birds, — what the sun is among the planets, — tliat the Lord's day is among otliei" days. "This is the day which the Lord liatli made," Ps. cxviii. 24. God hath made all the days, but he hath blessed this. As Ja- cob got the blessing from his brother, so tlie sabbath got the blessing from all the o- ther days in the week. The sabb.ath is a day in which we converse in a special man- ner with God. Tlie Jews called the sab- bath "a day of light;" on this day the Sun of Righteousness shines upon the soul. The sabbath is the market-day of the soul, — the cream of time; this is the day of Christ's rising out of the grave, and the Holy Ghost's descending upon the earth; this day is perfumed with the sweet odour of prayer, A\'hich goes up to heaven as in- cense ; this day the manna falls, that angels' food; this is the soul's festival-day; on this day the graces act their part ; the other days of the week are most employed about earth, this day about heaven,— then you gather straw, n(»w jjcarl. Now Christ takes the tJoul nj) into tlie mount, and gives it trans- figuring sights of glory ; now Christ leads his spouse into the wine-cellar, and dis- plays tlie banner ol" his love; now he gives
her his spiced wine, and the juice of the pomegranate. Cant. ii. 8. The Lord doth usually reveal himself more to the soul on this day. The apostle John " was in the Spirit on the Lord's day," Rev. i. 10.; he was canied up in divine raptures towards heaven. This day a Christian is in the al- titudes,— he walks with God, and takes as it were a turn with him in heaven, 1 John i. 3. On this day holy affections are quickened, — the stock of grace is improved, — corruptions are weakened ; on this day Satan falls like lightning before the majes- ty of the word. Christ wrought most of his miracles upon the sabbath : so he doth now ; the dead soul is raised, the heart of stone is made flesh. How should this day be highly esteemed, and had in reve- rence ? This day is more precious than rubies ; God hath anointed this day with the oil of gladness above its fellows. On the sabbath we are doing angels' work, our tongues are tuned to God's praises. This sabbath on earth is a shadow and type of that glorious rest and eternal sabbath we hope for in heaven, when God shall be the temple, and the Lamb shall be the light f)f it. Rev. xxi. 22, 23.
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Exon. XX. 9, 10. Six daj/s sliolt than lahour and do all thy xcork : but the sevcntli day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt do no manner oftcork, §"c.
"SIX d.iys shalt tliou hil><»ur." God would not have any live out of a calliiig; religion seals no \\'arrant for idleness. 'Tis as well a duty to labour six days as to ke( p holy rest on the sevcnt!) (i;iy : " Six days shalt thou labour." 2 The'ss. iii. 11, 12., " We hear there are some among you, who walk disorderly, working not at all. Now, them that are such, Ave command and ex- hort by our Lord Jesus, tliat with (luietness they work, and eat their own bread." A Christian must not only mind heaven, l)ut his calling. While the jiilot hath his eve to the star, he hath his hand to the helm. Without labour the pillars of a common- wealth will dissolve, and the earth will be like the sluggard's field, (»ver-run with bri- ars, Prov. xxiv. 3L Adam in innocency,
though he was the monarch of the world, vet God would not have him idle, but he must dress and till the ground, Gen. ii. 15. I'ietv doth not exclude industrv. " Six days shalt thou labour." Standing water ])utrifies. The inanimate creatures are in motion, — the sun goes its circuit, the foun- tain runs, the lire sj)arkles : and animate creatures, — Solomon sends us to the ant and pismire to harn labour, Prov. vi. 6., chap. XXX. 25. The bee is the emblem of in- dustry ; some of the bees trim the honey, o- thers work the wax, others frame the comb, others lie sentinel at the door of the hive to keep out the drone. And shall not man much more inure himself to labour ? That law in paradise was never yet repealed, " In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread," Gen.
OF THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
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