Ver, 12.-Agrtinse swearing. The apostle has been exhorting to long-suffering un<lcr t.rials; ond he now prohibits profanity. For impatience in the time of affliction rnny betray o man into speaking una<lvisedly, and may even tempt him to take the Name of God in vain. I. 'l'HJIJ KIND OF SWEARING WHICB 18 HERE PltOHIBITED. We believe that James condemns only what is called profane swearing. He exhorts the brethren to abstain from hasty ond frivolous oaths. Some commentators, indeed (as De Wette), sonia philosophers (as Bentham), some Fathers of the early Church (as Chrysostom and Augustine), and some Christian sects (a~ the Quakers), interpret this command, with that of our Lord in his Sermon on the Mount (Matt. v. 34--37), as an absolute con- demnation of all kinds of swearing. The prevailing judgment of the Church, however, is that upon solemn occasions oaths may be not only lawful, but sometimes also dutiful. For what does an oath mean? It means, to call upon God to take notice of, and t,> ratify, some particular assertion. And Christian intelligence suggests that there crn be nothing sinful in this, provided it be done only upon a. solemn judicial oc-:asion an,l in a reverent spirit. 'l'he words in the third commandment which are emphatic a, c: evidently the words "in vain," it being assumed that there is a lawful use of t!,c Divine Name. Passages are to be found in the Old Testament in which God enjoin~ upon his people the taking of solemn oaths (Dent. vi. 13; x. 20; Jer. xii. 16); all(l it was ordained in the Law given from Sinai, that persons accused of certain offence~ might clear themselves by an adjuration (Exod. xxii.10, 11). Prophets and apostles often attested their inspired messages with a.n oath: e.g. Elijah (1 Kings xvii. 1), Micaiah (1 Kings xxii. 14), Paul (Gal. i. 20; 2 Cor. i. 23). The Lord Jesus Christ, when put upon his oath by the high priest, accepted the adjuration, although he had before been sileut (Matt. xxvi. 63, 64). And, highest of all, Jehovah himself is represente,I as swearing (Ps. ex. 4; Heb. vi. 13). When, therefore, Jesus and James say, "Swear not," they do not forbid solemn oaths, if used sparingly, upon appropriate occasions, and as an act of worship; but only such swearing as is passionate, purposeless, profane. II. 'l'HE NEED THAT THERE I8 FOB BUCH A PROHIBITION. Colloquial swearing was a clamant sin among the Hebrews, as it still is among the Orientals. The people generaliy were adepts in the use of profane expletives. Rabbinical casuistry h~,l devised many subtle refinement.s with the view of permitting indulgence in the habit on all occasions (Matt. xxiii. 16-22). '!'he scribes taugbt that while it w:H sinful to swear expressly by the Divine Name, it was allowable to do so by heaven, by the earth, by the prophets, by Jerusalem, by the temple, by the altar, by the blood uf Abel, by one's own head, etc. 'l'h<l extreme commonness of this sin of careless swear- ing led our Lord, once and again, to rebuke it, and to point out the evil lying under it; and the Apostle James here catches up his spirit, and echoes his words. But we in thi, country require the apostle's warning perhaps a.s much as the Christian Jews of "the Dispersion." The strong tendency of human nature to the use of profane language is a remarkable illustration of our depravity. How much profanity there is in the popular literature of the day, even in that section of it which is considered " high class," an, I which is read by the cultured portion o.f the community! 'l'his objectionable element in many of our works of fiction is at once a symptom of much evil already existing, and a cause of more. How prevalent also is the sin of swearing in our public streets ! It is distressing to overhear the most profane expressions coming sometimes from tlie lips of the merest children. And even persons who profess to fear God will allow them- selves to use his Name--in some mutilated form, it may be-as a needless exclamation; or employ similarly the sacred word which expresses some Divine attribute; or swe,,r by the dread rea!Hies of death and eternity. Christians ought to remember that all such forms of speech are an offence against the Majesty of heaven, and a grief to the heart of the Lord Jesus. In this region there should be a clear and wide separatic\, between believers and unbelievers. Lips which use the first petition of the Lo,d'~ Prayer-" Hallowed be thy Name," ought never to speak of God and of Divine thin~s except in a spirit of reverent worship. III. THE EARNESTNESS OF THE PROHIBITION. We have considered the matter of the apostle's counsel· let us look now to his manner in giving it. He writes with burning earnestness. "But above all things, my hrethren, swear not;" i.e. guard yoursel "es wi~h peculiar ~re against the sip of profanity. We should exercise this s:pecial watcu- 80 THE GENERAL EPlS'l'LE OF JAMES. [oH. V, 1-20,
fulne~ for many rensons; amongst those, beeanse: 1. Profane swearing is a great sin. It is ~1tterly ~pposed_ to the Chris_tian pal.icnce and long-suffering which the apoRtle has been mculcat1 □ g. .No man dare msult a follow-creature as many men every day insult the Majesty on high. The great Jehovah should be contemplated with the profoundest rc,erence; but to swear is to insult him to his face. 2. This sin is very easily com- mitted. Our corrupt, nature is prone to it. The tempttttions which bosot us are abundant. Both round oaths and minced oaths are to be heard everywhere. So, James ~ays, "Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay." 'l'he bare word of a Christian man should be enough. Even to say, "Upon my word," is to swear; such an asseveration is contrar.v to Christian simplicity. If one is strictly truthful, his simple "yes" or "no" will always be believed. 3. Sweai·ing is a ,·uinous sin. James adds, "That ye fall not under judgment." A foul tongue is the index of a foul heart. Indeed, the two act and react upon one another. The prorane man, therefore, is destroying~his own soul. Be who swears by hell in jest may well tremble lest he go to hell in earnest. The Lord our God will not suffer him to escape his righteous judgment (Deut. xxviii. 58, 59). CoNCLUSION. What need we have to offer the prayer of David-" Set a watch, 0 Lord, before my mouth ; keep the door of my lips" (Ps. cxli. 3) !-0. J.