And first, there are every where persons who are in the habit of using the name of God to confirm the most idle assertions, or to give force to the most empty threats; who at any moment are ready to swear by God that what they say is true. In addition to the profanation of God's holy name, these men have often even the sin of perjury to answer for; for inconsiderately as they swear, they repeatedly bring-I had almost said can hardly avoid bringing—that name to confirm a falsehood.

Another numerous description is of those, who use this sacred name as an idle exclamation, as an expression of surprise and astonishment, more especially when they hear any painful tidings, or when any evil accident unexpectedly befalls them. At such a time they unthinkingly cry out "Good God!" or "Lord!" and consider not that the High and Holy One, whose name they thus unhallow, will for all these things bring them into judgment.

There are many other expressions which in reality are short prayers or ejaculations to the throne of grace, to save us, to bless us, to have mercy on us, and the like. These, as well as those which I have just mentioned, are most fitting to be used at any time, and more especially in time of distress or danger, with seriousness and devotion, and like them probably had their origin in genuine fervent piety. But when used as idle exclamations, as mere expressions of astonishment and wonder, these also are surely to be consi

dered-in some degree-as profanations of God's

náme.

The sinfulness and danger of any such profanation is evident, not only from the third commandment, but from other passages of holy writ. Ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God. To profane, is to treat as common that which is sacred, not to be used but with reverence. The name of God, we are told, is holy and reverend, most unfit to be uttered as an idle exclamation, a light by-word. Again; whenever we use the Lord's prayer, we beg of God that his name may be HALLOWED. After such a petition, it is surely a sort of mockery of God, if we are ourselves guilty of profaning or unhallowing it.

What has been said of the profanation of the name of God, applies equally to that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As he is God, his name cannot be unhallowed without an express violation of the third commandment. It is ordained by the Almighty, that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father; and we are told that God has given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. To use the name, therefore, of Jesus, or of Christ, as an exclamation of surprise, or of pain, or in any other way than with respect and reverence, is doubtless a vio

a Leviticus xix. 12.

I wish you

lation of the duty which we owe to God. also to remark and to recollect, that to swear by Christ is the same as to swear by God the Father; and that the sin is similar, whether we swear by the express name of either of these divine Persons, or by that of the relation in which they stand to us as our Maker, our Redeemer, or our Saviour.

Without seriousness and reverence to ask any thing for the love of God or of Christ, or for God, or Christ's sake, must also be ranked among the violations of the honour due to the name of the Most High.

A practice which, though not a direct violation of the third commandment, is yet of kin to the sins above mentioned, is a light profane use of words which signify things of divine and holy nature, which relate entirely to religion and the concerns of the life to come, such as our faith, our redemption, or salvation. To swear by any of these in our common talk is to incur both the guilt of profaning holy things, and that of vain and 'rash swearing. How expressly this latter is forbidden by our Saviour no one ought to be ignorant. I say unto you, says he, in the passage of his sermon on the Mount, which I have already quoted, I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth for it is his footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King: neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea, Nay,

nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. St. James repeats the injunction of his divine Master. Above all things, my brethren, swear not; neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath ; but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, lest you fall into condemnation. In each passage the prohibition, you will observe, is universal. All swearing in our ordinary communication is expressly forbidden.

On fit and solemn occasions, indeed, it is oftentimes not only lawful, but even our duty, to swear; on occasions, that is, when we are required so to do by the laws of the land, or when the purposes of justice or charity can be served by it. Thou shalt swear, says theprophet Jeremiah, Thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness: and the apostle remarks, that an oath for confirmation is the end of all strife. Indeed, the lawfulness of an oath on weighty and solemn occasions is confirmed by the practice of patriarchs and holy men of old, by that of St. Paul, who repeatedly calls God to witness, and by the express directions in holy writ.

Swearing in whatever manner, however, in our ordinary communication, and when it is unnecessary, is directly contrary to the prohibitions which I have just read to you. It all cometh of evil, or of the evil one the devil; and will all tend to bring us into condemnation; for we are assured that God will not hold such swearers guiltless.

Another practice which I am here bound to censure,

b Jeremiah iv. 2.

but which from its hateful nature I am unwilling to enter upon, is that of those persons, who upon the slightest provocation-oftentimes upon no provocation at all are in the habit of pouring forth the bitterest curses and imprecations. When their anger is stirred up by any-or by no-cause, these persons are wont to call upon God to damn, or to blast, and to confound the object of their wrath. Sometimes they call down the severest infliction of the divine vengeance on their children, and on those who ought to be most dear to them;-sometimes even on themselves, and in their madness consign themselves, their own souls and bodies, to eternal perdition.

My people, says the Lord by his prophet Hosea, my people doth not consider. Surely if the persons of whom I have been speaking would but for a moment consider the dreadful meaning of the imprecations which they so heedlessly utter-the real meaning of that awful word damnation-they would shrink from using them with compunction and dismay. Cursing will happen to those who delight in cursing. May God bring them to repentance, so that they may not by sad experience feel how dreadful a thing that damnation is, which they so thoughtlessly call down!

Let me intreat such young men as have in any degree contracted the sad habit of swearing, seriously to reflect upon its great folly and danger, and to resolve to break it off without delay. You say that you swear without thinking. My object and my wish is to make you think.