But then you will say, why doth God forbid it? In that place of Jeremiah you see it is, Thou shalt swear, the Lord liveth; and here,1 You shall not swear the Lord liveth. How shall we reconcile these? Thus, because God would not have his Name and this his solemn worship abused by Idolaters; When they were before their Idols yet still they would make use of Gods Name and would seem to honour God; Oh Jehovah liveth, we acknowledge him and honour him as a living God. This was the guise of those Idolaters, though they forsook the true worship of God and his commandment, yet they would seem to honour God much, the Lord liveth, and we desire to honour this living God. Now saith God, what do you go on in such ways of Idolatry as these and take my Name into your mouths? what have you to do to take my Name into your mouths seeing you hate to be reformed? I will have none of this honour from you saith God, you shall not swear any more, the Lord liveth. 2Many superstitious people they will make much use of the titles of God in their mouths, and have many expressions about God that carry much devotion with them, they will cry out, our blessed Saviour, our Lord and Saviour, and the blessed God, and honouring the Lord and the like, they will I say have many titles of God in their mouths and expressions that carry much devotion with them, but God cares for none of these all the while they worship him according to the traditions of men, after their own inventions, God care• not for all their seeming honouring him, for all their devotion, let them appear to men to be never so devout, God rejects those devotions when they reject his pure and sincere worship. God loves not to have his worship mixed. Zeph. 1.5. there God chargeth them for swearing by the Lord and by Malcham, that they would put both together; what is the meaning of that? Malcham there signifies, a King, for so the ⟨p. 191⟩Hebrew word doth, and it seems that this people, though it is true they would sometimes call their Idols by the name of King, Honoris gratia, to give respect unto them, yet there is some probability that in this place more is intended, namely that they would worship God, yea but they would worship their King too, they would swear by God and by Malcham, 3they made their honour of their King come too near the honour of God;
But then you will say, why doth God forbid it? In that place of Jeremiah you see it is, Thou shalt swear, the Lord liveth; and here,1 You shall not swear the Lord liveth. How shall we reconcile these? Thus, because God would not have his Name and this his solemn worship abused by Idolaters; When they were before their Idols yet still they would make use of Gods Name and would seem to honor God; Oh Jehovah liveth, we acknowledg him and honor him as a living God. This was the guize of those Idolaters, though they forsook the true worship of God and his commandement, yet they would seem to honor God much, the Lord liveth, and we desire to honor this living God. Now saith God, what do you go on in such waies of Idolatry as these and take my Name into your mouths? what have you to do to take my Name into your mouths seeing you hate to be reformed? I will have none of this honor from you saith God, you shall not swear any more, the Lord liveth. 2Many superstitious people they will make much use of the titles of God in their mouths, and have many expressions about God that carry much devotion with them, they will cry out, our blessed Saviour, our Lord and Saviour, and the blessed God, and honouring the Lord and the like, they will I say have many titles of God in their mouths and expressions that carry much devotion with them, but God cares for none of these all the while they worship him according to the traditions of men, after their own inventions, God care• not for all their seeming honouring him, for all their devotion, let them appear to men to be never so devout, God rejects those devotions when they reject his pure and sincere worship. God loves not to have his worship mixed. Zeph. 1.5. there God chargeth them for swearing by the Lord and by Malcham, that they would put both together; what is the meaning of that? Malcham there signifies, a King, for so the ⟨p. 191⟩Hebrew word doth, and it seems that this people, though it is true they would sometimes call their Idols by the name of King, Honoris gratia, to give respect unto them, yet there is some probability that in this place more is intended, namely that they would worship God, yea but they would worship their King too, they would swear by God and by Malcham, 3they made their honor of their King come too neer the honor of God;
- 1Jerem. reconciled with Hos.Ierem. reconciled with Hos.
- 2Applica.
- 3Zeph. 1.5 Opened
