Whosoever takes an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth: neither may any man bind himself by oath to any thing but what is good and just, and what he believes so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform.
Many times in everyday speech we use the language of oaths and vows, but in an unserious manner. We "swear upon a stack of Bibles" or "upon my mother's grave" as unliteral protestations of sincerity. This is emblematic with our casual regard for speech. The Scriptures, on the other hand, call us to weigh our words, warning that some day we will be held to account for even the least of our utterances. More so, then, with the things we vow. Accordingly, the Confession calls us to swear to nothing except that which we are convinced is the truth and is "good and just," and to avoid vowing to do anything beyond our capacity or willingness to do.
Perhaps if we had a better cognizance of the importance of our words before God we would be more careful in the spending of them. No greater example of godly behavior in this regard is our Lord. Search the gospels--you will not find a single irrelevant or inconsequential word fall from his lips.
Tomorrow: The character of lawful oaths.
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