18
MARK, II. Ti.
[1420.
with the same views, the same desires, the same purposes ; all feeling in themselves an obligation to keep it holy, and all con- scious0 that the same feeling pervades the Lord's people in every quarter of the globe. In respect to this, there is no difference of rank or station. The rich man sees, that he is to lay aside both his cares and pleasures, in order to attend to the concerns of his soul : the poor man also sees, that though he may be, as it were, a slave on other days, on this day he is the Lord's free-man. Indeed the poor have very peculiar cause for thankfulness on account of the Sabbath ; for the rate of vvao-es in every country is calculated by the amount that is necessary to support a man and his family ; and that is given to a man for six days' work, because God has commanded him to rest the seventh : but, if no such command had been given by God, the poor would have been required to work the seven days without any augmentation of their wages : in this respect, therefore, the poor are peculiarly benefited. But indeed the whole community being thus set at liberty for heavenly pursuits, and means of instruction being provided for all, such instruction too as they would not very readily receive in pri- vate, all meet, as by common consent, in the house of God, and there offer their united sacrifices of prayer and praise. From thence all return to the bosom of their families, to dif- fuse a kindred spirit in their domestic circles, and thus to advance the temporal, no less than the eternal, happiness of themselves and others. Doubtless the degree in which these ends are promoted, must depend on the dispositions of the persons themselves ; they who have no desire after spiritual blessings, will make no improvement of the opportunities afforded them : but they whose minds are spiritual, and whose situations in life preclude them from devoting much of their time to religion on other days, will now unite in social exer- cises, and in heavenly converse, with tenfold pleasure ; and their hearts will burn within them, whilst they speak of the things which God has done for their souls. Nor will these persons he contented with seeking good to themselves : they will endeavour to do good to others : they will think whether there be not some ignorant neighbour whom they can instruct, or some afflicted neighbour whom they can comfort. On this day the poor is on a par with the richest : his time is his own, to spend for God, either in a way of personal improvement, or for the edification of those around him.
Suppose then the Sabbaths to be thus employed, who can calculate the good accruing from them to all ranks and orders of men; to the rich and to the poor; to the man in health, and to the man immured in prison, or languishing on a bed of sickness ; to those who are advanced in years, and those who are just entering on the stage of life?]