ly g, and in fecret each one by himself b; fo more folemnly in the publick affemblies, which are not carelefly or willfully to be neglected or forfaken, when God by his word or providence calleth thereunto i

VII. As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be fet apart for the worship of God; fo, in

his word, by a pofitive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in feven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the refurrection of Chrift, was the last day of the week; and, from the refurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week /, which in fcripture is called the Lord's day m, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Chriftian Sabbath n.

VIII. This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs before-hand, do not only obferve an holy reft all the day, from their own works, words and thoughts, about their worldly employments and recreations o; but alfo are taken up

VII. k Exod. xx. 8. Remember the fabbath day, to keep it holy. v. 10. But the feventh day is the fabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy for, nor thy daughter, thy man-fervant, nor thy maid-fervant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger which is within thy gates. V. II. For in fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, the fea, and all that in them is, and refted the feventh day: wherefore the Lord bleffed the fabbath day, and hallowed it. Ifa. lvi. 2. Bleffed is the man that doth this, and the fon of man that layeth hold on it: that keepeth the fabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. v. 4. For thus faith the Lord unto the the eunuchs that keep my fabbaths, and choofe the things that please me, and take hold of Covenant. V. 6, 7. (See in letter i.)

my

/ Gen. ii. 2. And on the feventh day, God ended his work which he had made; and he refted on the feventh day from all his work which he had made. v. 3. And God bleffed the feventh day, and fanctified it: becaufe

the

that in it he had refted from all his work, which God created and inade. I Cor. xvi. I. Now concerning the collection for the faints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even fo da ye. v. 2. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in ftore, as God hath profpered him, that there be no gatherings when I come, Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the difciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his fpeech until midnight.

m Rev. i. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.

n Exod. xx. 8. 10. (See letter k) With Mat. v. 17. Think not that I am come to deftroy the law or the prophets I am not come to deftroy, but to fulfil. v. 18. For verily I fay unto you, till heaven and earth pafs, one jot or one tittle fhall in no wife pafs from the law, till all be fulfilled.

VIII. Exod. xx. 8. (See letter k.) Exod. xvi. 23. And he faid unto them, This is that which the Lord hath faid, to morrow is the reft of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord; bake that which

you

the whole time in the publick and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of neceffity and mercy p.

A

CHAP. XXII. Of lawful Oaths and Vows. Lawful oath is a part of religious worthip a, wherein, upon just occafion, the perfon fwearing, folemnly calleth God

you will bake, to day, and feethe that ye will feethe; and that which remaineth over, lay up for you to be kept until the morning. v. 25. And Mofes faid, Eat that to day; for to day is a fabbath unto the Lord: to day ye fhall not find it in the field. v. 26. Six days ye fhall gather it, but on the feventh day which is the fabbath, in it there fhall be none. v. 29. See, for that the Lord hath given you the fabbath, therefore he giveth you on the fixth day the bread of two days: abide ye every mi in his place, let no man go out of his place on the feventh day. v. 30. So the people rested on the feventh day. Exod. xxxi. 15. Six days may work be done, but in the feventh is the fabbath of reft, holy to the Lord: whofoever doth any work in the fabbathday, he fhall furely be put to death. v. 16. Wherefore the children of Ifrael fhall keep the fabbath, to obferve the fabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. v. 17. It is a fign between me, and the children of Ifrael for ever: for in fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the feventh day he rested, and was refreshed, Ifa. lviii. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the fabbath, from doing thy pleafure on my holy day, and call the fabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and fhalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor fpeaking thine own words. Neh. xiii. 15. In thofe days faw I in Judab, fome treading winepreffes on the fabbath, and bringing in fheaves, and lading affes; as alfo wine, and figs, and all manner of burgrapes,

to

dens, which they brought into Jerufalem on the fabbath-day: and I teftified against them in the day wherein they fold victuals. v. 16. There dwelt men of Tyre alfo therein, who brought fish, and all manner of ware, and fold on the fabbath, unto the children of Judah, and in Jerufalem, v. 17. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and faid unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the fabbath-day? v. 18. 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 Ifrael, by profaning the fabbath. v. 19. And it came to pafs, that when the gates of Jerufalem began to be dark before the fabbath, I commanded that the gates fhould be fhut, and charged that they fhould not be opened till after the fabbath; and fome of my fervants fet I at the gates, that there fhould no burden be brought in on the fabbath-day. v. 21. Then I teftified against them, and faid unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? If ye do fo again, I will lay hands on you, From that time forth, came they no more on the fabbath. v. 22. And I commanded the Levites, that they should cleanfe themfelves, and that they fhould come and keep the gates, to fanctify the fabbath-day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this alfo, and fpare the according to the greatness of thy mercy.

p Ifa. lviii. 13. (See in letter o.) Mat. xii. 12. to the 13. verfe,

I. a Deut. x. 20. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God: him fhalt thou H 4

ferve,

to witness what he afferteth or promifeth; and to judge him according to the truth or falfhood of what he fweareth b.

II. The name of God only is that by which men ought to fwear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence c: therefore, to fwear vainly or rafhly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to fwear at all by any other thing, is finful, and to be abhorred d. Yet as, in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the word of God, under the New Testament, as well as under the Old e; fo a lawful oath being impofed by lawful authority, in fuch matters, ought to be taken f

III. Whoferve, and to him fhalt thou cleave, yea; Nay, nay: for whatfoever is more and fwear by his name. than thefe, cometh of evil. Jam. v. 12. But above all things, my brethren, fwear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath but let your Yea, be yea, and your Nay, nay; left ye fall into condemnation,

b Exod. xx. 7. Thou fhalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guilt lefs that taketh his name in vain. Lev. xix. 12. And ye fhall not fwear by my name falfly, neither fhalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. 2 Cor.1.23. Moreover, I call God for a record upon my foul, that to fpare you, I came not as yet unto Corinth. 2 Chr. vi. 22. If a man fin against his neigh bour, and an oath be laid upon him, to make him fwear, and the oath come before thine altar in this houfe; v. 23. Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy fervants, by requiting the wicked, by recompenfing his way upon his own head, and by juftifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.

II. c Deut. vi. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and ferve him, and fhalt fwear by his name.

d Exod. xx. 7. (See letter b.) Jer. v. 7. How fhall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forfaken me, and fworn by them that are no gods: when I fed them to the full, then they committed adultery, and affembled themfelves by troops in the harlots houfes. Mat. v. 34. But I fay unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne. v. 37. But let your communication be, Yea,

e Heb. vi. 16. For men verily fwear by the greater: and an oath for con. firmation is to them an end of all ftrife. 2 Cor. i. 23. (See letter b.) Ifa. lxv. 16. That he who bleffeth himself in the earth, fhall blefs himself in the God of truth; and he that fweareth in the earth, fhall fwear by the God of truth; becaufe the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.

f1 Kings viii. 31. If any man trefpafs against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him, to caufe him to fwear, and the oath come before thine altar in this houfe. Neh. xiii. 25. And I contended with them, and curfed them, and fmote certain of them, and. pluckt off their hair, and made them fwear by God, faying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their fons, nor take their daughters unto your fons, or for your felves. Ezra x. 5. Then arofe Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Ifrael to fwear, that they fhould do according to this word: and they fware.

III. g Exod,

III. Whofoever taketh an oath, ought duly to confider the weightinefs of fo folemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully perfwaded is the truth 8. Neither may any man bind himself by oath to any thing but what is good and juft, and what he believeth fo to be, and what he is able and refolved to perform b. Yet it is a fin to refufe an oath touching any thing that is good and juft, being impofed by lawful authority i. IV. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of