Sermon

Exodus 20:9-10. Six days shall you labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall do no manner of work, etc.

Six days shall you labor — God would not have any live out of a calling; religion seals no warrant for idleness. 'Tis as well a duty to labor six days, as to keep holy rest on the seventh day; six days shall you labor. (2 Thessalonians 3:11) We hear there are some among you walking disorderly, [illegible], working not at all. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus, that with quietness they work and eat their own bread. A Christian must not only mind heaven, but his calling. While the pilot has his eye to the star, he has his hand to the stern. Without labor the pillars of a commonwealth will dissolve, and the earth will be like the sluggard's field, over-run with briars (Proverbs 24:31). Adam in innocency, though he was the monarch of the world, yet God would not have him idle, but he must dress and till the ground (Genesis 2:15). Piety does not exclude industry. Six days shall you labor. Standing water putrefies. The inanimate creatures are in motion: the sun goes its circuit, the fountain runs, the fire sparkles. And animate creatures; Solomon sends us to the ant and pismire to learn labor (Proverbs 6:6; Proverbs 30:35). The bee is the emblem of industry; some of the bees trim the honey, others work the wax, others frame the comb, others lie sentinel at the door of the hive to keep out the drone. And shall not man much more inure himself to labor? That law in paradise was never yet repealed: In the sweat of your brows shall you eat bread (Genesis 3:19). Such professors are to be disliked, who talk of living by faith, but live out of a calling. They are like the lilies which toil not, neither do they spin (Matthew 6:28). 'Tis a speech of holy and learned Mr. Perkins: Let a man be endowed with excellent gifts, and hear the Word with reverence, and receive the Sacrament, yet if he does not practice the duties of his calling, all is but hypocrisy. What is an idle person good for? What benefit is there of a ship that lies always on the shore? Or of armor that hangs up and rusts? To live out of a calling, exposes a person to temptation. Melancton calls idleness Balneum Diaboli, the Devil's bath, because he bathes himself with delight in an idle soul. We do not use to sow seed in ground when it lies fallow; but Satan sows most of his seed of temptation in such persons as lie fallow, and are out of a calling. Idleness is the nurse of vice. Seneca, a heathen, could say, Nullus mihi per Otium Dies exit: No day passes me without some labor. An idle person stands for a cipher in the world, and God writes down no ciphers in the Book of Life. We read in Scripture of eating the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27), and drinking the wine of violence (Proverbs 4:17). It is as well a sin to eat the bread of idleness, as to drink the wine of violence. An idle person can give no account of his time. Time is a talent to trade with, both in our particular and general calling. The slothful person hides his talent in the earth, he does no good, his time is not lived but lost. An idle person lives unprofitably, he cumbers the ground: God calls the slothful servant wicked (Matthew 25:26): You wicked and slothful servant. Draco, whose laws were written in blood, deprived them of their life, who would not work for their living. In Etruria they caused such persons to be banished. Idle persons live in the breach of this commandment, six days shall you labor: let them take heed they be not banished from heaven. A man may as well go to hell for not working in his calling, as for not believing. So I pass to the next.

But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall do no manner of work.

Having spoken already of the reasons of sanctifying the Sabbath, I come now to that question:

Question: In what manner are we to sanctify the Sabbath?

Response 1. Negatively, we must do no work in it; that is expressed in the commandment, "In it you shall do no manner of work." God has enclosed this day for himself, therefore we are not to lay it common by doing any civil work. As Abraham when he went to sacrifice, left his servant and the ass at the bottom of the hill (Genesis 22:5), so when we are to worship God this day, we must leave all worldly business behind, leave the ass at the bottom of the hill. And as Joseph when he would speak with his brethren, thrust out the Egyptians; so when we would converse with God this day, we must thrust out all earthly employments. The Lord's Day is a day of holy rest, all secular works must be forborne and suspended, it is a profaning of the day. (Nehemiah 13:15) "In these days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, as also wine-grapes and figs, and all manner of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath-day, and I testified against them." "Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the Sabbath-day?" It is sacrilege to rob that time for civil work, which God has dedicated and set apart for his worship. He that converts any time of the Sabbath to worldly business, is a worse thief than he who robs on the highway; for such a thief does but rob man, but this thief robs God, he robs him of his day. The Lord forbade manna to be gathered on the Sabbath (Exodus 16). One would think that might have been dispensed with; for manna was the staff of their life; and the time when manna fell was early, between five and six in the morning; so that they might have gathered it early, and all the rest of the Sabbath they might have employed in God's worship. And besides, they needed not to have taken any great journey for manna, for it was but stepping out of their doors, and it fell about their tents; yet they might not gather manna on the Sabbath. And but for purposing to gather it, God was very angry (Exodus 16:27-28): "There went out some of the people on the seventh day to gather, and they found none, and the Lord said, How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?" Surely the anointing of Christ when he was dead was a commendable work; but Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, though they had prepared sweet ointments to anoint the dead body of Christ, yet they came not to the sepulchre to embalm him till the Sabbath was past (Luke 23:56). They rested on the Sabbath-day, according to the commandment. The hand cannot be busied on the Lord's Day, but the heart will be defiled. The very heathens by the light of nature would not do any secular work, in that time which they had set apart for the worship of their false gods. Clement of Alexandria reports of one of the emperors of Rome, that on the day of set worship for his gods, he did forbear warlike affairs, and did spend that time in his devotion. To do servile work on the Sabbath, shows an irreligious heart, and highly affronts God. To work servile work this day, is to follow the devil's plow; it is to debase the soul. God has made this day on purpose to raise the heart up to heaven, to converse with God, to do angels' work; and to be employed in earthly work, is to degrade the soul of its honor. God will not have his day encroached upon, or defiled in the least thing. The man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath, God would have him stoned (Numbers 15). One would think that a small thing, to pick a few sticks to make a fire; but God would not have his day violated in the smallest matters. No, that work which had a reference to a religious use, might not be done on the Sabbath, as the hewing of stones for the building of the sanctuary. Bezaleel, who was to cut the stones, and carve the timber out for the sanctuary, yet he must forbear it on the Sabbath (Exodus 31:15). A temple is the place of God's worship, but it were a sin to build a temple upon the Lord's Day. This is keeping the Sabbath-day holy negatively, in doing no servile work. Yet caution: not but that works of necessity and charity may be done on this day. God in these cases will have mercy and not sacrifice.

1. It is lawful to take the necessary refreshments of nature: food is to the body as oil to the lamp.

2. It is lawful to do works of mercy, as helping our neighbor when either life or estate are in danger. Herein the Jews were too nice and precise, they would not suffer works of charity to be done on the Sabbath. If a man were sick, they thought on this day they might not use means for his recovery. Christ charges them with this, that they were angry that he had wrought a cure on the Sabbath (John 7:23). If a house were on fire, the Jews thought they might not bring water to quench it. If a vessel did run, they thought that on this day they might not stop it. These were righteous overmuch. Here was seeming zeal, but it wanted discretion to guide it. But unless in these two cases of necessity and charity, all secular work is to be suspended and laid aside on the Lord's Day. "In it you shall do no manner of work" — which justly does arraign and condemn many among us, who do too much foul their fingers with work on this day. Some in dressing great feasts, others in opening their shop doors and selling meat on the Sabbath, which I have seen. The mariner will not set to sea but on the Sabbath, and so runs full sail into the breach of this commandment. Others work on this day, though privately. They put up their shop windows, but follow their trade within doors. But though they think to hide their sin under a canopy, God sees it. (Psalm 139:7) "Where shall I go from your presence?" — verse 12, "The darkness hides not from you." These persons do profane this day, and God will have an action of trespass against them.

2. Positively. We keep the Sabbath-day holy by consecrating and dedicating this day to the service of the high God. It is good to rest on the Sabbath-day from the works of our calling. But if we rest from labor, and do no more, the ox and the ass keep the Sabbath as well as we, for they rest from labor. We must dedicate the day to God, we must not only keep a Sabbath, but sanctify a Sabbath. This Sabbath-sanctification consists in two things.

- 1. The solemn Preparation for it. - 2. The sacred Observation of it.

1. The solemn Preparation for it. If a Prince were to come to your House, what Preparation would you make for his Entertainment? Sweep the House, wash the Floor, adorn the Room with the richest Tapestry and Hangings, that there might be something suitable to the state and dignity of so great a Person. On the blessed Sabbath God intends to have sweet communion with you; he seems to say to you as Christ to Zaccheus (Luke 19:5), Make haste and come down, for this day I must dine with you. Now what preparation should you make for the entertaining this King of Glory! Now this preparation for the Sabbath is, First, when the evening of the Sabbath approaches, sound a retreat, call your minds off from the world, and summon your thoughts together to think of the great work of the day approaching. Secondly, purge out all unclean affections, which may indispose you for the work of the Sabbath. Evening preparation will be like the tuning of the instrument; it will fit the heart the better for the duties of the Sabbath ensuing.

2. The sacred observation of it, touching which these things are to be practiced.

(1.) Rejoice at the approach of this day, as being a day wherein we have a prize for our souls, and enjoy much of God's presence (John 8:56). Abraham saw my day and rejoiced. So when we see the light of a Sabbath shine we should rejoice. Isaiah 58:13: "You shall call the Sabbath a delight." This is the queen of days, which God has crowned with a blessing. As there was one day in the week on which God did rain manna twice as much as upon any other day, so God rains down the manna of heavenly blessings twice as much on the Sabbath, as on any other. This is the day wherein Christ carries the soul into the house of wine, and displays the banners of love over it. Now the dew of the Spirit falls on the soul, whereby it is revived and comforted. How many may write the Lord's day the day of their new birth! This day of rest is a pledge and earnest of that eternal rest in Heaven; and shall not we rejoice at the approach of it? That day on which the Sun of Righteousness shines, should be a day of gladness.

(2.) Get up early on the Sabbath morning. Christ rose early on this day before the sun was up (John 20:1). Did Christ rise early to save us, and shall not we rise early to worship and glorify him? Psalm 63:1: "Early will I seek you." Can we be up early on other days? The husbandman is early at his plough, the traveler rises early to go his journey, and shall not we, when we are on this day traveling to Heaven? Certainly did we love God as we should, we would rise on this day early, that we may meet with him whom our soul loves. Such as sit up late at work on the night before, will be so buried in sleep, that they will hardly be up early on a Sabbath morning.

(3.) Having dressed our bodies, we must dress our souls for the hearing of the Word. As the people of Israel were to wash themselves before the Law was delivered to them (Exodus 19:10), so we must wash and cleanse our souls, and that is by reading, meditation and prayer.

1. By reading the Word. The Word is a great means to sanctify the heart, and bring it into a Sabbath frame (John 17:17). "Sanctify them through your truth," etc. And read the Word not carelessly, but with seriousness and affection; it is the oracle of Heaven, the well of salvation, the book of life. David for the preciousness of God's Word esteemed it above gold, and for the sweetness above honey (Psalm 19:10). By reading the Word aright, our hearts when they are dull are quickened, when they are hard are softened, when cold and frozen are inflamed, and we can say as the disciples, Did not our hearts burn within us? Some step out of their bed to hearing. The reason why many get no more good on a Sabbath by the Word preached, is because they did not break fast with God in the morning by the reading of his Word.

2. Meditation. Get upon the mount of meditation, and so converse with God. Meditation is the soul's retiring of itself, that by a serious and solemn thinking upon God the heart may be raised up to divine affections.

Meditation is a work fit for the morning of a Sabbath. Meditate on four things.

(1.) On the works of creation. That is expressed here in the Commandment: The Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, etc. The creation is a looking-glass, in which we see the wisdom and power of God gloriously represented. God produced this fair structure of the world without any pre-existent matter, and with a word. Psalm 33:6: "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made." The disciples wondered that Christ could with a word calm the sea (Matthew 8:26), but it was far more with a word to make the sea. Let us on a Sabbath meditate on the infiniteness of our Creator, look up to the firmament, there we may see God's glory blazing in the sun, twinkling in the stars; look into the sea, there we may see God's wonders in the deep (Psalm 107:24). Look into the earth, there we may behold the nature of minerals, the power of the lodestone, the virtue of herbs, and beauty of flowers: by meditating on these works of creation so curiously embroidered, we come to admire God, and praise him (Psalm 104:24). "O Lord, how manifold are your works! in wisdom have you made them all." By meditating on the works of creation we come to confide in God. He who can create, can provide; he that could make us when we were nothing, he can raise us when we are low. Psalm 124:8: "Our help stands in the name of the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth."

(2.) Meditate on God's holiness. (Psalm 111:9) Holy and reverend is his name. (Habakkuk 1:13) You are of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. God is essentially, originally and efficiently holy: all the holiness in men and angels is but a crystal stream that runs from this glorious ocean. God loves holiness because it is his own image. A king cannot but love to see his own effigies stamped on coin. God counts holiness his glory, and the most sparkling jewel of his crown. (Exodus 15:11) Glorious in holiness. Here is a meditation fit for our first entrance into a Sabbath, God's holiness: the contemplation of this would work in us such a frame of heart as is suitable to a holy God: it would make us then reverence his name, hallow his day: while we are musing of the holiness of God's nature, we begin to be transformed into his likeness.

(3.) Meditate on Christ's love in redeeming us (Revelation 1:5). Redemption exceeds creation; the one is a monument of God's power, the other of his love. Here is fit work for a Sabbath. O the infinite stupendous love of Christ in raising poor lapsed creatures from a state of guilt and damnation!

1. That Christ who was God should die; that this glorious sun of righteousness should be in an eclipse, we can never enough admire this love; no, not in Heaven.

2. That Christ should die for sinners. Not sinful angels, but sinful mankind. That such clods of earth and sin should be made bright stars of glory. O the amazing love of Christ! This was Illustre amoris Christi mnemosynum.

3. That Christ should not only die for sinners, but die as a sinner. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He was made sin for us. He who was among the glorious persons of the Trinity, was numbered among transgressors (Isaiah 53:12). Not that he had sin, but he was like a sinner, having our sins imputed to him. Sin did not live in him, but it was laid upon him. Here was a hyperbole of love, enough to strike us into astonishment.

4. That Christ should redeem us, when he could not look to gain anything, or be at all advantaged by us. Men will not lay out their money upon a purchase, unless it will turn to their profit. But what benefit could Christ expect in purchasing and redeeming us? We were in such a condition, that we could neither deserve nor recompense Christ's love.

First, we could not deserve it, for we were in our blood (Ezekiel 16:6). We had no spiritual beauty to tempt Christ. In fact, we were not only in our blood, but we were up in arms (Romans 5:8). When we were enemies, Christ died for us: when he was shedding his blood, we were spitting our poison.

Secondly, as we could not deserve, so neither could we recompense Christ's love. For,

1. After he had died for us, we could not so much as love him, till he made us love him.

2. We could give Christ nothing in lieu of his love. (Romans 11:35) Who has first given to him? We were fallen to poverty; if we have any beauty, it is from Christ. (Ezekiel 16:14) You were comely through my comeliness which I put upon you. If we bring forth any good fruit, it is not of our own growth, it comes from Christ the true vine (Hosea 14:8). From me is your fruit found. So that it was nothing but pure love for Christ to lay out his blood to redeem such as he could not expect to be really bettered by.

5. That Christ should die so willingly (John 10:17). I lay down my life. The Jews could not have taken it away, if he had not laid it down; he could have called to his Father for a legion of angels to be his life-guard; but what needed that, when his Godhead could have defended him from all assaults? But he laid down his life: the Jews did not so much thirst for Christ's death, as he thirsted for our redemption (Luke 12:50). I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished. Christ called his sufferings a baptism: he was to be baptized and sprinkled with his own blood, and Christ thought the time long before he suffered. [illegible], How am I straitened till it be accomplished. Therefore to show Christ's willingness to die, his sufferings is called an offering (Hebrews 10:10). By the offering of the body of Jesus: his death was a free-will offering.

6. That Christ should not grudge or think much of all his sufferings, his being scourged and crucified, (we grudge him a light service) but that he should be well contented with what he has done; and if it were to do again, he would do it. (Isaiah 53:11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied. As the mother, though she has had hard labour, yet when she sees a child brought forth, she does not repent of her pangs, but is well contented. So Christ, though he had hard travail upon the cross, which put him into an agony, yet he does not think much, he is not troubled, but thinks his sweat and blood well bestowed, because he sees the man-child of redemption brought forth into the world. He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied.

7. That Christ should make redemption effectual to some, and not to others. Here is the quintessence of love. Though there is a sufficiency in Christ's merit to save all, yet only some partake of its saving virtue; all do not believe. (John 6:64) There are some of you that believe not. Christ does not pray for all. (John 17:9) Some refuse Christ (Psalm 118:22). This is the stone which the builders refused. Others deride him (Luke 16:14). Others throw off his yoke (Luke 19:14). We will not have this man reign over us. So that all have not the benefit of salvation by him. Herein appears the distinguishing love of Christ, that the virtue of his death should reach some and not others. (1 Corinthians 1:26) Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. That Christ should pass by many of birth and parts, and that the lot of free grace should fall upon you; that he should sprinkle his blood upon you: [illegible], the depth of the love of Christ.

8. That Christ should love us with such an entire transcendent love. The apostle calls it a love which passes knowledge (Ephesians 3:19). That he should love us more than the angels: he loves them as his friends, believers as his spouse. He loves them with such a kind of love as God the Father bears to him (John 15:9). As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. O what a hyperbole of love does Christ show in redeeming us!

9. That Christ's love in our redemption should be everlasting (John 13:1): having loved his own, he loved them to the end. As Christ's love is matchless, so it is endless: the flower of Christ's love is sweet, and that which makes it sweeter, it never dies. Christ's love is eternized (Jeremiah 31:3). He will never divorce his elect spouse: the failings of his people cannot quite take off his love: they may eclipse his love, not wholly remove it; their failings may make Christ angry with them, but not hate them. Every failing does not break the marriage-knot. Christ's love is not like the saints' love; sometimes they have strong affections towards Christ, at other times the hot fit is off, and they can find little or no love stirring in them. But it is not so with Christ's love to the saints, it is a love of eternity. When the sunshine of Christ's electing love has once risen upon the soul, it never sets finally. Death may take away our life from us, but not Christ's love. Behold here a rare subject on a Sabbath morning to meditate upon. The meditation of Christ's wonderful love in redeeming us, would work in us a Sabbath frame of heart.

First, it would melt us into tears for our spiritual unkindnesses. That we should sin against so sweet a Savior, that we should be no more affected with his love, but requite evil for good. Like the Athenians, who notwithstanding all the good service Aristides had done them, banished him out of their city. That we should grieve Christ with our pride, rash anger, our unfruitfulness, animosities, strange factions: have we none to abuse but our friend? Have we nothing to kick against but the bowels of a Savior? Did not Christ suffer enough upon the cross, but must we needs make him suffer more? Do we give him more gall and vinegar to drink? O, if anything can dissolve the heart in sorrow, and broach the eyes with tears, 'tis dis-ingenuity and unkindness offered to Christ. When Peter thought of Christ's love to him, how he had made him an apostle, and revealed his bosom-secrets to him, and taken him to the Mount of Transfiguration, and that he should deny Christ, it broke his heart with sorrow, he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75). What a blessed thing is it to have the eyes dropping tears on a Sabbath! And nothing would sooner fetch tears, than to meditate of Christ's love to us, and our unkind requitals.

Secondly, the meditating on a Lord's Day morning of Christ's love, would kindle love in our hearts to Christ. How can we look on Christ bleeding and dying for us, and our hearts not be warmed with love to him? Love is the soul of religion, the purest affection; it is not rivers of oil, but sparks of love, that Christ values. And sure, as David said, while I was musing, the fire burned (Psalm 39:3). So while we are musing of Christ's love in redeeming us, the fire of our love would burn towards Christ; and then is a Christian in a blessed Sabbath frame, when he is like a seraphim burning in love to Christ.

(4.) On a Sabbath morning meditate on the glory of heaven. Heaven is the extract and quintessence of happiness. It is called a kingdom (Matthew 25:34) — a kingdom for its riches and magnificence: it is set out by precious stones, gates of pearl (Revelation 21). There is all that is truly glorious, transparent light, perfect love, unstained honor, unmixed joy; and that which crowns the joy of the celestial paradise, is eternity. Suppose earthly kingdoms were more glorious than they are, their foundations of gold, their walls of pearl, their windows of sapphire, yet they are corruptible: but the kingdom of heaven is eternal, those rivers of pleasure run for evermore (Psalm 16:11). And that wherein the essence of glory consists, and makes heaven to be heaven, is the immediate sight and fruition of the blessed God (Psalm 17:15): when I awake I shall be satisfied with your likeness. O think of this Jerusalem above! This is proper for a Sabbath.

1. The meditation of heaven would raise our hearts above the world. O how would these things disappear and shrink into nothing, if our minds were mounted above the visible orbs, and we had a prospect of glory!

2. How would the meditation of heaven make us heavenly in our Sabbath exercises? It would quicken affection, it would add wings to devotion, it would make us to be in the Spirit on the Lord's Day (Revelation 1:10). How vigorously does he serve God, who has a crown of glory always in his eye!

3. We dress our souls on a Sabbath morning, by prayer (Matthew 6:6): when you pray, enter into your closet, etc. Prayer sanctifies a Sabbath.

(1.) The things we should pray for on the morning of a Sabbath.

1. Beg a blessing upon the word which is to be preached, that it may be a savor of life to us, that by it our minds may be more illuminated, our corruptions more weakened, our stock of grace more increased. Pray that God's special presence may be with us, that our hearts may burn within us while God speaks. Pray that we may receive the word into meek humble hearts (James 1:22). That we may submit to it, and bring forth the fruits of it. Nor should we only pray for ourselves, but for others.

First, for him who dispenses the word; that his tongue may be touched with a coal from God's altar; that God would warm his heart, who is to help to warm others. Your prayers may be a means to quicken the minister. Some complain, they find not that benefit by the word preached. Perhaps they did not pray for their minister as they should. Prayer is like the whetting and sharpening of an instrument, which makes it cut the better.

Secondly, pray with and for your family: indeed, pray for all the congregations that meet this day in the fear of the Lord, that the dew of the Spirit may fall with the manna of the word, that some souls may be converted, and others strengthened, and that gospel ordinances may be continued, and have no restraint put upon them. These are the things we should pray for. The tree of mercy will not drop its fruit, unless it be shaken by the hand of prayer.

(2.) The manner of our prayer. It is not enough to say a prayer, to pray in a dull cold manner, which teaches God to deny; but we must pray with reverence, humility, hope in God's mercy, fervency (Luke 22:44). Christ prayed [in non-Latin alphabet], more earnestly. And that we may pray with more fervency, we must pray with a sense of our wants. He who is pinched with want, will be earnest in craving alms. He prays most fervently, who prays most feelingly. This is to sanctify the morning of a Sabbath, and it is a good preparatory for the word preached. When the ground is broken up by the plow, now it is fit to receive the seed. When the heart has been broken by prayer, now it is fit to receive the seed of the word preached. Thus you see how to dress your souls on a Sabbath-morning. There are other duties remaining.