2. But farther, if the sin of swearing is so exceeding heinous, and withal so common, then it is every particular person’s duty, especially those that are in authority, to do their utmost towards discountenancing and suppressing so malignant a crime. The duty we owe both to GOD and our neighbour, requires this at our hands: by the one we are obliged to assert our Maker’s honour; by the other to prevent our neighbour’s ruin: and it is but doing as we would be done by, and as we ourselves act in cases of lesser consequence. Were we to hear either our own or our friend’s good name vilified and traduced, we should think it our bounden duty to vindicate the wronged reputation of each: and shall the great, terrible, and holy name of our best and only friend, our king, our father, nay our GOD: shall this be daily, nay every moment, defied and blasphemed; and will no one dare to stand up in defence of his honour and holiness? Be astonished, O heavens, at this! No; let us scorn all such base and treacherous treatment: let us resolve to support the cause of religion, and with a becoming prudent courage manifest our zeal for the honour of the LORD of Hosts. Men in authority have double the advantages of ordinary christians: their very office shews they are intended for the punishment of evil doers. And such is the degeneracy of mankind, that the generality of them will be more influenced by the power of persons in authority, than by the most laboured exhortations from the pulpit. To such, therefore, if there are any here present, I humbly address myself, beseeching them, in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, to do their utmost to put a stop to, and refrain profane cursing and swearing. And though it must be confessed, that this is a work which requires a great deal of courage and pains, yet they would do well to consider, it is for GOD they undertake it, who certainly will support and bear them out in a due execution of their office here, and reward them with an exceeding and eternal weight of glory hereafter. But it is time to draw towards a conclusion.
3. Let me, therefore, once more address myself to every person here present, in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST; and if any amongst them have been any way guilty of this notorious sin of swearing, let me entreat them by all that is near and dear to them, that they would neither give the magistrate the trouble to punish, nor their friends any reason for the future to warn them against committing the crime; but keep a constant and careful watch over the door of their lips, and withal implore the divine assistance (without which all is nothing) that they offend no more so scandalously with their tongues. Let them seriously lay to heart, what with great plainness and simplicity has here been delivered: and if they have any regard for themselves as men, or their reputation as christians; if they would not be a public scandal to their profession, or a grief to all that know or converse with them: in short, if they would not be devils incarnate here, and provoke GOD to punish them eternally hereafter; I say unto them in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, “Swear not at all.”