cannot he exhi111sted in one or even two generntions. Slly not that there is something nnjusi about this. 'l'hat each generation must take something in the way of suffering from preceding generntions is a feet only too plain, altogether a.part from the Scriptures. The mere~- of God is the.t he here gives us something in explanation of the fact, and of how to distinguiMh its working e.nd at le.st destroy it. To serve idols, to depend upon anything else than God, anything less tha.n him, anything more easily reached and more eaHily satisfied-this, when st1ipped of e.11 disguise, amou-nts to hating God. And a man living in this way is preparing, not only punishments for himself, but miseries for those who come after him. Many times we have advice given us to think of posterity. Depend upon it, he thinks most of posterity who serves the will of God most hnmbly and lovingly, with the utmost concentration and assiduity, in his own generation. :Kote here also the unmistakable revelation of God's merciful disposition. lie visit,; iniquity to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him. But those who love him are blessed to thousands of generations. Not that the blessing will he actually operative, for, alas, there may come in many things to hinder. But the expressed dispoHition of God remains. If the posterity of the faithful to God a.re unblessed, it is because the)' themselves a.re utterly careless as to the peculiar privileges into which they have been introduced.-Y.
Yer. 7.-Tlie 'J'hird Com.m,mdment. Prefar,ity fo1·bitiAien. This Co=a.ndment clearly comes e.s an appropriate sequel to the two preceding ones. Those who. are ,Jehovah's, and who are therefore bound to glorify and serve him alone, depend on him :ilone, and keep themselves from all the degradations and obscuring influences of image worship, are now directed to tl1e further duty of avoiding all irreverent and empty use of the sacred name. With respect to this, there must have been a very real danger in brae!. We have only to observe the licence of modem colloquial speech in this respect, we have only to call ~o mind some of the most co=on expletives in English, French, and berman, and we shall then better understand that there may have been a great deal of the se.me se.d and careless licence among the ancient Hebrews. Not that we a.re to suppose Jehovah directed this command exclusively or even chiefly against profane swearers in the ordinary sense of the term. They are included, but after all they are only a small part of those to whom the co=e.ndment is directed. It is quite possible for a man to keep above all coarseness and vulgarity of speech, and yet in God's sight be far worse than an habitual swearer. Many are concerned to avoid profane swearing, not because it is offensive to God, but because it is ungentlemanly. It needs nu devoutness or religious awe to understand the couplet:-
" Immodest words admit of no defence, For want of decency is want of sense."
And there is as much want of decency in profane words as in immodest ones. The thing tu be considered is not only the words we avoid. but the words we use. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak. This commandment, like the rest, must be kept positively, or it cannot be kept negatively. If we are found making a serious and habitual use of God's name in a right way, then, and only then, shall we be kept effectually from using it in a wrong one. J. Evidently the first thing to keep us from empty words with respect to God is TO l[EEP FBOJII ALL E)IPTD.'ESS AND SR.ALLOWl\'ESB OF TROOGRT WITH RESPECT TO HIM. Thinking is but speaking to oneself; and God's commandment really means that we mWlt labour e.t all times to have right and sufficient thoughts concerning him. We might alm011t say, take care of the thought and the speech will take care of itself. All our thinking about God, as about every topic of thought, should be in the direction of what is practical and profitable. Blessed is he who has made the great discovery, that of the unseen cause and guide, behind all things that are seen, he can only get profit- :i.ble k.uowledge as that Great Unseen is pleased to give it. We who live amid the great dtclaratiollii of the Gospel are really thinking of God in a vain and displeasing way as lung as we suppose it possible to get any true knowledge of him except in Christ. Right k.uuwled"e of God, and therefore profitable thoughts of him must he ~aii.cJ by txperiu.umtal 1,ersonal search into the riches of God in Christ Jesus. 'l'hink- ('II, x:'!. 7.]