← Back to sermon library

Last time we started to look 
at the Lord's Day Sabbath. We'll finish off Chapter 22 by 
a second glance at that particular doctrine as it's presented to 
us in Chapter 22, Paragraph 7 and 8. We looked at most of the stuff 
of 7, Paragraph 7 last time. We'll finish off Paragraph 7 
and look at Paragraph 8 this morning. So I'm just going to 
read paragraphs 7 and 8 and then we'll continue with our study. 
As it is the law of nature that in general a proportion of time 
by God's appointment be set apart for the worship of God, so by 
his word in a positive moral and perpetual commandment, binding 
all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day 
in seven for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto him. which from 
the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was 
the last day of the week, and from the resurrection of Christ 
was changed into the first day of the week, which is called 
the Lord's Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world 
as the Christian Sabbath, the observation of the last day of 
the week being abolished. The Sabbath is then kept holy 
unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts 
and ordering their common affairs aforehand, do not only observe 
and wholly rest all day from their own works, words, and thoughts 
about their worldly employment and recreations, but are also 
taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises 
of his worship and in the duties of necessity and mercy. Amen. Well, last time we looked 
at the confessional foundations for Sabbath observance. Just 
very briefly, we noted that the foundation for Sabbath observance 
is found confessionally, and we would say biblically as well. 
First off, in the revelation that God has given to us, both 
in nature as well as in the scriptures, in his special revelation. The 
foundation is seen in the doctrine of God as well. It's seen in 
the doctrine of creation. It's seen in the doctrine of 
Christ, his mediatorial lordship over his church. It's seen in 
the doctrine of the law in chapter 19. It's also seen that some 
of the foundation in chapter 21 of a Christian liberty and 
liberty of conscience. We come to chapter 22 and we 
see that the doctrine of the Sabbath is rooted in the principle 
that there is a God who is to be worshipped and the word of 
God reveals the acceptable way of worshipping him. And we see 
in the Word of God that a particular day is set aside. The light of 
nature shows that a time ought to be given to the worship of 
God who has revealed himself in nature. But the Word of God 
itself specifies and, if you will, provides a transcript, 
a formal codification of the time that is to be set aside 
and how it is to be observed. We noted that the spirit in which 
we are to engage in Sabbath observance is cheerful obedience by virtue 
of the sweetness of the gospel, which brings to us a higher obligation 
to observe the day. Calvin again says, God does not 
present himself to us clothed in terrors, as he did formerly 
to the Jews, but lovingly and kindly invites us to himself, 
so the sin of ingratitude will thus be doubled. except we willingly 
and in earnest respond to his gracious invitation. You see, 
it's twofold. The observance of the Sabbath 
is not to be observed as Owen argues, and this isn't Owen being 
wrong, but he says, it isn't to be observed in a legal fear, 
but rather in a loving and cheerful compliance to the obedience of 
Christ Jesus the Lord, to the command of Christ Jesus the Lord. So we have this sweet the sweetness 
of the gospel bringing greater weight to the observance of the 
Sabbath, we engaging in it with cheerful compliance, and then 
we have as well then the sin of ingratitude will be thus doubled, 
except we willingly and in earnest respond to his gracious invitation. We noted just briefly by way 
of review the two-fold testimony to the necessity of Sabbath observance, 
that is the light of nature, general revelation, as well as 
the word of God special revelation, both of those testify to the 
necessity of a Lord's Day Sabbath observance. We noted the nature 
of the biblical command for Sabbath observance. First, it is positive 
moral. It contains two aspects of law, 
if you will. The moral law, which reflects 
the unchanging and perfect righteousness and character of God. And in 
that respect, Sabbath observance is trans-covenantal. It's not 
confined to an epic, but rather because it is a reflection of 
God's perfect and unchanging moral character, it is to be 
observed always. But it has a positive aspect, 
particularly in the case that we're reviewing with regards 
to the day of observation. In the old covenant, as the confession 
says, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of 
Christ, it was observed on the seventh day. and we'll get in 
a moment to the new covenant. We also noted that it's perpetually 
enduring and universally binding. It is to be observed by all men 
in all ages as a perpetual commandment. And then lastly, we started to 
look at the specified day of observation. again in the old 
covenant it was from the beginning of the world to the resurrection 
of Christ now in the new covenant it is from the resurrection of 
Christ to from the resurrection of Christ it was changed to the 
first day of the week so now in all ages from that time moving 
forward it is the first day of the week or the Lord's Day Sunday 
so now we're going to continue with that in the new covenant 
the special or the specified day for Sabbath observance in 
the new covenant so that's where we now continue and again notice 
the confession in paragraph 7 we've already just said it twice but 
now more focused let's have a look at what it says binding all men 
in all ages he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for 
a Sabbath to be kept holy unto him, which from the beginning 
of the world to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of 
the week, and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the 
first day of the week. So with the inauguration of the 
new covenant comes a change, not to the moral law, but to 
the positive aspect of the Sabbath law that is attached to it. So the day of observation is 
changed and as the confession says, it is changed to the first 
day of the week. We would want to note that with 
the positive law at this point, It does not come in the form 
of explicit command, but rather it comes in the form of authoritative 
precedent. Moral law is given. We don't 
see thou shalt now observe the day upon, you know, the first 
day of the week, the Lord's day, Sunday, thus I have spoken. We don't see an explicit command 
given, but we see authoritative precedent given which mandates 
and strengthens the reality of that positive law being changed 
to the first day of the week. And so we're going to notice 
a number of things in our Bibles that testify to that authoritative 
precedent. And the first thing we're, and 
what we're noting here under, in the New Covenant with regards 
to the observance of the day is that the Apostolic Church 
practiced first day Sabbath worship. The first thing we're going to 
note is the first Lord's Day gathering of the new covenant 
took place on a Sunday and it was led by Christ. You can turn 
to Luke 24. Luke chapter 24. As we'll notice, 
or as we'll note in a number of minutes, one of the theological 
or redemptive historical reasons for the change of the day is 
the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ punctuated by his 
resurrection from the dead. Notice what we have in Luke 24 
beginning in verse 1. Now on the first day of the week, 
very early in the morning, they and certain other with them came 
to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled 
away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not 
find the body of the Lord Jesus. This resurrection account occurs, 
of course, this narrative concerning the resurrection discloses that 
Christ's resurrection was on the first day of the week. Now, 
it's interesting, and we don't need to necessarily put a lot 
of weight to the argument of the day change and what I'm about 
to say, but it is interesting that on the first day of the 
week, now, we do put a lot of weight on the fact that Christ 
rose again from the dead. the first day of the week and 
that argues for first day Sabbath observance but notice what happens 
as well on the first day of the week when Christ is resurrected 
from the dead he gathers his disciples together and he Preaches 
the word to them and he teaches the word to them. What do we 
have on the Lord's Day in the new covenant? What do we observe? 
We come together on the first day of the week the Lord our 
God calls us to assemble and he from on high Through ministers 
of his teaches us his word and preaches his word there is most 
certainly weight to be gathered here and import to be brought 
from this into Lord's Day Sabbath observance and specifically at 
the point of the first day of the week. So the first Lord's 
Day gathering of the New Covenant took place on a Sunday and it 
was led by Christ. You know full well verses 25 
to the end how he preached to his disciples and disclosed the 
veracity that he was the Christ, the God-man who came and took 
to himself man's nature and all those properties save for sin. And so, secondly then, the second 
Lord's Day gathering of the New Covenant took place on a Sunday 
and it was led by Christ. You can turn to the book of John. 
In John we have the reality that the Sunday following, the Sunday 
following this instance, Christ appears to his disciples on the 
first day of the week and he engages in some of the same activity. Notice in John, well actually 
notice in John 1, it's the same occasion, excuse me, I apologize, 
John chapter 20 verse 1. In John 20 verse 1, we have the 
first instance that we just did, John's recounting of that, John 
20 and verse 1, now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene 
went to the tomb, etc. Now notice in John 20 and verse 
19, It's the same day, but it's the evening and the repetition 
of the first day of the week is used there the language of 
it Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week 
when the doors were shut etc now notice in John 20 at verse 
26 and After eight days his disciples were again inside. So this is 
eight days later and properly and others have noted that that 
language is pertaining to eight days later, which would be the 
first day of the week again. So not necessarily saying seven 
days later or a week later, but eight days later is a way of 
speaking to stress that it was on the next first day of the 
week. And notice now Thomas called 
the twin, excuse me, verse 26, now after eight days, his disciples 
were again inside and Thomas with them, Jesus came the doors 
being shut and stood in the midst and said, peace to you. This 
is Poole on this connection between the eighth day being the first 
day of the week following the first instance Christ appearing 
on the resurrection day. This appears the most probable 
sense of the phrase, that is, on the eighth day, meaning it 
is the Lord's Day Sabbath. This appears the most probable 
sense of the phrase, the disciples beginning from Christ's resurrection 
to keep the first day of the week for the weekly Sabbath. 
And having met on the resurrection day, met again that day seven 
night, met again that seven night hoping probably for such a presence 
of Christ with them in their meeting as they had before experienced, 
nor was their expectation vain." In other words, they were gathered 
together on that same day, respecting the first day of the week as 
the day on which Christ was resurrected, as the day to gather, and notice 
the language of Poole at least, and we think that he's most certainly 
correct, anticipating to see Christ again. They had an expectation 
that Christ would come. We, 2,000 years later, gather 
together on the Lord's Day Sabbath, the same day as our forebears 
there did, a week after Christ's resurrection, and we likewise 
should have great expectation to be met by the Savior. We follow 
in their footsteps and with great anticipation ought to, like them, 
though not seeing him physically, nevertheless, anticipate that 
Christ comes. Why? We have revelation, other 
revelation in the New Testament, and in fact, the book of Revelation, 
that says Christ Jesus walks among His lampstands, the churches. And so we ought to, with great 
anticipation, gather on the Lord's Day expecting Christ to meet 
with us. Thirdly, the narrative account 
in the book of Acts demonstrates first-day Christian gatherings. If you turn to the book of Acts, 
we would note, first off, Acts 2, 1. Acts chapter 2 and verse 
1. The day of Pentecost comes on 
the first day, on the Lord's Day, on the New Covenant Sabbath. Notice Acts 2.1, when the day 
of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord 
in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of 
a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where 
they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided 
tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them, and they were 
all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other 
tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Notice they were with 
one accord in one place as it was their custom they were gathered 
together as the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in obedience 
to previous command to so gather. Notice in Acts 27 we'll speak 
of these things and connect some of these things in a moment but 
notice in Acts 20 and verse 7 Now on the first day of the week, 
when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to 
depart the next day, spoke to them and continued the message 
until midnight. You see on that first gathering 
on that Pentecostal day, they're gathered together and they break 
bread there as well, and that is repeated. The narrative continues 
that the custom was such that the apostles would gather together 
in such a manner. Here we have the first day of 
the week when the disciples came together to break bread. Owen 
reflects with regards to this phrase, that which was in common 
observance amongst all the disciples of Christ. This was a common 
observance in the early church to so gather on the first day 
of the week now to observe the new covenant Sabbath and we'll 
see why when we get to the the theological or redemptive historical 
reasons for the change of the day, but it is instructive. And 
it is an authoritative precedent that our early church forebears, 
the apostolic church, gathered together on the first day of 
the week to break bread and to receive Pauline message, instruction 
in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. the narrative account 
in the Book of Acts demonstrating first-day Christian gatherings. 
Fourthly, Paul's Lord's Supper commands and the order for church 
collections in First Corinthians. We'll sort of work backwards, 
but notice First Corinthians 16. First Corinthians chapter 
16. And when you get there, notice 
verses 1 and 2. Now concerning the collection 
for the saints as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia 
so you must do also on the first day of the week let each one 
of you lay something aside storing up as he may prosper that there 
be no collections when I come. You see the command given by 
Paul with regards to the first day of the week is such that 
the anticipation according to the regular observance of first-day 
church gatherings for Sabbath observance, is in the mind of 
Paul when he gives these instructions to take a collection for the 
saints. And so he understands that they're 
going to be gathering on the first day of the week, and in 
so gathering, at that particular gathering, collect monies for 
the saints so that it might be distributed rightly. The argument 
is, though, that there is the obvious reality of the apostolic 
observance of the first day of the week with regards to the 
Lord's Day Sabbath. If we back up to 1 Corinthians 
11, we notice that the taking of the Lord's Supper, the observance 
of the Lord's Supper Such that the language is used with regards 
to the observance as when the church comes together And we 
would have to not we would have to assume and we should connect 
the reality of 1 16 1 & 2 to 1st Corinthians 11 verse 18 for 
first of all when you come together as a church verse 20 therefore 
when you come together Verse 33 therefore my brethren when 
you come together to eat wait for one another and of course 
verse 34 as well let him eat at home lest you come together 
for judgment the coming together there is Connected with the gathering 
of the church in 116 with regards to the first day of the week 
and at that point the collection for the Saints and So we have 
the first Lord's Day gathering, the second Lord's Day gathering, 
the narrative account in the Book of Acts, Paul's Lord's Supper 
commands, and the order for church collections. And lastly, John 
the Apostle's rehearsing of the day on which he saw and heard 
the glorious Lord Jesus Christ. You can turn to Revelation 1. 
In Revelation 1, it's a fifth point, and not necessarily exhausting 
the New Testament data for Lord's Day Sabbath observance, but some 
of the some of the major locations and themes with regards to such 
observance. Notice in Revelation 1 at verse 
10, here specifically the language of the Lord's Day. Verse 10, 
I was speaking of, this is John speaking of course, verse 9, 
but verse 10, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day and I heard 
behind me a loud voice as of a trumpet saying, I am the Alpha 
and the Omega, the first and the last, and what you see, write 
in a book and send it to the seven churches, which are in 
Asia, to Ephesus, Myrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, 
and to Laodicea." You see, John is in the Spirit on the Lord's 
Day. This language of the Lord's Day 
here being spoken of is not some eschatological day of judgment. It's not some, you know, whether 
you know, some sort of a contemporaneous day or day in the future, obviously, 
because John was in the Spirit on that day, but it's not some 
day of judgment, but rather it is language peculiarly applied 
here and understood, or we ought to understand it as the Lord's 
Day Sabbath, that day established in the New Covenant for the observance 
of God's abiding moral command. The language, and notice that 
There are other things that help us other than John simply using 
the language of the Lord's day here. What's going on on this 
day that the Lord, that John was in the spirit? Well, again, 
he's met by Christ. He's in the Spirit on the Lord's 
Day, and he's met by Christ, and Christ gives him instruction. Part of his vision, though, as 
well, is seen in that this one, the Son of Man, is walking amongst 
the lampstands. He is in the midst of the lampstands, 
which, Revelation tells us, are the seven churches of Asia Minor. So John is in the Spirit on the 
Lord's Day Sabbath, and interestingly enough, the Lord of the Sabbath 
is in the midst of his churches on that day or the language here 
is given with regards to Christ and his lampstands and so the 
John's rehearsing of the day on which he in the spirit saw 
the glorious Christ the language being the Lord's Day testifies 
with strength to the reality of New Covenant Sabbath observance 
and first day observation. Moving quickly through some things 
then, what is, why the reason for the change of the day? Hopefully 
we've spent a number of seconds on that in the first two points 
under the last heading, but now we move to the theological or 
redemptive historical reasons for the change of the day. Why 
the change of the day? When we ask that question. What 
does the Bible tell us? What does theology and redemptive 
history tell us? And how does it provide an answer? 
Well, first off, the reason for the change of the day is seen 
in the resurrection of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ arose on 
the first day of the week. We've already noted Luke 24. We would note Matthew 28, 1, 
Mark 16, 1, 6, and 9. In fact, even in Luke prior to 
that and in Luke 23 and John 20 and verse 1. But the Lord 
Christ rose on the first day of the week. Augustine on this 
particular point wrote the Lord's Day was not declared to the Jews 
but to the Christians by the resurrection of the Lord and 
from that event its festivity had its origin. What he's saying 
here is that the Lord's Day as it's understood in that Yohannin 
language from Revelation 1, the Lord's Day that is the Christian 
Sabbath in the New Covenant was not declared to the Jews but 
to the Christians the first day of the week by the resurrection 
of the Lord and from that event its festivity had its origin. 
The early church recognized it. Consistent interpretation by 
the early church and observance by the early church recognized 
that first day Lord's Day Sabbath observance was intimately and 
necessarily connected to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. It was on the first day of the 
week. One of the texts that we ought 
to go to in a study of the Sabbath would be Hebrews 4.9. And in 
fact, this connects well to what we're discussing here at the 
point of the work of Christ culminating in his resurrection from the 
dead, his perfect work. And that this is a theological 
reason for it redemptive historical reason for first day Sabbath 
observation in fact this is likewise a reason for the for it being 
a perpetual command in the New Covenant until we enter our eternal 
rest notice in Hebrews 4 we pick up reading in in verse 6, since 
therefore remains that some must enter it that is the rest God's 
rest and those to whom it was first preached did not enter 
because of disobedience again he designates a certain day saying 
in David today after such a long time as it has been said today 
if you will hear his voice do not harden your hearts for if 
Joshua had given them rest then he would not afterward have spoken 
of another day. There remains therefore a rest 
for the people of God for he who has entered his rest has 
himself also ceased from his works as God did from his." Now 
hopefully you can see the connection here. Remember last time and 
only briefly did we note that Lord's Day Sabbath or we should 
say Old Covenant Sabbath observance on the seventh day The theological 
undergirding or the theological reason for that was the creation 
by God. In the space of six days, he 
created all things from nothing. It was very good. And on the 
seventh day, he rested. And we read from Genesis 2 with 
regards to that. God did rest from his works in 
creation. Speaking of Christ now in the 
new creation, and the argument here is that there remains therefore 
a rest, a Sabbath, verse 9, for the people of God, verse 10, 
for he who has entered his rest, that is Christ, has Himself also 
ceased from His works. Just as God ceased from His creative 
labors, from His creative works at the creation, so did Christ 
rest from His new creative, His re-creative works at the point 
of His perfect life, death, and then culminating, and this is 
His rest, the resurrection from the dead, culminating in His 
resurrection from the dead. He executes the perfect works, 
that was prepared for him from before the foundation of the 
world. According to the covenant made between the Father and the 
Son, he comes in the fullness of the times, he executes his 
perfect work, he rests from that work, and so therefore we have 
the theological undergirding that there now remains therefore 
a Sabbath for the people of God. We in the New Covenant observe 
a day of rest, the first day of the week, connected to Christ's 
resting from his new creation labors and that day is connected 
to the day upon which he started his rest, that is the resurrection 
from the dead. This is Dr. Martin, Robert Martin on this 
particular point connected with the Hebrews 4.9. Hebrews 4.9 helps to identify 
the redemptive historical matrix within which the relevance of 
the Lord's Day is to be understood, i.e. as a Christian Sabbath to 
be observed by God's new covenant people in remembrance of the 
great redemptive work of Christ in securing for us an inheritance 
in His Sabbath rest as a pledge for our entering that rest. There is a two-fold thing here 
then in Hebrews. We observe the day in the remembrance 
of and according to the resurrection of Christ from the dead, and 
that also has an eschatological element, for it is, even if you 
will, a shadow of that eternal rest which is to come, our eternal 
glory when we enter into our rest in the eschaton. And so Hebrews 4.9 is a very 
important place There remains therefore a rest that is a Sabbath 
for the people of God It's interesting. Excuse me. I probably shouldn't 
talk after taking a sip of coffee. Excuse me It's interesting the 
word rest is used A Greek word for rest that is not sabaton 
or that is not the word for sabbath is used elsewhere in the book 
of Hebrews for rest. Here the word is sabbath that 
is used. That we should probably translate 
sabbath here. There remains therefore a sabbath 
for the people of God. It's not just some sort of general 
rest because that word has been used elsewhere in the book. But 
rather it is the word translated elsewhere Sabbath. There remains 
therefore a Sabbath for the people of God. So the theological or 
redemptive historical reason for the change of the day is 
seen first in the resurrection of Christ and it's seen secondly 
in the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The outpouring of the Spirit 
on the day of Pentecost in fact believe that that is referred 
to in the hymn that we sang last time for opening up the study 
of the Lord's Day. The hymn in 321, the speaking 
of the Lord's Day, says, on thee our Lord victorious, the spirit 
sent from heaven. There's a twofold, at least just 
in that one stanza there, there's a twofold Testification to the 
the legitimacy of first-day observation on thee our Lord victorious that 
is on thee the first day our Lord victorious and on thee the 
spirit get sent from heaven the outpouring of the spirit on the 
day of Pentecost Owen writes when the Lord Christ intended 
conspicuously to build his church upon the foundation of his works 
and rest by sending the Holy Ghost with his miraculous gifts 
upon the apostles. He did it on this day. We have 
the weight of the sending of the Spirit, the weight of that 
blessed Pentecostal day as a theological reason for our observation of 
the day. If we were to cumulatively gather 
the theological weight for observance of Sabbath generally, we have 
creation and redemption in the Old Covenant, creation and redemption 
speaking specifically of physical redemption from bondage. in Egypt. 
We have God and when we say creation we're speaking as well with regards 
to God's resting from his works on the seventh day. So we have 
creation and we have redemption and then we also have in the 
New Covenant with regards to the change of the day but for 
the abiding validity of the day's observation the resurrection 
of Christ from the dead culminating his perfect work and as well 
the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Moving 
on then, we're going to skip the texts that are often used 
to argue against the Sabbath. We'll maybe try to push those 
to the end, but we want to look at paragraph 8. Paragraph 8 with 
regards to the Christians' observance of the day. And the first thing 
that we want to note is preparation for the day, for the confession 
speaks to this right at the outset of paragraph 8. Notice, the Sabbath 
is then kept holy unto the Lord when men after a due preparing 
of their hearts and ordering their common affairs a forehand." 
So the first step if you will for the first step for a proper 
observance of the Lord's Day Sabbath is seen in preparing 
for the day, not just the day's observation, but in time leading 
up to the day, which could even include, of course, Saturday. 
It could even include Friday and Thursday, and we'll talk 
about that in a moment. But the idea here is that to keep the 
Lord's Day Sabbath holy, we are to have preparation for the day. The Christian is to prepare for 
it. So first off, preparation for the day. And the first thing 
we ought to note is that there should be a spiritual preparation 
for the day. A spiritual preparation for the 
day. Notice the language here, after 
a due preparing of their hearts. there is to be, the Christian 
has the duty to prepare their hearts a forehand for the Lord's 
Day Sabbath. What is one of the ways that 
we can do that? Well, one of the days falls within 
the context of repentance and forgiveness. Repentance and forgiveness, 
Mark 5, 23 to 24. We are to have that, we are to 
go about the business of being reconciled to our Christian fellows 
in preparation for a proper observance of the Lord's Day. We are not 
to dwell and to dwell on and to entertain and to continue 
ourselves in unrepentant sin, but rather are to deal with it 
before we enter into the house of God. And so a spiritual preparation 
would be seen there. Secondly, a spiritual preparation 
would be seen in the proper framing of the mind You know, when we, 
you know, the night before or the morning of, we probably shouldn't 
open up Archie comics and frame our mind after animated, you 
know, after, you know, cell upon cell of Archie and Reggie. How ought we to frame our minds? 
We ought to either the night before or the morning of. Open 
up our Bibles, the Word of God. Previously in the chapter, what 
is the stuff of worship? What are the constituent elements 
of worship? Prayer, the reading of the scriptures. in in paragraph 6 while peculiarly 
and especially the elements of worship and some of them exclusively 
are only to be observed on the Lord's Day paragraph 6 says God 
is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and in truth as in 
private families daily and in secret each one by himself and 
then so more solemnly in the public assemblies you see our 
preparing of our hearts for the Lord's Day Sabbath is to be that 
we are to prepare our minds, our hearts, by the proper framing 
of our spiritual disposition unto the Word of God and prayer. What's a good way to prepare 
our hearts? By prayer and the reading of the Scriptures. And 
that is something that best facilitates the observance of the day. We 
keep it holy in that sense. When the confession says keeping 
holy, the Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord. That doesn't 
have primary reference to our own personal holiness, though 
that should be in there. It means that we, by the due 
preparing of our hearts and organizing our common affairs of forehand, 
We set it apart unto its specified observation, unto the weight 
of the day, unto the solemnity of the day. We are to consecrate 
it, to set it aside, to set it apart, not set it aside, to set 
it apart, to sanctify it unto its proper use. And so again, 
spiritual preparation, repentance and forgiveness, and secondly, 
the proper framing of the mind, prayer, the reading of the word, 
other such things that can reign in our hearts and our minds on 
to a proper observation of the day because remember it is the 
Lord's Day. When we're preparing for the 
day, we're not preparing for a day that is ours. Yes, all 
days are the Lord's because he is the sovereign who has unmitigated 
mastery over the entirety of his creation. However, the Lord's 
Day has been peculiarly ordained by him as a day upon which his 
people are to gather and to observe his day. It's not our day. It's the day of the Lord. It is the Lord's Day. Secondly, 
there is practical preparation. Notice the confession goes on 
after saying a due preparing of their hearts. It says, and 
ordering their common affairs a forehand. So we have spiritual 
preparation and then now we have practical preparation. Practical 
or a physical as opposed to spiritual preparation. Some of the things 
that can be helpful on this day are we take care of things on 
Saturday so we don't have to do them on Sunday and entertain 
violations of Our Lord's Day Sabbath ethic. We can think of 
things such as, now we're gonna qualify this in a moment by saying 
we are to use a measure of common sense and Christian prudence. 
If, for example, we did not prepare our clothes the night before 
that we're going to wear in the morning, we can't just say, okay, 
well, I can't get dressed because it's Sunday now and I can't, 
you know, not going to church. We have to use a measure of common 
sense and Christian prudence, in fact, Chapter 1, that language 
is used, the light of nature and Christian prudence with regards 
to the worship of God. We need to use our minds. God 
has blessed us with a rational mind. But all of that to come 
back here for a proper observation of the day in cheerful compliance 
to the clarion call of the gospel in Christ Jesus the Lord, it's 
helpful to have diligence in preparing physical and practical 
things beforehand. Hygiene, clothing, food. miscellaneous affairs such as 
gas and laundry and all these things. Martin in his book brings 
up an example. On the Lord's Day Sabbath, if 
your child soils the bed, you can do laundry. But on the other 
hand, we shouldn't have built up on Saturday 12 loads of laundry 
so as now to be required to do them on Sunday because we have 
not been diligent in our household affairs. is helpful and it is 
right, leading up to the Lord's Day to go about the motions and 
executing, not just go about the motions, but executing the 
actions to rightly prepare for the day. And that includes all 
matters of physical things that we can engage in, in order that 
we can consecrate the day unto a cheerful observation of the 
Lord's Day. And so those things, that doesn't 
mean you don't brush your teeth on Sunday morning. Martin brings 
that up too. Please brush your teeth Sunday 
morning. But there are certain things we can get together and 
we can order so that we're not so put off on the Lord's day 
that we're busying ourselves and we're frantic and we're hectic 
and we're running all over the place and not framing our minds 
and our affairs properly that we might observe the day properly. 
There is the reality that we always need to be called back 
to the proper spirit for observance of the day, and that is the sweetness 
and the kindness and the mercy and the glory of the gospel of 
Jesus Christ. And so we don't like the Pharisees 
and like the Jews, you know, like the unbelieving Jews keep 
up all of these weights and burdens and things attached to the day 
and these ridiculous rules that really denigrate the day and 
steal it of its proper spiritual observation. Some of those things 
we can perhaps talk about but, and in fact some of them will 
come up when we look at a few texts here as we move forward. 
So preparation for the day, it's marked by spiritual and practical 
preparation. Some texts that speak to that, 
again, Mark 5, 23 to 24. Exodus 16, 22 to 30 as well, 
talking about physical and practical preparation for the day. You 
can make a note of that. And it's interesting as well, 
and again, that comes prior to the giving of the law upon Mount 
Sinai, Exodus 16. It argues for the pre-Sinaitic 
you know, institution, if you will, or observance of the Lord's 
Day Sabbath. Sabbath observation was not inaugurated 
at, and obligation was not inaugurated at Sinai, but rather and most 
certainly preceded it, as we see in Genesis 2, Exodus 16, 
and Genesis 4 as well. Moving on then to conduct on 
the day. Conduct on the day. Actually, just one quick quote 
here before we move on with regards to preparation. Quote from Martin, 
we should do everything that we can to prepare ahead in such 
things so that when the day comes we are not distracted or our 
time consumed by things that reasonably may be done the day 
before. cooking for meals the next day 
and preparing meals the next day shopping uh... you know we 
are well you know the sabbath day ethic is so hard because 
man i can't do my shopping on sunday well yet six days to do 
it before sunday we take the lord's day seriously we take 
his laws seriously hopefully we we take the other nine serious 
hopefully this day we would take seriously and go about a measure 
of diligence so that on his day uh... we are not bouncing around 
hectic to make up for our laziness and for our lack of preparation 
the days leading up. Conduct on the day then, necessary 
cessations. First off, two things we want 
to look at under the conduct on the day, necessary cessations 
and wholesome operations. Notice under the language of 
necessary cessations, the Confession says The confession states, do 
not only observe and wholly rest all day from their own works, 
words, and thoughts about their worldly employment and recreations. So these are the necessary cessations, 
or what are we to cease from? What are we to take a rest from? What are we to stop doing on 
the Sabbath day? And the first thing we may want 
to note then, is vocational and commercial cessation. Vocational 
and commercial cessation. We cease our own work and we 
cease the support of commerce. We are to cease our own work 
and to cease the support of commerce. In Nehemiah 13, you can make 
a note of that, a section speaks with regards to the judgment 
of God upon previous generations for their profaning of the Lord's 
Day, for their profanation or for their violation of the 10 
words at large, but particularly there, Nehemiah in the section 
near the end of Nehemiah 13 deals with violations of the fourth 
word of the Lord's Day Sabbath and speaks with regards to some 
ethic to be observed in a proper observation. And so vocational 
and commercial cessation. Remember, this goes to the giving 
of the Decalogue on Mount Sinai, and it's giving as well in Deuteronomy. We six days shall ye labor, and 
on the seventh day it is a holy day of rest unto the Lord. There 
is that ethic where we are to work those six days and to cease 
from our labor on the seventh, and it is rooted in God's example, 
if you will, in creation, and it is rooted as well in Christ's 
recreative work of redemption in the New Covenant. He rested 
from his works So as God rested from his, as the God-man, the 
mediator, the one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus 
rested from his after the completion of his perfect work, so we too 
are to take a rest from our works on that day. So vocational and 
commercial cessation. That is a ceasing from our own 
work and a ceasing from the support of commerce, that is other people 
working on that day, which means we should eat at home. We should 
not go out and support commerce. We should not go out and now 
this is again comes with the common sense and Christian prudence. 
If you're stranded somewhere and it's a Sunday and, man, if 
I don't eat something I'm going to wither away, and you've crawled 
through the desert and you found yourself in this legitimate oasis 
where there is a restaurant, you don't need to be a Pharisee 
at that point. pop in and grab a bite to eat. 
But the idea is that we have six days wherein we can support 
the commerce, where we can support White Spot and Tim Hortons. But 
on the seventh day, hopefully by a due preparing of our common 
affairs of forehand, we can prepare our own sandwiches and soups 
and so observe the day as God intended it to be observed. recreational cessation. So these 
are necessary cessation. Secondly, recreational cessation, 
ceasing the various lawful amusements and pleasures that do occupy 
the other six days. You can turn to the book of Isaiah 
for a moment. In Isaiah 58, Isaiah 58, We have language with respect 
to the Sabbath. And notice what we have in Isaiah 
58, 13 there. If you turn away your foot from 
the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and 
call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, 
and shall honor him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your 
own pleasure, nor speaking your own words. Then you shall delight 
yourself in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the high 
hills of the earth and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your 
father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken." You see there where 
our confession is getting the language, a reminder that our 
confession is not just some theological reflection upon the Bible using 
non-biblical words, but rather it is a theological reflection 
on the Bible, a restating of biblical truths, employing biblical 
language, and you can see here, shall honor him not doing your 
own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own 
words. Paragraph 8 says, from their 
own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employment 
and recreation. So, you see, there is to be a 
recreational cessation, a ceasing the various lawful amusements 
and pleasures that we have throughout the week that we are to do. Now, 
it must be noted here that the Bible, the persons behind the 
confession, the Puritans, are not anti-recreation. And in fact, 
far from being anti-recreation, they are pro-recreation. In fact, 
if we read the shorter catechism, We can make the assumption that 
a positively enjoined to the sixth commandment is the necessity 
of recreation. We are to promote life and we 
are to not only for ourselves, are we to promote and prolong 
life, but also to help others to do so. And recreation is an 
important part of that. I think there's a quote from, 
I think it's Thomas Cartwright or something like that, where 
he argues that way, that honest recreation, the neglect of honest 
recreation is a way that we can kill ourselves. And he says something 
like, you know, there's more than one way to kill a man than 
a knife or something like that. One of the ways he's saying is 
that by rejection of or a denial to that man of legitimate and 
honest recreation. But you see, the Lord's Day is 
the Lord's Day. That is the day upon which we 
are to delight ourselves in the Lord, that we are to pleasure 
ourselves in the Lord. You know, again, we bring common 
sense and Christian prudence to this. If a brother after the 
morning service today says, you know, says, man, it was a hard 
week of work, you're not It's just supposed to remain in silence 
or walk away from him and say, oh, I can't talk about worldly 
employments on the Lord's Day. No. Of course, you engage in 
conversation. However, there ought to be a 
measure of Christian prudence whereby we could ascertain, if 
we go on with the brother for three hours talking about worldly 
employments and recreation, we probably should stop and we probably 
should not have gone on that long because it is a day upon 
which we are to delight ourselves in the Lord. It is a day upon 
which we are to abandon, if you will, if you will, ourselves 
and be wholly taken up with the Lord our God in the observation 
of his day, delighting ourselves in his glory and in his gospel. Martin speaks with regards to 
this idea where people will prepare for and engage in, you know, 
so much work and preparation activities, organization for 
holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and all of these things and sort 
of hold them in a venerable regard over and against the Sabbath 
day. He writes, but you say holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries 
and similar occasions are different from the Sabbath day. Correct. 
In preparing for these special days, ordinarily, we encounter 
no opposition from the flesh. But when God's day approaches, 
our remaining sin begins to complain that taking time on Saturday 
to prepare for the Lord's day is overly fastidious, that we 
do not have two Sabbath days but one. Of course, we do not 
complain this way when other special days approach. The flesh 
does not hate Christmas or birthdays, but it hates the law of God. 
And if it cannot persuade us to abandon the Sabbath, it at 
least will argue against any special preparation for the day. 
And you see, when it comes to the day then, the day on which 
we observe, you know, the flesh has no opposition to chilling 
with family, throwing back eggnog and, you know, that sort of a 
thing. But when it comes to the Lord's Day Sabbath, you mean 
I have to give time to my God? You mean I can't just throw him 
an hour? at worship, at church, you mean I have to give them 
the entire day? And again, we don't have time, but there is 
legitimate common sense in Christian prudence where we're not to be 
like the Pharisees and the Jews who would pay people to ignite 
their hearths because they are not supposed to kindle a fire 
on the day. That's nonsense. But brethren, 
it is the Lord's Day. And it is a day upon which we 
are to delight and pleasure in Him, not to delight and pleasure 
in ourselves. and in worldly things. And lastly, 
under necessary cessations, conversational cessation. We're out of time. Wholesome operations, of course, 
would be everything that we've already covered in our review, 
in our study in Chapter 22. Wholesome operations are acts 
of worship and legitimate engagements. The Confession says it this way, 
but are also taken up the whole time in the public and private 
exercises of his worship and in the duties of necessity and 
mercy. So there's two things there, 
acts of worship and legitimate engagements. We are to be taken 
up the whole day in private and public worship of the Lord. So 
we come in to the congregation of the Saints of the Most High. We come into the house of God 
and we worship our God. Brethren, I want to submit to 
you that What we're doing right now, the prayer meeting and the 
confessional study, is a way that we can steal ourselves away 
from an improper observation of the Lord's Day in the morning. 
Occupying ourselves with the stuff of God is a good facilitation 
or a good way to avoid violating the Lord's Day. The same goes 
with attending the evening service. Our Lord's Day morning service 
is full. Our evening service is not full. 
It's about a third. What is a good way to continue 
the observation of the Lord's Day Sabbath, but to come back 
into the house of God in order to occupy ourselves and be taken 
up in the worship of God with our fellow saints? It is a boon 
to our souls, hopefully, you know, by ourselves to worship 
our great God, but also to be among the saints of God. those 
who, like us, have been brought out of the miry pit of sin onto 
the blessed hill of Zion to worship our great God and to glory in 
his Christ. And so acts of worship and legitimate 
engagement, works of necessity and mercy. There are legitimate 
vocational things that persons are and can be engaged in on 
the Lord's Day, works of necessity and mercy. And Christ comes up 
against this in his earthly ministry, things like healing and acts 
of mercy on the Lord's Day Sabbath, being indicted by unbelieving 
Jews for violating the Sabbath, and that was never the intention 
of the Sabbath, to squash legitimate acts of necessity and mercy. So, brethren, hopefully we can 
go into the day, go into the Lord's Day Sabbath, and that 
we, even though the flesh will rail against it, because we have 
that remaining corruption, hopefully conditioned by the Spirit of 
God and by the Word of God, we can grow in the grace and in 
the knowledge of Christ to such a degree that we honor the day, 
that we revere the day, that we approach the day as something 
wherein we pleasure ourselves in our God, where we delight 
in our God, and where we rejoice in His grace and mercy and kindness 
towards us in Christ Jesus. I'm going to close with a quote 
and then questions afterwards are fine. So let's read this 
from George Swinnock to close out our study of the Sabbath. 
speaking sort of in language of hailing the Sabbath. Hail 
thou, thou art highly favored of God, thou map of heaven. Thou 
golden spot of the week. Thou market day of souls. Thou 
daybreak of eternal brightness. Thou queen of days. The Lord 
is with thee. Blessed art thou among days. 
Of the Jewish Sabbaths and other festivals, in comparison of thee 
it may be spoken, they perish, but thou remainest. And they 
all wax old like a garment, and as a vesture hast thou folded 
them up. And they changed, but thou shalt remain. All the graces 
triumph in thee. All the ordinances conspire to 
enrich thee. The Father ruleth thee. The Son 
rose upon thee. The Spirit hath overshadowed 
thee. Let thousands mark for their new birthday. On thee light 
was created. The Holy Ghost descended. Life 
hath been restored. Satan subdued. Sin mortified. Soul sanctified. The grave, death 
and hell conquered. Oh, how do men and women flutter 
up and down on the weekdays, so the dove on the waters. And 
can sanctifying the Lord's day, reformed in Puritan attitudes, 
or excuse me, sorry, going back here, let thousands mark for 
their new birthday, I skipped a part, on thee light was created, 
the Holy Ghost descended, life hath been restored, Satan subdued, 
sin mortified, soul sanctified, the grave, death and hell conquered. 
Oh, how do men and women flutter up and down on the weekdays as 
the dove on waters. They find no rest for their souls 
till they come to thee their ark, till thou put forth thy 
hand and take them in. Oh, how they sit under thy shadow 
with great delight and find thy fruit sweet to their taste. Oh, 
the mountings of mind, the ravishing happiness of heart, the solace 
of soul, which on thee they enjoy in the blessed Savior. And might 
we have such an approach to this blessed day, and might we go 
now by God's spirit into a blessed reflection and observance of 
the day of our Lord. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, 
we thank you for the Lord's Day Sabbath. We rejoice that we have 
been called from darkness to light to observe the day with 
cheerful compliance. We know that we are not saved 
by our observance of the day or by our observance of any law 
whatsoever, but having been saved by grace through faith in Christ 
alone, we do pray that you would help us to observe the day cheerfully. 
that we would do so rightfully and biblically and according 
to your holy word that you might be delighted in by your saints. 
Surely we delight in you each and every day, but on this special 
day we pray that you would help us in a special manner to engage 
in all those acts of worship which are appointed by you and 
acceptable to you. And might you go with us now 
by spirit and for your glory's sake to rejoice in our triune 
God and to sing the praises of our Christ. And it's in his name 
that we pray. Amen.