2. That which makes time so precious mainly the salvation of our precious and immortal souls all eternity, depends thereupon. Upon the imp of this short moment of time, depends a long-las never-ending eternity. 3. The expense which God the author of time create and beget it for us, shows the preciousn Why? God, by his almighty power, doth continua about these great Juminaries of sun, moon and star annual and diurnal revolutions, to beget and fur to us; and these do never halt nor stop. nor come their appointed times of rising and setting, and a service of man, that he may have time for the s his Maker, and the saving of his soul. 4. The haste that time doth make, and the cons of its shortness, that it will quickly be gone, and 1 nute of it can never be recalled, shows forth its pre 5. Also the important business we have for ( ment of our time, although each of us had a thous to live, the service of God, and saving of our soul a vast work, as would require every minute of it. 6. We are ready to pass into another world, a state, where every minute of our time must be a for, and then it must fare with us eternally, as spent and improven this short time here. 7. For as precious as time is, it is undervalued a ed away more than any thing else. It is seldom tice of, until it is quite past away from us; we n sider its worth and usefulness till it is just ending 8. 'Tis most just that he who hath the ordering and disposing of all things else concerning us, should be also the supreme Lord and disposer of our time, and therefore hath right to determine what time is to be allotted for our work, and what for his: And most just it is. that he, from whom we have all our time, should have his choice of it. 9 Of all time Sabbath-time is the most precious and valwable; it being the time God has allotted and set apart for himself, and upon the improvement whereof the glory of God and salvation of our souls depend in a most peculiar manner; it being the day of special access to God, and of free commerce and correspondence between heaven and earth. It is heaven's weekly market day, or God's dealday to the poor and needy; the day of access to God's presence-chamber. Time by some is compared to a gold ring, and the Sabbath to she sparkling diamond, which gives it its lustre, and heightens its value. Wherefore, if we be wise, we will show a peculiar esteem for the Sabbath above all the days of the week; we will reckon every moment of Sabbath-time most precious, and desire that none of it may be mispent. What Christ said to his disciples concerning the loaves and the fishes, the like he seems to speak to us concerning his holy day, "Gather up the fragments," gather up all the parcels, the spare hours and minutes of it; account them as precious as the goldsmith doth the smallest filing of his gold, and let nothing of Sabbath-time be lost. Exhortation. Above all time redeem carefully Sabbathtime, and improve it diligently. Consider what a blessing the Sabbath is to you, if rightly improven: 1. An inn for refreshing the weary traveller, that hath been toiled and tossed with storms through the week. 2. It is Christ's weekly market-day, wherein he sets forth the richest wares and commodities for us to buy, " without money and without price," Rev. iii. 18. 3. It is the King of heaven's public deal-day, wherein he deals his bread to the hungry, and gives alms to the poor and needy. 4. It is the conversion, of inbringing and gathering the elect. Multitudes have been brought in to Christ this day. 5. It is a day of access to God, and correspondence with heaven; a day when Christ is to be seen and conversed with. You may not only have correspondence with Christ at a distance. but immediate access. You may be taken into the palace, the pre ce chamber, and see the King in his beauty, hear his ce. get the kisses of his mouth, the embraces of his arms; should not this time be redeemed? 6. It is the day neaven's festival, wherein Christuseth to feast his saints h the fatness of his house. 7. It is a day of reaping and mering, and for laying up in store for the time to come. A day for ascending the mount of transfiguration, to see rist transfigured; a day of ascending to mount Pisgah, ee the land that is afar off. 2. Redeem Sabbath-time, for it is flying fast away; you y have but a few more Sabbaths to enjoy. The Sabbath ast approaching that will be your last Sabbath, after ich you shall see no more in this world. . Redeem Sabbath-time, for much depends on it, the ry of God, and salvation of your immortal souls through rnity. So important is the business that depends on the provement of your Sabbath-time, that it would call for improvement of every moment: Yea, though each of ■had ten thousand Sabbaths to spend, the service of God, saving of your souls, is such a vast work, as would rere every minute of them. 1. Redeem Sabbath-time, for we cannot recall one Sabh that is past; no, though we had a world to give for Sabbath, we could not recall it. O many will be put day to wish and cry in vain, O to recover one of these : Sabbaths, wherein I had the free rich offer of a cruci| Christ. . Redeem Sabbath-time, for you are just ready to pass another world, where you must give a strict account of ry Sabbath you have enjoyed, and answer for every minute precious Sabbath-time. How will you answer for all the baths you have misimproven, for the Sabbaths of threere years, which are above three thousand: O that will a terrible item in the accounts of old graceless sinners. Directions in redeeming Sabbath-time. 1. Carefully id whatever hinders it; as, 1. Atheism, or misbelief of truth, and of the great end and design of the Sabbath. Ignorance. Many are so ignorant, that they think if y pass away the Sabbath without any gross breach of it, y do well enough. 3. Sloth and laziness. Up and be ng. --- 2. If you would redeem Sabbath-time, repent of former misimprovements, and humble yourselves for lost Sabbaths, and cry for mercy through Christ's atoning blood. 3. Study to recompence former mismanagements by your future diligence; as a traveller who finds himself like to be benighted by his former laziness mends his pace, and goes as many miles now in one hour, as formerly he did in two. 4. Spend every Sabbath now as it were your last; and this approaching Sabbath be as diligent on it, as if it were your last: prepare for it in the evening; get up early next morning, pray, read, meditate, examine yourself, and wrestle for God's presence with you in the ordinances. 5. Hearken presently to Christ's calls in the word; believe and embrace Christ's doctrine and his righteousness, and close with him as your only help and remedy. MEDITATION V. Upon John xx. 20. And when he so said, he showed them his hands and his feet. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. THIS was the first Christian Sabbath, and upon it the disciples met for the work and duties of the day, prayer and godly conference. Well, did the disciples meet for this work? Christ will not let them part without his peace and blessing. He comes in the midst of them, when the doors were shut; no doors nor bands can shut out Christ's presence from his disciples; and what is his salutation to them ? "Peace be unto you." A most comprehensive blessing! This was the legacy he had left them a few days before, and now he makes prompt and ready payment of it to them, he will not be long owing it. Quest. What sort of peace is it? Ans. Peace with God, peace of conscience, and peace with one another. This was a blessing most suitable to them, who were so full of fears and disorders. After this salutation he gives them a most comfortable discovery of his pierced hands and side, to convince them of the truth of his resurrection, which they were still in doubt of, by the marks and scars of the wounds which had n made a few days before by the nails and spear: he ws them that the body they now saw alive, was the same ividual body they and many others had seen dead on the as a few days before. From this, Observe 1. That Christ retained the scars of his wounds er his resurrection. He was not ashamed of them, but ried in them, as conquerors glory in the marks of their unds after bloody battles. Moreover, Christ had use for m; 1. They were to speak on earth, and demonstrate - truth of his resurrection to the world, particularly to avince unbelieving Thomas. 2. They were to speak in aven, by the intercession that he makes for his people ere, in doing whereof he shews his wounds, and therefore ascended with them, and now appears in midst of the -one as a lamb slain, with his wounds as it were bleeding resh, Rev. v. 6. S. Nay, he retains them, that he may me back with them; for it seems they will be then visie, that enemies may look on him whom they pierced, Rev. "Behold he cometh with clouds: and every eye shal! e him, and they also which pierced him." 7. 2. Observe the condescension and pains of a crucified Je3 to satisfy his disciples. He shewed them his hands: e is at pains first to open his hands, to let them see the arks of the wounds he got by the nails driven therein.ext he opens his breast, to let them see the wound he got his side by the spear that was thrust into it. O the conscension of our Lord, to confirm the faith of his poor ggering and doubting disciples. 3. Observe the effect and impression of this sight upon e disciples, " they were glad when they saw the Lord," revived their drooping spirits, it convinced their doubting arts, and strengthened their faith; and faith produces y, Rom. xv. 13. 1 Pet. i. 8. Now Christ fulfilled what said, John xvi. 22. "I will see you again, and your heart all rejoice." Doctrine. A believing and appropriating view of the ounds of a crucified and risen Jesus, is a most joyful sight. Quest. What grounds of joy have we in this sight? Ans. 1. This sight shews that Christ hath loved us, and ven himself for us, who were objects of wrath. Bb |