Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-21
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
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 a
natural instinct, it is right, and the
solemn calling upon God to witness to
ones words is a wise and religious act.
There is no name like the name of God.
We may call upon II souls, our heads,
upon wife, mother, native land, the sun,
the 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 incempre-
hensible contents of that name. We
have some apprehension of what it
means to call on self, wife, mother,
country, or the sun. But who can
comprehend God?
The mountains speak of time, but
their duration is but moment in His
sight. The stars speak of His power,
but it vas a little thing to set them in
their orbits. The multiplicity of the
universe witnesses to His omnipresent
and protecting are. 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-
emily Father. And if we stop to think
of these things, if w study man, the
works that surround him. and the stars,
and then think of the infinite God, ON
niscient, omnipotent and eternal, in
His relations to all these things, we
shall get some conception, though it be
dim and feeble, of the God whose name
we invoke. In humility and dependence
upon Him it is a fitting thing for the
Christian to call God to ratify his word.
But how different is the act of that
man who INDUCES in profane swearing!
He takes the name above every name,
the sweetest name in Heaven and earth,
that name so precious to the Christian
heart, and which ought to be on all
human lips only in prayer or solemn
asseveration, and dragging it down
from its exalted place, tramples it be-
meath his feet. To him it is an unholv
thing, and he does despite unto the
Most High. BY this profane and terri
BILE act he makes himself the enemy of
Cod, of that God who should be, who is
his best friend. God goes not away
from him, but he turns his back on God,
and goes off into the darkness of his
own wicked thoughts and deeds. To
take the name OF God thus recklessly
upon the lips is not only wicked, but i
dIscredits q man in the eyes of his
nelghbors for two reasons: a lack of
ideas, and the inability to control him
self A confirmed swearer not only has
a dearth of ideas, but of words. and 81
repeats again and again words of vast
import which he has made of none
effect. They become a meaningless
2argon and the index of his %uncontrol,
But they are not the less wicked. and
ne is as responsible for them as is the
angry man who rushes into the street.
ana shoots down the innocent passer-by.
we would plead with such men to think
OF Coo as a friend, and restrain them
selves; to think of this act as unworthy
OF rational and sel f-controlled men such
as we ought to be, and to remember
that Tor such acts God will bring every
man into account Rule. y