o swear that he would show kindness to him and to his house for
ever. The prudence of which course the event showeth, the total
excision of Jonathan's family being thereby prevented; for "the
king," 'tis said, "spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, because
of the Lord's oath that was between them."

These instances declare that there is no security which men can
yield comparable to that of an oath; the obligation whereof no man
wilfully can infringe without renouncing the fear of God and any
pretence to His favour.

Wherefore human society will be extremely wronged and damnified by
the dissolving or slackening these most sacred bands of conscience;
and consequently by their common and careless use, which soon will
breed a contempt of them, and render them insignificant, either to
bind the swearers, or to ground a trust on their oaths.

As by the rare and reverent use of oaths their dignity is upheld and
their obligation kept fast, so by the frequent and negligent
application of them, by the prostituting them to every mean and
toyish purpose, their respect will be quite lost, their strength
will be loosed, they will prove unserviceable to public use.

If oaths generally become cheap and vile, what will that of
allegiance signify? If men are wont to play with swearing anywhere,
can we expect they should be serious and strict therein at the bar
or in the church. Will they regard God's testimony, or dread His
judgment, in one place, or at one time, when everywhere upon any,
upon no occasion they dare to confront and contemn them? Who then
will be the more trusted for swearing? What satisfaction will any
man have from it? The rifeness of this practice, as it is the sign,
so it will be the cause of a general diffidence among man.

Incredible therefore is the mischief which this vain practice will
bring in to the public; depriving princes of their best security,
exposing the estates of private men to uncertainty, shaking all the
confidence men can have in the faith of one another.

For which detriments accruing from this abuse to the public every
vain swearer is responsible; and he would do well to consider that
he will never be able to make reparation for them. And the public
is much concerned that this enormity be retrenched.

IV. Let us consider, that rash and vain swearing is very apt often
to bring the practiser of it into that most horrible sin of perjury.
For "false s