[62]_I say unto you, swear not at all: neither by heaven, for it is_ God’s _throne_. And therefore this is the same as to swear by him, who sitteth upon the circle of the heavens: [63]_nor by the earth: for it is his footstool_; and he is as intimately present in earth as heaven: _neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King_, and God is _well known in her palaces. [64]Neither shalt thou swear by thy head; because thou canst not make one hair white or black_: because even this, it is plain, is not thine but God’s, the sole disposer of all in heaven and earth. [65]_But let your communication_, your conversation, your discourse with each other, _be yea, yea; nay, nay_: a bare, serious affirming or denying; for _whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil_: ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἔστιν· _is of the evil one_; proceedeth from the devil and is a mark of his children. 10. That our Lord does not here forbid, the _swearing in judgment and truth_, when we are required so to do by a magistrate, may appear, 1. From the occasion of this part of his discourse, the abuse he was here reproving, which was false swearing and common swearing; the swearing before a magistrate being quite out of the question. 2. From the very words wherein he forms the general conclusion, _Let your communication_, or discourse, _be yea, yea; nay, nay_. 3. From his own example; for he answered himself upon oath, when required by a magistrate. When [66]_the high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the living_ God, _that thou tell us, whether thou be the_ Christ, _the Son of_ God? _Jesus_ immediately answered in the affirmative, _Thou hast said_ (i.e. the truth). _Nevertheless_ (or rather, _Moreover_) _I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven_. 4. From the example of God, even the Father, [67]who _willing the more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath_. 5. From the example of St. _Paul_, who, we _think had the Spirit of_ God, and well understood the mind of his master. [68]God _is my witness_, saith he, to the _Romans, that without ceasing, I make mention of you always in my prayers_: to the _Corinthians, [69]I call_ God _to record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth_: and to the _Philippians_. [70]God _is my record, how greatly I long after you, in the bowels of_ Jesus Christ. (Hence it undeniably appears, that if the apostle knew the meaning of his Lord’s words, they do not forbid swearing on weighty occasions, even to one another: how much less before a magistrate?) And lastly, from that assertion of the great apostle, concerning solemn swearing in general, (which it is impossible he could have mentioned without any touch of blame, if his Lord had totally forbidden it) [71]_Men verily swear by the greater_, (by one greater than themselves)