could be seen in Hanani, that "he was a faithful man, and one who feared God above many," Neh. vii. 2. And the Shunamitess per ceived that Elisha was holy, 2 Kings iv. 9.

In this manner must the person who is in covenant with God, use the name of the Lord his God; but it is forbidden to use (or take) it in vain. The Socinians imagine, in order that they may repre sent Christ as a new Lawgiver, that he hath added to this commandment not only that we may swear by his name, because, according to Rev. iii. 23. He searcheth the heart and reins," as if that were not allowable under the Old Testament, and as if he, who searcheth the hearts and reins, were not the eternal and allknowing God; but they say also that he hath forbidden all rash oaths under the New Testament, which, as they pretend, were not forbidden under the Old Testament, provided only they were not false; therefore they will not translate the Hebrew word lasschave, "in vain," but "falsely." It is true, the word lasschave signifies also falsely; as it is also translated, Deut. v. 20. But it signifies also "in vain, vanity, and to no purpose." See Psalm cxix. 37. cxxvii. 1. The seventy translators have also rendered it by mataron, "vanity." And who that knows the fearful name of God, and the honour due to him can believe that men were allowed under the Old Testament to take his name in vain ?

To take God's name in vain, is to make use of it without weighty reasons, to a vain unprofitable and unnecessary purpose, with a vain heart, which is void of the Spirit, and in a vain, trifling and sinful manner. This is done, 1. By blaspheming and reproaching the name of God, which we do, (a) when we deny the being and pers fections of God, and ascribe them to the creatures: "The fool saith in his heart, there is no God" Psalm xiv. 1. The wicked man "blasphemes God," and persuades himself, that God “covers himself with the clouds," that he "knoweth nothing" of what the sinner doth, and that he doth not regard it, to require it of him, Job xxii. 13, 14, Psalm x. 13. Yea, he thinks and "speaks of the trne God, as of the gods of the nations of the earth, which are the works of men's hands." So Rabshakeh blasphemed and reproached the Lord, 2 Chron. xxxii. 19. He was that wicked counsellor, who imagin ed evil against the Lord," Nahum l. ii. (5) Or when we ascribe absurdities to God, and speak reproachfully of him. So the Jews "wearied the Lord with their words, when they said, Every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them," Mal. ii. 17, and the way of the Lord is not equal," Ezek. xviii. 25. It was blasphemy, when the Jews railed at the. Sen of

God, as a glutton, a winebibber, one who had a devil, and was a blasphemer. (c) When the sinner becomes angry and displeased with the Lord on account of the afflictions, with which he visits him: "When he is hungry, he looks upward and curses his God," Isaiah viii. 21. This is blaspheming, Rev. xvi. 9, 11, 21. (d) Or when we speak contemptuously of the works of God, of his worship, of his servants, children, and of persons, who are defective. So "the Jews contradicted and blasphemed the things which were spoken by Paul," Acts xiii. 45. To reproach the godly is to “blas pheme that worthy name, by which they are called," James ii. 7. See Prov. xvii. 5. Acts ix. 4. 1 Pet. iv. 14. (e) The name of God is also blasphemed, when those who profess his name live ungodly lives: Israel," a people laden with iniquity, blasphemed the Holy One of Israel," Isaiah 1. 4. For such an offensive life causes those also who are without, to blaspheme the name of the Lord and his service, 2 Sam. xii 14. Rom. ii 23, 24. (f) But the sinner renders himself guilty of the highest, and of an unpardonable blasphemy, when, after a preceeding conviction and enlightening of the Holy Spirit, he maliciously rejects and resists the truth and piety of the gospel, without a powerful temptation of endangering his life. This is "the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost," Matt. xii. 31, 32.

2. We take the name of God in vain also by cursing, whereby we wish and desire of God, that he would inflict some evil upon a person. We may not refer to this, that the prophets at certain times, from a holy zeal, cursed the openly profane, and the enemies of the church; which we may nevertheless not imitate. When "John and James would call fire down from heaven" upon the Samaritans, "as Elias had done, Jesus said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." Luke ix. 54, 55. It is nevertheless not unlawful to pray with the souls under the altar," Rev. vi. 10, that the Lord would destroy the incorrigible enemies of the church: we must pray for the church, and therefore also against the enemies of the church. But this command forbids that cursing, which proceeds from a special hatred, by which we desire that evil may betide our neighbour, either from anger on account of some real, or supposed injury, or from envy on account of his prosperity; whether we express our curse with words, as Shimei did, 2 Sam. xvi. 5, 6, 7, 8, or whether we curse him, when we are alone, and in our thoughts, cóntrary to the precept of Solomon, Eccl. x 20. Dreadful are the wicked customs of the ungodly in this respect, they wish that this and that may smite and fetch their neighbour. Or they wish that evil may befall themselves, either from a vexatious fretfulness on

account of some difficulty, like Job and Jeremiah, who were transported so far, that they cursed their joyful birthday, Job iii. i. Jer. zv. 10. or in order to deliver themselves from some danger with Peter. Matt. xxvi. 74, or to procure some injury to others as "the Jews bound themselves with a curse, that they would kill Paul " Acts xxiii. 22. And thus we use the name of the Lord for a wicked purpose: we wish that the high God would fulfil our wicked desires. But hear, ye cursers, if God should bring all your wicked curses upon you, how wretched would ye be !

3. We also abuse the name of God by perjury, (or false swearing ;) either confirming with an oath a matter, which we know to be otherwise; as "when a person hath found something that was lost, and lies concerning it, and swears falsely," Lev. vi 3, or promising upon an oath to do something, which we intend not to do; or of which we know before, that we cannot do it, and thus "swearing deceitfully," Psalm xxiv. 4, or not keeping the promise, to which we have sworn as Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, who had "made him swear by God," 2 Chron. xxxvi. 13, Ezek. xvii. 18.

4. We may easily conceive that we take God's name in vain also by swearing without necessity, and rashly. We do this, (a) when we are forthwith ready to confirm without necessity whatever we say with an oath. Solomon describes a godly man, as "one who feareth an oath," but a wicked man, as "one who sweareth," Eccl. ix. 2. (b) We swear likewise without necessity, when we promise with an oath to do what we ought not to do, as Jephthah and Herod swore to their sorrow, Judges xi. 30, 31. Matt. xiv. 6, 7, 8. (c) We swear also rashly, when we are urged by a sudden passion to bind ourselves by an oath to do this or that; as David, vexed by the incivility of Nabal, swore that he would destroy him and all that he had, 1 Sam. xxv. 22. We swear rashly also, (d) when we confirm any truth or purpose with very highstrained expressions; the name of God, his word and sacraments are not too holy for the children of Belial to swear by; thunder and lightning are not too fearful; their souls and salvation are not too precious; eternal damnation and the judgment of God are not too dreadful. (e) Other vain persons will invent jocular oaths, to divert themselves and others, as if that were not swearing rashly, and taking God's name in vain.

5. This is also done by every kind of abuse of the name of God: as (a) by an unholy use of the lot, the event of which depends upon the immediate direction of God, and not upon human contrivance: "The lot," saith Solomon, Prov. xvi. 33, "is cast into the lap: but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord." This is abuVol. II.

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sed, either when we might make use of something else in disputes, and nevertheless betake ourselves to the lot; for we then make use of it without necessity, and we tempt God; or when we make use of it irreverendly, without looking up to God, as if the event of it were only casual; or when we are discontented, when it proves unfavourable to us; but we abuse the lot still more, when we make use of it in games, either for profit or pleasure; for we do then sport with the immediate providence of God: making use of the lot in games is necessarily accompanied with many other sins, particularly that the gamesters mispend their precious time without any essential advantage, and that they become so sottishly addicted to ga ming, that it possesses the whole man, and they cannot disengage themselves from it; they are driven to it, as it were, by a spirit of witchcraft: the saints never made use of lots in games, but only in weighty and sacred matters: persons attached to gaming increase disputes, contrary to the nature of the lot, "which causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty," Prov. xviii. 18. (b) The name of God is also fearfully abused in comedies and stage-plays; vain persons will take the holy name of God in their mouths in an unholy manner, will repeat divine histories idly and for diversion, will exhibit the ancient idolatry in the most agreeable manner, and will personate and represent either a saint or sinner. (c) I may not insist particularly on abusing the name of God, either from custom, when we use the name of God upon every occasion, and say, O Lord, O God! or by corrupted words, when we use, instead of the word God, the words sacraments, or the devil, or some other word which nearly resembles these, as if we were exceedingly godfearing persons, or by making use of the word and worship of God, as subjects of quibbles and foolish jesting, or to excuse our faults. Surely these are base methods of profaning God's great name. I would rather explain in what manner men abuse the name of God in religious worship. Will not every one allow that he abuses the name of God, who uses it to frequently, and only to fill up a sentence, or with an unholy heart in his prayers? Can any person consider himself as not guilty of taking the name of the Lord in vain, who behaves himself irreverendly in the presence of God, either in his private or public worship? See how ill the Bethshemites and Uzza fared, in consequence of their irreverent conduct toward the ark of God, 1 Sam. vi. 19. 2 Sam. vi. 6, 7. It is still more abominable to appear in the presence of God with a wicked heart and design, in order to cloke our abominable actions, and so from hypoc risy, as if the worship of God were a cloke for shame. See how ve

hemently the Lord reproves this conduct, Jer. vii. 4, 8, 9, 10. (d) We abuse the name of God also, when we behave vainly, lightly, dissolutely, and without the fear of God in all our conversation: of such the Lord saith, Isaiah Ivii. 11, "Thou hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart." (e) He also renders himself guilty of this dreadful sin, who, when he sees or hears it, observes it, and remains silent. "He who heareth the voice of swearing, if he do not utter it, then "shall he bear his iniquity," according to Lev. v. 1. Prov. xxix. 24.

III. A most severe threatening is denounced against the person who taketh the name of the Lord in vain: "The Lord will not hold him guiltless," that is, he will surely punish him. The Lord doth not say what punishment he will inflict upon him, and therefore we may conclude that the greatest misery which we can imagine is threatened. Every sin renders a person guilty; for "cursed is he that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them," as Paul speaks, Gal. iii. 10, from Deut. xxvii. 26. And God doth not hold any guilty person guiltless, as he himself saith, Exod. xxxiv. 7. Much less will he hold him who dishonoureth his name guiltless: "For there is no sin greater, or more provoking to God than the profaning of his name," saith the cate chism. It is indeed "attacking" the name of God. Prov. xxx. 9. The Hebrew word for blaspheme, nakab, denotes to thrust the name of God through. On account of the horribleness of this sin it is called by a catachresis a blessing of God, as though it ought not to be named, 1 Kings xxi. 10. Job. i. 5, 11, unless we would rather understand by blessing God in that passage, forsaking him, and bidding him farewell, and so departing wickedly from him by breaking covenant with him. Job's wife seems to have used it in this sense, when she said to her husband, Job ii. 9, "Dost thou still retain thine integrity? bless God and die,"* But however this may be, every sin is punishable, because it is contrary to the highness and glory of God: much more is this sin then punishable, since it is in itself a reproaching of the Lord: "God hath therefore commanded it to be punished with death," saith the instructor according to the word of God: "He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death; which sentence the Lord ordered to be executed upon the son of an Israelitish woman." Lev. xxiv. 23. God being jealous for his holy name, poured out his wrath also in the most dreadful

This is agreeable to the Dutch translation, and is the literal sense of the word in the original.