A. Though Christians must walk every day with God, yet every day cannot be a Sabbath, because God calls us to other duties on those days, but will have this to be a solemn and entire day to him- self.
Q. 11. But if a man scruple the change of the Sabbath, may he not keep both days weekly .''
A. No ; for then, by doing more than God requires, he breaks a plain command. Six days shalt thou labour.
Q. 12. At what time should Christians be up, and at their duties, on the Lord's day ?
A. As early in the morning as their strength will permit, to pre- pare by private for public duties; yet the public are not to be en-
AN EXPOSITION OF THE ASSEMBLY'S CATECHISM. ^'j5
trenched on by private duties ; Acts x. 33. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
Quest. 60. IrloW is the Sabbath to be sanctified ?
A. The Sabbath is to be sanctified by an holy resting all that day^ even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other day s^ 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. 61. What are the sins forbidden in the fourth commandment.^
A. The fourth comraandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinfid, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or re- creations.
Q. 62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth command- ment ?
A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the weekfoP our ozmi employment, his chal- lenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the Sabbath-day.
Q. 1 . What is the rest which God requires on the Sabbath ?
A. It is not a mere natural or civil, but an holy rest, resembling the rest in heaven, wherein the mind is most active and busy in the work of God, though the body be at rest, and the spirit not wearied with its work ; Rev. iv. 8. and the four beasts had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within, and they rest not day and night, saying. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Q. % May not any works of our civil calling be ordinarily done on that day ?
A. No ; it is sinful to put our hands ordinarily to our callings on that day, and God usually punishes it. Neh. xiii. 15, 16, 17, 18. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath, and bringing up sheaves, and lading asses, as also wine-grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens which thev 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 chil- dren of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the no- bles 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.
Q. 3. May we not refresh our bodies by recreations, or our minds
236 AN EXPOSITION OF THE ASSEMBLY'S CATECHISM.
by thoughts of earthly business, or discourses, on that day ?
A. Recreations of the body, which are lawful on other days, are sinful on this day ; and all the recreations of the mind allowed on thi« day, are spiritual and heavenly ; Isa. Iviii. 13, 14. 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.
Q. 4. What works may lawfully be done on that day ?
A. Christ's example warrants works of necessity, and works of mercy, but no other ; Mat. xii. 3, 4. But he said unto them, have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him. How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shew-bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests. And ver. 7. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, &c.
Q. 5. What are the holy duties of the Sabbath ?
A. The public worship of God ; in reading, and hearing the word preached. Isa. Ixvi. 23. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord, Luke iv. 16. — And as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood for to read. And prayer; Acts xvi. 13, 14. And on the Sab- bath-day we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made, &c. And receiving the Sacrament ; Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came to- gether to break bread, Paul preached, &c.
Q. 6. Are private duties in our families required, as well as public, on the Sabbath ?
^. Yes; it is not enough to sanctify the Sabbath in public ordin- ances, but God requires it to be sanctified in family and private
duties; Lev. xxiii. 3. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of
rest, an holv 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 public and private, to be performed ?
A. They are to be performed with spiritual delight; Isa. Iviii. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy plea- sure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, he. And all grudging at, and weariness of spiritual exercises, is a sin forbidden; Mai i. 13. Ye said also, behold what a weariness is it, and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts, and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick ; thus ye brought an offering : should
AN EXPOSITION OF THE ASSEMBLY'S CATECHISM. 237
I accept this of your hand ? saith the Lord. Amos viii. 5. When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell com ? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat ? &c.
Q. 8. What is the first reason annexed to this command ?
J. The first reason is the sufficient, and large allowance of time God hath given us for our civil callings, and earthly business. Six days in the week is a large allowance.
Q. 9. What is the second reason annexed to this fourth com- mand ?
A. The second reason is God's sanctifying and separating this day by a special command and institution for his service ; so that to pro- fane this time, is to sin against an express divine command.