Sunday Newspapers, the Sunday parties, the Sunday dinners, the Sunday journies, the general Sunday secularities. Expediency may conceal or controul some outward enormities, but it cannot implant principles of religion, it cannot inspire love to God, it cannot check weariness and inattention, it cannot animate to prayer, it cannot change the human heart. To do this we must invoke the power of the supreme Potentate, and all those aids and operations of grace which he has promised as the accompaniments of his own truth. That is, we must ascend from human to divine agency. We must admit duly THE AUTHORITY OF REVEALED TRUTH in respect of this duty, as well as every other, in order to have any influence of grace upon the soul of man, or even any permanent authority over his conscience. I rejoice to observe that during the eight months which have elapsed since the publication of the first edition, considerable attention has been awakened on the subject. Several publications have appeared both in America and England. And, what is more important, Societies have been formed for promoting the better observance of the Lord's day. That in London proceeds boldly on the Divine authority of the Institution, and promises a series of measures which, with the Divine blessing, may have the most important results.' I am more and more convinced, that the Lord's day is one of the grandest practical topics which we are now called to treat. It is the platform, and, as it were, the ma Its office is Exeter Hall, London-its title, "London Society for Promoting a due Observance of the Lord's day." chinery for the whole application of Christianity. The Holy Sabbath-coëval with man-the example of the Almighty proposing it to him-creation so distributed as to lay a foundation for it-the powers and faculties of rational and irrational creatures formed upon the supposition of it-the proportion of one day's rest to six of labour infixed in the order of this beautiful world by the Almighty artificer-the institution goes along with redemption, marks the season of religious worship, affords the leisure, sets to work the ministrations, collects all the materials for the diffusion of the gospel and the celebration of the praises of its Author-maintains the front and bearing of religion in the world—is the visible representation of Christianity, and the pledge of its heavenly reward. The opposition made to every attempt for recovering its honour, should create no surprise. The conflict between good and evil may probably be centered very much here. There seems a tremendous shock approaching. Infidelity, indifference, worldliness, pride, contempt of religion on the one hand, are drawn up in array against the comparatively small number of pious, devoted, holy servants of God on the other. But let us not fear. Let us be firm in the faith of our blessed Lord and Master. He is able to defend his own cause, and us also, so far as we humbly aim at promoting it. Only let the purity and simplicity of truth remain with us-only let our spirit and conversation be as becometh the gospel of Christ-only let us keep on broad and acknowledged ground-only let us discountenance novelties and over-statements, and disproportionate zeal for doubtful and subordinate pointsand God will help us-he will arm us against all our spi ritual foes, and will, perhaps, grant us to see a revival of sound, evangelical, practical religion, in a degree of which we have little conception. Islington, Sept. 9, 1831. PREFACE CONTENTS. Page v.-xiii. SERMON I. Genesis ii. 1-3.—Page 1. THE INSTITUTION OF A WEEKLY SABBATH IN PARADISE, AND ITS CONTINUED AUTHORITY, UNTIL THE DELIVERY OF THE MORAL LAW. 7 11 The DIRECT REASONS for believing the Sabbath to have been TRIARCHAL AGES The MANNER in which the Sabbath was revived before the commencement of the MOSAICAL ECONOMY The EXTREME VIOLENCE done to the Christian faith, by the attempt to explain away the institution of the Sabbath in Paradise 19 21 The duty of adoring the ALMIGHTY FATHER OF ALL, for the DISTINCT GLORIES shed upon the day of religious repose 22 xvi The SABBATH was insisted upon by THE PROPHETS, AS OF ES- The duty of giving to the holy day of rest that PROMINENCY IN OUR ESTEEM, which Moses was instructed to give it in Of imbibing the SPIRIT OF LOVE AND DELIGHT in the worship of God, which the psalms and prophets display Let us dread the FALSE VIEW of the character of God, and of The RECOGNITION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, and of the |