Chapter XXII. Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day.

CHAP. XXII.

Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day.

1. The light of Nature shews that there is a God, who hath Lordship, and Soveraigntye over all; is just, good, and doth good unto all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the Heart, and all the Soul, ³⁶⁰and with all the Might. But the acceptable way of Worshipping the true God, is ³⁶¹instituted by himself; and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be Worshipped according to the imaginations, and devices of Men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or ³⁶²any other way, not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.

2. Religious Worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to him ³⁶³alone; not to Angels, Saints, or any other ³⁶⁴Creatures; and since the fall, not without a ³⁶⁵Mediator, nor in the Mediation of any other but ³⁶⁶Christ alone.

3. Prayer with thanksgiving, being one special part of natural worship, is by God required of ³⁶⁷all men. But that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the ³⁶⁸Name of the Son, by the help ³⁶⁹of the Spirit, according to ³⁷⁰his Will; with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and when with others, in a ³⁷¹known tongue.

4. Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, ³⁷²or that shall live hereafter; but not ³⁷³for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned ³⁷⁴the sin unto death.

5. The ³⁷⁵reading of the Scriptures, Preaching, and ³⁷⁶hearing the word of God, teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual songs, singing with grace in our Hearts to ³⁷⁷the Lord; as also the Administration ³⁷⁸of Baptism, and ³⁷⁹the Lords Supper are all parts of Religious worship of God, to be performed in obedience to him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear; moreover solemn humiliation ³⁸⁰with fastings; and thanksgiving upon ³⁸¹special occasions, ought to be used in an holy and religious manner.

6. Neither Prayer, nor any other part of Religious worship, is now under the Gospel tied unto, or made more acceptable by, any place in which it is ³⁸²performed, or towards which it is directed; but God is to be worshipped every where in Spirit, and in truth; as in ³⁸³private families ³⁸⁴daily, and ³⁸⁵in secret each one by himself, so more solemnly in the publick Assemblies, which are not carelessely, nor wilfuly, to be ³⁸⁶neglected, or forsaken, when God by his word, or providence calleth thereunto.

7. As it is of the Law of nature, that in general a proportion of time by Gods appointment, be set a part for the Worship of God; so by his Word in a positive-moral, and perpetual Commandement, binding all men, in all Ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a ³⁸⁷Sabbath to be kept holy unto him, 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 ³⁸⁸which is called the Lords day; and is to be continued to the end of the World, as the Christian Sabbath; the observation of the last day of the week being abolished.

8. The Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering their common affairs aforehand, do not only observe an holy ³⁸⁹rest all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts, about their worldly employment, and recreations, but also are taken up the whole time in the publick and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties ³⁹⁰of necessity and mercy.