it is to be paffed in melancholy, gloominefs, or total indolence; or, like the Jews, that it was to be spent in mere ceremonial obfervances, and that even the great duties of charity, mercy, and humanity, were not to be practised on that day: our God would never give a precept fo contrary to the whole tenor of his revealed will; fo far from it, that he, upon all occafions, commands us to let mercy take place of facrifice.

Let it not be understood from this, that I would encourage a careless mode of obferving the fabbath: this is, by no means, my intention: on the contrary, I difapprove of the light in which it is confidered by many people rather as a day of festivity, than as a holy-day entirely dedicated to the fervice of our Creator, and to the improvement of our minds in the knowledge of his will; and, furely, we ought not to grudge fuch a portion of our time to him from whom we derive every bleffing we poffefs, even had we no intereft in it ourselves; how much

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much more, then, when it has for its ob`ject our present and future welfare!

How, indeed, can a truly-pious Chriftian pass the day with more delight, than in the manner which he knows will render him acceptable to the Almighty for the fake of his Saviour; with what regret must he reflect on those which he has past improperly, or carelessly, under the pretence of bufinefs or pleasure; for many there are who contend, that when the duty of the day is over, any innocent amusements or recreations are allowable: this is in my opinion, a very dangerous doctrine; because I conceive the duty of the day ends but with the day. Hear what Ifaiah, under the influence of infpiration, fays on this fubject, (chap. lviii. ver. 13. 14.) "If thou turn thy foot from the fabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy

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day, and call the sabbath a delight, the "holy of the Lord, honorable, and fhalt "honor him, not doing thine own ways,

nor finding thy own pleasure, nor speak

ing thine own words, then fhalt thou de

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light thyself in the Lord, and I will "caufe thee to ride upon the high places

"of the earth, and feed thee with the "heritage of Jacob thy father; for the "mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." The Almighty himself, also speaking in his own person, fays: "Remember the fabbath-day to keep it holy."

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He does not specify one part of it more than another; nor has he made any difference between the length of that and the other fix days. The laborer is expected to work a certain portion of time allotted; and though he should be ever fo induftrious in the morning, that does not excufe him for the rest of the day: are we not, then, ashamed to refuse that obedience to the commands of our God, which we require from our fellow-creatures? Befides, amusements which are very innocent at one time, become the reverse at another; for whatever good impreffions the mind may have received in the former part of the day, are very apt to be effaced by thofe innocent amufements as they are termed,

termed, the attention taken off from every thing serious, and the good feed which has been sown prevented from taking root in our hearts. Amongst the number of those who become victims to the laws of their country, the great majority will acknowledge, that the neglect of the Lord's-day was the first and principal cause of their wretched and untimely end. A fabbathbreaker is, at all times, in danger of being overcome by temptation, and of falling into the greatest vices; and though they are not always fuch as may render them punishable by human laws, yet they may be equally pernicious to fociety and offenfive to the Deity.

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17. But Jefus answered them, My 'Father worketh hitherto, and I work. "18. Therefore the Jews fought the more to kill him, because he not only "had broken the fabbath, but said also "that God was his father, making himself equal with God."

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The

The Jews plainly understood that our Lord did not call God his father in the fame sense that they did, but that he, upon this occafion, meant to point himself out as the true and only Son of God; being one with him, and ascribing to himfelf alfo a co-operation with God in all his works. Upon this ground, therefore, they fought to put him to death, as a blafphemer.

66 19. Then answered Jesus, and faid "unto them, Verily, verily, I fay unto

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you, the Son can do nothing of him

felf, but what he feeth the Father "do; for what things foever he doeth, thefe alfo doeth the Son likewife.

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20. For the Father loveth the Son, " and fheweth him all things that himself "doeth; and he will fhew him greater "works than thefe, that ye may marvel."

The Jews, who were conftantly eyewitnesses of our blessed Saviour's miracles, could