pointed to it, we may consider that to common sense vain swearing is a practice very ill becoming any sober, worthy, honest person, especially a Christian: this point enlarged on, and enforced by quotations from profane and sacred writers.

IX. The practice of swearing greatly disparages him that uses it, and derogates from his credit, inasmuch as it signifies that he does not confide in his own reputation; by it he authorises others to distrust him; it renders what he says to be in reason suspicious, as discovering him to be void of conscience and discretion, &c.

X. To excuse these faults, the swearer will be forced to confess that his oaths are no more than waste and insignificant words; deprecating the being taken for serious, or to be understood that he means any thing by them.

XI. But farther, on higher accounts this is a very uncivil and unmannerly practice: some vain persons take it for a genteel and graceful accomplishment; but in truth there is no practice more crossing the genuine nature of gentility, or misbecoming persons well born and well bred: this topic enlarged on.

XII. Moreover the words of our Lord, when he forbad this practice, suggest another consideration against it deducible from the causes and sources of it: let your communication, says he, be yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Consult experience then, and observe whence it proceeds: sometimes from exorbitant heats of spirit and unbridled passion; sometimes from arrogant conceit and a tyrannical humor; sometimes from wantonness and levity of mind; sometimes from stupid inadvertency or heedless precipitancy; sometimes from profane boldness, or from apish imitation; but always from a great defect of conscience, of reverence to God, and of love to goodness.

XIII. Farther, this offence may be aggravated by considering that it hath no strong temptation alluring to it; that it

gratifies no sense, yields no profit, procures no honor: the vain swearer has not the common plea of human infirmity to excuse him.

XIV. Let us consider that, as we ourselves with all our members and powers were chiefly designed and made to glorify our Maker, which is our greatest privilege, so our tongue and speaking faculty were given us to declare our admiration and reverence of him, exhibit our love and gratitude towards him, to profess our trust in him, to celebrate his praises and avow his benefits: wherefore to apply this to any impious discourse, and to profane his holy name, is an unnatural abuse of it, and horrid ingratitude towards him. Likewise a secondary and worthy use of speech is, to promote the good of our neighbor, according to the precept of the Apostle, Eph. iv. 29. but the practice of vain swearing serves to corrupt him, and instil into him a contempt of religion.

XV. Lastly, we should consider two things; first, that our blessed Saviour, who did and suffered so much for us, and who said, if ye love me, keep my commandments, thus positively hath enjoined; But I say unto you, swear not at all: secondly, we should consider well the reason with which St. James enforces the point, and the sting in the close of the text; but above all things, my brethren, swear not ;-lest ye fall into condemnation.

SERMON XV.

AGAINST RASH AND VAIN SWEARING.

JAMES, CHAP. V.-VERSE 12.

But above all things, my brethren, swear not.

AMONG other precepts of good life (directing the practice of virtue and abstinence from sin) St. James doth insert this about swearing, couched in expression denoting his great earnestness, and apt to excite our special attention. Therein he doth not mean universally to interdict the use of oaths; (for that in some cases is not only lawful, but very expedient, yea needful, and required from us as a duty;) but that swearing which our Lord had expressly prohibited to his disciples, and which thence, questionless, the brethren to whom St. James did write did well understand themselves obliged to forbear, having learnt so in the first catechisms of Christian institution; that is, needless and heedless swearing in ordinary conversation: a practice then frequented in the world, both among Jews and Gentiles; the which also, to the shame of our age, is now so much in fashion, and with some men in vogue; the invoking God's name, appealing to his testimony, and provoking his judgment, on any slight occasion, in common talk, with vain incogitancy, or profane boldness. From such practice the holy Apostle dehorteth in terms importing his great concernedness, and implying the matter to be of highest importance: for, рò návτwv, saith he, 'before all things, my brethren, do not swear;' as if he did apprehend this sin of all other to be one of the most heinous and pernicious. Could he have said more? would he have said so much, if he had not conceived the matter to be of exceeding

weight and consequence? And that it is so I mean now, by God's help, to show you, by proposing some considerations, whereby the heinous wickedness, together with the monstrous folly, of such rash and vain swearing will appear; the which being laid to heart will, I hope, effectually dissuade and deter from it.

I. Let us consider the nature of an oath, and what we do when we adventure to swear.

It is (as it is phrased in the Decalogue, and otherwhere in holy Scripture) an assuming the name of our God,' and applying it to our purpose, to countenance and confirm what we say.*

It is an invocation of God as a most faithful witness, concerning the truth of our words, or the sincerity of our meaning.

It is an appeal to God as a most upright Judge, whether we do prevaricate in asserting what we do not believe true, or in promising what we are not firmly resolved to perform.

It is a formal engagement of God to be the Avenger of our trespassing in violation of truth or faith.

It is a binding our souls'+ with a most strict and solemn obligation, to answer before God, and to undergo the issue of his judgment about what we affirm or undertake.

Such an oath is represented to us in holy Scripture.

Whence we may collect that swearing doth require great modesty and composedness of spirit, very serious consideration and solicitous care that we be not rude and saucy with God, ' in taking up his name,' and prostituting it to vile or mean uses; that we do not abuse or debase his authority, by citing it to aver falsehoods or impertinences; that we do not slight his venerable justice, by rashly provoking it against us; that we do not precipitantly throw our souls into most dangerous snares and intricacies.

For, let us reflect and consider: what a presumption is it without due regard and reverence to lay hold on God's name; with unhallowed breath to vent and toss that great and glo

Plurima firmantur jurejurando- -diis immortalibus interposi

tis tum judicibus, tum testibus.-Cic. de Leg. ii. p. 326.

+ Num. xxx. 2. Πᾶς ὅρκος εἰς κατάραν τελευτᾷ τῆς ἐπιορκίας.—Plut. in Capit. Rom. p. 491.

rious, that most holy, that reverend, that fearful and terrible name of the Lord our God, the great Creator, the mighty Sovereign, the dreadful Judge of all the world; that name which all heaven with profoundest submission doth adore, which the angelical powers, the brightest and purest seraphim, without hiding their faces,' and reverential horror, cannot utter or hear; the 'very thought whereof should strike awe through our hearts, the mention whereof would make any sober man to tremble: πūs yàp ovк årоrov, for how,' saith St. Chrysostom,* is it not absurd that a servant should not dare to call his master by name, or bluntly and ordinarily to mention him; yet that we slightly and contemptuously should in our mouth toss about the Lord of angels?'

How is it not absurd, if we have a garment better than the rest, that we forbear to use it continually; but in the most slight and common way do wear the name of God?'

How grievous indecency is it, at every turn to summon our Maker, and call down Almighty God from heaven to attend our leisure, to vouch our idle prattle, to second our giddy passions, to concern his truth, his justice, his power in our trivial affairs?

What a wildness is it to dally with that judgment on which the eternal doom of all creatures dependeth, at which the pillars of heaven are astonished,' which hurled down legions of angels from the top of heaven and happiness into the bottomless dungeon; the which, as grievous sinners, of all things we have most reason to dread; and about which no sober man can otherwise think than did that great king, the holy psalmist, who said, My flesh trembleth for thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments?'

How prodigious a madness is it, without any constraint or needful cause to incur so horrible danger, to rush on a curse; to defy that vengeance, the least touch or breath whereof can dash us to nothing, or thrust us down into extreme and endless woe?

Who can express the wretchedness of that folly which so entangleth us with inextricable knots, and inchaineth our souls so rashly with desperate obligations?

* Chrys. 'Avdp. Š. p. 514.