Sunday, January 25, 2009

Robert Hill's Rules for Sanctifying the Lord's Day

Robert Hill, The Pathway to Prayer and Piety, Vol. 2, pp. 19-20:

Quest. What rules are you to observe for the sanctifying of the Sabbath?

Ans
. 1. I must rise early to sanctify myself, and all that belong to me, for God's service that day.

2. I must keep it from morning till evening. Lev. 23.32.

3. I must frequent the exercises of religion, and be present with all reverence at prayer and preaching.

4. I must not so go from Sermon to Sermon, that I confer not of God's Word which I hear, especially with such as belong unto me. Acts 17.10, 11.

5. I must meditate of all God's mercy, especially of such as are given me in Christ.

6. I must not make that day, a day of feasting, sporting, or visiting (as the most do) of friends abroad. Isa. 58.13, 14.

7. I must do no work on that day, which might have been done the day before, or may be done the day after. Exod. 20.10.

8. I must labour to be at God's house with the first, that so I may be partaker of the whole service. Mat. 18.20; Heb. 10.25.

9. I must visit such as are comfortless, if I know, or imagine they stand in need of my help. James 1.27.

10. I must be careful to provide something, which I may distribute to the necessity of the Saints. 1 Cor. 16.2.

These rules must I observe, lest it be truly said of me, which was falsely said of Christ, This man is not of God, for he keepeth not the Sabbath. John 9.16.

3 comments:

  1. the Lord's Day the Sabbath is it Sunday or Saturday?

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  2. Thank you for your interest. Whereas once the Jewish Sabbath was the seventh day of the week; the Lord's Day (Rev. 1.10), or the Christian Sabbath (Ex. 20.8-11; Heb. 4.9), is now the first day of the week (John 20.1; Acts 20.7; 1 Cor. 16.1-2; etc.), which is commonly referred to today as Sunday. Blessings, friend.

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  3. Jonathan Edwards wrote a helpful treatise on this subject, The Perpetuity and Change of the Sabbath:

    http://www.biblebb.com/files/edwards/sabbath.htm

    ReplyDelete