Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…

§. 12(1) There are duties preparatory for it For although as I have declared, I do not judge that the preceding Evening is to be reckoned unto this Holy Rest as a part of it; yet doubtless it ought to be improved, unto a due preparation for the Day ensuing. And hereby the opinion of the beginning of the Sabbatical Rest with the Morning is put into as good a condition for the furtherance of the duties of Piety and Religion, as the other about its beginning in the Evening preceding. Now Preparation in general is necessary;

(1) On the account of the Greatness and Holiness of God with whom in an especial manner we have to do. The Day is his. The duties of the Day are his prescriptions. The Privileges of the Day are his gracious concessions; he is the beginning and ending of it. And we observed before, on this Day, he calleth us aside unto a converse with himself. And certainly, some special preparation of our hearts and minds is necessary hereunto. This belongs to the keeping of our foot when we go to the House of God, Eccl. 5. 1. namely, to consider what we are to do, whither we are going, to whom we make our approaches, in the solemn worship of God. The Rule which he gives, Lev. 10. 3. is moral, perpetual or everlasting; I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. He loves not a rude careless rushing of poor sinners upon him, without a sense of his Greatness, and a due reverence of his Holiness. Hence is that ⟨p. 442⟩advice of our Apostle, Heb. 12. 28, 2. 9. Let us have Grace, be graciously prepared in our hearts and minds, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire. And this will not be answered by mere bodily postures of veneration. Hence there is a due preparation necessary.