way perverting the word, or any part of it, to profane jests, curious and unprofitable questions, vain janglings, or the maintaining of falfe doctrines"; abufing it, the creatures, or any thing contained under the name of God, to charms, or finful lufts and practices; the maligning", fcorning, reviling', or any ways oppofing of

lies ye have made the heart of the righteous fad, whom I have not made fad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promifing him life.

b 2 Pet. 3. 16. In which are fome things hard to be underftood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wreft, as they do alfo the other fcriptures unto their own deftruction. Mat. 22. 24. to the 31ft verfe. Ye do err, not knowing the fcriptures, nor the power of God.

c Jer. 43. 34, 36, 38.

He

di Tim. 6. 4, 5, 20. is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about queftions and ftrifes of words, whereof cometh envy, ftrife, railings, evil furmifings, perverfe difputings of men of corrupt minds, and deftitute of the truth.--Avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppofitions of fcience, falfely fo called. a Tim. 2. 14. Charging them before the Lord, that they ftrive not about words, to no profit, but to the fubverting of the hearers. Tit. 3.9.

e Deut. 18, 10, 11, 12, 13,

14. There fhall not be found among you any one that maketh his fon or daughter to pafs through the fire, or that ufeth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a confulter with familiar fpirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. Acts 9. 13.

f 2 Tim. 6. 3, 4. For the time will come when they will not endure found doctrine; but after their own lufts fhall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they fhall turn away their ears from the truth, and fhall be turned unto fables. Jude 4. Rom. 13. 13, 15. 1 Kings 21. 9, 10.

g Acts 13. 45. But when the Jews faw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and fpake against those things which were fpoken by Paul, contradicting and blafpheming. I John 3. 12.

h 2 Pet. 3. 3. Knowing this first, that there fhall come in the laft days fcoffers, walking after their own lufts. Pfa. 1. I. Nor fitteth in the feat of the scornful.

i 1 Pet. 4. 4. Wherein they think it ftrange, that you run

God's truth, grace, and ways; making profeffica of religion in hypocrify, or for finister ends; being ashamed of it", or a shame to it, by uncomfortable", unwife", unfruitful" and offenfive walking or backfliding from it".

Q. 114. What reafons are annexed to the third commandment?

A. The reafons annexed to the third commandment, in these words, (the Lord thy God,) and

not with them to the fame excefs of riot, fpeaking evil of

you.

k Acts 13. 45, 46, 50. See in letter h. But the Jews ftirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised perfecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coafts. Acts 4. 18. And commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jefus. Acts 19. 9: 1 Theff. 2. 16. Heb. 10. 29.

1 2 Tim. 3. 5. Having a form of godlinefs, but denying the power thereof. Mat. 23. 14. Woe unto you scribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers. Mat. 6. 1, 2, 3, 5, 16.

m Mark 8. 38. Whofoever, therefore, fhall be afhamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and finful generation, of him alfo fhall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Fatheir, withthe holy angels.

n Pfa. 73. 14, 15. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chaftened every morning.

o Eph. 5. 15, 16, 17. See then that ye walk circumfpectly, not as fools, but as wifeWherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. I Cor. 5. 5, 6.

p Ifa. 5. 4. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Wherefore when I looked that it fhould bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? 2 Pet. 1. 8, 9.

q Rom. 2. 23, 24. Thou that makeft thy boaft of the law, through breaking the law difhonoureft thou God? For the name of God is blafphemed among the Gentiles, through you.

r Gal. 3. I, 3. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye fhould not obey the truth, before whofe eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently fet forth, crucified among

(for the Lord will not bold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain) are, because he is the Lord. and our God, therefore his name is not to be profaned, or any way abused by us'; efpecially because he will be fo far from acquitting and fparing the tranfgreffors of this commandment, as that he will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment, albeit many fuch escape the censures and punishments of men".

Q. 115. Which is the fourth commandment? A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the fabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days fhalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the feventh day is the fabbath of the Lord thy God: In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man fervant, nor thy maid fervant, nor thy cattle, nor thy ftranger that is within thy gates. For in fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and refied the feventh day: Wherefore the Lord blessed the fabbath-day and hal

lowed it.

you? Are ye fo foolish? Having begun in the fpirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Heb. 6. 6.

f Exod. 20. 7.

t Lev. 19. 12. And ye fhall not fwear by my name falfely, neither fhalt thou profane the name of thy God. I am the Lord. v Deut. 28. 58, 59. If thou wilt not obferve to do all the words of this law that are

written in this book, that thou mayeft fear this glorious and fearful name, The Lord thy God; then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy feed, even great plagues, and of long continuance. Zech. 5. 2, 3, 4. Ezek. 36. 21, 22, 23.

w I Sam. 2. 12, 17, 22. I Sam. 3. 13.

x Exod. 20. 8, 9, 10, II.

Q. 116. What is required in the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment requireth of all men the fanctifying or keeping holy to God fuch fet times as he hath appointed in his word, exprefsly one whole day in seven; which was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the refurrection of Chrift, and the first day of the week ever fince, and fo to continue to the end of the world; which is the Chriftian fabbath', and in the New Testament called The Lord's day.

Q. 117. How is the fabbath or Lord's day to be fanctified?

A. The fabbath, or Lord's day, is to be fanctified by an holy resting all that day3, not only from fuch works as are at all times finful, but even from fuch worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful; and making it our

y Gen. 2. 3. And God bleffed the feventh day, and fanctified it: because that in it he had refted from all his work. 1 Cor. 16, 1, 2. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in ftore, as God hath profpered him. Acts 20. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them, ready to depart on the morrow. John 20. 19, to 27. Mat. 5. 17, 18. Ifa. 56. 2, 4, 6, 7. Bleffed is the man that doeth this,—that

delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of neceffity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God's worship. And, to that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with fuch forefight, diligence and moderation, to difpofe, and seafonably to dispatch our worldly bufinefs, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.

there fhall be none. Jer. 17. 21, 22. Thus faith the Lord, Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the fabbath-day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerufalem, Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the fabbath-day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the fabbath-day as I commanded your fathers. Neh. 13. 15. to the 93 verfe. In thofe days I faw fome treading wine-preffes on the fabbath, and bringing in fheaves, and lading affes; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdans. Then 1 contended with the nobles of Judah, and faid unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the fabbathday?

c Mat. 12. I, to the 14th verfe. At that time Jefus went on the fabbath-day through the corn, and his difciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharifees faw it they said unto him, Behold thy difciples de that which is not

lawful to do upon the fabbathday. But he said unto them, &c.

d Lev. 23. 3. Six days fhall work be done, but the feventh day is the fabbath of rest, an holy convocation. Ifa. 58. 13. 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. Luke 4. 16. And, as his cuftom was, he went into the fynagogue on the fabbath-day, and food up for to read. Acts