A Gospel Glass, Treatise · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Their Sabbath-Sins.
Laſtly, WHen you remember the evil of your wayes, Profeſsors Sabbath-Sins.of your ungodly wayes, you may not omit your Sabbath-Sins. God hath appointed the Sabbath: He hath ſanctified it for ſpecial and entire communion with himſelf. The Law of the Sabbath was given before the Fall; becauſe man was to labour and dreſs the Garden on the ſix dayes, and therefore could not have that compleat and indiſtracted communion with God, even in his eſtate of innocency, which he might enjoy by a total ſeperation from all earthly and heterogeneous employments: But ſince the Fall, this Reſt is of more abſolute neceſſity; for that we cannot now apply our minds entirely to matters of ſo different a nature, as heavenly and earthly things are. The Sabbath is many wayes honourable: it was antiently ſet apart by God; it was written with Gods own finger in the Tables; God rained Mannah on that day; it's called an Everlaſting Covenant, by way of eminency, as if nothing of Gods Covenant were kept, if this were not: Yea, God puts a Remember on this day, and no other: Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. If a Friend ſendeth to you, that he will come and ſolace himſelf in your company ſuch a day, and tells you the ſet time, when he will come; will he not take it ill, if you neglect him then? If you are full of employments, and other gueſts, and have no leiſure to attend communion with him? Thus ſaith God, Remember ſuch a time, I will ſet it apart on purpoſe to enjoy you, and feaſt you; I will then take you into my Cellars, my Wine Cellars, and (after an holy manner) inebriate you with Divine comforts: You are on your other dayes clogg'd and cumbred with earthly affairs, ſo that I can have therein but broken communion with you; but pray Remember to lay aſide all other buſineſs, to reſt from all your other works, that I and you may freely converſe together. But inſtead of this,
How little Preparation do we make for the obſerving of this day unto the Lord; Their not preparing for it.Though Remember be a Watch-word of ſolemn Preparation for it? Remember it, think of it before it come, that ſo thou mayeſt be ready to ſanctifie it, without any diſtraction by worldly buſineſs. Which of us diſpatcheth his worldly buſineſs ſeaſonably on the ſix dayes? Nay, is it not a wicked cuſtome, to engroſs more buſineſs into our hands and hearts the day before, than on any other day of the Week? Do not greedy Profeſſours ſit up later on Saturday Night, than any other Night? Hereby their hearts are cumbred with the World, and their natural ſtrength and ſpirits waſted and ſpent, ſo that they cannot with a free Spirit wait upon God. Such is the reverence that is due to the ſolemn and publick Duties of Devotion, that they require, not only a ſurceaſe from other works and thoughts, for the time of the performance; but alſo a decent preparation before-hand, that we look to our feet, &c. that ſo our thoughts and affections, which are naturally bent upon the World, and not eaſily withdrawn from it, may be raiſed to a diſpoſition becoming the day. God alone knows, how oft the Devil, and our own hearts, have intangled us with occaſions on the Saturday, whereby our minds have been diſtracted on the Sabbath: Yea, have we not at times even ſecretly wiſhed, that the Sabbath were over, or might be adjourned, that we might purſue ſome worldly deſign, which is obſtructed by its interpoſal? The Sabbath is the Saints Market-day, or Fair-day: You know what preparations are made, by Worldlings for their dayes of gain; would to God we had learned wiſdome from carnal men, ſo to fit and prepare for the advantages to our Souls we may reap upon Gods day.Their curtailing it. Amos 8.4.
How have we curtailed the Sabbath? Have not we riſen later on the Lords day than on any other? and gone ſooner to bed on that day than on any other? When will the Sabbath be gone? Do not we make it the ſhorteſt day of the Week? O! If God had reſerved all the dayes to himſelf ſave one, how diligent would you have been, to take all the day to your worldly buſineſs? This is a clear evidence, that your minds are more on your Profits and Pleaſures, than on the Service of Chriſt.
How lowring are our countenances, Being ſad when the Sabbath begins, and glad when it ends.and how lumpiſh and heavy are our hearts, in the beginning of a Sabbath, much more than upon any other day? Doth not this prove the day to be no way pleaſing to us? And how chearfull are ſome of us, when the Sabbath is ended? The heart is not ſo well pleaſed all the day, as then: yea do not ſome cheat and delude themſelves hereby, as if they had joy in the Lord, and had received comfort from the Word and other Ordinances; whereas they are glad that the yoak of Ordinances, the burden of the Word of the Lord, and the burden of the day of the Lord is taking off their Shoulders?Being hindred from profaning it only by external motives.
How many are there, who would profane Gods Sabbaths and wholy neglect the Ordinances of them, were it not for the Laws of men, and the eyes of their Relations?
How quieted are ſome when they have attended the publick ſervice? Satisfied with worſhipping God publickly.and do they betwixt and after thoſe ſolemn duties refrain their lips from worldly talk, from impertinencies, from ſuch diſcourſe, as bears no proportion with the holineſs of the day?
When works of Neceſſity and Charity happen out beyond our expectation or forecaſt, Glad to be hindred from works of piety.are we (at all) troubled at them? Do not we rather rejoyce, becauſe we have thereby a diſpenſation to withdraw from the immediate worſhip of God? And how many neglect to do all their works on the ſix dayes, Exod. 20.9.though the Lord ſo expreſly chargeth them ſo to do, that they may have a pretence of neceſſity to do much ſervile work on the Sabbath? How common is it to dreſs meat on the Sabbath, more than on any other day, when there is not the leaſt pretence of weakneſs, &c. Hereby not only Servants, but the whole houſe are too much in labour and deſtraction, and hindred (if not from the ſolemn Aſſemblies, yet) from Family, and Cloſet worſhip.
How do many goſſip, complement, Eating too much on the Sabbath.and feaſt away (abroad) the day of the Lord? or elſe eat to an exceſs at home, and thereby make themſelves fitter for a bed, than to wait on the Sanctuary, to hear Chriſts voice, to meditate on his love, and to feed in his pleaſant paſtures?
How carefull are we to keep our ſelves, Stealing Gods time.and ours, from pilfering from our Neighbour? but not from ſtealing from God his time? yea are not ſome Governours ſo ungodly, unmercifull, that they will allow their people no time but the Sabbath to recreate themſelves from their labours? If they need recreation, you have more time than God hath reſerved, ſure you ſhould not ſteal from God to pleaſure them.
In the diſcharge of the works of mercy to Man and Beaſt, Not performing duties of mercy aright.Do not we reſpect more our own commodity, than the will of God, than the diſpenſation of God, and the creatures neceſſities? Are theſe works of mercy attended with ſuch ſpiritual meditations, as they do afford us, if our hearts were holy?
How few bleſs God for giving them one day, Not bleſſing of God for the Sabbath.wherein they may lighten their hearts of all worldly cares, and throw off all griefs and ſecular cumbers, and may ſeek for relief and comfort in their God?
Perhaps the Maſter obſerves a day unto the Lord; Careleſs whether thoſe under them obſerve the Sabbath.but how careleſs is he, that his Sons and Daughters, and all within his gate honour the day of the Lord? Do not many Profeſſing Governours of Families let them ſleep away the Sabbath, that they may be the fitter for their drudgeries the following week? O! when will Governours be as diligent, that their Servants and Houſhold ſerve the Lord, as that they ſerve themſelves? You have been carefull that your work were done on the week; but careleſs whether Gods work were done by them on the Sabbath: careleſs whether your Servants profited by the Sabbath yea or no? When will Gods glory and the good of your peoples Souls be nearer to you than your worldly advantages? You ask your Servants, what work they have done for you every day, and call them to frequent accounts for your gains-ſake, and what? never reckon with them about their Spiritual Soulwork? O! how little is the love of God ſhed abroad in your hearts?
How juſtly may God be angry with us, till he hath conſumed us, for our deſiling the day of the Lord? It was Gods expreſs Law, Exod. 31.14.that every one that deſileth it ſhould ſurely be put to death. When the people were weary of the Sabbath, when they ſaid, Amos 8.5. v. 7.When will the new Moon be gone that we may ſell corn? and the Sabbath that we may ſet forth wheat, &c. v. 7.The Lord ſwore by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works. v. 8.Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it ſhall riſe up wholly as a floud, and it ſhall be caſt out and drowned, as by the floud of Egypt. v. 9.And it ſhall come to paſs in that day, ſaith the Lord God, that I will cauſe the Sun to go down at Noon, and I will darken the Earth in the clear day. v. 10,And I will turn your Feaſts into mourning, and all your Songs into lamentation, &c. v. 11.Behold the dayes come, ſaith the Lord God, that I will ſend a Famine in the land, not a Famine of Bread, nor a thirſt for Water, but of hearing the Word of the Lord. v. 12.And they ſhall wander from Sea to Sea, and from the North even to the Eaſt, they ſhall run to and fro to ſeek the Word of the Lord, and ſhall not find it.