quick temper. I inherited it from my father and mother, and it is
uncontrollable; but my swearing comes only from the lips."

When God said, "I will not hold him guiltless that takes My name in
vain," He meant what He said, and I don't believe any one can be a
true child of God who takes the name of God in vain. What is the grace
of God for, if it is not to give me control of my temper so that I
shall not lose control and bring down the curse of God upon myself?
When a man is born of God, God takes the "swear" out of him. Make the
fountain good, and the stream will be good. Let the heart be right;
then the language will be right; the whole life will be right. But no
man can serve God and keep His law until he is born of God. There we
see the necessity of the new birth.

To take God's name "in vain" means either (1) lightly, without
thinking, flippantly; or (2) profanely, deceitfully.

USING GOD'S NAME IRREVERENTLY.

I think it is shocking to use God's name with so little reverence as
is common nowadays, even among professing Christians. We are told that
the Jews held it so sacred that the covenant name of God was never
mentioned amongst them except once a year by the high priest on the
Day of Atonement, when he went into the holy of holies. What a
contrast that is to the familiar use Christians make of it in public
and private worship! We are apt to rush into God's presence, and rush
out again, without any real sense of the reverence and awe that is due
Him. We forget that we are on holy ground.

Do you know how often the word "reverend" occurs in the Bible? Only
once. And what is it used in connection with? God's name. Psalm cxi.
9: "Holy and reverend is His name." So important did the Jewish rabbis
consider this commandment that they said the whole world trembled when
it was first proclaimed on Sinai.

USING GOD'S NAME PROFANELY.

But though there is far too much of this frivolous, familiar use of
God's name, the commandment is broken a great deal more by profanity.
Taking the name of God in vain is blasphemy. Is there a swearing man
who reads this? What would you do if you were put into the balances of
the sanctuary, if you had to step in opposite to this third
commandment? Think a moment. Have you been taking God's name in vain
to-day?

I do not believe men would ever have been guilty of swearing unless
God had forbidden it. They do not swear by their friends, their
fathers or mothers, their wives or child