The Duty and Danger of Swearing, Title page – Dedication
THE DUTIE AND DANGER OF SWEARING: Opened in a Sermon preached at YORK February 3. 1655. the day of Swearing the Lord Maior.
By Edward Bowles M: A. Preacher of the Gospell there.
Zach. 5. 4.
And I will bring forth the Curse, saith the Lord of Hosts, and it shall enter into the House of the Thief, and into the House of him that sweareth falsly by my Name: and it shall remain in the midst of his House, and shall consume it, with the Timber thereof, and the Stones thereof.
Printed and sold in York by Tho: Broad. 1655.
To the Honourable Stephen Watson Lord Maior, the Aldermen and the Common Counsell of the ancient Citie of York.
Honoured and beloved,
IT hath pleased the Lord of the Harvest in his wise and good Providence, to allot my Work and Service (if it be worth the name of Service) to that Citie which God hath made not onelyonly your habitation, but also your charge; I am pleased with my lot, not onelyonly as it is from the Lord, but as it is among you: I must acknowledge (and hereby do) that I have found that affection and respect from you as becomes a Minister of Christ; and I have endeavoured to give you a testimony, that I have not sought my own profit, but the profit of many, that they might be saved, (if I may use the words of so great an Apostle concerning my self) I have been induced partly by way of acknowledgement and respect, but especially by the sense of my duty, as a Minister, to offer to your reading and consideration the substance of a Sermon lately preached among you, which I hope (through Divine blessing) may be usefull to you. You who are awakened cannot but be sensible how easily, and how quickly the Word spoken slips from you. It is soon gone from us who study it, and write it, and speak it; you have lesse advantage to retain it, who hear it but once, unlesse the peculiar Promise and Blessing made to the Word Preached, do befriend you. I am jealous over you (I hope) with a godly jealousie, least through inadvertency of mind, unsutablenesse and unprepardnesse of heart, earthlinesse of affection, seconded with Satans depths and devices, this counsell given you concerning Oathes may be forgotten. I know you have almost daily need to consider of this subject, being frequently called to actions relating thereunto, and it is now in your power daily, or at least frequently, to peruse it: If you walk in the violation of the Oathes of God that are upon you, it will not be charged upon me, I have delivered my own soul, and endeavoured to deliver yours. I have but two words further to speak unto you at this present; First, that you would more frequently and diligently attend the preaching of the Word, The Power of God unto salvation. It pleaseth God out of his bounty and good will to you, to afford you besides the publique Ordinances on the Lords day, a weekly Lecture, which I apprehend to be very much neglected, and I have often heard the paucity of hearers laid as a reproch upon the Citie, by well disposed strangers. I pray consider your selves and those that are sorrowfull for the solewn assembly to whom the reproach of it is a burthen▪ Zeph. 3. 18. You may plead our unworthinesse whe… preach unto you, but that Plea I doubt will not be admitted at the great Barr; there is not the meanest o… the Ministers of Christ by whose labours you migh… not profit, if the defect were not in your own hearts▪ Remember that Divine Institution and Blessing are the main advantages in hearing the Word, not the Gifts of the Speakers, or the capacitie of the Hearers. God is pleased most frequently to concurr with the plainest, (I had almost said the meanest) gift, in the conversion of men, that the glory might be of God, and not of men. I am sure you cannot plead want of leisure, through multitude of trading & worldly imployment, I wish it were more; and truly I think there is no better way to help it, then to deal liberally with God in publike Duties. First, he hath secured you that you shall be no loosers, by that promise made to the Israel of God, Neither shall any man desire thy Land (that is, thou shalt sustain no dammage,Exod 34. 24. the Lord is thy security) when thou goest up to appear before the Lord thy God. Nay, I think you may safely applie that passage of the Lord to his people, Hagg. 2. 18. Consider the day that the foundation of the Temple was laid, consider it, from this day will I blesse you. Trie the Lord, or rather trust the Lord. You complain of great decayes, and they are visible; You Sow much, and bring in little, &c. Consider your wayes; Hagg. 1. 6, 7.whether you be not defective in that which concerns the House of God. The second is this, that you would studie by all means to preserve peace and unitie among your selves, by delivering up unto perpetuall oblivion all inveterate envies and enmities; to that end that Magistrates would equally and gently (as to Brethren) administer justice, (I mean onelyonly such a gentlenesse as to execute the Law with a Gospell spirit) that the people would submit themselves in the fear of God, & not wear out the spirits of their Rulers by their cumbrance and strife; but turn some of their complaints into prayers, to which they are obliged by the sacred Rule*1 Tim 2. 1, 2. It is easier to blame then understand the work and weight of Magistracy and Ministery, especially when they have to deal with a people that are poor & foolish, and know not the way the Lord, nor the judgement of their God, Jer. 5. 4. And lastly, it will tend much to unity, that you be very carefull what Ministers are planted among you, such as give some evidence of the Spirit of God dwelling in them, whose fruits are love and peace; such as are desirous of Reformation, least superstition, vanitie and strife proceed from them who should be the greatest promoters of Knowledge Truth and Peace. I will detain you no longer, if I have erred in what I have written to you, impute it to the largenesse of my affection to the Citie, which may possibly have intrenched upon my understanding in what I have said.2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally, brethren, farewell: Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one minde, live in peace; and the God of love und peace shall be with you.
Yorke, March, 15. 1655. Your affectionate servant in the Lords work, Edw: Bowles.