or image of God upon it. Sin, sin, and to do the thing that was naught, was that which he delighted in, dan that from a little child.

Atten. I must say again, I am sorry to hear it, and that for his own sake, and also for the sake of his relations, who must needs be broken to pieces with such doings as these: for, for these things sake comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience: and doubtless he must be gone to hell, if he died without repentance; and to beget a child for hell, is sad for parents to think on.

Wise. Of his dying, as I told you, I will give you a relation anon; but now we are upon his life, and upon the manner of his life in his childhood, even of the sins that attended him then, some of which I have mentioned already; and indeed I have mentioned but some, for yet there are more to follow, and those not at all inferior to what you have already heard.

Atten. Pray what are they?
Wise. Why, he was

greatly given, and that

Badman given

while a lad, to grievous to swearing and swearing and cursing; yea, cursing. he then made no more of

J

swearing and cursing than I do of telling my fingers; yea, would do it without provocation thereto. He counted it a glory to swear and curse, and it was as natural to him, as to eat and drink and sleep.

Atten. Oh! what a young villain was

་

this! here is, as the apostle says, a yielding of members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin indeed! This is proceeding from evil to evil with a witness; this argueth that he was a black mouthed young wretch indeed. Wise. He was so; and yet, as I told you, he counted above all, this kind of sinning, to be a badge of his honour: he reckoned himself a man's fellow when he had learned to swear and curse boldly.

Atten. I am persuaded that many do think, as you have said, that to swear is a thing that does bravely become them, and that it is the best way for a man, when he would put authority or terror in his words, to stuff them full of the sin of swearing.

Wise. You say right, else, as I am persuaded, men would not so usually belch out their blasphemous oaths as they do they take a pride in it: they think that to swear is gentleman-like; and having once accustomed themselves unto it, they hardly leave it all the days of their lives.

Difference betwixt swearing and cursing.

What swear

ing is.

Atten. Well, but now we are upon it, pray shew me the difference between swearing and cursing; for there is a difference, is there not?

Wise. Yes; there is a difference between swearing and cursing; swearing, vain swearing, such as young Badman accustom

ed himself unto. Now vain and sinful swearing, is a light and wicked calling of God, &c. to witness to our vain foolish attesting of things; and those things are of two

sorts.

1. Things that we swear are or shall be done.

2. Things so sworn to, true or false.

1. Things that we swear are or shall be done. Thou swearest thou hast done such a thing, that such a thing is so, or shall be so; for it is no matter which of these it is that men swear about if it be done lightly, and wickedly, and groundlessly, it is vain, because it is a sin against the third commandment, which says; "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." For this is a vain using of that holy and sacred name, and so a sin for which, without sound repentance, there is not, nor can be rightly expected, forgiveness.

Atten. Then it seems, though as to the matter of fact, a man swears truly, yet if he sweareth lightly and groundlessly, his oath is evil, and he by it under sin.

A man may

sin in

Wise. Yes, a man may say, "The Lord liveth," and that is true, and yet in so saying, "swear falsely; because he sweareth vainly, needlessly, and without a ground. To swear ground- to the truth. edly, and necessarily, (which then a man does,

in swearing

when he swears

as being called thereto of God), that is tolerated by the word: But this was none of Mr Badman's swearing: and therefore that which now we are not concerned about.

Atten. I perceive by the prophet, that a man may sin in swearing to the truth: They therefore must needs most horribly sin, that swear to confirm their jests and lies; and as they think, the better to beautify their foolish talking.

Wise. They sin with an high hand; for they presume to imagine, that God is as wicked as themsslves, to wit, that he is an avoucher of lies to be true. For, as I said before, to swear, is to call God to witness; and to swear to a lye, is to call God to witness that that lye is true. This therefore must needs offend; for it puts the highest affront upon the holiness and righteousness of God, therefore his wrath must sweep them away. This kind of swearing is put in with lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; and therefore must not go unpunished: For if "God will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain," which a man may do when he swears to a truth, (as I have shewed before), how can it be imagined, that he should hold such guiltless, who by swearing, will appeal to God, if lies be not true, or that swear out of their frantic and bedlam madness. It would grieve and provoke a sober man to

wrath, if one should swear to a notorious lye, and avouch that that man would attest it for a truth; and yet thus do men deal with the holy God. They tell their jestings, tales, and lyes, and then swear by God that they are true. Now this kind of swearing was as common with young Badman, as it was to eat when he was an hungred, or to go to bed when it was night,

Atten. I have often mused in my mind, what it should be that should make men so common in the use of the sin of swearing, since those that be wise will believe them never the sooner for that.

Wise. It cannot be any thing that is good, you may be sure; because the thing itself is abominable: 1. Therefore

Six causes of vain swearing.

it must be from promptings of the spirit of the devil within them. 2. Also it flows sometimes from hellish rage, when the tongue hath set on fire of hell even the whole course of nature. 3. But commonly swearing flows from that daring boldness that biddeth defiance to the law that forbids it. 4. Swearers think also, that by their belching of their blasphemous oaths out of their black and polluted mouths, they shew themselves the more valiant men. 5. And imagine also, that by these outrageous kind of villainies, they shall conquer those that at such a time they have to do with, and make them believe their lyes to be true. 6. They also swear