94 THE LORDS -DAY, OR CHRISTIAN SABBATH. CSERM vi. Lord's-day, which is a day of rest and worship,' invaded and intrenched upon by the cares and business of this world." Endeavour to quit yourselves of them so early the foregoing evening, that they may not cut short your hours of sleep that night, and thereby render you listless and drowsy upon the dayappointed for worship. There is a great deal ofchristian prudence and discretion to be seen in such a disposal of our worldly businesses, as may give us full leisure for God and heavenly things upon the Lord's-day ; that when our thoughts are rising up to our risen and ascended Saviour, we may not feel the cares of life hang about them like so many clogs and chains to drag us downwards, and divide our hearts from God and our Saviour again. III. " Think of the promises which are made to those who with'a religious care serve and worship God upon his appointed day. There are some very gracious words of this kind spoken to the Jews, and may with equaljus- tice be applied to those who observe the day of God's ap- pointed rest, for the spiritual purposes of it under every dispensation. Is. lvi. 1 -7. " Thus saith the Lord, keep ye judgment and do justice, for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed ;" which words havea plain reference to the gospel-state. " Bless- ed is the m 'h that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it ;the sons of the stranger who join themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant, I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer : their sacrifices shall be accepted uponmy altar : I will give them, in my house, and within my walls, a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters." And in lviii. chapter of the same prophecy, and -verses 13, 14. " If thou turn away thy foot "from. the sabbath from doing thy pleasure on myholy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thy own ways, nor finding thy own pleasure, nor speaking thy own words, then shalt thou delight thy- self in the Lord, and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father, for the mouth of the Lord bath spoken it." And there has been a multitude of instances even under the gospel, wherein the blessings of the upper and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=