2. Again, we see by irhom an oath should he taken : by the name of God. We ought not to swear by creatures, but by God himself ; nor to swear by any idol, as the mass, and by Mary, and such hke. It is a taking God to witness. An oath is a part of God's service, a part of divine worship, as it
494 COMMENTARY ON
is, Dent. xxix. 12, antl otlior places. Now we ought to serve God only; therefore we ought not to use the name of any creature in an oath. He that we swear by must know the heart, whether wc speak true or no. Now who knows the heart hut God ? therefore we must swear only by the name of God. These things are easy, therefore I do but name them.
3. We see here again, the two f/niiid jiarts of an oath ; besides assertion, or promise of the truth, there must be a calling God to witness, and impre- cation. Though these be not always set down, they are implied. Some- times the Scripture sets down the one part ; but always the other is implied. There is imprecation in every oath. Sometimes imprecation implies both, as God do so and so. Sometimes there is a calling God to witness without imprecation, yet it is always implied. For whosoever swears, calls God to witness of the truth, and if it be not true, that God would punish him.
These three go together in an oath. God that can discover it, he knows my heart whether I say true or no. And he is judge, and thereupon a revenger. In an oath, God is considered not only as judex, but as judex and viiulex ; not only as a discoverer, but as a judge and revenger, if it be false. Therefore it is a part of divine worship, because it is with prayer ; and imprecation is alway implied, if it be not expressed. So we see in this text what an oath is, ancl by whom it is to be taken, and the parts of it.
4. Again, we see here in the text, that an oath ouf/ht to be taken in serious matters. The rule of an oath is excellently set down by Jeremiah, iv. 2. I know no one place of Scripture more pregnant, and therefore I name it. ' Thou shalt swear,' — how ? — ' The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness.'
(1.) We must swear in truth, that is, that not only the thing be true that we swear ; we must look to that, but we must think it so too. The thing must be true, and we must apprehend it so. ' We must swear in truth.'
(2.) And then in judgment, that is, with discretion. We must under- stand throughly the matter whereof we swear, and what an oath is. There- fore persons under years ought not to take an oath, because they cannot sw^ear in judgment, to know what the weight and validity of an oath is ; and when it is a fit time to take it. It must be taken in serious business, as St Paul here to clear himself to the souls of the Corinthians whom he laboured to edify ; when he saw their ill conceit of him hindered their edification, therefore he clears himself by an oath.
(3.) Thirdly, it must be in justice, that is, we must not bind ourselves by an oath to anything that is ill : it is a rule a long time past. Herod bound himself by an oath in that kind. Mat. xiv. 9. But an oath must never be a bond of injustice, but it must be taken in righteousness.
Therefore here is condemned the equivocation and reservation of the papists. They will swear before a magistrate, but with equivocation. This is not in righteousness ; for it is a rule that an oath must be taken in that sense as he to whom we swear takes it ; that is a constant rule among all divines, because it is to persuade him of the truth that we swear. It is for his and others' sakes ; and as he and others take it, so it must be took. Therefore equivocation with absurd reservations are wicked, because they are: absurd if they be expressed. He will swear that he is not a priest : he means after the order of Melchizedec. It is a mocking and profaning of an oath, it is not to swear in justice and righteousness. But it is so foul and abominable a course, that it is not fit to be spoken of almost ; and ■ ey are ashamed of it themselves. St Paul's oath was all this. He sware
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 23. 495
in truth ; he was truly persuaded of the truth of his own affections toward them. And then in judgment ; it was done ni discretion ; for being not able otherwise to clear himself, having no witness in earth, he goes to heaven for a purger, he goes to God himself for a witness ; he fetcheth strength from heaven. There was none on earth that knew St Paul's affec- tion, but the Spirit of God and his own spirit ; and he thought his own spirit was not sufficient. My own spirit tells me that ' I came not, to spare you ;' hut if you would know my mind better, ' I call God to witness,' and to be a revenger, if I speak false, that I came not, for this end, that I might spare you, to prevent the rigoui- and severity that I should have used to- ward your sin.