Forms of Swearing here Prohibited, as well as the fore-mentioned Confiderations, oblige me with the moft Learned Commentators to believe.

Thus then you have seen, i. From the Nature of an Oath. 2. From the Holy Scriptures. 3. From the Practice of the Primitive Chriftians. And, 4. From the Custom of the Jews which occafion'd it, that the Prohibition in my Text, as Universal as it feems to be, does not extend to all Cafes whatsoever, but only to false and ordinary Matters. That we are still allow'd upon juft Occafions to take an Oath; or by a folemn invocation of theName of God to confirm what we say.

But now, least this Liberty be conver ted into Licentiousness, and this Gracious Indulgence become an Occafion of falling into unwarrantable Practices: t Thall briefly lay before you the great Impiety or heinousness of the Sins forbid den in the Text, viz. Of Perjury and Common Swearing. And

1. Of Perjury. Now an Oath being a Calling of God to Witness, or an Apa

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peal

peal to him for the Truth of what we fay, He, who prevails with himfelf to Swear falfely, or to appeal to God for his Integrity, when his Heart is full of Deceit and Falfhood, is guilty of the moft prefumptuous and daring Provocations. He lays the greatest Affront and Indignity upon the Majefty of Heaven, as can be imagin'd: believing in his Heart, that either there is no God at all, or that he is altogether fuch a one as himself; a Being that will connive at his Villanies and Lies, and fo fide with him in his wrongful Dealings with his Neigh bour. He not only fins thus grievously against God, but also in the highest Degree wrongeth his own Soul. For in every Oath a Man invokes God not as a Witness only, but also as a Judge, defires him, who fearcheth the Hearts, and trieth the Reins, to take particular Cognifance of the Matter; and to deter mine and pass Sentence according to the fincerity and uprightness of his Heart, i. e. if he is not fincere, but prefumes to Swear falfely, to fhew him no Favour, no Forbearance,no Mercy; but eternally to Damn him. But what can he, who has done this, (if he Swears falfely) expect or even hope for at the hands of

God?

God? He has already given Verdict against himself, has knowingly and deliberately cut himself off from the Hopes of Salvation, given up all Claim to the Divine Mercy, and with his own Mouth pronounc'd, and even chofen his own Doom. Laftly, He fins in the most outragious manner, against the common Intereft of Mankind: breaks the most facred Ligaments and Bands of Human Society and entirely overthrows that mutual Truft and Confidence, which is the Foundation of all the Quietnefs and Security in the World. And therefore 'tis no wonder, that this Sin is fo odious both to God and Man. That God will not hold him guiltlefs, that commits it; and that Man likewife profecutes it with all imaginable hatred, abhorrence, and Deteftation. That the One esteems the perjured Perfon unworthy to live upon the Earth; and that the other, without a very extraordinary Repentance, will be sure to shut him out of the Kingdom of Heaven.

2. Common Swearing, Or the frequent and unneceffary ufage of an Oath in our ordinary Converfation is likewife a Sin of a very great magnitude. It pol

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lutes

lutes the Name of God, prostitutes his Honour, and offers fuch Affronts to his Divine Majesty, as we should biush to impose even upon our Fellow Creatures. It destroys the Reverence, the Sacred nefs, the Religion of an Oath, and utterly defeats the End and Design of it. It frequently betrays Men into Perjury or Falfe-Swearing, and fo binds them over to all those Miferies and Calamities, which attend them both. It is a direc Violation of the Commandment in my Text, a most unkind, difingenious, and inexcufable Trefpafs against the Lord Chrift Jefus. For, lastly, it makes our Souls, which he purchas'd at fo dear a Rate, even the Expence of his own Blood, a free-will offering to the Devil : Sells his People to that Grand Adversary of God and Man (in the Language of the Pfalmist) for nought, and takes no Money for them: Nothing either of Profit or Pleasure: Nothing but Shame and Rebuke, but Ignominy and Contempt.

And yet bow predominant, how Epidemical, how prevailing is this Sin? One wolld think by the Conversation of too too many amongst us, that 'tis nothing to dishonour the Name of our God,

and

and even without the excuse of a Temptation, to tranfgrefs his Commands; For have they not accustomed themselves to Swear without thought or Considera tion, upon every frivolous, light, and foolish Occafion; yea, fometimes after fuch a manner, and upon fuch Occafions, as, did we not wofully experience the Truth of it, would in a Christian World feem altogether incredible? As tho' they Worthipp'd a lustful Jupiter, a Drunken Bacchus, or a thieving Mercury: They boldly, and without any Scruple call the Divine Majefty to atteft even their Lewdnefs and Debauchery to witness their Rioting and Drunkenness, and prodigious Impieties against himself; and to confirm their Covetous, defrauding and malicious purposes against their Neighbors. These (with Grief and Shame I say it again) are the daily Practices of Thoufands amongst us, and these are audacious, infolent, prefumptuous Wickedneffes indeed: Wickedneffes which will even storm the Throne of the Almighty; and, if not timely and severely repented of, most affuredly bring down the heavieft Judgments upon our Heads. Nay, by Reason of these things the Land already mourneth: The Destructive, flying I 4 Roll