Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-02-24
&eadina fur the Sabbath,
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
OrIginal.l
PROFANITY.

ONN
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord
thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold
him guitless that taketh his name in vain"
The names of God are very many, and we are
positively forbidden to use any one of them
in a vain or irreverent manner. 10 this
commandment there is added threatning.
To the fifth there is a promise annexed in
case of obedience, but to none except the third
is threatning expressed. From this we are
not to infer that disohedience with respect to
any one of the other nine commandments
will not involve the transgressor in guilt
Such conclusion would be very erroneous
God most certainly will hold every one guilty
who violates any of his laws, but whoever
violates the third commandment is regarded
by God as most heinous transgressor.
We need not trouble ourselves by attempt
ing to solve why it is that the irreverent use
of the names and titles by which God has re-
vealed himself is emphatically sinful in the
sight of God. The fact, as written by the
finger of God himself, is all with which We
need be concerned.
1t may be asked, IF the irreverent use of
Gods name is crime which God specially
threatens to punish, why do we not see those
who are addicted to this sin made the visible
objects of Gods displeasure? 1t may be
answered, in general terms, that God punish.
es in this life those who violate the second
table of the moral law, but reserves for an.
other world, the Furnishing of those who vio.
late the first table of the law. tits true that
all sins not forgiven are punished in this
world, and all sins not pardoned will be pun
ished in the world to come but some sins are
directly against God, while other sins are d.
rectly against man, and indirectly against
God. The disobedient child, the murderer,
the adulterer, the thief, the liar and the COW
etous all meet with the punishment which
their sins deserve in this life. The welfare of
society demands that they be punished, and
for this purpose God, in his providence, has
established civil government. In this way
the weak are protected from the vicious
habits and vile practices of the strong. The
irreverent use of Gods name is more helm
GUS sin in the sight Of God than forgery, be-
cause the former is an improper use of the
name Of the Maker Of the universe, while the
latter is an improper use Of creatures name.
Visibly the former is rarely punished, but the
latter seldom escapes the lash of the law.
Were forgery not severely punished, the
foundations of society would be but baseless
fabric. All instruments of writing would be
worthless were forgery crime hard to be de-
tected, and gently dealt with when detected.
God, in his wise and holy providence, so or
ders all things that it is rare thing for him
who Aagrantly violates any one of the last
six commandments to escape punishment for
any considerable length of time. With re-
gard to those who violate all or any one of
the first four commandments it is very differ.
ent. The permanencY of Gods government
does not require that he inhict visible punish
ment upon the infdel, the idolater, the Sab
bath breaker or the profane swearer immedi-
ately. He can wait until another world and
then vindicate the dignity of his name and
supremacy of his governmel t.
1t is most remarkable fact that the irrev.
erent use of Gods name is a sin to which the
human family are especially addicted The
name of the Supreme Ruler of the universe
is coupled with foul expressions, and he whose
merces are new to us every moment is spoken
of as if he were vile blackguard. Men of
learning and refinement, and poor ignorant
creatures just one advance above the brutes,
seem to delight in triaug with the name of
their Maker Old grey headed fathers, and
boys scarcely able to tell east from west, or
north from south, repeat the name of God as
if he were some ignoble wretch whom it was
the duty of all to disgrace.
The name of him before whom angels pros.
trate themselves, is used as child uses its
toy. There are multitudes who never pray
to God, who profaney swear by him. The
coward thinks, or seems to think, he will ap.
pear brave if he takes Gods name in vain !;
the poor, degraded sot, as. he lies wallowing
in the gutter, thinks, or seems to think, he
will appear what he is not if he treats Gods
name with contempt.
There is something exceedingly vile in the
irreverent use of Gods name. Suppose the
mothers, the daughters, the sisters and the
wives of the country would, in their social in.
tercourse with each other, use the blasphe-
nous oaths that are so common amongst the
fathers, husbands and sons, what would be
the moral aspect of things! What decent
man could endure swearing wife7 The
thought is absolutely shocking What young
man, of noble aspirations, could bear to hear
his fair sisters and their acquaintances inter.
lardiug their gleeful conversation with the
name of the Most High? If there were as
many drunken and profane women in the
world as there are drunken and profane men
the civilization of the world would be of no
higher type than that which is found in places
full of horrid cruelty.
THE Poor MANS SUNDAY.-The advo-
Gates of what is called "rhe Poor Mans Sun
dov " forvet that when Sunday ceases to be