the son? for the father's curse? or for the child's despair? The wretched victim rails perhaps at what he terms an old man's prejudice or credulity; and he who has been chief priest at the demon's sacrifice, revels in the ruin he has wrought, and is gladdened by the misery he has inflicted.

It may be said perhaps, that in these modes of breaking the third commandment, there is often more of thoughtlessness, than of deliberation,-more of idle levity, than of wilful depravity. But in this matter, it is that very thoughtlessness, which constitutes the sin: it is levity in using the name of God, or speaking of what belongs to him, which in itself becomes depravity: it is that very careless irreverence, which the commandment is designed to correct. "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet," said the Lord to Moses, "for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." And if we presume to approach God with familiarity, to talk of Him without fear, and indifferently mingle what

belongs to Him, with what belongs to Mammon, or to the author of evil himself, we must expect for ourselves and those influenced by us, nothing better than the penalty, of which the Israelites were warned when the Lord descended upon Sinai: "Charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish."1

The glory of God, and the edification of our fellow-creatures, are the two purposes, for which we may introduce, seriously and devoutly, the divine name, and titles, and attributes, into our discourse. Where neither of the former are concerned, the latter can hardly find a becoming place: yet those who use the latter with most familiarity, are the very men who seem most lightly to regard the former; and it is not from excess of zeal in the cause of the Almighty, but from irreverence and reckless profanity, that what is most sacred is invoked on every

1 Exodus, xix. 21.

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trivial occasion, and intermingled with every idle pursuit. Thus in another aspect we discern the true character of profane swearing, and the true intent of the commandment directed against it. The habit is inconsistent with a religious frame of mind, and to be addicted to it indicates a disposition little influenced by the love of God or the concerns of futurity. In matters on which a deep interest has been excited, in that which is the object of earnest aspiration, or to attain which earnest efforts have been made, levity of speech in others is offensive, and levity of thought in a man's self is revolting. So that to him who has ever reflected upon the import of a future existence, to him, in short, who has any sense of religion at all, there would seem to be no temptation to offend against the third commandment and in this consists one aggravation of the offence, that almost without inducement, without the plea of antecedent propensity, or the motive of future gain, for mere frivolity, or bravade, or

humour, a man will destroy all reverence of God in his own heart, and do as much as in him lies to root it out of the heart of his fellow-creatures.

But it is time that we should turn to the darker, because more deliberate offences against the third commandment. These derive their aggravated guilt from wilful falsehood. Falsehood is always an offence against God, as well as man: "lying lips are an abomination to the Lord." But there are many circumstances, under which an untruth seems to be made offensive, and insulting (so to speak) peculiarly to the Almighty. In that which relates to Him, or concerns his holy religion; in that which he is solemnly invoked to witness; in that on which depends the spiritual welfare of our neighbour; and in other similar circumstances, falsehood seems peculiarly a falsehood to God. Yet such are the fearful inroads of habitual vice upon all religious principle, that no sooner does a man become false to his

fellow-men, than he becomes false to the Almighty also. He says what is not true, and swears to it with equal readiness; and obtains the practice of a double profanation, the making an untruth, and mixing up with it the first and great truth, God himself.

Of all the crimes which corrupted man has introduced into the world since the fall of Adam, none seems more directly in defiance of the Majesty of Heaven, than wilful and deliberate perjury. To take a solemn oath, is to declare, that we remember ourselves to be in the presence of God; that we appeal to Him to witness. our sincerity; that we renounce all title to his mercy, if we do not express the truth of our hearts. "So help me God!" This it is solemnly to swear. And thus to swear wilfully to what is false, is to brave the Almighty to his face it is to bid him come, and witness our contempt of his will, and our derision of his commandments: it is to call on him to notice