This is a grofs Abuse and Profanation of the Holy Name of God, and a taking it in vain to their own Defiruction ; which vile Practice is fo much the worfe, because it hath nothing to justify or recommend it: 'Tis a Sin that is void of all Temptation, and admits of no Apology or Excufe. All other Sins have fomething or other to invite the Sinner to the Commiffion of 'em: The covetous Man hath the Allurement of Profit; the voluptuous Man hath the Bait of Pleafure; the ambitious Man the Temptation of Honour but the idle profane Swearer ferves the Devil for nought, and barters away his Soul without any confideration.

All that is alledg'd for it, is, That 'tis become a genteel and fashionable Practice and to lard our Difcourfe now and then with an Oath, renders it the more full and bluftering.

But are we not forbid to fafhion ourselves according to the course of this World, or to follow the finful and corrupt Practices of it? Will it be any Excufe at the last Day for taking God's Name in vain, to fay it was the fashion to do fo? Nay, will it not aggravate our Condemnation, to comply with thofe wicked Cuftoms, which we fhould discountenance and condemn? Will any reckon it genteel to affront their Maker? or think their Language the more lofty and great, for being directed against Heaven? Is Profaneness to be thought an Ornament of Speech? or is the abufing of God's Name the way of advancing our own? Certainly they that think fo, pervert the end of Speech, and make the Tongue, which is the Glory of Man, to prove his Shame and Ruin: For God ball root out the Evil-doers, and the Tongue that speaketh proud things. I have infifted the more on this vain and idle Swearing, not only because 'tis prohibited in this Precept, but becaufe 'tis too much gotten into the Practice of fome Men.

3. All ufing the Name of God in falfe Swearing is the taking his Name in vain. This is fuppos'd to be the Sin principally prohibited in this Commandment, viz. the calling in of God to witness a Faifhood: for the word here render'd in vain, in the Original fignifies a Lie; and so 'tis us'd in that parallel place where this Law is repeated, Ye fball not fwear by my Name fally, Lev. 19. 12. And this is done either by affirming fomething which we know to be falfe, or by promifing fomething which we mean not to perform. The former is call'd an Affertory, the latter a Promiffory

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Promiffory Oath. In the firft fenfe we take God's Name in vain, when we affert fuch or fuch a thing was done or faid by fuch a Perfon, at fuch a time or place, and confirm it with an Oath, when we know of no fuch thing to be faid or done by him; this is downright Perjury or Forfwearing, and is too often found in Shops and Courts of Juftice, where too many things are affirm'd to be true, which they know to be falfe: which is a high Affront offer'd unto God, to father Falfhood upon him, who is Truth itfeif, and to make God to vouch and atteft the Lies and Suggestions of the Devil. Again,

It a Man fwear to a thing of which he is only doubtful, he is guilty of Perjury, tho the thing he fwore to fhould afterward prove true: for fuch a one fwears at random, and calis in God to witness a thing, which, for ought he knows, may be as well falfe as true: whereas an Oath is to be taken in Judgment, and we are never to fwear to any thing which we do not certainly know. We make too bold with God Almighty, and take his Name in vain, when we bring him in as a Witness to a thing, of the Truth of which we are not fully affur'd.

Then for that other fort of Oaths wherein we promise fomething, Perjury may be committed, and the Name of God profan'd two ways:

1. When we promise a thing upon Oath, and at the time of Swearing have no purpose of performing it: this is both a mocking of God, and dealing deceitfully with Men; and is not only a dallying with, but a defying the Divine Majefty. I have fworn (faith David) and am utterly purpos'd that my mouth fhall not offend: whereas these fay in their Hearts, I have sworn, and am fully purpos'd to falfify with God and Man; which is a grofs Abuse and Indignity offer'd to both. And therefore David makes it the Character of one that is to afcend the holy Hill, that he hath not lift up his Heart unto Vanity, nor fworn to deceive his Neighbour; Pfal. 24. 4.

2. Perjury is committed, when tho at the time of promifing we mean to perform, yet finding fome Lofs or Inconvenience after, we alter our mind, and refuse to do according to what is gone out of our mouth: this is to play with Oaths, and profane the Name of God. 'Tis the Character of a good Man, that he fweareth to his Neighbour, and difappointeth him not, tho it prove to his own hindrance; Pfal. 15. 5. And we read, that when Joshua and the Ifrae

lites had made a League, and fworn to the Gibeonites, tho it were extorted by Craft, and prov'd to their great prejudice, yet they would not break their Oath, Feb. 9. The Name of God is too Sacred to be taken in vain; and where the matter of an Oath is lawful and poffible, nothing can discharge or difpenfe with its Obligation. To do or think otherwife, is to difhonour God, to deceive our Neighbour, and to diffolve the Bond of human Society. But befide these, there is

Another way of taking God's Name in vain; and that is, by making rafh Vows, and falfifying in good ones. A Vow being made unto God as the Party, is facred and inviolable. We are bid to vow unto the Lord things worthy of him, and then to be careful of paying them: fo that to vow to him in trivial matters, and to difregard him in greater, is to flight our Maker, and to take his Name in vain. In fhort then, all vain and rafh Speeches, all idle Swearing, all Perjury or Forfwearing, all Falfhood or Rafhnefs in Vows, are forbidden in this Commandment. To caution against which, here is added

A fevere Commination, in those words, For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain. To hold any guiltless, is to free him from Blame and Punishment 5 and confequently not to hold him guiltlefs, is to free him from neither: yea, there is a Meiofis in the words, in which more is fignify'd than feems to be exprefs'd; and not to hold him guiltlefs, is to reckon him highly guilty, and worthy of the greatest Punishment. So that the Expreffion implies two things:

I. That God will furely punish all fuch as take his Name in vain.

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2. That he will punish them with Rigor and Severity.

Now this Threatning is added to this Commandment, to awaken Men to a Senfe of the Evil and Danger of breaking it for tho no Sin be more provoking to God than profaning his Name, yet none is more frequently committed, or lefs punifh'd among Men. 'Tis ufual for many who cane not bear the leaft Abufe offer'd to their own Name, patiently to hear the Name of God blafphem'd: yea, many times those that fhould punish this Sin in others, give the worst Examples of it themselves; larding their Difcourfes with Oaths and Curfes, and fhewing little or no Reverence for the great and terrible Name of God. For which reafon, God Almighty declares here his different Senfe and Sentiments

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Part II Sentiments in this matter, letting us know that he will vifit for these things himself, and will not hold them guiltless, whom we are apt to charge with little or no guilt at all.

Now that the Lord will not hold them guiltless that thus take his Name in vain, is evident from the many and fore Judgments executed on fuch as have been guilty of it. We read that the Son of the Ifraelitish Woman, who had curs'd and blafphem'd the Name of the Lord, was by God's command brought out of the Camp, and fton'd in the fight of all that heard him, Lev. 24. 11, 12, 13. Pharaoh, for his infolent faying, Who is the Lord? was plagu'd with fundry kinds of Judgments, and is fet forth as a Monument of divine Juftice. Senacherib, for blafpheming the Name of the living God, had his Army fmote by an Angel, and was himfelf deliver'd up to his own Sons to be flain, 2 Kings 19. 35. Many other Hiftories will inform us of the heavy Judgments that have befallen common Swearers and Profaners of God's holy Name.

Which fhould teach us to beware of all Irreverence towards the Sacred Name and Authority of God.

Thus we see what is forbidden in this Third Commandment; and likewife what great reafon there is to avoid it.

Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain.

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HIS Precept being negative, I treated in my last

of what was forbidden by it; which was all irreverent and profane Ufe of the Sacred Name of God. But becaufe every Negative includes and infers the Affirmative, I muft proceed to the Affirmative part, or the Duties requir'd by it; and that is, in all cafes, and upon all occafions, to ufe the Name of God reverently and becomingly. So that as the two firft Commandments fettled the Object

and Manner of Divine Worship, this fecures the Honour and Reverence that is due to the Name of God.

By the Name of God (as was before obferv'd) we underftand all that by which he makes himself known to us; and likewife all thofe things that more especially relate and appertain to him.

Of the first fort are his Titles, Attributes, Word and Works; all which discovering God to us, and diftinguifhing him from all others, are in Scripture ftyl'd his Name.

Of the fecond fort are his Minifters, his Sabbath, his Sanctuary, and the like; all which tending to make God known to us, are intitled to him, and call'd by his Name. All these are to be reverently us'd and honour'd by us, as bearing the Name of God, and being nearly related and devoted to him.

But how is this Name of God to be reverenc'd by us? Why, not only by the inward Reverence and Efteem of the Mind, but likewife by the outward Reverence of our Words and Actions; that is, as we are to entertain great and high Thoughts of him in our Hearts, fo muft all our Words and Speeches of him be reverent, and fuch as become his infinite Greatness. His Name is Great, Wonderful and Holy, and therefore must not be mention'd without the Honour and Respect due to it. "Tis, we know, against good Manners, to mention the Name of a King, or any above us, without fome token of Refpe&t; but the Name of God is above every Name, and therefore ought in reafon to be had in the highest Estimation and Reverence. And this is to extend to all that is denominated by him, or belongs to him. As,

1. His Titles are to be us'd and fpoken of with all Reverence; Holy and Reverend is his Name (faith the Pfalmift) and therefore to be us'd with all due and decent Regard. In Deut. 28. 58. we are commanded to fear this glorious and fearful Name of the Lord our God. We find God Almighty often declaring his Name, and mentioning his Titles, on purpose to ftrike our Minds with the greater Awe and Reverence of him. Hence the Jews had the Names of Fab and Fehovah in fo high efteem and veneration, that they would fcarce venture to pronounce them, for fear of profaning them: And fhall we presume to use the facred Names of Lord and God upon light and vain, not to fay vile and finful occafions?