the day. "W ho is ignorant that every assertion is accompanied with an oath? that every conversation teems with curses and imprecations? To such lengths has this impiety been carried, that one scarcely buys, or sells, or transacts ordinary business of any sort, without interposing the solemn pledge of an oath, and even in matters the most unimportant and trivial, thousands of times rashly appealing to the most holy name of God! It therefore becomes more imperative on the pastor, not to neglect, carefully and frequently, to admonish the faithful of the grievousness and horror of this detestable crime.
But in the exposition of this commandment, the pastor will show, that, besides a negative, it also contains a positive precept commanding the performance of a duty, and will give to each a separate exposition. In the first place, to facilitate the explanation of these matters, it is necessary to know what the precept commands, and what it prohibits. It commands us to honour the name of God, and when solemnly appealing to him by an oath, to do so with due reverence: it prohibits us to contemn the divine name, to take it in vain, or swear by it falsely, unnecessarily, or rashly. When therefore we are commanded to honour the name of God, the command, as the pastor will show, is not directed to the letters or syllables of which that name is composed, or in any respect to the mere name; but to the import of a word used to express the Omnipotent and Eternal Majesty of the Godhead, Trinity in unity. Hence we at once perceive the superstition of those amongst the Jews who, whilst they hesitated not to write, dared not to pronounce the name of God, as if the divine power consisted in the letters of which it is composed, and not in their signification.
In the annunciation of the divine precept, the word " name," although occurring in the singular number, " Thou shalt not take the name of God," is not to be understood to refer to any one name in particular: it extends to every name by which God is generally designated. He is called by many names, such as "the Lord," " the Almighty," "the Lord of Hosts," " the King of Kings," "the Strong," and by others of similar import, which we meet in Scripture; all of which are entitled to the same veneration.
The pastor will also teach how the name of God is to be honoured. Christians, whose tongues should every day celebrate the divine praises, are not to be ignorant of a matter so important, indeed so necessary to salvation. The name of God may be honoured in a variety of ways; but all seem to be included under the following heads. His name is honoured, when we openly and confidently confess him to be our Lord and our God; and not only acknowledge but proclaim Christ to be the author of our salvation. It is also honoured when we pay a religious attention to his Word, which announces to us his sovereign will; make it the subject of our daily meditation; and by reading or hearing it, study, according to our respective capacities and conditions of life, to become acquainted with its
