A Hopefull way to Cure that horrid Sinne of SWEARING Or an help to save SWEARERS if willing to be saved Being an Offer or Message from HIM whom they so Daringly and Audaciously provoke Also a Curb against Cursing MEMB. 1. 1. Messenger NOt to admonish our brother is to hate him as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Levit. 19. 17. But to scorn our brother should admonish us is more to hate our selves That little which Cresus learned of Solon saved his life And had Pilate taken that fair warning his wife gave him it might have saved his soul which once lost cannot be redeemed with ten thousand worlds no not with the enduring of ten thousand thousand years torments in Hell When a Dog flies in his masters face that keeps him we conclude he is mad are they then rationall men that being never so little crost will fly in their Makers face and teare their Saviours name in peeces with oaths and execrations which is worse then Frenzie Yea this is to send challenges into Heaven and make love to destruction And certainly it is Gods unspeakable mercy that every such oath blasphemy proves not a Benoni the death of the mother Gen. 35. 18. 2. Think me not too bold or over harsh for I speak to you both for and from my Maker and Redeemer Yea be perswaded to hearken a while unto me as you would have God another day hearken unto you Are you Christians as you call your selves if you be you have at least heard what God and Christ hath done for us How when we were in a sad condition when by sin we had forfeited our selves and all we had and wilfully plunged our souls and bodyes into eternall torments When neither heaven earth nor hell could have yeelded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited heaven for us then O then The eternall God would dye viz. so far as was possible or necessary that we might not dye eternally Iohn 3. 16. A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men on earth and Angels in heaven And all this even against our wils when we were his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan as now you doe not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto 3. O my brethren bethink your selves It is his maintenance we take and live on The air we breath the earth we tread on the fire that warms us the water that cools and cleanseth us the cloaths that cover us the food that does nourish us the delights that cheer us the beasts that serve us the Angels that attend us even all are his That we are not at this present in hell there to fry in flames never to be freed That we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory in heaven hereafter we are only beholding to him And shall we deny this Lord that hath bought us shall we most spightfully and maliciously fight on Satans side against him with all our might and that against knowledge and conscience I wish you would a little think of it 4. For favours bestowed and deliverances from danger bind to gratitude or else the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect The contribution of blessings requires retribution of thanks or will bring distribution of judgments And certainly if a friend had given us but a thousand part of what God hath we should heartily love him all our lives and think no thanks sufficient And in reason Hath God done so much for us and shall we denye him any thing he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our sins most of all this sottish and damnable sin in which there is neither profit nor pleasure nor credit nor any thing else to provoke or intice us unto it as in other sins for all you can expect by it is the suspicion of common Lyers by being common Swearers Or that you shall vex others and they shal hate you Whereas if we could give Christ our Bodyes and Souls they should be saved by it but he were never the better for them Yea swearing and cursing are sins from which of all other sins we have the most power to abstain For were you forced to pay three shillings four pence for every oath and curse you utter as the Law enjoins or if you were sure to have your tongue cut out which is too light a punishment for this sin damnation being the due penalty thereof as the Apostle sets it down Iames 5. 12. you both could and would leave it which alone makes it altogether inexcusable And this know that the easier the thing commanded is the greater guilt in the breach of it and the lighter the injunction the heavier the transgression as Austin speaks and Adams eating the forbidden fruit sufficiently proves So that it is evident you love this sin meerly because it is a great sin and blaspheme out of meer malice to and contempt of God which is most fearfull and as a man would think should make it unpardonable I am sure the Psalmist hath a terrible word for all such if they would take notice of it Let them be confounded that transgresse without a cause Psal. 25. 3. And no marvell that this fearfull imprecation should fall from the Pâ—ophets mouth for that man is bottomlesly ill who loves vice meerly because it is a vice and because God most strictly forbids it He is a desperate prodigious damnable wretch who rather then not die will anger God on set purpose Wherefore looke to it and think of it you cursing and cursed Swearers You swear away your salvation curse away your blessing Howling and Cursing shall be your chief ease in Hell to whom blasphemy was an especiall recreation on Earth 5. Argue with all the world and they will conclude there is no vice like ingratitude And meer ingratitude returns nothing for good but you return evill yea the greatest and most malicious evill for the greatest and most admired love It was horrible ingratitude for the Iewes to scourge and crucifie Christ who did them good every way for he healed their diseases fed their bodies inlightned their mindes of God became Man and lived miserably among them many years that he might save their souls though in killing him they did their utmost to sinke the only ship that could save them but you are more ingratefull to God and Christ then they were or can be exprest by the best Oratour alive For which read more in a Treatise intituled Gods goodnesse and Englands unthankfulnesse from Chapter 4. to Chapter 7. 6. O that you would but consider that the Lord Iehovah who is â— God great and terrible of most glorious majesty and infinite purity hears and beholds you in all places and in every thing you
is salvation to us for to us the one cannot be without the other we shall never inherit part of his gloâ—y in heaven if we do not take his glories part upon earth And with God it is much about one whether we be doers of evill or no hinderers For if we must not see our neighbours oxe nor his sheep goe astray or fall into a pit but we must reduce him and help him out of it Deut. 22. 1. we are much more bound to help our neighbour himself from droping into the bottomlesse pit of Hell And what know we but we may winne â—ur brother and so save his soul Mat. 18. 15. 11. They will hisse like Serpents if we trouble their nests never so little And its a sure sign the horse is galled that stirs too much when he is touched But what are these men like and how are they like to speed in the end they are like the Thracian flint that burns with water and is quenched with oil their souls are the worse for Gods endeavour to better them His holy precepts and prohibitions doe either harden them as the Sun hardens clay and cold water hot iron or else they enrage them as a furious mastiff Dog is the madder for his câ—ain 12. But to be exasperated with good counsell and in stead of penitency to break into choler when fury sparkles in those eyes which should gush out with water it is an evident sign of one that shall perish Prov. 29. 1. Read the words and tremble a man that hardneth his neck being often reproved shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy see more Prov. 1. 24 25 26 to 33. Whence it is the Prophet tells Amaziah I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not obeyed my counsell 2 Chron. 25. 16 20. and that the Holy Ghost speaking of Elyes sons saith that they would not hearken unto nor obey the voice of their father because the Lord was determined to destroy them 1 Sam. 2. 25. Yea it is an observation of Livie that when the destruction of a person or Nation is destined then the wholsome warnings both of God and Man are set at nought And in reason that sin is past all cure which strives against the cure Herbs that are worse for watering Trees that are lesse fruitfull for dunging and pruning are to be rooted out or hewn down Even salvation it self will not save those that spill the potion and fling away the plaster When God would have cured Babylon and she would not be cured then she is given up to destruction without further warning 13. Ignorant Woâ—ldlings who will beleeve nothing which comes not within the compasse of their five senses think that because God strikes not be minds not Psal. 50. 21. Because sentence against an evill work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe evill as Solomon speaks Eccles. 8. 11. They are like the Israelites 1 Sam. 12. 15 to 20. they will not beleeve without a miracle and it will be a miracle if ever they be saved For should they see miracle upon miracle should God forthwith strike one dead with a thunderbolt and rain down fire and brimstone upon another and cause the Earth to swallow down a third quick while they are blaspheming him they would be as far from beleeving as they were before as the examples of the old world the Sodomiâ—es Pharaoh Balaam Ahab Belshazzar Malchus and those great Clerks the Scribes and Pharisees together with thousands of the Iews sufficiently manifest Yea it is easier for a man possest with many Devils to be dispossest to raise one from the dead or to turn a stone into flesh in which God should meet with no opposition then perswade an habituated Swearer to beleeve these ensuing precepts predictâ—ons testimonies of the Gospell or any other saving truth Mat. 5. 20. 12. 36. 25 30 to 46. 2 Thess. 1. 7 8 9. 2. 12. Heb 12. 14 29. Rev. 20. 12. to the end Deut. 29. 19 20. Prov. 1. 24. to 33. 14. Well may they beleeve what the World the Flesh and the Devill suggests unto them As Satan that he may make smooth their way to perdition will perswade the most impudent and insolent sinners Drunkâ—rds Adâ—lterers Blasphemers Sabbath-breakers Bloodthirsty Murtherers Persecuters of the Godly and contemners of Religion that they may take liberty to continue their sensuall lusts by a testimony of Scripture and apply Christs passion as a warrant for their licentiousnesse his death as a licence to sin his crosse as a Letters patent to do mâ—schiâ—f And hereupon as if a Malefactor should head his drum of Rebellion with his pardon they live as if the Gospell were quite contrary to the rule of the Law or as if God were neither to be â—eared nor cared for Hence they exercise their saucie wits in prophane scoffs at Religion and disgrace that bloud whereof hereafter they would give a thousand worlds for one drop hence they tear heaven with their blasphemies and bandie the dreadfull name of God in their impure and polluâ—ed mouths by their bloody oaths and execrations hence they are so witlesse gracâ—lesse and shamelesse as to swear and curse even as dogs bark Yea they have so sworn away all grace that they count it a grace to swear and are so far from beleeving what God threatens in his Word against sin and what is affirmed of his justice and severity in punishing all wilfull and impenitent sinners with eternall destruction of body and soul that they presume â—o have part in that merit which in every part they have so abused to be purged by that bloud which now they take all occasions to disgrace to be saved by the same wounds and bloud which they swear by and so often swear away to have Christ an Advocate for them in the next life when they are Advocates against Christ in this that heaven will meet them at their last hour when all their life long they have galloped in the beaten rode toward hell And that though they live like swine all their life long yet one cry for mercy at the last gasp shall transform them into Saints And this is the strong faith they are so apt to boast of viz. presumption not confidence Or rather Hope fâ—ighted out of its wits For not withstanding all this in beleeving the Scriptures they fall short of the Devils themselves For the Devils doe really beleeve that God is no lesse true and just then he is mercâ—full as his Word declares him to be and thereupon they tremble as S. Iames hath it Iames 2. 19. whereas these men beleeve not a word that Gâ—d speaks so as to be bettered by it 15. And no marvail for their wont hath been to beleeve Satan rather then God as did our first parents Gen. 3. Therefore now after they have rejected all means of grace when
Christ shed on the Crosse because it hath satisfied for millions and done their unbeleeving souls no good curse the Angels and Saints in heaven because they see them in joy and themselves in torment Cursings shall be their sins and their chief ease Blasphemies their prayers Lacrymâ— their notes Lamentation all their harmony these shall be their evening songs their morning songs their moâ—rning songs for ever and ever And indeed who shall go to Hell if Cursers should be left out Wherefore let all those learn to blesse that look to be heirs of the blessing 7. But to be in Hell and there continue everlastingly in a bed of quenchlesse â—lames is not all For this is the portion even of Negative and vicelesse Christians if they be not vertuous Of such as do not swear exexcept they â—ear an oath That abound in good duties if they do them not out of faith and because God commands them that he may be glorified and others edified thereby Whereas thou doest supercrogate of Satan in damning many souls besides thine own Thou hast had a double portion of sin to other men here and therefore must have a double pâ—rtion of torment to them hereafter The number and measure of thy torments shall be according to the multitude and magnitude of thine offences Rev. 20. 12 13. 22. 12. Luk. 12. 47. Mat. 10. 15. Rom. 2. 5 6. And those offences if I could stand to aggravate them by their severall circumstances would appear to be out of measure great and numâ—rous I 'le mention but one of ten With thy swearing and cursing thou doest not only wound thine own soul worse then the Baalites wounded their own bodies for thou wilfully murtherest thine own soul and that without any inducement as hath been proved But thou art so pernicious that this is the least part of thy mischief for thou drawest vengeance upon thousands by thy infectious and damnable example as how can it be otherwise Thou doest not only infect thy companions but almost all that hear or come near thee Yea little children in the streets have learnt of thee to rap out oaths and belch out curses and scoffs almost as frequently as thy self and through thy accustomary swearing learned to speak English and Oaths together and so to blaspheme God almost so soon as he hath made them And not only so but thy example infects others and they spread it abroad to more like a malicious man sick of the plague that runs into the throng to disperse his infection whose mischief out-weighs all penalty It is like the setting a mans owne house on fire it burnes many of his neighbourâ— houses and he shall answer for all the spoil So that the infection of sin is much worse then the act 8 Nor wilt thou cease to sin when thou shalt cease to live but thy wickednesse will continue longer then thy life For as if we sow good works succession shall reap them and we shall be happy in making them so so on the contrary wicked men leave their evill practiseâ— to posterity and though dead are still tempting unto sin and still they sin in that temptation they sin so long as they cause sin This was Ieroboams case in making Israâ—l to sin for let him be dead yet so long as any worshiped his Calves Ieroboam sinned Neither was his sin soon forgotten Nadab his son and Baasha his successour Zimri and Omri and Ahab and Ahaziah and Iehoram all these walked in the wayes of Ieroboam which made Israel to sin and not they alone but millions of the people with them So that it is easie for a mans sin to live when himself is dead and to lead that exemplary way to Hell which by the number of his followers shall continually aggravate his torments As O what infinite torments doth Mahomet indure when every Turk that perisheth by his jugling does dayly adde to the pile of his unspeakable horrors And so each sinner according to his proportion and the number of souls which miscarry through the contagion of his evill example And look to it for the bloud of so many souls as thou hast seduced will be required at thy hands and thou must give an account for the sins perhaps of a thousand Thou doest not more increase other mens wickednesse on Earth then their wickednesse shall increase thy damnation in Hell Luk. 16. 9. It were easie to goe on in aggravating thy sinne and wretchednesse and making it out of measure great and the souls that miscarry through the contagion of thy evill example numerous For is not the Gospell and the name of God blasphemed among the very Turks Iews and Infidels and an evill scandall raised upon the whole Church through thy superlative wickednesse and other thy fellows Yea does not this keep them off from embracing the Christian Religion and cause them to pâ—otâ—st against their own conveâ—sâ—on Which makes me wonder that 〈…〉 and all such wicked and prophane wretches are not like dirt in the house of God thrown out into the sâ—â—eet by excommunication Or as â—xcrements and bad humours in mans body which is never at ease till it be thereof disburthened as Austin well notes That they are not marked with a black coal of infamy and their company avoided as by the Apostles order they ought Rom. 16. 17. 2 Thess. 3. 6 14. Eph. 5. 5 7. 1 Cor. 5. 5 11. 1 Tim. 1. 20. That they are not to us as Lepers were among the Iews or as men full of plague sores are amongst us We well know the good husband man weeds his field of hurtfull plants that they may not spoil the good corn And when fire hath taken an house we use to pull it down lest it should fire also the neighbours houses Yea the good Chirurgion cuts off a rotten member betimes that the sound may not be endangered Nor will the Church of England ever flourish or be happy in her Reformation untill such a course is taken MEMB. 4. Swearer Sir I unfainedly blesse God for what I have heard from you for formerly I had not the least thought that swearing by faith troth or any other creature was so grievous a sin as you have made it appear from the Word And I hope it shall be a sufficient warning to me for time to come 1. Messenger If so you have cause to blesse God indeed For all of you have heard the self-same Word but one goes away bettered others exasperated and inraged wherein Will only makes the difference And who makes the difference of Wills but God that made them He that creates the new heart leaves a â—â—one in one bosome puts flesh into another 2. Of hearers there are usually four sorts Mat. 13. 19 to 24. as first an honest and good heart will not return from hearing the word unbettered Yea he will so note what is spoken to his own sin that it shall increase his knowledge and lessen his vices As who by looking in a Glasse