I. What is required in it. This supposes, that it is an indispensible duty for us to make mention of the name of God. Since he has given us some discoveries of himself, by what means soever he has done it, it would be an instance of the highest contempt of the greatest privilege, for us to express no regard to them; which they may be said practically to do, who make no profession of religion, and desire not to be instructed in those things which relate to the name and glory of God; which argues a person to be abandoned to the greatest wickedness, and to live without God in the world.
Now there are several duties mentioned in this answer, in which we are said to make use of God’s name; particularly, when we attend on his ordinances, viz. the word, sacraments and prayer; and take religious oaths, and make solemn vows; which, doubtless, are to be performed with the utmost reverence. We have many instances, in scripture, of holy men who, when they have drawn nigh to him in prayer, have adored his divine perfections, with a becoming humility. Thus Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, addresses himself to God; There is no god like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their heart, 1 Kings viii. 23. And Jacob, when wrestling with God in prayer, says, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return to thine own country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant, Gen. xxxii. 9, 10. And Hezekiah expresses himself thus in prayer, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth, thou hast made heaven and earth, 2 Kings xix. 25. And Daniel in prayer, styles him, The great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant, and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments, Dan. ix. 4. And Abraham, when standing before the Lord, and pleading in behalf of Sodom, says, Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes, Gen. xviii. 27. And the inhabitants of heaven, who are nearest the throne of God, are represented as worshipping him with the greatest reverence, casting their crowns before the throne, in token of their being unworthy of the honour that they are advanced to, and saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour and power, Rev. iv. 10, 11. which is to be understood of him, exclusive of all others. And as this reverence is to be expressed when we ask any thing at the hand of God, by a parity of reason, it ought to expressed in any other religious duty, on which he has made, some impressions of his glory.
If it be enquired, whether this reverence is consistent with that boldness which believers are said to have in prayer, when they are exhorted to come boldly unto the throne of grace, Heb. iv. 16. and to have boldness to enter into the holiest of all, by the blood of Jesus, chap. x. To this it may be answered, that the word there used[[212]], which is called boldness, may be rendered a liberty of speech. So that though he be infinitely above us, and a God of infinite holiness and purity, and therefore has the utmost abhorrence of sin, which we have reason to charge ourselves with, yet we are encouraged to come to him, as sitting on a throne of grace: from whence he displays his glory, as a sin-pardoning God, who otherwise appears in his jealousy, as a sin-revenging Judge. Therefore this boldness is nothing else but our making use of that liberty which God gives us to come into his presence with hope of being accepted in his sight, in and through a Mediator.
We might farther observe, that as we are to express an holy reverence, in drawing nigh to God, in all religious duties; so we ought not to think of any of his works, but with a due regard to, and the highest veneration of, his glory shining forth therein. Thus it is said, Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold, Job xxxvi. 24. and this reverence is to be expressed in our meditations, words and writings; so that we should never think or treat of divine subjects, but in an holy manner; we should never speak of any thing, by which God manifests his glory, but with a design to beget in ourselves and others, a reverential fear of, and the highest esteem for him.
II. We are now to consider the sins forbidden in this Commandment; and accordingly, we violate it by not using the name of God in such a way as it is required. This includes in it,
1. The not making any profession of religion, as being afraid or ashamed to own, that in which the name of God is so much concerned. Persons, indeed, do not usually arrive to this height of wickedness at once; but the mind is alienated from God, and his worship, by degrees. There is first a great deal of lukewarmness, formality, and hypocrisy, reigning in the heart of man; so that if they attend on the ordinances of God’s worship, it is with great indifferency, many prejudices entertained against them, and with such a frame of spirit as savours more profaneness than true religion. After this they are ashamed of Christ and his cause, being influenced by the reproach that is cast on it in the world. Thus the Jews pretended, concerning Christianity, that it was a sect every where spoken against, Acts xxviii. 22. And Demas forsook the apostle, having loved this present world, 2 Tim. iv. 10. being more concerned for his reputation in it, than for Christ’s interest. After this, such cast off all public worship; and this is generally attended with a seared conscience, and running into all excess of riot.
2. Persons take the name of God in vain, when though they make a profession of religion, yet it is not in such a way as God has required; and this is done by using his titles, attributes, or any ordinances or works, in which he makes himself known in an unbecoming manner; with ignorance, when we speak of the divine perfections, and, at the same time, have no just ideas of what is intended thereby; or when we use the name of God with a vanity or levity of spirit, and mention sacred things in a common way, whereby we may be said to profane them; or when we superstitiously pay a kind of veneration to the sound of words, relating to divine matters, but regard not the thing signified thereby. This is using the name of God in such a way as he has not required, and consequently taking it in vain.
3. The name of God is taken in vain by blasphemy; which is a thinking or speaking reproachfully of him, as though he had no right to the glory that belongs to his name; which is, in effect, a cursing him in our hearts, and offering the greatest injury that can be done, to a God of infinite perfection; which, though it be no real lessening his essential glory, yet it argues the greatest malignity, and highest degree of impiety in those that are guilty of it. This was so great a crime, that, by God’s command, it was punished with death, Lev. xxiv. 16.
4. This Commandment is broken by not using religious oaths in a right manner, or by violating them; and, on the other hand, by all sinful and profane oaths and cursing.
(1.) By not using religious oaths in a right manner. It is certain, that we are, upon extraordinary occasions, to make mention of the name of God, by solemn oaths, in which we appeal to him as a God of truth, the searcher of hearts, and the avenger of falsehood. That this is a duty, appears,