THE Swearer Silenced: OR, THE EVIL and DANGER OF profane Swearing AND PERJURY, DEMONSTRATED by many Arguments and Examples of Gods dreadful Judgments upon Sinful Swearers.  
●y THO. DOOLITTEL, Minister of the Gospel, M. A.  
〈◇〉.  Phocilid. 
— 〈◇〉,—  Pythag. 
〈◇〉,—  Homer. Od. 14. ●… rysostomi dilemma,( de statuis, Orat. 15.) 
〈◇〉.  
LONDON, ●… inted by J. Astwood for Jonathan Greenwood, ●nd are to be sold by Tho. Parkhurst, at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside, near devil. 1689.   

TO THE Liberal READERS That Fear an OATH.  
DEbating with myself how the difficulty of getting this small Book into the hands of such as are guilty of Swearing might be removed: I determined to propose to some of my Friends and Acquaintance that they would buy a certain Number of them, and freely give them with their own hands, or according to their direction, to such as were addicted to this Sin, whether poor and cannot, or careless of their future state and will not buy: Who moved with the consideration, how this Sin abounds, Gods holy Name thereby is profaned, and guilt contracted on the Swearers soul, and what comfort and joy it would administer to any to be instrumental to reclaim, if but some of them, did with great cheerfulness and readiness of mind consent thereto, some to give one hundred, some two, where and to whom they themselves thought most convenient in City or country, which are to be delivered to them, to be distributed by them: Which worthy Example I thought good here to propound to excite others to imitate them.  
Levit. 5. 1. If a Soul sin, and hear the voice of Swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it, if he do not utter it,( that is show the evil of it to him that Sweareth, by Reproof and Admonition,) shall bear his Iniquity,( that is, shall be guilty of his sin and punishment) as some expound this Text: To prevent this guilt, do you as boldly Reprove them, yet with meekness and compassion, as they do boldly Swear: Or if you be backward thereunto, have this Book of little price about you, or some better, and give it to them, engaging them to red it: For if you can prevail with such to use means for their Conviction, and bring them to reason with themselves about this sinful practise, though it be greatly dishonourable to God, and pernicious to their own Souls, yet it is not so deeply radicated in their Hearts, nor twisted with their worldly Interest, nor so delightful to the flesh, as Drunkenness, Covetousness, Uncleanness, and sensual flesh-pleasing is, and therefore there is the greater hope they may be persuaded to leave it: And though the forsaking of this Sin, if they be under the reigning power of the other, will not be available to Salvation, yet if we gain( by this, or some other Treatises about this raging sin) a Reformation in this point, and by some other spiritual Weapons taken out of Gods armoury used against more flesh-pleasing sins, Satan might be beaten out of his strong holds, and captive Sinners set free, Earth would not be so like to Hell, nor these gross sins so much abound: For which be instant at the throne of Grace in compassion to the Souls of Men, as desirous of the Repentance and Conversion of these wilful Offenders; that whereas now they Swear and Blaspheme, it might be said, Behold, they Pray! For which you may reckon there will be the concurrent Prayers of him who hath written this in Love to Souls, that they may be saved from eternal Misery, and brought to everlasting Happiness.  
T. D.   

THE SWEARER silenced.  

SECT. I.  
The Introduction.  
THE aweful Reverence of the tremendous Name of the Eternal glorious God, the odious Nature of this Sin of Swearing, whereby it is profaned, the infinite distrnce betwixt this sovereign Jehovah and the abusers of his holy Name, even the greatest of them; the frequent Commission of this sin, in Markets, Taverns, Ale-houses, open Streets and Shops, by Men, Women, and Children; the great Punishment thereby deserved, the Necessity of Repentance, or the certainty of Damnation to be inflicted for it, the seldom Preaching against it, if compared with the daily, hourly acting of it; the abundant guilt contracted not only by the Swearer on himself, but on the hearer that doth not reprove him for it, which is too often; the daring Provocation given to God, and yet the patient forbearance of this provoked, just and powerful Lord, that though he can, yet doth not strike these Swearers dumb, or dead, and sand them immediately to the Damned too, as soon as these Oaths are uttered by them,( if peradventure God will give some of them Repentance, that they might be recovered out of the snares of the Devil, and Gods long-suffering might prove Salvation to some, though not to all,) hath determined my thoughts to the publishing of this littie Manual; which when I had taken into my fluctuating mind, I could not quietly sleep; the consciousness of mine own inability to grapple with such a reigning, raging and abounding sin on the one hand; and the sense of Gods dishonour, the danger of these swearing sinners Souls on the other hand, impressed on my heart, caused me to wait for the morning light; when, most holy Lord, I did with hast betake myself to thy Throne of Mercy, begging thy direction, and then resolved to lay what I could do in this matter at thy feet, hoping thou wouldst please to lay it on some offenders Consciences: In which I found great satisfaction, though I did foresee I might for my endeavour become the Drunken Swearers-song, and also by thy stronger Servants be accounted weak and foolish for my unskilful management of so great a work, whom I do provoke as they tender the honour of thy Name, to bring forth their stronger reasons to stop this mighty torrent that overflows the Land: But Lord thou knowest it is not the reputation of mine own( which is nothing) but the Vindication of the honour of thy Name, which to me, and all that love thee, make to be all in all.  
Reader, the Book that is brought unto thine hand, on purpose is but small, that thou mightest not fling it by; wilt thou take the pains, and have so much patience as to red it all? for all thou seest is but little; weigh what thou readest, and if thou art a Swearer, and canst answer all that is brought against thy practise herein, Swear on; but if there be but one Scripture or Argument, though thou shalt find more, which thou canst make no defence against, if thou wilt swear on, be it at thy peril; and prepare by fortifying thyself to bear the Punishment that, if not by Men, yet by God, if not on Earth, yet in Hell shall be inflicted on thee for this thy sin.  
profane Swearers in their common Discourse either Swear by the true God, or by such things or persons that are not God. First, I shall endeavour the Conviction of them that in common Discourse profanely Swear by the true God, and interlace almost every sentence with some Oath, as before God, by God, by Christ, by Gods wounds, by their Maker, &c. with such desperate boldness, hardness, fearlessness of the great God, that such Men on Earth exceed the Devils in Hell, who have so much Faith and Fear of God, as makes them tremble before him, and at the knowledge, thoughts and dread they have of him, which is not in these Swearing men, Jam. 2. 19. The Devils believe and tremble.  
Because Swearing is a sin that is rife amongst the Ignorant, and Men of inferior Education and Callings, as well as amongst some of more Knowledge,( which aggravates their sin) and of more liberal Education, and higher employments, I shall accommodate my discourse to the meanest capacity, that I may not lose the end I aim at. And my first task shall be to present the Swearer with twenty Arguments against this sin, consisting of members or parts, so opposite, that he cannot think of another to add to them, and leave him to his choice to take which he will; and if all have their grand Inconveniencies, I hope he will be convinced so far, as to repent of his past Oaths, and Swear( profanely) no more.   

SECT. II.  
Twenty Arguments against common Swearing.  
1. EIther thou ownest and acknowledgest ten Commandments written by God himself, and given to his servant Moses to be delivered to his people for their obedience thereunto, or thou dost not; if not, thou contradictest God and Moses, and deniest Gods own matter of fact, Deut. 4. 13. And he declared unto you his Covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten Commandments, and he wrote them upon two Tables of ston. Deut. 10. 4. And he wrote on the Tables according to the first writing, the ten Commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the Mount, out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the assembly, and the Lord gave them unto me: The third must be one of the ten, or else there remains but nine; and thou art charged neither to add nor diminish, Deut. 12. 32. But if thou dost own and aclowledge ten, of which the third must be one, behold, thou standest convicted by it as a transgressor, for in an heinous manner by thy often profane Swearing, thou hast taken Gods Name in vain; for which the Lord will not hold thee guiltless; Clear thyself if thou canst; if not, Repent and Reform.  
2. When the third Commandment is red in the assembly, then, or at some other time, ye Pray in these words, or to this effect, Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this Law, or ye do not: If not, ye be your own Witnesses that ye Pray not to God that he would have Mercy on you, and so might justly Perish without Mercy; and that ye do not Pray for an Heart inclined to keep this Commandment, and deserve that God should give you up to a disobedient and rebellious Heart, and Punish you for the want of that you would not Pray unto him for. If ye do Pray thus, and yet when off your Knees, not out of unavoidable infirmity, but by wilfulness and stubborn disobedience( such as is) in voluntary profane Swearing, you transgress this Law, your Prayers are vain babbling, and an abomination unto God, Prov. 28. 9. He that turneth away his Ear from hearing( that is obeying) the Law, even his Prayer shall be an abomination. If ye Pray with the Tongue and not with the Heart, that you might not take Gods Name in vain, and yet with the Tongue and Heart by profane Swearing in such a gross and wilful manner take Gods Name in vain: What can you call it, but a flattering of God with your lips, and base hypocrisy?  
3. thou art a Man that art afraid to lie, or thou art not: If thou darest not lie, men in common discourse ought to believe thee, and will; if thou makest no Conscience of Lying, no wise Man will give credit to thy words for Swearing to them; for as is the Man, such is the credit that is given to his Testimony. A Man that is known to be a liar will never get credit to his Oath, but an Oath is credited because of the honesty of the Man. A Man true in his word, need not( commonly) Swear, that he might be believed; a lying Man will not be believed, though he Swear: Be thou true or false in common Converse, there is no need of Swearing, and why wilt thou go to Hell for that which is altogether needless?  
4. The matter of your talk with which you mingle an Oath is manifestly true, or false, or doubtful: If manifestly false, and you Swear it to be true, you are manifestly forsworn; if you Swear it to be false, when it was manifestly so before, your Oath is needless: As likewise if it be apparently true, if doubtful to the Swearer himself, it will not bear an Oath; for you ought to swear nothing but what is true, and what you know to be true: If doubtful to the hearer,( observe we speak not now of Witness bearing about Matters of Fact in Judicatures) it will be sufficient to propose the evidences and reasons of the thing, in its own nature so apparent, that the assent of the hearer shall be gained to it without an Oath. An Oath is no Argument to help a man to understand the nature, cause, and reason of things; to swear to a thing which no Man can deny( as that two and two make four) is ridiculous; to Swear to bring a Man over to your Opinion, in a thing, dubious and disputable( as whether the Moon is the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea) is no convincing Evidence; or that your wears are so good, and worth so much as you swear they be; but if you Swear matter of Fact, they cost you so much, this will be taken notice of in another Argument. So that in all these Cases, Swearing is wasting of words, and needless; and why will you dishonour God, and wrong your own Souls, by exposing them to the loss of Heaven, and to the Damnation of Hell by needless Oaths? Repentance is necessary for every Oath that is needless.  
5. Thou thinkest Men will believe thee without an Oath, or thou thinkest they will not: If thou thinkest they will, why shouldst thou Swear? if thou thinkest they will not, First thou hadst better be silent, than open thy Mouth with an Oath; for wherefore shouldst thou speak, if Men will not believe thee( as thou thinkest) except thou wilt Swear to damn thy Soul? is the thing in which thou wouldst have them give credit to thy words, of that importance that will compensate the loss of thy Soul? Secondly, When thou thinkest Men will not believe thee without an Oath, thou declarest to them all, that thou suspectest thyself to be taken by them for a liar, without Swearing in thy common Discourse, which renders thee still the more suspicious to be so in the judgement of wise and sober Men.  
6. Thou wouldst have Men believe thee, or thou wouldst not: If not, thou art not sit for human Society: If thou wouldst, thou must not Swear profanely; for why should I believe that Man that makes no Conscience of so great a sin, against such a plain, express Command of God:  
7. Thou regardest thy Credit, and wouldst be taken for a sober, honest Man, or thou wouldst not: If not, who will regard thee? if not, keep among those of the same stamp that thou wouldst be taken to be of; it is pity sober honest Men should be grieved( to say no worse) with thy Company. If thou wouldest, then act as sober honest men do; that is, Discourse without such Oaths, whereby thou wilt lose thy credit, and the reputation of a sober Man.  
8. Thou considerest what thou sayest when in thy common Discourse thou profanely Swearest, or thou dost not: If not, thou art rash and precipitant in thy words; if thou dost,( and yet Swearest) behold, thou art a bold, presumptuous, God-daring Sinner.  
9. Thou canst and dost speak sense and reason without these profane Oaths, or thou canst not, dost not: If not, thou art unworthy of the Name of a Man; for hath God given reason to a Man, which he cannot use without such sin? how long hath sin been accounted sense and reason, when it is against all right reason? If thou canst and dost, there is no need of an Oath to fill up the sense; nay, shouldst thou put in thy Cat or Cow, where thou thrustest in the dreadful Name of the Holy God, the sense would be as complete and full; and art thou not ashamed, or should it not make thee fear and tremble, to make the Name of God more common in thy unhallowed Mouth, than such inferior Creatures.  
10. Thou thinkest these Oaths are a grace and Ornament to thy speech, or thou dost not: If thou dost, thou gloriest in thy shane, and so betrayest thy solly; if not, there is no need of Swearing to adorn thy speech.  
11. Thou wouldst have God to do to thee according to thy words, when thou sayest,[ God Damn me] or thou wouldst not: If not, why dost thou so often call upon him to do what thou wouldst not have him do? what if God should deal with thee according to thy Words, though it be not according to thy Will? when thy Will hath a power to rule thy Tongue, that it should not speak such Words, but doth not; and these words are not spoken without, nor against thy Will, take heed of sporting with consuming fire: If thou sayest thou wouldst, thou speakest like a man bereaved of the understanding of a Man, for a Man so long as he is a Man, cannot desire to be miserable: But if thou canst be so unlike a man, remember when thou art Damned, thou hast that which thou didst make matter of thy choice, and oftener hadst in thy Mouth[ God Damn me,] than in a serious manner on thy Knees,[ God save my Soul.]  
12. Thou dost whatsoever thou swearest, or thou dost not: If not, thou art forsworn; if thou dost, what an heinous Sinner hast thou been? for among so many Oaths so rashly uttered, no doubt thou hast sworn many things that be unlawful; as Herod in the case of John the Baptist.  
13. Thou thinkest thou pleasest God by these Oaths, or thou dost not, or Swearest without any thoughts of Gods being pleased or dspleased: If thou thinkest thou pleasest him, thou art brutish; how can that be pleasing unto God which he forbids upon pain of Damnation, and is so pleasing to the Devil? If thou thinkest thou displeasest him, behold, thy audacious wickedness! if thou thinkest not of Gods pleasure, or displeasure, thou art plainly Convicted of profaning the sacred Name of God: When thou dost use it without a thought whether he be pleased or displeased at it, thou regardest it not; is this a reverend use of Gods Name?  
14. Thou art provoked to this Swearing, or thou art not: If not, thou art worse than a distracted Man, that will not run voluntarily into a burning fire, no, nor thy very Beast: If provoked, thou art unwise, to ruin thyself because another doth displease thee; and to do thyself more wrong than all the Men on Earth, or Devils in Hell could do unto thee.  
15. Thou intendest good to the Company thou Swearest in, or thou dost not: If not, thou art a destroyer, a Pest to Mankind, and as a Devil amongst Men, and deservest to be shut out from all Society: If thou dost, thou betrayest thy ignorance and folly by such means to do them good; for if they be good, thou grievest them, if bad, thou hardenest them; let them be good or bad, thou makest them all guilty of sin, that are pleased with thine Oaths, or do not reprove thee for them.  
16. Thou must say thou usest thy Tongue well in uttering these Oaths, or thou dost not, for it cannot be an indifferent act: If thou sayest, not well; art thou not self-condemned for thy bold abusing of thy Tongue, which is the glory of Man, to cloud the glory of God? If well, art thou not past shane to say that is used well, that is every day or hour, yea many times in an hour employed in the drudgery and service of the Devil?  
17. Thou dost use the same Tongue with which thou swearest, in confessing thy sin, and praying to God, or thou dost not: If not, what canst thou think will become of thy Soul in another World, when in this thou usest thy Tongue in contracting guilt, and hastening thy Damnation every day, and not in all thy life in begging for Pardon, and Praying for the Salvation of thy Soul? If thou dost, doth not thy folly and ignorance appear, to use such means as never shall attain the end; for a Mouth one while filled with Oaths, another while with Prayer, and then again with Oaths, tho it were a constant daily round of Swearing and Praying, and Praying and Swearing, would never Prevail with God, Prov. 28. 13. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy.  
18. Thou dost regard the Command of Christ forbidding such Swearing, Mat. 5. 34. Swear not at all; or thou dost not: If not, how canst thou expect or hope that he should regard thee, or that thou canst be happy if he do not? If thou dost, thou must forbear thine Oaths.  
19. Thou thinkest God will call thee to an account for thy Swearing, or thou dost not: If not, thou actest like a fool, to conceit that God should make thee a Man, and give thee Laws to rule thy Heart and Tongue, and Hand, and never bring thee to a trial, whether thou hast obeied or rebelled: It is not congruous to his Wisdom to expose his Laws to such contempt: If thou thinkest he will, is it not madness in thee to multiply such numerous Oaths, when one not repented of, is more than thou canst answer for, or bear up under the Punishment to be inflicted for it?  
20. Thou art Loyal to the King, and obedient to his Laws, forbidding profane Swearing, or thou art not: If not, why dost thou boast so much thereof, and make thy Swearing a badge of thy Loyalty, which is disobedience to his excellent Laws in this Case made and provided, and by his Majesties late gracious Proclamation revived, and commanded to be put into execution: If thou art, then yield Obedience to these Laws that are founded upon the Law of Nature, and are correspondent to Gods holy Laws contained in the sacred Scriptures.  
These be the first sort of Arguments that I use, to show that profane Swearing in common Discourse is irrational and needless, and involves the Swearer in such difficulties that he cannot with any colour of reason wind himself out of the absurdities that he is plunged into; try them, one or other, or more, if not all, will prove thee guilty without defence.   

SECT. III.  
Twenty Questions to common Swearers.  
NExt I will attempt the showing of the Aggravations of the sin of profane Swearing, by propounding twenty Questions, which I entreat you that are addicted to this sin, seriously to deliberate upon, that if you cannot frame a rational answer to avoid the charge of these Aggravations, you would resolve to avoid this sin.  
1. Is it not a contempt of divine Authority, and a despising of the Law of the Sovereign Ruler of the World? hath not the great Jehovah, when he comprehended the whole Duty of Man in ten words, given two of the ten to bridle and restrain your Tongues? the Ninth, from wronging of your Neighbour; and the third, from profaning of his own Name; and yet will you say, Our Tongues are our own, and who( thô it be the Lord himself) shall have dominion over us? or will you say, who is this Jehovah, that would control our Tongues, that we should obey his Voice? we know not the Lord, neither will we harken to his Voice: Is not this the language of your lives, though not of your lips? or what difference can you make betwixt saying so and doing so, but that your constant daily doing so, is more than your mere saying so?  
2. Will not the terror of the Lord, and the dread of the Almighty be more amazing and astonishing, when he comes to execute vengeance, and pour out his burning wrath upon the proud contemners and bold transgressors of this his Law, than it was at the delivering of it? Exod. 19. 16, 18, 19. And if the Congregation of Israel could not bear it then, shalt thou be able to stand before him without trembling and horror when he comes to punish the violation of his Law, and to vindicate the honour of his Name, and assert the glory of his infinite Majesty, which thou by thy filthy, profane and swearing Tongue hast so often polluted in thy Life? hadst thou seen the lightnings, and the Mountain smoking, hadst thou heard the thunderings, and the noise of the trumpet, which made all the people in the Camp to tremble, and the whole Mount to to quake exceedingly: When this Law was given, would thy Heart have been so stout, and thy spirit so great, to show thy gallantry above all the rest, wouldst thou have stepped forth and said, What fools are ye to be so much afraid? what makes you fear? what can Jehovah with all his thunderings do unto you? I am the Man that will make bold to use his Name at pleasure; and if it come in fashion, and become a Character to distinguish men of noble and heroic Spirits from puny Precisians( whom I so far hate, that) I will the oftener grace my speech with the honourable Name of God, to show my greater distance from them: Alas! poor mortal sinful Man! contemptible dust! art thou a match for God? buckle on thy armor, gird thy sword upon thy thigh, put on thy coat of Male, arm thyself cap-à-pie, and swear by the Eternal God, thou wilt not be sick, thy head shall never ache, and thou wilt never die; stand fast, keep thy ground, maintain thy cause, and never yield; what! art not thou stronger than the Mountain, and more senseless too, that did quake at Jehovahs presence? play the Man, and say, thou wilt not be kerbed by the Law of God, and his terror shall never make thee afraid to Swear: Keep up thy greatness of spirit, and heroical magnanimity till the day of reckoning comes, and do not flinch nor start aside, nor run into a hole, when this Law-giver shall come as Judge, with all his holy Angels;( for what are Legions of Angels to a man of thy strength and courage,) thô thou shouldst see all the World on fire, and the Heavens melt over thy head, and the Earth be hot under thy feet; thô the Trumpet sound louder and louder, the Throne of judgement erected, the Judge sate down, the raised dead summoned to appear, they come, they tremble, yet do thou like a man of Valour, fear no danger of Damnation, slight the summons, refuse to appear, and with thy former emphasis Swear before God thou wilt give no account of thy Oaths, nor confess, nor be concerned at that day, that in every day of thy more mature years thou didst by Cursing and Oaths take Gods Name in vain: But if thou canst not thus bear it out( as indeed thou canst not) at the day appointed for the judging Men for the breaking this Law, as others could not at the giving of the Law, forbear now in this gross manner to transgress this Law.  
3. Is not thy Swearing a flat contradiction to the Law and Doctrine of God-man, Jesus Christ the Redeemer of lost sinners? Did not he come in flesh, and personally and with his own mouth renew and ratify this Law, that Men should not Swear( thus profanely) at all, Mat. 5. 34. Bat I say unto you, swear not at all; and wilt thou reply, you! who are you! or who gave you this authority to bind my Tongue? thou daring Swearer! is it not the Lord, the Son of God Incarnate, which was a greater wonder, than all those that were done at the first giving of this Law? or wilt thou say, thô God come down from Heaven and become Man, and as God-man forbid me, I will not forbear? if not, is not this thy sin aggravated, and become more heinous, by this circumstance, as committed against the express prohibition of the Son of God made flesh, when out of love and pity to lost Sinners he came to satisfy for Mens violation of the Law of God? and by how much more Love there was in the Commander to the Sinner, is not this sin the more sinful and heinous in the transgressor of this Command?  
4. Is not Swearing a sinning against a Rule and Law enjoining you above all to take heed of sinning against this Command? Jam. 5. 12. But above all things, my brethren, swear not: You must not Steal, nor Murder, nor commit Adultery, but above all do not sin by Swearing; and yet thou wilt not Steal, nor Murder, nor commit Adultery,( for foam Swearers ●… ain from such sins) yet above all thou w●… Swear: Is not this to say, what God forbids above all, that above all I will daily do? I will not be Drunk every day, but every day I will Swear; I will be just to Man, but I will Swear I will be just: Do not you do as if you picked out this Command from all the rest, to sin against this above all, when above all you are cautioned from this sin?  
5. Is it not an Aggravation of your Swearing, when you will not forbear, though it be particularly and expressly threatened with Damnation? What! had you rather lose God, and Christ, and Heaven, than leave profaning of the Name of God? will you Swear, though you be Damned for it? is an Oath dearer to thee than the Salvation of thy Soul? and is there not enough in all the Punishment in Hell to bridle thy Tongue, Jam. 5. 12. Swear not,— lest ye fall into Condemnation.  
6. And yet dost thou not venture upon eternal pains by a sin that brings thee in no pleasure? What sense is delighted by thine Oaths? doth not the Drunkard, Glutton, Adulterer, Gamester, all outstrip the Swearer in carnal Wisdom? for these have some pleasure here in their sin, thô dear bought, by suffering for them eternal pains; but the Swearer ha●… no sensitive Pleasure in this sin as such ●… d yet for this must endure everlasting racking painful Torments.  
7. Hast thou any profit by thy common Swearing? Some are drawn to sin by Pleasure, some by Profit, but how unwise art thou to sin for neither? when was any in the worst of ages advanced to Preferments merely because he was a great Swearer? and if thou Swearest in thy Trade that such goods cost thee so much, to make the buyer more willing to come up unto thy price, that thou mightest have the greater profit, yet thou mayest lose more by frighting many from thy Shop, as suspecting that man might cousin them, that by Swearing robs God of the honour of his Name.  
8. Is not the frequent repetition of this sin an aggravation of it? Can Men addicted to some other sins be equal or keep place with thee in the iteration of their sins? is the Drunkard every day drunk? or doth the Thief every day steal? or the Adulterer daily act his beastly sin? at least any of them so often in a day, in an hour, as thou by Oaths profanest the Name of God. Suppose thou hast been a Swearer forty years, and to charge some Swearers modestly but with twenty Oaths every day, the number will amount to 292000, that is, two hundred thousands, fourscore and ten thousands, and two thousands, and canst thou answer for one of all these many thousands?  
9. Doth it not aggravate thy sin, so mamany times repeated, that this might be more easily prevented than many other sins? so easily forborn that thou canst not pled human usual infirmities for the excusing of thy fin? What pains, what labour, what sweeting would it cost thee to forbear to Swear? hast thou not power over thy Tongue? dost thou not say it is thine own? what Man or Devil can force thee to it? hath not thy Will a despotical absolute power over thy Tongue? do but Will not to Swear, do but resolve, and the outward act of this sin is prevented.  
10. Dost thou not commit this sin with a more impudent face, and brazen brow, than many other sinners their heinous sins? Doth not the Whoremonger and his Harlot seek for some more secret Chamber to commit filthiness? doth not the Thief contrive his sin as secretly as he can, and labour to conceal it? art not thou more impudent in thy sin than an impudent Whore is in hers? do not the open Streets ring with thy Oaths? or dost thou abstain when many are by thee? is it not the worse that so great a sin is committed before many Witnesses without shane or blushing?  
11. Dost thou not often use Gods Name when actually engaged in the Devils service, and the works of the Flesh? dost thou not sit upon the Ale-bench, with the Cup in thy hand, Gods Name in thy Mouth, Drink and Swear, Swear and Drink to Excess and Drunkenness? dost thou not mention the Name of God in the Tavern, more than in thy Closet? amongst thy Cup companions than on thy knees? thou Swearing-sinner! caused not thou go merrily on in gratifying thy flesh, but thou must also profane the Name of God, in the very acting of thy sins that hurry thee into everlasting Torments.  
12. Doth not all this Swearing come from the bitter root of an Atheistical heart? for while thou mentionest the Name of God, dost not thou think there is no God? or that he is not so holy, just, and such an hater of sin as indeed he is? or that he regardeth not the works and words of men, neither will call them to an account? or that there is no life of retribution, where and when all these Oaths shall be surely and eternally punished?  
13. Is it nothing to thee that thou art burnt in the forehead, having the brand and Character of the Child of the Devil, by this marked out for a wicked, impenitent, graceless Sinner? Who ever looks upon a profane Swearer as a Man fearing God, who ever is a Man fearing an Oath?  
14. Is not this joined in Scripture with other heinous sins? ranked with great Impieties? with want of Truth, Mercy, and Knowledge of God? with Lying, Killing, and Stealing, and committing Adultery, Hos. 4. 1, 2.  
15. Are not Swearers injurious to a Kingdom wherein they live, by provoking God by such Oaths to sand down such Judgments as shall make the Land to mourn, Jer. 23. 10. Because of Swearing the land mourneth; and for this God hath a controversy with a People, Hos. 4. 1, 2, 3. Swearing Sinners call for Judgments on a Land; Praying people beg of God to keep them off: Oh that their Oaths might not cry louder for Judgments, than the Prayers of others for Mercy.  
16. Is it not still more heinous, because it so much aboundeth in a land of Gospel-light? how sad is it, that there should be so many Preachers amongst so many Swearers, and yet so much Preaching doth not prevail against so much Swearing! Oh Pray fervently to God, that so much Swearing might not provoke God to deprive us of the Preaching of the Gospel.  
17. Is it not directly contrary to the end of an Oath as appointed by God? Is it not an audacious crossing of his Will therein? was it not instituted for the highest honour of God above all Creatures, and you use it to his reproach? and to make that credible to others which could be done no other way, to do right to Men, and do you use it to do them wrong? is not this a thwarting of God in his own Name?  
18. How dare you pawn your Souls, and give yourselves as hostages upon every trifling occasion? and call down the heavy Judgments of God upon your Souls in every frivolous matter? and declare you renounce your interest in God, and quit all hopes of Heaven if such a trifle be not true?  
19. Are not Swearing Christians worse than Jews? they did not own Christ for their Lord, nor look upon him to be the messiah and Saviour, and when he was on Earth once put him to death by shedding of his blood, but thou that swearest by his blood and wounds dost own him( in words) to be the only Saviour, but often rakest in his wounds, and dishonourest an exalted Christ, now in Heaven; dost thou condemn the Jews, and sin in some circumstances worse than they? Mr. Perkins on the third Commandment saith, For a man to Swear by Christs death, wounds, blood, and other parts of his, is most horrible; and is as much as to crucify Christ again with the Jews, or account Christs Members as God himself.  
20. Dare you appeal to the Kings Majesty so often upon every slight occasion? or make his Name as a by-word, and use it reproachfully upon every turn? or do you not deserve to be Punished according to the dignity of the Person, whose Name you so abuse? and may you, dare you so profane the Name of the highest Majesty of Heaven and Earth, that is King of Kings, as to toss it in your sinful mouths, in every corner, and in the open streets in a most irreverent manner, even mingled with filthy, lewd and wicked discourse? or can you think to escape such Punishment that shall be some way proportionable to the reproach and dishonour that you cast upon the glorious Name of such infinite Majesty?  
Reader, If thou hast been accustomend to Swearing, I suppose it hath been in company, not alone, now be so much a friend to thy own immortal Soul, that must be happy or miserable for ever, according as thou continuest in, or sincerely repentest of and forsakest this and all other sins, and becomest a new Man in Christ, as to be persuaded by one desirous of thy eternal happiness, to retire from company, and seriously weigh the particulars here offered unto thee, as a rational man, and use thy reason for thy own everlasting good, and upon thy knees beg of God to work them upon thy heart, for the convincing of thy judgement, the awakening of thy Conscience, the breaking of thy Heart for thy so often wilful breaking of Gods holy Law in profaning of his holy Name, that thou mightest be sensible of thy lost estate, and harken and inquire after the only Saviour of undone sinners, and how thou mightest have a saving Interest in him, and accordingly consent unto him, and deliver up thyself to be sanctified and ruled by him, that of a swearing sinner thou mightest become a praying Penitent Believer, and so be delivered from the guilt of this and all thy other sins, and be made meet to be a Partaker of the Happiness of Heaven; for thou canst not but aclowledge upon due deliberation, it will be better, unspeakably better for thee to turn from sin to God through Christ and be saved, than to continue in thy sins impenitent to the death, and for them after death be damned for ever. Tho I know thee not, yet as a Reader of this little trearise my Prayers shall be for thee, that this might be the effect by the Spirits working on thy soul in thy perusal and considering of it.   

SECT. IV.  
Twelve Aggravations of false Swearing and Perjury.  
THose that do not, dare not Swear profanely in common Conversation, yet ought to take great heed when called lawfully to Swear, before a Magistrate or in Courts of Judicature, that they Swear in truth, in judgement, and in righteousness, Jer. 4. 2. for deciding of Controversies, which cannot be done any other way, it is a duty when lawfully called thereunto, to Swear by the Name of God, Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his Name. Deut. 10. 20. But without a due call we must not be forward to Swear, therefore Swearing is always expressed in the Hebrew language, in the passive form, to be sworn, when an Oath is laid upon him, and he is lawfully called thereunto.  
It will not consist with my resolved brevity to enlarge upon the Doctrine and Cases concerning Oaths assertory or promissory, but only briefly note two things, and so proceed to the aggravations of false swearing by the Name of the true God.  
I. An Oath is of great weight and moment, and the fullest satisfactory testimony that a man can give, to put an end to Controversies betwixt Man and Man, Heb. 6. 16. An Oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife; and well it may, if we consider,  
1. An Oath in its nature presupposeth God to be an infallible and alknowing God, from whom nothing can be hide or concealed, not the thoughts and intentions of a mans heart, and also that he is a God of infinite Power, and can, and of perfect Justice, and will be the avenger of an Oath falsely taken.  
2. It is supposed that he that takes the Oath, owns and acknowledgeth God to be such, or else he doth not swear in judgement.  
3. It is supposed that no Man would willingly forfeit his interest in God, and quit all hopes of happiness, and voluntarily call God for a Witness and Judge, to render to him according to all the Curses written in the Scripture.  
4. Yet he that Swears, submits and puts himself into the hand of the great God, supreme and righteous Judge, to punish or reward him, condemn or justify him as to this particular matter concerning which he swears, as he shall herein prove innocent or guity: A weighty concern, and to satisfy Man, a a Man can do no more.  
II. A Man might Swear falsely, and be guilty of Perjury three ways.  
1. When a Man asserts upon Oath as a truth, that which he knows to be false, or is not a truth, or doubteth of it, or is mistaken in it through his own negligence, for he ought to know and to be certain, it is as he asserts.  
2. When a Man promiseth something by Oath, and yet when he takes that Oath hath no intention to perform it, and so Swears to a lie, there being no agreement between his Mind and the words of his Mouth.  
3. When a Man doth Promise by Oath, and at that present doth purpose to perform, and yet upon no just grounds, doth fail of the performance of what he purposed when he did Promise it upon Oath.  
III. The Aggravations of false-swearing.  
1. Swearing falsely is reckoned amongst sins of a deep die, and is accounted one of the most heinous Iniquities, Jer. 7. 9. Will ye Steal, Murder, and commit Adultery, and swear falsely, and burn Incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods?— These be sins as read as scarlet, and false-swearing is not the least of these.  
2. It is an high profaning of the holy Name of the great God, in appealing to him as a Witness and Judge of the truth of what is said, when yet it is a falsehood and a lye, which is to use an appeal to God to cover the falseness of the Tongue, the wickedness of the Heart, and to make that appear to others to be the greatest right which is the greatest wrong: would it not be a great Provocation to a superior to make use of his Name, to deceive and defrand others? Lev. 19. 12. Ye shall not swear by my Name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the Name of thy God, I am the Lord.  
3. It is great contempt of God, and a despising of the Divine Majesty: As if the false-swearer did not fear the revenging Justice of God, Ezek. 17. 19. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, as I live, surely mine Oath which he hath despised, and my Covenant which he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head: Where we might observe,( 1.) An Oath is a sacred thing, for that which Zedekiah made to the King of Babylon, saith God, it is mine, because made in his Name.( 2.) The breach of it, God calleth a despising, he that despiseth his Oath, despiseth him.( 3.) The Punishment threatened, God would recompense it upon his own head.( 4.) The certainty of this Punishment by a soIemn asseveration, surely I will recompense it.( 5.) A further confirmation by an Oath that God takes to Punish such as forswear themselves, who shall feel the stroke of that revenging Justice which in their Oath they did appeal unto: As I live, surely I will recompense it; though Men may Swear, and break their Oath, yet God will not.  
4. False-swearing is a desperate challenging of God, an audacious daring of the Almighty, an impudent out facing of God: As if he should say, to be revenged of such a one, or to get so much hire, I will appeal to God to gain credit to my testimony with Men, let God do what he can, I will have my Mind; let God take his course; I will try his Omniscience, Justice and Power, and venture the good of my Body, Soul, and all that is dear unto me: I will not be frighted by the talk of his Justice, nor scared by words concerning his Power, Let God make speed and hasten his work, that I may see it, and let the counsel of the holy one of Israel draw nigh and come, that I may know it: If this be not the expression of the tongue of the false-swearer, yet it is no uncharitable censuring of him to give this interpretation of his action; and he might pass for a bold provoking Sinner.  
5. Swearing falsely is to God a most odious sin, hateful and abominable to him: Zac. 8. 17. Let none of you imagine evil in your heart against his neighbour, and love no false Oath, for all th●… se are things that I hate, saith the Lord.  
6. Swearing falsely brings a speedy flying roll of Curses upon the person, his house, estate, and family; Zac. 5. 2. And he said unto me, what seest thou? and I answered, I see a flying roll: 3. Then he said unto me, This is the Curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth, for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side, according to it, and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side, according to it. 4. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts; and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my Name, and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, with the timber thereof, and the stones thereof: A false-swearer is the ruin of his family.  
7. A false-swearer is voided of all holy fear of God: He that fears God, fears an Oath; the fear of God in his heart will be a bridle to his Tongue to restrain him from a false Oath, Mal. 3. 5. I will come near to you to judgement, and I will be a swift witness against the Sorcerers, and against the Adulterers, and against false-swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts: Sorcerers, Adulterers, Oppressors and false-Swearers, are without true fear of God, graceless Men.  
8. False-swearing cuts asunder the bonds and ligaments of human Society: Men are bound to speak truth, and others are bound to believe what they say, till they forfeit their credit, and this keeps up Commerce and Conversation betwixt Men and Men; but Men that are given to Lying, cannot be trusted, nor have Credit with others, and pervert the very use of Speech, which is to convey our true sentiments to others: A Lying, much more a false-swearing Tongue, overturns all belief, and if Men cannot believe each other, to what purpose should they Converse together?  
9. False-swearing fearfully perverteth judgement, and is a base imposing upon the Judge and Jury, and blindeth their eyes from doing Justice and right, thô they be upright and just, to determine all causes with greatest equity, if false-swearers did not obstruct by deceiving them.  
10. False-swearers are greatest Oppressors of Innocent Persons; in matter of Estates, the false-swearer is a Thief; in case of Life, he is a Murderer, and guilty of the blood of him, whose Life by false-swearing he takes away; the most innocent by reason of such cannot be safe in Estate, Liberty, good Name or Life: For,  
11. False-swearing is the taking of the most innocent and righteous Man from his strongest tower of safety: Who is falsely accused, trusteth in the Name of God to clear his Innocence. Gods Name called upon, appealed unto in fear and truth by Oath would surely clear him, Prov. 18. 10. The Name of the Lord is a strong-tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is safe, but false-swearers come and pull him out.  
12. It is a most tremendous pawning of the false-swearers Soul, and a renouncing all interest in God, and disowning all hopes of happiness in the other World: For it is an appealing to God as Witness and Judge, and an invoking of God to deal with him according as in the thing sworn, the heart-searching and omniscient God knows he speaks true or false; if true, to reward him, but being false to punish him accordingly.  
These are some of the Aggravations of this heinous fin, whereby false swearers are Convicted of notorious Wickedness, and cast by the Law of God. Oh that they that have been guilty may repent and turn, and all for time to come might to see the height of evil that is therein, that we might have no more false-swearers in the land.   

SECT. V.  
Ten Aggravations of Swearing by Creatures.  
BEsides this sinful custom of Swearing profanely and falsely by the Name of the true God, it is too usual with many to swear by the Creatures of God, which is ordinarily called Idolatrous Swearing, as when Men Swear by Saint Paul, or by Saint Peter, or by the Virgin Mary, by the Heavens, by the Candle that burns, by the Light that shines, by this Drink, by Conscience, by my Soul, and indeed by that which is not, as by their Faith, when they have none; for they that have saving Faith do not dare to Swear by it, for it bears better fruits than Oaths; and yet when the Apostle saith, Jam. 2. 18. I will show thee my Faith by my works; these carry themselves as if they would show their Faith by their Swearing: But let such seriously consider how just and dreadful it will be for God to Damn them for not having that Faith, which by their very Swearing they supposed they had, and took for granted they ought to have had.  
Something of the heinousness of such Swearing might be manifested by these following Aggravations.  
1. It is blindness and folly, to think there is no harm or guilt in all this, Mat. 23. 16. Wo unto you ve blind guides, which say, whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing,— 18. And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing,— 21. Whosoever sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22. And he that shall swear by Heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon: If in these Oaths by any Creatures, you terminate ultimately upon them as avengers of falsehood and wrong, you commit Idolatry, if you mention the Creatures, and intend God ultimately, thô you name the Creatures only, it is intentionally a swearing by God, and so run into the guilt of profane Swearing by God himself, though by the interposition of a Creature, and so you Swear by God, yet by the Creature, as some worship God by an Image. If in these Oaths you intend God, you are profane, and yet mention the Creatures, upon that account also it is Swearing in a sinful manner, because God hath appointed none such in his Word. Fix upon which you will, you cannot excuse yourselves from a great sin in so doing.  
2. It is a violation of an express Command of our Lord Jesus; Mat. 5. 34. But I say unto you, swear not( profanely) at all; neither by Heaven, for it is Gods throne: 35. Nor by the Earth, for it is his foot-stool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the City of the great King. 36. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black: Doth Christ say to you, do not swear by these, and do you say, but for all Christs charge we will: Do you so often say, As you hope to be saved by him, and yet so directly rebel against his Command, and tread his Laws under your feet? Will you bow at his Name, and yet will not bend unto his revealed Will? let the action of your Knees, and the motion of your Tongues be more correspondent: Remember the Souldiers bowed the Knee before Christ, and yet did spit upon him and beat him, Mat. 27. 29, 30.  
3. This Swearing by the Creatures proceedeth from an evil principle, spring or root; Mat. 5. 37. But let your communication be, Yea, Yea, Nay, Nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil: Either, ( 1.) From an evil Heart: Or,( 2.) From evil Example: Or,( 3.) From an evil custom: Or,( 4.) From the Devil that is the evil One: Or,( 5.) From all these conjunctly; and must not that which is from such evils be itself also evil? can any thing be better than its Cause? can a corrupt three bring forth good fruit, or do Men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Mat. 7. 16, 17, 18. or will you say, you hate the Devil and all his Works, and yet lend him your Tongue for a daily tool to work by? Nay, and be yourselves his constant and obedient Servants in using of it in this sinful drudgery as oft as he tempts you to it? Yea, be so voluntary in his Service, that of your own accord your Tongue shall run faster in this way of sinning, than the Devil, as bad as he is, doth tempt you to? if this evil then cometh from an evil Heart, get it changed, or from an evil example of others, imitate them no more; or from an evil Custom, which you pled to lessen the evil of it, which yet doth aggravate it the more, leave it off; or from the Devil, whom you say you do defy; humour, gratify, and please him no longer in the using of it.  
4. Swearing( as appointed by God) is a special part of his solemn Worship, of which he himself is the only proper and peculiar Object; and this glory he will not give, nor allow you to give to any other, Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt( when justly called) swear by his Name; but you can never have a just Call to Swear by any Creature, because the thing in itself is unjust and unlawful. You say you give to every one his due, but in this you supererrogate, and give to the Creature more than its due. An Oath is such a tribute that bears the Image and Superscription of God only, and not of any Creature, give therefote unto God( as he calls for them) the things that are Gods: That which is due to a Creature is too little for God; that which is due to God is too much for any Creature.  
5. According to the Nature of an Oath thou exaltest the Creature above the rank of the Creature; even the vilest by which thou Swearest above the noblest which God hath created; it is indeed a kind of a Deifying, or making a god of that Creature; for if thou appealest to it as a searcher of thy Heart, and a knower of the agreement of thy Mind with thy words, and an avenger if thou speakest not true, thou attributest that perfection to the creature which is peculiar to the only true God, which whosoever hath is God. How many Gods then dost thou make to thyself, when thy usumanner is to swear by so many creatnres.  
6. But if thou dost not appeal to these Creatures thou swearest by, then what sense lieth in what thou speakest, if it be preached into and enquired after? When thou swearest before George such a thing cost thee so much, what George dost thou mean? A George that is dead or alive? if alive, is it any man of that Name, or one particular person living that is ordinarily sworn by, so called? if any of that name, who shall know whom thou meanest? and if not, what certainty is added to thy saying, by using of the name, of one, no man knows who? if any one certain particular man alive so called, which is he, or where doth he dwell? or how comes he to know the truth of so many things, in so many distant places where this George never was, by whom so many swear? But I suppose it is some certain George that is dead: Let it be so, how then came he to know what thy wears did cost thee? was he present at the Bargain? or if there were many Bargains at many thousand miles distance, made at the same time, and every one of those that made the bargains at that same time in those distant places, swear before George they cost so much, I doubt they bear too hard upon him to make him know the truth of all that they do swear by his Name: For at the same time he could not be present with all of them in their several contracts. Who then  told him? or how could he be sure of the truth of what was  told him; or where was it that any spake unto him, to acquaint him with these affairs? if he doth not know, what sense is found in this thine Oath, or wherein is he to whom thou swearest, made more certain by this Oath, than he would have been without it. But if Before George, thou meanest, in the same sense as men when they swear Before God, i.e. in the presence of God( because every where) as a Witness, and Judge, and Avenger, if thou speakest false, then thou makest George a God, and the true and living God will not suffer thee to go unpunished for this sin not repented of. The like you might conclude concerning any others, that men too often swear by.  
The like Nonsense there is when thou swearest thus, By this Drink in this Cup, I intend such a day to take a journey to such a place. If thou appealest to the drink in the cup of the truth of thy intentions according to thy words, thou art ridiculous, and speakest like a man that has got more drink in his head, than is in the cup. If not, he must not only be a sober Man, but of more than ordinary judgement to pick any sense out of those words, or see any reason why they should be used. Then pour not out words so fast without sense, much less such Oaths that spoil the sense.  
7. To swear by inferior Creatures is an unmanning of thyself, a degrading of thyself below the rank of those creatures thou swearest by; for an Oath supposeth him that sweareth to be meaner, and less excellent than that by which he sweareth, Heb. 6. 16. For men verily swear by the greater.— And therefore when God made a promise to Abraham, Because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself. ver. 13. Is it not strange that men of high and proud Spirits, that do not only swear out of the profaneness, but also from the pride of their hearts should thus vilify themselves below a greasy candle that burns, or the drink when once in their mouths, every man would loathe.  
8. To swear by that which is not God, is so great a sin( thô many make light of it) that( to speak after the manner of men) God is put to it to pardon it, Jer. 5. 7. How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no Gods. How shall I pardon thee for this? Let thy own reason rightly used determine this, If I( as if God had said) should make thee judge in this matter, and give thee Liberty to decide this case, canst thou see, how I should vindicate the honour of my name, the greatness of my Majesty, the strictness of my Justice, the Glory of my holiness, the truth of my Word, the reputation of my Government, to suffer thee to swear by them that are no Gods, and to let thee impenitent under all to go unpunished? Such swearing without Repentance will cost thee dear.  
9. To swear by any Creature is to subvert the very end of Swearing. For an Oath is to give satisfactory testimony to another, which cannot be done by any Swearing by any Creature whatsoever, because they all want those properties necessary to be in that object by which we swear lawfully( when called,) as Omniscience, Omnipotence, Justice to Avenge, sovereignty to call the Swearer to an account, which makes an Oath by the Name of God such a solemn act, and gives satisfaction when done in truth and in the fear of God, in any controversies between man and man: Which end in any other Oaths can never be attained, and why will you use any means that is not adapted in its own nature to reach the end, nay to use that as a means which indeed is none at all, which declares thee to be weak in thy Intellectuals, as well as wicked in thy morals, to be a Man of no Grace, and in this, of no more reason.  
10. Compare the Religion that by divine Institution there is in an Oath and in prayers to God, both parts of Gods Worship, and then it will be hard to give a reason why you may not pray to any Creature that you swear by. One is proper to God, as well as the other, and if you yourselves would abhor the motion, if made to you, to fall down upon your Knees, and pray to the candle that burns, or to the light that shines, or to the drink in your hand, learn at length to see the absurdity of the other also, and to Swear by Creatures no more. Mr. Perkins thus: An Oath may not be made by the Creatures, thô they be considered as signs and pledges of the Presence and Power of God, and thô when they be name all the worship in the Oath be directed unto God, for the right manner of Swearing which the Scripture allows, is, that our Oaths be simplo, without fraud, direct and not obliqne Oaths; lest the authority of God be diminished, or our Neighbour deceived,( which is against the order of human Society) or the Religion of an Oath grow into contempt, as commonly it comes to pass when it is made by the Creature, and therefore Christ said, ye shall not swear at all, neither by heaven, &c.   

SECT. VI.  
Of Cursing.  
TO this Discourse of profane Swearing, I shall add a warning unto such as are much addicted to Cursing, and wishing sore and heavy evils to themselves and others: The very mention of some few of these carrieth sufficient Conviction of the heinous evil of it. It would make a Man that hath any tenderness of Conscience, fear and awe of God, or belief of another World, to tremble, and stand amazed at the profane Cursings that come out of some Mens mouths, when they wish to others, Gods Vengeance on you, the Plague of God confounded you, the Curse of God go with you, the Pox take you, a Rot take you, and many such like, shameful to be name: What do you mean, that God should be at your beck, at your call to put forth his Power, to destroy others( his Children too, whom you Curse) to please your devilish revengeful Passions, and to gratify your malicious humours? Is it not an heinous and audacious Presumption to engage the blessed God at every turn, so often in an hour, in such destroying work, as such furious fools use his Name that he would do? is this your Charity and Love unto your Neighbour? is this your way of Praying for others?  
2. And indeed they have no better for themselves, who without fear or wit, as if they were distracted men that knew not what they say, cry out, God confounded my Soul; and often in a day cry out, God Damn me! why in such hast, Sinner, why art thou in such hast to be for ever Damned? is Damnation such a pleasant and desirable Portion? will it be as easy to bear it, as to wish for it? hast thou lost the reason of a Man? can a Man, so long as he is a Man, desire to be miserable, yea or a Devil either? if God had heard thy self-damning Prayer, and granted thee what thou didst call upon him for, or Damned thee according to thy words, thou wouldst have had so much of Damnation in an hours time, that thou couldst not be so wicked in Hell, as to say, God continue my Damnation, as thou art here on Earth, in calling unto him to sand thee thither: Beware, repent in time, or thou shalt have thy wish to thy eternal woe, and have these( miscalled) Prayers fully answered in the flames of Hell.  
3. But what do you mean by Cursings in the Devils Name, when you say, The Devil take me, the Devil fetch me, the Devil a bit: What! have you changed your God, that you invocate the Devil? are you turned Worshippers of the Devil? Invocation terminated upon God is religious Worship; what then do you make that, or what do you call that Invocation presented to the Devil? Oh! most monstrous wickedness! who could believe there should be any such in England, any such in London, did not such horrid Execrations ring in our Ears as we pass along the streets? And the old ones are training up another generation, for little Boyes have their mouths full of such abominable expressions. But if you do thus renounce the God of Heaven, and turn unto the Devil, and take him for your god, and call upon him to take you, and to fetch you, he is pleased with your wishes, and as soon as a provoked God shall let him loose and give him leave, he will do as thou callest ●nto him for, though it be as soon as the words are uttered by thy mouth: Oh turn unto the God of Heaven, who is better to thee than the Devil is, will or can be; yea, better to thee than thou art to thyself, or else the Devil had fetched thee out of thy ●hop, or out of thy Bed, or from thy Table, from thy Wife and Children, and conveyed ●hee to a place from which thou shouldst have returned no more for ever.  
4. And this he might have done while thou hast been heaping up Curse upon Curse on thyself in this manner, Let this Drink never pass through me! Let me never eat bread more! Let me never stir out of this place alive! &c. As if after you had Cursed yourselves with a Devil take me, the Devil fetch me, in these you would teach him the way how he might come for you, and by what means he might fetch your Souls, though he should leave your Bodies to worms and rottenness till the Resurrection: Consider,  
1. In these sorts of Imprecation, though you please the Devil as he is Gods Enemy and an impure malicious Spirit, yet you abuse the Devil himself as he is Gods Creature, whom God did not make to have that power over the Souls of Men to have them as his own, as by these cursed Expressions you wish he might have over yourselves and others.  
2. You also abuse your Meat and Drink by such Imprecations, to wish them the means of your own or others destruction, which God created and gave to men for their nourishment and preservation of Life; and as they be his Works by which he makes known himself, his Goodness, Mercy and Bounty unto Men are a part of his Name, which you thus profane, and( whereas they should be received with Prayer and Thanksgiving) in your way ye take it in vain.  
But,( to close this particular) Let me desire these Cursers, who are also Cursed, if they can compose themselves into a calm sedate temper but for a while, to red and ponder one part of Gods Word, recorded Psal. 109. 17. As he loved Cursing, so let it come unto him; as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. 18. As he clothed himself with Cursing like as with a garment, so let it come into his bowels like Water, and like Oil into his bones. 19. Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually: Prevent this sacred predicting Curse, by repenting for and forsaking of your wicked Cursing, and with Prayers and Tears in the Name of Christ upon your bended knees implore the Blessings of God to come upon you, or else if the place red become your Portion, you will be as miserable under this, as you were wicked by your own: For the final Sentence of the Judge of all waits for you to whom it shall be said and done, as Mat. 25. 41. Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil( that then shall take thee to be with him) and his Angels: And then in Hell thou wilt Curse thyself for Cursing thyself so often upon Earth, by which as well as by thy other sins thou broughtest thyself to that cursed place of torment, and to such a cursed Crew of damned Creatures.   

SECT. VII.  
The USE.  
1. IS this sin of Swearing profanely, and of mens Cursing themselves and others so bitterly, so common, and so heinous, Let all that have any tenderness of Conscience, any Love to, or Reverence of Gods holy dreadful Name, stand amazed, be astonished, and wonder at the hardness of mens Hearts, their fearlessness of God, and Torments of Hell, to commit such sins, and yet make so light of them: Oh why do they not bitterly take on, and humble themselves for so great Indignities and daring Affronts cast upon the supreme Majesty of Heaven and Earth! Oh when will they begin with Penitent Hearts in fervent Prayer religiously to call upon that blessed God by whom they have so long, so often sworn profanely! when will they upon their Knees cry and call to the God of Heaven, that their Hearts and Consciences might be washed in the Blood of the only Saviour, which have been so much defiled by their Swearing by it! when will their Oaths by the wounds of Christ, be turned into fervent Prayers that their Souls might be healed, sanctified and saved by his Wounds? Oh all ye Angels of God that reverence his Name, behold and wonder at the stupid, hardened, irreverent Sons of Men! Oh! Sun, Moon, and Stars, that by your light and motion declare the glory of his Name, why do ye not put on your mourning robes, and cloath yourselves with clouds of darkness; or when you set and go down from this Horizon, why do ye not stay and hid yourselves there, as being ashamed to rise again to us, and see the great dishonour done among us to great Jehovahs Name? Oh thou Mount Sinai that didst tremble at the giving of this Law, that Men should not take Gods Name in vain, why standest thou still, and dost not quake at the daily horrid violations of the same! why do not the Heavens thunder at the foaming rage of daring Sinners, against the God of Heaven! Oh Earth! Earth! how canst thou bear so great a burden without groaning under it, or dost not cleave asunder, that such audacious Sinners might go to their deserved place! Oh Sea! how canst thou refrain from overflowing the dry Land to wash it, so polluted with the profanations of the Name of the God of Earth and Sea! thou! alas! thou hast not Water enough to wash away this filth and guilt, which alone can be done by the Wounds and Blood of the only Saviour by which these Sinners do so profanely Swear! Oh Air! whither dost thou hasten? to what Parts, where there are no Inhabitants dost thou speed away out of these Mens mouths to purge thyself, to become sweet, who so often art the stinking breath of such debauched Swearers? But above all, most just and righteous God! may we not wonder at thy Patience, that when thou canst look these Prophaners of thy Name into the Grave, and frown them into Hell, canst stop their breath at Pleasure, even with their Oaths in their mouths, yet holdest thine hand, restrainest the effects of thy Wrath so long! which might we admire most, the bold Presumption of these daring Sinners, or Gods long forbearance towards them, so often committing this provoking, aggravated sin! Lord! let this abundant Swearing which calls to Heaven for Vengeance, put on all that fear thy Name to more abundant Praying to prevent the Judgments which may make this Land to mourn.  
2 Use. This Doctrine sends forth Summons to all that have been guilty of such Swearing and Cursing, speedily, hearty, and deeply to Repent: Guilty ye are, guiltless God will not hold you in this matter, what will ye do? go on in your sin, or turn from it? The sin is heinous, God is jealous of his Name, his threatenings against it are severe, the Punishment is as certain as it is great, and the omniscient God knows all the Persons, the several Oaths, the time when, the place where, and the Company in which all of them have been uttered: O let the Repentance and Reformation be as general as the sin hath been; and alas! is still unto this day. Pardon as yet might be obtained upon condition of Repentance and Faith in Christ; up then, and hasten to the Throne of Grace, down upon your Knees; as yet this God whose Name you have profaned, doth sit upon the Mercy-seat; he hath been provoked by you, but is yet reconcilable to you; you have wronged him, but he is willing to pass by all the abuses of his Name, if you will accept of Mercy as Mercy is offered in the Gospel: But if ye will Swear still, and go on in an obstinate course of Rebellion against God, and die in this and other sins Impenitent and Unbelieving, say you were  told that you shall fall into eternal Condemnation.   

SECT. VIII.  
Examples of Gods Judgments upon false Swearers.  
BEcause the Examples of Gods heavy Judgments upon others should be Warnings unto all that live in the practise of such sins, that they have been inflicted upon others for, I shall give you some unquestionably true; hear and tremble, O red and tremble, make not a jest or scorn of them, for God is the same in Justice, Power, Holiness, and sin is the same for its malignity and vileness, and though it be customary, and grown in fashion, as if it were an Ornament to Speech, yet it is not less evil in itself, but the more it abounds, the more God is provoked, and can as easily show his displeasure against you, for this sin, as he hath against others: As these Examples testify.  
1. Acts and Mon. vol. 3. pag. 961. In the time and Reign of King Edward there was in Cornwall a certain lusty young Gentleman which did ride in Company with other more Gentlemen together with their Servants, being about the number of twenty Horsemen; amongst whom this lusty Youngster entering into talk, began to swear most horribly blaspheming the Name of God, with other ribaldry words besides: unto whom one of the Company( who is yet alive, and witness hereof, viz. when this was written) not able to abide the hearing of such Blasphemous abomination, in gentle words speaking to him, said, He should give an account for every idle Word; the Gentleman taking snuff thereat, Why, said he, takest thou thought for me? take thought for thy Winding-sheet: Well( quoth the other) amend, for Death giveth no warning; for as soon cometh a Lambs skin to the Market as an old Sheeps, Gods Wounds! said he, care not thou for me, raging still after his manner, worse and worse in words, till at length passing on their Journey, they came riding over a great Bridge, standing over a piece of an arm of the Sea; upon which Bridge this Gentleman Swearer spurred his Horse in such sort, as he sprung clean over with the Man on his back, who as he was going, cried, saying, Horse and Man, and all to the Devil. Mr. Haines a Minister, was he that did reprove him, and a witness of his death, and Bishop Ridley, then Bishop of London, Preached the same fact and Example at Pauls across.  
2. If you are given to swearing in your health, and purpose to repent when you are sick and near to Death, trust not to any such flattering of yourselves, for if you so serve the Devil when you are strong, God might justly give you up to the power of your sin when Sick, as one fearful Example is related by that famous Robert Boulton in a Sermon at Northampton at the Assizes, in these words; I knew a man( mark the certainty, he knew the Man) which in his life time was given to that fearful Blasphemous sin of Swearing, who coming to his Death bed, Satan so filled his heart with a madded and enraged greediness after that( most gainless and pleasureless Sin) that tho himself swore as fast and suriously as he could, yet( as tho he had been already among the Bannings and Blasphemies of Hell) he desperately desired the standers-by to help him with Oaths, and to Swear for him. Incredible rage, prodigious fury!  
3. Another Example of a Swearer in his health, that was a Swearer at his death, Mr. Perkins relates, of a Serving-man in Lincolnshire, who for every trifle used to swear by Gods precious Blood, and would not be warned by his friends, till at length falling into a grievous sickness, he was again much persuaded by his friends to repent, which counsel he still rejected, and hearing the Bell to toll, in the very pains of death, he started up, saying and Swearing, Gods Wounds! the Bell tolls for me, but he shall not have me yet: Whereupon the blood issued out in a most fearful manner from all the joints of his body, from Mouth, Nose, Wrists, Knees, Heels, and Toes, and other parts of his Body, and so he died. How vainly do men flatter themselves in Swearing when well, promising to Repent when they shall be sick.  
4. Mr. clerk relates an Example of Gods heavy hand upon a Cursing Swearing Man, Anno Christi 1649. attested by good witnesses: About the end of June there was a Man at Ware, going with some others to wash himself in the River: But finding the water shallow, he asked if there was no deeper place for him to Swim in: Some  told him that there was not far off a deep Pit, but it was very dangerous, and therefore advised him to take heed how he went into it: to whom he answered, God damn me, if it be as deep as Hell, I will go into it. Which accordingly he did, but immediately sunk to the bottom, never rising again, but was there drowned.  
5. Luther on 1 Cor. 15. reports of one in Germany, of a most wicked life, who at almost every word he spake, the Devil was at one end. Now it happened on a time as he was passing over a Bridge he fell down, and as he was falling, cried out, Hoist up with an hundred Devils; which was no sooner spoken, but the Devil whom he called on so oft, was at his Elbow to strangle and carry him away with him.  
6. Anno Christi 1551. there lived in a City of Savoy, a Man who was a monstrous Swearer and Curser, and thô he was often admonished and blamed for it, yet would he by no means mend his manners: At length a great Plague happening in the City, he withdrew himself with his Wife, and a Kinswoman into a Garden which he had: Where being again admonished to give over his wickedness, he hardened his heart more, Swearing, Blaspheming God, and giving himself to the Devil, and immediately the Devil snatched him up, his Wife and Kinswoman looking on, and carried him quiter away. The Magistrates advertised hereof, went to the place, and examined the two Women, who justified the truth of it. clerk.  
7. The same Author relates, That at Oster in the duchy of Magalopole, a wicked Woman used in her Cursings, to give her self, Body and Soul to the Devil, and being reproved for it, she still continued the same, till( being at a Wedding Feast) the Devil came in Person, and carried her up into the Air, with most horrible out-cries and roarings, and in that sort carried her round about the Town, that the Inhabitants were ready to die with fear: And by and by tore her in four pieces, leaving her four quarters, in four several High-ways, and then brought her Bowels to the Marriage-feast, and threw them upon the table before the Maior of the Town, saying, Behold, these Dishes of Meat belong to thee, whom the like destruction waiteth for, if thou dost not amend thy wicked life. As the Devil is Gods Executioner to inflict punishments upon wicked persons, so at Gods command he may be a Messenger to confess the Truth, and reprove and warn others of their vicious conversation; and what Swearers are they that will go on in this their Sin, thô God, and Ministers, and Devils too, overruled by God, do threaten them with destruction for it.  
8. In the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, there was in the City of London, one and Averies Widow, who forswore her self for a little money that she should have paid for six pounds of Towe at a shop in Wood-street: For which cause being suddenly surprised with the Justice of God, she fell down speechless forthwith, and cast up at her mouth in great abundance and with horrible stink, that matter which by natures course should have voided downward, and so died, to the terror of all Perjured and forsworn Wretches. Theat. of Gods Judgments.  
9. A certain Passenger coming into an Inn, and gave a budget to his Host to be kept; in which there was a great Sum of Money: But when he demanded it again at his departure, the Host denied it, and gave him injurious words, with many mocks and taunts: Whereupon the passenger calleth him in question before the Judge, and because he wanted Witnesses, desired to have him sworn, who without all scruple offered to Swear and protest that he never received or concealed any such Budget of Money from him, giving himself to the Devil, if he swore falsely: The Passenger seeing his forwardness to damn himself, demanded respite to consider of the matter; and going out he meets with two Men, who inquire the cause of his coming thither, and being informed by him, offer their help unto him in his cause; thereupon they return unto the Judge, and these two unknown persons justify that the Budget was delivered unto the Host, and that he had hidden it in such a place: Whereat the Host being astonished, by his countenance and gesture discovered his guiltiness: The Judge whereupon resolved to sand him to Prison. But the two unknown Witnesses( who were indeed two Fiends of Hell) began to say, You shall not need, for we are sent to punish his wickedness: and so saying, they hoisted him up into the Air, where he vanished with them, and was never after found. Idem.  
10. The same Author speaks of a dreadful instance of Gods wrath, upon one at that very time when he wrote, saying, At this day we have an Example fresh and famous, of a certain Maid that had stolen and pilfered many things away out of her Mistresses house; of which being examined, she forswore them, and wished that she might rot, if she ever touched them, or knew of them: But notwithstanding she was carried to prison; and there presently began so to rot, and stink, that they were forced to thrust her out of Prison, and to convey her to the Hospital, where she lies( meaning when he did writ) in lamentable misery, repenting as they say of her foul sin. Ibid. p. 417.  
11. Narcissus Bishop of Jerusalem, famous for virtues, was accused falsely of unchastity, by three Men, and to prove their accusations true, they bound it with Oaths and Curfes; the first said, If I lye, I pray God I may perish by Fire: the second, If I say any thing but truth, I pray God I might be consumed by some filthy and cruel Disease: the third, If I accuse him falsely, I pray God I may be deprived of my sight and become Blind. But these forsworn accusers by their deaths witnessed his Innocency, which by their words they Impugned. For the first, his house being set on fire extraordinarily, perished in the flamme, with all his Family and progeny. The second languished away with an irksome disease that bespread his body all over. The third, seeing the woeful ends of his Companions, confessed all their villainy, and lamenting his case and crime, wept till both his eyes were out. Euseb. lib. 6. Cap. 8. in Theat.  
12. One hearing Perjury condemned in a Pulpit by a learned Preacher, and how it never escaped unpunished, said in a bravery, I have often forsworn myself, and yet my right hand is not a whit shorter than my left. Which words he had scarce uttered, when such an inflammation arose in that hand, that he was constrained to go to the chirurgeon and cut it off, lest it should infect his whole Body: and so his right hand became shorter than his left, in recompense of his Perjury, which he lightly esteemed of. Theat.  
13. Vladislaus King of Hungary, made a peace with the Turks, the Articles were engrossed in both languages, with a solemn Oath taken by both Parties for the confirmation of the same; the King of Hungary broke it, and went with his Army against the Turks, there was a long and sharp battle, till Amurath perceiving his side to decline, and almost overcome, pulled out of his bosom the Articles of the aforesaid peace, and lifting up his eyes to Heaven, uttered these speeches: O Jesus Christ, these are the Leagues that thy Christians have made, and confirmed by Swearing by thy Name, and yet have broken them again: If thou beest a God, as they say thou art, revenge this injury which is offered both thee and me, and punish these truce-breaking Varlets. He had scarce ended these speeches, but the Christians courage abated, Vladislaus was slain, his whole Army was difcomfited and all his People put to the Sword, save a few that fled: a great slaughter was made among the People, for they spared none, but haled them miserable in pieces, and executed a sore judgement of God for the Perjury that was committed. Ibid.  
In Scripture there are many Instances.  
14. Shimei for breach of Oath was put to death, 1 King. 2. 42, 46.  
15. For Breach of Oath with the Gibeonites, there was a famine in the days of David three years, seven sons of Saul hanged, because Saul had broken the Oath, 2 Sam. 21. 1, 2, 9.  
16. Jezebel suborning false Witnesses against Naboth, 1 King. 21. 9, 10. was eaten by dogs, that there was nothing of her found, but her skull, and the Feet, and the palms of her Hands. 2 King. 9. 35, 36, 37.  
17. Zedediah King of Judah, for Perjury and other sins, was overcome by nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon. Zedekiah was taken, his Sons slain before his Eyes, after that his Eyes were put out, and was bound in Fetters of brass, and carried into Bebylon, 2 King. 25. 6, 7. Compare Ezek. 17. 12, 13. 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21.  
Let these Examples of Gods revenging Justice upon multitudes for cursing, false swearing, be a warning to all, that they beware thereof, and a loud call to all that are guilty, speedily, sincerely to repent, and to Petition the God of Heaven for their pardon, lest his revenging wrath seize them in this life, and make them Examples to others, that would not take warning by such heavy Judgments inflicted upon others; and not only here, but pursue them after death into another World, and there take Vengeance on them in eternal Flames with pain and punishment proportionable to such aggravated Sins.   
FINIS.