Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral, Tract 2 · Part 36
Now to the Negatiue part of this Commandement.
Quest. What are the things to be considered in the fourth Commandement, as it is Negatiuely propounded in those words: In it thou shalt not doe any worke; Exod. 20.10.thou, nor thy sonne, nor thy daughter, thy manseruant, nor thy maid, nor thy beast, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates?
Answ. Two things. First a prohibition: In it thou shalt not doe any worke.
Secondly, the extent and reach of that prohibition: Thou, thy Sonne, thy Daughter, thy Man-seruant, thy Maid, thy Beast, thy stranger.
Quest. What doth the prohibition forbid?
Answ: In generall, a doing of such things and workes,Ier. 17.24. as doe any way hinder the keeping of an holy rest to God, on the Sabbath.
Quest: What are the workes that doe hinder the keeping of an holy rest to God on the Sabbath?
A. They are either works of profit, or works of pleasure.
Quest. What are the workes of profit that doe hinder the keeping of an holy rest vntounto God on the Sabbath?
Ans. They are the common labours in our ordinary callings and course of life; whether they be such as are vsuall in the sixe dayes, or such as are vsed at certaine speciall times in the yeare or monethmonth, as occasion is offered.
Quest. How is the keeping of an holy rest on the Sabbath, hindred by the labours of our callings that are vsuall?
Answ. Three waies.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This; when on the Sabbath,Isa. 58.13. Luk. 8.14. our hearts and minds are taken vp with thoughts and cares, about our ordinary worldly workes and businesses; wee are thinking of them, plotting and casting about, how they may be done.
Quest. What is the second of those waies?
Answ. This; when on the Sabbath wee are talking,Isai. 58.13. Amos 8.5. and speaking of our ordinarie worldly workes and businesses; in making bargaines, in reckoning with seruants, with lobourers and workemen, hyring of labourers, appointing them their worke, and the like.
Quest. What is the third of those waies?
Answ. This; when on the Sabbath,Exod. 16.28.29 Exod. 31.14. Nehe. 13.15.17 Ier. 17.22. Mar. 16.1. we doe our ordinarie worldly works and businesses, in whole or in part, be it neuer so little a part of them; as setting forward of any of our worldly workes, against the day following.
Obiection. If wee doe not some part of our worldly workes on the Sabbath, wee shall not bee able to maintaine our selues, and our families.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; this layes an imputation on the Lord himselfe: for the maintenance of our selues and families, is from the hand and blessing of God; and it is his blessing that maketh truly rich: and the doing of our worldly works, or any part of them on the Sabbath,…k. 12.15. o. 10 22. …r. 17.27. being expresly forbidden by God, brings the curse of God with it, and not a blessing: therefore they are no gainers that worke on the Sabbath.
Quest: Are we so strictly bound to cease from all workes and labours, as that no worke at all may be done on the Sabbath?
Answ: No, we are not; for the strictnesse of rest on the Sabbath, was ceremoniall and did belong to the Iewes only, and is abrogated by the death of Christ.
Obiection. 1 The fourth Commandement is a Law giuen as well to Christians as to the Iewes; and therfore it bindes both alike.
Quest: How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; the fourth Commandement binds Christians to keepe a seuenth day for the Sabbath, and an holy rest on that day; but it binds them not to the same strict manner of keeping that rest, as it did the Iewes.
Obiection. 2 The reasons annexed to the Commandement, doe equally bind all, both Iewes and Christians: therefore the Commandement it selfe.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; the reasons annexed to the Commandement, doe equally bind all touching the dutie commanded; but not for the manner of performance.
Q. What are the workes that may be done on the Sabbath, & not hinder the keeping of an holy rest to God, on that day.
Answ. They are of three sorts. They are either such works as concerne the practice, and performance of publike duties of the Sabbath: or workes of present necessitie; or workes of Christian libertie.
Quest. What are the workes that concerne the practice, and performance of publike duties that may be done on the Sabbath?
Answ. They are such workes as are necessarily to be done in, and about the publike worship of God;Act. 1.12. 2 Kin. 4.23. Mat. 12.5. and doe necessarily concerne the actions of piety belonging to that day: as a Sabbaths dayes iourney, to heare or preach the word of God. The priests vnderunder the Law, killing beasts for the sacrifice; so the sounding of Trumpets, Bells, or the like; for the gathering of the people together.
Quest. What is a Sabbath dayes iourney?
Answ. Not a mile or two, but so far as a man may conueniently goe for some good purpose; as to preach or heare the Word of God, without any hinderance of the ordinary exercises of that day; and without wearisomnesse, either to his body or minde, by which he is made vnfit for the worship of God and holy duties.
Quest. What are the workes of present necessitie, that may bee done on the Sabbath, and not hinder the keeping of an holy rest to God on that day?
Answ. They are such workes of mercy, as concerne the immediate preseruation of the temporall life, or liuely-hood of a man or beast; or that serue to the good estate of either of them, and that either in ordinarie cases; or in such as by the prouidence of God, fall out extraordinarily:Luk. 13.15. Luk 14.5. Act. 20.9.10. as watering of Cattle, foodering of Sheepe, and such like: drawing a beast out of a pit; quenching of a fire dangerous to a house, or the like exigents and sudden dangers
Quest. Watering of Cattle, foodering of Sheepe, and the like, are ordinary worldly works: How may they be done and not hinder the keeping of an holy rest to God, on the Sabbath day?
Answ. Thus; when men doe them not as their owne workes, respecting their owne profit, but meerely as the workes of mercy; regarding the necessitie of the creatures; and in doing of them, hauehave their mindes and hearts taken vp with holy meditations of thankfulnesse to God, for his merciemercy, in vouchsafing those creatures for their vse, and making them seruiceable vntounto them; and of imitating the creature,Pro. 12.1… in being content with the foode that is giuen them.
Question. In some particular ordinarie callings, there is an vsuall necessitie of doing the labours of them; it falls out that they are to be done almost eueryevery Sabbath: what are men to doe in such cases?
Answ. There is a two fold present necessity; one which men contract and draw on themselues, and another which is laid on them by the immediate hand, & prouidence of God; and men must consider what kinde of necessity it is, that lies on them; and accordingly carry themselues.
Quest. What is that necessitie of doing the labours of their callings on the Sabbath, that men contract and draw on themselues?
Answ. This; when men either out of a couetous minde, take on them more businesse in their callings, then they can dispatch in the sixe dayes in the weeke; or for want of wise and well ordering their businesse, it being such, as if they would well and wisely order, the things might be done the day before, or the day following: or when men through negligence, or forgetfulnesse, doe bring on themselues, some ordinarie businesse on the Sabbath: that is contracted necessitie.
Quest: What is to be done in this kind of necessitie?
Answ. Men are not to labour in such necessitie as this is, on the Sabbath; because then the worke is not properly their owne worke, as they are of this or that trade or calling; but a worke of their lust, and of their owne corruption.
Quest. What is that necessitie of doing the labours of their callings on the Sabbath, that is laid on men by the immediate hand of God?
Answ: This; when not through any neglect, ouersight, or other corruption of their owne; but by the immediate prouidence of God, some businesse of their ordinarie calling is laid on them, which could not be done the day before, neither can be left vndone till the day after.
Quest. What is to be done in this kind of necessitie?
Answ. In this necessitie we may labour on the Sabbath, some cautions being obserued.
Quest. What are those cautions?
Answ. They are foure.
First, that their labour bee with as little hinderance of them, from the publike holy exercises, as possibly may bee.
Secondly, that in labouring, their mindes bee exercised in holy meditations.
Thirdly, that they make not their work, a work of gaine, but of mercy, or tending to a worke of mercy.
Fourthly, that it serue to the immediate preseruation of the life, health, or good. 1 King. 19.8. Elijah continued flying from Iesabell to saue his life, many Sabbaths together. 1 Kings 20.29. They fought vponupon the Sabbath.Mat. 12.7. Mark. 3.4.5. Thus Phisicians may giuegive counsell, and minister Phisicke. The Chirurgian may cut and launce, and powre in Oyle, for the curing of woundes. Midwiues may helpe women in trauell.
Quest. What are the workes of Christian libertie, that may be done on the Sabbath, and not hinder the keeping of a holy rest vntounto God on that day?
Answ: They are such workes,Mat. 12.1.2.3. Mark. 2.27. as in the time of the Old Testament, did belong to the strict rest which the Iewes were commanded to keepe on the Sabbath, and such as they might not doe; and yet wee may doe now vnderunder the New Testament, in the time of the Gospell: as prouision and dressing of necessary foode, making of fires, making of beds, and such like. Mat. 12.1.2.3. Mark. 2 27. The Sabbath was made for mans good and comfort, and not men for the rest alone: if they had not eaten Corne they had fainted, and had beene made vnfit for the sanctifying of the Sabbath. Luke. 6.5.
Quest. How may the workes of Christian liberty bee done on the Sabbath, and not hinder the keeping of an holy rest vntounto God on that day?
Answ. Thus; when they are done without hindering the doers of them; as Cookes and such like, at feasts vsually and ordinarily, from the publike holy exercises: as when they are done in the time before, or after, or betweene the publike exercises; and when the doers of them hauehave their mindes exercised with holy and heauenly meditations. Dauid longed for water but would not drinke, because it was the blood of the men that went in ieopardy of their liues.…am 23.15.….17. And our Christian libertie is not to bee abused. Galath. 5.13.
Quest: May not such as hauehave not prouision of foode of their owne, goe or send to the Cookes or Ʋictuallers and fetch prouision, or cause them to prepare foode for their present neede on the Sabbath?
Answ. If they bee in health and strength of body, or any way able to fetch in and prepare such foode, as may sustaine Nature, the day before; they are not to goe or send for it on the Sabbath: but if they be sicke, or weake in body, or so extreame poore, as they hauehave neither credit nor money, but what happily is giuen them on the Sabbath; they may goe or send for it on the Sabbath: and in these cases, being certainely knowne to them, Cookes and other Victuallers, may dresse and prepare for them, and let them hauehave things needfull; because these bee cases of present necessitie, laid on them by the hand of God: the cautions before spoken off, obserued.