in the new law, the apostles changed the Sabbath, and translated it from Saturday to Sunday, and would have it called the Lords Day, Dies Dominica, Apoc. i. 10. to be kept holy by all christians, in memory of our redemption, which was completed on this day. when Christ rose from the dead, and the Holy Ghost descended for our sanctification. For as the ceremonial part of the Mosaic law was to cease at the death of Christ, and as the Jewish Sabbath, both as to the day of the week, and their manner of keeping it, was ceremonial and figurative; it has therefore ceased, and our Sabbath, which is Sunday, is substited in its place; so that now we neither keep the same day as they did, nor keep it after the same manner as the Mosaic law commanded, but as the Church enjoins. But though the day of our Sabbath be different from that of the Jews, yet we are under as great an obligation to sanctify it by acts of religion, in an entire service of God: by assisting at the public worship of God, if we can, by praying, hearing the word of God, putting our souls in a good state by penance, receiving, or at least disposing ourselves to receive the holy Eucharist, so filling up the day with exercises of religion, and spiritual holy works, as acts of faith, hope, charity, &c. Hence we are obliged on this day, to refrain from all that is incompatible with these exercises; as from all corporal, laborious, and mechanic work; all servile work, which is that which is commonly done for hire; all merchandizing, fairs, markets, shop-keeping, and public pleas in the courts of justice. But as to such things as are absolutely necessary for the preservation of our life, or the life of our neighbour, as preparing our meat, attending the sick, stopping a flood, extinguishing a fire, and the like, these are not forbidden. EXHOR. As then, O christian soul, God, as Lord and Creator of all things has a sovereign right to demand our service at what time, and in what place he shall ordain, remember that as your God and Creator, be has appointed one day in the week to his service, and this day is Sunday, or the Sabbath-day. He has given you six days in the week for your temporal busi ness, and has reserved but one to himself: Six days thou shalt labour and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. Let it be your study and labour to fulfil the will of God in keeping at least this one day holy, so as to answer the end of your creation and redemption; very likely, if you employ well this one day, you will employ well the other days. of the week. Be devout then in praising and serving God on the Sabbath day; while your body rest from labour, let your soul rest in God, which is the true christian Sabbath, and is a figure of that eternal rest which we expect hereafter, which the apostle calls the sabbathising the people of God, Heb. iv. 9. Be constant in coming to the divine service, and attending at Mass, and let no cause prevent your coming, but such as will excuse you before God; and let a true devotion accompany your attendance thereat. What does it avail you to serve God in body, if your heart and mind is far from him? What is that sacrifice placed before your eyes, with those representatives of Christ's passion on the cross, the altar, but to move your love, and raise up your soul to him? Often confess your sins on this day, at least be sorry and contrite for them, and beg for mercy. Dispose yourself to a holy communion. Lay up in your mind whatever instruction is given you this day; take it as from God, and practise it as intended. Do works of charity to others, as in your way and power. It is not enough to serve God in the morning, but the remainder part of the day also. Beware of offending God on this day, whereby you give more scandal, and instead of making it holy to God, you make it a feast to the Devil. Keep your soul then pure, undefiled, and sanctified, as becomes the holy Sabbath, and live so on this day, that you may live hereafter, and enjoy the rest or Sabbath of eternal glory. THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT. 8 Honour thy father and mother. Q. WHA love, reverence, and obey our parents in all INSTRUC.-It is no wonder that the first commandment of the second table, which relates to our neighbour, is to honour father and mother; because it is to them we owe under heaven, even our very life and being, our nourishment, education, and religion. If we are commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves, we ought to have this love to our parents before all others: they brought us into the world with much grief and pain, and bred us up with much love, labour and solicitude; the love then we owe them, is but gratitude for a long series of kindnesses. Remember, says Ecclesiasticus, you received your birth from them, and render them thanks for it; which can be done no otherwise than by loving them, and it is a part of that love, to relieve them in their necessities, hoth spiritual and corporal: for if we are bound to do this to every neighbour, much more to our parents to give what you have even to pious uses, and leave them to want, is a grievous sin, Matt. xv. 4. Secondly, you must bear a due respect to them, as your superiors in age, wisdom, and authority; a respect not only to their persons, but to their instructions, admonitions, reprehensions: Hearken my son to the instructions of your father, and depart not from the law of your mother, Prov. 1. You ought in no wise to despise them, for it is the part of a fool to mock at the correction of his father, Prov. xv. nuch more to curse them, or to lift up a hand against them. Thirdly, you are to obey their commands, yet so as in God, that is, in what is not sin; because it is God commands you to obey them, and in obeying them you obey God. This obedience will lead you into all good, but disobedient children never come to any good; witness Absalom. But if parents expect their children should be duti ful, and be an honor and comfort to them, this dépends upon their doing their duty to their children; and one is commanded as well as the other: thus they are obliged to maintain their children, till they be in a condition of subsisting themselves; to give them a good educa tion, and to instruct them, chiefly in the duties and principles of religion; to correct them for vice and un-. dutifulness; but this is to be done with love and discre tion, with lenity and mildness, and without excessive damping their spirits; to give them good example, to doo speak nothing that may prejudice their spiritual good. Remember the woes that attend scandal, and bad example given to little ones; especially by their own fathers and mothers; woe, woe, woe to such! We must also honour and obey all other superiors, which God has placed over us: kings, and princes, magistrates and officers, who have commission under them; for these are fathers of the people, and placed over us by God: Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power but from God, and they who resist, resist the ordinance of God, and acquire to themselves damnation. Fear God, and honour the king. 1 Peter i. 17. not only for anger, but for conscience sake. Rom. xiii. i. 5. Our spiritual fathers are the pastors of God's church, who have the care of our souls; to whom we owe, under God, our spiritual life in baptism, and other sacraments: they instilled the principles of religion into our minds, and still watch over us, to bring us, by their wholesome admonitions, to life eternal: these then are worthy of honour, obedience and love, as the care of souls excels that of the body; and if their persons sometimes are not, their character always is respectable: Honour God, honour the priests, Eccles. vii. 33. Obey your prelates, and be subject to them, for they watch over you, as being to give an account of your souls, Heb. xiii. 17. As often as children, in a matter of weight, act contrary to these duties of love, respect, and obedience to their parents, they transgress this commandment; as by hatred and contempt of them, by wilful contradictions, by wishing them harm, by neglecting to assist them, by despising their advice, speaking ill of them, acting contrary to their orders, &c. The same may be said with regard to other superiors placed by the same hand over us. All the sins that are committed against our neighbour, are greater when they attack a parent. On the other hand, all parents and superiors placed over others, sin grievously against this commandment, when they neglect the care of those God has entrusted them with, either by want of education, instruction, correction, good example, or, by neglect of justice and equity; which very often is the first cause of rebellion in inferiors. EXHOR. This then, being the strict command of God, Honour thy father and mother; see, O christian, you comply religiously with it: nature as well as grace require your sincere love, respect and obedience to thein; and all these duties must be done for the love of God, for, by honouring them, you honour him. Remember also that this duty is not only incumbent on you during the natural life of your parents, but even after their death, that you be not unmindful of them in your prayers and best thoughts. Often reflect on the reward and blessing of God that attends the dutiful, and the curse that follows undutiful children; behave so, that you may have the blessing, and avoid the curse. The like regard you ought to pay to your king: follow the |