Modern 1689 Confession

 Original

Reeves

Chapter 22: Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day

1. The light of nature shews that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all; is just, good and doth good unto all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart and all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God, is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.

( Jeremiah 10:7; Mark 12:33; Deuteronomy 12:32; Exodus 20:4-6 )

2. Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to him alone; not to angels, saints, or any other creatures; and since the fall, not without a mediator, nor in the mediation of any other but Christ alone.

( Matthew 4:9, 10; John 6:23; Matthew 28:19; Romans 1:25; Colossians 2:18; Revelation 19:10; John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5 )

3. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one part of natural worship, is by God required of all men. But that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of the Spirit, according to his will; with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and when with others, in a known tongue.

( Psalms 95:1-7; Psalms 65:2; John 14:13, 14; Romans 8:26; 1 John 5:14; 1 Corinthians 14:16, 17 )

4. Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter; but not for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.

( 1 Timothy 2:1, 2; 2 Samuel 7:29; 2 Samuel 12:21-23; 1 John 5:16 )

5. The reading of the Scriptures, preaching, and hearing the Word of God, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord; as also the administration of baptism, and the Lord's supper, are all parts of religious worship of God, to be performed in obedience to him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear; moreover, solemn humiliation, with fastings, and thanksgivings, upon special occasions, ought to be used in an holy and religious manner.

( 1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:2; Luke 8:18; Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19; Matthew 28:19, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:26; Esther 4:16; Joel 2:12; Exodus 15:1-19, Psalms 107 )

6. Neither prayer nor any other part of religious worship, is now under the gospel, tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed; but God is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and in truth; as in private families daily, and in secret each one by himself; so more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly nor wilfully to be neglected or forsaken, when God by his word or providence calleth thereunto.

( John 4:21; Malachi 1:11; 1 Timothy 2:8; Acts 10:2; Matthew 6:11; Psalms 55:17; Matthew 6:6; Hebrews 10:25; Acts 2:42 )

7. 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.

( Exodus 20:8; 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2; Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10 )

8. 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 an holy 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.

( Isaiah 58:13; Nehemiah 13:15-22; Matthew 12:1-13 )

Chapter 22

Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day

1. The light of nature shows that there is a God who has lordship and sovereignty over all.  He is just and good and does good to everyone.  Therefore, he should be feared, loved, praised, called on, trusted in, and served—with all the heart and all the soul and all the strength.¹  But the acceptable way to worship the true God is instituted by him,² and it is delimited by his own revealed will.  Thus, he may not be worshipped according to human imagination or inventions or the suggestions of Satan, nor through any visible representations, nor in any other way that is not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.³

¹Jeremiah 10:7; Mark 12:33. ²Deuteronomy 12:32. ³Exodus 20:4-6.

2. Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and to him alone⁴—not to angels, saints, or any other creatures.⁵  Since the fall, worship is not to be given without a mediator⁶ nor through any mediation other than that of Christ alone.⁷

⁴Matthew 4:9, 10; John 6:23; Matthew 28:19. ⁵Romans 1:25; Colossians 2:18; Revelation 19:10. ⁶John 14:6. ⁷1 Timothy 2:5.

3. Prayer with thanksgiving is one part of natural worship and so is required by God of everyone.⁸ But to be acceptable, it must be made in the name of the Son,⁹ by the help of the Spirit,¹⁰ according to his will.¹¹  It must be accompanied by understanding, reverence, humility, fervor, faith, love, and perseverance.  Prayer with others must be in a language that is understood.¹²

⁸Psalms 95:1-7; 65:2. ⁹John 14:13, 14. ¹⁰Romans 8:26. ¹¹1 John 5:14. ¹²1 Corinthians 14:16, 17.

4. Prayer is to be made for lawful things and for all kinds of people who are alive now or will live later.¹³  But prayer should not be made for the dead¹⁴ nor for those known to have sinned the sin that leads to death.¹⁵

¹³1 Timothy 2:1, 2; 2 Samuel 7:29. ¹⁴2 Samuel 12:21-23. ¹⁵1 John 5:16.

5.  The elements of religious worship of God include reading the Scriptures,¹⁶ preaching and hearing the Word of God,¹⁷ teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord,¹⁸ as well as the administration of baptism¹⁹ and the Lord's supper.²⁰  They must be performed out of obedience to him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear.  Also, solemn humiliation with fasting,²¹ and thanksgiving on special occasions, should be observed in a holy and religious manner.²²

¹⁶1 Timothy 4:13. ¹⁷2 Timothy 4:2; Luke 8:18. ¹⁸Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19. ¹⁹Matthew 28:19, 20. ²⁰1 Corinthians 11:26. ²¹Esther 4:16; Joel 2:12. ²²Exodus 15:1-19, Psalms 107.

6.  Under the gospel, neither prayer nor any other part of religious worship is now restricted to or made more acceptable by the place where it is done or toward which it is directed.  Instead, God is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and in truth²³—daily²⁴ in each family²⁵ and privately by each individual.²⁶  Also, more solemn worship is to be performed in public assemblies, and these must not be carelessly or deliberately neglected or forsaken, when God by his word or providence calls us to them.²⁷

²³John 4:21; Malachi 1:11; 1 Timothy 2:8. ²⁴Matthew 6:11; Psalms 55:17. ²⁵Acts 10:2. ²⁶Matthew 6:6. ²⁷Hebrews 10:25; Acts 2:42.

7. It is the law of nature that in general a portion of time specified by God should be set apart for the worship of God.  So by his Word, in a positive-moral and perpetual commandment that obligates everyone in every age, he has specifically appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy to him.²⁸  From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ the appointed day was the last day of the week.  After the resurrection of Christ it was changed to the first day of the week, which is called the Lord's Day.²⁹   This day is to be kept to the end of the age as the Christian Sabbath, since the observance of the last day of the week has been abolished.

²⁸Exodus 20:8. ²⁹1 Corinthians 16:1, 2; Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10.

8. The Sabbath is kept holy to the Lord when people have first prepared their hearts appropriately and arranged their everyday affairs in advance.  Then they observe a holy rest all day from their own works, words and thoughts about their secular employment and recreation.³⁰  Not only that, but they also fill the whole time with public and private acts of worship and the duties of necessity and mercy.³¹

³⁰Isaiah 58:13; Nehemiah 13:15-22. ³¹Matthew 12:1-13.