14 Chap. 27. .n ExpoRion upon the Boo o fJo$. Verf.2. and be !Iron,. (1f .65.16.) He who bleffetk him(elfe in the earth, (hall blefs himfelfì to the name of the god of troeth,andhe thatfxoea- reth in the earth, 'hallfweare by the godoftruth; That is, if any man fweare, this fhail be his oath, and noother, he (hall fiveare: by the God of truth-. fo fweare by any other is a forfaking of God.. ( Per. 5.7. ) How ¡hall !pardon thee rhis,thy Children haveforfa. ken me, and fworne by them that are no gods. Whatfoever crea- ture any oneweares by, he commits two great evills ; firfi, -he fweare'sby that which is no God; fecondly,fwearing by ir, he puts it in the place and gives it the honour ofGod. That rebuke which Chrift gives ( Math, g., 34. ). thewes plainely that forne ufed to fweare by the Heavens, force by the Ea, th, force by their heads. To fvvtare vainely by the name of the true God, and to fweare at all by any'creature,are alike abominable. We read what a tongue- taint or infeelion f ofeph hadgot in the Court of Pharoah, even to fweare by the life of Pharoah ; yea he feems to have contraeled a cuftomeof ir;for he uteth itt ,,ice in two verfes ( Gene 42 ISa 16.) The Courtiers of Pharoahhad (it teems) takenup a flatter- ing fafhion to fweareby his life ( as it hash liince been the tie in other places to fweareby the life of the Emperour)fofeph (a god ly man ) a-while in chat Court had flamed his language with that Curled Courtfhip, orvaineconplementali (wearing. We provoke him highly who made all things, while we fweare by any thing which he hash made if we mull give an account for every idle word, what account will they make who frequently vent Idolatrous oaths ? and whatefteeín (hall we rntke of their faith, who initead of placing it in God by beleeving, put it in the place of God by (wearing ?- He that fweares by his Faith b-eakes it,and declaresat his tongue an evill heart of unbeliefe in depart- ing from the living Cod. For (wearing by falle objeei the Land mournes, as well as for (wearing falfely. Polluted lips pollute a Land. When the Lord turnes to apeoplea pure l.-'p or /ao oo ego, then they willcall uponhis name (wady ) andfervehim w th one confeet orfhoulder, Zeph. 3. 9., But fay Come, Is it linfu ll to fweare by any thine b.r by Gad ? why then faith the Church (Cast. 5. 5.. which o .le Tote ever as an oath)!chargeyou Oye daughters of fereofalene,'by he Ries and by the Hinds of thefield, thatycfllirre not up, nor awake my Love till hepleafe._ ISO*
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