sentence Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fier prepared for the Devil his Angels Mat. 25.41 No longer excuse nor defend it but repent of it and forsake it And so much the rather for that of all other sinnes this sinne of swearing is the most in excusable First Because it is a sin from which of all other sinnes we have most power of abstinance as I shewed you before and the easiar the thing commanded is the greater guilt in the breach of it and the lighter the injunction the heavier the transgression as St. Austine speakes and Adam his eating the forbidden fruit sufficiently proves Secondly because it is a sinne to which of all other sinnes we have the fewest temptations for all thou canst expect by it is the suspition of a common lyer by being a common swearer Or that thou shalt vex others and they shall hate thee for it bringeth not so much as any apearance of good unto us to induce us for whereas other sinnes have their severall bayts to alure us some the bayte of profit some of honour some of pleasure this sinne is destitute of them all and only bringeth much losse here namely of credit and a good conscience and the losse of Gods faviour and the Kingdome of heaven hereafter which is of more vallew then ten thousand worlds which shewes that thou lovest this sinne only because it is a sinne and swearest out of meere malice and contempt of God which is most fearfull and as a man would thinke 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 transgresse without a cause Psal 25.3 Swearer O but God is mercifull and Christ came into the world to save sinners witnesse the Theefe upon the crosse who was heard by him at the last houre Messenger I grant the Lord is exceeding mercifull and gratious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving â—â—iquity transgression and sinne for he proclaimes himselfe so Exod. 34.6 7. But he will by no meanes cleare the ungodly 〈…〉 And no marvell that this fearefull imprecation should fall from the Prophets mouth for that man is bottomlesly ill who loves vice meerely because it is a vice and because God most strictly forbids it He is a desperate prodigeous damnable wretch who rather then not dye will anger God on set purpose But as if swearing alone would not presse thee deepe enough into hell thou addest Cursing to it a sinne of an higher nature which none use frequently but such as are desperately wicked it being their peculier brand in Scripture as how doth the Holy Ghost stigmatize such an one His mouth is full of cursing Psal 10.7 and Rom. 3.14 or Hee loveth cursing Psal 109.17 and indeede whom can you observe to love this sinne or to have their mouthes full of cursing but ruffâ—ines and sonnes of Beliall such as have shaken out of their hearts the feare of God the shame of men the love of heaven the dread of hell not once caring what is thought or spoken of them here or what becomes of them hereafter yea observe them well and you will finde that they are mockers of all that march not under the pay of the Devill And whence doe these monsters of the Earth these hellish miscreants these bodily and visble devills learne this their damnable cursing and swearing are not there tongues fired and edged from hell as Saint James hath it Iam. 36. yea it is the very language of â—he damned as you may see Revel 16.11.21 Only they learne it heare before they come thither and are such proficients therein that the devill counts them his best schollers and setts them in his highest forme Psal 1.1 well they deserve it with whom the language of hell is so familiar that blasphemy is become their mother tongue Besides it is the very depth of sin roaring and drinking is the horse way to hell whoring and cheating the foot way but swearing and cursing followes Corah Dathan and Abiram And certainely if the infernall Tophet be not for these men it can challenge no guests But see how witlesse gracelesse and shamelesse even the best are that use to curse for I passe over such as call for a curse on themselves saying God damne me confound mee the devill take me and the like which would make a rationall man tremble to name because I were as good knocke at a dead mans grave as speake to them Thou art crossed by some one perhaps thy wife child or servant or else thy horse the weather the dice bowles or some other of the creatures displease thee and thou fallest a cursing and blaspheming them wishing the plague of God or Gods vengeance to light on them or some such hellish speech falles from thy foule mouth And so upon every foolish trifle or every time thou art angry God must be at thy beck and come downe from heaven in all hast and become thine officer to revenge thy quarrell and serve thy malicious humour O monstrous impiety O shamelesse impudency to be obhorred of all that heare it not once taking notice what hee commands in his word As blesse them that persecute you blesse I say and curse not Rom. 12.14 and againe Blesse them that curse you and pray for them which hurt you Luk. 6.28 which is the practise of all true christians 1 Cor. 4.12 But this is not one halfe of thine offence for whom dost thou curse alasse the creatures that displease thee are but instruments thy sin is the cause and God is the Author 2 Sam. 16 11. Psal 39.9 10. Gen. 458. Ioh 1.21 from whom thou hast deserved it and ten thousand times a greater crosse But in stead of looking up from the stone to the hand which threw it or from the effect to the cause as Gods people doe thou like a mastiffe dogge settest upon the stone or weapon that hurts thee But in this case who are you angry withall Does your Horse the dice the raine or any other creature displease you alasse they are but servants and if their master bids smite they must not forbeare they may say truely what Rabsheke usurped Jsa 36.10 Are we come without the Lord and all that heare thee may say as the Prophet did to Senacharib 2 King 19.22 Whom hast thou blasâ—themed and against whom hast thou axalted thy selfe even against the holy one of Jsrael And what will be the issue the causelesse curse shall not come where the curser meant it Prov. 26.2 yea though thou cursest yet God will blesse Psal 109.28 but thy curses shall be sure to rebound backe into thine owne brest Psal 7.14 15 16. Prov. 14.30 Cursing mouthes are like ill made peeces which while men discharge at others recoile in splinters on their owne faces Their words and wishes be but whirle winds which being breathen forth returne againe to the same place
As heare how the Holy Ghost delivers it Psal 109. As he loved cursing so shall it come unto him and as he loved not blessing so shall it be farre from him As hee cloathed himselfe with cursing like a garment so shall it come into his bowels like water and like oyle into his bones let it be unto him as a garment to cover him and for a girdle wherewith he shall alwaies be girded ver 17 18 19. Here this all ye whose tongues tunne so fast one the devills arrand you loved cursing you shall have it both upon you about you and in you and that everlastingly if you persereve and goe on for Christ himselfe at the last day even he which came to save the world shall say unto all such depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angells Mat. 25.41 Where they shall doe nothing but curse for evermore for they no farther apprehending the goodnesse mercy and bounty of God then by the sense of their owne torments the effects of his justice shall hate him and hating him they shall curse him Revel 16.11.21 They suffer and they blaspheme there is in them a furious malice against him being cursed of him they recurse him they curse him for making them curse him for condemning them curse him because being ajudged to death they can never finde death they curse his punishments because they are so unsufferable curse his mercies because they may never tast them curse the blood of Christ shed on the Crosse becuse it hath satisfied for milions and done their unbeleeving soules no good curse the Angells and Saints in heaven because they see them in joy and themselves in torment Cursings shall be their sins and their chiefe ease Blasphemies their Prayers Lacrimae their notes Lamentation all their harmony these shall be their evening songes their morning songs their mourning songs for ever ever And indeede who shall go to hell if cursers should be left out Wherefore let all those learne to blesse that looke to be heirers of the blessing Swearer O But God is mercifull and Christ came into the world to save sinners witnesse the Theefe upon the Crosse who was heard by him at the last houre Messenger I grant the Lord is exceeding mercifull and gratious flow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne for he proclaimes himselfe so Exod. 34.6 7. But he will by no meanes cleare the ungodly but visit the iniquitie of their fathers upon their children and upon their childrens children unto the third and fourth generation as it followes in the very same verse Yea he will reward the wicked according to their workes Revel 20.12.13 and 22.12 Indeed a world of men beleeve with Orrigen that God is so mercifull that all shall be saved they presume that God must needs save them because he made them without any other ground though in another fit they are as apt to dispayre to say with the same Origen should all other sinners obtaine mercy yet not I. Wicked men are altogether in extreames at first they make question whether this or that be a sinne at last they apprehend it such a sinne that they make question whether it can be forgiven Either God is so mercifull that they may live how they list or so just that he will not pardon them upon their repentance No meane with them between the rock of presumption and the gulfe of dispayer But the tenure of the word of God runs thus Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous his own imaginations and returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive As Esay hath it Chap. 55 7. And that we should not doubt of this the Lord redoubles his promise Ezek. 18. And confirmes the same with an oath Chap. 33.11 Yea he is more ready to shew mercy upon our repentance then we are to beg it as appeares in the example of the Prodigall Sonne Luke 15.20 Doe but repent and God will pardon you bee your sinnes never so many and innumerable for multitude never so haynous for qualitie and magnitude for repentance is alwayes blest with forgivenesse Yea sinnes upon repentance are so remitted as if they had never beene committed I have put away thy transgressions as a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist Esay 44.22 And what by corruption hath beene done by repentance is undone as a bundance of examples witnesse Hee pardoned Davids Murther and Adultery Solomons Idolatry Peters Apostacy Paul did not only deny Christ but persecuted him yet he obtained mercy upon his repentance yea amongst the worst of Gods enemies some are singled out for mercy witnesse Manasses Mary Magdalen the Theefe c. Many of the Jewes did not onely deny Christ the holy one and the just but crucified him yet were they pricked in there hearts at Peters Sermon gladly received the word were baptized Act. 2.41 But on the other side unlesse we repent and amend our lives we shall all perish as Christ himselfe affirmes Luk. 13.3.5 For though mercy rejoyceth against justice Iam 2.13 yet it destroyeth not God justice he is just as well as mercifull his mercy is a just mercy and his justice is not an unmercifull justice he is infinite in both and therefore in his word he hath equally promised all blessings spirituall temporall and eternall unto those that keepe his commandements and threatned all mannor of judgements to those that break them with their severall extreames according to the measure degree of every sin Deut. 28. which chapter together with the former I wish thee to reade if thou wilt know thy selfe and foreknow thy judgement Neither is salvation more promised to the godly then eternall death and destruction is threatned to the wicked both in the old and new Testament And as Christ is a Saviour so Moses is an accuser Iohn 5.45 Alasse though to all repentant sinners he is amost mercifull God yet to wilfull and inpenitente sinners hee is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Deut. 4.24 Doth not the Apostle say that neither fornecators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor buggerers nor theeves nor coveteous nor drunkards nor raylers nor extortioners to which number Saint Iohn Revel 21.8 addeth the fearefull and unbeleeving murtherers and sorserers and all lyers shall not inherit the Kingdome of God but shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 1. Cor. 6.9 10. Gal. 5.21 And doth he not likewise affirme that all they shall bee damned which beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2.12 doth not the Lord say Ier. 16.13 that he will have no mercy for such as are deseparately wicked and againe Deut. 29.19.20 That if any man blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace although I walke according to the
yea be yea and your nay nay least you fall into condemnation James 5.12 Where marke the Emphasis in the first words Above all things sware not and the great danger of it in the last word condemnation If the matter be light vaine we must not sweare at all if so waighty that we may lawfully sweare as before a Magistrate being called to it then we must only use the glorious name of our God in a holy religious mannor as you may see Deut. 6.13 Isa 45.23 65.16 Josh 23.7 Ier. 5.7 Exod. 23.13 And the reasons of it are waighty if we look into them for in swaring by any creature whatsoever wee doe invocate that creature and ascibe to it divine worship a lawfull oath being a kind of invocation and a part of Gods worship Yea whatsoever wee sweare by that we invocate both as our witnesse surety and judge Heb. 6.16 and by consequence deifie it by ascribing communicating unto it Gods incommunicable atributes as his omnipresents and omnisiencie of being every where present and knowing the secret thoughts and intentions of the heart and likewise an omnipotency as being almighty in patronising protecting defending and rewarding us for speaking the truth or punishing us if we speake falsly All which are so peculiar to God as that they can no way be communicated or ascribed to another So that in swaring by any of those things thou committest an heigh degree of grosse Idollatry thou spoylest and robbest God of his glory the most impious kind of theft and in a manner dethronest him and placest an Idoll in his roome And as to sweare by the creature makes the sin far more haynous so the more meane and vile the thing is which you sweare by be it by my fey by cocke and pie hares foote by this cheese and such like childish oaths which are so much in use with the ignorant and superstitious swarme the greater is your sinne 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 deseruer of secret things why else should you call that creature as a witnesse unto your conscience that you speake the truth and lye not which only belongeth to God And therefore the Lord calls it a forsaking of him as marke well what he saith Jer 5.7 How shall I spare thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworne by them that are no Gods Exod. 23.13 And doe you make it a small matter to forsake God and make a God of the creature Will you beleeve the Prophet Amos. If you will he saith speaking of them that swore by the sin of Samaria that they shall fall and never rise againe Amos 8.14 a terrible place to vaine swarers Neither are we to joyne any other with God in our oaths for in so doing we make base Idolls and filthy creatures corrivalls in honour and competitors in the throne of justice with the Lord who is creator of heaven and earth and the supreame judge and sole Monnarke of all the world Or in case we doe our doome shall be remedilesse for the Lord threatneth by the Prophet Zephany that he will cut off them that sweare by the Lord and by Maulcham which Maulcham was there King or as some thinke their Idoll Zeph. 1.4.5 But admit the sinne were small as you would have it to be yet the circomstances make it most hainous for even the least sinne in its owne nature is not only mortall but unpardonable so long as it is willingly committed and excused or defended Swarer But all doe sweare except some few singular ones and they also will lye which is as bad Messenger You must not measure all others by your owne Bushell for although ill dispositions cause ill suspitions even as the eye that is bloodshot sees all things red or as they that have the Jaunders 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 soules passe from their bodies then a willfull premeditated lye or a wicked oath from their mouths wherefore when you want experience thinke the best as charity bids you and leave what you know not to the searcher of hearts As for the number of swearers it cannot be denied but the sinne is almost universall and this is it which hath insensed Gods wrath almost brought an universal destruction upon our whole Nation But is not this excuse that others doe so a most reasonlesse plea and only becomming a foole when our Saviour Christ hath plainly told us that the greatest number goe the broade way to distruction and but a few the narrow way which leadeth unto life Mat. 7.13.14 and St. Iohn that the whole world lyeth in wickednesse 1 Iohn 5.19 And that the number of those whom Satan shall deceive is as the sand of the Sea Revelat. 20.8 and 13.16 Isay 10.22 Rom. 9.27 And tell me were it a good plea to commit a fellony and say that others doe so Or wilt thou leape into hell and cast away thy soule because others doe so A sorry comfort it will be to have a numerous multitude accoompany us into that lake of fier that nver shall be quenched Besides it is Gods expresse charge Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe evill and St. Paules everlasting rule Rom. 12.2 Fashion not your selves like unto this world Swarer But I may lawfully sweare so I affirme nothing but the truth 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 meanes be cleared and for the ending of al contentions and controversies and clearing our own or our neighbours good name person or estate and to put an end unto all strife ayming at Gods glory and our owne or our neighbours good which is the only use and end of an oath in which case a man is rather a patient then a voluntary agent You may sweare otherwise not Neither must we sweare at all in our ordinary communication if we will obay Gods word as you may see Mat. 5.34.35 36 37. Iames 5.12 Swarer Except I sweare men will not beleeve me Messenger Thou hadst as good say I have so often made shipwrack of my credit by accustomary lying that I can gaine no beleefe 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 paune or surety Neither will any but basâ— banquerouts pawne so pretious a jewel as their faith for every small trifle Besides he that often sweareth not seldome forsweareth And so I have informed you from Gods word what the danger is of vaine and wicked swearing Now if you either beleeve the scriptures or desire to escape that dyerful