For

look into the comfort and liberty finally intended therein. "the law made nothing perfect," and what was of grace in the administration of it, was so vailed with types, ceremonies and shadows, that they could "not see to the end of the things that were to be done away," 2 Cor. iii. 13.

Thirdly, The sanction of the law by death increased their bondage. For as this in itself was a terror to them in their services, so it was designed to express, and to represent the original curse of the whole law, Gal. iii. 13. And hereby were they greatly awed and terrified, although some of them by special grace were enabled to delight themselves in God and his ordi

nances.

And in these things was administered a " spirit of bondage unto fear," which by the apostle is opposed to the " spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father," Rom. viii. 15. Where this Spirit is, there only is liberty: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," 2 Cor. iii. 17. And therefore, although they boasted that they were the children of Abraham, and on that reason free and never in bondage; yet our Saviour lets them know, that whatever they pretended, they were not free" until the Son should make them so." And from these things arose those innumerable anxious scrupulosities which were upon them in the observance of this day, accompanied with the severe nature of those additions in its observance, which were made unto the law of it, as appropriated unto them for a

season.

Now all these things we are freed from under the gospel. For,

1. We are not now brought to receive the law from Mount Sinai, but are come to Mount Sion. So the apostle at large, Heb. xii. 18-24. "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched;" (that is, which naturally might be so by men's hands, though morally the touching of it was forbidden) " and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest. And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (for they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake,)" which it seems were the words he used, where it is on this occasion said of him, " And Moses spake," but nothing is added of what he said, Exod. xix. 19. These things are insisted on by the apostle to shew the grounds of that bondage which the people were in under the law, whereunto he adds, "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God,

the heavenly Jerusalem." "Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all," Gal. iv. 26. That is, we receive the law of our obedience from Jesus Christ, who speaks from heaven, to be observed with a spirit of liberty.

2. The old covenant is now absolutely abolished, nor is the remembrance of it any way revived, Heb. viii. 13. It hath no influence into or upon the minds of believers. They are taken into a covenant full of grace, joy and peace. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," John i. 17.

3. In this covenant they receive the Spirit of Christ, or adoption to serve God without legal fear,, Luke i. 74. Rom. viii. 15. Gal. iv. 6. And there is not any thing more insisted on in the gospel, as the principal privilege thereof. It is indeed nothing to have liberty in the word and rule, unless we have it in the spirit and principle. And hereby are we delivered from that anxious solicitude about particular instances in outward duties, which was a great part of the yoke of the people of old. For,

1. Hence we may in all our duties look on God as a Father. By the Spirit of his Son, we may in them all, cry " Abba Father." For through Christ "we have an access in one Spirit unto the Father," Eph. ii. 18. To God as a Father, as one that will not "always chide," that doth not "watch our steps" for our hurt, but "remembereth that we are but dust." One who tieth us not up to rigid exactness in outward things, whilst we act in an holy. spirit of filial obedience as his sons or children. And there is great difference between the duties of servants and children; neither hath a father the same measure of them. The consideration hereof, regulated by the general rules of the Scripture, will resolve a thousand of such scruples as the Jews of old while servants were perplexed withal.

If

2. Hence we come to know that he will be worshipped “ in spirit and in truth." Therefore he more minds the inward frame of our hearts wherewith we serve him, than the mere performance of outward duties, which are alone so far accepted with him, as they are expressions and demonstrations thereof. then, in the observance of this day, our hearts are single and sincere in our aims at his glory with delight, it is of more price with him than the most rigid observance of outward duties, by number and measure.

3. Therefore the minds of believers are no more influenced to this duty by the curse of the law, and the terror thereof, as represented in the threatened penalty of death. The authority and love of Jesus Christ are the principal causes of our obedience. Hence our main duty lieth in an endeavour to get spiritual joy and delight in the services of this day, which are the

special effects of spiritual liberty. So the prophet requires, that we should call the "Sabbath our delight, holy and honourable of the Lord," Isa. lviii. 13. As also, that on the other side we should not do "our own pleasure, nor do our own ways, nor find our own pleasure, nor speak our own words." And these cautions seem to regard the Sabbath absolutely, and not as Judaical. But I much question whether they have not in the interpretation of some, been extended beyond their original intention. For the true meaning of them is no more but this, that we should so delight ourselves in the Lord on his holy day, as that being expressly forbidden our usual labour, we should not need, for want of satisfaction in our duties, to turn aside to “our own pleasures, and vain ways," which are only our own, to spend our time and pass over the Sabbath, a thing complained of by many, whence sin and Satan have been more served on this day, than on all the days of the week beside. But I no way think, that here is a restraint laid on us from such words, ways and works, as neither hinder the performance of any religious duties belonging to the due celebration of the worship of God on the day, nor are apt in themselves to unframe our spirits, or divert our affections from them. And those whose minds are fixed in a spirit of liberty to glorify God in and by this day of rest, seeking after communion with him in the ways of his worship, will be to themselves a better rule for their words and actions, than those who may aim to reckon over all they do or say, which may be done in such a manner, as to become the Judaical Sabbath, much more than the Lord's day.

§ 10. Thirdly, Be sure to bring good and right principles, to the performance of the duty of keeping a day of rest holy to the Lord. Some of these I shall name, as confirmed expressly in, or drawn evidently from the preceding discourses.

We

1. Remember that there is a weekly rest, or a holy rest of one day in the week, due to the solemn work of glorifying God as God.-Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. We have had a week to our own occasions, or we have a prospect of a week in the patience of God for them. Let us remember that God puts in for some time with us. All is not our own. are not our own lords. Some time God will have to himself from all that own him in the world And this is that time, season or day. He esteems not himself acknowledged, nor his sovereignty owned in the world, without it. And therefore this day of rest he required, the first day as it were that the world stood upon its legs; he hath done so all along, and will do so to the last day of its duration. When he had made all things, and saw that they were good, and was refreshed in them, he requir

ed that we should own and acknowledge his goodness and power therein. This duty we owe to God as God.

is

2. That God appointed this day to teach us, that as he rested therein, so we should seek after rest in him here, and look on this day as a pledge of eternal rest with him hereafter.-So was it from the beginning. This was the end of the appointment of this day. Now our rest in God in general consists in two things. 1. In our approbation of the works of God, and the law of our obedience, with the covenant of God thereon. These things are expressive of, and represent to us the goodness, righteousness, holiness, faithfulness and power of God. For these, and with respect to them, are we to give glory to him. What God rests in, he requires that through it, we should seek for our rest in him. As this was the duty of man in innocence, and under the law, so it is ours much more. For God hath now more eminently and gloriously unveiled and displayed the excellencies of his nature, and the counsels of his wisdom in and by Jesus Christ, than he had done under the first covenant. And this should work us to a greater and more holy admiration of them. For if we are to acknowledge that the "law is holy, just and good," as our apostle speaks, although it now useless as to bringing of us to rest in God, how much more ought we to own and subscribe to the gospel, and the declaration that God hath made of himself therein, that so it is. 2. In an actual solemn compliance with his will, expressed in his works, law and covenant. This brings us to present satisfaction in him, and leads us to the full enjoyment of him. This is a day of rest; but we cannot rest in a day, nor any thing that a day can afford, only it is a help and means of bringing us to rest in God. Without this design, all our observance of a Sabbath is of no use nor advantage. Nothing will thence redound to the glory of God, nor to the benefit of our own souls. And this they may do well to consider who plead for the observance of the seventh day precisely. For they do profess thereby that they seek for rest in God, according to the tenor of the first covenant. That they approve of, and that they look (by that profession) to be brought to rest by, though really and on other principles, they do otherwise. Whatever then be the covenant wherein we walk with God, the great principle which is to guide us in the holy observance of this day, is, that we celebrate the rest of God in that covenant, approve of it, rejoice in it, and labour to be partakers of it, whereof the day itself is given us as a pledge. We must therefore,

3. Remember that we have lost our original rest in God by sin.God made us upright, in his own image, meet to take our rest, satisfaction, and reward in himself, according to the

tenor of the law of our creation, and the covenant of works established thereon. Hereof the seventh day was a token and pledge. All this we must consider that we have lost by sin. God might justly have left us in a wandering condition, without either rest or any pledge of it. Our reparation indeed is excellent and glorious, yet so as that on our part the loss of our former estate was shameful, and in the remembrance whereof we ought to be humbled. And hence we may know, that it is in vain for us to lay hold of the seventh day again, which is but an attempt to return into the garden after we are shut out, and kept out by a flaming sword. For although it was made use of as a type and shadow under the law, yet to us who must live on the substance of things, or not at all, it cannot be possessed with robbery, and is of no use when attained. For, we are to remember,

4. That the rest in God, and with God, which we now seek after, enter into, and celebrate the pledge of, when we use the means for the farther enjoyment of it, in the observance of this day, is a rest by a recovery, by a reparation in Jesus Christ.-There is now a new rest of God, and a new rest for us in God. God now rests and is refreshed in Christ, in his person, in his 'works, in his law, in the covenant of grace in him: in all these things is his soul well pleased. He is the "brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person;" making a far more glorious representation of him, than did the works of creation of old, which yet he had left such impressions of his goodness, power and wisdom upon, as that he rested in them, was refreshed on them, and appointed a day for man to rest in his approbation of them, and giving glory to him for them. How much more is it so with him, with respect to this glorious image of the invisible God. This he now dealeth with us in. For as of old, he commanded light to shine out of darkness, whereby we might see and behold his glory which he had implanted, and was implanting on the work of his hands, so now he "shines into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of his glory, in the face of Jesus Christ," 2 Cor. iv. 6. That is, enableth us to behold all the excellencies of his nature, made manifest in the person and works of Jesus Christ. The way also of bringing to him through Christ, those who had by sin come short of his glory, is that which he approveth of, is delighted with, and resteth in, giving us a pledge thereof in this day of rest. Herein lies the principal duty of this day's observances; namely, to admire this retrival of a rest with God, and of a rest for God in us. This is the fruit of eternal wisdom, grace and goodness, love and bounty: this, I say, belongs to the sanctification of this day, and this ought to be our principal design therein; namely, in it to give glory to God for the wonderful recovery of a rest for us