THE PREFACE

TO "HOLINESS OF TIMES, PLACES, AND PEOPLE," &c.

WHEN I tell the world the various occasions of writing these papers

which are here collected, my design is rather to gratify the curiosity of my readers, than to add any particular illustrations to the subjects here treated of.

The first of these essays, viz. "On the Perpetuity of the Sabbath, and the Observation of the Lord's day," owes its rise to a practical discourse on that subject, which is printed among the sermons preached at Berry-street, in the year 1733. While I was composing it, my thoughts were drawn out too largely in the argumentative part, which I therefore cut off and laid aside, reserving it for some other opportunity of publication. Since that time 1 had occasion to review this discourse, and though I think the scheme there proposed to be just and right, yet if there be any weakness in any of the distinct parts of it, I pointed them out in the second appendix; and if they should upon the strictest examination prove insufficient to support my conclusions, I there take the freedom to inform the world, what would be my succedaneous sentiments on this theme. But still I cannot but conclude that the great expediency of a sabbath through all the ages of mankind, comes very near to a necessity: And if the observation of a Lord's-day be not directly an institution of Christ, yet it comes as near as possible, that is, the direction and example of the apostles.

"The Second Essay on the Hour of the Day for the Administration of the Lord's-supper," arose from the scruples of a pious soul now with God, who found some uneasiness of conscience about receiving the holy communion at noon, according to the custom of many churches. This was written about the year 1710. The third discourse was a sermon preached on Thursday the 20th of October, 1737, at the opening of a new meetinghouse, built near Wapping, by the congregation under the pastoral care of my worthy and esteemed friend Mr. David Jennings ;" and when I transeribed it in order to be published at the earnest request of many of my friends, it received a considerable enlargement both in the doctrinal and the practical part. The fourth arose from my own meditations and anxious enquiries, "Why the forms and rites of all the Jewish worship were much more exactly prescribed by Moses to the Jews, than the forms of worshipping in christian assemblies seem to be prescribed by Christ, or his apostles? This has lain by me near thirty years, according to my best remembrance.

The last dissertation, viz. "On the Difference between the Visible and Invisible Church, and the distinct Holiness of the Jewish Church and the christian, written in the year 1732," took its rise from a growing opinion which I found in the world, viz. that the language of the prophets, both in divine threatenings and promises, addressed to Israel and Sion, must be extended no further than the Jewish church; and that the discourses of the apostles to the converted gentile churches concerning their former state, refer only to the idolatrous heathens; and that some of the duties prescribed to them with such earnestness, particularly that of faith in Christ, must almost entirely be constructed to the use of those primitive converts from superstition

and idolatry. Now if these opinions prevail, the writings of the prophets and apostles will seem to me to be too much impoverished and curtailed, and a great part of the advantage of these writings, both of the prophets and the apostles, will be cut off from christians in the present age, because they never were of the seed of Israel, nor have ever been idolatrous heathens, or utterly ignorant of the true God, and Christ Jesus his Son.

The consideration of the holiness of places of worship in my late sermon being urged to the press, inclined me to review many of my manuscripts, and to take these papers out of them which had any cognation or affinity to the same subject, viz. "The Holiness of Times, Places, or People, and to publish them together under this title. If my meditations on any of these arguments shall so far find acceptance with my readers, as to lead them into any clearer ideas of some part of our common christianity, let every degree of knowledge awaken some thankfulness to God, and some happy improvement in the christian life.

Newington, May 4, 1738.

I. WATTS.

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THE HOLINESS

OF

TIMES, PLACES, AND PEOPLE, &

DISCOURSE I.

The Perpetuity of a Sabbath, and the Observation of the Lord's-day.

IT is an unhappy thing indeed, that that very day, which God originally designed for a sacred rest here on earth, and appointed it to be a pledge and emblem of eternal rest in heaven, should become a matter of noisy dispute and contention in his church; but God hath seen fit to exercise our faith and patience with some darknesses and difficulties even in his own worship in this world, that we may breathe and long after the light and glory of the future state, with that more perfect rest, and more exalted worship, which is enjoyed and practised in the world above.

Several of the controversies which have risen, with regard to the sabbath, whether Jewish or christian, and the holiness of it, though they are not of the highest importance among the doctrines and duties of christianity, yet neither are they mean and trifling; for as we ought not to release the souls and consciences of men from any of the obligations which God and Christ have laid on them; so neither should we lay any yokes on the necks of disciples, from which Christ hath released them. However, since there seems to have been one day in seven appointed for rest from labour, or separated for divine worship, from the beginning of the world, through every dispensation of God to men, I cannot but think there is something of a moral nature in it; and on this account, I suppose God was pleased to begin a sabbath, as soon as he had made a creature who could observe it, and that he designed there should be a sabbath as long as the creature continued on earth; Gen. ii. 2. God rested on the seventh day from all his work, which he had made, and God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, or pronounced it holy.

But that we may go on in a regular train of argument, and yet be as brief as possible, I shall sum up my best thoughts on this subject, in the following propositions:

I. "Though man be placed on the earth for labour, or business

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in this life; yet he ought sometimes to enjoy rest from his earthly Jabours, and sometime pay worship to the God of heaven." Both these are taught us by the light of reason. There will be some seasons wherein the animal nature of man and beast require some rest from their toil, and that besides the mere sleep of the night. Constant and unceasing toil and labour, from morning to evening, thoughout our whole life, would wear out natures made of flesh and blood too fast, and this would not be dealing well with our bodies, our servants, or our cattle. There must be some seasons also, wherein God our Creator must have worship paid him by his creature man; and as he is a creature made for society, he ought to acknowledge God in societies, and to pay him some public worship; and there must be some certain times appointed for this purpose. This also the light of reason requires.

Let it be observed further, there is some natural connection between these two, viz. rest and worship; for when man is at rest from his own labours, he is more at leisure for religion, and the service of God: And when he performs worship to God, he must rest from his common labours. A vigorous employment of the head and hands, in the works of the natural life, is not consistent at the same time with such devotion as God requires of men, either in public or private, which I shall have occasion to mention again before I conclude.

II. "The light of nature and reason doth not evidently teach us what part of time, or how much should be devoted to bodily rest, and to divine worship." Can we absolutely determine, whether some part of every day is sufficient and most proper for both these purposes, or whether we should separate on this account one whole day out of five or ten, seven or seventeen ? Who can assign the just medium between too much and too little? Human prudence indeed, and common experience will teach us in the main, that since social or public worship should be performed to God by many persons or families at once, it seems to be more convenient that a whole day should be separated now and then, rather than to make perpetual interruptions of the business of life, by separating a small part of every day for this purpose; and prudence will also teach us, that this whole day should be publicly known and appointed, at least by consent, and common agreement. But there would be endless differences of opinion what day this should be, and how often it should return, if it were left merely to the fancies, conveniences, and agreements of men. Some of a covetous and cruel temper would scarce allow One day in twenty for rest to their servants or cattle: some have so little love to religion, that they would think one in forty enough, for God. Others of a different make would perhaps incline to one day in four or five: And thus there would be probably a continual confusion in this matter, and neither the seasons of rest, nor of worship, well proportioned to the days of labour.

III. "To guard against all those inconveniences, assoon as God had made man, and set him to labour in the garden of Eden, he appointed him one day in seven to be a day of rest from labour, and also a season of religion and worship; Gen. ii. 3. God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it God rested from his works. This secured our first parents from any doubts of this kind; and had this been faithfully observed by their posterity, it would have maintained labour and rest, business and worship, in their due proportions, and have secured mankind also from many doubts and contentions on this subject. Reason teaches us to rest, and to worship; and though we cannot determine, with any certainty, by our reasonings, the precise quantity of time which is necessary to relieve animal nature by rest, after its labours; nor can we tell which is a just proportion of time to be assigned to God, and employed for worship and holy purposes; yet God in his infinite wisdom well knew the nature and relations of things, all the necessities of our animal matures, and the dues of his worship, and by the same wisdom he has ordained one day in seven for both these. And I am persuaded there is something perfectly proper, just and reasonable in the very nature of things in the appointment of this proportion of time, viz. one day in seven, for religious worship, as well as for bodily rest, which divine reason sees plainly, and because man's reason cannot find it out, God has revealed it to him from the beginning of the world. Reason teaches us to honour our parents, but which are our parents, must be told us by men, before we can honour them. It is a moral law, yet we need information of the object before the law can be obeyed: So it is with the sabbath.

The chief thing expressly mentioned in the institution of the sabbath, is a day of rest from the common labours and businesses of life; and by comparing this with other texts of the Old and New Testament, it seems to be designed for these several ends : -1. To give our natures proper refreshment, as well as to relieve the cattle from their toils, which could not well bear incessant labour.-2. To imitate the great God our Maker, who, after six days spent in creating the world, rested from his work on the seventh, and is represented as surveying the works of his hand, and pronouncing them good. And as man was made in the image of his Maker, so he was appointed to act like him in this respect, that is, to rest from his labours, and spend that time in contemplating, and honouring his Creator.-3. To preserve a lasting remembrance of the creation of the world in six days among the following generations of men, and hereby secure mankind against idolatry, or forgetting the true God who made the world.-4. To be a token and pledge to Adam, of the state of peace and rest VOL. III.

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