_Six days shalt thou do all manner of work. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God._ It is not thine, but God’s day. He claims it for his own. He always did claim it for his own, even from the beginning of the world. _In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it._ He _hallowed_ it; that is, he made it holy: he reserved it for his own service. He appointed, that as long as the sun or the moon, the heavens and the earth should endure, the children of men should spend this day in the worship of him, who _gave them life and breath and all things_. Shall a man then rob God? And art thou the man? Consider, think what thou art doing. Is it not God who giveth thee all thou hast? Every day thou livest, is it not his gift? And wilt thou give him none? Nay, wilt thou deny him what is his own already? He will not, he cannot quit his claim. This day is God’s. It was so from the beginning. It will be so to the end of the world. This he cannot give to another. _O render unto God the things that are God’s_: Now! _To-day, while it is called to-day!_ For whose sake does God lay claim to this day? For his sake, or for thine? Doubtless, not for his own. He needeth not thee, nor any child of man. _Look unto the heavens and see, and behold the clouds which are higher than thou. If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him? If thy transgressions be multiplied, what dost thou unto him? If thou art righteous, what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thine hand?_ For thy own sake therefore, God thy Maker doth this. For thy own sake he calleth thee to serve him. For thy own sake, he demands a part of thy time to be restored to him that gave thee _all_. Acknowledge his love. Learn, while thou art on earth to praise the king of heaven. Spend this day, as thou hopest to spend that day which never shall have an end. The Lord not only _hallowed_ the sabbath-day, but he hath also _blessed_ it. So that you are an enemy to yourself. You throw away your own blessing, if you neglect to _keep this day holy_. It is a day of _special grace_. The king of heaven now sits upon his mercy-seat, in a more gracious manner than on other days, to bestow blessings on those who observe it. If _you_ love your own soul, can _you_ then forbear laying hold on so happy an opportunity? Awake, arise, Let God give thee his blessing! Receive a token of his love! Cry to him that thou may’st find the riches of his grace and mercy in _Christ Jesus_! You do not know, how few more of these _days of salvation_ you may have. And how dreadful would it be, to be called hence in the abuse of his proffered mercy.