Chapter II: CHRIST doth Invite all of you to be his spouse (10)

_Secondly_, Did our LORD by prayer, fasting, and temptation, prepare himself for his public ministry? Surely then, all those who profess to be inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon them the office and administration of the church, should be prepared in the same manner. For though the knowledge of books and men, are good in their places, yet without a knowledge of Satan’s devices be superadded, a minister will be only like a physician, that undertakes to prescribe to sick people, without having studied the nature of herbs. And hence, it is to be feared, many heavy laden and afflicted souls have been sent by certain ministers, to surgeons, to be blooded in the arm, instead of being directed to apply to the blood of CHRIST to cleanse their hearts. Hence, conviction is looked upon as a delirium, and violent temptations censured as downright madness. Hence, souls that are truly and earnestly repenting of their sins, and as earnestly seeking after rest in CHRIST, have been directed to plays, novels, romances, and merry company, to divert them from being righteous over-much. Miserable comforters are such blind guides! Surely, they deserve no better titles than that of _murderers of souls_! They go not into the kingdom of heaven themselves, and those who are entering in they would by this means hinder. Go not after them, all ye young men who would be able ministers of the New Testament; but on the contrary, if you would be useful in binding up the broken hearted, and pouring the oil of consolation into wounded souls, prepare yourselves for manifold temptations. For as _Luther_ says, “prayer and meditation, reading and temptation, make a minister.” If now exercised with spiritual conflicts, be not disheartened, it is a good sign that our LORD intends to make use of you. Being thus tempted like unto your brethren, you will be the better enabled to succour and advise those who shall apply to you under their temptations. What says the apostle _Paul_? “If we are afflicted, it is for your sake.” And if you are afflicted, it is only that you may save your own souls, and help to save the souls of those who shall be committed to your charge. Be strong therefore in the grace which is in CHRIST JESUS, and learn to endure hardness, like good soldiers, that are hereafter to instruct others how they must fight the good fight of faith.

_Thirdly_, Did the tempter come to CHRIST when he saw him an hungered? Let those of you that are reduced to a low estate, from hence learn, that an hour of poverty is an hour of temptation, not only to murmuring and doubting of our sonship and the divine favour, but also to help ourselves by unlawful means. “If thou be the Son of GOD, said Satan, command that these stones may be made bread.” This is what _Agur_ dreaded, “lest I be poor and steal.” Learn, ye godly poor, to be upon your guard, and remember that poverty and temptations are no marks of your being cast off by GOD. Your LORD was an hungered; your LORD was tempted on this account to doubt his sonship, before you. Learn of him not to distrust, but rather to trust in your heavenly Father. Angels came and ministered unto CHRIST; and he who is LORD of the angels, will send some kind messenger or another to relieve your wants. Your extremity shall be the Redeemer’s opportunity to help you. Make your wants known unto him, he careth for you. Though in a desart, though no visible means appear at present, yet you shall in GOD’s due time find a table spread for you and yours; “For man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of GOD.”

And may not such among you, who are exalted, as well as those who are brought low, from Satan’s taking the LORD JESUS, and placing him upon a pinnacle of the temple, learn also a lesson of holy watchfulness and caution. High places are slippery places, and are apt to make even the strongest heads and most devout hearts to turn giddy. How necessary therefore is that excellent petition in our Litany, “in all time of our wealth, (as well as in all time of our tribulation) good LORD deliver us!” Agreeably to this, _Agur_ prays as much against riches as poverty; if he was poor, he feared he should be tempted to steal, if rich, that he should trust in uncertain riches, and say, who is the LORD?

I charge, therefore, all of you, who are rich and high in this world, to watch and pray, lest ye fall by Satan’s temptation. Those especially of you, that are placed as on the pinnacle of the temple, exalted above your fellows in the church of GOD, take heed in an especial manner unto yourselves, lest by spiritual pride, vanity, or any other sin that doth most easily beset persons in such eminent stations, ye cast yourselves down. This is what Satan aims at. He strives to make us destroyers of ourselves. And he hath a particular enmity against such as you; he knows, that your name is _Legion_; and that if you cast yourselves down, he shall gain a great advantage over many others; you cannot fall alone. O that it may be said of us, as the papists used to say of _Luther_, “That _German_ beast doth not love gold.” May the fire of divine love burn up all the love of this present evil world, and pride of life, out of your hearts! This, Satan reserved for his last, as thinking it was the most powerful and prevailing temptation, “He took our LORD up into an exceeding high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them.” He cares not how high he exalts us, or how high he is obliged to bid, so he can but get our hearts divided between GOD and the world. All this will he offer to give us, if we will only fall down and worship him. Arm us, dear LORD JESUS, with thy Spirit, and help us under all such circumstances, to learn of thee, and say unto the tempter, “Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, thou shalt worship the LORD thy GOD, and him only shalt thou serve.”

_Fourthly_, Whether beset with this or any other temptation, let all of us learn of our LORD to fight the devil with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of GOD. Though he had the Spirit without measure, yet he always made use of this. We may say of it, as _David_ did of _Goliah_’s sword, “none like this,” none like this. And supposing Satan should be permitted to transform himself into an angel of light, and by false impressions, and delusive applications of misquoted texts, attempt to turn this weapon upon us against ourselves; let us not therefore be prevailed on to let go, but by comparing spiritual things with spiritual, as our LORD did, find out GOD’s mind and our duty. Had CHRIST’s children and ministers only observed this one lesson, how much strange fire would quickly have been extinguished? how much real enthusiasm been easily stopped? how many imaginary revelations have been detected? how many triumphs of Satan and his emissaries been prevented? and how much more would the comforts of CHRIST’s people and ministers been continued and increased, not only in this present, but also in every age of the christian church? But let us not be discouraged or think worse of CHRIST, his cause, or his word, because through Satan’s subtlety, any of us, or others, may have been drawn in to make some wrong applications of it; others have been thus tempted and mistaken before us. However, let us be humbled before GOD and man, and be excited by our past ignorance of Satan’s devices, to adhere more closely to the written word, and to pray more earnestly for GOD’s holy Spirit to give us direction by it. “Then will it still be a lanthorn unto our feet, and a light unto our paths;” we shall yet be enabled to behave more skilfully under all our future trials. Many we must yet expect; nay, perhaps our severest temptations are yet to come; Satan left our LORD, after his attacking him in the wilderness, “only for a season,” as St. _Luke_ has it, until the season of his death and passion. And thus he may be permitted to deal with us. We are not yet come to our compleat rest; the King of terrors is yet to be grappled with, and the valley of the shadow of death to be passed through; long before that, we may be called to endure many a fiery trial, and be beset with manifold temptations, under which we may be as ignorant how to behave, as under those with which we have already been visited. Alas! we know not what remaining corruptions are in our hearts, which time and temptation may draw out and discover. Perhaps Satan hath not yet attacked us on our weakest side; when he does, if left to ourselves, how weak shall we be? It is said of _Achilles_, that he was invulnerable, except in the heel, and by a wound in that, at last he died. “Let not him, therefore, that putteth on the harness, boast as though he had put it off.” Neither, on the other hand, let us be faint-hearted or dismayed. Satan may tempt, but cannot force; he may sift, but CHRIST will pray. He who hath helped us already, will help us to the end. He who conquered for us in the wilderness, will ere long make us also more than conquerors over all trials and temptations, inward and outward, and over death and hell itself, through his almighty, everlasting, and never-failing love. We now sow in tears; in a very little time, and we shall reap with joy: we may now go on our way weeping, by reason of the enemy oppressing us; but, ere long, angels shall be sent, not to minister to us in this wilderness, but to carry us to an heavenly _Canaan_, even to _Abraham_’s bosom. Then shall we see this accuser and tempter of our LORD, of our brethren, and of ourselves, cast out: this wicked one, as well as the wicked world, and wicked heart, will no more be permitted to vex, disturb or annoy us.

“But woe unto you that laugh now; for you shall then lament and weep.” Woe unto you, who either believe there is no devil, or never felt any of his temptations. Woe unto you that are at ease in _Zion_, and instead of staying to be tempted by the devil, by idleness, self-indulgence, and making continual provision for the flesh, even tempt the devil to tempt you. Woe unto you, who not content with sinning yourselves, turn factors for hell, and make a trade of tempting others to sin. Woe unto you, who either deny divine revelation, or never make use of it but to serve a bad turn. Woe unto you who sell your consciences, and pawn your souls for a little worldly wealth or honour. Woe unto you who climb up to high places, when in church or state, by corruption, bribery, extortion, cringing, flattery, or bowing down to, and soothing the vices of those by whom you expect to rise. Woe unto you! for whether you will own the relation or not, surely you are of your father the devil; for the works of your father you will do; I tremble for you. How can you escape the damnation of hell.

But I have not time to follow such as you any farther. This discourse, and the present frame of my mind, lead me rather to speak to those, who by feeling Satan’s fiery darts, know assuredly that there is a devil. Comfort thou, comfort thou, these afflicted ones, O LORD. O thou all-merciful and all-bountiful GOD, and thou compassionate High-Priest, thou once tempted, but now triumphant Saviour, as thou once didst not disdain to be ministered unto by angels, bless we pray thee this discourse, to the support and strengthening of thy tempted people, though delivered by the meanest messenger thou didst ever yet employ in thy church!

I add no more. The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD lift up the light of his countenance, stablish, strengthen, and settle you, and bring you to his eternal kingdom!

SERMON XVIII.

The Heinous Sin of Profane Cursing and Swearing.

MATTHEW v. 34.

_But I say unto you, Swear not at all._

AMONG the many heinous sins for which this nation is grown infamous, perhaps there is no one more crying, but withal more common, than the abominable custom of profane swearing and cursing. Our streets abound with persons of all degrees and qualities, who are continually provoking the holy one of _Israel_ to anger, by their detestable oaths and blasphemies: and our very children, “out of whose mouths,” the psalmist observes in his days, “was perfected praise,” are now grown remarkable for the quite opposite ill quality of cursing and swearing. This cannot but be a melancholy prospect, for every sincere and honest minister of JESUS CHRIST, to view his fellow-creatures in; and such as will put him on contriving some means to prevent the spreading at least of so growing an evil; knowing that the LORD (without repentance) will assuredly visit for these things. But alas! what can he do? Public animadversions are so neglected amongst us, that we seldom find a common swearer punished as the laws direct. And as for private admonition, men are now so hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, that to give them sober and pious advice, and to shew them the evil of their doings, is but like “casting pearls before swine; they only turn again and rend you.” Since matters then are come to this pass, all that we can do is, that as we are appointed watchmen and ambassadors of the LORD, it is our duty from time to time to shew the people their transgression, and warn them of their sin; so that whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, we however may deliver our own souls. That I therefore may discharge my duty in this particular, give me leave, in the name of GOD, humbly to offer to your most serious consideration, some few observations on the words of the text, in order to shew the heinousness of profane cursing and swearing.

But, before I proceed directly to the prosecution of this point, it will be proper to clear this precept of our LORD from a misrepresentation that has been put on it by some, who infer from hence, that our Saviour prohibits swearing before a magistrate, when required on a solemn and proper occasion. But that all swearing is not absolutely unlawful for a christian, is evident from the writings of St. _Paul_, whom we often find upon some solemn occasions using several forms of imprecation, as, “I call GOD to witness;” “GOD is my judge;” “By your rejoicing in CHRIST JESUS,” and such like. And that our Saviour does by no means forbid swearing before a magistrate, in the words now before us, is plain, if we consider the scope and design he had in view, when he gave his disciples this command. Permit me to observe to you then, that our blessed master had set himself, from the 27th verse of the chapter, out of which the text is taken, to vindicate and clear the moral law from the corrupt glosses and misconstruction of the _Pharisees_, who then sat in _Moses_’s chair, but were notoriously faulty in adhering too closely to the literal expression of the law, without ever considering the due extent and spiritual meaning of it. Accordingly they imagined, that because GOD had said, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” that therefore, supposing a person was not guilty of the very act of adultery, he was not chargeable with the breach of the seventh commandment. And likewise in the matter of swearing, because GOD had forbidden his people, in the books of _Exodus_ and _Deuteronomy_, “to take his name in vain,” or to swear falsely by his name; they therefore judged it lawful to swear by any creature in common discourse, supposing they did not directly mention the name of GOD. Our blessed Saviour therefore, in the words now before us, rectifies this their mistake about swearing, as he had done in the verses immediately foregoing, concerning adultery, and tells the people, that whatever allowances the _Pharisees_ might give to swear by any creature, yet he pronounced it absolutely unlawful for any of his followers to do so. “You have heard, that it has been said by them of old time,” (namely, by the _Pharisees_ and teachers of the _Jewish_ law) “Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but perform unto the LORD thine oaths: but I say unto you,” (I who am appointed by the Father to be the great prophet and true law-giver of his church) “Swear not at all, (in your common conversation) neither by heaven for it is GOD’s throne; (and therefore to swear by that, is to swear by Him that sits thereon) neither by the earth, for it is his foot-stool; nor by _Jerusalem_, for it is the city of the great King; neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black: but let your communications (which plainly shews that CHRIST is here speaking of swearing, not before a magistrate, but in common conversation) let your communication be yea, yea; nay, nay, (a strong affirmation or negation at the most); for whatsoever is more than this, cometh of evil;” that is, cometh from an evil principle, from the evil one, the devil, the author of all evil.

Which by the way, methinks, should be a caution to all such persons, who, though not guilty of swearing in the gross sense of the word, yet attest the truth of what they are speaking of, though ever so trifling, by saying, Upon my life,――as I live,――by my faith,――by the heavens, and such like: which expressions, however harmless and innocent they may be esteemed by some sorts of people, yet are the very oaths which our blessed LORD condemns in the words immediately following the text; and persons who use such unwarrantable forms of speaking, must expect to be convicted and condemned as swearers, at our Saviour’s second coming to judge the world.

But to return: It appears then from the whole tenor of our Saviour’s discourse, that in the words of the text he does by no means disannul or forbid swearing before a magistrate (which, as might easily be shewn, is both lawful and necessary) but only profane swearing in common conversation; the heinousness and sinfulness of which I come now, more immediately to lay before you.

And here, not to mention that it is a direct breach of our blessed master’s and great law-giver’s command in the words of the text, as likewise of the third commandment, wherein GOD positively declares, “he will not hold him guiltless (that is, will assuredly punish him) that taketh his name in vain:” not to mention that it is the greatest abuse of that noble faculty of speech, whereby we are distinguished from the brute creation; or the great hazard the common swearer runs, of being perjured some time or other: not to mention those reasons against it, which of themselves would abundantly prove the folly and sinfulness of swearing: I shall at this time content myself with instancing four particulars, which highly aggravate the crime of profane swearing, and those are such as follow:

I. _First_, Because there is no temptation in nature to this sin,
nor does the commission of it afford the offender the least
pleasure or satisfaction.

II. _Secondly_, Because it is a sin which may be so often
repeated.

III. _Thirdly_, Because it hardens infidels against the christian
religion, and must give great offence, and occasion much
sorrow and concern to every true disciple of JESUS CHRIST.

IV. _Fourthly_, Because it is an extremity of sin, which can only
be matched in hell.

I. The first reason then, why swearing in common conversation is so heinous in GOD’s sight, and why we should not swear at all, is, because it has no temptation in nature, nor does the commission of it, unless a man be a devil incarnate, afford the offender the least pleasure or satisfaction.

Now here, I presume, we may lay it down as a maxim universally agreed on, that the guilt of any crime is increased or lessened in proportion to the weakness or strength of the temptation, by which a person is carried to the commission of it. It was this consideration that extenuated and diminished the guilt of _Saul_’s taking upon him to offer sacrifice before the Prophet _Samuel_ came; and of _Uzza_’s touching the ark, because it was in danger of falling: as, on the contrary, what so highly aggravated the disobedience of our first parents, and of _Lot_’s wife, was, because the former had so little reason to eat the forbidden fruit, and the latter so small a temptation to look back on _Sodom_.

And now if this be granted, surely the common swearer must of all sinners be the most without excuse, since there is no manner of temptation in nature to the commission of his crime. In most of the other commands, persons, perhaps, may plead the force of natural inclination in excuse for the breach of them: one, for instance, may alledge his strong propensity to anger, to excuse his breaking of the sixth: another, his proneness to lust, for his violation of the seventh. But surely the common swearer has nothing of this kind to urge in his behalf: for though he may have a natural inclination to this or that crime, yet no man, it is to be presumed, can say, he is born with a swearing constitution.

But farther, As there is no temptation to it, so there is no pleasure or profit to be reaped from the commission of it. Ask the drunkard why he rises up early to follow strong drink, and he will tell you, because it affords his sensual appetite some kind of pleasure and gratification, though it be no higher than that of a brute. Enquire of the covetous worldling, why he defrauds and over-reaches his neighbour, and he has an answer ready; to enrich himself, and lay up goods for many years. But it must certainly puzzle the profane swearer himself, to inform you what pleasure he reaps from swearing: for alas! it is a fruitless tasteless thing that he sells his soul for. But indeed he does not sell it at all: in this case he prodigally gives it away (without repentance) to the devil; and parts with a blessed eternity, and runs into everlasting torment, merely for nothing.

II. But _Secondly_, what increases the heinousness of profane swearing, is, that it is a sin which may so often be repeated.

This is another consideration which always serves to lessen or increase the guilt and malignity of any sin. It was some excuse for the drunkenness of _Noah_, and the adultery of _David_, that they committed these crimes but once: as, on the contrary, of the patriarch _Abraham_’s distrust of GOD, that he repeated the dissembling of _Sarah_ to be his wife, two several times. And if this be admitted as an aggravation of other persons crimes, surely much more so of the guilt of common swearing, because it is a sin which may be, and is for the generality often repeated. In many other gross sins it cannot be so: if a man be overcome in drink, there must be a considerable time ere he can recover his debauch, and return to his cups again: or if he be accustomed to profane the sabbath, he cannot do it every day, but only one in seven. But alas! the profane swearer is ready for another oath, almost before the sound of the first is out of our ears: yea, some double and treble them in one sentence, even so as to confound the sense of what they say, by an horrid din of blasphemy! Now if the great and terrible _Jehovah_ has expresly declared that he will not hold him guiltless, that is, will assuredly punish him, that taketh his name but once in vain: what a vast heap of these heinous sins lies at every common swearer’s door! It would be apt to sink him into an intolerable despair, did he but see the whole sum of them. And O what a seared conscience must that wretch have, that does not feel this prodigious weight!

III. But _Thirdly_, what makes the sin of profane swearing appear yet more exceeding sinful, is, that it hardens infidels against the christian religion.

It is the Apostle _Peter_’s advice to the married persons of his time, that they should walk as became the gospel of CHRIST, that those who were without, might be won to embrace the christian religion, by seeing and observing their pious conversation coupled together with fear. And what the Apostle presses on married persons, we find elsewhere enjoined on each particular member of the church. Accordingly we are commanded by our blessed LORD, to “let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven:” And the Apostle _Paul_ bids us “walk circumspectly towards them that are without, redeeming the time;” that is, embracing all opportunities to do them good, “because the days are evil.” But alas! in what a direct contradiction does the profane swearer live to this and such-like precepts, who, instead of gaining proselytes to CHRIST from the unbelieving part of the world, does all he can to oppose it! For how can it be expected, that infidels should honour our GOD, when christians themselves despise him; or that any should embrace our religion, when professors of it themselves make so light of one of its strictest commands? No; to our grief and shame be it spoken, it is by reason of such impieties as these, that our holy religion (the best and purest in itself) is become a by-word among the heathen; that the sacred authority of the holy JESUS and his doctrine is despised; and “GOD’s name (as it is written) blasphemed among the _Gentiles_.”

These cannot but be sad stumbling-blocks and offences in the way of our brethren’s conversion: “But woe be to those men by whom such offences come.” We may say of them, as our blessed LORD did of _Judas_, “it had been better for such men, that they had never been born:” Or, as he threatens in another place, “It shall be more tolerable for _Sodom_ and _Gomorrah_ in the day of judgment, than for such sinners.”

But this is not all; As profane swearing must undoubtedly harden those in their infidelity, that are without, so must it no less grieve and give great offence to those honest and sincere persons that are within the church. We hear of _David_’s complaining and crying out, “Woe is me, that I am constrained to dwell with _Mesech_, and to have my habitation amongst the tents of _Kedar_;” that is, that he was obliged to live and converse with a people exceedingly wicked and profane. And St. _Peter_ tells us, that “_Lot_’s righteous soul was grieved day by day, whilst he saw and observed the ungodly conversation of the wicked.” And no doubt it was one great part of our blessed Master’s sufferings whilst on earth, that he was compelled to converse with a wicked and perverse generation, and to hear his heavenly Father’s sacred name profaned and scoffed at by unrighteous and wicked men. And surely it cannot but pierce the heart of every true and sincere christian, of every one that does in any measure partake of the spirit of his Master, to hear the multitude of oaths and curses which proceed daily and hourly out of the mouths of many people, and those too, whose liberal education, and seeming regard for the welfare of religion, one would think, should teach them a more becoming behaviour. To hear the great and terrible name of GOD polluted by men, which is adored by angels; and to consider how often that sacred name is profaned in common discourse, which we are not worthy to mention in our prayers: this, I say, cannot but make each of them cry out with holy _David_, “Woe is me, that I am constrained to dwell with _Mesech_, and to have my habitation amongst the tents of _Kedar_.” And though the blasphemous and profane discourses of others, will not be imputed to sincere persons for sin, so long as they “have no fellowship with such hellish fruits of darkness, but rather reprove them;” yet it will greatly enhance the present guilt, and sadly increase the future punishment of every profane swearer, by whom such offences come. For if, as our Saviour tells us, “it had been better for a man to have a mill-stone tied about his neck, than that he should offend one of his little ones, (that is, the weakest of his disciples) how much sorer punishment will they be thought worthy of,” who not only cause GOD’s name to be blasphemed among the _Gentiles_, and the religion of our dear Redeemer to be abhorred; but who make his saints to weep and mourn, and vex their righteous souls from day to day, by their ungodly, profane, and blasphemous conversation? Surely, as GOD will put the tears of the one into his bottle, so it will be just in him to punish the other with eternal sorrow, for all their ungodly and hard speeches, and cast them into a lake of fire and brimstone, where they shall be glad of a drop of water to cool those tongues, with which they have so often blasphemed the LORD of Hosts, and grieved the people of our GOD.

IV. But it is time for me to proceed to give my _Fourth_ and last reason, why common swearing is so exceeding sinful; and that is, Because it is such an extremity of sin, that can only be matched in hell, where all are desperate, and without hope of mercy.

The damned devils, and damned souls of men in hell, may be supposed to rave and blaspheme in their torments, because they know that the chains wherein they are held, can never be knocked off: but for men that swim in the river of GOD’s goodness, whose mercies are renewed to them every morning, and who are visited with fresh tokens of his infinite unmerited loving-kindness every moment: for these favourite creatures to set their mouths against heaven, and to blaspheme a gracious, patient, all-bountiful GOD; is a height of sin which exceeds the blackness and impiety of devils and hell itself.

And now, after what has been here offered, to shew the heinousness of profane cursing and swearing in common conversation, may I not very justly address myself to you in the words of the text, “Therefore I say unto you, Swear not at all;” since it is a sin that has no temptation in nature, nor brings any pleasure or profit to the committer of it; since it hardens infidels in their infidelity, and affords sad causes of grief and lamentation to every honest christian; since it is a sin that generally grows into a habit; and lastly, such a sin that can only be matched in hell.

1. And first then, if these things be so, and the sin of profane swearing, as hath been in some measure shewn, is so exceeding sinful, what shall we say to such unhappy men, who think it not only allowable, but fashionable and polite, to “take the name of GOD in vain;” who imagine that swearing makes them look big among their companions, and really think it a piece of honour to abound in it? But alas! little do they think that such a behaviour argues the greatest degeneracy of mind and fool-hardiness, that can possibly be thought of. For what can be more base, than one hour to pretend to adore GOD in public worship, and the very next moment to blaspheme his name: indeed, such a behaviour, from persons who deny the being of a GOD, (if any such fools there be) is not altogether so much to be wondered at; but for men, who not only subscribe to the belief of a Deity, but likewise acknowledge him to be a GOD of infinite majesty and power; for such men to blaspheme his holy name, by profane cursing and swearing, and at the same time confess, that this very GOD has expressly declared, he will not hold him guiltless, but will certainly and eternally punish (without repentance) him that taketh his name in vain; is such an instance of foolhardiness, as well as baseness, that can scarcely be paralleled. This is what they presume not to do in other cases of less danger: they dare not revile a general at the head of his army, nor rouze a sleeping lion when within reach of his paw. And is the Almighty GOD, the great JEHOVAH, the everlasting King, who can consume them by the breath of his nostrils, and frown them to hell in an instant; is he the only contemptible being in their account, that may be provoked without fear, and offended without punishment? No; though GOD bear long, he will not bear always: the time will come, and that too, perhaps, much sooner than such persons may expect, when GOD will vindicate his injured honour, when he will lay bare his almighty arm, and make those wretches feel the eternal smart of his justice, whose power and name they have so often vilified and blasphemed. Alas! what will become of all their bravery then? Will they then wantonly sport with the name of their Maker, and call upon the King of all the earth to damn them any more in jest? No; their note will then be changed: indeed, they shall call, but it will be for “the rocks to fall on them, and the hills to cover them from the wrath of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the Lamb for ever.” It is true, time was when they prayed, though without thought, perhaps, for damnation both for themselves and others: and now they will find their prayers answered. “They delighted in cursing, therefore shall it happen unto them; they loved not blessing, therefore shall it be far from them; they cloathed themselves with cursing like as with a garment, and it shall come into their bowels like water, and like oil into their bones.”

2. But farther, if the sin of swearing is so exceeding heinous, and withal so common, then it is every particular person’s duty, especially those that are in authority, to do their utmost towards discountenancing and suppressing so malignant a crime. The duty we owe both to GOD and our neighbour, requires this at our hands: by the one we are obliged to assert our Maker’s honour; by the other to prevent our neighbour’s ruin: and it is but doing as we would be done by, and as we ourselves act in cases of lesser consequence. Were we to hear either our own or our friend’s good name vilified and traduced, we should think it our bounden duty to vindicate the wronged reputation of each: and shall the great, terrible, and holy name of our best and only friend, our king, our father, nay our GOD: shall this be daily, nay every moment, defied and blasphemed; and will no one dare to stand up in defence of his honour and holiness? Be astonished, O heavens, at this! No; let us scorn all such base and treacherous treatment: let us resolve to support the cause of religion, and with a becoming prudent courage manifest our zeal for the honour of the LORD of Hosts. Men in authority have double the advantages of ordinary christians: their very office shews they are intended for the punishment of evil doers. And such is the degeneracy of mankind, that the generality of them will be more influenced by the power of persons in authority, than by the most laboured exhortations from the pulpit. To such, therefore, if there are any here present, I humbly address myself, beseeching them, in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, to do their utmost to put a stop to, and refrain profane cursing and swearing. And though it must be confessed, that this is a work which requires a great deal of courage and pains, yet they would do well to consider, it is for GOD they undertake it, who certainly will support and bear them out in a due execution of their office here, and reward them with an exceeding and eternal weight of glory hereafter. But it is time to draw towards a conclusion.

3. Let me, therefore, once more address myself to every person here present, in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST; and if any amongst them have been any way guilty of this notorious sin of swearing, let me entreat them by all that is near and dear to them, that they would neither give the magistrate the trouble to punish, nor their friends any reason for the future to warn them against committing the crime; but keep a constant and careful watch over the door of their lips, and withal implore the divine assistance (without which all is nothing) that they offend no more so scandalously with their tongues. Let them seriously lay to heart, what with great plainness and simplicity has here been delivered: and if they have any regard for themselves as men, or their reputation as christians; if they would not be a public scandal to their profession, or a grief to all that know or converse with them: in short, if they would not be devils incarnate here, and provoke GOD to punish them eternally hereafter; I say unto them in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, “Swear not at all.”

SERMON XIX.

CHRIST the Support of the Tempted.

MATTHEW vi. 13.

_Lead us not into Temptation._

THE great and important duty which is incumbent on christians, is to guard against all appearance of evil; to watch against the first risings in the heart to evil; and to have a guard upon our actions, that they may not be sinful, or so much as seem to be so. It is true, the devil is tempting us continually, and our own evil hearts are ready to join with the tempter, to make us fall into sins, that he thereby may obtain a victory over us, and that we, my brethren, may be his subjects, his servants, his slaves; and then by-and-by he will pay us our wages, which will be death temporal, and death eternal. Our LORD JESUS CHRIST saw how his people would be tempted; and that the great enemy of their souls would lay hold of every opportunity, so he could but be a means of keeping poor sinners from coming to the LORD JESUS CHRIST; hurrying you with temptation, to drive you to some great sins; and then if he cannot gain you over, fall it to a smaller, and suit his temptations time after time; and when he finds none of these things will do, often transform himself into an angel of light, and by that means make the soul fall into sin, to the dishonour of GOD, and the wounding of itself: the LORD JESUS, I say, seeing how liable his disciples, and all others, would be to be overcome by temptation, therefore advises them, when they pray, to beg that they might not be led into temptation. It is so dangerous to engage so subtle and powerful an enemy as Satan is, that we shall be overcome as often as we engage, unless the LORD is on our side. My brethren, if you were left to yourselves, you would be overcome by every temptation with which you are beset.

These words are part of the prayer which CHRIST taught his disciples; and I shall, therefore, make no doubt, but that you all believe them to be true, since they are spoken by one who cannot lie. I shall,

I. Shew you who it is that tempts you.

II. Shall shew, my brethren, why he tempts you.

III. Mention some of the ways and means he makes use of, to draw
you over to his temptations.

IV. Let you see how earnest you ought to be to the LORD, that he
may preserve you from being led into temptation.

V. I shall make some application by way of entreaty unto you, to
come unto CHRIST, that he, my brethren, may deliver you from
being tempted.

I. _First_, We are to consider who it is that tempts ye.

And the Tempter is Satan, the prince of the power of the air, he that now ruleth in the children of disobedience; he is an enemy to GOD and goodness, he is a hater of all truth: Why else did he slander GOD in paradise? Why did he tell _Eve_, “You shall not surely die?” He is full of malice, envy, and revenge: for what reasons else could induce him to molest innocent man in paradise? The person that tempts ye, my brethren, is remarkable for his subtilty: for having not power given him from above, he is obliged to wait for opportunities to betray us, and to catch us by guile: he, therefore, made use of the serpent to tempt our first parents: and to lie in wait to deceive, is another part of his character. And though this character is given of the devil, if we were to examine our own hearts, we should find many of the tempter’s characters legible in us.

Do not many of you love to make a lie? And if it is done in your trade, you therefore look on it as excusable; but whether you believe it or not, it is sinful, it is exceedingly sinful. Though you may value yourselves as fine rational creatures, and that you are noble beings; and you were so, as you first came out of GOD’s hands; but now you are fallen, there is nothing lovely, nothing desirable in man; his heart is a sink of pollution, full of sin and uncleanness: Yet, though a man’s own heart is so desperately wicked, he is told by our modern polite preachers, that there is a fitness in men, and that GOD seeing you a good creature, gives you his grace; but this, though it is a modern, polite, and fashionable way of talking, is very unscriptural; it is very contrary to the doctrines of the Reformation, and to our own Articles. But however contrary to the doctrines of the Church of _England_, yet our pulpits ring of nothing more, than doing no one any harm, living honestly, loving your neighbour as yourselves, and do what you can, and then CHRIST is to make up the deficiency: this is making CHRIST to be half a saviour, and man the other part; but I say, CHRIST will be your whole righteousness, your whole wisdom, your whole sanctification, or else he will never be your whole redemption. How amazing is it, that the ministers of the church of _England_ should speak quite contrary to what they have subscribed! Good GOD! if these are the guides of the ignorant, and esteemed to be the true ministers of JESUS, because they have a great share of letter-learning; when at the same time they are only the blind leaders of the blind; and without a special Providence, they both will fall into the ditch.

No wonder at people’s talking of the fitness and unfitness of things, when they can tell us, that the Spirit of GOD, is a good conscience, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost are consequent thereupon. But this is wrong; for it should be said, the Spirit of GOD, are the comforts of the Holy Ghost, and a good conscience consequent thereupon. _Seneca_, _Cicero_, _Plato_, or any of the heathen philosophers, would have given as good a definition as this; it means no more than reflecting we have done well.

But let these modern, polite gentlemen, and let my letter-learned brethren, paint man in as lovely colours as they please, I will not do it: I dare not make him better than the word of GOD does. If I was to paint man in his proper colours, I must go to the kingdom of hell for a copy: for man is by nature full of pride, subtilty, malice, envy, revenge, and all uncharitableness; and what are these but the tempers of the devil? and lust, sensuality, pleasure, these are the tempers of the beast. Thus, my brethren, man is half a beast, and half a devil, a motley mixture of the beast and devil. And this is the creature, who has made himself so obnoxious to the wrath of GOD, and open to his indignation, that is told, that he must be part his own saviour, by doing good works, and what he cannot do CHRIST will do for him.

This is giving the tempter great room to come in with his temptation; he may press a soul to follow moral duties, to go to church, take the sacrament, read, pray, meditate; the devil is well content you should do all these; but if they are done in your own strength, or if you go no farther than here, you are only going a smoother way to hell.

Thus, my brethren, you may see who it is that tempts us. But

II. Why he tempts you, is the second thing I am to shew you.

It is out of envy to you, and to the LORD JESUS CHRIST, he endeavours to keep you from closing with JESUS; and if he can but keep you from laying hold by faith on CHRIST, he knows he has you safe enough; and the more temptations you are under, and according to their nature and greatness, you are more hurried in your minds; and the more unsettled your thoughts and affections are, the more apt you are to conclude, that if you were to go to CHRIST, at present, in all that hurry of mind, he would not receive you; but this is the policy of the tempter, to make you have low and dishonourable thoughts of the blessed JESUS; and so by degrees he works upon your minds, that you are careless and indifferent about CHRIST. This, this, my brethren, is the design of the tempter. Nothing will please him more, than to see you ruined and lost for ever. He tempts you for that end, that you may lose your interest in JESUS CHRIST, and that you may dwell with him and apostate spirits to all eternity. He knows that JESUS CHRIST died for sinners, yet he would fain keep souls from seeking to this city of refuge for shelter, and from going to _Gilead_ for the true balm.

It is he that rules in thy heart, O scoffer, O _Pharisee_; the devil reigns there, and endeavours to blind your eyes, that you shall not see what danger you are in, and how much evil there is in those hearts of yours; and as long as he can keep you easy and unconcerned about having your hearts changed, he will be easy; though if he can, he will tempt you to sin against him, until you are hardened in your iniquity. O, my brethren, do not give the devil a handle wherewith he may lay hold on you: alas! it is no wonder that the devil tempts you, when he finds you at a play, a ball, or masquerade; if you are doing the devil’s work, it is no wonder if he presses you in the continuation thereof; and how can any say, “Lead us not into temptation,” in the morning, when they are resolved to run into it at night? Good GOD! Are these persons members of the church of _England_? Alas, when you have gone to church, and read over the prayers, it is offering no more than the sacrifice of fools; you say _Amen_ to them with your lips, when in your hearts you are either unconcerned at what you are about, or else you think that the bare saying of your prayers is sufficient, and that then GOD and you have balanced accounts.

But, my dear brethren, do not deceive yourselves, GOD is not to be mocked. You are only ruining yourselves for time and eternity. You pray, “lead us not into temptation,” when you are tempting the devil to come and tempt you.

III. I shall now point out some of the ways and means, he makes use of to draw you to himself.

But this is a field so large, and I have but just begun to be a soldier of JESUS CHRIST, that I cannot name many unto you. I shall therefore be very short on this head.

1. He endeavours to make you think sin is not so great as it is; that there is no occasion of being so over-strict, and that you are righteous over-much; that you are ostentatious, and will do yourself harm by it; and that you will destroy yourselves. He shows you, my brethren, the bait, but he hides the hook; he shows you the pleasure, profits and advantages, that attend abundance of this world’s goods; but he does not show you the crosses, losses and vexations that you may have while you are in the enjoyment of the blessings of this world.

2. When he finds he cannot allure you by flattery, he will try you by frowns, and the terrors of this world; he will stir up people to point at you, and cry, “Here comes another troop of his followers:” He will stir them up to jeer, scoff, backbite, and hate you; but if he still finds this will not do, then he throws doubts, my brethren, and discouragements in your mind, whether the way you are in is the true way or not; or else he will suggest, What! do you expect to be saved by CHRIST? Also, He did not die for you; you have been too great a sinner; you have lived in sin so long, and committed such sins against CHRIST, which he will not forgive. Thus he hurries poor sinners almost into despair.

And very often, when the people of GOD are met to worship him, he sends his agents, the scoffers, to disturb them. We saw an instance of their rage just now; they would fain have disturbed us; but the LORD was on our side, and so prevented all the attempts of wicked and designing men, to disturb and disquiet us. LORD JESUS, forgive them who are thus persecuting thy truth! JESUS, shew them that they are fighting against thee, and that it is hard for them to kick against the pricks! These, my brethren, are some of the ways Satan takes, in his temptations, to bring you from CHRIST: Many more might be named; but these are sufficient, I hope, to keep you on your guard, against all that the enemy can do to hinder you from coming to CHRIST.

IV. I come to shew you, how earnest you ought to be with JESUS CHRIST, either not to suffer you to be led into temptations, or to preserve you under them.

And here, my dear brethren, let me beseech you to go to JESUS CHRIST; tell him, how you are assaulted by the evil one, who lies in wait for your souls; tell him, you are not able to master him, in your own strength; beg his assistance, and you shall find him ready to help you; ready to assist you, and to be your Guide, your Comforter, your Saviour, your All: He will give you strength to resist the fiery darts of the devil; and, therefore, you can no where find one so proper to relieve you, as JESUS CHRIST; he knows what it is to be tempted; he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, and he will give you the assistance of his Spirit, to resist the evil one, and then he will fly from you. In CHRIST JESUS you shall have the strength you stand in need of, the devil shall have no power; therefore fear not, for in the name of the LORD we shall overcome all our spiritual _Amalekites_: Let the devil and his agents rage, let them breathe out threatnings, yea, let them breathe out slaughters, yet we can rejoice in this, that JESUS CHRIST hath them in his power, they shall go no farther than he permits them; they may rage, they may rage horribly, but they can go no farther, until they have got more power from on high.