The Duties Commanded and Sins Forbidden in the Law of God, Commandment 4
The fourth Commandement.
The Affirmatiue part,
Commanding vsus to remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it. Esa. 56. 2.
Whence two things are to bee considered:
1. That we must sanctifie the Sabbath.
2. That we must be mindfull and carefull of it to sanctifie it.
To the sanctification of the Sabbath two things are required: viz.
Rest, which is signified in the word Sabbath.
The sanctifying of that rest.
The rest which is required, is partly
Outward, from bodily labours, and worldly businesse. Vers. 9. 10.
Inward, from the seruile workes of sinne.
Of the outward Rest, 3. things to be considered:
1. Why it is required, viz. as a remedy against distraction.
2. From what workes: viz. workes of our owne, and seruile workes, as
Buying and selling. Neh. 13. 15.
Carrying of burthens. Ierem. 17. 22.
Iourneys. Exod. 16. 29. &c.
3. How farre forth works are forbidden: viz.
As they are meanes of distraction, and hindrances of the entire sanctification of the Sabbath.
Not as they are referred either to the meanes, or workes of sanctification. To the
Meanes, as the
Labours of the Ministers, in and about their ministery. Math. 12. 5.
Trauell of the people to the places of Gods worship. 2. King 4. 23.
Workes, as the duties of mercy and charity: as to heale the sicke; to helpe a woman in trauell, &c. Math. 12. 7, 12. Hos. 6. 6.
Nor as they are workes of necessity. Mat. 12. 1. to 19. Of necessity I say,
Present, so as they could not hauehave been done before, nor may be done afterwards.
Sanctified, not contracted, through our owne negligence.
The Negatiue part,
Forbidding the profanation of the Sabbath.
Opp. The
Extremes, in
Excesse: a Iewish and superstitious obseruation of the outward rest, preferring it before either the meanes, or workes of sanctification. Mat. 12. 1, 2. Mark. 3. 2. Luk. 13. 14. Ioh. 9. 14, 16. 1. Mac. 2. 38.
Defect: the neglect of the outward rest, following of bodily labours and worldly businesse. Exod. 34. 21. … 31. 13, 14.
Abuse of rest, to
Idlenesse: when rest is not vsed as a meanes, but men rest in it as the end; which is worse than bodily labour. Sabbathum Asino…um.
Vanity, in profane sports and pastimes, which more distract, and more hinder our workes than honest labours. Esa. 58. 13. Sabbathum Tituli. Exod. 32. 6, 18, 19.
Sinne, as to gluttony, drunkennesse, whoredome, &c. Sabbathum Satanae.
By necessity therefore are excused, the necessary
Labour in prouision of food.
Tending of cattel. Mat. 12. 11 Labours of Mariners, being before the Sabbath on y• sea.
Fight for defence of our Countrey. 1. Mac. 2. 41.
Labours of seruants, and subiects, enioyned by their masters, and Magistrates, &c.
Mark. 2. 27.
The Sabbath was made for man.
The inward and spirituall rest from sinne. For as wee are to rest from sinne eueryevery day (that in this life wee may begin our eternall Sabbath, Heb. 4. 9. 10.) so especially on the Sabbath. Esa. 56. 2. … 58. 13.
These workes are chiefly forbidden, as being especially
Seruile workes, whereby men serue the diuell.
Our owne workes.
Now followeth the sanctification of the Rest, by
Vsing the meanes
Doing the workes
of sanctification.
The Sabbath is to be sanctified, both
Publikely.
Priuately.
The publike sanctification consisteth in
Vsing the meanes of sanctification in the worship of God. Wherewe are to consider the duty of y•
Ministers, who are to be the chiefe actors in the publike sanctification of the Sabbath: their duty is to
Call vpō God in behalfe of the people.
Reade and preach the Word.
Administer the Sacraments at conuenient times, and as occasion is offered.
People,
To vouchsafe their presence in the assembly, Leuit. 19. 30. 67. … 23. 2.
Cōming duly.
Staying to the end.
Being present, to behaue themselues religiously and vprightly (as hath been shewed in the second Commandement) in
Hearing the Word.
Calling on ye name of God.
The vse of y• Sacramēts.
Doing the workes of sanctification: as namely, in collections for the poore. 1. Cor. 16. 2.
Opp. Not to rest from sinne, which maketh the obseruation of the outward rest, odious vntounto God. Esa 1. 13, 14, 15. Amos 5. 21.
Opp. In the
Ministers,
Carelesse Non-residency
Idlenesse.
People,
Absence, vponupon no iust cause, through
Negligence. Mat. 22. 5. Luk. 14. 18, 19, 20.
Contempt and obstinacy, as in Recusants, whether
Hereticks, as Papists, &c.
Schismaticks, as Brownists. Heb. 10. 25.
Departure without any necessary cause.
Irreligious and hypocriticall behauiour in the worship of God.
The Sabbath is also to be sanctified priuately.
The priuate sanctification consisteth in duties, which either
hauehave reference to the publike sanctification, and those either
Going before, as preparation by
Meditation.
Prayer.
Following, as
Meditation of the Word heard.
Application of it to our vse.
Conference with others, if wee be not alone, &c.
Seuerally are required, as
Meanes of sanctification, as
Reading.
Meditation of Gods
Word.
Workes of
Creation.
Redēption by Christ.
Inuocation by
Prayer.
Thankes-giuing, and singing of Psalms. Ps. 92. 1
Godly conference.
Works of sanctification: as y• workes of mercy.
Outward: as Almes…giuing, visiting the sicke, &c.
Inward & spirituall▪ as to
Teach the ignorant.
Reclaime the erroneous.
Admonish the backward.
Exhort & stir vp one another.
Rebuke the offendour.
Comfort the distressed.
GiueGive counsell to them which need it, or seeke it.
Reconcile them which bee at variance, &c.
To neglect the priuate sanctification of the Sabbath, mis-spending the time in
Worldly ….
Idlenesse.
Vanity.
Sinne, &c.
2. We are to remember, or (as Deut. 5. 12.) to obserue the Sabbath that we may sanctifie it.
Where are duties required, both
Before: so to cast our businesse before-hand, and so to dispose of our affaires and iourneyes, &c. that on the Sabbath we shall not need to bee distracted with bodily labours, or worldly businesse.
On the Sabbath, studiously to obserue it, that is, both
Seriously & soundly, as the words import.
Willingly and with delight. Esa. 58. 13.
To the weekly Sabbath, wee are to adde all other Sabbaths, lawfully ordained by the Church; all wch are to be consecrated as Sabbaths to the Lord, whether they be
Ordinary and Anniuersary, such as
were the feast of
Purim. Hest. 3. 7. … 9. 21.
The Dedication. 1. Macca. 4. 59. Ioh. 10. 22.
Are the feasts of Christs Natiuity, Resurrection, Ascension, & Pentecost.
Extraordinary, wch are Sabbaths of
…oy and thankes-giuing. Neh. 8. 9, 10.
Humiliation. Ioel 1. 14. … 2. 15. 2. Chr. 20. 3.
Opp. To bee mindfull of the Sabbath to profane it: as those who hauing any extraordinary businesse, will not bestow any part of the weeke vponupon it, but will reserue it for the Sabbath; and make bold with God to borrow part of his day, &c.
To obserue the Sabbath for fashion sake, keeping the outward Rest onelyonly, putting on gay clothes, and doing nothing.
To bee weary of the Sabbath, and to wish it were gone. Amos 8. 5.
The not obseruing of Sabbaths lawfully ordained by the Church, either through
Neglect.
Contempt.
The mis-spending of them, (which fault is common, especially in the Feast of Christs Natiuity) to vanity and sinne.
the summe of the second Table.
Thou shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe. Leuit. 19. 18. Mat. 22. 39. Rom. 13. 8, 9.
In which words we are to consider the
Duty, which is louelove. 1. Cor. 13. 1. Ioh. 4. 20, 21 3. 14. and this louelove must bee
Vnfained. Ro. 12. 9. 2. Cor. 6. 6. 1. Ioh. 3. 18.
Feruēt. 1. Pet. 4. 8.
1. Pet. 1. 22.
Obiect, thy neighbour, whereby is meant, eueryevery one that is neere vntounto v… not onelyonly in friendship, as the Pharises imagined, Math. 5. 43. or in place and dwelling, as the word is commonly vsed: but also in nature, as eueryevery man is, being made of the same blood, Act. 17. 26. the same flesh, Esa. 58. 7. after the same image of God, Gen. 9. 6. Howbeit of this louelove there are degrees, Gal. 6. 10. 1. Tim. 5. 8. Gen. 2. 24.
Manner, as thy selfe, Mat. 7. 12 that is, as thou oughtest to louelove thy selfe, in regard both of the louelove
Naturall, whereby thou des…est thine own good and safety, as the preseruation of thy
Life, and health.
Wiues chastity.
Goods.
Good name, &c.
Spirituall, whereby thou desirest and seekest the saluation of thy soule, and the meanes thereof.
The division of the second Table.
The commandements of the second Table, cō cerne such duties and vices, as are either
Peculiar to some sorts of men; as of
Superiours to inferiours.
Inferiours to superiours.
as in the 5. Commandement.
Cōmon to all: & they forbid such sins against the neighbour, as either
HaueHave the consent of the will to doe them; and they are committed against the
Person, as in the sixth Commandement.
Adiuncts of the Person, whether
Inward, as Chastity in the seuenth Cōmandement.
Outward, as
Goods, in the 8. Commā dement.
Good name, in the ninth.
Goe before the consent of the will, as concupiscence: in the tenth Commandement.