The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Seven, Expressing What you Are

The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Seven, Expressing What you Are

In Chapter 7, "Expressing What You Are," Emmet Fox provides a masterclass in the Fourth Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." To Fox, the Sabbath has almost nothing to do with a 24-hour period from Friday night to Sunday morning. Instead, it is a psychological state of "Mental Rest" that is required for any prayer or "treatment" to actually work.

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1. The Six Days of Labor (Mental Effort)

Fox explains that the "six days of labor" represent the period of time when you are actively working to change your mind.

• The Struggle: This is when you are wrestling with a problem—denying the power of the "Egypt" around you and affirming the Truth of the "I AM."

• The Work: It is the effort of redirecting your attention away from fear and toward Spirit. Fox says this "labor" is necessary, but it is not the state that brings the result.

2. The Seventh Day (The Sabbath Realization)

The Sabbath is the "Click." It is that moment in prayer or meditation when the anxiety suddenly vanishes and you feel a sense of: "It is done."

• The Law of Non-Effort: You cannot force a manifestation through willpower. You can only "labor" until you reach the point of conviction.

• The Rest: Once you reach the Sabbath state, you stop "working." You don't keep begging God or repeating affirmations frantically. You "rest" in the quiet knowledge that the Law is now in motion.

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3. "Keeping it Holy"

Fox uses the etymology of the word "Holy," which comes from the same root as "Whole."

• To keep the Sabbath holy means to keep your mind whole or single-pointed.

• If you reach a state of peace (The Sabbath) but then immediately go back to worrying, you have "broken the Sabbath." You have fragmented your "wholeness" by letting doubt back in.

• The Command: Once you have handed the problem over to God, stay out of the way. Don't "peek" to see if it’s working.

4. The Danger of "Over-Working"

Fox gives a stern warning to the "metaphysical student" who prays too hard.

• If you are still "laboring" (affirming with tension) after you should be "resting" (trusting), you are actually proving that you don't believe the prayer has been answered.

• The Result: The tension of "trying" acts as a barrier to the "receiving." You cannot be in a state of wanting and having at the same time.

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5. Summary: The Cycle of Manifestation

Fox breaks the creative process into these distinct stages:

Stage	Biblical Symbol	Metaphysical Action
Stage 1	Six Days of Labor	Actively replacing negative thoughts with Truth.
Stage 2	The Seventh Day	Reaching a point of peace, certainty, and "Knowing."
Stage 3	The Sabbath Rest	Ceasing all mental effort regarding that specific problem.
Stage 4	Blessing the Day	The manifestation appearing in the physical world.

Practical Takeaway: The "Drop It" Technique

Fox suggests that the ultimate test of your spiritual progress is your ability to "drop" a problem.

• If you have prayed about a situation, and you are still chewing on it mentally, you are still in "Egypt."

• To "Remember the Sabbath" today means to consciously decide to stop thinking about the problem once you have affirmed the Truth. The "rest" is the proof of your faith.

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