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toil their bodies whole days and weeks at the foreft labour, than spend one hour in fecret upon their knees on the Lord's day. How fad and lamentable a thing. is this? Is not God's company most defireable? is it not God's admirable condefcenfion, and our highest honour, that fuch poor worms as we should be admitted into his presence? Are we not naturally defirous of acquaintance with great perfons, and why fo backward to acquaintance with the King of heaven? Is not the Sabbath a delight to God's people? and fhall the work of it be a drudgery to us?

Object. "The duties requifite on this day are fo many, they coft much difficulty and pains to perform them."

Anf. It is better to take pains, than fuffer pains ; better be bound with the cords of duty, than with the chains of darknefs. The bonds of duty are not grievous; nay, they are our ornament and greatest freedom, Pfal. cxix. 45. whereas fatan and the world's fervice is the greateft drudgery; there is fin in the work, and hell in the wages. Alas, that many will be at no pains for that which will bring eternal glory, but are content to be at great pains for that which will coft eternal pains! The drunkard, thief, and adulterer, run many hazards to ferve the devil, and win damnation; they fuffer bodily pains, want fleep and reft, and weary themselves to commit iniquity," They draw iniquity with cords, and fins as with cart ropes," Ifa. v. 18. They are yoked as it were, in the devil's plough or cart, and he makes them fweat and draw in his fervice. What bad work, fad wages, and a terrible master have they? Who would be hired by any wages to ferve lions and tygers? Is not the devil a roaring lion? and, will you ferve him that will devour and tear his fervants both foul and body, after they have ferved him never so faithfully? Oh! fhall the devil's fervants outftrip Chrift's fervants in diligence and activity? Is there any mafter like Chrift? Is there any work or wages like his? Was there ever any of his fervants a lofer at his hands? Will not his experienced fervants tell us, that "wifdom's ways are pleasant

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nefs," and that Sabbath-days work is the sweeteft recreation? Here they have the most pleasant walks, the moft lightfome profpects, the choiceft company, and the fweeteft fellowship, Pfal. xxiii. 2. 3. Pfal. 1. 23. There is heaven in holiness, and gain in godlinefs; no fuch gain or delight to be found elsewhere. Godliness is the most enriching trade in the world; God's people fometimes gain more by it on a Sabbath-day in one hour, in one fermon, one promife, one prayer, one communion-table, one spiritual breathing, than all the rich men of the fhire are worth, put all their estates together. The world will not believe this; but sure I am, one return of prayer, one fmile of Chrift's face, one look of faith, one grape of Canaan, one glimpse of the promised land, the head of one Goliath, the death of one luft, the ftrengthening of one grace, which may be obtained in the duties of the Sabbath; any of these is an abundant recompence for all the pains we can be at in God's fervice this day; they yield more fweetnefs and content to the foul, than all the pleafures the world can afford: The fmalleft gleanings of fpiritual joy are better than a whole vintage of carnal delights.

But what is all this to that eternal weight of glory which is treasured up in heaven, for rewarding the laborious fervants of Chrift? What can we do for fo vaft a reward? Had the Lord faid to us, unless you be content to spend your days in fome howling wildernefs, quit all worldly riches and pleafures, pine away with poverty and want, give the fruit of your bodies, fuffer martyrdom, or take a dip in hell, you fhall never fee my face in glory; furely there is none that knows what it is to escape eternal mifery, and inherit endless happiness above, but would have been willing to accept of these conditions. How much

more then, when he only requires us to accept of his Son as our Surety, and love him, part with those fins that would damn us, and follow him in the pleasant ways of holiness; and to do all this in his grace and ftrength, for he fends none a warfare on their own VOL. IV. charges?

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charges? Say not then, I have no strength for so many duties as are required upon the Sabbath. Is there not enough in Chrilt for thee? Look with an eye of faith to the power and promise of God in Chrift, and every new duty will bring new ftrength with it; "they that do thofe things fhall live in them."

VI. Hardness of heart hinders the fanctification of the Sabbath. Why? hard hearted finners can have no delight in Sabbath-work; they are not affected by the word; they cannot prize Chrift offered in the gofpel; they are not capable of receiving the gofpel-comforts. Oh how many fuch do every Sabbath appear before God who can fit and hear the most terrible threatenings of the word, and curfes of the law denounced against fin, and the fins they are guilty of; and yet be no more concerned than the feats they fit on, or the dead that lie under their feet. Mercies or promises do not allure them, judgments or threatenings do not alarm them. This is a fad cafe, and yet very common, and few fenfible of it. Who is complaining of this plague, of heart-hardness, and laying their cafe before God, faying, "Ah! what fhall I do with this ftone in my heart?" A ftone in the bladder, or kidney, is a woeful pain, but the stone in the heart is much more dangerous and deadly; yet who is pained with that and crying to the Phyfician of fouls to take it away, and give a heart of fleth?

O hard-hearted finner, confider thy miferable condi tion while thou remainest in a fallen state under wrath. Many a stroke has been given thee by the hammer of the word to no purpofe; many of the Spirit's motions haft thou refifted; many a knock haft thou despised. O tremble, left God give thee over, and take no more pains on thee. A heathen Felix trembled, the devils tremble for fear of God's wrath; and will thy heart be unmoved? God calls you to flee from it, ministers call, mercies and promifes call, judgments and threatenings call, the wounds and blood of Chrift call; and will not thy heart be affected?" The voice of the Lord is powerful, full of majesty, breaketh the cedars, shaketh the wilderness," hath melted the hearts of thousands ;

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and yet cannot it break thy hard heart? Thou haft mountains of unpardoned guilt lying on thee, and hast thou no feeling thereof? Remember, if you be not brought to feeling now, you fhall be brought to it ere long, to your eternal coft and forrow; if the word do not waken thy heart, it is like, death will. When you begin to draw by the curtain of flesh, and look into eternity, you will then cry, Lord, what will become of me for ever ? If you do not awake, then to be fure the first moment of your entry into eternity will bring you to your fenfes; the bitings of the worm of confcience will then make you feel; the ftream of fire and brimftene will melt the hardest heart; the hammer of juftice will then break the heart, which the hammer of the word could not.

O then, beg of God, with the greatest earnestness, that he may give you "the broken heart and a contrite fpirit," that fo you may have that acceptable facrifice to offer to him, which he never yet frowned upon, Pfal. li. 17. "A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not defpife." Auguftine caufed write this text over his bed when fick. Let us cry to God for it, who alone can give it. Gravel ftones men may remove, but heart-ftones none can remove but God: We may as eafily remove mountains as do this; yet we must use the means: And therefore, "look to him whom you have pierced, that you may mourn. Think much on the free love of Chrift, and the bloody fufferings your fins did put him to. If Chrift's love and blood will not foften thy heart, nothing will. Beg the Spirit of God to come and make application of the blood of Chrift, the bleffed Scape-goat; and then the adamantine heart will diffolve. Cry, "Come, O Spirit of God, blow the fire of the word with thy own breath, and then it will melt hearts: Take this hammer in thy own hand, and it will break rocks. Lord, wound and heal; do the work thoroughly and effectually; begin it, carry it on and finifh it; For if any of it be left for me to do, it will be eternally undone, and I will be loft for ever. Lord, complete this work, loose my bonds, thaw my affections, and draw my heart, and take eternal glory to thee."

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VII.

VII. Hypocrify and formality in duty is opposite to Sabbath fanctification; for God requires heart-fincerity in every piece of worship and duty that we perform. Yet, O how many are they who give God no more but the outward man, and the fervice of the body! They "draw nigh to God with their lips" only; they pray fo fuperficially, as if they were unwilling that God fhould hear them, and take away that luft which confcience forces them to pray againft. They are fo carelefs and irreverent in fecret prayer, they would be ashamed if any saw them, or overheard them. A statue on a tomb, with eyes and hands lifted up, offers as good fervice as many; only it wants a voice: And what fignifies the voice without the affections? A parrot may be taught to repeat some few words of prayer, but none will call that a prayer; fo neither will God own thy formal words for prayer. It is fpeaking, and not praying, when the heart is wanting; he looks upon thy worship as no better than a ftage-play. Many worship God as carelessly as if they were "praying to an idol," that neither faw nor heard them: Nay, many heathens have worshipped their falfe gods, Jupiter and Mars, with greater feriousness and devotion than you do the great JEHOVAH, who made you and all the world. Why? the reafon of all this is, all that many feek of religion is the name of it; and the outward form of it makes them pafs under the name of good Chriftians among men. Though God fees their hypocrify, yet man knows it not; and that is enough to them. But, O hypocrite, confider the day is approaching when God will unmask thee before all the world. As Paul faid to the high priest, Acts xxiii. 3. fo may I fay to thee, "God fhall fmite thee, thou whited wall;" fo as thy paint fhall fall off, and thy inward rottennefs appear to all. There will be no hiding of thyself among the crowd, no impofing on an all-feeing God. He can eafily difcern a traiterous Judas under a deceitful kifs, a ravening wolf under a fheep's skin, a murdering Herod under a pretence of worthip, a hypocritical Pharifee under a broad phylactory. He can fpy a diffembling devil under a Samuel's mant'e, or when he would fhrou!

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