S. MATT. V. 24.

But I Say unto you, Swear not at all.

I.

WHAT it is to fwear?

Anfw. It is a Calling upon God as a Witness, to confirm what we fay; Tov orixá Ary μáglveg. Chryfoft. Solet Deus ad probandam fidem in juratione ab hominibus nominari. Optat. Meliv. 1.2. p. 58. Et cum per folum Deum folent homines jurare. Id. 1. 3. p. 65.

Μαρτυρία γάρ όξι Θεῖ πεὶ πραγμάτων ἀμφισβητεμβύων, x. Phil. Jud. de Decal. p. 583.

1. It is a Calling upon God, Deut. vi. 13. and x. 20.

2. As a Witness. Eft enim jusjurandum affirmatio religiofa. Quod autem affirmate, quafi Deo refte, promiferis, id tenendum eft. Tull. de Offic. 1. 3.

c. 29.

3. To confirm what we fay, Hebr. vi. 16. εἰς βεβαίωσιν, it is πέρας ἀπολογίας. Όρκος μεν γάρ όξιν ὁμολογία καθορισικὴ μετὰ προπαραλήψεως θείας. Clem. Alex. Stro. 1. 7. p. 728.

II. Whether it is lawful under the Gospel, in any Cafe, to fwear?

Anfwer. It is. For,

1. The Matter of it is as lawful now as ever, S. Matt. V. 17.

2. It was a Part of the Moral, not the Ceremonial Law; Command. III.

3. It is a Part of God's Worship, Deut. vi. 13. and x. 20.

4. By it we give much Glory to God; Thereby acknowledging,

1. His

1. His Heart-piercing Eye, 1 Sam. xvi. 7. Pfal. vii. 9. Jer. xvii. 10.

2. His avenging Hand, Zach. v. 3, 4. Mal.

iii. 5.

5. The Saints of God, even in the Gofpel, have fworn, 2 Cor. i. 23. Gal. i. 20. Phil. i. 8. 6. The Apostle to the Hebrews is clear for it, Hebr. vi. 16.

7. The End of an Oath is lawful. Ibid. So then it is lawful for Subjects to take, and for Magistrates to adminifter, an Oath. Quamvis dictum fit, ne juremus, nufquam tamen in Scripturis fanitis legi meminerim, ne ab alio jurationem accipiamus. S. Auguft. Epift. 154.

III. How are our Saviour's Words to be un derstood, Thou shalt not Swear?

Anfm. 1. Not to swear by any Creature, v. 35. 2. Not cuftomarily, and in common Difcourfe v. 37.

3. Not rafhly or vainly, Jer. iv. 2.

S. MAK:

S. MAR. vi. 12.

And they went out,
Men Should repent.

and preached that

Tis the Duty of all Men, every where, to

IT
I repent.

FIRST. The Neceffity of this great Duty of Repentance.

I. Neceffitas pracepti; As over and over enjoined in Scripture, Ezek. xiv. 6. and xviii. 30. S. Matt. iii. 2. and iv. 17. and ix. 13. Mar. i. 25. Att. xvii. 30. and xx. 21. 2 S. Pet. iii. 9. Rev. ii. 5, 16, 21, 22. and iii. 3, 19.

II. Neceffitas medii; In order,

1. To Pardon of Sins, Ifa. Iv. 7. Act. ii. 38. and iii. 19. and v. 31. Pfal. vii. 1 1.

2. To the Favour of God, Jer. xxxi. 18, 19, 20. Jon. iii. 9. Deut. iv. 30, 31. Rom. xiv. 18.

3. To an Intereft in Chrift, S. Luk. xxiv. 47. Gal. v. 24. Ephef. v. 14.

4. To the Comforts of the Holy Ghost, At. ix. 31. Rom. xiv. 17.

5. To the preventing of Judgments, or averting them, Jer. xxvi. 3. Ifa. xxxviii. 1, &c. Dan. iv. 27. 2 Chron. Xxxiii. 12, 13.

6. To the obtaining a Bleffing upon Mercies, Mal. ii. 2. Rom. viii. 28.

7. To Peace of Confcience, and an inward Quiet and Satisfaction, 2 Cor. i. 12. Pfal. cxix. 165.

8. To Communion with God, Ifa. i. 16, 17, 18. 9. To an Intereft in the Promifes, Pfal. 1. 16, 17, 23. Deut. vi. 3. Hebr. x. 36.

10. To the Avoiding of Hell, Ezek. xxxiii. 14, 15. S. Luk. xiii. 3. Rev. xxi. 8.

11. To the Fitting us for Heaven, 1 Cor. XV. 50. Coloff. i. 12.

12. To the Bringing us thither, Rev. xxii. 14, 15. Rom. vi. 22.

To fave an impenitent Sinner is not confiftent with,

1. The juftice of God, Gen. xviii. 25. Pfal.

xi. 7.

2. The Mercy of God, Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.

3. The Faithfulness of God, 1 Theff. v. 23, 24. 4. The Design of our Saviour's Incarnation, S. Matt. i. 21. Act. iii. 26.

5. The Nature of that Heaven, whereinto we hope to be tranflated, Rev. xxi. 27.

1. Its Company, Hebr. xii. 23.

2. Its Objects, 2 S. Pet. iii. 13. Hebr. xii. 22, 23, 24. 2 Tim. iv. 8.

3. Its Employment, Rev. xxii. 3. and vii. 10. II, 12.

SECONDLY. The Nature of a true and faving Repentance.

I. Negatively.

1. A Man may acknowledge his Sins, and yet not truly repent of them. Pharaoh, Exod. ix. 27. Balaam, Numb. xxii. 34. Saul, 1 Sam. xv. 24. Jue das, S. Matt. xxvii. 4.

2. A Man may mourn for his Sins, and yet not be a true Penitent, Prov. v. 11. and 1 King. xxi. 27.

3. A Man may refolve against Sin, and yet not be faid to repent of it, 2 S. Pet. ii. 22.

4. A Man may for fake fome Sins, and yet not deferve the Name of a Penitent, Ezek. xviii. 30, 31. S. Mar. X. 17, &c.

C 2

5. A Man may forfake all his former grofs Sins, and yet come fhort of a true Repentance, 1 Theff. v. 22. 2 Cor. vii. 1. S. Jam. ii. 10.

6. A Man may outwardly perform all the Duties of Religion, and yet be no true Penitent in the Sight of God, who fearches the Heart and Reins, and passes Judgment accordingly, Ifa. i. 11, 15. fer. ix. 26. Ezek. xviii. 31. S. Matt. v. 8.

II. Pofitively. These things are requifite in order to a true and faving Repentance.

1. Conviction, S. Joh. xvi. 8. Conviction is a clear, conftant, and Evangelical Sight and Senfe of Sin. 'Tis not only the Work of the Head, but of the Heart. 'Tis not only a Sight, but a Senfe. 'Tis not only the clear Apprehenfion of the Understanding, but the full Perfuafion of the Will, that Sin is Sin; that it is dangerous to us, and we guilty of it, Rom. vii. 13. 1 King. viii. 46. I S. Joh. i. 8, 9, 10. fo that there be three things in Sin, that we are to be thus convinced of.

1. Its Sinfulness, 2 Sam. xxiv. 10. Habak. i. 13. Ifa. i. 16, 17. Pfal. v. 5. Rom. vi. 12, 13. 1. S. Joh. iii. 8.

2. Its Dangerousness, Prov. xxiv. 16, 20. a. iii. 11. Zach. vii. 12. Hebr. x. 31.

1. To our Souls, Pfal. xxxii. 10. Ifa. lvii.

20, 21.

2. To our Bodies, S. Jam. i. 15. Numb. xi. 33. 3. To our Estates, Deut. xxviii. 15, &c. and XXX. 15, 20. Pfal. cvii. 34. Jer. xviii. 7, 8, 9, 10. and li. 5. Hof. iv. 1, 2, 3.

4. To our whole Man, making us liable to the Wrath of God, both Temporal and Eternal, Prov. xi. 5, 6, 7, 8. and xxi. 12, 15. Rom. i. 18. Ephef. v. 6. 2 Chron. XXV. 4. Rom. v. 12. and vi. 23. Rom. ii. 5.