Answ. The Sabbath, or Lord’s day, is to be sanctified, by an holy resting all the day, not only from such works as are, at all times, sinful, but even from such worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful, and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God’s worship; and to that end we are to prepare our hearts, and with such fore-sight, diligence and moderation to dispose, and seasonably to dispatch our worldly business, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.
Quest. CXVIII. Why is the charge of keeping the Sabbath more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors?
Answ. The charge of keeping the Sabbath is more especially directed to governors of families and other superiors, because they are bound not only to keep it themselves, but to see that it be observed by all those that are under their charge; and because they are prone oft-times to hinder them by employments of their own.
In explaining the former of these answers, which more especially respects the manner how the Sabbath is to be sanctified, let it be considered,
I. That we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and moderation, to dispose, and seasonably to dispatch, our worldly business, that we may be more free and fit for the business of that day. We do not read, indeed, that there is any time sanctified, or set apart by God, in order to our preparing for the Sabbath; but this matter is left to our Christian prudence. Yet we read in the New Testament, of the day of preparation for the Sabbath; that is, the day before the Jewish Sabbath; which persons who had any sense of the importance of the work to be performed on the following day, thought it their duty to prepare for before-hand, at least, to give dispatch to their worldly business; that their thoughts might be fixed on the work on which they were to engage on the day ensuing. Thus we read, that that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on: And they returned and prepared spices and ointments, and rested the Sabbath day, according to the commandment, Luke xxiii. 54, 56. The mixing of ointments and spices, which were compounded according to the custom of those times, for the embalming of the dead, was a work of labour, and not fit to be done on the Sabbath. Therefore they did this the day before, that they might not be brought under any necessity of performing that servile work therein, which might be done on another day. And this practice of dispatching worldly business, in order to their being prepared for the sacred employment of the Sabbath, seems to have been inculcated, when the observation of that day was revived by Moses in the wilderness of Sin; on which occasion he says, To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. Bake that which ye will bake, and seethe that ye will seethe: and that which remaineth over, lay it up for you to be kept until the morning, Exod. xvi. 23. The meaning of which is, they were to gather the manna, which would take up a considerable time, and grind or prepare it for baking or seething; which was a servile, or laborious work, that might as well be done the day before. Accordingly they were commanded then to dispatch or finish it, that they might rest in, and sanctity the Sabbath immediately following.
As for the time which the more religious Jews took, in preparing for the Sabbath before it came, something of this may be learned from the practice of holy Nehemiah; whereby it appears, that they laid aside their worldly business, in order to their preparing for the Sabbath the day before, at sun-set, or when it begun to be dark. Thus it is said, That when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, he commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath, Neh. xiii. 19. However, this is discretionary, and therefore some Jewish writers observe, that many of them began to prepare for the Sabbath the evening before, at six o’clock, and some of them at three; and others spent the whole day before in the dispatch of their secular business, that they might be better prepared for the Sabbath; and this, as to what is equitable or moral therein, is, doubtless, an example to us: so that we may say as Hezekiah did in his prayer; The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God; the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary, 2 Chron. xxx. 18, 19.
This leads us to consider the duties to be performed preparatory to the right observing the Lord’s day; and, in order hereunto, we ought, the evening before, to lay aside our care and worldly business, that our thoughts may not be incumbred, diverted, or taken up with unseasonable or unlawful concerns about it. This is a duty very much neglected; and the omission thereof is one reason of our unprofitable attendance on the ordinances of God on the Lord’s day. Thus many keep their shops open till midnight; and by this means make encroachments on part of the morning of the Lord’s day, by indulging too much sleep; which occasions drowsiness under the ordinances, as well as their thoughts being filled with worldly concerns and business therein. And to this we may add, that all envyings, contentions, evil surmising against our neighbour, are to be laid aside, since these will tend to defile our souls and to deprave our minds, when they ought wholly to be taken up about divine things. Thus the apostle advises those to whom he writes, to lay aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking, and as new born babes to desire the sincere milk of the word, that they might grow thereby, 1 Pet. ii. 1, 2.
Moreover, we are to endeavour to bring our souls into a prepared frame for the duties of the Lord’s day, the evening before, by having our thoughts engaged in those meditations that are suitable thereunto; particularly, we are to consider the many lost Sabbaths we have to account for, or repent of, as also the wonderful patience of God, who has, notwithstanding spared us to the approach of another Sabbath; and what precautions are necessary to be used, that we may not profane or trifle it away. It would also be expedient for us to meditate on the vanity of worldly things, which we have laid aside all our care about, and think how contemptible the gain thereof is, if compared with communion with God, which is our great concern; and therefore we are to consider ourselves as having a greater work to transact with God on his own day, and desire to have no disturbance from the world therein. And to these meditations we ought to join our fervent prayers to God; that the sins committed by us in former Sabbaths may be forgiven, that he may not be provoked to withdraw the influences of his Spirit on the approaching day; and that the world with the cares thereof, may not then be a snare to us, through the temptations of Satan, together with the corruption of our own hearts, whereby our converse with God would be interrupted, that by this means we may wait on the Lord without distraction. We ought also to pray, that he would also assist his ministers in preparing a seasonable word, that may be blest to ourselves and others. Thus the apostle exhorts the church, to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and to watch thereunto with all perseverance, and supplication for all saints; and for him, that utterance might be given unto him, that he might open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, Eph. vi. 18, 19. We ought to be very importunate with God, that he would sanctify, and fill our thoughts from the beginning to the end of the Lord’s day, which he has consecrated for his immediate service and glory.
II. We are now to consider what we are to rest and abstain from, on the Lord’s day; and this is included in two general heads, namely, not only from things sinful, but what is in itself lawful, on other days.
1. As for those things which are sinful on other days, they are much more so on the Sabbath; for hereby we contract double guilt, not only in committing the sin, but in breaking the Sabbath; and such sins are, for the most part, presumptuously committed, and greatly tend to harden the heart; and not only hinder the efficacy of the ordinances, but if allowed of, and persisted in, are a sad step to apostacy.