VII. As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in his word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week', which in scripture is called the Lord's Day", and is to be be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath ". in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, Ver. 24. Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded. Prov. viii. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. Acts xiii. 42. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Luke iv. 16. 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. Acts ii. 42. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. VII. k Exod. xx. 8. Remember the sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Ver. 10. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, or thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. Ver. 11. 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 sab bath-day, and hallowed it. Isa. lvi. 2. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it: that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Ver. 4. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant. Ver. 6, 7. [See in letter i.] 1 Gen. ii. 2. 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. Ver, 3. 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. 1 Cor. xvi. 1. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Ver. 2. 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. Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight. m Rev. i. 10, I was in the Spi rit on the Lord's day, and heard behind behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. 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 beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations; but also are taken up the whole time Exod. xx. 8, 10. [See letter k.] With Matth. v. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Ver. 18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. VIII. o Exod. xx. 8. [See letter k.] Exod. xvi. 23. And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To-morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you, to be kept until the morning. Ver. 25. And Moses said, Eat that to-day; for to-day is a sabbath unto the Lord; to-day ye shall not find it in the field, Ver. 26. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. Ver. 29. See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days: abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. Ver. 30. So the people rested on the seventh day. Exod. xxxi. 15. Six days may work be done, but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath-day, he shall surely be put to death. Ver. 16. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. Ver. 17. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. Isa. lviii. 13. 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. Neh. xiii. 15, 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 the sabbath-day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. Ver. 16. 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, Ver. 17. 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? Ver. 18. Did not your fathers thus, and time in the publick and private exercises of his worship,. and in the duties of necessity and mercy P. CHAP. XXII. Of lawful Oaths and Vows. A LAWFUL oath is a part of religious worship, wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth; and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he sweareth b. II. The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence: therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear 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. Ver. 19. And it came to pass, that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath-day. Ver. 21. Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath. Ver. 22 And I commanded the Levites, that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. P Isa. lviii. 13. [See in letter. Matth. xii. 1. to the 13th Verse.] at I. a Deut. x. 20. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. b Exod. xx. 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Lev. xix. 12. And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.. 2 Cor. i. 23. Moreover, I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. 2 Chron. vi. 22. If a man sin against his neighbour, and an. oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house: Ver. 23. Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and. judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way. upon his own head, and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness. II. Deut. vi. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name, d Exod. at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorredd. 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; so a lawful oath being imposed by lawful authority, in such matters, ought to be taken f. III. Whosoever taketh an oath, ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth. Neither may any man bind himself by oath to any thing but what is good and just, and what he believeth so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform". Yet d Exod. xx. 7. [See letter b.] Jer. v. 7. How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. Matth. v. 34. But I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne. Ver. 37. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. James v. 12. But above all things, my brethren, swear not; neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea; and your,nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. Heb. vi. 16. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife, 2 Cor. i. 23. [See letter b.] Isa. lxv. 16. That he who blesseth himself in the earth, shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth, shail swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. *f 1 Kings viii. 31. If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house. Neh. xiii. 25. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. Ezra x. 5. Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word: and they sware. III. & Exod. xx. 7. [See letter b.] Jer. iv. 2. And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. h Gen. xxiv. 2. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: Ver. 3. And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. Ver. 5. And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to Yet it is a sin to refuse an oath touching any thing that is good and just, being imposed by lawful authority. IV. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation k. It cannot oblige to sin; but in any thing not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man's own hurt'; to follow me unto this land :: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? Ver. 6. And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou, that thou bring not my son thither again. Ver. 8. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. Ver. 9. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter. i Numb. v. 19. And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse. Ver. 21. Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing; and the priest shall say unto the woman, The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell. Neh. v. 12. Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. Exod. xxii. 7. If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him nor pay double. Ver. 8. If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods. Ver. 9. For all manner of trespass whether, it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. Ver. 10. If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: Ver. 11. Then shall an oath of the Lord be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. IV. k Jer. iv. 2. [See letter 8.] Psal.. xxiv. 4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart: who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 11 Sam. xxv. 22. So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning-light any that pisseth against the wall. Ver. 32. And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: Ver. 33. And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from |