Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-08-28
Cowardly Swearing.

There are bold blaSphemerS all round
us. We hear their oaths and impreca-
tions as we walk the streets and drive
along the highway. Even little children
swear like pirates. Sometimes the very
air seems close, hot and sitting as if filled
with exhalations from the pit, and we
trem5le lest God should send sudden and
awful Judgment upon those who so reck-
lcssly take his name in vain. Profanity
is so foolish as well as wicked, that it has
we'll been said, "rhe swcarer needs no
bait-the de il gets him to bite the naked
hook" Some vices we can almost en-
cnse, because of the strength Of the temp.
ta.ion by which the perpetrator is assaied,
bus the proE.ue man has no excuse. His
vile habit gra'ifes not an appetite or lust.
1t is practiced from pure love of evil, it
shows dark aud malignant hatred of
God, and has only one redceming feature,
viz: its boldness. The open blasp emer
deiies Jehovah to his face. He dares the
omnipo:ent One to damn him.
But there is a kind of swearing that is
lust as wicked as this, and great deal
mcaner. 1t is that of those who use the
clrrent Lilliputian oaths. Who, not bold
enough to say damn, soften it to "darn,
and seem to think that God will give them
great credit for their politeness. We
cannot pollutc our columns with list Of
these common expressions which are en-
ployed by those who are wicked enough
but too cowardly to swear fright out. p"
Nor is it necessary, for our readers are
peculiarly fortunate in their neighbors il
they are not hearing them every day.
What we wish to call attention to is this
that al these little oaths are only the
great ones slightly changed-they mean
the same thing-they are just as profane
and blasphemous, and the only difference
is that while Satan has made those for
bold sinners he has made these for timid
and cowardly ones.
We have been told that some profes.
sors of religion are in the habi: of using
these sugar-coated poisons, these blasphe-
mics and imprecations with the rough
edges trimmed of. If so, they have,
probably, never considered the true ma
turc of such expressions. We hope that
they will not be guilty any longer of con-
duct SO cowa.dly and disgraceful but
either begin to swear outright, so that
everybody can see to whose party they
belong, and the church can cxcommuni-
cate them, or quit swearing altogether.
A man who is telling the TRUTH and is
not in a passion about it. has no tempta-
ton to swear. Unless he has formed a
habit of using profane language, he will
never think of it. A plain and straight
forward statement will satisfy him, how
ever important the matter, or how great
his interest in it. But as the Christian
he's 40 right even to tell lie, or to get
into passion, he has no more business
to swear, even in the Lilliputian and cow
ardly way, than an angel has. And if
any Of our readers have fallen into the
habit, we ask them to sit down and think
how their pretty profanities would sound
in heaven, and what he angels would
think Of them, if uttered in their pres.
ence. We ought not to indulge in any
habit that we know would be out of place
in our future home, for this life is given
to us rs q time of preparation for the life
tO come