For in fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, the fea, and all that in them is, and rested the feventh day: Wherefore the Lord bleffed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it x. Q.116. What is required in the fourth commandment? A. The fourth commandment requireth of all men the fanctifying or keeping holy to God fuch fet times as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in feven; which was the feventh from the beginning of the world to the refurrection of Chrift, and the first day of the week ever fince, and fo to continue to the end of the world: which is the Christian Sabbathy, and in the New Teftament called . The 115. Exod. xx. 8, 9, 10, 11. 116. y Deut. v. 12. Keep the fabbath-day to fanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. v. 13. Six days fhalt thou labour, and do all thy work: v. 14, But the seventh day is the fabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy fon, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-fervant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thine ox, nor thine afs, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy ftranger that is within thy gates; that thy man-fervant and thy maidfervant may rest as well as thou. Gen. ii. 2. And on the feventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he rested on the seventh day from all the work which he had made. v. 3. And God bleffed the feventh day, and fanctified it: because that in it he had refted from all his work which God created and made. 1 Cor, xvi. 1. Now concerning the collection for the faints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even fo do ye. v. 2. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath profpered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the difciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his fpeech until midnight. Mat. v. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. v. 18. For verily I fay unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle fhall in no ways pafs from the law till all be fulfilled. Ifa. lvi. 2. Bleffed is the man that doth this, and the fon of man that layeth hold on it: that keepeth the fabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. v. 4. For thus faith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my fabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant. v. 6. Also the fons of the ftranger, that join themfelves to the Lord, to ferve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his fervants, every one that keepeth the fabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant: v. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt-offerings and their facrifices fhall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house The Lord's Day z. Q.117. How is the Sabbath or Lord's day to be fanctified? A. The Sabbath or Lord's day is to be fanctified by an holy refting all that day a, not only from fuch works as are at all times finful, but even from fuch worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful b; and making it houfe fhall be called an houfe of prayer for all people. z Rev. i. 10. I was in the Spirit en the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. 117. a Exod. xx. 8. Remember the fabbath-day, to keep it holy.V. 10. But the feventh day is the fabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy fon, &c. b Exod. xvi. 25. And Mofes faid, Eat that to day; for to day is a fabbath unto the Lord; to day ye fhall not find it in the field. v. 26. Six days fhall ye gather it; but on the feventh day, which is the fabbath, in it there shall be none. v. 27. And it came to pass, that there went out fome of the people on the feventh day for to gather, and they found none. v. 28. And the Lord faid unto Mofes, how long refufe ye to keep my commandments and my laws? Neh. xiii. 15. In those days faw I in Judah fome treading wine-preffes en the fabbath, and bringing in theaves, and lading affes; as alfo wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerufalem on the fabbath-day: and I teftified against them in the day wherein they fold victuals. v. 16. There dwelt men of Tyre alfo therein, who brought fish, and all manner of ware, and fold on the fabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerufalem, v. 17. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and our faid unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the fabbath-day? v. 18. Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Ifrael by profaning the fabbath. v. 19. And it came to pafs, that when the gates of Jerufalem began to be dark before the fabbath, I commanded that the gates fhould befhut,and charged that they should not be opened till after the fabbath: and fome of my fervants fet I at the gates, that there fhould no burden be brought in on the fabbath-day. v. 20. So the merchants, and fellers of all kind of ware, lodged without Jerufalem once or twice. v. 21. Then I teftified against them, and faid unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do fo again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the fabbath. v. 22. And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themfelves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to fanctify the fabbath-day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this alfo, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. Jer. xvii. 21. Thus faith the Lord, Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the fabbath-day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerufalem. v. 22. Neither carry forth a burden out of your houfe on the fabbath-day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the fabbath-day, as I S 3 com our delight to spend the whole time (except fo much of it as is to be taken up in works of neceffity and mercy c) in the public and private exercises of God's worshipd: And, to 'that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with fuch forefight, diligence and moderation, to dispose, and seasonably dispatch our worldly bufinefs, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day e. Q.118. Why is the charge of keeping the Sabbath more fpecial commanded your fathers. e Mat. xii. from verfe 1. to 13. At that time Jefus went on the fabbath-day through the corn, and his difciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. v. 2. But when the Pharifees faw it, &c. d Ifa. lviii. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the fabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the fabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and fhalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor fpeaking thine own 'words. Luke iv. 16. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the fynagogue on the fabbath-day, and ftood up for to read. Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the difciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow. 1 Cor xvi. 1. Now concerning the collection for the faints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even fo do ye. v. 2. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in ftere, as God hath profpered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. Pfal. ix. (Title) A pfalm or fong for the fabbath-day. Ifa. lxvi. 23. And it fhall come to 1 pafs, that from one new moon to another, and from one fabbath to another, fhall all flesh come to worfhip before me, faith the Lord. Lev. xxiii. 3. Six days fhall work be done, but the feventh day is the fabbath of reft, an holy convocation: ye fhall do no work therein: it is the fabbath of the Lord in your dwellings. e Exod. xx. 8. Remember the fabbath-day, to keep it holy. Luke xxiii. 54. And that day was the preparation, and the fabbath drew on. v. 56. And they returned and prepared fpices and ointments; and refted the fabbath-day, according to the commandment. Exod. xvi. 22. And it came to pass that on the fixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Mofes. v. 25. And Mofes faid, Eat that to-day; for to day is a fabbath unto the Lord: to day ye fhall not find it in the field. v. 26. Six days ye fhall gather it; but on the feventh day which is the fabbath, in it there shall be none. v. 29. See for that the Lord hath given you the fabbath, therefore he giveth you on the fixth day the bread of two days, abide you every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the feventh day, Neh. xiii. 19. (See letter b.) 118. fpecially directed to governors of families and other fuperiors? A. The charge of keeping the Sabbath is more specially directed to governors of families and other fuperiors, because they are bound not only to keep it themselves, but to fee that it be observed by all those that are under their charge; and because they are prone oft-times to hinder them by employments of their own f. Q. 119. What are the fins forbidden in the fourth commandment? A. The fins forbidden in the fourth commandment are, all omiffions of duties required g, all carelefs, negligent, and unprofitable performing of them, and being weary of them b; 118. f Exod. xx. 10. But the feventh day is the fabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy fon, nor thy daughter, thy man-fervant, nor thy maid-fervant, nor thy cattle, nor thy ftranger that is within thy gates. Joth. xxiv. 15. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will ferve, whether the gods whom your fathers ferved, that were on the other fide of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whofe land ye dwell: but as for me and my houfe, we will ferve the Lord. Neh. xiii. 15, 17. (See above in b.) Jer. xvii. 20. And fay unto them, Hear the word of the Lord, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the iuhabitants of Jerufalem, that enter in by these gates. v. 21, 22. (See above in b.) Exod. xxiii. 12. Six days fhalt thou do all thy work, and on the feventh day thou fhalt reft; that thine ox and thine ass may reft, and the fon of thy handmaid and the ftranger may be refreshed. 119. g Ezek. xxii. 26. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have all put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they fhewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my fabbaths, and I am profaned among them.. h Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the difciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his fpeech until midnight. v. 9. And there fat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep fleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he funk down with fleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. Ezek. xxxiii. 30. Alfo thou fon of man, the children of thy people ftill are talking against thee by the walls, and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brothet, faying, Come I pray you, Ι and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. v. 31. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they fit before thee as my people, and hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they fhew much love, S 4 but all profaning the day by idleness, and doing that which is in itself finfuli; and by all needlefs works, words, and thoughts about our worldly employments and recreations k. Q.120. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it? A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it, are taken from the equity of it, God allowing us fix days of seven for our own affairs, and reserving but one for himself, in thefe words, fix days fhalt thou labour and do all thy work/; from God challenging a special propriety in that day, the feventh day is the fabbath of the Lord thy God m: from the example of God, who in fix days made heaven and earth, the fea, and all that in them is, and rested ́the seventh day; and from that bleffing which God put upon that day, not only in fanctifying it to be a day for his service, but in ordaining it to be a means of bleffing to us in our fanctifying it; wherefore the Lord blessed the fabbath-day, and hallow but their heart goeth after their covetousness. v. 32. And lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely fong of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an inftrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. Amos viii. 5. Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may fell corn? and the fabbath that we may fet forth wheat, making the ephah fmall, and the fhekel great, and falfifying the balances by deceit? Mal. i. 13. Ye faid alfo, Behold, what a wearinefs is it! and ye have fnuffed at it, faith the Lord of hofts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the fick; thus ye brought an offering: fhould I accept this of your hands? faith the Lord. i Ezek. xxiii. 38. Moreover, this they have done unto me; they have defiled my fanctuary in the fame day, and have profaned my fabbaths. k Jer. xvii. 24. And it fhall come to pafs, if ye diligently hearken unto me faith the Lord, to bring in no burden thro' the gates of this city on the fabbath-day, but hallow the fabbath-day, to do no work therein. v. 27. But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the fabbath-day, and not to bear a burden, even entring in at the gates of Jerufalem on the fabbath-day: then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it fhall devour the palaces of Jerufalem, and fhall not be quenched. Ifa. lviii. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the fabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the fabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own plea fure, nor fpeaking thine own words. 120. 1 Exod. xx. 9. Exod. xx. 10. n Exod, |