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in which her name is often inserted instead of the name of God, which is the highest strain of blasphemy. Thus when it is said, O come let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, Psal. xcv. 6. instead of the Lord, they put the Virgin Mary. And when it is said, Have mercy upon me, O God, &c. Psal. li. 1. they pray, Have mercy upon me, O Lady, &c. which expressions cannot be read without detestation. And there are many more to the like purpose, in that book.

When this has been objected against them as a specimen of their idolatry, all the reply they make to it is; that the book was written by a private person, as an help to devotion, but not established by the authority of the church, which is not to be charged with every absurdity which some of their communion may advance. To which it may be replied, that the church of Rome has been very ready to condemn better books, written by those who were not in their communion; whereas they never publicly condemned this book, but rather commended it, as written with a good design.

Besides we may farther observe, that there are many blasphemous expressions given to the virgin Mary, in their Breviaries and Missals, which are used by public authority. Thus she is often addressed to in such characters as these, viz. the mother of mercy, the gate of heaven, the queen of heaven, the empress of the world; and sometimes she is desired not only to pray her son to help them, but, by the authority of a mother, to command him to do it. At other times they desire her to help and save them herself; and accordingly they give her the title of Redeemer, and Saviour, as well as our Lord Jesus Christ. And sometimes they profess themselves to put their trust and confidence in her. If this be not idolatry, where is there any to be found in the world?

To this we may also add, that idolatry which is practised by them in their devotion, to the images of other saints. Every saint in their Kalendar is called upon, in his turn; among whom some indeed were good men, as the martyrs, who refused to be worshipped while on earth; how much soever these worship them now they are in heaven. But there are others whom the Popes have canonized for saints, who were little better than devils incarnate, while they were here upon earth; and others have been rebels and traitors to their king and country, and suffered the just reward of their wickedness; such as these are found among those whom they pay this worship to. There are also others whom they worshipped as saints; con cerning whom it may be much questioned whether there ever were such persons in the world; these may be called fabulous saints. Nevertheless, images are made to their honour, and prayers directed to them. And there are other things worshipped by them, which never had life, as the picture of the

ross, and many pretended relics of the saints. So that upon he whole, we cannot but think that we have, in this mode of worship, a notorious instance of the breach of this Commandment. And we cannot but conclude, that herein they have apostatized, or turned aside from the purity of the gospel.

It may be observed, that the church, for the first three hundred years after Christ, had comparatively, but little superstition, and no idolatry; but in the fourth Century, superstition began to insinuate itself into it; then it was that the pictures of the martyrs, who had suffered in Christ's cause, were first set up in churches, though without any design of worshipping them; and this was not universally approved of. As for image-worship, it was not brought into the church till above seven hundred years after Christ; and then there was a considerable opposition made to it by some; and this kind of wor ship was set up in one reign, and prohibited in another; but afterwards it universally prevailed in the Romish church, when arrived to that height of impiety and idolatry, without opposition, as it is at this day. We now proceed to observe,

III. The reasons annexed to this Commandment, which are taken from the consideration of what God is in himself; I am the Lord, or Jehovah, which being a name never given to any creature, is expressive of all his divine perfections, which render him the object of worship, and oblige us to perform that worship which he requires, in such a way as is agreeable thereunto; he also styles himself a God to his people, I am thy God; therefore to set up strange gods, or to worship him in a way not prescribed by him, is a violation of his covenant, as well as not performing the duty we owe to him, and would render us unfit to be owned by him as his people. And it is farther observed, that they who thus corrupt themselves, and pervert his worship, are styled haters of him, and therefore can expect nothing but to be dealt with as enemies. This he gives them to understand, inasmuch as he styles himself a jealous, or sinrevenging God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children. For the understanding of which, let it be considered,

1. That though God does not punish children with eternal destruction, for the sins of their immediate parents, yet these oftentimes bring temporal judgments on families. Thus all the children of Israel that murmured and despised the good land, so far bare their fathers iniquity, that they wandered in the wilderness near forty years.

2. These judgments fall heavier on those children that make their parents sins their own; which was the case of the Jews. Upon which occasion our Saviour tells them, that all the blood that was shed upon the earth, should come upon them, from the VOL. III.

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blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias, whom they slew between the temple and the altar, Matt. xxiii. 35. They approved of, and committed the same sins which their fathers were guilty of, and consequently are said to fill up the measure of their sins; therefore the judgments of God, which they exposed themselves to, were most terrible.

3. Whatever temporal judgments may be inflicted on children for their parents sins, shall be sanctified, and redound to their spiritual advantage, as well as end in their everlasting happiness, if they do not follow their bad example; and therefore it is farther observed, that God shews mercy unto thousands of them that love him, and keep his Commandments. These are very great motives and inducements to enforce the observation of all God's Commandments, and this in particular.

QUEST. CXI. Which is the third Commandment?

ANSW. The third Commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless, that taketh his name in vain.

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QUEST. CXII. What is required in the third Commandment ? ANSW. The third Commandment requires, that the name of God, his titles, attributes, ordinances, the word, sacraments, prayer, oaths, vows, lots, his works, and whatsoever else there is whereby he makes himself known, be holily and reverently used in thought, meditation, word, writing, by an holy profession, and answerable conversation, to the glory of God, and the good of ourselves and others.

QUEST. CXIII. What are the sins forbidden in the third Commandment?

ANSW. The sins forbidden in the third Commandment are, the not using of God's name as is required, and the abuse of it, in an ignorant, vain, irreverent, profane, superstitious, or wicked mentioning or otherwise using his titles, attributes, ordinances, or works; by blasphemy, perjury; all sinful cursings, oaths, vows, and lots; violating of our oaths, and vows, if lawful, and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful, murmuring and quarrelling at, curious prying into, and . misapplying of God's decrees, and providences, misinterpreting, misapplying, or any way perverting the word, or any part of it, to profane jests, curious or unprofitable ques

tions, vain janglings, or the maintaining of false doctrines, abusing it, the creatures, or any thing contained under the name of God, to charms, or sinful lusts and practices, the maligning, scorning, reviling, or any ways opposing of God's truth, grace, and ways, making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends; being ashamed of it, or a shame to it, by uncomfortable, unwise, unfruitful, and offensive walkings, or backslidings from it.

QUEST. CXIV. What are the reasons annexed to the third Commandment?

ANSW. The reasons annexed to the third Commandment in these words [the Lord thy God] and [for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain] are, because, he is the Lord and our God, and therefore his name is not to be profaned, or any way abused by us, especially, because he is so far from acquitting and sparing the transgressors of this Commandment, as that he will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment, albeit, many such escape the censures and punishments of men.

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S the second Commandment respects the manner in which God is to be worshipped, agreeably to his revealed will; in this we are commanded to worship him with that frame of spirit which is suitable to the greatness of the work, and the Majesty of him with whom we have to do. By the name of God we are to understand all those things whereby he is pleased to make himself known; and these are his names, titles, attributes, words and works. The attributes of God have been largely insisted on in that question, What is God? His names and titles have also been considered, as belonging to all the persons of the Godhead, in proving that the Son and Holy Ghost are God equal with the Fathert. His word is that in which the glory that is contained in his names, titles and attributes, is set forth in the most glorious manner. Thus the Psalmist says, Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name, Psal. cxxxviii. 2. or, thou hast given a brighter discovery of thyself in thy word, than thou hast done in any thing else, by which thou hast made thyself known to thy creatures. And as for the works of God, whether of nature or of grace, these are designed to lead us into the knowledge of his power, wisdom, goodness, holiness and faithfulness, which are eminently grorified in all that he does. Now this Commandment respects our having a due regard to all those ways whereby he makes himself known, and contains a prohibition of every thing that may tend to cast the least dishonour upon them. ↑ Quest.xi.·•

See Vol. I. Quest. iv.

The method in which we are led to speak to it, is to consider,

I. What is required in it. This supposes, that it is an indispensible duty for us to make mention of the name of God. Since he has given us some discoveries of himself, by what means soever he has done it, it would be an instance of the highest contempt of the greatest privilege, for us to express no regard to them; which they may be said practically to do, who make no profession of religion, and desire not to be instructed in those things which relate to the name and glory of God; which argues a person to be abandoned to the greatest wickedness, and to live without God in the world.

Now there are several duties mentioned in this answer, in which we are said to make use of God's name; particularly, when we attend on his ordinances, viz. the word, sacraments and prayer; and take religious oaths, and make solemn vows; which, doubtless, are to be performed with the utmost reverence. We have many instances, in scripture, of holy men who, when they have drawn nigh to him in prayer, have adored his divine perfections, with a becoming humility. Thus Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, addresses himself to God; There is no god like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their heart, 1 Kings viii. 23. And Jacob, when wrestling with God in prayer, says, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return to thine own country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant, Gen. xxxii. 9, 10. And Hezekiah expresses himself thus in prayer, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth, thou hast made heaven and earth, 2 Kings xix. 25. And Daniel in prayer, styles him, The great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant, and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments, Dan. ix. 4. And Abraham, when standing before the Lord, and pleading in behalf of Sodom, says, Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes, Gen. xviii. 27. And the inhabitants of heaven, who are nearest the throne of God, are represented as worshipping him with the greatest reverence, casting their crowns before the throne, in token of their being unworthy of the honour that they are advanced to, and saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour and power, Rev. iv. 10, 11. which is to be understood of him, exclusive of all others. And as this reverence is to be expressed when we

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