# Physical Rest on the Lord's Day



## Semper Fidelis (Sep 21, 2016)

Can someone please provide some quotes from Puritans demonstrating that they believed that physical rest was needful on the Lord's Day?

I'm interacting with a young man who is convinced that the only lawful activity in the WCF is worship deeds of necessity, and mercy. He believes that the wording does not permit physical rest itself (e.g. a child taking a nap is violating the Sabbath).


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## ProtestantBankie (Sep 21, 2016)

He allows for, I trust, the right of somebody to wake up on the Lord's Day?


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## earl40 (Sep 21, 2016)

Give him time, for as he grows older he may see the necessity of a nap for himself.


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## reaganmarsh (Sep 21, 2016)

earl40 said:


> Give him time, for as he grows older he may see the necessity of a nap for himself.



Ha ha! Yes indeed!


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## zsmcd (Sep 21, 2016)

earl40 said:


> Give him time, for as he grows older he may see the necessity of a nap for himself.



Wisest thing I have heard all day.


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## ZackF (Sep 21, 2016)

earl40 said:


> Give him time, for as he grows older he may see the necessity of a nap for himself.



Or the nap of child for that matter.


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## zsmcd (Sep 21, 2016)

Semper Fidelis said:


> I'm interacting with a young man who is convinced that the only lawful activity in the WCF is worship deeds of necessity, and mercy. He believes that the wording does not permit physical rest itself (e.g. a child taking a nap is violating the Sabbath).


I am interested in hearing how resting was understood by the individuals who wrote the WCF.

I actually experienced the opposite with my prior pastor. We lived about 30-45 minutes (depending on traffic) from where the church met, and we found it extremely tiring to make both meeting times in the morning and afternoon. Of course, we desired to meet with the congregation as often as possible, but our Sabbath was becoming the opposite of restful. My pastor essentially told me that the Lord's Day is not principally about rest but about_ public_ worship with God's people, which I disagreed with. It seemed as though we were emphasizing public worship by means of sermons, singing, prayer, etc. over the other good things that could be done on the Lords Day - feasting, acts of mercy, napping, etc.

On the flip side, I have heard from others that "exercises of Worship" are actually _work_. Pulling from the Levites, whose vocation was to exercise Worship, these folks say that the Levites were actually permitted to break the Sabbath because of their vocation, in much the same way that we might say a Pastor's vocation is to exercise and lead the congregation in worship and is therefore allowed to "break the Sabbath" by exercising his vocation on the Lord's Day. Their argument was essentially that those who _emphasis_ public acts of worship as _the_ importance of the Sabbath are actually causing others to break the Sabbath by not resting, since religious rituals _are_ work - or so they say. They quoted Calvin a lot, whom I have not read in this area.

Sounds like this young man is maybe emphasizing the words "whole time" in paragraph eight over and above actual rest?


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## NaphtaliPress (Sep 21, 2016)

If that is the case, then he should not go to bed Saturday night, or at least wake up at midnight and start private and family devotions, because the Puritans believed the Lord's day was 24 hours. Rest is a necessity to fit us for the main duties of the day which are to worship the Lord. If we can take our needed food during the day (which is also not mentioned in WCF 21) so to those who need it to remain fit for the duties, some kind of nap. I couldn't find a succinct statement in Bownd but this points the direction, that it is excess beyond what is needed in food and rest to keep us going in our worship, that should be discountenanced. 
Nicholas Bownd, _Sabbathum Veteris et Novi Testamenti: or The True Doctrine of the Sabbath_ (2015).
Moreover, God has given to men liberty upon this day to prepare that food which is meet and convenient for everyone, that their bodies being thereby comfortably refreshed through God’s blessing, they might be the rather thereby fitted unto the cheerful proceeding in His service; which otherwise through their weakness might faint, and give over in the midst of it. For such is our nature, that we stand in need of a continual repairing by the creatures, and that every day. Therefore, though (as we have seen) the buying and selling of victuals, and carrying of them to and fro was forbidden, seeing that the other six days are given unto men for these purposes; yet the preparing of them, and making them serviceable for the use of man, according to the necessity of everyone, is that which cannot be done at other times, and yet men cannot want [go without] it, if they |203| will fruitfully hold out in sanctifying the Sabbath unto the end. And therefore this makes it lawful unto all men, when they do it in that manner and measure, that may most of all further them in God’s worship, which is the chiefest thing upon that day to be considered, and unto the which all other things ought to be referred. p. 217
So that though upon that day we may take our sleep, as well as upon any other day of the week, even as we may also our meat; yet we must not give ourselves to sleeping, no more than we may to surfeiting; according to the manner of some, especially great folks, and in great cities and towns, who lie longest in bed upon that day, as then also they have their greatest feasts, and so make that a day of carnal, fleshly, and worldly rest, and not of sanctified and holy rest. p. 361
[As Psalm 91:1] shows that the Sabbath as it consists of day and night, so we must spend the morning, evening, and whole day, yea some part of the night in praising and serving the Lord, so far as our necessary rest and sleep will permit us. p. 362


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## NaphtaliPress (Sep 21, 2016)

Below is something succinct from Cawdrey and Palmer (both members of the Westminster assembly). Actually this is from parts 2-4 only by Cawdrey, Palmer having died after part 1 was published in 1645.
That by a day in the Commandment, is meant a _natural day_, allowed both for our _working _days, and God's _resting_ day, but with the known necessary
_Reservations_ for food and sleep, and other works of _mercy_...
_Sabbatum redivivum: or, the Christian sabbath vindicated_, part 2 chapter 5 (1652), 183.


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## Justified (Sep 21, 2016)

What about a short jog on the Lord's Day? Many times if I do not do some moderately vigorous form of exercise on the Lord's Day, I lack focus.


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## NaphtaliPress (Sep 21, 2016)

I cannot identify with that but if it is actually necessary, then it should be some kind of exercise that takes the least time to be effective so as to minimize the detraction from the commanded use of the day, and otherwise governed by the use of things indifferent.


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## Philip (Sep 21, 2016)

The Sabbath was made for man. Not man for the Sabbath. Very often a nap is both a mercy and a necessity.


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## Semper Fidelis (Sep 21, 2016)

The person believes that rest is necessary but he is confused that the wording of the Standards necessarily infers that the only activity permitted are worship and acts of necessity and mercy.

Let's keep the thread focused less on surprise about the necessity of rest and focused on actual quotes from Puritans. Lurk if you don't have any.


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## Pergamum (Sep 21, 2016)

Justified said:


> What about a short jog on the Lord's Day? Many times if I do not do some moderately vigorous form of exercise on the Lord's Day, I lack focus.



A relaxing walk or a short jog can be a sort of mental rest which helps ease the fatigue of sitting and listening to a sermon. Sometimes it is necessary for me to keep me fresh for the evening sermon. Some would differ with me, but I believe such differing represents the opposite error of the young man in the OP.


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## NaphtaliPress (Sep 21, 2016)

I'm confused then. Maybe there is confusion over whether a nap is of necessity or mercy with the person, but acts of worship along with as Cawdrey says the reservations of necessity and mercy (of which food and rest are included) are the only general categories in Puritan thinking of activity on the Lord's day. Right? 


Semper Fidelis said:


> The person believes that rest is necessary but he is confused that the wording of the Standards necessarily infers that the only activity permitted are worship and acts of necessity and mercy.


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## Semper Fidelis (Sep 21, 2016)

I think he probably believes that physical rest is not an act of necessity or mercy.


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## NaphtaliPress (Sep 21, 2016)

Rich, are you saying the fellow believes rest is necessary but that the WCF does not allow it? i.e. this is a criticism he has of the WCF?


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## NaphtaliPress (Sep 21, 2016)

Well, I don't see how he can allow sleeping then as valid by the WCF otherwise, but I'm still confused if this is something he advocates or if it is a criticism he's manufactured of the WCF. I have not read every puritan, far from it, but from those I have, if I can dare summarize "the" puritan view, it is that we observe the Lord's day by resting in order to devote the day to the worship of God. Hence it is not just a day for physical resting from our work days working, but that any rest is aimed to fit the person to do the duties of the Lord's day. If one had a rough week and finds they need more rest one Lord's day that is one thing, but it is not the puritan view to simply cordon off a segment of the day for more physical rest than our regular days as a matter of course 'to recover from the week' (and with us now having a five day work week it hardly seems reasonable; take Saturday for extra rest). So there is no "rest" category versus a "worship" category in the puritan view other than as an act of necessity and mercy. The puritans would view simply devoting more of our Lord's day to our personal resting than we do on our six days as another way of taking part of the Lord's day for ourselves. I apologize if I just went off in the weeds, but as I say, I'm easily confused and I'm still not sure what this is about.


Semper Fidelis said:


> I think he probably believes that physical rest is not an act of necessity or mercy.


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## NaphtaliPress (Sep 21, 2016)

Henry, Watson and Vincent and Flavel on the WSC (with other non puritan later writers) are here:
http://www.shortercatechism.com/resources/wsc/wsc_061.html


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## ZackF (Sep 21, 2016)

NaphtaliPress said:


> If that is the case, then he should not go to bed Saturday night, or at least wake up at midnight and start private and family devotions, because the Puritans believed the Lord's day was 24 hours. Rest is a necessity to fit us for the main duties of the day which are to worship the Lord. If we can take our needed food during the day (which is also not mentioned in WCF 21) so to those who need it to remain fit for the duties, some kind of nap. I couldn't find a succinct statement in Bownd but this points the direction, that it is excess beyond what is needed in food and rest to keep us going in our worship, that should be discountenanced.
> Nicholas Bownd, _Sabbathum Veteris et Novi Testamenti: or The True Doctrine of the Sabbath_ (2015).
> Moreover, God has given to men liberty upon this day to prepare that food which is meet and convenient for everyone, that their bodies being thereby comfortably refreshed through God’s blessing, they might be the rather thereby fitted unto the cheerful proceeding in His service; which otherwise through their weakness might faint, and give over in the midst of it. For such is our nature, that we stand in need of a continual repairing by the creatures, and that every day. Therefore, though (as we have seen) the buying and selling of victuals, and carrying of them to and fro was forbidden, seeing that the other six days are given unto men for these purposes; yet the preparing of them, and making them serviceable for the use of man, according to the necessity of everyone, is that which cannot be done at other times, and yet men cannot want [go without] it, if they |203| will fruitfully hold out in sanctifying the Sabbath unto the end. And therefore this makes it lawful unto all men, when they do it in that manner and measure, that may most of all further them in God’s worship, which is the chiefest thing upon that day to be considered, and unto the which all other things ought to be referred. p. 217
> So that though upon that day we may take our sleep, as well as upon any other day of the week, even as we may also our meat; yet we must not give ourselves to sleeping, no more than we may to surfeiting; according to the manner of some, especially great folks, and in great cities and towns, who lie longest in bed upon that day, as then also they have their greatest feasts, and so make that a day of carnal, fleshly, and worldly rest, and not of sanctified and holy rest. p. 361
> [As Psalm 91:1] shows that the Sabbath as it consists of day and night, so we must spend the morning, evening, and whole day, yea some part of the night in praising and serving the Lord, so far as our necessary rest and sleep will permit us. p. 362




Right! About as silly as working 6 x 24 hours straight with no sleep as we are to "labor six days." Did the Puritans have Red Bulls?


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## TylerRay (Sep 21, 2016)

NaphtaliPress said:


> So that though upon that day we may take our sleep, as well as upon any other day of the week, even as we may also our meat; yet we must not give ourselves to sleeping, no more than we may to surfeiting; according to the manner of some, especially great folks, and in great cities and towns, who lie longest in bed upon that day, as then also they have their greatest feasts, and so make that a day of carnal, fleshly, and worldly rest, and not of sanctified and holy rest.



That quote is pure gold. Bownd shows that the necessary rest permitted on the Sabbath is not a rest peculiar to that day, but a common rest which may be taken any day. In this way he avoids the pitfall of making the Sabbath a day of physical rest (the Larger Catechism calls it "profaning the day by idleness") and that of forbidding necessary rest.


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## MW (Sep 21, 2016)

William Gouge, Sabbath's Sanctification:



> 25. Q. What other servile things may further the proper works of the Sabbath?
> 
> A. Such as our weak bodies do stand in need of. Exod. 12:16; Matt. 12:1.
> 
> ...





> 81 Q. What ninth motive?
> 
> A. The temporal benefit of it. Deut. 5:14.
> 
> Surely a day's rest in every week is very needful and useful for man and beast: especially for such as labour all the six days. Experience gives good proof thereof. Howsoever such as on no day take any great pains find no such benefit thereby, yet others do. And the wise God saw it to be so. For which end he expressly commanded that the beast should rest (Exod. 20:10). Now the beast can reap no other than a temporal benefit. There is therefore a temporal benefit thence arising. Some masters are so covetous and gripulous, as if there were not a seventh day for rest set apart, they would never afford any day's rest to servants or cattle: but so weary them, as their strength would quickly be exhausted. It remains then that as the rest of every night, so the rest of every seventh day, is useful and needful: and a great temporal good is thereby brought to man and beast.


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## Particularly Baptist (Sep 23, 2016)

Is non-strenuous recreation appropriate on the Sabbath assuming you've already gone to corporate worship etc.? Something that wouldn't leave you tired and weary come Monday such as hiking or kayaking.


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## NaphtaliPress (Sep 23, 2016)

Hi; please fix yourself a signature; see the link in mine for the instructions and the board rules about that.
The intensity level is not the principle; our recreations and using a portion of the Lord's day for our own pleasures are forbidden in the commandment.


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## Reformed Covenanter (Oct 16, 2016)

Rich,

Apologies if this quote has already been posted (as I have not read through the whole thread), but here is something that I just came across in Thomas Boston:

Now, it is the whole day that is thus to be spent [in holy exercises], i.e. the natural day. Not that people are bound to be in these exercises without intermission all the twenty-four hours; for God has not made the Sabbath to be a burden to man, but that we should continue God's work as we do our own on other days, where we are allowed necessary rest and refreshment by sleep in the night.

_Works of Thomas Boston_, 2: 196.


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## reaganmarsh (Oct 16, 2016)

Daniel, I'm having trouble marking your post as helpful, but that's a terrific quote from Boston.


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## StephenG (Oct 16, 2016)

NaphtaliPress said:


> Hi; please fix yourself a signature; see the link in mine for the instructions and the board rules about that.
> The intensity level is not the principle; our recreations and using a portion of the Lord's day for our own pleasures are forbidden in the commandment.



Perhaps one can recreate and enjoy themselves to God's glory, especially in the context of fellowship with other saints.


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## NaphtaliPress (Oct 16, 2016)

I'm not sure what you are positing but in principle, no perhaps if it goes against the purpose of the day, and detracts from or unfits for that purpose.
WCF 21. §8. This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations, but also are taken up, the whole time, in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.




StephenG said:


> Perhaps one can recreate and enjoy themselves to God's glory, especially in the context of fellowship with other saints.


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## Abeard (Oct 16, 2016)

I posted this before but I think this sermon helps to clear up what the purpose of the day should be.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=103161030250


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## Abeard (Oct 16, 2016)

I do appreciate his zeal to make most of the day though. Trust that his zeal will be sancitified in time as the Lord mercifully does also with us.


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## Miss Marple (Oct 17, 2016)

We are to give our beasts a physical rest. It seems strange that some seem to think we are supposed to, ourselves, be active in doing or worshipping all day. While the beasts get to relax in their corrals or what have you.


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## NaphtaliPress (Oct 17, 2016)

The beasts don't labor on their own; and neither can they worship. Again, the fourth commandment teaches that the purpose of the day is worship (WCF 21.7, 8; WLC 117 etc.) and that any rest as with food or modest activity must be subservient to fit us for that purpose. 
As Athanasius well observes, _Non otij causa:_ “God did not give the Sabbath principally for rest, for then He commanded two lambs to be slain in the morning”—as we shall have occasion anon to show it more particularly—“and two in the evening; and that twelve loaves should be set upon the table with frankincense, etc. (Num 28:9; Lev. 24:6). If He had delighted in idleness, He would not have commanded so many things to be done upon the day of rest.”[1]
And truly if men did only rest upon this day, and had nothing else to do, their very cattle, even their ox and their ass might keep as good a Sabbath as they.​-------------------------------[1] . Athanasius, Matt. 11 [sic]. See Num. 28:9 and Lev. 24:6. [“Non enim principaliter ocij causa….” Cf. S. Athanasius–Dubia, _De Sabbatis et Circumcisione, _§1. PG 28, col. 134, §1. “Non enim otii præcipue causa….” _Opera_ (1600; Gesuiti: Collegio Romano, 1601) 761.]​Nicholas Bownd, _Sabbathum Veteris Et Novi Testamenti: or, The True Doctrine of the Sabbath_ (1606; Naphtali Press and Reformation Heritage Books, 2015) page 302.


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## Rev. Todd Ruddell (Oct 17, 2016)

Rev. Thomas Case: 
OBJECTION. But who is able to spend the whole twenty-four hours in religious duties without any intermission?
ANSWER. None; neither is it required: for neither do we ourselves on our days spend the whole twenty-four hours in the employments of our particular places and callings; but we allow ourselves a sleeping time, and a time for preparing our food, and a time for eating and drinking, and other refreshments of nature, both for ourselves and our relations. And so doth God also, provided always,
1. That we be not over-lavish and prodigal in our indulgences to the flesh, and the concernments of the outward man, that we exceed not our limits of Christian sobriety and moderation.
2. Provided that we do not those things with common spirits. We must eat, and drink, and sleep, as part of the sabbath-work, with heavenly minds, and sabbath-affections.


James Nichols, Puritan Sermons, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Richard Owen Roberts, Publishers, 1981), 33.


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Oct 17, 2016)

Rev. Todd Ruddell said:


> Rev. Thomas Case:
> OBJECTION. But who is able to spend the whole twenty-four hours in religious duties without any intermission?
> ANSWER. None; neither is it required: for neither do we ourselves on our days spend the whole twenty-four hours in the employments of our particular places and callings; but we allow ourselves a sleeping time, and a time for preparing our food, and a time for eating and drinking, and other refreshments of nature, both for ourselves and our relations. And so doth God also, provided always,
> 1. That we be not over-lavish and prodigal in our indulgences to the flesh, and the concernments of the outward man, that we exceed not our limits of Christian sobriety and moderation.
> ...


I assume you are agreeing with the essence of the citation Chris provided, correct?


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## Rev. Todd Ruddell (Oct 17, 2016)

John Owen: 

I. The first day of the week, or the Lord’s day, is to be set apart unto the ends of a holy rest unto God, by every one, according as his natural strength will enable him to employ himself in his lawful occasions any other day of the week.
There is no such certain standard or measure for the observance of the duties of this day, as that every one who exceeds it should by it be cut short, or that those who, on important reasons, come short of it should be stretched out thereunto. As God provided, in his services of old, that he who was not able to offer a bullock might offer a dove, with respect unto their outward condition in the world; so here there is an allowance also for the natural temperaments and abilities of men. Only, whereas if persons of old had pretended poverty, to save their charge in the procuring of an offering, it would not have been acceptable, yea, they would themselves have fallen under the curse of the deceiver; so no more will now a pretence of weakness or natural inability be any excuse unto any for neglect or profaneness. Otherwise, God requires of us, and accepts from us, “according to what we have, and not according to what we have not.” And we see it by experience, that some men’s natural spirits will carry them out unto a continuance in the outward observance of duties much beyond, nay, double perhaps unto what others are able, who yet may observe a holy Sabbath unto the Lord with acceptation. And herein lies the spring of the accommodation of these duties to the sick, the aged, the young, the weak, or persons any way distempered. “God knoweth our frame, and remembereth that we are dust;” as also that that dust is more discomposed and weakly compacted in some than in others. As thus the people gathered manna of old, some more, some less, אִישׁ לְפִי־אָכְלוֹ, “every man according to his appetite,” yet “he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack,” Exod. 16:17, 18; so is every one in sincerity, according to his own ability, to endeavour the sanctifying of the name of God in the duties of this day, not being obliged by the examples or prescriptions of others, according to their own measures.


John Owen, An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, ed. W. H. Goold, vol. 19, Works of John Owen (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1862), 443–444.


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## Miss Marple (Oct 17, 2016)

I find it surreal that it seems some are earnestly arguing that we should not be physically resting on Sundays. This seems to me an extraordinary contortion of God's word. I hope those among us sleeping late, taking naps, sitting in rocking chairs and taking it easy are not being made to feel as though they are, somehow, sinning.


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## NaphtaliPress (Oct 17, 2016)

You sin every Lord's Day as to keeping the Sabbath holy, and so do I, because the fourth commandment is as broad and perfect as the other nine. No one has said you cannot rest as necessary, or that you have to be uptight and uncomfortable as though the Lord wanted you to be miserable all day. But it is an error to view the purpose of the day as one of physical rest rather than a holy rest. This is the view of the Westminster Standards.
WCF 21. §8. This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations, but also are taken up, the whole time, in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.


Miss Marple said:


> I find it surreal that it seems some are earnestly arguing that we should not be physically resting on Sundays. This seems to me an extraordinary contortion of God's word. I hope those among us sleeping late, taking naps, sitting in rocking chairs and taking it easy are not being made to feel as though they are, somehow, sinning.


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## NaphtaliPress (Oct 17, 2016)

Todd has elaborated on some things that need to be granted (ie we are all not of the same constitution, age, etc.) but I don't think I'm in any disagreement with him, Dr. Owen or Rev. Case.


Ask Mr. Religion said:


> I assume you are agreeing with the essence of the citation Chris provided, correct?


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Oct 17, 2016)

NaphtaliPress said:


> Todd has elaborated on some things that need to be granted (ie we are all not of the same constitution, age, etc.) but I don't think I'm in any disagreement with him, Dr. Owen or Rev. Case.
> 
> 
> Ask Mr. Religion said:
> ...



I assumed this as well.


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Oct 17, 2016)

Miss Marple said:


> I find it surreal that it seems some are earnestly arguing that we should not be physically resting on Sundays. This seems to me an extraordinary contortion of God's word. I hope those among us sleeping late, taking naps, sitting in rocking chairs and taking it easy are not being made to feel as though they are, somehow, sinning.



I do not see this "_earnestness_" in the thread as you see it in evidence. Perhaps you can elaborate?


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## Semper Fidelis (Oct 17, 2016)

I think Owen's point is good.

If we simply think of the "rest" enjoined in the 4th Commandment as "re-charging our batteries" from our physical labor then we've missed a key principle. Should we not, for instance, be getting sleep throughout the week to care properly for our bodies as we are laboring? The 4th Commandment does command six days of labor and the assumption is that we would sleep and care for our bodies properly according to the constitution God has given us.

I don't find it possible any more to sleep in past 6:30 on any given day. The only reason I would sleep in is because I stay up later but, even then, I still rise early because my body has become so accustomed to rising early in the morning.

The point that Owen make (and I believe it is sound) is that the same amount of energy we apply to our physical labor ought to be applied toward worshipping God in its various forms on the Lord's Day. The "whole day" is of the same quality as a day of regular labor. We work for several hours with breaks throughout the day to eat, sometimes nap as necessary.

The Lord's Day is not unique in that the Lord says: "Just give me a few hours but then chill out and do your own thing because you've worked hard in your job all week long." The refreshment is one of worship and service devoted to God on the Lord's Day. I think there can be sloth with respect to the duty to worship God in the same manner as we can be guilty of sloth on other days of the week.

The point is that if we have energy to earn a living or do things for ourselves throughout the week why would we not have the same energy to focus upon the Lord on His Day? Yes we sleep and eat and have other forms of fellowship but we nap as our constitutions would need and not merely because we used up all our energy throughout the week attending to our own affairs and so we nap all the day long because we could not get a good night's sleep the night before the Lord's Day.


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## NaphtaliPress (Oct 17, 2016)

As to our time so our worship; it is basically an appeal to equity like in Malachi 1:8.
And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, _is it_ not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, _is it_ not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.


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## TylerRay (Oct 17, 2016)

> Q. 61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
> A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission, or careless performance, of the duties required, and the *profaning the day by idleness*, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.



I think that what many people mean by _rest_ is precisely what the catechism means by _idleness._ Making room for our natural needs, we should be extremely wary of giving ourselves to idleness on the Sabbath day.


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## Miss Marple (Oct 17, 2016)

AMR, earnestness is when with zeal and determination you put forth your case in all personal honesty. Many seem adamant that the rest prescribed for us is not physical but spiritual, which means to them that the day is to be taken up with public and private worship and not to any physical resting in particular, or other resting I'd suppose such as emotional, psychological, or social. Many puritan quotes are being pasted to buttress these opinions- that is what I mean by "earnest."


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Oct 17, 2016)

"Besides these duties of Piety, and works of Mercy, which are commanded to be done on the Lords Day, *There are some things which the Lord permits unto us in regard of the weakness and infirmities of our bodies, viz. Sleep, Food, and Apparel. *Because we cannot with strength and delight spend the whole day in Sabbath duties, without competent rest, food and apparel; therefore it is lawful for us to spend some time, as in sleep, so in apparelling our selves, and in refreshing our bodies with food, which otherwise would be ready to faint: But by a moderate use of these, we are inabled to do the things we take in hand the more chearfully.

But herein two Cautions ought carefully to be observed.

You must spend no more time about them than needs must. Wherefore your bodies being refreshed with moderate sleep, you ought to get up early on the Lords Day, as about six or seven of the clock, and to use all possible speed in dressing your selves; and not to sit longer than needs must at your meals; that so you may have the more time for the duties of Gods worship and service on his day. And truly, since the Lord is so good and gracious unto you, as to afford you some part of his own day for the refreshment of your bodies; Far be it from you to abuse his goodness, by lavishing away more time therein than needs must.

Second Caution, Do them as Sabbath-dayes-works, which is done two waies.

By doing them for this end, that thereby you may bee the better inabled to serve God. Thus, when at your lying down the evening before the Sabbath, you desire God to give you quiet, comfortable sleep, that thereby your weak bodies may be refreshed, and you the better inabled to serve him the next day in the duties of his worship and service, this is a Sabbath-sleep.

In like manner, when you eat and drink, for this very end, that your bodies may be refreshed, and your spirits revived, and you thereby the better inabled with chearfulness to serve God the remaining part of the day, this is a Sabbaths-eating and drinking.

By raising spiritual and heavenly Meditations from the same. At your first awaking, you should call to minde what day it is, and having blessed God for your comfortable rest and sleep that night you should beg of him the special assistance of his grace, to carry you thorow all the duties of the day. When you are rising out of your beds, you should think, as of the Resurrection of Christs body out of his grave early on that day, so likewise of the Resurrection of your Souls here out of the death of sin, to the life of holiness, and of your bodies at the last day, out of the grave of the earth, to the life of glory in Heaven. In your apparessing your selves, you should then think of the long white robe of Christs Righteousness, and of the happiness of those who have an interest therein. When you are washing your hands and your faces, from the cleansing virtue of the water, you should take occasion to meditate of the cleansing virtue of Christs blood, which alone washeth your souls from the filthy spots and stains of sin. When you go to your Tables, to partake of Gods good creatures, your corporal food for the nourishment of your bodies, should minister occasion of meditating on the spiritual food of your souls, whereby they are nourished unto everlasting life; The bread on your Tables should minde you of Jesus Christ, who is the bread of life that came down from Heaven to quicken your dead souls. Thus from every thing should you indeavour to draw matter of spiritual and heavenly meditation, labouring to keep your hear•s in an holy frame all the day long. For what our Saviour said to his Disciples concerning the loaves and the fishes, Gather up the fragments, let nothing bee lost; The like he seemeth to speak unto you concerning the Lords Day, gather up the parcels thereof, let no part of the day be lost, no not the least minutes, which are precious, as the least filings of Gold.

As the Lord doth permit unto you some things which your weak bodies stand in need of, that thereby you may be the better inabled to serve him on his day: So he is pleased to allow some things to be done by you, even on his day, though they hinder the performance of the proper works thereof; and they are such things as are of absolute necessity.

Quest. If you ask what I mean by works of absolute necessity?

Answ. Such as must needs be done, and yet could not be done the day before the Sabbath, nor put off to the day after, without great prejudice. But on the other side, such things as do no way further the sanctification of the day, but rather hinder the same, and may as well be done the day before, or the day after, or some other time, ought not to be done on the Lords Day." 

Thomas Gouge, _Christian Directions, Showing How to Walk with God All the Day Long.


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## NaphtaliPress (Oct 17, 2016)

"Extraordinary contortion" of Scripture I think is what is more a concern, so never mind the earnestness. Questions, the board moderators have no problem with. But this is a very significant charge given the doctrinal standards of your own church which holds as biblical truth the doctrine the "earnest" are expressing here. Thread is closed for moderator review. *Thread has been reopened.


Miss Marple said:


> AMR, earnestness is when with zeal and determination you put forth your case in all personal honesty. Many seem adamant that the rest prescribed for us is not physical but spiritual, which means to them that the day is to be taken up with public and private worship and not to any physical resting in particular, or other resting I'd suppose such as emotional, psychological, or social. Many puritan quotes are being pasted to buttress these opinions- that is what I mean by "earnest."


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## Semper Fidelis (Oct 18, 2016)

Miss Marple said:


> AMR, earnestness is when with zeal and determination you put forth your case in all personal honesty. Many seem adamant that the rest prescribed for us is not physical but spiritual, which means to them that the day is to be taken up with public and private worship and not to any physical resting in particular, or other resting I'd suppose such as emotional, psychological, or social. Many puritan quotes are being pasted to buttress these opinions- that is what I mean by "earnest."



Allow me to weigh in as well.

First, the reason why the quotes were offered was because I asked for them. While you malign those who provide these quotes, I am thankful that people have taken the time to provide the quotes that I requested. I only hope others might be so helpful to you in the future if you start a thread asking for some help even if they have to suffer the scorn of others for trying to help you.

Secondly, you seem to have missed the point of the thread because I started this thread after interacting with a man who believed that the Standards (or the Puritans for that matter) did not allow for actual physical rest on the Christian Sabbath. It was absurd on its face that any would argue for that and I was trying to find some quotes that proved that Puritans were not completely inane in their ideas (something that should be obvious to anyone who knows the Puritans).

The point, again, is that the Puritans understood that people need physical rest on the Lord's Day and so there is but it is not merely physical rest enjoined. The idea that the people in the wilderness would never "enter into My rest" (See Hebrews 3) is not that the people looked forward merely to a time when they would be able to sit down and relax. Spiritual rest has a different connotation in the Scriptures. Christ tells us to place His yoke upon our shoulders and it is a form of rest. The new heavens and the new earth will not be a time of laying around all day long in our resurrected bodies.

Consequently, as the point was made, there is a certain amount of energy that each of us have to give to "labor". Some have more energy than others. Infants need tons of sleep and it is appropriate to their constitution to sleep even on the Lord's Day without sinning. We are not called to put forward more physical energy than we have on the Lord's Day but there is an equity to the amount of energy that we have on other days that is appropriate for the Lord's Day.

I point out to my teenage son all the time that he has tremendous focus and energy and recall for the things that he loves. I have to pull my children away from certain things and even make them sleep.

We're no different as adults.

We can pour tremendous energy into the things we love throughout the week. Insofar as they are God-glorifying vocations that is a good thing that we glorify God by laboring 6 days (as the 4th Commandment requires).

But when the Lord's Day comes if we suddenly need much more sleep or spritual things are a tremendous burden to us then it ought to be a barometer of our true affections. If I can go all day on a regular day of work without a nap (or on occasion I'll close my eyes for 5 minutes) then what does it say that I nap all day long or simply enjoy leisure on the Lord's Day? (Incidentally, I'm convicting myself of sin here...)

Rest, Eat, Work, Eat, Rest, Work, ... is the cycle on days of labor. Work is replaced by Worship on the Lord's Day along with other duties of necessity and mercy.

Yes, of course there is rest. This is what the point of the quotes is about. Yet there is also a lot written about what I'm expressing - that the Lord doesn't get the "leftovers" from us.

See how zealous we are to work every day for 6 days and then we worship with a fraction of the same zeal on the Lord's Day.

The Puritans called the Lord's Day the "market day of the soul" for a reason.


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## Rev. Todd Ruddell (Oct 19, 2016)

For my part, I wish I was more earnest in my keeping of the day Holy. As a response to a question asked earlier in the thread, please see below. I had sent it as a PM while the thread was closed. 

*******

I do believe there is a place for physical rest on the Sabbath, and that we must guard our hearts against that necessity turning into an indulgence. Due consideration of this will also assist us in how we spend the week in a "due preparation" for the Lord's Day. These things are most often according to conscience, and private affairs, unless a session develops a concern for the well being of a member based upon what they would see as a chronic misuse of rest on the Lord's Day, seeking leave from services because "I'm too tired" etc. These pastoral applications are not universal, and must be undertaken with tenderness, yet firmness and concern for the spiritual well being of the member. 

*******

If the Lord has commanded "a holy rest" then it is a different kind of rest than we would undertake after work, on a workday, which would be a "common rest". That does not mean one is forbidden from sitting in a rocking chair, but the point is that such resting is in order to the holy rest of the day, as Rev. Case made plain in the prior quotation I posted. Also, I would point out that the semantic range of the word "rest" both in the Hebrew and Greek speak to cessation, as well as rest. In other words, as you travel to Church on the Lord's Day, look around you--the birds, foxes, insects, etc. are all out earning a living--there is no cessation to their labor. Drive by a park on the Lord's Day--there is a decided effort being put forth for recreation--the same is true in many homes. On His Day, which He has Hallowed, the Lord declares, "Cease! It is not a day for your personal work or pleasure". Instead, it is a day to rest, if cessation, in a holy way. He has promised to provide 7 days of sustenance on 6 days of labor, to spare us not from work, but unto communion with Him. Some, with weaker constitutions, are able to do that only with a nap in the afternoon. If it is necessary, then do it, so that you may join with the people of the Lord with alertness and care, or in private whorship and communion with the Lord, with your **heart**, later that day.


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## Rev. Todd Ruddell (Oct 24, 2016)

Here is another quotation, this one from James Fisher in his Catechism on the Catechism, Question #58:

Q. 11. Are not sleeping and eating on the Sabbath day our own works? 
A. If these refreshments of nature are in moderation, and to the glory of God on the Sabbath, they are not properly our own works, because they are necessary to strengthen our bodies for religious exercises.


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