fo by his rifing from the grave, as on that day, did prove his victory over fin and death). Yet notwithstanding thefe great privileges vouchfafed us by the laws of chriftian liberty, whatever the commandment directs, as touching the law of natural religion, to be moft godly, juft, and proper for the exaltation of God's glory, that must be strictly obferved, nor can it poffibly be difpenfed with by any truly chriftian perfon. This commandment then fhews plainly, that there is a time (one day in the week) whereupon we ought to reft even from meft of our lawful and neceffary labours; and as the fame law directs, that no man fhould be idle during fix days of the week, but diligently employ himself in that ftate wherein God hath placed him, in like manner God hath given a pofitive charge to all men, that upon the Sabbath day (which is now our Sunday) they fhould ceafe from all their weekly and worldly works, in remembrance of the creation of the world, and to perpetuate God's power and glory therein; that as the Almighty himself was pleafed to employ exactly fix days in perfecting his wonderful work of creation, and ceafed the feventh day, bleffing, and fanctifying, and confecrating it to quietnefs and reft, rendering the obfervance of it even productive of repose to the very cattle; fo it becomes all God's true fervants to pass the Lord's day in the most holy manner, by refting from their daily common bufinefs, and giving themfelves entirely to the serious exercifes of God's true religion and fervice. Hence you see our heavenly Father doth not only barely command the due refpect to be paid to this holy day, but to render the duty ftronger, doth prefs us by the record of his own act to attend to the ferious cause of fo doing; and as all truly virtuous children are not only obedient to the commandment of their parents, but also pay ftrict regard to all their ways, and with pleasure imitate their practice, fo if we A 3 defire defire to be the children of our heavenly Father, we must be moft fcrupulously careful to keep the christian fabbath, not only because it is God's exprefs command (which in itself indeed would be fufficient obligation), but also to shew our refpect and love to fo holy and gracious a Parent, who appointed it as a fign of our bleffed Lord's having finished and fealed the regenerating work of our redemption. From these few obfervations, you cannot fail to perceive, that it is God's will to have a folemn time, and fixed day in the week, wherein all the people profeffing his religion fhould come together, to celebrate the memory of his wonderful benefits to all his creatures, and to glorify him by grateful praises for the fame, as becometh the dutiful and humble fervants of fo good and great a God. This commandment was moft regularly observed by all true chriftians, immediately after the afcenfion of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift; when they made choice of a particular day of the week whereupon to worship God, and celebrate the bleffing of their Redemption; yet, not on the feventh day, (as before obferved) which the Jews ftill keep, but on the next, which is the first day of the week, and was called from that time, THE LORD'S DAY, because it was the day of our Savior's refurrection from the dead. And concerning this day, you will find St. Paul fpeaking as follows, in 1 Cor. xvi. 2. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in ftore, meaning his charity for the poor. By this first day, he here marks the Sunday, which is the firft day after the Jews feventh day; and in the Revelations of St. John, this time is still more clearly expreffed, in the first chap. and 10th ver. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day (or Sunday); wherefore, from these early times, all fincere chriftians, without any difpute, and with the greatest exactnefs, have been ever accustomed to to affemble on the Sunday, to celebrate and honor the Lord's name, and moft religiously to keep that holy day in reft and quietnefs, both man, woman, child, fervant, and ftranger. And to fhew how highly offenfive the breaking of this original commandment is to the Almighty, the Lord hath declared himself to be highly provoked at fuch wilful difobedience, as you may particularly fee in the punishment of it, by death, in the xvth of Numbers; the man offending, in the inftance there recorded, might poffibly have offered many plaufible excuses for his fault, as many are apt to do to this day, who have no true fenfe of the dreadful fin of difobedience. He might have alleged, for example, that it was an act of accidental neceffity, or prudent forefight, and not a wilful indulgence of mere perfonal pleasure, or that it was but trifling in itself, and confined entirely to his own conduct, so as not to involve any others in the crime; but you fee the Lord confidered it as an act of rebellion, or an infolent contempt of his moft holy law, as an hurtful example to the people among whom he dwelt, and therefore fentenced him to be stoned to death, in order to convince the people how dangerous it was to provoke the Lord to anger. But, alas! notwithstanding this ferious mark of God's difpleasure, at the breaking of this commandment, it is truly grievous to obferve, the fad thoughtfulness of fome, and wicked boldness of others, who, thought hey would be reckoned God's fervants, and Chrift's fervants, do ftill efleem it a light matter to dishonour this holy day. Now thefe offenders are of two defcriptions, and cannot be too carneftly urged to confider their error in this particular, left the Lord fhould forfake them for their ungrateful provocations, and give them up to a reprobate mind, that is, to be indifferent about what fo nearly concerns their eternal welfare, and grow ftill more hardened in the violation of God's laws. The first fet of thefe people, if they have any bufinefs that remains undone in the preceding fix days, though not of pofitive neceffity, yet cannot prevail upon themselves to defift from the discharge of it even on the fabbath day. They think it a light matter to ride from home, and journey on the Lord's day; to drive their cattle in the public roads, and carry their goods from place to place, on that fame holy day; or to accept, or contrive the most needlefs invitations; and many are fo dead to the fenfe of any fin in thus profaning the appointments of the Moft High, that they will even buy and fell on Sundays. In fhort, they use all days alike, making little or no difference between the days of lawful labour, and the fabbath of the Lord. They are fo greedy of their time for worldly ends, that they will let nothing interfere to rob them of a few hours in the fix days allotted them for the discharge of their refpective callings, but grudge that small space of time to render thanks to his holy name, who hath fet one day apart for that fpecial purpofe; from whom they receive all the good things they enjoy; to whom they are indebted for the particular bleffing on their feveral occupations; nay, in whom alone they live, and move, and have their being. They have forefight enough for every thing that relates to their temporal concerns, but none to prevent their falling into the fin of breaking the fourth commandment; foolishly blind and dead to this important truth, that all their care and pains are vain, if the Lord withholds his favor to their endeavors, that it is but loft labor that they bafte to rife up early, and late take reft, and eat the bread of carefulness, if they are regardless of being in the number of his beloved; and above all, they feem quite infenfible to this moft ferious truth, that though for the prefent, things may feem to go on fmoothly, yet that God, fooner or later, will moft furely punish for the wilful flighting of his mast most wife, and merciful commandment. If people did but confider that themselves, their families, their property, and every thing moft dear to them, are all in the hands of the Lord their God, they would judge it the highest wisdom to feek his favor, and the greatest madness and ingratitude, to pro voke him. The other kind of people I mentioned as guilty of grofs neglect refpecting God's particular ordinances, are if poffible, ftill more blameable than the former; for though many are averse from travelling, or working on the fabbath, in the manner they would upon another day of the week, yet cannot they be perfuaded to reft in a boly manner, as God commandeth. They pafs the day in the practice of various ungodly purfuits, according to their feveral evil inclinations; either in indecent mirth, or feeding their pride in drefs, or in unlawful arts to render themselves admired, promoting thereby unprofitable, and dangerous gaiety of temper. Some are fo ignorant, that they plead an excufe for staying from the public worship, because they are not fo finely clothed, as finful vanity would with to gratify. They do not confider that it is the purity of the infide that God approves; an bumble, and a contrite beart He will in no wife caft out, though clothed in rags. He will not defert his faithful fervants, because they happen to be lefs richly dreffed than fome of their brethren; and all fuch must be fenfible, that one way to procure the neceffary articles they may ftand in need of, even in this refpect, is to wait conftantly upon Him, and fincerely and devoutly to call upon his name. Others abuse the repofe enjoined them on this holy day, by excess, and fuperfluity of living; too often, by gluttony, and drunkennefs, making themselves worfe than the filthieft of the brute creation. They employ the reft that was appointed for the most pious purposes, in wrangling and fighting, in wan ton |