quent in the world, both among Jews
and Gentiles; the which also, to the shame of our age, is now so
much in fashion, and with some men in vogue; the invoking God's
name, appealing to His testimony, and provoking His judgment upon
any slight occasion, in common talk, with vain incogitancy, or
profane boldness. From such practice the Holy Apostle exhorteth in
terms importing his great concernedness, and implying the matter to
be of highest importance; for, [Greek], saith he, "(Before all
things), my brethren, do not swear;" as if he did apprehend this sin
of all others to be one of the most heinous and pernicious. Could
he have said more? would he have said so much, if he had not
conceived the matter to be of exceeding weight and consequence? And
that it is so, I mean now, by God's help, to show you, by proposing
some considerations, whereby the heinous wickedness, together with
the monstrous folly, of such rash and vain swearing will appear; the
which being laid to heart will, I hope, effectually dissuade and
deter from it.

I. Let us consider the nature of an oath, and what we do when we
adventure to swear.

It is (as it is phrased in the Decalogue, and elsewhere in Holy
Scripture) an assuming the name of God, and applying it to our
purpose; to countenance and confirm what we say.

It is an invocation of God as a most faithful Witness, concerning
the truth of our words, or the sincerity of our meaning.

It is an appeal to God as a most upright Judge whether we do
prevaricate in asserting what we do not believe true, or in
promising what we are not firmly resolved to perform.

It is a formal engagement of God to be the Avenger of our
trespassing in violation of truth or faith.

It is a binding our souls with a most strict and solemn obligation,
to answer before God, and to undergo the issue of His judgment about
what we affirm or undertake.

Such an oath is represented to us in Holy Scripture.

Whence we may collect, that swearing doth require great modesty and
composedness of spirit, very serious consideration and solicitous
care, that we be not rude and saucy with God, in taking up His name,
and prostituting it to vile or mean uses; that we do not abuse or
debase His authority, by citing it to aver falsehoods or
impertinences; that we do not slight His venerable justice, by
rashly provoking it against us; that we do not precipitately throw
our souls into most dangerous