z3S Chap. 2; How Gods name it to beglorified. Com. 3. theApoflles precept is, Let every one that calleth upon the name of the Lord , depart from iniquity. Gods name is polluted and prophaned by thewickednefs of them that profefs it. The wickednefs of the child pollutes the Father. The Law faith, If the daughter of a P.riefl commit fornication, the polluteth her father. Now God is our Father when we take his name upon cis ; and if we do not glorifie him in our adtions, Levi. al. 9. nor depart from iniquity, we do what we can to make him polluted. Therefore God Pill. so. threatensthofe that take his Law into their mouths, and yet hate'to be reformed, that Rom. a, 24 he will let their fins in order before them : fuch do wound thename of God by their evil converfation, and caufeothers to fin. a. We make hisName gloriousby free and voluntaryvows, made and performed fo the Pfalmift, Accept I befeech thee, the free. offerings of my mouth, and teach me lval Wu. 76 "9' 1°2' thy judgements : and what he pra hfed himfelf, he exhorts others to perform, vow Plat. 78. 0... and pay unto the Lord. SeeingGod doth freely bellow fo many things upon us, we fhould glorifie himnot only in the duties commanded, but in vowing, and making free-will ofErings of fomething in our power. The contrary to this, when men will give nothing to God, but what neceflity of law, or eminent danger forcesfrom them, Ions'f:.9 Like thofe in the Pfalm, that when God flew them they fought him : and like the mar- riners in 7onac, they prayed and made vows, but it was not till they were in a ¡torah The third thingin th%prohibition is, what it is to take Gods name in vain. In every a&ion, three thingsare conliderable. The end. the Agent. The work. Thefe three duly weighed, we Ihall foon fee, what it is to take Gods name in vain. a. That whichh.ath no end propofed, or is done to no end, may truly be faid to be done in vain. As the (owing of feedwithout reaping the fruit., the planting a vine- yard without a vintage, or feedinga flock without eating the milkof it. Thefe are labours in vain. So he that takeththe name of God to no end, neither to Gods glory, nor the private or publick good, taketh it in vain. Cxi bona ? is a good queftion in all undertakings. If to no good, as good and better, not undertaken at all, it is to no end, it is in vain. If a man have well fahioned legs, and they be lame, frail-rot pxtchras habet tibias clawdsu, thelame man bath them in vain, The chief end thereforeof taking this name muff be a. the glory of God, otherwife we open our mouths in vain, as it is in Job. God' is willing to impart all his bleffings to us, and requires nothingof us again but Glory ; which if we returnnot, he may fay, as David did of Nabal, for whom he had done many good turns, in fecuring his Shepherds and Flocks, &e. And when he defined nothing but a little meat for the young men, he denyed it, All that Ihave done for this fellow is in vain, in vain have I kept all he bath. So God having done fo much for us, and expelling nothing but the glory of his Name, if we be defe&ive herein, he maywell fay, all that he bath done for us is in vain. a. Next to Gods gory, is the good of our (elves and others, and fo to rake Gods name without reference to this end, if we neither promote our own good, nor the good of others it is in vain, ex privationsfinis, becaufe it wan s a right end; there- fore Saint Paul rejoyced, having by his preaching laboured the faving of fouls, I re- joyce faith he, that I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain. 2. In the Agent, the heart and foul is to be conlidered, which in the perfon a&ing is the chief mover. If the foul be rill Racleah , vain and light, as when we take Ecale.S. T. Gods name without due advife and reverence, thoughwe própound a right end, yet Peal. 75.7 we takehis name in vain : therefore the wife man advifes, not to be ratswith our mouth; and the Pfalmift profeflèth,that hie heart was fixed when he praifed God: the heart oughtto be fixed and ffabldht, by a due conlideration of Gods greatnefs, when we (peak of hpm, This is oppofcd to rafhnefs, inconflancy, and lightnefs, fuch as are in chaffe and fmoak, which are apt to be carried away with every blaft, and fuch as are fo qualified, do takeGods name in vain. 3. In the work it fell may be a twofold vanity, which mutt be avoided. s. Falthood. 2. Injuffice. Efay'28 tg r. If it be falle, then is it alto vain,as theirs in Efay, We havemade falfbood our re- fuge, and tinder vanity are we hid.And this is that allio erroris,workof error, of which Jei.:a®. r5; Jeremy fpeaketh. Manilas opponittar veritati, vanity is oppofed to verity and truth ; therefore a thing is laid to be vain,.when it is falte or erroneous. They are vanity, the work
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