An ordinaiy course of swearing, it argues a very vile heart wheresoever it is : bear it out as boisterously as they will. It argues this venom in the heart : Well ! I cannot offend against the second table, but the laws of the kingdom will hamper me ! I cannot steal, or murder, but somewhat I can do in despite of God himself, and the worst that can come, it is but a trifling matter. What venom is in the hearts of men, that where there is but the least damage, they will be restrained ; and here, because there is not present execution upon a sinner in this kind, they profane and abuse .the glorious name of God !
1. When God's name is abused by swearing and blasphemy, usually the original of it, among other things, is atheism. If we thought that God were BO as the Scripture shews, we would not dally so much. They that lead others into bad courses, it is from the height and depth of atheism. Make the best of it, it is a great degree of irrevei'ence to the glorious Majesty of God. For when God shall say, ' He that takes my name in vain, shall not carry it away guiltless,' Exodus xx. 7 : What will he do, think you, to him that swears idly, and profanely, when the vain taking of God's name in vain without an oath, the vain trifling with the name of God, shall not
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 23. 497
escape ? When men do not reverence and fear an oath, as it is, Eccles. ix. 2, it argues much irreverence.
And, indeed, it is worse in the principle than in the thing itself. Though the words be heinous, yet the principle whence it ariseth is worse, that is, infidelity and atheism, and alway irreverence and want of fear of the glorious Majesty of God, this ground makes it more odious. There- fore, those that are subject to it, if they would amend it, let them remove the ground.
2. Sometimes, again, it is chemhing too much passion. So, because they cannot be sufficiently revenged upon their poor brethren, God must smart for it ; they will tear his glorious name that never did them wrong. What a mad passion is this ; hath God done them any wrong ? Therefore, I say, let us labour to remove the ground of it ; and labour to plant the contrary in our hearts, the true fear of God, that we may fear an oath. Let us labour to subdue unruly passion.
3. Again, in some others affectation is the came. Many of the frothy sort, they think it a thing commendable to fill up their discourse with these parentheses, with oaths ; which perhaps doth them a service to knit their wounded discourse together. So this foolish and sinful aflectation is one cause. Men desire to be thought to be somebody, by swearing. They would have the world to think that they are valorous men, that can be so bold with God himself ; therefore let other men take heed how they meddle with them, when God smarts for it, as if he that could swear most, had most courage.
4. And in many it is out of a sinful shame, because they will hold cor- respondence with the company, and they are afraid to be thought to be strict ; and that they may be thought to be free from suspicion of over- much consciouableness* in their ways, they will not let the world see that they shall not think that they are men that make any conscience of strict- ness, but they can be bold with the name of God : so, because they would have others think that they are men that do not stand upon terms of conscience and strictness, they will swear they are men for the world, they are serviceable for any purpose. Men that make conscience of any- thing, make conscience of all ; but a man that makes conscience of an oath, or any such thing, he is a stifl' man, he is not serviceable, he is not for the turn. Now, because men would be thought of others not to be of that strain, to make any conscience, hereupon they break out to the profaning of the name of God. How shall such persons, that out of sinful weakness labour and apply themselves more to satisfy sinful men, than the great God, how dare they look God in the face ? Jesus Christ saith, ' He that is ashamed of me before men ;' he that is ashamed to own reU- gion, nay, to own justice, to own even common good behaviour, rather than he will offend others : he that is ashamed of me in such mean things as these, ' I will be ashamed of him before my Heavenly Father,' Mark viii. 38.
If other reasons will not move us to leave this sin, let the love of the state and kingdom we live in do it. Jeremiah saith, * for oaths the land shall mourn,' Jer. xxiii. 10. Indeed, there is a mulct for this, but that men slight it. And God, I hope, will be merciful to the state, for the censure of the state upon profanation, it is a very worthy act (jjjj). But if that be not executed, or men gi'ow not to make more conscience, the land will ■*" That is, ' couscientiousness.' — G.