the other depreffes us. To fee ourselves fo far still in favour with our Almighty Creator, as to be raised from duft, and afhes; from fin, and guilt, and carried, by our great Redeemer, in triumph, over death and the grave into mansions of eternal happiness, is a thought, which fhould give us-not, indeed confequence in our own opinion-but that holy joy and faith, and hope, which are the fources, of true religion. No worldly vanities arife from these ideas of exaltation. No pride; no over-bearing thoughts; but all is humble, and modeft, and chearful. The immortal foul cannot here be fet on any thing, that will corrupt it; and every degree of ambition, if I may fo call it, is a degree alfo of perfection.

Of these two different views of ourselves, which the death of Chrift, and his refurrection give us, let us then make the true ufe, which the fcriptures enjoin.

Was Chrift delivered for our offences? Let us die daily in imitation of him; mortifying all our corrupt, and worldly affections; and burying them with him in the grave.

Did Chrift rife again for our juftification? let us, as much as poffible, purfue his fteps. If we

are

are rifen with Christ, as the apostle speaks, let us feek those things, which are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right hand of God-confidering this world as our infant-ftate-the next as our inheritance; and making every thing here, as far as we can, a mean to lead us to that place, whither our Saviour Chrift is gone before-that gracious Saviour, who was delivered for our offences; and rofe again for our juftification.

SERMON XXX.

MARK, ii. 27.

AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN.

IN the following difcourfe, I fhall endeavour to explain the text, by fhewing you how the fabbath was made for man. I fhall examine first the general defign of it; and point out fecondly, its particular advantages-concluding with an exhortation to those who neglect it.

Let us first fee the general defign of the fabbath.And here I would remind you, that the fabbath may be called the very firft of God's appointments. Having created the world in fix

days,

man.

days, God rested on the feventh day, which, we are told, he blessed and hallowed. This fhews its great importance; and ought to raise our reverence for it and as the fabbath was appointed at the very time, when man was created, we may be affured, as the text informs us, it was made for God almighty who created man, and knew his nature, knew, it was right to ordain the fabbath for his ufe.The chriftian indeed obferves his fabbath on the firft day of every week, as the apostles did, in honour of Chrift's refurrection. But the change of the day makes no change in the nature of the institution.

- In order therefore to fhew how well the fabbath is fuited to the nature of man, we fhould confider it as related to his body and his foul.

With regard to the body, it was a kind appointment of God, that on one day in feven all labour fhould ceafe: and let the labourer thank God for taking this matter into his own hands; and giving him that reft, which he otherwise fhould not have had. Hard mafters would have exacted all his time; and yet his payment, which keeps pace with the value of money, rather than with time, would. have been the fame.

But let him not fuppofe, that because God hath appointed the fabbath as a day of reft from bodily labour, it is therefore to be an idle holiday. Many, in following their wicked pastimes, make it more a day of labour, than any day in the week. This is not only perverting God's defign in giving them reft from their labour: but it is perverting God's defign in giving them reft for the religious employment of their minds; which is a point of ftill greater confequence. God hath therefore taken this weighty matter, as well as that of rest, into his own hands, knowing that man had not the authority to do it; nor probably the inclination.

There are fome perhaps, who from God's appointing one day in feven to be kept holy, conceive him to fay, This is my due, the reft is yours; thus making the duties of funday atone for a worldly week. If the duties of funday were even well obferved by fuch reafoners, which is not at all probable, their value would be little. A life given to the world, and just garnished with religion, cannot have much christianity in it.

Thus the general defign of the fabbath was, to give reft to our bodies, and afford time for the religious improvement of our minds, let us now fee its particular advantages. Having, however, VOL. II.

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