This leads us to consider the duties to be performed prepa ratory to the right observing the Lord's day; and, in order hereunto, we ought, the evening before, to lay aside our care and worldly business, that our thoughts may not be incumbred, diverted, or taken up with unseasonable or unlawful concerns about it. This is a duty very much neglected; and the omission thereof is one reason of our unprofitable attendance on the ordinances of God on the Lord's day. Thus many keep their shops open till midnight; and by this means make encroachments on part of the morning of the Lord's day, by indulging too much sleep; which occasions drowsiness under the ordinances, as well as their thoughts being filled with worldly concerns and business therein. And to this we may add, that all envyings, contentions, evil surmising against our neighbour, are to be laid aside, since these will tend to defile our souls and to deprave our minds, when they ought wholly to be taken up about divine things. Thus the apostle advises those to whom he writes, to lay aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking, and as new born babes to desire the sincere milk of the word, that they might grow thereby, 1 Pet. ii. 1, 2.

Moreover, we are to endeavour to bring our souls into a prepared frame for the duties of the Lord's day, the evening before, by having our thoughts engaged in those meditations that are suitable thereunto; particularly, we are to consider the many lost Sabbaths we have to account for, or repent of, as also the wonderful patience of God, who has, notwithstanding spared us to the approach of another Sabbath; and what precautions are necessary to be used, that we may not profane or trifle it away. It would also be expedient for us to meditate on the vanity of worldly things, which we have laid aside all our care about, and think how contemptible the gain thereof is, if compared with communion with God, which is our great concern; and therefore we are to consider ourselves as having a greater work to transact with God on his own day, and desire to have no disturbance from the world therein. And to these meditations we ought to join our fervent prayers to God; that the sins committed by us in former Sabbaths may be forgiven, that he may not be provoked to withdraw the influences of his Spirit on the approaching day; and that the world with the cares thereof, may not then be a snare to us, through the temptations of Satan, together with the corruption of our own hearts, whereby our converse with God would be interrupted, that by this means we may wait on the Lord without distraction. We ought also to pray, that he would also assist his ministers in preparing a seasonable word, that may be blest to ourselves and others. Thus the apostle exhorts the church,

to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and to watch thereunto with all perseverance, and suppication for all saints; and for him, that utterance might be given unto him, that he might open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, Eph. vi. 18, 19. We ought to be very importunate with God, that he would sanctify, and fill our thoughts from the beginning to the end of the Lord's day, which he has consecrated for his immediate service and glory. II. We are now to consider what we are to rest and abstain from, on the Lord's day; and this is included in two general heads, namely, not only from things sinful, but what is in itself lawful, on other days.

1. As for those things which are sinful on other days, they are much more so on the Sabbath; for hereby we contract double guilt, not only in committing the sin, but in breaking the Sabbath; and such sins are, for the most part, presumptuously committed, and greatly tend to harden the heart; and not only hinder the efficacy of the ordinances, but if allowed of, and persisted in, are a sad step to apostacy.

2. We break the Sabbath by engaging in things that would be lawful on other days; and that in two particular instances here mentioned;

(1.) When we engage in worldly employments. These, we are wholly to lay aside, or abstain from; particularly buying or selling, or encouraging those who do so. We have a noble instance of zeal in Nehemiah, relating to this matter; wherein he says, In those days saw I in Judah, some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and leading asses; as also wine, grapes and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. There dweit men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, what evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day? Neh. xiii. 15, 16, 17. And the prophet Jeremiah speaks to the same purpose, when he prohibits their carrying burdens on the Sabbath day, or doing any work therein; and exhorts them to hallow the Sabbath day, as God commanded their fathers, Jer. xvii. 21, 22. This may tend to reprove those tradesmen who post their books, state their accounts, or prepare their goods, which are to be exposed to sale on the following day. And if we do not run these lengths, in profaning the Sabbath; yet we are highly guilty when our thoughts and discourse run after our covetous ess, which is, in effect, a saying as they did who complained, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn, and

the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, Amos viii. 5. This the prophet reproves, when he says, They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness, Ezek. xxxiii. 31.

(2.) The Sabbath is violated by recreations; which we are therefore to abstain from: otherwise we spurn at the Sabbath; accordingly the prophet Isaiah speaks of those who sanctify the Sabbath, as turning away their foot from doing their pleasure on God's holy day, and calling the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, honouring him, not doing their own ways, nor finding their own pleasure, nor speaking their own words, Isa. lviii. 13.

[1.] The recreations we are to abstain from, on the Lord's day, are unnecessary visits, by which the worship of God in families, is interrupted, the minds of men perverted, and filled with vanity, the motions of the Spirit quenched, and the advantage of public worship greatly hindered, if not wholly lost.

[2.] Walking in the fields; whereby instead of meditating on the word, the mind is diverted from it. To which we may add,

[3.] The taking unnecessary journeys; which, according as they are circumstanced, will appear to be no other than finding our own pleasure, and doing our own works on God's holy day.

We read, indeed, in Acts i. 12. of a Sabbath-day's journey; which seems to argue, that it was not unlawful to travel on the Lord's day. But, that we may not mistake this matter, let it be considered, that a Sabbath-day's journey, according to Jewish writers, contained the length of two thousand cubits, or, about a mile; which was, ordinarily speaking, the length of their cities, together with their respective suburbs. Therefore, since this is the measure of a Sabbath-day's journey, it implies, that they were not to go out of their cities to divert themselves, or to undertake journeys, under a pretence of business. Thus they were commanded to abide every man in his place on the seventh day, Exod. xvi. 29. that is, not to wander out of their tents, to take the air, though they were obliged to go out of their tents to the tabernacle, the place of public worship, which was pitched in the midst thereof, for the conveniency of coming to it. Hither, indeed, they went, from their respective tents; which was the only journey they took, unless in case of necessity, on the Sabbath-day.

To this we may add, that it is not lawful, on the Sabbathday, for persons to divert themselves by talking of news, or common affairs; which unseasonable discourse oftentimes gives

a check to those lively frames of spirit we have had under the word preached; and by indulging such discourse, we not only break the Sabbath ourselves, but by our example, induce others to do the same. I do not say but that it may be seasonable to meditate on the providence of God towards the church and the world, on the Lord's day, as well as at other times; but then we must take heed that his glory, and not barely our own diversion, is a great inducement thereunto.

III. When it is said, in the fourth Commandment, that thou shalt do no manner of work on the Sabbath day, there is an exception hereunto, or an intimation, that works of necessity and mercy, though they contain in them something servile or laborious, may, notwithstanding, be done on the Lord's day. Some things are necessary, as they tend to the support of nature; as eating and drinking; and therefore the providing food for that end, is, doubtless, lawful; especially if too much time be not spent therein, too many servants, or others, detained from the worship of God thereby, or entertainments and splendid feasts made; in which, variety of things are prepared, to please the appetite; and all this attended with vain and trifling conversation, unbecoming the holiness of the day. There are also other works of necessity, which may be done on the Sabbath-day, viz. such as are subservient to the worship of God; without which, it is impossible that the public exercises thereof should be performed. Thus, under the ceremonial law, there were many laborious services that attended public worship; particularly the killing those beasts that were appointed for sacrifice, on the Sabbath-day; though we are exempted from this under the gospel-dispensation. To this, it is probable, our Saviour refers, when he says, Have ye not read in the law, how that the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless,' Matt. xii. 5. that is, perform those servile works, subservient to public worship; which, according to your method of reasoning, would be a profaning the Sabbath.

Here it is enquired, by some, whether it be lawful to kindle a fire on the Sabbath-day, since this seems to be forbidden the Israelites; to whom Moses says, 'Ye shall kindle no fire 'throughout your habitations, upon the Sabbath-day,' Exod. xxv. 3. Some are of opinion, that if this be lawful at present, agreeably to what we generally practice, it is a peculiar privilege attending the gospel-dispensation; which may give us occasion to explain what is meant by this prohibition.

1. It cannot be hereby forbidden, to kindle a fire, for their refreshment, in cold weather; for that is as necessary as any of the other conveniences of life, such as eating, drinking, sitting down when we are weary, &c. and it was done with very

ittle pains or difficulty; so that it would not much hinder the religious exercises of that day. On the other hand, the not making a fire, provided the season of the year was extremely cold, would indispose men for the worship of God. Therefore,

2. It is most probable, that the meaning of that scripture is this; that since, at that time, wherein this law was given, many of them were employed in the work of building and adorning the tabernacle; which, as all artificers know, requir ed the kindling of fires for the melting of metals, heating of iron tools, &c. and, whereas the people might be apt to think, that, because the building of the tabernacle required expedition, they might kindle fires, and therewith employ themselves in the work thereof, on the Sabbath-day. Therefore Moses tells them, that it was not a work so absolutely necessary, as that it required, that they should attend to it herein; which seems to be the reason of that law, which prohibited the kindling a fire on the Sabbath-day.

As for the application of this law, to the dressing of food, which seems to be prohibited in that scripture, Bake that ye 'will bake to day, and seethe that which ye will seethe; and "that which remaineth over, lay it up to be kept for you until the morning, Exod. xvi. 23. The meaning thereof seems to be this; Bake, or seethe that which is necessary for your food, the day before the Sabbath, and lay up the rest, to be baked or seethed on the Sabbath. The command more espe cially prohibits their gathering manna on the Sabbath, and preparing it for baking or seething; which would have taken up too great a part of the day, and have been a diversion from the religious worship thereof. But the baking or seething, which would have afforded but a small interruption to the work thereof, does not seem to have been forbidden.

And this leads us to enquire, what judgment we may pass on the stoning the man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath-day; which we read of in Numb. xv. 32, &c. The gathering of sticks for the making a fire on the Sabbath-day, seems to be a work of necessity; and therefore some may be ready to con clude that the punishment inflicted on him was too severe. But, instead of excepting against the greatness of the punish, ment inflicted, I would rather infer from hence, that the crime was very great. For,

(1.) He might have gathered sticks on other days, and thereby have provided a sufficient quantity for his necessary use, on the Sabbath-day; or else, he should have been content to have been without a fire on that day; rather than give so ill a precedent of the breach of the Sabbath.

(2.) It is probable he did this, not to supply his present ne