London's lamentation, or, A serious discourse concerning the late fiery dispensation that turned our…

Secondly, We have greater means and helps for the sanctification §2of the Sabbath, than the Jews had for a long time; or than the Primitive Christians had for three hundred years. Mark, the holy observation of the Sabbath among them, came in by degrees long after the day was settled; and the reason was this, because for a good while they had no word written to be read, nor no Synagogues built to read it in. It was well nigh a thousand years, or above a thousand years after the giving of the Law, before the reading of the Law in Synagogues came up. For a long time they had no Books among them, but the five Books of Moses; and those Books neither, were not well understood by the common people. And it is further observable, that the children of Israel being in Egypt under sore pressures, afflictions and cruel bondage, &c. neither did, nor could keep the Sabbath in any solemn manner, not being permitted either to rest, or enjoy any solemn assemblies. And when they were in their wilderness condition, they had many stations, diversions and incursions ⟨p. 235⟩of enemies, so that they could not keep the Sabbath in any solemn public manner, as afterwards they did when they were settled in peace and safety in the Land of Canaan. And so the Primitive Christians for three hundred years living under very great and violent Persecutions: they neither did, nor could keep the Lords Day with that solemnity that they should or would; but as for place, they met not openly, but secretly in Woods, and Deserts, and Holes, and Caves, and Dens of the earth: and so for time, sometimes they met in the day, and often they met in the night. But as for us, who have lived, and do live in these days of the Son of man, what rare means and helps, what abundance of means and helps, what choice and precious means and helps have we had, and still have (in spite of all oppositions from high or low) to enable us to sanctify the Sabbath. And O that all the means and helps, that we yet enjoy, may be signally blest to that purpose. But,

S•condly, We have greater means and helps for the sanctification §2of the Sabbath, than the Jews had for a long time; or than the Primitive Christians had for three hundred years. Mark, the holy observation of the Sabbath among them, came in by degrees long after the day was settled; and the reason was this, because for a good while they had no word written to be read, nor no Synagogues built to read it in. It was well nigh a thousand years, or above a thousand years after the giving of the Law, before the reading of the Law in Synagogues came up. For a long time they had no Books among them, but the five Books of Moses; and those Books neither, were not well understood by the common people. And it is further observable, that the children of Israel being in Aegypt under sore pressures, afflictions and cruel bondage, &c. neither did, nor could keep the Sabbath in any solemn manner, not being permitted either to rest, or enjoy any solemn assemblies. And when they were in their wilderness condition, they had many stations, diversions and incursions