thy maid-servant, thy cattle, and the stranger that is within thy gates. 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 seventh day, and hallowed it."

Sabbath means rest; Sabbath-day, a day of rest. The first time we read about it is in Gen. ij. 2, 3, “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made; and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." The Fourth Commandment gives the same reason for keeping the Sabbath, adding, "Wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it."

It is appointed to be not only a day of rest, but also a day of holiness. "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day," which can be done by making it a day of special worship of God.

[The Sabbath was kept holy before the commandments were given. See Exodus xvj. 23].

The day of rest was kept on the seventh day, or Saturday, by the Jews; but since our Lord's Ascension it has always been kept on the first day of the week. This change from Saturday to Sunday was made by the Apostles [see John xx. 19-26; Acts ij. 1, xx. 7; 1 Cor xvj. 1, 2]; but it was most likely ordered to be made by our Lord Himself. He had said, "The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day [Matt. xij. 8], and in the forty days that He spent with His Apostles between His Resurrection and Ascension, He spoke to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God [Acts j. 3]; and this change being so very important

an one, it is more likely that the Apostles made it by our Lord's direction than on their own authority.

The reason of the change was that our Lord rose from the dead on the Sunday, and His resurrection is the most important point to be remembered by Christians in its celebration. The name was also changed from Sabbath to The Lord's Day. The first Lord's Day was the first Easter Day; every Sunday therefore is a sort of Easter.

It may also be accounted as a day consecrated to the Holy Trinity; because God the Father, who created us, began His work of creation on the first day of the week; God the Son, who redeemed us, triumphed over sin and death, and began the new creation by His Resurrection on the first day of the week; and God the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth us, came down, to abide with the Church for ever, on the first day of the week. It should be a joyful feast day, not a day of sadness, gloominess, or fasting.

The first way in which we are to keep the Lord's Day holy is by not doing work on it, not because idleness is more pleasing to God than labour; but because most labour is for our own bodily gain, and we have six days for our own use to perform it in, while Sunday being set apart for God's service especially, we ought to do, not our own work, but His.

We are not bound to keep from all work on the Lord's Day. Necessary work and works of mercy are lawful; there are some things which must be done on Sunday, such as, preparing food [Matt. xij. 1], feeding and taking care of cattle [Matt. xij. 11, compare Mark ij. 27]; but we should take as much care as possible that such necessary work is done at times that will not

I

prevent us from coming to church, for the chief employment of Sunday should be the worship of God at church.

Especially confirmed Christians should receive the Lord's Supper on the Lord's Day as often as they can. It is as much breaking the Fourth Commandment to stay away from church altogether on the Lord's Day, when we can go, as to do our own work then.

When we are not at church we should take care to avoid turning the day of rest into a day of idleness. Reading good books is one way; there are many books, and journals, and newspapers which may be read on other days that ought not to be read on Sun day. It is meant to be a cheerful day; therefore walking in the fields after church, and the visiting of relations who cannot see each other on other days is not wrong. Only if we do these things great care is necessary that we should not be led beyond what is harmless into what is sinful. The tendency of modern days is not to overstrictness; excursion trains and pleasure parties are organised, and recognised by the Legislature, so that for one case of overstrictness there are hundreds of overlaxity.

We should always remember that Sunday is a type of heaven; and that the proper way of spending Sunday on earth, is by spending it as all days will be spent in heaven, to God's glory and our own spiritual good.

§ 5. Subjection to Parents and Superiors.

THE words of the Fifth Commandment are : 66 Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

This is the first commandment of the second table

which teaches us our duty towards our neighbour; that is, towards every one with whom we have anything to do.

Coming directly after those which show our duty to God, this commandment shows that our parents stand next to God Himself in their claim to our love and duty.

The worst way in which children could dishonour their parents would be by striking them, or cursing and swearing at them. In Exodus xxj. 15 we read, "He that smiteth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death," also "He that curseth-revileth-his father or his mother shall surely be put to death." [Verse 17.] Our Lord declared this to be a command of God. "For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother, and He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death." [Matt. xv. 4.] By which we learn how very hateful a sin in the sight of God is any disrespect to our parents.

Christian children are as much bound to obey and honour their parents as those to whom God first gave this commandment. St. Paul says, 66 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord" [Col. iij. 20], and again in Eph. vj. 1, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right," and then he repeats this Fifth Commandment. We should obey our parents next to God, and honour them more than any other persons. We should obey them as long as we live with them; boys, until they are grown up to be men; girls, until they are married. We should honour them as long as we live.

In the Old Testament Joseph is an example of a son honouring his father. Though he was all but king of

Egypt, and his father only a private man, Joseph treated Jacob with the greatest respect. [Gen. xlvj. 29.]

Solomon also when he was in all his glory, rose from his throne, and bowed himself before his mother. [I Kings ij. 19.] The same Solomon teaches us in Proverbs: "My son hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother, for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. [Prov. j. 8.]

But the highest example of obedience to parents is that of the Holy Child Jesus. Though He was God, He was subject to His earthly parents [Luke ij. 51), and we do not read otherwise than that He was subject to His mother, until He was thirty years old.

Besides loving and honouring we are also bound to succour our parents. "To succour," means to assist them, especially by providing for their support and comfort in their old age. This is a natural duty as well as a Christian one, because when we were unable to provide for ourselves they did so for us; so ought we to do for them.

The promise joined to this commandment is, "That thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." The land God gives to Christians is the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.

This commandment teaches us to honour and obey others besides our parents. In the summing up of our duty to our neighbour, it is explained thus, “To honour and obey the Queen, and all that are put in authority under her; to submit myself to all my governors, teachers, spiritual pastors, and masters; to order myself lowly and reverently to all my betters."

St. Peter bids Christians, "Submit yourselves to every