sire that he should swear by the true God, do not become guilty of his sin. The saints did not therefore scruple to enter into covenants, confirmed by oaths, with idolaters, see this in Isaac, Gen. xxvi 26 -31. and in Jacob, Gen. xxxi. 53. The other question is, how far we are bound by an oath, in which we have promised fidelity. It is not to be doubted, but that we may break a wicked oath, by which we have bound ourselves to do a moral evil, as David broke his unadvised oath against the life of Nabal, I Sam. xxv. for we do otherwise commit a double sin, like Herod, who, being moved by the idle dancing of the daughter of Herodias, promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she should ask, and when she asked for the head of John the Baptist, he ordered that that holy man should be beheaded, on account of his oath, Matt. xiv. 1-11. But every other oath by which we obligate ourselves to do things, that are not sinful, but allowable, we ought to fulfil punctually, although it should be to our own hurt; for "he who abides in the tabernacle of God, and dwells in his holy hill, changes not, although he have sworn to his own hurt," Psalm xv. 1-4. Oaths which have been sworn to confirm a mutual contract, ought to be kept on both sides; but if one party break his contract, and therefore his oath, the other party is then discharged and freed from his oath, because it depends upon the condition, that his confederate will be faithful, and because he is rendered incapable of keeping his word and his oath. The words of Paul apply here, 1 Cor. vii. 15. "If the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases."

APPLICATION.

But, hearers, if any of you have ever been called upon to make oath, and have sworn either once, or repeatedly, it behooves you to consider your ways, and to look back on your former behaviour, in order to reflect on your conduct. Permit me to bring you to yourselves, and to propose certain questions to you: (a) When ye swore, did ye know the nature of an oath? did ye apprehend that ye appealed to an allknowing, true, righteous, and almighty Judge, and called upon him to punish you, if ye swore falsely? were your souls seized with a holy trembling before his dreadful majesty, when ye ifted up your hands, and said, "So help me Almighty God?" Again, (b) When ye swore to confirm your testimony, did ye know certainly, and without doubting, that it was true? when ye promised any thing upon an oath, did ye know that it was in your power punctually to fulfil your promise ? were your hearts fully determined, and had ye a steadfast resolution to perform all that ye promised ? Let no maw flatter himself, thinking, I knew indeed that it was not possible for me to perform all that was required of me, and I purposed to do as much as was possible for me, for ye ought to have said so, and ye would not then have been permitted to swear. may not swear with such a tacit condition, and with such a mental reservation. Permit me to ask you this one question also, (c) Have ye kept your oath: have ye performed it in every respect hath the fear of the high God, by whom ye swore, restrained you from doing aught, that was contrary to what ye promised?

We

What think ye, hearers? can ye say yea to all this with a wellassured mind? Be then also assured, that the Lord hath a special delight in your oath, and in your performance of it, and that he will bless you in the work of your hands: but can ye not answer yea to this question? and have ye, being ignorant of the importance of an oath, sworn only in a careless manner, not certainly knowing whether that which ye affirmed were true, and only with a design to deliver yourselves, or your friend from a danger, or to injure your enemy? and when ye had bound yourselves with an oath to be faithful in this or that affair, did ye not know that it was possible for you, and had ye not then a steadfast resolution to perform what ye swore? had ye no other view than to obtain an office, or some other emolument? and did ye not think much of breaking your oath for the sake of some advantage? know then that ye cannot be numbered among the citizens of Zion; for "they do not swear deceitfully," Psalm xxiv. 4. Surely ye are abominably wicked; for this is recorded as a grievous abomination of Zedekiah, which he added to all his other sins, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 12, 13. "He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who made him swear by God." Ye have " profaned the name of God by your false swearing," Lev. xix. 12, for ye have denied that God was allknowing, true, righteous and almighty; ye have made a false witness of him, and prayed for your own damnation, and destruction. Can there be a more horrible sin? is not this a bond of many and mischievous iniquities? ye are therefore justly reckoned as " perjured," among " lawless persons, disobedient, ungodly, sinners, unholy, profane, murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, whoremongers, those who defile themselves with mankind," and among " menstealers," 1 Tim. i. 10. What think ye? will God hold you guiltless, when ye yourselves have appealed to his justice? surely, "the Lord will not hold him guiltless, who taketh his name in vain," Exod. xx. 7. Hear what the Lord God saith of the perjured king Zedekiah, Ezek, xvii. 18, 19. "He despised the oath by breaking the covenant, (when lo, he had given his hand) since he hath done all these things, he shall not escape. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, as I live, surely my oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head." The Lord saith also, Zech. v. 1-4, " that he will bring the roll of the curse, the length whereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth ten cubits, into the house of him who hath sworn falsely by his name, that it may remain there, to con sume it, with the timber thereof, and with the stones thereof."

Do ye ask, if there be then no way for you to escape the judgment of God? We say, yes: only let my counsel be acceptable to you, (a) Break off your sins of perjury, and begin henceforth to perform and keep your oath. Have ye been confirmed in any office, by an oath, and are ye unable to execute it according to your oath, give that office up, although ye should become poor; for ye may not retain it, when ye cannot execute it without perjury. It is better to be poor and needy without such sins, than to become rich with those sins; there is indeed no way to deliver your precious souls from destruction, as long as ye do not break off sin; "Wash ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do well: Come then, and let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool," Isaiah 1. 16, 17, 18, Seek pardon for the abomination of breaking your oath from God in Christ, "who is set forth to you to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare the righteousness of God," Rom. iii. 25. He was obliged to suffer also the profane swearing of Caiaphas, and to satisfy for the false oaths of his elect; if he had not done this, Peter would not have been accepted and saved by him. It is therefore absolutely necessary for you to lay hold of him as he is offered to you in his satisfaction by the Father, and thus to make peace with God, Isaiah xxvii. 4, 5.

We ought also to exhort the magistrates, who are appointed to exact baths of their subjects, when necessity requires, that they be not too forward to demand an oath. They ought surely not to admit children, brainsick, or treacherous persons, or those who are infamous on account of their dishonest conduct to an oath; for such persons cannot swear without profaning the name of God. Neither should those who are set over others urge any person to swear, unless in important cases, and such as are possible, and then only, when necessity requires. And not even then, except after preceding in. structions and admonitions; for otherwise vain and false oaths will be multiplied, and the magistrates will render themselves guilty of the sins of others.

Let every one also fear an oath; swearing by the name of God is indeed a solemn work; let none therefore proceed lightly to an oath; a godly man "feareth an oath," as Solon on saith, Ecel. ix. 1. Therefore, hearers, "be not rash with your mouths, neither let your hearts be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and ye upon earth," Eccl. v. 2. But when the magistrates demand it, or it is otherwise necessary, then swear: yet with a holy fear for God, with a holy frame of heart, and with an assurance, that the matter to which ye swear is the truth, and that it is possible for you; and swear also plainly, and directly, without clokes of shame, and thus "in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness," according to the divine command, Jer. iv. 2. See also that ye keep your oath, which ye have sworn for the confirmation of fidelity, and that ye / change not, though it were to your hurt.

Must we swear fidelity to men, much more must we then to God and to his Son. It was foretold, Isaiah xix. 18, that "five cities in the land of Egypt should speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of hosts." The Messiah saith, Isaiah xlv. 23. "I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteous-. ness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." God offers now to all people his well ordered covenant, promising all grace to the sinner. Hear how the Son of God calls to you all, Isaiah Iv. 3. "Incline your ear and come unto me, hear and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." We must assent to this covenant, must enter into it, and engage that we will be the Lord's, and do his will, and thus "say, I am the Lord's, and call ourselves by the name of Jacob and Israel, yea, subscribe to it, as it were, with our hand," Isaiah xlv. 5. And to prove that we do this with a perfect heart, we must with David, Psalm cxix. 106, " swear that we will keep God's righteous judgments, and we must perform our oath." Yea, we must confirm it in a solemn manner, as it were, with an oath of cursing, like Israel, "who entered into the covenant of the Lord, and into his curse,," Deut. xxix. 12. I wish

that I could say of you all, that ye had thus bound yourselves and sworn to the Lord in truth, and with a perfect heart, like “ all Judah, who rejoiced at the oath; for all the Jews had sworn with their whole heart, and sought the Lord with their whole desire, and he was found of them," 2 Chron. xv. 15. Let none refuse this great and blessed duty; ye are all bound by nature to do the will of the Lord. Ye have been outwardly surrendered into the covenant of God by your baptism, and have been obliged thereby, as by a military oath, " to cleave to the Triune God, to trust in him and love him, to forsake the world, crucify your nature, and walk in a new and holy life." Is it your mind to renounce and to make void that oath? If ye will not do this, but abide by your oath, enter then solemnly into his covenant, and swear to the Lord. Is there any one who knows his indwelling corruption, and is he fearful, that he will prove unfaithful, and doth this deter him from swearing in such a manner to the Lord, let him know that he enters into this covenant at the expence of free grace, and of all the promises of the covenant, and that the Lord hath said, that " he would put his fear into the heart of him who is in covenant with him, that he may not depart from him," Jer. xxxii. 40. Ezek. xxxvi. 27. Sins, which we oppose and lament, will not annul the covenant. Hear what the Lord saith of you, who desire to be faithful, Psalm lxxxix, 31-34. "If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly, take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips," Yea, God confirms this word of his by an oath, Heb. vi. 17, 18. willing to show unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us." Amen.

"God