dust. This is the way that common minds speak of the first and great cause of all; but David says, that when he called upon God, the earth shook, and trembled; that the very foundations of the hills were shaken. "He bowed the Heavens, and came down; darkness was under his feet; he rode upon a cherubin;-he did fly upon the wings of the wind; he made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him was dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. The Lord also thundered in the Heavens, and the highest gave his voice. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered. At thy rebuke, oh God; at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.-This is not mere imagination, but wise, and instructive piety; the loftiest flight, and the boldest epithet has its use; whatever exalts the Deity, enforces obedience to his laws; whatever degrades his name, renders it more probable, that his commandments will not be observed. It is a vast advantage to keep in the heart a pure image to look at,—something which is free from every stain of mortal frailty; and which we may follow, though at a distance immeasurable, and imitate, though in dimness, and obscurity; for this reason, the thought of God is to be fenced about with every care; it is not to be called" forth for the purposes of any evil passion, or to gratify rash intemperance, or to give dignity to insignificance. It is to be reserved for stupendous affliction, poured forth in eminent distress, appealed to before** grave tribunals, and pronounced with solemn devotion, when the dearest interests of mankind are at stake. God has given us his name as a support to human laws, as a security to human happiness; it is so great and serious a possession, the use of it is of such vast importance, that the law takes it to itself, and pronounces it to be an offence against the public to use it, but in prayer. And the law does this very justly, reasoning after this manner; that by the use of God's name contracts are ratified; by that pledge, men bind themselves to the performance of high duties; recompence is awarded; and crimes are punished. From a confidence that the name of God will not be taken in vain; so to take it, is to weaken one of the props on which human happiness is placed; is to accustom yourself and others to the irreverent use of that name, upon the reverent use of which the administration of justice intimately depends. It is in this very manner that our Saviour preaches it, not only forbidding perjury, but forbidding that habit of appealing carelessly to sacred things, which lays the foundation for a breach of oaths. "Ye have heard how it hath been said by them of old time, thou shalt not forswear thyself;-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, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king; but let your communication be yea, and nay, for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil. It is pleasant to remember, that no man can cultivate any one virtue, without cultivating others at the same time; now, to watch carefully over the use we make of the name of God, and to beware that we do not misuse it, even in the strongest paroxysm of violence, induces a turn of mind, which is extremely favourable to the government of our evil nature; for it is not probable that he, who is striving not to offend against one commandment of God, should, at that very moment, offend against another; the same awful feeling which prevents him from blaspheming against the name of God, may curb anger, soften hatred, and produce a general spirit of pious moderation. To conclude; which of all those crimes prescribed in the decalogue is the greatest, we know not; as they are all equally forbidden, they are, probably, all equally heinous :there cannot, therefore, be a doubt, which, in a religious point of view, it is the greatest folly to commit; for, to the violation of the name of God, there is no natural impulse, nor is any great enjoyment the consequence of it; for though it may be difficult sometimes not to do it, there is no sort of pleasure in doing it, nor is it a vice by which anything is gained, but disreputation, and disgrace. In the meantime, it is as dangerous in its consequences, as if it were agreeable in itself; it weakens the obligation of oaths, destroys the delicacy of religious feeling, and makes all those thoughts common, which should be reserved for the great |