THE WHOLE WORKS OF THE REVEREND AND LEARNED MR JOHN WILLISON, LATE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT DUNDEE, IN FOUR VOLUMES, VOL IV, CONTAINING I. A TREATISE CONCERNING THE II. A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL TESTIMONY, o RY OF REDELMING LOVE, EDINBURGH: PRINTED BY J. MOIR, PATERSON's court, Edinburgh: G. PATTIE, Leit) : M OGL, Glasgow: & IMRAY, Inverness : and J. FORSYTII, Elgin. WHEREIN The Morality of the Sabbath, or the Perpetual Oba ligation of the Fourth Commandment, is AND strongly pressed by Scripture-arguments. CONTAINING ALSO Many special DIRECTIONS and Advices for the better pesa forming the most necessary and comprehensive Duty of , SABBATH-SANCTIFICATION. 10-2-30 Euro To which are added (by way of APPENDIX) PROPER FOR FAMILIES. Rev. i. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. PREF A C E. THAT wife king Solomon obferves, Eccl. ii. 1. 1 " To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” And if there be a time and season allowed for every thing and purpose, even the meanest things and purposes in the world; surely an infinitely wise God will allow a proper time and season for the best things and purposes, and particularly for his folemn worship and service, which is the most necessary and excellent purpose in the world. It is not enough, that we give God, from whom we have all our time, a hare of every day for his service; no, we owe him also fome whole days for his solemn and public worship : Yea, it is agreeable to the dictates of the light of nature, and of sound reason, that one whole day of every week should be dedicated to him for that end. All nations through the world have had their seasons and set times for devotion and sacrifices. The heathens, who worshipped dumb idols, had their festivals and holydays, and particularly one day of the week, which they esteemed more sacred than the rest. The Turks, who have taken up with the most unreasonable delusions and impostures, do ftill retain the impressions of the rationality and equity of this thing, that there should be a certain day of the week set apart for the folemn worship of God. Indeed the light of nature, without some other help, could not have determined men universally to dedicate the seventh day of their time to God; more than the sixth or eighth : But seeing the wise Creator of the world, and author of time, thought fit from the begioning, to meafure time by days, and parcel out these days into fuch remarkable periods as weeks, or the revolution of seven days, to be constantly observed all the world over ; it is most consonant to reason and equity, that one day of caca week should be holy to the Lord. But, besides the light of nature, we have the light of revelation for this point, God hath expressly appointed |