,transcribed from the #ahec ,george ,bell edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpgaf4org ,picture3 ,pamphlet cover ,,the ,,sabbath4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,sermon1 ,,preached ,,in ,,holy ,,trinity ,,church1 ,,hurdsfield4 ,,on ,,sunday ,,evening1 ,,january1 #cj1 #ahec1 ,,in ,,reference ,,to ,,the ,,proposed ,,opening ,,of ,,the ,,crystal ,,palace ,,on ,,the ,,lord',s ,,day4 ,,by ,,john ,,martindale ,,farrar1 ,m4,a41 ,,curate ,,of ,,hurdsfield4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,,george ,,bell1 #ahf1 ,,fleet ,,street4 ,,macclesfield3 ,,swinnerton ,,and ,,brown4 #ahec4 ,,the ,,sabbath4 ,,isaiah ,,lviii4 #ac1 #ad4 8,,if ,,thou ,,turn ,,away ,,thy ,,foot ,,from ,,the ,,sabbath1 ,,from ,,doing ,,thy ,,pleasure ,,on ,,my ,,holy ,,day2 ,,and ,,call ,,the ,,sabbath ,a ,,delight1 ,,the ,,holy ,,of ,,the ,,lord1 ,,honourable2 ,,and ,,shalt ,,honour ,,him1 ,,not ,,doing ,,thine ,,own ,,ways1 ,,nor ,,finding ,,thine ,,own ,,pleasure1 ,,nor ,,speaking ,,thine ,,own ,,words3 ,,then ,,shalt ,,thou ,,delight ,,thyself ,,in ,,the ,,lord2 ,,and ,i ,,will ,,cause ,,thee ,,to ,,ride ,,upon ,,the ,,high ,,places ,,of ,,the ,,earth1 ,,and ,,feed ,,thee ,,with ,,the ,,heritage ,,of ,,jacob ,,thy ,,father3 ,,for ,,the ,,mouth ,,of ,,the ,,lord ,,hath ,,spoken ,,it40 ,,there is no belief so universal as that of a future state of existence4 ,men are born into the world1 appear for a brief space upon the stage of life1 and then sink into the grave4 ,but the human mind has looked beyond this to a distant and unknown ,future4 ,those who were destitute of a ,divine ,revelation had necessarily very vague and imperfect notions respecting it4 ,hence the many different theories1 the belief in which has prevailed from time to time1 in the heathen world2 and1 in all of these1 the certainty of rewards and punishments1 and of future happiness or misery1 was admitted4 ,their heaven1 indeed1 was peopled with strange divinities1 and the enjoyments which they anticipated were generally of an earthly and sensual nature2 yet their belief in it seemed naturally to suggest the necessity of some preparation by themselves4 ,the two things appeared to be inseparable4 ,the entrance to the heathen ,elysium was to be obtained only by piety towards the gods4 ,hence the gorgeous temples which rose to their honour in the cities of ancient ,greece and ,italy2 the sacrifices daily made at their altars2 the prayers and costly offerings at their shrines4 ,and not only so1 but particular portions of time seem from the earliest periods to have been regarded as sacred1 and set apart for holy purposes2 and it is remarkable1 that the consecration of one day in seven appears to have been almost universal in the heathen world4 ,this may1 perhaps1 be attributed to some faint rays of that ,divine ,revelation1 which was given to a part of the human race1 and which tradition had handed down3 the principle itself was universally acknowledged4 ,that ,revelation1 indeed1 has cleared away the mystery which enshrouded the eternal world2 it has explained the nature of that happiness which is provided for man2 it has enjoined the observance of every seventh day as a time of preparation for it2 it has distinctly laid down the obligation and duties of that day2 and it has unfolded the promises which ,,god has graciously made to those who shall habitually honour it4 ,now it is not to be wondered at1 that a command embracing so many different duties1 and the obligation of which is so universal1 should1 in all ages1 have been regarded in different lights by different nations and individuals4 ,even in our own land1 many contradictory opinions are held respecting it1 by those who yet all unite in a profession of ,christianity4 ,the subject1 as you are aware1 is now occupying a large share of public attention1 from the fact that an attempt is being made to infringe the sanctity of the ,sabbath1 as it is now by the law of this country protected1 and in fact to legalize its desecration4 ,hence it becomes the plain and manifest duty of every ,christian man to be well informed as to the obligation which ,,god has laid upon him to observe and keep holy this day1 as also to know the especial purposes for which it was set apart4 ,and ,i have thought that it may not be an unprofitable subject for our meditation this evening1 if ,i briefly lay before you the ,scripture grounds for the observance of the ,sabbath2 and then1 as far as ,i may be able to do so1 endeavour to show you in what manner it should be kept holy4 ,i4 ,and here ,i would set out with the remark1 that the proof of the obligation of the ,sabbath is to be sought for entirely from the ,scriptures4 ,the whole rests upon a ,divine ,revelation4 ,and it becomes the more needful to examine what is said upon the subject1 in that ,revelation1 as an attempt has frequently been made to prove that the ,christian ,sabbath1 especially1 is not a ,divine institution1 and that the fact of its sanctity rests only upon the authority of the ,church1 and not upon that of ,,god ,himself4 #a4 ,and1 first1 with respect to the original institution of the ,sabbath4 ,it was one of the two great ordinances1 8instituted of ,god in the time of man's innocency20 and it was consequently given at a very early period in the history of the world4 ,the record of the command1 and of the purposes for which it was designed1 is found in ,gen4 ii4 #a-c4 ,several things are apparent from a consideration of this passage4 ,we see that the ,sabbath was given to the whole race of mankind1 because it was given to our first parents2 that ,,god 8blessed it10 that is1 designed it to be the source of especial blessings to ,adam and his descendants2 and that ,he sanctified it1 that is1 8set it apart10 which is the literal meaning of the words1 for sacred purposes4 ,we find no reference made to any particular people1 but it was evidently designed as an example from the ,divine ,creator to the whole human family4 ,the work of creation had occupied six days1 and on the seventh 8,,god rested from all ,his work which ,he created and made40 ,among the brief records of the ante-diluvian world1 and in the lives of the ,patriarchs before ,moses1 which are given us by the sacred historian1 we find traces of a weekly division of time1 and intimations that every seventh day was observed as a time of rest and religious worship4 ,the sons of ,adam are described as each making an offering unto ,,god3 8,and in process of time it came to pass1 that ,cain brought of the fruit of the ground1 an offering unto the ,,lord2 and ,abel1 he also brought of the firstlings of his flock1 and of the fat thereof40 ,now the words1 8process of time10 literally mean 8at the end of the days10 that is1 at the end of a certain number of days1--a very natural expression for the end of a week4 ,and they seem to convey an intimation of the original command to keep the ,sabbath as a day of religious worship4 ,the account of the gift of the manna1 #g which took place in the second month of the ,exodus from ,egypt1 is a very remarkable proof that the seventh day was kept holy1 and regarded as a day of rest before the giving of the ,law4 ,every seventh day the ,israelites were commanded to gather twice as much manna as on ordinary days1 as none fell upon the seventh day2 and1 contrary to what usually took place1 the double quantity which they gathered was miraculously preserved in a state fit for food4 ,now1 in the whole of this account1 no precept is given for the observance of the ,sabbath day2 but it proceeds upon the supposition that the ,israelites were well acquainted1 both with the institution itself1 and with the purposes for which it had been originally given4 #b4 ,we now come to what is said upon the ,sabbath in the law of the ,ten ,commandments1 which were given by ,,god to ,moses1 and which are referred to in ,scripture as the sum of the moral precepts of ,,god to man4 ,the obligation to keep holy the ,sabbath day is repeated in the fourth ,commandment4 ,we shall find1 from the writings of the ,new ,testament1 that our ,,saviour and ,his ,apostles never allude to the ,ten ,commandments but as of permanent and universal obligation4 8,think not10 says ,,christ1 8that ,i am come to destroy the ,law1 or the ,prophets3 ,i am not come to destroy1 but to fulfil40 #h;a ,and not only is the perpetual obligation of the ,sabbath to be inferred from such general expressions of our ,,lord but we have ,his own direct authority for it1 when ,he says1 8,the ,sabbath was made for man10 #h;b--for the race1 and so is binding upon all to the end of time4 ,we might1 if it were needful1 refer you to the numerous threatenings which are denounced against those who shall violate the ,sabbath1 and to the blessings which are promised to those who shall keep it holy1 which are scattered through the prophetic parts of ,scripture1 and to the latter of which the words of my text belong2 but enough has been said to show that the perpetual obligation to observe a seventh day rests upon no less an authority than that of a ,divine command4 #c4 ,the ,christian ,sabbath is the first day of the week4 ,intimations of the reason of the change from the seventh to the first day of the week are to be found in the fact that the glories of ,judaism had passed away with the advent of the ,,messiah1 and were succeeded by a new and better dispensation2 and it may have been deemed a fitting honour to mark the commencement of this new dispensation1 by the consecration in the ,church of ,,christ of that day on which the mystery of human redemption was accomplished4 ,it was on the first day of the week that the ,,saviour rose again1 and so was 8declared to be the ,son of ,,god with power1 by the resurrection from the dead40 #i;a ,it was at the same time1 a week afterwards1 that ,he appeared to the disciples when they were assembled together1 and confirmed by ,his presence the doubting faith of ,st4 ,thomas4 ,this day1 too1 was marked by the descent of the ,holy ,ghost at the feast of ,pentecost1 when ,,christ was first preached by the ,apostles to the ,gentile world4 ,we find from the ,new ,testament and the earliest ecclesiastical records1 that the primitive ,christians always observed this day during the lifetime of the ,apostles4 ,they seem to have assembled on the first day of the week to break bread1 that is1 to celebrate the ,,lord',s ,supper1 and to receive religious instruction2 and the custom had doubtless become universal1 as it was observed in ,asia ,minor4 #i;b ,st4 ,john #i;c appears to have kept this day with peculiar solemnity1 and from him we learn that it had obtained a particular designation in the ,church--8the ,,lord',s day10 a name which it has ever since retained4 ,in addition to this evidence1 we may remark that some of the early ,fathers refer to this day as the period set apart for religious worship1 and allude to the difference between keeping the first day of the week and the seventh1 especially on the ground of its being the day of our ,saviour's resurrection4 ,such1 very briefly1 are the general arguments for the observance of the ,sabbath1 derived from the words of the original institution2 from the practice of the patriarchs before the giving of the ,law2 from the express injunction contained in the ,ten ,commandments1 which1 by the authority of our ,,lord and ,his ,apostles1 are binding upon ,christians2 and from the practice of the primitive ,church during the lifetime of the ,apostles1 and in the ages which immediately succeeded4 ,it is not needful that ,i should dwell upon them at greater length2 and we proceed now to examine in what manner the ,sabbath should be kept holy4 ,,ii4 ,the words of the ,prophet1 to which ,i have called your attention1 are primarily addressed to the ,jews1 but it involves no accommodation of ,scripture to consider them as applying to ourselves1 since the obligation to keep holy the ,sabbath day rests equally upon us1 as it did upon them4 ,they embrace many particulars of duty1 and contain a promise1 on ,,god',s part1 to bless with honour and temporal prosperity those who shall reverence ,his day4 ,now the observance of the ,sabbath may be regarded both as a ,national and as an ,individual duty4 ,and first1 to regard it as a ,national duty4 ,the ,bible lays it down as a general principle1 that every nation and kingdom owes its existence and continuance as a nation1 to the special power and protection of the ,most ,high4 8,for the kingdom is the ,,lord',s2 and ,he is the ,governor among the nations40 #aa;a 8,by ,me kings reign1 and princes decree justice4 ,by ,me princes rule1 and nobles1 even all the judges of the earth40 #aa;b ,in nothing1 indeed1 is the hand of ,,god more strikingly to be seen than in the history of nations2 and it will be found to be a truth to which the annals of the past bear ample record1 that national prosperity has invariably followed that people who have honoured ,him4 ,we might take the case of ,,god',s ancient people1 and find abundant proof of this in the prosperity which everywhere attended them4 ,we might recall the scenes of 8the land of bondage10 the signs and wonders which were shown in ,egypt1 the overthrow of ,pharaoh and his mighty host beneath the waves of the ,red ,sea4 ,we might recount the victories of ,israel over the powerful and warlike nations of ,canaan1 nations 8greater and mightier than0 themselves1 whom ,,god drove out from before their face4 ,we might speak of the fast-increasing glories of that people in the earlier years of their political existence1 and of the fearful and rapid decline which followed their idolatrous practices and forsaking of ,,god4 ,but do we not find1 even in the midst of ourselves1 an evidence more powerful and convincing still8 ,to what is it that ,england owes her supremacy8 ,why is it that success has attended her arms almost without a single exception8 that the ,queen of these small and insignificant islands is the ,sovereign ,lady of nearly a sixth part of the human race8 that the sway of ,great ,britain is undisputed upon the sea1 and her arms respected by every foreign nation8 ,how is it that while revolution after revolution has disturbed the tranquillity of neighbouring nations1 while kings have been hurried into exile or to death1 and scenes of carnage and bloodshed been of terrible frequency1 we have been suffered to remain in peace and quietness1 our friendly relations with ,foreign ,powers been maintained unimpaired1 and our commercial prosperity never1 perhaps1 known to be greater8 ,i think the true answer will be found in the fact1 that as a nation we have 8acknowledged ,,god in all our ways10 and that so 8,he has directed our paths40 ,nothing is more striking to any person who has visited the neighbouring countries of ,europe than the difference with which the ,,lord',s day is observed in them1 and amongst ourselves4 ,and after all1 it is mainly in this respect that a national acknowledgment of ,,god can be made4 ,take1 for example1 the metropolis of the neighbouring empire of ,france1 the city of ,paris4 ,it is a well ascertained fact that1 in that city1 there is a far greater amount of dissipation and wickedness on the ,sunday1 than on any other day in the week4 ,it would seem that ,,god',s day is especially selected to be dishonoured4 ,every place of public amusement is open1--galleries of painting--public gardens--theatres4 ,reviews of troops1 displays1 and pageants of every kind commonly take place upon this day4 ,it is quite true that the people attend the services of the ,romish ,church1 and that religion is treated with some degree of decorum and respect4 ,but what is the result of such a system8 ,simply1 that the service of ,,god comes to be looked upon as something which may be satisfactorily performed by a mere attendance at ,mass1 and by obedience to such outward duties as the ,church may enjoin1 and that then every kind of sinful pleasure and amusement may be indulged in with impunity4 ,can we wonder at the consequences which follow from such a state of things8 ,can we be surprised at a corruption of manners which prevails to an alarming extent amongst all classes of society8 ,can we marvel that1 time after time1 the foundations of that kingdom are shaken--that1 in its many changes and revolutions1 the handwriting of ,,god is seen1 which says with fearful significance1 8,thou art weighed in the balances1 and art found wanting80 #ac ,now ,england has hitherto been remarkable for her outward observance of the ,,lord',s day4 ,the entire cessation from business--the quiet streets--the orderly inhabitants--the well-filled churches1 in our large towns--the village bells breaking the stillness of the ,sabbath morning1 and in every place calling the rich and poor alike to the ,house of their common ,,lord--have marked us out1 pre-eminently1 as a nation fearing ,,god4 ,and it must be a source of deep regret and alarm to every ,christian man1 and1 indeed1 to every man who values aright the national peace and prosperity which the blessing of ,,god has secured to this kingdom1 that an attempt is being made1 and that too of a most determined character1 to infringe the sanctity of the ,sabbath1 and to obtain the repeal of the law which enforces its strict observance4 ,far be it from me to wish that the ,sabbath should be made a day of painful and irksome restraint2 that the hardworked artisan should be denied the enjoyment of such innocent recreation as the day will allow2 that the times should be revived in this country1 when every man should be compelled to attend his ,parish ,church on pain of fine or imprisonment2 but ,i would use every means in my power to maintain those wise and righteous regulations which a ,christian government has made respecting its observance4 ,i believe it to be the duty of the clergy of the ,church of ,england to speak openly and plainly upon the subject1 and to use all the influence of their station and office to prevent the commission of this great national sin4 ,and ,i trust ,i may be excused in entering into details1 which will not1 ,i hope1 be deemed inappropriate to the time and occasion on which we are met together4 ,i will state them very briefly4 ,you are aware that the building of the ,great ,exhibition1 which was held in ,london1 in the summer of #ahea1 has been removed to a distance from the city1 and converted into a kind of winter garden and museum4 ,many of you have seen the building1 which is capable of containing nearly a hundred thousand persons2 and it is proposed to admit the public to it on ,sundays by the payment of money4 ,this is at present illegal by ,act of ,parliament1 no places of public amusement1 the admission to which is by money1 being allowed to remain open on that day4 ,a petition will shortly be presented to ,parliament1 praying for the repeal of that ,act4 ,a gentleman of considerable eminence and ability1 who is officially connected with this movement1 is about to visit the large towns of ,england1 for the purpose of advocating the subject1 and obtaining signatures in favour of it--chiefly from the working classes2 and he will very probably visit this town4 ,now ,i would say to you all1 as you fear the curse of ,,god upon this nation1 as you would secure the continuance of ,his favour and blessing1 and of that peace which ,england has so long enjoyed1 abstain from signing that petition2 abstain from attending public meetings upon the subject2 use all your influence to prevent others from doing so4 ,i am quite sure that this proceeding will meet with no countenance or sanction from the ,civic ,authorities of this town4 ,we are blessed with rulers1 who1 as ,i believe1 have made 8the fear of the ,,lord0 the great principle which actuates them in their public conduct1 and which will lead them to use the authority and influence which1 in ,his providence1 ,he has committed to them1 for the maintenance of ,his honour and glory4 ,i need not remind you what will surely follow this step1 unless1 by ,,god',s gracious interposition1 it be averted4 ,the opening of the theatres and of all places of public amusement on the ,sunday will take place1 and everything which now distinguishes ,,god',s day from the days of our worldly business be at an end4 ,this must be the inevitable consequence of once opening the door to the desecration of the ,sabbath4 ,how then shall the ,church of ,,christ be able effectually to stem the torrent of vice which will sweep over this land8 ,how check the march of infidelity1 which is sure to advance with giant strides amongst us8 ,we know that even now1 in spite of all our efforts1 ,,god',s ,sabbaths are fearfully profaned4 ,though our churches are multiplied on every hand1 and those schools in which our children are trained for the ,church on earth1 and1 as we trust1 for the ,church eternally1 in ,heaven1 are increased1 yet much remains to be accomplished ere the 8way0 of the 8,,lord be known upon earth1 ,his saving health among all nations40 #af ,the mountains of unbelief have yet to be laid low1 the valleys of ignorance and vice to be exalted1 before ,,messiah1 in ,his onward and triumphant march1 can receive the homage of those hearts which ,he has purchased with ,his own most precious blood1 ere ,he can enter upon the glories of that universal kingdom in which 8all shall know ,him from the least to the greatest40 #ag;a ,let it then be ours to use every effort to 8prepare the way of the ,,lord10 that so we may be the blessed instruments of advancing the ,,redeemer',s kingdom upon earth4 ,amongst us1 let ,his name and ,his ,sabbaths be honoured and reverenced2 and1 above all1 let us unite in earnest prayer to ,him who can 8destroy the wisdom of the wise1 and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent10 #ag;b that ,he may frustrate the designs of those who would array themselves against ,him1 that they may be put to shame and confusion1 and so ,his promise be fulfilled1 8,when the enemy shall come in like a flood1 the ,spirit of the ,,lord shall lift up a standard against him40 #ag;c ,but while the observance of the ,sabbath may be regarded as a national duty1 yet it is1 at the same time1 an individual duty4 ,while we are required1 as a nation1 to honour ,,god in this respect1 we have1 besides1 an individual responsibility which is independent of it4 ,the subject opens to us a very wide field1 and it would be impossible1 within the brief limits to which we are confined1 to enter upon all that might be said4 ,the words of ,isaiah contain1 perhaps1 the fullest explanation of the manner in which the ,sabbath should be observed that is to be found in the records of inspiration4 ,they enjoin an entire cessation from our worldly business and pleasures1 and from all such conversation as shall unfit us for the duties of religion2 and1 at the same time1 they teach us that our thoughts and attention should be directed to the great business for which the day was instituted4 ,now our duty upon the ,sabbath naturally divides itself into three parts3 the public worship of ,,god2 the cultivation of family religion2 and the maintenance of personal piety4 ,it is not needful that ,i should seek1 by anything which ,i might say1 to impress upon you the importance of a constant and devout attendance upon the services of the ,church4 ,i need not remind you of the blessings which shall surely be the portion of those who shall 8dwell in the courts of the ,,lord',s house10 and whose feet are to be found in 8the sanctuary of ,,god10--who are ever mindful of the ,saviour's promise1 8,where two or three are gathered together in ,my ,name1 there am ,i in the midst of them40 #ah;a ,in many a heart does the language of the sweet singer of ,israel find an echo1 when he gives utterance to those exulting words1 8,i was glad when they said unto me1 ,let us go into the ,house of the ,,lord4 ,our feet shall stand within thy gates1 ,oh ,jerusalem40 #ah;b ,i speak to those who love and reverence the ,church of ,england--the ,church of our country and our fathers--the ,church beneath whose hallowed walls are strewn the graves of ,martyrs and ,confessors--the ,church which has been watered by the blood of the ,saints1 and which is surely 8built upon the foundation of the ,apostles and ,prophets1 ,,jesus ,,christ ,himself being the chief corner-stone40 #ai;a ,oh that that ,church1 whose 8walls are ,salvation1 and her gates ,praise10 #ai;b may increase a hundredfold1 and flourish in the midst of us6 ,oh that she may be enshrined in the hearts of the people of this land2 that her divisions may be healed1 her time-honoured system be developed1 and above all1 her 8priests be clothed with righteousness10 #ai;c that so her mission upon earth may be accomplished in the subjugation of the hearts and affections of men to the sway of ,,jesus1 and in the building up1 8on their most holy faith10 of 8a people prepared for the ,,lord60 8,pray for the peace of ,jerusalem3 they shall prosper that love thee4 ,peace be within thy walls1 and prosperity within thy palaces60 #ai;d ,but the worship of ,,god is only one of the duties of the ,sabbath4 ,the cultivation of family religion is a work which should occupy at least some portion of time on this day4 ,the ,sabbath was designed to be a day of rest and holy joy4 ,and surely these ends will be answered if1 in every little household1 parents and children shall meet together in happy and unrestrained intercourse2 if it be a time when children shall listen1 from a mother's lips1 to the histories of ,,god',s ,saints1 and hear from her of the love of ,,jesus2 when parents shall use all their efforts1 that those who have gathered beneath the same earthly roof1 and sat around the same fireside1 may not be separated in the ,eternal ,home above4 ,are we to be interested in each others' worldly pleasures and pursuits1 to share each others' earthly joys and sorrows1 and yet to have sealed hearts and sealed lips1 where 8those things which belong to our everlasting peace0 are concerned8 ,i believe that1 under ,,god',s blessing1 there is no more powerful instrument for good1 than the early religious instruction of home4 ,the instruction of ,sunday ,schools is good1 and is a mighty instrument in the hands of the ,church1 for advancing the cause of the ,,redeemer1 but to be really effectual it must be combined with the education of home4 ,who shall calculate its influence8 ,who shall say how many a wayward one a mother's affectionate counsels and admonitions1 conveyed in the lesson of the ,sunday evening1 have been the means of recalling from the paths of sin8 ,who can tell how long those golden memories lingered in the heart1 ere their voice was stilled by long-continued disobedience to ,,god8 ,nothing1 perhaps1 is so deeply to be lamented in after life1 as the want of the early religious instruction of home4 ,it entwines the things of ,heaven with the best and purest of earthly affections4 ,it associates them with the innocence of childhood1 and the happiness of home4 ,it stamps upon the heart an impression1 which no subsequent career of sin can ever efface1 that religion is a happy thing4 ,it makes the ,sabbath to be1 what it was ever designed to be1 8a delight40 ,but the maintenance of personal piety is another of the ends for which the ,sabbath was instituted4 ,we are placed upon earth that we may prepare for eternity1 and these pauses in our lives1 these intervals of rest1 are intended by ,,god as a means of bringing eternal things from time to time more forcibly before us4 ,hence a more than ordinary portion of our time should then be devoted to private prayer1 to meditation1 to the reading of ,,god',s ,word4 ,we should be striving so to employ these blessed opportunities that they may not at last become swift witnesses against us4 ,we should seek to place ourselves before 8the great white throne10 and to dwell in thought on 8,him who sitteth on it40 ,so will the tumults of passion be stilled in our inmost hearts1 and a more than earthly peace be breathed upon our spirits4 ,we shall learn more clearly the great truth1 which outward objects are ever hiding from our view1 that 8the world passeth away1 and the lust thereof2 but that he that doeth the will of ,,god abideth for ever40 #ba;a ,the ,sabbath is an emblem of ,heaven1 and a type of its joys1 and so it is in it that we must acquire a taste for those enjoyments4 ,the unregenerate man is unfit for ,heaven4 ,it would be no ,paradise to him4 ,it is only 8the pure in heart0 who 8shall see ,,god40 #ba;b ,hence the ,christian is here meetening for its happiness4 ,from time to time the veil is lifted1 and he is permitted to behold faint glimpses of its glories4 ,in the service of an earthly sanctuary1 he hears an echo of the music of ,heaven4 ,in his seasons of prayer and ,communion with ,,god1 and in his freedom from earthly care and toil1 he learns something of that 8rest0 which 8remaineth for the people of ,,god40 #bb;a ,the earthly ,sabbath is but an earnest and foretaste of the heavenly one4 ,here it is succeeded by the struggles and anxieties of life4 ,here thoughts of worldly care often interrupt its happiness4 ,here there is but the offering of an earthly service1 and the devotion of an earthly heart4 ,but there all shall be changed4 ,for ,his ,saints 8shall serve ,him day and night in ,his temple3 they shall hunger no more1 neither thirst any more1 neither shall the sun light on them1 nor any heat40 #bb;b ,no 8tears0 shall dim the eye4 ,no 8death0 shall enter the home1 and take away from us those whom we love4 ,no 8sorrow nor crying10 no 8pain0 shall be there1 8for the former things will have passed away40 #bb;c ,be it then your part and mine1 brethren1 to seek1 through 8the blood of ,,jesus10 a meetness for this heavenly rest2 so to employ the days of preparation for it which ,,god has given us1 that we may indeed 8call the ,sabbath a delight1 the holy of the ,,lord1 honourable30 to maintain by seasons of worship and earnest service1 by ,communion with ,him at ,his ,table1 and in the retirement of the closet1 a living union with ,,christ our ,head1 that so when our earthly ,sabbaths shall have come to a close1 and the opportunities of usefulness upon earth be past1 we may enter upon that perfect worship and service1 which shall develop every power and satisfy every desire of an immortal nature1 and share in the rest of that ,sabbath which shall never have an end6 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,,stevens ,,and ,,co41 ,,printers1 ,,bell ,,yard1 ,,lincoln',s-,,inn-,,fields4 ,,footnotes4 #g ,exodus xvi4 #bb-ca4 #h;a ,matt4 v4 #ag4 #h;b ,mark ii4 #bg4 #i;a ,rom4 i4 #d4 #i;b ,see #a ,cor4 xi4 #bj2 xiv4 #bc-dj2 ,acts xx4 #g-ab4 #i;c ,rev4 i4 #aj4 #aa;a ,ps4 xxii4 #bh4 #aa;b ,prov4 viii4 #ae1 #af4 #ac ,dan4 v4 #bg4 #af ,ps4 lxvii4 #b4 #ag;a ,heb4 viii4 #aa4 #ag;b #a ,cor4 i4 #ai4 #ag;c ,is4 lix4 #ai4 #ah;a ,matt4 xviii4 #bj4 #ah;b ,ps4 cxxii4 #a1 #b4 #ai;a ,eph4 ii4 #bj4 #ai;b ,is4 lx4 #ah4 #ai;c ,ps4 cxxxii4 #i4 #ai;d ,ps4 cxxii4 #f1 #g4 #ba;a #a ,john ii4 #ag4 #ba;b ,matt4 v4 #h4 #bb;a ,heb4 iv4 #i4 #bb;b ,rev4 vii4 #ae1 #af4 #bb;c ,rev4 xxi4 #d4