and as touching the precife keeping of the feventh day, after the manner of the Jews; for we keep now the first day, which is our Sunday, and make that our Sabbath, that is, our day of reft, in the honour of our Saviour Chrift; who as upon that day rofe from death, conquering the fame most triumphantly: yet notwithstanding, whatfoever is found in the commandment appertaining to the law of nature, as a thing moft godly, moft juft, and needful for the fetting forth of God's glory, it ought to be retained and kept of all good Chriftian people. And therefore, by this commandment, we ought to have a time, as one day in the week, wherein we ought to reft, yea, from our lawful and needful works. For like as it appeareth by this commandment, that no man in the fix days ought to be flothful or idle, but diligently to labour in that fate wherein God hath fet him: even fo, God hath given exprefs charge to all men, that upon the Sabbath-day, which is now our Sunday, they fhould ceafe from all weekly and work-day labour, to the intent that like as God himfelf wrought fix days, and refted the feventh, and bleffed and fanctified it, and confecrated it to quietnefs and reft from labour; even fo God's obedient people fhould use the Sunday holily, and reft from their common and daily bufinefs, and alfo give themselves wholly to heavenly exercifes of God's true religion and fervice. So that God doth not only command the obfervation of this holy day, but also by his own example doth ftir and provoke us to the diligent keeping of the fame. Good natural children will not only become obedient to the commandment of their parents, but also have a diligent eye to their doings, and gladly follow the fame. So if we will be the children of our heavenly Father, we must be careful to keep the Chriftian Sabbathday, which is the Sunday, not only for that it is God's exprefs commandment, but also to declare ourselves to be loving children, in following the example of our gracious Lord and Father.

Thus it may plainly appear, that God's will and commandment was to have a folemn time and ftanding day in the week, wherein the people fhould come together and have in remembrance his wonderful benefits, and to render him thanks for them, as appertaineth to loving, kind, and obedient people. This example and commandment of God, the godly Chriftian people began to follow immediately after the afcenfion of our Lord Christ, and began to choose them a standing day of the week to

come

come together in: yet not the feventh day, which the Jews kept; but the Lord's day, the day of the Lord's refurrection, the day after the feventh day, which is the firft day of the week. Of the which day mention is made by St. Paul on this wife: In the first day of the Sab- 1 Cor. xvi. bath, let every man lay up what he thinketh good; meaning for the poor. By the first day of the Sabbath is meant our Sunday, which is the firft day after the Jews' feventh day. And in the Apocalypfe it is more plain, whereas St. John faith, I was in the fpirit upon the Lord's day. Apoc. i. Sithence which time God's people hath always, in all ages, without any gainfaying, ufed to come together upon the Sunday, to celebrate and honour the Lord's Numb. xv. bleffed name, and carefully to keep that day in holy rest and quietnefs, both man, woman, child, fervant, and ftranger. For the tranfgreffion and breach of which day, God hath declared himfelf much to be grieved, as it may appear by him, who, for gathering of fticks on the Sabbath-day, was ftoned to death. But alas, all these notwithstanding, it is lamentable to fee the wicked boldness of thofe that will be counted God's people, who pafs nothing at all of keeping and hallowing the Sunday. And thefe people are of two forts. The one fort, if they have any bufinefs to do, though there be no extreme need, they must not fpare for the Sunday, they must ride and journey on the Sunday, they muft drive and carry on the Sunday, they muft row and ferry on the Sunday, they muft buy and fell on the Sunday, they must keep markets and fairs on the Sunday: finally, they ufe all days alike, work-days and holy-days all are one. The other fort is worfe. For although they will not travel nor labour on the Sunday, as they do on the week-day; yet they will not reft in holinefs, as God commandeth; but they reft in ungodliness and filthinefs, prancing in their pride, pranking and pricking, pointing and painting themfelves, to be gorgeous and gay: they reft in excets and fuperfluity, in gluttony and drunkennefs, like rats and fwine: they reft in brawling and railing, in quarrelling and fighting: they reft in wantonnefs, in toyifh talking, in filthy flefhlinefs; fo that it doth too evidently appear that God is more dishonoured, and the Devil better ferved on the Sunday, than upon all the days in the week befides. And I affure you, the beafts, which are commanded to rest on the Sunday, honour God better than this kind of people for they offend not God, they break not their holy-days. Wherefore, O ye people of God, lay your

hands

hands upon your hearts, repent and amend this grievous and dangerous wickednefs, ftand in awe of the commandment of God, gladly follow the example of God himself, be not difobedient to the godly order of Chrift's church, ufed and kept from the Apoftles' time until this day. Fear the difpleasure and just plagues of Almighty God, if ye be negligent and forbear not labouring and travelling on the Sabbath-day or Sunday, and do not refort toge ther to celebrate and magnify God's bleffed name, in quiet holiness and godly reverence.

Now concerning the place where the people of God ought to refort together, and where efpecially they ought to celebrate and fanctify the Sabbath-day, that is the Sunday, the day of holy reft. That place is called God's Temple, or the Church, because the company and congregation of God's people (which is properly called the Church) do there affemble themfelves on the days appointed for fuch affemblies and meetings. And forafmuch as Almighty God hath appointed a special time to be honoured in, it is very meet, godly, and alfo neceffary, that there fhould be a place appointed, where thefe people fhould meet and refort, to ferve their gracious God and merciful Father. Truth it is, the holy Patriarchs for a great number of years had neither temple nor church to refort unto. The caufe was, they were not ftaid in any place, but were in a continual peregrination and wandering, that they could not conveniently build any church. But fo foon as God had delivered his people from their enemies, and fet them in fome liberty in the wilderness, he fet them up a coftly and a curious tabernacle, which was as it were the parish-church, a place to refort unto of the whole multitude, a place to have his facrifices made in, and other observances and rites to be used in. Furthermore, after that God, according to the truth of his promife, had placed and quietly fettled his people in the Land of Canaan, now called Jewry, he commanded a great and magnificent temple to be built by King Solomon, as feldom the like hath been feen; a temple fo decked and adorned, fo gorgeously garnithed, as was meet and expedient for people of that time, which would be allured and ftirred with nothing fo much, as with fuch outward goodly gay things. This was now the temple of God, endued alfo with many gifts and fundry promifes. This was the public church, and the mother-church of all Jewry. Here was God honoured and ferved. Hither was the whole realm of all the Ifraelites bound to come at three

three folemn feafts in the year, to ferve their Lord God here. But let us proceed further. In the time of Chrift and his Apoftles, there were yet no temples nor churches for Chriftian men. For why? They were always for the moft part in perfecution, vexation, and trouble, so that there could be no liberty nor licence obtained for that purpose. Yet God delighted much that they fhould often refort together in a place, and therefore after his afcenfion they remained together in an upper chamber; fometimes they entered into the temple, fometimes into the fynagogues, fometimes they were in prifon, fometimes in their houfes, fometimes in the fields, &c. And this continued fo long till the faith of Chrift Jefus began to multiply in a great part of the world. Now when divers realms were established in God's true religion, and God had given them peace and quietnefs, then began kings, noblemen, and the people alfo, ftirred up with a godly zeal and ferventnefs, to build up temples and churches, whither the people might refort, the better to do their duty towards God, and to keep holy their Sabbath-day, the day of reft. And to thefe temples have the Chriftians cuftomably used to refort from time to time, as unto meet places, where they might with common confent praife and magnify God's name, yielding him thanks for the benefits that he daily poureth upon them, both mercifully and abundantly, where they might alfo hear his holy word read, expounded, and preached fincerely, and receive his holy facraments miniftered unto them duly and purely. True it is, that the chief and special temples of God, wherein he hath greatest pleasure, and most delighteth to dwell, are the bodies and minds of true Chriftians, and the chofen people of God, according to the doctrine of holy Scriptures, declared by St. Paul. Know ye not, faith he, that ye be the temple of Cor. iii. God, and that the spirit of God doth dwell in you? The temple of God is holy, which ye are. And again in the fame Epiftle, Know ye not that your body is the temple of the 1 Cor vi. Holy Ghol dwelling in you, whom you have given you of God, and that ye be not your own? Yet this notwithstanding, God doth allow the material temple made with lime and frone (fo oft as his people come together into it, to praife his holy name) to be his houfe, and the place where he hath promifed to be prefent, and where he will hear the prayers of them that call upon him. The which thing both Chrift and his Apoftles, with all the rest of the holy Fathers, do fufficiently declare by this: that al

beit they certainly knew that their prayers were heard in what place foever they made them, though it were in caves, in woods, and in defarts; yet, fo oft as they could conveniently, they reforted to the material temples, there with the reft of the congregation to join in prayer and true worship.

Wherefore, dearly beloved, you that profefs yourselves to be Chriftians, and glory in that name, difdain not to follow the example of your mafter Chrift, whofe fcholars you fay you be; fhew you to be like them whofe fchoolmates you take upon you to be, that is, the Apoftles and Difciples of Chrift. Lift up pure hands, with clean hearts, in all places and at all times. But do the fame in the temples and churches upon the Sabbath-days alfo. Our godly predeceffors, and the ancient fathers of the primitive church, fpared not their goods to build churches; no, they fpared not their lives in time of perfecution, and to hazard their blood, that they might affemble themfelves together in churches. And fall we fpare a little labour to come to churches? Shall neither their example, nor our duty, nor the commodities, that thereby fhould come unto us, move us? If we will declare ourselves to have the fear of God, if we will fhew ourselves true Chriftians, if we will be the followers of Chrift our Mafter, and of thofe godly fathers that have lived before us, and now have received the reward of true and faithful Christians, we muft both willingly, earneftly, and reve rently come unto the material churches and temples to pray, as unto fit places appointed for that ufe, and that upon the Sabbath-day, as at most convenient time for God's people to ceafe from bodily and worldly bufinefs, to give themfelves to holy reft and godly contemplation, pertaining to the fervice of Almighty God: whereby we may reconcile ourselves to God, be partakers of his holy facraments, and be devout hearers of his holy word, fo to be established in faith to God ward, in hope against all adverfity, and in charity toward our neighbours. And thus running our courfe as good Chriftian people, we may at the laft attain the reward of everlafting glory, through the merits of our Saviour Jefus Chrift: to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghoft be all honour and glory. Amen.

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