the Lord thy God." The riames of kings are not mentioned without giving them their titles of lionour, high and mighty ; but men speak irreverently of (»od, as if he were like one of them, Fs. 1. 21., this is a taking (lod's name in vain. (2.) They swear by his name. Many seldom name (iod's name but in oaths. How is God dishonoured, when men rend and tear his name by oaths and im})recations ! Jer. xxiii. 10., " Be- cause of swearitig the land mourns." If God will reckon with men for idle words, shall not idle oaths be put in the account- book ? " O but," saith one, " I cannot help it, — it is a custon^ of swearing I have got, and I hope God will forgive me !" Ans. Is this a good plea, — a custom of swearing ? This is no excuse, but an ag- gravation of sin ; as if one that had been accused for killing a man should plead with the judge to spare him because it was his custom to murder ; this were an aggrava- tion of the offence ; will not the judge say, " Thou shalt the rather die ?" so it is here. 2. As men dishonour God by their tongues, so by their lives. What is it to say, " Hallowed be thy name," when in their lives they profane his name ? They dishonour God by their atheism, sabbuth- breaking, uncleanness, perjury, intempe- rance, injustice. jMen lumg out a flag of defiance against heaven ; as the Thracians, when it thunders, shoot their arrows against heaven, so men shoot their sins as bearded arrows against heaven. Sinnei*s are hard- ened in sin, — they despise counsel, — they laugh at reproof, — they have cast oif the veil of modesty, — Satan hath taken such full possession of them, that when they sin, they glory in their shame, Phil. iii. 19 They brag how many new oaths they have invented, — how oft they have been drunk, — how many they have defiled ; they declare their sin as Sodom ; such horrid impieties are counnitted that a modest heatiicn would blush at. jNIen, in this age, sin at that rate, as if either they did not believe there were an hell, or as if they feared lull w(mld be full ere they could get thither. Was (iod's name ever so ojienly dishonoured? All our ! preaching will not make them leave their j sins. What a black veil is drawn over the I face of religion at this day ! livimui in tejft'
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OF THE FIRST PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
poritm fcBcihus. Sen. " We live in the sometimes drunk with passion ? If their sir* dregs of time," wherein the common shore be blaspheming, is not your sin murmur- of wickedness runs. Physicians call it ing? " Are there not with you, even with [Gr. kachexia] when there is no part of the yoti, sins against the Lord ?" The sins of body free from distemper. England hath j God's children go nearer to his heart, than a kachexy; it is all over disease; " Tlie the sins of others, Deut. xxxii. 19,, "When
whole head is sick, the whole heart is faint," Isa. i. 5. As black vapours rising out of the earth, cloud and darken the sun, so the sins of people in our age, like hellish vap- ours, cast a cloud upon God's glorious name. O that our eyes were like limbecks, drop- ping the water of holy tears, to consider how God's name, instead of being hallowed, is polluted and profaned ! And, may not we justly fear some heavy judgments? Can God put up with our affronts any longer ? Can he endure to have his name reproach- ed ? Will a king suffer his crown-jewels to be ti'amplcd in the dust ? Do not we see the symptoms of God's anger ? Do we not see his judgments hovering over us ? Sure God is whetting his sword, he hath bent his bow, and is preparing his arrows to shoot ! Qiia~ lis per arva ho fulvam mmacefronte concuti- ens jiiham. Sen. The body politic is in a paroxysm, or burning fit ; and may not the Lord cause a sad phlebotomy ? Seeing we \\\\\ not leave our sins, he may make us ose our blood. May we not fear that tlie ark should remove, — the A'ision cease, — the stars in God's church be removed, — and we should follow the gospel to the grave? Wiien God's name, which should be hal- owed, is profaned among a people, it is just with (iod to write that dismal epitaph u])on a nation's tomb, " The glory is departed." And, tliat I may speak to the consciences of all, and deal impartially, it were well if only the profane party were guilty; but, may not many professors be called to the bar, and indicted of this, that they have dis- honoured God's name ? 2 Chron. xxviii. 10., " Arc there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God ?" Are these the spots of God's children ? Deut. xxxii. 5. If you arc diamonds, have you no flaws? Have not you your vanities? If your dis- course be not profane, is it not vain ? Have not you your self-seekings, rash censures, indecent dresses ? If the wicked of the land swear, do not you sometimes slander ? If they are drunk with wine, are not you