A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 172 (Question 60 cont.)
SERMON CLXXII.
II. IT follows to conſider the Things … are to Exerciſe ourſelves about, … Sanctifying of the Day. …e obſerved, … there are not only the things that are to …e… ed from, but alſo ſuch things as we are to … py our ſelves about, in the right keeping of a Sabbath; and there are Two Things m…d in General, which will help to point us … Duty in this regard.
1. That we are …o ſ…d the whole Time in Publick and Private Exer…es of God's Worſhip.
2. Except ſo much as is take taken up in the Works of Neceſſary & …,
The former directs us to that which is the … Work of the Day, the latter to that which is ſubordinate and occaſional: We may take a more particular Account of what is contained in either of theſe:
[1.] THE time is mainly to be ſport, in Publick and Private Exerciſes of God's Worſhip. The Whole is ſo to be employed, except what comes under the after conſideration. Here then, let me obſerve theſe things;
1. THAT our great Buſineſs on the Sabboth, is the exerciſing of ourſelves in the Duties … Worſhip. The Fourth Command properly belongs to the Firſt Table of the Law, which bears a proper reſpect to Worſhip, having God nextly and immediately for the Object to which it is directed: Now that wherein this Command is accommodated to the Worſhip of God, is, in that it Conſecrates a ſpecial Time to be employed in this Worſhip: Hence that in Iſa. 66.23. From one ſabbath to another, ſhall all fleſh come to worſhip before me, ſaith the Lord. Not but that there are duties of Worſhip to be done on other days, and on all occaſions, but here the keeping of the Time it ſelf Holy, is one part of the Worſhip, as hath been formerly obſerved: As alſo, that the Time is made holy, with inſpect to the ſetting of it apart to be employed in ſuch Worſhip; and the Precept enjoyning of us ſo to employ it, this then is the next and moſt direct End of the Sabbath. As therefore we are to abſtain from ſervile, ſo we ought … …ge our ſelves in ſpiritual Services on this Day; we are therefore to keep it holy, … enjoyned in the body of the Com…, which we obſerved, includes in it ſomething Poſitive.
2. THE Duties of Worſhip to be attended … on this Day; are either Natural or Insti… The diſtinction of Worſhip into theſe … …s, hath been already obſerved under … & Second Command: And both theſe … are to be attended on the Sabbath; for …ath was a ſeparated time to oblige us … particular Attendance on Worſhip it ſelf, all conſequently involves both of them in it … whatſoever comes under the Nature of … and is required of us by God, is ſured … Time, being holy; and we ſhall find …ts for either of theſe, in the word of God. 2. THE Duties aſ Natural Worſhip, are ſuch … fitted to the Nature of Man, and flow … the great End he was made for, viz. Ac… to glorify God. And therefore the light …re directs Men to Practiſe them on all …as, certainly then theſe are fitted for … …ath, according to the End and Uſeful… it. Such therefore are recommended … in the Pſalm, which was Celebrated for … …ath, Pſal. 92 beg. And indeed, in theſe … there is intimate Communion main… between God and His People, which is …ey End of all Worſhip, and of Days of …ip: And hitherto refers Praying, Prai… Meditation, and holy Conference, ibid.
3. THE Duties of Inſtituted Worſhip. And uſer theſe are contained all the Poſitive Or…es and Sacred Ceremonies of God's Ap…ent. In the days of the Law there the Sacrifices appointed to be offered on theſe … and tho' there were ſuch as were for … day, yet they were to be doubled; and double other Rites to be attended, with a pe… reſpect to ſuch days as God had ſet a… for them as is obvious in the Levitical …. But all theſe are now out of doors un… the Goſpel, being to give place to a more …al Worſhip, which is adapted there un… Nevertheleſs there are the Appointments … the Goſpel, which are Poſitive, and theſe at either the Way & Manner, in which the …es of Natural Worſhip are to be attended, in the Publick Aſſemblies, and the Miniſtra… of the Word, and Preaching of it, which … required on the Sabbath; or the diſ…tion of the Sacraments of the Goſpel, which we have before taken notice of, as beloging to the Sabbath
3. THESE Duties may come under a double Conſideration, viz. either Publick or Private: The former are to be performed in the Aſſemblies of God's People, wherein they were to Convene together, and joyntly to perform ſuch Duties to God; the neglect whereof is warned againſt, Heb. 10.25. Chriſt therefore was wont to go into the Synagogues on the Sabbath, where there was a concourſe of the People, for Prayed and Reading of the Word. And the Apoſtles did on that Day eſſemble with the Churches to break Bread; ſee for theſe, Acts 13.14, 16.16 13.20.7. The latter was to be performed, either in more private Families, or ſecret Retitements of the People of God. For there is a Service & Worſhip due to God from Men, in every Station that he hath ſet them in.
4. THAT this whole Time is, as far as may be, to be employed in ſome of other of theſe Execiſes. That it cannot all of it be actually ſo attended, will be confidered afterwards: Nevertheleſs becauſe this is the principal and direct buſineſs of the day, it is to have a very great regard had to it in all that we do. And here I ſhall only offer a few general Rules.
1. THAT no one Duty can Ordinarily take up the whole Time in the performance of it. What extraordinary Occaſion there may be for one more eſpecially at this or that time, as the Providence of God ſhall direct, yet in our ordinary Celebration of the day, there is a variety of Service accommodated to it, and theſe are to be performed Succeſſively one after another. There were therefore of old manifold Services laid out for the Sabbath, ſome Moral, others Ceremonial; ſome Natural, others Inſtituted: and there was the like in the practice of the Apoſtles in the New-Teſtament times, Act. 13.14.15. And herein God hath ſuited the Services to the Conſtitution of our Bodies and Spirits, which would in a while be tired out, by the long continuance of one duty, which is relieved by the Change, and paſſing form that to another, which becomes a Recreation to a gracious Perſon, and helps him with unwearied cheerfulneſs to go through the Day, and the Religious Duties enjoyned on it.
2. IT is not neceſſary, that all the Duties of Worſhip be ſolemnly attended on every Sabbath. Tho' there are none but what belong to, and are proper for that day, yet there is no Obligation lying upon us to go through them all every time the Sabbath recurs; but there is a Prudence to be uſed by the People of God on this account, though ſtill there are ſome which ſhould be more conſtantly attended, and others more intermittedly. And here obſerve, that there are the Duties of Natural Worſhip, which challenge the firſt Place, and more conſtant Attendance, viz. Prayer, and the Diſpenſation of the Word of God, and holy Meditation: Whereas thoſe which are Ceremonial, may have their particular times to be attended. Baptiſm in to be Adminiſtred only when there is a Subject that offers to partake in it, the Lord's Supper is not under a Precept of being Adminiſtred every Lord's Day, but may be Diſpenſed, either oftner of ſeldomer, is the Circumſtances of the People concerned t…erein may be; nor is there any certain Preſer…ption in the Goſpel for it, only it ſhould be frequent; and the Duties of Natural Worſhip ſhould be uſed for our help in the other.
3. THAT the Publick and Private Duties of Worſhip, ought ſo to be ordered, that …y may help, and not thruſt out one the other. The whole Sabbath is not to be ſpent in Publick nor yet in Private ordinarily, except when the Providence of God prevents the Opportunity of Publick Aſſemblies, which is won't to ſ…ll out in Times of Perſecution; and tho' the I rivate is to give way to the Publick, yet the Times of are to be accordingly laid out, ſo as not to enterfere; becauſe the Seaſons for Publick Worſhip muſt be ordered for Edification, which naturally requires that all are agreed in it, elſe there will … avoiding of Conſ…ſion; and it would be no ſmall reproach to the Profeſſion of a People, if whilſt ſome are attending on the Worſhip of God's Houſe, others are mean while taken up with their Private Devotions at Home, and hinder themſelves thereby from giving their ſeaſonable attendance on the other. Not will the Sabbath on the other hand be ſuitably obſerved, if Perſons through Sloth loſe the Opportunity of Family and Cloſet R…ligion, becauſe elſe they ſhould come too late to the Aſſembly. We ſhould therefore uſe our Private Duties, to prepare and diſpoſe us to attend upon, and get Profit by thoſe that are Publick and ſo to wait upon thoſe Publick ones, as may ſerve to help us forward to a better proſecut…on of thoſe Private ones, which we retire from the Publick to attend upon.
4. THAT the People of God ought to endeavour after a due five preparation for theſe Duties. It was …able Cuſtom among the Jews, that upon the approach of that Day, they ſet themſelves to make ready for it: Hence we read in Luk. 23.…. And that Day was the preparation, and the ſubborbdren on. And though that nextly aimed at the Preparation for the Paſſover, which was a ſpecial Sabbath, yet it is app…icable to all Days ſo appointed. But that we be not here miſtaken, we are not to judge, that ſuch Preparation, and ſetting apart ſome time for it, is a Divine Inſtitution, for then that time alſo would be Holy equally with the other, which it is no…; but this Duty comes in upon a Moral Account, and ſtands in the ſame Order with Preparation for all Solemn Duties that are attend; and doubtleſs, the more Solemn the Duty is, the more need have we to make ready for it; and this is very needful with reſpect to the Sabbath, both becauſe of the Holineſs of the Day, and we are bidden to count it very Honourable, Iſa. …8.13. And in this way we do put Honour upon it, as alſo, becauſe of our aptneſs to be entangled with, and loſe our ſelves in the Secular Buſineſſes of this Life, which will very much unfit us for the Holy Duties of it, unleſs we fix our ſelves to get into a readineſs for the Day againſt it comes; which is to be attened by a ſeaſonable knocking off from the Affairs of this World, and endeavouring by Prayer and Meditation to g… our Hearts in a Spiritual Poſture. Only us muſt obſerve, that tho' to neglect this, what we may get ſuch an Opportunity diſcovers a low Value for the Day; yet to avoid any needful thing, that comes unexpectedly, left … ſhould break this Command, is Superſtition.
5. THAT whatſoever they do on that Dey ought to be with a ſuitable regard to the Holineſs of the Time. All the Duties of Worſhip are Holy, and for their own ſake we o… … endeavour ſuitable Frames of Holineſs, in … doing of them; but ſuch Duties done on the Sabbath, have a further conſideration of Holineſs allowed them, and that is with regard … the Holineſs of the Day; and not only ſo, … there are other Duties which on this Day may be neceſſarily performed, beſides ſuch as … Acts of Worſhip, as we ſhall preſently obſer…: Now there is a regard to be had to the Times even in the doing of them; and that is, … due Suſerviency to the Great and Principle … fair of the Day; and thus we are to keep … feet on that Day. Iſa. 58.13. i.e. Our Th… and effections from roving unneceſſarity, … the Buſineſs incumbent on us, in Sanctifying the Day: How this is to be done may be obſerver under the next. Hence,
[2.] THERE is an Exception made of … much Time, as is to be taken up, in Work of Neceſſity and Mercy: i. e. Theſe may … muſt interrupt the other Duties, ſo far as they do intervene. And for a right underſtan… of this, let theſe things be obſerved,
1. THAT the Sabbath was appointed … Man's Good, and not for his Harm. This … general Rule, but may be particularly a… modated with due Caution. Our Saviour … uſe of it, in reſlecting upon the unjuſt Cea… of the Phariſees caſt upon his Diſciples, for gathering and eating ears of Corn, on the Sabbath Day: Mark 2.27. And he ſaid unto … The ſabbath was made for man, and not man for the ſabbath. It was indeed to advance Man's Spiritual Intereſt, in givi…g him Opportunity to ſequeſter himſelf for Communion with God in the way of Mediate Worſhip but was never intended to hart any of his Intereſts in this World
2. THAT as there are Duties of Worſhip to be performed on our Days, ſo there are Duties of Righteouſneſs to be done on God's Day. Theſe Duties, tho' they differ in the next Object and End, the one belonging to the Firſt, the other to the Second Table, yet they agree in the … mate Object and End, which is God and His Glory; for this as well as that, is to be done in Obedience to Him; and when they are ſo done ſincerely, we have Communion with God in them: The one belongs to our Duty to Man, but it is in order of Serving of God, and ſo they do not neceſſarily thwart one the other. Now that the Duties of Worſhip may be done on any of the Six Days, is indiſputable; there were daily Sacrifices For every Day; there is the … ty of Reading the Scriptures, and Prayer to God, that cannot ordinarily be omitted one Day without Sin: It is lawful and convenient to …ch and Hear the Word on the Week Day; … Tim. 4.2. Preach the word, be inſtant in ſeaſon, out of ſeaſon. Days of Faſting and Thanks giving are to be kept on ſuch times, when … Providence calls for them. In like manner there are Second Table Duties that may or …ight to be done on Holy Time; and are either … Duties of the Day, or are occaſionally … for by the Circumſtances: what theſe … will be preſently conſidered.
… IN the doing of the Duties of the Sabbath, … employ our Body as well as our Soul. … are ſome indeed, that are more peculiarly Spiritual, i. e. to be performed in and by … inward Man. Such as Meditation and Self…tion, and Prayer in our Hearts; but all … …ſ…itutions of the Day require the exerciſe … Body: We are therefore to offer them up …, Rom. 12.1. Nor can God's People hold viſible Communion one with another, without … of their Bodies in it: We are therefore Commanded, 1 Cor. 6.20. Glorify God in … body, and in your ſpirit, which are Gods. And the reaſon for it is Cogent, viz. Chriſt hath … the whole Man; and indeed the Body …rily the Soul's Organ in the working of …perate Acts in which all outward Worſhip … is to be performed by man; and therefore a pretence to a Spiritual Communion to ex… the other, is Enthuſiaſtical.
… HENCE that the Body may be fit to Diſ… theſe Duties aright, there is ſomething … done for it on that Day. The Body hath …dance on Means for the maintaining of the Vigour and Activity of it, whereby it may … attend the Service it is appointed to, … tiring, fainting or giving in: and it … in need of this as well for Sabbath Ser…, … for the Buſineſs of this Life; for we … to do theſe with our might, as well as the … whatſoever is requiſite for this, muſt be … proper for the Day: And therefore, tho' … lites were not to gather Manna on the …th, yet they were to eat it then, and accor…, to lay in Two Days ſtore the Day be….
… AND there are Duties which we o… to our …our on the Sabbath, as well as at any other …. The Duty of Loving our Neighbour as … ſelves, is an abiding Duty, and uninter…: It is not only a Week Day Duty, and … omitted on the Sabbath; tho' that be to …m us in the right diſcharge of it: And be …, and very often doth, ſtand in need of our …ling it to him, not only for his Soul, by …ſelling and Inſtructing of him in the things …; but alſo in regard of his Bodily & out… Concerns, which are not in themſelves … Acts of Worſhip, but of Charity; but yet … to be omitted, till this Day be over.
… THESE Duties are uſually diſtributed, … the Works of Neceſſity & Mercy. It is …ne, the Works of Mercy here called for, are … as have a Moral Neceſſity on them, ariſing … the Phyſical Neceſſity of the Subject, which … it our Duty, if we will not bring Guilt of Sin upon our ſelves, …o attend on: And the Works of Neceſſity here in…ded, may in a Senſe be called the Works of Mercy, becauſe they ſuccour the Subject againſt that Miſery which they muſt otherwiſe undergo: But we look upon them under this diſtinct conſideration.
And then,
[1.] UNDER the h…d of Neceſſary we … two ſorts, viz.
1. SUCH as are of Ordinary Neceſſity or Co… vendence. For we are not to think the Precept is here tied up to things, abſolutely neceſſary; as if nothing might be done; but what the Creature could not ſubſiſt without, but ſuch things as are needful, for the comfortable ſ…rving of Gods's And here belong, (1.) A ſuitable Time … Sleep. The health and vivacity of Humane Bodies in this World, depends on it: the not taking it, would render the Duties of the Day tireſome, and deſtr…cting. The Night of the Sabbath is therefore appointed for Man's Sleep, as well as the other Nights of the Week, and that in proportion to the craving of Nature, and for the more Activity of the Body … nor doth this take away from the Holineſs of the Time; but if we ſpend any part of the Night working, we muſt ſpend it as Holy Time. (2) A Providing for, and taking of comfortable bodily Refreſhment. Proviſion for the Day; is to be laid in before, at l…ſt not to be laboured for then; but the making it ready for Convenience, is Lawful and a Duty; and that … only for bare Neceſſity but Comfort too: There was indeed a ſtrict Prohibition in the Old Law, that no Fire ſhould be kindled on the Sabbath in their Tents: But it is not obliging under the Goſpel; nor is Eating then restrained to …e-ſerving of Life, but may be uſed more liberally …, therefore Chriſt accepted of an Invitation to Dinner on a Sabbath Day, Lake 14.1.
2. SUCH as fall out Extraordinarly, … ſpecial Occaſions, which put unavoidable Neceſſity of intermitting the proper Duties of the Day; and if we do not attend them, we ſhall be further expoſed. And of this ſort are, (1.) TO Fight or Fly from an inv…ding Enemy: if not to be Aggreſſors on ſuch a Day, yet to ſtand on their own Defence, when aſſaulted. The Law of Self-Preſervation calls for it, and the thing it ſelf puts by Duties of Worſhip, and if this were not a Duty, but Unlawful, we ſhould by it become a Prey to them that hate us. And as to Flying, when oppreſſed on a Sabbath, by a prevailing Foe, againſt whom we cannot defend our ſelves, our Saviour ſuppoſeth it Lawful, tho' Afflictive, in, Matth. 24.20. Pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath Day. (2.) TO Quench Fires that break forth, which otherwiſe would lay all waſte before them. That is a ſudden Emergency, and was not to be ſeen before, and calls for ſpeed and expedition, and the leaſt hindrance will ſoon make all Attempts too late, for Miracles are not in this caſe to be expected. And hence any other thing of like importance, that falls out in the Day, and may not be delayed, comes within this verge.
[2]. UNDER the head of Mercy, theſe things more eſpecially do come;
(1.) TO Viſ… the Sack. That this is in it ſelf a Duty of Chirſtian, appears in that it is reſe…red to P… Re…gion, J… 1.17. And the Reaſon of this i…, becauſe their …y … for it, and it in a Work of Mercy to do it, and to … when needed, is …: And there are Caſes in which that will …, Matth. 9.13. I will have Mercy, and not …riſice.
(2.) FOR a Phyſician in times of Si…ne…, to … his Pari…, and to Ad…tor to them. … often did our Saviour do His C…res on the Sabbath; and …yed it againſt th…ſ… that … with … for it? And what by p… ving it, a proper Sabbath …
(3.) Of the ſa… Nature and Reaſon in that of Newſes, to …d …ick Perſons, who muſt elſe Periſh. To which may be added the puſſing of a … of a P…, that it occaſ…lly … into, which our Saviour juſtifies the other by, in His De… of His he…ing Mar. … a …ly g…ed Truth among the Superstitions Jews themſelves, L…k. 14.5.
(4.) THE g…ving of …tion, in the Church Aſſem…ties, for the Re…f of the Poor; which is a Work of Mercy for the N…dy: And for this Reaſon the Apoſtle appointed th… to the Church of Co…i…, 1 Cor. 16. …g. So that although the Sabbath it ſelf … under the P… of the Firſt Table, yet God … to mi… Second Table D…, in the … that are to be done on it, as … evident.
7. THERE … ever reſp… to be had to the Sabbath, in the … of theſe things. We have …dy obſerved, that the Duties themſelves of Worſhip, may be performed … other Occaſion, but there is a different conſideration to be had, of the doing them then, and on the Subbath, in regard of the Holineſs of the Time. …, tho' theſe Du… are in themſelves things which refer to the Second Table, and very proper to be done on common Times; yet when they are done on the Sabbatk, we ought, even in the doing of them, to remember the Sabbath Day, and do them accordingly. And for our ſo doing, theſe ſ…w Rules are to be obſerved by us;
1. THAT we ought to …id making ſuch Things Neceſſary, the doing whereof will … …idebly take us off from the proper Services of the Day, which might have been prevented by a prudent forecaſt. There are ſome of theſe things which do belong to the Day always being made neceſſary by the Nature of Man, in reſpect of …is Body, which will ever want it; and ſomethings that God himſelf hath choſen that Day to be a fit Seaſon for doing: But there are others which are only occaſionally Duties, and made ſo by the Providence of God, which are to be looked on as Frowns, and therefore not to be choſen. Now we owe ſuch a deference to the Sabbath, as to uſe Endeavours prudently to prevent ſuch things, if poſſible, and for that end to … beforehand, to do that which is in our P… which may as well and conveniently be … before the Day, that we be not nece…ed … it …; and this belongs to the Remem… … quired in the Procept; and when ſuch things are … Co…tingencies fall our we ought … under them, as rebakes in this …
2. THAT we ought to take up as little … in theſe things, as the Convenience of … allow: We muſt Sleep, Eat and Drink, … make Proviſion for it; but we ought to be …, that … little of Holy Time, … employed in it; and the re… i…, … …gh theſe are Duties in their Place; yet … not the main Duties of the Day, but … ſubſervient thereto, that by them we may … better helped ſo the other: They are th… to be done, not for themſelves, but for … of the other; and therefore ought not to be … ju…cial thereunto.
3. THAT we ſhould keep up a … Spiritual Worſhip in us, in the doing of … as for as we …. And the reaſon of this, … with that of the former. When … Sleep, it ſhould be with a regard, to … ing fit to do the Duties of the Day, … ſhould ly down, and riſe up with … we are Eating and Drinking, we ſhould … Sabbath Medi…tions in our H… … Sabbath Diſcourſe in our Comm…tion … others; and whe… ca…ed to Divert by any … …y, which unavoidably requires our … Though… of the things themſelves, … ſhould have the Sebbath Diſpoſition in … on our Hearts.
4. WE ought to …vert from the … Avocations that …ene, … ſ… a… they …, to the Duties of Worſhip again. … one difference between the Occaſional … of Faſting and Thanksgiving and th…ſe … Sabbath; if we are called of by Neceſſ…y … theſe, and cannot in Seaſon return to … we may lawfully return to our Secular … and employ our ſelves in that; but not … Subbath; but when we can, we muſt … turn to the Publick Worſhip, or if that … attained, the Private Duties of it muſt be … ſ…ed, elſe we do not pay that Honour … Sabbath, which God had required of us, Iſa. 5…. ….
USE. WE might here take up a ſad L… … for the …ful Neglect of Sabbath-D…, which is ſo notoriouſly to be ſeen in the … of us. If this be to keep a Sabbath how … is it obſerved? What a low regard do the … of Profeſſors ſhew to it? And do…leſs. … is matter of deep Humiliation to the … of … to think and obſerve how far we come … in this reſpect: And let it drive us all … Pardon of God, and His Grace to help us, … in to teſtify our regards to Him by our delighting in His Sabbath.
[JANUARY 12. 1702]