Page images
PDF
EPUB

fays be to himself, goeft to Church, and enjoyeft the Ordinance of God: Thy Servant stays at home to drefs thee perishing Food. How knowest thou but it is to the Jeopardy of her Eternal Life? Fear to Eat of that Meat which Cofts fo dear. This Practice he remedy'd in his own Family, as much as he con'd, without turning the Day entirely into a Faft. He, generally upon the Lord's Day, had no Company but his own Family; that fo no Referves might hinder him, from entertaining them with Religious Difcourfe. But if other Company were with him, he wou'd be talking to his Servants about the Sermon, and bring in fome Religious Subje&to be difcours'd of; and if Abroad, he us'd the fame Method, but with his ufual Modefty and Caution.

The Lord's-Day Evenings he chofe to fpend alone, or in fuch Company, where Religion might be the only Entertainment. But the Rarity of fuch Company, made him at laft refolve to vifit None upon that Day, but the Sick, or the Afflicted; and to decline receiving Vifits, as much as poffible; defiring to converfe only with God, and his own Thoughts, till it was time to call his Family together. Then he Examin'd his Servants, and Inftructed them in the great Principles and Duties of Religion. Then he ufually read read to them fome plain Pious Book, for about an Hour together; then one or more Chapters in the Bible, and fo went to Prayers; concluding the Day with his other Devotions; only large Additions of N 2 Prayers,

Prayers, and Praises proper to it. Thus did he antwer, in his Practice, the End of the Inftitution of the Lord's Day, making it a truly Chriftian Sabbath; a Day, not fo much of Reft, as Religion, and a happy Type of that Eternal Sabbath, which the Saints enjoy in Heaven; who reft for ever from their Labours, yet are for ever employ'd in the work of Thanksgiving and Praife.

I fhall here add his Judgment of the neceffity of Obferving the Lord's-Day, and keeping it strictly Holy.

The Lord Bleffed the Seventh Day, to the purposes of Piety and Spiritual Benefit of his Servants; yea, and it fhall be Bleffed. This is not a Branch of the Ceremonial Law; for from the Beginning of the World, the Lord hath establish'd a Blessing upon the Seventh Day, making it < a Mark and Characteristick of his Servants, 'from the rest of the World, who take no no

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

tice of a Seventh Day; an outward Sign of his Everlasting Covenant with them, from the Beginning to the End of the World. He hath fanctifi'd a Seventh part of our Time to himself; and as He heretofore fanctifid the Temple, as a Type of our Emmanuel, of our Saviours Manhood; and gave great Privileges to the Prayers that were offer'd up to Him, in it, or towards it; fo hath he Sanctifi'd every Seventh Day of our Time, as a Type of that Eternal Day of Holiness, and of Reft,

.

[ocr errors]

which we shall enjoy, in the Prefence and Company of our Lord in Heaven. Fear C not then, my Soul, the Day is bleffed; whatever thou offereft up to thy God, on this Day, fhall have a double Acceptance; and whatever good thing thou defireft, on this Day, fhall have a speedy Answer. This is the acceptable Time, in which God will hear Thee; this is the Lord's own 'Day which He hath Bleffed, and in which He will Bless thee. Only take heed, that Ifa. 56: 6. • thou keep the Covenant of the Lord, and SanEtifie this his Day. (For most wife Reafons, he hath appointed it, as Essential and Neceffary to the Improvement of our Souls. For whofo looks into the World, and fees how Men are apt to be engag'd to it, and forget their Eternal Home 3 will foon 'think, that One Day in Seven, is as little as can be, to Revive and Maintain in their Souls, a true Senfe of things.) Then Verfe 7. • will thy God bring thee to his holy Mountain, and make thee joyful in his House of Prayer; thy Burnt-Offerings and thy Sacrifices fhall be accepted on his Holy Altar. Thy Devotions and thy Services fhall be accepted that Day (more especially) in his Sight, through the Mediator of the Covenant, the Lord Jefus. Amen.

.

In another place he fpeaks to the fame purpose.

[ocr errors]

The Chriftian Church affum'd the Feftivals ofthe Jews, as rightly belonging to them: For the things which they were

N 3

· kept

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

'

'

[ocr errors]

kept in remembrance of, were Fulfill'd in our Saviour; and therefore the fame Feftivals were to be kept by Chriftians, in remembrance of this Fulfilling. Thus the Paflover was the Type of our Saviours < Suffering, and Transferr'd to our Eafter: The Feast of Tabernacles, to Chriftmas, in remembrance of God's having pitched his 'Tabernacle among Men. And fo the Sab bath, transferr'd from an Outward to a Spiritual Reft; in Remembrance of Chrift's having perfected the Work of our Redem ption, and our Reft from Sin procur'd thereby So that we are not to look up. on it as a Jewish, but a Chriftian Festival; for to do otherwife is blam'd by the Apoftle, and Parallel'd with fetting up of Circumcifion.

.

..

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

[ocr errors]

:

The Jews obferv'd the Sabbath for a long time, only as a Day of Reft, and not of Holy Exercifes. The Chriftians at first, did meet in the Night of the Lord's Day, becaufe of Privacy; and feveral of them were Slaves, who cou'd get no other time; in the Morning thofe that cou'd went to their Repofe; the others to their La6 bours.

6

C

The Laws of our Church and Land are not fo ftrict in forbidding Work, as requiring Affembling to the Worship of God. And for the rest of the Day, we are particularly directed to Acts of Charity; and no doubt fuch Innocent Relaxation is lawful,

[ocr errors]

.

· as does not take us off from that ferious
Temper of Mind, we ought to maintain.
It feems Impoffible for Men to be Sav'd,
without Sanctifying One Day in Seven; I
mean in the ordinary Courfe of Living.
Lefs than this, will not keep their Minds
above Sin, and the World. And then all
Vifits and Idle Chat is to be avoided, and
we ought to be altogether alone, or in
• Company and Converfation, that may Edi-
fie; and we are to confider, that the Lord's-
'Day is not only a Remembrance of what is
past, but a Type of the Eternal Sabbath
in Heaven; and therefore ought to be
fpent in fuch Exercifes (bating Acts of
Charity and the Neceffities of our Mor-
tal State) as we hope to be employ'd in

'there.

And as he kept the Lord's Day most strict- He olferv'd ly Holy, fo he was a Religious Obferver the Feafts of the Feafts and Fafts of the Church, giv- and Fafts of ing them up to Devotions proper to them, the Church, as much as his Engagements in the World wou'd allow; to Humiliation and Repentance, if Days of Sorrow; to Praises, if Days of Joy. And what he thought of our Feftivals, and how he obferv'd them, the Two following Meditations will fhew.

[ocr errors]

• Solibus eftivis non confule computat Annum, . Matwas the Character of the happy Man of thew's Day Old. But our Happiness is of another 1495. fort, and our Computation different, O happy Soul! when the Offices of Religion do measure out to thee the Time and the

N 4

• Year;

« PreviousContinue »