Thus we fee there are two things whereon the Divine right of the Lords day is founded: Upon the morality of the fourth Commandement,and upon Evangelical Inftitution, either by Christ himself, or his Apoftles. And what the Apostles delivered by the dictate of the holy Ghost, is as firm and indefeizable (Taies Cyprian de ablut. pedum.) as what Chrift himself. Our Church redu ceth the inflitution of this day as a weekly day to the fourth Commandement; and as the first day of the week, the foundeth it upon Apoftolical praetife and tradition. I fhall conclude this, with the words of the judicious Hooker in his Ecclef. Pol. Book 5. parag. 17. We are bound, faies he, to account the fanEtification of one day in feven, a duty, which Gods immutable Law doth exact for ever; although with us, the day be changed, in regard of a new r volution, begun by our Saviour Chrift: yet the fame proportion of time continueth, which was before, by way of a perpetual homage never to be difpenfed withal, nor remitted. I come now to the fecond Particular. The manner how we ought to obferve this day. 1. We ought to prepare for the Sabbath, be fore it comes, by a prudent care, fo difpofing and dispatching our worldly bufineffes and affairs, that they may be off our hands, and out of our minds (as much as is poffible) on that day, that fo our hearts may be more free and fit for those Spiritual piritual duties then required of us. The fewes before the Sabbath had a time of preparations Luke 23.54. Why should not we? 2. We ought to fanctifie the Lords day, not only by refting from worldly employments and recreations (on other daies lawful) but confecratting that rest unto God, making it our delight to spend the whole time (excepting fo much of it as is to be taken up in works of neceffity and mercy, and fuch as are needful for the comfortable paffing of the Sabbath) in the publick and private exercises of Gods Worship and Service; Such as Prayer, Reading the Scripture, Preparing for the publick duties, Attending on the Word, Singing the praifes of God, Private meditation on that which hath been preached, Repetition thereof in the Family, and religious conference, to make the publick Ordinances the more profitable. Take heed therefore of being found a flighter of thofe duties, the neglect whereof cannot confift with any true vigour and power of Religion, or any due care of our own or others foules, that we ought to have a care of. Confider, God hath blessed and fanctified this day, not only as a day of fervice to himself, but as a time wherein he will confer blaffings on the conscionable obferv ers of it. It is his special day of proclaiming and Jealing pardons to penitent finners. 'Tis a bleffed day to the careful obfervers of it, and fanctified to many gracious purposes. The Sabbath was Y 2 made Chap.6. made for man, faid our Saviour, Mark 2.27. i. e. For mans great benefit and advantage. It would not be for the good and benefit of mankind to be difpenfed with, from the religious obfervation of it. How much then are they to blame that make it a day of carnal reft, a day of Idlenesse and jollity, of feafting and pastimes, which more alienate the mind from God, than ordinary labours, and take away the taft of fpiritual things. Some people if they have any vifit to make, or any odd bufineffe to do, they refer them to this day. Some keep the Sabbath as the Oxe; they reft from their labours, but ferve not the Lord that day. They are weary of the duties of the Sabbath, they do not call the Sabbath a delight, as it is, Ifa.58.13. Delight fweetens any labour. How will people toyl at their Sports and pleasures? O had we fpiritual hearts, we should account the celebration of the Sabbath not only our duty, but our priviledge! By obferving the Sabbath, we continue a thankful remembrance of the two great benefits of Creation and Redemption, which contain a short abridgment of true Religion. The Sabbath duly obferved is a type of the everlasting rest that remaines for the people of God, Heb.4.9. How then can thofe ever think to come to Heaven, and to keep an everlasting Sabbath in praifing and adoring God, to whom the celebration ofa weekly Sabbath is fo tedious and irkfom here? 3. Every 315 3. Every true Chriftian is to take care not on'y to fanctifie the Lords day himself, but that thofe under his charge do the like. Every Governour of a Family fhould refolve with pious Fofhuah, Joh 24.15. But as for me and my house we will ferve the Lord. Obferve it, Religion and the power of Godlineß hath there ufu ally moft flourished, where the Lords day hath been most confcientiously obferved. And many aireful judgments have befallen the violators and prophaners of it. True Gen.2.2. And on the feventh day God ended his work which he had made, and he refted on the feventh day from all the work which he had made. V.3. And God blessed the feventh day, and fanEtified it: becaufe that in it he had refted from all his work which God created and made. Lev.23.3. Six daies shall thy work be done, but the feventh day is the Sabbath of reft, an holy convocation, ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. Nehem.13.19. And it came to paffe, that when the gates of Ferufalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates fhould be flat, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath,and fome of my fervants fet I at the gates, that there should no burden be Y 3 brought brought in on the Sabbath day. Ifa.58.13. If thou turn away thy feet from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and fhalt honour him, not doing thine own waies, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. Luke 23.54. And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on, V.56. And they returned, and prepared Spices, and ointments, and rested the Sabbath day, ac· cording to the Commandement. Exod.23.12. Six daies shalt thon do thy work, and on the feventh day thou shalt reft, that thine oxe and thine Affe may reft, and the fon of thine hand maid and the stranger shall be refreshed. Ezek. 22.26. Her Priests have violated my Law, and have prophaned mine holy things, they have put no difference between the holy and prophane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eies from my Sabbaths, and I am prophaned among them. Ezek.23.38. Moreover this they have done unme they have defiied my Sanctuary in the fame day, and have prophaned my sabbaths. Amos 8.4. Saying, when will the New Moon be gone, that we may fell corn? and the Sabbath that we may fet forth wheat, &c. Lam. 17. Ferufalem remembred in the daics of her |