N00459:13
The danger of taking God's name in vain. As it was delivered in a…
The danger of taking God's name in vain. As it was delivered in a sermon / by Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Six lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris, 1691
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. The sin which is prohibited, and that is, Taking the Name of God in vain. The word Translated, Take, firstly signifies, to lift up a thing, and it nextly aims at the words of men, the taking up of Gods Name into their mouths; although it also extends to thoughts and deeds; but it is the former that I am at present to take notice of. The name of God is of great extent, for it includes in it, every thing of God, in which he hath made any discovery of himself to the Creature: but more expressly it intends, any word by which the Great God is understood, whether Essentially or Personally; and so, every one of his Attributes, which are so many Letters in which he hath written his Name unto us, are here to be considered. The word, In vain; is sometimes used Substantively, and then it signifies Temerity & falseness ▪ sometimes it is used Adverbially, and there it imports as much as, lightly, unnecessarily, unprofitably.
1. The sin which is prohibited, and that is, Taking the Name of God in vain. The word Translated, Take, firstly signifies, to lift up a thing, and it nextly aims at the words of men, the taking up of Gods Name into their mouths; although it also extends to thoughts and deeds; but it is the former that I am at present to take notice of. The name of God is of great extent, for it includes in it, every thing of God, in which he hath made any discovery of himself to the Creature: but more expresly it intends, any word by which the Great God is understood, whether Essentially or Personally; and so, every one of his Attributes, which are so many Letters in which he hath written his Name unto us, are here to be considered. The word, In vain; is sometimes used Substantively, and then it signifies Temerity & falseness ▪ sometimes it is used Adverbially, and there it imports as much as, lightly, unnecessarily, unprofitably.
2. The danger in committing of this sin is discovered, in a severe Commination. For the Lord will not hold him guiltless, &c.