the doing all the Good we can on. that Day both to Man and Beaft.

Briefly then, the Moral Part of this Commandment requires fome Portion of Time to be dedicated to the Service of our Maker, the Author and Beftower of all.

The Pofitive Part of it hath affign'd the feventh Part, and requires that Proportion of Time to be fet apart for this purpole; which Time is to be kept holy, by refting on it from all our worldly Bufinefs, and employing it on the more weighty Affairs of Heaven and Happiness.

To the doing hereof, is added a double Inforcement; one taken from the Example of God Almighty, who wrought fix Days, and refted the feventh; For in fix Days, &c. the other from the Divine Defignation and Dedication of it to holy Purposes; Wherefore the Lord bleed the Seventh Day, and hallowed it. Of each of which a word. And,

:

First, God Almighty preffes the Obfervation of this Law from his own Example; For in fix Days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and refted the feventh Day. He could as well have made all thofe things in fix Minutes, yea in one fingle Moment, as in fix Days; but he took this time for effecting of it, to teach us Diligence and Deliberation in all our Affairs and then refted the feventh Day; not that he was weary with working, or needed any Reft to refresh him, but merely to give us an Example of ceafing on that Day from our worldly, and minding more heavenly Affairs. Now fince God himfelf hath condefcended fo low, as to work fix Days and reft the feventh, merely to give us an Example and Incouragement to do the fame; what better Direction, or nobler Pattern can we wish to follow in this matter? efpecially confidering,

Next, that God Almighty has particularly appointed and confecrated this Portion of Time to his Service: Wherefore the Lord bleffed the feventh Day, and hallowed it. He bleft it by his own Example, refting that Day from all his Works; and hallowed it by his Command, requiring it to be kept Holy not that God's bleffing of it has infus'd any inherent Holiness into it above other Days, for both Times and Places are incapable of any fuch real Holinefs; but that he hath confecrated it for holy Ufes, and fet it apart for the Honour and Worship of himself; for fo the hallowing and fanctifying of thefe things is in Scripture wont to fignify. Befide, God is faid to bless this Day, by making it the

Time in which he hath promis'd more especially to meet and blefs us: for tho God be at all times and every where prefent with his People, yet he is more peculiarly and gracioufly prefent with them on this Day, and in the Places dedicated to his Service, than at other Times and Places; then and there he delights to meet them, and more liberally to dispense his Grace and Bleffings to them to which end, he wills us, to obferve his Day, and to frequent his House.

Thus we fee what is requir'd in this Commandment, namely, to fanctify One Day in Seven, and keep it holy unto the Lord, by fequeftring ourselves from all fecular Affairs, and imploying it in all the folemn Acts of Piety and Religion. This common Reafon and Equity may challenge from us, to give him back fo fmall a Portion of our Time, who gives us all, and to render him this flender Tribute and Acknowledgment for all his Mercies.

To close up all, let us learn hence carefully and confcientiously to obferve this Day as Holy unto the Lord, abstaining on it from all ordinary and worldly Bufinefs, and devoting it wholly to the Service of our Maker: Let us diligently attend the publick, private, and fecret Devotion, together with all other Acts of Mercy and Charity, that are proper to the Occafion and Solemnity of this Day, making it the Market-day for our Souls, as the reft of the Week is for our Bodies; being as intent then on the great Affairs of the next World, as we are at other times on the leffer Concerns of this not faying with those in Amos, When will the Sabbath be over that we may fell Corn, and the New-Moon that we may fet forth Wheat? Amos 8. 5. but faying with David, This is the Day which the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it: I will take the Cup of Salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord: I will praise the Lord in the Congregation; in the prefence of all his People, will Ifing praises unto him. This is to begin the Work of Heaven here on Earth, to lay up our Treasure there, to be ready when we come to make ufe of it. And by thus keeping a Sabbath holy unto God now, we fhall ere long celebrate an Everlafting Sabbath with him in Glory.

DISCOURSE XI.

EXOD. XX. 8, 9, 10, 11.

Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day; fix days fhalt thou labour and do all that thou haft to do, but the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt do no manner of Work, thou, nor thy Son, nor thy Daughter, thy Man-fervant, nor thy Maidfervant, thy Cattle, nor the Stranger that is within thy Gates: for in fix Days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and refted the Seventh Day; wherefore the Lord bleffed the Seventh Day, and hallowed it,

I

Treated in my laft of the Affirmative part of this Precept, which requires the keeping the Sabbath, or Lord's Day, holy unto the Lord: I proceed now to the

Negative part of it, which forbids all Profanation of this Day; for when we are ftrictly charg'd to remember this Day to keep it Holy, it manifeftly condemns all unhallowing or profaning of it. But here, because there are two Extremes, fome preffing too much strictnefs, and others allowing too great a looseness in this point: great care must be taken to avoid the Superftition of the one, and the Profaneness of the other. To which end, I must enquire

First, What it is to profane the Lord's Day? and when we may be faid to do fo? And,

Secondly, I muft fhew the Sinfulness and Danger of doing it.

First then, What is it to profane the Sabbath, or Lord's Day? and when may we be faid to do fo? In answer to which, Ifay in the general, that this is done, partly by neglecting what is requir'd, and partly by doing what is forbidden on that Day. For the better understanding of both, I fay,

1. That

1. That to neglect the Worship of God in publick or private on thofe Times, is to profane the Lord's Day: For the honouring and ferving God, being the proper Work of that Day, for which it was fet apart; to neglect that, is to unhallow and profane it. Now that the worshipping of God, efpecially in publick, is the proper Work of this Day, is evident from the Precepts of the Old and New Teftament, and likewife from the Practice of all good Men under both. The Jews were commanded to keep their Sabbath by reforting to the Temple and the Synagogues, where the Law and the Prophets were read and expounded every Sabbath-day; as we read, Acts 13. 27. And we find our Bleffed Saviour and his Apoftles frequenting thofe Places, and joining with them on that Day in the publick Acts of Prayer, and praifing God; Luke 4. 16. & 24. 53.

After his Refurrection, which occafion'd the Change of the Sabbath from the last to the first Day of the Week, we find the Difciples meeting and joining together on that Day in all the Acts and Parts of publick Worship, Acts 2. 42. which Practice hath been deriv'd down and continu'd in the Chriftian Church ever fince. Now to forfake thefe publick Affemblies, and to neglect the folemn Worship of God perform'd in them at thofe times, is to profane the Lord's Day: Hence we find the Criticks deriving the Latin word profanum, from procul a fano, which is keeping off from the Temple; it being an Argument of an evil and profligate Mind, without any juft occafion to absent themfelves from the Ordinances of Chrift, and to withdraw from the folemn Worship of their Maker.

Neither will it fuffice to fay as fome profane Wretches do, that they can pray, read, and ferve God at home, and fpend their time as well in the Clofet as in the Church.

For, befide that the Apoftle hath given a ftrict Charge to Chriftians, not to forfake the Affembling themselves together, as the manner of fome is; our Bleffed Saviour has promis'd a greater Bleffing to thofe that meet together in God's Houfe, than he has to those who abide at home in their own. Moreover, they who urge this, commonly use it as a Cloke or Colour for their Profaneness: for instead of the Private Exercises of Religion they pretend to, they too often spend the Day, either in indulging the Pleasures, or immerging themselves in the Cares of this Life. Nor is it a juft Excufe for neglecting the publick Worship of God in the Church, that they perform thefe Duties in the

Gg 4

private

quires the allotting fome Portion of our Time to the Service of our Maker, belongs to all Men, and is of perpetual and indifpenfible Obligation. As for the Measure and Proportion of Time to be fet apart for this Purpofe, God himfelf having affign'd the feventh Part, and both the Practice and Authority of the Church having directed to and confirm'd the fame, it becomes our Duty to own it, and our Sin to neglect or profane it. From whence I proceed,

Secondly, To confider the Sinfulness and Danger of this Profaneness and both thefe will be evident, by confidering,

I. That the unhallowing the Sabbath or Lord's Day, bewrays a very great Slight and Contempt of our Maker. He that truly loves or honours any Perfon, will be defirous to meet and converse with him, he will delight in his Company, and embrace all Opportunities of enjoying it; whereas the declining thefe things is an Argument not only of Coldness, but Contempt. The only way we have of enjoying God here, is in his Ordinances, in which he hath promis'd to meet and to blefs us; so that to turn our Backs upon thefe, is in effect to renounce all Commerce or Communion with him, and to say with them in Job, Depart from us, we defire not the Knowledge of thy Ways. God Almighty, to withdraw us from the World, and to preferve the Remembrance of himself among us, hath appointed one Day in seven to be employ'd in his Service and dedicated to his Honour, leaving a ftrict Charge, that whatever elfe we forget, we fhould remember to keep this Day holy. Now to profane this Day by neglecting his Service, and putting it to other common Ufes, is to caft off the Love, Fear and Remembrance of him; which is the greatest Slight and Indignity that can be offer'd to him.

2. The profaning the Lord's Day, is not only a high Indignity, but a great piece of Injuftice to our Maker; for he who is the Lord of all Time, having referv'd and confecrated this Portion of it to himself, it must be not only finful, but facrilegious to rob him of it. Common Justice requires to render to all their Dues; and if we cannot without great Injuftice defraud our Brother, much less may we rob God, who is the Author and Giver of all we have. Moreover,

3. To profane the Lord's Day, is an Act of great Ingratitude; for God Almighty having given us fo liberal a

Portion