or the foul profited on this day, if care be not taken for preferving the life, and fupporting the body, in order thereto? But how this text makes for carnal diverfions on the Sabbath, I fee not; unless one should say, that Chrift meant when he faid, "The Sabbath is made for man," that it is made for his corporeal pleafures; which is most abfurd, and directly contrary to Ifa. Iviii. 13.

Object. III. "The hindering of men from Sabbathdays recreations, is an encroachment upon our Chriftian liberty."

Anf. I would gladly know what he means by Chriftian liberty. I take the gospel fenfe of it to be this, that Chrift hath purchased for believers under the gofpel, not only liberty from the dominion, guilt, and punishment of fin, the bondage of fatan, and fting of death; but also hath liberate them from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Old Testament faints were fubjected; and likewife from the curfe of the moral law; yea, and from the power and obligation of it too, as a covenant of works; fo as they are neither to be juftified nor condemned thereby. But that he hath obtained any liberty to us from the obligation of the moral law, as the rule of life and manners, more than the Jews had, I know no orthodox Proteftant that will affert it. Now, if the fourth command be a part of the moral law, (as 7. S. owns) to pretend to any freedom from the ftrict obfervation of it, and what is truly moral in it under the gofpel, is unchriftian licentioufnefs, and not Chriftin liberty. Chrift never purchafed a liberty to us, to be lefs religious, or lefs diligent in prayer, praifes, and other duties, than the Jews; for this were no true liberty. Our true liberty lies in a readiness to obey the holy will of God, our only rightful Lord; and in being in a capacity to pursue our chief good and great end; and the more we are difabled from this, the more we are in bondage.

And hence

"I will

any,

it is, that the Pfalmift faith, Pfal. cxix. 45. walk at liberty, for I feek thy precepts." But for under pretence of Chriftian liberty, to walk loofely and licentiously, is to deftroy the end of Chriftian liberty,

which is, "That, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might ferve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteoufnefs before him all the days of our life," Luke i. 74. 75.

Object. IV: "The restraining these recreations is not a good politic for promoting godliness; for, instead of this, it drives people to the other extreme."

Anf. 1. Though it were a good politic, I am fure it is bad divinity: For, we must not do evil, that good may come of it.

2. It is no new thing for mens lufts and corruptions to grow more impetuous, and be the more irritated, by the reftraints and prohibitions of God's holy and juft laws, Rom. vii. 8. Yet no Chriftian ever pleaded that thefe laws fhould be either difpenfed with or flackened upon this account; but ftill owned the fault to be in our own corrupt natures, and not in God's excellent laws. If all thefe precepts were to be dipenfed with, that are grating to the lufts of carnal men, then few of them would be binding; for every fpiritual duty is unpleasant to them.

3. If inquiry be made into the ftate of the flocks of thofe minifters who use this politic, I apprehend it will be found to have but very bad fuccefs in promoting godliness, or even morality, either on Sabbath or weekday. Nay, on the contrary, these Sabbath-days recreations will be found a politic of hell, wherever the experiment is tried, for banishing piety, and promoting all forts of profanity. Whereas, in thefe places where they are confcientiously fuppreffed, Sabbath-holiness, family-worship, and true piety, are known to be in a flourishing condition.

4. If magiftrates and minifters would cordially join hands in the execution of civil and ecclefiaftical laws against Sabbath-breaking and profaneness, the imperious eruptions of mens lufts on the Sabbath would foon, through the bleffing of God, be effectually dammed up and restrained. A refolute refifting of the devil, is the best way to overcome him; whereas, yeilding to him in any degree, is the ready way to be vanquished by him.

Object.

Object, V. "The Chriftian Sabbath (faith J. S.) is a festival, and confequently folacing ourselves by a clearful and mutual converfation together in our houses on that day (if there be nothing immodeft or indecent thereon, nor too much time fpent thereby) is not only lawful, but dutiful also."

Anf. 1. I fuppofe he means the convening of friendsand neighbours to carnal feasts and entertainments on the Sabbath, and holding good fellowship together, af ter the manner of the world: for, if he meant any other conversation, I think he would not caution a gainst the spending of too much time therein; for there is little need of any fuch caution with respect to fpiritual conversation: Alas, there is little time spent therein! J. S. had employed his pen much better, if he had recommended this fort of conversation on the Sabbath: For that of a carnal fort, people are apt enough to learn it without a teacher.

2. Ifreely own the Lord's day to be a feftival, but it is for the foul, not for the body. This is the day in which Chriftians are brought into the banquettinghoufe; but the fare is celeftial, the dainties fpiritual: On this day they are feafted and filled, but it is with the fatnefs of God's houfe, and the rivers of his pleafures: This day they are made joyful, but not with carnal joy and mirth; the pleasures are fpiritual, the joy is divine. I do not fay that this day ought to be kept as a faft-day for afflicting the body; no, it is neceffary the body fhould be feafonably refreshed and' fupported, that it may be fèrviceable to the foul in the work of the day, and service of God, and may call the Sabbath adelight, rejoice in God's goodnefs, and be cheerful in the celebration of the love and praifes of our Redeemer. But to fay, that fet féafts, carnal entertainments, and good fellowship, are proper duties on the Lord's day, is ftrange doctrine; for then I fée not how carnal mirth and jollity can be excluded; and fo God's holy day fhalf be turned into a carnival, deftructive to the bieffed ends and defigns of it. Modeft and honeft provision for our tables on the Lord's day, is what I do not difcommend: But I fay, "Set feafts, fumptuous en

tertainmets,

tertainments, and too liberal partaking of the crea tures, are not proper on this day; in regard they are apt to indifpofe us for the duties of the day, by rendering the body duil and fluggish, and inclining us to drowfinefs and fleep," as alfo, the preparing of them doth detain fervants from the ordinances, and divert them both from public and private duties neceffary for the sanctifying of the Sabbath. It is obfervable of our bleffed pattern Jefus Chrift, that though he frankly went into the houfes of Pharifees, and others, on weekdays, when invited, yet on the Sabbath-day, it is only faid, he went into one of their houses to eat bread, Luke xiv. 1 that is, to take such moderate refreshment as was fuitable for that day, and we the work of it; teaching us, that on this day, we should, like Mofes and Jethro, with the elders of Ifrael, Exod. xviii. 12. "eat bread before God," i. e. with a deep sense of his all-seeing eye, and special caution against all manner of excess, or any thing that may indispose us for holy duties.

Moreover, obferve what manner of converfation Chrift had at this Sabbath-day's refreshment: He indeed folaced himself and the company with a mutual and cheerful converfation, but it was wholly fpiritual and heavenly, concerning the feaft provided for us in the gofpel. This was fuitable Sabbath-day's converfation, that needed not J. S's caution against spending too

much time therein

But J. S. is fo zealous for those Sabbath-days recreations and entertainments, that he is not content to prove the lawfulness of them, but he will have them binding on us, as neceflary duties. But I would fain know how any man will prove the dutifulness of them: Pray, where is the command for them? where is the advantage of them? wherein do they promote the great ends of the Sabbath, God's glory and fouls edifi cation? I think I have clearly proven the contrary. I thall only add this word; I make a fuppofition, that a poor foul is brought under a law work, or deep convictions, like the jailor, by means of the fermons on the Lord's day Will any man fay, that it would be

his

his duty, prefently after, to go to these feasts, entertainments and recreations, and thereby hinder or quench the operations of God's Spirit on his foul? I would rather think it his duty to retire from the world and company, to prayer and felf-examination, in order to entertain and cherish the Spirit's work on his heart.

Object. VI. "But thefe recreations and entertainments will not hinder the fanctification of the Sabbath, but rather help to quicken and prepare us for our fucceeding devotions."

Anf. I am perfuaded that those who exercise themfelves to godlinefs, and are acquainted with the power of it, will not talk fo; nay, they will tell, from their fad experience, that the meeting of promiscuous companies on the Lord's day, for carnal entertainments, vain walking, talking and sporting, are so far from fitting us for after devotions or fpiritual exercifes, that they directly tend to deaden the heart, fupprefs convictions, quench any warmness of affections and liveliness of frame wrought in us by the public ordinances, and fo render. us the more indifpofed for fpiritual employments. Instead of quickening and difpofing our minds for returning to God's worthip, they do the more increase our averfenefs thereto. Experienced Chriftians can tell, that private meditation, reading, or Chriftian conference, are far better means to fit us for our evening devotions on the Lord's day, than carnal recreations.

Object. VII. "Some intermiffion for recreation is needful; for we cannot be employed in fpiritual exercifes a whole day: This would be a great toil to the fpirits, especially of fuch who have been fore, toiled with fervile labour through the week: Nay, the beft are ready to faint and weary in the continued exercise of piety.”

Anf. 1. The extent of God's precepts is not to be measured by our ability or inability; neither can our impotency, to give obedience to God's commands, in the leaft invalidate or weaken the authority thereof.

2. By the fame argument, the Jews might have pleaded, that they were not bound to reft the whole Sabbath, nor fpend the whole day in religious exercises; VOL. IV.

for