1. The omission of the duties required. Sins of omission are exceeding
prejudicial; because, though they have a tendency to harden the heart,
and stupify the conscience; yet they are, of all others, least regarded.
As for the omission of holy duties, on the Sabbath-day; this is a
slighting and casting away a great prize, put into our hands; and
therefore, in such a case, it will be said, _Wherefore is there a price_
put into _the hands of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to
it_, Prov. xvi. 16. It may be also observed, that this is generally
attended with the neglect of secret duties, and is an in-let to all
manner of sins, and to a total apostasy from God.
2. The next thing forbidden in this Commandment is, the careless
performance of holy duties; that is, when our hearts are not engaged in
them, or we content ourselves with a form of godliness, denying the
power thereof, have no sense of God’s all-seeing eye, or dread of
spiritual judgments, or being given up to barrenness and
unprofitableness, under the means of grace. Such a frame of spirit as
this, is always attended with a declining state of religion; especially
if we do not lament and strive against it.
And to this we may add, that we greatly sin, when we profane the day by
idleness; and that either by sleeping away a great part of the morning
of the day, as though it were a day of sloth, and not of spiritual rest,
designed for religious exercises; or drowsiness under the ordinances, as
though we had no concern in them; whereby we give all about us to
understand, that we do, as it were, withdraw our thoughts from the work,
which we pretend to be engaged in. In some, indeed, this proceeds very
much from the weakness of their natural constitution. Such may be heavy
and weary in duty, though they, are not weary of it; and this is what
they lament, and are far from giving way to; though they are, sometimes,
unavoidably overtaken with it. In this case, though it cannot be excused
from being a sin; yet it is such, as, it is to be hoped, our Saviour
will cover, with the mantle of his love, or, at least, not charge upon
them for their condemnation; though he may reprove them for it, to bring
them under conviction. Thus he dealt with his disciples, when he _came
to them, and found them asleep_, Matt. xxvi. 40, 41. and though he
tacitly reproves them, yet he does not infer from hence, that they were
wholly destitute of faith; but charges their unbecoming carriage
therein, on the weakness of faith, being impowered by the infirmities of
nature, when he says, _The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak_.
There are other sins forbidden in the fourth Commandment, that are
particularly mentioned in this answer, which have been occasionally
insisted on, in considering how the Sabbath is to be sanctified; in
which we have shewn, that, as we are not to do that which is in itself
sinful, so we are to abstain from our worldly employments and
recreations, and endeavour to fence against that vanity of thoughts,
which will have a tendency to alienate our affections from God, or
hinder the success of ordinances; and therefore we pass them over at
present, and proceed to consider,