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gling their ordinary speech with hideous oaths, priding themselves in their invention of new oaths, and emphatically pronouncing of them; or when persons being called to swear lawfully before a magistrate, or the like, they do swear falsely. Matth. v. 34, 37, But I say unto you, swear not at all. But let your communication be, Yea, yea, Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Zech. v. 4, It shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name. 4. When persons do curse either themselves or others in the name of the Lord, either jestingly, rashly, or maliciously. 1 Sam. xvii. 43, And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. Matth. xxvi. 74, Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. 5. When persons blaspheme the name of the Lord, by speaking against any of those names, titles, or attributes, whereby he hath made himself known, or by ascribing any thing unto him which is unworthy of him. 2 Kings xix. 22, Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? And against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the holy One of Israel. James i. 13, Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. 6. When persons use the name of the Lord in any charms. Acts xix. 13, 16, Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, &c. And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leapt upon them, and overcame them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.

Q. 2. How are God's ordinances profaned and abused? A. God's ordinances are profaned and abused, 1. When persons are irreverent in their attendance upon them, in regard of the outward gesture of their bodies, laughing, talking, sleeping, any other way indecently behaving themselves in the time of prayer, preaching, singing, receiving the sacrament, or any other part of God's wor ship. Eccl. v. i, Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God. 1 Cor. xiv. 40, Let all things be done de cently and in order. 2. When persons, under ordinances, are slight and formal, as to the inward frame of their

minds; when their minds are roving and wandering, and their hearts are dead and dull, very unbeseeming the majesty of God, whom in his ordinances they wait upon, who, being a spirit, doth chiefly look to the spiritual part of his service. John iv. 24, God is a spirit; and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. 3. And chiefly, persons profane and abuse God's ordinances, when they make a profession of religion, and attend upon ordinances, that they may be accounted religious by men, without any sincere endeavours to approve the heart unto God; making use of religion only as a cloak for covetousness, or maliciousness, or voluptuous2 Tim. iii. 5, Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Matth. xxiii. 14, Wo unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

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Q. 3. How is God's word profaned and abused?

A. God's word is profaned and abused, 1. When persons think or speak slightingly, especially when they' pervert the word of God, or any part thereof, into profane jests. Jer. xxiii. 33, 36, And when this people, or prophet, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the Lord? thou shalt say, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the Lord, And the burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more; for ye have perverted the word of the living God. 2. When persons wrest the word of God unto false doctrine; perversely disputing against the sound and wholesome doctrine therein contained. 2 Pet. iii. 16, In which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 1 Tim. vi. 3, 4, 5, If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, the words of our Lord Jesus, and the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth. 3. When persons misapply the word of God; the threatenings unto the righteous, to make them sad;

the promises to the wicked, to encourage them in their wicked ways. Ezek. xiii. 22, With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life.

Q. 4. How are God's works profaned and abused?

A. God's works are profaned and abused, 1. When persons pamper their flesh, gratify their lusts, and are intemperate in their use of God's creatures. Rom. xiii. 13, 14, Let us walk honestly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the Justs thereof. 2. When in prosperity, persons are forgetful of God, unthankful for mercies, and indulge themselves the more to sin, because of God's patience and bounty. Hos. xiii. 6, They were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.

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ii. 4, 5, Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance? But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath, &c. 3. When, in adversity, persons murmur, are impatient; when they are incorrigible, and grow more hardened in their sins. 1 Cor. x. 10, Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Jer. v. 3, Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Q. 56. What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?

A. The reason annexed to the third commandment is, That however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.

Q. 1. Whence is it that such as profane God's name do escape punishment from men ?

A. Such as profane God's name, for the most part, do

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escape punishment from men, 1. Because no laws of men do, or can reach all profanations of God's name. Because such laws as do reach blasphemy, perjury, swearing, and the like grosser profanations of God's name, are not executed by many in authority, who oftentimes being profane and wicked persons themselves, are more ready to punish them that hallow God's name, than those that profane it.

Q. 2. How doth it appear, that such as profane God's name shall not escape God's righteous judgment?

A. Such as profane God's name shall not escape God's righteous judgment, because God is righteous, and he will not hold them guiltless.

Q3. When doth the Lord punish them that profane his name?

A. 1. Sometimes God doth punish them in this life, and that with dreadful temporal plagues. Deut. xxviii. 58, 59, If thou wilt not observe to do all these words, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful. 2. Be sure if such escape here, they shall not escape eternal wrath and vengeance hereafter. Rom. ii. 5, Thou treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

Q. 57. Which is the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the Sabbath-day, 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 maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: 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.

Q. 58. What is required in the fourth commandment?

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A. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God, such set times as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven to be a holy Sabbath to himself.

Q. 1. What is the difference between the worship required in this fourth commandment, and the worship required in the first, second, and third?

A. The first commandment hath a respect unto the object of worship; the second commandment hath a respect unto the means of worship; the third commandment hath a respect unto the manner of worship: but this fourth commandment hath a respect unto the time of worship.

Q. 2. What time for worship doth the fourth com mandment require?

A. The fourth commandment doth require such set times for worship to be kept holy unto God, which he hath appointed in his word.

Q. 3. May not the Popish holy-days be observed?

A. The Popish holy-days ought not to be observed, because they are not appointed in the word; and, by the same reason, no other holy-days may be kept, whatsoev er pretence there be of devotion towards God, when there is no precept or example for such practice in the holy scripture.

Q. 4. What set time hath God appointed in his word to be kept holy to himself?

A. God hath appointed in his word one whole day in seven to be kept a holy Sabbath to himself. Deut. v. 12, Keep the Sabbath-day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.

Q. 5. What are we to understand by one whole day in seven which is to be kept holy to the Lord?

A. By one whole day in seven, we are not to understand only the whole artificial day, from sun-rising to sunsetting, or from day break in the morning, until the evening or night, but the whole natural day, consisting of twenty-four hours.

Q. 6. When doth this holy day or Sabbath begin, in the evening before, or that morning from midnight? A. In the evening before, by virtue of that word, Re

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