manner impossible; but we shall think differently, if we strictly weigh the spirit of that reproof of the Lord's, in the words of God to his Prophet Isaiah (xxix. 13), as recorded by St. Matthew (xv. 8): This people draweth nigh to me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Of our too frequent trespass in this particular, the very best must be sensible from the weakness and depravity of our common nature; and this may happen in more ways than one: (1.) When we pray without close attention, not considering duly what we are about: (2.) When we pray for such things as we ought not to pray for, or, as St. James expresses it, iv. 3, Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts: (3.) When, in our prayers, we use vain repetitions, as is objected in Matt. vi. 7: When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do, for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking. This is likewise levelled against giving the sacrifice of the lips more than the heart, as if God could be influenced by our eloquence instead of our affections, and especially if we join the name of any creature with that of God, in our prayers.

But the most common, the most criminal, and the most dangerous method of breaking this commandment, is by habits of profane

cursing, as well as swearing; that scandalous and shocking custom, with which our ears are offended in almost every town and society in which we enter a vice too prevalent in all ranks and ages of either sex. As the form and condition of a legal oath has something most awful in its expression-so God help me, as what I advance is truth; in like manner the inconsiderate and blasphemous challenge of the Almighty to pour out his heaviest judgments upon the offending sinner, has something tremendous in it, beyond description. For thus do the profane provoke Almighty God to visit them with the loss of their most precious senses, with the utter destruction of their immortal souls, on the most trifling occasions of passionate utterance. And thus do they fulfil the picture of the reprobate, as declared by the Psalmist (x. 7), Their mouth is full of cursing; and again (cix. 17, 18), They bring on themselves merited vengeance. As they loved cursing, so let it come unto them; as they delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from them; as they clothed themselves with cursing as with a garment, so let it come unto their bowels like water, and like oil into their bones.-But there are many other ways in which we may offend against this law, in a more general sense than by common swearing; for we take God's name most sinfully in vain, by any light and unbecoming use of it

This

in our common manner of speaking. many do, without supposing it sinful, or (from disgraceful habit) not even knowing when they do it. But the majesty of the Most High is not less insulted, because our crimes are shockingly familiar to ourselves, and which will aggravate the punishment instead of remitting it. Every kind of infidel discourse or reproachful speaking against God, or his religion, by murmuring at his decrees, or government of the world; every method of ridiculing or profaning his holy word; every contempt of his ministers; all irreverent behaviour in his public service, in the use of prayers or sacraments; in short, the treating any thing in which his name or honour are concerned, without religious respect and due consideration, is more or less a breach of the commandment, and exposes us justly to the punishment due for taking his name in vain, which is the last point we have to consider, and with which I shall conclude.

When we seriously reflect on the enormity of this sin, and God's positive denunciation of judgment against all who thus offend, that he will not hold them guiltless, who thus despise his law, it may seem matter of surprise with the ignorant and unthinking, how such persons escape without any exemplary mark of God's immediate vengeance: but from this very circumstance are derived proofs of his infinite wis

do

dom and mercy. That God does not visit according to men's deserts, in their numerous transgressions, is one of the most powerful arguments for the final judgment, and, in this respect, most eminently so. For if the Lord were extreme to mark what is done amiss in this particular, what a scene of desolation and misery should we behold! Where is there a house where the plague would not visit? where many would not be found dead? how would our fields and streets be filled with the lame and the blind! the marked judgment of the horrid wishes of men against their sight, their limbs, and very lives! But because the Lord is slow to anger, that is no security that he will not punish, but that his anger will be more terrible at the last day of account; yet we may reasonably attribute every temporal visitation men receive either individually or generally, to this heinous vice; for the Lord is not a man that he can lie; and what he has promised, he will most surely perform: for because of cursing the land mourneth, saith the Prophet Jeremiah, xxiii. 10. And if his long-suffering hath borne with our iniquities as yet, we have dreadful reason to expect he will not always strive with us; but, unless timely repentance and a general reformation take place, that he will visit with a scourge. We have abundant examples in Holy Writ, that though God does not immediately punish, he is

not unmindful of the dishonour done him; witness his visitation upon David, upon Saul and his bloody house, and his destruction of the Assyrians, who had long provoked him to anger, but were reserved for a complete destruction at last. Finally, let us remember the declaration by the Prophet Zechariah (v. 3), 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, and every one that sweareth shall be cut off on that side according to it. Therefore we are not to call God to account for his actions; his time of mercy, and his time of punishment, are both best, because determined by unerring wisdom. It is enough to deter all men from falling into his hands, that he hath assured us he will not hold such persons guiltless, but will certainly bring all those to exemplary vengeance, who daringly profane his most holy name; and therefore it behoves every such sinner who is given to this wicked practice, either to repent in a very singular manner of his offence of taking the name of God in vain, or he may depend upon being punished with extraordinary severity either in this life or in the next. For as it is of all other vices that for which no possible excuse or extenuation can be admitted, either from the weakness of nature, or force of appetite, or influence of temptation; nay, that from which men can and do occasionally refrain, even