A. When we pray without minding what we are about: *when we pray for such things as we ought not to pray for: *when in our prayers we use 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 most, of their prayers do. PROOFS SUBJOINED.-James, iv. 3. Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss. Matt. vi. 7. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 13. Q. Are there not other ways of taking God's name in vain, besides those we have hitherto spoken of? * A. There are several other ways: by profane cursing, as well as swearing: * by any light and unfitting use of God's name, in our common and vain conversation: *by all lewd, atheistical discourse: *by blaspheming, or speaking reproachfully of God, or his religion: by *murmuring against him: * by ridiculing, abusing, or otherwise profaning his holy word: *by despising or exposing his ministers, upon the account of their function, and as they stand related to him: *by an irreverent behaviour in his public service; in the use of his prayers and sacraments: in short, *by a contemptuous treating of any thing in which his name and honour are concerned. PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Lev. xxiv. 16. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him. 1 Kings, xix. 10. And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life to take it away. Prov. xiii. 13. Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. Luke, viii. 18. Take heed, therefore, how ye hear: for whosoever. hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. 1 Cor. xi. 27. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 14. Q. What does this commandment positively require of us? A. To honour God's holy name and word: to employ our tongues to his praise and glory: never to make mention of God, or of any thing that relates to him, without a religious reverence: and to use our utmost endeavour upon all occasions to keep up the reputation of religion; and the respect which is due to holy things, for the sake of God, and as they have relation to him. PROOFS SUBJOINED.- Psalm xcix. 3. Let them praise thy great and terrible name: for it is holy. lxvi. 2. To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Jer. iv. 2. And thou shalt swear, the Lord liveth in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. Matt. v. 37. Let your commu-. nication be yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. 1 Cor. x. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Col. iv. 6. Let your speech be alway with grace; seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Heb. xii. 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom, which cannot . be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 15. Q. How hath God threatened to punish those who break this commandment? A. The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 16. Q. What do you understand thereby? A. That he will severely punish such sinners; and not suffer his name to be profaned by them, without bringing some exemplary vengeance upon them, för such their presumption. PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Lev. xxiv. 16. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him. 2 Sam. xii. 14. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also which is born unto thee shall surely die. xxi. 1, 2. Then there was a famine in the days of David, three years, year after year: and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites); and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah). Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the Lord. 2 Kings, xix. 22, 23, 28, 32, 35. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel? By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel.-Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.-Therefore thus saith the Lord, concerning the King of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.—And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. Zech. v. 3, 4. Then saith he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side, according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of Hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. 17. Q. If this be so, how comes it to pass that such persons do oftentimes escape without any such exemplary mark of God's vengeance against them ? A. We are not to call God to account for his actions. It is enough that he has assured us that he will not hold such persons guiltless: and that therefore every such sinner must either repent, in a very singular manner, of his offence in taking God's name in vain; or he shall assuredly be punished with an extraordinary severity for it, either in this life or in the other. SECT. XXVI. Of the Christian Sabbath; and the Sanctification of it. 1. Q. What is the last commandment of the first table? A. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbathday? 2. Q. What do you mean by the Sabbath-day? A. The commandment itself explains it: 'tis a seventh day of rest, after six of work and labour: six days shalt thou labour, and do all that thou hast to do; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt do no manner of work. 3. Q. Wherefore did God establish a seventh day of rest, after six of work and labour? A. In memory of his having created the world in six days; and on the seventh day rested, or ceased from creating it: and to keep up thereby the memory of his being the Creator of the world; and to engage mankind solemnly to acknowledge and worship him as such. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it. 4. Q. Was this command given by God to mankind from the beginning of the world? |