XIV.

nuissimus

ctus. Cic.de

ful enterprises of strong reason and stout industry: SERM. but these animalcula gloriæ, these flies, these insects of glory, these, not bladders, but bubbles of vanity, Risus-tewould be admired and praised for that which is no-ingenii fruwise admirable or laudable; for the casual hits and Orat. ii. emergencies of roving fancy; for stumbling on an odd conceit or phrase, which signifieth nothing, and is as superficial as the smile, as, hollow as the noise it causeth. Nothing certainly in nature is more ridiculous than a self-conceited wit, who deemeth himself somebody, and greatly pretendeth to commendation from so pitiful and worthless a thing as a knack of trifling.

7. Lastly, it is our duty never so far to engage ourselves in this way, as thereby to lose or to impair that habitual seriousness, modesty, and sobriety of mind, that steady composedness, gravity, and constancy of demeanour, which become Christians. We should continually keep our minds intent upon our high calling, and grand interests; ever well tuned, and ready for the performance of holy devotions, and the practice of most serious duties with earnest attention and fervent affection: wherefore we should never suffer them to be dissolved into levity, or disordered into a wanton frame, indisposing us for religious thoughts and actions. We ought always in our behaviour to maintain, not only To πpé- Phil. iv. 8. Tov, a fitting decency, but also To σeuvov, a stately 1 Tim.iii. 8. gravity, a kind of venerable majesty, suitable to that high rank which we bear of God's friends and children; adorning our holy profession, and guarding us Dictum pofrom all impressions of sinful vanity. Wherefore we should not let ourselves be transported into any ex-perdet, cessive pitch of lightness, inconsistent with, or pre-nuet auto

Tit. ii. 10.

tius ali

quando

quam mi

ritatem. Quint. vi.

SERM. judicial to, our Christian state and business. Gravity XIV. and modesty are the fences of piety, which being

once slighted, sin will easily attempt and encroach upon us. So the old Spanish gentleman may be interpreted to have been wise, who, when his son upon a voyage to the Indies, took his leave of him, gave Strad. In him this odd advice; My son, in the first place keep thy gravity, in the next place fear God: intimating, that a man must first be serious before he can be pious.

fam. Fami

ani.

To conclude, as we need not be demure, so must we not be impudent; as we should not be sour, so ought we not to be fond; as we may be free, so we should not be vain; as we may well stoop to friendly complaisance, so we should take heed of falling into contemptible levity. If without wronging others, or derogating from ourselves, we can be facetious; if we can use our wits in jesting innocently and conveniently; we may sometimes do it: but let us, in Heb. xiii. compliance with St. Paul's direction, beware of foolish talking and jesting, which are not convenient.

20, 21.

Now the God of grace and peace make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

SERMON XV.

AGAINST RASH AND VAIN SWEARING.

JAMES V. 12.

But above all things, my brethren, swear not.

AMONG other precepts of good life (directing the SERM. practice of virtue and abstinence from sin) St. James XV. doth insert this about swearing, couched in expression denoting his great earnestness, and apt to excite our special attention. Therein he doth not mean universally to interdict the use of oaths; (for that in some cases is not only lawful, but very expedient, yea needful, and required from us as a duty;) but that swearing which our Lord had expressly prohibited to his disciples, and which thence, questionless, the brethren to whom St. James did write did well understand themselves obliged to forbear, having learnt so in the first catechisms of Christian institution; that is, needless and heedless swearing in ordinary conversation: a practice then frequented in the world, both among Jews and Gentiles; the which also, to the shame of our age, is now so much in fashion, and with some men in vogue; the invoking God's name, appealing to his testimony, and provoking his judgment, upon any slight occasion, in common talk, with vain incogitancy, or profane boldness. From such practice the holy apostle de

SERM. horteth in terms importing his great concernedness, XV. and implying the matter to be of highest importance: for, Пpò návтwv, saith he, Before all things, my brethren, do not swear; as if he did apprehend this sin of all other to be one of the most heinous and pernicious. Could he have said more? would he have said so much, if he had not conceived the matter to be of exceeding weight and consequence? And that it is so, I mean now, by God's help, to shew you, by proposing some considerations, whereby the heinous wickedness, together with the monstrous folly, of such rash and vain swearing will appear; the which being laid to heart will, I hope, effectually dissuade and deter from it.

I. Let us consider the nature of an oath, and what we do when we adventure to swear.

It is (as it is phrased in the Decalogue, and otherExod.xx.7. where in holy scripture) an assuming the name of our God, and applying it to our purpose, to countenance and confirm what we saym.

Prov. xxx.

9.

50.

Gen. xxxi. It is an invocation of God as a most faithful witJudg.xi.10. ness, concerning the truth of our words, or the sincerity of our meaning.

I Sam. xii.

5.

Jer. xlii. 5. It is an appeal to God as a most upright Judge,

Job xvi. 19.

Mal. iii. 5. whether we do prevaricate in asserting what we do

1 Joh. v. 9.

Gen. xxxi. not believe true, or in promising what we are not 53. firmly resolved to perform.

I Sam.

xxiv. 5.

1 Kings

It is a formal engagement of God to be the avenger viii. 31, 32. of our trespassing in violation of truth or faith.

ii. 23. xix.

2. XX. IO.

Neh. v. 12,

13.

It is a binding our souls" with a most strict and

m Plurima firmantur jurejurando-diis immortalibus interpositis tum judicibus, tum testibus. Cic. de Leg. ii. p. 326.

* Num. xxx. 2. Πᾶς ὅρκος εἰς κατάραν τελευτᾷ τῆς ἐπιορκίας. Plut. in capit. Rom. p. 491.

XV.

solemn obligation, to answer before God, and to un- SERM. dergo the issue of his judgment about what we affirm or undertake.

Ruth i. 17.

2 Kings vi.

2 Sam. iii.

13.

sam. xiv. 44. iii. 17.

XX. 13.

Such an oath is represented to us in holy scripture. 31. Whence we may collect, that swearing doth re-9. 35. xix. quire great modesty and composedness of spirit, very serious consideration and solicitous care, that we be not rude and saucy with God, in taking up his name, and prostituting it to vile or mean uses; that we do not abuse or debase his authority, by citing it to aver falsehoods or impertinences; that we do not slight his venerable justice, by rashly provoking it against us; that we do not precipitantly throw our souls into most dangerous snares and intricacies.

most Psal. xcix. name exlviii. 13.

3. cxi. 9.

Deut.

For, let us reflect and consider: what a presumption is it without due regard and reverence to lay hold on God's name; with unhallowed breath to vent and toss that great and glorious, that holy, that reverend, that fearful and terrible of the Lord our God, the great Creator, the mighty xxviii. 58. Sovereign, the dreadful Judge of all the world; that name which all heaven with profoundest submission doth adore, which the angelical powers, the brightest and purest seraphim, without hiding their Isa. vi. 2. faces, and reverential horror, cannot utter or hear ;'^vdg. ¿'. the very thought whereof should strike awe through our hearts, the mention whereof would make any sober man to tremble; Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, For how, Id. Ανδρ. ζ'. saith St. Chrysostom, is it not absurd, that a servant should not dare to call his master by name, or bluntly and ordinarily to mention him; yet that we slightly and contemptuously should in our mouth toss about the Lord of angels?

Chrys.

P. 514.