1. What is the reason and ground of your observation of this day. 2. What things ought not to be done upon this day, which possibly may be lawful upon another day. 3. What things may be done upon this day. 4. What things are either fit or necessary to be done in order to the sanctification of this day. Touching the first of these, viz. the reason of the observation and sanctification of this day: the reasons are these. 1. It is a moral Duty, that since the glorious God gives me my time, I should consecrate and set apart some portion of that time, in a special manner, to his service. 2. And because the glorious God best knows, what portion of time is fit to be peculiarly dedicated to his service; that so the morality of that time might be determined unto some, certainly; he hath, by his express precept, given to his ancient people the Jews, limited one Day of seven, to be that special portion of time, which he would have peculiarly dedicated to his service; and so to conclude, and [gather] into it the morality of that duty. 3. This seventh portion of time, under the old law given to the Jews, was determined by the precept and command of God, in the Fourth Command; and likewise, by his own example, confined to the Seventh day from the Creation, upon which the Lord rested from his works of creation. 4. But our Saviour Christ, who is the Son of God, blessed for ever, and is Lord of the Sabbath*,-fulfilling the word of our redemption by his Resurrection upon the first day of the week, and by his Mission of the Holy Ghost, miraculously, the first day of the week, and by the secret message of the Spirit to the apostles and primitive church,-hath translated the observation of the seventh day of the week, to the First day of the week, which is our Christian Sabbath: that as our Christian baptism succeeds the Sacrament of circumcision, and as our Christian Pascha, the sacrament of the Eucharist, succeeded the Jewish passover, so our Christian Sabbath, the first day of the week, succeeds the Sabbath of the seventh day of the week; and that morality, which was by Almighty God, under that * Matt. xii. covenant, confined to the seventh day, is, by the example of Christ and his apostles, to us Gentiles, transferred to the first day of the week; and that which would have been morally a violation of the morality of the Fourth Command, under the Jewish Sabbath, is a violation of the same Fourth Command, if done upon the Christian Sabbath,-though the strictness and severity enjoined to the Jews, be not altogether the same that is now required of Christians. And thus you have the Reason of the obligation, upon us Christians, to observe the first day of the week; because by more than a Human institution, the morality of the Fourth Command is transferred to the First day of the week, being our Christian Sabbath; and so the Fourth Commandment is not abrogated, but only the day changed; and the Morality of that Command only translated, not annulled. Concerning the second. It is certain that what is unlawful to be done upon another day, is much more unlawful upon this; as excess and intemperance, and the like sinful and unlawful actions. But further, there are many things that may be lawfully done on another day, which may not lawfully be done upon this ; and many things that are not only lawful upon another day, but also fit and decent, which are yet unfit to be done upon this day. Upon other days we may, and must employ ourselves, in our secular and ordinary callings; we may use bodily exercises and recreations, as bowling, shooting, hunting, and divers other recreations; we may study human learning: but I hold these to be not only unfit, but unlawful to be used upon this day; and therefore remember it. Moderate walking may thus far be used, so far only as it enableth you to the more cheerful and lively performance of the duties of this day; and therefore I allow you to walk soberly about half an hour after dinner, to digest your meat, that you be not drowsy, nor indisposed in the religious duties of the day. Merry, but harmless talking, or talking about sports or worldly business, may be used another day, but not upon this. Feastings may be sometimes seasonably used upon other days, but are not fit upon this day. Let only such provision be made upon this day, as may be necessary for the feeding of the family and the poor; and therefore I hold that curiosities, baking of meats, and superfluous provisions upon this day, are to be avoided, as being an unnecessary breaking of the rest of this day, and unbeseeming the solemnity of it. : Thirdly, What things may be done this day, is a question of a great latitude; because circumstances are many, that do much diversify the actions of men, and many times render them lawful or unlawful, according to those varieties of circumstances. Therefore I shall shortly set down those things, that do not of themselves directly tend to the sanctification of this day, that yet may, and sometimes must, be done upon this day for there were many things that were strictly enjoined to the Jews, in their observation of their Sabbath, which were ceremonial, and concerned only that state, and do not oblige under the Gospel; as their dressing of meat upon this day was prohibited to them, but not to us and many more things they did forbear and count unlawful, which in truth were not only not forbidden, but enjoined and commanded; for which our Lord reproves the Pharisees*, who accounted it a breach of the Sabbath to heal the sick, or to pluck the ears * Matth. xii. |