Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
By this commandment I perceive, O Lord, that as, in the first, thou would that in the outward service of thee I should utterly abandon mine own will and reason, and all the reasons or good entreaties of man, and wholly give myself to serve thee, after thy will and word; so here thou dost begin to tell me, how thou wilt have my tongue to be exercised in thy service. And therefore thou bids me not to take thy name in vain; as by rash or vain swearing, by cursing; praying without sense, as those do that pray in a tongue they know not; praying without faith or consideration of the thing desired; without hearty desire and certain expectation of obtaining that which is to thy glory and my salvation; also by jesting or foolish abusing; or negligent reading or hearing of thy holy word; (by which thou, as by thy name, art known;) and in like manner, by denying thy truth and word, or concealing it when occasion is offered to promote thy glory, and confirm thy truth. By reason whereof I may well see that thou would have me use my tongue, in humbly confessing thee and thy word and truth after my vocation; in praying heartily, and calling upon thy name; in reading and hearing thy word, and speaking thereof, with all reverence, diligence, and attention; in thanksgiving and praising thee, for thy great mercy; in instructing my brother, and admonishing him when he errs, after my calling and vocation, with all humbleness, gentleness, and love.
Thus would thou have me exercise my tongue, and not think that the exercising of it in this manner is vain and unprofitable; but what pleases thee, and profits myself and others.
And forasmuch as thou knows that our tongue is a slippery member, and we very negligent over it, and of the great advantage that might come to us and others by using it in thy service; thou hast added a fearful and most true communication, that though men find no faults or punish us therefore, yet wilt not thou hold him guiltless that takes thy name in vain, (Lev. xxiii.,) as by many examples we are taught, in thy holy word, and by daily experience, if we would consider the same.
And therefore I have great cause to give praise and thanks to thy most holy name, for many great benefits, which by this commandment I receive, and ought with thankfulness to consider. First, that it pleased thee, not only to give me a tongue, whereas thou might have made me speechless; but also that thou would have it sanctified to thy service. Again, chat thou would not only reveal thy name unto us, but also would give me leave to call upon it, and praise and publish it; yea, thou hast commanded me so to do, and not only commanded but hast promised that thou wilt hear my prayer; and that my praising of thee, and confessing thy word and truth, shall not be in vain.
Thirdly, thou would all men should use their tongue so that thereby I might be the better instructed, admonished, and occasioned to use myself well, and in the obedience of this thy holy precept. But why go I about to reckon the causes of thanks for this commandment, seeing that they are innumerable, if a man should but look upon thy word, by which, as by thy name, thou art most truly known. Which word thou commands unto us in this commandment, as thou dost preaching, private admonishing, thanksgiving, and prayer; than which, nothing is more profitable to us, in this vale of misery. But, gracious good Lord, I acknowledge myself not only to be a most unthankful wretch, for this thy holy precept, and the great mercy which herethrough I perceive thou hast most graciously poured upon me, and dost yet still offer unto me; but also that I am a miserable transgressor of this thy most holy, good, and blessed commandment, as I have always been in times past. Horribly have I abused thy name in swearing, cursing, and jesting wickedly. I have called upon other names than thither as the names of Peter, Paul, Mary, &c., yea, of some whose salvation is to be doubted of (he means the Romish saints, editor). I have foolishly prayed in such a tongue as I knew not what I prayed and said; with many other transgressions of this precept, wherein yet I am conversant; as in seldom praying, and when I pray I am not intent, nor very desirous of the thing I ask with my tongue. After prayer I do not earnestly look for the good things asked and prayed for; and therefore, when I obtain my request, I am most unthankful; thy word I read little, and most negligently, forgetting forthwith what I read; I admonish not others when I hear them abuse thy holy word; I am afraid, for fear of loss of friends, name, or life, to confess thy truth, gospel, and name, which was called upon me in baptism, and not in vain, if I did not thus make it in vain. But, alas! I can in no wise comprehend the multitude of my transgressions concerning this thy law. But this is a sin above other sins, that under thy name, word, and gospel, I play the hypocrite, having more care for mine own name, than for thine; for if my name were evil spoken of, it would grieve me, and I should defend it; but, alas! I hear thine daily evil spoken of, and see it profaned by false doctrine and evil living, but it grieves me not. I seek not, and do not endeavour to redress these things in myself and in others, according to my duty. And why? because, good Lord, I love myself better than thee, and not thee with my whole heart. Thy first commandment has no place with me, as it should have; it possesses not my heart, mind, and will, as thou requires, most to my own advantage; by reason whereof I am worthy of eternal condemnation. Oh! what shall I do, gracious God, who not only have been so grievous and filthy a swearer, curser, &c., so great a caller upon dead creatures (he means the Romish saints, editor), and so heinous a transgressor of this law; but also at this present time do so horribly and hypocritically offend thee, in taking thy name in vain, and that in so many ways, in praying and not praying; in reading and not reading; in speaking and not speaking; and not confessing simply, and from my heart, thy doctrine, truth, and name; but regarding mine own name far above it. Shall I fly from thee? then undoubtedly I am more guilty, and shall more disobey this thy holy precept, adding sin to sin; whereas, thou would I should call upon thy holy name, dear Lord, who hast given thy dear Son Jesus Christ to be a Mediator for us; that through him we might find, not only grace for the pardon of our sins past, but also for the obtaining of thy Holy Spirit; as well the better to understand, as also the better and more frankly to obey this thy holy precept for ever. For his sake, therefore, dear God, pardon my sins, past and presents whereof this law accuses me, and grant, most gracious Father, that I may be endued with thy Holy Spirit, to know and love thy holy name, word, and truth in Jesus Christ; that I may be zealous, wise, and constant; and that my tongue may be sanctified henceforth, and guided by thy Holy Spirit and grace, to publish, confess, and teach thy truth and gospel, after my vocation, to others, as occasion is offered; to call upon thy name in all my need, to give thanks unto thee, praise thee, magnify thee, and to sanctify thy holy name, as a vessel of thy mercy, for ever and ever.
