heaven and earth pafs, one jot or one tittle, fhall in no wife pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

VIII. This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when Men, after a due preparing of their Hearts, and ordering of their common Affairs before-hand, do not only observe an holy Rest all the Day, from their own Works, Words and Thoughts, about their wordly Employments and Recreations °; but also are taken up the whole time in the publick and and earth, and on the seventh day he rested,and was refreshed. Ifa. 58. 13. Ifthou turn away thy foot from the fabbath, from doing thy pleafure 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. Neh. 13. 15. In those days faw I in Judah fome treading wine-preffes on the fabbath, and bringing in fheaves, 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. There dwelt men ofTyre also therein, which 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 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 be thut, and charged

VIII. Exod. 20. 8. [See letter k.] Exod. 16. 23. And he faid unto them, This is that which the Lord hath faid, To morrow is the rest of the holy fabbath unto the Lord: bake that which you will bake, to day, and feethe that ye will feethe; and that which remaineth over, lay up for you to be kept until the morning. v. 25. And Mofes faid, Eat that to day; for to day is a fabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall 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. fhall 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 ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the feventh day. v. 30. So the peo-, ple refted on the feventh day. Exod. 31. 15. Six days may work be done, but in the feventh is the fabbath of reft, holy to the Lord: whofoever doth any work in the fabbath day, he fhall furely be put to death. v. 16. Wherefore the children of Ifrael fhall keep the fabbath, to obferve the fabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. v. 17. It is a fign between me, and the children of Ifrael for ever: for in fix days the Lord made heaven

v. 16.

that

and private Exercises of his Worship, and in the Duties of Neceffity and Mercy P.

CHAP. XXII.

Of Lawful Oaths and Vows.

Lawful Oath is a Part of Religious Worship, wherein, upon juft Occafion, the Perfon fwearing, folemnly calleth God to witness what he afferteth or promiseth ; and to judge him according to the Truth or Falfhood of what he sweareth".

II. The Name of God only is that by which Men ought to fwear, and therein it is used with all holy Fear and Reverence. Therefore to swear vainly or rafhly by that glorious and dreadful Name, or to fwear at all by any other Thing, is finful and

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. 21. Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so 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 cleanfe themselves, and that they fhould come and keep the gates, to fanctify the fabbath day. Remember me, Omy God, concerning this alfo, and fpare me according to the greatnefs of thy mercy.

P Ifa. 58. 13. [ See in letter. ] Mat, 12. 1. to the 13. verse.]

I. a Deut. 10. 20, Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him fhalt thou ferve, and to him fhalt thou cleave, and fwear by his name.

Exod. 20, 7. Thou shalt not take

to

2

the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Lev. 19, 12, And ye shall not fwear by my name falfly,neither fhalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. 2 Cor. 1. 23. Moreover, I call God for a record upon my foul, that to spare you, I came not as yet unto Corinth. Chron, 6. 22. If a man fin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him, to make him fwear, and the oath come before thine altar in this houfe: v. 23. Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy fervants by requiting the wicked, by recompenfing his way upon his own head, and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteoufhefs.

II. Deut. 6, 13. Thoufhalt fear the Lord thy God, and ferve him, and fhalt fwear by his name.

I 3

Exod.

to be abhorred. Yet, as in Matters of Weight and Moment, an Oath is warranted by the Word of God, under the New Teftament as well as under the Old; fo a lawful Oath being impofed by lawful Authority, in fuch Matters, ought to be taken f

III. Whofoever taketh an Oath, ought duly to confider the Weightiness of fo folemn an Act, and therein to avouch nothing,but what he is fully perfwaded is the Truth: Neither may any Man bind himself by Oath to any thing, but what is good and juft, and what he believeth fo to be, and what he is able and refolved to perform b. Yet it is a Sin

L

a Exod. 20.7. [See letter.] Fer. 5. 7. How fhall I pardon thee for this thy children have forfaken me, and fworn by them that are no gods: when I fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and affembled themselves by troops in

because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are, hid from mine eyes.

f 1 Kings 8.31. If any man trefpafs against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him, to cause him to fwear, and the oath come

theto oufes. Mat. 5. 34. But before thine altar in this house,

I fay you, fwear not at all; Neh. 13. 25. And I contended with neither by heaven, for it is Gods them, and curfed them, and smote throne. v. 37. But let your com- certain of them, and pluckt off munication be, Yea, yea; Nay, their hair, and made them fwear nay for whatfoever is more than by God, faying, Ye shall not give thefe, cometh of evil, Fam. s. 12. your daughters unto their fons, But above all things, my brethren, nor take their daughters unto fwear not,neither by heaven,neither your fons, or for your felves, Ezra by the earth, neither by any other 10. 5. Then arofe Ezra, and made oath, but let your Yea, be yea, and the chief priests, the Levites, and your Nay, nay; left ye fall into all Ifrael to fwear, that they should condemnation, do according to this word; and they fware.

Heb. 6. 16. For men verily fwear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is, to them an end of all strife. 2 Cor. 1. 23. [ See letter ] Ifa. 65. 16. That he who bleffeth himself in the earth, fhall bless himself in the God of truth, and he that fweareth in the earth, fhall fwear by the God of truth;

C

III. 8 Exod. 20, 7. [ See letter.} Fer. 4. 2. And thou fhalt fwear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judg ment, and in righteoufnefs; and the nations fhall blefs themfelves in him, and in him fhall they glory.

h Gen. 24. 2. And Abraham faid

Aunto

Sin to refufe an Oath touching any thing that is good and juft, being impofed by lawful Authority

IV. An Oath is to be taken in the plain and common Senfe of the Words, without Equivocation or mental Refervation. It cannot oblige to Sin, but in any Thing not finful, being taken, it .' binds

า

unto his eldest servant of his houfe, fwell. Neh. 5. 12. Then faid they, that ruled over all that he had, Put, We will reftore them, and will require I pray thee, thy hand under my nothing of them; fo will we do as thigh: v.3. And I will make thee, thou fayeft. Then I called the priests, fwear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that, thou shalt not take a wife unto my fon, of the daughters of the Canaanites, amongst whom I dwell. v.s. And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: muft I needs bring thy fon again unto the land from whence thou cameft? v. 6. And Abraham faid unto him,Beware thou, that thou bring. not my fon thither again. v.8. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath only bring not my fon thither again. v. 9. And the fervant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his mafter, and fware to him concerning that mat

ter.

and took an oath of them, that they fhould do according to this promise. Exod. 22. 7. If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be ftolen out of the mans house; if the thief be found, let him pay double, v. 8. If the thief be not found, then the mafter of the houfe fhall be brought unto the judges, to fee whether he have put his hand unto his neighbours goods. 7. 9. For all manner of trefpafs, whether it be for ox, for afs, for fleep, for rayment, or for any manner of loft thing, which another challengeth to be his: the cause of both parties fhall come before the judges; and whom the judges fhall condemn, he fhall pay double unto his neighbour.v. 1o.If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a fheep, or any beaft to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man feeing it, v. 11. Then shall the oath of the Lord be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbours goods: and the owner of it shall accept there of, and he shall not make it good.

iNum. 5. 19. And the prieft fhall charge her by an oath, and fay unto the woman, If no man have lien with thee, and if thou haft not gone afide to uncleannefs, with another inftead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curfe. v. 21. Then the priest fhall charge the woman with an oath of curfing, and the priest fhall fay unto the woman, The Lord make thee a curfe and an oath among the people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to

k

IV. Jer.4. 2. [ See letter &] Pfalm 24. 4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lift up his foul unto vanity, nor fworn deceitfully.

1x Sam

binds to Performance, although to a Man's own Hurt'. Nor is it to be violated, although made to Hereticks or Infidels "

V. A Vow is of the like Nature with a promiffory Oath, and ought to be made with the like religious Care, and to be performed with the like Faithfulness ",

n

VI. It

I 1 Sam. 25. 22. So and more alfo he hath broken,even it will I recomdo God unto the enemies of David, penfe upon his own head. Folk. 9. if I leave of all that pertain to him 18. And the children of Ifrael fmote by the morning light, any that pif- them not, because the princes of the feth against the wall. . 32. And congregation had fworn unto them, David faid unto Abigail, Bleffed be by the Lord God of Ifrael: and all the Lord God of Ifrael, which fent the congregation murmured against thee this day to meet me: v. 33. the princes. v. 19. But all the prinAnd bleffed be thy advice, and blef- ces faid unto all the congregation, fed be thou, which haft kept me this We have fworn unto them by the day from coming to bed blood, and Lord God of Ifrael: now therefore, from avenging my felf with mine we may not touch them. With 2 Sam, own hand. v. 34. For in very 21, 1. Then there was a famine in deed, as the Lord God of Ifrael li- the days of David, three years, year veth, which hath kept me back from after year; and David enquired of hurting thee, except thou hadftha- the Lord. And the Lord answered, fted and come to meet me, furely It is for Saul and his bloody house, there had not been left unto Nabal, because he flew the Gibeonites. by the morning light, any that piffeth against the wall. Psalm 15.4. In whofe eyes, a vile perfon is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord: he that fweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. m Ezek, 17. 16. As I live, faith the Lord God, Surely in this place where the king dwelleth, that made him king, whofe oath he defpifed, and whose covenant he brake, even with him, in the midst of Babylon he fhall die. v. 18. Seeing he defpifed the oath, by breaking of the Covenant (when lo he had given his hand) and hath done all thefe things, he fhall not efcape. v. 19. Therefore thus faith the Lord God, As I live, furely mine oath that he hath defpifed,and my covenant that

V Ifai. 19. 21. And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians fhall know the Lord in that day, and fhall do facrifice and oblation, yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it. Eccl, s. 4. When thou voweft a vow unto God, defer not to pay it: for he hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou haft vowed. v. s. Better is it that thou fhouldest not vow, than that thou shouldeft vow, and not pay. v. 6. Suffer not thy mouth to caufe thy flesh to fin, neither fay thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore fhould God be angry at thy voice, and deftroy the work of thine hands? Pfal. · 61.8. So will I fing praise unto thy

name