Christian ethics -- Fiction; Christian fiction; Conduct of life -- Fiction
On other days a man may be in and out of holy Duties, and all in a
quarter of an hour; but now, the Lords Day is, as it were, a day that
enjoyns to one perpetual Duty of Holiness: Remember that thou keep
holy the Sabbath day, {29b} (which by Christ is not abrogated, but
changed, into the First of the week,) not as it was given in particular
to the Jews, but as it was sanctified by him from the Beginning of
the world; and therefore is a greater proof of the frame and temper
of a mans heart, and does more make manifest to what he is inclined,
than doth his other performance of Duties: Therefore God puts great
difference between them that truly call (and walk in) this day as holy,
and count it Honourable, {29c} upon the account that now they have
an opportunity to shew how they delight to honour him; {29d} in that
they have, not only an Hour, but a whole Day to shew it in: I say, he
puts great difference between these, and that other sort that say,
When will the Sabbath be gone, that we may be at our worldly business.
{29e} The first he calleth a Blessed man, but brandeth the other for
an unsanctified worldling. And indeed, to delight ourselves in Gods
service upon his Holy days, gives a better proof of a sanctified
Nature, than to grudge at the coming, and to be weary of the holy
duties of such dayes, as Mr. Badman did.
Atten. There may be something in what you say, for he that cannot abide
to keep one day holy to God, to be sure he hath given a sufficient
proof that he is an unsanctified man; and as such, what should he do
in Heaven? that being the place where a perpetual Sabath is to be kept
to God; {30a} I say, to be kept for ever and ever. And for ought I
know, one reason why one day in seven, hath been by our Lord set apart
unto holy Duties for men, may be to give them conviction that there
is enmity in the hearts of sinners to the God of Heaven, for he that
hateth Holiness, hateth God himself. They pretend to love God, and
yet love not a holy day, and yet love not to spend that day in one
continued act of holiness to the Lord: They had as good say nothing as
to call him Lord, Lord, and yet not doe the things that he says. And
this Mr. Badman was such an one: he could not abide this day, nor any
of the Duties of it. Indeed, when he could get from his Friends, and
so {30b} spend it in all manner of idleness and profaneness, then he
would be pleased well enough: but what was this but a turning the day
into night, or other than taking an opportunity at Gods forbidding,
to follow our Callings, to solace and satisfie our lusts and delights
of the flesh. I take the liberty to speak thus of Mr. Badman, upon a
confidence of what you, Sir, have said of him, is true.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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