Having thus mentioned the Practice of CHRIST, it is not neceffary I fhould fay much of the Practice of his Apoftles, and the following purer Ages of Chriftianity, who, in fhort, as their Duty was, diligently followed their great Mafter's Example. They did not think it enough to Read and Pray, and Praife God at Home, but made Confcience of appearing in the publick Affemblies: from which nothing but Sickness and abfolute Neceffity did detain them: And if Sick, or in Prifon, or under Banishment, nothing troubled them more, than that they could not come to Church, and joyn their Devotions to the common Services. If Perfecution at any Time forc'd them to keep a little clofe. yet no fooner was there the leaft Mitigation, but they presently return'd to their open Duty, and publickly met all together. No trivial Pretences, no light Excufes were then admitted for any ones Abfence from the Congregation, but according to the Merit of the Caufe, fevere Cenfures were paffed upon them, &c. to exprefs it in the Words of one of our beft Antiquaries (4).

The Publick Worship of GOD then, is not a Matter of Indifference, which Men have in their own Power to do, or omit as they pleafe; neither is it enough to read, pray, or praife God at home (unless fome inevitable Neceffity hindereth) because the appearing in GOD's House, on his Day, is an Act of Homage and Fealty, due to the CREATOR, a Right of Sovereignty we pay him. And the withholding thofe Rights and Dues from GOD, is a kind of rejecting GOD, a difowning his Sovereignty, and a withdrawing our Obedience and Service. And this was the very Reason why the Profanation of the Sabbath

was

(4) Dr. Cave's Prim. Chrift. Pat. 1. c. 7.

(s)

was punished with Death among the Jews, the Sabbath beng a Sign, or Badge of the GOD they owned and worshipped. (5) Thus Exod. 31. 13. My Sabbaths ye fhall keep; for it is a SIGN between me and you, throughout your Generations, that ye may know that I am the LORD, that doth fanctify you, or as the Original may be render'd, a Sign. to ackowledge, that I Jehovah am your Sanctifier, or your God. For as our Learned Mede obferves, to be the Sanctifier of a People, and to be their God, is all one. So likewife very exprefly in Ezek. 20. 20. Hal

As at this Day it is cuftomary for Servants to wear the Livery of their Mafters, and others to bear Badges of their Order, Profeffion, Servility, c. So in former Ages, and divers Countries, it was ufual to bear Badges, Marks and Signs, on divers Occafions. In Ezek. 9. 4. a Mark was to be fet on the Forehead of thofe that lamented the Abomina tions of the City. The like was to be done upon them in Rev. 7.3. and 9. 4. So the Worshippers of the Beaft, Rev. 13. 16. were to receive a xdegyμa, a Mark in their right Hand, or their Forebeads. Thole xapayμata, Σpegyides, Badges, &c. were very common. Soldiers and Slaves bare them in their Arms or Foreheads; fuch as were matriculated in the Hateria, or Companies, bare the Badge or Mark of their Company; and whoever lifted himself into the Society of any of the feveral Gods, received a xeya, or a Mark in his Body (commonly made with red-hot Needles, or fome burning in the Flesh) of the God he had lifted himself under. And after Chriftianity was planted, the Chriftians had also their Sign of the Grofs. And not only Marks in their Flesh, Badges on their Cloaths, &c. were ufual, but also the Dedication of Days to their imaginary Deities. Not to fpeak of their Feftivals, c. the Days of the Week were all dedicated to fome of their Deities. Among the Romans, Sunday and Monday, to the Sun and Moon; Tuesday to Mars, Wednesday to Mercury c. So our Saxon Ancestors did the fame; Sunday, and Monday (as the Romans did) to the Sun and Moon; Tuesday to Tuyfco; Wednesday to Woden; Thursday to Thor; Friday to Friga; and Saturday to Seater: An Account of which Deities, with the Figures under which they were worshipped, may be met with in our learned Verftegan. Chap. 3. p. 68.

Hallow my Sabbaths, and they shall be a Sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your GOD; or rather as before, to acknowledge that I JEHOVAH am your GOD.

.

The Sabbath being thus a Sign, a Mark, or Badge, to acknowledge God to be their God, it follows, that a Neglect or Contempt of that Day, redounded to GOD; to flight that, was flighting God; to profane that, was to affront God; for the Punifhment of which, what more equitable Penalty than Death. And although under Christianity, the Punishment is not made Capital, yet have we no lefs Reafon for the ftrict Obfervance of this holy Day, than the Jews, but rather greater Reasons. For the GOD we worfhip, is the fame: If after fix Days Labour, he was, by the Seventh, owned to be GOD, the Creator; no lefs is he by our Chriftian Lord's Day: If by the Celebration of the Sabbath, the Remembrance of their Deliverance from the Egyptian Bondage was kept up, and GOD acknowledged to be the Effecter thereof; we Chriftians have a greater Deliverance, we own our Deliverance from Sin and Satan, wrought by a greater Redeemer than Mofes, even the bleffed JESUS, whofe Refurrection, and the Completion of our Redemption thereby, was performed on the Christian Lord's-Day.

And now to fun up, and conclude thefe Inferences, and fo put an End to this Part of my Survey Since it appears, that the Works of the LORD are fo great, fo wifely contrived, fo accurately made, as to deferve to be enquired into; fince they are alfo fo manifeft Demonftrations of the Creator's Being and Attributes, that all the World is fenfible thereof, to the great Reproach of Atheism: What remaineth? But that we fear and obey fo Great and Tremendious a

Being; that we be truly thankful for, and magnify and praise his infinite Mercy, manifefted to us in his Works. And forafinuch as he hath appointed a Day on Purpofe, from the Beginning, for thefe Services, that we may weekly meet together, commemorate and celebrate the great Work of Creation, that we may pay our Acts of Devotion, Worship, Homage and Fealty to him; and fince this is a wife and excellent Diftribution of our Time, what fhould we do, but confcientiously and faithfully pay GOD thefe his Rights and Dues? and as carefully and diligently manage GOD's Time and difcharge his Business then, as we do our own upon our fix Days: particularly that with the Pious Pfalmift, we love the Habitation of God's Houfe, and the Place where his Honour dwelleth, and therefore take up his good Refolution in Pfal. 5. 7. with which I fhall conclude; But as for me, I will come into thine Houfe in the Multitude of thy Mercy, and in thy fear will I worship towards thy boly Temple.

Now to the fame infinite GOD, the omnipotent Creator and Preferver of the World, the moft gracious Redeemer, Sanctifier, and Infpirer of Mankind, be all Honour, Praife and Thanks, now and ever. Amen.

6 FE 67