taken up in works of neceffity 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 fuch forefight, diligence and moderation, to difpofe, and feasonably dispatch our worldly bufinefs, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.

Q. 118. Why is the charge of keeping the Sabbath more fpecially directed to governors of families and other fuperiors?

A. The charge of keeping the Sabbath is more fpecially directed to governors of families and other fuperiors, because they are bound not only to keep it themselves, but to fee that it be obferved

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 fhould cleanse
themfelves, and that they fhould
come and keep the gates, to fanctify
the fabbath-day. Remember me,
my God, concerning this alfo, and
fpare me according to the greatness
of thy mercy. Jer. xvii. 21. Thus
faith the Lord, Take heed to your-
felves, and bear no burden on the
fabbath day, nor bring it in by the
gates of Jerufalemn., 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 have commanded
your fathers.

e Mat, xii. from verfe 1. to 13. At that time Jefus went on the fabbath day through the corn, and hist difciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to v. 2. But when the Pharifees faw it, &c.

eat.

d Ifa. Iviii. 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 falt 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 cultom
was, he went into the fynagogue
on the fabbath-day, and stood 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 Ga-
latia, even fo do ye, v. 2. Upon
the first day of the week, let every
one of you lay by him in ftore, as
God hath profpered him, that there
be no gatherings when I come. Pfal.
ix. (title) A Pfalm or Song for the
fabbath day. Ifa, Ixvi, 23. And it
fhall come to pals, that from one
new moon to another, and from
one fabbath to another, fhall all
flesh come to worship 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 fab.

bath day, to keep it holy, Luke

obferved by all thofe 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; all profaning the day by idlenefs, and doing that which is in itfelf finful;

finful; and by all needlefs works, words, and thoughts about our worldly employments and recreations k.

Q. 120. What are the reafons annexed to the fourth com-mandment, the more to enforce it?

A. The reafons'annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it, are taken from the equity of it, God allowing us fix days of feven for our own affairs, and referving but one for himself, in these words, Six days fhalt thou labour and do all thy work ; from God challenging a fpecial 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 refted the feventh day; and from that bleffing which God put upon that day, not

with fleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. Ezek. xxiii. 30. Alfo thou fon of man, the children of thy people still ⚫are talking against thee by the walls, and in the doors of the houses, and fpeak one to another, every one to his brother, faying, Come I pray you, 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, but their heart goeth after their covetoufnefs. v, 32. And lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely fong of one that hath a pleafant voice, and can play well on an inftrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not, Amos viii. 5. Saying, whes 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 thekel great, and falfifying the balances by deceit? Mal. i. 13. Ye faid alfo, Behold, what a wearinefs is it! and ye have fouffed at it, faith the Lord of hosts'; and ye brought that which

only

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 fanQuary in the fame day, and have profaned my fabbaths.

k Jer. xvii. 24. And it shall 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 hall 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 shall devour the palaces of Jerufalem, and fhall not be quenched. Ifa. Ivii. 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.

120. / Exod. xx. 9.
27 Exud xx. 10.

n Exod.

only in fanctifying it to be a day for his fervice, butin ordaining it to be a means of bleffing to us in our fanctifying it; wherefore the Lord bleffed the fabbath-day, and hallowed it n.

Q. 121. Why is the word Remember, fet in the beginning of the fourth commandment?

A. The word Remember is fet in the beginning of the fourth commandment o, partly becaufe of the great benefit of remembring 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 fhort abridgment of religion r: and partly because we are very

" Exod. xx, II.
121, o F.xod. xx. 8.

:

F.xod. xvi. 23. And he faid unto them, This is that which the Lord hath faid, To morrow is the reft of the holy fabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye 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. 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. Compared with Mark, xv. 42. And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the fabbath. Neh. xiii. 19. And it. came to pass that when the gates of Jerufalem began, to be dark before the fabbath, I commanded that the gates fhould be fhut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the fabbath: and some of my fervants fet I at the gate, that there, fhould go burden be brought in on the fabbath-day.

Pfal. xcii. (Title) A Pfalm or Song for the fabbath day. Compared with V. 13. Thofe that be planted in the

houfe of the Lord, fhall flourif in the courts of our God. And v, 14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age: They shall be fat, and flourishing. Ezek. xx. 12. Morễ. · over alfo, I gave them my fabbaths,

to be a fign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that fanctify them. v. 19, I am the Lord your God: walk in my flatutes, and keep my judgments, and do them. v. 20. And hallow my fabbaths: and they shall be a fign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.

r Gen. ii. 2. And on the feventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he refted on the feventh day from all his work which he had made, v. 3. And God blessed the feventh day, and fanctified it: because that in it he had refted from all his work, which God created and made. Pfal. cxviii. 22. The ftone which the builders refufed is become the head ftone of the cor-ner.. v. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Compared with Acts iv, 10. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Ifrael, that by the name of Jefus Chrift of

Nazareth,

very ready to forget it, for that there is lefs light of nature for itt, and yet it reitraineth our natural liberty in things at other times lawful; that it cometh but once in feven days, and many worldly bufineffes come between, and too often take off our minds from thinking of it, either to prepare for it, or to fanctify it w; and that Satan with is inftruments much labour to blot out the glory, and even the memory of it, to bring in all irreligion and impiety x.