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

Secondly, to convince, that is, to refute and beat down heresies & false opinions afore, to teach the truth, now to pull up heresies, that the ⟨image 57⟩judgement may be sound. Thirdly, to correct, j. to reform & amend the offenders, to convince ill opinions, to correct ill conversations. Fourthly, to instruct, j. to show how one should amend his ill manners, and how he should do good, as well as that he must forsake that that is ill; how to live well, and how to have such a good conversation, that one may have comfort in his life and death. These are those ends of the scripture, to which whosoever employs it, shall not dishonour Gods name, and hurt his soul, but glorify God, & himself be made absolute perfect, and ready to every good work. Thus much for taking Gods name in vain by speech, without an oath, but in vain speaking and other abusing Gods word. Secondly, Gods name is thus taken in vain, by abusing his titles, as God, Jehovah, Jesus, Lord, and such other. And that either in admiration, as when one in the hearing of any odd matter or strange report, shall break forth into such vain wandering speeches, good Lord, O Jesus, O Christ, Lord have mercy upon us, what a thing was that, wherein one names Gods titles, without any conscience and reverence of him. Therefore those which have done so, must repent. So likewise, we abuse Gods titles in rash petitions and imprecations, as, Sarah in a fuming chafe comes to Abraham, and saith she, the Lord be judge betwixt me and thee, and thus she must needs have a purchased sessions, and God must come down from heaven in all the hast, none else would serve the turn, to redress some wrong that she thought she had; what was the matter, why, Hagar had dealt something unkindly with her, & God must needs come to look to this disorder. But if God had come and hearing her rash prayer, straight made examination, and proceeded to punish the chief offender, who should have been first plagued, who was the first mentioner of taking Hagar to Abraham, was not Sarah her self? what, must Abraham take her through her means and motion, and now when the matter falls out ill, she will fall out with her husband. How could it fall out better, sith she was the author of so ill a beginning. So that such kind of imprecations as to wish God be judge, in avengment, ⟨p. 50⟩rashly and hastily, is a great dishonour to God;

Secondly, to conuince, that is, to refute and beat downe heresies & false opinions afore, to teach the truth, now to pul vp heresies, that the