Q. 6. And has this day been kept holy ever since the times of the Apostles?

A. Yes; it has been kept by the Christian church, in all ages.

Q. 7.-Why does God tell us to Remember this day?

A. Because it is a very important command, which amidst the cares and pleasures of the world, and the bad example of those around us, we are too apt to forget.

Q. 8. Is there any great use in keeping Sun

day?

A.-Very great, indeed; we should remember to keep it wherever we go,

place we may live, for it

and in whatsoever

will be our greatest

preservative from sin, and the blessing of God will never come dowu upon us, if we neglect it.

Q. 9.-Do we see many proofs of the importance of this duty in the world around us?

A. Yes; we find that those who break the Sabbath, are persons who live without God in the world, and they very often go from bad to worse, until they come to an untimely end.

Q. 10. What are the reasons given in the text for keeping the Sabbath?

A. One reason is, the example of God.

4

He rested on that day, and so should we.

Q. 11.-Is any other reason mentioned ? A. Another reason is, that he hath hallowed it, that is, hath set apart that day for himself, and made it holy. It is very sinful to treat that as a common day, which God has made a holy day.

Q. 12. But may we not serve God on any other day as well as Sunday?

A. We ought to serve him every day; but this is a day which he has peculiarly blessed, and set apart, and which he claims as his own. We may be sure therefore that God will not bless us, if we neglect a day which he has set apart for one which he has not.

Q. 13-In what manner ought we to keep this day holy?

A. By laying aside all our worldly business, and employing ourselves in the worship of God, and other religious exercises.

Q. 14. Must not we do any work at all on

this day?

A-No; for the Commandment says, In it thou shalt do no manner of work, and therefore we should abstain from work ourselves, and take care that our children and servants do the same. B b

Q. 15. Are there no exceptions to this command?

A. Yes; works of necessity and works of charity may be done on this day.

Q. 16. What do you mean by works of necessity?

A.-I mean those works which we cannot avoid, from the nature of our situations in life; soldiers, sailors, doctors, &c. are obliged to do many things on Sunday, and we are all obliged to provide for our subsistence on this day.

Q. 17. What do you mean by works of charity?

A. I mean visiting the sick, relieving the poor, instructing the ignorant, and such like things. These are as lawful on Sunday as on

any other day.

Q. 18.Is it right to spend the Sunday in idleness?

A. Certainly not. The habit of paying idle visits, and taking journeys for pleasure, and spending the time in worldly conversation, and writing worldly letters, is a sinful one. though our usual business is laid aside, yet do not keep the day holy, except we are careful

For

we

to employ it in a religious way, either in public or private.

Q. 19-Is this day often profaned?

A. Yes; it is awfully profaned even by those who call themselves Christians; many make no difference at all between this and other days; and others are even more given to their pleasures and amusements on this day, than any other day of the week, which is very sinful.

Q. 20. But have any of us perfectly obeyed this command?

A.-No; the best have reason to lament
We have often robbed God of his

their sins.

due, by doing our own work on Sundays; by giving way to worldly thoughts, and to idleness, and by being cold and formal in our religious. exercises; for which things we ought to ask mercy of God.

THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT. Q. 1.-Do we owe much to our parents?. A.Yes; we owe every thing to them, under God; and can never sufficiently repay them