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thefe, God fink me, God confound me, God damn me? If I lived in a wilderness, and had only the principles of God's creation; I fhould think it would have been impoffible for a creature to be fo incautelous, to irritate and provoke the almighty, without any cause or any provocation. Swearing is warrantable, where the matter is important, and where the perfon is cer tain of the truth. For an oath is for confirmation and for fettlement. But for curfing, we cannot give any account whatsoever. Befides, who can warrant curfing at all? or whom should we curfe? Shall we curfe God, as Job's wife advised? Job ii. 9. a most villainous fuggeftion as ever was made. It is fo

horrid, that I ftartle at it, and am apt to question the tranflation, because of the uncertainty of the Hebrew word: but her counsel was bad, as by Job's answer. What, curfe him from whom we receive all good? Then fhall I curfe my neighbour, my fellow-creature? that is contra charitatem, against all charity. For I am to live by love, and to behave myfelf towards others, fo that they may be the better for me. Το curfe a man's neighbour, is contrary to the rules of christianity; for our Saviour faith, Mat. v. 44. Bless them that curfe you. Or fhall I curfe myfelf? this is against nature; it is connatural to us to do ourselves. all the good we can therefore it is reprefented as a horrid confpiracy, Acts xxiii. 12. that they bound themfelves with a curfe against Paul for Chrift's fake.

3. To make use of God's name for bafe ends and purposes; and this is worse than the two former can be; doth exceed the other in malignity; when (as it is faid) in nomine domini incipit omne malum; when

this facred name is ufed to gain greater credit for wicked facts. We account it the greatest injury and wrong imaginable, for any to make ufe of our names, where we do not allow authority; and will not God resent the abuse of his glorious name for a cloke to bafe and wicked defigns and purposes. I obferve by the way, that this very thing hath this tacit acknowledgment in it, to wit, that religion hath the greatest reality in it in the fenfe of mankind; and that confcience to God is the trueft principle, and doth import the deepest obligation, because so many give account of themselves by it. But then withal, religion is fo noble, and fo generous a thing, that it is not to be made use of to serve worldly ends, or be fubfervient to any low, mean, ordinary and common purposes; for it is monftrously unreasonable and abfurd, to subordinate a noble end to the place of a mean. The end is always fuppofed to be greater and better than the mean; therefore religion is not to be fubordinate to common purposes, nor to be made ufe of as a means to fuch ends. For this is contrary to the order of things, to mifplace and it is a monftrous thing to destroy the true order of things; and doth create difturbance in the commonwealth of mankind, as thunderings, lightnings and ftorms do in nature; which fuppofe things are out of their place, and do exceed in measure. The proper work and use of religion, is this, to fanctify a man's foul in this ftate, and to fave his foul in the future; and by these two, to glorify God. For this advantage we have in motion of religion; we ferve God beft, the more effectual courfe we take to bring ourfelves to happiness;

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we do the greatest honour and service to God, when we purify our minds, when we fave our fouls: for then we are most subservient to bring about his gracious intention. Wherefore if any man lays to pawn his religion and confcience for security, and to give repute in buying or felling; though I fhould not refufe this fecurity, (for the obligation to religion and confcience is the greatest security,) because these are facred ties; yet I should think it reasonable to look for other fecurity and affurance alfo, than thefe; and a little fufpect, because these are abufed, and are in this cafe out of their proper place and ufe, the higheft things for the lowest purposes: for the ufe and purpose of religion, is to purify a man's mind, and to prepare for the future happiness of his foul, and in this way to glorify God. Now if a man come and prostitute these to ordinary and common purposes, and pretends to give the greateft fecurity, a fecurity beyond the value of the thing; fince he puts these things out of their proper ufe, I think them no fecurity at all, but it would rather give me caufe of fufpicion. Before I leave this point, let me only add by the way, that as our Saviour affirms, that he who fwears by heaven, the earth, Jerufalem, &c. fwears by God; fo likewife thofe that produce refpect to God, confcience, or the name of God, do according to our Saviour's notion, fwear by God.

Secondly, Those things that are contrary to general love and good-will. For this I charge upon you all, as a certain truth; all of us ought to be in an univerfal reconciliation with the whole creation of God. It is not lawful or warrantable for us to conceive VOL. IV. enmity

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enmity unto ought but wickedness and fin. It is a duty incumbent upon us, to be in reconciliation with the whole creation of God; to bear general goodwill; to live in love; to be ready to all offices of kindnefs. Nothing in the world fhould alienate us from one another, but what makes a feparation between God and us; for after duty to God, which is the first obligation lies upon men, the next is great benevolence in imitation of God. Wherefore I conclude upon this account against these things, (as being wickedness and works of iniquity) viz. malice, and doing mischief, caufing disturbance in God's family; fuch as the great invaders of the rights of others are guilty of, though they be impotently applauded as conquerors in this incompetent world. Alfo make-bates and bufy-bodies, 2 Thef. iii. 11. who walk diforderly, work not at all, but are busy-bodies ; whom the apostle commands to work, and with quietnefs to eat their own bread, 1 Tim. v. 13. Idle tatlers, bufy-bodies, speaking things they ought not. 1 Pet. iv. 15. Evil-doers, bufy-bodies in other mens matters. foever difturbs the peace, inverts the order, prejudiceth converfe amongst 'men; is of ill quality, contrary to religion, to be avoided upon account of confcience towards God, and doing what is right.

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Thirdly, Things contrary to juftice, fairness, righteous and equal-dealing, which ought to be amongst fellow-creatures and fervants: for there ought to be nothing contrary to peace and quietnefs, to good order, under God's government, as the whole world is. It tends to the difhonour of any magiftrate or governor, to have things that are disorderly or confufed

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ly within his jurifdiction; it brings difparagement upon God's government of the world. The whole world is God's family; God is the governor of the whole world; there fhould be nothing contrary to order and good government, no beating of our fellow-fervants, no infulting of one over another: the rich they are not to contemn the poor, nor the poor to envy the rich; but among all there fhould be good behaviour and fair carriage, according to every man's condition. This is a law connatural to us, it is born with us; by this law we ought to live in the world; according to this law we ought to carry ourselves to one another; to do as we would be done by. Contrary hereto we challenge all manner of provocation of one another by words or actions; all words of fcorn and contempt, exafperating language, as it is a thing in itself unjust and unrighteous, so it is very inconfiderate for one to despise another; for no man knows how foon the wheel may turn that which is uppermoft now, may be lowermoft by and by; there is no man fo mean, despicable, so liable to contempt, but it may prove that that man may have opportunity to do injury or courtesy: therefore words of provocation in all reafon ought to be forborn; all taunts and exasperating language. For it is as easy to speak a good word, as a bad; to give a fair anfwer, as a churlish one; a man's mind will be better fatisfied in it. Now I inftance in thefe, because there are o ther ways of doing injuries, than by fighting, robbing and stealing. To raise an evil report, or to carry it on, this is a mighty injurious thing; for mens efteem and credit, are more to them than money in their purfe.

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