Divine Poems, Commandment 3
Commandment III.
Thou ſhalt not take ye name of ye Lord thy God in vaine &c III
Curſes, Blaſphemies, and Oaths,
Some, can vary as their Cloaths;
And, the Ruffin, now, begins
To ſeek faſhionable ſins,
No more fearing to blaſpheme,
Than to take a praiſeful Theme;
But the Sin they count ſo ſmall,
Doth aloud for vengeance call:
And, in Figure here we view
What for this offence was due.
Command. III.
If thou wilt free be kept from blame;
Take not in vain, GOD's holy NAME.
TO fright Blaſphemers, we preſent them with
An Emblem, of the Son of Shelomith:
(Who worthily, condemned was to dye,
And, Stoned for his daring Blaſphemy:)
For, 'tis a Crime now ripened in exceſs,
Though branded with a horrid Guiltineſs:
And of this Blott, (who ever ſtandeth free)
All theſe that follow deeply Guilty be.
The Common Swearer: For, his impious tongue
Not only to the Godhead, offers wrong;
But, (to his power) he ſometime rends and tears
Chriſt's holy Body, when he vainly ſwears.
He that affecteth curſings groweth foul,
By what this Law forbids, For; on the Soul
Which loves to Curſe, theſe plagues are often brought
Which to befall another, are beſought.
They are not in a mean degree to blame,
Who ſhall prophane the great Almighty's name
Through Levity, as when him name they ſhall,
For trifling Cauſes; or, no cauſe at all.
He, that with Oaths, proteſts in matters vain;
Or, ſwearers for Truths, what he himſelf doth fain;
Or, tells for certain, an uncertain thing;
Or, vows to God, what he neglects to bring;
Or, maketh vows of what are not allowed:
Things lawful; or, things comely to be vowed:
Even he who ere he be that ſhall tranſgreſs
Theſe ways, is tainted with a guiltineſs.
For, all theſe ways, Gods name is vainly uſed;
And ſuch offences cannot be excuſed.
To theſe we add our Scevites, who preſume
The power of Exorciſms to aſſume,
And work by Conjurations of ſuch kind,
As may no lawful approbation find,
And much from theſe, thoſe Cheaters differ not,
Who by confederacy the name have got,
Of eunning men or women, and pretend,
To know black Arts and Practice, to defend
Our bodies, or to keep our goods from harms,
By wicked Spels; prophaning in the Charms,
The names of God, or portions of his Writ;
For, in ſuch Actions they diſhonour it.
Nor is he better who delights to make,
Gods Truth a Theam for vain diſcourſes ſake,
Or, thence extracteth Jeſts; or, reads, or hears
His Word, with heedleſs Eyes, with careleſs Ears,
Or unprepared Heart. Nor, are they leſs
Prophane; who to conceal their wickedneſs,
Or, meerly to be deemed men devout:
Still at their Girdles bear, Gods Book about,
Or, Study holy Scriptures to deviſe:
A Cloak for Sins; and proofs for Hereſies,
Or, truths pervert their falſhoods to maintain,
For, all of theſe aſſume Gods Name in vain.
They of the like offence partakers are,
Who (as they term it) make a Holy War
For Chriſt; And in his name do that pretend,
Which is for ſome concealed wicked end.
All they who pray for theſe, (by name of ſuch,
Do fight Gods Battles) do offend as much
If they ſhall know it; For, accurſed is
Such bold and bloody policy as this.
He that plots Treaſon, or invents a Lie,
The Cauſe of God or Truth to juſtifie;
Doth Stray as wide: For, to aſſiſt his Foes,
Theſe in Gods Name; within his Enſign goes.
Moreover they are guilty of this Crime
Who in undecent manner or ill time
Reprove, or threat, or comfort, or apply
Gods promiſes, or Judgments, or deny,
Their needful application in Gods Name,
When time, and place for them require the ſame.
For, of the Service, careleſs they appear,
Pertaining unto him, whoſe name they bear.
He breaks this Law who runs ere he beſent,
And in Gods name ſpeaks what God never meant,
He that from Holy Orders, goeth back,
And by his Idleneſs becometh ſlack
In Duties of his Calling; or (grown rich,
By Church promotions) thinks it overmuch,
To execute that Function as he ought,
To which with wealth and honour he is brought,
Even he, what fair excuſe ſo ere he make,
Is juſtly ſaid Gods name in vain to take.
For, if he proveth guiltleſs, he receiv'd
A diſpenſation, more than I believ'd.
A Prayer without Faith; a formal mention
Of Gods due praiſe, without a due intention.
Yea, vain or complemental Salutations,
Without Sincerity are prophanations
Againſt this Law, though many men have thought,
That theſe are ſigns of perſons better taught.
Diſſembling Faſts; Thankſgivings mumbled out,
With babling Repititions, (and devout,)
In nought but feigned Term or length of Time,
Do make men guilty, likewiſe, of this Crime;
Nay many Sermons of the vulgar ſtrain,
Are taking of the Name of God in vain.
He that his Church or Chappel hath bedeckt,
And yet Gods living Temples doth neglect.
He, that a love to thoſe, doth ſeem to carry,
Yet, leaves defac'd his outward Sanctuary;
He that to bend his body is aſham'd,
When he ſhall here his bleſſed Saviour nam'd.
He that without an inward Adoration,
Bows outwardly, or, with an Affectation,
To mimick Geſtures; or, performs the ſame,
Unto the vocal ſounding of the Name,
Or either practiſeth, or leaves undone,
Such Duties in Contempt of any one:
Even He (though to be guiltleſs he pretends,)
Againſt this Third Commandement offends.
But none this holy precept more have broke
Than they, who on themſelves Chriſts name have took;
Yet live like Infidels, excepting thoſe,
Who guild Hypocriſy with Godly ſhows,
And under pious habits uſe to prey,
On thoſe, (who being more ſincere than they)
Are threatned, and ſuppoſe all well beſtown,
While theſe will take; till nothing is their own.
God keep his Lambs from theſe as from the worſt
Of all Diſſembers, and the moſt accurſt.
The Faults condemn'd, ſeem nothing to have bin
To this abhorred Hell begotten Sin,
Are Drunken Jollities, vnbridled paſſion,
A wicked Cuſtom, Slight conſideration,
And evil Narture (but much blame is caſt, On Tutors and ſome Parents for the laſt,)
All theſe muſt therefore ſhunned be by him,
That would not Swear, For-ſwear, Curſe nor Blaſpheme.
This muſt be likewiſe heeded, that unleſs
We ſtill (on all occaſions) do confeſs,
The Name of God; and Sanctifie it too,
By ſuch good Duties, as we ought to do:
(As in Relieving thoſe who in his Name,)
Shall ask (without abuſing of the ſame,)
In ſwearing by it, when juſt cauſe requires,
In ſuffering for it, (though by Sword and Fires)
When God may be diſhonour'd, by a baſe
Forſaking of our Faith, or of our Place.
Yea, if we be not ready to our might,
In all Gods Attributes to do him right;
And honour him, in Deed, in Word, and Thought,
In what we can, (although not as we ought)
We faulter in our Duty; and 'tis plain,
We do profeſs to bear Gods name in vain.
"My Heart LORD GOD ſo ſettle in thy way
"That I this Law, may never diſobey.
Amen.