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The Blue Letter Bible

Baptist Confession of 1689: Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day

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CHAPTER 22—OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND THE SABBATH DAY

Paragraph 1. The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all; is just, good and does good to 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, (Jer 10:7; Mar 12:33). But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God, is instituted by himself, (Deu 12:32); 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, (Exd 20:4-6).

Paragraph 2. Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to him alone, (Mat 4:9, 10; Jhn 6:23; Mat 28:19); not to angels, saints, or any other creatures, (Rom 1:25; Col. 2:18; Rev 19:10); and since the fall, not without a mediator, (Jhn 14:6); nor in the mediation of any other but Christ alone, (1Ti 2:5).

Paragraph 3. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one part of natural worship, is by God required of all men, (Psa 95:1-7, 65:2). But that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, (Jhn 14:13-14); by the help of the Spirit, (Rom 8:26); according to his will, (1Jo 5:14); with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and when with others, in a known tongue, (1Co 14:16, 17).

Paragraph 4. Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter, (1Ti 2:1, 2; 2 Sam. 7:29); but not for the dead, (2Sa 12:21-23); nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death, (1Jo 5:16).

Paragraph 5. The reading of the Scriptures, (1Ti 4:13); preaching, and hearing the Word of God, (2Ti 4:2; Luk 8:18); teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord, (Col 3:16; Eph 5:19); as also the administration of baptism, (Mat 28:19, 20); and the Lord's supper, (1Co 11:26); 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, (Esther 4:16; Joel 2:12); and thanksgivings, upon special occasions, ought to be used in an holy and religious manner, (Exd 15:1-19; Ps. 107).

Paragraph 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, (Jhn 4:21; Mal. 1:11; 1Ti 2:8); as in private families, (Act 10:2); daily, (Mat 6:11; Psa 55:17); and in secret each one by himself, (Mat 6:6); 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 calls thereunto, (Hbr 10:25; Acts 2:42).

Paragraph 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 has particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy unto him, (Exd 20:8); 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, (1Co 16:1, 2; Acts 20:7; Rev 1:10): 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.

Paragraph 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 a holy rest all day, from their own works, words and thoughts, about their worldly employment and recreations, (Isa 58:13; Neh 13:15-22); 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, (Mat 12:1-13).



DISCLAIMER: Creeds, catechisms, and confessions do not replace Scripture, nor the authority of Scripture. The creeds, catechisms and confessions are included herein for purposes of reference. Blue Letter Bible aims to provide resources that cover a range of traditional, orthodox, conservative Christianity, for the benefit of all of our users. The inclusion of the creeds, catechisms, and confessions does not necessarily mean that the ministry agrees with each and every point in each, since some are coming from different Christian perspectives of faith, practice and worship. The user may find them useful as tools to assist in understanding or teaching the Scriptures, since they were drafted based upon Scripture. Used in their proper context, they can continue to aid us as much today as they did for our forefathers in centuries past.

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