Conveniencies of Life, fhould have fome Share of our Time devoted to His immediate Service; for whofe Service and Glory we, and all things, are and were Created? Now He who first fram'd our Nature, and therefore best knows our Strength and Natural Abilities, and all our Circumftances, what Portion of Time may serve for the Neceffities and Conveniencies of Life, and what Proportion thereof is fit to be spent in the Bufinefs of Religion, has been pleased to fix this Duty to a Certainty of Time, requiring a Seventh Part thereof to be reserved from our Worldly Business, and confecrated to himfelf, by his Express Command: Which Command is not given among the Precepts of the Ceremonial Law, but in the Midst of the Ten Commandments, or Moral Law, Written, as we are told, in Tables of Stone with xxxi. 18. the Finger of God; Which was not therefore, as to the Moral Part, to pass away with Types and Ceremonies, but alway to continue in Force.

Exod.

Though indeed it must be acknowledged that the Juft Proportion of Time, every seventh Day (neither more nor lefs,) could not have been discern'd nor affign'd by the bare Light of Nature, but is fomewhat of that Kind which School Divines call Morale Pofitivum, when they would exprefs a Thing that has fome Foundation in Nature, yet at first wants Revealing, but being Revealed, we presently,

fee

fee its Agreeableness to Reason and Moral Equity, and readily affent to it.

The Sum is this; fo far as the Reasons of that Commandment of the Sabbath are Moral, fo far the Commandment is Perpetual and Obligatory to Us Chriftians. Have not We at least as much Reafon to Worship God, and to Worship him as often, as the Jews had? Have not We received as many Mercies from God; nay, much more and greater Mercies than the Jews had? Does not then Common Reason and Equity-require of Us, that We should at least as much celebrate his Praises, and keep a Day Holy to him, for the Rendring him the Glory and Honour due unto his Name?·

The Apostles and Primitive Chriftians thought fo; and therefore when our Lord had in fo fignal a Manner, and by fo many wonderful Mercies mark'd out a Day proper for it, they presently confirmed and fettled the Obfervation of it, both by their Writings and by their Practice. For This Day is plainly spoken of Acts xx. 7. as the Stated Time for Chriftians to meet together (as the Difciples and Worshipers of the Crucify'd Jefus, then Triumphant in the Heavens,) to preach and hear the Gospel preached, and to receive the Holy Sacrament. And St. Paul orders the Corinthians to make their Collections for the Poor on that fame Day, the First Day of the Week; according to the 1 Cor. xvi.

L 4

Rule

I

12.

Rule and Cuftom that he had before efta blished in the Churches of Galatia; because the Chriftians being then affembled for the Service of God, might be better disposed for Charity to their Brethren, and their Charity might be more conveniently collected.

And this Day, fo Sanctify'd by our Lord, and Solemniz'd by the Apoftles, and inftituted and ordained to be observed in the Churches of their Erection, has ever fince been kept Holy by the conftant Practice of the Catholick Church in all Ages, from the Time of our Redemption to this prefent Day, for the Remembrance of the Divine Mercies: Such was the Creation of the World mentioned in this Commandment ; and fuch is the Redemption of Mankind in the Chriftian Church, which Latter is appointed, not to fupplant or fwallow up the Former, but only, as it deferved of us Chriftians to be prefer'd before it.

2dly, I might likewife urge the Observation of the Lord's Day, from the Reasonableness of it, confidered as a Tribute of our Time due to our Sovereign Lord; who might very justly have required far greater Service, and much more Attendance at our Hands. But fince he has been pleafed to afford us Six Days for our own Work, and reserved only One for his Service, were it not an ungrateful Sacrilege to Rob God of his Day; the Day that he has fet apart for his own Pecu

liar, to receive the Homage and Services of his Creatures? This fure is but a very Reafonable Tribute, and fuch as we are bound faithfully to pay, under many Obligations of Duty and Gratitude.

But here it is to be remembred, that the Celebrating of the Sabbath is not a Particular Act of Homage, but a Day of Homage; Not a Single Duty to be done, but a Day of Duty to be kept, Holy to the Lord. I do not mean, that We must keep it with Sabbatarian Scrupulofity, or with Ceremonial Jewif Rigour; Nor that we must be Reading, or Praying, or devoutly Meditating all the Day long; No, the Chriftian Religion is a Reasonable Service, and requires Nothing of Us but what is Rational, and does Morally tend to the Beft Ends, the Glory of God, and the Good of our Souls; and forbids Us Nothing but what would be derogatory to the One, and prejudicial to the Other; and, in all Cafes, making gracious Allowances for the Neceffities and Weaknesses of Human Nature.

In short, we do then keep the SabbathDay to Sanctify it, as the Lord our God bath commanded Us, when we make it a Day as much Peculiar for the Business of Piety and Devotion, as other Days are to our Ordinary Affairs, or the Bufinefs of our Callings. For though there are fome Duties of Religion to be done Every Day of our Lives;

and

and even in those Six Days that are appointed for Bodily Labour and Worldly Business, fome Share is to be allowed for Spiritual. Duties; yet as God has not required that it be the whole Work of thofe Days, but after a little Portion of each Day is devoted to Him, to confecrate the whole Day, and obtain his Bleffing upon it, the Remainder may be bestowed upon our common Bufinefs: So on God's Day we are allowed to borrow Some Time from the proper Bufi-, nefs of the Day, to provide for the prefent Neceffities, and the Infirmities of our Nature, and for the Relaxation and Refreshment of our Minds; But we muft ftill remember, that the Service of God, and the Care of our Souls is the Proper Business of the Day, and is therefore to be much in our Thoughts: We must diligently and devoutly attend the Publick Duties of the Day in the House of God: And in the Intervals, and Afterwards,, though we are not all the Day upon the Exercises of Religion, yet we must keep ourfelves upon the Verge, and within Call of it; well compofed, and Ready Prepared for any of the Duties of it, that Christian Piety fhall judge most for the Good of our Souls: In hopes that our Religious Duties, and the Prayers that we offer up to God on This his own Day, The Day which the Lord hath Blessed, may find a more gracious. Acceptance, and return to us with a double Bleffing.