The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-03-12
SWEARING.

Swearing in some form dates from
very early times. The desire to
strengthen ones affirmation by invok-
ing the name Of God seems well-nigh
inherent in man. In early Jewish times
men swore by the head, by the Temple,
or 'by the living God" This gave
added solemnity and weight to their
contracts. This custom has descended
even to our own day, and the man who
would be loyal to King or country, or
who would govern in equity and Jus
tice, takes an oath, and calls God to
witness it. This custom in some form
has obtained in many heather nations,
and we read that Mohamet was accus-
toned to swear by the descending
stars.
In so far as this is the expression of q
natural instinct, it is right, and the
solemn calling upon God to witness to
ones words is wise and religious act.
There is no name like the name of God.
We may call upon our souls, our heads,
upon wife, mother, native land, the sun,
tile stars, Heaven itself, but none of
these can approach in solemn import
the name of God. And the reason is
because of the infinite and incompre-
hensible contents of that name. We
have some apprehension of what il
means to call on self, wife, mother,
country, or the sun. But who can
comprehend Godp
The mountains speak of time, but
their duration is but a moment in His
sight. The stars speak of His power,
but it was little thing to set them in
their orbits, The multiplicity of the
universe witnesses to His omnipresent
and protecting care. And man, made in
His image, witnesses to Divine love.
The evil deeds and ingratitude of man
bear eloquent testimony to the forbear-
ance and loving kindness of our Heav-
enly Father. And if we stop to think
of these things, if we study man, the
works that surround him. and the stars,
and then think of the infinite God, ON
niscient, omnipotent and eternal, il
His relations to all these things, we
shall get some conception, though it bt
dim and feeble, OF the God whose name
we invoke. In humility and dependence
upon Him it is fitting thing for thC
Christian to call God to ratify his word
But how different is the act of tina
man who indulges in profaue swearing
He takes the name above every name
the sweetest name in Heaven and ca tn
that name so precious to the Christian
heart, and which ought to be on al
human lips only in prayer or solemn
asseveration, and dragging it dow
from its exalted place, tramples it be
meath his feet To him it is an unhol,
thing, and he does despite unto tn
Most High. BY this profane and terri
ble act he makes himself the enemy O
God, of that God who should be, who i
his best friend. God goes not ava
from him, but be turns his back on God
and goes off into the darkness of hi
own wicked thoughts and deeds. I
take the name of God thus recklessl
upon the lips is not only wicked, but
dscredits a man in the eyes of hi
neighbors for two reasons: a lack {
ideas, and the inability 10 control h n
self A con rmed .swearer not only hs
O dearth of ideas, but Of words, and S
repeats again and again words of va
Gmport which he has made of nor
effect. They become meaninglel
jargon and the index Of his nncontro
But they are not the less wicked, an
he is as responsible for them as is ii
angry man who rushes into the stree
and shoots down the innocent passe b
We would plead with such men to thir
of God as a fir end. and restra theI
selves; to think of this act as unwortl
Of rational and self CONTROL d men sue
as we ought to be, and to rememb
that for such acts God will bring eve
man into account. Golden Rule.