An exposition of the morall lavv, or Ten Commandements of almightie God set dovvne by vvay of exercitations, wherein is contained an explanation of diverse questions and positions for the right understanding thereof, together with an explication of these scriptures which depend upon, or belong unto every one of the commandements, all which are cleared out of the originall languages, the customes of the Iewes, and the distinctions of the schoolemen / by Iohn Weemse ...

EXERCITAT III. What great sinne it is to curse God. Commandement III.

Iob. 2.9. Then said his wife unto him, dost thou still re∣taine thine integritie? Curse God and die.

WE may learne from the example of God him∣selfe not to use imprecations and curses; for when the holy Ghost useth an oath, he concealeth the imprecation and expresseth it by Im Lo, Si non, as Psal. 89.35. Once have I sworne by my holinesse, if I lie unto David, that is, I have sworne that I will not lie unto David. So Psal. 95.11. Vnto whom I sware in my wrath, if they enter into my rest, that is, I have sworne that they shall never enter into my rest. When the Lord pro∣nounced this oath negatively, then it is to bee under∣stood as an affirmation, as Esay. 14.24. The Lord of hostes hath sworne, if not, so it shall come to passe, that is, it shall certainely come to passe: but when hee setteth it downe affirmatively, then it is to bee understood nega∣tively, as Psal. 95.11. If they shall enter into my rest,

that is, they shall never enter into my rest.

When God sweareth by himselfe this wayes cum re∣ticentia, he holdeth backe the curse; because no execra∣tion or curse can fall upon him, and therefore it cannot be expressed which never falleth out, neither should this sort of speech bee supplied, as some doe prophanely, non ero Deus, or such.

Whether are these words, Psal. 110.1. [Quest.] The Lord said unto my Lord, an oath or a simple asseveration?

Although the word seeme to bee set downe simply; [Answ.] yet in effect, it is the Lords oath here, and verba nefasta, or the execration are concealed.

So when men use these imprecations, they conceale the curse, as Gen. 14.23. If I take from a thread, to a shoe latchet; in the blessings we should expresse them. Iam. 4.15. Ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and doe this or that. And not onely religious Abraham suppres∣seth the curse, but even wicked and prophane Iezabel, when she swore by her idoll she concealed the curse, So let the gods doe to me, and more also, if I make not thy life, as the life of one of these by to morrow. 1. King. 19.2. And not only idolaters, but the devill himselfe suppresseth it. Iob. 1.11. If he curse thee not to thy face.

They expresse not the curse to come upon them∣selves but upon others, as Pharaoh in effect expressed the curse when he said, Exod. 10.10. Let the Lord be so with you, as I will let you goe, that is, I pray God that the Lord be no more with you, than I shall let you goe, this was an imprecation or curse which hee wished to come upon them; because he purposed not to let them goe. [Object.]

Psal. 131. The people in the captivity seeme to have expressed the curse: If I doe not remember thee, O Ierusa∣lem, then let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth.

This imprecation was not expressed when they were scoffingly urged by the Babylonians to sing, [Answ.] but after∣wards,

when the psalme was penned in remembrance of their mockery; as if they should say, the Babylonians desired of us songs of mirth when we were in sadnesse; but we had rather that our right hand had dried up, and our tongue had cleaved to the roofe of our mouth, than that we had pleased them in singing.

[Obj.] Psal. 7.4. If I have done this, then let my enemy pursue my life, it might seeme here that David expresseth the curse.

[Answ.] David expressed not the curse here, but defended his innocency, and desired to bee freed of his enemies, as if hee should say, If I have done these things, then they might have had just cause to pursue me, but seeing I am not guiltie of any such thing, but rather I may say I have deserved well of their hands; therefore I desire thee O Lord that thou wouldst free me from them.

When the scripture speaketh any thing which might seeme to impare the holy name of God, it expresseth it by the contrary, as Naboth hath blessed God for cursed God. 1. King. 22.13. So Iob. 2.9. So Psal. 10. avarus benedicit; Targum, blasphemat.

[Quest.] Whether is this word to blesse here, to be taken iro∣nice, per Antiphrasim, or per Euphemismum.

[Ans.] That which is spoken ironicè, we know the contrarie is meant ex gestu loquentis, & forma sermonis; as when Christ said to his disciples, sleepe henceforth; but that which is spoken per antiphrasin, is not knowne by the gesture of the speaker, but by the words themselves; as the whoore is called Kedeshah from Kadash sanctificare, because she is not holy: So Deut. 22.9. Thou shalt not sowe thy vinyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sowne, and the fruit of thy vinyard be sanctified, that is, defiled. So auri sacra fames, id est, de∣testanda, so S^t Antonies fire is called sacer ignis.

But Euphemismus is, when wee expresse things that

are odious by good and holy words; and as the scrip∣ture expresseth filthy things by holy words, so it ex∣presseth odious things by holy words, and this the scrip∣ture doth, both for the honour of God, and to shew the puritie and holinesse that is in the scriptures themselves, as here, blesse God and die, for curse God, So 1. Sam. 14.41. Therefore Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel, shew who is innocent, that is, who is guilty, so the Latines call Scelus, piaculum.

The conclusion of this is, let us learne to sanctifie God in our hearts, and speake reverently of him with our tongues; mans tongue is called Cabhod, his glory, Gen. 49.6. and Psal. 16.9. because it should bee the in∣strument to praise God, and set forth his glory; but oftentimes it becometh a weapon of unrighteousnesse, and a member which dishonoureth God most, and whereas it should be their glory, it becomes their shame. Philip. 3.19.

Notes

• Hebrai••e, Blesse God and die.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Si non
• God when he sweareth expresseth not the curse.
• Why God keepeth up the execration when he sweareth.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 includit jura∣mentum.
• The devill a cursed creature, yet dares not be bold to expresse the curse.
• Pharaoh expressed the curse which hee wished to light upon the Israelites.
• The Iewes did not ex∣presse this as a curse, but as a memoriall of mockery of the heathen.
• David expresseth not the curse, but defendeth his innocencie.
• The Scripture expres∣seth cursing by blessing, in reverence of God.
• How to know when a word is spoken nonice or by way of mocking. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Meretrix a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sanctificare
• Euphemismus quid.
• Conclusion.