MAny and Grievous are the crying Sins of our present Age, amongst which the Prophanation of the Sacred Name of God is not the least: For, First his Name is taken in vain by the abuse of his Word, in curious and fruitless prating of it. Therefore one must never talk of Gods Word, but that he may bring some Glory to God, and some good Edification to Men. As the Apostle saith, Jude 20. Edifie one another in your most holy Faith Unless this be our Scope, when ever we take Gods Word in our Mouths, to build up one another in God­liness, we pervert the Word of God, and take his Name in vain.

Secondly. Gods Word is polluted by us, when we speak of his Word in Mockage, after a jesting and Scoffing manner. As those did of whom Peter speaketh, that derided the Doctrine of the last judgement: Ho, say they, [Page 4] Where is the Promise of his coming? For since the Fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation. 2. Pet. 3.4. When will his coming be? As if they should have said, We hear a large dis­course, and here is much ado among these Preachers now a days, about the great and fearful day or Judgement, wherein (as they say) a [...]l Men must be called to account for their works; but where is this glorious appearance? What danger come h by their terrible threat­n [...]ngs? What profit hath any by their large Pr [...]mises? And thus because God doth not presently pass Sentence, and execute it, by casting the Wicked into Hell, and by receiving the Godly into the Jo [...]s of Heaven, foolish vain Men, that have no Faith, make a Merriment and a Sport to laugh at this Doctrine. So in Isaiah, because he told them of Death, the Athe­ists fell to mocking: Come, say they, if we must dye, th [...]n let us take our Pleasure while we may: Let us Eat and Drink, and be Merry, for to morrow, Soul and Body, and all must came to nothing; we will ply it while the time serveth. And thus these Irreligious beasts cast off all the Exhortations of the Prophet, by Jesting and Scoffing.

So, many lewd Persons in these days are ready to ab [...]se the Words of Christ, (where he saith, if one give thee a blow on the one Cheek, t [...]en [...]o him the other also, to deride Christians, [Page 5]and to disgrace Christian Patience. Oh shame­less Persons! will not the Reverence of Christ scare them from the abuse of such Words, as he with his own Mouth uttered? These be the Words of God, spoken and penned by the wis­dom of the Holy Ghost, for the direction and instruction of his Children; not for every pro­fane Swa [...] and Drunkard to vomit out of his filthly Mouth, to move laughter with them. And this is a common thing amongst fan [...]asti­cal Companions, that desire to be thought witty and conceited; that if any place of Scripture serve their tu [...]n, to gird or quip one another, or such like purpose: They had rather God should lose his Glory, and Gods Word the Grace and Authority of it, than that they would lose their Jest. And thus that which God appointed to edify their Souls in Godli­ness, they pervert to stir up themselves and others, to Foolish, Wicked and Prophane Laughter.

So thirdly, The Word of God is abused in a most most gross and notorious manner, when one brings it in the defence of any Sin, Error, or Heresie. Which is to presume to wrest Gods weapons out of his Hands, as it were, to wound him with his own Sword. This is as grevious an abuse of the Sacred Word of God, and as Hu [...]tful and Mischievous as Swearing. Thus the Devil did most damnably profane Gods Word, that it might seem to agree with his devillish Temptations.

So, let wicked and volumptuous Livers, that spend all their time and labour in pursuing vain and fond Sports and Games, and such foo­lish and fleshly delights, as make them no whit more Serviceable to God, or the Common­wealth, or apt to do good to their own Souls and Bodies, or any Mans else: Let such men (I say) be reproved, and told, that this kind of living is not allowable, it will not hold out before God; Man was made to Glorify God, and to do good unto Men, not to seek pleasure to his Flesh, and live idely in the World; and therefore they must repent and amend; you shall have an excuse strait, Gods Word must be brought as a defence; they do not break Gods Commandments without warrant out of tte Scripture, if you will believe them. What (say they) will you have a Man live without Delight? Do not you allow Recreation? Why the Scripture doth afford a Man Recreation; and then a number of places must be brought in for Recreation, to maintain their volup­tuousness. But, (vain Man) doth not the Scrip­ture command a vocation, and the Recreation as an help to further us in it? Now if one may ask you that stand so much for Recreation, what is your Occupation? What sore I ravel is it that wearieth your Body? VVhat earnest study troubleth your Brain, that you must have so much refreshing, and so much Recreation? It must be some very painful Labour, that [Page 7]needeth so much rest to make you able to per­form it. It is a sore labour indeed, for it is the service of Lust and the Devil, two hard Masters. But this turning of Recreation into a Vocation, or a Vexation rather, it is not allowable by Gods Word; how darest thou then be so im­pudently audacious, as to rob God of his trea­sure to maintain thy filthy Lust, and defile his Holy Word, by defending thy unholy practice.

So likewise come to a Covetuous Person, re­buke him for his Cruelty and Oppression, shew him that the love of the World is enmity to God, and that Covetuousness is Idolatry, then comes in this place of Scripture, which must salve all: What, hath not God commanded a Man to labour in his calling? Doth not God say, He is worse than an Infidel that provideth not for his Family? And so all must go under the good name of Husbandry and Thrift, and Providing for his Family. But consider thou that standest thus for thy labour, God will have thee labour, but not to serve thy self, and thine own Lusts in thy labour; take pains in thy call­ing, but hurt not thy Neighbour by it, provide for thy Children, and lay up, but withall lay up thy treasure in Heaven especially, and pro­vide to bring them up in the fear of God in some Christian Vocation. First provide that they may be Christians, and then thou hast well provided for them. Store up mercifull works; for if we be Righteous, Merciful, and Lend, [Page 8]our Seed shall injoy the blessing. Thus God will have one labour with Godliness, and pro­vide so for his Children, as that he must also provide for his own Soul.

So come to Angry and Passionate Persons, they likewise can have something to say for their sins, and that out of Gods Word, when the [...] have broken out into [...]oolish and unadvised Passions, tell them, this is nought. Anger re­steth in the bosome of Fuels, and the wrath of Man fulfilleth not the Law of God. Eccles. 7.11. Oh, but I pray you doth not St. Paul say, Be angry and sin not? James 1.20. It is true. But it thou wilt be angry without sin, be angry first with thine own sin, begin at home, and condemn the folly that is in thine own Soul, or thine anger is not Holy and Spiritual, but Devillish, Fleshly, and Carnal. So, almost in all other sins, there is scarce any sin so bad, but ungodly Pers [...]ns will stand in defence of it; and if they can snatch a few words out of the Scripture, and turn them violently from the true sence thereof unto their own lust, they count this a matter of great VVittiness; but in truth it is a great VVickedness, and a dam­nable profaning of the Name of God. When one can wrest and hale together many places, and say much for his sin, it is not a Note of more Wit, but of the more acquaintance with the Devil; for their Tongues is set on fire of Hell, and blown by the stinking breath of Satan. [Page 9]And when they have said all they can, they have made their ssn more grievous, their heart more hard, and themselves more cursed, in that they have done nothing all the while, but disho­noured God, to make him a pattern of wicked­ness, and his Word a Sword for Satan.

Now the best Medicine to preserve us from all sins and abuses of Gods Titles, is set down in Deut. 28.58. Fear the Glorious and Fearful name of the Lord thy God; fear it so, that you name it not, nor think of it, but with great Reverence. For, if one be audacious to take Gods name in his Mouth, without fear and due regard, God will lay plagues upon him, and those not sho [...]t and slight, but sore and grievous, of long continuance and great du­rance; but if one tremble and fear before the Lord, he shall never abuse his name.