TI!e Cure of S1vearing, and taking Gods Name in Vain. 419 ~. 7· Ill. As to the care of1·akJng God1 Name in vain (which for brevity I joyn with fwtaring ) ~ow God< it is done z, Either in the grnffcjf-and mol\: hainous fort; 2· Or m a krwer fort. z. The groifefl fort ~Jm_e IS taken of raking'Gods Name in vain, is by Perjury; or calling him in for wi~~efs. to a. lye. For among the ln VJm? Jews, Vani1y and a Lye, were words frequently taken in the fame figmhcatton. 2. But t~e ~wer forr of rakingGods Name in vain, is when. it is ufcd lightly, unreverently, conttmptuoufly , JCajlmgly, or SeeDr. Ham..: JPitho,tt jujf caufe: And in rhcfe alfo there is proph~nenrfs a~d a very g.reat fin, whic_h is aggravated n:o~ti; Prall. accoraing to the Degree o~ the contempt orprophanatlon. It 1s a great hnunreverently m common talk ~~:;~h·c;~~e to make a by-»-·ord, of faymg, [ 0 Lord, or 0 God, or 0 Jefiu, _or G~d helpm; or L?rd_ b~ve mercy mandmem. 41 n Ul, or Godfend tbit or thJJt J or any way to take Gods NJJmt m V tUn: But to ufe H m Jears and Jer. 5 . J., {corns at Religion, or make Play-books, or Stage-playcs with_fuch proplune conttmptu~us jearJ, is one Lcv. 19. u. of the grca<ell villanies that mans tongue can be guilty of agatnfl htS Maker. ( Ol wh!Ch anon.) 9· 8. I V. Direl.t. I· For tht avoiding of all this prophanmrfs in [wearing and tai(ing the Name of DircU. h God in vain,tbe firjl Dirtliiun nutjl be thit GenerJl one, to u[e all the DirellifJnJgi~en in Chap.r.for JJ wic~td man 1 attaininf true ComJtrfion: ane/.. withal to eb{trve h~w gretJt an Evidence tbH fin ir of a gracelt{s ungodly miferable foul. .For it is fuppofed to be an ordmary or frequent fin, and r?cr_efore to h~ve no dl"'cctual principlt: m the heart which is againfi it ; and rkerefore to have the pnnc1pd roomm the will; and therefore to be unrepented of, ( as to any faving renewing Repentance): If thou hadfi any lrttt grace , it would tc:ach thee ro fear and honour God more: To ~ake light of God is incon· fifient with Godlinefs, if it be in a predominant degree: for they are d1reCtly contrary. 9· 9· Direl.t. 2. Get thy hear~ fenfible of the intrinfick_ evil of tby fin. It would never be ro eafily and Virtll 2 , familiarly com~itted by the~, if thou didfi nor think ic fmall. That thou maiH know ir, confider Slith Fit\,Hrr– of !hefe followmg aggravauons. btrt.l. J., a;. n. 11· I clq– nat but lamtnt, th:u fo great an 1mp1ety as Bl:lfvhemy is, bemg fo common, doth plfs unpunJihed: where as in o1her Countrcys lhe lelfi bl;~.fp'·em1es are fevcrcly chaflencd : lnfomucb that 1n Spaa l have known a man fet 111 the M.tJket·pl:tce tbe greateft }'art of a day gapmg With .1 gagg m h1s mou!h for fwearmg onlyBy theL1fe of God. 9· 10. 1. Confider whp that God is whom thou abuftfl: Is he not the Great and terrible Majef\y; See Jer. ! 21; that made the world, and' upholdeth it, and ordereth it by his will; the Governour and Judge of all b "· the earth; infinitely txcc:lling the Sun in glory: A God moll: Holy, and in holinrfr to be mentioned : ~ .r· ~' ;, And wilt thou make a by-word of his Dreadful Name! Will thou prophanely fwear by this Holy l .>, ' ' Name? and ufe the Name ofGod as thou would(\ fcarce ufe the N1me of thy Father or thy King 1 Wilt thou unreverently and comemptuoufly tofs it like a foot-ball ? Doll: thou know no more difference between God and Man! Kuow God, and thou wilt fooner tremble at his Name, than thus unreverently abufe it. 9· 1 t. 2. Confider who thou art that thus venture(\ to prophane the holy Name of God 1 Art thou not his creature and h1s fubjel\: ? bound to honour him? Art thou not a Worm, unable to refill him~ Can he not tread thee imo Hell, or ruine thee, and be avenged on thee with a word or lefs ? He need ·to fay no more, but, 1hzu I will btJvt it, to execute his vengeance on the greatell of his enemies : If he will it, it will be done. And art thou then a perfon fit to defpife this God, and abufe his Name1 Is it not a wonder of condefcenfion in him, that he will give leave to fuch Worms as we to Pray ttJ him, and to praife and worfoip him, and that he will accept it at our hands! And yet canfi thou ven– ture thus to flight him and defpife him? I have of< heard the fame impious tongue, reproach the Praym of the godly, as if they were too bold and familiar with God, and pleadiog again!! long ot often praying, becaufe man murt not be fo bold with God, and perfwading others that God accepts it not, which yet it felf was bold familiarly to [wear by his N•me, and ufe it lightly and in comn1on talk. And indeed Gods fervants mu(\ take heed of rude and unrevmnt boldnefs even in pray<r ! How much more then is the bsldntfi of thy prophaning Gods holy Name to be condemned 1 Muf\ they take heed how they ure it in prayer and praife, and daref\ thou abufe it by Oaths, and Curres, aod vam fpeech ? 9· 12. 3· Doft thou not fometime pray by that Name n>hich tbou prophanely fwtareft by l Ifnot, thou .feemcfi utterly to renounce God, and art a miferable wretch indcccl : But it' thou do, what an Hypo– crite doll: thou Chew thy felf to be in all thy prayers, that takefi on thee to reverence that Name of ·God, which thou canfi tofS unreveremly, and fw.ear and curfe by when thou art off thy knees~ It is partofBi!hop Hall's Characr<r of the Hypocrite, that he bsn>flh "the Name of]t[us, and frpeartth by the Name of God, a6d praytth to God at Church, whom he forgets or fweareth by, the ref\ of the Week. Doth not thy con!cience gripe thee for this Hypocrifie, when in thy prayers thou thinkell of this abufe of God 1 ~· 13· 4· Think man, what ufe thou wilt have for that Holy Name in thy di~refs, which thou now aburef\? When fickners and death cometh, then thou wilt cry, Lord, Lord! Then the Name of God will be called on more reverently. And dardl thou now make a root-ball of it ? Doll thou not fear lell it !hould be then thy terror, to remember on thy death-bed when thou art calling upon God 0 this is the Name that 1 was wont to fwear by, or to take in vain. , ~. 14. 5· Rememb<r that millions of Glorious Angels are magnifying that great and holy Name which thou art prophaning and taking in vain. And doll: thou not wonder that they do not fom; of them become the executioners of the vengeance ofGod.againll thee 1 and that the earth doth .not open
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