pointed one day in feven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto Chap. XXI him k: which, from the beginning of the world to the refurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the refurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which in fcripture is called the Lord's day m, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Chriftian Sabbath n.

21. fhe crieth in the chief place of concourfe, in the openings of the gates in the city fhe uttereth her words, faying, V. 24. Because I have called, and ye refufed, I have ftretched 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 pofts of my doors. Acts xiii. 42 And when the Jews were gone out of the fynagogue, the Gentiles befought that these words might be preached to them the next fabbath. Luke iv. 16. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his cuftom was, he went into the fynagogue on the fabbath day, and stood up for to read. A&ts ii. 42. And they continued ftedfaftly in the apoftles doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

VII. k Exod. xx. 8. Remember the fabbath day, to keep it holy. v. ro. But the feventh day is the fabbath 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 thy ftranger which is within thy gates. v. II. For in fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, the fea, and all that in them is, and rested the feventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the fabbath day, and hallowed it. Ifa. lvi. 2. Bleffed is the man that

doth this, and the fon of man that VIII. This fabbath from polluting it, and keeplayeth hold on it: that keepeth the eth his hand from doing any evil. v. 4. For thus faith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my fabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant. v. 6, 7. (See in letter i.)

1 Gen. ii. 2. And on the feventh day, God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the feventh day from all his work which he had made. v. 3. And God blesfed the feventh day, and fanctified 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 faints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. v. 2. Upon the first day of the week, store, as God hath prospered him, let every one of you lay by him in that there be no gatherings when I come. Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disPaul preached unto them, ready to ciples came together to break bread, depart on the morrow, and continued his fpeech until midnight.

1

m Rev. i. 10. I was in the Spirit hind me a great voice, as of a trumon the Lord's day, and heard bepét.

With Mat. v. 17. Think not that I n Exod. xx. 8. 10. (See letter k) am come to deftroy the law or the pro

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 before-hand, do not only obferve an holy rest all the day, from their own works, words and thoughts, about their worldly employments and recreations o; but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercifes fign between me, and the children of Ifrael for ever: for in fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the feventh day he refted, and was refreshed. Ifa. lviii. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the fabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, 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 pleafure, nor fpeaking thine own words. Neh. xiii, 15. In thofe days faw I in Judah, fome treading wine-preffes on the fabbath, and bringing in fheaves, and lading affes; as alfo wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerufalem on the fabbath-day: and I teftified against them in the day wherein they fold visuals. v. 16. There dwelt men of Tyre alfo therein, who brought fith, and all manner of ware, and fold on the fabbath, unto the children of Judah, and in Jerufalem. v. 17. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and faid unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the fabbath-day? v. 18. Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Ifrael, by profaning the fabbath. v. 19. And it came to pafs, that when the gates of Jerufalem began to be dark before the fabbath, I commanded that the

prophets: I am not come to deftroy, but to fulfil. v. 18. For verily I fay unto you, till heaven and carth pafs, one jot or one tittle fhall in no wife pafs from the law, till all be fulfilled.

VIII. Exod. xx, 8. (See letter k.) Exod. xvi. 23. And he faid unto them, This is that which the Lord hath faid, to morrow is the reft of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord; bake that which you will bake, to day, and feethe that ye will feethe; and that which remaineth over, lay up for you to be kept until the morning. v. 25. And Mofes faid, Eat that to day; for to day is a fabbath unto the Lord: to day ye thall not find it in the field. v. 26. Six days ye fhall gather it, but on the feventh day which is the fabbath, in it there fhall be none. v. 29. See, for that the Lord hath given you the fabbath, therefore he giveth you on the fixth day the bread of two days: abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the feventh day. v. 30. So the people refted on the feventh day. Exod. 1. 15. Six days may work be done, but in the feventh is the fabbath of reft, holy to the Lord: whosoever doth any work in the fabbath-day, he fhall furely be put to death. v. 16. Wherefore the children of Ifrael fhall keep the fabbath, to obferve the fabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. v. 17. It is a

exercises of his worship, and in the duties of neceffity and mercy p.

CHAP. XXII. Of lawful Oaths and Vows.

LAWFUL oath is a part of religious worship a, wherein, upon juft occafion, the perfon fwearing, folemnly calleth God to witnefs what he afferteth or promifeth; and to judge him according to the truth or falfhood of what he fweareth b.

II. The name of God only is that by which men ought to fwear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverencec: therefore, to fwear vainly or rafhly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to fwear at all by any other thing, is finful and to be abhorred d. Yet as, in matters of weight and

129 and moment, an oath is warranted by the word of God, under the New Teftament, as well as under the Olde; fo a lawful oath being impofed by lawful authority, in fuch matters, ought to be taken f.

III. Whofoever taketh an oath, ought duly to confider the weightiness of fo folemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully perfuaded is the truthg. Neither may any man bind himself by oath to any thing but what is good and juft, and what he believeth fo to be, and what he is able and refolved to perform h. Yet it is a fin to refuse an oath

fembled themselves by troops in the harlots houses. Mat. v. 34. But I fay unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne. v.37. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than thefe, cometh of evil. Jam. v. 12. But above all things, my brethren, fwear 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 fwear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all ftrife. 2 Cor. i. 23. (See letter b.) Ifa. lxv. 16. That he who bleffeth him felf in the earth, fhall bless himfelf in the God of truth; and he that fweareth in the earth, thall fwear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and be cause they are hid from mine eyes..

f1 Kings viii. 31. If any man trefpafs against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him, to cause him to fwear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house. Neh. xiii. 25. And I contended with them, and curfed them, and fmote certain of them, and pluckt off their hair, and

made them fwear by God, saying, Ye fhall not give your daughters unto their fons, nor take their daughters unto your fons, or for yourselves. Ezra x. 5. Then arofe Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Ifrael to fwear, that they fhould do according to this word: and they sware.

IIIg Exod. xx. 7. (See letter b.) Jer. xiv. 2. And thou fhalt fwear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations fhall bless themselves in him, and in him thall they glory.

b Gen. xxiv. 2. And Abraham faid unto his eldest fervant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: v. 3. and I will make thee fwear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou fhalt not take a wife unto my fon, of the daughters of the Canaanites, amongst whom I dwell. v. 5. And the fervant faid unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land; must I needs bring thy fon again unto the land from whence thou cameft? v. 6. And Abraham faid unto him, Beware thou, that thou bring not my fon thither again. I

oath touching any thing that is good and juft, being imposed by lawful authority i.

IV. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common fenfe of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation k. It cannot oblige to fin; but in any thing not finful, being taken, it binds to performance, altho' to a man's own hurt. Nor is it