houfe, and all his goods. This Mr Clark preffed upon their confciences: but nothing would prevail, till at last, upon a Sabbath day at night, when they were retired to their feveral homes, there was heard a great noise, and rattling of chains up and down the town, which was accompanied with fuch a smell and ftink of fire and brimstone, that many of their guilty confciences fuggefted to them, that the devil was come to fetch them away: And now, and not till now, they began to think in good earneftnefs of a reformation.

Mr Clark, in his examples, tells us of one Mr Abberly, a godly minifter in Burton upon Trent, who took occafion often to reprove and threaten Sabbath breakers, especially such as fold and bought meat upon Sabbath day mornings, a practice too common in that place. Nevertheless, there was a taylor, that dwelt in the upper end of the town, who would go through the long ftreet (as it were in a bravado) to the other end of the town, and fetch home meat on the Lord's day morning; but as he returned with both his hands full, in the midst of the street he fell down ftark dead. I was (faith Dr Teate) an eye-witnefs, both of his fall and burial: And it pleafed God thereby to work fome reformation, both among the butchers and others.

Alfo he relates, from one Mr Falconer, minifter of Burford near Salisbury, a fearful example of God's juftice, about the year 1635. A prophane company of young men, on the Lord's day, early in the morning, went to Claringdon park, to cut down a May-pole; and having loaden the cart with it, at Milner's Bars, entering into the city of Salisbury, one of the cartwheels fell into a rut, which made the young tree in the cart (which they had ftole for a May pole) to give a great furge on one fide, fo that it struck one of the company fuch a blow on the head, that it beat out his brains, and he inftantly died on the place, and lay there a fearful fpectacle of God's wrath, both against that heathenish fport and wilful prophaning of the Sabbath; whilft he maketh the very thing they had chofen for their fport and paftime, to be the inftrument of executing his fury. The author faith, that he diligently en

quired after the truth of this matter, at his first going to Sarum; and many godly and credible perfons, who had feen that fad fpectacle, in his hearing attefted it to be fo as above narrated.

Alfo, in the county of Devon, one Edward Ameridith, a gentlemen, having been pained in his feet, and being fomewhat recovered, one faid unto him, He was: glad to fee him fo nimble, Ameridith replied, That he doubted not but to dance about the May pole next. Lord's day; but, before he moved out of that place, he was fitten with fuch feebleness of heart, and dizzinefs in his head, that, defiring help to carry him to an houfe, he died before the Lord's day came.

Dr Twifs on the Sabbath, tells, That at a place called Tidworth, on the Sabbath day, many being met together to play at foot-ball in the church yard, one had his leg broke, which presently gangrening, he forthwith died thereof. Likewife at Alcefter in Warwickshire, a lufty young woman (upon the coming forth of the declaration for fports) went on the Sabbath day to a green not very far off, where the faid, fhe would dance as long as the could ftand: But, while fhe was dancing, God ftruck her with a violent disease, whereof, within two or three days after, fhe died.

Beard in his theatre, writes of a certain nobleman, that used to go a hunting on the Lord's day in time of fermon, who had a child by his wife with a head like a dog, and it howled like a hound.

I fhall conclude with one example more from Mr Clark. He gives account of a godly minifter, that one day was preaching, and earnestly preffing the fanctification of the Sabbath; and, in his fermon, he had occafion to make mention of that man, that, by the fpecial commandment of God, was ftoned to death for gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. Whereupon one in the congregation was fo wicked, as to rife up and laugh; yea, made all the hafte he could out of the church, and went to gathering of fticks, though he had no need of them: But, when the people came out from the fermon, they found him in their way, lying ftark dead, with the bundle of fticks in his arms. Thefe inftances

of divine vengeance, inflicted upon the profaners of the Lord's day, may contribute very much to confirm us in the belief of the divine inftitution of this holy day; and likewife may ferve to warn all ranks and degrees of perfons, to guard against the contempt and violation of the Lord's day. The Lord indeed exercifeth great long-fuffering and patience towards many notorious Sabbath-breakers, to fhew us that there is a judgment to come: But nevertheless he makes monuments of fome, to let us know, that "verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth."

Many more examples might be brought, if it were needful, from all corners of the land; but I truly believe, there are few serious obfervers of providence, but might relate many fad inftances of the difcovery of God's difpleasure against the profanation of the Lord's day from their own experience and obfervation.

After all, I hope, there is none that fears God, loves Christ, and believes the holy fcriptures, but will fee thefe arguments which I have adduced, to be convincing demonftrations of the neceffity of fanctifying the Lord's day, and honouring it as God's Sabbath, to the end of the world.

Now, to fum up the whole, let us lay all these together: The folid ground for the morality of the fourth command, the weighty reasons of the change of the day, and the fpecial marks of honour that Chrift hath put upon this holy day; it being' the day in which he first made the light to thine, the day wherein also the Sun of righteousness arofe, difpelling the clouds of guilt and fear; the day he subdued his enemies, manifested himself to his difciples, and taught them his will; the day he fent the Holy Ghost to his apoftles; the day he hath called by his own name, and reserved for his own ufe, and upon which he holds fpecial communion with his people, and vouchfafes them the marks of his royal favour; the day which God highly honours by his providential difpenfations. And will it not then be judg d an high affront to Almighty God, to pour contempt on that day which he delights to honour? Surely it ought to be matter of grief to all true lovers

of

of God, when they fee it done. We are told, that, when one of Darius's eunuchs faw Alexander fetting his feet on a rich table of his master's he fell a weeping; and being asked the reason of it, he said, "It was to see the table his master fo highly efteemed, now made a footftool." And may we not weep to fee the day that God hath honoured and bleffed, and for which he is fo highly concerned made a footstool, and trampled on by fo many profane perfons in our days? To be fure, God will not fit with fuch open affronts as he gets from fone in this matter.

Thus, I think I have demonstrated the morality of the fourth.command, and the divine inftitution of the Lord's day for our Chriftian Sabbath; which, by neceffary confequence, proves the abolition of the Jewish feventh day Sabbath. For though there were no other fcripture warrant for abolishing the old Sabbath, (which nevertheless there is, as I thewed before) yet feeing it is evident that our Lord Jefus Chrift, the Lord of the Sabbath," hath by his refurrection, example and authority, for ever confecrated the first day of the week, for the folemn remembrance and celebration of the Lord's reft from the great work of redemption, and of that unparallelled deliverance wrought by him for a loft world, and thereby hath fet apart the first day for our Sabbath; then, of course, the old feventh day must cede, and refign its fanctity to it, and be for ever abrogated. The Chriftian Sabbath muft neceffarily extinguish the Jewish, feeing the two Sabbath days cannot ftand in force together : For, by virtue of the fourth command, there is but one day of seven to be observed for the Sabbath, one day only after fix working days, and not two after five. And fince it is the ancient and unrepealed inftitution of God, that men should labour fix days of the week, and observe but one day for the Sabbath; then furely, if we should labour but five days of the week and keep two for the Sabbath, we would exprefsly violate the law. So that no Chriftians need to have the leaft fcruple about the abrogation of the Jewiths Sabbath.

But

But though the feventh day be now divefted of its fanctity, and hath no more claim to the Sabbath, having refigned all its dignity and privileges to the first day of the week, the New Teftament Sabbath; yet still it hath the honour of ushering it in. and of ferving as a preparation day for it. As the Jewish typical worship ufhered in the evangelical spiritual worship; and the Jewish deliverances from Egypt and Babylon were preparatory to that more glorious and general one from hell and destruction by Jefus Chrift, which is this day commemorated. So the Jewish seventh day Sabbath serves to usher in and prepare us for the glorious festival of the Christian Sabbath, which is to continue while Christ hath a church upon earth, being the only day appointed to be kept in remembrance of him, and asferving to usher in and prepare us for that far more glorious and celestial Sabbath above, which shall never have an end.

Of

O then endeavour by all means to get and keep up a high esteem of the Lord's day, that day which God hath exalted above all the days of the week, and above all the Jewish Sabbaths and feftivals whatsomever. them in comparison of the Lord's day, we may fay in allufion to that word, Heb. i. 11. 12. "They perish, but thou remaineft; and they all wax old like a garment, and as a vesture thou haft folded them up, and they are changed; but thou fhalt (maugre all the malice of men and devils) continue the fame, and thy years fhall not fail." Thefe were but as morning stars, to ufher in the fun. Other feftivals, in all their royalty, are not arrayed like thee. All the graces triumph in thee; all the ordinances confpire to adorn thee; the facred Trinity do delight in thee: the Father ruleth thee, the Son rofe upon thee, and the Spirit hath overshadowed thee. Thus is it done to the day which the King of heaven delighteth to honour; And what fhall be done to the man that delighteth to difhonour and put contempt upon thee?

Surely, as "God will not hold him guiltless" that breaks the third command, "by taking his name in vain; fo he will not hold him guiltlefs that breaks the fourth commandment, by spending his day in vain. And though

the