The Drunkards Character, Section 32 – Section 33
§ 32.
NEither let any swearer blesse himself in his heart,Swearing the most … excusable …. with promises of impunity; for of all other sinnes in the world, this is the most inexcusable.
If I step aside to round the drunkard in his eare about swearing; pardon it, perhaps what is lost in the Hundred, will bee got in the shiere.
First,Of which two realons. I say of all other sinnes, this is the most inexcuseable, because, it is an evill, from which, of all evills, wee have most power of abstinence. As let him that is neverso much accustomed to swearing, (admit hee hath habituated errors into manners) be in place where he is afraid to offend, or sure to pay twelve pence for every oath; he can wholly forbeare, or if he doe chance to forget himselfe once or twice; yet he will not sweare one oath for an hundred, which he would doe, in other company, and where it would cost him nothing. Now the easier the thing commanded is, the greater guilt in the breach of it; and the lighter the injuction, the heavier the transgression, saith Saint Augustine.
Or suppose thou pretendest thou hast beene so long accustomed to it, that thou canst not leave it; yet this is but a witlesse, gracelesse, and shamelesse excuse. For first, custome of sinne is the very heigth of sinne: and nothing more aggravates it.
Secondly, will a thiefe or murtherer at the Barre alledge for his excuse and defence, that it hath beene his use and custome of a long time? or if hee doe, will not the judge so much the rather send him to the Gallowes?
Secondly, because it is a sin, to which of all other sinnes wee have the fewest temptations: for whereas other sins have commonly some sensible profit to midwife them into the world; as the Usurer finds an increase of wealth, who desires to live with lesse faith, and more security; or pleasure, as the Adulterer finds his stoln bread of Sathans seasoning and providing far sweeter, then what God hath given him of his owne; or credit, as the Hypocrite sindes, who like that Romane Woolfe, talkes of Religion, when hee meanes policy, and playes the foule devill, under the shape of an Angel of light, and may be resembled to an ugly Toade in an Ivory box, or a painted pot full of deadly poyson. These and many other sinners, which I could name, have some inducement to provoke them, some reasons to alledge; (indeed they are all taken out of the Divels Lectures) but the swearer hath nothing to provoke him, nor nothing to say, but that he loves this sin, because it is a sin, and because God forbids it; which is most fearefull and damnable, and (as a man would thinke) should make it unpardonable; I am sure, this makes it inexcusable. For what hast thou to say for thy selfe? this sinne is neither pleasing, nor profitable, nor laudable, but hath a more pure corruption and venome in it, then any of his fellowes, and must needs issue from meere malice, and contempt of God; for all thou canst expect by it, is, the suspition of a common lyer, by being a common swearer.
Yea, thou canst but procure this fruit by thy swearing, that thou shalt vex others, and they shall hate thee: which shews that thou delightest in evill, meerely because it is evill; as sinne is more stirred up and irritated by the Law; yea, inhibition inciteth, and restraint inviteth a desperate wicked wretch, and his nature most desireth what is forbidden. As it fared with Eve, and that Gentleman in Venice, who while it was left to his owne free choyce, in ninety yeares together never went forth of the Citie; but being hereupon confined, and that upon paine of death, was observed a while after to ride much abroad. Sinne, saith the Apostle, tooke occasion by the commandement, Romans 7. 11. as if mans na…re delighted in this or that evill so much the more, because the Law forbids them. Yea, most finde it here in, as in matters of bookes, which being once called in, and for…idden, become more saleable and publike. The Die…tes of the law being to …full lusts in mans heart, as water to quicke lime, a meanes to inkindle them, and make them boyle the more fiercely.
But know this thou swearer, that he is bottomlesly ill, who loves vice because it is vice; he is a desperate, prodigious, damnable wretch, and full of the venome of the serpent, that will (rather then not dye) anger God of set purpose, and without profit procure his owne destruction: which is thy case, if thou usest his Name, to make up idle places of a hollow or unfilled sentence, or to vent and utter with some more grace and force thy choller and malice. Yea, this proves thee worse then an Oxe led to the slaughter, for hereby thou becommest thine owne executioner.
Alasse! thou art not of thy selfe worthy to serve, or to name him; how then darest thou to make him, and his Name to serve thee, thy prophane discourse, and thy rash, and untempered anger?
§ 33.
AGain,That of all othe… the swearer shal be sure of plogues. supopse the Ministertels them that Swearing and Cursing is the language only of h…ll. and no where frequent but amongst the damned spirits, (which shewes them to be the Divels… best schollers upon earth, and of his highest form, with whom the language of Hell is so familiar, that blasphemy is become their mother tongue) and that they speake not a word of our country language, the language of Canaan, that they are so hardened in evill that they are past grace, and past feeling, that the swearer and blasphemer is like a mad dog, which flieth in his masters face that keepes him.
That as roaring and drinking is the horse way to Hell, whoreing and cheating the footway, so swearing and blaspheming followes Corah, Dathan, and Abyram.
That it is a sure rule, and an undoubted signe, if any man does weare and curse ordinarily, that he never truly feared God, as it cannot be that the true feare of God, and ordinary swearing, should dwell together in one man; yea, dead are they while they live, if they live in this sinne.
That Sathan stands ever at the swearers elbow, to take notice, reckon up, and set on his score, every oath he sw…areth, and keepes them upon record against the great day of reckoning; at which time he will set them all in order before him, and lay them to his charge, and that then every oath shall prove as a daggers point stabbing his soule to the heart; and as so many weights, pressing him downe to Hell.
And shall further tell them, that swearing is cl…athed with death, Ecclus. 23. 12. and that the swearer wounds his owne soule, worse then the Baalites wounded their owne bodies; that he which useth much swearing shall be filled with wickednesse, and that the plague shall never goe from his house, yea, his house shall be full of plagues, Ecclus. 23. 11. that the curse of God shall enter into the house of the swearer, and shall remaine in the midst of it, and shall consume it, with the timber thereof, and the stones thereof, untill the owner be destroyed, Zach. 5. 2. 3. 4. that God himselfe will be a swift witnesse against swearers, Mail. 3. 5.
That the Almighty hath spoken it (and that in thunder and lightning) how hee will not hold them g…iltlesse, which take his name in vaine, and that such mighty sinners as they bee, shall be mightily punished. And goe on in this manner to shew them the heynousnesse of their sinne, and grievousnesse of their punishment, it is to no purpose; for they will answer all, yea confute what ever hee can say, with this short sentence, God is mercifull: yea, though the swearer hath made his soule Hell fire hot with oathes and blasphemies, yet hee presumes, that one short prayer for mercy at the last gaspe shall coole him: they will not believe, that are ordained to perish.
Yea, the Divell and sinne so infatuates and besots them, that they thinke to be saved by the same Wounds and Blood which they sweare by, and so often sweare away; that Heaven will meete them at their last hower, when all their life long they have galloped in the beaten roade toward Hell, not considering, that the Devill being alwayes a lyer, labours to perswade the Godly, that their estate is damnable; and the wicked, to believe without once questioning, that they are in favour with God: so they spend their dayes in mirth, saith Iob, and suddenly they goe downe into Hell. Iob. 21. 13.