Quest 53, 54, 55, 56 Of the third commandment, Quest 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62 Of the fourth commandment, 60
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechisme Of the Sabbath.
Quest. 57. Which isthefourthcommandment?
A. The fourth commandment is, [Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work ; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God ; in it thoushaltnotdoanywork, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger which is within thy gates.
For in fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested theseventhday, wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it.] Quest. 58. What is required in the fourth commandment ?
A. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God, such set time-as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven, to be an holy Sabbath unto the Lord.
Quest. 59. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to, be the weekly Sabbath ?
A. From the beginning oftheworldto the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and thefirstday of the week ever since, to continue to the endoftheworld, which is the Christian Sabbath.
Q. 1. What special marks of honour hath God setup on this fourth commandment ?
A. God hath set four peculiar marks of honour on it.
(1.) It is the largest of all the commands.
(2.) It hath a folema memento prefixed to it.
(3.) It is delivered both positively and negatively, which the rest are not. And, (4.) It is enforced with more arguments to strengthen the command on us, than any other.
2. Why will God have a Sabbath on earth ?
A. God will have a Sabbath on earth, to give us therein an emblem of that eternal Sabbath in heaven, wherein his people shall be serving him, and praising him without interruption, or mixture of any other business throughout eternity ; Heb. iv. 9.
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Q3. For what other reasons will God have a Sabbath ?
A. He will have a Sabbath for the honour of his name, Ifa.
Iviii. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath ade. light, 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. For the good of mens fouls ; Mark
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism. σε ii. 27. And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
And in mercy to the bodies of men and beasts.
Q. 4. Is this commandment moral and perpetual, or ceremonialandtemporary ?
A. It is, and must needs be moral, and not ceremonial; because all the reasons that enforce it are perpetual, and the Sabbath continued when the ceremonial law ceased, and was vaniched; Matth. xxiv. 20. But pray ye, that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath-day.
Q. 5. Whatdayof the seven is the Christian Sabbath ?
A. The first day of the week is our Sabbath, sincetherefur rection of Christ.
This is the day which was foretold to be our Sabbath ; Psalm cxviii. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made ; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
The Lord hath marked it for himself, by setting his own name on it; Rev. i. 10.
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. And the apostles, and primitive church, constantly set it apart to religious uses and ends ; Acts xx. 7. And upon the firstdayof the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, &c.
1 Cor xvi. 2. Upon the first day of the week, let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
Q. 6. WhendoththeChristian Sabbath begin?
A. It appears that this day is not to be reckoned from evening to evening, but from morning to morning ; because the Christian Sabbath must begin when the Jewith Sabbath ended, but that ended towards the morning, Matth. xxviii. 1. In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary, to fee thefepulchre.
Q. 7. What is the ground of changing the day?
A. The solemn commemoration of our redemption by the resurrection of Christ from the dead, is the ground of translating the Sabbath from the seventh to the firstdayof the week ;
Psalm cxviii. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made ; we will rejoice, and be glad in it.
Mark xvi. 9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first toMaryMagdalen, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Q. 8.
Is it the whole day, or only some hours of the day, that are set apart for God ?
A. Not a part, but the whole day is the Lord's ; and it is as dangerous tohalve it with God in pointoftime, as it was for Ananias and Sapphira tohalve their dedicated goods, and bring
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism. in but apart. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day, is the command.
Q9. Is there any other day holy, besides this day ?
A. No day but this is holy by institution of the Lord ; yet days of humiliation and thanksgiving may be lawfully set apart by men on a call of providence ; but popish holy days are not warrantable, nor to be observed; Gal. iv. 10. Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Q10. But seeing everyday should be a Sabbath to aChriAian, what needs any other set time?
A. Though Christians must walk every day with God, yet everyday cannot be a Sabbath, becuseGodcalls us to other duties on those days, but will have this to be a solemn and entire daytohimself.
Q. 11. But if a man scruple the changeoftheSabbath, 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'sday ?
A. As early in the morning as their strength will permit, to prepare by private for public duties ; yet the public are not to be entrenched on by private duties ; Acts x. 33.-Now therefore are we all here presentbeforeGod, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
Of the Sabbath.
Quest. 60. HOW is the Sabbath to be sanctified ?
A. The Sabbath is to befanctified by an boly resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days, 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.
Quest. 61. What are the fins forbidden in the fourth commandment ?
A. 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 itselffinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our wordly employ. ments or recreations.
Quest. 62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth com. mandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us fix days of the week for our own employment, bis
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the Sabbath-day.
Q. 1. What is the restwhichGod requires on the Sabbath ?
A. It is not a mere natural or civil, but an holy rest, resemblingtherest 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 fix 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. 2. 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 they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath-day ; and I testified against them in the day wherein they fold victuals.
There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and fold on the Sabbath, unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
Then I contended with the nobles ofJudah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this thatyedo, andprofanetheSabbath-day ? Did not your fathers thus, and did notourGodbring all this eviluponus, 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 mindsbythoughtsof earthly business, ordifcourses, on that day?
A. Recreations of the body, which are lawful on other days, arefinfulonthis 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 pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shalt honour him, not do. ing 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 torideupon the high places of the earth, andfeedtheewith 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 ; Matth. xii. 3, 4. But he said unto them, haveye not read what Daviddid, when he was an hun-
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism. gred, 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 which 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.
Ifa. lxvi. 23. And it shall come to país, thatfromone new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, faith the Lord.
Luke iv. 16.-Aud as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood up for to read.
And prayer ; Acts xvi. 13, 14. And on the Sabbath-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 together to break bread, Paul preached, &c.
Q. 6. Are private duties in our families required, as well as public, on the Sabbath ?
A. Yes; it is not enough to sanctify the Sabbath in public ordinances, but God requires it to be sanctified in family, and private duties ; Lev. xxiii.3. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, and holyconvocation; 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, bothpublicand private, to be performed ?
A. They are to be performed with spiritual delight; Ifa. lviii.
13.
If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on myholyday, and call the Sabbath a delight,
&c. And all grudging at, and weariness of spiritual exercises, is a fin forbidden ; Mal. i. 13. Ye said also, behold what a weariness is it, and ye have fouffed at it, faith the Lord of hosts, andyebrought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus yebrought an offering : should I accept this of your hand? faith the Lord.
Amos viii. 5. When will the new moon be gone, that we may fell corn ? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat ? &c.
Q. 8. What is the first reason annexed to this command?
A. 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 command?
A. The fecondreason is God's sanctifyingandseparatingthis
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
day by a special command and institution for his service ; so that to profane this time, is to fin against an express divine command.
Q. 10. What is the third reason annexed to this command ?
A. The third reason is God's own example, who rested the feventhday from all his works, and blessed this day, by virtue ofwhichbleffingwe are encouraged to sanctify it.
Q. 11. Isitnotenough tosanctifythisday in our own persons?
A. No; if God hath put any under our authority, their profaning the Sabbath will become our fin, though we be never so strict in the observation of it ourselves.
Q12. May we continue our civil employments to the last moment of our common time ?
A. Except necessity or mercy urge us, we ought to break off before, and allow some time to prepare for the Sabbath, Luke
Xxiii. 54. And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on.
Q13 . What is the first inference from hence ?
A. That we have all great cause to be humbled for our Sabbath transgressions, 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 second inference from hence ?
A. That Christians on the Sabbath-day have a fair occasion and help to realize to themselves the heavenly state, in which they are to live abstract from the world, and God is to be all in all to them.
Of thefifthCommandment.
Quest. 63. Which isthefifthcommandment?
A. The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy Godgiveth thee.] Quest. 64. What is required in the fifth commandment ?
A. The fifth commandmentrequireth the preserving the honour, and performing the duties belonging to every one in their several placesandrelations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.
Quest. 65. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment ?
A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against the honour and duty which belongeth to every one in their several places and relations.
Quest. 66. What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise VOL. VIL
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism. of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good) to allfuch as keep this commandment.
Q. 1. What relatives are directly and more especially concerned in this fifth commandment ?
A. Allfuperiors and inferiors are concerned in it ; especially, (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, ministers, and their people; 1 Cor. iv. 15. For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yethaveye not many fathers , for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
(3.) Natural parents, and their children ; Eph. vi. 1. Children , obey your parents in the Lord.
(4.) All civil superiors and inferiors, as husbands and wives, masters and servants ; Eph. v.
22. Wives, submityourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. And Eph. vi. 5. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, &c.
Q. 2. What is the duty of political fathers, or magistrates, to their political children, or subjects ?
A. It is to rule and govern the people overwhomGod hath set them with wisdom ; 2 Chron. i. 10. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I maygoout and come in before this people.
Justice ; 2 Chron. xix. 5, 6, 7. And he fetjudges in the land, throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city.
And he said to the judges, take heed whatyedo ; for yejudge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgement.
Wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed, and do it, &c.
And piety ; 2 Sam. xxiii . 3.
Не that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
Carefully providing for their souls in every place of their dominion ; 2 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 ofJudah, and taught the people. And for their common outward peace and safety; 2Chron. xvii. 12.
And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly, and he built in Judah castles and cities of store .
Q. 3. 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 fupplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: For kings, and for all that are in authority, &c. To honour them ; 1 Pet. ii. 17-Fear
God, honour the king. To obey their just laws ; Rom . xii.
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.
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
Render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, &c.
Q. 4. What are the duties of ministers to their people ?
A. Their duty is, (1.) To feed their flock constantly with wholesome food; 2 Tim. iv. 2. Preach the word, be instant in
season, and out of season; rebuke, reprove, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine.
(2.) To be full of bowels of tender affection to them; Thess ii. 7, 8. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children : So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparteduntoyou, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
(3.) To pray for them, Eph. i. 15, 16. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
(4.) To watch over them; 1 Pet. v. 2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, &c.
And, (5.) To walk as an example ofgodlinessbefore them; Tit. ii. 7. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works, &c.
All which duties require their residence among them ; I Pet. v. 2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, &c.
Q. 5. What are the people's duties towards their ministers ?
A. Their duty is, ( 1.) To esteem and love them dearly for their work's fake ; I Theff. v. 12, 13. And we beleech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonith you ; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's fake.
(2.) To attend on thewordpreachedbythem, as the word of God : I Theff. ii, 13. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because whenye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God.
(3.) To pray for them, and the success of their labours ; Heb. xiii. 18. Pray for us, &c.
(4.) Not to receive light and malicious reports against them; 1Tim. v. 19. Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
(5.) To make a competent, and comfortable provivision for them"; Gal. vi. 6. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth, in all good things.
Q. 6. What are the duties of natural parents to their children?
A. It is their duty, (1.) To be tenderly, but not fondly affectionate to, and tender over them ; Ifa. xlix. 15. Can a woman forget her fucking child, that the should not have compar
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism, fionon the fonof herwomb ?
(2.) To educate them for God; Eph. vi. 4. An dye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture andadmonitionof the Lord.
(3.) To restrain their fins by correction ; Prov. xxix. 15. The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself, bringeth his mother to shame.
(4.) To provide for their livelihood; 1 Tim . v. 8. But if any provide not for his own,and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
(5.) To pray daily for them ; Job i. 5.
And it was so, whenthedays of their feaftingweregone about, that Job sent and fanctifiedthem, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings, according to the number of them all : for Job said, It maybe that my sons have finned,and cursed God in their hearts : Thus did Job continually.
(6.) To encourage them with endearing language in the way ofgodliness ; Prov. xxxi. 1, 2, 3. The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
What, my son ? and what the son of mywomb ? and what the son of my vows ?
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
Q7. What are the duties of children to parents ?
A. Their duty is, ( 1.) To obey them only in the Lord ; Eph. vi. 1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord.
(2.) To reverence and honour them; Lev. xix. 3. Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father, &c.
(3.) To submit to their reproofs and corrections; Heb. xii. 9. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. (4.) To provide for them, if they be poor and needy, and we have ability ; Gen. xlvii. 12. And Joseph nourished his father and his brethren, and all his father's houthold, with tread, according to their families.
Q.8. What shall children do, when parents abuse their authority, by forbidding duty, or commanding fin ?
A. In such cases children are to obey God, rather than their parents ; Acts iv. 19. But Peter and John answered, and said unto them, whether it be right in the fight of God, to hearken unto you, more than unto God, judge ye. But yet to ma nage their refusals of obedience with all meekness and humility.
Q.9. What is the first duty of husbands to their wives ?
A. The first duty, on which all other duties depend, is cohabitation with them; 1 Pet. iii. 7. Likewise ye husbands, dwell with them, according to knowledge, &c. And nothing can make this duty void, but a lawful divorce for adultery;
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
Matth . v. 31, 32-But I say unto you, That whosoever shall putawayhiswife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery, &c.
Q. 10. What is the husband's second duty to his wife ?
A. True and hearty love to foul and body; Eph. v. 25.
Husbands, love your wives, even even as Christ also loved the church, andgavehimself for it.
Evidencing itself in careful provision for them; 1 Cor. vii. 33. But he that is married, careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. But efpeciallyto their souls, in winning them to Christ ; 1 Cor. vii. 16.
-Or, how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy : wife ? And building them up in Christ; 1 Pet. vi. 7. Likewise ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, givinghonour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.
Q. 11. What are the duties of wives to their husbands?
It is their duty, ( 1. ) To be in subjection to their own husbands ; Eph. v. 22, 23. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord: For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church.
(2.).To reverence them; Eph. v. 33. And the wife see that the reverence her husband.
(3.) To express their reverence in suitable words and actions ; 1 Pet. iii. 6. Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, &c.
(4.) To be faithful to them; Ριον. χχχί. 12. She will do him good, and not evil, all the
days of her life.
(5.) To adorn their relation with meekness, andquietness of spirit; 1 Pet. iii. 4. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the fightofGod of great price.
Q. 12. What are the duties of servants to their masters ?
A. It is their duty, (1.) To be faithful in all things committed to their charge ; Tit. ii. 10. Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity, &c.
(2.) To honour them in all respectful words and carriages ; 1 Tim. vi. 1. Let as manyfervants as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of allhonour,
&c.
(5.) To bear patiently their rebukes ; 1 Pet. ii. 18, 19.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear ; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thank worthy, if am an for conscience toward God endaregrief, suffering wrongfully.
Q. 13. What is the first duty of masters to their servants?
4. Their first duty is to rule over themwithgentleness, and