VIII.

_THE COMMON SWEARER._

"Take not His name, who made thy tongue, in vain,

It gets thee nothing, and hath no excuse."

HERBERT.

He is a transgressor of the third commandment of the Decalogue, "Thou

shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." He transgresses

without any laudable purpose, and without any necessity. He is

thoughtless, foolish, and void of the fear of God. "His mouth," as an

old divine says, "is black with oaths, and the very soot of hell hangs

about his lips." He degrades the most excellent things into the meanest

associations. Sometimes he indulges to such an extent in his sin, that

the main substance of his speech is swearing. It is more than an adjunct

or concomitant of his conversation; it is the body and soul of it.

Sometimes you may hear him, with an air of self-complacency, give

utterance to his profanity, as though he regarded it an ornament of

rhetoric, giving spice and condiment to his thoughts. There are

occasions when he considers his talk only reliable in its truthfulness

as this evil accompanies it. He would not be a man in his own judgment

if he did not swear. He thinks he magnifies his own importance in the

estimation of other people; but, alas! he promotes his own shame and

disgrace before the eyes of the wise and good.

The common swearer is confined to no rank or age in society. I have

heard the youth who was barely in his teens indulge in this sin, as

though it had been a part of his parental or day-school education. I

have heard the young gentleman, so-called, recently returned from the

walks of a University, pollute his lips and character with this shameful

vice. I have heard the man who laid claim to wealth, to intelligence, to

respectability, and to honour, pour forth his swearing words. I have

heard the man who has stood in official relation to the state, and who

considered himself a "justice of the peace," break the holy commandment

with impunity. I have even heard one, called by the misnomer, "lady," do

disgrace to her sex by this sinful fault in conversation. In the

household, with a group of little ones whose minds were just unfolding

to receive first impressions, I have heard the parents swear as though

they were licensed to do so by reason. In company, where common civility

ought to have restrained, I have heard the utterances of the swearer's

horrid voice. In the street, where public decency ought to have

deterred, I have again and again heard the revolting expressions of this

talker's leprous tongue. In the shop, while transacting business, I have

heard him give vent to his blasphemies, when a kind reproof has only

seemed for the time to enrage his demoniacal spirit to more fiery

ebullitions. How humiliating is this sin to human nature! How it severs

from everything that is holy and honourable! How it insults and

blasphemes the glorious Lord of earth and heaven! How closely it allies

to "the prince of the power of the air"!

"It might puzzle a philosopher," says Ogden, "to trace the love of

swearing to its original principle, and assign its place in the

constitution of man.

"Is it a passion, or an appetite, or an instinct? What is its just

measure, its proper object, its ultimate end?

"Or shall we conclude that it is entirely the work of art? a vice which

men have invented for themselves without prospect of pleasure or profit,

and to which there is no imaginable temptation in nature?

"If it be an accomplishment, it is such an one as the meanest person may

make himself master of; requiring neither rank nor fortune, neither

genius nor learning.

"But if it be no test of wit, we must allow, perhaps, that it wears the

appearance of valour. Alas! what is the appearance of anything? The

little birds perch upon the image of an eagle.

"True bravery is sedate and inoffensive: if it refuse to submit to

insults, it offers none; begins no disputes, enters into no needless

quarrels; is above the little, troublesome ambition to be distinguished

every moment; it hears in silence, and replies with modesty; fearing no

enemy, and making none; and is as much ashamed of insolence as

cowardice."

The swearer may ask, "Where is the evil of an oath when it is used for

the support of truth?" If your character is good, the person with whom

you converse will require no oath. He will depend upon the simple and

bare declaration of the matter: and if you swear, it will take a

per-centage from your character in his estimation, and he will not

believe the statement any the sooner for the oath connected with it. Can

you think that the high and holy name of God is intended to be debased

by association with every trivial and impertinent truth which may be

uttered? "No oath," says Bishop Hopkins, "is in itself simply good, and

voluntarily to be used; but only as medicines are, in case of necessity.

But to use it ordinarily and indifferently, without being constrained by

any cogent necessity, or called to it by any lawful authority, is such a

sin as wears off all reverence and dread of the Great God: and we have

very great cause to suspect that where His name is so much upon the

tongue, there His fear is but little in the heart."

Again, the same author says, "Though thou swearest that which is true;

yet customary swearing to truths will insensibly bring thee to swear

falsehoods. For, when once thou art habituated to it, an oath will be

more ready to thee than a truth; and so when thou rashly boltest out

somewhat that is either doubtful or false, thou wilt seal it up and

confirm it with an oath, before thou hast had time to consider what

thou hast said or what thou art swearing: for those who accustom

themselves to this vice lose the observation of it in the frequency;

and, if you reprove them for swearing, they will be ready to swear

again, that they did not swear. And therefore it is well observed of St.

Austin, 'We ought to forbear swearing that which is truth; for, by the

custom of swearing, men oftentimes fall into perjury, and are always in

danger of it.'"

Take a few considerations, with a view to show the evil of swearing, and

to deter from the practice of it.

1. _Consider that Name by which the Swearer generally commits his sin._

"The name of God," says Jeremy Taylor, "is so sacred, so mighty, that it

rends mountains, it opens the bowels of the deepest rocks, it casts out

devils, and makes hell to tremble, and fills all the regions of heaven

with joy; the name of God is our strength and confidence, the object of

our worshippings, and the security of all our hopes; and when God hath

given Himself a name, and immured it with dread and reverence, like the

garden of Eden with the swords of cherubim, and none durst speak it but

he whose lips were hallowed, and that at holy and solemn times, in a

most holy and solemn place; I mean the high priest of the Jews at the

solemnities when he entered into the sanctuary,--then He taught all the

world the majesty and veneration of His name; and therefore it was that

God made restraints upon our conceptions and expressions of Him; and,

as He was infinitely curious, that, from all appearances He made to

them, they should not depict or engrave any image of Him; so He took

care that even the tongue should be restrained, and not be too free in

forming images and representments of His name; and therefore as God drew

their eyes from vanity, by putting His name amongst them, and

representing no shape; so even when He had put His name amongst them, He

took it off from the tongue, and placed it before the eye; for Jehovah

was so written on the priest's mitre, that all might see and read, but

none speak it but the priest. But besides all this, there is one great

thing concerning the name of God, beyond all that can be spoken or

imagined else; and that is, that when God the Father was pleased to pour

forth all His glories, and imprint them upon His Holy Son, in His

exaltation, it was by giving Him His holy name, the Tetragrammaton, or

Jehovah made articulate, to signify 'God manifested in the flesh;' and

so He wore the character of God, and became the bright image of His

person.

"Now all these great things concerning the name of God are infinite

reproofs of common and vain swearing by it. God's name is left us here

to pray by, to hope in, to be the instrument and conveyance of our

worshippings, to be the witness of truth and the judge of secrets, the

end of strife and the avenger of perjury, the discerner of right and the

severe exactor of all wrongs; and shall all this be unhallowed by

impudent talking of God without sense or fear, or notice, or reverence,

or observation?"

2. _The uselessness of swearing._ "Surely," says Dr. Barrow, "of all

dealers in sin the swearer is palpably the silliest, and maketh the

worst bargains for himself; for he sinneth gratis, and, like those in

the prophet, _selleth his soul for nothing_. An epicure hath some reason

to allege; an extortioner is a man of wisdom, and acteth prudently in

comparison to him; for they enjoy some pleasure, or acquire some gain

here, in lieu of their salvation hereafter: but this fondling offendeth

heaven, and abandoneth happiness, he knoweth not why or for what. He

hath not so much as the common plea of human infirmity to excuse him; he

can hardly say he was tempted thereto by any bait."

The following incident will illustrate the senselessness of swearing as

frequently practised:--

Three travellers in a coach endeavoured to shorten the tedious hours by

relating stories. One of them, an officer, who had seen much of the

world, spoke of his past dangers, and former comrades, in so interesting

a manner, that his companions would have been charmed with his recitals

had he not interspersed them with continual oaths and imprecations. When

he had finished his tale, an elderly gentleman, who had not yet spoken,

was asked for a story. Without hesitation he thus commenced his

narration:--

"Gentlemen, it is now nearly twenty years since I was travelling on this

road, on a very dark night, when--_a thousand trumpets, pipes, and

strings!_--an accident occurred,--_trumpets, pipes, and strings!_--of

which I cannot even now think without shuddering. I truly

believe--_trumpets, pipes, and strings!_--that it happened on the very

spot which we are now passing. The coach was going on at the usual speed

of--_trumpets, pipes, and strings!_--when we were suddenly alarmed by

the noise of horses galloping after us.--_Trumpets, pipes, and

strings!_--We distinctly heard voices crying, 'Stop! stop!'--_trumpets,

pipes, and strings!_--said I to my companions, 'We are pursued by

robbers!'--_trumpets, pipes, and strings!_--'It is not possible,' cried

the other travellers.--_Pipes and strings!_--'Oh, yes,' said I, 'it is

but too true,' and on looking out of the window, I saw that

those--_trumpets, pipes, and strings!_--horsemen had overtaken us. Just

as the carriage--_trumpets, pipes, and----_"

Here the officer's impatience could no longer be restrained. "I hope you

will excuse my interrupting you, sir," said he, "but for the life of me

I cannot see what your _trumpets, pipes, and strings_ have to do with

your story."

"Sir," replied the old man, "you astonish me. Have you not perceived

that these words are quite as necessary to my tale as the _oaths_ and

_imprecations_ with which you seasoned yours? Allow me to offer you a

few words of counsel: you are yet young, you can yet correct this sad

habit, which shows lightness of character and disrespect for God's

sacred name and presence."

There was a moment's silence, the officer then took the old gentleman's

hand, and pressing it with emotion, said,--

"Sir, I _thank_ you for the kind lesson you have taught me; I hope it

will not be in vain."

3. _The incivility of swearing._ "Some vain persons," says Dr. Barrow

again, "take it for a genteel and graceful thing, a special

accomplishment, a mark of fine breeding, a point of high gallantry; for

who, forsooth, is the brave spark, the complete gentleman, the man of

conversation and address, but he that hath the skill and confidence (O

heavens! how mean a skill! how mad a confidence!) to lard every sentence

with an oath or curse; making bold at every turn to salute his Maker, or

to summon Him in attestation of his tattle; not to say calling and

challenging the Almighty to damn and destroy him? Such a conceit, I say,

too many have of swearing, because a custom thereof, together with

divers other fond and base qualities, hath prevailed among some people

bearing the name and garb of gentlemen.

"But in truth there is no practice more crossing the genuine nature of

genteelness, or misbecoming persons well-born and well-bred; who should

excel the rude vulgar in goodness, in courtesy, in nobleness of heart,

in unwillingness to offend, and readiness to oblige those with whom they

converse, in steady composedness of mind and manners, in disdaining to

say or do any unworthy, any unhandsome thing.

"For this practice is not only a gross rudeness towards the main body

of men, who justly reverence the name of God, and detest such an abuse

thereof; not only, further, an insolent defiance of the common

profession, the religion, the law of our country, which disalloweth and

condemneth it; but it is very odious and offensive to any particular

society or company, at least wherein there is any sober person, any who

retaineth a sense of goodness, or is anywise concerned for God's honour;

for to any such person no language can be more disgustful. Nothing can

more grate his ears, or fret his heart, than to hear the sovereign

object of his love and esteem so mocked and slighted; to see the law of

his Prince so disloyally infringed, so contemptuously trampled on; to

find his best Friend and Benefactor so outrageously abused. To give him

the lie were a compliment, to spit in his face were an obligation, in

comparison to this usage.

"Wherefore it is a wonder that any person of rank, any that hath in him

a spark of ingenuity, or doth at all pretend to good manners, should

find in his heart, or deign to comply with so scurvy a fashion; a

fashion much more befitting the scum of the people than the flower of

the gentry; yea, rather much below any man endued with a scrap of

reason, or a grain of goodness. Would we bethink ourselves, modest,

sober, and pertinent discourse would appear far more generous and

masculine than such mad hectoring the Almighty, such boisterous

insulting over the received laws and general notions of mankind, such

ruffianly swaggering against sobriety and goodness. If gentlemen would

regard the virtues of their ancestors, the founders of their quality;

that gallant courage, that solid wisdom, that noble courtesy which

advanced their families, and severed them from the vulgar; this

degenerate wantonness and sordidness of language would return to the

dunghill, or rather, which God grant, be quite banished from the world."

4. _The positive scriptural commands against swearing._ "Thou shalt not

take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold

him guiltless that taketh His name in vain." "Ye shall not swear by any

name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the

Lord." The Christian Lawgiver thus utters His voice, "Ye have heard that

it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself,

but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: but I say unto you, Swear

not at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne: nor by the earth,

for it is His footstool: neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the

great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not

make one hair white or black." St. James thus utters the inspiration of

the Spirit: "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by

heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your

yea be yea, and your nay, nay: lest ye fall into condemnation."

It is the duty of all who reverence the name of God, and desire not sin

upon their brother, to stand up in firm fidelity, to reprove and correct

this evil as it may come before them. The following instances

illustrate how this may be done.

"My lads," said a shrewd captain, when reading his orders to the crew on

the quarter-deck, to take command of the ship, "there is a favour which

I ask of you, and which, as a British officer, I expect will be granted

by a crew of British seamen; what say you lads, are you willing to grant

your new captain, who promises to treat you well, one favour?"

"Hi, hi, sir," cried all hands, "please to let's know what it is, sir,"

said a rough-looking, hoarse-voiced boatswain.

"Why, my lads," said the captain, "it is this: that _you must allow_ ME

_to swear the first oath in this ship_; this is a law which I cannot

dispense with; I must insist upon it, I cannot be denied. No man on

board must swear an oath before _I_ do; I want to have the privilege of

swearing _the first oath_ on board H.M.S. C----. What say you, my lads,

will you grant me this favour?"

The appeal seemed so reasonable, and the manner of the captain so kind

and so prepossessing, that a general burst from the ship's company

announced, "Hi, hi, sir," with their accustomed _three cheers_, when

they left the quarter-deck. The effect was good, _swearing was wholly

abolished in the ship_.

When the Rev. Rowland Hill was returning from Ireland, he found himself

much annoyed by the reprobate conduct of the captain and mate, who were

sadly given to the scandalous habit of swearing. First the captain

swore at the mate, then the mate swore at the captain; then they both

swore at the winds. Mr. Hill called to them for "fair play."

"Stop, stop," said he; "let us have fair play, gentlemen; it is my turn

now."

"At what is it your turn?" asked the captain.

"At swearing," replied Mr. Hill.

Well, they waited and waited, until their patience was exhausted, and

they wished Mr. Hill to make haste and take his turn. He told them,

however, that he had a right to take his own time, and swear at his own

convenience.

The captain replied with a laugh, "Perhaps you don't mean to take your

turn!"

"Pardon me, captain," answered Mr. Hill, "I shall do so as soon as I can

find the good of doing it."

Mr. Hill did not hear another oath on the voyage.

John Wesley was once travelling in a stage-coach with a young officer

who was exceedingly profane, and who swore curses upon himself in almost

every sentence. Mr. Wesley asked him if he had read the Common Prayer

Book; for if he had, he might remember the collect beginning, "O God,

Who art wont to give more than we are to pray, and art wont to give more

than either we desire or deserve." The young man had the good sense to

make the application, and swear no more during the journey.

On another occasion Mr. Wesley was travelling, when he had as a

fellow-passenger one who was intelligent and very agreeable in

conversation, with the exception of occasional swearing. When they

changed coaches at a certain place, Mr. Wesley took the gentleman aside,

and after expressing the general pleasure he had had in his company,

said he had one favour to ask of him. He at once replied, "I will take

great pleasure in obliging you, for I am sure you will not make an

unreasonable request." "Then," said Mr. Wesley, "as we have to travel

together some distance, I beg, if I should so far forget myself as to

swear, you will kindly reprove me." The gentleman immediately saw the

reason and force of the request, and smiling, said, "None but Mr. Wesley

could have conceived a reproof in such a manner."