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No, it is not: Works of Charity, and Neceffity, may certainly be done upon it. But as for all Works of Gain; all fuch Diverfions or Entertainments, as are inconfiftent with the Religious Defign of the Day, or may be apt to give Offence to any Serious and Good Men; they ought, without queftion, to be avoided upon it.

142 What is forbidden by this Command

ment?

A. To neglect, and profane the Sabbath: Not to employ it to the Honour, and Service of God; much more to spend it in Idelnefs, and Pleasure, in Sin, and Debauchery; as too many wicked Perfons are apt to do.

15.2. Is there any thing farther Required of Us, in order to the full Öbfervance of this Commandment?

A. This only; that we be careful not only to Sanctify the Sabbath-Day Ourselves, but to fee that All who belong to Us, do likewife. For, for these alfo, the Commandment tells Us we are to answer: In it Chou shalt do no manner of Work; Thou, nor the Son, nor thy Daughter; thy Man - Servant, nor thy. Maid-Serbant, thy Cattle, nor the Stran ger that is within thy Gates. And fince now the Piety of our a Own Laws hath provided for the better Obfervation of this Day; we cap. 7. a 29 Car. II. ought, in Obedience to them, as well as out of Confcience towards God, not only to be careful of Ourfelves, and Families, but to bring all Others, as much as in Us lies, to a due Regard of It: If not out of Duty towards Him, whofe Sabbath it is; yet to avoid that Punishment, which the Civil Magiftrate is to inflict on those who defpife, and profane it.

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Of our Duty

towards our

SECT. XXVII.

Neighbour; 1.2.WHAT do the Commandments of the

and of the Relative Honour which

we owe to

Second Table Refpect?

A. Our Duty towards our Neighbour,

2. 2. What is the General Foundation of our

him; as our
as our Duty towards our Neighbour?
towards

Parent, Prince, Teacher, Huf

A. To Love Him as Myfelf; and to Do to all Men as I would they thould Do tntband, Maf- to Me: The one of which fhews what that ter: Of a a Inward Affection is, which Every One ought to bigber Rank, have for his Neighbour; the Other, how we Age with ought to Regulate our Outward Actions towards the Duties of Each other. Mat. xxii. 39. vii. 12.

or a greater

Juch Perfons

3: 2 Is a Man obliged, in all Cafes, to Do towards us all that for his Neighbour, which he would defire his Neighbour fhould Do for Him?

A. Yes, certainly; provided the Rule be but rightly Stated, and duly Limited, by Us: Otherwife it may prove a Snare, rather than a Guide to Us.

42 How then do you Suppofe that this Rule is to be Understood by Us?

A. We must first fet Ourselves in our Neigh bour's Place, and then put it to our Confciences; Were his Cafe our Own, what would we defire that one, in our Circumstances, should Do for Us, and then conclude, that We ought to Do the fame for Him. Thus, for Example, If a poor Man ask an Alms of Us; We muft not think that We are at Liberty to Refuse him, becaufe We neither need, nor defire, that Any One fhould Relieve Us: But we muft bring his Cafe home to Ourselves; and fuppofe that we were in his Circumftances: poor, and deftitute; would we not then think it reasonable, that one, in Our Circumftances, fhould Relieve Us; and that will fhew Us, that therefore we ought to Relieve him.

5.2. But muft We then, after fuch a Change of Circumftances, abfolutely Do to Others, whatfoever we would, in the like Circumftances, defire, that They should do to Us?

A. I do not fay that neither: Men may defire what is Unlawful, and then in Confcience of our Duty to God, we muft deny them. They may defire what is Unreasonable, or may be greatly Inconvenient to Us; and in fuch Cafes, though we Owe a Duty to our Neighbour, yet we must Remember that we Owe a Duty to our Selves too; and muft confider our Own Interefts, as· well as thofe of Our Neighbour. If a Man fhould fall into fuch Circumftances, as to need my telling of a Lye, or Forfwearing myfelf, to bring him fafely out of them; though I fhould be fo Wicked as to defire, in the like Cafe, that Another would do the fame for Me, yet I am not therefore Obliged by this Rule, to do this for him; becaufe neither ought I to defire fuch a Thing of Another, nor ought any other to defire it of Me, or Do it for Me.

Again, fhould a Man defire me to be bound with him for a confiderable Sum of Money; which I cannot pay, without great Damage to myself, and Prejudice to my Family: Though I fhould perhaps with, that had I the fame Occafion that this Man has, Another would be bound for Me; yet because the defire is Unreafonable, and fuch as in Duty to myself, and my Family, I ought not to comply with; neither am I obliged, by Virtue of this Rule, to anfwer his Defires in it.

6.2. What then do you take to be the true Import of this Rule?

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A. That whatfoever I could juftly, and rea-' fonably, Defire of Another Man, in my Circumftances; and it would become him, in Charity, to do for Me; the fame I ought to do for my Neighbour And thereby make it manifeft, as

the

Gen. xlv.8.

Job. xxix.

16.

Judg. xvii.

10.xviii. 19. 2 Kin. ii. 12.

xiii. 14.

the Other Rule directs, that I do, indeed, Love him as myself.

7.2. To how many Commandments has God Reduced our Duty towards our Neighbour?

A. To Six; which make up the whole of the Second Table...

8. 2. What is the Firft of Thefe de su ?

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A. Honour thy father, and thy Mother, that thy Days may be long in the Land which. the LORD thy God giveth Chee

9. 2. What is the proper Extent of this Commandment?

A. It exprefly Regards only our Natural Parents; But the Reafon of it extends to all. Sorts of Perfons who are, in any Refpect, our Supe riors, and to whom we owe any Singular Honour upon that Account: And to the moft of which the very a Name of Fathers is Given in the Holy Scriptures.

10.2. What are the chief Relations, to which this Commandment may be Referr❜d/?

A. They are especially these following: 1. Of V.13. vi. 21. Children towards their Parents. 2. Of Subjects. Jfa, xlix. 23. towards those who are in Authority over Them. Cor. iv.15. 3. Of Scholars towards their Governors. 4. Of. Ordinary Chriftians towards their Minifters. 5. Of Servants towards their Mafters. 6. Of. Wives towards their Husbands. 7. Of Younger Perfons towards the Aged. And, 8. Of those. who are in a lower degree, towards such as are in a higher Place of State and Dignity.

11. 2. Does not this Commandment Require fame Return of Duty from those who are, upon any of these Accounts, to be Honoured by Us?

A. In the Equity of it, it certainly does: And therefore as it is Our Duty to Honour Them, fo it is no lefs their Duty to behave themselves, as their Relation requires, towards Us.

12. 2. What do you mean by Honouring of fuch Perfons?

1 Tim. v. 32

A. Not a bare formal Refpect; but, with that, Eph.vi. 1, 24 all that Love, Duty, and Obedience; all that Col. iii. 20. Help, and Service; which they may juftly expect from Us, and which our Own Reafon tells Us, we ought to yield to Them. 96

13. 2. What are the Particular Duties which are Required of Children towards their Parents?

17, 18.

vi. 1, 2.

1 Pet. ii. 17

Deut. xxvii.

A. To Love, Honour, and Succour, their Lev. xix. 2. Father and Mother: To obey their Orders, 16. and Bear with their Infirmities, and Submit to Prov. i. 8. their Correction. To promote their Comfort, xxx. 17. and Welfare, by all fitting Means; and if they Ma Need, and their Children are Able, to Provide Mar. vii. 10, 5, 6. Comp. for, and Support Them.

14. 2. Are all these Duties to be equally paid to both our Parents?

A. They are; and that by the exprefs Words of the Commandment, Honour thy Father, and thy Mother. Comp. Prov. i. 8. vi. 20. Eph. vi. 2. 15.2. What Return of Duty ought Parents to make to their Children?

Mat. xv. 4,

13.

Eph.vi. 1, 2.

Col. iii. 20.
I Tim. v. 4.

2

Tim. ii. 2.

A. It is their Duty to breed them up Carefully Deut. iv. ro. whilft they are young; Virtuously and Religi- vi. 7. xi. 19. oufly, when they are capable of difcerning be- Prov. xiii. tween Good and Evil. To Love them: To 24. xxii. 6, 15. xxiii. 13, Provide, according to their Ability for them: 14. To bring them up to fome honeft and ufeful Luke xi. II. Employment: To Encourage them when they Eph. vi. 4. do Well; to Correct them when they do Col. iii, 21. amifs: To be Gentle, and Courteous, towards Tim. v. 8. them; and not by their Paffions, or Perverfenefs, Heb. xii. 9. provoke them to Anger, and Alienate their Affec tions from them.

16. 2. What is the Duty of Subjects towards those whom God has fet in Authority over Them?

A. To

2Cor. xii. 14.

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