nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death. (1)

V. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear; (2) the sound preaching, (3) and conscionable hearing of the word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and reverence; (4) singing of psalms with grace in the heart; (5) as, also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ; are all parts of the ordinary reli

again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. Luke xvi. 25, 26, and Rev. xiv. 13.

(1) 1 John v. 16. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

(2) V. Acts xv. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day. Rev. i. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand.

(3) 2 Tim. iv. 2. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering, and doctrine.

(4) James i. 22. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Acts x. 33. Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. Heb. iv. 2. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Matt. xiii. 19. Isa. lxvi. 2.

(5) Col. iii. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

gious worship of God: (1) besides religious oaths, (2) and vows, (3) solemn fastings, (4) and thanksgivings upon special occasions; (5) which in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner. (6)

are,

VI. Neither prayer nor any other part of religious worship, is now, under the gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by

singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Eph. v. 19. Jam. v. 13.

(1) Matt. xxviii. 19. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Acts ii. 42. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 1 Cor. xi. 23, to verse 29.

(2) Deut. vi. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

(3) Eccl. v. 4, 5.

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow, and not pay. Acts xviii. 18.

(4) Joel ii. 12. Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Matt. ix. 15.

Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. 1 Cor. vii. 5. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

(5) Ps. cvii. throughout.

(6) Heb. xii. 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear.

any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed: (1) but God is to be worshipped every where (2) in spirit and in truth; (3) as in private families (4) daily, (5) and in secret each one by himself, (6) so more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are

(1) VI. John iv. 21. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

(2) Mal. i. 11. From the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles: and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. 1 Tim. ii. 8. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

(3) John iv. 23, 24. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth.

(4) Jer. x. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name. Job i. 5. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. 2 Sam.. vi. 18, 20. And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.-Then David returned to bless his household.

(5) Mat. vi. 11. Give us this day our daily bread. Josh. xxiv. 15.

(6) Mat. vi. 6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father, which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Eph. vi. 18.

not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected or forsaken, when God, by his word or providence, calleth thereunto. (1)

VII. As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in his word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: (2) which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, (3) which in Scrip

(1) Isa. Ivi. 7. Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. Heb. x. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Prov. viii. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. Acts ii. 42. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

(2) VII. See the 4th commandment in Ex. xx. 8, 9, 10, 11. Isa. lvi. 2, 4. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it: that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.-For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant. Isa. lvi. 6.

(3) Gen. ii. 3. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there

ture is called the Lord's-day, (1) and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath. (2)

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 beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts, about their worldly employments and recreations; (3) but also are taken up the

be no gatherings when I come. Acts xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, (ready to depart on the morrow ;) and continued his speech until midnight.

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

(2) Ex. xx. 8, 10. (See figure (2), page 119.) Matt. v. 17, 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

(3) VIII. Ex. xvi. 23, 25, 26, 29, 30. And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord bake that which ye will bake to-day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over, lay up for you to be kept until the morning.-And Moses said, Eat that to-day; for to-day is a Sabbath unto the Lord to-day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none.-See, for that the Lord hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day, the bread of two days: abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day. Ex. xxxi. 15, 16. Six days may work be done; but