SERMON CXIII. ON THE PROPER OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH. GEN. ii. 3. And God bleed the feventh day, and fanctified it; becaufs that in it he had refted from all his work, which God created and made. IN my former difcourfe I fhewed you on what authority the appropriation of one day in feven to the purposes of religion ftands. Let us now therefore proceed to confider, II. In what manner that day ought to be spent. And, 1. A due portion of it ought to be employed in public attendance on the worship of God and religious inftruction. This, it must be owned, is not explicitly mentioned, either in the text or in the fourth commandment, but only comprehended under the general phrafe of fanctifying or hallowing the Sabbath, whereas the point of reft is particulatly specified. And, without question, abstaining from labour, in memory of God's completing the creation of the heavens and earth (which fome of the Heathen held to proceed from blind fate or chance, whilst others worshipped the principal parts of them as deities), was of itself, without any thing more, fanctifying, that is, devoutly diftinguishing the day, by a practical declaration upon it of the fundamental article of true religion, that an infinitely wife, and juft, and good Being, is the Maker and Lord of all things. And enjoining the Jews afterwards, on the fame day, to commemorate their miracufous deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and allow refreshment, during the whole of it, not only to their fervants, but their cattle, muft greatly promote amongst them both thankful piety and tenderness of heart. But ftill, we cannot well ima gine, that they were left at liberty to throw away all this leisure just as they pleased, when the very reason of appointing it led them fo naturally to employ it well; and when, if they did not, many of them would of course employ it very ill. Befides, the law of Mofes directed, that the feventh day fhould be a holy convocation or affembly, as well as the Sabbath of reft *: and allotted to the priests and Levites 48 cities in different parts of the land†; from whence they might, with more convenience, go to perform religious offices in every quarter; particularly that of instructing the people, which Mofes exprefsly affigns to their whole tribe: They fball teach Facob thy judgments, and Ifrael thy law ‡. Accordingly, Philo § and Jofephus ||, who both lived in the same age with our Saviour, fay, their lawgiver appointed his law to be read and expounded, in public affemblies, for the improvement of the hearers, every seventh day, which is very confiftent with the more folemn reading of it, appointed by him every seventh year, at the general meeting of the whole people. And St. James also faith, Mofes of old time bath, in every city, them that preach him, being read in the fynagogues every Sabbath day **. Still, it must be confeffed, that this practice is no where in the Old Teftament exprefsly cither prescribed, or faid to be obferved; and therefore we may doubt, whether it became conftant and universal very early. However, we find there, that good perfons usually resorted to the prophets (doubtlefs for inftruction) on the Sabbath day tt. We find a complaint, that the enemies of the Jews bad burnt up all the fynagogues of God in the land ‡‡; which, by *Lev. xxiii. Comp. Numb. x. 2. Ifa. iv. 5. Deut. xxxiii. 10. + Numb. xxxv. 1-8. Josh. xxi. 1.—8. De Septenario, p. 282. See alfo de Vit. Mof. 1. 3. p. 167. where he faith the Jews were to fpend the Sabbath εν λαρίνας ευθυμίας.-χολάζοντας εχε ως είναι, γέλωσιν, η παιδίαις, η μιμών, η ορχήσων επιδείξεσι,αλλα μόνω τῷ φιλοσόφειν Τα γαρ κατα πολεις προσευκτήρια τι έτερον εσιν, η διδασκαλεία φρονησεως καὶ σωφροσύνης και δικαιοσύνης, ευσέβειας το καὶ ἐσιοτητος καὶ συμπασης αρίσης. See alfo de Deca Orac. p. 197, et de Mundi Opificio, p. 30. et Lib. Quis Rerum, &c. p. 49. Τέταρτος δε περί της αει παρθενε και αμήτορος αβδομαδος, ἵναν των · απραξίαν αυτης μελέ τωσα γίνησις, εις μνήμην τα ακράτως παντα έρωντες ερχηται. Contr. Ap. 1. 2. § 17. ¶ Deut. xxxi. 10, 13. ** Acts avi, 21, 12 Kings iv. 23. | Pf. lxxiv. 8. by this expreffion, muft have been pretty numerous. We find a promife, that upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her affemblies, there shall be a glory and a defence*. We find the Levites mentioned, more than once, as thofe who taught the good knowledge of the Lord to all Ifrael+. When they had been for a long feafon without a teaching priest, and without the law, it is reprefented as a dreadful inftance of national mifery ‡. And when better times are foretold in another book, part of the description is, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh fhould come to worship before God §. 1 On the return from the captivity, this prediction was verified. And fo good were the effects of the stated public worfhip and teaching, which thenceforward obtained more generally than before, that even had it first begun then, it had deferved to continue through all future ages. For idolatry, which nothing had hitherto been able to overcome, was entirely abolished by it: the nation grew more virtuous, as well as pious; and enjoyed more tranquillity than in any preceding time. Sojourners in Judea, and inhabitants of other countries, into which they were dispersed, attending their fynagogues, as we find in the New Teftament they did, partook of a bleffing, which the wifeft of their lawgivers and philofophers had not provided for them; and multitudes of the Heathen were converted to the one true God. Indeed, about the time of our Saviour's appearance (as every thing good is apt to degenerate amongst men), this excellent inftitution was become an inftrument of fome fuperftition and uncharitablenefs, as well as much good. But that only increafed the neceffity of ufing it under due regulations; that it might cure, by its proper influence, thofe evils which it had caused by accidental abufe. And therefore he first reformed it; then by his apoftles established it throughout the world, and provided for its being carried on to all ages; and ever fince, the principal season for instructing mankind hath been this day. On this day, from the very birth of Christianity, as we read in the Acts, the difciples came together to break bread||; • If. iv. 5. † 2 Chr. xxx. 22. XXXV. 3. Acs xx. 7. 2 Chr. xv. 3. that that is, to receive the Lord's fupper. With their breaking of bread, we read alfo, they joined the apoftle's doctrine and prayer *. Nor was this an act of mere voluntary piety, but a duty ftrictly binding. For they were commanded not to forfake the affembling themfelves togethert, when the utmost dangers attended the practice. For the fervice of these affemblies peculiarly the Chriftian ministry was instituted; in these the Chriftian facraments were celebrated; good Chriftians were to be admitted into them, bad ones excluded from them. Indeed, the whole New Teftament confiders the followers of Chrift, not as fingle unconnected believers, but as churches or focieties, meeting together for the honour of God, and their mutual edification. And this they did fo conftantly, even in the days of the bitterest persecution, that Pliny, a Heathen magiftrate, writing, within a few years after the death of St. John, to the emperor Trajan, for directions how to proceed in punishing them, defcribes them by their cuftom of holding congregations on a stated day to worship Christ, and bind themselves by a facrament, or oath, to commit no wickedness ‡. Again, about 40 years after him, Juftin Martyr, in a defence of them, when perfecuted by another Heathen emperor, gives the following account of their obfervation of Sunday. For though that name is undoubt edly fuperftitious in its origin, as Monday and all the reft are, yet the early Christians used it without fcruple §, both because they were not understood by it to have a fuperftitious meaning, and because they could allege a better ground for it than the idolaters (which accordingly fome ancient fathers did ), that then Chrift, the Sun of Righteoufnefs, rofe ¶ from grave, and fhone forth with new lure. On the day called Sunday, therefore, faith Juftin, all of us, whether we live in the city or the country, meet in one place: where the writings of the apostles and prophets are read; an exhortation to live fuitably to them is made by the prefident of the affembly; and we offer up our joint prayers. Then bread and wine is brought: and after repeated prayers and praifes by the prefident, to which the * A&ts ii. 42. Plin. lib. x. Ep. 97. | Hieron, in Pf, cxviji, 24. + Heb. x. 25. the Mal, iv. 2. the people answer, Amen, it is diftributed throughout the congregation and alms are collected, and left in the prefident's bands, for the ufe of the poor. After which he adds, The rea•Jon why we all meet on Sunday, is, that this is the first day in which God created the world, and on which our Saviour Jefus Chrift rose from the dead*. Such was the obedience of the firft Chriftians to the rules of the gospel, though the laws of men punished it with death; whereas we, who call ourselves Chriftians too, and live in a time when God and man require the fame thing, disobey both. And the confequence hath been, that whereas their zeal filled them with all piety and virtue, and converted the world to true religion, our lukewarmnefs hath made us negligent and bad in the whole of our conduct, and we are relapfing into the profligacy and atheism of the Pagans. For how indeed is it poffible, that men should know their duty without being inftructed, or regard it without being admonished? And what other sufficient instruction or admonition will the generality of those have, who despise that which the word of God hath established for them? The church is the univerfal school, opened on this day by the divine command, for teaching all men reverence to their Maker, love to their fellow-creatures, moral government of themselves, right, and worthy, and exemplary behaviour in every part of public and private life. We appeal to your confciences, whether these things are not faithfully taught here; and, if they be, whether it is not of the laft importance, that the teaching of them be conftantly frequented? Many pleas and excufes are made on this head; but none will avail for the voluntary omiffion of what God hath appointed. Think then with your own hearts: Hath he not appointed public prayers and preaching? And, if he hath, why are not you, to attend them? Some who do, perhaps you will fay, are not the better for it. But how can you know that? They might be ftill worfe without it. Or, fuppofing they are not better, if others are (as undoubtedly multitudes are), why may not you hope to be so too? They who fail of it, fail through their own faults. Do you avoid those faults, 4 * Apol. 1. § 67. |