Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me. Ps. 50, 15.
Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me bless His holy name. Ps. 103,1.
QUESTIONS.
1. How does our Catechism begin the explanation of every commandment after the First Commandment? 2. When only can and will we fulfil all the commandments? 3. What, therefore, does God demand of us in every commandment? 4. Enumerate some of God's holy names. 5. For what purpose has God revealed His name to us? 6. What does it mean to take God's name in vain? 7. What does it mean to curse by God's name? 8. When do we swear by God's name? 9. Whose work is witchcraft? 10. What people lie by God's name? 11. What does God say about the false prophets? (Jer. 3,31.) 12. What does it mean to deceive by God's name? 13. What has God threatened those who take His name in vain? 14. What is the will of God with respect to His name? 15. How should we use God's name? 16. What does it mean to call upon God? 17. When especially should we do so? 18. Recite Ps. 50,15. 19. Why should we praise the Lord and give thanks unto His name? 20. Recite Ps. 103,1.
LESSON 4.
The Third Commandment.
Which is the Third Commandment?
Thou shalt sanctify the holy-day.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.
1. "Thou shalt sanctify the holy-day," that is the Third Commandment. We Christians have a holy-day. We celebrate as our holy-day the first day in week, Sunday. We do not do this because God has commanded us to keep this day or any other day holy, more sacred than the rest of the week. In the Old Testament, before Christ came into the world, God had given His people a certain day as a holy-day, the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath. In the New Testament, after Christ was born, God has given no such commandment. The Church, the Christians themselves, has chosen a holy-day. The Church chose Sunday, because it was on a Sunday that our dear Lord, our Savior and our King, arose again from the dead. Every Sunday should remind us of the resurrection of our Savior, of His victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil.—We also keep other days holy, for instance, Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter, and other festival days. Can you name some other Christian festival?