ing-if, when we thank God for any thing, we do really acknowledge him, with thankfulness in our hearts, to be the author of every good giftif, when we promise to do any thing, if it please God, we do really mean to profess that every thing is in his power, and that we will gladly submit to his will, whatever it may be--if, when we beg any thing to be done for God's sake, we do really think, that it will contribute to his ho nour, and mean to persuade the person, whom we address, to do it with a view of pleasing him-nothing can be more proper, more pious, or more pleasing to our Maker. But, if we take these expressions into our mouths, without thinking at all of the meaning of them (whether we do or not, God and our own consciences only can determine) but if we do take these expressions into our mouths, without thinking at all of the meaning of them, we do certainly take the name of the Lord our God in vain, and he will not hold us guiltless. Do you think this unreasonably strict? I will appeal to the words of the commandment: I will appeal to the spirit, meaning, and intent of it. And what was that? surely, that we should give 'unto the Lord the honour due unto his name; that we should be so deeply impressed with a sense of his greatness and goodness, as never to mention his name without feeling it. Doubtless, your he commanded us to honour him with our tongues, that we might learn to honour him in our hearts. And now I appeal to yourselves. Had you a friend, on whom you depended entirely for support, you would never mention his name without feeling your obligations to him. Had you any fellow-creature, whom you dearly loved, you would never mention the favourite name without a tenderness felt in bosom. You are ready enough to condemn him, who talks of his father without respect, or of his wife without regard. What then? shall we speak with less respect, less regard of that Being, who hath given us all we have, and can do with us what he will? shall we speak of that Being, who made us, and all that we see, who raised the arch of the sky, and hung it round with stars,-who fixed this round world in its place, and furnished it with all its riches, who cau (and may, for aught we know. to-morrow) shatter yon Heavens in pieces over our heads, and dash away this earth from beneath our feet-shall we speak of his name, and yet not think him worth our notice? shall we speak of that Being, who supports us with his breath, who is our only help in time of trouble, our only defence against the powers of darkness, our only hope of refuge when this world shall • Mrs. More's Strictures, &c. Vol. II. pages 84, 85. sink in ruins,-shall we speak, I say, of his name, and yet pass him by in our hearts, as one, with whom we have no concern? Shall the name of that God, who hath done so much for us, and who can do so much against us,-whom, unless we were brutes, we should love so exceedingly, whom, unless we are fools, we must fear above all things-shall his name go out of our mouths, and in at our ears continually, and yet raise neither gratitude nor respect, neither love nor fear? Shall that name, which makes the angels in Heaven fall down and worship, and the devils in hell tremble,—that name, which we have repeatedly prayed might be hallowed",—that name, which we have ourselves acknowledged to be holy and reverend', great, wonderful and holy,-shall/ that name be used as an unmeaning expletiveas a cant-expression-as a by-word-as a thing of naught? God forbid! If there be any here in the habit of making so light mention of their God, let them consider, whether it be possible, that their hearts should be rightly disposed towards him'. If there be any here, who have conversed much with the world h Matt. vi. 9. f Rev. iv. 10. James ii. 19. i Psalm cxi. 9. Old Translation in the book of Common Prayer. * Psalm xcix. 3. Old Translation. 1 See Gisborne's Sermons. Vol. II. pages 269. 271. ( 15 ). without taking notice of the fault I have been mentioning, let them consider, whether its being unnoticed by them may not prove the same thing, a want of zeal for God's honour in their hearts. And as for those, if there be any such here present, who still think this crime to be no crime at all, let them be well assured, that they know not how jealous a God" they have to do with": they are far from giving him that honour which he expects, and which he meant by this commandment to claim: if they do not break the letter of it (which, however, is most likely) they at least offend against its spirit; if they do not take the name of God in vain with their lips, they at least think of him in vain, that is, irreverently in their hearts; and He will not hold them guiltless. But his commandment is exceeding broad: it extends even farther still, and bears hard, I fear, on every one of us. When we address God in our prayers, and take his holy name on our lips, do we continually attend to what we are about? do we always recollect to whom it is we are speaking? When we are addressing one of our superiors on earth, we are very careful to behave respectfully, and should deserve to be thought absolutely mad, if, while speaking on the subject m Exod xx. 5. n Heb. iv. 13.. • Psalm cxix. 96. for which we were introduced to him, we should suddenly break off our discourse, and think or talk of some trifle quite foreign to, it. What then? when the King of kings" vouchsafes to give us an audience; permits us to lay our wants before him, and promises to listen to them himself; shall we come into his presence inconsiderately? shall we behave there inattentively? shall we speak to him without feeling that we are in earnest? shall we draw near to him with our mouths, and yet remove our hearts far from him? Alas then! who is clear? which of us, either in our public or private devotions, is as devout as he ought to be? which of us is properly affected, when addressing the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy'? The best of men, they who most wish to honour God, will be most ready to allow that they do not honour him enough: they will acknowledge and bewail their coldness, their wanderings, their inattention they will confess with shame and sorrow, that they too often take the name of the Lord their God in vain, and, that he cannot hold them guiltless. If then the best of men, even in their very best performances (for what is better than prayer?) do thus fall short of honouring God as they ought, who will dare to say, that he honours him P 1 Tim. vi. 15. 9 Isaiah xxix. 13. r Isaiah lvii. 15. |