Against Cursing.

FIrst, (if thou wilt liue in a holy feare and reuerence of the Name of God) thou must consider what thou art, and learne to know thy selfe; for hee that truely knoweth himselfe, is a man of very happy acquaintance, for by this thou shalt know thy selfe to be Earth, Gen. 2. 7. conceiu'd in sinne, Psalme 51. 5. Borne to paine, Iob, 5. 7. Euill, Eccles. 9. 3. Wretched Rom. 7. Filthy, Iob 15. Corrupt, abominable, and doing nothing good, Psal. 14. Mortall, Ro. 6. Vaine, Psal. 62. Wicked, Esay 9. Vnprofitable, Rom. 3. Vanitie, altogether more light then Vanitie, Psal. 62. Sinfull, 1 Kings, 8. Miserable, 1 Corinth. 15. Dust and Ashes, Gen. 18. Gods enemy, Rom. 8. A child of wrath, Ephesians 2. 3. A worme, Iob 25. Wormes meate, Esay 51. Nothing, yea lesse then nothing, Esay 40. 17.

Hauing thus by the Touch-stone of Gods Word tryed, and examined thy miserable estate and condition, and therewithall knowing thy selfe, then on the other side, consider (as neere as thy frailty will permit) the power of God in crea­ting thee, his mercy in Redeeming thee, his loue, in preseruing thee, his bounty, in keeping thee, his promise to glorifie thee in heauen, if thou honour him on earth, and his Iudgements to condemne thee, if thou blaspheme and disho­nour him.

Our Sauiour Christ, being the Head of Blessednesse, and of all that are or shall be blessed, how is it possible, that any Accursed or Cursing person can be a member of that Blessed Head; who hath expressely forbidden vs to Curse, but to bless them that Curse vs? Luke, 6. Math. 5. Rom. 12 And in the 109. Psalme, It is said of him that accustomes himselfe to Curse, Cursing was his de­light, therefore shall it happen vnto him, he loued not blessing, therefore it shall be farre from him.

And seeing no man can merit the least part of blessings temporall; how, or with what face can one that liues accursedly, or vseth cursing (here,) hope for a Kingdome of Eternall blessednesse hereafter?

It is fearefull to heare how, and with what cold dulnesse, many men doe pray for blessings either for themselues or for others, and (contrarily) with what ve­hemency they will Curse: as some haue willed and wished themselues Gods Plague, the Pox, and other mischiefes, and some haue too often bid the De­uill take them, God Sinke them: Renounce, Confound, Consume, Refuse, and Damne them: and yet these silly gracelesse earth-wormes, haue an ambi­cious deceitfull ayme to be blessed, partakers of the blessed Kingdome of Hea­uen.

Therefore, if thou hast a desire of Eternall blessednesse, know that the way thither, is not by Cursing: if thou hast a hope to escape the dreadfull sentence of, Goe yee Cursed, Math. 25. Then giue thy mind to prayer and blessing, and then shalt thou haue the ioyfull welcome of, Come ye blessed inherit the Kingdome prep­ared for you from the beginning of the world. To the which God of his mercy bring vs all.

Amen.

Against Swearing.

HAuing with a Christian humilitie considered thy owne base and contemptible estate and condition, then thinke with thy selfe, what an In­comprehensible, Glorious, Infinite and Almighty Maiestie thou offen­dest and blasphemest with thy vngodly Swearing, who hath said, that he will not hold him guiltlesse, that takes his Name in vaine.

And much better were it at the last day, for that miserable wretch, that he had beene created a Toade, a Viper, or the most loathsome creature, then to appeare before that great and dreadfull Tribunall, and there to be accused by the Deuill and his owne conscience, for Swearing and for Forswearing, and Blaspheming the blessed Name of the Eternall God, where no excuse can serue, no Aduocate can plead, no Proxey or Essoyne is to be graunted, but presently the guilty Caitif is commanded to vtter darkenesse and perpetuall torments.

There is some excuse for the ignorant Iewes, that crucified our Sauiour, because they knew not what they did: but for a prosessed Christian, who knowes God to be his Creator, and that Iesus Christ paid no lesse then the peerelesse & most precious blood of his heart for mans Redemption, how can any one that knowes and beleeues these things, hope for saluation by that blood, wounds, heart and body, which he so much, and so often blasphemes and teares betwixt his accursed teeth? So that there is no Traytor so bad, or treason so great, as is against the Maiestie of heauen, nor hath the Deuill any that doth him more plea­sing seruice, then an odious and common Swearer doth, and herein he goes beyond all the Deuils in hell, in impiety and contempt of God: for Saint Iames saith, Chap. 2. 19. That the Deuils doe beleeue there is a God, and that they al­so tremble in feare of his mighty power; but the Swearer, though he doe know and beleeue there is a God, yet he beleeues not his Word, or feares or trembles at his Iudgements.

Besides these endlesse torments ordained in hell for odious Swearers, God hath promised to afflict them in this life: for he saith, The plague shall neuer go from the house of the Swearer, Ecclesiasticus 23.

So that the gaine of a Swearer is nothing but the eternall wrath os God, the hatred of all good men, the ill example to others, and the vexation and discredit of himselfe, his kindred and friends, with a fearefull reward hereafter, (ex­cept true repentance obtaine mercy.) What a foolish absurditie is it for a man (being crost in any worldly affaires, or gaming, or other businesse, either ma­teriall or triuiall) to reuenge himselfe vpon God, and carelesly and blasphemously fly in the face of his Maker, with Oathes and Execrations?

If we did consider what God hath done for vs, we would not so vnthanke­fully requite him: if wee called to minde his gracious promise of glory euerla­sting, to those that loue and feare him, we should then hold his Name in such reuerence as becomes Christians: if his fearefull threatnings against the takers of his Name in vaine, could terrifie vs, (no doubt) but we would be more care­full and circumspect in our liues and conuersations, as that we would be allured by his mercies, or restrained by his Iudgements.

GOd hath naturally placed and inclosed the tongue of man within the stone walls of his teeth, and without those walls there are also the two earthen Bulwarkes or Rampieres of his lippes: he hath appointed Reason to be the tongues guide and guardian, and hee freely offers his Grace, to be Reasons counsellour & gouernour: wherefore let vs flee to the Throne of Grace, and beseech the God of Grace, that he will cause his sauing Grace to guide our Reason, that our Reason may rule our tongues, that Cursing may be cashered, Swearing suppressed: that (by Gods Spirit) our lippes may be opened, that with our mouthes his Name may bepraysed: that Gods holy Name may be glorified, and our sinfull soules eternally saued, through the merits of our great and blessed Redeemer Iesus christ, To whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit, be all Honour, Power, Maiestie, Glory, Dominion, and Thankesgiuing, ascribed and rendred (as is due) of men and Angels, both now and for euermore.