Answer. First, that the ministry of the gospel and the schools be maintained; and that I, especially on the Sabbath, that is, on the day of rest, diligently frequent the Church of God, to hear his word, to use the sacraments, publicly to call upon the Lord, and contribute to the relief of the poor, as becomes a Christian. Secondly, that all the days of my life I cease from my evil works, and yield myself to the Lord, to work by his Holy Spirit in me, and thus begin in this life the eternal sabbath.
Exposition
The Fourth Commandment consists of two parts—a commandment and a reason of the commandment. The commandment is, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; in it thou shalt do no manner of work, &c. Of this, again, there are two parts—the one moral and perpetual, as that the Sabbath be kept holy; the other ceremonial and temporary, as that the seventh day be kept holy.
That the first part is moral and perpetual, is evident from the end and the causes of the commandment, which are perpetual in their character. The end or design of the commandment is the maintenance of the public worship of God in the church; or the perpetual preservation, and use of the ecclesiastical ministry. God designs that there should at all times be a public ministry of the church, and that there should be assemblies of the faithful to which his doctrine may be preached. The objects which God designs by this means to accomplish, are, 1. That he may be publicly praised and worshipped in the world. 2. That the piety and faith of the elect may be stirred up and confirmed by these public services. 3. That men may by this means mutually strengthen each other in the faith of the gospel, and provoke one another to love and good works. 4. That agreement in the doctrine of the church and in the worship of God may be preserved and perpetuated, 5. That the church may be visible in the world, and be distinguished from the rest of mankind. Inasmuch now as these reasons do not have respect to any particular time, but to all times and conditions of the church and world, it follows that God will always have the ministry of the church preserved and the use thereof respected, so that the moral part of this commandment binds all men from the beginning to the end of the world, to observe some Sabbath, or to devote a certain portion of their time to sermons, public prayers, and the administration of the sacraments.
That the other part of the commandment is ceremonial, and not perpetual, is evident from the fact that the Sabbath of the seventh day was, in the promulgation of the law, instituted of God for the observance of the Mosaic worship, and given to the Jews as a sacrament or a type of the sanctification of the church by the Messiah, who was to come, as it is said, “Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep, for it is a sign between me and you, throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.” “I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify them.” (Ex. 31:13. Ez. 20:12.) Hence the Sabbath, in as far as it has respect to the seventh day, was, together with other ceremonies and types, fulfilled and abolished by the coming of the Messiah. So much briefly concerning the commandment itself.
The reason of the commandment is contained in these words: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. The reason which is here given is drawn from the example of God’s resting on the seventh day from the work of creation which he had accomplished in six days. It has respect, therefore, properly to the circumstance of the seventh day, or to that part of the commandment which is ceremonial. Yet the imitating of that rest to which God invites us, is not only ceremonial, and so having regard to the Jews, but also moral or spiritual, being signified by the ceremonial, in which respect it belongs to all men. That the commandment itself, together with the reason that is annexed to it, may be better understood, we shall now explain very briefly the words of both; after which we shall explain those subjects which fall naturally under this part of the Catechism.
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. What and how mani-fold the Sabbath is will hereafter be explained. The language which is here used is most emphatic. God speaks as if the thing concerning which he gives a command were of the greatest importance. Remember that thou keep holy; as if he would say, thou shalt observe the Sabbath day with great care and conscientiousness. God commands elsewhere that he who would violate the Sabbath should be put to death.