The teaching of the Shorter Catechism on the Fourth Commandment

The following questions and answers are taken from Thomas Vincent's work 'The Shorter Catechism explained from Scripture' and cover questions fifty seven to sixty two in the Shorter Catechism. These questions deal with the fourth commandment and help us to understand what the Word of God teaches on the issue of Sabbath observance. Vincent's work may been produced over 300 years ago, yet it is still has much relevance and is helpful to our understanding of how God's Sabbath is to be sanctified.

LVII. Ques. Which is the fourth commandment?

Ans. 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 maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy 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."

LVIII. Ques. What is required in the fourth commandment?

Ans. 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 commandment require?

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

Q. 3. May not the Popish holidays be observed?

A. The Popish holidays ought not to be observed, because they are not appointed in the Word: and, by the same reason, no other holidays may be kept, whatsoever 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. "Keep the Sabbath-day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee." --Deuteronomy 5:12.

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 sun setting, 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, "Remember to keep holy the seventh day," we ought to begin to prepare for the Sabbath; but the Sabbath itself doth not begin until the evening is spent, and midnight thereof over, and the morning after twelve of the clock beginneth.

Q. 7. Doth not the Scriptures require us to begin the Sabbath in the evening, when it is said, "The evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:5); and, "From even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath?" --Leviticus 23:32.

A. 1. It doth not follow that the evening of the first day was before the morning, though it be first spoken of; no more than that Shem and Ham were elder than Japheth, because they are reckoned up in order before him. "The sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth" (Genesis 10:1); and yet Japheth is called the elder brother. --Verse 21. But Moses, reckoning up the works of God on the first day, retires back from the evening to the morning, and saith, they both make up the first day. Surely in the account of all nations, and in Scripture account too, the morning is before the evening. "The same day at evening, being the first day of the week, came Jesus," etc. (John 20:10), where the evening following this day, and on the evening before the day, is called the evening of the same day.

2. That place in Leviticus, concerning the celebration of the Sabbath from evening to evening, hath a reference only unto a ceremonial Sabbath, or day of atonement, on the tenth day of the seventh month, wherein the Israelites were to afflict their souls; but it hath not a reference unto the weekly Sabbath.

Q. 8. How do you prove by the Scripture that the weekly Sabbath doth begin in the morning?

A. That the weekly Sabbath is to begin in the morning, is evident--

1. by Exodus 16:23: "This is that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord." If the Sabbath had begun in the evening, Moses would have said, This evening doth begin the rest of the Sabbath; but he saith, Tomorrow is the rest of the Sabbath.

2. Most evidently it doth appear that the Sabbath doth begin in the morning, and not in the evening, by Matthew 28:1: "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre." If the end of the Jewish Sabbath were not in the evening, when it began to grow dark towards the night, but when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, which must needs be towards the morning, and in no rational sense can be interpreted of the evening, then the Sabbath did also begin in the morning, and not in the evening, for the beginning and ending must needs be about the same time. But the former is evident from this place, concerning the Jewish Sabbath's ending; and therefore, consequently concerning its beginning.

3. Further, it is also said in this place, that the first day, which is the Christian Sabbath, did begin towards the dawning, as it grew on towards light, and not as it grew on towards darkness; therefore the Christian Sabbath doth begin in the morning.

4. Moreover, the resurrection of Christ, in commemoration of which the Christian Sabbath is observed, was not in the evening, but early in the morning (" Now when Jesus was risen early, the first day of the week" --Mark 16:9); therefore the Sabbath is to begin in the morning.

5. If the Sabbath did begin in the evening before, it would end in the evening after; and it would be lawful for men to work in their callings, or to go to their recreations, on the evening of the Sabbath, which surely would be very unsuitable after the holy employments of that day.

Q. 9. Is this fourth commandment, concerning the keeping of the Sabbath, ceremonial or moral?

A. Though the commandment which the Lord laid upon the Israelites, for the observation of other Sabbaths, was ceremonial, and abrogated, and not to be observed by Christians, yet this fourth commandment, concerning the weekly Sabbath, was moral, and binding upon all nations, and that throughout all generations.

Q. 10. How doth it appear that the fourth commandment was moral, and not ceremonial?

A. The morality of the fourth commandment doth appear--

1. From the time of the Sabbath's first institution, which was in paradise, in the state of innocency, before there was any ceremony.

2. From all the arguments made use of to back it, which are perpetual, and not ceremonial.

3. Because it is placed in the midst of the decalogue, or ten commandments, and all the other nine are moral, and therefore this too; and, with the rest, it was written by God on tables of stone -- which showeth the perpetuity of it.

4. Because the Gentiles were required to observe this, the stranger as well as others; but they were not under the ceremonial law.

5. From the testimony of Christ: "Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath-day." --Matthew 24:20. This flight was to be at the destruction of Jerusalem, in Vespasian's time, when all ceremonies were abolished; and yet then our Saviour speaks of the Sabbath in force, which would aggravate their grief, if they should be forced to break it.

LIX. Ques. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?

Ans. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week, ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath.

Q. 1. Is the seventh day of the week always to be kept as holy, and the weekly Sabbath unto the Lord?

A. The seventh day in _number_ is always to be kept as holy, and the weekly Sabbath; the seventh part of our time being God's due, and, by virtue of this commandment, to be separated from common use, and employed in his worship, and more immediate service every week; but the seventh day in order from the creation is not necessary always to be observed as a Sabbath, it being in the power of God, who appointed the seventh in order, to alter that order at his pleasure.

Q. 2. Which day of the seven did God at first appoint to be the weekly Sabbath?

A. God did at first appoint the seventh day in order to be the weekly Sabbath: "Six days shalt thou labour and do all which thou hast to do, but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work," etc.

Q. 3. Wherefore did God appoint the seventh day at first to be the weekly Sabbath?

A. God did at first appoint the seventh day to be the weekly Sabbath, because it was the day of his rest from his works of creation, that thereon men might rest from their works, and remember his: "For in six days God made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day," etc.

Q. 4. When did God first appoint the seventh day to be the Sabbath?

A. God did appoint the seventh day to be the Sabbath immediately after the first creation: "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it." --Genesis 2:3.

Q. 5. Was the seventh day observed as the weekly Sabbath before God wrote the commandment for its observation on tables of stone in the mount, which he delivered unto Moses?

A. It is more than probable that this seventh day was observed all along by the true worshippers of God, as the other precepts of the law were observed, though no mention be made thereof in the short history of the affairs of some thousand years. For Adam, who lived until the days of Methuselah, no doubt did teach his children this precept, which he had from God in paradise; and Methuselah, who lived till the days of Shem, surely did deliver it down to posterity all the days of the old world; and Shem, who lived till Abraham's time, and is supposed to be Melchizedek, in all probability, did deliver this precept successively unto him in the new world; and as Abraham with ease might, so without question he did, teach it with other precepts to his children, and they teach it one to another, until the time of Moses; and Moses speaketh to the Israelites of the Sabbath to be kept holy to the Lord on the morrow (Exodus 16:23), as a thing well known unto them, and of practice among them, which was some time before the Lord gave the law upon Mount Sinai.

Q. 6. How long was the seventh day to be observed as the weekly Sabbath?

A. The seventh day was to be observed as the weekly Sabbath, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ.

Q. 7. What day is to be observed for the weekly Sabbath, from the resurrection of Christ?

A. The first day of the week, from the resurrection of Christ, is to be observed by Christians unto the end of the world for their weekly Sabbath.

Q. 8. How could the seventh day Sabbath be changed from the last of seven to the first of seven, when we do not read expressly of any repeal in the Scripture of the last of seven?

A. 1. It is one day of seven which God hath appointed to be the Sabbath; and in the commandment, the Lord doth bless and hallow, not the seventh day, but the Sabbath-day, which might be on another seventh day in order, if God should so please.

2. It is but one day in seven which God hath appointed to be the weekly Sabbath, God having both allowed and appointed the other six days of the week for our labour.

3. God having substituted or appointed another day for to be a holy Sabbath to himself; this substitution of another doth virtually include in it a repeal of the old Sabbath; that is, in reference unto the time of its observation.

Q. 9. How doth it appear that the first day of the week is appointed by God to be the weekly Sabbath?

A. 1. There is a like reason for the appointment of the first day as there was for the seventh. The reason of God's appointing the seventh was, his resting from his works of creation; and there is a like reason for appointing the first day, which was the day of Christ's resurrection, namely, the Son of God's resting from his suffering works about man's redemption, into which rest he is said to enter, and which we are more nearly concerned to remember. "For he that is entered into his rest, hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." --Hebrews 4:10.

2. The Lord Jesus hath put his name upon the first day of the week. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's-day." --Revelation 1:10. There is reason to believe that the Lord's-day here spoken of was the first day of the week, because it is a certain determinate day, and it is spoken of as a day which was well known among Christians by that name; and the first day of the week being the day of the Lord's resurrection, and wherein Christians did use to assemble themselves together upon, had the only reason for such denomination. There is also reason to believe that the Lord did put his own name upon this day, because none had authority to put his name upon any day but himself; and the apostle calling it the Lord's-day, by the inspiration of the Spirit no doubt but it was the Lord's will it should be so called, and by consequence it was his will that this day should be used and observed as an holy day unto himself. As the second sacrament is called the Lord's supper, because it was appointed by the Lord; so the first day of the week is called the Lord's day, because it was appointed by the Lord; and this day being appointed, no other is to be observed now as the Christian Sabbath.

3. The appointment of the first day of the week to be the Sabbath may be inferred from 1Corinthians 16:1,2: "Now, concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as the Lord hath prospered him." The apostle having given order from the Lord to the Churches of Galatia and Corinth, and by consequence to the other Churches of the Gentiles, for collections on the first day of the week, as God had prospered them on other days, we may infer, this being a Sabbath-day's work, that he had also, from the Lord, given order for the observation of this first day, as the weekly Sabbath.

4. We read of the disciples being assembled together on the first day of the week, and that Jesus then came among them (John 20:19); and that eight days after, they met again, which was another first day, and Jesus came to them. --Verse 26. Moreover, that it was the practice of Christ's disciples to meet together to worship the Lord, to hear the word, and break bread, or receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper, on the first day of the week. "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples were come together to break bread, Paul preached unto them," etc. --Acts 20:7. Paul had been with them seven days (verse 6), and yet we read of no solemn meeting but on the first day of the week, the last of the seven wherein he abode with them. It was not on the old Sabbath, the last day of the week, that the solemn assembly for worship was held, but on the first day; which, had it not been the Sabbath of new appointment, and of necessary observation to Christians, would have been most inconvenient for Paul to have spent in religious exercises until midnight, when the next morning he was to take his journey. All which being considered, together with the practice of Christians from the apostles' days, it may be evident unto them that desire not to cavil, that the first day of the week is appointed by the Lord to be the Christian Sabbath.

LX. Ques. How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?

Ans. The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.

Q. 1. What is it to sanctify the Sabbath?

A. The Sabbath is sanctified by God, in his appointing it to be holy; and the Sabbath is sanctified by man, in his observing and keeping it as holy: "Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy."

Q. 2. How are we to observe and keep the Sabbath as holy?

A. We are to observe and keep the Sabbath as holy, partly by a holy resting, partly in holy exercises on that day.

Q. 3. What are we to rest from on the Sabbath-day?

A. We are on the Sabbath-day to rest, not only from those things which are in themselves sinful, which we are bound to rest from on every day of the week; but also we are to rest from those worldly employments and recreations which on the other six days of the week are lawful, and our duty: "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," etc.

Q. 4. May not such works be done in our particular callings on the Sabbath-day as cannot so seasonably and advantageously be done on the other days of the week?

A. There are some works in our particular callings which may seem to be most seasonable and advantageous on the Sabbath-day, and yet it is our duty to rest from them, and wholly to forbear them; such as--

1. Killing of beasts on the Sabbath, to prepare for the Monday market.

2. Ploughing, sowing, gathering in of corn, making hay while the sun shines and the weather best serveth, on the Sabbath-day.

3. Selling of fruit, or any other wares, on the Sabbath-day, when there may be most custom for them.

4. Selling or buying of fish on the Sabbath, which in hot weather might stink if kept until the Monday. These, and the like worldly employments, we are to forbear, by virtue of this commandment, they being our own works; and whatever loss we may seem to sustain by such forbearance, be sure it is not comparable to the loss of God's favour, and the wounding of our conscience, and the loss of our souls for ever, which will be the fruit of living in the breach of God's law. And if such works as these must be forborne on the Sabbath, much more such works of our calling as may be done on the week-day, as well as on the Sabbath. "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 in the day wherein they sold victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath-day? 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 Israel by profaning the Sabbath." --Nehemiah 13:16-18.

Q. 5. May we not lawfully recreate ourselves upon the Sabbath-day, especially since the day is appointed to be a day of rest from our toiling labour in the week?

A. We may and ought to recreate our minds on the Sabbath-day in the worship of God, we being bound to call and make in this respect the Sabbath our delight. But we ought to forbear recreating our minds with carnal delight, either by words or deeds, which we may do on other days; and much more we ought to forbear recreating our bodies by sports and pastimes, though after the public exercise of God's worship be over. "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: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." --Isaiah 58:13,14.

Q. 6. Though masters and governors of families are bound themselves to rest upon the Sabbath-day, yet may they not command their children and servants to work, or permit them to play and take their recreation?

A. Indeed the commandment is principally directed to masters and governors of families, but withal so as it doth enjoin them to do what in them lieth to hinder their children and servants from the profanation of the day by servile working, or bodily recreations, and to put them upon the observation of this day of rest: "In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant," etc.

Q. 7. May not children or servants lawfully work or play upon the Sabbath-day, if they be commanded hereunto by their parents or masters?

A. Though it be the sin of the parents or masters to command their children or servants to work, or any other way to break the Sabbath, yet it is the duty of children and servants to disobey them, whatever temporal loss they sustain by it; they being bound to obey the God of heaven rather than any man upon earth.

Q. 8. Is it lawful to dress meat on the Sabbath-day?

A. Although it was the will of the Lord that the children of Israel should neither gather nor dress the manna that fell from heaven on the Sabbath-day, there being so much servile work to be done about it before it was fit to be eaten, namely, the grinding of it in mills, or beating it in mortars, and then breaking it, which servile work is still unlawful, unless in cases of necessity; and although fires were forbidden to be kindled in all their habitations, (Exodus 35:3), that is, to forbear worldly employments, (as the works forbidden in the former verse were, and this instance is a special of the general); yet the Scripture doth nowhere forbid the dressing meat at all, for ordinary food, nor the kindling of fires for such use; but the lawfulness of meat may be collected from the Scripture, inasmuch as our Saviour himself was present at a feast on the Sabbath day (Luke 14:1), where no doubt meat was dressed for so many guests as were there bidden. And when we are allowed to provide food for our cattle on the Sabbath, surely we may lawfully dress meat for ourselves.

Q. 9. What works doth God allow us to do on the Sabbath-day, besides those which he doth principally command us?

A. The works which God doth allow us to do on the Sabbath-day, besides what he doth principally command us, are works of necessity and mercy; such as eating, drinking, defending ourselves from enemies, quenching the fire of houses, visiting the sick, relieving the poor, feeding cattle, and the like; in all which employments we ought not to have a reference chiefly to ourselves, or any temporal advantage, but to be as spiritual as may be in them. "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. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath-day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did?" etc. --Matthew 12:1-3. And, verse 7 "If you had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless." And verses 10-12: "They said unto him, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day? and he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath-day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath-days." "And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath-day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath-day?" --Luke 13:14-16.

Q. 10. What are the holy exercises, or the works which we are principally commanded to do on the Sabbath-day?

A. The holy exercises which we are to be employed in, or the works which we are principally commanded to do on the Sabbath-day, are the public and private exercises, especially the public exercises of God's worship, such as hearing the word, prayer, receiving the sacrament, singing of psalms, in the public assemblies of God's people. "And it shall come to pass that, from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." --Isaiah 66:23. "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." --Luke 4:16. "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them." --Acts 20:7. "A psalm or song for the Sabbath-day." --Psalm 92 (title).

Q. 11. How are we to perform these public exercises of God's worship on the Sabbath-day?

A. We are to perform these public exercises of God's worship on the Sabbath-day--

1. With sincerity, having a single respect unto the honour and glory of God, whose day the Sabbath is. "If thou call the Sabbath the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shalt honour him." --Isaiah 58:13.

2. With reverence, and that both of body and mind. "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God." --Ecclesiastes 5:1. "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." --Isaiah 66:2.

3. With diligence and attention. "And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made. And Lydia, which worshipped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." --Acts 16:13-14.

4. With love and fervour of spirit. "Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." --Romans 12:11.

5. With delight and joy. "If thou call the Sabbath a delight." --Isaiah 58:13.

Q. 12. What are we to do by way of preparation for the public exercises of God's worship on the Sabbath-day?

A. By way of preparation for the public exercises of God's worship on the Sabbath-day,we are--

1.To remember, before the day come, to keep it holy, so as to finish our worldly business and employments on the week-days, and timely to break off from them on the Saturday evening, and to take pains to get our hearts in a readiness for the holy duties of the Sabbath.

2. In the morning of the Sabbath, we must begin the day with God, in holy meditation upon the works of God's creation, and especially upon the works of redemption, which were completed by Christ's resurrection upon this day; we must read the Scripture, and some other good books, as we have time, for the better fitting us for our more public and solemn worship; especially we must pray in secret, and in our families, for God's presence in his ordinances, and that God would assist his ministers, who are his mouth to us, and ours to him; and that he would assist us in a sincere and hearty performance of public duties, that we may attain more knowledge, experience, and mortification, further degrees of grace, and more communion with God.

Q. 13. What are we to do on the Sabbath-day, after the public exercises of God's worship are over?

A. After the public exercises of God's worship are over the work of the Sabbath is not over; but we must retire to our families (not seek our pleasure in the fields, or in vain company), and there repeat over what we have heard; catechise and instruct children and servants, sing psalms, pray with our families, and whilst we moderately make use of any creature refreshment, we must discourse of the things of God. We ought also to take time in the evening to retire into secret, and there examine ourselves as to the carriage of our hearts before God in the day; labour in meditation to get the word wrought more thoroughly upon our hearts; we must also endeavour to pour out our hearts before God in secret prayer, humbly confessing sin, earnestly and believingly requesting pardon and further supplies of grace, and thankfully praising God for all his mercies, especially for his Son Jesus Christ, and the Gospel privileges which we have in and by him. In such variety of holy exercises we may spend the whole Sabbath, which we should make as long as we can; and when the day is at an end, we should long for the Sabbath in heaven, which will never have an end.

LXI. Ques. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?

Ans. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission, or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful; or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.

Q. 1. What sort of sins are forbidden in the fourth commandment?

A. The sins forbidden in the fourth commandment are either sins of omission or sins of commission.

Q. 2. What Sins of omission are forbidden?

A. The sins of omission forbidden in the fourth commandment are--

1. The omission of the duties of the Sabbath themselves, such as neglecting works of necessity and mercy, when called to them; but especially neglecting the public or private exercise of God's worship, and that either in whole or in part; when we forsake the assemblies of God's people, or omit worshipping God in our families, or praying and seeking God in secret upon this day.

2. The omission of the careful performance of the duties of the Sabbath, when we are hypocritical, dull, dead, full of distractions, weariness, unwatchful, sleepy, and attend upon ordinances without any heart and life, and the Sabbath-day is the most burdensome of all other days of the week unto us. "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me." --Matthew 15:7,8. "Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat?" --Amos 8:5. "Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness

Q. 3. What sins of commission are forbidden in this fourth commandment?

A. The sins of commission forbidden in this fourth commandment are, the profaning the Sabbath-day--

1. By idleness, when we spend the day either in whole or in part idly, neither working in our callings, nor employing ourselves in the duties of God's worship, but loiter away that precious time in our houses or the fields, either in vain and idle thoughts, or in vain and idle discourse, or the like.

2. By doing that which is in itself more grossly sinful; as if, instead of going to the house of God to worship, we should go to the tavern or ale-house, on the Sabbath-day, and be drunk, or go to a base house, or in any house to be wanton and unclean; or if, on the Sabbath-day, instead of hallowing and praising God's name, and praying to him, we should swear by his name in our ordinary discourse, or take his name in vain; if, instead of worshipping God with his people, we should persecute God's people for worshipping him, or rail at them or scoff and deride them, because of the holiness which is in them.

3. By unnecessary thoughts and contrivances about worldly affairs, unnecessary words and discourses about earthly employments, unnecessary works in our particular callings, or by carnal pleasures and recreations, which are lawful on other days; thus thinking our own thoughts, speaking our own words, doing our own works, and finding our own pleasure, are forbidden, Isaiah 58:13: "Not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words."

LXII. Ques. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?

Ans. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the Sabbath-day.

Q. 1. How many reasons are there annexed to the fourth commandment?

A. There are four reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more effectually to induce and persuade us unto the strict observation of the Sabbath-day.

Q. 2. What is the first reason?

A. The first reason annexed to the fourth commandment is, God's allowing us six days for our own employment. When he might have taken more time for himself, he hath taken but one day in seven, and alloweth us other six, which are sufficient for the works of our particular callings, and any kind of needful recreations. "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all which thou hast to do."

Q. 3. What is the second reason?

A. The second reason annexed to the fourth commandment is, God's challenging a special property in the seventh day. The seventh day, or Sabbath, being the Lord's, which he hath sanctified and set apart from common use, to be employed in his worship, it is theft and sacrilege to alienate this day in whole or in part to our own use, any further than he hath given us allowance. "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God."

Q. 4. What is the third reason?

A. The third reason annexed to the fourth commandment is, God's own example, in resting himself from his works of creation on the seventh day, and therefore he would have us also to rest from the works of our particular calling, and sanctify a Sabbath in imitation of him. "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day."

Q. 6. What is the fourth reason?

A. The fourth reason annexed to the fourth commandment is, God's blessing of the Sabbath, by virtue whereof we may hope for his presence with us in the duties of the day, and to receive blessings from him upon ourselves. "Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it."