(4.) " Tlie holy of the Lord honourable." In the Hebrew, it is glorious. To call the sabbath honourable, is not to be understood so much of an outward honour given to it, by wearing richer apparel, or having better diet on this day, as the Jewish doctors cor- ruptly gloss : this is the chief honour some give to this day ; but by calling the sabbath honourable, is meant that honour of the heart which we give to this day, reverenc- ing it, and esteeming it the queen of davs. We are to count the sabbath honourable, because God hath honoured it. All the persons in the Trinity have honoured it,— • God the Father blessed it, — God the Si)n rose u|)on it, — God the Holy Ghost descend- ed on this day. Acts ii. 1. And indeed this day is to be honoured of all good Christians, and had in high veneration. It is a day of renown. On this day a golden sceptre of mercy is held forth. The Christian sab- hath is the very crepiiscultim and dawning oi' the heavenly sabbath. It is honourable, because this day ' God comes down to us and visits us.' To have the king of heaven j)resent in a special manner in our assem- blies, makes the sabbath-day honourable. Besides, the work that is done on this day makes it honourable ; the six days are filled up wilh servile work, which makes them lose much of their glory ; but on this day sacred work is done. The soul is employ ed wholly about the worship of God ; it is praying, hearing, meditating; it is doing angels' work, praising, and blessing God. Again, the day is luuiourable by virtue of a divine institution; silver is of itself valua- ble, but when the royal stamp is put upon it, it is honourable : so God hath put a sa- cred stamp upon this day, — the stamp of di- vine authority, and the stamj) of divine be- nediction,— this makes it honourable: this is a sanctifying the sabbath, to call it a de- light, and honourable.
(5.) " Not doing thy own ways." That is, thou shalt not defile the day by doing any servile work.
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OF THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
(6.) " Nor finding thy own pleasure." That is, not gratifying the fleshly part, by wall s, visits, or pastimes.
(7.) " Nor speaking thy own words." That is, words heterogeneous and unsuita- ble for a sabbath, — vain, impertinent words, — discourses of worldly affairs. Here is the sanctifying of a sabbath described.
Use 2d. If the sabbath-day be to be kept holy, it reproves them who, instead of sanc- tifying the sabbath, profane it. They take that time which should be detlicated wholly to God, and spend it in the service of the devil and their lusts. The Lord hath en- closed this day for his own worship, and they lay this day common. God hatii set an hedge about this commandment, ' re- member ;' and they break this hedge ; but " whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him," Eccl. x. 8. Tlie sabbath-day in England lies bleeding: and oh that our parliament would pour in some balm into the wounds which tiie sabbath hath receiv- ed ! How is this day profaned, by sitting idle at home, by selling meat, by vain dis- course, by sinful visits, by walking in the fields, by using sports. The people of Is- rael might not gather manna on the sab- bath, and may we use s])orts and dancings on this day ? Truly it siiould be matter of grief to us to see so much sabbath-profana- tion ! When one of Darius's eunuchs saw Alexander setting his feet on a rich table of Darius's, he fell a-weeping: Alexander asked him why lie wept ? He said it was to see the table which his master so highly esteemed to be now made a footstool. ISo we may weep to see the sabbath-day, which God so highly esteems, and hath so honour- ed and blessed, to be made a footstool, and to be trampled upon by the feet of sinners. To profane the sabbath, is a sin of an high nature ; it is a wilful contempt of God ; it is not only a casting God's law behiiul our 6ack, but a tramjjling it under foot, (^od saith ' keep the sabbath holy,' but men will pollute it : this is to despise God, to hang out the flag of defiance, to throw down the gauntlet, and challenge God himself. Now, how can God endure to be thus saucily con- fronted by proud dust ? God will not sutfer this high impudence to go unpunished. This will draw God's curses upon the sab-
bath-breaker ; and God's curse ^^ill b^ast where it comes, though the law of the land lets sabbath-breakers alone. No sooner did Christ curse the fig-tree, but it wither- ed. To rob a man of his purse, shall be punished with death ; but to rob God o his day, shall not be punished with death But God will take the matter into his own hand; he will see after the punishing of sab- bath -violation : and how doth he punish it ?
1. With s))iritual plagues. He gives up sabbath-profaners to hardness of heart, and a seared conscience. 'Spiritual judgments are sorest : Ps. Ixxxi. 12., " So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lusts." A sear in the conscience is a brand-mark of reprobation.