II. The cogent arguments to obey this command of kee|)ing holy the sabbath, 1. From the rationality of it, " Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work." As if God had said : ' I am not an hard master, I do not grudge thee time to look after thy calling, and to get an estate. I have given thee six days, — six to do «11 thy work in, — and h.lve taken but one day for myself: I might have reserved six days for myself, and allowed thee but one, but I have given thee six days for the works of thy calling, and have taken but one day for my own service: therefore it is e(|ual and rational, that thou shouldest set this day in a special manner apart for my worship."
2. The second argument for sanctifying the sabbath, is taken from the justice of it, " The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God." As if God had said : " The sabbath-day is my due, I challenge a spe- cial right in it, and none hath any thing to do to lay claim to it. lie who robs me of This Day, and puts it to common uses, is a sacrilegious person, — he steals from the crown of heaven, and I will in no wise hold him guiltless."
3. The third argument for sanctifying the sabbath is taken from God's own pat-
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tern, he " rested tlic seventh day " As if the Lord should say : " Will you not folhtw mv j)attern? Ilavinj^ finished all my works of creation, I rested the seventh <Iay : so you havinij done all yoin" secular work on the six days, you sliould now cease from the lahour of your calling', and dedicate the seventh day to the Lord, as a day of holy rest."
4. The fourth argument for sahhath-sanc- tification, is taken ah i:li/i, — from the hcnefit which redounds, from a religions ohserva- tion of the sabbath : " The Lord blessed tlie seventh day and hallowed it." It is not only a day of God's aj)])ointment, God did not only appoint the seventh day, but he blessed the seventh day. The sah1)ath- day is not only a day of hononr to God, but a day of blessing to us ; it is not only a day wherein we give God worship, but a day wherein he gives us grace; on this day a blessing dro])s down from heaven. This is a great argument fo" the keeping the sab- bath-day holy. God is not benefited by it, wc cannot add one cubit to his essential glory, — but we ourselves are advantaged ; the sabbath-day, religiously observed, en- tails a blessing upon our souls, our estate, our posterity, as the not keeping this day holy, brings a curse, Jer. xvii. 27. God curscth a man's blessings, Mai. ii. 2. The bread which he eats is poisoned with a curse; Ko the conscientious observation of the sab- bath, brings all manner of blessings with it. These arc the arguments to induce sab- bath-sanctification. And so I have divided the commandment into its several parts and explained the sense of it.
The thing I would haA'e you observe is, That this commatidmont about keeping the sabbath was not abrogated whh the cere- monial law, but it is purely moral, and the observation of the sabbath is to be continued to the end of the world. Where can we shew that God hath given us a discharge from keeping one day in seven ? So that I say, this fourth commandment is moral, and obligcth Christians to the perpetual commemoration and sanctification of the sabbath.
Qi'EST. 1V/n/ God hath appointed a sab- hath ?
Ans, \. In respect of himself. It is re-
quisite that God should reserve one day in seven for his own immediate service, liiat hereby he might ])e acknowledged to })e the Great Plenipotentiary or Sovereign Lord, who liath ])ower over us both to command worshij), and appoint the time when he will \\ be M'orshipped.
2. In respect of us. The sabbath-day makes for our interest, — it promotes holi- ness in us ; the business on the week-day makes us too forgetful of (iod and (mu- soids, — the sabbath brings God into oiu- remem- brance. When the dust of the Avorld falling hath clogged the wheels of our affections that they would scarce move towards God, the sabbath comes, and oils the wheels of our affections, and now tlu-y move swiftly in religion, therefore God hath aj)])ointed a sabbath to ripen our holiness. On this day the thoughts contemplate heaven, — the tongue speaks of God, and is as th.e pen of a ready writer, — now the eyes drop tears, — now the soul burns in love. When the heart Avas all the week frozen, now on the sabbath it is melted with the word. The sabbath is a friend to religion, — it files off the rust of our graces, it is a s])iritual jubi- lee, wherein the soul is set to converse with its Maker.
I should in the next jdace, show you tlie modus, or manner liow we sliould keep the sabbath-day holy. But before I come to that, I shall propound a great question, viz.
Quest. Hotv comes it to puss that ice do not keep the sevcnth-dai/ sah/xith, as it was in the primitive institution, but have changed it to another day ?