upon his accomplishing the far more glorious work of our redemption.

Object. 2." The Ifraelites are injoined to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, "for a perpetual covenant," Exod. xxxi. 16.

Anf. 1. This may be understood of the Sabbath indefinitely, and not of the seventh day Sabbath.

2. Granting the seventh day Sabbath were meant here, yet the perpetuity attributed to it is not abfolute, but periodical; denoting only a great length of time; for fo we find it alcribed to circumcifion, the fhewbread, and other things which were to be abolished.

Object. 3. "There is no exprefs precept for keeping

the Chriftian Sabbath in the New Teftament."

Anf. 1. The Lord doth not give exprefs command for every particular duty in his word, but hath thought it fufficient to afford us plain fcripture consequences, whence we may gather it.

2. There was no need of any new express precept to be left on record, fince all the Chriftians understand themselves to be exprefsly obliged by the fourth command to obferve one day of feven as a Sabbath unto the Lord. And, for the particular day, the example of Christ, and of his apoftles, (who delivered nothing but what they received from their Master, 1 Cor. xi. 23) was fufficient to enter the church upon the unform obfervation thereof: And, being once begun, they could not easily mistake in the continuance of it. The fcripture indeed mentions the change of the day, and the keeping of the Chriftian Sabbath, but briefly, and by fhort hints, because it was a thing univerfally notour to the whole church.

These things, concerning the morality and perpe tual obligation of the law for the Sabbath, being premifed; I come, in the next place, to the chief thing which I defigned to handle, viz. The fanctification of the Sabbath: And there to fhew particularly, how this holy day should be fanctified in a due and fuitable

manner.

CHAP.

THE

CHAP. II.

Concerning the Sanctification of the Sabbath.

HERE is a twofold fanctification of the Sabbath, mentioned in the fourth command, the one by God, the other by man.

As for the first, God hath already fanctified it, as is recorded in the clofe of the command; "The Lord bleffed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." His bleffing and hallowing the day are both of the fame import, and fignify thefe two things;

1. The Lord's diftinguithing this day from others, and his fetting it apart from common unto facred ufes and employments. He hath honoured it with his royal ftamp, and confecrated it for the work of heaven.

2. His pitching upon the Sabbath as the day whereon he doth remarkably blefs and fanctify men, by filling his ordinances with the fpecial bleffings and graces of his holy Spirit, and making them effectual to our fanctification.

This is a bleffed day, and a day of bleffing: For as it is our duty on this day to meet together, and bless God; fo it is God's promise this day to meet with us, and blefs us. He will rain bleffings upon the obfervers. of his Sabbath, grant them his presence, and make them joyful in his house of prayer.

As to the fecond, the fanctification of the Sabbath, which is required of us; this is either negative or pofitive. The first confifts in a holy reft; the fecond in holy exercises upon the Sabbath.

Before I proceed to handle thefe, fhall lay down fome cautions for the right understanding of the fourth command, and for preventing mistakes. Wherefore, when God doth here appoint us fix days of the week for our labour, and one day for his worship, we must not think that it is God's meaning, 1, That no part of our fix days is to be spent in religious exercises; for

under

under the law, there were fet portions of every day confecrated to divine worship, in the tabernacle and temple. Nor,

It

2. Doth he mean that no whole day befide the Sabbath may be fet apart for imploring God's mercy in time of diftrefs, or returning thanks to God for fome fpecial favour or deliverance, when the providence of God calls us to it: For we find God himfelf injoining the obfervation of other days befide the feventh, Exod. xxxiv. Lev. xxiii. Numb. xxviii. and commanding ceffation from labour on these days. is not the defign of the fourth command to lay us under a peremptory or indifpenfible obligation of labouring in all the fix days throughout: but only to injoin us not to labour on any other day but thefe fix days, and to do all our works upon them, fo as we be not hindered from ferving God in a folemn manner on the feyenth.

SECTION I.

Concerning the holy reft requifite on the Sabbath.

THIS

HIS holy reft upon the Sabbath confifts in a total abitinence fro.n all worldly employments and recreations; and from whatever work, bufinefs or action, that may any wife prove a hindrance to the worthip and fervice of God upon that day. This is plain, not only from the fourth command itself, but from many other feriptures, particularly Jer. xvii. 24. Ifa. Ivii 13.

I fhail here propofe fome questions upon this fubject

to be aniwered.

Suet. 1. Are no fort of works lawful on the Sabbath

day?

There are three forts of works ordinarly excepted, as not prohibited by the fourth command, viz. the works of piety, of mercy, and of neceflity.

1. The works of piety, that is, fuch bodily actions or labour as are neceffary and fubfervient to the performance of divine worship, or contribute to order or decency therein; these are lawful and neceffary on the Sabbath day: Such were "the killing of beafts, washing and preparing of facrifices; the convocating people to worship by blowing of trumpets, making fhort journeys to attend worship, &c " under the law. So now, under the gofpel, minifters toiling their bodies in preaching and praying, people travelling to church, the ringing of bells, and the like, are lawful on the Sabbath day.

2. Works of mercy and charity are lawful this day, yea, and neceffary alfo; for, feeing the Sabbath is inftituted as a memorial of God's great love and mercy to us, we are bound upon it to fhew charity both to the fouls and bodies of men, and mercy to the very beafts alfo So that "the feeding our bodies, our beafts, and using means for the help of man or beaft in diftrefs, and preferving of their lives, the vifiting the fick, making collections for the poor," and the like, are lawful on the Sabbath day: For the Jews had allowance for these under the law, fo have we now under the gofpel.

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3. Works of neceffity and great conveniency, which could not be forefeen, nor provided against the day before, nor cannot be delayed to another day; such as fleeing from enemies, or defending ourselves against them; quenching of fire, dreffing of meat, putting on our cloaths," and the like; thefe are alfo lawful on the Sabbath. The Maccabees of old did not decline to fight on the Sabbath day, nor did the Jews long before their days: For the Jewish writers tell us, that the overthrow of Jericho was on the Sabbath; which alfo feems to be founded upon Josh. vI. 3. 4. where it is faid, "They fhall compafs the city fix days; and on the seventh day the walls of the city thall fall down, and the people shall afcend up every man ftraight before him." Only take thefe cautions concerning fuch works: See that the neceffity be real and not pretended, and that ye have no fecret complacency in its falling out. Take heed that

it

it be not a neceflity of your own bringing, and which you might have forefeen and prevented the week before. And, when ye are doing thefe works of neceffity and mercy, endeavour to keep your hearts in a fpiritual frame as much as you can, and study to do them withs out giving fcandal or offence to others, and then dispatch them as foon as poffibiy you can, that ye may attend the main work of the day.

Quest II. What are thefe works and actions, then, from which we must rest and abitain upon the Sabbath?

Anf We must not only take special care this day to abstain from all fuch finful works and actions as are unlawful upon any day; but we must alfo reft from all worldly bufinefs and actions, whether employments or recreations, altho' they be fuch as are lawful on other days. But, more particularly,

I We must reft from all forts of fervile work or worldly employments that tend to our profit or advantage; fuch as, making of journeys, merchandizing, or travelling to markets, carrying of burdens, fishing, going of mills, ploughing, fowing, reaping, &c and, in a word, ail parts of mens ordinary callings. See Nehem. xiii. 15. 16, 17. and downwards: "In thofe days saw I in Judah fome treading wine preffes on the Sabbath, and bringing in fheaves, and lading affes; as also winegrapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerufalem on the Sabbath-day: And I teftis fied against them in the day where they fold victuals: There dwelt men of Tyre alfo therein, which brought fith, and all manner of ware, and fold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah and in Jerufalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and faid unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day? D'd not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon lirael by profaning the Sabbath," &c. The Jews were ftrictly prohibited to do any work this day, even the leaft work of any fort; manna muft not be gathered, nor a few flicks to a fire; nay, the materials for the tabernacle muft not be prepared this day, Exod. xxxi. nor any thing that might

.be