In the observance of the 4th command consists the practice of the other 9; in the neglect of it is the neglect of all religion.
As in the first commandment the substance of God’s worship is set down—namely that we, knowing and acknowledging the only true God to be our God, are bound but to love Him, and fear Him, and put our trust in Him above all, etc.; and in the second, the outward manner of it—which must be not after our own fantasies, but in those things which He has prescribed in His Word; and in the third, the end both of that, and all our actions, even the glory of His name; so here in the fourth, the special day and time, when and how long this should be, not only or so much privately, but most of all openly and publicly thus practiced of the whole Church, and of every man, from time to time unto the world’s end. In giving of which commandment, the Lord uses such manner of words and matter as might most stir us up to the careful keeping of it; for in the practice of it consists the practice of all the other, and in the neglect of it is the neglect of all religion. Our natural corruption and rebellion therefore against this commandment above all the rest, especially appears in that the Lord stirs us up to it so many ways; yea, in the first pronouncing of it. Our natural corruption and rebellion therefore against this commandment above all the rest, especially appears in that the Lord stirs us up to it so many ways; yea, in the first pronouncing of it. Nicholas Bownd, The True Doctrine of the Sabbath (1606; 2015), 36.
“Let us beware brethren: As goes the Sabbath, so goes the church, as goes the church, so goes the nation. Any people who neglect the duties and privileges of the Sabbath day soon lose the knowledge of true religion and become pagan. If men refuse to retain God in their knowledge; God declares that He will give them over to a reprobate mind. Both history and experience confirm this truth.” Minutes of the Sixty-First General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, A. D. 1948 (Richmond, Va.: Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1948), 183.
“Have you ever wondered why the Lord chose to exile Israel for exactly 70 years? In accordance with the warning the duration of the exile was in proportion to the duration of the time in which God’s people had neglected His Sabbaths. … In a preface to the covenant curses as well as in the express words of these curses, the Sabbath was given a prominent place. It was not the only reason for the exile, but it was the sole factor that determined the length of the exile. In light of this fact should not the wide spread Sabbath breaking of our day, cause us great alarm. If Sabbath breaking is cited as a cause for sending Israel into exile, how long will God patiently observe our disregard for His day before severely chastening our sin. Sabbath breaking is one of the best ways to ensure the devastation of our churches and our nation, just as it was for Israel.” Ryan McGraw, The Day of Worship: Reassessing the Christian Life in Light of the Sabbath, cited in Steve Richardson (Faith Presbyterian Church [ARP], Ontario), “The Sabbath Part 3, A Holy Rest: Keeping the Sabbath,” a sermon preached on September 18, 2016.
As in the first commandment the substance of God’s worship is set down—namely that we, knowing and acknowledging the only true God to be our God, are bound but to love Him, and fear Him, and put our trust in Him above all, etc.; and in the second, the outward manner of it—which must be not after our own fantasies, but in those things which He has prescribed in His Word; and in the third, the end both of that, and all our actions, even the glory of His name; so here in the fourth, the special day and time, when and how long this should be, not only or so much privately, but most of all openly and publicly thus practiced of the whole Church, and of every man, from time to time unto the world’s end. In giving of which commandment, the Lord uses such manner of words and matter as might most stir us up to the careful keeping of it; for in the practice of it consists the practice of all the other, and in the neglect of it is the neglect of all religion. Our natural corruption and rebellion therefore against this commandment above all the rest, especially appears in that the Lord stirs us up to it so many ways; yea, in the first pronouncing of it. Our natural corruption and rebellion therefore against this commandment above all the rest, especially appears in that the Lord stirs us up to it so many ways; yea, in the first pronouncing of it. Nicholas Bownd, The True Doctrine of the Sabbath (1606; 2015), 36.
“Let us beware brethren: As goes the Sabbath, so goes the church, as goes the church, so goes the nation. Any people who neglect the duties and privileges of the Sabbath day soon lose the knowledge of true religion and become pagan. If men refuse to retain God in their knowledge; God declares that He will give them over to a reprobate mind. Both history and experience confirm this truth.” Minutes of the Sixty-First General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, A. D. 1948 (Richmond, Va.: Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1948), 183.
“Have you ever wondered why the Lord chose to exile Israel for exactly 70 years? In accordance with the warning the duration of the exile was in proportion to the duration of the time in which God’s people had neglected His Sabbaths. … In a preface to the covenant curses as well as in the express words of these curses, the Sabbath was given a prominent place. It was not the only reason for the exile, but it was the sole factor that determined the length of the exile. In light of this fact should not the wide spread Sabbath breaking of our day, cause us great alarm. If Sabbath breaking is cited as a cause for sending Israel into exile, how long will God patiently observe our disregard for His day before severely chastening our sin. Sabbath breaking is one of the best ways to ensure the devastation of our churches and our nation, just as it was for Israel.” Ryan McGraw, The Day of Worship: Reassessing the Christian Life in Light of the Sabbath, cited in Steve Richardson (Faith Presbyterian Church [ARP], Ontario), “The Sabbath Part 3, A Holy Rest: Keeping the Sabbath,” a sermon preached on September 18, 2016.
