THE Lord's-Day TO BE KEPT HOLY. Asserted in a Familiar Conference BETWIXT TWO FRIENDS About the Unlawfulness of Exercising their Trades or Ordinary Callings on that Day. Published for the Use of Ignorant People, to prevent the Profanation of that Holy Day. LICENCED, July 19 1694. Edward Cook. LONDON: Printed for William Marshal at the Bible in Newgate-street. 1694. THE LORD's-DAY TO BE KEPT HOLY, etc. ●… SIR, A good Morning to you, How do you do to day? I have made bold to visit you this Morning, hoping I have not broke the ●…ds of our Friendship in my Reproof last Night, ●…he exercising of your Trade on the Lord's-Day. ●…ed I was a little concerned our Dispute happened so 〈◊〉 last Night, that we could not come to a Conclu●…, which occasions my coming this Morning. ●… Mr. B. I am glad to see you this Morning with ●…y heart, and, for my part, I am so far from break●…e Bonds of Friendship with you, that I hearty 〈◊〉 you for your mild Reproof, though I cannot be ●…our mind, nor think it so great a Sin as you 〈◊〉 of; for was I convinced it is a Sin, I would 〈◊〉 exercising my Trade on that day for the ●…e. ●… Truly Mr. S. I think our heavenly Father hath ●…ough to convince you and I that it is a Sin, in these words, Remember thou keep Holy the Sabbat●… Because it was commanded by God to Adam i●… Innocency; and if it was necessary for our fir●… rends to have and keep a Sabbath day to serve G●… their state of Perfection, much more need thei●…●…sterity to keep the Lord's-day in this state of Co●…tion. And seeing that God himself keeps this 〈◊〉 Holy, How can that Man be Holy, that doth w●… profane it, by following his ordinary Calli●… Trade on that day? Besides, You see that God 〈◊〉 placed this Commandment in the middle of the 〈◊〉 Tables, with a watchword of solemn preparatio●… it, Remember that thou keep Holy the Sabbath-day if this was to be kept above all the rest, because 〈◊〉 keeping of it is the best help to the keeping a●… rest. S. Mr. B. In all this you say very well, but l●… tell you, That Christ is Lord of the Sabbath, and 〈◊〉 remitted the rigour of Moses' Law; for it's said 〈◊〉 Sabbath was made for Man. B. In this Mr. S. you make for me, and no●… yourself; 'tis true indeed, The Sabbath was m●… Man: But not to follow his Trade, or spen●… time in Tippling at Alehouses or Taverns. It 〈◊〉 made for Man to buy the Bread of Heaven, and 〈◊〉 Water of Life; 'tis a Market day for our Soul, 〈◊〉 we may buy the Food of Angels, the Wine o●… Sacrament, and the Milk of the Word of Go●… feed our Souls, which is to be had without 〈◊〉 and without price. And as you say Christ is Lo●… the Sabbath, which ought to make us admire the ●…derful work of our Redemption, he being Lo●… ●… Day, we ought to spend our Time in his Service▪ ●…d keep the Day to him, who risen on this Day from ●…e Dead, that we may raise our Minds and Souls to ●…wness of Life, and make all our Works spiritual; 〈◊〉 saith the Lord by the Prophet, Isa. 58. the 13th●…d 14th verses, And call the Sabbath a delight, the ●…y of the Lord, honourable, and shalt honour him, not 〈◊〉 thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, 〈◊〉 speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight 〈◊〉 self in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride ●…on the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the ●…ritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the ●…rd hath spoken it. And I think I may say God hath writ it over and ●ver again with his own Fingers in Tables of Stone, ●o signify his Authority and Perpetuity of it; for all ●…at God wrote were moral and perpetual Command●…nts, and these are reckoned Ten in number; if this ●ere taken away by Christ, or was now but an abro●…ed Ceremony, than there would be but Nine Commandments: But to end this Controversy, Christ pro●esseth in Matth. 5.17. That he came not to destroy the ●oral Law; but, as the Learned Dr. Hammond para●…aseth upon it, to repair and make up whatsoever ●…s any ways wanting: insomuch that our Saviour 〈◊〉 again in the 19th verse, Whosoever therefore 〈◊〉 break one of these least Commandments, and shall 〈◊〉 men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of ●…ven: Or be despised and rejected by God in ●…e day of Judgement, according to the said Para●…rase. S. Indeed Mr B. you have almost convinced me; ●ut if I should leave off Trading on this day, others ●ill not, and so I shall lose my Customers, it being so much practised, or else I would leave off fo●… future. B. I am glad Mr. S. to hear this ingenuous C●…fession from you, but am sorry you should mistr●… God's Providence, when it is in him we live and mo●… and have all our Being; for let me tell you plain●… that this will avail but little in the last day: we m●… not answer there, when God calls us to account fo●… the breach of this day, that we feared losing o●… Trade, or did it to get a Livelihood, this will not ●…cuse the breaking of the Commandments. And 〈◊〉 others will do it, that will be no Excuse for me; 〈◊〉 if Ten thousand break a Commandment, that w●… not give me a Dispensation, and make me guiltles●… others doing of it is no Argument that it is no S●… therefore that must not be my Rule to go by, w●… am obliged by my Baptismal Vow to fight again●… the World, and all appearance of Evil. Where Go●… commands, it is my Duty to obey, and not fear w●… the world will say, or the losing my Trade; b●… do my Duty to him, and leave the Event to h●… Providence, as Abraham did in the offering 〈◊〉 his Son; and I think it will not be amiss to she● you an Instance of God's Providence in such a Case a● yours is. It was to a Friend of mine some time since, I think it not proper to mention his Name, he was a Baker by Trade, but ever thought it unlawful to heat his Oven on the Lord's-day, so that he did not do it; and being importuned by several to heat it, he would not yield, but went to some pious and learned Divines, to know whether it was Lawful or no, they told him it was not, except in Cases of Necessity▪ but neither he nor they thought it needful for him or his Servants to work on that day to bake Puddings or Bread, since it was so plain a Breach of the Fourth Commandment. The Baker, being a good Man, did not raise these silly Objections, of losing his Trade, which you and other Men seem to do; he loved to discharge his Duty to God, and in so doing, left the Event to his Providence. And though some of his Customers left him, because he would not bake Puddings, or sell Bread on the Lordsday, that did not move the good Man, or make him mistrust God's Providence. And as God loves to reward his Servants in a visible manner, so in this Case, to let the besotted world see what happiness they miss, in not serving him; for the Scene here soon altered, and, in a little time, his Customers began to come again in greater numbers than they went away; and he had so great a Trade on the weekdays, that himself said he desired no greater so long as he lived. I might have given a fuller Account of this good Man, but it would take up too much of our time at present. S. Truly Mr. B. I wish there were more such Men as this you speak of, for indeed he had a better Faith than I have. B. Truly your Wish is good, but wishing will not do the work of God, therefore strive to make yourself what you desire others to be, and in this degenerate Age show yourself an Example to others; for God delights in a Offering, and expects his Servants should wait upon him in the midst of Difficulties. If we will give ourselves time to consider, his wages are infinitely beyond our labour; our Task is short, but our Rest will be long; and the reward of Obedience will be great, though the besotted world will not see it. S. 'Tis something strange, if it is so great a Sin as you speak of, that so many hundreds of Alehouses, Taverns and Coffeehouses should be so much frequented, and they not see the greatness of this Sin, though some of them are counted honest Men. B. It is strange, as you say, that so many should do it, and not see the greatness of the Sin, though I am apt to believe they do, but their Interest keeps them from believing in good earnest; however if they cannot, or will not see their Sin, that's no Example for you and I, as I told you before, though Ten thousand do it, that doth not take off the Sin. You see some hundreds will cousin and swear, and be drunk, yet all this while the Sin is great; for it is said, They shall not inhabit the new Jerusalem. And so here the Commandment is plain; for on the Lord's-day, Thou shalt not do any manner of Work (except Works of Necessity, Mercy or Charity) neither thou, and thy Son, and thy Daughter, thy Manservant, and thy Maidservant, and thy , and the Stranger that is within thy Gates: For, let me tell you, the Sin is greater, and aggravating so much the more, in being done by a multitude, which we are not to follow to do Evil. And though you think some of them Honest Men that do so, yet they may be Carnal; and if so, the Apostle tells us, The Carnal Man cannot conceive the things of the Spirit of God, neither doth he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. You will find all good Men in every Age have looked upon it as a Sin, and some Hundreds have writ against it, also the Laws of the Land are leveled against it, but I wish they were put more in execution against all those Men that profane the Sabbath. It is not long since our Gracious QUEEN did send a Letter to the Justices of Middlesex, I believe you may remember it, to put the Laws in execution against profaning the Lord's-day, and other Sins; And in the Order which the Justices put out, They were to punish all Persons that frequented either Alehouses, Taverns or Coffeehouses, as well out of Divine Service as in; And that none should expose their Goods to Sale on the Lord's-day. This put me in mind of a Friend of mine who was walking along the Streets at that time, and seeing a Woman exposing her Fruit and Herbs to Sale, he spoke to her of the ill Consequence of it, and told her, She ought to go to Church, and serve God. The Woman replied, She took more Money on the Lord's-day than any day of the week, and she could not live if she did not do it. My Friend, said he to the good woman, if you would but keep the Lord's-day as you ought, and not sell your things on that day, but shut up your Cellar, and go to Church, and serve God; and when you come home, spend your time in reading the Word of God, using Prayer, and rendering Praises to him for all his Mercies. In so doing, you need not doubt but God will be infinitely kind, and send a blessing upon your Labour the rest of the Week, which you cannot expect while you make a Market-day of his Sabbath. The woman accepted of his Counsel, took in her things, shut up her doors, and went to Church. My Friend called upon the poor woman some time after, and she was glad to see him, and thanked him for his good Advice, saying, She had found his words true; for ever since she had kept the Sabbath-day, she sold more things on Mondays and Tuesdays, than before she used to do all the week. S. Your Friend I think did very well, I wish others would do the same; for this Story of yours puts me in mind of a Book that I have of Sir Matthew Hales', where he saith something to this effect if I am not mistaken: If you please I'll fetch the Book, and read that Passage to you. B. I Pray do, if it be not too great a trouble for you. S. " The Passage is this, 'tis in a Letter to his Children: Because I have by long and sound Experience found that the due observance of this Day, [meaning the Lord's-day] and the Duties of it, have been of singular Comfort and Advantage to me, and I doubt not but it will prove so to you. God Almighty is Lord of our Time, and lends it to us, and 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 Observation of this Day, hath ever had joined to it a Blessing upon the rest of my Time, and the week that hath so begun hath been blessed and prosperous to me. " On the other side, when I have been negligent of the Duties of this Day, the rest of the week hath been unsuccessful and unhappy to my own secular Employment; so that I could easily make an Estimate of my Successes 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 inconsiderably, but upon a long and sound Observation and Experience, because I find in the world much Looseness and Apostasy from their Duty. People begin to be Cold and Careless in it, allowing themselves Sports and Recreations, and Secular Employments in it, without any necessity, which is a sad Spectacle, and an ill presage. It concerns me therefore (that am your Father) as much as I may to rescue you from that Sin which the Examples of others, and the Inclinations, and Inconsiderateness of Youth is otherwise apt to lead you into." I will read no further at this time to you, by reason I would have some more Discourse with you, since you have been so kind to come and spend this time with me. B. I think what you have read to me is much to the purpose of what I came to you about; I am glad to see you have so good a Book, I hope you will read it a little oftener than I fear you have done, pray pardon my course Compliment, for I fear you have not much minded it heretofore; for I find here is further Directions in this Book, for he saith, It is not a necessity to do a work upon this Day, when it might be done upon another Day; this makes me more admire at you, having so good a Book, and in it so good Reasons against the exercising of your Trade on the Lord's-Day; for shame be of another mind, and leave off for the future. S. Alas! I have a great many good Books, though with shame I may say it, I have not minded them: I have the Practice of Piety, and the Duty of Man, besides the Holy Bible, and other good Books; I hope God will forgive me for the neglect of them. Indeed I was never so much convinced as I am at this time by your Discourse; that for the future, through the Grace of God, I will be more careful. B. I pray God you may; I would fain recommend to you that Passage in the Practice of Piety about keeping the Lord's-Day, since you say you have the Book; and when you read it, apply it to yourself, and consider well the truth of what is said; do not read it carelessly, but consider your Soul lies at stake, and it is worth your taking care of: I pray you pardon me for being so earnest with you, for I desire no other thing than the good of your Soul. S. I thank you hearty for taking so much pains with me, I am satisfied you do it for my good; and my own Conscience tells me I ought to take your advice, only I am afraid of losing my Trade, except others would leave off as well as me, and I could do it cheerfully. B. Alas, This is a Childish reasoning; for if other men will poison themselves, why should you; if other men be never so bad, that's no Example for you to follow; if they are unreasonable, why should you lose your Wits; do but look upon your Soul as worth more than all the Riches of the World; And if other men will venture the hazard of their Souls by profaning this Day of the Lord's, why should you; if they drink, cheat and abuse themselves, must you do so too; How can you be afraid of want, when you do not see a Bird starve or die for want of food? and if we cannot live so high as we have done before, yet you will find more content; for how can want be so grievous, when we consider the Author and Captain of our Salvation was in want, and his Followers were so too, and yet did live in Heaven; therefore if thy Calling is an occasion of sinning, away with it, and turn Ploughman or Servant, rather than live in a breach of a known Command, or Sin; Seek first the Kingdom of heaven, and its righteousness, and look after the Concerns of your Soul; and then as for Necessaries, thy God will not suffer thee to want them. S. I am convinced, and through the Grace of God I will leave off exercising my Trade on the Lord's-Day for the future. B. I must confess you make my heart rejoice to hear this Answer from you; I pray God keep you always in the same mind; and I do not doubt but you will find a great deal of comfort in it, and more than at present you can expect; and this put me in mind of a certain Friend of mine that kept a Coffee-house, and he would not sell any Coffee on the Lord's-Day; some of his Customers began to leave him; and though he was so strict as they call it, because he would not open his Doors on that day to let in men to drink a Dish of Coffee, they told him that they thought there was no harm in it; but, said he, that will not excuse me who think it is harm; for if I may follow my Calling, you may as well follow yours; and since you think it is a sin for you to open your Shop, and keep your Servants at work; Why should I keep mine, since making and selling of Coffee is work to my Servants. I think they ought not to do it, nor myself neither, for I never did, nor I hope never shall. The Man was as good as his word, and certainly he lost nothing by it, for he is now become a rich Man, and I hope you will follow his Example. For I think it is a great shame to see so many keep their Servants at home to draw drink, and others to sell things when they should be at Church, or in Reading the Word of God, or in some other Exercise suitable for the day, for it is counted a Persecution when we are forced from the Church and Public Worship. If then there can be a Persecution, I think he that denies himself, and his Servants, the Opportunity of coming to the Public Worship of God on the Lord's-day, is his own Persecutor. So that I am afraid it doth too evidently appear in many places, that God is more dishonoured, and the Devil better served on that day, than all the Days of the Week besides; and for aught I know, the Judgements we now lie under, may be owing to the Profaner of the Lord's-day; for when we consider how much Righteousness exalteth a Nation, so Sin is a Reproach to any People. We have reason to bewail this National Sin, and do all that lies in our Power to Remedy it; and I think we have reason to pray for these Magistrates, that put the Law in Execution against those that profane the Lord's-day. S. I have no more to say against what you have said, only this, I wish that your Discourse with me at this time, was all Written or Printed, That I might communicate it to some of my Brother-Traders, in hopes that it might convince some of them, as now it hath done me, blessed be God for it. B. I am willing to do all the good I can, and if you think this Discourse may be of any use to the Public Good, I will recollect my mind, and write it out for you. S. In so doing, you will very much oblige me, and I hope it will convince some others also, as well as myself. B. Dear Friend, having performed my promise, so far as I can remember, I have written our dispute; but I must recommend it to you with a little Advice, it being written in such a homely Dress that when you communicate it to your Friends, you would desire them to consider the good Intention, and the truth of what is said, and in that nature apply it to themselves; and in so doing, to read it over and over again, not as School boys do their Lessons but as one that is in danger of his Soul by living in the Sin it treats of For since I had this Discourse with you, I met with an honest Man that hath kept an Alehouse for Twenty or Thirty years; and I telling him some part of our Discourse, he told me, That so long as he had kept an Alehouse, he never let any Company come into his House to drink on the Lord's-day. And he thought he had a better Trade by so doing; and said further to our Discourse, That he could wish all Men would do the same, for he believeth they would live better without a Sunday-trade, than with it. Having these words from a good Man that hath felt the Comfort and Benefit of serving God on this day, I writ them down that others may take Example by him, for I do assure you of the truth of it, as well as I do of all the rest. So praying that it may do good to your Friends, as well to yourself. I must desire once more they would apply it to their own Souls, it being purely designed for God's Glory, and their Good. Which shall be the hearty Prayer of your ever Loving Friend and Brother in Christ Jesus to serve you, B. ☞ Judgements upon Sabbath breakers and other wickednesses, Read these Scriptures following, Exodus 31.14. and Exod. 35.2. Numb. 15. from 30. v. to 37. Ezek. 20.12,13, etc. Read 22. and 23. Chapters, of Ezek. Jer. 17.27. Nehemiah ch. 13. 15. v. to the 23. Leu. 26.14. etc. Promises Annexed to the Keeping of the Sabbath, Leviticus 26.2,3,4. & Isa 56.2. Isa. 58.13,14. Jer. 17.24,25. Isa. 56.2, etc. FINIS. Books sold by William Marshal at the Bible in Newgate-street. Meditations and Discourses concerning the Glory of Christ; Applied unto unconverted Sinners and Saints, under spiritual decays, by Dr. Owen, price bound 1 s. where you may be supplied with most of Dr. Owen's Writings, and Mr. Beverly's.