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unworthy of him. 2 Kings xix. 22. Whom haft thou reproached and blafphemed? And against whom haft thou exalted thy voice, and lift up thine eyes on high? even against the holy One of Ifrael.' James i. 13. no man fay, when he is tempted,. I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.' 6. When perfons ufe the name of the Lord in any charms. Acts xix. 13. 16. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcifts, took upon them to call over them which had evil fpirits, the name of the Lord Jefus, &c. And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leapt upon them, and overcame them, fo that they fled out of the houfe naked and wounded.'

Q. 2. How are God's ordinances profaned and abufed?

A. God's ordinances are profaned and abufed, 1. When perfons are irreverent in their attendance upon them, in regard of the outward gefture of their bodies, laughing, talking, fleeping, any other way indecently behaving themselves in the time of prayer, preaching, finging, receiving the facrament, or any other part of God's worfhip. Eccl. v. i. Keep thy foot when thou goeft to the houfe of God.' 1 Cor. xiv. 40. Let all things be done decently and in order.' 2. When perfons, under ordinances, are flight and formal, as to the inward frame of their minds; when their minds are roving and wandering, and their hearts are dead and dull, very unbefeeming the majefty of God, whom in his ordinances they wait upon, who, being a fpirit, doth chiefly look to the fpiritual part of his fervice. John iv. 24. God is a fpirit; and they, that worship him, must worship him in fpirit and in truth.' 3. And chiefly, perfons profane and abufe God's ordinances, when they make a profeffion of religion, and attend upon ordinances, that they may be accounted religious by men, without any fincere endeavours to approve the heart unto God; making ufe of religion only as a cloak for covetousness, or malicioufnefs, or voluptuoufnefs. 2 Tim. iii. 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.' Matth. xxiii. 14. • Wo unto you fcribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye devour widows houfes, and for a pretence make long prayers: therefore ye fhall receive the greater damnation.'

Q. 3. How is God's word profaned and abufed?

A. God's word is profaned and abufed, I. When perfons think or fpeak flightingly, especially when they pervert the word of God, or any part thereof, into profane jefts. Jer. xxiii. 33. 36. And when this people, or prophet, fhall ask thee, faying, What is the burden of the Lord? thou fhalt fay, What burden? I will even forfake you, faith the Lord, And the burthen of the Lord fhall ye mention no more; for ye have perverted the word of the living God.' 2. When perfons wreft the word of God unto falfe doctrine; perverfely difputing against the found and wholefome doctrine therein contained. 2 Peter iii. 16. In which are fome things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unftable wreft, as they do alfo the other fcriptures, unto their own destruction.' 1 Tim. vi. 3, 4, 5. If any man teach otherwife, and confent not to wholefome words, the words of our Lord Jefus, and the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and ftrifes of words, whereof cometh envy, ftrife, railings, evil furmifings, perverfe difputings of men of corrupt minds, and deftitute of the truth. 3. When perfons mifapply the word of God; the threatnings unto the righteous, to make them fad; the promises to the wicked, to encourage them in their wicked ways. Ezek. xiii. 22. With 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 promising him life.'

Q4. How are God's works profaned and abused?

A. God's works are profaned and abufed, 1. When perfons pamper their flefh, gratify their lufts, and are intemperate in their ufe of God's creatures. Rom. xiii. 13, 14.

Let us walk honeftly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonnefs, not in ftrife and envying but put ye on the Lord Jefus Christ, and make not provifion for the flesh to fulfil the lufts thereof. 2. When in profperity, perfons are forgetful of God, unthankful for mercies, and indulge themselves the more to fin, because of God's patience and bounty. Hof. xiii. 6. •They were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore

have they forgotten me.' Rom. ii. 4, 5. Or defpif eft thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance? But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath,' &c. 3. When, in adverfity, perfons murmur, are impatient; when they are incorrigible, and grow more hardened in their fins. 1 Cor. x. 10. 'Neither murmur ye, as fome of them murmured, andwere deftroyed of the deftroyer.' Jer. v. 3. Thou haft ftricken them, but they have not grieved; thou haft confumed them, but they have refufed to receive correction : they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.'

LVI. Queft. What is the reafon annexed to the third commandment?.

Anfw. The reafon annexed to the third commandment is, That however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not fuffer them to escape his righteous judgment.

Q. 1. Whence is it that fuch as profane God's name do efcape punishment from men ?

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A. Such as profane God's name, for the most part, do escape punishment from men, 1. Becaufe no laws of men do, or can reach all profanations of God's name. 2. Because fuch laws as do reach blafphemy, perjury, fwearing, and the like groffer profanations of Gods name, are not executed by many in authority, who oftentimes being profane and wicked perfons themselves, are more ready to punish them that hallow God's name, than those that profane it.

Q. 2. How doth it appear, that fuch as profane God's name fhall not efcape God's righteous judgment ?

A. Such as profane God's name fhall not efcape God's righteous judgment, becaufe God is righteous, and he will not hold them guiltless.

Q. 3. When doth the Lord punish them that profane his

name?

A. 1. Sometimes God doth punish them in this life, and that with dreadful temporal plagues. Deut. xxviii. 58, 59. If thou wilt not obferve to do all these words, that thou mayft fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; then the Lord will make

thy plagues wonderful.' 2. Be fure if fuch escape here, they fhall not escape eternal wrath and vengeance hereafter. Rom. ii. 5. Thou treasureft up to thyfself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.'

LVII. Queft. Which is the fourth commandment?

Anfw. The fourth commandment is, "Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Six days fhalt thou labor, and do all thy work. But the feventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy fon, nor thy daughter, thy man fervant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: for in fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the feventh day, wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it."

LVIII. Queft. What is required in the fourth commandment?

Anfw. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God, fuch fet times as he hath appointed in his word, exprefsly one whole day in feven to be a holy Sabbath to himself.

Q. 1. What is the difference between the worship required in this fourth commandment, and the worship required in the firft, fecond, and third ?

A. The first commandment hath a respect unto the object of worship; the fecond commandment hath a refpect unto the means of worship; the third commandment hath respect unto the manner of worship: but this fourth commandment hath a refpect unto the time of worship.

Q. 2. What time for worship doth the fourth commandment require?

A. The fourth commandment doth require fuch fet times for worship to be kept holy unto God, which he hath appointed in his word.

Q. 3. May not the Popish holy-days be obferved?

A. The Popish holy-days ought not to be obferved, because they are not appointed in the word; and, by the fame reason, no other holy-days may be kept, whatsoever pretence there be of devotion towards God, when there

is no precept or example for fuch practice in the holy fcripture.

Q. 4. What fet time hath God appointed in his word to be kept holy to himself?

A. God hath appointed in his word one whole day in seven to be kept a holy Sabbath to himself. Deut. v. 12. Keep the Sabbath day to fanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.'

Q. 5. What are we to understand by one whole day in feven which is to be kept holy to the Lord?

A. By one whole day in seven, we are not to understand only the whole artificial day, from fun-rifing to fun-setting or from day break in the morning, until the evening or night, but the whole natural day, confifting of twentyfour hours.

Q. 6. When doth this holy day or Sabbath begin, in the evening before, or that morning from midnight?

A. In the evening before, by virtue of that word, “ Remember to keep holy the seventh day," we ought to begin to prepare for the Sabbath; but the Sabbath itself doth not begin until the evening is fpent, and midnight thereof, over, and the morning after twelve of the clock beginneth.

2.7. Do not the fcriptures require us to begin the Sabbath in the evening, when it is faid, Gen. i. 5. The evening and the morning were the first day; and Lev. xxiii. 32. From even unto even fhall ye celebrate your Sabbath?

A. 1. It doth not follow that the evening of the first day was before the morning, though it be first spoken of; no more than that Shem and Ham were elder than Japhet, because they are reckoned up in order before him. Gen. X. I. The fons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japhet;' and yet, ver. 21. Japhet is called the elder brother. But Mofes, reckoning up the works of God on the first day, retires back from the evening to the morning, and faith, They both made up the first day. Surely, in the account of all nations, and in fcripture-account too, the morning is before the evening. John xx. 19. The fame day at evening, being the first day of the week, came Jefus,' &c. where the evening following this day, and not the evening before the day, is called the evening of the