A53694:470
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.
(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.
(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 Priviledges 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