I.

SECT. XXV.

Of Taking God's Name in Vain; and

2.WHAT is the Third Commandment? therein of

A. Chou shalt not take the Swearing, Name of the LORD thy God in Main, &c. Dowing, 2.2. What is the Design of this Command

ment?

A. To fecure that Honour we ought to pay to God, by a reverend Efteem of whatsoever relates to Him?

3.2. What do you mean by the Name of God?

A. I understand thereby God Himself, and whatsoever has any immediate Relation to Him. Pfal. xxix. 2. Deut. xxviii, 58.

4. 2. When may we be accounted to take God's Name in Vain ?

A. When we make mention of God, or of any thing which belongs to Him, Rafhly, and Irreverently: In a way that is not suitable to his Divine Honour, and Majefty; nor to that deference we ought to pay to his Sovereign Power, and Authority over Us.

5. 2. Upon what Occafions, especially, may God's Name be made Ufe of by Us?

A. Chiefly on thefe Three; In * Swearing: *Vowing: * Praying: And in all these it may be and oftentimes is, taken in Vain.

Praying.

Mal. iii. 5.

6. 2. When may we be accounted to take God's Name in Vain, by ufing it in Swearing? A. When we fwear falfly: Lev. xix. 12, a Whether it be by a pofitive afferting of what is a Ifa. xlvii. Untrue; bor by Tricking, and Equivocating, 1 in what is in fome Refpect true; tho' not in that, in which we would be understood to Swear. 2dly, When we fwear Needlefly; where either Mat. v. 34, the Matter was not of Moment enough to juftify the Solemnity of an Oath, or might have

been

b Pfal. xxiv.

4..

&c,

been fufficiently determined without One. Of which kind are the greatest Part of thofe voluntary Oaths, which are fo frequently Ufed by Profane Perfons in their common Difcourfe. 3dly, When we Swear Rafhly, but efpecially in Matters of Promife; in which we are most exposed to the Danger of Perjury. And 4thly, When we Swear Irreverently: Whether we take an Oath carelefly and lightly, and without due Regard to the Honour of God's Name, Ourselves; or Adminifter it fo to Others.

7. 2. What think you of those who Swear not only by the Name of God; but by that of fome Creature, fuch as the Bleed Virgin, or the like Saint?

A. I think it to be, without all Controverfy, Sinful as giving that Honour to the Creature, which is due only to the Creator. And fo God himself declares that he accountsit: Deut. vi, 13. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and ferve bim: and fbalt fwear by his Name; Ye shall not go after other Gods. And again, Deut. x. 20. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; Him fhalt thou ferve, and to Him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his Name.

And when, in process of time, that People began to do otherwife; the Prophet Jeremy tells us how heinously God resented the Affront that was thereby put upon Him: Jer. v. 7. How fhall I pardon thee for this? Thy Children have forfaken me, and fwore by them that are no Gods. And again, Amos viii. 14. They that fwear by the Sin of Samaria, and fay, Thy God, O Dan, liveth; and the manner of Beersheba liveth: Even they hall fall, and never Rife up again. Comp. Joh. xxiii. 7. Jer. xii. 16. Zeph. i. 5.

8. 2. How does it appear that to Swear by any Creature, is to give to that Creature by whom we Swear, the proper Honour of God?

A. The

A. The very Nature of an Oath declares it: Which fuppofes the Person whom we Swear by, to be capable both of difcerning the Truth, or Falfhood, of what is Sworn, and the Sincerity or Infincerity, with which we Swear; and alfo of Punishing us for our Perjury, if we Swear Otherwife than we ought to do. All which are Actions proper to God alone, and above the Capacity of any Creature: And therefore being afcribed to One who is not God, muft needs give the Honour due to God alone, to that Perfon by whom we Swear.

9. 2. Is it lawful to Swear in any Matter of Moment; if we take care to Swear in fuch a manner as we ought to do?

A. It has been the Opinion of many Good Men, that we should decline all Voluntary Swearing, even in Matters of Moment, as much as may be: And that for fear of Perjury, which is a Sin of a very heinous Nature, Yet if we are required to do it by fuch whom we ought not to difobey, and do it Faithfully, and Reverently, In Truth, in Judgment, and in Righteoufness: Fer. iv. 2. It is both an Act of Reli- Pfal. xv. 4. gious Worship; and for the Glory of God; and upon both those Accounts undoubtedly Lawful. Nor did our Saviour ever intend to forbid Swearing altogether; but only to Restrain all Volun tary, and Needlefs Ufe of it in Common Converfation; and to keep Us, when we do Swear, to the doing of it only by the Name of God, and not by that of any Other Thing, or Perfon. See Mat. v. 34, &c.

10. 2. How may God's Name be taken in Vain by Vowing?

4. By Vowing to do any thing which may Judg. xi. 30, not lawfully be fulfill'd: * By Vowing that which 31. we are not Able to fulfil: By Vowing Rafhly, and Indifcreetly, what though we fhould be Able

F

*

to

Deut. xxiii. 21, 22, 23. Pfal. Ixvi.

13, 14.

Prov. xx, 25.

Jam. iv. 3.

to fulfil, might yet much better, and more prudently have been let alone: * By Vowing any thing for a long Time to Come, it may be for One's whole Life; and of our future Capacity to make Good which hereafter, we can. not, at the prefent, judge. And laftly,* By ac cuftoming ourselves to low frequently; which muft neceffarily expofe Us to the hazard of not performing our Vows.

11. 2. Would it not therefore be advifeable not to make any Vows at all?

A. It cannot be doubted but that if a Vow be duly Made, it is not only Lawful, but Acceptable to God. But then, that it may be fo, we fhould take heed; 1ft, Not to Vow upon Every Occafion; but when we have fome confiderable Motive to engage Us to the doing of it. zdly, To fee that what we do Vow, be in itsfelf Good; fit for Us to Vow, and for God to Accept. 3dly, That we be fure not to low any thing, but what we are in a Capacity to fulfil. Ecclef. v. 4,5. When thou Voweft a Via unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath no pleasure in Fools; pay that which thou hast Vowed. Better is it that thou fhouldft not Vow, than that thou fhouldft Vow, and not Pay.

12. 2. When do we take God's Name in Vain, in Praying?

A. * When we Pray, without minding what we are about: * When we pray for fuch things as we ought not to pray for: * When in our Mat. vi. 7. Prayers we ufe vain Repetitions of God's Name, without Need, and against Reason. But especially when we join the Name of any Creature with that of God, in our Prayers, as the Papists in many, or rather moft, of their Prayers do.

13. 2. Are there not Other ways of taking God's Name in Vain, befides those we have hitherto fpoken of?

A. There

*

10.

Prov.

A. There are feveral Other ways: By profane Curfing, as well as Swearing: By any tight and unfitting Ufe of God's Name, in our Common and Vain Converfation: * By all lewd, Atheistical Difcourfe: By Blafpheming, or speak- Lev.xxiv.16. ing reproachfully of God, or his Religion: By 1 Kings xix. *Murmuring against him: By Ridiculing, P. xiii. Abufing, or otherwife Profaning his Holy Word: 13. By Defpifing, or Expofing his Minifters, up- Luke viii. on the Account of their Function, and as they 18. ftand Related to him: * By an Irreverent Be- 1 Cor. xi.27. haviour in his Publick Service; in the Use of his Prayers, and Sacraments: In fhort, * By a Contemptuous treating of any thing in which his Name and Honour are concern'd.

14. 2. What does this Commandment pofitively Require of Us?

Mat. v. 37.

I Cor. x. 31.

A. To Honour God's Holy Name and Pfal. xcix. 3, lord: To employ our Tongues to his Praife, Ifai. lxvi. 2. and Glory: Never to make mention of God, or Jer. iv. 2. of a fany thing which relates to Him, without a Religious Reverence: And to use our Utmoft Endeavour upon all Occafions, to keep up the Reputation of Religion; and the Refpect which is due to Holy Things, for the fake of God, and as they have Relation to Him.

45. 2. How hath God threaten'd to punish Those who break this Commandment?

A. The LORD will not hold him Guiltlefs that taketh his Name in Main.

16. 2. What do you understand thereby?

Col. iv. 6.
Heb. xii. 28.

A. That He will feverely punish fuch Sinners; Lev. xxiv. and not fuffer his Name to be Profaned by Them, 16. without bringing fome Exemplary Vengeance 2 Sam. xii. upon them, for fuch their Prefumption.

14.

17. 2. If this be fo, how comes it to pass 2 Kings xix. that fuch Perfons do oftentimes efcape with- 22, 23, 28, out any fuch Exemplary Mark of God's Ven- 32, 35. geance againft Them?

F 2

A. We

Zech. v. 3,4,