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ful (p), and offensive walking (q), or backsliding from it (r).

Q. 114. What reasons are annexed to the third command ment?

A. The reasons annexed to the third commandment, in these words (The Lord thy God), and (For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain (s), are, because he is the Lord and our God, therefore his name is not to be profaned, or any way abused by us (t); especially because he will be so far from acquitting and sparing the transgressors of this commandment, as that he will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment (v), albeit many such escape the censures and punishments of men (w).

Q. 115. Which is the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbathday to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-ser

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(s) Exod. 20. 7.

And ye

(t) Lev. 19. 12. shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.

(v) Ezek. 36. 21, 22. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

(w) 1 Sam. 2. 12. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord. Compared with 1 Sam. 3. 13. For I have told him, that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knoweth: because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

vant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gales. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed 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 sanctifying or keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven; which was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, and the first day of the week ever since, and so to continue to the end of the world; which is the Christian Sabbath (y), and in the New Testament, called the Lord's day (z).

Q. 117. How is the Sabbath, or the Lord's day, to be sanctified?

A. The Sabbath, or Lord's day, is to be sanctified by an holy resting all the day (a), not only from such works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful (b), and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except

(x) Exodus, chap. 22, verses 8, 9, 10 and 11.

(y) Deut. 5. 12. Keep the Sabbath-day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. Gen. 2. 2. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Acts 20. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight. Mat. 5. 17, 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fufilled. Isa. 56. 2. Blessed is the man that doth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on

it: that keepeth the Sabbath from
polluting it, and keepeth his hand
from doing any evil.

() Rev. 1. 10. I was in the
Spirit on the Lord's day, and
heard behind me a great voice, as
of a trumpet.

(a) Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy. v. 10. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, &c.

(b) Exod. 16, 25. And Mo ses said, Eat that to-day; for today is a Sabbath unto the Lord: to-day ye shall not find it in the field. Neh. 13. 15. In those days saw I in Judah, some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath-day: and I testified against them.

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so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity and mercy (c) in the public and private exercises of God's worship (d): and, to that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and moderation, to dispose, and seasonably to dispatch our worldly business, 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 specially directed to governors of families, and other supe

riors ?

A. The charge of keeping the Sabbath is more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors, because they are bound not only to keep it themselves, but to see that it be observed by all those that are under their charge; and because they are prone ofttimes to hinder them by employments of their own (ƒ).

(c) Mat. 12, from verse 1 to 13. At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath-day through the corn, and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. v. 2. But when the Pharisees saw it, &c..

(d) Isa. 58. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shalt hoyour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. Luke 4. 16. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood up for to read. Acts 20. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow.

(e) Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Luke 23. 54. 56. And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. And they return

ed, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbathday, according to the command. ment. Exod. 16. 22. And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

(f) Jer. 17. 20-22. And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates. Jer. 17. 21, 22. Thus saith the Lord, Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath-day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. Neither carry forth a burden out of your house on the Sabbath-day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the Sabbath-day, as I commanded your fathers. Exod. 23. 12. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest : and the son of thy hand-maid, and the stranger may be refreshed.

Q. 119. What are the sins forbidden in the fourth com mandment?

A. The sins forbidden in the fourth commandment are, all omissions of the duties required (g), all careless, negligent, and unprofitable performing of them, and being weary of them (h); all profaning the day by idleness, and doing that which is in itself sinful (i): and by all needless 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 six days of seven for our own affairs, and reserving but one for himself, in these words, Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy works (1): from God's challenging a special propriety in that day, The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God (m): from the example of God, who in six days made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: and from that blessing which God put upon that day, not only in sanctifying it to be a day for his service, but in ordaining it to be a means of blessing to us in our

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the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hands? saith the Lord.

(i) Ezek. 23. 38. Moreover, this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my Sabbaths.

(k) Isa. 58. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. (Exodus 20. 9 (m) Exodus 20. 10.

sanctifying it; Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it (n).

Q. 121. Why is the word Remember set in the beginwing of the fourth commandment?

A. The word Remember is set in the beginning of the fourth commandment (o), partly because of the great benefit of remembering it, we being thereby helped in our preparation to keep it (p), and, in keeping it, better to keep all the rest of the commandments (q), and to continue a thankful remembrance of the two great benefits of creation and redemption, which contain a short abridgment of religion (r); and partly because we are very ready to forget it (s), for that there is less light of nature for it (t), and yet it restraineth our natural liberty in things

(n) Exodus 20. 11. Co) Exodus 20. 8. (P) Mark 15. 42. And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath. Neh. 13.

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And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be lark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in en the Sabbath-day.

(q) Ezekiel 20. 12. 19, 20. Moreover also, I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them. And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.

(r) Gen. 2. 2, 3. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and

sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work, which God created and made. Psal. 118. 22. 24. The stone which the builders refused, is become the head-stone of the corner. This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Compared with Acts 4. 10, 11. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Rev. 1. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.

(s) Ezek. 22. 26. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sab baths, and I am profaned among them.

(t) Neh. 9. 14. And madest known unto them thy holy Sab

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