What the God is. Q. How, or in what Manner must God be fought in his Ordinances? Muft we not do this, 1. In Truth and Uprightness? A. Yes. Pf. li. 6. Thou defireft Truth in the inward Parts. 2. With Fear and Reverence? A. Yes. P. ii. 13. Serve the Lord with Fear, and rejoice with Trembling. 3. With Care and Diligence? A. Yes. Heb. xi. 6. God is the Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. Q. Are we taught in this Commandment tö worship God in this Manner? A. Yes. For, otherwife in worshipping him, we fhould take his Name in vain. Q. What do you understand by the Name of Name of God in this Commandment? Is it not to be taken Largely for all and every thing, whereby he is plea fed to make himself known unto us? A. Yes. For thereby God is known, as Men are known by their Names. Q. But fhew me by what, particularly, God doth make himself known. Doth he not do this, 1. By his fpecial Names, as God, Lord, &c. A. Yes. Deut. vi. 4. The Lord our God is one Lord. Exod. vi. 3. I appeared to Abraham by the Name of God Almighty, but by the Name Jehovah was I not known. 2. By his Titles? A. Yes. He is the Lord of Hofts; The Holy one of Ifrael: As he is ftyled in the Old Teftament. And 2 Cor. i. 3. He is called the Father of our Lord Lord Jefus Chrift, the Father of Mercies, 4. By his Ordinances; the Word, Prayer, and 5. By his Works of Creation and Providence. Q. What is here forbidden with respect to all these things? A. In general we are here forbidden the irreverent Use thereof, either in Thought, Word, or Action. Q. But more particularly and diftinctly, 1. To think flightly, or irreverently of them? What is, bere forbid den, In generals In particu lar $ 2. To mention them in an irreverent and caré lefs Manner, as when People in their com mon Talk fay, O God, O Lord, God knows, the Lord knows, without any feriousThought or Senfe of God in their Hearts? A. Yes. Deut. xxviii. 58. Thou shalt fear this glorious and fearful Name, the Lord thy God. 3. To praife God for any evil Effect or Wickednefs or to blefs the Author of it; as when Saul blefs'd the Ziphims for difcovering, David to him, i Sam. xxiii. 21. A. Yes. For he is not a God that hath Pleasure in Wickedness. 4. To abuse his Name to any malicious Imprecation? A. Yes. Lev. xxiv. 11. The Ifraelitifh Woman's Son blafphemed the Lord, and curfed. 5. Or to Charms? A. Yes. At. xix.13-16. Then certain of the vagabound Jews, Exorcifts, took upon them to call over them which had evil Spirits, the Name of the Lord Jefus, faying, We adjure you by Jefus, whom Paul preacheth. 6. To blafpheme, or speak evil against God? A. Yes. Lev. xxiv. 16. He that blafphemeth the Name of the Lord, shall furely be put to Death. 7. To fwear rafhly, and unneceffarily in Converfation? A. Yes. John ii. 12. Above all things, my Brethren, fwear not. 8. To fwear falfly? A. Yes. Mat. v. 33. Thou fhalt not forfwear thyfelf. Q. Is not this Sin of Perjury, a Crime of the highest Nature? A. Yes, A. Yes. It invocates the God of Truth to witness to the Lyes of Men, which is the highest Affront to his Divine and Holy Majefty; fhewing as if he was fuch an one as themselves. And they who are guilty of this audacious Sin, are reckoned among Parricides, and other Monsters in nature. 1 Tim. i. 9, 10. Q. Do the Judgments of God come on Nations for this Sin? A. Yes. By reafon of Swearing, the Land mourns. Jer. xxiii. 19. Q. And are not they highly criminal and guilty before God, that any way draw or drive Men thereunto? A. Yes. Mat. xviii. 7. Wo unto the World, because of Offences: For it must needs be, that Offences come; but wo to that Man by whom the Offence cometh. Q. Thus the haly Name of God is often taken in vain, in relation to his fpecial Names, his Titles, and his Attributes. And fo all the said Inftances are forbidden in this Commandment. Secondly, And as touching his holy Word and Ordinances, are you not here forbidden 1. To fpeak jeftingly or flightly of God's Word? A. Yes. Jer. xxiii. 33, 36. And when his People or Prophet shall ask thee, faying, What is the Burden of the Lord? Thou fhalt fay, What Burden? I will even forfake you, faith the Lord, and the Burden of the Lord fhall ye mention no more, for ye have perverted the Words of the living God. M 3 2. Tg 2. To misapply it, or pervert it to wrong Uses; as when the Threatnings against the Wicked are applied to the Righteous; or the Promifes unto the Righteous are applied to the Wicked? A. Yes. Ezek. iii. 22. With Lyes ye have made the Heart of the Righteous fad, whom I have not made fad, and strengthened the Hands of the Wicked, that he should not return from his wicked Way, by promifing him Life. 3. And to worship God in an irreverent and heartless Manner? A. Yes. Ezek.xxxiii. 31. With their Mouth they fhew much Love, but their Heart goeth after their Covetoufnefs. Q. Thirdly, by the Name of God, is also fignified his Works. And in this refpect, are you not bere forbidden, 1. To difregard or forget the Works of God? A. Yes. They regard not in their Minds the Works of the Lord, nor the Operations of his Hands. - 2. To abufe his Creatures to any Intemperance and Wantonness? A. Yes. Rom. xiii. 13. Let us walk honeftly as in the Day-time, not in Rioting and Drunkenness, not in Chambering and Wantonness 3. To be unthankful for God's Mercies in Prof perity? A. Yes. Hof. xiii. 6. They were filled, and their Hearts were exalted, therefore they have forgotten me. 4. To be impatient and incorrigible in Adver fity A. Yes. Fer.v.3. Thou haft ftricken them, but they have not grieved; thou haft confumed them, but they have refufed |