| Question | How is the Sabbath to be sanctified? |
|---|---|
| Answer | The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, 1 even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; 2 and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, 3 except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy. 4 |
The Baptist Catechism Set to Music
Benjamin Beddome’s Exposition
Must we sanctify the sabbath?
Yes.
Keep the sabbath to sanctify it,
Deuteronomy 5:12
Must the whole sabbath be sanctified?
Yes.
When the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark, before the sabbath I commanded that they should be shut, and that they should not be opened till after the sabbath,
Nehemiah 13:19
Must we keep the sabbath as a day of rest?
Yes.
It is a sabbath of rest,
Leviticus 23:3
And do no work thereon?
No.
Ye shall do no work therein,
Leviticus 23:3
Must we avoid those labours which are permitted on other days?
Yes.
Take heed on yourselves and bear no burden on the sabbath day,
Jeremiah 17:21
And which are required on other days?
Yes.
Six days shall ye gather manna, but on the seventh which is the sabbath, there shall be none,
Exodus 16:26
And does this extend to most busy seasons of the year?
Yes.
For in earing time, and in harvest thou shalt rest,
Exodus 34:21
Is buying and selling therefore unlawful on the sabbath-day?
Yes.
I testified against them in the day that they sold victuals,
Nehemiah 13:15
Should public worship be maintained on the sabbath-day?
Yes.
It is an holy convocation,
Leviticus 23:3
And should we make conscience of attending upon it?
Yes.
Not forsaking the assembling yourselves together,
Hebrews 10:25
And that early?
Yes.
Early will I seek thee,
Psalm 63
But should we confine our religious services to the house of God?
No.
It is the sabbath of the Lord in all our dwellings,
Leviticus 23:3
Is prayer a part of sabbath service?
Yes.
On the sabbath-day we went to the river’s side, where prayer was wont to be made,
Acts 16:13
And singing of psalms?
Yes.
We have a psalm or song for the sabbath-day,
Psalm 92
And hearing?
Yes.
The next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word,
Acts 13:44
And Christian conversation?
Yes.
They talked together of all those things that had happened,
Luke 24:14
Should we keep the sabbath with reverence?
Yes.
Keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God,
Ecclesiastes 5:1
And with diligence?
Yes.
We must lay hold on the sabbath to keep it from polluting it,
Isaiah 56:2
And must we honour God in all the duties of it?
Yes.
We must call the sabbath honorable and honor him,
Isaiah 58:13
Are men apt to watch how we keep the sabbath?
Yes.
As he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees on the sabbath day they watched him,
Luke 14:1
And should this make us circumspect?
Yes.
Lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies, (marg. observers,)
Psalm 27:11
Are works of charity and mercy to be done on the sabbath day?
Yes.
Ought not this woman to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
Luke 13:16
And works of necessity?
Yes.
Jesus went on the sabbath through the corn and his disciples were an hungered and began to pluck the ears of corn to eat,
Matthew 12:1
Are Christians obliged to the same strictness in keeping the sabbath as the Jews?
No.
Ye have been called unto liberty,
Galatians 5:13
But should they be careful not to abuse their liberty?
Yes.
Use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh,
Galatians 5:13
And is conscience as directed by the word the only judge in this case?
Yes.
Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth,
Romans 14:22
The Westminster Larger Catechism
| Question | How is the sabbath or the Lord's day to be sanctified? |
|---|---|
| Answer | The sabbath or Lord's day is to be sanctified by an holy resting all the day, 1 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; 2 and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to betaken up in works of necessity and mercy) 3 in the public and private exercises of God's worship: 4 and, to that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and moderation, to dispose and seasonably dispatch our worldly business, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day. 5 |
| Question | Why is the charge of keeping the sabbath more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors? |
|---|---|
| Answer | The charge of keeping the sabbath is more specially 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 ofttimes to hinder them by employments of their own. 1 |