A53694:463
Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…
Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred rest wherein the original of the Sabbath from the foundation of the world, the morality of the Fourth commandment with the change of the Seventh day are enquired into : together with an assertion of the divine institution of the Lord's Day, and practical directions for its due observation / by John Owen.
London: printed by R.W. for Nath. Ponder, 1671
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
He to whom the worship of God in Christ is a burden or a bondage; who says, behold what a weariness it is, that thinks a Day in a Week to be too much and too long to be with God in his especial service, is much to seek, I think, of his duty. Alas! what would such Persons do if they should ever come to Heaven, to be taken aside to all eternity to be with God alone, who think it a great bondage to be here diverted unto him for a Day? They will say it may be, Heaven is one thing, and the observation of the Lords-Day is another; were they in Heaven they doubt not but they should do well enough. But for this observation of the Lords-Day they know not what to say to it. I confess they are so; they are distinct things, or else one could not be the pledge of the other. But yet they both agree in this, that they are a separation and secession from all other things unto God. And if men have not a principle to like that in the Lords-Day, neither would they like it in Heaven, should they ever come there. Let us then be ready to attend in this matter, to the Call of God, and go out to meet him. For where he placeth his Name as he doth on all his solemn Ordinances, there he hath promised to meet us. And so is this Day unto us a pledge of Heaven.
He to whom the worship of God in Christ is a burden or a bondage; who sayes, behold what a weariness it is, that thinks a Day in a Week to be too much and too long to be with God in his especial service, is much to seek, I think, of his duty. Alas! what would such Persons do if they should ever come to Heaven, to be taken aside to all eternity to be with God alone, who think it a great bondage to be here deiverted unto him for a Day? They will say it may be, Heaven is one thing, and the observation of the Lords-Day is another; were they in Heaven they doubt not but they should do well enough. But for this observation of the Lords-Day they know not what to say to it. I confess they are so; they are distinct things, or else one could not be the pledge of the other. But yet they both agree in this, that they are a separation and secession from all other things unto God. And if men have not a principle to like that in the Lords-Day, neither would they like it in Heaven, should they ever come there. Let us then be ready to attend in this matter, to the Call of God, and go out to meet him. For where he placeth his Name as he doth on all his solemn Ordinances, there he hath promised to meet us. And so is this Day unto us a pledge of Heaven.