The Catechizing of Families, Chapter 37
CHAP. XXXVII. Of the Fourth Commandement.
Qu. 1. WHat are the Words of the fourth Commandement?
A. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy: six daies 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 Daugh…er, thy Man-Servant, nor thy Maid-Servant, nor thy Cattel, nor thy Stranger that is within thy Gates▪ For in six daies the Lord made Heaven▪ and Earth, the Sea and all that in them …s, and rested the seventh day: Wherefore …he Lord blessed the Sabbath day and …allowed it.aExo. 20. 10, 11. & 31. 17. Heb. 4. 4.
Q. 2. Why doth Deut. 5. repeat it in so different Words?
A. Because the words are but for the sence, and …hey being kept in the Ark as written in Stone and safe from alteration, Moses in Deut. 5. gave them the sence, and added some of his own explication: And nothing is altered to obscure the sence.bGen. 2. 2, 3.
Q. 3. Which day is it which was called the Sabbath in this Commandement?
A. The seventh, commonly called from the Heathen Custom, Saturday.
Q. 4. Why was that day made the Sabbath?
A. God having made the world in six daies space, seeing all Good and very Good, rested in his own complacency; and appointed the seventh day every week to be separated as Holy, to worship and praise him the Great Creator, as his Glorious perfections shine forth in his works.
Q. 5. What is meant by Gods resting from his work?
A. Not that he had been at any labour or wea…iness therein; but 1. That he finished the Creation; 2. That he was pleased in it as Good: 3. And that he would have it be a day of holy pleasant Rest to man.
Q. 6. What is meant by keeping Holy the Sabbath day?
A. Separating it to the Holy Worship and praise of the Creator, and Resting to that end from unnecessary bodily labour.
Q. 7. What doth the word [Remember] signifie?
A. First, it is an awakening Caveat to bid us take special care that we break not this Commandement 2. And then that we must prepare before it comes to avoid the things that would hinder us in the duty, and to be fit for it's performance.
Q. 8. Why is [Remember] put before this more than before the rest of the Commandements?
A. Because, 1. Being but of Positive institution, and not naturally known to man, as other duties are, they had need of a positive excitation and Remembrance. And 2. It is of great importance to the constant and acceptable worship, and the avoiding of impediments to keep close to the due Time which God hath appointed for it: And to violate it, tendeth to Atheistical ungodliness.
Q. 9. Why is it called [The Sabbath of the Lord thy God?]
A. Because 1. God did institute and separate it: 2. And it is separated to the honour and Worship of God.
Q. 10. When and how did God institute and separate it?
A. Fundamentally by his own Resting from the work of Creation: But immediately by his declaring to Adam his Will for the sanctifying of that day, which is expressed, Gen. 2. 3.
Q. 11. Some think that the Sabbath was not instituted till man had sinned and Christ was promised, and so God Rested in Christ?
A. When the text adjoineth it close to the Creation, and giveth that only as the reason of it (that God ended his works which he had made, and rested from them,) this is humane, corrupting presumption.
Q. 12. But some think the Sabbath was first instituted in the Wilderness, when they were forbid to gather Manna?
A. It is not there mentioned as newly instituted, and it is mentioned, Gen. 2. 2, 3. and then instituted with the reason of it, [And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because in it he rested from all his works which God created and made.] And the same reason is repeated in the Fourth Commandement.
Q. 13. Is this Commandement of the Law of Nature as are the rest?
A. It was more of the Law of Nature to Adam than to us; his nature knowing otherwise than ours, both when God ended his works, and how beautiful they were before the Curse. It is now of the Law of Nature (that is, known by Natural light without other Revelation.) 1. That God should be worshipped: 2. That Societies should assemble to do it together: 3. That some set Time should be separated statedly to that use: 4. That it should be done with the whole heart, without worldly diversions or distractions.
But I know nothing in Nature alone from whence a man can prove that 1. It must be either just one day in seven, 2. Or just what day of the seven it must be: 3. Nor just what degree of Rest is necessary. Though reason may discern that one day in seven is a very convenient proportion.
Q. 14. Are the words [Six dayes shalt thou labour, &c.] a Command, or onelyonly a License?
A. They are not only a License but a Command to man, c1 Thes. 4. 11. 2 Thes. 3. 10, 11, 12. Pro. 18. 9. Mat. 25. 26. Rom. 12. 11.to live in an ordinary calling or Lawful course of Labour, according to each ones ability and place, and diligently to exercise it, and not spend time in Idleness: And the ordinary time is here assigned thereto.
Q. 15. Then how can it be lawful to spend any of the week-dayes in Religious Exercises, any more than to spend any part of the Sabbath day in Labour?
A. All Labours are to be done as the Service of God, and as a means to holy and Everlasting ends; and therefore it is implyed still that God be sought and remembred and honoured in all; As our Eating and drinking is our duty, but to be done to the Glory of God, and therefore with the seeking of his blessing and returning him our thanks.dProv. 31. 27. Ezek. 16. 41. 1 Tim. 5. 13. Mat. 20. 6.
Q. 16. But is it lawful then to separate whole dayes either weekly, or monthly, or yearly, to Religious Exercises, when God hath commanded us to labour on them?
A. As Gods command of Resting on the Sabbath is but the Stating of the Ordinary Time; supposing an exception of extraordinary Cases; (as in time of War, of Fire, of dispersing Plagues, of hot Persecution, &c. As Circumcision was omitted in the Wilderness forty years;) so this Command to Labour six dayes doth state our ordinary time, but with supposed exception of extraordinary occasions for dayes of Humiliation and Thanksgiving. And all Gods Commands suppose that when two dutyes meet together and cannot both be then done, the greater must ever be preferred: And therefore saving the Life of a Man, or a Beast, yea feeding and watering beasts, labouring in Temple Service, &c. were to be preferred before the Rest of the Sabbath: And so when our necessity or profit make Religions exercises more to o…r good, and so a greater duty (as Lectures, Fasts, &c.) we must preferre them to our ordinary Labour. For as the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, so were the other dayes.eEsth. 9. 26, 28, 31.
Q. 17. May not Rich men that have no need, forbear the six dayes Labour?
A. No: if they are able: It is part of Gods Service, and Riches are his gift: And to whom he giveth much, from them he expecteth not less but more: Shall servants work less because they have more wages? It is not only for their own supplyes that God commandeth men to Labour, but also for the publick good, and the benefit or relief of others: and the health of their Bodies, and the suitable employment of their minds, and that none of their short precious time be lost in sinful idleness.fSee Prov. 31. 27, &c.
Q. 18. But it will seem sordid for Lords, and Knights, and Ladies to labour?
A. It is swinish and sinful not to Labour: But they must do it in works that are suitable to their places. As Physicians, School-masters, and Church-Ministers, labour not in the same kind of imployment as Plow-men and Tradesmen do; so Magistrates have their proper Labour in Government, and Rich Persons have Families, Children and Servants to oversee, their poor Neighbours and Tenants to visit, encourage and relieve, and their equals so to converse with as tendeth to the greatest good: But none must live idly.gEzek. 16. 49.
Q. 19. Was Rest on the Sabbath absolutely commanded?
A. It was alwayes a duty to break it, when a greater duty came in which required it: As Christ hath told the Pharisees, in the Case of feeding Man or Beast, healing the sick, and doing such necessary good; For God preferreth Morals before Rituals; and his rule is, I will have mercy and not Sacrifice.hMat. 12. 5. Mar. 2. 27, 28. Luk. 13. 15.
Q. 20. Why then was bodily Rest▪ Commanded?
A. That body and mind might be free from diversion, weariness and distraction, and fit with pleasure wholly to serve God, in the religious dutyes of his Worship.
Q. 21. Why doth God mention not only Servants but Beasts?
A. As he would not have Servants enslaved and abused by such Labour as should unfit them for Sabbath-work and Comfort, so he would have man exercise the clemency of his Nature even towards the Brutes: and Beasts cannot labour, but man will be put to some Labour or diversion by it: And God would have the whole place where we dwell, and all that we have to do with, to bear an open signification of our obedience to his Command, and our reverence to his sanctified Day and Worship.
Q. 22. Is this Commandement now in force to Christians?
A. So much of it materially is in force as is of the Law of Nature, or of Christ by supernatural Revelation; and no more. Therefore the Seventh day Sabbath of Corporal Rest, is changed by Christ into the Lords day, appointed for Christian Worship.
Q. 23. Was not all that was written in stone of perpetual obligation?
A. No: Nor any as such: For as it was written on those stones it was the Law of Moses for the Iews, and bound no other Nations, and is done away by the dissolving of their Republick and by Christ.
Q 24. How prove you all this?
A. 1. As Moses was Ruler or Mediator to none but the Iews, and the words of the Decalogue are appropriate to them as redeemed from Egyptian bondage, so the Tables were delivered to no other: and a Law cannot bind any without promulgation. All the world was not bound to send to the Iews for Revelation, nor to be their Proselytes.
2. The Scripture expresly affirmeth the change, 2 Cor. 3. 3, 7, 11. If the ministration of death written and engraven in stones was glorious, so that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the Glory of his Countenance, which was to be (or is) done away, &c. For if that which is done away was Glorious (or, By Glory) much more that which remaineth is Glorious (or In glory.) Here it is evident that it is the Law written on Stone that is mentioned, and that it is not (as some say) the Glory only of Moses Face or the flaming mount which is done away; (for that was done away in a few dayes;) But it is the Law which is called Glorious that is said to be done away. The words can bear no other sence. It's too tedious to cite all: The Texts following fully prove it; Heb. 7. 11, 12. 18. & 9. 18, 19. Eph. 2. 15. Ioh. 1. 17. Luk. 16. 16. Rom. 2. 12, 14, 15, 16. & 3. 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 31. & 4. 13, 14, 15, 16. & 5. 13, 20. & 7. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 16. & 9. 4, 31, 32. & 10. 5. Gal. 2. 15, 16, 19, 21. & 3. 2, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 21, 24. & 4. 21. & 5. 3, 4, 14, 23. & 6. 13. Phil. 3. 6, 9. 1 Cor. 9. 21.
3. And the Sabbath it self is expresly said to be …eased with the rest; [Col. 2. 16. Let no man judge …ou in meat or in drink, or in respect of an Holy day (or Feast) or of the New Moon, or of the Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. It was the weekly Sabbath that was the thief of Sabbaths, and therefore included in the plu…al name, there being no exception of it.
4. And to put all out of doubt, Christ (who commandeth not two weekly Sabbaths) hath appointed and sanctified the First day of the week instead of …he Seventh-day Sabbath; not calling it, The Sabbath, but the Lords day.
Q. 25. How prove you that?
A. If you will search the Scripture, you shall see …proved by these degrees. I. Christ commissioned …is Apostles to teach the Churches all his Doctrines, Commands and Orders, and so to settle and guide them. Luk. 6. 13. Mat. 28. 18, 19, 20. Ioh. 20. 21. Luk. 10. 16. Mat. 10. 40. Act. 26. 17. 1 Cor. 15. …. & 11. 23. & 4. 1, 2. Gal. 1. 11, 12. Ioh. 21. 5, 16, 17. Mat. 16. 19. Ioh. 17. 18. & 13. 16, …0. Act. 1. 2, 24, 25. & 2. 42. & 10. 5. Gal. …. 1. Eph. 4. 11, to 16. 1 Cor. 12. 28, 29. Eph. …. 20. 2 Pet. 3. 2.
II. Christ promised his Spirit to them, to enable them to perform their Commission, and lead them into all truth, and to bring all to their remembrance, and to Guide them as his Churches Guides, and so as the promulgators of his Commands. For this see Ier. 3. 15. Isa. 44. 3. Ioel 2. 28, 29, &c. And Luk. 24. 49. Ioh. 15. 26, 27. & 16. 7, 12, 13, 14, 15▪ & 17. 18. Mat. 28. 20. Act. 1. 4, 8.
III. Christ performed this promise, and gave them the infallible Spirit accordingly to perform their Commissioned work. See Heb. 10. 23. Tit. 1. 2. 1 Ioh. 5. 10. Ioh. 20. 22. Act. 2. & 15. 28. Heb. 2. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 12. Rom. 15. 19, 20, &c.
IV. Christ himself laid the Foundation by Rising that day (as God did of the Sabbath by ceasing from his Work.) He appeared to his disciples Congregate on that day; He sent down the Holy Ghos… (his Agent and the perfecter of his work) on that day: The Apostles settled that day as the stated time for constant Church-Assemblies and Communion And all the Churches in the World have constantly called it The Lords day, and kept it as thus appointe… and u…ed by the Apostles, from their dayes till now with one consent. And because I must not here writ… a Volume on this point instead of a Catechisme… he that doubteth may see all this fully proved in m… book called The Divine appointment of the Lor… day, and in Dr. Youngs book, called The Lords d… (vindicated.)
Q. 26. Is Rest as necessary now as under Mos… Law?
A. It was then commanded both as a means t… …he holy work of the day, and also as a Ceremo… which was made a duty in it self, as a Shadow … … Christian Rest. In the first respect we are as much … more) obliged to forbear Labour, even so far …it hindereth holy work, as they were then: But … in the second respect.iExo. 31. 15. & 35. 3. Num. 15. 32. Neh. 13. 19. Ier. 17. 21, 22, 24, 27.
Q. 27. When doth the Lords day begin and end?
A. It's safest to judge of that according to the Com… estimation of your Countrey, of the measure of … other dayes: remembring that it is not now as … Jewish Sabbath to be kept as a Ceremony, but as … season of Holy Works: As therefore you allow … other dayes a stated proportion of twenty four …rs for Labour, and the rest for sleep or rest, do … by the Lords day, and you need not further be …pulous as to the time. But remember, 1. That you …id scandal. …. That even the Sabbath (and so … Lords day) was made for man, and Christ is the …d of it, who will have the greatest works pre…ed.
Q. 28. Doth not Paul tell us that all dayes are alike, … we must not judge one another for dayes? Why then …d Christians make a difference, and not serve God …lly every day?
A. Paul tells you, that Christ hath taken away the …ish Ceremonial difference of dayes; for neglect … which none is to be judged: But it followeth not … Christ hath made no difference himself, and hath … stated a day for Christian Work in Communion …ve the rest. One hour of the day doth not in …lf now differ from another. And yet every wise …ter of a Family will keep the Order of stated …s, for Dinner and for Prayer. And so will a Congregation for Lectures and other ordinary oc… sions. I told you in the beginning that the Light … Law of nature tells us, that Gods publick Wors… should have a stated day; in which as free from versions and distractions, we should wholly ap… our selves thereto. And that all the Christians in … world assemble for the same work on the same d… hath much of laudable concord, harmony and m…al help. And therefore it concerned him who o… is the King and Law-giver to the universal Chur… to make them a Law for the determination of … day, which he hath done.
Q. 29. But is it not more spiritual to make e… day a Sabbath?
A. It is most Christian-like to obey Christ … King. Thus the same men pretend to make ev… meal a Sacrament, that they may break the Law Christ who instituted the Sacrament. Satans way drawing men from Christs Laws, is sometime by …tending to do more and better. But to keep ev… day a Sabbath, is to keep none. It is not lawful cast off our outward labour all the six dayes: nor … mind or body bear it to do nothing but religious W… s…ip. These men mean no more but to follow th… earthly business with a spiritual mind, and at so… seasons of the day to worship God solemnly: And … is but what every good Christian should do every … But who knoweth not that the mind may with more advantage attend Gods instructions, and be …ed to him in holy Worship, when all worldly …verting businesses are laid by, and the whole man … ployed towards God alone.
If men will regard 1. The experience of their o… Souls, 2. And of all others in the World, they mi… … be resolved how mischievous a thing the neg… of the Lords day is, and how necessary its holy …rvation. 1. That man never knew what it is …ttend Gods worship seriously, and therein to re…e his special blessing, who hath not found the …t advantage of our separation from all common …ess to attend holy work only on the Lords day. … that feeleth no miss or loss of it, sure never knew …t Communion with God is. 2. And Servants …d be left remediless under such Masters as would … oppress them with Labour and restrain them … Gods service. It is therefore the great mercy the universal King, to secure the Liberties of the …vants, and to bind all men to the means of their … felicity.
3. And common reason will tell us, that a Law ob…ing all men to spend one day of seven in Learn… Gods Word, and offering him holy Worship, …st needs tend abundantly more to the increase of …owledge and Holiness, than if all men were left …heir own or to their Rulers wills herein.
4. And common experience puts the matter of fact … of doubt, that where the Lords day is most con…nably spent in holy exercises, there Knowledge, …ty, Charity and all Virtue, do most notably pros…: And where the sanctifying of the Lords day …eglected, Ignorance, Sensuality and Worldliness …nd. O how many millions of Souls hath Grace …erted and comforted and edified on the Lords …es! When men are obliged to hear, read, pray, … praise God, and to Catechize their Children and …vants, as that which God requireth, is it not liker …e done, than if they be left to their own errone…, backward, sluggish minds, or to the Will of …ers perhaps worse than they?
Q. 30. How is it that the Lords day must be s… and Sanctified?
A. Not in diverting worldly thoughts, word… … deeds: Much less in idleness, or vain pastimes: … least of all in such sinful pleasures as corrupt … mind and unfit a man for holy Work, such as g…tony, drunkenness, lasciviousness, Stage-playes, …mances, Gaming, &c. But the Lords day is …cially separated to Gods publick Worship in Ch… Communion; and the rest to private and secret … exercises. The primitive Christians spent mo… the day together: And the publick Worship sh… not be only preferred, but also take up as much of day as we can well spend therein.kIsa. 58. 13, 14, 15. Luk. 6. 1, 6. & 10. Act. 13. 42. & 16. 13. Luk. 4. 16, 18. 13. 27, 44. & 15. 21. Act. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 14 16. 1. Psal. 100. 1, 2, 3, &c.
Q. 31. What are the parts of Church-Service be used on the Lords day?
A. 1. The Reading of the Sacred Scriptures, the Teachers, and expounding them to the Peo… Their preaching the Doctrine of the Gospel, applying it to the case and Consciences of the …ers. Their guiding them in the solemn exercis… Gods Praise, special Worship, celebrating the S…ments, especially that of Communion of the B… and Blood of Christ, and that with such conjunc… of Praises to God, as that it may be fitly called Eucharist, speaking and singing joyfully of Gods …fections, and his Mercyes to man; but speciall the wonderful Work of our Redemption, and t… in chiefly of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. …e day is to be spent as a Day of Thanksgiving, in …oyful and praising Commemoration of Christs Resur…ection.
Q. 32. On dayes of Thanksgiving men use to Feast: May we labour on the Lords day in providing Feasts?
A. Needless cost and Labour and sensual excess …ust be avoided, as unsuitable to spiritual work and …ejoicing. But such provision as is suitable to a Festival …or sober holy Persons, is no more to be scrupled, …han the labour of going to the Church, or the Mi…isters preaching. And it's a Laudable use for men to …ear their best Apparel on that day.
Q. 33. What are the private duties of the Lords …ay?
A. Principally speaking and singing Gods Praises …or our Redemption, in our Families; and calling …o mind what we were publickly taught; and Catechizing Children and Servants, and praying to God, …nd meditating on Gods Word and Works of Nature, Grace and Glory.lPsal. 92. & 95. & 96. & 118. 21, 22, 23, …4. Col. 3. 16.
Q. 34. Seeing the Lords day is for the Commemoration of Christs Resurrection, must we cease the Commemoration of the Works of Creation for which the se…enth day Sabbath was appointed?
A. No: The appointing of the Lords day is ac…umulative and not diminutive, as to what we were … do on the Sabbath. God did not cease to be our Creator and the God of Nature, by becoming our Redeemer and the God of Grace; we owe more …raise to our Creator and not less. The Greater …nd the subsequent and more perfect work comprehendeth the Lesser, antecedent and imperfect▪ The Lords day is to be spent in praising God both as our Creator and Redeemer: The Creation it self being now delivered into the hands of Christ.mIam. 5. 14. Rev. 4. 11. & 10. 6. Col. 1. 16.
Q. 35. But is it not then safest to keep two dayes; the seventh to honour the Creator, and the first to commemorate our Redemption?
A. No: For when the world was made all very Good, God delighted in Man, and Man in God a… his only Rest. But upon the sin of Man, God is become a condemning Judge, and displeased with Man and the Earth is Cursed; so that God is so far from being now mans Rest, that he is his greatest Terrour, till he be reconciled by Christ: No ma… cometh to the Father but by the Son: So that now the work of Creation must be commemorated with the work of Redemption, which restoreth it to i… proper use.nCol. 2. 16.
Q. 36. But what if a man cannot be satisfied that the seventh day is repealed, is it not safest for him … keep both?
A. God hath laid no such task on Man, as to dedicate to Religious Duties two dayes in Seven▪ And he that thinketh otherwise, it is his culpable Errour. But if he do it conscionably, without contentious opposing the Truth, and dividing the Church for it, good Christians will not despise him, but own him as a Brother. Paul hath decided that Case Rom. 14. & 15.
Q. 37. Why is mention here made of all within ou… gates?
A. To shew that this Commandement is not only directed to private Persons, but to Magistrates and Masters of Families as such, who though they cannot compell men to believe, may restrain them from violating the Rest of the Sabbath, and compell them to such external Worship of God as all men are immediately obliged to: even all within the gates of their Cities or Houses.
Q. 38. What if one live where are no Church-meetings, or none that he can lawfully joyn with?
A. He must take it as his great loss and suffering, and with the more diligence improve his time in private.oRev. 1. 10.
Q. 39. What Preparation is necessary for the keeping holy that day?
A. I. The chief part of our Preparation is the habitual Holiness of the Soul, a Love to God and his Word and Grace, and a sense of our Necessities, and Heart full of thankfulness to Christ, which relisheth Sweetness in his Gospel, and in Gods Praise and the Communion of Saints. II. And the other part is Our endeavour to prevent all distracting hinderances, and to enjoy the greatest helps that we can in the most suitable Means; and to meditate before of the great mercy of our Redemption, of Christs Resurrection, the giving of the Holy Ghost, and the everlasting Heavenly Rest which this prepareth for: And to pray for Gods assistance and blessing.