The True Christians T est, Part 1 · Meditation 82 – Meditation 83
MEDITAT. LXXXII. Of Swearing.
AMongſt the Faſhions of the World, I cannot but a little think (and yet cannot well endure to think) of Swearing.
I cannot well tell to what Head of the Worldly Life to reduce Swearing, except it be to the Faſhions of the World. Sure it cannot be the love of Profit, nor of Pleaſure, nor a deſire of Honor, that puts men upon this; and yet it is worldly, and a ſymptom of a prophane mind.
Men do not ordinarily get any thing by Swearing, except it be in Caſes of Falſe Swearing, where they ſell their Oaths to ſerve another mans intereſt. This is ſo hateful a Practice, ſo like that of Judas (for indeed it is a ſetting of God himſelf to Sale) that though it ſhould bring in Thirty pieces of Silver, or ſome ſuch ſmall matter, one would think no man ſhould dare to make the Bargain.
But the ordinary faſhionable Swearing in common Diſcourſe gets nothing; nor is it with any deſign to get, that I can imagine. Nay, it may reaſonably be ſuppoſed to be to mens Loſs: For it very much tends to the weakning of a mans Reputation in the apprehenſion of all ſober men, (with whom it is a Maxim, That he that will ſwear, will lye) and that is certainly to men Worldly diſadvantage.
In the common notion of Pleaſure, it cannot be Pleaſant; it relieves no Hunger, quenches no Thirſt, gratifies no Senſe. Nay it is harſh to the Ear, and muſt needs be unpleaſant to the Conſcience, that at any times reflect upon it.
It is ſhameful and diſhonourable amongſt all ſober perſons; and conciliates no honour or real reſpect with them that are themſelves addicted to it; being common to the meaneſt and baſeſt of men, as well as to the beſt Gentleman of them all Nay, they that are addicted to this vice, do not ordinarily allow it in their Servants and Children; and ſometimes will not ſeek to tell us ſo.
And what, has the Devil found out ſomething that is deviliſh and damning, that is neither Profitable, Pleaſant, nor Honourable? Is it not ſtrange that that Monſter ſhould have any Voluntiers in his ſervice, that will ſerve him without any wages at all; and ſerve him ſo vigorouſly too, as if they would take Hell by ſtorms, and the Kingdom of darkneſs by violence! Oh it is the Faſhion, it is an argument of an agreeable temper, and a mind not hatefully ſqueamiſh.
And oh God, How ſhould thy Soul but be avenged on ſuch a Nation as this, that has entertain'd ſuch a Faſhion as this! What pity can poſſibly be ſhewn to ſuch deſperate Wretches, who will needs go to Hell in State, and periſh Modiſhly!
And is there no plauſibler Pretence than Faſhion? Yes, ſome think they come off better, that impute it to Paſſion: They were angry, they were affronted, abuſed, they could not be believed. In ſhort, ſuch and ſuch things would make any man mad, and who could forbear Swearing?
Alas what miſerable ſhifts are theſe; to confeſs madneſs, for the excuſe of folly; to take Sanctuary in Scylla, to eſcape Carybdis. Shall violent paſſions be brought to excuſe ſwearing, when themſelves cannot be excus'd? If it be a ſin to ſwear, is it not a greater …o ſwear in a mad mood? To be at all poſſeſt with a Devil of Paſſion is ſad and grievous, though it be a dumb Devil: But if it be ſuch a Devil as we read of (Luk. 9.) that makes a man cry out, and foame again, it is much more dreadful. Or ſhall we ſay that ſin is leſſened, by being multiply'd; after the manner of a River cut into many Channels? A River ſo cut, will indeed be the leſs River; but it will have never the leſs water, if you take it in all the Channels. If ſwearing in a mad mood and violent paſſion be the leſs ſin, becauſe of the paſſion; yet that part of the ſin which is wanting in the Oath, will be found in the Paſſion.
Some excuſe the matter by the ſeldomneſs of it: Now and then they rap out an Oath; but it is out of forgetfulneſs, and unawares; yea poſſibly they wipe their mouths with a God forgive me that I ſhould ſwear.
This indeed will excuſe a tanto, the ſeldomer the better: But Chriſt Jeſus commands, Swear not at all, which refers to time, as well as things. This nowand-then-ſwearing is an argument of a mind forgetful of God; which is a Character bad enough. Allow our ſelves in this, and it will ſoon multiply.
I wonder men ſhould excuſe themſelves in this ſin by the infrequency of it, more than in others. No body ſays, I ſteal but an Horſe or two in a Year; I play the Whore or the Whoremaſter but twice or thrice a week: yet one would think there were more temptations to either of thoſe, than to Swearing.
How many ſoever the faults of good men are, yet I ſuppoſe it is a very rare thing to find a Godly ſwearer, a man of true Seriouſneſs, and hearty Religion. That will adventure by this Method, to vent his Paſſion, adorn his Diſcourſe, or humour the Company.
If by Seldom, be meant, that we never ſwear but ſolemnly, in a weighty matter, and ſuch an one too, as cannot otherwiſe be known, or will not be believ'd, accompany'd with a juſt reverence of God, (ſuch as we read of ſometimes in the Hiſtory of Abraham, Jacob, David, and in the Writings of St. Paul) let ſuch ſwearing paſs for a part of Gods Worſhip. But raſh and unneceſſary ſwearing though it be never ſo ſeldom, proceeds from the Devil, ſays our Saviour; and leads to him, ſays his Apoſtle (Jam. 5. 12.) and therefore I may ſafely ſay is a prefering of the World before God. If it be by the Creator, it is blaſphemous; if by the Creature, idolatrous.
This puts me in mind of another excuſe for ſwearing: they only ſwear ſome petty Oath; no blaſphemy, no bloody Oaths, as they call them.
But I hope theſe petty Oaths are more, than yea or nay, and if ſo, they are forbidden in that foreign, Swear not at all. Nay, that prohibition ſeems to be meant principally of ſwearing by the Creature, as appears by what follows in the Text.
To atteſt a Creature, as if it knew our hearts, or were able to judge us, is ridiculous idolatry. To ſwear by the Creature, is to take Gods Name in vain: for it is a manifeſt abuſing of his works. The Bleſſed Virgin was an excellent piece of Divine Handy-work, but ſhe was not made to ſwear by: This is an Honour hatt ſhe never dream'd of, when ſhe Propheſy'd that all Generations ſhould call her Bleſſed. All our Divines (I think) agree, that Swearing is an Act of Worſhip: How ſtrangely then do Proteſtants contradict themſelves, that deny the worſhiping of Saints, and yet ſwear ordinarily by the Lady; and yet more Nonſenſically than ſo too, when they ſwear by the Maſs, which yet they deny to be.
The Example of David and others, ſaying, As thy Soul liveth, will not juſtifie: The beſt Expoſitors ſay it is no more, than As ſure as thou livest. Nay, Eſtius, and other learned Commentators ſay, That Joſeph's life of Pharaoh, (for ſo the words are in the Hebrew) are but a vehement ob…eſtation, others make them a Prayer; and thoſe that make them an Oath, blame him for it. Sure I am, the Example of Joſeph will not ſo much juſtifie, as the expreſs Prohibition of Jeſus will condemn. And what a weight does the Apoſtle James lay upon this? He uſhers it with an Above all things my Brethren; and backs it with the greateſt argument, danger of damnation, Jam. 5. 12.
God grant me to live under the authority of thy holy Word! Lord, charge it ſeverely upon my heart, and the hearts of all men, frequently and affectionately to conſider ſuch paſſages of thy holy Word as theſe are: Whatſoever is more than Yea and Nay, cometh of evil: Swear not, …est ye fall into condemnation; for every idle word men must give account. By thy words thou ſhalt be juſtify'd, and by thy words thou ſhalt be condemned: If any man bridle his tongue, the ſame is a perfect man!
MEDITAT. LXXXIII. Of Worldly Wiſdom in general.
AMongſt other things of the World, the Scripture alſo makes mention of worldly Wiſdom. This is ſo corrupt a thing, that it is put in oppoſition to the Grace of God, by the Apoſtle Paul, 2 Cor. 1. 12. and in the ſame place to ſimplicity and godly ſincerity. It is deſcribed by the Apoſtle James, to be Earthly and Senſual; and is ſaid to be accompany'd with envyings and ſtrivings of heart▪ We may more fully ſee what it is by its oppoſite, the Wiſdom that is from above: this is pure, peaceable, gentle, eaſie to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without hypocriſie and partiality: So then the worldly Wiſdom is envious, contentious, cruel, unmerciful, unfruitful, hypocritical and partial, and the worldly-wiſe-man is a hater of God.
This worldly-wiſe-man is not one that underſtands the World, and knows the guiſe of it; though he know it ſo well, that a Creeple is not able to halt before him.
He is not one that underſtands the buſineſs of the World, the beſt Markets and Bargains, the moſt advantageous way of Trading, the beſt ſeaſons of Buying and Selling, and getting Gain.
He is not one that is ſubtile in counſel, and knows how to antevert, ſuppreſs, over-reach an Enemy, ſo wiſe was Huſhai, the Friend of David, the Friend of God.
But, in general, he is wiſe to do evil, (as the Devil is) to advance the intereſt of the World, and the Fleſh, above the Intereſt of God, above Juſtice, Truth, Charity, Peace, Purity: and is more particularly deſcribed by the Apoſtle Paul and St. James. He is deſcribed by the Apoſtle Paul, as one double and unſincere; by the Apoſtle James, as one impure, envious, contentious, harſh, implacable, mercileſs, unfruitful, partial, and hypocritical.
It is evident by the light of Scripture, that all theſe things, viz. Impurity, Envy, Contentiouſneſs, &c. are works of the Fleſh, Earthly, Deviliſh, and certain ſymptoms of the ſpirit of the World, and of a Lover of the World, in whom the Love of the Father is not.
It is pity to let all theſe paſs with a general Animadverſion onelyonly, they are proper Subjects of a diſtinct Meditation.
But in the mean time, what matter of ſorrow and aſtoniſhment does this general Obſervation adminiſter!
Good God, If theſe Sins of the Spirit be certain Symptoms of a Worldly Mind, and Companions of the Worldly Wiſdom, How does the whole World lie in Wickedneſs! How far has the Serpentine Poyſon diffuſ…d it ſelf! Alas, Who has not ſome of the Spawn of it in him! I ſee Man did not in vain eat of the Tree of Knowledge, of the Tree to be deſired to make one wiſe▪ For he is thereby grown very wiſe to do evil; and the Children of this World are more skill'd in their impure Wiſdom, than the Children of Light in the pure.