man. It was not only observed by man, in his perfect flate, but by God himself.

in

In reference to this prior delivery and tranfaction, as well as to futurity, REMEMBER, was prefixed to this precept on mount Sinai, and to this only. The word remember, is here to be taken emphatically, denoting three things; that is, the antiquity, perpetuity and neceffity of this rule. Remember this commandment, as to its antiquity and priority. Remember that this was the first piece of religion that ever was fet up the world; the firft facred doctrine that was preached, and the first religious duty that was ever obferved. This is the first rule of piety that was heard of; the beginning and feting up of religion in the creation; the first step, and stage, and introduction of the eternal happiness of mankind. This is the first law of innocency, when man was unfullied and unspotted with fin; the firft, and only piecept which God himfelf on earth, honored, kept and obeyed in perfon. Remember this firft opening of religion and holiness. Remember that after fix days working, God refted the seventh; and that

he

he bleffed and fanctified the rule and practice. He found it a thing in itself so wife, fo decent and judicious, fo perfectly fit and proper, that he was refreshed with delightful reflections on the obfervation of it. He saw the thing fo full of beauty and propriety, that he could not but commend and applaude his own wisdom, for taking fo difcreet a ftep, and hitting exactly upon the proper day, and the precife measure of time for ceafing from work, for the benefit of the creatures, and fo he bleffed and fanctified it: as if it were said, Be it known to the whole creation, that I the Creator, having in fetting up the creation, worked fix days, myself made the experiment of flopping, and refting the feventh; and have, upon the trial, found it a thing full of beauty, profit and propriety. Be it therefore known, that I have bleffed and fanctified the practice, and made it the rule for bringing my reasonable creatures, into happiness and holiness.

For thy good then, for the remember to obferve this precept.

time to come,

Work fix days

and then stop and ceafe: remember to rest upon the feventh, and honor that day, and keep it

1

holy

holy and distinct. Remember to do this all thy days.

Again, Remember this in a fpecial manner, as a precept of fingular weight. As if he had faid, I fay unto thee, and I write it, and I engrave it in ftone, be not guilty of breaking my commandments. Be not guilty of politheism, be not guilty of idolatry, blafphemy, rebellion, murder, adultery, theft, perjury or avarice, But remember to keep the fabbath. Whatever thou doft, or doft not, do not neglect this. Obferve me how I fpeak, I do not fay, do not break my fabbath, but I command thee, keep it; do it pofitively; I fay, keep it; be fure to do it; do it at thy peril. Do it without fail. Be fure that thy memory does not fail thee; for I will not admit it as an excufe. I am refolved that I will hear no excufes of any fort against this command: I am fo wrapt up in it, that tis vain for thee to hope to come off if thou breakeft it. For if thou couldft fay and prove, that the breach was not through diflike, nor any thing else that is wilful, but only through weakness of memory, I will punish thee even then. This is my peculiar command and my favorite rule, I have tried it myself, therefore

take

take care of thy memory and charge it well, that it may not betray thee.

Again, the morality of the fabbath, may be argued from its being in fome degree obferved by all the nations of the earth. If it fhould be objected that no foot-fteps of it can be traced amongst the favage nations, this can have no force here, fince thefe, in fact, have ceased to be men, and are become brutes. Its not being kept as it should, and for the purposes really intended, by the more civilized pagan nations, does not invalidate the inference for the morality of it at all, but in my opinion ftrengthens it. For however idolatrous they feverally were, how-. ever divided, and how different foever in politicks, gods, religious ceremonies, interefts and manners, yet they almost all agreed, and I think altogether, to keep up fome honorable diftinctions in favor of the fabbath-day, which they had received from Noah after the flood. It was upon this day they worshiped the fun, their chief idol god; and through it, obliquely the true God, the fun and father of the creation. And the univerfal prevalence of this, amidft the almost infinite divifions

and

and diverfities of mankind, may juftly be attri buted to its being of a moral nature, and indeed to nothing else.

The fame argument is afforded by the prevalence of the rule in Chriftendom. The generality of the visible professors of christianity are loofe and profane people, at open war with almost all morality in the grofs. To these therefore, fabbaths are not only useless, but a nufance and offence. And yet they are altogether unable to get rid of them. Wicked governors and grandees, together with the profane mob, who make up the bulk of every nation, though they give plain proofs of their contempt and hatred of the fabbath, yet cannot fupprefs it: yea, though they are as willing to do it, as the devil himself whom they serve, yet they dare not attempt it.

Unlawful bufinefs and unlawful pleasures enough go on to prove their diflike to it, yet they are fecretly forced to bear fome fort of teftimony to it, by abstaining from fome things which at other times they pursue. The fabbath is in the way of their pride and lufts, and is as I faid, in this respect