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Perjury is one of those Sins, that, above all others, calls upon God for the Judgments upon a Nation. Thus, God tells us, by his Prophet Jeremiah, in the xxiiid Chapter, and in the 10th Verfe, Because of Swearing, the Land mourneth. And God himself has put a Mark upon it, above all other Sins, in the third Commandment; Whosoever taketh the Name of the Lord his God in vain (that is, as I told you, Whoever forfwears himself), the Lord will not hold that Man guiltless; fuch a Man fhall certainly be punished feverely.

And accordingly, amongst the Heathens, it was the general Senfe, that, of all Sinners whatsoever, the perjured Man was the worst; and fuch a one was particularly to expect the Vengeance of God both upon himself, and his Family.

And there is great Reafon for all this: For a Man, in forfwearing himself, doth really defy God, and renounce all his Hopes of Mercy from him. For whereas, in the Cafe of other Sins, there may be an Appeal made to God's Mercy; yet, in this Cafe of Perjury, there is none: For he that is perjured, hath precluded himself of this Benefit, because he hath braved God Almighty, and hath, in effect, told him to his Face, that, if he was forfworn, he would defire no Mercy.

I pray

I pray God make us all fenfible of the Heinoufness of this Sin; that fo, upon all Occafions, we may preferve inviolable in our Minds the Sacredness and Religion of an Oath; and whenever we are called upon to fwear, may, as the Prophet expreffeth it, fwear in Truth and Righteoufnefs and Judg

ment.

And thus much of the First Head I proposed to infift on. As for the other Part of my Argument against profane Swearing in our Converfation, I fhall refer it to the next Lord's Day.

Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, &c.

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372

SERMON XVII.

PREACHED

OCTOBER the 12th, 1690.

JAMES V. 12.

Above all Things, my Brethren, Swear not.

HAVE already, in my laft Difcourse, given you a large Account of the Meaning of this Text, and likewife of that other Command of our Saviour, in the vth of St. Matthew, from whence this is taken; and have fhewed, that these Prohibitions do not extend to all Oaths, but only Oaths in our common Converfation, or heedlefs, unneceffary Swearing, or taking God's Name in vain, in our Difcourfe.

This is that I now come to treat about, and which St. James means, when he says, Above all Things, my Brethren, Swear not.

I am

I am forry, indeed, there fhould be any Occafion for preaching against fuch a Practice as this: One would think, that in a civilized Nation, where Learning and the Arts flourish, and where Politenefs and good Breeding in our Conversation is every-where pretended to; and especially in a Nation where the Authority of our Lord Jefus is owned, and his Religion is profeffed, and that too with greater Purity than in our neighbouring Countries; I fay, in fuch a Nation as this, one would think there was no fuch Thing as profane Swearing to be heard in Communication; but we should, upon all Occafions, use the Name of God with the greatest Reverence in the World.

But, alas! to our Shame, it is quite otherwife. No Practice is more common amongst us than Swearing and Curfing: We outdo the very Heathens, in our profane Ufage of the Name of God: No Order or Degree of Men is free from it: The Gentleman and the Mechanick, the Perfon of Honour and the Beggar, are equally tainted with this Vice. The Mouths of feveral of us are fo used to Oaths, that they cannot tell a Story, they cannot pass a Jeft, they cannot tranfact their Business, nay, they can hardly ask a Question, or anfwer one, without an Oath, or a Curfe. It is the Seasoning of all their Difcourfe: It is to pafs for the Bb 3

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Evidence, both of their Wit, and Truth, and Senfe too. Nay, the very Children in the Streets are perfect at it. The many of those that are not taught to say their Prayers, are yet taught to fwear and damn roundly, in almost every Sentence they fpeak. O God! whither doth all this tend, and what will be the Conclufion of these Things, if this Deluge of Profaneness, which overflows our Land, hath not, through the Mercy of God, and the Care of the Government, fome Stop put to it!

I mean, at this time, moft heartily to fet myself to fhew both the Sin, and the Danger, and the Folly, and the Inexcufableness of this Vice. I will not pretend to say any thing that is new to you, upon this Argument: But I only defire, that the plain, obvious Things, which you have, perhaps, heard over and over again, and which every one may readily fuggeft to himself upon this Occafion, may be seriously weighed and confidered by all of us. And if they be fo, two Things I hope for: First, That fome of those, at leaft, that are guilty of this Fault, will, upon the Confideration of these Things, endeavour to break themselves of it. And, Secondly, That fome others, who are not guilty of it, will yet be fo fenfible of the Mischief that it doth in the World, that they will do what they can,

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