be delayed or done upon another day. This ceffation was fhadowed forth by that river in Judea, called the Sabbatical river, because it dried up and ceafed from running every Sabbath day: which not only Jofephus fpeaks of, but alfo Pliny, Auguftus Cæfar in his letter to Tiberius, and others. Let none think that such a total ceffation from secular business would tend to their worldly disadvantage; for none were ever lofers in this refpect, by laying afide their own labours to attend God's worthip and fervice upon his own day. As God took care of Ifrael's fafety, while they came up to Jerufalem three times a year to attend the folemn feafts which he had instituted; fo that at these times none of their enemies fhould make any attack upon them, or fo much as defire their cities, according to his promise in Exod. xxxiv. 24. So will that fame God, by his kind and watchful providence, take care that his people sustain no damage in their worldly affairs through their dutiful obfervation of this holy day. Nay, on the contrary, they have found this practice to be even profitable to them, with refpect to their outward temporal eftate: And there is good ground to think it will always be fo; for, the more confcientious any man is in fanctifying the Sabbath-day, the greater bleffing he may expect from God upon his labour on the fix days: And it is not your own labour or toil, but the " bleffing of God that maketh rich," Prov. x. 22. Judge Hale, and other godly perfons, have attefted the truth of this point from their own experience, as I have shewed before.

The Lord, in his word, is very peremptory and particular in injoining this ceffation from labour on the Sabbath; and because he knows the eagerness of mens hearts upon the world, and their readiness to encroach upon his holy day with their worldly labour, he condefcends upon these seasons wherein they have moft tentation thereto, and requires them in "earing time and in harvest" to reft on the Sabbath, Exod. xxxiv. 21. Though thofe be the times when we are moft throng with worldly bufinefs, yet he will have us in midit thereof punctually to obferve the Sabbath, and prefer VOL. IV.

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the pleasure of commuion with God in his ordinances to the joy of harveft, and to expect that harv ft-work will profper the better for our religious obfervation of the Sabbath in harvest time. Aifo the Lord fpecifies these seasons, because then we are under greater obligations to ftrict keeping of the Sabbath, than at other times; because,

1. The bodies of servants and cattle are more toiled ther, than at other times; and so have the more need of rest.

2. People then have lefs time to worship God in their families and closets on week days, because of the greatness of their labour; and therefore have need to improve the Sabbath the more diligently.

3. In harvest we partake more of the fruits of God's bounty, than at other times; and therefore fhould be the more thankful to God for his mercies, and efpecially for Chrift, the mercy of mercies, who alone doth both purchase and sweeten all our mercies

to us.

Now, is it not matter of deep regret that (notwithftanding God's fpecial command, and our manifold obligations to the contrary) our churches in many places fhould be thinner, and fields thronger with idle people wandering therein in time of harvest, than at other times of the year?

Object." When the weather is unfeasonable and tempestuous through the week, doth it not become a work of neceflity to fow or reap on the Sabbath, for preferving of food to man and beast ?"

Anf. If fome particular mens corns were in hazard of being carried away, or loft by the inundation of a river, or the like, it were a work of neceffity to endeavour the preservation of them upon the Sabbath ; because the difpenfation is extraordinary, the cafe not common nor general, and the damage irrecoverable in any ordinary way. But, as for fowing, reaping, or gathering in upon the Sabbath, (whatever be pretended from the feason or weather for it) I judge it unlawful, because the cafe is common and general; the hazard proceeds from the ordinary providence of God;

and

and there is ground to expect God's fending better weather, according to the gracious promife, which we ought not to diftruft, Gen. ix. 22 While the the earth remaineth, feed time and harvest shall not ceafe." But. if any distrust God's word, and incroach upon his holy day with their labour, let them confider that God can eafily blaft the works of their hands, and caft their bulinefs farther behind than their neighbours, who believe and wait upon the Lord. I have a certain account of a rich farmer in this nation, not many years ago, who in harvest time (the weather having been very bad for some time before, and proving fair and dry on Saturday and the Lord's dy) would needs caufe his fervants yoke his horses, and fall to the leading of his corns upon the Sabbath evening: But it pleafed the Lord that he foon got other work to do; for that very night his house and goods took fire, and fo their labour was quickly ftopt, all hands being called to be employed in quenching of the fire. Many other inftances might be

given: But I proceed.

II. We must reft not only from all worldly employments on the Sabbath, but also from all worldly recreations, according to the word of God, and our confef fion of faith and catechifms. But this point being much impugned and difputed by many, I fhall handle it as diftinctly and fatisfyingly as I can.

Recreations are twofold, fome are natural and neceffary, fuch as the refreshing our bodies with meat, drink and fleep. These are recreations we cannot live or do bufinefs without upon any day, and therefore are both lawful and neceffary upon the Sabbath; efpecially fince we are thereby better difpofed for performing the duties of the day. But,

2. There are recreations which are voluntary and not neceffary, freely chofen by people for their bodily pleasure and diverfion; fuch as fports, paftimes, or games, whether more public or more private, such as playing at cards, dice, chefs, tables, &c or any fort of carnal mufic, fuch as whiftling, finging, or playing on an inftrument, or putting off the time with worldly converse, jefting, laughing, telling idle ftories, walk

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ing and talking idly in the fireets, or feeking our pleafure in the fields, though it be after public worship is over. Now, all fuch recreations being our own works, and for our own pleasure, and not fubfervient to the duties of God's worship, but hinderances thereto, are unlawful on the Sabbath day, as being expressly contrary to that reft required in the fourth command, and to that plain word in Ifa. lviii. 13. 14. “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy plea. fure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and fhalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleafures, nor fpeaking thine own words :-Then shalt thou delight thyfelf in the Lord, and I will caufe thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob," &c. Now, can there be any thing more directly levelled against carnal recreations, idle talking, walking, &c. on the Sabbath day than this is? "We must turn away our foot from doing our own pleasure on it," i. e. by travelling or walking for pleasure or recreation; nay we muft neither do our own ways, fpeak our own words, nor find our own pleasures on this day. But if people will, notwithstanding hereof, allow themselves in idle diverfions and loose recreations upon the Sabbath, I fee not how they will free themfelves of open rebellion against God: For God commands us to remember the Sabbath day, not to delight ourfelves by carnal recreations, but to keep it holy by divine exercises; and to fpend it otherwife, is plainly to trample upon God's authority, and declare war against him.

Object." But those who are for Sabbath days recreations, will tell me, that they condemn all fuch recreations in time of public worship, as well as we do: For the fourth command obliges us duly to attend public worship on the Sabbath, and forbear all worldly employments or recreations in time thereof; but, when that is once over, we may lawfully divert and recreate ourfelves with fuch recreations as are modeft and decent, and not unlawful for Chriftians on other days."

Anf.

Anf. This fuppofes that the Sabbath lafts no longer than the public worship of the day, the contrary whereof I made evident before, and shall evince more fully afterwards. I fhewed that we are obliged to keep holy the whole Sabbath day, not only the time of public worship, or from fun-rifing to fun-fetting, but the whole natural day, confifting of twenty-four hours: This being the feventh part of our time, and of the week, it is the Lord's, and confecrated for his use and service; and confequently no part of it is to be alienated from him, or applied for our pleasures or recreations.

I fhall further confirm this truth by fome more arguments.

I. If it was unlawful for God's people under the Old Teftament, to spend any part of the Sabbath in carnal pleasures and recreations, it is unlawful for us also under the New; but the former is true: And therefore the latter. That fuch recreations were prohibited to the Jews, I believe none will deny, that is either acquaint with their ancient rules and conftitutions, or that reads and believes the fcriptures, particularly the fourth command, and Ifa. lviii. 13. forecited. All that remains for me to prove is, that we are bound to abftain from thofe recreations upon the Sabbath, as well as the Jews; which I do thus: Whatever the Jews were obliged to upon moral reafons and grounds, that we are bound to as much as they; but the Jews were bound to abstain from carnal recreations on the Sabbath, upon moral grounds, which concern us as well as them. I fhewed before, that the reasons of the fourth command are moral, and reach Christians as well as Jews: I mentioned five of them, and truly every one of them levels as much against worldly recreations on the Sabbath day, as against worldly employments: I fhall not resume them all here, but only infift a little on two of them.

1. God's liberality in allowing us fix days for our own ufe: This reafon binds us as much as the Jews, to confecrate one day to the Lord for his fervice. God hath given as gracious discoveries of his bounty to us, as to them; and fhall we be fo ungenerous or ungrate

ful,