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IV. A fourth argument I make ufe of is this; If God prohibits worldly employments on the Sabbath then certainly he discharges carnal recreations: But the former is true; therefore, &.

The minor propofition is undeniable; fo that all I have to prove is the connexion of the major propoftion, which may be easily done thus: The great reafon of prohibiting worldly employments on the Sab bath is, because they hinder the holy employment of the foul, and would interrupt the duties of the Sabbath. But if carnal recreations do hinder the duties of the Sabbath, and fpiritual employment of the foul, as much as fervile labour; then by parity of reafon they are forbidden alfo : But so it is, that they do hinder as much, yea, more than fervile labour would do. Nay, I may be bold to fay, that a man may be more ferious, and have his mind more exercised with heavenly meditations, when plowing, fowing or threshing, than when he is about carnal entertainments, recreations, or pastimes; or when he is in vain promifcuous company, jetting, fporting, and telling ftories, or walking and talking idly in the treets or fields. Thefe do far more diftract the heart from God's service, than fervile labour doth: A man will find himself more indifpofed for prayer and holy duties after them, than after the works of his calling. It was the fenfe of this that made Auguftine fay, "That it

to spin, or for men to plow, there better for maids

for them to dance and fport on the Sabbath day. Quanto melius eft arare quam faltare in Sabbato." Aug. in titulum Plat. xcii. He very well knew, that carnal pleasures are inconfiftent with devotion, and wholly unfit the foul for. communion with God, which is the work of the Sab bath. Hence we fee, lovers of pleafure, and lovers of God, are fet in oppofition, 2 Tim. iii. 4.

I might go on to multiply arguments to this purpofe; but this truth is fo clear from found reafon and the word of God, and particularly from Ifa. Iviii. 13. to fuch as believe the feriptures, that I think it almoft needless to say any more.

But, in regard this truth hath many adverfaries, (and no wonder though fatan mufter up all his forces against it, fince it levels fo directly against his kingdom) I shall endeavour to anfwer the chief objections brought against it.

Particularly, there is one 7. S. who calls himself a Prefbyter of the Epifcopal church of Scotland, that in his pamphlets upon the Sabbath, lately published, pleads for Sabbath days recreations, both as lawful and dutiful, after the public worship is over; providing (as he qualifies them) there be nothing immodeft or indecent therein, nor too much time spent thereby: Though he neither tells how much time he allows for them, nor what are the immodeft or indecent things which he difallows in them; but leaves every man to his own conftruction and choice therein.

I fhall confider the ftrength of the arguments adduced by him and others, for thefe recreations; and I fhall begin with the chief one.

Object. I. "To hinder these recreations after fermon, were to tye us, who are the difciples of Chrift, to as ftrict a rest, and as burdensome an obfervation of the Sabbath, as the Jews were obliged to under the law, which were to judaize, and build that again which Chrift hath deftroyed."

Anf. 1. The fourth command being moral and perpetual, as hath been proven, doth oblige us to as frict a reft and ceffation from worldly actions, as it did the Jews. I grant indeed, the Pharifees invented a great many fuperftitious additions to the reft of the Sabbath, which were not of divine appointment, and would have had all to conform thereto, as if they had been divine. laws. They affigned fuch a precife space for a Sabbath-day's journey; they frequently would not allow the relieving of mens bodies and beasts in distress this day: Some came this length, that though they allowed beafts to be fed or watered, yet, if any of them fell into a ditch, they must not draw him out on this day, but feed him where he was till the Sabbath was over. Nay, I have read of Jews fo ridiculously fuperftitious, that they would not allow themselves to be drawn out

of

of pits or dangerous places into which they had fallen on the Sabbath, and therefore have fmarted with death for their folly. Some held, that it was unlawful to kill a flea, take the fkin off an apple, or do any thing of that kind on the Sabbath day: Nay, further, they taught, that it was unlawful to defend themselves against their enemies this day; by which means they fometimes became a prey to their enemies: Till Mattathias the priest better inftructed them, as we are told by Jofephus, and the author of the first book of the Maccabees.

I fay, thefe were nothing but human additions; for the fame things were lawful to the Jews on the Sabbath, that are allowed to us, viz. the works of piety, neceflity and mercy; as manifeftly appears by the commentary which Chrift gives upon this command, both by his words and actions. Chrift defends his practice in healing, and his disciples in plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath; and fhews, that the works of neceffity and mercy, the relieving of men and beafts in diftrefs, were lawful on the Sabbath. Our bleffed Saviour, by his reasoning against the Pharifees on this fubject, intends only to reprove their superstitious additions, and to fhew what things were lawful to the Jews on the Sabbath from the beginning, but not what things are now lawful to us under the gofpel; for he gives no more liberty for worldly things this day than what was before, fince he " came not to deftroy the law."

2. I grant indeed, that our Saviour hath freed Chrif tians under the gofpel, from the Jewish method of celebrating the Sabbath, by a typical fervice and ceremonial worship, confifting of facrifices, wathings, and manifold rites, which were a burdenfome yoke. Now, to reintroduce abrogated ceremonies on the Sabbath, is (I confefs) to judaize, and rebuild what Chrift hath deftroyed; and whoever are chargeable with this in any degree, let them fee to it. But what man will call abstaining from carnal recreations on the Sabbath, an abrogated Jewish ceremony? or compare the strict fanctification of the Lord's day, by the pleafant evangelical facrifices of prayer and praife; to the burdenfome

method

method of obferving the Jewish Sabbath? Chrift hath told us, that his "yoke is eafy, and his burden is light ;' and all his experienced difciples will fet their feal to the truth of it.

For my part, I do not fee how a man can own the morality and unalterable obligation of the fourth command, and not grant that we are as ftrictly tied to moral duties on the Sabbath as the Jews, and confequently to the fame holy reft, and diligence in the fervice of God upon it; fince the change made by Chrift's com ing is only in circumftantial or ceremonial things, viz. the day of the week, and the nature of the fervice or facrifice requifite upon it.

Object." But, befides the nature of the fervice and worship, there were feveral peculiar things required of the Jews upon the Sabbath, not binding upon us: Particularly, concerning the not dreffing of meat, going out of the place, kindling of fire, bearing of burdens, the nature of the punishment of Sabbath breaking, double facrifices," &c.

Anf. 1. If any of the forefaid things were typical or ceremonial, then indeed it is abrogated by Chrift's coming, and not binding upon us: But this will nowife alter the cafe with refpect to abstaining from carnal recreations on the Sabbath, which can never be reckoned typical or ceremonial; it being what is perpetually mo ral, and neceffary to the fuitable fanctification of this holy day, in all ages of the world.

2. Let the forefaid inftances be narrowly confidered, and it will be found that there is no fuch peculiar thing therein as is commonly imagined.

I. As to dreffing of meat on the Sabbath, the only place whence the prohibition of it is inferred is Exod. xvi. 23. concerning the preparing of manna. There are feveral interpreters, who think, that the dreffing of it on the Sabbath is not here forbid; but that they are there ordered to lay up a part of it undreffed for the Sabbath. But granting, as the most part of interpreters do, that the dreffing of the manna is there difcharged, this will not infer a discharge of dreffing. any kind of meat on the Sabbath: fince there were

fome

fome things peculiar to the manna, beyond other meat: For,

1. There was a particular promise made concerning it, that was not made concerning other kinds of food, viz. That it should not spoil nor corrupt: For, in that hot country, dreffed meat could not eafily be preferved good and wholesome over night.

2. There was much more fervile work requifite in preparing manna than other kinds of food; it behoved to be "grinded in mills, beat in mortars, and baken in pans," Num. xi. 8. Now, fo much fervile labour about preparing of food was not fit upon the Sabbath, fince it did not tend to the rest or refreshing of the body, but rather to the toiling of it; and likewife it took up many hands, and would have hindered them from fanctifying of the day. So that there is no peculiarity in this prohibition; for, were we in their cafe, and had manna to feed on, it were not lawful for us to prepare it on the Sabbath, more than for the Jews: But it is certain that they did drefs other meat on the Sabbath, that required not fuch fervile labour. Only we are taught by this prohibition, as well as the Jews, to be careful to prepare that meat, which requires much toil and pains, before the Sabbath come; and fo to order matters about our bodily provifions the day before, that fervants may be as little hindered from fanctifying the Sabbath, and the work of the day as little interrupted as poffible. 1.

II. As to the fecond inftance, the prohibition of "going out of their places on the Sabbath," Exod. xvi, 29. it is plain from the context, that it is to be meant of going out to feek manna, it being an unneceffary fervile work, and therefore unlawful on the Sabbath-day. For though the Jews were restrained from going through the ftreets or fields on the Sabbath, for worldly business, recreation or putting off the time; yet not from all walking or travelling, when either the works of piety or neceffity did require; for a " Sabbath-day's journey" was allowed, Acts i. 12. The Pharifees indeed ftinted it to two thousand cubits, (which fome make one mile, others two, according to the different cubits in use VOLY IV. among

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