Chap. 27. An E.xpofition upan the Book of fJo$. VeFf.2. that is, doe not fwear any undue Oath,Neitber 6y Heaìoen,far it is Cods throne, nor by .Earth,f or it is his footfioole, nor by Jerrefalem, for it is the City ofthegreat King; neither /halt thoupearby thine head,for thou tanfii not makeone hairs white or bl tckTo fweare by the creature is forbidden by Chrifl , not fwearingby the Creator. This alfo is the mind of the Spirit by the Apollle James ; Above all things, my Brethren, freare not ; neither by Heaven, nor by the Earth, or any other oaths, that is, doe not fwear any fuch kind of oath ; it is not an abfolute deniall of an oath, but of prophane oaths, oaths by the Creature. To fweare by any Creature is Idolatray; becaufe fwearing is; part of the worfhip of God : And fo Excellent a part of the worfhip of God, that foentimes it is put for thewhole worfhip ofGod.Compare that text (Dent. 6.i 3.) with that(Math. 4. s o.)and it will appeare that fetvingof God, . and fwearing by God, are equallyput for the wctfhip of God. And I /hall touch a little furncer,tn (hew howmuch of worfhip there is in fuch fwearing. Ficfl, there is a confeffion, or an acknowledgment that the Lord is, and is the living God ; for though we doe not fweare' formally (as the Lord liveth ) yet every oath in thename of God is a tacite acknowledgment, that the Lord is ; An oath by God gives him the glo y of his :being, that he is Jehovah,, the crate, the living, the eve living God. Secondly , Swearing is an acknowledgment of the omni":ci- ency of God, that he knows, and takes notice of what is done, of what is fpoken and aff aned by men here helow;that he knower not onely the word that is fpoken outbut the thoughts which lye within,or what Correfpondency is held between the heart and the tongue, between our thoughts and words ; this is a high part of u oríhir. Thirdly,Iç is wor(hip,in that, He who fweareth yeildeth him- felfe up to the Jullice cf God, who will take vengeance on all thofe who fweare falfely, of Invokehis name inpretence to covet falfehood, who make oaths as flalking :horfes to their ownends ; to confeffe the Lord an avenger of all filch, is a great part of his glorp Fou -thty, An oath is an acknowledgment or the power of God,that he is able to take vengeance, that he can make the âfoutefl floope,; the Cedars boric, the Oakes fall, and thempun C 2 taines I
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