be to have a numerous multitude accompany us into that lake of fire that never shall be quenched Besides this is Gods express charge Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil And S. Pauls everlasting Rule Rom. 12.2 Fashion not your selve● like unto this world Swearer But I may lawfully swear so I affirm nothing but the truth Sect. 9. Messenger If you be lawfully called to it as before a Magistrate or when some urgent matter constraineth for the confirming of a necessary truth which can by no other lawful means be cleared and for the ending of all contentions and controversies and clear●ng our own or our neighbours good name person or estate and to put an end to all strife aiming at Gods glory and our own or our neighbours good which is the only use end of an oath in which case a man is rather a patient than a voluntary agent you may swear otherwise not Neither must we swear at all in our ordinary communication if we will obey Gods Word as you may see Mat. 5.34 35 36 37. Jam. 5.12 Swearer Except I swear men will not believe me Sect. 10. Messenger Thou hadst as good say I have so often made shipwrack of my credit by accustomary lying that I can gain no belief unto my words without an oath for it argues a guilty conscience of the want of credit and that our word alone is worth no respect when it will not be taken without a pawn or surety Neither will any but base Bankrupts pawn so precious a Jewel as their Faith or offer better security for every small trifle Besides he that often sweareth not seldom forsweareth And so I have informed you from Gods Word what the danger is of vain and wicked swearing Memb. 3. Sect. 1. But as if Swearing alone would not press thee deep enough into Hell thou addest Cursing to it a sin of a higher nature which none use frequently but such as like Goliah and Shimei are desperately wicked it being their peculiar brand in Scripture

Drunkenness but the means to come to it and to avoid hurt keep thy self out of shot come not in drunken company nor to drinking places As for their love and friendship consider but whose Factors they are and thou wilt surely hate them Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things That by the blessing of God our children and childrens children may loath drunkenness and love sobriety let this be fixed to some place convenient in every house for all to read The Persians Parthians Spartans and Lacedemonians did the like and found it exceeding efficacious And Anacharsis holds it the most effectual means to that end A Hopefull way to Cure that horrid Sin of SWEARING Or an help to save SWEARERS if willing to be saved Being an Offer or Message from Him whom they so Daringly and Audaciously provoke Also a Curb against CURSING Member 1. 1. Sect. Messenger SIr Me thinks you Swear and Curse as if he that made the ear could not hear or as if he were neither to be feared nor cared for who for sin cast the Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradise drowned the old world rained down fire and brimstone upon Sodom commanded the earth to open her mouth and swallow down quick Korah and his company he who smote Egypt with so many plagues overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea destroyed great and mighty Kings giving their land for an inheritance to his people and can as easily with a word of his mouth strike you dead while you are blaspheming him and cast you body and soul into hell for your odious unthankfulness yea it is a mercy beyond expression that he hath spared you so long When a Dog flies in his masters face that keeps him we conclude he is mad are you then rational men that being never so little crost will fly in your Makers face and tear your Saviours name in pieces with oaths and execrations which is worse than Frenzy yea this is to send challenges into Heaven and make love to destruction And certainly it is Gods unspeakable mercy that every such oath and blasphemy proves not a Benoni the death of the mother Gen. 35.18 Sect. 2. Think me not too bold or over-harsh for I speak to you both for and from my Maker and Redeemer Yea be perswaded to hearken a while unto me as you would have God another day hearken unto you Are you Christians as you call your selves If you be call to mind what God and Christ hath done for us How when we were in a sad condition when by sin we had forfeited our s●lves and all we had and wilfully plunged our souls and bodies into eternal torments when neither heaven earth nor hell could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited heaven for us then oh then The eternal God would die viz. so far as was possible or necessary that we might not die eternally John 3.16 A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men on earth and Angels in heaven And all this even against our wills when we were his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his onely enemies Sin and Satan as now you do not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto Sect. 3. O my brethren bethink your selves It is his maintenance we take and live on The air we breath the earth we tread on the fire that warms us the water that cools and cleanseth us the cloaths that cover us the food that does nourish us the delights that cheer us the beasts that serve us the Angels that attend us even all are his That we are not at this present in hell there to fry in flames never to be freed That we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory in heaven hereafter we are only beholding to him And shall we deny this Lord that hath bought us shall we most spitefully and maliciously fight on Satans side against him with all our might and that against knowledge and conscience I wish you would a little think of it Sect. 4. For favours bestowed and deliverances from danger bind to gratitude or else the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect The contribution of blessings requires retribution of thanks or will bring distribution of judgements and certainly if a friend had given us but a thousandth part of what God hath we should heartily love him all our lives think no thanks sufficient And in reason Hath God done so much for us and shall we deny him any thing he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our sins most of all this sottish and damnable sin in which there is neither profit nor pleasure nor credit nor any thing else to provoke or entice us unto it as in other sins for all you can expect by it is the suspicion of common Lyers by being common Swearers or that you shall vex others and they shall hate you Whereas if we could give Christ our bodies and souls they should be saved by it but he were never the better for them Yea swearing and cursing are sins from which of all other sins we have the most power to abstain For were you forced to pay for every oath and curse you utter as the Law enjoyns or if you were sure to have your tongue cut out which is too light a punishment for this sin damnation being the due penalty thereof as the Apostle sets it down James 5.12 you both could and would leave it which alone makes it altogether inexcusable And this know that the easier the thing commanded is the greater guilt in the breach of it and the lighter the injunction the heavier the transgression as Austin speaks and Adams eating the forbidden fruit sufficiently proves so that it is evident you love this sin meerly because it is a great sin and blaspheme out of meer malice to and contempt of God which it most fearful and as a man would think should make it unpardonable I am sure the Psalmist hath a terrible word for all such if they would take notice of it Let them be confounded that transgress without a cause Psalm 25.3 And no marvel that this fearful imprecation should fall from the Prophets mouth for that man is bottomlesly ill who loves vice meerly because it is a vice and because God most strictly forbids it He is a desperate prodigious damnable wretch who rather then not die will anger God on set purpose Wherefore look to it and think of it you cursing and cursed swearers You swear away your salvation curse away your blessing Howling and cursing shall be your chief ease in Hell to vvhom blasphemy was an especial recreation on Earth Sect. 5. Argue with all the vvorld and they vvill conclude there is