God so it may have been but that it was so God has not declared to Us nor is it possible without a particular Revelation for Us to come to the knowledge of it That which is more certain is that God designed this Particular Day to be kept by the Jews in memory of his delivering of them out of their Egyptian Slavery and of his Miraculous feeding Them with Manna in the Wilderness And for this Reason it was that He Required that strict Rest of them of which we Read Exod. xxxi 12 c. Nehem. xiii 15 Isai. lviii 13 that thereby they might both keep up the memory of the hard Work they had been held to during their Abode in Egypt where they were not suffer'd to Rest on the Sabbath-day and be the more engaged to serve that God who had so wonderfully delivered them from that Wretched Estate Q. How then upon the whole are we to consider the Jewish Sabbath here establish'd by God A. It is evident from the several Reasons Given for it in the Command its self that it must be consider'd in two different Respects 1st As a Day to be Kept by Them in memory of the Creation Exod. xx 11 and to declare themselves thereby to be the Worshippers of that God Who Created the Heaven and Earth And to this End they were Required to Observe a Seventh day of Rest after Six of Labour because God wrought Six days and Rested the Seventh And 2dly as a day to be Observed in Memory of their Egyptian-Bondage and of God's delivering them out of it Deut. v. 15 And thus the Jews were tied to Observe not only the proportion but the very day of the Week too as being that day on which they had pass'd the Red Sea and so were set intirely free from their Slavery For which Reason also they were obliged not only to worship God upon it but moreover to abstain from all bodily Labour and that under the Pain of Death Exod. xxxi 12 c. Numb xv 32 Q. How far do you suppose this Command Obliges Us now A. As much as ever it did the Jews tho' not exactly after the same Manner We worship as they did that God who in Six days Created the Heaven and Earth the Sea and All that in them is and Rested the Seventh day and in acknowledgment thereof We stand Obliged with Them to keep a Seventh day of Rest after Six of Labour But then as they worshipp'd this God under the peculiar Character of the God who brought them out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage so were they determined to take that particular day the Seventh of the Week for their Sabbath on which he compleated their Deliverance and strictly to abstain from all bodily Labour upon it Now in this respect We differ from them We worship God the Creator of the World under a much higher and more divine Character as he is our Father and Deliverer by Jesus Christ our Lord Who upon the first day of the Week Rose from the Dead and thereby put an End to the Jewish Oeconomy And in testimony hereof we keep the First day of the Week for our Sabbath and so profess our selves to be the Servants of the True God thro' the Covenant which he has been pleased to make with Us in Christ Jesus our Lord. Q. Upon what Authority was this change of the sabbath-Sabbath-day made A. Upon the greatest that can be desired The Reason of it has been already mention'd viz. Christ's Rising on this Day from the Dead The Thing it self was done by the Apostles who no doubt had in this as in all the Rest that they did the Direction of the Holy Ghost And as for the Jewish Sabbath which is the Seventh day besides that the Ground of it does not concern Us St. Paul speaks of it as ceasing with the Law no less than the New-Moons or Meats and Drinks prescribed by the same Law Col. ii.16 Q. How are we to keep our Sabbath day A. We are to consecrate it to a Religious Rest * by attending upon the Publick Service of the Church * And hearing God's Word Read and Preach'd there * By participating of the Holy Sacrament * By private Prayer Meditation and Reading * By Works of Charity and Mercy * By taking all the Care we can to improve our Own Piety and to help Other Men in the enlivening of Theirs Q. Is all bodily Labour forbidden to Vs upon this Day as it was to the Jews A. No it is not Works of Charity and Necessity may certainly be done upon it Friendly Visits and Entertainments may in a reasonable Measure be allow'd also Provided that neither the publick Service of the Church nor the Necessary Improvement of our Own private Piety be at all neglected thereby But as for all Works of Gain all such Allowances as are inconsistent with the Religious Design of the Day or may be apt to give Offence to any Good Men they ought without question to be avoided upon it Q. What is forbidden by this Commandment A. To neglect and profane the Sabbath Not to employ it to the Honour and Service of God much more to spend it in Idleness and Pleasure in Sin and Debauchery as too many wicked Persons are wont to do Q. Is there any Thing farther Required of Us in Order to the full Observance of this Commandment A. This only that we be careful not only to Sanctify the Sabbath day our Selves but to see that All who belong to Vs do likewise For for these also the Commandment tells us we are to answer In it Thou shalt Do no manner of Work Thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy Man-servant nor thy Maid-servant thy Cattle nor the Stranger that is within thy Gates And since now the Piety of our Own Laws have provided for the better Observation of this Day we ought in Obedience to them as well as out of Conscience towards God not only to be careful of our Selves and Families but to bring all Others as much as in Us lies to a due Regard of It If not out of Duty towards Him whose Sabbath it is yet for Fear of that Punishment which the Civil Magistrate is to inflict on those who despise and profane it SECT XXVII Q. WHat do the Commandments of the Second Table Respect A. Our Duty towards Our Neighbour Q. What is the General Foundation of Our Duty towards Our Neighbour A. To Love Him as my Self and to Do to All Men as I would they should Do unto Me The One of which shews what that Inward Affection is which Every One ought to have for his Neighbour the Other how we ought to Regulate our Outward Actions towards Each Other Q. Is a Man Obliged in all Cases to Do all that for his Neighbour which he would desire his Neighbour should Do for Him A. Yes certainly provided the Rule be but Rightly Stated and duly Limited by Us Otherwise it
should be Able to fulfil might yet much better and more prudently have been let alone * By Vowing any thing for a long time to Come it may be for One's whole Life and of our future Capacity to make Good which hereafter we cannot at the present judge And lastly * By accustoming our selves to Vow frequently which must necessarily expose Us to the hazard of not performing our Vows Q. Is it not then Good to make Vows at all A. There is no doubt to be made but that a Vow duly Regulated is not only Lawful but Acceptable to God But then that it may be so we should take heed 1st Not to Vow upon every Occasion but when we have some considerable Motive to engage Us to the doing of it 2dly To see that what We do Vow be in its self Good fit for Vs to Vow and for God to Accept 3dly That we be sure not to Vow any thing but what we are in a Capacity to fulfil Eccles. v. 4 5. When thou Vowest a Vow unto God defer not to pay it for He hath no pleasure in Fools pay that which thou hast Vowed Better is it that thou shouldst not Vow than that thou shouldst Vow and not Pay Q. When do we take God's Name in Vain in Praying A. * When we pray without minding what we are about * When we pray for such things as we ought not to pray for * When in our Prayers we use vain Repetitions of God's Name without Need and against Reason But especially when we join the Name of any Creature with that of God in our Prayers as the Papists in many or rather most of their Prayers do Q. Are there not Other ways of taking God's Name in Vain besides those we have hitherto spoken of A. There are several Other ways * By profane Cursing as well as Swearing * By any light and unfitting Vse of God's Name in our Common and Vain Conversation * By all lewd Atheistical Discourse * By Blaspheming or speaking Reproachfully of God or his Religion * By murmuring against him * By Ridiculing Abusing or otherwise Profaning his Holy Word * By Despising or Exposing his Ministers upon the Account of their Function and as they stand Related to him * By an Irreverent Behaviour in his Publick Service in the Use of his Prayers and Sacraments In short * By a Contemptuous treating of any thing in which his Name and Honour are concern'd Q. What does this Commandment positively Require of Us A. To Honour God's Holy Name and Word To employ our Tongues to his Praise and Glory Never to make mention of God or of any thing which Relates to Him without a Religious Reverence And to Use our Utmost Endeavour upon all Occasions to keep up the Reputation of Religion and the Respect which is due to Holy Things for the sake of God and as they have a Relation to Him Q. What is the Sanction wherewith God has enforced this Commandment A. It is this that the LORD will not hold Him Guiltless that taketh His Name in Uain Q. What do you Understand thereby A. That He will severely Punish such Sinners and not suffer his Name to be Profaned by Them without bringing some Exemplary Vengeance upon them for such their Presumption Q. If this be so how comes it to pass that such Persons oftentimes escape without any such Exemplary Mark of God's Vengeance against Them A. We are not to call God to Account for his Actions It is enough that he has assured Us that He will not hold such Persons Guiltless And that therefore every such Sinner must either Repent in a very singular manner of his Offence in taking God's Name in Vain or he shall assuredly be punish'd with an extraordinary Severity for it It may be in this present Life but without all question in that which is to Come SECT XXVI Q. WHat is the last Commandment of the First Table A. Remember that thou keep Holy the sabbath-Sabbath-Day c. Q. What do you mean by the sabbath-Sabbath-Day A. The Commandment it self explains it 'T is a Seventh Day of Rest after Six of Work and Labour Six Days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God In it thou shalt do no manner of Work Q. Wherefore did God establish a Seventh Day of Rest after Six of Work and Labour A. In memory of his having Created the World in Six Days and on the Seventh Day Rested or Ceased from Creating it And to keep up thereby the Memory of his being the Creator of the World and to engage Mankind solemnly to acknowledge and Worship Him as such For in Six Days the LORD made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that is therein and Rested the Seventh Day wherefore the LORD Blessed the Sabbath-Day and Hallowed it Q. Was this Command given by God to Mankind from the beginning of the World A. So Moses tells Us Gen. ii 2 And it is not to be doubted but that accordingly such a Sabbath did continue to be Observed so long as any Sense of true Religion Remained upon the Earth Q. How then did it become Needful for God to Renew it again in this Place A. As it was needful for him to Renew many Other Precepts which yet were certainly both given by him and Observed in the World long before No body doubts but that Adam and his first Descendents both knew and worshipped the True God Yet this was provided for again Now. So immediately after the Floud the Law against Murder was solemnly promulged Gen. ix 6 Yet nevertheless the same Command was here again Repeated As for the Case before Us as Men lived farther off from the Creation and Wickedness prevailed over the Face of the Earth and the true Worship of God was corrupted by almost a Universal Idolatry so was the Solemn Day of his Worship neglected likewise And tho' it may have in some measure been received after the Floud and continued in some part of Abraham's Family yet in their Aegyptian Slavery it was utterly abolish'd and the very memory of it seems to have been lost among them Q. When did God Renew this Command to Them A. Presently after their passing thro' the Red Sea Exod. xvi when he began to give the Manna to Them For then he commanded them to gather it every Morning Six Days but on the Sixth Day to provide a double Quantity for the next Day because that thereon they should keep the Sabbath to the LORD and no Manna should fall or be Gathered upon it Q. On what Day of the Week did that Sabbath-Day fall A. On that which They from thenceforth Observed for their Sabbath-Day and which answers to our Saturday Q. Was that the same Day on which God Rested from the Creation and which He had before Commanded Adam to keep in memory of it A. That we cannot tell By the Providence of
have had Regard unto it when he commanded Moses to prepare Two Tables for Them On the One of which were to be Engraven Those which concern our Duty towards God on the Other Those which contain our Duty toward our Neighbour Exod. xxxi 18 xxxii 19 xxxiv 1.4.28 Q. How many Commandments does each of these Tables comprehend A. As to the Commandments themselves it is not doubted by Any but that Those of the First Table end with that which Concerns the Sabbath and that the Second begins with that which Requires Us to Honour our Father and our Mother But in Dividing the Commandments of Each Table there is a difference between Vs and Those of the Church of Rome For they join the Two First into One and then to complete the number of Ten divide the Last into Two And so assign not as we do Four to One Table and Six to the Other but Three to the First Table and Seven to the Second Q. Is it a Matter of Any Moment How each Precept is divided so long as All are Retained A. In its self it is not But as the Design of this New Division was to enable them thereby to drop the Second Commandment against their Image-Worship altogether and which accordingly from thenceforth they did oftentimes Omit in their Common Books of Devotion so it is certainly of Great Moment to be taken Notice of Now the First and Second Commandments have apparently a Different Prospect and were design'd to Prohibit Two very different Things But the Last Commandment solely Respects the Sin of Coveting And if the difference of the Instances which are Given in it the better to clear and inforce the Observance of it be sufficient to make a Several Command according to the Distinction of them They may as well divide it into Six or indeed into Six hundred Commands as into Two For at this Rate Thou shalt not Covet thy Neighbour's House will be One Thou shalt not Covet thy Neigbour's Wife Another Nor his Man-Servant will be a Third Nor his Maid-Servant a Fourth Nor his Ox a Fifth Nor his Ass a Sixth Nor any Thing that is his a Hundred more in One General Expression Q. But is there not One Great Branch of Our Duty here wanting namely Our Duty towards our Selves A. There is not For all those Duties which we so call have a manifest Regard more or less to our Duty to God and our Neighbour and may be comprised under the Offices relating to Them At least since there is no Duty of this kind but what is Required by God of Us the better to fit us for his Service and Acceptance it must be confess'd that the First Commandment alone will take in whatsoever of this Nature may seem wanting in the Whole Q. Is there any other Division of these Commands that may be fit to be taken Notice of before we proceed to the particular Consideration of Them A. There is yet One namely That of these Commandments some are Positive and declare what we are to Do as the Fourth Commandment of the First Table the Fifth in the Second Others are Negative and shew Us what we are to Avoid As all the Others of Both Tables Q. What do you Observe from this Distinction A. A Great Difference with Respect to our Obligation to Obedience For 1 st The positive Commands though they are always in force and therefore Oblige all who have any Concern with them and so long as they are under the Power of them yet they do not extend to All Persons nor Oblige at All Times As for Example To Honour our Father and Mother is a Duty of Eternal Obligation But then many there are Who have no Father nor Mother and therefore neither can They lie under any Obligation to Honour Them Again To Observe the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy is a Command that never Ceases to Oblige But yet should a Man be made a Prisoner or a Slave in a Pagan or Other Country where he had no Means nor Opportunity to Observe it whilst he lay under those Circumstances he would not be Guilty of any Sin by not Observing of it But now the Negative Commands not only Oblige always but all Persons at all Times and in all Circumstances And therefore to Worship any other God besides the Lord To make any Graven Image to bow down before it and worship it To take God's Name in Vain These and the like Prohibitions oblige Men to a constant uninterrupted Observance of them be their Circumstances or Conditions of Life what they will Nor can it at any Time or upon any Occasion be lawful for any Man To worship another God To make a Graven Image to worship it To take God's Name in Vain and the like Q. Have you any thing farther to Observe from this Division A. This only that these Two kinds mutually Include one Another So that when God commands any Duty to be perform'd we are to understand that he does by the very same Command forbid whatsoever is contrary thereunto to be done by Us. And again when he forbids any thing to be done he does thereby Require Us to fulfil the Opposite Duty imply'd as well as to avoid the Sin which is expresly taken Notice of To clear my meaning in an Instance of Each Kind God commands us in the Fourth Commandment to keep holy the sabbath-Sabbath-Day and that by Sanctifying of it to a Religious Rest And by the same Commandment he forbids Us to do any servile Work upon it or any thing whereby this Day may be unhallow'd or profaned by Us. And this would have been understood by the Other part of the Command though God had not expresly taken notice of it In like manner When in the Sixth Commandment God forbids us to Commit Murder we are to understand that we are not only prohibited thereby to stab or poison our Neighbour but are Required to do what in Us lies to Cherish and Preserve his Life To help him if he be assaulted by Another to feed and cloath him as far as we are able and to prevent according to Our Ability whatsoever may bring him in danger of losing of it Q. Are there any Other General Rules that may be of Use to us in the Vnderstanding of the Commandments here proposed to Us A. There are Several such Rules but those of most consequence seem to be these Four First That in every Commandment the General thing Express'd comprehends under it all such Particulars as either directly depend upon it or may Fairly and Reasonably be Reduced to it Thus the Seventh Commandment though in express Terms it Forbids only the Sin of Adultery yet under that General is to be extended to all manner of Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness not only to all unchast Actions but to all wanton Words Thoughts Desires To all immodest Behaviour and indecent Attire To whatsoever in short may intrench upon that Gravity and Reservedness which our Religion Requires of