Obs. 212.-The Third Commandment requireth the holy and reverend use of God's works.

By the works of God we are to understand his work of creation, and his works of providence; in which last is included the work of redemption, the chief of all the ways of God, and that by which he hath revealed to us his glorious grace.

To make a holy and reverend use of God's works, is to improve the wonderful displays which he hath made of his glorious excellencies, in creation, providence, and redemption; contemplating therein his infinite greatness, power, wisdom, and goodness; and reverently following and complying with his designs, in all his providential dispensations, blessing and praising him for all his mercies, and submitting to his will in all things.Rev. xv. 3, 4.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. The necessity of knowing the name sby which the living God is known in his Word, which would lead us to reverence him. 2. That if we are God's, we will study to reverence his great and dreadful name. 3. That, in order to reverence the name of God, we must use his ordinances according to his appointment. 4. That the name of God ought not to be used by us in matters of little moment. 5. That we ought to consider well the nature of an oath, that if called upon in providence to invoke God as a witness by one, we may not be found profaning his name, but glorifying it. 6. The danger of appealing immediately to God by the lot, in matters of little or no moment. 7. The danger of vowing to the Lord, and not performing our vows. 8. The danger of abusing the name of God in any way.

Sins Forbidden.

Q. 55.—What is forbidden in the Third Commandment ? The Third Commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of any thing whereby God maketh himself known.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That we are forbidden to profane any thing by which God maketh himself known. Lev. xviii. 21.-"Neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God; I am the Lord." See also Mal. i. 7, 12.

2. That we are forbidden to abuse any thing by which God maketh himself known. Matt. xxiii. 14.-"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 213.-The Third Commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of any thing by which God maketh himself

known.

To "profane or abuse any thing by which God maketh himself known," is to use his names, his titles, his attributes, his ordinances, his word, or his Works, in a rash, an irreverent, and an unbecoming manner.

The names, titles, and attributes, of God are profaned or abused by men in various ways:-

1. By entertaining abominable or blasphemous thoughts concerning God; or by not thinking or meditating on him, and on what he hath done for sinners.-Ps. x. 4, and xciv. 11.

2. By blasphemy,-that is, by speaking in a reproachful and reviling manner concerning God, or any thing in which he is concerned.-Lev. xxiv. 16.

3. By perjury, that is, by asserting a thing to be true which is known to be a gross falsehood; or by asserting upon oath what is known to be doubtful or uncertain; or by promising upon oath what is never intended to be performed.-1 Kings xxi. 13; Mark xiv. 58, 59; Ezek. xvii. 16; Zech. v. 3, 4.

4. By sinful cursings, that is, by imprecating the wrath and vengeance of God upon ourselves or others; or by invocating the devil in any way for harm.

5. By sinful oaths,—that is, by taking unlawful oaths; or by profane swearing in common conversation.-Matt. v. 34-36, and xxiii. 20-22; James v. 12.

6. By sinful vows, that is, vows unlawful in themselves, or which, if performed, would involve the makers of them in guilt before God; or by vowing to do what God hath commanded, and to abstain from what he hath forbidden in one's own strength; or by vowing to do what one has no intention to perform.-1 Kings xix. 2; Acts xxiii. 12; Matt. xiv. 3-7; Jer. xlii. 5, 6, 20, 22.

7. By a sinful use of the lot,--that is, by appealing to God by way of diversion, as in playing at cards and dice, when God is most presumptuously invoked to determine who shall be the gainer; or by appealing to God in affairs of little importance, which might otherwise be determined.

8. By using the name of God rashly and irreverently in common conversation, either in a way of exclamation, or of thanksgiving, or of importunity, or of appeal to God.

9. By maligning, scorning, or reviling religion; or by making profession of it in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends; or by backsliding from it; or by committing such enormities and immoralities as dishonour it, and cause the name of God to be evil spoken of.-Acts xiii. 45; Ps. i. 2; 2 Pet. iii. 3; 1 Pet. iv.

4; 2 Tim. iii. 5; Heb. vi. 6; Rom. ii. 24; Gal. iii. 1; Heb. x. 38.

The ordinances of God are profaned or abused, when they are totally neglected, or when they are attended in a formal, superficial, and customary manner, without seeking to hold communion with God in them, or to derive spiritual nourishment from them.-Acts vii. 42, 43; Isa. xxix. 13, 14.

The Word of God is profaned or abused, when it is misinterpreted or misapplied; when any part of it is perverted, either to profane jests, or to curious and unprofitable questions, or to vain janglings, or to the maintaining of false doctrines; or when the purposes and providences of God are misapplied.-Rom. vi. 1; Matt. v. 21, &c.; 2 Pet. iii. 16; Matt. xxii. 24; Isa. xxii. 13; 1 Tim. i. 4, 6, and vi. 4, &c.; 2 Tim. ii. 14; Tit. iii. 9; Eccl. viii. 11.

The works of God are profaned or abused, when the creatures are abused to sinful lusts and practices; when, in prosperity, men are forgetful of God, unthankful for mercies, and indulge themselves more in sin on account of the goodness of God; or when, in adversity, they murmur and quarrel at his providences, and become more hardened in sin.-Rom. xiii. 13, 14; Hos. xiii. 6; Rom. ii. 4, 5; 1 Cor. x. 10; Jer. v. 3.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. The necessity of having becoming views of God. 2. The danger of blaspheming the name of God. 3. The sin of perjury, and of cursing and swearing. 4. The necessity of watchfulness, and of avoiding the company of those who fear not God. 5. The necessity of setting a watch upon our lips. 6. The necessity of performing our vows. 7. The danger of appealing to God in matters of little or no moment. 8. That the name of God ought to be spoken of with reverence at all times. 9. The danger of hypocrisy. 10. The danger to which they expose themselves, who offend the children of the kingdom. 11. The sin of which they are guilty, who encourage sinners in their sin. 12. That Divine ordinances are worthy of our regard. 13. The danger of backsliding in religion. 14. That the Word of God should be improved for his glory, and for the good of ourselves and others. 15. That the works of God are wonderful, in creation, providence, and redemption; in mercy and in judgment, &c.

Reason Annexed.

Q. 56. What is the Reason annexed to the Third Commandment?

The reason annexed to the Third Commandment is, That however the breakers of this commandment may

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escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment: (or will not hold them guiltless that take his name in vain.)

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That they who take God's name in vain may escape punishment from men.

2. That the sin of taking God's name in vain will be specially punished by God himself. Deut. xxviii. 58, 59.-" If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law, that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 214.—There are many who hold themselves guiltless of much sin, although they take the name of God in vain.

1. Many encourage themselves in this sin from its prevalence in the world, and from the custom which they themselves have imbibed of profaning the name of God. But the prevalence of profane swearing in common conversation, or a habit or custom of it, can be no excuse, any more than the prevalence of the crime of murder, or a habit or custom of killing men, can be an excuse of wilful murder.

2. Many conclude that they are at liberty to break out in such language as they would not probably use at another time, when they are hurried into passion by losses, or by crosses, or by disappointments, or by discouragements, &c. But are such guiltless, because they think that they have cause to abuse the name of God? Besides, can any profit or pleasure arise from insulting the great God to his face? This is a crime which we dare not, without danger, be guilty of against a fellow-creature.

3. Many even glory in profaning the name of God by horrid oaths. They not only see no sin in taking the name of God in vain by swearing; but they think that, by doing so, they appear great, and are superior to others. They must have a sort of language to distinguish them from those whom they are pleased to brand with the name of enthusiasts or religious fanatics,—that is, persons who fear the name of the Lord. Such show at once that they do not belong to God, and that they have no part nor lot with those whom they despise.

Obs. 215.-They who take the name of God in vain may, and often do, escape punishment from men.

They who are guilty of this sin escape punishment from magistrates, partly because human laws do not, or cannot, extend to all profanations of the name of God, and partly because they who

are in authority are not unfrequently profane and wicked persons themselves, and consequently cannot with any propriety execute those laws which do extend to blasphemy, perjury, swearing, and the grosser profanations of the name of God. They also escape punishment from ministers, when they allow this sin to pass without observation in their public ministrations, and in the exercise of the government of the house of God. They also escape punishment from parents and masters of families, when such do not reprove and punish those under their charge, who are guilty of this sin. Another reason why the breakers of this commandment escape punishment from men, is because there is so little zeal among them for the honour of the name of God. Were men thus treated, they would soon avenge it as their own interest; but the interest of God's honour appears to be the interest of very few.

Obs. 216. Although they who take God's name in vain escape punishment from men, yet the Lord will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.

This is expressed in the commandment itself thus:-"The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain," --that is, he will account him very guilty, and will assuredly punish him.

The judgments which God inflicts upon such as are profane and abuse his name, are various. This sin destroys families, Zech. v. 3, 4; brings judgments upon a land,-Hos. iv. 1-5; Jer. v. 7-9; and wonderful plagues upon the body,-Acts xii. 21-23; and it will destroy both soul and body in hell for ever,Rom. ii. 5.

This, then, must be a very heinous sin, seeing the Lord himself undertakes to punish it in such a signal manner, although others may allow it to escape. And its heinousness further appears from the character which is given of such in Scripture, as the open and avowed enemies of God,-Ps. cxxxix. 20; and also from the consideration, that there is nothing obtained by the commission of it; that there is no temporal advantage connected with it; but that it is committed out of pure malice against God, and from pure love to the thing itself.

Obs. 217.-Besides the reason above mentioned, there seem to be other reasons in the commandment itself, why the name of God should not be taken in vain.

In this commandment God styles himself the Lord thy God. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." 1. The consideration, that he is the Lord or Jehovah, lays us under a strong obligation to use his name with reverence, on account of his essential glory and the excellencies of his nature; and because he has an undoubted right to the obedience of his