Roll is entred into our Houfe, and I pray God it may not remain in the midst of it, till it has confum'd it (as the Prophet fpeaks) with the Timber thereof, and the Stones thereof. That by the Goodness and Forbearance of God it may not, give me leave to advise these few things,

1. That you all learn to poffefs your Souls with a due fenfe of the Sacredness and Religion of an Oath. It is no such light and trivial thing as from the general abuse of it fome of you perhaps may be apt to imagine, but a matter of the most serious and tremendous Confideration. It is (as you have heard) an Appeal to God himself for the Truth of what we fay, or a Calling our Bleffed Maker to bear Witness to the Sincerity of our Hearts. But right Reason, as well as Revelation, will affure us, that that this ought never to be done lightly and wantonly, (much less fraudulently and deceitfully) but only upon great and Solemn Occafions: when either the Glory of God himself, or the Juftifica tion of our felves in matters of no Ordinary Moment, and Importance, or the Good of our Neighbour fhall evidently require

require it. Right Reafon (I say) as well as Revelation will teach you thus much. And accordingly we find those Learned Heathens, Plato, Ifocrates, Epictetus, and Hierocles acting with no less Caution and Religion in this Point, than did either the Effenes among the Jews, or Clemens Alexandrinus, Bafil, Gregory Nazianzen, Chryfoftom, Hilary, Ambrofe, Jerome, OEcumenius, Theophylact, and others among the Chriftians, For (1) they would by no means allow their Vid. Disciples to Swear, unless where either Neceffity or Charity did extort it from them.

But this is to be understood only of Voluntary Oaths. As for thofe, that are injoin'd by Publick Authority, they are of another Confideration. The Subject is not to dispute their Reasonableness, but their Legality. If they are unjust, or Repugnant to the Divine Law, we muft by all means refuse them, and refolve (whatever the Confequences prove) to obey God. rather than Man. But if the Matter of them be, Honest and Lawful, and our Confcience tells us as much, 'tis then our indifpenfable Duty to take them. For as for the Reasonableness of them, That 'tis their Business

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to confider who require them at our hands. 'Tis their Bufinefs I fay, yea and their Duty too: For they muft certainly account to God for it, if by impofing them too often, and upon too flight Occafions; where neither the neceffity of Government, nor the Publick Peace require it; they fhall caufe Gods Name to be profan'd fhall burden their Neighbours Confcience; and by degrees extenuate and leffen the Religion of an Oath.

2. Let all those, who move, like the highest Stars, in large and fplendid Orbs, pour down upon those below them the powerful Influences of a pious Example. Let them fhew by their Religious Abstinence from Swearing, that their Hearts are fill'd with a deep Senfe of the Majesty of God, and that they really think his Name to be what the Pfalmift truly fays it is, Great, Wonderful and Holy. Thus they'll be Inftrumental in a very great measure to stop that impetuous fide of Swearing, that over-runs the World. They'll fhame their Inferiours into the Reverence of an Oath: Command an awful Regard and Veneration for the Name of God in their Families and

Neighbourhoods: and caufe this impious and abominable, tho familiar and customary Vice, to skulk and hide its head, if not to fly out of the Land. In a word, Men generally follow the Examples of their Superiours, and ambitioufly endeavour to square their Actions by their Rules and Measures. If therefore you, my Brethren of the higher Stations and Characters be always careful to let your light fo shine before Men, that they may see your good Works, it may be rationally hop'd, that by the Bleffing of God upon your excellent Examples, they will at length be induc'd not to profane or blafpheme the Name of God, not to defecrate or unhallow it either by false or common Swearing, but by a Reverential and Religious ufage of it upon juft Occafions to glorifie your Father, which is in Heaven.

3. Be faithful and ingenious, veracious and fincere in all your Words and Actions. This will for ever secure you from the Neceffity of an Oath in your Communication with one another. For that (as our Great Mafter tells us) cometh only of Evil: i. e. as the Learned (z) Hammond obferves, From the Wick-(2) Pract. edness and Falseness of Mankind, that Cat.p.158. great

great Evil among Men, the Breaking of Promises which renders them unfit to be believ'd without the Interpofition of an Oath. But where is neither Envy nor Malice, neither Intereft nor Defign, neither Covetousness nor Injustice, neither Lying nor Diffimulation; there (I say) will be no need of fuch a Confi mation: Your word will be esteemed as Sacred as your Oath and your Neighbours depend with perfect Security upon the performance of your Promiles. Your Honefty and Integrity will gain you a firm and established Reputation upon the Earth, and alfo entitle you to a Portion in that Kingdom, where Hypocrify, Deceit, and Guile, have no Habitations, but Sincerity, Truth and Justice Reign for evermore.

4. Confider feriously with your felves, that (as I have told you) this Sin has no Charms neither of Profit nor Pleafure to allure you into its Practice. That thereby you difhonour God, fcandalize his Servants, endanger the Community, and ruine your Souls gratis, without any Encouragement, without any Reward, unaccountably, brutishly, to no purpose at all. Confider this, (I fay)

seriously