A. It is not a meer natural or civil, but an holy Rest, refembling the Reft in Heaven, wherein the Mind is most active and bufy in the Work of God, though the Body be at left, and the Spirit not wearied with its Work, Rev. iv. 8. And the four Beasts bad each of them fix Wings about him, and they were full of Eyes within, and they reft not Day and Night, Jaying holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and

is to come.

Q. 2. May not any Works of our civil Calling be ordinarily done on that Day?

A. No; it is finful to put our Hands ordinarily to our Callings on that Day, and God ufually punishes it, Neh. xiii. 15, 16, 17, 18. In thofe Days faw I in Judah, some treading Wine-prefjes on the Sabbath, and bringing in Sheaves, and leading Affes, as alfo Wine, Grapes and Figs, and all Manner of Burdens, which they brought into Jerufalem on the Sabbath Day; and I teftified against them in the Day wherein they fold Victuals. There dwelt Men of Tyre alfo therein, which brought Fish and all Manner of Ware, and fold on the Sabbath, unto the Children of Judah, and in Jerufalem. 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 Ifrael by profaning the Sabbath.

Q. 3. May we not refresh our Bodies by Recreations, or our Minds by Thoughts of Earthly Bufinefs or Difcourfes on that Day ?

A. Recreations of the Body which are lawful on other Days, are finful on this Day; and all the Recreations of the Mind allowed on this Day, are Spiritual and Heavenly, Ifa. lviii. 13, 14. If thou turn away thy Foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy Pleafure on my boly 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 Pleafure, nor Speaking thine own Words: Then fhalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will caufe thee to ride upon the ligh Places of the Earth, and feed thee with the Heritage of Jacob thy Father; for the Mouth of the Lord hath Spoken it.

Q4. What Works may lawfully be done on that Day? A. Chrift's.

M 3

A. Chrift's Example warrants Works of Neceffity, and Works of Mercy, but no other, Matth. xii. 3, 4. But he faid unto them, have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him, How he entred into the Houfe of God, and did eat the Shew-Bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the Priests. And ver. 7. But if ye had known what this meanet, I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice, &c.

Q5. What are the holy Duties of the Sabbath?

A. The publick Worship of God in reading and hearing the Word preached, Ifa. lxvi. 23. And it shall come to pass that from one new Mcon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, fhall all Flesh come to worship before me, faith the Lord, Luke iv. 16.-And as his Cuftom was, he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath Day, and food up for to read. And Prayer, Ads xvi. 13, 14. And on the Sabbath Day we went out of the City by a River fide, where Prayer was wont to be made, &c. And receiving the Sacrament, Acts xx. 7. upon the first Day of the Week, when the Disciples came together to break Bread, Paul preached unto them, &c.

And

Q. 6 Are private Duties in our Families required, as well as publick on the Sabbath?

A. Yes; it is not enough to fanctify the Sabbath in publick Ordinances, but God requires it to be fanctified in Family and private Duties, Lev. xxiii. 3. But the feventh Day is the Sabbath of Reft, an holy Convocation, ye shall do no Work therein: It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your Dwellings.

Q. 7. With what frame of Spirit are all Sabbath Duties, both publick and private to be performed?

A. They are to be performed with fpiritual Delight, Ifa. Iviii. 13. If thou turn away thy Foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy Pleafure on my holy Day, and call the Sabbath a Delight, &c. And all grudging at, and weariness of spiritual Exercifes is a Sin forbidden, Mal. I. 13. Ye faid alfo, behold what a Weariness is it, and ye have fnuffed at it faith the Lord of Hofts, and ye brought that which was torn, and the Lame, and the Sick: Thus ye brought an Offering; fhould I accept this of your Hand faith the Lo d? Amos viii. 5. When will the

new

new Moon be gone that we may fell Corn? and the Sabbath that we may fet forth Wheat? &c.

Q. 8. What is the first Reafon annexed to this Command? A. The first Reason is the fufficient and large Allowance of Time God hath given us for our civil Callings and earthly Bufinefs. Six Days in the Week is a large Allowance.

Q. 9. What is the second Reason annexed to this fourth Command?

A. The fecond Reafon is God's fanctifying and feparating this Day by a special Command and Inftitution for his Service; fo that to profane this Time is to fin against an express divine Statute.

Q. 10. What's the third Reafon annexed to this Command?

A. The third Reafon is God's own Example, who refted the feventh Day from all his Works, and oleffed this Day, by vertue of which Bleffing we are encouraged to fanctify it. Q. 11. Is it not enough to fanctify this Day in our own Perfons?

A. No; if God hath put any under our Authority, their profaning the Sabbath will become our Sin, though we be never fo ftrict in the Obfervation of it ourselves.

Q. 12. May we continue our civil Employments to the laft Moment of our common Time?

A. Except Neceffity or Mercy urge us, we ought to break off before, and allow fome Time to prepare for the Sabbath; Luke xxiii. 54. And that Day was the Preparation, and the

Sabbath drew on.

Q. 13. What is the first Inference from hence?

A. That we have all great Caufe to be humbled for our Sabbath Tranfgreffions, either in our unpreparedness for it, our want of Delight and Spirituality in it, or the due Government of our Families, as God requires.

Q. 14. What is the fecond Inference from hence?

A That Chriflians on the Sabbath Day have a fair Occafion and Help to realize to themselves the heavenly State, in which they are to live abftract from the World, and God is to be all in all to them.

of

Of the fifth Commandment.

Queft. 63. WHICH is the fifth Commandment?

The fifth Commandment is, [Honour thy Father and thy Mother, that thy Days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.]

Queft. 64. What is required in the fifth Commandment ? A. The fifth Commandment requireth the preferving the Honour, and performing the Duties belonging to every one in their feveral Places and Relations, as Superiors, Inferiors or equals.

Queft. 65. What is forbidden in the fifth Commandment? A. The fifth Commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing any Thing against the Honour and Duty which belongeth to every one in their feveral Places and Relations. Queft. 66. What is the Reason annexed to the fifth Commandment?

A. The Reafon annexed to the fifth Commandment is, a Promife of long Life and Profperity (as far as it fall ferve for God's Glory, and their own Good) to all fuch as keep this Commandment.

Q. 1. What Relatives are directly and more efspecially concerned in this fifth Commandment?

A. All Superiours and Inferiours are confented in it: Efpecially (1.) Political Fathers and their Children; that is, Kings and Subjects: Mark xi. 10. Blessed be the Kingdom of our Father David, &c. (2.) Spiritual Fathers and their Children; that is, Minifters and their People: 1 Cor. iv. 15. For though you have ten thoufand Inftructers in Chrift, yet have ye not many Fathers: For in Chrift Fests I have begotten you through the Gospel. (3.) Natural Parents and their Children, Ephef. vi. 1. Children obey your Parents in the Lord. (4.) All civil Superiours and Inferiours, as Husbands and Wives, Mafiers and Servants, Ephef. v. 22. Wives fubmit your felves unto your own Hufbands, as unto the Lord. And Ephef. vi. 5. Servants be obedient to them that are your Mafers according to the Flesh, &c.

Q. 2. What is the Duty of Political Fathers or MagiArates, to their Political Children or Subjects?

A. It is to rule and govern the People over whom God Lath fet them with Wisdom, 2 Chron. i. 10. Give me now Wisdom and Knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this People. Juftice, 2 Chron. xix. 5, 6, 7. And he fet Judges in the Land, throughout all the fenced Cities of Judah, City by City. And he faid to the Judges, Take heed what ye do; for ye judge not for Man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the Judgment. Wherefore now let the Fear of the Lord be upon you, take beed and do it, &c. And Piety, 2 Sam. xxiii. 3.— He that ruleth over Men must be just, ruling in the Fear of God. Carefully providing for their Souls in every Place of their Dominions, a Chron. xvii. 9. And they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the Cities of Judah, and taught the People.. And for their common outward Peace and Safety, z Chron. xvii. 12. And Jehofaphat waxed great exceedingly, and be built in Judah Caffles and Cities of Store.

Q3. What are the Duties of Subjects to their Rulers ? A. It is to pray for them, 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. I exhort therefore, that first of all Supplications, Prayers, Interceffions, and giving of Thanks be made for all Men: For Kings, and for all that are in Authority, &c. To honour them, I Pet. ii. 17.Fear God, honour the King. To obey their juft Laws, Rom. xiii. 1. Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Powers, &c. And to pay them the Tribute that is due to them, Rom. xiii. 7. Render therefore to all their dues, Tribute to whom Tribute is due, Custom to whom Custom, &c.

Q4. What are the Duties of Ministers to their People? A. Their Duty is, (1) To feed their Flock conftantly with wholesome Food, 2 Tim. iv. 2. Preach the Word, be inftant in Seafon, and out of Season, rebuke, reprove, exhort, with all long-fuffering and Doctrine. (2.) To be full of Bowels of tender Affection to them, I Theff. ii. 7, 85 But we were gentle among you, even as a Nurse cherisheth her Children: So being affectionately defirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the Gospel of God only, but also our own Souls, becaufe ye were dear unto us. (3.) To pray for them, Eph. i. 15, 16. Wherefore I alfo, after I heard of your Faith in the Lord Jefus, and Love unto all the Saints, ceafe not to give Thanks for you, making Mention of you in my Prayers. (4.)

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