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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.1 But the acceptable way of worshipping the
true God, is instituted by himself,2 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.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
alone;4 not to angels,
saints, or any other creatures;5 and since the fall, not without a mediator,6 nor in the mediation of any other but Christ
alone.7
4Matthew 4:9, 10; John 4:23; Matthew 28:19 5Romans 1:25; Colossians 2:18; Revelation 19:10 6John 14:6 71 Timothy 2:5
3 Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one part of natural worship, is by God required of
all men.8 But that it may be
accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son,9 by the help of the Spirit,10 according to his will;11 with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and
perseverance; and when with others, in a known tongue.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 things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall
live hereafter;13 but not
for the dead,14 nor for
those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.15
131 Timothy 2:1, 2; 2 Samuel 7:29 142 Samuel 12:21–23 151 John 5:16
5 The reading of 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 also the administration of
baptism,19 and the Lord's
supper,20 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,21 and thanksgivings upon special occasions, ought to be used in an 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 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;23 as in private families24 daily,25 and in secret each one by himself,26 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.27
23John 4:21; Malachi 1:11; 1 Timothy 2:8 24Acts 10:2 25Matthew 6:11; Psalms 55:17 26Matthew 6:6 27Hebrews 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,28 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:29 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.
28Exodus 20:8 291 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,30 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.31
30Isaiah 58:13; Nehemiah 13:15–22 31Matthew 12:1–13
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