The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…

Gods name is taken in vain in life, by living ungodlily in the profession of religion. speech or without an oath in speaking unreverently of Gods word idly and curiously, jestingly, wrestingly & to charms. titles admiration, imprecation, gratulation. attributes unreverently in fretting, in defence of ill. works within as without as election, reprobation creation, passion. with an oath swearing vainly in common talk. wickedly to do evil. falsely of that we know not to be true, and purpose not to do.

Gods name is taken in vaine in life, by liuing vngodlily in the profession of religion. speach or without an oath in speking vnreuerently of Gods word idly and curiously, jestingly, wrestingly & to charmes. titles admiration, imprecation, gratulation. attributs vnreuerently in freeting, in defence of ill. works within as without as election, reprobatiō creation, passion. with an oath swearing vainely in common talke. wickedly to doe euill. falsely of that we know not to bee true, and purpose not to doe.

First Gods name is taken in vain in life, by an ungodly and unholy conversation of those that profess the religion of God. And so Rom. 2. Paul sets down a reproof of Jews, that, for their sakes the name of God is ill spoken off among the Gentiles. The Gentiles hated Gods name and were enemies to religion enough of themselves, when no occasion was given, but when they saw the Jews that profest themselves to be Gods people, and to love and worship him, and to be loved of him also, to live so wickedly, to deal so craftily, covetously, and cruelly, this made them hate religion much more, and speak ill of God more presumptuously. And so in Ezek. 36. The prophet chargeth this upon them in the 22. ver. That they polluted the name of God among the heathen. They were so far from converting any one by their good example, ⟨image 52⟩that by their ill behaviour, they made those to hate God, which else might have been drawn to some liking. For that which the wise men speaks in the natural family, is true also in the house of God, a wicked son saith he, is a grief to his father, and a shame to his mother; Let an hundred rogues and vagabonds, and runagates, play the filthy persons, the unthrifts, & the thieves, this brings no discredit to the father, no man chargeth the fault upon him; he bears no reproach. But if his son that is brought up with him in the family, and is called after his name, shall do any such thing, himself hath not only a blot, but he brings also an ill report upon the whole family, & his father shall bear a great part of this disgrace. So, let all the Atheist and papists, and carnal worldlings in the world, live wickedly, and show themselves to be as they be, filthy beasts, goats and swine, without grace and the fear of God, it is no such great matter, they bear all the blame themselves, and the shame lights upon their own necks, God and his children and his religion, are no whit the worse thought of, but the better rather, when the life of one kind is compared to the other. But now let a professor, fall into any wickedness, one that makes a show to be begotten of God by the immortal seed of the word, to be a child of the church, a member of Christ, a temple of the spirit, let such an one break forth to some gross sins, & here will be matter for all the hell-hounds in a country, to talk of;