What are the sins forbidden in the third commandment?
The sins forbidden in the third commandment are, the not using of God’s name as is required; and the abuse of it in an ignorant, vain, irreverent, profane, superstitious, or wicked mentioning, or otherwise using his titles, attributes, ordinances, or works, by blasphemy, perjury; all sinful cursings, oaths, vows, and lots; violating of our oaths and vows, if lawful; and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful; murmuring and quarreling at, curious prying into, and misapplying of God’s decrees and providences; misinterpreting, misapplying, or any way perverting the word, or any part of it, to profane jests, curious or unprofitable Questions, vain janglings, or the maintaining of false doctrines; abusing it, the creatures, or anything contained under the name of God, to charms, or sinful lusts and practices; the maligning, scorning, reviling, or any wise opposing of God’s truth, grace, and ways; making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends; being ashamed of it, or a shame to it, by unconformable, unwise, unfruitful, and offensive walking, or backsliding from it.
Proofs
- The sins forbidden in the third commandment are, the not using of God’s name as is required; (Malachi 2:2)
- and the abuse of it in an ignorant, (Acts 17:23)
- vain, (Proverbs 30:9)
- irreverent, profane, (Malachi 1:6–7, 12; 3:14)
- superstitious, (1 Samuel 4:3–5; Jeremiah 7:4, 9–10, 14, 31; Colossians 2:20–22)
- or wicked mentioning, or otherwise using his titles, attributes, (2 Kings 18:30, 35; Exodus 5:2; Psalm 139:20)
- ordinances, (Psalm 50:16–17)
- or works, (Isaiah 5:12)
- by blasphemy, (2 Kings 19:22; Leviticus 24:11)
- perjury; (Zechariah 5:4; 8:17)
- all sinful cursings, (1 Samuel 17:43; 2 Samuel 16:5)
- oaths, (Jeremiah 5:7; 23:10)
- vows, (Deuteronomy 23:18; Acts 23:12, 14)
- and lots; (Esther 3:7; 9:24; Psalm 22:18)
- violating of our oaths and vows, if lawful; (Psalm 24:4; Ezekiel 17:16, 18–19)
- and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful; (Mark 6:26; 1 Samuel 25:22, 32–34)
- murmuring and quarreling at, (Romans 9:14, 19–20)
- curious prying into, (Deuteronomy 29:29)
- and misapplying of God’s decrees (Romans 3:5, 7; 6:1)
- and providences; (Ecclesiastes 8:11; 9:3)
- misinterpreting, (Matthew 5:21–22)
- misapplying, (Ezekiel 13:22)
- or any way perverting the word, or any part of it, (2 Peter 3:16; Matthew 22:24–31; 25:28–30)
- to profane jests, (Isaiah 22:13; Jeremiah 23:34, 36, 38)
- curious or unprofitable Questions, (1 Timothy 1:4, 6–7; 6:4–5, 20; 2 Timothy 2:14; Titus 3:9)
- vain janglings, or the maintaining of false doctrines; (Deuteronomy 18:10–14; Acts 19:13)
- abusing it, the creatures, or anything contained under the name of God, to charms, (2 Timothy 4:3–4; Romans 13:13–14; 1 Kings 21:9–10; Jude 4)
- or sinful lusts and practices; (Acts 13:45; 1 John 3:12)
- the maligning, (Psalm 1:1; 2 Peter 3:3)
- scorning, (1 Peter 4:4)
- reviling, (Acts 13:45–46, 50; 4:18; 19:9; 1 Thessalonians 2:16; Hebrews 10:29)
- or any wise opposing of God’s truth, grace, and ways; (2 Timothy 3:5; Matthew 6:1–2, 5, 16)
- making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends; (Mark 8:38)
- being ashamed of it, (Psalm 73:14–15)
- or a shame to it, by unconformable, (1 Corinthians 6:5–6; Ephesians 5:15–17)
- unwise, (Isaiah 5:4; 2 Peter 1:8–9)
- unfruitful, (Romans 2:23–24)
- and offensive walking, (Galatians 3:1, 3; Hebrews 6:6)
- or backsliding from it.