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
a holy and religious manner as you may see Deut. 6. 13. Esay 45. 23. 65. 16. Iosh. 23. 7. Ieâ— 5. 7. Exod. 23. 13. And the reasons of it are weighty if we look into them for in swearing by any creature whatsoever we do invocate that creature and ascribe to it divine worship a lawfull oath being a kind of Invocation and a part of Gods worship Yea whatsoever we swear by that we invocate both as our witnesse surety and judge Heb. 6. 16. and by consequence deifie it by ascribing and communicating unto it Gods incommunicable Attributes as his Omnipresence and Omniscience of being every where present and knowing the secret thoughts and intentions of the heart and likewise an Omnipotencie as being Almighty in patronising protecting defending and rewarding us for speaking the truth or punishing us if we speak falsly all which are so peculiar to God as that they can no way be communicated or ascribed to another So that in swearing by any of those things thou committest an high degree of grosse Idolatry thou spoilest and robbest God of his Glory the most impious kind of theft and in a manner diâ—hronest him and placest an Idol in his room 6. And as to swear by the creature makes the sin far more heinous so the more mean and vile the thing is which you swear by be it by my fay by cock and pie hares foot by this cheâ—se and such like childish oaths which are so much in use with the ignorant and superstitious swarm the greater is your sin in swearing such an Oath because you ascribe that unto these basest of creatures which is only proper to God namely to know your heart and to be a discerner of secret things why else should you call that 〈◊〉 as a witnesse unto your conscience that you speak the truth and 〈◊〉 not which only belongeth to God And therefore the Lord cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him as mark well what he saith Ier. 5. 7. How shall I spare thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no Gods And do you make it a small matter to forsake God and make a God of the creature Will you believe the â—rophet Amos if you will he saith speaking of them that swore by the sin of Samaria that they shall fall and never rise again Amos 8. 14. a terrible place to vain swearers Neither are we to join any other with God in our oaths for in so doing we make base Idols and filthy creatures Corrivals in honour and Competitiors in the Throne of Justice with the Lord who is Creatour of Heaven and Earth and the supreme Judge and sole Monarch of all the world Or in case we do our doom shall be remedilesse for the Lord threatneth by the Prophet Zephany that he will cut off them that swear by the Lord and by Malcham which Malcham was their King or as some think their Idol Zeph. 1. 4 5. But admit the sin were small as you would have it to be yet the circumstances make it most heinous for even the least sin in its own nature is not only mortal but rests unpardonable so long as it is willingly committed and excused or defended Swearer But all do swear except some few singular ones and they also will lye which is as bad 7. Messeng You must not measure all others by your own bushell for although ill Dispositions cause ill Suspicions even as the eye that is bloudshood sees all things red or as they that have the Iaundies see all things yellow yet know that there be thousands who can say truly through Gods mercie that they had rather choose to have their souls pâ—sse from their bodies then a wilfull premeditated lie or a wicked oath from their mouths wherefore when you want experience think the best as charitie bids you and leave what you know not to the searcher of hearts 8 As for the number of Swearers it cannot be denyed but the sin is a most universall and this is it which hath incensed Gods wrath and almost brought an universall destruction upon our whole Nation but is not this excuse That others do so a most reasonlesse plea and only becoming a fool when our Saviour Christ hath plainly told us that the greatest number go the broad way to destruct on and but a few the narrow way which leadeth unto life Mat. 7. 13 14. And S. Iohn that the whole world lyeth in wickednesse 1 John 5. 19. And that the number of those whom Satan shall 〈◊〉 is as the sand of the seâ— Rev. 20. 8. 13 16. Isa. 10 22. Rom. 9. â—7 And tell me Were it a good plea to commit a Felonie and say that others do so Or Wilt thou leap into Hell and cast away thy soul because others do so A sorry comfort it will be to have a numerous multitude accompanie us into thâ—t lake of fire that never shall be quenched Besides it is Gods expresse charge Exâ—d. 23. 2. Thou shalâ— not follow a multitude to doe evill and S Pauls everlasting rule Rom. 12. 2. Fâ—shion not your selves like unto this world Swearer But I may lawfully swear so I affirm 〈…〉 ◠〈◊〉 If you be lawfully called to it as before a Mâ—gistrâ—te or when some urgent matter constraineth for the confirming of a necessary truth which can by no other lawfull means be cleared and for the ending of all contentions and controversies and clearing our own or our neighbours good name person or estate and to put an end to all strife aiming at Gods glory and oâ—r own or our neighbours good which is the only use and end of an oath in which case a man is rather a patient then a voluntary agent You may swear otherwise not Neither must we swear at all in our ordinary communication if we will obey Gods Word as you may see Mat. 5. 34 35 36 37. Iaâ— 5. 12. Swearer Except I sâ—ear men will not believe me 10. Messenger Thou hadst as good say I have so often made shipwrack of my credit by accustomary lying that I can gain no belief unto my words without an oath for it argues a guilty conscience of the want of credit and that our word alone is worth no respect when it will not be taken without a pawn or surety Neither will any but base Bankrupts pawn so precious a Iewel as their Faith or offer better security for every small trifle Besides he that oâ—ten sweareth not seldome for sweareth And so I have informed you from Gods Word what the danger is of vain and wicked swearing MEMB. 3. 1. But as if Swearing alone would not presse thee deep enough into hell thou addest cursing to it a sin of an higher nature which none use frequently but such as like Goliah and Shimei are desperately wicked it being their peculiar brand in Scripture as how doth the Holy Ghost stigmatize such an one His mouth is full of cursing Psal. 10. 7. Rom. 3. 14. or
he loveth cursing Psal. 109. 17. and indeed whom can you observe to love this sin or to have their mouths full of cursing but Ruffians and sons of Belial such as have shaken out of their hearts the fear of God the shame of men the love of heaven the dread of hell not once caring what is thought or spoken of them here or what becomes of them hereafter yea observe them well and you will finde that they are mockers of all that march not under the pay of the Devill 2. And whence do these Monsters of the earth these hellish misâ—reants these bodily and visible Devils learn this their damnable cursing and swearing Are not their tongues fired and edged from Hell as Saint Iames hath it Jam. 3 6. yea it is the very language of the damned as you may see Rev. 16. 1 21. Only they learn it here before they come thither and are such proficients therein that the Devil counts them his best scholars and sets them in his highest form Psal. 1. 1. And well they deserve it with whom the language of hell is so familiar that blasphemy is become their mother tongue Besides it is the very depth of sin roaring and drinking is the horse-way to Hell whoring and cheating the foot-way but Swearing and Cursing follows â—orah Dathan and Abiram And certainly if the infernall Tophet be not for these men it can challenge no guests But see how witlesse gracelesse and shamelesse even the best are that use to curse for I passe over such as call for a curse on themselves saying God damn me Confound me The Devill take me and the like which would make a â—â—tionall man tremble to name because I were as good knock at a deaf mans door or a dead mans grave as speak to them 3. Thou art crossed by some one perhaps thy wife child or servant or else thy horse the weather the dice bowls or some other of the creatures displease thee and thou fallest a cursing and blaspheming them wishing the plague of God or Gods vengeance to light on them or some such hellish speech fals from thy foul mouth And so upon every foolish trifle or every time thou art angry God must be at thy beck and come down from heaven in all hast and become thy Officer to revenge thy quarrel and serve thy malicious humour O monstrous impiety O shamelesse impudencie to be abhorred of all that hear it not once taking notice what he commands in his Word as Blesse them that persecute you blesse I say and curse not Rom. 12. 14. And again Blesse them that curse you and pray for them which hurt you Luk. 6. 28. which is the practice of all true Christians 1. Coâ— 4. 12. 4. But this is not one half of thine offence For whom doest thou curse Alas the Creatures that displease thee are but Instruments thy sin is the cause and God the author 2 Sam. 16. 11. Psal. 39 9 10. Gen. 45. 8 Ioâ— 1. 21. from wâ—om thou hast deserved it and ten thousand times a greater crosse buâ— in stead of looking up from the stone to the hand which threw it 〈◊〉 from the effect to the cause as Gods people doe thou like a mastiff dog settest upon the stone or weapon that hurts thee But in this case Who are you angry withall Does your horse the diâ—e the rain or any other câ—eature displease you Alas they are but servants and if their Master bid smiâ—e they must not forbear they may say truly what â—abshekeh usurped Isa. 36. â—0 Are we come without the Lord and all that hear thee may say as the Prophet did to Senaâ—hâ—rib 2 King 19. 22. Whom hast thou blasphemed and against whom hast thou exalted thy self even against the Holy One of Isâ—ael 5. Besides why dost thou curse thine enemie if he be so but because thou canst not be suffered to kill him For in heart and Gods account thou arâ— a murtherer in wishing him the pox plague or that he were 〈◊〉 or damned Nor will it be any rare thing at the day of judgment for cursers to be indicted of murther For like Shimei and Goliah to David thou wouldst kill him if thou durst thou doest kill him so far as thou canst. I would be loath to trust his hands that bâ—ns me with his tongue Had David been at the mercie of either Shimei or Goliah and not too strong for them he had then breathed his last Nor is it commonly any sin committed or just offence given thee that thou cursest Who could have lesse deserved those curses and stones from â—â—imei then David Yea did not that head deserve to be tonguelesse that body to be headlesse that so undeservedly cursed such an Innocent as after it fell out For the curses and stones which Shimei threw at David rebounded upon Shimei and split his heart yea and at last knockt our his brains and the like of Goâ— iahs curses which is also thy very case For 6. What will be the issue the causâ—esse curse shall not come where the Curser meant it Prov. 26. 2. yea though thou cursest yet God will blesse Psal. 109. 28. hut thy curses shall be sure to rebound back into thine own brest Psal. 7. 14 15 16. Prov. 14. 30. Cursing mouths are like ill made Piecesâ— which while men discharge at others recoil in splimâ—rs on their own faces Their words and wishes be but whirlwinds which being breathen forth return again to the same place As hear how the Holy Ghost delivers it Psal. 109. As he loved cursing so shall it come unto him and as he loved not blessing so shall it be far from him As he cloathed himself with cursing like a garment so shall it come unto his bowels like water and like oil into his bones let it be unto him as a garment to cover him and for a girdle wherewith he shall always be girded v. 17 18 19. Hear this all ye whose tongâ—es run so fast on the Devils errand you loved cursing you shall have it both upon you about you and in you and that everlastingly if you persevere and go on for Christ himself at the last day even he which came to save the world shall say unto all such Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Mat. 25. 41. Where they shall do nothing but curse for evermore for they no farther apprehending the goodnesse mercie and bounty of God then by the sense of their own torments the effects of his justice shall hate him and hating him they shall curse him Rev. 16. 11. They suffer and they blaspheme there is in them a furious malice against him being cursed of him they re-curse him they curse him for making them curse him for condemning them curse him because being adjudged to death they can never find death they curse his punishments because they are so unsufferable curse his mercies because they may never taste them curse the bloud of