14 Archbishop Leighton on the Sabbath: "juice and sweetness out of it, incorporates it, " and turns it into life and substance.fl

"Thus, if we endeavour to sanctify the "Lord's day, the Lord will sanctify his day " and his ordinances to us; and, by them, con66 vey so much joy and comfort into our souls, ❝ that they shall be a temporary heaven to us, "and fit us for that eternal Sabbath, where we "shall continually give praise and glory unto "Him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the "Lamb for ever and ever."-See Bishop Hopkins's Works, vol. i. p. 411 to 432. Edition London 1809.

My few extracts from ARCHBISHOP LEIGHTON are as follow:

"Amongst all the visible creatures, it is "man's peculiar excellency, that he is capable "of considering and worshipping his Maker, "and was made for that purpose; yet being

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composed of the dust of the earth, and the "breath of God, a body and a soul, the ne"cessities of that meaner part, while we are in "this life, employ as much, and take up a great part of our little time. And in this regard "God hath wisely and graciously set apart a "day for us, one of each seven, to be appro"priated to our highest employment-the con"templating and solemn worshipping of his “ majesty. We cannot be vacant and entire "for spiritual service unless we cease from bo

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Its Origin and Advantages.

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"dily labour; and this cessation from bodily "labour cannot be a sanctifying of this day "unto God, unless it be accompanied with "spiritual exercise. He that is Lord of the "Sabbath, either himself immediately, or by "his authority in his Apostles, appointed that day of his resurrection for our Sabbath, add"ing to the remembrance of the first creation, "the memorial of accomplishing the new cre"ation, the work of our redemption, which "appeared then manifestly to be perfected "when our Redeemer broke the chains of “death, and arose from the grave; He that is "the light of the new world shining forth "anew the same day that light was made in "the former creation.

"The very life of religion doth much de"pend upon the solemn observation of this "day: consider but, if we should intermit the "keeping of it for one year, to what a height "profaneness would rise in those that fear not "God, which yet are restrained (though not "converted) by the preaching of the word and "their outward partaking of public worship; yea, those that are most spiritual would find "themselves losers by the intermission.

"This is the loveliest, brightest day in all "the week to a spiritual mind; these rests re"fresh the soul in God, that finds nothing but "turmoil in the creature. Should not this day

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Bishop Hall on the Sabbath.

"be welcome to the soul, that sets it free to "mind its own business, which is on other "days to attend the business of its servant the body? And these are a certain pledge to it "of that expected freedom, when it shall enter " into an eternal Sabbath and rest in Him for 66 ever, who is the only rest of the soul.". Leighton's Works, vol. iv. p. 142 to 148. Edit. London 1806.

BISHOP HALL observes on the Sabbath-"The same sun arises on this day, and enlightens it: yet, because that Sun of Righteແ ousness arose upon it, and gave a new life "unto the world in it, and drew the strength " of God's moral precept unto it; therefore, justly do we sing, with the Psalmist, "This "is the day which the Lord hath made.' Now, "I forget the world; and, in a sort, myself: " and deal with my ordinary thoughts, as great "men use, who, at some times of their pri

vacy, forbid the access of all suitors. Prayer, meditation, reading, hearing, preaching, sing"ing, good conference, are the businesses of "this day; which I dare not bestow on any "work or pleasure but heavenly. I hate su"perstition on the one side, and looseness on "the other; but I find it hard to offend in too "much devotion; easy, in profaneness. The "whole week is sanctified by this day; and, "according to my care of this, is my blessing

Sir Matthew Hale on the Sabbath.

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on the rest. How miserable is the condition "of those men, which spend the time as if it "were given them, and not lent! as if hours "were waste creatures, and such as should never be accounted for! as if God would “take this for a bill of reckoning, 'Item, spent upon my pleasures forty years.' These men "shall hereafter find, that no rank can privi- . lege idleness, and that nothing is more pre"cious to God than that which they desire to ❝ cast away—time."-Hall's Works, Epistle to Lord Denny, Edit. 1808.

SIR MATTHEW HALE (says his Biographer BISHOP BURNET)" was a strict observer of the "Lord's day, in which, besides his constancy "in the public worship of God, he used to call "all his family together, and repeat to them "the heads of the sermons, with some addi❝tions of his own, which he fitted for their "capacities and circumstances; and that be❝ing done, he had a custom of shutting him"self up for two or three hours, which he "either spent in his secret devotions, or on "such profitable meditations as did then occur "to his thoughts."

Let us now hear what this eminent Christian Judge SIR MATTHEW HALE himself says on the subject of the Sabbath.

In a letter to his children, dated 20th October 1662, he observes, "I have, by long and

18 Week blessed, as the Sabbath is observed.

"sound experience, found, that the due ob

servance of this day, and of the duties of it, "has been of singular comfort and advantage "to me; and I doubt not but it will prove so "to you. God Almighty is the Lord of our

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time, and lends it to us; and as it is but 'just we should consecrate this part of that "time to him, so I have found, by a strict and "diligent observation, that a due observance "of the duty of this day hath ever had joined "to it a blessing upon the rest of my time; "and the week that hath been so begun, hath "been blessed and prosperous to me: and, on "the other hand, when I have been negligent "of the duties of this day, the rest of the "week has been unsuccessful and unhappy to

my own secular employments; so that I "could easily make an estimate of my suc❝cesses in my own secular employments the "week following, by the manner of my passing "of this day; and this I do not write lightly or "inconsiderately, but upon a long and sound "observation and experience.

"In all your speeches or actions of this day, let there be no lightness nor vanity; use "no running, or leaping, or playing, or wrestling; use no jesting, or telling of tales, or "foolish stories; no talk about worldly busi66 ness; but let your actions and speech be "such as the day is, serious and sacred, tend

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