ormed do bring on us greater
punishment:" and what can be more easy than to reform this fault?
"Tell me," saith he, "what difficulty, what sweat, what art, what
hazard, what more doth it require beside a little care" to abstain
wholly from it? It is but willing, or resolving on it, and it is
instantly done; for there is not any natural inclination disposing
to it, any strong appetite to detain us under its power.

It gratifieth no sense, it yieldeth no profit, it procureth no
honour; for the sound of it is not very melodious, and no man surely
did ever get an estate by it, or was preferred to dignity for it.
It rather to any good ear maketh a horrid and jarring noise; it
rather with the best part of the world produceth displeasure,
damage, and disgrace. What therefore, beside monstrous vanity and
unaccountable perverseness, should hold men so devoted thereto?

Surely 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
that he was tempted thereto by any bait.

A fantastic humour possesseth him of spurning at piety and
soberness; he inconsiderately followeth a herd of wild fops, he
affecteth to play the ape. What more than this can he say for
himself?

XIV. Finally, let us consider that as we ourselves, with all our
members and powers, were chiefly designed and framed to glorify our
Maker, the which to do is indeed the greatest perfection and noblest
privilege of our nature, so our tongue and speaking faculty were
given to us to declare our admiration and reverence of Him, to
exhibit our due love and gratitude toward Him, to profess our trust
and confidence in Him, to celebrate His praises, to avow His
benefits, to address our supplications to Him, to maintain all kinds
of devotional intercourse with Him, to propagate our knowledge,
fear, love, and obedience to Him, in all such ways to promote His
honour and service. This is the most proper, worthy