Third Cmiltnandmeitt,' his Name to fuch idle purpofes, alld w~Jl ~evcnge th~ dlffiOnoUf that you do him ~~ . • Secondly, The Nan1e of God is taken)~ \laid, whe_nJt js u~qci without due eo~ fide; 2 . ration and -reverence: \~henfoever we make mentron of fum, we ought fenoufiy to ponder his infjnite ,Greatnefs and GJory, qnd to l,>ow our . hearts -in the deepe!t proftration before that Name, to which all the Powers ifl Heaven and ~rth bow down with mofi: humble Veneration. But is it porfible for tDOfc who fpeak Qf God promifcnoufiy and at random, is it po!fbl ~ t~at t~ey fhOllld utter his Name ~ith Re'vercnce, when all the reil: of the Drfcourfe . is nothiq.g ;b,ut, Froth ·and Levrty? Nay, if they be reproved for it, will they n,ot alledge J1r t~eir Excufe that whKh is their very Sin, That they did rtot cqnfider _it? And what! will you dare to bolt out the great Name of the great God withOut C0~fidering it?. Is that a Name to be fported with , and to be tofs'd to and fro upon every light and vain Tongue? The Tongue of Man is called his Glory, Pfal. 5.7· 8. Awake up mj glory. And !hall the glory of Man be the difhonour of God? Shall that whith w]s created to be a princip:Ii Inftrument of magnifying and exalting G_od's Name,., run it over without affeCtion or reverence? Thofe things which we moft of aJI contemn and dcfpifc~ we ufe as By-words, and lay no great ftrefs nor fenfe up<in them. And truly when we fpeak of God, without confidering how great, how glorious and ex.ccllcnt a Being he is, hO\v holy', jull, and powerfi1l, we do but make him a, By-word, which is the higheft con temp~ and indignity that can be caft up~:ul hilp.. ~ And therefore, the beft means that can be u(ed to !Ccure us from thatHabtt and w1ckccl Cuftom, thatmaqy of us have inured our felvcs unto, of taking GOd's Name in vain, is ferioufiy to confider whofe Name it is, even tlw Name of the great God who is prcfent with thee, and hears thee pronounce it: That God to whom the greatefl;.an?moft glorious Things compared, arc bafe and vile Nothings: ,Thpt God whO is Je:ilous of h-is Honour, and will dreadfully revenge himfelf upon tHe Contemn<;rs of. it. And if thou halt but wrodght thefc Confiderations into thln$t. hcart, and habituated them to thy thoughts, .thou wilt for ever be afraid to ipelik o~hisMajcll:y vainly and irreverently. ThirdLy, The :tqame of God is taken in v·~in wheri ' )t is. ure:d to an undue and 3; unlawful aCtion , efpecially when it is brought' to'confit!TI a Fallhocxl either in Per:r; jury or Herefie, which i.s a mofr horrid Impiety: And. t}lcroforc it is obferved, that the fame word which is here rendrCd vail)., fignifies .aJfQ Falfe or Deceitful ! N,l!J, So that this Precept, 1'hou jhalt not take the n.ame of the Lord t~y God in vain, may be . rcndred alfo, Thou fluilt not take the name of the Lor.d thy God in faljiJood. ~ot that this is the only unlawful ufing of it, but that this is the chi~f and moft notorious abufing of it: And indeed, what greater fin can there be, than to bring God to be a Witnefs to our Lie; to make him who Js Truth it felf, atteft that which is Falfhood and Deceit? And therefore, Proverbs 30. 9· Agur prays againft pinching Poverty, as well as ~1per~uous Rich.es, Left, faith he, I be pOor and flu!, t!nd take the name of my God m vam. That IS, left Poverty compel me. to fteal, and fear of Shame or Punifhment tempt me to fwear bY' the Name of the great God, that I have not done it. This indeed, is to take God's Name in vain in the worll and highell: fenfe. · · Co~t~~~~~'i:: now to clofe Up this wit~ f~~e Ptaetlca{ Application of it to your Fi~(f, Let th is c6nvince yoU of the greatnef~ and "heid.6nfJ,1efs of this sii;, and r. deeply humble you that have been guilty of it: 'I well know, that the commonnefs whether of God's Mercies towards us, or o(,oq.r Sins againft h,irn, takes etf mud~ from. our Obfer~ation, .a!Jd abates them both in our Ertimdte : And 'bec'\~fe- i.his IS fa common a Sm almoft tn the mouths of all 'Perfons, bur 'Ea~s are fo _beatefl to it that we now little regard it. Pollibly fhouJa vie hear a Devil incarna!e~e!ch ou; fame direful Oath, we fhould ftar't and trenl"b~ _at it: Btlt whefi we hear the1~arrie of~ the great ·God, and our only Lord, t1ip ~lOng in fotne;trifljrig and impeftinent D}fcourfe, this we take no notice of; 'and the tommonnefs bf the Sin hath aImoll: lbfted all Reproofs: I befeech you, Chrill:ians, confider, · Hh Firjf,
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