tain a holy frame of spirit while about them. Q. 40. How doth it appear that the works of necessity and mercy are lawful on the Lord's day? A. Because, though God rested from his work of creation on the seventh day, yet he did not rest thereon from preserving what he had made. and they have the example of Nehemiah for a precedent, worthy of their imitation in this matter, chap. xiii. 21. Q. 43. What is the most effectual way for the civil magistrate to suppress Sabbath profanation? A. To be impartial in the execution of the laws against Sabbath breaking, especially upon those who are of a more eminent rank and station, because they ought to be exemplary to others, Neh. xiii. Q. 41. "Why is the charge of keeping the Sabbath more especially directed to governors of families, and other superiors?" 17. "Then I contended with the A. "Because they are bound NOBLES of Judah; and said unto not only to keep it themselves, them, What evil thing is this that but to see it be observed by all ye do, and profane the Sabbaththose that are under their charge: day?" and because they are prone often- Q. 44. "Why is the word REtimes to hinder them by employ-MEMBER set in the beginning of ments of their own."* the fourth commandment?" Q. 42. Ought not magistrates A. -"Partly, because we are to punish those who are guilty very ready to forget it; and partof the open and presumptuous ly, because in keeping it, we are breach of the Sabbath? helped better to keep all the rest A. Undoubtedly they should; of the commandments."t QUEST. 61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment? ANSW. The fourth commandment forbiddeth, the omission or careless performance, of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words or works about our worldly employments or recreations. Q.1. How are the sins ranked that are forbidden in this commandment? A. They are ranked into sins of omission, and sins of commission? + Q. 2. What are the sins of [omission] here forbidden? A. Both the total neglect of the duties required, and the neglect * Larger Cat. Quest. 118. of the careful performance of them, when essayed. Q. 3. What is the total neglect of the duties required on the Sabbath an evidence of? A. It is a plain evidence of the neglect of all religious duties through the week; and consequently an evidence of Atheism, profaneness, and apostasy. Larger Cat. Quest. 121. See both these explained, Part I. on the head, Of sin in general. Q. 4. When are persons guilty of the [careless performance] of the duties required on the Sabbath? A. When they go about them in a partial, formal, and lifeless way, Matt. xv. 8. Q. 5. What is it to go about duties in a partial way? A. It is to perform some of them, and omit others equally necessary; such as, attending the public, and neglecting the private exercises of God's worship; or the contrary. of the word and presence of the great God, and paying less regard to him, than we even do to our fellow-creatures. Q. 11. What are the sins of COMMISSION forbidden in this commandment? A. [The profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations]. Q. 12. What is the idleness here prohibited? Q. 6. What is formality in duty? A. It is a loitering away the A. It is the bare outward per- Sabbath, in a slothful, indolent, formance thereof, without regard- and inactive manner, without any ing the manner in which it ought real benefit or advantage, either to be done, or the vital principle to soul or body, Mat. xx. 3. from whence it should flow, 2 Tim. Q. 13. Why is there a prohibiiii. 5. tion of [doing that which is in itself sinful], on the Lord's day, when it is unlawful on every other day? Q. 7. What are the ordinary causes of the dead and lifeless performance of religious duties? A. Wandering thoughts, weariness, and drowsiness, are among none of the least. Q. 8. What is the best antidote against wandering thoughts? A. Faith in exercise: for this will fix the attention to what we are presently engaged in, whether hearing, praying, or praising, Psal. Ivii. 7. Q. 9. Whence arises weariness in duty? A. From the natural bias of the heart and affections to worldly things, rather than religious exercises, Amos viii. 5. "When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat?" Q. 10. What is the evil of drowsiness, particularly in hearing the word, or joining in prayer and praise? A. If it be voluntary and customary; it is a manifest contempt A. Because whatever the sinful action be, there is a greater aggravation of guilt in committing it on the Sabbath, which ought to be kept holy to God, than upon any other day, Jer. xvii. 27. Q. 14. What are these [thoughts, words or works], that are here called [unnecessary]? A. They are such as are [about our worldly employments or recreations]; or, they are all such thoughts, words, or works, as are not inevitably used about the works of necessity and mercy, which are lawful on this day. Q. 15. Why is the day said to be profaned by the sins here forbidden? A. Because these sins are each of them the reverse of that holiness, which should shine in all our duties, public and private, on the Lord's day, Isa. lviii. 13, 14. QUEST. 62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment? ANSW. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the week, for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the Sabbath day. Q. 1. How many reasons are there annexed to this commandment? A. FOUR; which are more than to any of the rest. Q. 2. Why are more reasons annexed to this command than to any of the rest? A. Because of the proneness of men to break it; and likewise that the violation thereof may be rendered the more inexcusable. a seventh day, when God has been so bountiful, to allow us six for our own occasions. Q. 7. Which is the second reson annexed to this commandment? A. It is [his challenging a special propriety in the seventh]; in these words, "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Q. 8. What is the force of this reason? Q. 3. Which is the first reason? A. The force of it is this;-As A. It is [God's allowing us six that a gracious God, who makes a days of the week for our own employ-grant of himself unto us, in the ments]; in these words, Six days covenant of promise, claims this shalt thou labour and do all thy day as his own, so it is our greatwork. est privilege or happiness to have access unto, and communion with him thereon, Isa. lviii. 14. Q. 4. Wherein lies the strength of this reason? A. It lies in this, that it would be most highly unreasonable and ungrateful to grudge a seventh part of our time, in the more immediate service and worship of God; when he has been so liberal as to allow us six parts thereof, for our own secular and worldly affairs. Q. 5. What similar instance of ingratitude may be given for the illustration hereof? Q. 9. Wherein lies the privilege or happiness of communion with God on his own day? A. In having a foretaste in grace here of what shall be more fully enjoyed in glory hereafter, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Q. 10. Which is the third rea son? A. It is [his own example]; in these words, "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day." A. The sin of our first parents, in refusing to abstain from one tree, when they were allowed the Q. 11. Could not God have free use of all the rest of the gar-made heaven and earth, the sea, den, Gen. iii. 2, 3, 6. and all that in them is, in less Q. 6. Is working six days in our time than the space of six days? own employments a precept pro- A. No doubt: he could have perly belonging to this command-made all things, in the same beaument? ty and perfection, wherein ever they appeared, in an instant of time, if he had pleased. A. No: it is properly a branch of the eighth commandment, but it is brought in here occasionally, to enforce the sacred observation of Q. 12. Why then did he take six days? A. To fix the morality of six days for worldly labour, and of a seventh for holy rest; and both these by his own example. Q. 13. But doth not the example of God's resting the seventh day, oblige us still to observe the seventh day in order from the creation, as a Sabbath? A. No; because, though moral examples bind always to the kind of the action, yet not always to every particular circumstance thereof. Q. 14. What is the kind of the action which God's example binds us unto? A. It is to observe one day in seven for holy resting, either the last or first, as he shall appoint. Q.15. How can God's example of resting on the seventh day be an argument for our resting on the first? A. Though the observation of a particular day in seven be MUTABLE; yet the duty of observing a seventh part of weekly time is MORAL, both by God's precept and example. Q.16. Which is the fourth reason annexed to this commandment? A. It is [his blessing the Sabbath day]; in these words: "Wherefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Q. 17. In what sense may the Sabbath be said to be blessed? A. Not only by God's consecrating the day itself to an holy use; but by his blessing it to the true observers of it, and by his blessing them in it. Q. 18. How doth God bless the Sabbath to the true observers of it? A. By ordering it so in his providence, that the religious observation of the Sabbath shall be no detriment unto, but ra ther a furtherance of their lawful employments through the week; even as the profaning of it, draws a train of all the miseries and woes after it, Neh. xiii. 18. Q. 19. How doth he bless them in it, or upon it? A. By making it the happy season of a more plenteous communication of all spiritual blessings unto them, Isa. lviii. 14. Q. 20. What doth the illative particle wHEREFORE teach us? A. That God's resting on the Sabbath was the great reason of his setting it apart to be a day of holy rest unto us, that we might contemplate the works of God, both of creation and redemption, thereupon. QUEST. 63. Which is the fifth commandment? ANSW. The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. QUEST. 64. What is required in the fifth commandment? ANSW. The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honour, and performing the duties, belonging to every one in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals. Q. 1. "Who are meant by father and mother in the fifth commandment?" A. "Not only natural parents, but all superiors in age and gifts; and especially such as, by God's obey God rather than men, Acts iv. 19. and v. 29. ordinance, are over us in place of thereunto, the fixed rule is, To authority, whether in family, church or commonwealth."* Q. 2. "Why are superiors styled father and mother?" A. "To teach them, in all duties towards their inferiors, like natural parents, to express love and tenderness to them, according to their several relations; and to work inferiors to a greater willingness and cheerfulness, in performing their duties to their superiors, as to their parents.'t Q. 3. "What is the general scope of the fifth commandment?" A. It is the performance of those duties we mutually owe in our several relations." Q. 4. What are the RELATIONS wherein we stand to each other? A. All mankind stand related to each other, either [as superiors, inferiors, or equals.] Q. 5. Who are our [superiors]? A. All that are above us in of fice, place, or dignity. Q. 6. Who are meant by [inferiors]? A. Such as are subject to others, or below them in station or gifts. Q. 7. Whom do you understand by [equals]? A. Such as are of like age and condition in the world. Q. 8. What is the general duty required in this commandment? A. It is HONOUR: Honour thy father and thy mother. Q. 9. What is meant by the honour here required? A. All inward regard and esteem, manifested by outward tokens of respect, Rom. xiii. 10. reverence, chap. xiii. 7, and obedience, Heb. xiii. 17. Q. 11. What is it that procures honour from one person to another? A. It is something of eminence, excellency, or worth, that is discernible in them, Acts x. 25. Q. 12. Are there not different degrees of external honour due to some beyond others? A. Yes: according to the different offices and stations wherein God places them in the world, 1 Tim. v. 1, 2. Q. 13. What is that degree of honour which the meanest and lowest part of mankind are entitled unto from the greatest and highest? A. It is to be esteemed and regarded by them, in proportion as they are necessary and useful, Eph. vi. 9. Q. 14. Why are we commanded to honour all men, 1 Pet. ii. 17? A. Because there are few or none, in whom we may not observe some gift or other, in which they are superior to us, if we were to judge ourselves humbly and impartially, Phil. ii. 3. Q. 15. Are men to be honoured according to their riches? A. No; but according as they employ their riches, in some measure, for the good of others, either in the church or commonwealth, 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18. Q. 16. What are the several relations, wherein duties are mutually to be performed, according to this commandment? A. They are such as subsist between parents and children; maQ. 10. What is the rule and mea-gistrates and subjects; ministers sure of that obedience and submis- and people; husbands and wives; sion which is due from inferiors masters and servants; and liketo their superiors? wise between those who have a greater or lesser degree of gifts and A. The law of God; for, when any thing is enjoined contrary graces. Larger Cat. Quest. 124. † Ibid. Quest. 125. Ibid. Quest. 126. |