How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?
Ans. The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy 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 mercv.
Q. 1. What is it to sanctify the Sabbath?
A. The Sabbath is sanctified by God, in his appointing it to be holy; and the Sabbath is sanctified by man, in his observing and keeping it as holy: "Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy."
Q. 2. How are we to observe and keep the Sabbath as holy?
A. We are to observe and keep the Sabbath as holy, partly by a holy resting, partly in holy exercises on that day.
Q. 3. What are we to rest from on the Sabbath-day?
A. We are on the Sabbath-day to rest, not only from those things which are in themselves sinful, which we are bound to rest from on every day of the week; but also we are to rest from those worldly employments and recreations which on the other six days of the week are lawful, and our duty: "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work," &c.
Q. 4. May not such works be done in our particular callings on the Sabbath-day as cannot so seasonably and advantageously be done on the other days of the week?
A. There are some works in our particular callings which may seem to be most seasonable and advantageous on the Sabbath-day, and yet it is our duty to rest from them, and wholly to forbear them; such as— 1. Killing of beasts on the Sabbath, to prepare for the Monday market. 2. Ploughing, sowing, gathering in of corn, making hay while the sun shines and the weather best serveth, on the Sabbath-day. 3. Selling of fruit, or any other wares, on the Sabbath-day, when there may be most custom for them. 4. Selling or buying of fish on the Sabbath, which in hot weather might stink if kept until the Monday. These, and the like worldly employments, we are to forbear, by virtue of this commandment, they being our own works; and whatever loss we may seem to sustain by such forbearance, be sure it is not comparable to the loss of God's favour, and the wounding of our conscience, and the loss of our souls for ever, which will be the fruit of living in the breach of God's law. And if such works as these must be forborne on the Sabbath, much more such works of our calling as may be done on the week.day, as well as on the Sabbath. "In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on theSabbath.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 children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Jndah, 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."— Neh. 13:15-18.
Q. 5. May we not lawfully recreate ourselves upon the Sabbath-day, especially since the day is appointed to be a day of rest from our toiling labour in the week?
A. We may and ought to recreate our minds on the Sabbath.day in the worship of God, we being bound to call and make in this respect the Sabbath our delight. But we ought to forbear recreating our minds with carnal delight, either by words or deeds, which we may do oa other days; and much more we ought to forbear recreating our bodies by sports and pastimes, though after the public exercise of God's worship be over. "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."— Isa. 58:13, 14.
Q. 6. Though masters and governors of families are bound themselves to rest upon the Sabbath-day, yet may they not command their children and servants to work, or permit them to play and take their recreation?
A. Indeed the commandment is principally directed to masters and governors of families, but withal so as it doth enjoin them to do what in them lieth to hinder their children and servants from the profanation of the day by servile working, or bodily recreations, and to put them upon the observation of this day of rest: "In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant," &c.
Q. 7. May not children or servants lawfully work or play upon the Sabbath-day, if they be commanded here-unto by their parents or masters?
A. Though it be the sin of the parents or masters to command their children or servants to work, or any other way to break the Sabbath, yet it is the duty of children and servants to disobey them, whatever temporal loss they sustain by it; they being bound to obey the God of heaven rather than any man upon earth.
Q. 8. Is it lawful to dress meat on the Sabbath-day?
A. Although it was the will of the Lord that the children of Israel should neither gather nor dress the manna that fell from heaven on the Sabbath-day, there being so much servile work to be done about it before it was fit to be eaten, namely, the grinding of it in mills, or beating it in mortars, and then breaking it, which servile work is still unlawful, unless in cases of necessity; and although fires were forbidden to be kindled in all their habitations, (Exod. 35:3), that is, to forbear worldly employments, (as the works forbidden in the former verse were, and this instance isa special of the general); yet the Scnpture doth nowhere forbid the dressing meat at all, for ordinary food, nor the kindling of fires for such use; but the lawfulness of meat may be collected from the Scripture, inasmuch as our Saviour himself was present at a feast on the Sabbath-day (Luke 14:1), where no doubt meat was dressed for so many guests as were there bidden. And when we are allowed to provide food for our cattle on the Sabbath, surely we may lawfully dress meat for ourselves.
Q. 9. What works doth God allow us to do on the Sabbath-day, besides those which he doth principally command us?
A. The works which God doth allow us to do on the Sabbath-day, besides what he doth principally command us, are works of necessity aud mercy; such as eating, drinking, defending ourselves from enemies, quenching the fire of houses, visiting the sick, relieving the poor, feeding cattle, and the like; in all which employments we ought not to have a reference chiefly to ourselves, or any temporal advantage, but to be as spiritual as may be in them. "At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath-day through the corn, and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath-day. But lie said unto them, Have ye not read what David did?" &c. — Matt. 12:1-3 And, verse 8: "If you had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless." And verses 10-12: " They said unto him, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day? and he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath.day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath-days." " And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath-day. The Lord' then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lend him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath-day?"— Luke 13:14-16.
Q. 10. What are the holy exercises, or the works which we are principally commanded to do on the Sabbath-day?
A. The holy exercises which we are to be employed in, or the works which we are principally commanded to do on the Sabbath-day, are the public and private exercises, especially the public exercises of God's worship, such as hearing the word, prayer, receiving the sacrament, singing of psalms, in the public assemblies of God's people. "And it shall come to pass that, from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord."— Isa. 66:23. "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath.day, and stood up for to read."— Luke 4:16. "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them."— Acts 20:7. " A psalm or song for the Sabbath-day."— Ps. 92 (title).
Q. 11. How are we to perform these public exercises of God's worship on the Sabbath day?
A. We are to perform these public exercises of God's worship on the Sabbath-day— 1. With sincerity, having a single respect unto the honour and glory of God, whose day the Sabbath is. "If thou call the Sabbath the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shalt honour him."— Isa. 58:13. 2. With reverence, and that both of body and mind. " Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of Gcd."— Eccles. 5:1. " To this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."— Isa. 66:2. 3. With diligence and attention. "Anil on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made. And Lydia, which worshipped God, beard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul."— Acts 16:13, 14. 4. With love and fervour of spirit. "Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." — Rom. 12:11. 5. With delight and joy. "If thou call the Sabbath a delight."— Isa. 58:13.
Q. 12. What are we to do by way of preparation for the public exercises of God's worship on the Sabbath-day?
A. By way of preparation for the public exercises of God's worship on the Sabbath-day,we are— l. To remember, before the day come, to keep it holy, so as to finish our' worldly business and employments on the week days, and timely to break off from 'them on the Saturday evening, and to take pains to get our hearts in a readiness for the holy duties of the Sabbath. 2. In the morning of the Sabbath, we must begin the day with God, in holy meditation upon the works of God's creation, and especially upon the works of redemption, which were completed by Christ's resurrection upon this day; we must read the Scripture, and some other good books, as we have time, for the better fitting us for our more public and solemn worship; especially we must pray in secret, and in our families, for God's presence in his ordinances, and that God would assist his ministers, who are his mouth to us, and ours to him; and that he would assist us in a sincere and hearty performance of public duties, that we may attain more knowledge, experience, and mortification, further degrees of grace, and more communion with God.
Q. 13. What are we to do on the Sabbath-day, after the public exercises of God's worship are over?
A. After the public exercises of God's worship are over the work of the Sabbath is not over; but we must retire to our families (not seek our pleasure in the fields, or in vain company), and there repeat over what we have heard; catechise and instruct children and servants, sing psalms, pray with our families, and whilst we moderately make use of any creature refreshment, we must discourse of the things of God. We ought also to take time in the evening to retire into secret, and there examine ourselves as to the carriage of our hearts before God in the day; labour in meditation to get the word wrought more thoroughly upon our hearts; we must also endeavour to pour out our hearts before God in secret prayer, humbly confessing sin, earnestly and believingly requesting pardon and further supplies of grace, and thankfully praising God for all his mercies, especially for his Son Jesus Christ, and the Gospel privileges which we have in and by him. In such variety of holy exercises we may spend the whole Sabbath, which we should make as long as we can; and when the day is at an end, we should long for the Sabbath in heaven, which will never have an end. 

 

 

Sabbath Keeping

Can a better view of a perfect world be imagined than 
that of a Sabbath-keeping world ? All nations and all in- 
dividuals ceasing from their stated vocations as the light 
of the Sabbath day breaks over the eastern hills ! Then, 
when the sound of the churchgoing bells announces the 
hour of worship, how pleasant to see the small and great, 
the rich and poor, the far and near, issue from their dwell- 
ings to gather into the courts of the Lord ! Could crime or 
disorder exist among such a people ? Would not the earth 
be the antechamber of heaven, and Sabbath rest be a fore- 
taste of heaven's eternal joys } That glorious sight may 
yet be seen. When the nature, sanctions, privileges, and 
surpassing beauty of Sabbath rest and the Gospel order 
generally are fully made known — their boon to the poor 
man, their benefits to the rich, their barrier against oppres- 
sion and degradation, and their tendency to promote pros- 

perity and happiness to the individual, family, and nation 
— it does seem to us that the divine injunction, " Remem- 
ber the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, " will be universally 
heeded. 

 Hail, blessed Sabbath, 
gracious Lord's Day, hail ! What hallowed associations 
cluster thick around thee ! Running back, week by week, 
we think of the precious seasons of worship, social and se- 
cret, which we have enjoyed in thy advantageous hours ! 
The sacred convocations, the seasons of prayer, the in- 
structive sermons, and the gladsome songs of praise are 
fresh in our memories. We think, too, of the incalculable 
good which has flowed to our race from this blessed day. 
What Gospel triumphs, beginning in Jerusalem, then in 
Judea, then in Samaria, and then in the uttermost parts of 
earth, have resulted from it ! What angel songs over re- 
pentant sinners have first been heard during its consecrated 
moments ! Thankful are we that our Saviour instituted this 
day. It carries us back in a spirit of commemoration to 
the glad morning of the resurrection and the glorious birth 
of the Gospel kingdom ; and yet farther still, to the birth of 
a new world as it sprang in beauty from its Creator's hands. 
It carries us forward in a spirit of faith and hope to the sub- 
lime consummation of Gospel work and blessing, when the 
Sabbath of earth shall be transferred to the eternal Sab- 
batism of that rest which remains for the people of God. 
Each well kept Sabbath brings us nearer, and adds to our 
fitness to meet the Founder of this rest which has been 
known from the beginning of time, and which shall continue 
when time shall be no more. Happy for us if we rightly 
perceive our obligations in respect to it, and have faith to 
enter into its permanent and perfect observance. 


POTTS

The Sabbath Day

To the Christian it is a foretaste of heaven. 
During its sacred hours, he can draw off his mind 
from those worldly thoughts and distracting cares 
which grow out of his pursuits on other days, and 
hold communion with the Father of his spirit. He 
can meditate, without interruption, on the riches of 
the inheritance of the saints in glory, on the love 
of God, on the grace and condescension of Christ, 



 

and on the consolation of the Holy Spirit. While 
thus occupied, his soul is often wafted upward on 
the wings of faith and hope, until he imagines him- 
self mingling with the blissful throng in the pres- 
ence of the ineffable glory. And when the glorious 
vision passes, and he feels himself still an inhabi- 
tant of the earth, how often does he breathe out his 
soul, in the language of the poet: 

'•'"Who, who would live alway, awav from his God; 
Away from von heaven, that blissful abode, 
Where the rivers of pleasure flow o'er the bright plains, 
And the noontide of glory eternally reigns : 

" "Where the saints of all ages in harmony meet, 
Their Saviour and brethren transjDorted to greet ; 
"While the anthems of rapture unceasingly roll, 
And the smile of the Lord is the feast of the soul ?" 

But the exercises of the Christian are not always 
of a rapturous kind, even on the Sabbath, The 
child of God often has his doubts and fears, his 
troubles and sorrows. When thus affected, what a 
blessed privilege it is for him to have the opportu- 
nity of self-examination, of communion with God 
in the closet, of confessing his sins and supplicating 
the Divine forgiveness, of reading the Bible, and 
pondering its precious promises, of going to the 
house of God and listening to the preaching of the 
word, of conferring with other Christians, and 
learning that his trials are not peculiar. If he has 
been faithful in these things, peace has returned to 

 



 

his mind, and he has been enabled to say with the 
Psalmist: "Why art thou east down, O my soul? 
and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in 
God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health 
of my countenance, and my God." 

The writer does not intend to convey the idea 
that these holy exercises and sacred privileges are 
confined to the Sabbath ; but he does intend to con- 
vey the idea that there is something in the very 
institution and associations of the Sabbath favourable 
to them, and in fact suggestive of them. "Were 
there no Sabbath, some of them could not be 
.enjoyed at all, and others would be in danger of 
being neglected. If, with the inestimable privilege 
of one day in seven for such holy and elevating 
exercises. Christians are so feeble in the divine life, 
what would they be without it? God only can tell. 

We must conclude, then, that the Sabbath is the 
source of incalculable moral and spiritual advan- 
tages, that without it morality and religion would 
scarcely exist. Charles Elliot

The Sabbath

To the sincere, pious, penitent Christian, the Sabbath 
is a holy and a blessed day. Oppressed by the cares, toils 
and duties of the week, the Sabbath comes to his relief, 
like as a spring of water to the refreshment of a thirsty 
traveller, in his journey through a dry and desert land. 
It reminds him of duties higher and holier than those of 
labouring for the honour and riches of this world. And 
while it reminds him that the period of his existence on 
earth is short, it reminds him also of a never ending exis- 
tence beyond the grave. It reminds him that he is " fear- 
fully and wonderfully made," that he is the creature of 
an invisible Creator, to whom he is indebted for his life, 
and for all the wonderful physical, moral and intellectual 
faculties with which he is endowed. It affords him a fit 
season " to look through nature up to nature's God," to 
contemplate his infinite perfections, and to admire the 
wisdom and goodness which has given him an habitation 
so exactly adapted to his capacities and wants. And what 
is of yet greater importance, it affords him an opportunity 
to read and reflect upon the revelation of God to man, that 
revelation which discloses the character of his Creator, his 
own character, the duties required of him in this life, and 
what he must do to inherit a life of immortality and bles- 
sedness in that world of spirits into which his soul must 
soon take its flight. Bigelow

To Sanctify the Sabbath

---

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. 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. Nehemiah 13:15-18. 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 sold victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath, unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 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 Israel by profaning the Sabbath.
Q. 3. May we not refresh our bodies by recreations, or our minds 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 this day, are spiritual and heavenly; Isaiah 58:13-14. 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; Mathew 12:3-4. 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 verse 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. Isaiah 66:23. 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 4:16. And as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood for to read. And prayer; Acts 16:13-14. 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 20:7. 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; Leviticus 23:3. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, 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. public and private, to be performed? 
A. They are to be performed with spiritual delight; Isaiah 58:13. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, &c. And all grudging at, and weariness of spiritual exercises, is a sin forbidden; Malachi 1:13. 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 I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord. Amos 8:5. When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell 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 second reason is God’s sanctifying and separating this day by a special command and institution for his service; so that to profane it is to sin against an express divine statute.
Q. 10. What is the third reason annexed to this command? 
A. The third reason is God’s own example, who rested the seventh day from all his works, and blessed this day, by virtue of which blessing we are encouraged to sanctify it.
Q. 11. Is it not enough to sanctify this day in our own persons? 
A. No; if God hath put any under our authority, their profaning the Sabbath will become our sin, though we be never so strict in the observation of it ourselves.
Q. 12. May we continue our civil employment 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 23:54. And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on.
Q. 13. W hat 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.

Sanctity of the Sabbath Day

First, and most elementally and centrally, it is that one day in seven is distinguished from the other six. That day is to be sanctified, and at the heart of the word sanctify is the idea of distinction and separation. This one day is set off, it is placed in a distinct category. This import of the word cannot be evaded and it is to be very carefully marked, for on it depends the whole notion of what we may and must call the sanctity of the Sabbath.

It is not, however, the bare notion of distinction or separation that is expressed in the commandment. The command to sanctify occurs in a context. “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.” And it is not only in the context of the remainder of the commandment, but also in the context of the other commandments. “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” “I the Lord thy God am a jealous God.” “Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” It is separation, therefore, to God, to the specific purpose of contemplation upon Him and specific occupation with His work in contrast with their own work. In this kind of distinction or sanctity the meaning of the fourth commandment resides. Abolish it, and the essence of the commandment is destroyed. There is no purpose in contending for the moral obligation of the commandment unless this sanctity is recognized and preserved, for it is the core around which all else is formed and without which all else disintegrates. Just as there is an ineradicable distinction between the six days of creation and the day of rest by which they were followed, so it is here. And it is precisely with this reminder that the commandment itself ends, “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

Israel truly was a holy people; they were separated unto God Jehovah. It might, then, be supposed that the sanctification of one day in seven was inconsistent with the totality of their devotion to God. Yet it is an inescapable fact that this kingdom of priests and holy nation was in the most direct way commanded to separate one day from the other six for a specific purpose. And unless our conception of devotion to God, and of time as it is related to Him, can embrace and appreciate this notion, together with the divine wisdom embodied in it, we can have no understanding of the fourth commandment.   John Murray

Sanctification of the Sabbath Day

The Sanctification of the Sabbath

Thomas Boston

Excerpts from An Illustration of the Doctrines of the Christian Religion, with Respect to Faith and Practice, upon the Plan of the Assembly's Shorter Catechism, Comprehending a Complete Body of Divinity, published posthumously in 1773.

I come now to show you how the Sabbath is to be sanctified. The Catechism tells us, "It is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in public and private exercises of God's worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy."

Here I shall show, what it is to sanctify the Sabbath, and what are the parts of the sanctification of it.

First, I am to show, what it is to sanctify the Sabbath. The Sabbath day is not capable of any sanctity or holiness, but what is relative; that is, in respect of its use for holy rest or exercise. So, (1.) God has sanctified that day, by setting it apart for holy uses, designing and appointing it in a special manner for his own worship and service. (2.) Men must sanctify it by keeping it holy, spending that day in God's worship and service for which God has set it apart; using it only for the uses that God has consecrated it unto.

Secondly, I come to show what are the parts of the sanctification of the Sabbath. They are two; holy rest, and holy exercise.

First, the Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy rest. Therefore it is called a sabbath, i.e. a rest.

1. What are we to rest from? On the Sabbath we must rest.

1st, from our worldly employments. God has given us six days for these; but His day must be kept free from them: "In it thou shalt not do any work." The works of our worldly calling have six days, those of our heavenly calling but one. We must rest from the former, that we may apply ourselves to the latter. Now, such works are to be accounted, (1.) All handy [manual] labor or servile employments tending to our worldly gain, as on other days of the week, as ploughing and sowing, bearing of burdens, etc., Neh. 13:15, driving of beasts to market, or exercising any part of one's calling. (2.) All study of liberal arts and sciences. The Sabbath is not a day for such exercises, as the reading of history, the studying of sciences, etc., Isa. 58:13. (3.) All civil works, such as making bargains, unnecessary journeying, traveling to Monday markets on the Lord's Day, though people wait on sermons, or take them by the way. It is indeed the sin of those that do not change their market days when they so fall out, and a sin in the government to suffer it: but that will not justify those who comply with the temptation, seeing God has given us other days of the week. If they cannot overtake their market after the Sabbath, they should go away before, that they may rest on the Sabbath, wherever they are, Exod. 16:29.

2dly, from all worldly recreations, though lawful on other days. It is not a day for carnal pleasures of any sort, more than it is for worldly employments. Our delights should be heavenly this day, not to please the flesh but the spirit; and sports, plays, and pastimes are a gross profanation of the Sabbath, Isa. 58:13-14.

Now this rest of the Sabbath from these must be, (1.) A rest of the hands from them. The hands must rest, that the heart may be duly exercised. (2.) A rest of the tongue. People should not give their orders for the week's work on the Lord's Day, nor converse about their worldly business. (3.) A rest of the head from thinking of it, and forming plans and contrivances about worldly affairs.

But here are excepted works of two sorts:

1. Works of necessity, as to quench a house on fire, etc. 2. Works of mercy, as to save the live of a beast; see Matthew 12. Under which may be comprehended, (1.) Good works, such as visiting the sick, relieving the poor, etc. (2.) Works of decency, such as dressing the body with comely attire. (3.) Works of common honesty and humanity, as saluting one another, I Pet. 3:8. (4.) Works of necessary refreshment, as dressing and taking of meat. (5.) Works having a necessary connection with and tendency to the worship of God, as traveling on the Lord's Day to sermons, II Kings 4:23.

But in all these things it should be regarded, that the necessity be real, and not pretended: for it is not enough that the work cannot be done to such advantage on another day; for that might let out people on the Sabbath, if it be a windy day or so, to cut down their corn, which God has in a special manner provided against, Exod. 34:21; and that would have justified the sellers of fish, whom Nehemiah discharged, Neh. 13:16-17. And therefore I cannot think that the making of cheese on the Lord's day can be counted a work of necessity, lawful on that day: for as much might be said in the other cases as can be said in this, viz. that the corn may shake, the fishes spoil, etc. Besides, people should take heed that they bring not that necessity on themselves, by timeously [in a timely manner] providing against it. And when works of real necessity and mercy are to be done, they should be done, not with a work day's, but a Sabbath day's frame.

2. Who are to rest? The command is very particular.

(1.) Men. [1.] The heads of the family, the heads of the state, master and mistress, are to give example to others. [2.] The children, son, daughter; they must not have their liberty to profane the Sabbath by playing more than working. [3.] Servants, whose toil all the week may tempt them to misspend the Lord's Day; they must not be bidden profane the Sabbath; and if they be, they must obey God rather than man. [4.] The stranger must not be allowed his liberty: we must not compliment away the honor of the Sabbath.

(2.) Beasts; they must rest; not that the law reaches them for themselves, but for their owners; either because they require attendance at work, or put the case they did not, yet it is the work which must not be done. This lets us see, that where even their work may be carried on, on the Lord's Day without attendance on them, yet it is not to be done.

3. What makes the rest holy? Respect to the command of God.

Secondly, the Sabbath is to be sanctified by holy exercise.

1. Public exercise; of God's worship, Isa. 66:23; as hearing sermons, Luke 4:16; prayer, Acts 16:13-14; receiving of the sacraments, where there is occasion, Acts 20:7; singing of psalms, Psalm 92, title. 2. Private exercises of worship, alone and in our families, Lev. 23:3. Neither of these must justle out the other. God has joined them; let us not put them asunder.

And these duties are to be done with a special elevation of heart on the Sabbath day; they ought to be performed with a frame suiting the Sabbath, Isa. 58:13.

1st, Grace must be stirred up to exercise, otherwise the Sabbath will be a burden. Grace will be at its height in heaven, and the Sabbath is an emblem of heaven, Rev. 1:10). 2dly, The heart should be withdrawn from all earthly things, and intent upon the duty of the day. We must leave the ass at the foot of the mount, that we may converse with God. 3dly, Love and admiration are special ingredients here. The two great works of creation and redemption, which we are particularly called to mind on the Lord's Day, are calculated to excite our love and admiration. 4thly, We should have a peculiar delight in the day, and the duties of it, exchanging our lawful pleasures on other days with spiritual pleasures on this.

The rest without holy exercise is not sufficient.

1. The Sabbath rest resembles that of heaven, which is a rest without a rest, wherein the soul is most busy and active, serving the Lord without weariness. 2. If it were enough, we were obliged to sanctify the Sabbath no more than beasts, who only rest that day. 3. The rest enjoined is not commanded for itself, but for the holy exercises of the day.

Now, it is the whole day that is thus to be spent; i.e. the natural day. Not that people are bound to be in these exercises without intermission all the twenty-four hours; for God has not made the Sabbath to be a burden to man, but that we should continue God's work as we do our own on other days, where we are allowed necessary rest and refreshment by sleep in the night.

Use. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. This note is put upon it.

1. Because of the great weight of the thing, the Sabbath being the bond of all religion. It is God's deal-day, wherein his people may expect furniture for all the week.

2. Because we are very apt to forget it, Ezek. 22:26). There is less light of nature for this than other commands. It restrains our liberty in those things that we do all the week. And Satan, knowing the importance of it for our souls, that it is a day of blessing, sets on us to forget it. If you would then sanctify the Sabbath, (1.) Remember it before it come; on the last day of the week, on the Saturday's evening, laying by work timeously [in a timely manner] to prepare for it, Luke 23:54. (2.) Remember it when it is come; rise early on the Sabbath morning, Ps. 92:2. The morning hath enough ado: worship God secretly and privately: prepare yourselves for ordinances, wrestle with God for His presence thereto, that He may graciously assist the minister in preaching, and you in hearing, and may bless the word to you. Remember it while it is going on, that it is God's day, a day of blessing, and ply diligently the work of the day, not only in time of the public work, but after, till the day be finished. (3.) Remember it when it is over, to see what good you have got by it; to bless Him for any smiles of His face, or manifestations of His grace; and to mourn over your failures, and apply to the blood of Christ for pardon and cleansing.

I proceed to show, what is forbidden in the fourth commandment. We are told in the Catechism, that is "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 worldly employments or recreations."

There are five ways in which this commandment is broken.

First, By omission of the duties required on this day, whether in whole or in part. Many of the Sabbath duties are the duties of every day; but the omission of them, which is always criminal, is more so on this day, because on it we are specially called to them. We sin against this command, then, when we neglect the public or private exercises of God's worship.

1. Not remembering the Sabbath, before it come, to prepare for it; entertaining a carnal, worldly frame of spirit on the night before, not laying aside work betimes, and composing our hearts for the approaching Sabbath; far more when people continue at their work later that night than ordinary, getting as near the borders of the Sabbath as they can.

2. Neglecting the duties of the Sabbath morning; particularly, (1.) The duty of meditation. Those that are in the spirit on the Lord's Day, their spirits will be busy, elevated to heavenly things, and conversing with heaven. The two great works of creation and redemption require our thoughts particularly on that day, Ps. 92:5; and we must needs be guilty, when, while God has set these great marks before us, we do not aim to hit them. Has not God made it a day of blessing? should not we then consider our wants, miseries, and needs, and sharpen our appetites after that food that is set before us in ordinances on that day? (2.) Secret prayer. The Sabbath morning is a special time for wrestling with God, confessing, petitioning, and giving thanks. Then there should be wrestling for the blessing on the day of blessing. And the neglect of it is a very bad beginning for that good day. When will they come to God's door who will not come then? Ps. 92:1-2. (3.) Family exercise. This command has a special respect to family religion. As God will have the family to mind and see to their own work on the six days, so he calls them to mind his together on the Sabbath. Every family is to be a church, especially on the Lord's Day. And if people came with their hearts warmed from family duties to the public, they would speed.

3. Neglect of the public exercises of God's worship, Heb. 10:25. By this neglect the Sabbath is profaned. The public ordinances on the Lord's Day, whatever they do else, they keep up a standard for Christ in the world; and to slight them is the way to fill the world with atheism and profaneness. As it would be the sin of ministers not to administer them, so it is the sin of people not to attend on them. But O how does this profanation abound, by unnecessary absenting from public ordinances! It is not enough to spend the time in private. God requires both; and the one must not justle out the other. Nothing should be admitted as an excuse in this, but what will bear weight when the conscience is sisted before God.

4. Neglecting the duties of the day when the public work is over. The Sabbath is not over when the public work is over. When we go home to our houses, we must keep the Sabbath there too, Lev. 23:3. It ought not to be an idle time. You ought to retire by yourselves, and meditate on what you have heard, on your behavior at the public ordinances, and be humbled for your failings; confer together about the word, renew your calling on God in secret, and in your families, and with variety of holy exercises spend what remains of the day.

Secondly, The Sabbath is profaned be a careless performance of the duties required. Though we perform the duties themselves, we may profane the Sabbath by the way of managing them. Now, it is a careless performance to perform them: 1. Hypocritically, Matt. 15:7, while the body is exercised in Sabbath's work, but the heart goes not along with it. 2. Carnally, in an earthly frame of spirit, the heart nothing savoring of heaven, but still of the world. Hence are so many distracting thoughts about worldly things, that the heart cannot be intent on the duty of the day, Amos 8:5. 3. Heartlessly and coldly. The Sabbath should be called a delight; a special vigor and alacrity is required to Sabbath duties. But O how flat, heartless, dead, and dull are we for the most part! so that many are quite out of their element on the Lord's Day, and never come to themselves, or any alacrity of spirit, till the Sabbath be over, and they return to their business. 4. To perform them with a weariness of them, or in them, Mal. 1:13. Alas! is not the Sabbath the most wearisome day of all the week to many? The rest of the Sabbath is more burdensome then the toil of other days. How will such take with heaven, where there is an eternal rest, an everlasting Sabbath? This is a contempt of God and of his day.

Thirdly, The Sabbath is profaned by idleness. God has made the Sabbath a rest, but not a mere rest. He never allows idleness: on the week days we must not be idle, or we misspend our own time. On the Lord's Day we must not be idle, or we misspend and profane God's time. Thus the Sabbath is idled away and profaned. 1. By unnecessary, unseasonable sleeping in that day; lying long in the Sabbath morning, going soon to bed that night, to cut God's day as short as may be; and much more sleeping in any other time of the day, to put off the time. 2. By vain gadding abroad on the Lord's Day, through the fields, or gathering together about the doors, to idle away the time in company. It is very necessary that people keep indoors on the Lord's Day as much as may be; and if necessity or conveniency call them forth, that they carry their Sabbath's work with them. 3. By vain and idle discourse or thoughts. We must give an account of every idle work spoken on any day, far more for those spoken on the Lord's Day, which are doubly sinful.

Fourthly, The Sabbath is profaned by doing that which is in itself sinful. To do those things on the Lord's Day that ought not to be done any day, is a sin highly aggravated. Thus the Sabbath is profaned by people's discouraging others from attending ordinances, instead of attending themselves; swearing or cursing on that day, instead of praising God. The better the day, the worse is the deed. How fearful must their doom be who wait that time for their wicked pranks, as some dishonest servants, and other naughty persons, who choose the time that others are at church for their hidden works of dishonesty; because then they get most secrecy? And indeed the devil is very busy that way, and has brought some on to commit such things on the Sabbath day as have brought them to an ill end.

Lastly, By unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about worldly employments or recreations. The Sabbath is profaned, 1. By carnal recreations, nowise necessary nor suitable to the work of the Sabbath; such as, all carnal pleasures, sports, plays, and pastimes, Isa. 58:13. 2. By following of worldly employments on that day, working or going about ordinary business, except in cases of necessity and mercy, Matt. 24:20. Though, where real necessity or mercy is, it is an abuse of that day to forbear such things, as sometimes the Jews did, who being attacked on the Lord's Day, would not defend themselves. 3. By unnecessary thoughts or discourse about them; for that day is a day of rest for them every way; and we should neither think of nor talk about them.

O let us be deeply humbled before the Lord under the sense of our profanations of the Sabbath! for who can plead innocent here? We are all guilty in some shape or other, and had need to flee to the atoning blood of Jesus for the expiation of this and all our other sins.

I come now to consider the reasons annexed to the Fourth Commandment. And these, according to the Catechism, 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."

This command God has enforced by four reasons,

1. The first reason is taken from the equity of this command. God has allowed us six days of seven for our own business, and has reserved but one for himself. In dividing our time betwixt himself and us, He has made our share great, six for one. Consider the force of this reason. 1st, We have time enough to serve ourselves in the six days, and shall we not serve God on the seventh? They that will not be satisfied with six, would as little be satisfied with sixteen. But carnal hearts are like a sand bed to devour that which is holy. Nay, 2dly, We have time enough to tire ourselves on the six days in our own employments; it is a kindness that we are obliged to rest on the Lord's Day. Our interest is our duty, and our duty is our interest. It is a kindness to our bodies and souls too. And shall we not be engaged by it to sanctify the Sabbath? 3dly, There is time enough to raise the appetite for the Sabbath. It comes so seldom, though so sweet to the exercised soul, that we may long for it, and rejoice at the return of it. It is sad if six days' interval cannot beget in us spiritual appetite. 4thly, God might have allowed us but one day, and taken six to Himself. Who could have quarreled the Lord of time? Has he reserved but one for six, and shall we grudge it him? The sentence of David in the parable against the rich man that took away the poor man's ewe lamb, is applicable here: "The man that hath done this thing shall surely die; and he shall restore the lamb fourfold," etc., II Sam. 12.

2. The second reason is taken from God's challenging a special propriety in the Sabbath day; "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God". All days are his; but this is his in a peculiar manner, Rev. 1:10. He has set a mark on it for himself, to be reserved for himself to himself. Consider the force of this reason. 1st, If we have a God, it is reasonable that God should have a time set apart for His service, "the Sabbath of the Lord thy God". The heathen had days set apart for the honor of their idols; though the dumb idols could not demand them, yet they gave them. Papists have days set apart for saints, who are to them a sort of gods, though some of them, as Paul, have forbidden it. And will you not keep holy the Sabbath of the Lord thy God? 2dly, It is sacrilege, the worst of theft, to profane the Sabbath day. It is a robbing of God, a stealing from him that is consecrated to him, and that is dangerous, Prov. 20:25. We justly blame the churches of Rome and England, for robbing the people of a great many days which God has given us; but how may we blame ourselves for robbing God of the day he has kept from us, and taken to himself? Alas! our zeal for God is far below our zeal for ourselves. They stick to their saints' days, but how weary are we of God's days? Mal. 3:8.

3. The third reason is taken from God's example, who, though he could have perfected the world in a moment, yet, spent six days in it, and but six days, resting the seventh, taking a complacency in the work of his own hand; and this is an example to be imitated by us. Consider the force of this reason. 1st, God's example proposed for imitation is a most binding rule, Eph. 5:1. "Be ye followers of God." What God does is best done, and we must labor to write after his copy. 2dly, The profaning of the Sabbath is most eminent and signal contempt of God and of his works. Did God rest on the Sabbath, taking a complacency in the six days' works? Our not doing so is an undervaluing of what God so highly esteemed, slighting of what He so much prized, and consequently a contempt of Himself and His works too.

4. The fourth reason is taken from His blessing the Sabbath day. His blessing of that day is His blessing it as a mean of blessing us in the keeping of it. It imports,

1st, The Lord's putting a peculiar honor on it beyond all other days. It is the "holy of the Lord and honorable". The King of heaven has make it the queen of days. Therefore it should be our question, What shall be done to that day the King delighteth to honor? Let us beware of leveling that with common things which God has advanced so far above them.

2dly, That the Lord has set it apart for a spiritual blessing to his people, so that in the sanctification of that day we may look for a blessing, Isa. 56:6-7; nay, that the Lord will multiply his blessings on that day more on his people than any other days wherein they seek it. So that, as the Lord requires more on that day than on any other days, He also gives more.

3dly, That the Lord will make it even a spring of temporal blessings. He will not let the day of blessing to be a curse to people in their temporal affairs. They shall be at no loss in their worldly things by the Sabbath rest, Lev. 25:20, 22. Conscientious keepers of the Sabbath will be found to thrive as well otherwise as those who are not. The force of this reason is, (1.) God's honor by keeping that day, that we may get his blessings on it showered down upon us. So that the profanation of the Sabbath is like profane Esau's rejecting the blessing. (2.) Our own interest. Is it a special day for blessing, and shall we not observe it? It is an unworthy mistake to look upon the Sabbath as so much lost time. No time is so gainful as a Sabbath holily observed. And indeed the great reason of the profaning of the Sabbath may be found to lie, [1.] In carnality and worldly mindedness. The Sabbath is no delight to many. Why? Because heaven would be no heaven for them, for they savor not the things of God. The heart that is drowned in the cares or pleasures of the world, all the week over, is as hard to get in a Sabbath frame, as wet wood to take fire. [2.] Insensibleness of their need of spiritual blessings. They are not sensible of their wants, and hence they despise the blessing. He that has nothing to buy or sell can stay at home on the market day, and the full soul cares not for God's day. [3.] The not believing of the blessing of that day. They that think they may come as good speed any day in the duties of the day as on the Lord's Day, no wonder that they count God's day, and the duties of it, as common.

Use. Let me exhort you then to beware of profaning the Sabbath. Learn to keep it holy. And therefore I would call you here to several duties.

1. Remember the Sabbath day, before it come, to prepare for it, and let your eye be on it before the week be done. Timeously [in a timely manner] lay by your worldly employment, and go not near the borders of the Lord's day, and strive to get your hearts in a frame suitable to the exercises of this holy day.

2. Make conscience of attending the public ordinances, and waiting on God in his own house on his own day. Loiter not away the Lord's day at home unnecessarily, seeing the Lord trusts to meet his people there. This will bring leanness to your own souls, and grief of heart to him that bears the Lord's message to you.

3. Before you come to the public, spend the morning in secret and private exercises, particularly in prayer, reading, and meditation; remembering how much your success depends upon suitable preparation. Put off your shoes before ye tread the holy ground.

4. Make not your attendance on the public ordinances a by-hand work, and a mean for carrying on your worldly affairs. If ye come to the church to meet with some body, and to discourse or make appointments about your worldly business, it will be a wonder if ye meet with the Lord. If ye travel on the Lord's Day, and take a preaching by the way, it may well cheat your blinded consciences; it will not be pleasing to God, for it makes his service to stand but in the second room, while your main end is what concerns your temporal affairs. Among the Jews no man might make the mountain of the house, or a synagogue, a thoroughfare. And beware of common discourse between sermons, which is too much practiced among professors.

5. When ye come home from the public ordinances, let it be your care, both by the way and at home, to meditate or converse about spiritual things, and what ye have heard. Retire and examine yourselves as to what ye have gained, and be not as the unclean beasts, who chew not the cud. Let masters of families take account of their children and servants how they have profited, catechise and instruct them in the principles of religion, and exhort them to piety.

6. When ye are necessarily detained from the public ordinances, let your hearts be there, Ps. 63:1-2; and do not turn that to sin which in itself is not your sin. And strive to spend the Lord's Day in private and secret worship, looking to the Lord for the upmaking of your wants. As for those that tie themselves to men's service, without a due regard to their having opportunities to hear the Lord's word, their wages are dear bought, and they have little respect to God or their own souls; and I think tender Christians will be loath to engage so. But, alas! few masters or servants look further than the work or wages in their engaging together! A sad argument that religion is at a low ebb.

7. Do not cut the Sabbath short. The Church of Rome has half holidays; God never appointed any such; it is one whole day. Alas! it is a sad thing to see how the Lord's Day is so consumed, as if people would make up the loss of a day out of Saturday's night and Monday's morning, which they do by cutting short the Lord's Day.

8. Lastly, Labour to be in a Sabbath day's frame. Let the thoughts of worldly business, far more worldly words and works be far from you. To press this, consider, (1.) It is God's command, whereby he tries your love to him. This day is as the forbidden fruit. Who does not condemn Adam and Eve for eating it? O do not profane it any manner of way! (2.) Heaven will be an everlasting Sabbath, and our conversation should be heaven-like. If we grudge the Lord one day in seven, how will we relish eternity? We are ready to complain that we are toiled with the world: why then do we not enter into his rest? (3.) The great advantage of sanctifying the Lord's Day. He has made it a day of blessing. It is God's deal-day; and keeps up the heart of many through the week while they think of its approach. (4.) Lastly, Ye will bring wrath on you if ye do not sanctify the Sabbath. God may plague you with temporal, spiritual, and eternal plagues. Many begin with this sin of profaning the Lord's Day, and it brings upon them the wrath of God, both in this world and that which is to come.