6 And i shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and Keep my commandments. i ch. 34. 7. Deut. 7. 9. Ps. 89. 34. Rom. 11. 28. 7k Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD I will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. k ch. 23. 1. Lev. 19. 12. Deut. 5. 11. Ps. 15. 4. Matt. 5. 33. 1 Mic. 6. 11. It is therefore an ordination or arrangement of entire equity, and one too which at the same time makes a strong appeal to the parental feelings; as it represents the destinies of their descendants, for weal or woe, as lodged in a great measure in their hands. 6. Shewing mercy unto thousands, &c. So much more abundant is the Lord in mercy than in wrath, so much more congenial to his nature is the exercise of loving-kindness than punitive displeasure, that while he punishes to the third and fourth generation, he shews mercy to the thousandth. This is abundantly exemplified in the history of the posterity of Abraham, who were destined, on account of the distinguished virtues of their progenitor, to be the most illustrious nation on earth at the distance of several thousand years from his time. and fourth generation, of those who hate me, when the children follow the iniquities of the fathers.' This natural and easy construction removes any apparent discrepancy between the rule of procedure here stated and that affirmed, Ezek. 18. 20, The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son;' for the language of the prophet is to be understood of the son who does not tread in the steps of his wicked father; whereas the threatening in this precept respects those children who do follow the example of their evil parents. This is evident from their being said to be of those that hate God. The words as originally spoken undoubtedly had a primary reference to the sin of idolatry, but it cannot be doubted that they announce a general principle, to wit, that the iniquities and vices of men are punished in their posterity; not by any arbitrary enactment, but in virtue of that constitution of things which God has adopted, and so framed, that children cannot well avoid suffering in this - lo tissa—lashshav, thou world in consequence of the misdeeds shalt not take up (i. e. upon thy lips) of their parents. From the circum- the name of the Lord thy God to vanity, stances in which they are placed and or falsehood. Vulg. Non assumes, thou the influences that bear upon them, it shalt not assume. The name of God is almost inevitable that they should fall signifies primarily any word or expresinto the same sinful courses with their sion which denotes God; any title or epifathers, and if so, they must necessarily thet which goes to distinguish him from experience the same punishments. It all other beings. Of these the most pecuis to be observed, however, that this liar and pregnant is perhaps the title 'Jethreatening has respect mainly to the hovah,' implying his absolute, eternal, temporal effects of sin, to its penal con- and immutable existence. But besides sequences in the present life, and is not this, he is denoted also by many other to be considered as affecting the eternal appellations of distinctive purport, such salvation of individuals, any farther as 'God,' 'the Lord' 'the Almighty,' than as their final condition depends up-the Most High,' 'the Father,' the on their personal conduct in this world. | Creator,' 'the Holy One of Israel,' &c., VOL. I 23 THE THIRD COMMANDMENT. 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Heb. some expressing what he is in himself, and some his relations to his creatures. But the 'name' of God is, from Scriptural usage, generally and properly understood in a somewhat wider sense, of every thing by which he makes himself known, and so including not only his various titles, but also his attributes, ordinances, word, and works. That the leading idea of 'taking the name of God' in this place is swearing by it, is universally conceded, and is confirmed by the three ancient versions, the Chal., the Syr., and the Arab., all which render, 'Thou shalt not swear falsely by the name of the Lord thy God.' The original term shav signifies both what is false and what is vain, and as both senses are undoubtedly to be included in the term, it lays a foundation for a twofold view of the prohibition; forbidding (1) All false swearing, all perjury, all use of the holy name of God which should go to make him witness to a lie; (2) All vain, light, frivolous swearing, including all cursing and swearing in common conversation, all blasphemy, and all rash, thoughtless, irreverent use of the titles and attributes of Jehovah. As a matter of course, the worshippers of the Most High must have frequent occasion to mention his name, and the scope of this commandment is to inculcate the utmost reverence of that holy name which is but a symbol of every idea that can awaken awe, adoration, fear, and homage, in the bosoms of men or angels. If we were to indicate the point of the prohibition by specifying the directly opposite duty, it would be by adducing the words of the prophet, Is. 8. 13, 'Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear and your dread.' In perfect consistency, however, with the tenor of this precept, appeals may be made to God, on suitable occasions, in the form of judicial oaths taken in confirmation of the truth of our statements. The example of Christ, and the declarations of the apostles, clearly intimate the intrinsic lawfulness of oaths, and the scope of the third commandment is primarily to inculcate a due degree of reverence in the use of such an invocation of the Deity. An oath. is, in fact, an act of religious worship, in which God is solemnly called upon to witness the truth of the affirmations made, and to act as punisher of the crime if any perjury is committed. It imports that we acknowledge him to be the infallible searcher of hearts, and the powerful and stern avenger of all falsehood, fraud, and deceit in such a solemn transaction; and no inference can be plainer than that it is the height of irreligion and profanity to interpose that awful name in attestation of any thing that is false, fraudulent, or hypocritical. The rule by which such an act is to be governed is expressly given, Jer. 4. 2, 'Thou shalt swear in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness,' and any deviation from this is an infraction of the precept before us, and though often accounted a trivial offence among men, yet there is scarcely a more atrocious or provoking crime in the sight of the infinitely true, and pure, and up. right Jehovah. The same general remarks apply also to vows and voluntary engagements, which we assume upon ourselves and solemnly promise to fulfil. To invoke the holy name of God on such occasions, to appeal to him as the omniscient voucher of our sincer. ity, and then to neglect, slight, or violate the obligations we have incurred is but an impious mockery of the majesty of Jehovah, which he will not fail to punish. But it is, perhaps, in common dis. course that this command is most frequently and flagrantly disregarded. To say nothing of downright malignant blasphemy, which happily is rare in a land of Bibles and churches, and the grosser imprecations which often assail the ear from profane and impious lips, the practice of interlarding our conversation with the words 'God,' 'Lord,' Christ,' or the expressions 'the Lord knows,' 'heaven help me,' without necessity, seriousness, or reverence, involves a measure of the guilt of transgressing the third commandment. Nor can it be denied that profane writing is open to the same charge with profane speaking. In the statement of matters of fact by way of testimony, the use of irreverent expressions may indeed be allowable, but nothing is more common than for writers of fiction to put the most revolting oaths into the mouths of their various personages; and this they seem to think harmless, provided they contrive to mask the grossness of the language by dashes and asterisks. But wherein this differs from any other profaneness, except in being more deliberate, and more pernicious in the way of example, it is not easy to see. To give currency to such profane modes of speech, under pretence of their being necessary to the faithful portraiture of character and manners, incurs we think little less guilt than that of originally uttering them. The exhibition of such manners, even by the greatest moral painter, can well be dispensed with. In fine, the rule of safety in this matter is that laid down by our Lord in his commentary on the rabbinical precepts, Mat. 5. 33-37, 'Again ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King: neither shalt thou swear by thine head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.'-T The Lord will not hold him guiltless, &c. Heb. plo yenakkeh, will not pro nounce pure, innocent, or clear; will not acquit. Gr. ov pn xubapın, will not cleanse; i. e. will not declare clean, will not absolve. He will not let him go unpunished. It is an instance of the idiom, by no means infrequent in Hebrew, by which a negative mode of expression couches under it a strongly affirmative idea. We have then in these words a virtual assurance from Jehovah himself that this precept cannot be disregarded with impunity. Men may not discover, or they may neglect to punish, its vio lations, and even the hardened conscience of the sinner may fail to rebuke him on account of it; but let it not be forgotten, that God will surely detect and punish the insult thus put upon his great and glorious name. The words of inspiration clearly portray the char. acter of those who trangress this commandment; Ps. 139. 20, 'Thine enemies take thy name in vain.' The profane swearer is the open and avowed enemy of the high and holy God, and it is no more certain that there will be a judg ment seat, before which the bold transgressor must appear, than it is that he will be called to an account for his profane trifling with the most sacred things in the universe; 'And I will come near to you to judgment: and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.' Mal. 3. 5 The remarkable passage Josh. 9. 19, 20, shows in what light the children of Is rael regarded the breach of their plighted faith even to a portion of the devoted nations of Canaan; 'But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. This will we do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware 8 m Remember the sabbath-day | 9n Six days shalt thou labour, and to keep it holy. do all thy work: m ch. 31. 13. 14. Lev. 19. 3, 30. & 26. 2. Deut. 5. 12. n ch. 23. 12. & 31. 15. & 34. 21. Lev. 23, 3. Ezek, 20. 12. Luke 13. 14. unto them.' Nor can we forbear in this import of the original word for 'Sabconnexion to advert to the fact, that the bath,' and on the origin, nature, and sin in question has often been followed end of the institution in general, see by sudden and fearful marks of divine Note on Gen. 2. 3. The term 'rememretribution, even in the present world. ber' in this connexion ( zakor), However it be accounted for, certain it implies more than the mere mental act is that in more than one well-attested of memory, as it is the only Hebrew instance men have fallen dead in the word equivalent to our celebrate or commidst of the most horrid imprecations, memorate, importing that it was to be as if God had taken them at their word remembered by appropriate observances. in calling upon him to seal their per- If therefore the clause were to be rendition. We do not say that such cases dered, 'Remember the sabbath day by are to be regarded as miraculous. It is way of commemoration or celebration,' very possible that the physical effects, it would bring us still nearer to its caused by an unnatural degree of ex- genuine purport. Thus Ex. 13. 3, 'Moses citement of the passions, and the sud- said unto the people, Remember ( den incursion of a violent pang or panic zakor) this day, in which ye came out of conscience may have been sufficient from Egypt,' where see Note. But how to account for the result. Still such was it to be remembered? Not simply cases should be looked upon as solemn by mental reminiscence, but by special warnings; since it may be no less a real observance; for it is added, 'There visitation of divine wrath for being shall no unleavened bread be eaten.' It made by the agency of natural laws could not be adequately remembered acting upon the nervous system. It is without being kept in the manner preto be considered also, that as this is a scribed. So also Ex. 12. 14, 'This day sin which aims perhaps more directly shall be unto you for a memorial (5 than any other at God; one in which the zikkaron); and then the manner in inward spirit of the offender comes more which the precept should be complied immediately in collision with the spirit with is immediately described, ‘ye shall of God; it is not perhaps to be won- keep it a feast by an ordinance fordered at that he should occasionally ever.' So in the present case, the Sabcome out in more marked judgment bath was to be remembered by practical against it. But however it be under-acknowledgment as well as by bearing stood, this solemn denunciation of the in mind, with special care, the stated Almighty ought to be to this command-season of its occurrence, and by cherishment what the restraining limits were around the hallowed base of Sinai, a sacred fence to guard it from unhallowed violation. THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT. 8. Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Heb. 75 zakor eth yom hashshabboth, remember the day of cessation, or rest. On the ing the recollection of its early appointment as a memorial of God's rest at the close of the work of creation. Accord ingly, in the parallel passage, Deut. 5. 12, the language is not 'remember the sabbath to sanctify it,' but 'keep the sabbath day,' no doubt with the design to intimate that these two terms in this connexion were equivalent. Thus too we learn, from Lev. 23. 3, that on the sabbath there was to be a holy convoca- | of stone, it would not be easy to offer a tion, or an assembly of the people, at the tabernacle, as afterwards at the temple, for the public worship of God, as if this were the appropriate mode of remembering the sabbath; 'Six days shall work be done; but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.' But in addition to the 'holy convocation,' the Israelites were required to offer a greater number of sacrifices on that than on other days, Numb. 28. 9, 10, and we cannot question that these various services were understood to enter essentially into the due observance of this hallowed season. It consequently leads us to the inevitable inference, that the sabbath is not properly or adequately kept unless it be distinguished from other days by being in a special manner devoted to the duties of public as well as private worship. It is doubtless true that this commandment is not so purely moral or self-enforced in its own nature as the rest. Although the consecration of a certain portion of our time to the immediate service of God may perhaps be admitted to be of moral obligation, yet the exact proportion, as well as the particular day, may be considered as of positive institution, and therefore somewhat more of a Jewish aspect is given to this precept than to either of the others. For this reason some in all periods of the church have been led to question whether it is properly to be considered as still remaining in force under the Christian dispensation, particularly as no express mention is made of it in the New Testament. But as it was in its substantial features no doubt in existence long before the period of the Jewish economy, as it forms an integral part of that collection of precepts which was spoken from heaven by the voice of God, and was afterwards written by the finger of God on the tables stronger argument in proof of the per- kol כל מלאכתך .Heb laak, to send, to depute, from which also comes malak, a messenger, and properly signifies all that varied service and ministry to the performance of which servants were sent or despatched, and about which they were employed. It plainly refers to the daily routine of ordinary secular employments, all which were to be diligently pursued on the six working days, and religiously suspended on the sev |