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pointed one day in feven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him k: which, from the beginning of the world to the refurrection of Chrift, was the last day of the week; and, from the refurrection of Chrift, 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. Becaufe I have called, and ye refused, I have ftretched out my hand, and no man regarded. Prov. viii. 34. Bleffed 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. Acts 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 refted the feventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the fabbath day, and hallowed it. Ifa. lvi. 2. Bleffed is the man that

VIII. This

doth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it: that keepeth the fabbath from polluting it, and keepeth 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 pleafe me, and take hold of my covenant. v. 6, 7. (See in letter i.)

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1 Gen. ii. 2. And on the feventh day, God ended his work which he had made; and he refted on the feventh day from all his work which he had made. v. 3. And God bleffed the seventh 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 fo do ye. v. 2. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath profpered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the difciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and conti nued his fpeech until midnight.

m Rev. i. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpét.

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

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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

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

VIII. Exod. xx. 8. (See letterk.) 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 fhall 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. xi. 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

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 pleasure, 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 also 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 pass, that when the gates of Jerufalem began to be dark before the fabbath, I commanded that

the

exercises of his worship, and in the duties of neceffity and

mercy p.

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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 witness what he afferteth or promiseth; 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

the gates fhould be fhut, and charg ed that they fhould not be opened till after the fabbath; and fome of my fervants fet I at the gates, that there fhould no burden be brought in on the fabbath-day. v. 21. Then I teftified against them, and faid unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? If ye do fo again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth, came they no more on the fabbath. v. 22. And I commanded the Levites, that they fhould cleanse themfelves, and that they thould come and keep the gates, to fanctify the fabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this alfo, and fpare me according to the greatness of thy

mercy.

p Ifa. lviii 13. (See in letter o.) Mat. xii. 1. to the 13. verfe.

I. a Deut. x. 20. Thou fhalt fear the Lord thy God: him fhalt thou ferve, and to him fhalt thou cleave, and fwear by his name.

b Exod. xx. 7. Thou fhalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold

and

him guiltless that taketh his name
in vain. Lev. xix. 12. And ye fhall
not fwear by my name falsely, nei-
ther fhalt thou profane the name of
thy God: I am the Lord. 2 Cor. i.
23. Moreover, I call God for a re-
cord upon my foul, that to fpare
you, I came not as yet unto Corinth.
2 Chr. vi. 22. If a man fin against
his neighbour, and an oath be laid
upon him, to make him swear, and
the oath come before thine altar in
this houfe; v. 23. then hear thou
from heaven, and do, and judge thy
fervants, by requiting the wicked,
by recompenfing his way upon
his
own head, and by juftifying the righ-
teous, by giving him according to
his righteoufnels.

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II. Deut. vi. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and fhalt fwear by his name.

d Exod. xx. 7. (See letter b.) Jer. v. 7. How fhall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forfaken me, and fworn by them that are no gods: when I fed them to the full, then they committed adultery, and af

fembled

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 so to be, and what he is able and refolved to perform b. Yet it is a fin to refufe an

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; left 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 himself in the earth, fhall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that fweareth in the earth, thall fwear by the God of truth; becaufe the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.. f1 Kings viii. 3r. If any man trefpafs against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him, to caufe 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 thein, and pluckt off their hair, and

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

III. 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 fhall they glory..

b Gen. xxiv. 2. And Abraham faid unto his eldest fervant of his houfe, 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 shalt 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; mult 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.

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Chap. XXII. oath touching any thing that is good and juft, being impofed

by lawful authority i.

IV. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental refervation 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

v. 8. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou fhalt be clear from this my oath; only bring not my fon thither again. v. 9. And the fervant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

iNumb. v. 19. And the priest fhall charge her by an oath, and fay unto the woman, if no man have lien with thee, and if thou haft not gone afide to uncleannefs with another inftead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curfe. v. 21. Then the priest fhall charge the woman with an oath of curling, and the prieft fhall fay anto the woman, The Lord make thee a curfe and an oath among the people, when the Lord dotir make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to fwell. Neh. v. 12. Then faid they, we will reftore them, and will require nothing of them; fo will we do as thou fayeft. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they fhould do according to this promife. Exod. xxii. 7. If a man thall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and if it be ftolen out of the man's houfe; if the thief be found, let him pay double. 8. If the thief be not found, then the mafter of the houfe fhall be brought unto the judges, to fee whether he hath put his hand unto his neighbour's goods. v.9. For all manner of trefpafs, whether it be for ox,

V.

it

for afs, for fheep, for raiment, or for any manner of loft thing, which another challengeth to be his: the caufe of both parties fhall come before the judges; and whom the judges fhall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. v. 10. If a man deliver unto his neighbour an afs, or an ox, or a fheep, or any beast to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it, v. 11. then fhall the 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 fhall accept thereof, and he thall not make it good.

IV. Jer. iv. 2. (See letter g.) Pfal. xxiv. 4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, who hath not lift up his foul unto vanity, nor fworn deceitfully.

II Sam. xxv. 22. So and more alfo do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him, by the morning light, any that piffeth against the wall. v. 32. And David faid unto Abigail, Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, who fent thee this day to meet me: v. 33. And bleffed be thy advice, and bleffed be thou that haft kept me this day from coming to fhed blood, and from avenging myfelf with mine own hand. v. 34. For in very deed, as the Lord God of Ifrael liveth, who hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, furely there

had

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