Sabbath, and have not the remoteft pretence either to neceffity or usefulness. To have recourse to amufements on this day, is wantonly to throw away our time, without any advantage; and carries in it a plain declaration, that we have no relish for fpiritual things; and that, rather than think of God, and the concerns of our fouls, we will banith reflection altogether, and study to forget both God and ourselves. It was the judgement of one of the fathers, that it was more lawful to plow than to dance on the Lord's day; and the fame thing may be said of all other diverfions, which entirely withdraw us from the bufinefs of religion, and will not fuffer our minds to be ferious and compofed. If it is criminal to work or to labour on this day, it must evidently be still more fo to wafte the time in carnal mirth, or in indolence and floth, or in vain and trifling amusements. In a word, whatever is foreign to religion, or has not a direct tendency to glorify God, and advance our own fpiritual intereft, ought carefully to be avoided on this holý day, as we regard the approbation

approbation of God, and our own prefent and eternal happiness.

Having thus laid your duty in this matter before you, it only remains, in the

Third and last place, That I enforce the practice of it by fome motives and arguments. And,

ift, Allow me to obferve, that though this commandment were to be confidered as a mere pofitive inftitution, or only as a test of our obedience and fubjection to God; yet the portion of time which is thereby feparated from common ufe, is fo

2

very moderate, that we have not the remotest cause to complain of it. I am even perfuaded, that were God to refer the matter to ourfelves, and, after having represented that he had brought us into being, and would allow us a certain term of life in his world, were to afksusowhat portion of our time we would freely refign to his difpofal, as an acknowledgement of his righteous title to the whole, we fhould be ashamed to offer fo little as he hath been pleased to demand. think, that, inftead of every

Iam apt to

feventh day,

we

we fhould have thought every other day, or the full half of our time, the least that could be offered in return for fuch undeserved

goodness. Put the cafe, that any of you were lying on a deathbed, and God should fay to you, How much of your time will you confecrate to my fervice in future, if I fhall now be pleased to restore you to health again? I suppose most of you would reply, without any hefitation, Lord, I make no conditions: I put myself wholly into thy : hands: demand of me whatsoever thou wilt. Hear how Hezekiah expreffeth himself, after his miraculous recovery from a deadly disease, (I. xxxviii. 19, 20.), "The living, the "living, he fhall praise thee as I do this

day. The father to the children shall "make known thy truth. The Lord was

ready to fave me; therefore we will fing my fongs to the ftringed inftruments all "the days of our life in the house of the "Lord." He doth not limit his refolutions of thanksgiving and praise to the Sabbath day; he thought all the days of his life a tribute of confecrated time fmall enough in return for the goodness which had rescued

him from the grave. And is it poffible, that any of us fhould judge one day in feven too much, even though the duties required on it were in their own nature difagreeable, and had nothing to recommend them but the mere authority of the Lawgiver? Nay, my brethren, I fhall put the cafe a little ftronger. Suppose yourselves in the immediate prospect of death, either by sickness or by fome external caufe, and that God should say to you in these circumftances, I will fave you from this danger, on condition that every feventh day you will quietly fubmit to the torments of fome acute diftemper, as long as I fhall continue you in the world. Do you imagine that you would reject these terms? God knows, and yourselves know, that you would not reject them; the offer would appear too good to be refused. God then requires nothing more severe than this, your own reafon must tell you that there is no caufe to complain. But what are the duties which God requires of us? Are they disagreeable in their own nature? Have they no value or excellence in themfelves? On the contrary, they are infinitely

If

fit

fit and reasonable, and every way calculated to give the trueft fatisfaction, the most sublime pleasure, to the foul of man.—This I · fhall state as a

2d argument for enforcing obedience to the commandment in the text. What can be more rational or delightful to a wellformed mind, than to contemplate the wonderful works of God in creation, providence, and grace? What can be more becoming, than to join with others in adoring the perfections of the Father of our spirits, and in afcribing that glory which is due to his name? Can any thing be more pleasant, than to retire from the hurry of a vain world, that without referve we may pour out our hearts, and lay open the fecret defires of our fouls, in the prefence of that great Being, whofe nature difpofeth him to pity us, and whofe power enables him to bestow upon us, in the fullest and most effectual manner, every bleffing that can promote our most important interests? Can any entertainment be more rational, more truly divine, than to read the lively oracles of God, and to converfe with our fellow Christians,