DISCOÚRSE I. 51i worship, if they had receivedno hint of any order, or particular commission, or so much as a direction from Christ Jesus, their Lord, for both these things ? In the Lord's -supper St Paul tells the Corinthians, that he received from the Lord nohat he delivered to them; 1 Cor. xi. 23. And why should we not believe also concerning the Lord's -day, that he received of the Lord the appointment of this first day for christian worship, which he seems to have delivered to the churches where he 1 cached ? It is granted that none of these considerations before mentioned, if taken separately, will prove the duty of observing the Lord's- day, yet all joined together, are sufficient to direct our practice, where we have not clearer light. I grant also, that all these considerations here proposed, do not amount to a direct and plain institution of the Lord's -day ; but the united force of them all goeth so far toward the proof of such an institution, that renders it highly probable : And where inferences and probabilities are so many and weighty, they must determine our conduct in a thousand affairs of human life, if we would act like reasonable creatures. IX. " If one day in sevenbe appointed in the New Testa- ment for christian assemblies, and religious worship, it is most highly expedient, if not necessary, that it should be a day of rest front the common labours of this life." It is certain, the very hours, or minutes, spent in the outward exercises of christian worship, must necessarily be free from earthly business; we can- not in this respect actually serve God and this world at once, nor mingle our solemnities of worship with earthly cares and labours. This is granted on all hands. Yet some think the sabbath itself begins and ends with the public worship : whereas it is sufficiently evident, that unless the whole day be separated from earthly affairs, and labours, and pleasures, the hours and minutesof worship will ha for the most part, but poorly improved, and will become much less profitable to our spiritual interest. It is hardlypossible to attain thehigh- est and best ends of christian worship; of preaching and hearing, of praying and praising, and celebrating of the Lord's-supper, if we come into the sanctuary with our heads and hearts full of the affairs of this life, and with all our earthly cares buzzing about our minds. How much less good will a sermon do us, if when the hour of worship is ended, we run immediately from God into worldly business, without giving our thoughts leisure and leave to reflect on what we have heard? What poor proficients shall we be in the school of Christ, if we plunge ourselves all over into the cares and businesses of this world, as soon as ever we have heard the blessing pronounced, and the assembly is sepa- rated ? And much worse would it be, if we spent the rest of the day in recreations and sports ; for these carnalize the spirit, autt
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