Sum Of Commandment 3.
SUM OF COMMANDMENT 3.
Evan. Why, just as the Lord in the second commandment requires that we worship him alone by true means, so in the third commandment he requires that we use the means of his worship in a right manner, so they may not be used in vain, Mat. 15.9. And in this commandment, likewise, there is a negative part expressed in these words, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” That is, you shall not profane it by using God’s titles, attributes, ordinances, or works, ignorantly, irreverently, or in a formal, superstitious manner. And an affirmative part is included in these words, “But you shall sanctify my name,” Isa. 8.13; by using God’s titles, attributes, ordinances, works, and religion, with knowledge, reverence, and in a spiritual manner, John 4.24.
Neo. I ask you, sir, to begin with the affirmative part, and first tell us what the Lord requires in this commandment.
Evan. The Lord in this commandment requires that we sanctify his name in our hearts, with our tongues, and in our lives, by thinking, conceiving, speaking, writing, and walking in a way that becomes the excellency of his titles, attributes, ordinances, works, and religion.
Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord in regard to his titles?
Evan. By thinking, conceiving, speaking, and writing holily, reverently, and spiritually of his titles, Lord and God, Deu. 28.58. And we do this when we meditate on them, and use them in our speech and writings with an inward spiritual fear and trembling, to the glory of God and the good of men, Jer. 5.22.
Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord in regard to his attributes?
Evan. By thinking, conceiving, speaking, and writing holily, reverently, and spiritually of his power, wisdom, justice, mercy, and patience, Psalm 104.1, and 103.6, 8. And we do this when we think, speak, and write of them in a careful, reverent, and spiritual manner, and apply them to such good uses for which the Lord has made them known, Psalm 37.30.
Neo. And in which of God’s ordinances are we to sanctify his name?
Evan. In every one of his ordinances, and especially in the three great ordinances: prayer, preaching and hearing the word, and administering and receiving the sacraments.
Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord in PRAYER?
Evan. In prayer we are to sanctify the name of the Lord in our hearts, and with our tongues, in calling on his name in a holy, reverent, and spiritual manner; and we do this when our prayers are the speech of our souls, and not only of our mouths; that is, when in prayer we lift up our hearts to God, Psalm 25.1; and pour them out to him, Psalm 62.8; and when we pray with spirit, and with understanding also, 1Cor, 14.15; and with humility. Gen. 18.27, and 32.10; Luke 18.13; and with fervency of spirit, James 5.16; and out of a sense of our own wants, James 1.5; and with a special faith in the promises of God, Mat. 21.22.
Neo. And how are you ministers to sanctify the name of the Lord in PREACHING his word?
Evan. We are to sanctify the name of the Lord in our hearts, and with our tongues, in preaching in a holy, reverent, and spiritual manner; and we do this when the word is preached not only outwardly by the body, but also inwardly with the heart and soul: when the heart and soul preaches, then the ministry of the word, on the minister’s part, is used in a holy and spiritual manner, and that is when we preach in demonstration of the Spirit, 1Cor. 2.4; and in sincerity, 2Cor. 2.17; and faithfully, without respect to persons, Deu. 33.9; and with judgment and discretion, Mat. 24.14; and with authority and power, Mat. 7.29; and with zeal for God’s glory, John 7.18; and with a desire for the people’s salvation, 2Cor. 11.2.
Neo. And how are we hearers to sanctify the name of the Lord in HEARING his word?
Evan. By hearing it in a holy, reverent, and spiritual manner; and you do this when your heart and soul hear the word of God; and that is when you set yourself in the presence of God. Acts 10.33; and when you look at the minister as God’s messenger or ambassador, 2Cor. 5.20, and so you hear the word as the word of God, and not as the word of man, 1Thess. 2.13; with reverence and fear, Isa. 66.2; and with a ready desire to learn, Acts 17.11; and with attention, Acts 8.6; and with alacrity, without wearisomeness or sleepiness, Acts 20.9.
Neo. And how are you ministers to sanctify the name of the Lord in ADMINISTERING the sacraments?
Evan. By administering them in a holy, reverent, and spiritual manner; and that is when we administer them with our hearts or souls, according to Christ’s institution, Matt, 26.26; to the faithful in profession at least, 1Cor. 10.16; and with a hearty desire that it may become profitable to the receivers.
Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord in RECEIVING the sacraments?
Evan. This we do when we rightly and seriously examine ourselves beforehand, 1Cor. 11.28; and rightly and seriously mind and consider the sacramental union of the sign, and the thing signified, and in our hearts perform those inward actions which are signified by the outward actions. Acts 8.37, 38; 1Cor. 10.1-6.
Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord in regard to his WORKS?
Evan. In thinking and speaking of them in a wise, reverent, and spiritual manner; and we do this when we meditate on, and mention in our speech and writings, the inward works of God’s eternal election and reprobation, with a wonderful admiration for the unsearchable depths of these, Rom. 11.33, 34; and also when we meditate in our hearts about the works of God’s creation and administration, and mention them in our words and writings, and acknowledging his wisdom, power, and goodness in them, Rom. 1.19, 20; Psalm 19.1; and in acknowledging the workmanship of God in these things, we speak honourably of them, Psalm 139.14; Gen. 1.31.
Neo. And how are we to sanctify the name of the Lord in regard to his RELIGION?
Evan. By holy profession of his true religion, and by a way of life that is agreeable to it, to the glory of God, and to the good of ourselves and others. Mat. 5.16; 1Pet. 2.12.
Neo. And, sir, are we not also to sanctify the name of God by swearing by it?
Evan. Yes, indeed, that was well remembered; we are to sanctify the name of the Lord in our hearts, and with our tongues in swearing by it in a holy, religious, and spiritual manner. And we do this when the magistrate requires an oath of us by the order of justice; that is, not against piety or charity, Gen. 43.3; 1Sam. 24.21, 22; and when we swear in truth, Jer. 4.2; that is, when we are persuaded in our conscience that the thing we swear is truth, and when we swear simply and plainly, without fraud or deceit, Psalm 15.4, and 24.4; and when we swear in judgment; that is, when we swear with deliberation, well-considering both the nature and greatness of an oath, namely: that God is thereby called to witness the truth, and judge and punish us if we swear falsely, Gal. 1.20; 2Cor. 1.23; and when we swear in righteousness; that is, when the thing we swear is lawful and just, and when our swearing is so that God may be glorified, Joshua 7.19; our neighbour may be satisfied, controversies may be ended, Heb. 6.16; our own innocence may be cleared, Exo. 22.11; and our duty may be discharged, 1Kings 8.31.
Neo. Well, sir, now I ask you to proceed to the negative part, and tell us what the Lord forbids in this commandment.
Evan. Just as the Lord requires in the affirmative part of this commandment that we sanctify his name in our hearts, with our tongues, and in our lives, by thinking, conceiving, speaking, writing, and walking as becomes the excellency of his titles, attributes, ordinances, and religion; so in the negative part of it, he forbids the profanation of his name, by doing the contrary.
Neo. Well then, sir, I ask you first, to tell us how the TITLES of God are profanely abused.
Evan. They are profanely abused in various ways. First, by thinking irreverently of them, or using them in our common talk or writings in a rash, careless and irreverent manner. Psa. 50.22; Rom. 1.21. Such as when we say in foolish admiration, “Good God!” “Good Lord!” “Lord have mercy on us, what is this?” and the like. Or when by way of idle wishes or imprecations we say, “The Lord is my judge!” Gen. 16.5; or, “I pray to God that I may never stir, if such a thing is not true,” and the like. Or when by vain swearing, we mingle our speech and fill our sentences with needless oaths, such as, “Not so, by my faith!” and the like, Mat. 5.34; James 5.12. Or when by jesting, or in a merely formal way we say, “Thank God!” “God speed,” “Praise God’s name,” and the like, 1Sam. 23.21.
Neo. And I ask you, sir, how are the ATTRIBUTES of God profanely abused?
Evan. The attribute of God’s power is profanely abused, either by calling it into question, 2Kings 7.2, or by thinking, speaking, or writing of it carnally, carelessly, or contemptuously. Psalm 12.4; Exo. 5.2. And the attribute of God’s providence is abused either by murmuring at it in our hearts, Deu. 15.9, or by speaking grudgingly against it under the name of fortune or chance, in saying, “What a misfortune this was!” “What a mischance that was!” and the like. Deu. 1.27; 1Sam. 6.9. And the attribute of God’s justice is profanely abused, either by thinking or saying that God likes sin or wicked sinners. Psalm 50.21; Mal. 3.15. And the attribute of God’s mercy is profanely abused, either in presuming to sin in hopes that God will be merciful, or by speaking basely and contemptuously of it, as when we speak of some trifling thing saying, “It is not worth God’s mercy.” And the attribute of God’s patience is profanely abused by thinking or saying on the occasion of his forbearing to punish for a time, that he will neither call us to account, nor punish us for our sins, Rom. 2.4.
Neo. Now, sir, I ask you to show how God’s NAME is profanely abused in his ordinances; and first of all, begin with prayer.
Evan. God’s name is profanely abused in prayer, either by praying ignorantly, without the true knowledge of God and his will, Acts 17.23; Mat. 20.22; or when we pray with our mouth only, and not with the desires of our hearts agreeing with our words, Hos. 7.14; Psalm 78.36; and when we pray drowsily and heavily without fervency of spirit. Matt, 26.41; and when we pray with wandering worldly thoughts, Rom. 12.1, 2; and when we pray with any conceit of our own worthiness, Luke 18.9, 11; and when we pray without faith in the promises of God, James 1.6.
Neo. And how is God’s name profanely abused in HEARING or READING HIS WORD?
Evan. God’s name is abused by this when we hear his word or read it, and do not understand it, Acts 8.30; and when we hear it only with the outward ears of our bodies, and not also with the inward ears of our heart and soul; and we do this when we read it or hear it with our hearts full of wandering thoughts, Ezek. 33.30; and when we read it or hear it with dull, drowsy, and sleepy spirits; and when in hearing it we conceive it to be the word of a mortal man who delivers it, rather than the word of the great God of heaven and earth, 1Thess. 2.13; and when we do not, with our hearts, believe every part and portion of that word which we read or hear, Heb. 4.2; and when we do not humbly and heartily subject ourselves to what we read or hear, 2Kings 22.19; Isa 30.9.
Neo. And how is the Lord’s name profanely abused in receiving the sacrament of the LORD’S SUPPER?
Evan. We do this when either through lack of knowledge we cannot examine ourselves, or through our own negligence we do not examine ourselves, before we eat that bread, and drink from that cup, 1Cor. 11.28; and when, in the act of receiving it, we do not mind the spiritual significance of the sacrament, but either terminate our thoughts in the elements themselves, or allow our thoughts to rove, and run to some other object, Luke 22.19; and when, after receiving it, we do not examine ourselves as to what communion we have had with Christ in that ordinance, or what virtue we have found flowing out from Christ into our own souls by means of that ordinance, 2Cor. 13.5.
Neo. And how is the name of the Lord profanely abused in taking an OATH?
Evan. We do this when we call the Lord to be a witness of vain and frivolous things, by our use of swearing in common talk, Hos. 4.2; Jer. 23.10; and when we call God to be a witness of our furious anger and wicked purpose, as when we swear we will be revenged on such a man, and the like, 1Sam. 14.39, and 25.34; and when we call God to be a witness to our swearing falsely, Lev. 19.12; Zech. 5.4; and when we swear by the mass, or by our faith, or marriage, or by the crucifix, or by anything else that is not God, Jer. 5.7; Mat. 5.34-37.
Neo. And how is the name of God profanely abused as touching his WORKS?
Evan. When we either take no notice of his works at all, or when we think and speak of them other than we have warrant from his word to do; as when we do not speak of the inward works of God’s election and reprobation, and are called to it, and when we murmur and cavil at it, Rom. 9.20; and when we either do not notice the works of his creation and administration, or do not take the opportunity to glorify the name of God by them, Psalm 19.1; Rom. 1.21.
Neo. And how is the name of God profanely abused in respect to his RELIGION?
Evan. When our conduct is not agreeable to our profession of faith, 2Tim. 3.5; and that is either when, in respect to God, it is but hypocrisy, or in respect to men, we walk offensively. For if we live scandalously in the profession of religion, we cause the name of God to be profaned by those who are outside, Rom. 2.24, and we become stumbling blocks to our weak brethren, Rom. 14.13.
And now, neighbour Nomologista, I ask you to tell me whether you think you keep this commandment perfectly, or not?
Nom. Sir, to tell you the truth, I had not thought that the name of God had signified any more than his titles. Lord and God.
Evan. Yes, but you are to know that the name of God in Scripture signifies all those things that are affirmed of God, or whatever it is by which the Lord makes himself known to men.
Nom. Then believe me, sir, I have come far short of keeping this commandment perfectly, and so does every other man, I am persuaded.
Evan. I am of your mind. For where is the man that so meditates on God’s titles, and uses them in his speech and writings, with such reverence, fear, and trembling, as he should? Or what man can truly say that he never in all his life thought about them, or used them in his common talk, either rashly, carelessly, or irreverently? I am sure, for my own part, I cannot say so; for, alas! In the time of my ignorance, many times I used to say, by way of foolish admiration, “Good Lord!” “Good God!” “Lord have mercy on me, what is this?” Yes, and also many times I used to say, “I pray to God that I may never stir if such a thing is not so!” Yes, and I have at various times said. “The Lord be with you, and speed you!” And, “The Lord’s name be praised!” — in a formal, cursory manner — all the while, my thoughts being exercised about something else.
And where is the man that has always thought, conceived, spoken, and written so holily, reverently, and spiritually, of the Lord’s power, wisdom, justice, mercy, and patience, as he should? No, what man that can truly say he never in all his life called the attribute of the Lord’s power into question, or never murmured at any act or passage of God’s providence, or never presumed to sin in hopes that God would be merciful to him? I am sure I cannot truly say so.
And where can we find the man that can truly say he has always read and heard the word of God in a holy, reverent, and spiritual manner? Indeed, where is the man that has not sometimes both heard it and read it in a formal, cursory, and unprofitable manner? Is there any man that can truly say he has always perfectly understood whatever he has read and heard — and that he has not sometimes heard more with the outward ears of his body, than with the inward ears of his heart and soul — and that he was never dull and drowsy, if not sleepy, while hearing and reading it — and that never had a worldly or wandering thought come in at that time — and never had the least doubting or questioning of the truth of what he read or heard? I am sure, for my own part, I have been faulty in many of these ways.
And is it possible to find a man that can truly say, he has always called upon the name of the Lord in a holy, reverent, and spiritual manner, or has not many times prayed rather in a carnal, unholy, or sinful manner? Where is the man that has always had a perfect knowledge of God and of his will in prayer, and whose heart has always gone along with his words in prayer, and that was never drowsy or heavy, or had wandering thoughts in prayer, and never had the least conceit that God would grant him anything for his prayer’s sake, and never had the least doubt or question in his heart, whether God would grant him the thing he asked for in prayer. I am sure, for my own part, I can scarcely clear myself from any of these.
And can any man truly say he has always received the sacrament in a holy, reverent, and spiritual manner? No, does not every man rather have cause to acknowledge the contrary? Is there a man to be found that has always seriously and rightly examined himself beforehand, and has always, rightly, with his heart, performed all those inward actions that are signified by the outward signs; does not every man and woman rather have cause to confess that either for lack of knowledge, or through their own negligence, they have not examined themselves as they should, or so actuated their faith, or minded the spiritual significance of the outward elements as they should, while receiving the sacrament, or so examined themselves after receiving them, as to what benefit their soul received by it? I am sure I have cause to confess all this.
And where shall we find a man that has always sanctified the name of the Lord in his heart, and with his tongue, by swearing in a holy, religious, and spiritual manner; rather, have not most men who have been called to take an oath, profaned the name of the Lord, either by swearing ignorantly, falsely, maliciously, or from some base and wicked end? And I think it is somewhat hard to find a man who never in all his life swore either by his faith, or by his marriage, by the mass, or by the crucifix. I am sure that I am not the man; and it is a rare man that can truly say he has always sanctified the name of God in his heart, and with his tongue, by admiring and acknowledging the wisdom, power, and goodness of God manifested in his works. For it is to be feared that most men either take no notice at all of the works of God, or else think and speak of them other than the word of God warrants them to do. I am sure I am one of them.
And it is a precious man that has always sanctified the name of the Lord by a holy and unblameable way of life, as he should. For, alas! many professors of religion, by their fruitless and offensive walking, either cause the enemies of God to speak evil of the ways of God, or else they cause their weak brother to stumble by it. It is well if I never did so. Thus I have also endeavoured to satisfy your desires concerning the third commandment.
Neo. I beseech you, sir, proceed to speak of the fourth commandment as you have done of the other three.