1. The solemn preparation for it. If a pi'ince were to come to your house, what pre|!aratiou would you make for his enter- faininoiit, — ^sweep the house, wasli the floor, iulorn the room with the richest tapestry and hanging^s, that there might be something Kuitable to the state and dignity of so great a person ? On the blessed sabbath, God intends to have sweet communion with you ; he seems to say to you, as Christ to Zacchcus, Luke xix. 5., " Make haste and come down, lor this day I must abide at thy house." Now, what preparation should you make fi)r entertaining this King of glory ? Now this prej)aration for the sabbath is First, When the evening of the Saturday approacheth, sound a retreat ; call your minds off Irom the world and summon your thoughts together, to think of the great work of the day approaching. Secondly, Purge out all unclean affections which may indispose you for the work of the sabbath. Evening-preparation will be like the tun- ing of the instrument, it will fit the heart the better for the duties of the ensuing sab- bath.
' 2. The sacred observation of it ; touching which these things are to be practised : (1.) Rejoice at the approach of this day, as be- ing a day wherein we have a ])rize for our Boids, and enjoy much of God's presence, John viii 56., Abraham saw my day, and rejoiced. So, when we see the light of a sabbath shine, we should rejoice, Isa. Iviii. 13., '' Thou slialt call the sabbath a de- light ;" this is the queen of days, which God bath crowned with a blessing. As there was one day in the week on which God did vain manna twice as much as upon any other day, so God rains down the manna of heavenly blessings twice as much on the sabbath as on any other. This is the day v\hcrein Christ carries the soul into the house of wine, and displays the banner of love over it ; now the dew of the Si)irit falls on the soul, whereby it is revived and com- forted. How many may write the Lord's day, tiie day of their new birth ! This day of rest is a pledge and earnest of that eter- nal rest in heaven; and shall not we rejoice
the Sun of Righteousness shines, should bo a day of gladness.
(2.) Get up betimes on the sabbath-mor- ning. Christ rose early on this day before the sun was up, John xx. \. Did Christ rise early to save us, and shall not we rise early to worship and glorify him? Ps. Ixiii. L, " Early will I seek thee." Can we be up betimes on other days? The husbandman is early at his plough, — the traveller riseth early to go his journey, — and shall not wo when we are on tliis day travelling to hea- ven ? Certainly did we love God as we should, we would rise on this day betimes, that we may meet with him whom our soul loveth. Such as sit up late at work on the night before, will be so buried in slecj) that they will hardly be up betimes on a sabbath-
mornuig.
(3.) Having dressed our bodies, we must dress our souls for the hearing of the word. As the peoj»le of Israel were to wash them- selves before the law was delivered to them, Exod. xix. 10., so we must wash and cleanse our souls, and that is, by reading, medita- tion and prayer,
I. By reading the word. The word is a great means to sanctify the heart, and bring it into a sabbath-frame, John xvii. 17., " Sanctify them through thy truth," &c. And read the word not carelessly, but with seriousness and affection ; it is the oracle of heaven, — the well of salvation, — the book of life. David, for the preciousncss of God's word, esteemed it above gold ; and for the sweetness, above lioney, Ps. xix. 10. By reading the word aright, our hearts, when they aie dull, are quickened, — when they are hard, are mollified, — when cold and frozen, tare inflamed ; and we can say as the disciples, " Did not our hearts burn within us ?" Some step out of their bed to hearing. The rejison why many get no more good on a sabbath by the word j)rcaclied, is because they did not breakfast with (iod in the morning by reading <»f iiis word.
II. Meditation. Get upon the mctunt ot meditation, and so converse with God. Me- ditation is the soul's retiring of itself, that, by a serious and solemn tliinking upon (iod, the heart may be raised up to divine affec- tions.— Meditation is a \voik fit fur the
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OF THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
mornins: of a siibbatli. Meditate on four things :