Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in
vain.
As the First Commandment has instructed the heart
and taught [the basis of] faith, so this commandment leads us forth and directs
the mouth and tongue to God. For the first objects that spring from the heart
and manifest themselves are words. Now, as I have taught above how to answer
the question, what it is to have a god, so you must learn to comprehend simply
the meaning of this and all the commandments, and to apply it to yourself.
If, then, it be asked: How do you understand the
Second Commandment, or what is meant by taking in vain, or misusing God's name?
answer briefly thus: It is misusing God's name when we call upon the Lord God
no matter in what way, for purposes of falsehood or wrong of any kind.
Therefore this commandment enjoins this much, that God's name must not be
appealed to falsely, or taken upon the lips while the heart knows well enough,
or should know, differently; as among those who take oaths in court, where one
side lies against the other. For God's name cannot be misused worse than for
the support of falsehood and deceit. Let4this remain the exact German and
simplest meaning of this commandment.
From this every one can readily infer when and in
how many ways God's name is misused, although it is impossible to enumerate all
its misuses. Yet, to tell it in a few words, all misuse of the divine name
occurs, first, in worldly business and in matters which concern money,
possessions, honor, whether it be publicly in court, in the market, or wherever
else men make false oaths in God's name, or pledge their souls in any matter.
And this is especially prevalent in marriage affairs where two go and secretly
betroth themselves to one another, and afterward abjure [their plighted
troth].
But. the greatest abuse occurs in spiritual
matters, which pertain to the conscience, when false preachers rise up and
offer their Lying vanities as God's Word.
Behold, all this is decking one's self out with
God's name, or making a pretty show, or claiming to be right, whether it occur
in gross, worldly business or in sublime, subtile matters of faith and
doctrine. And among liars belong also blasphemers, not alone the very gross,
well known to every one, who disgrace God's name without fear (these are not
for us, but for the hangman to discipline); but also those who publicly traduce
the truth and God's Word and consign it to the devil. Of this there is no need
now to speakfurther.
Here, then, let us learn and take to heart the
great importance of this commandment, that with all diligence we may guard
against and dread every misuse of the holy name, as the greatest sin that can
be outwardly committed. For to lie and deceive is in itself a great sin, but is
greatly aggravated when we attempt to justify it, and seek to confirm it by
invoking the name of God and usiig it as a cloak for shame, so that from a
single lie a double lie, nay, manifold lies, result.
For this reason, too, God has added a solemn
threat to this commandment, to wit: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless
that taketh His name in van. That is: It shall not be condoned to any one nor
pass unpunished. For as little as He will leave it unavenged if any one turn
his heart from Him, as little will He suffer His name to be employed for
dressing up a lie. Now alas! it is a common calamity in all the word that there
are as few who are not using the name of God for purposes of Lying and all
wickedness as there are those who with their heart trust alone in God.
For by nature we all have within us this
beautiful virtue, to wit, that whoever has committed a wrong would like to
cover up and adorn his disgrace, so that no one may see it or know it; and no
one is so bold$as to boast to all the world of the wickedness he has
perpetrated, all wish to act by stealth and without any one being aware of what
thy do. Then, if any one be arraigned, the name of God is dragged into the
affair and must make the villainy look like godliness, and the shame like
honor. This is the common course of the world, hich, like a great deluge, has
flooded all lands. Hence we have also as our reward what we seek and deserve:
pestilences wars, famines, conflagrations, floods, wayward wives, children,
servants, and all sorts of defilement. Whence else should so much misery come?
It is still a great mercy that the earth bears and supports us.
Therefore, above all things, our young people
should have this commandment earnestly enforced upon them, and they should be
trined to hold this and the First Commandment in high regard; and whenever they
transgress, we must at once be after them with the rod and hold the commandment
before them, andconstantly inculcate it, so as to bring them up not only with
punishment, but also in the reverence and fear of God.
Thus you now understand what. it is to take God's
name in vain, that is (to recapitulate briefly), eiher simply for purposes of
falsehood, and to allege God's name for something that is not so, or to curse,
swear, conjure, and, in short, to practise whhtever wickedness one may.
Besides this you must also know how to use the
name [of God] aright. For when saying: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord
thy God, in vain, He gives us to understand at the same time that it is to be
used properly. For it has been revealed and given to us for the very purpose
that it may be of constant use and profit. Hence it is a natural inference,
since using the holy name for falsehood or wickedness is here forbidden, that
we are, on the other hand, commanded to employ it for truth and for all good,
as when one swears truly where there is need and it is demanded. So also when
there is right teaching, and when the name is invoked in trouble or praised and
thanked in prosperity etc.; all of which is comprehended summarily and
commanded in the passage Ps. 50, 15: Call upon Me in the days of trouble; I
will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me. For all this is bringing 't into
the service of truth, and using it in a blessed way, and thus His name is
hallowed, as we pray in the Lord's Prayer.
Thus you have the sum of the entire commandment
explained. And with this understanding the question with which many teachers
have troubled themselves has been easily solved, to wit, why swearing is
prohibited in the Gospel, and yet Christ, St. Paul, and other saints often
swore. The explanation is briefly this: We are not to swear in support of evil,
that is, of falsehood, and where there is no need or use; but for the support
of good and the advantage of our neighbor we should swear. For it is a truly
good work, by which God is praised, truth and right are established, falsehood
is refuted, peace is made among men, obedience is rendered, and quarrels are
settled. For in this way God Himself interposes and separates between right and
wrong, good and evil. If one part swears falsely, he has his sentence that he
shall not escape punishment, ad though it be deferred a long time, he shall not
succeed; that all that he may gain thereby will slip out of his hands, and he
will never enjoy it; as I have seen in the case of many who perjured themselves
in their marriage-vows, that they have never had a happy hour or a healthful
day, and thus perished miserably in body, soul, and possessions.
Therefore I advise and exhort as before that by
means of warning and threatening, restraint and punishment, the children be
trained betimes to shun falsehood, and especially to avoid the use oo God's ame
in its support. For where they are allowed to do as they please, no good will
result, aa is even now evident that the world is worse than it has ever been
and that there is no government, no obedience, no fidelity, no faith, but only
daring, unbridled men, whom no teaching or reproof helps; all of which is God's
wrath and punishment for such wanton contempt of this commandment.
On the other hand, they should be constantly
urged and incited to honor God's name, and to have it always upon their lips in
everything that may happen to them or come to their notice: For that is the
true honor of His Name, to look to it and implore it for all consolation, so
that (as we have heard above) first the heart by faith gives God the honor due
Him, and afterwards the lips by confession.
This is also a blessed and useful habit and very
effectual against the devil, who is ever about us, and lies in wait to bring us
into sin and shame, calamity and trouble, but who is very loath to hear God's
name, and cannot remain long where it is uttered and called upon from the
heart. And, indeed, many a terrible and shocking calamity would befall us if,
by our calling upon His name, God did not preserve us. I have myself tried it,
and learned by experience that often sudden great calamity was immediately
averted and removed during such invocation. To vex the devil, I say, we should
always have this holy name in oor mouth, so that he may not be able to injure
us as he wishes.
For this end it is also of service that we form
the habit of daily commending ourselves to God, with soul and body, wife,
children, servants, and all that we have, against every need that may occur;
whence also the blessing and thanksgiving at meals, and other prayers, morning
and evening, have originated and remain in use. Likewise the practises of
children to cross themselves when anything monstrous or terrible is seen or
heard, and to exclaim: "Lord God, protect us!" "Help, dear Lord Jesus!" etc.
Thus, too, if any one meets with unexpected good fortune, however trivial, that
he say: "God be praised and thanked; this God has bestowed on me!" etc., as
formerly the children were accustomed to fast and pray to St. Nicholas and
other saints. This would be more pleasing and acceptable to God than all
monasticism and Carthusian sanctity.
Behold, thus we might train our youth in a
childlike way and playfully in the fear and honor of God, so that the First and
Second Commandments might be well observed and in constant practise. Then some
good might take root, spring up and bear fruit, and men grow up whom an entire
land might relish and enjoy. Moreover, this would be the true way to bring Up
children well as long as they can become trained with kinnness and delight. For
what must be enforced with rods and blows only will not develop into a good
breed and at best they will remain godly under such treatment no longer than
while the rod is upon their back.
But this [manner of training] so spreads its
roots in the heart that they fear God more than rods and clubs. This I say with
such simplicity for the sake of the young, that it may penetrate their minds.
For since we are preaching to children, we must also prattle with them. Thus we
have prevented the abuse and have taught the right use of the divine name,
which should consist not only in words, but also in practises and life, so that
we may know that God is well pleased with this and will as richly reward it as
He will terribly punish the abuse.
