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law, no less than the new moons, or meats and drinks prescribed by the same law. Col. ii. 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbathdays, which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Acts, xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them. I Cor. xvi. 1, 2. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. Rev. i. 10. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.

12. Q. How are we to keep our sabbath-day?

*

A. We are to consecrate it to a religious rest, *by attending upon the public service and prayers of the church: * and hearing God's word read and preached there by participating, as we have the opportunity, 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.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.—Jer. xvii. 24. And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken to me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath-day, but hallow the Sabbath-day, to do no work therein; then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses,

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they and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever. Isaiah, lviii. 6, 7. Is not this the fast that I have chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free? and that ye break every yoke. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor, that are cast out, to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. Acts, xiii. 27. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath-day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

xv. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day. xvi. 13. And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down and spake unto the women which resorted thither. xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them. 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

13. Q. Is all bodily labour forbidden to us upon this day?

A. No, it is not: works of charity and necessity

may certainly be done upon it. But as for all works of gain, all such diversions or entertainments as are inconsistent with the religious design of the day, or may be apt to give offence to any serious and good men; they ought, without question, to be avoided upon it.

14. 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 apt to do.

15. 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 ourselves, but to see that all who belong to us 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 hath 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 ourselves 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 to avoid that punishment which the civil magistrate is to inflict on those who despise and profane it.

*29 Car. II. cap. 7.

SECT. XXVII.

Of our duty towards our Neighbour, and of the relative honour which we owe to him, as our Parent, Prince, Teacher, Husband, Master; of a higher rank, or a greater age; with the duties of such Persons towards us.

1. Q. What do the commandments of the second table respect?

A. Our duty towards our neighbour.

2. Q. What is the general foundation of our duty towards our neighbour?

A. To love him as myself; 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. Matt. xxii. 39. The second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. · vii. 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. For this is the law and the prophets.

3. 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 may prove a snare rather than a guide to us.

4. Q. How then do you suppose that this rule is to be understood by us?

A. We must first set ourselves in our neighbour's place, and then put it to our consciences; were his case our own, what would we desire that one in our

circumstances should do for us, and then conclude, that we ought to do the same for him. Thus, for example, if a poor man ask an alms of us, we must not think that we are at liberty to refuse him, because we neither need nor desire that any one should relieve us; but we must bring his case home to ourselves, and suppose that were we in his circumstances, poor and destitute, would we not then think it reasonable that one in our circumstances should relieve us; and that will shew us that therefore we ought to relieve him.

3. Q. But must we then, after such a change of circumstances, absolutely do to others whatsoever we would, in the like circumstances, desire that they should do to us?

A. I do not say that neither: men may desire what is unlawful, and then in conscience of our duty to God, we must deny them. They may desire what is unreasonable, or may be greatly inconvenient to us; and, in such cases, though we owe a duty to our neighbour, yet we must remember that we owe a duty to ourselves too; and must consider our own interests as well as those of our neighbour. If a man should fall into such circumstances as to need my telling of a lie, or forswearing myself, to bring him safely out of them, though I should be so wicked as to desire, in the like case, that another would do the same for me, yet I am not therefore obliged by this rule to do this for him; because neither ought I to desire such a thing of another, nor ought any other to desire it of me, or do it for me.

Again, should a man desire me to be bound with him for a considerable sum of money, which I cannot pay without great damage to myself, and prejudice to

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