Q61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.
Q1. How are the sins ranked that are forbidden in this commandment?
A. The: are ranked into sins of omission, and sins of commission.78
Q2. What are the sins of omission here forbidden?
A. Both the total neglect of the duties required, and the neglect of the careful performance of these, when essayed.
Q3. Of what is the total neglect of the duties required on the Sabbath an evidence?
A. It is a plain evidence of the neglect of all religious duties through the week; and, consequently, an evidence of atheism, profaneness, and apostasy.
Q4. When are persons guilty of the careless performance of the duties required on the Sabbath?
A. When they go about them in a partial, formal and lifeless way, Matt. 15:8.
Q5. What is it to go about duties in a partial way?
A. It is to perform some of them, and omit others equally necessary; such as, attending the public, and neglecting the private exercises of God's Worship; or the contrary.
Q6. What is formality in duty?
A. It is the bare outward performance of it, without regarding the manner in which it ought to be done, or the vital principle from whence it should flow, 2 Tim. 3:5.
Q7. What are the ordinary causes of the dead and lifeless performance of religious duties?
A. Wandering thoughts, weariness, and drowsiness, are among none of the least.
Q8. What is the best antidote against wandering thoughts?
A. Faith in exercise: for this will fix the attention to what we are presently engaged in, whether hearing, praying, or praising, Psalm 57:7.
Q9. Whence arises weariness in duty?
A. From the natural bias of the heart and affections to worldly things, rather than religious exercises, Amos 8:5 - "When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat?"
Q10. What is the evil of drowsiness, particularly in hearing the word, or joining in prayer and praise?
A. If it be voluntary and customary, it is a manifest contempt of the word and presence of the great God, and paying less regard to him, than we even do to our fellow creatures.
Q11. What are the sins of COMMISSION forbidden in this commandment?
A. The profaning the day by idleness or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments and recreations.
Q12. What is the idleness here prohibited.
A. It is a loitering away the Sabbath, in a slothful, indolent, and inactive manner, without any real benefit or advantage, either to soul or body, Matt. 20:3.
Q13. Why is there a prohibition of doing that which is in itself sinful on the Lord's day, when it is unlawful on every other day?
A. Because whatever the sinful action be, there is a greater aggravation of guilt in committing it on the Sabbath, which ought to be kept holy to God, than upon any other day, Jer. 17:27.
Q14. What are these thoughts, words, or works, that are here called unnecessary?
A. They are such as are about our worldly employments and recreations; or, they are all such thoughts, words, or works, as are not inevitably used about the works of necessity and mercy, which are lawful on this day.
Q15. Why is the day said to be profaned by the sins here forbidden?
A. Because these sins are each of them the reverse of that holiness, which should shine in all our duties, public and private, on the Lord's day, Isaiah 58:13, 14.
Q1. Do we profane the sabbath if we neglect the sabbath work?
A. Yes: I came seeking fruit, but found none, Luke 13:7.
Q2. Or if we perform carelessly?
A. Yes: Ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick, Mal. 1:13.
Q3. Or if we be weary of it?
A. Yes: They say, When will the sabbath be gone? Amos 8:5.
Q4. Or if we idle away sabbath time?
A. Yes: Why stead ye here all the day idle? Matt. 20:6.
Q5. And much more if we do that which is in itself sinful?
A. Yes: They have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths, Ezek. 23:38.
Q6. Do we profane the sabbath by violating the sabbath rest?
A. Yes: What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? Neh. 13:17.
Q7. May we not buy and sell on that day?
A. No: Make not my Father's house a house of merchandise, John 2:16.
Q8. May we not work harvest-work on that day?
A. No: In earing-time, and in harvest, thou shall rest, Exod. 34:21.
Q9. May we not however think and speak at our pleasure on that day?
A. No: Not doing thine own ways, nor speaking thine own words, Isa. 58:13.
Q10. Was he punished that gathered sticks on the sabbath?
A. Yes: They stoned him with stones that he died, Numb. 15:36.
Q11. Are nations sometimes punished for sabbath profanation?
A. Yes: If ye will not hallow the sabbath day, I will kindle a fire in the gates of Jerusalem Jer. 17:27.
Q12. Is the contempt of the sabbath a contempt of God?
A. Yes: This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day, John 9:16.
Log in to save personal notes on this question.
The Ten Commandments
The moral law and what God requires of man
Q39. What is the duty which God requireth of man?
A. The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.
Q40. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?
A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law.
Q41. Wherein is the moral law summarily comprehended?
A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.
Q42. What is the sum of the ten commandments?
A. The sum of the ten commandments is, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbour as ourselves.
Q43. What is the preface to the ten commandments?
A. The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Q44. What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
A. The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, That because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.
Q45. Which is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Q46. What is required in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly.
Q47. What is forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone.
Q48. What are we specially taught by these words, 'before me', in the first commandment?
A. These words, before me, in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God.
Q49. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thy self to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Q50. What is required in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his Word.
Q51. What is forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his Word.
Q52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.
Q53. Which is the third commandment?
A. The third commandment is, 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.
Q54. What is required in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverend use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.
Q55. What is forbidden in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known.
Q56. What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?
A. The reason 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 suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.
Q57. Which is the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; 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 manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. 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 sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Q58. What is required in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy sabbath to himself.
Q59. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly sabbath?
A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian sabbath.
Q60. How is the sabbath to be sanctified?
A. The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.
Q61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.
Q62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the sabbath day.
Q63. Which is the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Q64. What is required in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.
Q65. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honor and duty which belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations.
Q66. What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.
Q67. Which is the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.
Q68. What is required in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life, and the life of others.
Q69. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbour, unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.
Q70. Which is the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Q71. What is required in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbour's chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.
Q72. What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.
Q73. Which is the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.
Q74. What is required in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.
Q75. What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may, unjustly hinder our own, or our neighbour's, wealth or outward estate.
Q76. Which is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Q77. What is required in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbour's good name, especially in witness bearing.
Q78. What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own, or our neighbour's, good name.
Q79. Which is the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's.
Q80. What is required in the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbour, and all that is his.
Q81. What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbour, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.
Q82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.
Q83. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
Q84. What doth every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.