"God in fpirit and in truth." If any man object to this univerfal fanctity, on the fabbath day, I appeal to that man's heart in the prefence of God, who knows every thought of it, whether his objection does not arife from his averfion to religious, and fpiritual exercifes? I appeal to his confcience, whether he does not feel more pleasure in the exercise of his business, the improvement of his wealth, the gratification of his appetites, or the bent of his mind, whatever it be, than in the worship of God, and the celebration of Religion. The Lord's Day is designed as an emblem of Heaven. If the felicity of Heaven consist in a pure and spiritual worthip, in " finging day "and night to Him that was, and is, and is to

come, to the Lamb that was flain but liveth "for ever;" ought we not to confider the Lord's Day as an excellent preparative for that divine employment? For if we nauseate the foretafte of Heaven, which God, by this holy inftitution, has given us here, eternity, in whatever light we view it, prefents but a melancholy, and comfortless profpect. The devout obfervance of tl.e Lord's Day will evan

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gelife our minds, will raise them, from things below, to things above, will qualify us to participate the joys referved for those who are thought worthy to celebrate an eternal fabbath in Heaven.

The inftitution of the Lord's Day is peculiarly calculated to celebrate our Redemption from fin, and deliverance from death, by the merits of Jefus Chrift. That day God the Father bleffed; God the Son rofe on that day from the dead; on that day God the Holy Ghost defcended from Heaven, to complete the work of our falvation. And can we be Chriftians, and not delight in that bleffed day, in which the wonderful love of God to his creatures is fo confpicuously displayed? Can we be Chriftians, and not rejoice in the return of that holy day, in which we celebrate our Redemption from mifery; in which we behold, by faith, the happiness to be enjoyed by those who love God, and obey his will? Can we be Chriftians, and not rejoice to commemorate that diftinguifhed day, which, though inftituted for His honor, was inftituted, at the fame time, for our good? a good, which furpaffes every human tongue to recount, every human thought to conceive.

The advantages refulting from this divine institution will eafily appear, by taking the slightest view of the polished nations of antiquity, and the favage tribes of the present times, who were never bleffed with a knowlege of that facred day. St. Paul delineates the character of the former; and from every account given us by thofe who have vifited the latter, there is, God knows, too striking a refemblance. Being filled with all'un"righteoufnefs, fornication, wickedness, co"vetoufness, malicioufnefs, full of envy,

murder, deceit, malignity, backbiters, haters "of God, inventers of evil things, difobedient to parents, covenant breakers, without natu"ral affection, implacable, unmerciful." And I fhall not be thought uncharitable in saying, that they who, in a Christian country, are notorious for the profanation of the fabbath, are guilty, in an eminent degree, of many of their vices. This indeed is eafy to be accounted for. When men never hear the denunciations of God against vice, and have been brought un with scarce a fenfe or God on their minds; when they never hear ncitements to virtue, and exhortations to religion; when they

live without worshipping God in private, and never join in any act of religious worship with their fellow creatures; can it be a matter of furprize, that, as they openly violate the commands of God, they fhould advance with a progreffive and rapid motion, neither "to fear "God nor regard man ?"

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It is perhaps to the inftitution of the fab

bath, that Religion is preferved alive in the world. For by having a fixed time to worship God, thofe who would bestow their leifure to eftimate the value, and devote their lives to entitle themselves to the bleffings, of Religion, have, in every age of Christianity, affembled to perform their public devotions, and communicated the influence of them to their children, and to their families. By which means, Religion, though difregarded by the great, despised by the vulgar, ridiculed by the licentious, and evil-intreated by the profane, has not only withstood their several attacks, but triumphed over their united hoftilities.

II. I now come to expoftulate with thofe who, notwithstanding the advantages derived from the fabbath, live in the profanation of it.

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To know that God has commanded the fabbath to be kept facred to himself, would be fufficient, one might imagine, to prevail with every human being, to whom the knowlege is imparted, religiously to observe it. Would to God experience coincided with this reafonable expectation! How thofe men, who do "their own pleasure on God's holy day," intend to justify their infolent conduct, their declared rebellion towards their Maker, is not eafily to be conceived. Would to God I could prevail with them to confider, ere it be too late, how they will ftand like criminals, felfaccused, and felf-convicted, before the Great Tribunal, without one fingle argument to urge in their excufe! Would to God I could prevail with them to consider, ere it be too late, the benevolent defign of the Almighty in inftituting the fabbath day, that it is for their unspeakable advantage, both prefent and future! Now, when God purposely offers an advantage to man, what can be faid in vindication of him, who fpurns the gracious offer? With what black ingratitude, with what prefumptuous difobedience, with what daring provocations does that man ftand chargeable?