The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-17
THOU SHALT NOT SWEAR
A Strong Sermon Against the Use Of
Profanity
PREACHED BY REV. JAMES F. DUNCAN
Habit of Bissrhemy Severely
Condemned.

large congregation. He took for his text
the commandment Thou shalt not take
the name OF the Lord thy God in vain for
the Lord will not hold him suiltless who
takes his name in vain
From the top Of smoking, laundering,
trembling Sinai Jehovah. the eternal, ON
nipresent omniscient God in clear cut,
penetrating terms pronounced the words OF
our text. The ten commandments, though
spoken 10 the host OF Israel, were meant
for all men, for all time, hence the man. IN
the Nineteenth century in North America,
OF the distant isles Of the seas, who pro
fsnes the name Of God is as guilty as was
the lowlest Of Moses half civilized army,
who fell under the Just condemnation of
Gods righteous laws
The Hebrew word translated in our Eng
lish version Sin vain" seems a little am
biguous In meaning Il means falsely,
deceitfully' and "frivolously and prof
tanely." We wish 10 touch upon these
several meanings, To take Gods name in
vain Is TO deal in an irreverent and insult
ing manner with God. To treat ones name
with disrespect Is 10 offer an insult to the
person wearing that name.
l. Men take Gods name in vain when
they make false statements and use Gods
name TO back UP or support such falsehood.
A lie in itself is bad enough, but to call on
God to go security for lie is the most
terrible thing imaginable Few of us have
ever thought perhaps, Of the sacredness
and value of words. Language Is the med
ium of exchange between individuals and
nations; they make up sort OF currency.
We all know how important 1t Is to the
commercial world to have q sound, reliable
monetary currency. II the money of a
people becomes largely counterfeit, or so
deprecated in value as TO be unable to
meet the commercial demands OF the peo-
! s,Ia hon an firm fttynr
inevitable financial distress and threat
ened bankruptcy. So with words, If they
are valueess or meaningless men are at
| sea as TO their social and political rela-
| tons and obligations How precious then
lis the language of a people, and what
treasures may be tied up in simple word!
! In all civilized nations an. oath has been
ever deemed necessary in inducing men
into positions of trust. An oath Is a sort
OF cheek given for security with the name
Of an acceptable parsonage as endorser.
! In most countries the name OF God is used
in such endorsement. That men must
swear by the eternal one-the Christian
God, is a sad comment on the depravlty
and untrustworthiness of human nature
Must men endan8er themselves TO physical
and spiritual punishment in order to have
their fellows believe them worthy of trust!
Alas. howsdoubtful whether even the oath,
In many instances adds any strength 10
the statements OF men.
The Third commandment forbids officers
OF the law TO violate their oaths. In the
first place II forbds mental reservation on
the part of the one taking the OATH or in
giving testimony. The officer must be sim
cere in his promises, and must scrupu'
lousy discharge the obligations OF mis-
office. not simply as TO the letter, but the
spirit as we'll
The executive. whether emperor, king,
president general, Judge or constable,
must in the fear OF God, scrupulously see
that he is not guilty of perjury in the
discharge OF the functions of his tifloe,
or else he shall have God hold him guilty
OF perjury, whether men take note OF MS
declivlties and remissness or not. Nhat
think you OF the Judge on tie bench WI o
renders n partial verdict. after swear Ig
10 mete justice without partially fear or
favor? Or what of the Judge who accepts
bride or one who winks at crime? Or
what think you of the mayor OF city.
who Is under oath TO see that the laws OF
his municipality are correctly entori'i,
allows crime red handed to run unpuh-
ished? II many of our mayors ana mar
shals and policemen have the sense OF
conscience still living and active they
must tremhle as did Hamlet when his
fathers ghost appeared, when they tbiak
of the solemn oath taken when sLhey We're
by the people intrusted with the keeping
OF the lives and morals of their respective
communities, There is a statute in the
code OF our State that says gambling in
stitutions shall not exist, and that liquor
saloons shall keep closed doors on Sun
day. that business houses must ohsefs e
this day as ono CT rest and We; in orr
own loved and heaudtul city hundreds
OF business firms ply their trades on sun
day, while hundreds OF gambling ins',-
tuiions are constantly in full blast; :cn
four to six hundred drinking dols are
open every hour IN tho day. cga'P aay
In tho week and every week IN the ,ear.
What has become OF the saGreduess cf
an OATH Whore do men who make osth
carry their consoiences2 and what has
befallen an outraged public thst such
men are allowed to continue in office 20
the ruin OF the morals of our people md
the shame OF cur Christiau civilization
The man who dcceives his neiEhbars ty
false promises, and Is thus elevated % A
, position Of prodt and trust, Is guilty II
talsehood,t hypocrisy and perjury. God s
judgments await suoh a man
{ Jurors fall under the condemnation N
this prohibition when they fail 70 render
> an impartial verdict according 70 the law
and testimony Il is 10 the shame OF nur
times that the moral status OF most com
I munluss is so low that the people have
, hut little confidence in our Jury system
But few men ere really At to sit on
Y
! leotual and moral seutensss 10 qualify
, them TO do that which is right in the Fear
: Of God, Jurors have been known 10 hs
eribed 20 secure verdict. while othars
have pitched M coin played a game 1t
cards or turned a wheel OF fortune 10 On ,.
able them 70 agree in verdict when for
tunes and even human life were involved.
The lime has come when the average man
looks exceedingly lightly on cath
This can he accounted for Only en- one
sround, and that Is that men have lest
sight Of responsibility 10 God, aud terce
have SO sunken into the slough Of dc.
pravity that they do not realize the mefn~
+. Ing OF an oath
?. This command applies especially 10
, what We denoninate 3rosano swearing
Men take Gods name Ia vain when ihey
use II in an irreverent. vulgir way All
use Of Gods name lightly and friyolorslv
is protaning his name. Not only this but
all "by words" which are really substi-
tutes for curse words" fail l-dsr the
head a using Gods name in vain, Is
words are what is called whipping the
devil around the bush" and should he
avoided by all persons who do not desire
10 have Gad write them down as yiolatorS