SEItn1ON L. 107 so many clogs and chains to drag us downwards, and divide our- hearts fromGod 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 equal justice be applied to those who observe the day of God's appointed rest, for the spiritual pur- poses 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, andmy righteousness to be revealed; which words have aplain reference to the gospel state. Blessed is the man 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, everyone that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and . taketh hold of my covenant, Iwill bring them to my holy moun- tain andmake them joyful in my house of prayer; their sacrifices shall beaccepted upon myaltar: Iwill give them inmy house, and within my walls, a place anda name better than that of sons and daughters. And in lviii. chapter of the same prophecy, and ver- ses 13, 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath from doing thy pleasureon my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lordhonourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thy own ways, norfinding thyown pleasure, nor speaking thy own words, then shall thou delight thyself in the Lord, and Iwill feed thee with theheritage'of Jacob thy father, fòr the mouth of the Lord bath spoken it. And there has been a multitude of instan- ces even under the gospel, whereinthe blessings of the upper and the lower world have been plentifully poured in upon those who have observed the day ofthe Lord, and spent it to thesacred pur- poses for which it was designed. Their basket and their store has been sensibly enlargedand increasedby a divine blessing, and theirsouls have receivedmuchof thedew ofheaven, have brought forth abundant fruits of holiness, and been fitted in an eminent degree for the business and blessedness of the upper world. Our famous English judge, Sir Matthew Hale, has left it upon re- 'Ord as his own experience. IV. " Whatsoever spiritual advantages, or improvements you obtain on God's own day, take care that you do not lose them again amidst the labours or the pleasures of the following week. 2 John 8. Look to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which yehave wrought, that is, that ministers maynot lose their labours in preaching,: nor the disciples lose theirs in hearing. Treasure up somethingon every christian sabbath that may add to your spiritual riches, your knowledge, your faith, your zeal, your hope. Itis a day appointed for theenriching of your souls : !et net the cares of the world bury those treasures, or rob you of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=