A Body of Practical Divinity

Resp. 1. Negatively, we must do no Work in it; that is expressed in the Commandment, In it thou shalt do no manner of Work. God hath enclosed this Day for himself, therefore we are not to lay it common by doing any Civil Work. As Abraham when he went to sacrifice, left his Servant and the Ass at the bottom of the Hill, Gen. 22.5. So when we are to Worship God this Day, we must leave all worldly business behind, ⟨p. 335⟩leave the Ass at the Bottom of the Hill. And as Joseph when he would speak with his Brethren, thrust out the Egyptians; so when we would converse with God this Day, we must thrust out all earthly Employments. The Lord's Day is a Day of Holy Rest, all secular Works must be forborne and suspended, it is a profaning the Day. Nehem. 13.15. In these days saw I in Judah some treading Wine-presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in Sheaves, as also Wine-Grapes and Figs, and all manner of Burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath-day, and I testified against them. Thou I contended with the Nobles of Judah, and said to them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath-Day. It is Sacrilege to rob that Time for Civil Work, which God hath Dedicated and set apart for his Worship. He that converts any time of the Sabbath to worldly business, is a worse Thief than he who robs on the High-way; for such a Thief does but rob Man, but this Thief robs God, he robs him of his Day. The Lord forbade Manna to be gathered on the Sabbath, Exod. 16. One would think that might have been dispensed with; for Manna was the Staff of their Life; and the time when Manna fell was early, between Five and Six in the morning; so that they might have gathered it betimes, and all the rest of the Sabbath they might have employed in God's Worship: And besides, they needed not to have taken any great Journey for Manna, for it was but stepping out of their Doors, and it fell about their Tents; yet they might not gather Manna on the Sabbath; and but for purposing to gather it, God was very angry, Exod. 16.27, 28. There went out some of the People on the Seventh Day to gather, and they found none, and the Lord said, How long refuse ye to keep my Commandments and my Laws? Surely the anointing Christ when he was dead was a commendable Work;