to do on the Sabbath-Day, because they plucked the Ears of Corn as they went.--But our bleffed Lord proves the Falfhood and Injuftice of this Cenfure, first, by fhewing them in general that there were excepted Cafes, in which the Laws of Mofes did not oblige; and then by referring them, in the particular Cafe of the Sabbath, to the original Design of it; by confidering which they might fee, that what his Difciples did was not contrary to that Defign, and therefore could not be criminal in the Sight of God.--Have ye not read, fays he, what David did, and thofe that were with him, bow, in a Cafe of Neceffity, they did eat the Shew-bread, which, in ordinary Cafes, it is not lawful for any to eat, but the Priefts? v. 25, 26.And as to the Sabbatical Reft, The Sabbath was made for Man, and not Man for the Sabbath; therefore the Son of Man is Lord alfo of the Sabbath. Which Words, thus opened, naturally lead to these three Enquiries: I. For what Reasons, and with what De- II. How far our bleffed Lord's Excep- the the Discharge of it; or, in other Words, how far, and in what Cafes, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. And, III. In what Manner, and for what Reafons, all Chriftians, and indeed all Men, are, and ever will be, obliged to fanctify, or keep holy, one Day in feven. I. The firft Particular is, for what Reasons, and with what Defigns, the Almighty was pleased to institute the Observance of the Sabbath-Day. And these Designs and Reasons will be very evident, if we attend to our bleffed Lord's Declaration in the Text, to the short History we have of the original Institution, and to the larger Account of its Revival. These Designs will appear to be both the prefent and the future Happiness of Mankind; and those Reasons, the Tendency, the Expediency, nay the moral Neceffity of this Duty, in order to obtain those good and gracious Defigns. The Sabbath was made for Man, and not Man for the Sabbath.-The only or chief Defign of the Almighty in creating Man was, not that he fhould obferve this Ordinance ; but on the other hand, the chief Design of infinite Goodness in commanding him to observe it was the general Good of the first Pair, and all their Pofterity.And what Kind of Good he intended fhould be promoted by it is plain from the first Institution-God blessed the the feventh Day, fays the facred Hiftorian, (Gen. i. 22.) and fanctified it. He separated it from the common Purposes and Employments of our Time, as he afterwards did Bread from its common Ufes, when he blessed it, and inftituted the holy Sacrament; and he appointed it to be kept holy-He appropriated it to the more immediate Service of himself, who had thought fit to employ fix Days in forming this beautiful and wonderful Scene of Things in which Man was placed; and he required it should be chiefly spent in fuch Acts of Gratitude, Admiration, Adoration, and Praise, as would unite his Creatures in Heart and Mind, to the only Object, as well as only Author, of that fublime and most lafting Happinefs, for which their noblest Faculties were adapted and defigned. And agreeably to this, in the Revival of this Appointment, it is not only faid to be a Sabbath of Reft, but likewise holy to the Lord, (Exod. xxxi. 15.) and the Commandment is, to keep holy the SabbathDay. The immediate Defign then of this Inftitution was, that the feventh Day should be chiefly applied to holy and religious Ufes; to fuch Exercises and Employments as are moft proper to make Men better and purer in themselves, and more acceptable to their Maker, a God of infinite Holinefs and Purity; and by raising their Thoughts from vain, trivial, and tranfient things, to such as are most important and most lafting; to fet forward G 2 and Earth, and on the fer And as there were pect But nevertheless, the Ph |