[1.] First, Our day hath many privileges above theirs. Witness the honourable titles given to it by holy and learned men — as the queen of days, princess, principal, primate, a royal day, higher than the highest, the first-fruits of the days ; yea, saith Jerome, tlie Lord's day is better than any other common day, than all festivals, new moons, and Sabballis of ]\Ioses. By these titles it is evident that the ancients had tlio Lord's day in very high esteem and veneration. Sirs, look, what gold is among inferior metals, and wheat among other grain, &c., the same is the Lord's day above all other days of the week.
[2.] Secondly, Their Sabbath was celebrated for the memorial of the creation; ours for the great ivork of redemption. But,
[3.] Thirdly, Theirs was celebrated for their deliverance out of Ey'JI>f ', ours for our deliverance from hell. Now if the Jews were bound, and that for a whole day, not to do their own works, nor speak
ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 287
their own words, nor find their own j^leasure ; how much more solemnity belongs to our Lord's day ! Oh, what a day is the Lord's-day ! and how solemnly and devoutly ought it to be observed and sanctified ! But,
(2.) Secondly, We have greater means and helps for the sanctification of the Sabbath than the Jews had for a long time, or than the lyitTnitive Christians had for three hundred years. Mark, the holy observation of the Sabbath among them came in by degrees, long after the day was settled ; and the reason was this, because for a good while they had no word written to be read, nor no synagogues built to read it in. It was well-nigh a thousand years, or above a thousand years, after the giving of the law, before the reading of the law in synagogues came up. For a long time they had no books among them but the five books of Moses ; and those books neither were not well understood by the common people. And it is further observable that the children of Israel being in Egypt under sore pressures, afflictions, and cruel bondage, &c., neither did nor could keep the Sabbath in any solemn manner, not being permitted either to rest or enjoy any solemn assemblies. And when they were in their wilderness condition, they had many stations, diversions, and incursions of enemies, so that they could not keep the Sabbath in any solemn public manner, as afterwards they did when they were settled in peace and safety in the land of Canaan. And so the primitive Christians, for three hundred years, living under very great and violent persecutions, they neither did nor could keep the Lord's day with that solemnity that they should or would ; but as for place, they met not openly, but secretly in woods and deserts, and holes and caves, and dens of the earth ; and so for time, sometimes they met in the day, and often they met in the night. But as for us, who have lived and do live in these days of the Son of man, what rare means and helps, what abundance of means and helps, what choice and precious means and helps have we had, and still have, in spite of all oppositions from high or low, to enable us to sanctify the Sabbath ! And oh that all the means and helps that we yet enjoy may be signally blessed to that purpose ! But,
(3.) Thirdly, The heathens, by the very light of nature, held it hut reasonable that the days consecrated to their gods should totally he observed loith rest and sanctity. The flamens, which were their priests, affirmed that the holy days were polluted if any work were done upon the solemn days ; besides, it was not lawful for the king of the sacrifices, and the flamens, their priests, to see a work done on the holy days ; and therefore by a crier it was proclaimed that no such things should be done ; and he that neglected the precept was fined ; and be- sides the fine, he which did aught unawares on such days was to ofier sacrifices for expiation. And Sceevola, the high priest, affirmed that the wilful offender could have no expiation, i Now shall heathens be so strict in the observation of their holy days, and shall not Christians be as strict in their observation of the Lord's day ? These heathens will one day rise in judgment against the slight observers and the gross profaners of the Lord's day. But,
2. Secondly, We must sanctify the Sabbath by preparing ourselves
1 Macrobius, lib. i., cap. 16.
288 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25.
hcforcliand for that dmj, and all the d.tdies of that day, Eccles. v. 1,2. Hence it is that God hath fixed a memorandum upon this command, more than he hath upon any other command : Exod. xx. 8, ' Kemem- ber the sabbath-day, to keep it holy.' fSabbath-days are our market- days. Now men that are worklly wise, they consider beforehand what to buy and what to sell. The husbandman duni^s, dresses, ploughs, harrows, and all to prepare it for seed. ' I will,' saith holy David, ' wash my hands in innocency : so Avill I compass thine altar, 0 Lord,' Ps. xxvi. 6 ; signifyin<2: that to holy performances there ought to be holy pre])arations. Wlien the tem])le was to be built, the stones were hewn, and the timber squared and fitted, before they were brought to the place where the temple stood. The application is easy.
[1.] First, The Jews had. their preparations: Mark xv. 42, ' And now when the even was come, because it was the i)reparation,' that is, the day before the Sabbath, &c. Their pre^iaration began at three o'clock in the afternoon, which the Hebrews called the Sabbath eve. The Jews, as I have read, were so careful in their preparation for the Sabbath, that to further it, the best and wealthiest of them, even those that had many servants, and were masters of families, would chop herbs, sweep the house, cleave wood, and kindle the fire, and do such like things, &c.
[2.] Secondly, The heathens did use to 2^rex>are themselves by a strict kind of holiness, be/ore they ivoidd offer sacrijices to several of their gods. They had, as authors write, their stone pots of water set at the doors of their temples, where they used to wash before they went to sacrifice.
[3.] Thirdly, The worhs of the day are great and glorious: and what excellent works are there in nature, but requires some previous preparation ? &c.
[4.] Fourthly, Consider the dignity, majesty, authority, and purity of that God tvifh lohom you have to do in all the duties of the day. When men are to converse and treat with earthly princes, or to give them entertainment, how do they prepare and make ready ! And will you carry it worse towards the King of kings and Lord of lords, than men do carry it towards mortal princes, whose breath is in their nostrils, and whose glory shall assuredly be laid in the dust?&c., 1 Tim. vi. 15, 16.