Q. 115 THE LARGER CATECHISM 259 shame to it, by unconformable,z´ unwise,a´ unfruitful,b´ and offensive walking,c´ or backsliding from it.d´ Q. 114. What reasons are annexed to the third commandment? A. The reasons annexed to the third commandment, in these words, The LORD thy God, and, For the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain,e are, because he is the Lord and our God, there- fore his name is not to be profaned, or anyway abused by us;f espe- cially because he will be so far from acquitting and sparing the trans- gressors of this commandment, as that he will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment,g albeit many such escape the cen- sures and punishments of men.h Q. 115. Which is the fourth commandment? A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it z´. Ps. 73:14–15. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. a´. Eph. 5:15–17. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but under- standing what the will of the Lord is. See 1 Cor. 6:5–6. b´. Isa. 5:4. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? See 2 Pet. 1:8–9. c´. Rom. 2:23–24. Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. d´. Gal. 3:1, 3. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?… Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? See Heb. 6:6. e. Ex. 20:7. f. Lev. 19:12. And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. g. Deut. 28:58–59. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. See Ezek. 36:21–23. h. 1 Sam. 2:29. Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make your- selves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 1 Sam. 3:13. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. See 1 Sam. 260 THE LARGER CATECHISM Q. 115 holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.i Q. 116. What is required in the fourth commandment? A. The fourth commandment requireth of all men the sanctify- ing or keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word, expressly one whole day in seven; which was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, and the first day of the week ever since, and so to continue to the end of the world; which is the Christian sabbath,k and in the New Testament 2:12–17, 22–25. i. Ex. 20:8–11. Cf. Deut. 5:12–15. Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remem- ber that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. k. Deut. 5:12–14. Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. Gen. 2:2–3. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 1 Cor. 16:1–2. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. Acts 20:7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came to- gether to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. John 20:19, 26. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.… And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Tho- mas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. See Matt. 5:17–18; Isa. 56:2, 4, 6–7. Q. 117 THE LARGER CATECHISM 261 called the Lord’s Day.l Q. 117. How is the Sabbath or the Lord’s Day to be sanctified? A. The Sabbath or Lord’s Day is to be sanctified by an holy rest- ing all the day,m 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;n 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 mercyo) in the public and private exercises of God’s worship:p and, to l. Rev. 1:10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. m. Ex. 20:8, 10. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.… But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. n. Ex. 16:25–28. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? Jer. 17:21–22. Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. See Neh. 13:15–22. o. Matt. 12:1–5. At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.